Duane Shank was Associate Editor for Sojourners magazine and was on the staff from 1995 to 2014.
Duane has been active as an organizer and administrator in the peace and justice movement for 35 years, beginning as a draft resistance and antiwar organizer during the Vietnam war. He has worked as a community organizer in the rural south, in interfaith coalitions, and in the nuclear weapons freeze and Central America solidarity movements of the 1980s. His positions have included Associate for the National Inter-religious Service Board for Conscientious Objectors; National Coordinator for the Committee Against Registration and the Draft; Deputy Director and Acting Executive Director for SANE/Freeze; and Research Fellow for the Institute for Policy Studies.
Duane attended Eastern Mennonite University. He is a Anabaptist/Mennonite, and currently an active member and serves on the worship leadership team of the Community of Christ ecumenical congregation in the Mt. Pleasant neighborhood of Washington, D.C. His views on faith and politics have been shaped by (among others), John Howard Yoder, Abraham Joshua Heschel, Martin Luther King, Jr., Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and Oscar Romero.
Duane is married to Ellen Kennel. They have a daughter, Celeste, a graduate of Goshen College, IN, the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University, and the University of Chicago Divinity School.
In addition to family, church, and work; his passions are baseball (Washington Nationals), blues (Buddy Guy and Stevie Ray Vaughan) and bluegrass music (Ralph Stanley), and barbecue.
Posts By This Author
The latest news on Oil Spill Hearings, Oil Industry Regulation, Climate Energy Bill, Finance Reform, Supreme Court Nominee, Health Care, Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Mideast Talks, Darfur, Sweatshops, and Select Op-Eds.
Immigration. A bill that aims to ban ethnic studies in Arizona schools was signed into law Tuesday by Gov. Jan Brewer, cheering critics who called such classes divisive and alarming others who said it's yet another law targeting Latinos in the state.
New U.K. Prime Minister. Prime Minister David Cameron has said the U.K.'s first coalition in decades could mark a "historic and seismic shift" in British politics.
Egypt. After years of the government’s promising to end Egypt’s state of emergency, Parliament on Tuesday approved a government request to extend for two years its right to arrest people without charge, detain prisoners indefinitely, limit freedom of expression and assembly, and maintain a special security court.
Quote of the Day. “It was kind of an epiphany. We were giving them nice land to live on when what they were doing -- and what they needed -- was an underground railway.” Alan Rabinowitz, zoologist and president of Panthera, an organization that studies and promotes conservation of large cats, on the development of corridors to serve as migration routes between wildlife sanctuaries. (New York Times)
The latest news on Supreme Court Nominee, Climate & Energy Bill, Low Taxes, National Service, Afghanistan-Karzai Visits U.S., Iraq, Philippine Election, Sudan Election, AIDS, Chinese Civil Society, and Select Op-Eds.
Oil Spill. BP officials on Monday announced another experimental plan to capture the crude oil that's gushing from a mangled well 5,000 feet below the surface of the Gulf of Mexico as Louisiana authorities prepared for the likely arrival of a massive oil slick along the state's marshy shoreline.
Haiti. Protesters in Haiti have demanded the resignation of the president, accusing him of using January's devastating earthquake as an excuse to remain in power.
British Elections. Gordon Brown paved the way for a possible coalition between Labour and the Liberal Democrats by announcing his resignation yesterday in an attempt to derail a partnership deal between Nick Clegg and David Cameron.
Quote of the Day. "It is reckless. Information is powerful, but misunderstood information can be powerfully bad." Hank Greely, director of Stanford University's Center for Law and the Biosciences, on a new do-it-yourself genetic test to scan for various illness. The test will soon be available at retail drugstores. (Washington Post)
The latest news on Finance Reform, Military Spending, Land Mine Treaty, Tea Party Win in Utah, Passing, British Election, Australia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Mideast Talks, and Select Op-Eds.
Supreme Court Nominee. Elena Kagan, 50, the former dean of Harvard Law School, would become the fourth woman to serve on the high court; if she is confirmed, the nine-member court would have three female justices for the first time.
Oil Spill. Nineteen days after oil started spewing into the Gulf of Mexico, experts appeared Sunday to have no certain plan for sealing anytime soon a runaway well 5,000 feet below the gulf's surface.
Iran Executions. The Iranian government hanged five Kurdish activists, including a woman, on Sunday morning in the Evin prison in Tehran in what appeared to be an effort to intimidate protesters from marking the anniversary of last year’s huge anti-government rallies after the June 12 election.
