Today's action comes from Family Watch International:

"The United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA) has been caught red-handed working with a coalition of like-minded organizations to promote a radical anti-life/anti-family agenda. This is in flagrant violation of UNFPA’s mandate as a UN agency.
 
In our latest report , Family Watch International reveals a recently discovered document containing alarming, detailed notes on the anti-family strategies discussed by UNFPA and various CSOs (Civil Society Organizations) at a 2015 meeting in Lisbon, Portugal.

This document shows in stark detail how UNFPA is collaborating with CSOs to manipulate the UN system. Together they are mobilizing to advance controversial agendas that are often the opposite of what has been agreed upon by UN Member States.
 
Consider the following troublesome examples from the document:
 

• UN Member States that promote the protection of the family resolutions at the UN are labeled as “problematic” and an obstacle to their agenda.
  
• Organizations are encouraged to advocate for liberalizing abortion laws.
• UN Member States that oppose the coalition’s agenda are labeled “fundamentalist.”
• The role of UN agencies is to promote “culture change.”
• Youth should be mobilized to promote controversial “comprehensive sexuality education” (CSE) and the coalition suggests promoting CSE using a different name.

 
Since when is it the role of UN agencies to promote abortion, use youth to promote radical and graphic sexuality education or promote radical “culture change”? Where is their authority to engage in these activities?  Rather, UNFPA, is mandated to assist in implementing UN policies that have been developed and agreed upon by UN Member states.
 
The document provides incontrovertible proof of that agenda and that the UNFPA is in violation of their role as a UN agency.  
 
Please sign the petition calling upon UN Member States to demand a thorough investigation and a complete reform of UNFPA.   This agency must be stopped from promoting its radical agenda."

Today's action comes from In Defense of Christians:

"The Armenian Genocide – a known case of genocide, documented in the U.S. archives and through an overwhelming body of first-hand, governmental, and diplomatic evidence – remains unacknowledged by Turkey and unpunished by the international community. Denial of this genocide set the stage for subsequent atrocities, including genocide and other crimes that have taken place recently. Turkey’s campaign to escape responsibility for this atrocity constitutes an ongoing crime against the victims, their descendants, and humanity. Turkey also represents a threat to Armenia, a predominantly Christian nation, which has welcomed victims fleeing recent violence throughout the region.

Prior to the Armenian Genocide of 1915, the territory of modern-day Turkey was home to a large, ancient, and indigenous Christian population, comprised of millions of Armenians, Greeks, Pontians, Assyrians, Chaldeans, Syriacs, and other Christian peoples.  Today, Christians account for less than 0.1% of Turkey’s population.

Forty-three U.S. states have affirmed the Armenian Genocide through resolutions or proclamations and over 20 nations and international bodies have affirmed the Armenian Genocide, including the European Union and NATO allies Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Cyprus, France, Germany, Greece Italy, Lithuania, Netherlands, Poland, and Slovakia.

Write to your representative to cosponsor H. Res. 220 introduced by Representative Trott (R-MI) and Representative Schiff (D-CA) to Commemorate the Armenian Genocide!"

Today's action comes from In Defense of Christians:

"The Coptic Christian Community is the largest Christian minority in the Middle East and faces ongoing violence and threats from terrorists, once being described by ISIS as their “favorite prey”. Over the last year they have been the target of repeated bombings and shootings which have killed over 100 people. In response to this persecution, Rep. French Hill (R-AR-2), Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL-27), Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA-30), Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI-1), Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY-12), Rep. Dave Trott (R-MI-11) have introduced Resolution 673 which reaffirms the importance of the U.S.-Egypt partnership in the region and the fight against terrorism, and encourages the Egyptian government to bring terrorist who have targeted Coptic Christians to justice. It also pushes for Coptic Christians to be given the same rights as other Egyptian citizens. IDC is excited to be working in partnership with these legislative champions to promote the justice and safety for the Coptic Christian community in Egypt and the broader Middle East. 

Please take a moment to send your Member of Congress a letter encouraging them to cosponsor House Resolution 673. We can not be silent while the Coptic Christian community continues to be the target of violence."

As the Winter Olympics fade into memory, let us not forget the thousands of brothers and sisters in Christ imprisoned in North Korean labor camps.  (For background on why North Korea is the worst persecutor of Christians in the world, go to the Open Doors North Korea Fact Sheet.)

Today's action comes from NorthKoreanChristians.com.  From the link below copy their letter and go to the U.S. State Department's website and paste it into their contact form.

