Take The Initiative

Starbucks produces 4 billion single-use paper cups each year.

Unfortunately, they are not recyclable in most places.

Despite bold sustainable packaging commitments in 2008 - nearly 13 years ago now - Starbucks has yet to implement a truly recyclable solution.

SEAL Impact Team presents UpTheCup, a campaign dedicated to clear up the misconception surrounding the sustainability of Starbucks Cups and paper cups in general.

One of the major drivers of climate change is the greenhouse gas emissions emitted by landfills, which contributes to nearly 15% of the methane emissions in the US. One of the most effective ways to reduce the GHG emissions from the use of paper cups is through recycling. When paper cups are effectively recycled, it can cut around 54% of their GHG emission from each cup's total life cycle. The current design of most cups makes them incapable of being recycled. The paper cups Starbucks currently uses contain a plastic lining, which prevents the cups from being effectively recycled in most places since it gums up the machines and forces workers to manually pull the obstruction from the machine and then send the waste to the landfill.

LIMITED AWARENESS OF PAPER CUP PROBLEM

There is very little awareness in the US that paper cups are not recyclable. A key goal of the #UpTheCup campaign is to spark awareness within the US like what the “War on Waste” documentary series achieved internationally.

A US-wide consumer survey (sample size of 1,000) conducted by SEAL:

Showed that 83% of Starbucks consumers believe their paper cups are recyclable.
Nearly 60% of consumers indicated that news of Starbucks paper cups being non-recyclable would affect their purchasing behavior going forward, thus representing a key business risk.
84% of consumers would like to see a fully recyclable option.
72% showed a strong willingness to pay an extra $0.25 per cup to fund this shift.
DEMANDS FOR STARBUCKS' CHIEF SUSTAINABILITY OFFICER

When first investigating the issue of paper cup sustainability further, the SEAL Impact Team was surprised to learn that fully recyclable paper cups are widely in use globally.

These existing recyclable cup options:

At production scale, the change in coating is cost neutral
Have been proven to be 100% recyclable.
Most significantly, this technology has already been adopted internationally (Canada, European Union, South America, and United Kingdom) and at scale by large cup manufacturers (DetPak, Huhtamaki, Lavazza) and clients (United Airlines, Burger King Australia)
We are requesting that Starbucks implements truly recyclable cups within the next 6 months.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

To support the #UpTheCup campaign, please sign our petition at Change.org as the fight to #UpTheCup can only be possible with collective and uniform efforts.
Join us in our cause by using #UpTheCup on all our social media platforms:
Twitter
Instagram
Facebook
LinkedIn
Use reusable cupware and dishware when eating out publicly to reduce waste.

Because of the great injustice that my YouTube channels have been subjected to by some of the employees in the management of the Arabic section of YouTube. Their temperament in applying sanctions, prohibitions, deleting channels, sizing them, not publishing and targeting them through fake complaints.

After what has happened, we have in our hands definitive evidence of all what we claimed. so we decided to go through this complaint to the main YouTube administration and we are confident that they will do the necessary job with the management of the Arab section of YouTube. After reviewing what we have of evidence, I hope I receive support to communicate this complaint in order to amend the course of the section Al-Arabi on YouTube and standing at one fair distance from all users without bias and not allowing private information to be published to content owners and threatening them through the most important media interface for the benefit of parties with a special agenda. We are confident that the YouTube main administration does not accept and do not know about such violations...

The first ever residential school in American was established in Pennsylvania in 1789-1918 and in Canada, from 1831-1996. These schools were established by European missionaries with the sole purpose to assimilate Native American children. Children from ages as young as 3 years old-18years old attended these schools. These establishments and the people who ran them, abused the children who attended these schools. Often times, the children were stolen from their tribes and forced to attend. The sole purpose of these schools were to abuse and brainwash kids out of their culture and previous way of life. Not only were these children abused and brainwashed, many were murdered, died of starvation, committed suicide, etc. and when these children were murdered/died, the missionaries buried the bodies on the land. But heres the thing, the bodies were hidden in the land. The children didn't receive graves, their parents were not informed, and more often than not, the bodies were just thrown together as if they were trash and not human beings….

