In the United States today, we find ourselves living through a deeply challenging political and social moment. Decisions made here have far-reaching consequences across the world—shaping war and peace, climate action, migration policies, and the future of multilateral cooperation. As members of VIVAT USA, we are called to respond with prophetic witness, advocacy, and solidarity, even as we carry the heavy awareness of our country’s global impact.
A Difficult National and Global Reality
From within the United States, we see clearly how political choices made here affect countless lives beyond our borders. Communities in Africa and across the Global South, people displaced by war, and those suffering the devastating effects of climate inaction all feel the consequences.
It is especially painful to witness the role of the United States in ongoing conflicts, including in Gaza and other regions of violence and displacement. Equally troubling is the financial crisis facing the United Nations, which has been worsened by the U.S. failure to meet its assessed contributions. As the UN Secretary-General has warned, this threatens the organization’s ability to function effectively at a time when global cooperation is urgently needed.
As VIVAT members living in the U.S., we cannot ignore these realities. We recognize that government decisions made in our name often contribute to suffering elsewhere, and we carry both sorrow and responsibility as we confront this truth.
Social Media as a Space for Advocacy
One of our important tools for awareness and engagement is the VIVAT USA Facebook page, which we continue to strengthen as a platform for advocacy and communication.
Through this space, we share updates from the United Nations and from VIVAT International, while posting reflections and resources on urgent issues such as migration, refugee protection, climate justice, environmental degradation, and human rights in conflict zones. We also provide calls to action that our congregations and networks can use in their own ministries.
Our goal is simple but vital: to amplify the voices of the marginalized and to help connect global realities with local communities and congregational life.
Presence in UN Commissions and Global Processes
VIVAT USA members, together with our partners in New York, remain actively engaged in major UN commissions and advocacy spaces, including the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), as well as thematic discussions on migration, Indigenous Peoples, social development, climate justice, and environmental concerns.
We are especially grateful for the collaboration with the Little Sisters of the Assumption in New York, whose commitment greatly strengthens this mission. Their active participation in UN meetings, along with their grassroots ministry among migrants, families, and people living in poverty, helps ensure that advocacy remains rooted in lived realities rather than abstract policy discussions. They also contribute significantly to preparing content for our VIVAT USA communications and outreach.
Through these partnerships, we strive to bridge the gap between international policymaking and the everyday struggles of vulnerable communities.
Strengthening Connections Across Congregations
The VIVAT network in the United States includes congregations of very different sizes and capacities. Some are large and well-resourced; others are small, aging, and often isolated.
One of our central responsibilities is to ensure that no community is left disconnected. We work to circulate information across congregations, helping smaller communities remain engaged with UN developments, national advocacy efforts, and opportunities for prayer, reflection, and action.
In this way, even communities with limited personnel can continue to participate meaningfully in VIVAT’s broader mission.
Advocacy Through Public Witness
Whenever possible, we also engage in direct public advocacy. This includes drafting and signing advocacy letters addressed to decision-makers on issues such as migration and asylum policies, climate commitments, fossil fuel dependence, and support for the United Nations and international cooperation.
We also contribute articles and reflections that help members of our congregations—and the wider Church in the United States—see the deep connection between faith, justice, and global responsibility.
Advocacy in the U.S. context can be complex and politically sensitive, but the Gospel calls us to speak with clarity, courage, and compassion. Silence is not an option when human dignity is at stake.
Pain, Responsibility, and Hope
During our recent global call, I shared a feeling that many of us carry deeply: sorrow over what our political administration is doing—in our name—to people in Africa, Gaza, and many other parts of the world.
We know that U.S. policies and arms sales help sustain conflicts. We know that financial and political decisions made here can weaken international institutions like the United Nations when the world needs them most.
In this context, our commitment as VIVAT USA is to remain honest about these realities, to stand in solidarity with those who suffer, and to use every available space—social media, UN engagement, and inter-congregational networking—to advocate for peace, justice, and respect for human dignity.
Even in a difficult political climate and across a vast and diverse country, we believe that small, persistent acts of truth-telling and solidarity matter.
We are deeply grateful to be part of the global VIVAT family. It reminds us that we are not alone in this mission and strengthens our hope that, together, we can continue to be signs of justice, instruments of peace, and witnesses of God’s compassionate presence in our world.
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