Quote of the Day. "There's a million people living out of tents, and, my God, if you saw it and I was to tell you how many NGOs (non-governmental organizations) are in Haiti, you'd be saying, 'How come nobody got them out of those tents?'" Musician Wyclef Jean, whose Yéle Haiti organization has spent $1,327,764 on earthquake relief. (USA Today)
Pro Baseball Players Join Protest of Arizona Immigration Law
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Oil Spill. Oil sheens began lapping the shores of Louisiana's barrier islands on Thursday as emergency crews moved a 78-ton dome into place in the Gulf of Mexico in hopes of lowering it over a runaway oil well 5,000 feet below the water's surface.
Immigration. A coalition of civil rights and labor groups said Thursday that it has organized a national boycott of Arizona in the wake of the state's new law targeting illegal immigrants.
British Election. David Cameron has reached out to the Liberal Democrats in an effort to form a government -- after the U.K. general election resulted in a hung parliament.
Quote of the Day. “Most everybody recalls that the atomic bomb was made by the Manhattan Project. They’re the people that made the atomic bomb. We had nothing to do with the making -- we were merely the delivery boys, so to speak.” Dutch Van Kirk, the last surviving member of the Enola Gay crew that dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, speaking in Columbus, GA. (McClatchy News)
40 Years After: 'Four Dead in Ohio'
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NYC Failed Car Bomb. The car bomb discovered in Times Square would probably have killed or maimed many people, police officials and federal investigators said Sunday as they began assembling evidence collected from the homemade device, video surveillance footage, and the vehicle itself.
Immigration Rallies. In protests fueled by anger over a tough anti-illegal immigrant law in Arizona, tens of thousands of demonstrators joined marches and rallies Saturday in cities across the country, calling on Congress to pass an immigration overhaul.
Oil Spill. With the massive oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico tripling in size in 48 hours, President Obama visited New Orleans on Sunday and promised to "do everything in our power" to mitigate a looming environmental disaster.
Quote of the Day. “All of these players, as well as their families, could be adversely affected, even though their presence in the United States is legal. Each of them must be ready to prove, at any time, his identity and the legality of his being in Arizona to any state or local official with suspicion of his immigration status.’’ Michael Weiner, executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association, in a statement calling for the repeal or modification of Arizona’s immigration law and its effect on the 28% of players who are foreign-born. (Boston Globe)
The latest news on Finance Reform, Climate Bill, Mine Disaster Memorial, Economic Recovery, Abortion, Supreme Court, South Korea and Global Poverty, Afghanistan, Drone Strikes-Palestine, Iran, Mideast, South Africa and AIDS, Sudan Election, and Select Op-
Oil Well Leak. Officials worked Sunday to try to stop oil leaks coming from the deepwater well drilled by a rig that sank last week near Louisiana, but they acknowledged that it could be months before they are able to stem the flow of what is now about 42,000 gallons of oil a day pouring into the Gulf of Mexico.
Malaria. Ban Ki-moon, the United Nations secretary-general, has called for the elimination of malaria deaths by the end of 2010 as he marks the first World Malaria Day.
Immigration Reform. Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer on Friday signed the toughest law against illegal immigration in the country, shrugging aside warnings from religious and civil rights leaders -- and President Obama -- that it would lead to widespread racial profiling.
Quote of the Day. "I could hear all around me the trees twisting and swaying. I asked God to hug us because it was like you could just tell you were looking in the eyes of death." Sandra Grayson, Yazoo City, MS, who hid in her bathroom as a tornado roared through the state, killing 10 people. (USA Today)
The latest news on Unemployment Aid, Immigration, Mine Safety, Tea Party, China Earthquake, Haiti, Pakistan, Iran, Mideast, Sudan, and Select Op-Eds.
Visitation Rights for Same-Sex Partners. President Obama mandated Thursday that nearly all hospitals extend visitation rights to the partners of gay men and lesbians and respect patients' choices about who may make critical health-care decisions for them.
Finance Reform. As the Obama administration and Senate Republicans clash over the future of the nation’s financial regulatory system, there is one principle on which they agree: Taxpayers should never again have to bail out giant financial institutions.
Afghanistan. Deaths of Afghan civilians by NATO troops have more than doubled this year, NATO statistics show, jeopardizing a U.S. campaign to win over the local population by protecting them against insurgent attacks.
Quote of the Day. "I am becoming more radical with age. I have noticed that writers, when they are old, become milder. But for me it is the opposite. Age makes me more angry." Nawal El Saadawi, 79-year-old Egyptian writer, activist, and one of the leading feminists of her generation. She is trained as a doctor, worked as a psychiatrist and university lecturer, and has published almost 50 novels, plays, and collections of short stories. (Guardian)
The latest news on Finance Reform, Tax Cuts Expiring, Tea Party, Iran-Nuclear Weapons, Iran Sanctions, Afghanistan, Sudan, Mideast, and Select Op-Eds.
