Swords into plowshares
About this blog
Swords into Plowshares is the blog of the Peacemaking Program and the Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations of the Presbyterian Mission Agency of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
Seeking peace. Striving for justice. Together.
Recent posts
- Three Prayer Concerns - May 23
- Summer 2013 intern at the Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations - Brendan Welsh
- Summer 2013 intern at the Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations - Marissa Costello
- Hold Sudanese Human Rights Violators Accountable!
- US remarks at high-level talks on trafficking
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Posts with tag: united states
October 25, 2012A revolutionary idea
“There is nothing more revolutionary than the idea ‘love your neighbor!’' Germán Zárate reminded the group who gathered at the Church Center for the United Nations on October 23, 2012. Germán, Director of the Diaconal of the Iglesia Presbiteriana de Colombia and the Rev. Mamie Broadhurst, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) mission co-worker in Colombia, spoke about the ministry of the church in Colombia.
The Iglesia Presbiteriana de Colombia, supported by U.S.-based partners, ministers to our sisters and brothers who have been displaced in Colombia. This ministry involves working to address the human rights crisis ...
August 30, 2012
The world is over-armed and peace is under-funded
Below is an op-ed from United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. Here, he states, "Massive military spending and new investments in modernizing nuclear weapons have left the world over-armed -- and peace under-funded."June 21, 2012
Seeking peace in Colombia
The 219th General Assembly (2010) approved an overture “On Assisting with a Process for Negotiation of a Peace Accord in Colombia.”
The action directed “the Stated Clerk of the PC(USA) to write the administration of President Barack Obama and the Congress of the United States of America seeking the permanent suspension of the U.S. military use of seven Colombian bases initiated in 2009.”
The General Assembly further directed “appropriate offices of the General Assembly Mission Council (GAMC) to work with ecumenical partners to monitor and post periodic updates on the impact of United States military use of ...
April 11, 2012
A prayer for peace as the Quartet meets
From Churches for a Middle East Peace:
In late April the United Nations Security Council is scheduled to hold its quarterly open debate on the Middle East. The focus of discussion will likely be whether the Quartet—comprised of the European Union, Russia, the United Nations and the United States—has been able to achieve sufficient impetus to have the Israeli-Palestinian peace process move in a positive direction. In preparation for that discussion the Quartet meets today in Washington, DC.
As people of faith, on this occasion we ask you to pray for peace and for God to make a ...
August 18, 2011
Human rights and ageing
A reflection on the Open-ended Working Group on Ageing for the purpose of strengthening the protection of Human Rights of older persons
August 1-4, 2011
Peng Leong
First Chinese Presbyterian Church of New York City
Volunteer Intern, Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations
I have been working with older persons for many years in my church as a member of the Board of Community Affairs Corporation running social and educational programs in my own corner of the world—New York’s Lower East Side. Our mission is to provide home care services to older persons so that they can remain ...
August 17, 2011
Situation in Southern Kordofan
Statement by Ambassador Susan E. Rice, U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations, on the Report of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on Southern Kordofan, August 16, 2011
The United States welcomes the report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the increasingly dire situation in Southern Kordofan. We are deeply disturbed by the reports of extrajudicial killings, attacks on civilians, mass graves, arbitrary detentions, abductions, house to house searches, forced displacements, and other clear violations of humanitarian law. We strongly support Commissioner Pillay’s recommendations, including immediate, unhindered access for humanitarian assistance and ...
July 27, 2011
Official summary of UN Security Council meeting on the Middle East and Palestine
Below is the official summary from the United Nations Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East and the question of Palestine held yesterday.
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6590th meeting of the Security Council
The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question
The agenda was adopted without objection.
The President, with the consent of the Council, invited the representatives of Bangladesh, Cuba, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Egypt, Iceland, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Morocco, Nicaragua, Pakistan, the Syrian Arab Republic, Turkey, Uganda and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, at their request, to participate in ...
July 26, 2011
UN Security Council holds open debate on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question
The United Nations Security Council held an open debate on the situation in the Middle East and the question of Palestine today. Below are links to background information and statements made in the Council:
Security Council Report: Israel-Palestine
Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Robert Serry
Press Question and Answer- Palestine
Links to additional statements will be posted when they become available.
July 13, 2011
History in the making
Photo: Ryan Smith
There are few times in one’s life where you can really say that you have witnessed history. I believe today to be one such occasion for me.
