The challenges Gazans face in observing Ramadan are immense. But the holy month’s tradition of charity is sustained, and sustaining.

• Shared values: A poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that about 9 in 10 American adults say the right to vote, the right to equal protection under the law, and the right to privacy are important or very important to American identity. The findings are striking at a time of extreme partisanship.
• Peru investigates president: Peru’s attorney general said April 2 that an investigation into President Dina Boluarte has been widened to include a $56,000 Cartier bracelet in her possession and 1.1 million soles ($298,070.67) in bank deposits of “unknown origin.” Ms. Boluarte is already under investigation over her possession of pricey Rolex watches. 
• “Aggravated homosexuality” law: Uganda’s constitutional court has upheld the death penalty for “aggravated homosexuality,” defined as cases of homosexual relations involving a minor and other categories of vulnerable people, or when the perpetrator is HIV-positive. The law has many Ugandans’ support but is widely condemned by human rights groups. 
• Earthquake rocks Taiwan: A 7.2 magnitude earthquake centered off the coast of Hualien County brought rush-hour traffic to a standstill April 2, sending residents scrambling out the windows of damaged buildings, trapping dozens in quarries, and killing nine people. Taiwan’s earthquake readiness is among the most advanced in the world, also featuring strict building codes and a world-class seismological network.
• Haiti’s capital empties: More than 53,000 people have fled as deadly gang violence continues, according to a United Nations report. The majority of people fleeing are headed to Haiti’s rural southern region, which already hosts more than 116,000 Haitians who previously left Port-au-Prince and lacks the resources to support the influx. 

Read these news briefs.

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In many African countries, there are few checks on the power of the military. Investigative journalists are stepping in to act as watchdogs, but their reporting often comes at a great personal cost. 

While many states have restricted reproductive health care, many women in the United States will now have the freedom of easier access to a more affordable birth control pill that they can get without a prescription. 

Returning to civilian life after military deployment can be disorienting. For these veterans and their families, working with clay offers comfort, focus, and community.

In early February, when the president of Senegal postponed a scheduled national election, street protests erupted over fears he might stay in power. Yet one of the most powerful voices for restoring the election – and calm – came from the League of Imams and Preachers of Senegal. The religious leaders asked President Macky Sall “to ensure an honorable exit and give our country every chance to remain a haven of peace and stability.” He relented.

Also in February, religious leaders in Mexico negotiated a truce between two drug cartels in the southern state of Guerrero. The rival gangs had escalated a turf war with a sharp rise in killings. The truce has since held, and the murder rate in the state has dropped by 23%. One Catholic bishop said the cease-fire has been maintained by constant prayer.

Meanwhile in gang-wracked Haiti, where one priest was able to arrange a temporary truce between gangs last year, many religious leaders have stayed put to meet the needs of the people. Last month, the country’s Catholic bishops invited “all Haitians, without distinction, to refrain from fuelling violence” and support an effort to form an inclusive transitional government.

Such peace endeavors by faith leaders are being taken more seriously by governments these days. Last year, Samantha Power, administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, called for officials to better engage religious workers in social and economic work.

“We must take religion into account,” she said. “In fact, when we fail to do so, we fail to tap into one of the world’s most powerful potential forces for change.”

“At their best, religious traditions around the world remind us of the dignity of all people – dignity, a force that has spurred people to action,” Ms. Power added.

Sometimes religious sentiment can be “a catalyst for violence,” as the United States Institute of Peace pointed out. Yet it can also be “an unparalleled inspiration for reconciliation and healing,” the institute noted.

“Even where religion is not an explicit presence, it is a cultural undercurrent that is immutably present – and one that is often vastly underestimated by policymakers.”

Faith leaders are hardly underestimated in places such as Senegal, Mexico, and Haiti. They are in the public eye and not only in the pulpit. The rest of the world has taken note.