In recent events, 500 bodies (and rising everyday) of native Canadian children remains were found within the lands, of once fully operating residential schools.


tens of thousands of children went to these schools. Its more than likely that there are more bodies to be discovered. And since it is a known fact that America had at least 2x the amount of residential schools than Canada, and are also known for the genocide of first nations people, we demand that ALL previous residential school lands (standing and not standing) are searched.

These were children. Some as young as 3 years old. They deserved to be treated with respect, but hey were treated as less than human, and when their lives were cut short, they were discarded like trash. And the people who were in charge of these school knew exactly what they were doing when they tried to cover up the deaths. Hopefully in the Long run, we will see justice be brought to the organizations responsible. And that these poor children will receive justice and respect, they deserve.

While 2020 was tough on America, it was particularly tough on Horace Peterson. For 48 years, Peterson has been wrongly incarcerated after being convicted of felony first-degree murder for a crime he didn’t commit.

In 1973, a judge sentenced Peterson to life without parole.

He robbed a record store in Flint, Michigan. However, during the robbery, his accomplice shot and killed the clerk without him knowing what was going to happen or with him being in the same room of the shooting. He had no idea what was about to happen and his accomplice has recently admitted that to the family.

Seven years later, the Michigan Supreme Court reinterpreted the law, ruling prosecutors needed to prove "malice" for felony murder convictions. But that ruling wasn't retroactive.

Peterson's family argues that he has been locked up too long. He is now in his late 60s with a daughter, two grandchildren and three great grandchildren. He also has six siblings, a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends, who consider him a missing link to the family. They are fighting for his life.

Also, in late 2020, he beat COVID-19 and overcame a stroke in addition to losing both parents, David and Ollie V. Peterson, a month apart.

It was heartbreaking and he’s ready to come home. If Peterson is released, he will come home to employment, speaking engagements and can use his story as a cautionary tale to save the lives of young men and women. He has been an inspiration to many while mentoring numerous prisoners over the years.

Watch as one of the last wishes from his parents was to see him come home.

Please support us as we are fighting to free Mr. Horace Peterson! #136503

Learn more about Peterson's case here.

The findings of an investigation released on April 8th, 2021 by Cruelty Free International have exposed cruelty and horrific suffering inflicted on dogs, pigs, monkeys, rabbits, rats and mice and systemic breaches of European and Spanish laws meant to protect animals in laboratories.

Vivotecnia is an independent European toxicology contract research organisation based in Madrid, Spain. Since 2000, it has offered services to support pharmaceutical and biotech, cosmetic, chemical and agrochemical industries. Its customers include companies from Spain, Europe (including the UK), Central America, Japan, Korea and the USA.

Footage from the investigation shows animals routinely verbally and physically abused and appalling levels of bad practice during experiments leading to injuries and death. The evidence reveals standards that violate the rules governing how animals in laboratories should be housed and handled as well as procedures carried out without sedation and anaesthesia.

Speak out to stop the suffering.

Join us in demanding that the Comunidad de Madrid immediately withdraw Vivotecnia’s authorisation to carry out animal experiments, and the facility be closed down now!

EN/ES

Oregon's governor is actively destroying our state, our kids, our families, our forests, our jobs and our small businesses here in the state. It's time someone holds her accountable or fail trying! Students, medical professionals, military personnel and state employees are being threatened by the governor's dictatorial and never ending, unconstitutional powers.

We are calling on the new Oregon GOP leadership, led by Dallas Heard, to start another recall of Kate Brown. We don't care who would replace her OR if she's out in 2022; this will send a strong message that the people of Oregon will no longer sit around and take the abuse! Brown is devaluing our kids by removing important graduation requirements, she's failing on forest management resulting in some of the worse forest fires we've ever seen and she's taking away local and parental control over our families and lives.

It's time to take action that could produce ACTUAL results! The recall came up short by 2-3k signatures last time. Mr. Heard, it's time to send a message.

*By signing this petition, you're also agreeing to opt in Oregonians For America's email list which keeps you up to date on local events and happenings!