The letter urges the U.S. to require that North Korea end its human rights violations as part of ongoing nuclear disarmament negotiations.  Here is an excerpt:

"For Kim Jong Un to give up his nuclear program, he needs to feel secure that he will be embraced by the international community thereafter. And for the international community to embrace Kim Jong Un, he needs to have earned that embrace by cleaning up North Korea's atrocious human rights record, starting with the cessation of religious persecution, closure of concentration camps and the liberation of their political prisoner population.

The present US policy of seeking North Korea's nuclear disarmament without addressing its human rights violations is not only strategically flawed, but also unconscionable and un-American. It must be replaced with a policy that prods Kim Jong Un to clean up North Korea's human rights violations before or while pushing for nuclear disarmament."

Although based in the U.K., this cause is too important not to get involved and sign the petition.  It is from Christian Solidarity Worldwide:

"We want to ensure that no child is punished for their faith.

Schools have enormous power – to broaden young minds, to introduce them to new ideas, to show them the world’s endless possibilities. But all too often, that power is used to teach hate, to tell children that they’re worth nothing, and to tell other children that they should look down on them. That’s what Jacob endured at school in Pakistan.

Gurinder, a Sikh boy, was beaten by his teacher twice a week from age four to age six. Then, as he got older, the torture took a different form, as the constant pressure to convert became more than he could endure. He dropped out of school with no qualifications.

These injustices happen to children of all faiths, all over the world. Christian children in Nigeria are forced to take Muslim names just to get into school. Rohingya Muslim children in Burma see their schools knocked down. Baha’i students in Iran are expelled from university if their religious beliefs are discovered. This is a truly global problem."

The first initiative of this new movement is to urge the British government to ensure that its foreign aid does not fund biased textbooks which teach prejudice of religious minorities.

Governor (and former Senator) Sam Brownback of Kansas was renominated by President Trump this month for the position of Ambassador-At-Large for International Religious Freedom.  This position within the State Department is crucial for combating persecution of religious minorities, including Christians, around the world.  Having it vacant is hindering U.S. influence on this issue around the world. 

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved the nomination for the second time on January 18.  But Senate Democrats are delaying a floor vote on the nomination because of Gov. Browback's opposition to the political agenda of the Lesbian-Gay-Bisexual-Transgender movement.

Please call your Senators, especially if they are Democrats, and urge them to put aside domestic politics for the sake of persecuted minorities around the world and confirm Gov. Browback as Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom.  Call the Capitol switchboard at 1-866-720-3733, provide your zip code, and you will be connected to your Senators' offices.

Today's action is from CitizenGo:

"17,000 women and 668 babies and children, under the age of six, are in Turkish prisons on remand. Some were born in captivity and have never lived in freedom.

The situation flagrantly violates the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. In its article 37.b, the Convention indicates the following:

"No child shall be deprived of his or her liberty unlawfully or arbitrarily. The arrest, detention or imprisonment of a child shall be in conformity with the law and shall be used only as a measure of last resort and for the shortest appropriate period of time."

It is obvious that pre-trial detention of the mother is not the "last resort,"  This violation of human rights is part of the repressive wave of the Erdogan regime after the failed coup of 2016.  Human rights organisations have protested that 100,000 officials have been detained since then, and 47,000 have been imprisoned - in many cases without the minimum guarantees of legal defence.  And, in some cases, the state is actually separating children from their parents if the parents are suspected of having participated in the coup d'état.

But, it is the situation of the babies which is generating a wave of global response."

Please sign the petition to Anthony Lake, Executive Director of UNICEF, which ends with these words:

"We, the undersigned, implore you to employ your diplomatic skills so that these children and their mothers can enjoy freedom while awaiting a fair trial, with guarantees against government abusing its power."

Today's action comes from The 21st Century Wilberforce Initiative:

"For the past 15 years, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has recommended that the U.S. government designate Pakistan as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) for its egregious human rights and religious freedom violations against Ahmadis, Christians, Hindus and Shi’a Muslims. Last week, a bi-partisan group of senators – Marco Rubio (R-FL), Chris Coons (D-DE), Todd Young (R-IN), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), James Lankford (R-OK), and Bob Mendez (D-NJ) – sent a letter to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, urging that he take into consideration the USCIRF recommendation and designate Pakistan as a CPC within the next week.

The deadline for Secretary Tillerson to declare such a designation is November 13, as the Frank Wolf International Religious Freedom Act requires that it be made within 90 days of the State Department’s release of the International Religious Freedom report, which was published August 15."

Use the link below to write one sentence urging Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to designate Pakistan as a Country of Particular Concern for its egregious violations of religious freedom.  Because small, quick actions add up to real change when everyday Christians engage every day.

