Justice Jottings
March 2005
An Email Update from the Marianist Social Justice Collaborative (MSJC)


New on our website!!

 Click here to read the inspiring witness of communities and individuals in the Marianist Family as they work to  undo racism.  People are doing many positive things to live out our Pledge to Eliminate Racism.

Visit us at:  www.msjc.net

Remember - Our website is interactive. We'd like to hear from you!  We've made some recent changes in our setup so it is easier to use. Just get a password and you can enter into discussions with other MSJC members about these and other issues.  NOTE - if you are using the AOL browser, you can view the website but may not be able to enter any of the discussions with that browser.

Scroll down to read over the following items:

• Issue Team Updates 
• New MSJC possibilities
• Action Needed
• Resources
• A Thought to Ponder
  

Issue Teams Update - see the website for more details

• Ecology & Environment
           The team will be meeting May 12-15 in Dayton.  They will be examining further strategies to promote sustainable consumption within Marianist world. Anyone interested in attending should email Don Geiger at donald.geiger@notes.udayton.edu. 
• Anti-Racism
  • The Cultural Audit Team met in St. Louis on Feb. 25-27.  Great meeting!  Lots of energy!  They made plans to use the Cultural Audit in a variety of ways with the Marianist Family - formation gatherings, retreats, Continental Assembly, a special gathering in spring 2006, and in local communities.  The goal is to build communities that are deeply multicultural in their attitudes, practices, and membership.  For more info, contact  Ted Cassidy -  tcassidy@capemaymarianists.org
  • Diversity Day at Cape May Family Retreat Center on Monday, Mar. 14, an annual day to help increase the civic community's appreciation for diversity.  Contact Ted Cassidy for more info. 
• War and Peace
           Team meeting scheduled for March 11-13 in San Antonio.  We welcome new members.  Anyone interested in attending should contact Sr. Laola Hironaka, hironakafmi@aol.com   
• Death Penalty
  • The team met last month and will be involved in both the Journey of Hope in Texas in 2006 and the vigil/fast at the Supreme Court this summer. 
    Click here to read a summary.  The team is sponsoring an intern position in Austin TX to assist in organizing the Journey of Hope.  Job description and application should be available sometime next week on the MSJC website
  • Good news - the Supreme Court outlawed the death penalty for juvenile criminals and the New Mexico state House of Representatives voted to end the death penalty in that state.  Two more steps forward! 
• Sweatshop Labor
  • Team members met with Wal-Mart CEO.  Click here to read about it.
  •  Students at Moeller HS in Cincinnati, following up on the visit of 3 Bangladeshi sweatshop workers to their school, sponsored a "sweatshop simulation" to give students an experience of what it's like to work in one.  Click here to read the story.

New Possibilities for MSJC
      Two possible areas of new effort by MSJC:

Action Needed

• Sr. Dorothy Stang SND, from Dayton OH, who for many years defended the Amazon national heritage from land grabbers, was cruelly assassinated on Feb. 12.  ACT NOW to urge the Brazilian government to investigate this crime completely and to end the causes of this violence.
                     Click here to send a message.
• March 19, the second anniversary of the Iraq War, will be a Global Day of Protest Against the War.  Get involved!  To find an event that day near you, visit United for Peace and Justice.
• Make the debate over the President's proposed budget a discussion of values and morality.   Read the statement from Network about the budget and then click here to send a letter to your representative or senator.

Resources - know any good ones?  Share them with us

A Thought to Ponder

      "We will go before God and God will ask us, 'Where are your wounds?'  And we will say, 'We have no wounds.'  And God will ask, 'Was nothing worth fighting for?'"
                                                                                                                                                       -Rev. Allan Boesak.