This campaign began on January 6, 2021 after I couldn’t stomach the insurrection at the Capitol, I had to do something, I dipped a toe before, but now I’m all in. 45 crossed a line even I didn’t think he was capable of, I started the petition to implore Mike Pence to use the 25th Amendment and remove this man before he causes more harm.

On January 12, 2021, Mike Pence made a decision to stand by the man who’s words and actions caused an attempted coup, damaged the hall of Democracy and left 6 dead. Pence’s cowardice will only come back to bite him, but for now let’s tell 45 - “You’re Fired!”.

After the domestic terrorist attack on the US Capitol building on January 6, 2021, spurned on by Donald Trump and Rudolph Guiliani’s inciting words at a rally earlier that day. Trump directed his followers to march to the Capitol, taking to heart Rudy’s “Trial by Combat” comment.

The aftermath of the damage from the breach is palpable, 6 lives lost, many, many Americans feeling like the appointed leader of our government is more than unfit to serve, but actually a criminal. He must be removed immediately!

Today, we saw the worst of Americans and it will not be forgotten. The attack took the lives of 4 civilians, multiple law enforcement members injured and one Capitol Police Officer Dead. It didn’t need to happen, our democracy did not need this challenge.

Please help in signing this petition, so we can send a message to Mike Pence and the leaders in Washington to let them know that we are disgusted and appalled by these actions by “Donald Trump’s Domestic Terrorists”. Nothing less than removal of his authority and presidential privilege will do at this point, the one person elected to protect the country above all others, very, very literally let the foxes into the henhouse and caused damage and destruction, leaving 6 people dead.

Mr. Ernesto Garcia has been in America for 9 years, and has been the Spanish teacher at Pineville Independent for the last 4 years. He is such an amazing person and puts a smile on every face he encounters. Mr.Garcia is being forced to go back to Spain because there was a problem renewing his Visa, even though members of our school and community have tried to help him, it hasn’t seemed to be enough. We need HELP Kentucky and people over the United States. Please spread this all over the internet and let’s do everything we possibly can to show how important Mr. Garcia is to all of us! Please sign this petition and share to everyone you know, even though you may not know him personally, just know he reaches countless lives daily.

There is no precedent for what our country faces today. There have been other periods of crisis throughout our history such as the Whiskey Rebellion, the Civil War, and the Great Depression. Never before have we faced a greater danger than the present and ongoing subversive domestic threat aided by foreign influencers. The mortal danger our country faces today at the hands of unrighteous, corrupt politicians and their factions, was not anticipated by the founders. They wrote the Constitution for a moral and honorable people who would elect representatives like themselves. Remedies for a perverse era such as ours are rightfully left to the people.

Today’s crisis is a direct assault on the Constitution and the founding principles of our nation. It is a rebellion by virtue of the current administration’s cavalier trampling of constitutional norms, and the violence seen in some of our cities and condoned by the leftist establishment. It is an insurrection by virtue of the unconstitutional conduct of Congress and some in the federal bureaucracy. Domestic leftist forces, both in and out of Congress, seek not to preserve it for ourselves and our posterity, but rather to reinterpret it as something altogether never contemplated or anticipated by the founders. They have infiltrated all three branches of government at the highest levels. We the People are faced with mortal danger from an enemy whose ideology is incompatible with liberty, justice, domestic tranquility and the general welfare.

We the People seek a redress of our grievances and demand that our state governors and legislatures engage the Act of Restoration found at wfunews.com/downloads.

We the registered voters of the Republican Party call on Derek Brown of Utah and the Republican party to Censure, Utah Senator Mitt Romney for his actions related to former President Donald Trump. Senator Romney has allowed his personal feelings toward Donald Trump to cloud his vision. He was the only Republican Senator to vote to impeach the President during the last trail. As you know in that trail the Senate did not vote to impeach. Now he is calling on Donald Trump to be impeached as a private citizen. The Constitution gives no such authority to Congress. His words on TV interviews are harsh, divisive and clearly his mind is made up that the former President is guilty, while pretending to be unbias. In matters of the former President, Mitt Romney constantly sides with the Democrats over his own constituency. He has appeared on television talk shows and news shows using the talking points of the Democrat Party against him own party. His popularity in Utah is at an all time low with Republicans and high with Democrats. State law does not allow for recall, we ask that Senator Mitt Romney be Censured for his actions.

