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Justice
Jottings January
2010 |
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Support
for Haiti and Its People - Here's How You Can Help
Read
a first hand account of the experience provided by
Fr. Florian Royer-Chabot SM,
a
member of the Marianist Novitiate Community in Port-Au-Prince.
to
read it.
Contribute
to the Marianist Family earthquake relief efforts
by making an online
contribution.
Click
here. Under "Program Designation" select
HAITI EARTHQUAKE
Spread
the word among Haitians living in the US that the
US government extended
special
protection (Temporary Protected Status) for 18 months
to some 100,000 undocumented Haitians living in the
US that keeps them from being deported. Click
here for the story
and click
here for information about who can apply and how
to do so.
Be
an advocate for Haiti's
long term recovery. Support the ONE Campaign's call
for the cancellation of Haiti 's almost $1 billion
foreign debt and giving the country a fresh start
by ensuring that new aid comes in the form of grants,
not debt-incurring loans. For more information
click
here and then click
here to sign their petition to Treasury Secretary
Geithner.
Pray for the people of Haiti. There's
an option at the end of this issue.
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Check
Out on our Website
Social
Justice Programs - For Your Marianist
Community or Group. Click
here to view the page.
We've
added a new category, titled
Consistent
Life Ethic, on the Links page of our
website to include organizations who are working
to protect life on several fronts. Click
here to view the page.
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| Racial
and Immigrant Justice
The
Economic Argument for Immigration Reform
Click
here to read this blog post - "Next Economic
Stimulus: Immigration Reform" - by Brian Vogt.
Immigration
Reform Postcard Campaign - ACT NOW!
The
Justice for Immigrants program is initiating
a campaign to send millions of postcards to
Congress in support of comprehensive immigration
reform. We encourage Marianist communities
and groups, parishes, campus ministry programs,
and schools to get involved. Materials
available include preprinted postcards click
here, an order form for postcards click
here, instructions for how to use the postcards
click
here, and a calendar click
here that identifies opportunities for action
on this issue during the coming months. Please
consider getting involved in this critical issue.
Click
here to
send a personal message to Congress in support
of immigration reform.
Ellis
Island is Closed! Ash Wednesday Pilgrimage
to Restore Humanity to the Immigration System
Join members of PaxChristi-New Jersey in this
walk on Ash Wednesday (Feb. 17) from Ellis
Island to the Elizabeth NJ Immigration Detention
Center. Click
here for
more information.
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| Death
Penalty
Irretrievably Broken
"(T)he capital justice system in the United
States is irretrievably broken." That is
how Adam Liptak, writing in The
New York Times, translates some "dense lawyer
talk" contained in a resolution recently adopted
by the members of the American
Law Institute (ALI). The ALI, considered
the leading independent organization in the United
States producing scholarly work to clarify, modernize,
and otherwise improve the law, thus withdrew its
support of the death penalty section of the Model
Penal Code. Read more about the significance
of their decision, some of the factors they considered, and what the consequences might
be, on the Issue Team's page.
Bipartisan Group Seeks Moratorium in Missouri
A bipartisan group of state legislators in Missouri
- one of the states targeted by the Issue Team -
introduced a bill last August seeking a study commission
and a moratorium. The bill did not pass, but
one of the
co-sponsors said he will reintroduce the bill
this year, according to an article in the Columbia
Missourian. Read about other activities
in Missouri on the Issue Team's page. |
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GLBT
Initiative
GLBT
Initiative Team Meets
The GLBT Initiative Team met recently in Dayton to
do planning for the coming year. Among the actions
taken: plans for offering "A Place at the Marianist
Table" in 2010, development of a new GLBT Initiative
webpage on the MSJC website, and coordination with
the Society of Mary's Forum for the Integration of
Gay Spirituality. As the photo shows, despite
the cold and snow, the team had a great time and a
productive meeting.
Left
to right: Matt Dunn, Nancy Mascotte, Hank Mascotte,
Beth Garascia (did she really hit her unsuspecting
son with that snowball?), Fr. Terry Weik, Dominic
Garascia, Bro. Jim Vorndran and Laura Collins.
This
GLBT Initiative submission comes from Nancy Mascotte.
Nancy quotes a section from The Future
Church: How Ten Trends Are Revolutionizing the
Church (Doubleday, 2009) by John L. Allen.
"Waiting for the Vatican or the bishops to act,
or blaming them for doing it the wrong way, won't
cut it. It's the ultimate in clericalism
to believe that everything in the church depends
upon its clergy, or that nothing useful can be
done until Rome turns over a new leaf. Click
here to read more from this section of the
book.
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Events
A
Seamless Garment Dialogue - March 5-7, 2010 in Baltimore
MSJC is planning a "Seamless Garment Dialogue" weekend
to promote dialogue among pro-life and social justice
activists as a way to lessen divisions and foster
better understanding and greater collaboration. Featured
resource person will be Fr. John Langan SJ, the Joseph
Cardinal Bernardin Professor of Social Thought at
Georgetown U. and an expert on Christian ethics.
To see the flyer, click
here.
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| Resources
Partners
in Sustainable Development International (PSDI)
Formerly
the Institute of Integrated Rural Development (IRRDnorthamerica),
PSDI is the new name of the North American support
network for development efforts with the rural poor
in Bangladesh founded by Fr. Bill Christensen SM.
Click
here to visit their all new website.
Our
Children's Place
Watch this
short video that describes Our Children's Place, a
residential incarceration initiative in No. Carolina
that will allow young children (babies and preschoolers)
to live with their mothers while they serve out their
sentences for nonviolent offenses. Thanks to
Mary Andrews, lay Marianist who has been on the Board
of this project, for sending the link.
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Prayer
for the People of Haiti
For the people of Haiti, "the least of these,"
O God we pray -
Your children are in the depths of suffering, without
food, homes, and the most basic forms of security,
without hope.
Their land is ravaged and their spirits in despair.
In your mercy, open our eyes to what
is happening and open our hearts so we may respond.
May we grow in solidarity with our sisters and
brothers in Haiti.
May they live to see rebuilding and renewal in
their land. Amen
(Jane Deren, Education for Justice - www.educationforjustice.org)
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