Climate Bill. Leading voices in the Senate are considering a new tax on gasoline as part of an effort to win Republican and oil industry support for the energy and climate bill now idling in Congress.
China Earthquake. Thousands of homeless and injured people await relief. Officials say 617 people died and 9,980 were injured when the tremor hit early on Wednesday, and 313 remain missing.
Peacekeepers Kidnapped. Four South African peacekeepers have been kidnapped in Sudan's Darfur region, the joint African Union-United Nations force has said.
Quote of the Day. "Mine health and safety laws are in place to protect our coal miners, but it's clear that a breakdown occurred and we lost 29 miners who should be with us today." West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin III (D), calling for mines to be closed Friday in a 'Day of Honor and Mourning' in memory of the miners who died in an explosion 10 days ago. (Washington Post)
The latest news on Nuclear Summit-Iran, Unemployment Aid, Campaign Finance, Climate Treaty, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sudan Election, Kyrgyzstan, Thailand, and Select Op-Eds.
Mine Disaster. The last of the bodies of 29 men killed in a coal mine explosion were removed from the mine early Tuesday, officials said.
Nuclear Summit. World leaders at a summit on nuclear security in Washington have heard dire warnings of the danger of nuclear material falling into the wrong hands.
Red Cross Workers Kidnapped. Eight Red Cross workers have been kidnapped in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the aid group says.
Quote of the Day. “A posthumous special citation to Hank Williams for his craftsmanship as a songwriter who expressed universal feelings with poignant simplicity and played a pivotal role in transforming country music into a major musical and cultural force in American life.” Citation on a special Pulitzer award given posthumously for lifetime achievement as a musician. (The Pulitzer Prizes)
Justice Stevens Hasn't Moved, the Supreme Court Has
The latest news on Nuclear Weapons Policy, Net Neutrality, Targeted Killing, Financial Reform, Unemployed Veterans, U.S. Birthrate Drops, Afghanistan, Iraq, Egypt, and Select Op-Eds.
Mine Disaster. The West Virginia mine where at least 25 workers died Monday in an explosion was written up more than 50 times last month for safety violations. Twelve of the citations involved problems with ventilating the mine and preventing a buildup of deadly methane.
Farmworkers Win. Food service provider Aramark and the Coalition of Immokalee Workers announced a deal Thursday that calls for Aramark to increase wages for tomato pickers by about 70 to 80 percent.
Palestinian Nonviolence. Something is stirring in the West Bank. With both diplomacy and armed struggle out of favor for having failed to end the Israeli occupation, the Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority, joined by the business community, is trying to forge a third way: to rouse popular passions while avoiding violence.
Quote of the Day. "I hope you realize there's a target on your back now. There are many people out there that want you dead. Now that you've passed your health-care bill let the violence begin." Message allegedly left on the phone of Sen. Patty Murray, D-WA, by a Washington state man arrested on Tuesday. (USA Today)
The latest news on Unemployment, Economy, Health Care, U.S. Nuclear Agenda, Pakistan Bombing, Pakistan-Drone Attacks, and Select Op-Eds.
Immigration. State and local police officers who enforce federal immigration laws are not adequately screened, trained, or supervised, and the civil rights of the immigrants they deal with are not consistently protected, according to a report released Friday by the Department of Homeland Security inspector general.
Iran Nuclear Agenda. Iran has said it will host a nuclear disarmament conference later this month as part of an effort to ease fears Tehran is seeking to develop nuclear weapons.
Baghdad Bombings. At least 41 people were killed and 237 wounded Sunday in three suicide car bombings targeting the Iranian and German embassies and the Egyptian Consulate in Iraq in a span of 30 minutes.
Quote of the Day. “I’d love to have those numbers be higher, but I think that we have made a great start and have paved the way, with women now being able to perform the same duties as men in space flight.” Stephanie Wilson, one of three women aboard the space shuttle Discovery that successfully launched this morning on a mission to the International Space Shuttle, which also has a woman crewmember, setting a record for the most women in space at the same time. (Times Online)
'Jesus Never Stopped Being a Faithful Jew'
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Attacks in Moscow. Female suicide bombers set off huge explosions in two subway stations in central Moscow during the Monday morning rush hour, Russian officials said, killing more than three dozen people and raising fears that the Muslim insurgency in southern Russia was once again being brought to the country’s heart.
