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 Doctor Killed in Church, GM Bankruptcy, Congress Returns, Immigration, New Orleans, U.S.-Cuba, Pakistan, Afghanistan, North Korea, Palestine, Israeli Settlements, Zimbabwe, Iran, and Select Op-eds.
Doctor killed in church. “George R. Tiller, the nation's most prominent provider of controversial late-term abortions, was shot and killed yesterday in the lobby of his Lutheran church in Wichita, where he was serving as an usher.”
Immigration. “In a high-stakes battle that could affect California's share of federal funding and political representation, immigrant activists are vowing to combat efforts by a national Latino clergy group to persuade 1 million illegal immigrants to boycott the 2010 U.S. census.”
U.S.-Cuba. “Cuba has agreed to restart talks with the United States on immigration and has signaled its willingness to cooperate on issues including terrorism, drug trafficking and even mail service, a sign that the island's communist government is warming to President Obama's call for a new relationship after decades of tension.”
Quote of the day. "We ask the question all the time: 'What are y'all doing for us in this neck of the woods?' We can't get streetlights down here. We got holes in the street." R.C. Brock, a resident of the Lower 9th Ward in New Orleans on the pace of rebuilding poor, mostly African-American neighborhoods. (Los Angeles Times)
The latest news on Sotomayor & Abortion, Abortion, Immigration, Foreclosures Rising, Economy, Nuclear Weapons & Cyberwar, Aung San Suu Kyi, Gaza, U.S.-Israel, Iran, North Korea, Pakistan, Climate Change, and Select Op-eds.
Sotomayor & abortion. “William Donohue, president of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, said Judge Sotomayor's record has more bright spots than conservative Catholics can reasonably expect to get from an appointee of President Obama.”
Gaza. “Dozens of families still live in tents amid collapsed buildings and rusting pipes. With construction materials barred, a few are building mud-brick homes. Everything but food and medicine has to be smuggled through desert tunnels from Egypt. Among the items that people seek is an addictive pain reliever used to fight depression.”
Climate change. “Climate change is already responsible for 300,000 deaths a year and is affecting 300m people, according to the first comprehensive study of the human impact of global warming.”
Quote of the day. "There's fire in the ashes and good things happening everywhere. There are reserves of life and strength in us that we never imagine are there until we absolutely need them." Jerry Smith, a Capuchin friar who runs two soup kitchens in Detroit that serve 2,000 meals a day. (USA Today)
The latest news on Judge Sotomayor, Sotomayor & Abortion, FBI & Terrorism, Health Care, New Ambassadors, Human Rights Crisis, Pakistan, India-Pakistan Nuclear Weapons, Korea, Israel, Sudan, and Select Op-eds.
FBI & terrorism. “The FBI and Justice Department plan to significantly expand their role in global counter-terrorism operations, part of a U.S. policy shift that will replace a CIA-dominated system of clandestine detentions and interrogations with one built around transparent investigations and prosecutions.”
Human rights crisis. “The global economic crisis is exacerbating human rights abuses, Amnesty International has warned. In its annual report, the group said the downturn had distracted attention from abuses and created new problems.”
Israel. “Rebuffing Israel on a key Mideast negotiating issue, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Wednesday that the Obama administration wants a complete halt in the growth of Jewish settlements in Palestinian territory, with no exceptions.”
Quote of the day. “We sent them food, fertilizer, factories, more than we give our own poor people. And all they pay us back with is this nuclear test.” Lee Soon-hwan, a South Korean office worker, on North Korea’s nuclear test. (New York Times)
The latest news on Supreme Court Nomination, Who Judge Sotomayor Is, California Same-Sex Marriage, California Budget, U.S.-Canada Border, North Korea, Darfur, Pakistan, French Military Base, Iran, Israel, and Select Op-eds.
California same-sex marriage. “The California Supreme Court's decision Tuesday to uphold Proposition 8 and existing same-sex marriages left in place all rights for California's gays and lesbians except access to the label 'marriage,' but it provided little protection from future ballot measures that could cost gays and other minorities more rights.”
North Korea. “North Korea has declared an end to its half-century-old armistice with the South, saying that it sees Seoul's move to join a U.S.-led anti-proliferation initiative as a 'declaration of war.'"
