*(Please continue to check the Social
Justice Actions which are updated every Friday). Our petition corner
is now located http://www.wheatonfranciscan-jpic.org/currentactionalerts.html JPIC Office Blog May 4, 2010 Dear Friends, St. Francis was an itinerant preacher, that is, he moved around from place to place, town to town, preaching the love and peace of God, and our need for renewal and compassion. Likewise, we are “people on the move” ~ literally and figuratively. For the past few weeks, the sisters and employees here in Wheaton have been packing, sorting and moving into different office spaces around the building. We have all been experiencing the lessons of patience, endurance and understanding. The world around us is ever changing, issues of concern are always evolving, but our faithfulness to justice and peace, and meeting the needs of the times, must be steadfast. I offer to you the following considerations… Relief Efforts in Haiti Continue
Catholic Relief Services (CRS) continues to distribute aid to survivors of the 7.0-magnitude earthquake that struck Haiti on Tuesday, January 12. The biggest concerns right now are the basic necessities of life: food, water, and shelter. The quake's epicenter was just 10 miles south of the country's capital, Port-au-Prince, leaving it in ruins. The number of deaths is estimated to be more than 222,500 people and the number of injured at 311,000 people. In addition, as many as 1.3 million people have been displaced from their homes and communities. Approximately 600,000 people, including close to 310,000 children, are living in official or spontaneous settlements – makeshift communities with minimal privacy or facilities. Another 600,000 have left Port-au-Prince to take refuge with family and friends in outlying areas.
America Needs Investment
in Jobs Now Since December of 2007, over 8 million jobs have been lost in the U.S. This number includes many people who provided critical services in communities across the country. This current crisis of historical levels of unemployment is devastating families. We need bold Congressional action in order to put Americans back to work and prevent more layoffs and cuts in crucial areas like law enforcement and education. The Local Jobs for America Act (H.R. 4812) will not only provide employment for hundreds of thousands of jobless workers, but it will create and save jobs for workers who are providing services that our communities depend on. Please write to your representative today and ask them to support H.R. 4812, the Local Jobs for America Act, by signing on as a co-sponsor. Click here to send him or her a message: http://capwiz.com/networklobby/issues/bills/?bill=14967771
IMMIGRATION
REFORM Like many people around the country, I was shocked and saddened by the devastating news of the harsh illegal immigrant enforcement law in Arizona, and similar legislation across the country that separates families and strips the dignity and unity of our human community. MAY 1-2 has been declared a WEEKEND OF PRAYER FOR IMMIGRANTS. Catholics will pray for fair and just immigration policy that respects our core values including human life, human dignity and family unity during Sunday Masses. Many will also participate in vigils, prayer services and other activities to support immigrants and reform legislation that keeps families together and adopts smart and humane enforcement policies. Click here for a sample prayer On Saturday, May 1st, in cities all throughout the U.S., millions of people will be requesting that President Obama show leadership and do all he can to move comprehensive immigration reform forward now. Dozens of marches are planned across the country. To find out if you are near an event, please go to http://www.wemarchforamerica.org/. (Rallies are scheduled for Chicago, Naperville and Lake County).
Prayerful Interfaith Demonstration at Broadview Detention Center
On Monday evening of April 26, a large number of citizens, clergy and young adults gathered at the Broadview Detention Center (Broadview, IL). They prayed, sang and chanted in order to demonstrate the need for a compassionate immigration reform in light of recent Anti-Immigrant legislation in Arizona. Early Tuesday morning on April 27, a group of interfaith religious leaders and advocates concluded the event with a final gathering and prayer. The results of this event have been positive and peaceful, and the Chief of Police of Broadview broke bread with the leaders of the demonstration at breakfast. As more events such as these take place across the country, let us pray to the Spirit to continue to guide the protestors in peaceful means, and for a transformation of heart and mind of government leaders.
Let's get the Senate to do something about immigration Our country needs a new way to think about immigration. Too many lives, jobs, and families have been disrupted by our current immigration framework, which isn't working for anyone. Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) has been working to craft and introduce legislation that would reform our immigration system. In an effort to recruit critical bipartisan support, Sen. Schumer is reaching out to Republican senators. Now is the perfect time for you to call/email your senators and tell them how important it is to support this effort to change our immigration policy. Comprehensive Immigration Reform will keep families together, secure our borders, strengthen our economy, and protect American workers. Urge your senators to support Comprehensive Immigration Reform now. You can find a sample message to e-mail to them here: http://capwiz.com/networklobby/issues/alert/?alertid=14944941&type=CO and/or you can call them via the Capitol switchboard 202-224-3121.
Airline Recycling Rankings Airline passengers create 881 million pounds of waste per year (half of it in-flight), and much of it is not recycled. In the report What Goes Up Must Come Down, The Sorry State of Recycling in the Airline Industry, Green America ranks 11 major airlines on their recycling efforts and offers actions the industry can take to improve recycling overall. They also offer actions that airline passengers can take to improve recycling. Overall, airlines could recycle nearly 500 million more pounds of waste each year (including 250 million pounds of in-flight waste). While airlines acknowledge the importance of recycling waste, no airline recycles all the major recyclables: aluminum cans, glass, plastic, and paper. No airline has a comprehensive program for minimizing or composting food waste or waste from snack packages, provides good public information about their recycling program, or reports out on progress in relation to any stated goals. In addition, all airlines provide over-packaged snacks and meals and none of the airlines are working with manufacturers to reduce this waste.
Read the full report, and then sign the petition demanding that the airlines do better.
Fair Trade Sunday – May 9 We join the World Fair Trade Organization in it’s celebration of World Trade Sunday on May 9th. Fair Trade is a tangible and efficient response to poverty, economic and global food crises and climate change. A simple commitment by you to purchase fair trade goods, such as coffee, chocolate, and handcrafted items for your home, can contribute to the development opportunities to small producers in the poorest countries of the world. and speaking of chocolate…..join in a boycott of Hershey products: In Western Africa, more than a
quarter-million children are forced to pick cocoa beans in brutal
working conditions. Those beans travel halfway around the world to
be turned into chocolate bars — to satisfy the “sweet tooth” of
Americans who probably have no idea where their cocoa is coming
from.
Sr. Mariette Kalbac offers classes
in English and Civics for some of our employees here in
Wheaton. Recently, she and I tried to explain to one of our
employees what being “a mover and a shaker” meant. We
assured him that it was a good thing!
Guest Blog/Updates Everyone is welcome contribute an idea for
the Guest Blog. If there is an area of justice and peace in which
you are involved and would like others to know about, or get
involved in, PLEASE LET ME KNOW!
Deadline for Guest Blog submission is May 24th. Blessings and Peace, Sr. Glenna Czachor, OSF
DATES TO REMEMBER
DEADLINE for Guest Blog submissions…Monday May, 24th
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