Faith Groups Praise FCC Net Neutrality Ruling

Faith Groups Praise FCC Net Neutrality Ruling

We, as organizations representing many diverse religious traditions, express our gratitude to the Federal Communications Commission for the strong net neutrality protections adopted in February and released last week.  These protections will assure Internet openness and are essential for the faith community to function and connect with our members, to protect and enhance the ability of vulnerable communities to use advanced technology, and to organize, advocate for justice or bear witness in the crowded media environment.

An open internet impacts all of us, not just the technology sector or sophisticated elites. All of us rely on the Internet every day. We are relieved that our communities will not be forced to pay fees to ensure that our high-bandwidth content receives fair treatment on the Internet: non-profit communities, both religious and secular, cannot afford to pay those tolls. Even more important, low-income people cannot afford the higher prices which would be passed on to them from commercial content providers paying for priority access. The Internet is an indispensable medium for people of faith – and others with principled values – to convey views on matters of public concern and religious teachings. As Chairman Wheeler explained before the vote, Net Neutrality is a guarantee of First Amendment protections on the Internet. We strongly support the FCC’s decision as responsive to our previous letter to the FCC, and oppose efforts to derail those protections either legislatively or in court.

• National Council of Churches USA
• Franciscan Action Network
• Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
• The United Methodist Church General Board of Church and Society
• United Church of Christ, OC Inc.

Denominational leaders make statement on March on Washington for Justice and Jobs 50th Anniversary

The PC(USA) remembers the March on Washington

Calls for continued justice advocacy on behalf of the marginalized

August 21, 2013

 

Martin Luther King, Jr., Eugene Carson Blake and other speakers at the March on Washington. (Religious News Service, from Presbyterian Life , Oct 1, 1963)

Louisville

 The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) celebrates the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Justice. Our legacy as a denomination is grounded in the principles of biblical justice and the mission of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ shared in his mission statement at the beginning of his ministry.

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Luke 4:18-19)

Our presence at the March on Washington in 1963 was both prominent and prophetic. Reverend Dr. Eugene Carson Blake, the Stated Clerk of one of our denomination’s predessesor bodies, The United Presbyterian Church in the United States of America (UPCUSA); was a principal speaker at the Lincoln Memorial on Wednesday, August 28, 1963. Dr. Blake represented the UPCUSA, now the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), and the Council of Religion and Race of the National Council of Churches in Christ. He served as the Council’s vice president. In his speech he said, “We do not, therefore, come to this Lincoln Memorial today in any arrogant spirit of moral or arrogant spiritual superiority to ‘set the nation straight’ or to judge or denounce the American people in whole or in part. Rather we come – late, late we come – in the reconciling and repentant Spirit in which the humble Lincoln of Illinois once replied to a delegation of morally arrogant churchmen, ‘never say God is on our side, rather pray that we may be found on God’s side.’”

Today, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) identifies with the need to continue Jesus’ biblical calling of our faith – to be on God’s side - as we engage the struggle for jobs, justice and equal protection under the law for all citizens of the world. Both our justice and mission work around the globe are reminders of the dismal realities that many persons face in these difficult times. Hunger; joblessness; racism; gun violence; greed; homelessness; unemployment; voter suppression; wars; religious persecution and a host other unjust categories that make life difficult are pervasive throughout the world. These difficulties are symptomatic of our failure as a global community to combine God-given wisdom with undaunted courage in an effort to build a world community committed to justice for all people. As Dr. King reminded us we must be about the work of establishing a livable wage, eradicating war and rebuilding both the spiritual and economic infrastructure that provides hope and opportunity for all people now, and for generations to come.

We join the President and our other brothers and sisters in Washington, D.C. this week in celebration or the 50^th anniversary of the March on Washington. However, we are aware that we cannot tarry in this or any other commemoration for too long. The world needs to feel the presence of Jesus Christ through active participation in justice advocacy on behalf of the marginalized. It is then that those persons who know longsuffering too well will join us in declaring that we are one nation, under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

Neal D. Presa, Moderator of the 220th General Assembly (2012)
Gradye Parsons, Stated Clerk of the General Assembly
Linda Bryant Valentine, Executive Director of the Presbyterian Mission Agency

A New Generation of Justice Advocates

Director for Public Witness, J. Herbert Nelson, recently wrote about our internship and fellowship ministries for the Executive Director's weekly update.  See the message below.