Darfur. “Delivering a blow to hopes that he would soon reverse the expulsion of humanitarian aid agencies from Darfur, the Sudanese President Omar al Bashir has renewed his attack on the charities, accusing them of seeking to bring about a regime change.”
Quote of the day. “This wealth of experiences, personal and professional, have helped me appreciate the variety of perspectives that present themselves in every case that I hear. I strive never to forget the real-world consequences of my decisions on individuals, businesses and government." Judge Sonia Sotomayor, explaining her philosophy as she was nominated to the Supreme Court. (Washington Post)
The latest news on the Supreme Court, Climate Change, Memorial Day, National Security, Foreclosures, Gun Control, Storefront Churches, Church and Gay Issues, North Korea, Zimbabwe, Darfur, Iraq, Israel, Aung San Suu Kyi - Burma, Iran, and Select Op-eds.
Supreme Court. “If confirmed, Sotomayor, 54, would be the first Supreme Court justice of Hispanic descent and only the third woman ever to sit on the panel.”
Climate change. Caps, Trades and Offsets: Can Climate Plan Work? “It sounds like alchemy, an act of bureaucratic magic. Under the climate-change bill just approved by a House committee, the U.S. government would literally make a commodity -- as tradable as a Pontiac or a pork belly -- out of thin air.”
Israel. Israeli legislation raises issue of loyalty “The ultranationalist party led by Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman has unveiled two bills targeting Israel's Arab minority, one that would outlaw the Arabs' traditional day of mourning over the birth of Israel and another that would require an oath of allegiance to the Jewish state.”
The latest news on National Security, Climate Change, NYC Bomb Plot, Black Mayor in Philadelphia MS, Homeless Children, Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Burma, and Select Op-eds.
Climate change. “The House Energy and Commerce Committee, splitting largely along party lines, approved on Thursday the most ambitious energy and global warming legislation ever debated in Congress.”
Black mayor in Philadelphia, Miss. “The city of Philadelphia, Miss., where members of the Ku Klux Klan killed three civil rights workers in 1964 in one of the era’s most infamous acts, on Tuesday elected its first black mayor.”
Pakistan. “Short of food and desperate for the military to support them, some 200,000 people remain trapped in northern Swat as the Pakistani army battles to wrest the area farther south back from Taliban extremists.”
Quote of the day. “We uphold our most cherished values not only because doing so is right, but because it strengthens our country and it keeps us safe. Time and again, our values have been our best national security asset -- in war and peace; in times of ease and in eras of upheaval.” President Barack Obama, in his Thursday speech on national security. (New York Times)
The latest news on Guantanamo, Health Insurance, Immigration, Supreme Court, California Budget, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Aung San Suu Kyi, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, India, and Select Op-eds.
Guantanamo. “President Obama will attempt today to answer critics of his dismantling of Bush-era policies on detention and interrogation, in a speech reminding Americans that strong national security and adherence to laws and national values are not mutually exclusive.”
Iran. “Iran test-fired a medium-range ballistic missile yesterday which Western analysts believe is capable of hitting targets in Israel, as well as southern Europe and U.S. bases in the Middle East.”
Aung San Suu Kyi. “The United Nations Secretary General promised to go to Burma to demand the release of political prisoners as the authorities resumed their closed trial of Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel Prize-winning democracy leader, a day after briefly admitting journalists and foreign diplomats.”
Quote of the day. "People are going to have to figure out: Do they want schools, do they want roads, do they want public safety, do they want to take care of the less fortunate?" John Burton, a former state Senate leader who is now chairman of the California Democratic Party, after voters rejected the state budget plan. (Los Angeles Times)
The latest news on Climate Change, Poor are Generous Givers, Credit Card Reform, Guantanamo, Immigration, Antiunion Tactics Increase, Iran, Pakistan, Burma, Afghanistan, Nuclear Weapons, and Sri Lanka.
Guantanamo. “Senate Democratic leaders on Tuesday decided to drop plans to give President Obama money to close the Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, detention facility for terrorism suspects.”
Afghanistan. “The U.S. military rejected a charge that around 140 noncombatants were killed in a recent bombing in Farah province, and put the toll instead at 20 to 30 civilians.”
