Justice Jottings
May 2005
An Email Update from the Marianist Social Justice Collaborative (MSJC)
New on our website!!
Jean Canning, one of the original MSJC Steering Committee members and a current member of the Anti-Racism team, passed to the Lord on April 8, Fr. Chaminade's birthday. Read the homily by Fr. Paul Landolfi SM at her funeral Mass. Also, click here to read her obituary.
New Justice Reflection - "Romero Lives!" - on the 25th anniversary celebration in El Salvador of Oscar Romero. Click here to read it.
Read "Are You a Social Sinner?" by Fr. Bryan Massingal
Two resources for either Mothers Day or for May, the month of Mary:
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An excerpt from the book by Peter Daino SM, "Mary Mother of Sorrows, Mother of Defiance." (click here)
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:
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Issue Team Updates
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Be an Advocate for Justice - some ways you can act to make a difference
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Sharing the Good News - justice happenings in the Marianist world
- Resources
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Event - Mary, Model of Justice
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A Thought to Ponder
Issue Teams Update - see the website for more details
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Ecology & Environment
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In 2000, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan asked "What is the state of the world's ecosystems?" In April, he finally got his answer. Click here for more information.
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Computer quiz: For every computer sold in the US, how many become obsolete? To find out, visit the Environment & Ecology Issue Team homepage.
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By popular demand, the bags will soon be back! Our reusable cloth shopping bags, we mean. To make sure you don't miss out, click here.
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The Environment and Ecology Issue Team will meet in Dayton May 12-15. If you're interested in becoming involved with the team, email Don Geiger at donald.geiger@notes.udayton.edu.
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Read a "Backgrounder" document on the death penalty -- with statistics, a timeline of recent US history, and links to other resources. The document, prepared by a group that does NOT take a stand on this issue, will be regularly updated to provide timely information as the national debate intensifies.
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We know that Pope John Paul II spoke out against the death penalty, but what do we know about our new Pope? Read the report from Catholics Against Capital Punishment on his role in shaping the Church's teaching.
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MSJC will provide an intern this summer to work in Austin TX with the Texas Coalition Against the Death Penalty in preparing for the Texas Journey of Hope (scheduled for October, 2005). Applications are currently being reviewed. Check the Web site for more news as the summer approaches.
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Sweatshop Labor
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Click here to read the latest on the discussions with Wal-Mart leadership.
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Joe Jacobson, a grad student in international relations at St. Mary's U., has accepted a summer MSJC internship working with Fr. Bill Christensen in Bangladesh. He will help put together the final strategy for the alternative worker-owned factory and hopefully visit factories there that produce garments for Wal-Mart.
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Joan Cook, a '05 grad of the U. of Dayton, has accepted a summer MSJC internship working with Bro. Steve O'Neil at the UN. Joan will also be coordinating with the National Labor Committee on various sweatshop labor issues.
Be an Advocate for Justice
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Become a part of The ONE Campaign - To Make Poverty History. Click here to view the intro video or click here to join the campaign.
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Key votes or hearings coming up in Congress on the issues of poverty, immigration, Social Security, and the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA). Click here to visit the Network website and take action on one or all of these issues.
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Sharing the Good News - let us know if you have some to share
Genocide No More! On April 7, two St. Mary's U. student groups - Americans for Informed Democracy and Amnesty International - sponsored an exhibit marking the anniversary of the Rwandan genocide. It consisted of 800 luminaries on the Quad (the "center" of campus) representing the 800,000 that died, plus a Darfur Photo Exhibit. As a result, about 250 students wrote letters to their senators urging support for the Darfur Accountability Act.
Resources - know any good ones? Share them with us
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What is the human cost - in killed and wounded - of the Iraq War? Go to www.infoshout.com to get the facts.
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Amnesty International has created an organizing kit -- based on the award-winning film, Hotel Rwanda, aboutthe 1994 Rwandan genocide -- that you can use to bring human rights education to your community. The kit, designed to be used with the Hotel Rwanda DVD, includes a house party guide, a teacher's guide, and a photo exhibit. Click here to get more information.
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Click here to read the latest issue of the online newsletter of the Marianist International Volunteer Program.
Event
Mary, Model of Justice - Wed. May 25, 7:30 - 9:30 PM, Marianist Family Room of the Marianist Center Building , Mt. St. John, Dayton OH
(Join us in person or "in spirit". We are glad to share the resources we develop for this day. Email: Leanne.jablonski@Notes.udayton.edu )
Celebrate the feast of Mary, Help of Christians as we explore the call of Mary's Magnificat and her model of discipleship for living justly. Presenters: Carol Ramey, Director of the North American Center for Marianist Studies, Bro. Don Geiger, SM, Marianist Environmental Education Center (MEEC) Founder and coordinator of the MSJC Environment/Ecology Issue Team and Sr. Leanne Jablonski FMI, MEEC Director. RSVP by May 23rd.
* An optional "Walking with Mary" guided labyrinth experience will be offered at 6:30 pm prior to this program. Meet at MEEC in St. Joseph Hall. RSVP by May 23
A Thought to Ponder
"How can one not speak about war, poverty, and inequality when people who suffer from these afflictions don't have a voice to speak?"
-Isabel Allende