A new generation of justice advocates: Youth and young adults on fire for justice-advocacy work

August 8, 2013

Greetings to members of the Presbyterian Mission Agency Board, mid council executives, and friends,

From the opening worship to the closing block party celebrating the 30th anniversary of the formation of the PC(USA) and the 25th anniversary of the opening of the Presbyterian Center in Louisville, Big Tent was fantastic. I heard that sentiment from scores of Presbyterians who attended the national gathering last week in Louisville.

Among the participants at Big Tent were hundreds of youth and young adults—that population so vital to church and society that is currently one of the directional goals for the denomination’s mission. J. Herbert Nelson, director of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s Office of Public Witness in Washington, DC, has written a timely—and hopeful—message highlighting the church’s commitment to training young adults in justice advocacy at the highest levels of society. I hope you will read it with great interest. 

Faithfully yours,

Linda Valentine

***

“But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you.” (John 14:26)

In January 2012, the PC(USA) Office of Public Witness (OPW) made a three-year commitment to focus on developing youth and young adult justice advocates. Our office committed to visiting venues in which youth and young adults gather. The purpose is to share the good news of the gospel that Jesus Christ is calling each one of them to a new and exciting way of life that includes the work of justice advocacy. In John 14:26, the New Revised Standard Version uses the word advocate to describe the Holy Spirit. (The Revised Standard Version had used counselor.) The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) indicates that the word advocate comes from two Latin words, ad and vocare, meaning “called or summoned to another.” More specifically, the OED continues, advocate means “called or summoned to plead another’s cause in court.” In this text, Jesus reminds us that God sent us an advocate, one called to plead our case in the court of judgment. The Spirit is an advocate. We who are filled with the Spirit are therefore called to a similar task as we work for the coming kingdom of God. In our discipleship, we stand between humanity’s brokenness and the need for redemption through the lives we lead for Jesus Christ in the world. It must be noted that we do not serve as redemptive voices because of our righteousness. Instead, we serve by God’s grace. 

God’s grace in our efforts to work with young adults is most evident through our internship program. We are producing young adults for various fields of committed service to the kingdom of God in both sacred and secular venues. Through our OPW fellowship program we are producing church workers, university development officers, community activists, government leaders, and others who are equipped to carry the Spirit of the gospel of Jesus Christ as public theologians. Recently I had an opportunity to preach for two weeks at the Montreat Youth Conference. It was gratifying to hear the affirmation of over 1,400 young people and their leaders who expressed excitement regarding our work in Washington, DC. Inquiries regarding our internship and fellowship programs were numerous. Graduating seniors who will attend DC-area universities even expressed their interest in volunteer possibilities. Additionally, we are witnessing a growing number of high school and campus ministry groups scheduling visits to our office for information and issue briefings. In short, youth and young adults are on fire for justice-advocacy work.

We are thankful to all who have contributed to the internship and summer fellowship programs. Our cost for an intern/fellow is approximately $6,500. Your contributions are providing meaningful opportunities for young people. We pray for your continued prayers and support for the ongoing work of the PC(USA) Office of Public Witness.

J. Herbert Nelson

The Presbyterian Church Office of Public Witness advocates for the approved General Assembly policies having implications for the federal government. The office is located at 100 Maryland Avenue, Washington, DC 20002.

We are the Power

On July 24, we joined with many family members, friends, other supervisors, colleagues, and allies to celebrate the Commencement of the 19th class of Bill Emerson Hunger Fellows, including our own Fellow, Irene Romulo, who was selected by her peers to deliver one of two commencement addresses. Each fellow received a personal tribute from his or her supervisor from the Congressional Hunger Center.  Irene's supervisor said of her, "I feel better about the world because she is in it."  In the Office of Public Witness, we feel the same way.

But truly, Irene's speech needs no introduction... please listen to this amazing young woman's wisdom.

Commencement Address
by Irene Romulo, Bill Emerson Hunger Fellow, PC(USA) Office of Public Witness
July 24, 2013

Thank you for standing with us and for supporting us along the way.

How can I possibly talk about all that I’ve learned and experienced in one year in five minutes, how do I share all the stories of struggle and hope that people from across the country have shared with us? I’ll try to cram most of it, most of what I believe in, in just these five minutes.