Credit card reform. “At first glance, the sweeping credit card legislation that passed the Senate on Tuesday looks like a huge victory for consumers. The bill, after all, contains relief from penalty fees and certain interest rate spikes.”
Quote of the day. "She was composed, upright, crackling with energy. Very much in charge of her defence team." UK ambassador Mark Canning describing Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi at a trial hearing. (BBC)
The latest news on Fuel and Emissions Standards, Employee Free Choice, Immigration, Death Penalty, Gun Control, Pentagon Ends Bible Quote, Clinton Named U.N. Envoy to Haiti, Obama-Netanyahu, Iran, Burma, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Feature-Poverty,
Burma. “As protests grew around the world, the trial of Myanmar’s pro-democracy leader, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, entered its second day Tuesday as the government pursued its charges that could transform her years of house arrest into the harsher conditions of a prison term.”
Pentagon ends Bible quote. “The Pentagon said Monday it no longer includes a Bible quote on the cover page of daily intelligence briefings it sends to the White House, as was the practice during the Bush administration.”
Fuel and emissions standards. “President Obama will announce tough new nationwide rules for automobile emissions and mileage standards on Tuesday, embracing standards that California has sought to enact for years over the objections of the auto industry and the Bush administration.”
The latest news on President Speaks at Notre Dame, Supreme Court, Foreclosures, Climate Change, Obama-Netanyahu Meeting, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Sudan-Darfur, India, and Select Op-eds.
President speaks at Notre Dame. “Engaging the culture war directly, President Obama made a plea Sunday at the University of Notre Dame for both sides to talk to each other with 'open hearts, open minds, fair-minded words' on abortion and other fiery issues.”
Sudan-Darfur. “The International Criminal Court's pretrial judges have summoned three Sudanese rebel leaders to appear before the Hague-based tribunal to face charges of ordering a deadly attack against African Union peacekeepers in Darfur more than 18 months ago.”
Sri Lanka. “Sri Lanka's army says it has ended its war with the Tamil Tigers after killing 250 separatist fighters, including the group's leader, his son and three senior officials.”
The latest news on war funding, military tribunals, CIA and Congress on torture, health care reform, Employee Free Choice Act, abortion, immigration, food safety, U.S.-Canada trade, Pope in the Mideast, Israel-Iran, Gaza, Pakistan, nuclear weapons, Tianan
War funding. “The House passed a bill yesterday that would provide more than $96 billion in funding for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq through Sept. 30, as President Obama had requested, but a bloc of 51 Democrats opposed it.”
Israel-Iran. “Israel has acceded to American demands by pledging to coordinate its moves on Iran with Washington and not surprise the United States with military action.”
Immigration. “Census data from the Mexican government indicate an extraordinary decline in the number of Mexican immigrants going to the United States.”
The latest news on Explorer Scouts as border patrol, Homeowner aid, Unwed mothers, Minority population growth, Obama and Notre Dame, Pope in Mideast, Aung Suu Kyi in prison, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan.
Abuse photos. "A month after making public once-classified Justice Department memos detailing the Bush administration's coercive methods of interrogation, President Obama yesterday chose secrecy over disclosure, saying he will seek to block the court-ordered release of photographs depicting the abuse of detainees."
National security policies. "Congressional Democrats are voicing growing unease over the Obama administration’s national security policies, including the seemingly open-ended commitment in Afghanistan and the nettlesome question of what to do with prisoners held at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba."
Climate Change. “With a series of compromises on the stickiest issues behind them, the House Energy and Commerce Committee is poised to approve the legislation by the end of next week.”
The latest news on Social Security-Medicare, Stimulus, Choice Neighborhoods, World Vision, Minority Homeownership, U.S. Soldier 'Broke,' Student Loans, IRS Ruling, Human Rights, Palestinian State, Christians in Mideast, Mideast Peace, Pakistan, Afghanista
El Salvador. “Two decades ago, it was a civil war, with soldiers, death squads and guerrillas spilling the blood. Now it's gangs (thousands of members originally from Los Angeles), drug-fueled crime, abusive police officers -- all the makings of a bloodletting that has terrified the population and contributed in recent elections to the unseating of the party that ruled for 20 years.”
