In our Witherspoon-sponsored workshop on economic justice, we
had charismatic Ched Myers with his biblical emphasis on Jubilee Economics. He
started off each morning with exuberant, soulful, song leading -- sort of a
combination of gospel singing and Pete Seeger.
We had scholarly Walter Owensby from our Washington Office -- old
shoe comfort with a gentle smile, presenting various economic analyses from
classical to the N.Y. Times best seller lists.
We had practical William Somplatsky-Jarman, director of the denomination's
Mission Responsibility through Investment program (MRTI) with clear descriptions
of our church's commitment to socially
responsible investing. As staff to Presbyterians for Restoring Creation, he also
had materials on the connection between economics and the environment.
We had the most efficient Jane Hanna, pulling everything together so well as
Convener.
And we had top-notch participants. Some of us were new to the world of global
economics and others were experts on the subject in their own right. (Often,
they were the quiet ones.)
And we also had brief descriptions of a number of programs and projects now
in existence which Witherspooners and others may want to connect with in order
to work together toward more economic justice here and around the world. Here
are some of them:
Alternatives For Simple Living -- 5312 Morningside Ave., P.O. Box 2857 Sioux City, IA 51106 (800)821-6153; e-mail:
Alternatives@SimpleLiving.org; web: <<www.SimpleLiving.org
>>
Challenges the way our consumer society continues to usurp our holy days and
exploit people and the environment. Great quarterly Resource Guide which is
free. You'll want to order half the things in it. Their mission is "Equipping
People of Faith to Challenge Consumerism, Live Justly, and Celebrate
Responsibility." They've been at it for over 25 years and may be best known for their booklet "Whose
Birthday Is It, Anyway?"
Borderlinks -- 710 Speedway, Tucson, AZ 85719 (520)628-8263, FAX (520)740-0242; e-mail: Borderlinks@igc.apc.org;
web: <<www.igc.apc.org/borderlinks
>>
Works with people in Mexican border towns where U.S. companies have located
manufacturing companies. Resulting influx of migrants has brought massive
poverty, disintegrating families, and environmental degradation. A one-week stay
in Tucson/border host families or churches provides an opportunity to build
personal relationships with border residents.
Ecumenical Development Cooperative Society -- Contact Louis L. Knowles, Executive Director of Ecumenical Development Corp.-USA,
475 Riverside Drive, 16th Floor, New York, NY 10115 (212)870-2725; FAX (212)
870-2722; e-mail: edcusa@erols.com.
World-wide EDCS was created to build bridges between rich and poor by making
credit accessible to the disadvantaged of this world. It borrows funds from
churches and individuals and re-lends the funds to low-income cooperatives and
micro credit programs.
"The EDCS mission is to support marginalized people all around the
world; people who work hard and sometimes against all odds to improve their
economic circumstances..."
For questions about the specifics of investing in World Partnership/Calvert
Foundation notes, call (800)239-5911
Jubilee 2000/USA -- 222 E. Capitol St. NE, Washington, DC 20003-1036 (202)783-3566; FAX: (202) 546-4468;
web: << http://www.j2000usa.org
>> (yes, the 'J' is in there!)
For Jane Hanna's detailing of this mammoth effort for global
justice, click here.
"In countries with unpayable debt, people lose out on health care,
education and a chance to earn a decent living. Join them in a global campaign
for a new beginning. Working together we can advocate for a practical solution
to the debt crisis." You can get lots of information and order materials from this website.
The 1998 General Assembly endorsed the Jubilee 2000 campaign (as a direct
result of efforts by Witherspooner Jane Hanna!) A special issue of Stewardship
of Public Life on Jubilee 2000 from the Presbyterian Washington Office can be
ordered from Presbyterian Distribution Service (800-524-2612) as item
#74360-99-321.
People of Faith Network --
Lafayette Ave. Presbyterian Church, 85 South Oxford St., Brooklyn, NY 11217
(718)625-2819; FAX (718)625-3491; e-mail: pofnetwork@aol.com
A leader in People of Faith Network is the Rev. David W. Dyson, pastor of the
Lafayette Ave. church. Witherspoon Society honored him at our General Assembly
luncheon several years ago when we heard about the work this group is doing -- with
significant results. They fight global sweatshops (Gap agreed to independent
monitoring of its Salvadoran factories and Disney agreed to stop using child
labor in Thailand and Burma!) They have defended access to health care in New
York and have brought press attention to the disturbing side of the Promise
Keepers' message.
It is a national, multi-faith coalition which unites local congregations,
clergy, and activists to fight growing inequality and mean-spiritedness, which
are linked to changes brought on by economic globalization. This is a good time
to join their "Holiday Season of
Conscience" when they are calling on
Wal-Mart for corporate disclosure of its workplaces around the world where
sweatshop conditions exist.
San Francisco Network Ministries -- 559 Ellis St., San Francisco, CA 94109 (415) 928-6209; FAX (415) 928-5752
This is the group headed up by the Rev. Glenda Hope, well-known throughout
the church. It can serve as a model for many local ministries. Glenda says, "A
basic principle Network Ministries follows insofar as possible is never
work alone." Examples of partnerships
they have created are: Serving as a pastoral team for a small, dying
Presbyterian congregation which grew from 20 to 116 and initiated The San
Francisco AIDS Interfaith Network; pressured the city of San Francisco to open
the Tenderloin AIDS Resource Center, the only street access AIDS service in the
community; teamed with Asian Neighborhood Design for construction of a
five-story apartment building for low income families which SFNM now owns and
operates; invited the Sisters of the Presentation to partner in establishing a
SafeHouse for Women Leaving Prostitution; persuaded four SF Bay Area seminaries
to become part of the Network Center for the Study of Christian Ministry which
helped prepare seminarians for urban ministry.
Share Our Strength -- 1511 K
St., NW, Suite 940, Washington, DC 20005 (202)393-2925; FAX (202)347-5868;
e-mail: SOS@charitiesusa.com; web: << www.strength.org >>
If you have a hunger program which can use some help, you might want to
contact this group which was founded by Bill Shore. Since 1984, they have
distributed more than $30 million to over 800 organization in the U.S. and
elsewhere. Many grants support direct food assistance through food banks and
food rescue programs. They also look for long-term solutions to hunger and
poverty and support projects that promote self-sufficiency and economic
development.
United Farm Workers -- National
Office: AFL-CIO, 3325 Wilshire Blvd, Suite #1208, Los Angeles, CA 90010 (213)
387-1974; FAX (213) 387-3525
Probably the best way to get brought up-to-date in the farm workers=
struggle for a decent life is to go to the website <<http://www.ufw.org/ufw.htm>>
Young ones can find out about some of the history of the movement that others of
us remember well. (There is plenty of material there for term papers!) The
website provides information about the many UFW offices around the country.
Currently, there is a boycott of Gallo of Sonoma wines, including Turning Leaf
and Gossamer Bay.
For
more programs dealing with economic justice issues,
click here for an extensive
listing by Gene TeSelle.