The Irish American Community United to Preserve 991 Fifth Avenue

For more than 120 years, the American Irish Historical Society preserved and celebrated the contributions of the Irish in America, and since 1940 the Society has been located in its majestic headquarters at 991 Fifth Avenue.

This building has for generations been a beacon to newly arrived Irish immigrants as well as native born Americans of Irish descent, celebrating the success of a once maligned minority and their part in the development of America.

This iconic building in a most prominent place on the grandest of avenues is in danger of being sold by a small group, despite all it represents to the Irish in America, in Ireland, and beyond. It is vital that the voice of the Irish American Community be respected and this monument to our people be preserved, its collections be protected and good governance ensured.

We ask you to sign our petition to stop the sale of the finest Irish Building in America, a vital place for past, present and future generations. To sell it is to demean the work of generations in this Country, as well as deprive future generations of their hard won heritage.

We greatly appreciate the statement of support from the Irish Consulate in New York on preserving 991 Fifth Avenue.

This petition will be sent to the Attorney General of the State of New York, who has the ultimate authority in these matters.

Thank you.

Read more: https://www.irishecho.com/2021/02/an-appeal-to-irish-americas-heart-and-soul/?fbclid=IwAR18IwEMk1nlkuX25CjrCLGbV5JdGF4N_u0l7JF6eZqo3tzpAELPgdteGeo

Despite the repeal of the Muslim Ban, Yemeni people still face more hurdles in the United States immigration proceedings than those from other countries.

Due to the war in Yemen, the US embassy is closed, and there are no United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) approved DNA testing labs within the country. Because of this, families are constantly forced to risk the dangerous journey to another country amid a brutal war to get their DNA tested. Yemen is an emerging nation with even more impoverished people; many do not have the means, knowledge, or money to make these trips- especially not twice. They are currently forced to make this trip for DNA testing and then again for their visa interview. We understand the need for DNA testing, and we are not asking USCIS to cut this process entirely. We are only asking that USCIS make the DNA testing available to them at their interview time. For some cases, the Consular has recommended DNA testing at the time of the interview. This way, families do not have to make two trips through a battlefield and are not spending so much money unnecessarily. With DNA testing available at the time of interviews, families would be exposed to less danger. They would not face such heavy financial burdens, and proceedings could go faster than they are currently going. At the current time, some wait potentially a whole year before even being informed of their need to get tested. They spend even more time waiting to accumulate the money and waiting until it becomes slightly safer to make the dangerous journey again. With the testing being made available to them at the time of the interview, two required tasks are completed at relatively the same time. The process would be heavily expedited, and there is less of a hassle for those on both sides. This is a win-win situation.

Translators usually do translations in one-on-one interviews USCIS contracts or perhaps employ. While we understand and trust that USCIS translators are well educated and well versed in both the formal Arabic language and its dialects, we are confident in saying they may not be fully equipped to deal with the speech and dialect of those coming from villages within Yemen. Many here, especially women, are equipped with little to no understanding of the English language. Therefore, they are heavily reliant on translators within meetings to both understand and communicate with immigration officers. Yemen's people have developed their very own dialect that is relatively unknown and certainly has not been studied in universities; many people here did not even know of Yemen’s existence until its humanitarian crisis was recently popularized in the media. No matter the extensive education received by the contracted translators, they will not be able to convey information to these people in a way that is understandable to them. As a result, Yemenis are significantly stunted when it comes to conversing with other Arab speakers who may be familiar though cannot speak the Yemeni dialect- let alone translators who have yet to come into contact with it altogether.

Another issue many Yemeni immigrants come across when dealing with immigration is the registration requirements. Most people in Yemen come from small villages where nothing is registered; in fact, many are not even aware of the construct of registration altogether. This is especially prevalent in poor and uneducated parts of the community. As a result, births are not registered until children are old enough to go into the city (which does not happen unless they are prompted to do so as the trip is extremely dangerous). Poor people are unproportionally impacted by these birth registration regulations set upon them by the US.

