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Cedar Valley Catholic Social Justice e-Network
Vol. 4 - No. 2 • August 26, 2008

Social Justice News, Opportunities, Resources and Observations

Local Events

David Rovics Concert -- The Waterloo Catholic Worker, Cedar Valley United for Peace & Justice, and Working Families Win will co-sponsor a concert by social activist David Rovics this Sunday, August 31, 6:00p at the Catholic Worker House, 321 E. 8th St., Waterloo. Rovics is called the musical voice of the progressive movement and has performed at rallies, conventions, workshops, college forums and folk clubs around the world. For information and free MP3 downloads go to: <www.davidrovics.com>.

Darfur Action Day -- The Peacemaking Task Force at First Presbyterian Church in Cedar Falls is sponsoring an Action Day for Darfur on Saturday, Sept. 13, 9:00a-2:00p. Keynote speaker will be Bobbie-Frances McDonald, a co-founder of Sudan Advocacy Action Forum. There will be two workshops and a panel discussion on what is being done and what needs to be done to address the tragedy in the Darfur region of Sudan. For information contact Dee Lynch at 266-3747.
> For information about Sudan Advocacy Action Forum go to:
http://www.sudanadvocacy.com/
> Read Tammy Alexander's column, "Waging Peace in Sudan" from PeaceSigns magazine:
http://peace.mennolink.org/cgi-bin/m.pl?a=512
> Read about northern Sudan, where Arabs and Africans live together in peace:
http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0822/p06s01-woaf.html

Regional Events

Immigration and Eucharist -- Fr. Daniel Groody CSC will speak on the topic of "One Border, One Body--Immigration and the Eucharist" on Saturday, Sept. 20, 3:00-4:30p in the Chapel at Mt. Mercy College in Cedar Rapids. Fr. Groody is Director of the Center for Latino Spirituality and Culture at the Institute for Lationo Studies at the University of Notre Dame. He produced the documentary film about immigration and faith, "Dying to Live." Mass and a reception will follow the presentation.
Contact Mt. Mercy at 319-350-0525 or email jlocher1@yahoo.com.

Issues

Labor Day
"The economy must serve people, not the other way around," the U.S. Catholic bishops said in their annual Labor Day Statement. Quoting from their election-year document, Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, the bishops said "work is more than a way to make a living; it is a form of continuing participation in God's creation." The bishops observed, "Things may be tough for an awful lot of us today," but "each of us can name someone we know who is carrying a greater burden. That person has hopes and dreams too. That person comes from a family and belongs to our human family. That person has dignity because all of us are created in the image of God." The statement was issued by Rockville Center, New York Bishop William Murphy, chair of the bishops' Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development. The text of the bishops' statement is online at:
http://www.usccb.org/sdwp/national/labor_day_2008.pdf

International Cooperation
• The Vatican newspaper said the U.S. plans to install a missile shield in Eastern Europe could seriously threaten U.S.-Russian relations and the future of global disarmament, according to the semi-official Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano. In a front page story Aug. 21, the paper said an agreement between the United States and Poland to place 10 interceptor missiles in Polish territory "has produced a dynamic that seems able to threaten multilateralism and the process of international disarmament."
http://ncronline3.org/drupal/?q=node/1661
• Pope Benedict XVI told an audience Aug. 24 that he notes "with bitterness" the recent deterioration of confidence and cooperation "that should characterize relations between nations. "We must deepen the awareness of being united by a common destiny, that, in the final analysis, is a transcendent destiny, to avert the return to nationalistic conflicts that in other historical periods have had such tragic consequences," the Pope said.
http://www.zenit.org/article-23456?l=english

Environmental Stewardship
Pope Benedict XVI recently told priests in northern Italy that Christians cannot separate the doctrines of redemption and creation. "If we do not proclaim God in his full grandeur as Creator and as Redeemer, we also diminish the value of the redemption." If we recognize that the Creator "did and can enter into history and operate in it precisely because he is the God of the whole and not only of a part" then "it will obviously follow that the redemption...also means responsibility always and everywhere with regard to creation." Text of the Pope's conversation:
http://www.zenit.org/article-23416?l=english

Postville
• The Catholic bishop of Providence, RI, Thomas Tobin, and 15 pastors have sent a letter to the acting administrator of Immigration and Customs Enforcement urging a moratorium on workplace raids. "As religious leaders we understand and support the need to apprehend and arrest individuals who are responsible for felonies and other serious crimes," the bishop wrote. "But the arrest of serious criminals is not what we have observed in the arrest and detention of immigrants that has taken place recently in our state...." The letter urged ICE agents to "evaluate the morality of their participation in immigration raids" and added, "if their discernment leads them to the conclusion that they cannot participate in such raids in good conscience, we urge them not to do so."
http://www.zenit.org/article-23434?l=english
• Read Governor Culver's explanation of what the state is doing:
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008808240322
• The Iowa Division of Labor Services has filed 31 new citations for safety violations against Agriprocessors:
http://iowaindependent.com/4464/agriprocessors-cited-for-31-safety-violations
• The "jungle in Postville" affects us all, says Brian Brandsmeier in a column on the God's Politics blog:
http://blog.beliefnet.com/godspolitics/2008/08/the-jungle-in-postville-affect-1.html

Prayer

Loving Spirit, Dwell Within My Heart

Lord, how deep, how wonderful
this mystery of love for me.
It begins as a string of love
Deep within your heart,
This movement of your Spirit
Going forth everywhere
To fill the whole of your creation.
Your love is the greatest grace
Beyond all that you have made,
So how is it that any space
Where your love seeks to rest,
A love that nothing can confine,
It seeks to find a place
Deep within a heart like mine?
How terrible to be caught up, then,
In the routine of everyday things when
I don't have time to savor your love,
Or worse ignore it, or worse still reject it.
Loving Spirit, dwell within my heart.
So that I may reflect your peace and light. Amen.
-- by Fr. Patrick Sayles in the Columban Fathers' social justice e-newsletter, online at:
http://www.imakenews.com/columban/e_article001156293.cfm?x=bd8mVbd,bbb8b1kd