Today's action comes from the North Korea Freedom Coalition, a group which has many prominent Christian human rights organizations among its members:

"Recent provocations by the North Korean regime demand a response. There are several bills that have overwhelmingly passed the U.S. House of Representatives this year with strong bipartisan support, yet no corresponding action has been taken in the the U.S. Senate. Your Senator needs to hear from YOU. Please join the North Korea Freedom Coalition's petition to the Senate by adding your name in support of the bipartisan legislation. Your name, city, and zip code will be included with the letter that the North Korea Freedom Coalition will hand deliver to your Senator's office on Capitol Hill.

By joining this petition your Senator will know you want action to promote freedom and human rights for the suffering people of North Korea."

Today's action is inspired by an article in Christianity Today by Mae Elise Cannon:

"Politico recently reported that the current Secretary of State is looking to eliminate the [Office of Religion and Global Affairs]. In a letter proposing organizational changes, Secretary Tillerson notified Senator Bob Corker and the Committee on Foreign Relations of plans to eliminate the RGA special advisor position.  Although the loss of RGA might seem to outsiders like a bureaucratic loss—just another government office to get the axe—it carries significant import for the church, missionaries abroad, and vulnerable people across the globe.

“Eighty-four percent of the global population self-identifies as religious,” says Doug Leonard, the director of global and local mission for the Reformed Church in America and a former advisor to the State Department. “[Religious groups] have the ability to influence the cessation of conflict, to advance peace and justice, and to foster reconciliation. We must not leave these fine tools of diplomacy to state agencies alone. There is a growing awareness among national diplomatic corps that religions and nations would do well to collaborate.”

Earlier this year, when news of the potential change began to circulate, 40 religious leaders representing millions of constituents in the US signed a letter calling on the administration to retain the RGA office. It “serves America well and is a valued nexus between U.S. policy makers and people of faith in addressing international concerns,” states the letter."

"Faith leaders must fight for RGA in order to protect our voice in government. Why? Because our participation in policymaking here, stateside, allows us to help protect people of faith abroad. By allowing for direct input from faith communities, RGA ensures that the voices of women and other persecuted minorities will be heard where they are not always heard—in the halls of foreign affairs."

Write a quick sentence urging Secretary of State Rex Tillerson not to eliminate the Office of Religion and Global Affairs.  Because small actions add up to real change when everyday Christians engage every day.

Today's action comes from Christian Solidarity Worldwide:

"The Rohingya are a predominantly Muslim ethnic group in Burma, and are sometimes referred to as the most persecuted people group in the world. They have been officially disowned by the Burmese government and are stateless, even though many Rohingya have lived there for generations. 

The Burmese military stand accused of committing extensive and severe human rights violations against the Rohingya, including the burning of homes, mass rape, torture, execution without trial, and the blocking of aid.

Over 120,000 people have been displaced and forced to flee their villages in Rakhine State since 25 August, as the Burma Army has burned homes and killed hundreds of civilians. Thousands have fled across the border into Bangladesh. There is an urgent need for international aid to reach those displaced, both in Bangladesh and in Rakhine State.

This is unacceptable. Nobody should suffer just because of their faith or ethnicity. Demand an end to violence against innocent civilians, and for aid to get through. "

Today's action comes from Christian Freedom International:

"The US State Department's top lawyers are systematically removing the word "genocide" to describe the Islamic State's mass slaughter of Christians.
 
This action by the State Department would make it impossible for persecuted Christians to obtain asylum, under current law.
 
The Washington Free Beacon is reporting that the U.S. State Department's top lawyers are systematically removing the word "genocide" when describing the Islamic State's mass slaughter of Christians, Yazidis, and other ethnic minorities in Iraq and Syria from official documents and speeches before they are delivered, according to human rights activists and attorneys familiar with the policies.
 
Richard Visek, who was appointed by President Obama as head of the State Department's Office of Legal Adviser in October 2016, is behind the decision to remove the word "genocide" from official documents, according to Nina Shea, an international human rights lawyer who directs the Hudson Institute's Center for Religious Freedom."

Today's action comes from CitizenGo:

"Traditionally, no Kurds have lived in Alqosh, a small town on the edge of the Nineveh plain in northern Iraq. This small town in Iraq is the last well-known place, which is still inhabited exclusively by Christian Assyrians and Chaldeans.

It is, therefore, all the more surprising that, on 16 July, 2017, Alqosh's mayor, elected by the townspeople, was dismissed by a hasty trial - against the express will of the population.

This surprising measure was proposed by Bashar al Kiki, head of the Provincial Council of Nineveh and also a member of the PDK (or, KDP). The Assyrian/Chaldean population of Alqosh... assumes that his dismissal, in the course of this controversy is about "disputed areas".