Regarding marriage registration, the people abide by Islamic law, which renders registration in the government's eyes unnecessary. Though they have contracts drawn up at the time of their marriage, their marriage does not become registered in the eyes of the government until they are requested to do so or until they become aware it is necessary, which in some cases has been more than 10 years after their actual marriage date. The Yemeni community sees a lot of cases being denied because these social norms are not being accounted for/observed. Instead, petitioners are expected to abide by rules and regulations that they had no knowledge existed until now; their births and marriages are being rendered void simply because the importance and commonality of registration are not held to the same standard in Yemen it is here. Petitioners constantly file motions to reopen these cases, and often, the initial decisions end up being overturned. These motions cause unnecessary time wasted. All we ask regarding this issue is that immigration officers consider that things in Yemen are not as they are here. People do not get registered in the government's eyes as alive or married until years after the fact; this does not indicate any malicious intent or fraudulent desires but is somewhat reflective of a different society with different priorities and religious rituals that are abided by. The Yemeni community asks that immigration be made aware of this and perhaps more understanding of this in the future.

Additional, when an applicant receives a request for evidence (RFE), they are encouraged to send the following documents: Property deeds showing both names as co-owners; Documents from government entitlement programs showing both names; Insurance plans showing each other as co-beneficiaries; Statements from the bank account in both names and/or an assortment of photographs with the beneficiary spanning your entire relationship (courtship and post-marital). In Yemeni culture, women are not given the same power as men. It is a sad fact, but one nonetheless. Therefore, there are not in existence things like shared bank accounts or property deeds or anything else that requires their name be put down in conjunction with their husband’s. Everything will be in solely the husband’s name as in Yemen; the husband is expected to be the sole provider.

There is also a high rate of arranged marriages; there is not necessarily a “courtship” phase to be documented with photos, at least not in the way it exists here. All we ask regarding this is that immigration is aware of these facts when reviewing applications. We believe this knowledge, when provided to immigration officers, will allow them to be more knowledgeable and understanding of the applications (and their entailments) that they receive.

We would like to see USCIS ease the suffering of many divided families. These suggested changes and adjustments can inspire new hope for Yemeni immigrants, make the immigration proceedings more streamlined, and show an understanding of another culture.

NJ Exotic Pets in Lodi, NJ are selling sick and neglected animals.

I purchased a baby bunny from NJ Exotic Pets and had to have her euthanized a week later due to a sickness she had from this store. I looked at the store's reviews and there are so many instances of people purchasing bunnies only for them to die shortly after from a parasite. In the last year, mostly within the last 6 months, there are approximately 8 reviews of bunnies dying shortly after being brought home. There are also reviews of other animals dying, the store being dirty, and the employees having no knowledge about the animals they are selling to people who often also lack the knowledge. Pictures on their social media accounts show cages with too many animals inside and negative comments and reviews are removed promptly after being posted.

The animals in the store are kept in crammed and tiny cages and tanks and are not properly cared for. The store is dirty, dusty, and the it is an unacceptable living environment for such innocent animals.

As someone who can truly make a difference in less than a minute, I ask that you to please sign this petition.

Meng’s new resolution (H.Res.151), which has 108 cosponsors:

• Condemns and denounces all forms of anti-Asian sentiment, including those related to COVID-19;

• Recognizes that the health and safety of all Americans, no matter their background, must be the utmost priority;
• Condemns all manifestations of expressions of racism, xenophobia, discrimination, anti-Asian sentiment, scapegoating, and ethnic or religious intolerance;
• Calls on Federal law enforcement officials, working with State and local agencies—
o To expeditiously investigate and document all credible reports of hate crimes, harassment, bullying, and threats against the Asian American and Pacific Islander community in the United States;
o To expand collection of data and public reporting to document the rise of incidents of hate crimes relating to COVID–19; and
o To hold the perpetrators of those crimes, incidents, or threats accountable and bring such perpetrators to justice, including through investigation and prosecution;
• Recommits the United States to serving as a world leader in building more inclusive, diverse, and tolerant societies—
o By prioritizing language access and inclusivity in communication practices; and
o By combating misinformation and discrimination that put Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders at risk.
• Calls on the Attorney General to work with State and local agencies and Asian American and Pacific Islander community-based organizations to prevent discrimination, and expand culturally competent and linguistically appropriate education campaigns on public reporting of hate crimes;
• Calls on the Secretary of Health and Human Services, in coordination with the COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force and Asian American and Pacific Islander community-based organizations to issue guidance describing best practices to mitigate racially discriminatory language in describing the COVID-19 pandemic.

