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Justice
Jottings
May 2010
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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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Adele Social Justice Project
Happy Birthday
Sister Adele!!!
Adele Day- June 10th
Did you miss celebrating Adele Day in January? It's not too
late!
Gather with your community to celebrate the last Adele Day of the year, June
10, Sister Adele's birthday!!! As a gift to her, donate your
time to the Adele Social Justice Project. Take some time with your
community to write a letter about your social justice experience or
insights, translate documents from English to Spanish or French, or send
us a comment or photos by email or
on Facebook giving us
your ideas or any information you wish to share. Click here for more
information or join us on Facebook
to find a community near you.
Find us in Hawaii!
If you're attending the Lay Continental Assembly in July, check out what
ASJP will be bringing:
ASJP - Finding
Our Voice as Advocates
Get a taste of what the Adele Social Justice Project (ASJP) is all
about as we explore how to be "voices with the voiceless." Take
part in a prayer and reflection session typical of an ASJP young adult
immersion weekend and, through service, join your voice with Mary and
Adele to advocate for the "voiceless" in our
communities.
To Whom Much is Given...Being
Good Stewards Explore this topic with us through prayer
and reflection typical of an ASJP young adult immersion weekend. In the
spirit of stewardship, participate in a round-table discussion about the ways
we, as Marianist Family members, can foster and encourage zeal for the
mission, passion for social justice, and hunger for building community
carried by so many young adults.
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Global Economic Justice
Help Lay Marianists in the Congo - Here's How
Is your community, group, school, ministry interested in participating in
a pilot project that will build partnerships with Marianists in the
Democratic Republic of Congo? Are you willing to be part of the
solution to the violence, rape and other abuses that have plagued this
country for so long? If so, click here to read
about this new project of the Global Economic Justice Team
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Racial and Immigrant Justice
Immigration Reform Update
Bro.
Bob Wiethorn and Brandon Paluch sent along some great resources on the
recent Arizona immigration law and the status of Federal immigration
reform. Click here to see
these resources.
Pentecost Homily
Fr. Ted Cassidy
has prepared a homily for Pentecost (May 23) that focuses on welcoming
various cultures and comprehensive immigration reform. Click here to read
it.
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Action for Advocates
Urge Senate to
Ratify New Nuclear Weapons Treaty
Contact your senators
in support of ratifying the new START Treaty.
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Ecology and the Environment
Join in Prayer for the Gulf Coast Oil Spill
Join with the group,
Creation Hope, in praying for a resolution to this ongoing disaster.
150 Mile Challenge and Blog
From Philadelphians Karis Yusavitz, who has attended Cape May
Center programs, and her friend Meg: "We've done some homework,
we've had many inspiring and challenging conversations and we've
previously dabbled in trying to only eat local. We think a blog is
a good way to connect those pieces. Although we have read articles and
searched the internet, we believe it has been through sharing our
findings and thoughts that 'maybe together we can get somewhere.'
We're challenging ourselves to eat foods grown within 150 miles of
where we live this summer... and hope you'll join us. On our blog will be
resources on where to find foods produced and sold locally, recipes,
posts on our own futile attempts at window/urban farming and our
challenge. Check it out, follow us, and definitely participate
(tips, posts, interesting ideas for topics, photos, recipes...the ways
you can interact are endless!). Email us at 150milechallenge@gmail.comor
visit our blog."
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Death Penalty
Troy Davis Update - May 2010
Troy Davis has been on Georgia 's death row since 1991. His claims
of innocence -- and wrongful conviction (of the murder of a Savannah police
officer, Mark Allen MacPhail) -- have garnered national attention and are
now scheduled to be heard for the first time in court. Read more on the
Issue Team's Web page.
Racial and Geographic Disparities in Ohio Executions
The Death Penalty Information Center recently posted an analysis of the
death penalty in Ohio , one of the Issue Team's targeted states:
"As in the South, race appears to play a significant role in
who receives the death penalty. In the Ohio cases resulting in an
execution, 75% of the victims in the underlying murder were white.
Generally, in Ohio about 65% of murder victims are black (Ohio
Office of Criminal Justice Services-2005), but those cases are not
resulting in a similar percentage of executions." Read more on the
Issue Team's Web page.
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Alternatives to Violence
New Chair for Alternatives to Violence Team
Maria Alejandro from San Antonio is the new chair of the MSJC Issue Team
focusing on Alternatives to Violence... Welcome Maria!
From Maria: "I am much honored to have the opportunity to serve as
Chair of the Alternatives to Violence Team. My interests have
always included culture and locally-based sustainable development.
Currently, in my work with the Community Leadership Institute of Texas,
we provide leadership development training to grassroots leaders
dedicated to a wide array of social issues. Included in our
approach is responding to the need for effective conflict engagement and
non-violent communication for our leaders who then share it with their
communities and families. My hopes are to reach out to existing
members of the AVT integrating interested community members to create a
collective vision and promote alternatives to violence in our work and
our community."
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Resources
Health Care Reform - Helping You Understand It
Having
a hard time understanding what health care reform will mean for you and
your family? Click here to read
a simple presentation from the PICO National Network that might answer
your questions.
Marianist Online Courses begin May 30
The 5 week summer session for Marianist online courses begins in
June. Courses offered are "Social Justice" and
"Prayer." Registration deadline is May 26.
For more information visit the NACMS website.
Marianists International May Update
Read the latest at the United Nations from Bro. Steve O'Neil.
In particular, he includes information on the "Impact of Migration
on Families around the World", especially important background as
Congress moves to take up comprehensive immigration reform.
Prayers to Mary, Mother of Justice
This six-page resource
was put together as a joint project by the Center of Concern in
collaboration with the Marian Library and the Province Office
of Peace and Justice to integrate Marian spirituality with themes of
peace and justice.
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Child
Exploitation in Guatemala
A Reflection by Bill Farrell, S.M.
"
... I am familiar in Guatemala with some of the networks who exploit
children and adolescents forcing them into prostitution, begging, selling
candies, shining shoes, washing cars etc.. In exchange for this
they receive "protection" food and a place to sleep at
night..."
Read all of Bill's
reflection.
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A Thought to
Ponder
A Reflection on Mt. St. John
Having lived at Mt. St. John for over 25 years, I find the experience has
been a real gift. Each season brings a varied and different
beauty. New life each spring with tendrils reaching toward the sun
is followed by blooms of rich, vibrant color that then give way to the
fire of autumnal glory. The trees bereft of their foliage
nevertheless have the small leaf nodes that give hope for yet another
spring. Winter snow and gray days are reminders of our own fragile
life span.
Unfortunately there is a danger of taking this all for granted. Our
contemporary take on life seems to insist on filling every waking moment
- and even some other times - with business and busy-ness. The poet
says: 'The world is charged with the grandeur of God. It leaps out
like shining from shook foil.' This can only be experienced if we
discipline ourselves to take time to really live. And so I say:
Don't just do something - stand there! Mt. St. John teaches me to
do just that.
Joe Barrish SM
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Questions,
comments, feedback or additions for Justice Jottings can be sent to Amy Elliott
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