The "disputed areas" are areas that the government of the autonomous region of Kurdistan in Northern Iraq would like to have permanently under their control, although they have always been inhabited by indigenous minorities (like the Christian minority, Alqoshnaye, in Alqosh).

The Kurdish Regional Government has emphasized, again and again, that it will give the inhabitants of these areas the freedom to decide whether to belong to a possible independent Kurdistan, or to remain in Iraq.

Therefore, the surprising dismissal of the mayor of Alqosh, against the will of the population, has aroused fears that precisely this presumed freedom of local enfranchisement and governance will ultimately not be granted, but, rather, serve to forcibly "integrate" the town of Alqosh to the Kurdish regions.

The residents of Alqosh have protested in the past few days with demonstrations against the mayor's removal, and have called on the international community to show solidarity with them, under the slogan #StandWithAlqosh, which demonstrates their concern with returning the deposed mayor back into office.

Send a message to the representatives of the Kurdish Regional Government with the request that Masoud Barzani, Chairman of the PDK and President of the Autonomous Region of Kurdistan, ensure that the announcements of his government will respect the political decisions of the indigenous population of "disputed areas."

Today's action comes from the North Korea Freedom Coalition, a group which has many prominent Christian human rights organizations among its members:

"Recent provocations by the North Korean regime demand a response. There are several bills that have overwhelmingly passed the U.S. House of Representatives this year with strong bipartisan support, yet no corresponding action has been taken in the the U.S. Senate. Your Senator needs to hear from YOU. Please join the North Korea Freedom Coalition's petition to the Senate by adding your name in support of the bipartisan legislation. Your name, city, and zip code will be included with the letter that the North Korea Freedom Coalition will hand deliver to your Senator's office on Capitol Hill.

By joining this petition your Senator will know you want action to promote freedom and human rights for the suffering people of North Korea."

Today's action is inspired by an article in Baptist Press.  Here are excerpts:

"President Obama signed an executive order seven days before he left office calling for the waiving of trade and investment sanctions by July 12 if the Secretary of State finds Sudan has maintained its positive actions. In the previous six months, Khartoum had reduced its offensive military actions, improved humanitarian access and cooperated with the United States on terrorist threats, Obama said in his order."

"Laws supportive of Khartoum's version of Islam "restrict the freedoms of minority groups" and deprive them of rights guaranteed under the country's constitution. These minorities include Christians, Shia and other Muslim groups, and adherents to traditional religions."

"Sudan remains a disaster for religious freedom," said Travis Wussow, the ERLC's general counsel and vice president for public policy. "Our brothers and sisters in Christ frequently face state-endorsed marginalization and persecution.

"The Sudanese government should not be rewarded with sanctions relief when so many are crippled under the oppressive status quo found throughout the country," Wussow said in written comments for Baptist Press."

Click here for the article, including examples of Sudan's offenses against religious liberty.

Click here for more information and a related earlier action at Engage Daily.

So today, please call the U.S. State Department's Public Comment Line by dialing 1-202-647-6575 then choosing prompt #8 and urge Secretary of State Rex Tillerson not to lift sanctions against Sudan.  Be brief as the line leave you only about 30 seconds to leave your comment.

Today's action comes from The 21st Century Wilberforce Initiative:

"Around the world, religious freedom is a crucial right because it is the basis for so many other liberties. Perhaps the clearest example of this is Sudan.

According to the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), the government continues “to arrest, detain, and prosecute Christian leaders.” The current criminal code assigns the death penalty to Muslims who convert to a different faith.

In a June 22 press release, USCIRF released a letter it sent to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson asking him to maintain sanctions against Sudan that are set to expire July 12 because the country has not “shown sufficient progress on allowing greater religious freedom.”

"Two churches in the capital city of Khartoum have been bulldozed in the past two months. Two dozen more churches await a similar fate pending upcoming court cases.  [The government] has dropped 4,000 bombs on civilian targets. In the Nuba Mountains, if a church is found in a village, that community can be targeted for destruction.

Disappointingly, recent evidence has come to light that President Bashir – an indicted war criminal and state sponsor of terrorism – has hired a major law firm in Washington D.C. to represent his government for hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. President Bashir is trying to get the Trump Administration to continue a process started by the Obama Administration to remove sanctions on the Khartoum government.

President Trump should not now surrender the policy leverage of sanctions. We know they are having an impact, because Sudan is trying to get them removed."

Today's action comes from Family Watch International (FWI):

"On June 22nd the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) passed an important protection of the family resolution despite intense opposition from anti-family delegations. This is the fourth consecutive year that such an important family resolution has been adopted by the Council.