Yemeni People have been under fire since March 2015.

Saudi and Emirati led coalition have been targeting civilians, residential neighbourhoods, schools, school busses, markets, hospitals, and every vital facility in the country, leaving tens of thousands of victims, including children, women, and elderlies.

The siege imposed on all Yemeni ports had contributed to the suffering of the Yemenis. The Saudi and Emirati led coalition has been preventing ships that carry oil and fuel, medications, and even food from entering the country. Thus, Yemen is considered "the largest humanitarian crisis in the world" as at least 80% of the population (over 24 million people) are in need of humanitarian assistant.

In March 2020, UNICEF estimated that 2 million children under the age of 5 suffer from acute malnutrition and require treatment.

Saudi Arabia and United Arabic Emirates are using the arms and weapons they buy from other countries to worsen the humanitarian situation in Yemen and to target the civilians.

Australia is one of the countries which export arms to Saudi Arabia and UAE. A document was leaked in 2019 that contains information of an arms shipment sent to Saudi Arabia.

The Gulf Institute for Democracy and Human Rights (GIDHR) is a part of the Australian Arms Control Coalition which is calling on the Australian Government, since 2019, to halt exporting weapons to the aforementioned countries. The matter was brought to the attention of Australian officials, and they were addressed and urged to take a step in the right direction and stop selling their arms to the countries which violate human rights.

Even though there was an argument that there is no evidence of using Australian weapons in Yemen, but providing Saudi Arabia and United Arabic Emirates with the arms is enough to encourage them to continue their brutal war to destroy every living being in Yemen.

Recently, the United States of America and Italy blocked arms exports to Saudi Arabia and UAE over the war crimes committed in Yemen.

So, help us call on the Australian Government to:

Stop selling Australian arms to Saudi Arabia and UAE
Pressure Saudi Arabia & UAE to end the blockade on all Yemeni ports
Send urgent humanitarian aids to the Yemeni people
Urge Australia's allies and assist to reconstruct Yemen

I call upon the Biden Administration to prioritize the release and safe return of journalist and Marine veteran Austin Tice. Austin was reporting on the conflict in Syria when he was arrested in 2012. Since then he has been detained in secret and in silence.

This month Austin turns 40. He has spent most of his 30s in prison. It is well past time for him to come home.

Austin traveled to Syria to document the conditions that were leading to the greatest refugee crisis since WWII. At the time very few journalists were working in Syria because of the danger involved. The world was not getting the story of what was happening on the ground. Austin worked for McClatchy Newspapers, The Washington Post and CBS News as a freelancer. He was arrested and detained because he was a journalist. If Austin is allowed to be held it shows that journalism can be stopped by throwing journalists in prison. His detention serves to intimidate journalists from covering events in the Middle East. Austin has been detained longer than any other U.S. Journalist. The United States must show it is committed to protect American journalists from hostage taking and committed to bringing hostages home.

In September 2020, representatives from the US government met with representatives of the Syria government to discuss the framework of a deal to free Austin. The ball is now in the court of the United States and they must respond and continue the discussion. The Biden Administration must prioritize Austin's release. He must come home! May it be soon.

Don’t Let History Repeat Itself!

Excellencies!

My name is Farhad Darya, an Afghan singer, activist, and former Goodwill Ambassador to the United Nations. I write this letter to you on behalf of millions of oppressed citizens, from one of the safest corners of the world about the most insecure country in the world - a tired and war-torn, yet steadfast, committed Afghanistan.