Social Action

...for peace. A coalition of United for Peace and Justice, PaxChristiUSA, US Action/True Majority, Win Without War, and other organizations hope to recruit 25,000 volunteers in all 50 states for a national day of action Sept. 20. The groups hope to knock on one million doors that day, asking residents to sign a petition urging Congress to end the war in Iraq, bring U.S. troops home, and invest in America's future.
http://www.milliondoorsforpeace.org/signup.php?code=ufp

...for the Environment. The Friends Committee on Nati0nal Legislation is urging voters to get involved in efforts to elect "Climate Friendly Legislators" who will support reduction of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions to 25 percent below 1990 levels by 2020; place a moratorium on new, polluting, coal-burning power plants; require electric utilities to generate at least 20 percent of their electricity from renewable sources by 2020; and alleviate the imapct of climate change on the poor and vulnerable.
> Find out more:
http://www.fcnl.org/energy/
> Take action:
http://capwiz.com/fconl/issues/alert/?alertid=11829971

...for family farms. The National Catholic Rural Life Conference reports that the Iowa Farm Disaster Relief Coalition, consisting of fourteen farm, faith and rural organizations, is collecting donations and making emergency funds available for family farmers who suffered losses due to storms, rain and flooding in Iowa earlier this year. Information on how to apply and how to donate is available at:
https://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/2715/t/7173/shop/custom.jsp?donate_page_KEY=3737

Resources

Common Ground
"Reaching Up to God the Creator" is a resource kit prepared by the Mennonite Church of Canada; it highlights the common ground between the Sacred Teachings of Aboriginal communities and the Bible. The kit is designed to help foster mutual respect and understanding between native and non-native people.
http://www.mennonitechurch.ca/resourcecentre/ResourceView/14/10154

Water Conservation
• The Millennium Water Alliance is a consortium of leading nongovernmental organizations whose goal is to help 500 million people obtain water and basic sanitation by 2015.
http://www.mwawater.org/mwadatabase/Default.aspx
• More resources on water issues are listed in Lisa Amstut's article "The Worth of Water" in PeaceSigns magazine:
http://peace.mennolink.org/cgi-bin/m.pl?a=516

From the Georgian Republic
Laura Sheehen, a regional information officer with Catholic Relief Services, is on the ground in Georgia and reports on the plight of those displaced by the recent fighting. You can follow developments behind the headlines through her blog at:
http://crs-blog.org/

Nonviolence Education
The Metta Center for Nonviolence Education offers two free online courses on nonviolence, "Introduction to Nonviolence" and "Nonviolence Today," both by Dr. Michael Nagler of the University of California/Berkeley. Download the courses at:
http://www.mettacenter.org/?page_id=229

Woman's Spirituality
Here's a new resource of special interest to women and men who want to imagine a world touched by a woman's grace: Living a Spirituality of Action--A Woman's Perspective by Joan Mueller is published by St. Anthony Messenger Press.
http://catalog.americancatholic.org/product.aspx?prodid=B16885&pcat=120

Perspectives

...on life at the border. Charles Vernon spent a year as a volunteer at Annunciation House in El Paso, where he witnessed firsthand lives “swept along in a vast and complex calculus—economic, personal, social—beyond the power of one ordinary U.S. citizen, one undocumented migrant, or one mid-size Texas community to change.”
http://bcm.bc.edu/issues/summer_2008/features/border-crossed.html

...on the energy crisis. The high cost of gasolene is not a solution to the energy crisis, but it is an opportunity, according to the Friends Committee on National Legislation.
http://www.fcnl.org/now/now_item.php?item_id=580&issue_id=16&admin=1

...on economic issues. Clifford Longley says the problem with modern economic systems, including capitalism, is that they don't understand human nature. In contrast, Catholic Social Teaching reflects the fact that "through its natural-law tradition largely focused on the teachings of Thomas Aquinas and augmented by biblical insights, the Catholic Church has developed a profound understanding of human nature in all its glories and all its flaws."
http://www.thetablet.co.uk/articles/11886/

...on health care. Two-thirds of the working-age population in the U.S. was uninsured, underinsured, reported a medical bill problem or did not get needed health care because of cost in 2007, according to a new report from the Commonwealth Fund.
http://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/publications_show.htm?doc_id=700872

...on life in El Salvador. Jesuit peace activist John Dear, in a reflection on his years in El Salvador, remembers an accident which scarred his right hand. "To this day, the scar reminds me of those suffering, faith-filled Salvadorans. I remember them every time I offer the Eucharist," Dear writes.
http://ncrcafe.org/node/2066

Worth Quoting...

“[Golf is] a lot like electoral politics. It's a good game in theory, and offers a fair amount of intellectual gratification..., but at the end of the day if you don't have the money for the clubs and the green fees you don't get to play." -- Mona Shaw, who recently lost her bid for election to a county office, in the July issue of the Des Moines Catholic Worker's newspaper Via Pacis, online at:
http://www.desmoinescatholicworker.org/via%20pacis%20july%202008.pdf

"...[A]n accumulation of small acts of justice, repeated frequently enough, can serve as the tipping point that dismantles large death-dealing phenomena, and makes room for new growth and life. Our challenge is to learn to value these small -- often courageous -- actions, and to see them as significant instruments of personal and corporate transformation...." -- Carl Stauffer, Coordinator of the Menonnite Central Committee's Regional Peace Network in Southern Africa, in the July-October, 2008 MCC Peace Office Newsletter, online at:
http://mcc.org/peace/pon/MCC-PON%2008-3_final.pdf

