The Sisters of Charity of Nazareth share their Weekly Justice Highlights
Good News: The Arms Trade Treaty was adopted by 154 nations at the United Nations on April 2. This treaty will help monitor and control the flow of arms and ammunition across borders. Send a thank you to the U.S. delegation for their work.
Promoting Peace: Urge President Obama to stop the flaunting of U.S. military might and seek diplomatic avenues to ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
Immigration: Justice for Immigrants has informed us that U.S. Senator Marco Rubio’s office is being flooded with anti-immigrant messages. We can change that by urging Senator Rubio to use his leadership on this issue and continue support for immigration reform with a pathway to citizenship for the undocumented. Call Senator Rubio’s office at 202.224.3041 (Charges apply) OR email him. Thank him for his outstanding work with the Gang of Eight and encourage him to continue his immigration reform efforts.
Immigration: The LCWR has become aware that the Senate bipartisan proposal is likely to eliminate certain family-based visa categories-siblings and adult children in particular. Please tell both your senators (1.866.940.2439; no charges) that you oppose eliminating or weakening any of the current family categories and immigration reform must prioritize family unity. For information on how to get more involved in the push for immigration reform, as well as talking points on family unity and the IIC’s recommendations to Congress, click here.
Promoting Peace: April 9th is an interfaith call-in day to prevent gun violence in the U.S. Individuals are invited to call Senators (888.897.1074; NO charges). Tell Senators and Representatives you are a member of a faith community and to require universal background checks for all gun purchases (including online and gun shows); ban semi-automatic assault weapons and high-capacity magazines; make gun trafficking a federal crime and improve access to mental health services. The US Catholic Bishops also have a message for editing here.
Care of Earth: The State Department recently released a new Draft Environmental Impact Statement on the controversial Keystone XL Pipeline, leaving us less than a month to weigh in on the pipeline before the project proposal goes to President Obama for approval or rejection. Submit a public comment and urge President Obama and Secretary of State Kerry to reject the Keystone XL pipeline.
Care of Earth: Urge the CEOs of Anglo American and RioTintoto break with their predecessors and abandon their disastrous plans for the Pebble Mine.
Nuclear Weapons: Urge President Obama to commence good faith negotiations for a treaty banning nuclear weapons in accordance with our obligations under the Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Recently the Associated Press stopped using the term “illegal,” urge the New York Times to stop calling people “illegal” by clicking here.
Sign a petition supporting the Congressional Halt in Pay Increases and Cut Congressional Pay Act (HR 398) that would cut Congressional pay by 10% and repeal the current automatic pay increases.
Call Senator Mitch McConnell (202.224.3121; charges apply) and urge him to fund the Value Added Producer Grant Program at $30 million for FY 2014. These dollars will directly help farmers in our community improve their operations, create new jobs, and meet local demand for their products.”
KY: Cathy Jarboe, Director of Catholic State Networks and Organizations for the Catholic Mobilizing Network to End the Use of the Death Penalty, will speak in Bardstown and Elizabethtown on April 16 (St. Joseph Basilica at 110 N. 5th St. in Bardstown in Flaget Hall, NOON – 1pm (light lunch served, please register); and St. James Catholic Church at 307 W. Dixie Ave in Elizabethtown, 7 – 9 pm.) AND in Louisville on April 17 (The Maloney Center, 1200 S. Shelby in Louisville from 2 – 4 pm; and 7 – 9 pm.). Staff from the Catholic Conference will also present, as will a representative of the Ky. Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty. Archbishop Kurtz is planning to attend the April 17 2 p.m. session. Anyone wishing to attend the above sessions is asked to send NAME, PHONE NUMBER, EMAIL to Sharon Schuhmann at sschuhmann@archlou.org Cathy will also be on Nazareth campus at 3 pm on April 16 in the 2nd floor community room of the Motherhouse.
Louisville: On April 30, from 1 to 4 pm at the Holiday Inn (Hurtsbourne/I-64East) will host a Free Fair Housing Training. It will focus on basic fair housing law and will also include a brief diversity session. The event is being sponsored by the Lexington Fair Housing Council, the Kentucky Housing Corporation and the Louisville Metro Human Relations Commission. To register for the training click here, call (859) 971-8067, toll free: 1-866-438-8617, or send an e-mail to:crosbylfhc@hotmail.com
Tags: Advocacy, Environment, immigration, justice, peace, Sisters of Charity of Nazareth
