my town monday

Today for MTM, I don't want to focus on a particular town, but on people, specifically the people in the world who are away from their towns, maybe permanently.

Please spare a passing thought or prayer, if you're so inclined, for:

People displaced by war: Iraqis in their border countries, the exodus from Sudan, and elsewhere: Afghanistan, Angola, Burma, Burundi, Congo-Kinshasa, Eritrea, Iraq, the Palestinian territories (1/4 of the refugee population), Somalia. Every continent and country on the planet is affected by this ongoing global crisis. For soldiers everywhere, including Iraq and Afghanistan, for those who sacrifice their freedom for ours, for those who sacrifice home for basics rights, for those whose homes have lost all meaning due to death, and for those who fight in defense of the downtrodden elsewhere.

For child soldiers in Colombia, Mexico, Peru, Russian Fed, Turkey, Yugoslavia, Algeria, Angola, Burundi, Chad, Repub of Congo, DRC, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Uganda, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Lebanon, India, Indonesia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guniea, Sri Lanka, East Timor, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan. (And I would add the US, as I met a 17 year-old-soldier last summer.)

For anyone who had to leave their home for economic reasons: the Mexican migrant worker in the US, contractors in Afghanistan and Iraq, Chinese workers displaced to Bejjing to construct the Olympic facilities, Americans who have lost their home due to the mortgage fall-out, girls and boys sold or abducted into sexual slavery, for any who must leave flagging hometowns to take a job elsewhere.

People away from home because of politics, race, or faith: Jews and Palestinians on the wrong side of a particular wall, diplomats and ambassadors, those living in segregated neighborhoods, missionaries, and political/innocent prisoners. Especially the Dalai Lama and other Guides to Peace who lost their homes due to spiritual beliefs.

And for all the rest, too numerous to list here, who are not home but want to be.

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