Compiled by Dave Cushing
319-234-9912

____________________________

The Cedar Valley Catholic Social Justice e-Network is sponsored by
The Catholic Parishes in Waterloo/Adult Faith Formation
The inclusion of information, opinions or organizations in this newsletter does not constitute
agreement or endorsement by the pastors or staff of the Catholic Parishes or the Archdiocese of Dubuque

Cedar Valley Catholic Social Justice e-Network
Vol. 4 - No. 1 • August 19, 2008

Social Justice News, Opportunities, Resources and Observations

Local Events

David Rovics Concert -- The Waterloo Catholic Worker, Cedar Valley United for Peace & Justice, and Working Families Win will co-sponsor a concert by social activist David Rovics on Sunday, August 31, 6:00p at the Catholic Worker House, 321 E. 8th St., Waterloo. Rovics is called "the musical voice of the progressive movement" and has performed at rallies, conventions, workshops, college forums and folk clubs around the world. For information and free MP3 downloads go to: www.davidrovics.com

Darfur Action Day -- The Peacemaking Task Force at First Presbyterian Church in Cedar Falls is sponsoring an Action Day for Darfur on Saturday, Sept. 13, 9:00a-2:00p. Keynote speaker will be Bobbie-Frances McDonald, a co-founder of Sudan Advocacy Action Forum. There will be two workshops and a panel discussion on what is being done and what needs to be done to address the tragedy in the Darfur region of Sudan. For information contact Dee Lynch at 266-3747.
> For information about Sudan Advocacy Action Forum go to:
http://www.sudanadvocacy.com/
> Watch a video from Caritas International on the crisis in Darfur at:
http://www.caritas.org/resources/video/emergency_response_in_darfour_2.html
> Read Richard Just's essay on Darfur in The New Republic
http://www.tnr.com/story_print.html?id=36975a7c-224c-438a-9538-130b9e5cdd91

Regional Events

Survivors' Testimony -- The Religious Studies Department at Mt. Mercy College announces two public presentations in September: Yoshiko Kajimoto, a survivor from the atomic bombing of Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, will share her experience of the bombing on Tuesday, Sept. 9, at 7:30p and Grace Obata Amemiya, Japanese-American survivor of a World War II U.S. internment camp, will share her experience on Friday, Sept. 19, at 7:30pm. Both events will take place in the Chapel on the Mt. Mercy campus in Cedar Rapids and are open to the public.
Contact Charlotte Joy Martin at 319-363-8213; email chmartin@mtmercy.edu.

Witness Against Torture -- Father Louis Vitale, who recently completed a five-month prison sentence for crossing the line and praying at Fort Huachuca (the military installation in Arizona where the U.S. trains American Intelligence Officers in “enhanced interrogation” tactics), will speak on Sept. 12 at The Canticle, home of the Clinton Franciscan Sisters, in Clinton, Iowa. Details are pending.

Ecological Conference -- The 2008 Prairiewoods Ecological Conference will be held Sept. 25-27 at Prairiewoods Franciscan Spirituality Center in Hiawatha. The conference includes workshops, a "Food and the Environment" retreat, performances, presentations and local organic foods. To register, call Prairiewoods at 319-395-6700 Information online at: http://www.prairiewoods.org/scripts/ecological_conference.asp

Opportunities

Peace Ministry Associate -- The Des Moines Catholic Worker is accepting applications for a new, part-time position of Associate for Catholic Peace Ministry. The position will pay $10/hour with the possibility of room and board at the Des Moines Catholic Worker. Contact Brian Terrell at 515-255-8114 or email Terrellcpm@yahoo.com.

Issues

Immigration
Cardinal Renato Martino, president of the Pontifical Council for Migrants and Travelers, told participants at the 2008 National Migration Conference in Washington, D.C. that it is important to underscore the positive aspects of migration. Quoting from the Council's 2004 Instruction "The Love of Christ Toward Migrants," Cardinal Martino said "the passage from monocultural to multicultural societies can be a sign of the living presence of God in history and in the community of mankind;" "it offers a providential opportunity for the fulfillment of God’s plan for a universal communion." He said the Church urges Christians to respond to the challenges of migration "in a positive, decisive, convinced, and coordinated way," not only by "random good deeds." He said the Church affirms "that all persons are equal, well beyond the differences deriving from origin, language and culture" and "independently from the migrant's regular or irregular legal status."
http://www.zenit.org/article-23358?l=english

Democratic Platform
The National Catholic Reporter says new language in the Democratic Party Platform seeking a reduction in the number of abortions was hailed this week by a panel of religious and legal experts, including two long-time Republican opponents of abortion, as "historic," and "courageous." Panelists said the abortion plank provides "common ground" for all sides in the debate to work to lower the number of abortions.
http://ncronline3.org/drupal/?q=node/1582
> The Reporter's Editorial:
http://ncronline3.org/drupal/?q=node/1595
> Sojourner's Jim Wallis says it's a step forward:
http://blog.beliefnet.com/godspolitics/2008/08/a-step-forward-on-abortion-by.html
> Beliefnet's Steve Waldman isn't sure it's any improvement over the 2004 platform:
http://blog.beliefnet.com/stevenwaldman/2008/08/obamas-squandered-opportunity.html
> Michael Sean Winters, writing in America magazine's "In All Things" Blog, wonders how both sides can be satisfied:
http://americamagazine.org/blog/entry.cfm?blog_id=2&id=C61E38BC-5056-8928-10F7E31023CDD59E