Choice neighborhoods. “The Obama administration is proposing a new program that aims to transform the nation's poorest neighborhoods from head-to-toe: taking 10 urban centers with high concentrations of public housing and improving it while adding day care centers and even farmers markets, sidewalks and parks.”
U.S. soldier "broke." “The portrait that emerged Tuesday of Sgt. John Russell, the 44-year-old from Sherman, Texas, charged with killing five fellow service members at a Baghdad military base, in many ways personifies the emotionally taxed soldier the Army says has become a growing concern as the Iraq war stretches into its seventh year.”
The latest news on Afghanistan, Pakistan, Pope Visits Jerusalem, Iran Frees Journalist, U.S. Soldier Shooting, Sri Lanka, New Afghanistan Commander, and Postville Immigration Raid.
Pope visits Jerusalem. "Pope Benedict XVI waded straight into Middle East politics Monday as he began an historic five-day pilgrimage meant to strengthen the Vatican's strained relationship with Israel and boost his profile as a beacon of peace in the Holy Land."
New Afghanistan commander. "Defense Secretary Robert Gates said the Pentagon sought 'fresh thinking' to implement its new strategy for the worsening conflict in Afghanistan, replacing Army Gen. David McKiernan with Lt. Gen. Stanley McChrystal, a veteran counterinsurgency expert."
Postville immigration raid. "If there is an epicenter in the shifting, emotionally charged debate over U.S. immigration policy, it is Postville, Iowa. One year ago today, two government helicopters and some 900 immigration agents descended on this town of 2,200 and rounded up nearly 400 illegal immigrants working at a nearby meatpacking plant."
The latest news on the Economy, Cost of War, Health Care, U.S.-Canada, Pope in Middle East, Iran-U.S. Journalist Free, Sri Lanka, China, Pakistan, Afghanistan, South Africa, and Select Op-eds.
Afghanistan. “Afghanistan's leading human rights organization is investigating claims that white phosphorus was used during a deadly battle between U.S. forces and the Taliban last week in which scores of civilians may have died.”
Cost of war. “The debate over how — and how long — the United States should fight wars in Iraq and Afghanistan returns to Washington's political stage this week as a wary Congress begins considering new funding for the conflicts.”
Economy. “As millions of people seek government aid, many for the first time, they are finding it dispensed American style: through a jumble of disconnected programs that reach some and reject others, often for reasons of geography or chance rather than differences in need.”
The latest news on unemployment, budget cuts, abortion, immigration, torture, homelessness, green jobs, Pope in the Middle East, nuclear arms control, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Sudan
Unemployment. “Although it is the highest jobless rate since September 1983, the pace of job losses slowed appreciably last month compared with February and March, another sign that the severe economic slump might be starting to ease.”
Abortion. “President Obama called for overturning a decade-old ban on publicly funded abortions in the District as part of his budget proposal Thursday, but did not overturn the national ban on federal funding, thus angering advocacy groups on both sides of the volatile issue.”
Sudan. “Sudan's government says it will invite new aid groups to work in Darfur and allow those still operating there to expand their activities.”
The latest news on the economy, healthcare, newspapers, Day of Prayer, Afghanistan, Pakistan, South Africa, editorials and opinion
Afghanistan. “Up to 100 civilians, including women and children, are reported to have been killed in Afghanistan in potentially the single deadliest US airstrike since 2001. The news overshadowed a crucial first summit between the Afghan President and Barack Obama in Washington yesterday.”
Economy. “The jobless rate is expected to tick up later this week and continue climbing for months, a crisis in commercial real estate looms and the latest survey of bank lending suggests that it's still pretty hard to get a new mortgage. So it may sound surprising that some forecasters see an imminent end to the recession.”
Healthcare. “The Obama administration's senior healthcare official Wednesday flatly rejected the idea of taking over the nation's medical insurance system, saying the federal government did not want to assume management of healthcare coverage.”
The latest news on the Supreme Court, Immigration, Same-sex Marriage, Katrina Trailers, National Day of Prayer, Global Health Plan, Israel-Palestine, Israel-Nuclear Weapons, Afghanistan-Pakistan Summit, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, and Select Op-eds.
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