Rev. Daughtry condemns Sudan Refugee Camp Bombing
Following North Sudan’s recent bombing of refugee camps at Yida in South Sudan, Rev. Herbert Daughtry, the founding chair of the National Religious Leaders of African Ancestry (NRLAA), demanded that North Sudan President Omar Al-Bashir be held responsible.
“The problem could be resolved immediately if President Omar Al-Bashir was brought before the International Criminal Court to answer the charges for which he was indicted. He was indicted for crimes against humanity and war crimes. He really is a fugitive from justice,” said Daughtry, the longtime clergy leader of the House of the Lord Church on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn.
Reverend Daughtry, who has made several trips to the refugee camps and met with Darfurian and South Sudanese leaders, including President Salva Kiir, urged the United Nations to take a strong stand against the bombing and military incursions.
“The International Criminal Court, which is a child of the United Nations, issued the indictment in 2010 because of the atrocities committed in Darfur, the western region of Sudan,” he said.
There was a NRLAA emergency Clergy Breakfast held this week at The House of the Lord Church, 415 Atlantic Avenue discussing further actions the group planned to take. For more information, please contact (718) 596-1991.
 Clarke Applauds Regents Support of DREAMers Act
Last week, Congresswoman Yvette Clarke gave kudos to the New York State Board of Regents’ Support of the Education Equity for DREAMers Act. The legislation would extend state financial aid to undocumented students.
“I am extremely grateful that the New York State Board of Regents has recommended ‘the Education Equity for DREAMers Act’. This legislation provides a solution for immigrant students whose ability to participate in our civil society has been undermined by our broken immigration system,” said Clarke.
Clarke noted that during the last Congressional Session, Congress failed to enact the DREAM act.
“Our federal government’s inaction has convinced some states to take matters into their own hands,” she said.

Grant Opportunities Available!
The Citizens Committee for New York City announced that the application for their New Yorkers for Better Neighborhoods Awards is now available.
Funding grants of up to $3,000 to support neighborhood improvement projects are available to volunteer-led community groups as well as public school-based student groups.
The deadline to apply is January 31, 2012. Applications are available on the website www.citizensnyc.org/grants.
For further information contact Arif Ullah or Wilfredo Florentino at 212-822-9580/9568 or grants@citizensnyc.org.

City Administration delays new homeless policy
Following mounting criticism, the Bloomberg Administration postponed for at least a month the imposition of tighter rules for homeless people seeking shelter.
The new policy, announced two weeks ago, would try to verify that people seeking shelter were truly homeless. Homeless people that have family members living in the city might be denied a spot in a homeless shelter under these new rules.
Critics of the new rules fear that more mentally ill people, among others, might be forced onto the streets under these rules.
Seth Diamond, the commissioner for homeless services, said at a recent City Council hearing on the subject that the city had “received state approval and we’re going ahead.”
But in a testy letter, the State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance said it had not approved the policy but had merely found it was “not inconsistent with state law.”
The state also expressed serious concerns with the policy’s quick start-up.

Ingersoll Career Workshops
The Ingersoll Community Center in the Fort Greene Houses is offering career development workshops for residents and participants ages 17-24 looking for work.
The workshops consist of resumes, cover letters, interview skills and job placement, and are available every Monday and Thursday from 6p to 8p at the Ingersoll Community Center, 177 Myrtle Ave. and Prince Street.