Environmental Stewardship
• In a recent question and answer session with priests in northern Italy, Pope Benedict XVI continued to ellaborate on his understanding of environmental stewardship. The National Catholic Reporter's John L. Allen says the pope "minced no words in condemning what he termed the 'brutal consumption of creation,' and he called for an urgent renewal of the theology of creation." He summarized the Pope's comments in four points:
-- biblical faith promotes respect for the environment, not indifference;
-- the environmental movement needs God;
-- care for the earth is not just about policies, but lifestyles;
-- a "clear and decisive" public role for people of faith.
http://www.ncrcafe.org/node/2051
• The Conference of Major Superiors of Men and the Leadership Council of Women Religious meeting earlier this month resolved to seek "concrete ways to curb environmental degradation, mitigate its impact on the poorest and most vulnerable people, and restore right relationships among all God's creation" and to "foster a consciousness of care for God's creation among all our members, colleagues, institutions and those whom we serve." The text of the resolution adopted at a joint annual assembly is online at:
http://www.lcwr.org/lcwrannualassembly/climatechange.doc
• The next round of UN climate change negotiations begins August 21 in Accra, Ghana.
http://unfccc.int/meetings/intersessional/accra/items/4437.php

More Responses to Postville
• A witness to the June 27 rally from the Jewish Daily Forward
http://www.forward.com/articles/13896/
• Postville, three months after the raid -- an update from the Associated Press
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jn-owzFkBuk-MJjZ-y3cLtOZf2pwD92JV2SO0

Prayer for the Corn

Almighty and eternal God, You are the Lord of the harvest.
All over the land now, under the August sky, stands field after field of corn.
Its long leaves are drinking in the warm sun and rustling in the wind.
Bless this crop of ours, Lord, and make it plentiful and rich.
Millions of people will be fed with this grain now standing in the fields,and millions of animals, too. Keep it from blight and pests. Give it sufficient rain and warm sun.
Help us in the harvesting of it, Lord, so that the hungry may be fed and the desires of the needy fulfilled.
We thank You for all Your kindnesses to us. We beg You to bless our work in the fields, and give us a plentiful harvest, so that we may with gratitude and loving faithfulness always do Your will,
with the help of Your grace, through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and is King with You forever in the unity of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
-- from the Rural Life Prayerbook at: http://www.ncrlc.com/Spirituality-Corner.html

Social Action

...for animal welfare -- The Animal Welfare Approved Program is offering grants up to $10,000 for the purpose of improving animal welfare on farms. Eligible projects include conversion of buildings; farm health visits from recognized practitioners; alternative identification methods; alternative genetics; alternatives to antibiotic use; and improvements in the slaughter process. Proposals are due October 15, 2008. Learn more at http://www.animalwelfareapproved.org/index.php?page=animalwelfareapprovedfarmgrants
• The Humane Society's "All Creatures Great and Small" project aims to raise awareness about human responsibility for all animals, including those raised for food. It encourages consumers to pledge to make more humane food choices for the month of October to coincide with the feastday of St. Francis of Assisi. Details at:
http://allcreatures.hsus.org/

...for sexuality education -- The Episcopal Public Policy Network is urging support for the Responsible Education About Life Act which would use state grants to fund comprehensive, medically accurate and age appropriate sex education. The goal would be to encourage family communication about sex, teach the pros and cons of contraceptives, and explain how alcohol and drug use can affect responsible decision making. It would teach teens that abstinence is the only sure method to avoid pregnancy and STDs but would not ignore education for teenagers who are sexually active.
http://episcopal.grassroots.com/WomenAndChildren/20080814actn/?lk=7393170-7393170-0-33065-HFcYpXlOfUmcwLNpISONszcbBHrtzWTo

...for peaceful solutions -- The Friends Committee on National Legislation, a Quaker lobby, is organizing a national campaign of letters-to-the-editor, urging voters to support peaceful alternatives for the solution of international problems.
http://action.fcnl.org/editor/militaryspending/index.pl
> Read the FCNL's suggestions for three things Congress could do right now to reduce future military action:
http://www.fcnl.org/wina/whatis.htm
> Read Nicholas Kristof's op-ed column, "Make Diplomacy Not War" from the New York Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/10/opinion/10kristof.html?_r=1&bl&ex=1218513600&en=21280383fa5b8c72&ei=5087%0A&oref=slogin

...against global poverty -- Bread for the World continues its campaign to build support for The Global Poverty Act by urging members of the U.S. Senate to co-sponsor the bill. The Act would require the president to develop and implement a coordinated strategy of U.S. aid, debt relief, and trade policies which would cut in half by 2015 the number of people in the world living on less than $1 a day. Senator Harkin is a co-sponsor; Senator Grassley is not.
http://www.bread.org/take-action/ol2008/global-poverty-act.html

Resources

Toolkit for Immigrant Caseworkers
The Children’s Services department of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Migration and Refugee Services has created a toolkit for caseworkers and others working with children in federal custody who may qualify for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS). Components of the toolkit are available in PDF format from:
www.brycs.org/sijs

Election Voter Guide
The Sojourners Community "Vote Out Poverty" campaign has produced a 2008 Voter Issues Guide which examines seven core biblical themes voters should consider before deciding how to vote this fall.
http://www.sojo.net/index.cfm?action=action.VOP&item=VOP_download_form

Fighting Poverty with Faith
Catholic Charities USA and 19 other faith-based organizations have designated Sept. 10-16 a "Week of Action" for Fighting Poverty with Faith. Plans and resources are pending. More information online at:
http://www.fightingpovertywithfaith.com/
http://www.catholiccharitiesusa.org/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=1213

World Food Crisis
The text of the Pontifical Council on Peace and Justice's Informative Note on the Food Crisis is now available in English at:
http://www.pcgp.it/dati/2008-07/04-999999/NOTE_ON_THE_FOOD_CRISIS.pdf

Living on Earth
Global Warming, Sustainable Living, Voluntary Simplicity, A Sense of Place are among the titles of small group discussion courses created by the Northwest Earth Institute.
http://www.nwei.org/discussion_courses/course-offerings

Perspectives

...on economic justice -- Does earning an excessive income represent the American dream -- or present a moral problem? In his "Corner Post" column sponsored by the National Catholic Rural Life Conference, Fr. John Rausch says people of faith need to consider the demands of distributive justice:
http://www.ncrlc.com/corner-post-webpages/Wealth_Inequality.html

