Religious leaders representing very diverse faith communities with millions of members across the USA are urging their Congress to take urgent action to assist the poor who are facing the brunt of climate change.

The organisation linking together 35 of America's mainline Christian churches, accounting for 50 million members, has accused President George W. Bush of neglecting the needs of sick children, especially in poor communities.

The National Council of Churches USA's Justice for Women Working Group is working with people of faith across America in October 2007 to observe Domestic Violence Awareness Month and make sure the churches take the issue seriously.

The international affairs and peace programme of the National Council of Churches USA (NCCUSA) has endorsed a nationwide initiative for local congregations to raise awareness of the ongoing killing in Darfur, and action on the issue.

Tens of thousands of people from a variety of religious traditions across the United States are preparing to fast on Monday 8 October 2007, as part of an initiative to pray and work for peace in Iraq. Non-religious persons will also join them.

Churches are stepping in to a 'national health care system cracked and breaking' to care for many of the 47 million Americans who have no health insurance.

More than 20 religious groups in the United States are pressing for health insurance coverage for many of the nine million uninsured children across America – a good number of whom are living in poverty.

A church leader who has just returned from a meeting with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has said that interfaith dialogue should be a model for diplomacy in tensions such as those between Western states and Iran.

The United States congress has linked federal minimum wage legislation to the bill for the Iraq war - and a number of faith and labour leaders are upset about it, including the head of the ecumenical council.

Christian leaders from the Philippines are this week urging the US to act on major human rights abuses