On Saturday, July 9, the world watched as South Sudan became fully independent from Sudan. This occurred just six months after the historic referendum where over 98 percent of the population in South Sudan voted for independence. The opportunity for the referendum was granted to the people by the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, just years earlier.
Today, sitting in the chamber of the Security Council, I couldn’t help but ...
July 6, 2011
North-South negotiations on Sudan
Below is a press statement from Victoria Nuland, Department Spokesperson, Office of the Spokesperson, Department of State, Washington, DC
The United States is encouraged by the July 4 meeting between Sudanese President Bashir and First Vice President Kiir at the Extraordinary Session of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development on Sudan in Addis Ababa. We welcome the commitment that Sudan’s leaders made to continue negotiations on outstanding issues following South Sudan’s independence on July 9. We urge the parties to set a firm deadline – no later than the end of July – for the resolution of these issues. Leaving key ...
June 27, 2011
Trick-or-Treat Congress for UNICEF
Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs (Matthew 19:14).’
In response to Jesus’ concern for children, Presbyterians have Trick-or-Treated to raise funds to support UNICEF and its work for children around the world. I’ve encouraged Presbyterians to do so - even going so far as playing UNICEF Box Man.
Now we have a chance to Trick-or-Treat Congress when we ask the U.S. Congress to continue its funding of UNICEF.
Every fiscal year, the U.S. Congress must pass ...
June 20, 2011
Statement by Ambassador Susan E. Rice, U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations, at a Security Council Briefing on Sudan, June 20, 201
Below is a release from the United States Mission to the United Nations, a statement by Ambassador Rice to the Security Council on the ongoing situation in Sudan.
USUN PRESS RELEASE #123
June 20, 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Mr. President, we welcome the news that the parties have just signed an agreement on temporary administrative and security arrangements for Abyei and the withdrawal of Sudanese Armed Forces. We are encouraged by this news. We greatly appreciate the intensive efforts of former President Thabo Mbeki and the African Union High-level Implementation Panel over the past two weeks to assist the parties ...
April 12, 2011
Arms Down on Global Day of Action Against Military Spending
Send an email to the five Permanent Members of the UN Security Council asking their countries to take the lead in shifting spending priorities from military to development. The Religions for Peace Shared Security Campaign suggests this action for the...
March 26, 2011
Madagascar: Route to Democracy Needs Revision
As people clamor for democracy across North Africa, the United States has an opportunity to support a return to democracy in Madagascar. The United States can do this by calling on the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to revise the...
February 19, 2011
Prayers for a Saturday morning . . .
and other times . . . Pray for the people of . . . Yemen, Bahrain, Jordan, Libya and other countries who call for change . . . Uganda who are vote . . . Palestine and Israel who stand...
January 31, 2011
New START Treaty to enter into effect
The lower and upper houses of the Russian parliament have ratified the New START Treaty which had already been ratified by the United States Senate. The new Russia-US nuclear disarmament treaty will enter into force on February 5 during an...
December 23, 2010
START approved by Senate
By a 71-26 vote, the Senate ratified the START treaty today. This treaty will lead to a reduction in the number of nuclear weapons held by Russia and the United States. Thanks to all who engaged in advocacy on this...
December 22, 2010
Bringing START to a finish
Reports indicate that the Senate will vote tomorrow (Wednesday, December 22, 2010) on the new START treaty that would reduce the number of nuclear weapons held by Russia and the United States. It would also reestablish on-site inspections to monitor...
December 2, 2010
Troika Statement on the Southern Sudan Referendum
Office of the Spokesman Washington, DC December 1, 2010 The following is the text of a joint statement by the Sudan Troika (United States, United Kingdom, and Norway) on the Southern Sudan Referendum. Begin text: We congratulate the Southern Sudan...
November 19, 2010
A Season of Prayer with the People of Sudan
Prayers are always in order for the people of Sudan. Prayers are particularly in order as January, 2011 draws near. A referendum on self-determination for the people of South Sudan is scheduled for January 9. On that same day, a...
November 11, 2010
Urge Senate to support START
Take five minutes to help get the new START treaty ratified. Contact your Senators! The Presbyterian Office of Public Witness writes: Our political leaders have put listening to the American people at the top of their agenda for the next...
