JPIC Office 2009
Petitions JPIC Office Blog March 4, 2009 Dear Friends, In entering into the graced period of Lent, the Wheaton Franciscans are focusing on growing and healing in this season. Attending to this theme we realize that there are myriad ways we are being called to personal growth through our understanding and involvements in our JPIC issues of concern. We advocate for ways to promote healing through reconciliation in troubled places and to provide comfort and hopeful opportunities to persons in need. We confidently ask for God’s guidance as we face and bless the challenges presented to us in our time. President Obama has prioritized the immediate concerns of his administration as the needs of the economy, war/conflicts, healthcare, environment, immigration and education. Many organizations with which the JPIC Office has contacts are focusing their agendas to consider these concerns. This blog is about raising the issues and citing some of the organizations with which we join our advocacy efforts. Please click the above for the ongoing record of our advocacy efforts which are updated every Friday. You are invited to join us in these efforts.
Stories in the March 2009 JPIC Blog: The
Economy Economy Not a day goes by without a mention of the economic crisis. How do we gain an understanding of what is happening? The Franciscan Action Network has published an excellent paper by David B. Couturier, OFM. Cap. ,a research analyst for the FAN Franciscans and the Financial Crisis: What We Can Do to Help and is available on the website: http://www.franciscanaction.org/.The paper provides a bit of history and a way of moving through this complex and difficult time. If you are not already individual members of FAN, you are encouraged to become one. By becoming a member you would receive individual emails for action. The Wheaton Franciscan Community is one of the 42 supporting Franciscan Communities of FAN. FAN Other sources of the economy include Coalition on Human Needs, Catholic Charities and Catholic Relief Services. War/Conflicts
Darfur is being highlighted with the March 4th announcement of the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant for President Bashir of Sudan on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur. For years we have been advocating for a peaceful resolution to the tragic conflict in that area. Please go to http://www.savedarfur.org/content and the UN website @ http://www.un.org/english/ for information detailing the actions for this month. The JPIC Office commended Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s message to allow humanitarian aid to the troubled area of Gaza. Various resolutions have been promoted to resolve this situation from peaceful talks, ceasefire agreements to a two-state solution. All are burdened with difficulties.Franciscans International has a specialist in this area Br. Elias Mallon, SA who is currently in the Middle East. For more information visit http://www.franciscansinternational.org/index.php and Churches for the Middle East Peace. Concerns for Peace for Columbia are being addressed by CRS. A webcast is planned on Columbia for March 18th. More than 40 years of violent conflict have caused great suffering for millions of people. However, the Columbians themselves are making inspiring efforts to bring about peace in their country. While Sr. Sheila was at the Franciscan Solidarity Experience in Brazil, Br. Omar Fernandez poignantly described the human rights situation in Columbia. Healthcare President Obama has convened a health care summit to address the urgent needs of our healthcare system. The Catholic Healthcare Association (CHA) is a great vehicle for balanced and informative insights on the effects of the Obama policies on healthcare. CHA has expert analysts who go through legislative actions specifically for the impact on the Catholic Healthcare ministry. CHA urges inclusion of health reform funding in the FY 2010 budget. Of special interest is the Cover the Uninsured Week set for March 22-28. The Wheaton Franciscans join our Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare System in focusing on importance of this coverage. 47 million Americans are without healthcare. CHA and Cover the Uninsured. Bells will also be ringing at OLA and throughout Illinois to mark the 1.8 million uninsured in the state. Also visit http://www.cbhconline.org/index.html for local healthcare update in Illinois. Physicians for Human Rights and the ONE Organization amongst other organizations are promoting March as Global AIDS Month of Action. The purpose of this effort is to harness the advocacy efforts to educate Congress about the need to appropriately fund and implement the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), a landmark global health plan that we promoted the authorization for last year. We are happy to announce the appointment of long time HIV/AIDS advocate Jeff Crowley, M.P.H. to develop a national AIDS strategy for the United States. Mr. Crowley is passionate about HIV/AIDS and knows the health care reform process. Environment The environment is impacted by many issues, such as climate change, energy efficiency, conservation and use of our resources. Many environmental organizations and countries around the globe are responding positively to the President’s serious concern about the negative effects of our overconsumption of resources. For more information please go to League of Conservation Voters, Sierra Club, USCCB. Immigration Reform Comprehensive immigration reform is uniting a number of organizations to call for legislation to address the ongoing raids and the discrimination of immigrants. After the raids in Bellingham, Washington, where an engine remanufacturing plant was raided by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, 28 undocumented workers were arrested, In response to the voices of advocates disturbed by this action, President Obama stated that he will address immigration reform in the next couple of months. The JPIC Office has been advocating for comprehensive immigration reform because the Wheaton Franciscan ministries reach out to so many immigrants and are enriched by their service. For more information please go to USCCB, FAN and Network and http://www.interfaithcoaltion.org/ Education Education for those who are poor is being addressed in the form of early start programs, such as head start and quality education for those who are poor and vulnerable. More information on how to address these concerns will be forthcoming. Visit Coalition for Human Needs for more information. Insights from the Leadership Conference of Women Religious
As always thank you for reading our blog and for all that you do to make this world a better place. Sr. Sheila Kinsey, OSF
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