...on economic ethics -- Gary Moore, founder of the Financial Seminary, says lending money at interest is as much a moral issue today as it was in biblical times.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0812/p09s01-coop.html

...on concentrated poverty -- A new study from the Brookings Institution reports that "concentrated poverty" is growing, particularly in urban areas of the United States. The percentage of working poor in large metropolitan areas soared by 40 percent between 1999 and 2005, reversing gains from the 1990s in the fight against poverty.
http://www.brookings.edu/papers/2008/08_concentrated_poverty_kneebone.aspx

...on walking the talk -- The New York Times reports that the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange (CA) once housed striking farmworkers; now they're in a battle of their own against unions trying to organize their health care system.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/09/us/09religion.html?_r=1&ref=us&oref=slogin

...on living with disappointment -- In an article for Tikkun magazine, Franciscan Fr. Richard Rohr reflects on lamentation, a kind of prayer which helps people cope with pain, loss and disappointment. Discouraged and cynical social activists are natural lamenters.
http://www.tikkun.org/magazine/tik0805/frontpage/complaining

...on conversion to peace -- In an excerpt from his autobiography, A Persistent Peace, Jesuit peace advocate Fr. John Dear relates the beginning of his conversion to the Gospel while he was a student at Duke University.
http://ncrcafe.org/node/2057

Worth Watching...

Here's a video making its way around the Internet called "Where the Hell is Matt?" Beliefnet's Steve Waldman says "It's just a very goofy guy doing a very goofy dance in a bunch of different places. Yet it somehow taps into a something deep -- a common human impulse toward joy, which transcends nation, race or dancing skill."
http://blog.beliefnet.com/stevenwaldman/2008/08/why-is-this-so-inspiring.html

Worth Quoting...

“Every Sabbath, Maimonides was accustomed to invite guests — especially the impoverished — to his house. On one such occasion,...Maimonides offered his guest the honor of reciting the ceremonial blessing over the wine.... Due to his nervousness, the visitor inadvertently tipped over the goblet and the wine spilled on the splendid tablecloth. Aware of his guest's distress, Maimonides immediately poured himself another goblet of wine and jostled the table intentionally — upsetting his goblet and spilling the wine. He then stood up and said: "It seems to me that the floor here isn't very level." — from The Wisdom of Maimonides: The Life and Writings of the Jewish Sage edited by Edward Hoffman, quoted on the Spirituality & Practice website.

Compiled by Dave Cushing
319-234-9912

____________________________

• • •

Cedar Valley Catholic Social Justice e-Network
Vol. 3 - No. 37 • August 11, 2008

Social Justice News, Opportunities, Resources and Observations

Local Events

David Rovics in Concert -- The Waterloo Catholic Worker will sponsor a concert by social activist David Rovics on Sunday, August 31 (Waterloo location and time TBA). Rovics is called the musical voice of the progressive movement and has performed at rallies, conventions, workshops, college forums and folk clubs around the world. For information and free MP3 downloads go to: <www.davidrovics.com>

Regional Events

Peace Conference -- Nationally known speakers on energy, the environment, peace and nonviolence, justice and human rights are on the schedule for the Peace Island Conference Sept. 2-3 at Concordia University in St. Paul. The conference is being promoted as a "solutions-driven" opportunity. For information go to:
www.peaceisland.us

Earth Charter Conference -- Environmentalists in the Quad Cities plan to celebrate the UN's "Year of Planet Earth" with an Earth Charter Summit October 11 at the RiverCenter in Davenport. The summit will include presentations and displays by local groups and individuals, an appearance by “ No Impact Man” (aka Colin Beavan). Cost is $20 per person and includes lunch. Seating is limited. Details and registration are available at
www.qcearthcharter.org

Issues

Health Care Regulations
Cardinal Justin Rigali of Philadelphia, chairman of the bishops' Committee for Pro-Life Activities, says proposed regulations requiring health care providers to respect workers' personal conscience should be a matter of agreement between "pro-lifers" and "pro-choicers." Recent reports said the Bush administration may require recipients of aid under federal health programs to certify that they will not refuse to hire nurses and other providers who object to abortion and even certain types of birth control. Cardinal Rigali said advocates on both sides of the abortion issue should agree on "the freedom of health care providers to serve the public without violating their most deeply held moral and religious convictions." He added: "patients with pro-life convictions...deserve 'access' to health care professionals who do not have contempt for their religious and moral convictions or for the lives of their children."
http://www.zenit.org/article-23316?l=english

War on Terror
A recent report by the Rand Corporation, a think tank which often advises the Pentagon, says the United States can defeat terrorism, but only with a shift in strategy which deemphasizes military action and increases the emphais on policing and intellitgence. Rand studied 648 terror groups that existed between 1968 and 2006 and found that "most groups have ended because (1) they joined the political process or (2) local police and intelligence agencies arrested or killed key members" It said military force was rarely been the primary reason for the end of terrorist groups.
> An update on the report and analysis by the Center for American Progress:
http://pr.thinkprogress.org/2008/08/pr20080801
> Text of the Rand Corporation report at:
www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/MG741/
> The report has sparked a re-evaluation of the nation's reponse to 9/11:
http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0801/p02s01-usfp.html

Immigration
Cardinals Theodore E. McCarrick, retired archbishop of Washington, and Roger M. Mahony of Los Angeles told participants at the 2008 National Migration Conference in Washington not to give up hope in their work with immigrants for local and national church agencies. "I see our challenge as one of shouting out the message of the Gospel, the words of the holy fathers, the unchanging teaching of the church, and in the profound conviction of our nation's history that the real heart of America has not changed, that its willingness to right a wrong has not faulted, that it needs only continuous courage, unwavering confidence in the goodness of people and a trust in God's love for the poor and the stranger," Cardinal McCarrick in a homily July 28.
http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0803897.htm