These victories have been the result of the hard work, courage, and determination of a small coalition of pro-family UN delegates who worked to get this resolution passed in 2014, 2015, 2016, and now, 2017.

Please support these pro-family countries by co-signing two letters. One letter expresses appreciation and support to the countries that voted for the resolution, and the other expresses disappointment to the countries that voted against it and asks them to reconsider their position.

As pro-family countries (many of them small, developing countries) have increased their efforts at the UN to protect the family in recent years, they have faced mounting pressure and opposition from developed nations.

In addition, anti-family organizations have increasingly tried to intimidate these pro-family countries by conducting email and letter-writing campaigns aimed at any government supporting the family resolution.

We hope you will co-sign the two letters posted here to show UN Member States that people around the world are watching their actions and to express appreciation and support for those countries that stand strongly for the family."

Today's action comes from CitizenGo:

"The federal constitution of Malaysia states that 'every person has the right to profess and practice his religion.'  Yet in Selangor (one of Malaysia's 13 states), today, a Christian politician, Hannah Yeoh, is under fire for having written an autobiography, telling how her Christian faith helped her choose a career-path in public service.

Her accuser, university lecturer, Kamarul Zaman Yusoff, lodged a complaint with the police, alleging Yeoh was promoting a "Christian agenda" in her 2015 book, entitled, "Becoming Hannah: A Personal Journey by Hannah Yeoh".

In his official complaint, Yusoff said: "I believe this book is an attempt to persuade, influence or incite non-Christians, including Muslims, to embrace Christianity or become inclined towards Christianity".

And, while proselytising against Islam is an offence in Malaysia, Yeoh's book simply reports on her experiences in the context of her faith.

MOREOVER, Yeoh never promoted the book to Muslims.

And so, in Malaysia, if the federal constitution is to be respected, none of this constitutes a criminal offence!

This type of illiberality, when it comes to misleading interpretations of the law as it relates to religious freedom and freedom of conscience, regrettably appears to be gaining strength across the Muslim world, and, in particular, in countries like Indonesia and Malaysia...countries, which, till now, have been considered to be relatively "tolerant" towards religious minorities."

Today's action comes from the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation:

"The way the media is portraying the "riots" in Venezuela is awful. It's quite frankly dangerous and irresponsible.

As you probably know, hundreds of thousands of people have taken to the streets in response to catastrophic food shortages. This once wealthy and prosperous nation has been completely decimated by socialism and the meddling of Castro's Cuba.

But you wouldn't know that based on the media coverage.

That's why I'm hopeful you'll sign our Open Letter which the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation will promptly deliver to each of the presidents of the media outlets mentioned.

The New York Times blamed "populism" for the crisis in Venezuela, rather than call it "socialism."

ABC, CBS, and NBC have all largely ignored the rioting in Venezuela. When they do cover it, a recent study found that 87% of the evening news reports (on these three networks) leave out the word "socialist" when covering the unrest in Venezuela.

If you and I don't keep the pressure on dishonest media reporting, it is only going to get worse—and once again the ideas of Marxism will not be held responsible for these terrible consequences."

Today's action comes from World Vision Advocacy:

"Trafficking, one form of violence against children, can have a long-lasting impact on the health, development, and education of a child. So, to find a lasting solution, we must take a comprehensive approach that considers the root causes for vulnerable children through multiple sectors. The Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) is the United States’ foundation to fight human trafficking domestically and abroad and will expire soon.The problem is large – more than 20 million people are affected globally, including 5.5 million children, who make up 25 percent of forced labor victims. These children deserve protection and prevention to have the best chance to thrive.

When the Trafficking Victims Protection Act passed in 2000, it was built upon the 3 Ps of ending trafficking—prevention, prosecution, and protection. In 2009, the State Department added a 4th P—partnership; a recognition that we all must work together to end trafficking in persons. Now, it is time for this bill to be reauthorized again.

This bill has key provisions to help prevent and end trafficking including:

• The Trafficking in Persons report, an annual publication that holds over 180 governments around the world accountable for human trafficking trends in their countries.
• Protection of unaccompanied children who arrive in the U.S. from countries not bordering the U.S.
• Incorporation of the Child Soldiers Prevention Act that directs the State Department to identify governments recruiting or using children in their armed forces and to withhold key forms of military assistance.
• Recognition of the importance of critical U.S. agencies that fund programs to fight child labor. 

For this bill to continue to be a leading policy that creates lasting positive impact, it cannot be allowed to expire. Currently, this bill has been introduced in the House as the Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Act (HR. 2200)."