JPIC Office Blog July 10, 2007 Dear Friends, Peace and all good to
you! We are very fortunate to have Ann Piasecki in the office. She brings a wealth of experience, 11 years as the assistant editor of the Catholic Explorer, a well respected editor of the Joliet Diocese. Ann will use her rich social justice background in her areas of responsibility with the Wheaton Franciscan social justice ministry. Being blessed with such capable
persons as Ann and Suzie Broomes in the office provides me with time
to establish overall direction for the office and enhance national
and international connections. National forum addresses social justice on a global scale
Raphael Vamos. After 9/11 only 3,000 licenses were given to the street venders in New York City. However, Raphael was able to work against this repressive legislation and organized 20,000 street venders, forming a micro-economy for the city. Viola Casares lost her job at Levi Strauss after the company closed in San Antonio and moved the business to Costa Rica to be more competitive. She started a successful garment cooperative among women. Tomas Aguilar works with the Post Katrina Guest Worker Program for the clean-up after the disaster. Many workers signed technical contracts written in English. Tomas helped to organize workers so that they were paid for their labors. Vicky Centra worked with exploited workers in Mississippi and obtained $1 million in owed salaries for workers. Click here to view their picture. Lucas Benitez, leader of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW), spoke of how his family worked the land in Mexico for generations. He is the first family member to come to the United States as a result of the North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). U.S. subsidized corn put Mexican farmers out of business. Lucas fights against free trade agreements that continue to impoverish countries. His equation is c + c = c. C (community conscience) + c (commitment) = c (change). Moderator Colin Rogers,
representative from the National Network for Immigrant & Refugee
Rights (NNIRR), spoke about the similarities between the plans of
the U.S. and European countries regarding
immigration. In the session Live Your Power:
Socially Responsible Consumption, work and Investment, I was
inspired by the participants who so consciously live their values
and consume only what is necessary. They live in housing
cooperatives, share recyclables and food from stores and buy locally
produced crops. Taken together, these actions serve as a role model
for responsible consumptive behavior. Julie
Matthaei from GURAMYLAY: Growing the Green Economy was
the facilitator. In Spirituality and Economic
Transformation emphasis was placed on the important role that
spiritual healing and spirituality-based activism plays in
progressive economic transformation. Situation in Darfur WHEATON-Though
Sudan has accepted the notion of a joint U.N.-African Union (AU)
peacekeeping force in Darfur, the operation could still be derailed
by a lack of funding and political will. According to staff members
at Trocaire, a branch of Caritas, many AU member states have said
they don’t have enough funds to outfit their soldiers for
peacekeeping operations. Concerned advocates are advised to urge the
U.S. citizenry to press for adequate funding for this mission.
Immigration reform nets reflections from religious congregations and social policy analysts. Executive directors of the Conference of Major Superiors of Men (CMSM) and the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) issue a July 5 statement on the failure of Congress to pass Comprehensive Immigration Reform: STATEMENT ON COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION REFORM In the name of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious and the Conference of Major Superiors of Men, we express deep regret that the Congress has failed to approve comprehensive immigration reform legislation. The status quo is morally unacceptable, as millions of immigrants are relegated again to the shadows in our nation. We acknowledge the need to protect our borders, but insist that comprehensive immigration reform must also include a path to citizenship, family reunification, and protection of workers’ rights, as called for by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. While the bill in the Senate was flawed, we regret that the process of coming to just and moral immigration reform was interrupted. We urge the Congress of the United States to take up much-needed immigration reform at the earliest possible date. Waiting until after the 2008 elections is not an option. For more information visit http://www.worldmerge.com/ Sister Carole Shinnick, SSND
To read further about information concerning immigration reform from a Catholic perspective, click here.