Climate Change
According to a report by the Commission to Engage African-Americans on Climate Change, American blacks are likely to suffer disproportionately from climate change. Blacks are more than twice as likely as whites to live in cities where the so-called heat island effect is expected to make temperature increases more severe, and more blacks will be "fuel poor" as energy demand rises due to higher air-conditioning loads, population growth and urbanization, the commission said. For more about the Commission¹s report, visit http://aaenvironment.blogspot.com/2008/07/commission-to-engage-african-americans.html

More Responses to the Postville Raid
• Response to raids like the one in Postville from the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee's Immigration subcommittee:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/07/24/MN6P11V1JC.DTL
• Reports from the subcommittee's visit to Postville in the Iowa Independent:
http://iowaindependent.com/2905/postville-detainee-congressmen-be-our-voice
• Report on the July 27 rally from the New York Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/28/us/28immig.html?_r=2&hp&oref=slogin&oref=slogin
• Video from the June 27 rally:
http://iowaindependent.com/3022/video-postville-immigration-rally
• Photos from the June 27 rally:
http://iowaindependent.com/2935/photos-postville-immigration-rally
• The Iowa Labor Commissioner’s Office has completed the first phase of its investigation of the Agriprocessors plant in Postville and produced 57 cases that each have multiple child labor violations.
http://iowaindependent.com/3469/iowa-labor-commissioner-egregious-violations-at-agriprocessors
• An Associated Press report on the scandal surrounding the Jewish owners of Agriprocessors:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/04/AR2008080401176.html
• Read the Miami Herald's editorial on the Postville raid:
http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/other-views/story/628302.html
• The debate continues over whether the arrested workers were treated justly:
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-immig1-2008aug01,0,7416056.story
• Rabbi Arthur Waskow's says the Postville raid is a wake-up call, a "flash of lightening in the dark" not unlike Hurricane Katrina:
http://www.shalomctr.org/node/1433
• Differences of opinion in the Jewish community over the supply of kosher food
http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/food/articles/2008/07/30/jews_debate_the_ethics_of_kosher_food_supply/
• The government's crackdown is having an effect, as the number of immgrants crossing the border illegal drops:
http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0731/p01s03-ussc.html

Social Action

...to lobby Congress -- Members of Congress will be on their summer recess from August 11 to September 6. The recess is an opportunity for local citizens to meet with their representatives and senators to discuss issues of concern. You may be interested in these resources prepared by the Friends Committee on National Legislation, a Quaker lobby.
> A guide for scheduling a lobby visit
http://action.fcnl.org/r/17499/40198/
> Eight tips for a successful meeting:
http://action.fcnl.org/r/17500/40198/
> Directory for the location of congressional district offices:
http://action.fcnl.org/r/17501/40198/

...for anti-Racism teams -- Pax ChristiUSA is looking for individuals from around the country who are willing to serve on its Anti-Racism team. Applications are due by August 13. For more information and an application form, go to:
http://www.paxchristiusa.org/pcart/PCARTApplication2008.pdf

...against cluster bombs -- The Friends Committee on National Legislation continues its efforts to build support among candidates for Congress for banning the use of deadly cluster bombs.
http://capwiz.com/fconl/issues/alert/?alertid=11683366&type=CO

...against nuclear options -- United for Peace and Justice has declared August "Nuclear-Free Future Month." It is promoting popular education, video screenings, art exhibitions, protests, vigils and other activities that raise awareness about the ever-increasing threat from nuclear weapons and the environmental and proliferation dangers posed by the global nuclear power "renaissance".
http://www.nuclearfreefuture.org
• To order copies of the a DVD "Hiroshima--Repentance and Renewal" produced by PaxChristiUSA go to:
http://paxchristiusa.3dcartstores.com/DVD-Hiroshima-Repentance-and-Renewal_p_10-174.html
• Read PaxChristiUSA's statement, "The Morality of Nuclear Deterrence" at:
http://paxchristiusa.3dcartstores.com/The-Morality-of-Nuclear-Deterrence_p_13-38.html

...for energy reform -- "Stop the Pain at the Pump" is a new public action group organized by TrueMajority.org to lobby for energy independence through investment in clean, renewable energy sources; reduced dependence on foreign oil and fossil fuels; elimination of tax breaks and implementation of a windfall profits tax on oil producers. For information go to:
http://www.stopthepainatthepump.org/

Resources

Recovery Assistance
Project Recovery Iowa, administered by the Iowa Department of Human Services, provides crisis-counseling for persons affected by disaster. It consists primarily of supportive, educational, face-to-face interventions which help survivors identify and access personal and community resources that will aid in the recovery process. All calls are free and confidential, and the operators are willing to assist wherever possible. Call 800-447-1985.

Election 2008
In an effort to get beyond the simplified notion that the country is divided into "red" and "blue" states, the Christian Science Monitor has identified eleven different types of communities around the country which typify the diversity of American voters. The Monitor will examine this year's election campaign from the perspective of this "Patchwork Nation." Find out where you fit in, and follow the Monitor's coverage at:
http://www.csmonitor.com/patchworknation/

Response to Terrorism
Peace activist Tom Cordaro has written a new book, Be Not Afraid--An Alternative to the War on Terror. The book places terrorism in a historical context, examines what we've been told in the wake of 9-11, and outlines what an alternative understanding might look like. You can order the book from PaxChristi USA at:
https://paxchristiusa.3dcartstores.com/Be-Not-Afraid-An-Alternative-to-the-War-on-Terror_p_4-201.html

Faith and Social Action
The American Friends Service Committee, a Quaker organization, offers a new online guide for anyone interested in the connection between faith and social action. "Faith and Social Justice" highlights books, websites, and other resources.
http://www.afsc.org/faith/default.htm

