Presbyterian Mission Agency

Follow the 60th Session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women

women’s empowerment and sustainable development

Over thirty Presbyterians, including fourteen young adults, will attend the 60th Session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women from March 14-25, 2016 in New York. The Presbyterian presence is made possible because the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is an accredited non-governmental organization with the United Nations' Economic and Social Council. The Presbyterian delegation is recruited and supported through a partnership between Presbyterian Women in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Racial Ethnic & Women's Ministries, and the Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations.

Learn more about Presbyterian participation in the Commission at:

• Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations’ Facebook page
• Presbyterian Women’s Facebook page
• Racial Ethnic Young Women Together’s Facebook page
• Young Women's Ministry & Presbyterian College Women Facebook page
• Stop Sexual Violence PC(USA) Facebook page
• The Swords into Plowshares blog

• Presbyterian Women Justice and Peace blog
  Ecumenical Women’s blog
  Ecumenical Women’s Facebook page
  The Commission on the Status of Women’s Facebook page
  UN Women’s 60th Commission on the Status of Women Web Page

The Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations, Ecumenical Women, and others will use Twitter during the Commission. Hashtags will include #PCUSACSW60, #CSW60, and #EcuWomenCSW.

Watch for additional sources of information.

The priority theme for the 60th Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women will be "Women’s empowerment and its link to sustainable development".

Advocacy Training Weekend 2016

APRIL 15–18, 2016 IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

Advocacy Training Weekend consists of Compassion Peace and Justice Training Day (April 15) and Ecumenical Advocacy Days (April 15-18).

“Lift every voice and sing, Till earth and heaven ring, Ring with the harmonies of Liberty; Let our rejoicing rise High as the list’ning skies, Let it resound loud as the rolling sea...Let us march on till victory is won.” –James Weldon Johnson

“Lift Every Voice: Racism, Class, and Power”

In our neighborhoods and around the world, social, economic, corporate, and political powers are working to reduce citizens’ access to decision-making. These practices violate the rights and silence the voices of those most affected by these decisions and severely hamper the ability of all citizens to determine the best policies for our communities and nations. As Christians, God calls us to lift up all voices so that we the people might regain influence in the policies that affect our nation and our world. Come to Advocacy Training Weekend April 15-18 and lift up your voice for transparent and participatory government at home and abroad.

At Compassion Peace and Justice Training Day, we will take a look at how Presbyterians are working to address the suppression of political and economic rights of people of color, immigrants, workers, and the poor in our own country and abroad. We will examine how decisions that affect the global economy, our day-to-day life, and the well-being of the entire global community are being made in secret with little or no transparency or accountability.

Join the ecumenical community for Ecumenical Advocacy Days, beginning the evening of Friday April 15^th and culminating with a lobby day on Monday April 18^th. Lift up your voice alongside other people of faith as you speak truth to power concerning the suppression of political and economic rights and the corporate undermining of the local voices of ordinary people, in the U.S. and around the world.

Download the Flyer!

GENERAL INFORMATION

COMPASSION PEACE AND JUSTICE TRAINING DAY

• Date: Friday, April 15, 2016
• Time: 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
• Location: New York Avenue Presbyterian Church (1313 New York Ave. NW, Washington, D.C.)
• Cost: $75 (CPJ Day, not attending EAD), $55 (CPJ Day, also attending EAD), $30 (CPJ Day, students/youth under 30) (Prices will go up $10 after February 1, 2016)

REGISTER NOW

ECUMENICAL ADVOCACY DAYS

• Date: Friday, April 15 - Monday, April 18, 2016
• Time: Begins at 7:00pm  April 15
• Location: Crystal City Double Tree (300 Army-Navy Drive)
• Cost: $199 (Early Bird Registration through March 18), $215 (Registration after March 18), $110 (One-day registration)

LEARN MORE ABOUT EAD 

HOTEL INFORMATION

A discount rate for both events will be offered at the Double Tree Crystal City. Click here for more information and to book a room.

Human Rights of children in Palestine and Israel

Each year hundreds of Palestinian children are arrested by Israeli forces and prosecuted in the Israeli military court system. The United Nations and many human rights groups are concerned by reports from Palestinian children that detail cruel punishments, substandard conditions, and a lack of basic fundamental due process rights in these military courts.