Farm Bill needs a moral guide, say Catholic social policy analysts WHEATON-For the
next few weeks, the members of the 110th Congress will stand on the
edge of a decision that impacts the poor and marginalized. Congress
is being asked to reauthorize a supervised food stamp program that
understands the moral and ethical implications of provided a system
that keeps hunger at bay for more than 26 million people in the
United States.
Clean Water
Protection Act, action-oriented water conservation
We Franciscan brothers and sisters, Religious and Secular, from throughout the United States, gathered together in Baltimore, MD to discern the possibility of a unified Franciscan Voice for justice. With great concern for dehumanizing issues in our society, we recognized trends contrary to our calling as followers of Christ. We see that we have the power to effectively advocate for the redistribution of resources, the responsible care for creation, and the healing of relationships within the Franciscan Family, the Church and society. To these ends, we commit ourselves and call all members of the Family to speak with one Franciscan Voice to effect the transformation of national social policy. By walking with our brothers and sisters who are poor and marginalized, we intend to advocate for peace and to reaffirm the dignity of all creation. To further read the Clean Water Protection Act article, please click here.
Progress is being
achieved as it concerns housing legislation: below are two housing
initiatives for low-income at the state and federal level.
WHEATON—An affordable housing initiative supported by Franciscan Ministries Inc., through the advocacy efforts of FMI associates, residents and JPIC office together with Rep. K. Jerry Frangas of Denver, Colo., pushed forward a program that takes into consideration the adequate housing needs of the elderly. This group of vanguards was instrumental in urging representatives in Colorado to pass House Resolution 07-1011. The resolution, spearheaded by Frangas, a state representative, was cleared by the general assembly in May. The measure served, then, to successfully influence administrators for the Housing and Urban Development Denver Regional Office along with the Mark-to-Market Project Administrative Entity. It gained favorable response to the imminent need of fixed-income elderly. Specifically, it works to preserve the affordability of Francis Heights Apartments, a facility operated by Franciscan Ministries and associates. Although the draft of the resolution is not yet formally closed, it is an underwriting model. As such, it was presented to the Office of Affordable Housing Preservation (OAHP) to address a projection about Section 236 exception housing rents as it relates to monthly increases. The resolution acts to significantly minimize a previously proposed rental increase to (Section 236) senior citizens residing at Francis Heights. FMI staff and residents of Francis Heights convinced the legislators of their specific needs in regard to housing affordability. Sister Sheila Kinsey of the JPIC also exercised her initiative that eventually paved the way for a state resolution. Sister Kinsey is cited within the resolution as a consultant on the matter. Pursuant to the state matter, the backing of one DuPage County U.S. Rep. Judy Biggert, R-Ill., a ranking member of the U.S. House Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity, has been tapped for her expertise. A real estate lawyer by trade, she has agreed to ply her skills to benefit the needy with issues pertaining to housing. For information regarding the proposed federal legislation, follow the link: www.voiceofthepoor.org/poverty_news.htm. For information regarding the proposed federal legislation, follow the link: www.voiceofthepoor.org/poverty_news.htm. Follow “Trust” link for information on the National Housing Trust.
We are proud to announce that Sr. Florence Muia, ASN, has been honored with the Damen Award from the Graduate School at Loyola University for her outstanding work with HIV/AIDS ministry in Naivasha, Kenya. Click YouTube video for her interview.
Health insurance benefits become priority for Catholic Church WHEATON-The Office of Social
Development at Catholic Charities USA together with members of the
United States Catholic Conference has joined forces in an effort to
promote the cause of sustained health care coverage for low-income
and middle-class children alike. These Catholic organizations have
pressed Congress for increased funding for the 10-year-old State
Children’s Health Insurance Program. Under President George Bush’s
proposed budget, the existing program is susceptible to cuts that
would restrict fresh enrollment and stiffen eligibility requirements
for its recipients. Follow “SCHIP”
link for more updates. For
action-oriented activity, follow links to: Thanks for all your prayers and for all you are doing to make this world a better place. Sr. Sheila Kinsey, OSF
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