Migrants' Journey
"Dying to Live--A Migrant's Journey" is a new documentary created by the Center for Latino Studies at the University of Notre Dame. The video places the immigrant experience in a more personal and human context than is customary in public debates about the immigrant "problem." It's available on DVD for $25.00. The Center offers two other DVDs for those interested in the immigration issue, "One Border, One Body--Immigration and the Eucharist" ($25.00) and "Strangers No Longer" ($15.00) which puts current-day immigration issues into a historical context.
http://dyingtolive.nd.edu/

World Food Crisis
Bread for the World provides a six-part analysis and strategies for addressing the world food crisis; this resource would be helpful for individuals, families, classrooms, and study groups.
http://www.bread.org/learn/rising-food-prices/
• Resources on the world food crisis from Catholic Relief Services are available at:
http://www.crs.org/emergency/global-food-crisis.cfm
• Resources from the World Food Programme:
http://www.wfp.org/aboutwfp/introduction/hunger_who.asp?section=1&sub_section=1

Recovery in Iraq
"The Ground Truth Project" was created by the Education for Peace in Iraq Center to connect the Washington policy-making community and concerned citizens with Iraqi professionals, aid workers, military personnel and others who have a firsthand perspective of the Iraq conflict and to illuminate new strategies to support Iraq's peace and development.
http://www.epic-usa.org/GroundTruth.html

International Trade
"Trade As If People and Earth Mattered--A Working Document on Alternatives" is a policy paper created by the Interfaith Working Group on Trade and Investment. The text of the paper is available in PDF format from:
http://www.tradejusticeusa.org/resources/alternatives.pdf

Genocide in Rwanda
"The Rwanda Genocide--Portraits of Survival and Hope" is a photo exibit in Los Angeles sponsored by Catholic Relief Services and other organizations. The exhibit focuses on orphans who are heading households of their surviving siblings and widows struggling to care for their children--a powerful but tragic resource appropriate for private or group meditation or classroom instruction. View the exhibit online at:
http://www.usc.edu/schools/college/crcc/private/docs/publications/orphans.pdf

Perspectives

...on energy -- Can we solve the energy crisis? We can, if we find the political will to do so, says this report from the Center for American Progress.
http://pr.thinkprogress.org/2008/07/pr20080722

...on government's role -- A liberal wonders: government can deliver services, but can it really care about the people it serves?
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/07/22/EDDO11OSLM.DTL

...on the war in Iraq -- Did the "surge" work? This analysis by the Center for American Progress (a more progressive think tank), tries to sort out the confusion political claims made about Iraq.
http://pr.thinkprogress.org/2008/07/pr20080724

...on the impact of poverty -- Neither the left nor the right have the anti-poverty message quite right, says Romal Tune in a two-part commentary on the God's Politics blog. What's missing is an understanding of the psychological impact of poverty on individuals we think should be help to help themselves.
http://blog.beliefnet.com/godspolitics/2008/07/poverty-and-personal-responsib.html
http://blog.beliefnet.com/godspolitics/2008/07/poverty-and-personal-responsib-1.html

...on the economy -- A recent edition of NPR's weekly program Speaking of Faith explored the new generation's ideas about the convergence of capitalist strategies and social change, which host Krista Tippet says will challenge the mindset of an older (read "Boomer" generation).
http://speakingoffaith.publicradio.org/programs/business_of_good/

...on environmental stewardship -- Environmentalism has emerged as a distinctive feature of Pope Benedict's social teaching, according to the National Catholic Reporter's John Allen. What's striking, Allen says, is that he "simply took for granted that his audience would recognize the environment as an object of legitimate Christian interest."
http://ncronline3.org/drupal/?q=node/1503

...on farmworkers -- Farm Labor Organizing Committee President Baldemar Velasquez is experiencing firsthand what it is like to be a migrant worker in North Carolina; you can get a firsthand picture of the daily life of farmworkers on his blog, "Call to the Fields" at:
http://www.floc.com/CallToTheFields.htm

Worth Quoting...

“Forgiving does not mean condoning harmful actions, or ceasing to criticize and resist them. But it does mean tapping into a wellspring of compassion that encompasses the hurt and sucks the venom out, so we can go forward making a positive contribution, without hatred.”--Theologian Elizabeth Johnson in an address to the Leadership Conference of Religious Women, quoted in the National Catholic Reporter.
http://ncronline3.org/drupal/?q=node/1551

"The Western world has had in the last 50 years great successes -- economic successes, technical successes; yet religion -- Christian faith -- is in a certain sense in crisis. This is clear because there is the impression...that we do not need God to be happy, we do not need God to create a better world, that God is not necessary, we can do all by ourselves.... [But] now in this historical moment, we begin to see that we do need God. We can do so many things, but we cannot create our climate.... We need the gift of the Earth, the gift of water, we need the Creator.... And so we also come to understand that we cannot be really happy, cannot be really promoting justice for all the world, without a criterion at work in our own ideas, without a God who is just, and gives us the light, and gives us life. So, I think there will be in a certain sense in this 'Western world' a crisis of our faith, but we will always also have a revival of the faith, because Christian faith is simply true, and the truth will always be present in the human world, and God will always be truth. In this sense, I am in the end optimistic." -- Pope Benedict XVI in comments to journalists enroute to Australia July 14, available online at:
http://www.zenit.org/article-23200?l=english

Compiled by Dave Cushing
319-234-9912

____________________________

• • •

Cedar Valley Catholic Social Justice e-Network
Vol. 3 - No. 36 • July 22, 2008

Social Justice News, Opportunities, Resources and Observations

Local Events

Waterloo Worker House -- The Waterloo Catholic Worker House will celebrate its 26th Anniversary on Thursday, July 24. Mass will begin at 5:15p. and will be followed by a cook-out and entertainment. The Waterloo Catholic Worker is located at 321 E. 8th St., Waterloo. For information, call Rose Quirk at 310-232-2116.

