Last Friday I attended a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on the Egyptian crackdown on non-governmental organizations.  In December, the Egyptian government raided the offices of several NGOs within the country and is now prosecuting representatives from these organizations.  The government claims that the organizations were not registered to be in the country and that they were receiving aid from non-Egyptian organizations.  Four presidents from American NGOs affected by the raids testified at the hearing, including the International Republican Institute, National Democracy Institute, Freedom House, and the International Center for Journalists. 

The witnesses were questioned about how their organizations were affected by the government raids and the charges being brought against them.  Lorne Craner, of the International Republican Institute, said that members of his organization were interrogated for hours by Egyptian officials.  Some of the NGOs said their offices were sealed so that they are no longer able to use the facilities and most had documents, computers, cash, and other goods confiscated.  The witnesses agreed that their organizations have never received treatment like this before.  While no formal indictments have occurred, charges are being brought against 16 Americans.

The Arab Spring has captured international attention for more than a year now, conjuring images of protests in Tunis, Cairo or Homs. Particularly the ongoing plight of the Syrian people has stirred emotions, leading human rights advocates to call for international action to intervene and protect civilians being attacked for protesting. But many people seem to have forgotten another group of people who also took to the streets and public squares to demand greater democracy and freedom - the people of Bahrain.

The uprising, which recently celebrated its one-year anniversary on February 14, has received a fraction of the attention and media coverage that other Arab protest movements have garnered. Activists estimate that more than 70 people have been killed, with thousands more wounded and arrested. An independent committee commissioned by the Bahraini government itself estimates that more than 3,000 individuals are still imprisoned for political reasons. These prisoners have been subjected to torture and their families have been targeted by the government for night raids and home inspections.

Last week, staff gathered around a table in our office and discussed the sad accounts of Syrian activists feeling disillusioned and abandoned after Russia and China vetoed a UN Resolution aimed at stopping the conflict.

We knew we had to do something for the Syrian activists, but what?

The international community was moving at a snail’s pace, so our political advocacy options were unclear. But we did know one thing – even if mostly symbolic, it was important to let the Syrian people standing up for their freedom know that U.S. citizens haven’t forgotten about them.

We sent Syria a Valentine.

After all, Valentine’s Day has come to be regarded as a day that celebrates all kinds of love and friendship. If cards are given to teachers, parents, children, siblings, friends and sweethearts, why not Syrian activists?

Would our community understand the gesture and participate? YES!!

Despite President Obama's rejection of the Keystone XL Pipeline plan, Senate Republicans want to add an amendment to the transportation bill that would mandate construction of the Keystone XL pipeline. The vote is expected to take place Tuesday.

Don't let the promise of jobs and cheaper gas prices fool you; as the Natural Resources Defense Council reports, the pipeline company itself stated that only a few hundred permanent jobs will be created for Americans-the State Department estimated fewer than 100 jobs.  This pipeline was created to help big oil companies, not the United States. What Big Oil also fails to clarify is that this pipeline is for export, meaning gas prices in the United States would not become lower but would actually increase.

The environmental damages will be massive. Greenhouse gas emissions and destruction of Canada's great Boreal Forest will prove to be a higher cost to the mythical "benefits" of this pipeline. Since this pipeline would be for tar sands extraction, it will be more likely to spill and harder to clean up.