United Kingdom. Britain needs to use "sharp elbows" in its dealings with Washington because Barack Obama is "less sentimental" about the historic links between Britain and the United States, a former ambassador to the U.S. has claimed.
Afghanistan. President Obama personally delivered pointed criticism to President Hamid Karzai in a face-to-face meeting on Sunday, flying here for an unannounced visit that reflected growing vexation with Mr. Karzai as America’s military commitment to defeat the Taliban insurgency has deepened.
Quote of the Day. "We have seen need grow at certain times, but we have never seen a national economy like this. And we have never seen so many middle-class people lose their jobs and have to depend on emergency food assistance … It's no surprise that this is a very poor area. But I never would have expected to be No. 1 in food insecurity in the entire country." Susan Sanford, who has headed the Mid-South Food Bank in Memphis for the past two decades, on a survey that found 26 percent of people in greater Memphis couldn't afford to buy the food their families needed at some point over the previous 12 months, the highest rate in the nation. (McClatchy)
The latest news on Jobs, Finance Reform, Climate Change, Internet Connections, Mexico, Jerusalem, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Zimbabwe, and Select Op-Eds.
Thailand. Anti-government protesters poured liters of their own blood across the entrances to Government House in Bangkok today in a lurid campaign to secure new elections.
Israel-U.S. An ill-timed municipal housing announcement in Jerusalem has mutated into one of the most serious conflicts between the United States and Israel in two decades, leaving a politically embarrassed Israeli government scrambling to respond to a tough list of demands by the Obama administration.
Health Care. Declaring that "every argument has been made" on his health-care overhaul, President Obama sought to seal the deal with Congress and the American people Monday by focusing on a single patient: a self-employed cleaning woman who dropped her costly insurance plan and just discovered she has leukemia.
Quote of the Day. “Our alumni over the years have told me that they’re so proud of the graduation rates. They don’t want to hear about Xavier, or any university, using students athletically and then dumping them without a degree.” Sister Rose Ann Fleming, academic adviser for Xavier University athletics. Since she began the job in 1985, every men’s basketball player who played as a senior has left with a diploma, a record of 77-0. (New York Times)
The latest news on Health Care, Unemployment Aid, Education Standards, Israel-Palestine, Haiti, Chile, Afghanistan, Darfur, and Select Op-Eds.
Immigration. Overcoming their fear of deportation, a group of college-age immigrants publicly admitted their undocumented status at a rally at the Federal Plaza on Wednesday in hopes of putting a face on the need for comprehensive immigration reform.
Financial Reform. Payday lenders, pawnbrokers, car dealers, and other companies that make loans but do not hold bank charters would be shielded from the scrutiny of a proposed federal consumer protection regulator under the terms of a tentative compromise between senators who are attempting to craft a bipartisan bill.
Afghanistan Withdrawal Resolution. In a strong bipartisan endorsement of the Obama administration’s policy in Afghanistan, the House of Representatives on Wednesday soundly rejected a call to withdraw American troops by the end of the year.
Quote of the Day. “A well-crafted carbon surcharge achieves two goals. The first is a drastic reduction in fossil fuel usage for energy, but the second, and more important for Los Angeles, is the creation of thousands of green-collar jobs.” Jay Carson, chief deputy mayor of Los Angeles on the city’s plan to increase electric rates to fund renewable energy programs. (Los Angeles Times)
The latest news on Unemployment, Jobs, Health Care, Immigration, Finance Reform, Iraq-UK Commission, Iraq-Election, Afghanistan-Military, Afghanistan-Political, and Select Op-Eds.
Chile. Class war has broken out in the city that bore the brunt of the Chilean earthquake and tsunami and the wave of looting that followed. Aid has just arrived in Concepción but it is the rich who are being fed first.
Armenian Genocide. A congressional committee voted Thursday to label as "genocide" the Ottoman-era slaughter of Armenians, shrugging off a last-minute warning from Obama administration officials that it would alienate Turkey, a key U.S. ally.
Education Cuts Protests. A day of passionate protest against education funding cuts attracted thousands of demonstrators Thursday to mostly peaceful rallies, walkouts and teach-ins at universities and high schools throughout California and the nation.
Quote of the Day. “We can live in fear and make bad policy based on fear, or we can have some backbone and make policy based on what really helps our communities. [Still,] I worry about it. I say a rosary every day.” Patricia L. Caruso, director of the Michigan Department of Corrections,on the growing trend by states to reduce prison populations by expanding parole programs and early releases in order to save money, with the risk that some will commit new crimes. (New York Times)