Regional Events

Postville Prayer and March -- St. Bridget’s Catholic Church, Jewish Community Action of St. Paul, Minnesota, and The Jewish Council on Urban Affairs of Chicago are organizing an interfaith prayer and march for comprehensive immigration reform on Sunday, July 27, 1:00-4:00p in Postville. The event will begin with a prayer service in St. Bridget Church, followed by a walk through Postville, and testimonies from those affected by the immigration raid May 12.

Issues

More Responses to the Postville Raid
• Members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus will visit Postville July 26 to learn firsthand what happened on May 12 and how it affected the community.
http://www.iowaindependent.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=2601
• One of the most revealing recent developments in the wake of the Postville raid are the comments of Erik Camayd-Freixas, a certified Spanish interpreter for federal courts, was hired by court officials to translate in the hearings for the Postville workers. In a 14-page essay Professor Camayd-Freixas wrote that the immigrant defendants did not fully understand the criminal charges they were facing or the rights most of them had waived.
Read the New York Times story about Professor Camayd-Freixas and view a video at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/11/us/11immig.html?_r=3&pagewanted=1&ref=us&oref=slogin
Read the text of Professor Camayd-Freixas's comments at:
http://blogs.ilw.com/gregsiskind/files/camayd.pdf
• The relief work continues; an estimate of the financial cost of providing for the families whose lives were disrupted by the raid is estimated at over $600,000 by Pastor David Vasquez, campus minister at Luther College.
http://www.centro-legal.org/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=131
Financial contributions can be sent to:
St. Bridget's Hispanic Ministry Fund, c/o Sister Mary McCauley, P.O. Box 369, Postville, Iowa 52162
• Read a portrait of life at St. Bridget's from the New York Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/12/us/12religion.html?sq=july%2012%20%20%20postville%20iowa&st=cse&adxnnl=1&scp=1&adxnnlx=1215871770-D+8r24DVjUi58ks+09agEw
• As if the Agriprocessors story wasn't seemy enough, the Iowa Independent reports that the New York PR firm hired by the company to improve its image is impersonating one of its strongest critics, St. Paul Rabbi Morris Allen.
http://www.iowaindependent.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=2598

Global Climate Change
• The U..S. Environmental Protection Agency said global climate change will create "substantial" threats to human health in the coming decades.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/17/AR2008071701557.html
• At a meeting of the G8 earlier this month, the leaders of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the U.S. agreed to target cuts in greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50% by 2050. Five countries with the biggest emerging economies -- Mexico, Brazil, China, India and South Africa -- challenged the G8 countries to cut their greenhouse gas emissions by more than 80% by 2050. A joint statement from the developing nations said: "It is essential that developed countries take the lead in achieving ambitious and absolute greenhouse gas emission reductions."
For a complete article:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/asia-pacific/7495641.stm.
For G8 statement go to:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/pdfs/08_07_08_climatechange.pdf
For the G5 statement go to:
http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=40146
• The National Catholic Rural Life Conference reports that more than 40 Buddhist and Benedictine monks and nuns from throughout North America gathered last month at the Abbey of Gethsemani in Kentucky to talk about their role in helping to avert environmental disaster.
A report on the conference:
http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080601/NEWS01/806010463/1008/NEWS01
Listen to presentations of the conference:
http://www.urbandharma.org/G3/index.html
• In a message relayed to an international exposition on water and development in Spain, Pope Benedict said water is not simply an economic good, but a human right, based on the dignity of the human person. He said water "must be considered a good that must be especially protected through clear national and international policies, and used according to sensible criteria of solidarity and responsibility." The Pope said the use of water is "a universal and inalienable right"and noted that "limited access to potable water has repercussions on the wellbeing of an enormous number of people and is often the cause of illnesses, sufferings, conflicts, poverty and even death."
http://www.zenit.org/article-23216?l=english
• Pope Benedict continues to put his own unique "spin" on environmental issues, the National Catholic Reporter's John Allen Jr. reports. "The implied argument seems to be that the self-mastery required to address environmental challenges, especially to reconsider modern consumerist lifestyles, presupposes the spiritual and moral commitments supplied by Christianity," Allen writes.
http://ncrcafe.org/node/2009
• Read an analysis of the Pope's impact on environmental politics by the Wall Street Journal's Keith Johnson at:
http://blogs.wsj.com/environmentalcapital/2008/07/14/holy-trinity-religion-politics-and-climate-change/

No More Nukes
The U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee earlier this month eliminated funding for the Reliable Replacement Warhead, the first new U.S. nuclear weapon in two decades.
http://fcnl.org/press/releases/RRW_071008.htm

Workers Oppose War on Terror
Catholic News Service reported that a gathering of 500 people representing 55 Catholic Worker communities from across the U.S. has called on the U.S. bishops to denounce the war on terror and urged the church and U.S. citizens to repent for "our affronts to God" fed by violence and materialism. The statement, marking the 75th anniversary of the Catholic Worker movement, encouraged the church and "all people of good will" to embrace prayer, fasting, vigils and nonviolent civil disobedience to end military occupations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The statement also pressed the church's leadership "to break its silence and to wield the authority provided by the nonviolent Gospel of Jesus Christ, by calling the entire nation to repent for the war crimes we have committed in the so-called war on terror." Read more on the Workers convention at:
http://ncronline3.org/drupal/?q=node/1426

Social Action

...for the common good -- According to a coalition of Catholic social action organizations, "faith can move mountains." They are sponsoring the "Platform for the Common Good," recommendations for public policy "enlivened by the Gospel message of hope and the wisdom of Catholic Social Teaching." Read the recommendations and sign the platform at
http://www.votethecommongood.com/

...for justice in the workplace -- "Justice at Smithfield" is a new campaign designed to call national attention to an environment of intimidation, racial tension and violence at Smithfield Foods, the largest pork producer, fourth-largest turkey producer, and fifth-largest beef producer in the world.
http://www.smithfieldjustice.com/