Exactly twenty years ago in the beautiful city where you are discussing Afghanistan, one of the worst terrorist attacks against humanity took place. That attack was designed and orchestrated regionally from Afghanistan. Today can be a historic day for the future of my country and also for the security of the region and the world. Unfortunately, twenty years after that atrocity, Afghanistan and the world are once again under the great threat of international terrorism. The situation in Afghanistan is very fragile. In the absence of international aid, Afghanistan is now alone in the great war on global terrorism on behalf of humanity and the world. The killing of the al-Qaeda operative in the Indian subcontinent and other senior al-Qaeda members in operations by Afghan security forces over the past few months, and the presence of thousands of foreign nationals in terrorist groups in the enemy's ranks, are good examples of my claim of global terrorism.

The world knows this is not the war of Afghanistan. But the world needs to know that Afghanistan should not be left alone in this war so it can become a safe haven for terrorists again. Do not let history repeat itself. This threat not only affects Afghanistan and the surrounding region, but also the psychological security of the entire world. Today, Afghanistan and the world are waiting for your important decisions.

It is worth mentioning that the people of Afghanistan are grateful for your meeting today, and for the efforts of the international community, the United States, European countries, China, Russia, India, and other international friends.

Over a year ago, with the help of the international community, we started a new phase of democracy and development in a country that had been a safe haven for global terrorists for years in isolation and away from global attention. Following the Bonn Summit, we were able to achieve great values such as women's rights, freedom of expression, and individual freedoms; values that are non-negotiable. But unfortunately, history is repeating itself today. Women are forced to be married off in areas controlled by the opposition and are not allowed to study or leave home. Poets, historians, and satirists are killed extrajudicially. People are threatened with revenge and murder for saying "Allahu Akbar." According to the findings of reputable international organizations, crimes against humanity and war crimes are committed in Afghanistan. The honorable and hardworking people of Hazara are massacred because of their ethnicity. Prisoners of war are beheaded, which the world is all well aware of.

This image reveals only a small part of current atrocities in Afghanistan. The body of a father who takes a few loaves of bread for his hungry children's dinner completely disappeared from the blast. What answer should we give to his children?

We expect the participants in today's important meeting to make critical decisions concerning the depths of a human crisis; decisions that will lead us to the end of this eroding war. We look forward to important decisions and serious attention from you and the entire world. You know for a fact that Afghanistan is facing blatant aggression by international terrorism, which is supported by several countries. There is no need to mention the names of the countries that support these terrorist groups. Addresses are obvious to the world, and "Hibatabad" can be the most accurate address. Today, we call on all diplomatic channels to put pressure on the root causes of this war and the countries that support terrorist networks, and to impose the necessary sanctions so that they stop supporting or use terrorism as a foreign policy.


Thank you for your tremendous efforts. The people of Afghanistan are grateful to the world for their humanitarian assistance in rebuilding their country. I say to you, the elites of the world's political community: do not forget that millions of suffering and oppressed people are watching your decision today.

Farhad Darya

On May 12,2021 I lost my 7 week old baby boy Case Michael Borton to SIDS. The next day my best friend purchased an Owlet sock for my son’s twin brother. The Owlet monitors your child’s heart and blood oxygen levels. It notifies you if their heart rate or oxygen levels begin to drop. Had we known that my sweet boy was no longer breathing on his own I would have been able to give him CPR sooner and save his life.

My sweet boy came from a home that did everything right no drugs, no alcohol, no smoking, clean and healthy home and sleeping environments, and parents that love him more than anything in this world, and he still died of SIDS. It can happen to anyone, but it shouldn’t, and if every baby comes home from the hospital with an owlet it doesn’t have to happen anymore. If used properly the owlet can literally save babies and eradicate SIDS.

The owlet can be a life saving device and should be covered by insurance! What happened to my baby shouldn’t have and it shouldn’t happen to any other baby either. Help me fight for what is right, and make insurance companies cover owlets, so that we can save the lives of other babies!

In July, families started receiving up to $300 a month for each child. This should not be temporary. Our children must be prioritized.

My name is Keri Troehler-Duesing, and I’m a high school teacher and mother. I never thought that my husband and I would have to navigate our family through a global pandemic, and the challenges and uncertainty we are facing are unprecedented. But President Biden’s new plan to send monthly checks of up to $300 per child to families gives me hope. These checks that start in July are from the expansion of the Child Tax Credit (CTC) that has recently passed in The American Rescue Plan gives me hope that our family, and countless other families, will be able to weather the storm. The financial stability provided by monthly checks is a lifeline that our Congress must make permanent.