In our discussions we often talk about how important it is to ground ourselves in our communities

In the struggles of our people

And that’s what we’ve done

and now

I know that our lives, my life will forever be connected to each one of you

That it will forever be connected to the many friends and allies that we’ve met along the way

I know that the work we’re doing is tough

And that we’ve got a lot of it to do but

I know that even in all that struggle, there is beauty, there is strength, and there is power

I know that we need to love, to love ourselves and one another, to fully embrace the beauty and power in our histories, in our cultures, our hair, our skin, our languages because

when our lives are devalued, our bodies somehow made less human

when our customs and cultures appropriated, defiled, stolen

that when our peoples are humiliated, that when yet another micro aggression, or another act of violence is made our communities,

it is only through collective action that we’ll find any sort of liberation.

I know that we’ve experienced a lot of anger and hurt.  I know that I personally have a lot of pain that I didn’t know how to recognize, internalized pain that doesn’t just affect me but many of us.

But I also know that we can actively challenge the roots of that pain.

I know it’s possible to stop being afraid to talk, to share, and to confront our traumas collectively

because one person should not have to bear the burden of hundreds of years of struggle alone.

I know that we’re privileged because we’re here and we can and have the language to discuss institutional oppressions but I know we need to move these conversations out

Because for my brother who stands at Home Depot everyday looking for work or the woman, like my new friend Martita, who is being unconstitutionally detained, these conversations alone without action will do nothing to change their situation. I know we need to have these conversations with them because I know that it’s possible to transform an individual from someone that is timid and shy

From someone who has been humiliated for so long that they’ve been shamed into normalizing all the violations and abuses they’ve endured

Into someone who draws strength and power, from all those experiences, and from the people standing with them

Into someone who Stands up at a rally, at a press conference, in front of legislators, in front of their communities

And cries out against our oppressors

And joins the movement of the people

A movement that isn’t just here but that is undeniably tied to the struggles of others

And I know that our work should be tied to the collective liberation of people across the world.

I know it is important to value the stories that our community members are willing to share, to treasure them, because each and every one of their stories is a story of struggle, of hope, and of strength.

And I know we need to make intentional spaces in our work to make sure that these stories are shared and become our guides

I know we need to remember to listen ALWAYS and that we need to reject language that tries to chip away our agency because we are not voiceless

Our people are loud as hell, some just choose not to listen.

I know we can’t trade the rights of some people for those of another

And that compromises that criminalize a sector of us are not compromises but further acts of violence aimed at creating divisions in our pueblo

I know that there should not be anything progressive about wanting dignity, respect, and real justice for all.

I know that there are a lot of things I do not know but that’s okay.

I know that we’re never alone. That everywhere we go we have the power of our ancestors and all our brothers and sisters who work towards the same liberation.

I know that there’s power in humility, power in reaching out for help, power in our voices, power in our hearts, in our lives, in our experiences, our knowledge, and our dances. Power in our eyes, in our hands, our laughter and our cries…we are the power, together. Cuz the power of the people don’t stop!

June is Torture Awareness Month

Hebrews 13:3 (NRSV)

Remember those who are in prison,

As though you were in prison with them;

Those who are being tortured,

As though you yourselves were being tortured.

Join us at vigils nationwide on Tuesday June 26^th as we remember torture victims and raise awareness about the use of torture at the domestic and international levels.

Torture is a poignant social justice concern because its use not only ignores individual rights but violates human dignity. As Christians, we believe that each individual is made in the image of God and thus has intrinsic dignity and worth. Torture then becomes “a form of intimate, humiliating terror, a crime against the human spirit and God’s image in us” (Resolution on Torture 2006). Torture occurs worldwide and is used by US affiliated organizations and individuals even though the US Government has signed and ratified conventions against its practice (UN Declaration of Human Rights, UN Convention against Torture, the International Covenant on Civic and Political Rights). Awareness and accountability are necessary in order to end torture.

June is Torture Awareness Month and the PC(USA) Office of Public Witness has partnered with the National Religious Campaign against Torture (NRCAT) and various human rights organizations to coordinate events under the theme “2012 – Confronting the Culture of Torture.” NRCAT has provided a variety of resources and suggested activities for congregations. These include worship resources, DVDs with discussion guides, banners and resources for grassroots advocacy. The Resolution Against Torture, published by the PC(USA) after 217^th General Assembly in 2006, is another resource you can use to inform yourself and others. Continued advocacy is needed in order to confront the culture of torture and bring the practice to an end.