According to the Israeli human rights organization, B’Tselem, as of the end of March 2015, 184 Palestinian minors were held in Israeli custody.   B’Tselem notes, “the military law applied in the West Bank…denies them the protections accorded to minors under both international and Israeli law.”  A 2013 UNICEF report states, “Ill-treatment of Palestinian children in the Israeli military detention system appears to be widespread, systematic and institutionalized.”  While noting positive progress on some fronts, a UNICEF update this year states, “The data demonstrates the need for further actions to improve the protection of children in military detention, as reports of alleged ill-treatment of children during arrest, transfer, interrogation and detention have not significantly decreased in 2013 and 2014.”

The American Friends Service Committee has posted video clips from a June 2, 2015 Congressional Briefing. Young Adult Volunteers with the Presbyterian Office of Public Witness led the worship at an Interfaith Vigil on the occasion of the International Day for Protection of Children, Monday, June 1, at noon, at the U.S. Capitol's Upper Senate Park, 200 New Jersey Ave NW, Washington, DC 20001. The vigil will highlight the issue of Palestinian children in Israeli detention and focus on the need to protect all children, both within our US communities and abroad. 

Israeli CHILDREN 

Israel has ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Israel has reported their progress in implementing the convention to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child. The Committee's observations reflect on Israel's achievements in relation to the convention and offer recommendations for further actions. 

The 221st General Assembly (2014) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) called the church's attention to this issue and directed the Presbyterian Mission Agency, to create information documents, study guides, or other educational materials using information, research, and statistics from the Palestinian Authority and the State of Israel, United Nations agencies, including OCHA and UNICEF, and other human rights or nongovernmental organizations, such as B’Tselem, Defense for Children International Palestine, and Amnesty International to be made available through digital download at the PC(USA) website, as well as links to materials and research from other organizations.

OTher arab countries

The action of the 221st General Assembly (2014) called the church's attention to human rights issues of Israeli and Palestinian children. Defense for Children International Palestine has recently released a report on the situation of children’s rights in 10 Arab countries.

Boycott Israeli Settlement Products

Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Decision to Boycott

The 220th General Assembly (2012) approved a denomination-wide boycott of all Israeli products coming from the occupied Palestinian territories by a 71% vote. The motion included:

• Call upon all nations to prohibit the import of products made by enterprises in Israeli settlements on Palestinian land.
• Call for the boycott of all Israeli products coming from the occupied Palestinian Territories. Products include:
• AHAVA Dead Sea Laboratories Beauty Products and dates grown by Hadiklaim, The Israel Date Growers Co-Operative Ltd, often marked by the brand names: King Solomon Dates and Jordan River.
• Other Israeli products made in occupied Palestinian Territories are listed at whoprofits.org.
• Direct the Stated Clerk to communicate this action to all other PC(USA) councils and entities and invite and strongly encourage those groups and organizations to endorse this boycott until significant progress toward Palestinian rights and independence can be reported to the General Assembly or General Assembly Mission Council.
• Read the full resolution
• Read a letter from Gradye Parsons, Stated Clerk of the General Assembly

Resources

Find resources to help interpret and carry out the campaign from the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), other denominations, and ecumenical and secular organizations.

PC(USA) Boycott Flyer: Download

Four-page product summary: Download

Bulletin Insert: Download

Minute for Mission: Download

Holy Discontentment: Boycott! The Power of the Pocketbook to Create Social Change Download

Observe an Orange Day on the 25th of each month

Help “Orange the World” for the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence from 25 November to 10 December

On the 25^th of each month – join people around the world in observing an Orange Day to work for an end to violence against women and girls. In August,  the UNiTE to End Violence against Women invites us to plan to “Orange the World” for the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence from 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, to Human Rights Day on 10 December.

Share your ideas and ways your congregation observes Orange Days.

View young adult interns as they reflect on their commitment to end violence against women and girls.

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How to schedule a seminar

Amid the restless spirits and often-tough diplomacy of the United Nations, the Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations helps inspire, equip and connect Presbyterians for ministry as faithful disciples of Jesus in the global community. We educate with the hope of helping individuals live out God’s call in Christ to live with compassion, seek peace, and pursue justice wherever they go.

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Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations

The Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations represents the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) at the United Nations. Staff members help inspire, equip and connect Presbyterians for ministry as faithful disciples of Jesus in the global community. The Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations helps Presbyterians witness for justice and peace, in the name of Jesus Christ, within the United Nations community based on the policies of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) General Assembly. Through the Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations, the church responds to Christ’s call to bring good news to the poor, proclaim release to the captives and to let the oppressed go free. The church lives out the reality that “God sends the church in the power of the Holy Spirit to share with Christ in establishing God's just, peaceable, and loving rule in the world."  (Book of Order, G-3.0300)