The monthly checks per child makes a world of difference to struggling families. As we all know, raising kids is expensive, and the costs of necessities like groceries, diapers, clothes, and school supplies don’t go away when the economy tanks and parents lose their jobs. It breaks my heart that millions of parents in this country have faced their worst fears this year, losing jobs, homes, and struggling to provide food for their children. The recovery from this will take many years. And once “recovery” is complete, millions of families will still be struggling to cover basic necessities. I was surprised and dismayed when I learned that the credit was not permanent. The Child Tax Credit expansion is only through 2021.


The truth is, the Child Tax Credit is the hope and support families have desperately needed for a long time, but especially now during the pandemic as well as in the future. This tax credit will help families across the country recover and should be in place for when the next crisis or disaster hits, for we know it’s not a matter of if, but when the next crisis will happen.


Parents like me are also worried about the stress our kids are feeling right now. Recent studies have shown that rates of anxiety and depression in children are increasing nationwide. I see the toll that the isolation, stress, and disconnectedness of the pandemic is taking on my students. We, as parents and teachers, want to do everything in our power to help them. But we need our government to help us.


Making these monthly checks permanent is a step to truly putting families and their children first, and sends the clear signal that their country values them. Help me tell Congress that this is the right thing to do by signing this petition.

Grizzly bear 863 (commonly referred to as “Felicia”) and her two cubs born earlier this year have been living alongside the Togwotee Pass in the Bridger-Teton National Forest, east of Moran, WY.

Under the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), local agencies are currently hazing this bear family via loud noise(s), rubber bullets, and other means to move her from the roadside where tourists, photographers, and highway travelers have been viewing the family.

The narrative that the Fish and Wildlife Service is using, calling this family a so-called “dangerous situation” is – to put it bluntly - absurd. In a release from USFWS out of Denver it was explained that hazing will continue through the end of June 2021, at which time a decision to relocate or euthanize the bears will be made. This is unacceptable. The bear is located on public land and has done nothing “wrong,” she and her offspring have the misfortune of existing in a place where wildlife managers are choosing not to deal with traffic problems and have been quoted among many (who are willing to fill out affidavits to these testimonies) that they “don’t feel like dealing with the traffic” or “the bear.” This bear has shown zero signs of aggression, has not sought out human food rewards, or posed a problem with residents or campers.

This bear family simply grazes along the roadside, peacefully eating planted clover as this appears to be a preferred food choice. Additionally, numerous sows have sought out the roadside for protection to rear their cubs. This behavior has been very well-documented, as reports show that it protects the mother and her cubs from nearby large grizzly bears. When did it become unacceptable for bears to simply exist near the roadside in a national forest? There is absolutely no reason to euthanize (or even relocate) this federally protected bear or her cubs.

We all know if this bear and her cubs are relocated there are countless dangers associated with the process and there is a high likelihood that one or more of these bears would not survive. Not to mention that after a second relocation she, and any offspring, would be on their “last strike.” If they were to ever approach roads or humans the next step would be euthanization.

The narrative that this is a traffic issue or a safety issue for people present in the area is unacceptable. This situation is not the result of people admiring bears but because of inadequate and inefficient bear management by a government agency that does not wish to manage the bear the way the national parks do. This is completely intolerable, and I implore you to do better.

The local community in Jackson has deep pockets and thousands of people who care greatly about the wildlife, especially grizzly bear 863 (“Felica”) and her cubs. The community is capable of raising funds to implement bear management personnel on Togwotee Pass, similar to those in GTNP. This option has been proposed to local agencies, who promptly dismissed it. Can you honestly tell me that you would rather kill a bear with babies than allow locals to implement a process they are willing to fund that would help mediate between both sides, and aid in bear management?

Ultimately, if murdering this bear and her two cubs is the direction that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service takes, it will be documented and recorded which will become a PR nightmare for all agencies involved. The killing of a bear that has brought joy to many tourists will not be one the public will forget, and the local community will work hard to ensure that such an abuse is remembered and learned from.