We encourage you to participate in Torture Awareness Month events on the local and national level.

• Vigils are coordinated nationwide on Tuesday, June 26^th, which is the UN International Day in Support of Torture Victims. A list of local vigils can be found here. In Washington, D.C., we are hosting a screening of the new documentary “Doctors of the Dark Side” at E Street Cinemas (11^th and E Streets) at 6:00pm. This screening will be preceded by a vigil at the US Navy War Memorial (8^th St and Pennsylvania Ave) from 4:30pm to 5:30pm.
• A toolkit for organizing a vigil in your area can be found here.
• Inform yourself and others by watching these NRCAT videos “Repairing the Brokenness” (10  minutes) and “Solitary Confinement: Torture in Your Backyard” (20 minutes). Discussion guides and other resources can be accessed through the above links.
• If you are in the Washington, D.C. area, consider joining us on June 24^th for the DC March Against Torture, Guantanamo & NDAA (National Defense Authorization Act) from 1-2:30pm at the Capitol Reflecting Pool.  

For a more complete list of Torture Awareness Month events, consult the Torture Awareness Month page of the NRCAT website.

“The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) opposes the use of torture and all forms of ‘cruel, inhuman, or degrading’ interrogation by all agencies, employees, or agents of the United States government, and all foreign governments and/or combatants, and supports the application of the Geneva Conventions to all enemy soldiers and the humane treatment with due process for all combatants held by U.S. forces anywhere in the world, and supports the provisions of the Bill of Rights and the principles of judicial review and congressional oversight over Executive branch operations, now including counterterrorism, Homeland Security, and domestic surveillance programs, both classified and publicly acknowledged.” (Resolution on Human Rights 2006)

Washington Post: "At United Methodist Building, a meeting of prayer and politics"

The Presbyterian Office of Public Witness has continued participating in the WISC Federal Budget prayer vigils, advocating a just federal budget.

On Wednesday, July 22, the Washington Post covered the gathering on the front lawn of the United Methodist building in Washington, DC.

To read the full article as it appeared in the Sunday issue of the Washington post, click the link below.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/at-united-methodist-building-a-meeting-of-prayer-and-politics/2011/07/21/gIQAU4o3TI_story.html

If Over 150 CEOs Had Been Assassinated in Colombia Over the Past 3 Years, Would You Still Think It a Safe Place for Investment?

Read Representative James McGovern's (D-MA) most recent Dear Colleague Letter against the Colombia Free Trade Agreement (FTA).  Click here to call your own Representative and ask him/her to vote NO on this agreement that will lead to human rights violations, poverty, and death.

If Over 150 CEOs Had Been Assassinated in Colombia Over the Past 3 Years

Would You Still Think It a Safe Place for Investment?

Dear Colleague,

            That’s how many labor leaders and activists were targeted and murdered in Colombia, according to the annual reports of the International Trade Union Confederation.  Each year, the number of trade unionists assassinated in Colombia has equaled or surpassed the total number of such murders in the rest of the world combined.  That’s why Colombia remains #1 as the most dangerous country in the world to be a trade unionist. 

           
               And 2011 is no different.  So far, this year, 17 labor activists have been murdered, as documented by the National Labor School (ENS/Escuela Nacional Sindical) based in Medellín.   These are real people – not just statistics.  They were teachers and workers in factories and farms.  We should care about their lives and their deaths.

               I support the measures outlined in the U.S.-Colombia Labor Action Plan (LAP) – but they don’t go far enough and it’s a plan that rewards intentions, not results.  Congress should demand that the increased protections called for under the LAP actually result in protecting and reducing the violence against trade unionists before the U.S.-Colombia FTA is debated.  Congress should require that Colombian workers are able to organize, speak freely and negotiate directly with their employers – without fear of violence and death aimed at them and their families – before taking up the FTA for debate and approval.

         
               Please take a look at the names of the 17 labor activists murdered so far this year in Colombia.  Remember that they had families, children, friends, neighbors and colleagues.  Remember the 150 trade unionists targeted and assassinated over the past three years.  Demand that conditions change and improve on the ground in Colombia before the House takes up the Colombia FTA for consideration.