September 12, 2010
To inspect Russian sites, START is needed
Without START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty), the United States cannot inspect Russian nuclear weapons sites. Encourage your Senators to support ratification of START. As well as allowing such inspections, the new START would reduce the number of U.S. and Russian...
August 26, 2010
What do we have to show?
by Roger Scott Powers - posted with permission Thirty years of peacemaking, and what do we have to show for it? A lot, when you think about it! Thirty years ago, the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. were locked head-to-head in...
August 9, 2010
Ask your Senators to START
Contact your Senators and urge them to give bipartisan support to the new START - the treaty that would reduce the nuclear arsenals of the United States and Russia. The Capitol switchboard number is 202-224-3121. Sample Email I urge you...
August 3, 2010
START delayed
Our colleagues with the Friends Committee on National Legislation report that Senator John Kerry, chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has announced that the committee vote on the START treaty has been delayed until September 15 or 16. This...
July 31, 2010
Urge Your Senators to Support the START Treaty and Reduce Nuclear Dangers
We have been encouraging support for the START agreement between the United States and Russia. Here is another take on that topic from our colleagues in the Presbyterian Washington Office History of the START agreement The original START agreement between...
June 19, 2010
Juneteenth
Today marks Juneteenth, the oldest known celebration commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States. Juneteenth.com describes the occasion: "Dating back to 1865, it was on June 19th that the Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, landed...
June 11, 2010
A prayer of hope for peace in Colombia
O God, how long will those who make war govern our countries? O God, how long will those who steal, kill and destroy have so much power? O God, how long will security be like a long night of terror?...
May 16, 2010
Time for New START
Last Thursday, the Obama administration sent the new START Treaty to the Senate for ratification. Now we can ask our Senators to vote in favor of this important first step to reduce the global nuclear threat, prevent the further spread...
May 15, 2010
Secretary Gates on START
The U.S. will be far better off if the new START treaty between the U.S. and Russia is ratified and goes into effect. That’s the position put forth in a Wall Street Journal op-ed by Secretary of Defense Robert M....
May 13, 2010
Toward A Nuclear-Free World: Webinar on the New START Treaty
May 19 program with Assistant Secretary of State Rose Gottemoeller To participate, go to https://statedept.connectsolutions.com/start on at 9 a.m. EDT on May 19. Please join the U.S. chief negotiator, Assistant Secretary of State Rose Gottemoeller, who will discuss the recent...
May 6, 2010
Observers arrive in Philippines
The Philippine Election Observer Team reports that there will be over 80 observers of the elections in the Philippines from over ten countries. Most of the observers come from the United Sates and Canada. Other countries include Australia, New Zealand,...
May 4, 2010
Indonesia seeks ratification of the CTBT
Indonesia announced today that it will seek ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, dropping its demand that it would only do so after United States had ratified the landmark agreement. The announcement marks the most significant non-proliferation commitment by...
April 8, 2010
It's a START
President Obama of the United States and President Medvedev of Russia will meet in Prague, Czech Republic, today to sign a new strategic arms control agreement. In the United States, the treaty will go to the Senate which must ratify...
March 26, 2010
A new START
President Obama announced that the United States and Russia have agreed to a new treaty limiting each country "to significantly fewer strategic arms within seven years from the date the Treaty enters into force." Plans are to sign the treaty...
December 7, 2009
Toward a mine-free world
Good news from the Cartagena Summit on a Mine-Free World! The summit closed with more than 120 governments adopting the Cartagena Action Plan (read the plan in draft form [pdf], a detailed five-year plan of commitments on all areas of...
October 31, 2009
30 years working for rights for women
December 18, 2009 marks the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). A working group of the United Nations Inter-Agency Network on Women and Gender Equality...
February 5, 2009
Major Cuts in Nuclear Weapons on the Table?
An article posted on the Times Online reports that President Obama plans to convene talks with Russia aimed at reducing each country's nuclear weapons' stockpile. And the reduction could be significant. The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation provides an opportunity to...
November 28, 2008
December Fast for Global Food Crisis
This month's fast to discern responses to the world food crisis falls on December 5 through 7. The theme focus is Agrofuels and the country focus is the United States and Guatemala.
July 10, 2008
Talk, Not War with Iran
The dangerous climate created by the current tensions between the United States and Iran could lead to war. Both governments need to commit to diplomatic talks to ease the tensions and reduce the likelihood of armed conflict. Seymour Hersh reports...