Sincerely,

James P. McGovern

Member of Congress

Colombian Unionists Killed January 1 – June 21, 2011 (ENS):

1.     Alejandro José Peñata López, teacher and member of the Asociación de Maestros de Córdoba – ADEMACOR (teachers’ association of Córdoba), affiliated to the CUT, was murdered on June 20.   After he disappeared after leaving school, his body was found with signs of torture.  He had been hanged with barbed wire.                          

2.     Margarita de las Salas Bacca, judge on the Sixth Circuit Labor Courtand member of the Asonal Judicial union, was killed in Barranquilla on June 9, 2011, after leaving the courthouse.  She was survived by her husband and daughter.

3.     Jorge Eliecer de los Rios (pictured left), teacher, environmental campaigner, and member of the Ser union, killed June 8, 2011 in Pereira, Risaralda department.  He was shot several times from a motorbike while on his school’s campus.  A leading member of the Meedrua non-governmental organization, he had led a campaign to expose the damage wreaked by an open air mine belonging to multinationals.

4.     Carlos Julio Gómez, teacher and member of the Sutev union, shot and killed May 29, 2011 in Cali, Valle department.  

5.     Freddy Antonio Cuadrado Nuñez, teacher and member of the Edumagunion, killed May 27, 2011 in Cienaga, Magdalena department. He was shot in the head and killed as he celebrated his 46^th birthday.

6.     Carlos Arturo Castro Casas, 41, engineer, member of the Sintraemcali union, and father of three, shot in the neck by two armed men and killed May 23, 2011 in Cali, Valle department.

7.     Juan Carlos Chagüi Cueter, prison guard and member of the Sigginpec union, killed May 15, 2011 in Barranquilla, Atlántico department.

8.     Dionis Alfredo Sierra Vergara, elementary school teacher and member of the Ademacor union, killed May 15, 2011 in La Apartada, Córdoba department.

9.     Luci Ricardo Florez, 28, teacher and member of the Ademacor union, shot by armed men on motorbikes and killed May 3, 2011 in Ayapel, Córdoba department as she was walking home with her mother.

10.  Antonio Ramiro Muñoz Sánchez, member of the Asotmem union, killed April 8, 2011 in Puerto Boyacá, Boyacá department.  According to witnesses, he was shot repeatedly by two men riding a motorbike as he was leaving a union meeting. According to Justice for Colombia, the union had been organizing workers and the local community to demand that oil companies hire local labor.

11.  Héctor Orozco, 35, father of three and Vice-President of the Astracatol union, killed March 30, 2011 in Chaparral, Tolima department.  In the days before he died, Orozco had reported to the local office of the Reiniciar human rights non-governmental organization that he and several other persons had been threatened by an army officer named John Jairo Velez. 

12.  Hernán Yesid Pinto Rincón (pictured left), member of the CGT union and Founder and member of the national board of the new farmers’ organization, killed March 19, 2011 in Tibacuy, Cundinamarca department.  Before his death, he had taken the lead in the struggle of farm workers.

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13.  Carlos Alberto Ayala Moreno, member of the Asepunion and Director of the Caucasia Rural Education Institute, killed February 5, 2011 in Puerto Asís, Putumayo department.  He was shot and killed by gunmen as he left his home.

14.  Humberto de Jesús Espinoza Díaz, teacher in the Mistrato Agricultural Institute and member of the Ser union, shot and killed by armed men in January 30, 2011 in Mistrató, Risaralda department.

15.  Jairo Enrique Veloza Martínez, 35, member of the Sigginpec union, shot three times in the head by gunman and killed January 27, 2011 in Bogotá, Cundinamarca department.

16.  Silverio Antonio Sanchez(pictured left), 37, member of the union Ser, killed on January 24, 2011, from an intentional explosion which caused burns to 80% of his body on December of 2010.

17.  Manuel Esteban Tejada, teacher and member of the Ademacor union, shot and killed in his home by armed men on January 10, 2011 in Planeta Rica, Córdoba department.

And Who is My Neighbor? The PC(USA)’s Call for Justice in International Economic Policy and Trade

OPW Summer Fellow Ginna Irby addresses the OPW’s policy, action, and theological concerns surrounding trade justice, specifically focusing on the pending Free Trade Agreement with Colombia.