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Ecumenical Advocacy Days 2013 February 28th, 2013
“Those who gathered much had nothing over, and those who gathered little had no shortage; they gathered as much as each of them needed.” (Exodus 16:18)
“When you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” (Luke 14:13-14)
Sign up today to attend the EAD 2013 gathering in Washington, DC scheduled for April 5-8. The theme for this year is “At God’s Table: Food Justice for a Healthy World”
Join 1,000+ Christian advocates at the 11th annual Ecumenical Advocacy Days to seek Food Justice for a Healthy World! In a world that produces enough food for everyone, EAD will explore the injustices in global food systems that leave one billion people hungry, create food price shocks that destabilize communities everywhere, and undermine God’s creation. At God’s Table, all are invited and fed, and the poorest in our midst are given a special place. Together we will seek the abundance and equality that we find reflected in the biblical image of God’s great banquet table (Exodus 16:16-18 & Luke 14:12-24). Inspiring speakers will offer a faith-based vision for fair and humane food policies and practices, along with grassroots advocacy training, all culminating with Monday’s Lobby Day on Capitol Hill.
More information at the EAD website….
Jubilee USA holds Vigil Against Vulture Funds outside New York Courthouse February 28th, 2013
Yesterday, Jubilee USA stood with the poor and against vulture funds at the New York 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals – the last stop before the Supreme Court. Anti-debt supporters held a vigil outside and observed with hundreds of people packed into the courtroom, and several overflow rooms.
The media have been very interested in the story. Agence France-Presse (AFP) quoted Jubilee USA Executive Director, Eric LeCompte: “We pray that they will side with the people of Argentina, the US government and the world’s poorest people. If the judges rule in favor of these hedge funds, it will mean these funds will more aggressively target poor countries in fragile financial recovery. If they rule with Argentina, it will mean that it will be harder for these types of funds to exploit countries in financial distress.”
In addition to Jubilee USA’s vigil outside the US Court, Jubilee South organized an amazing demonstration in Buenos Aires and Jubilee Debt Campaign banged pots and pans outside the doors of the London office of the lead vulture fund, NML Capital.
Watch a video of the vigil by Occupy Bronx.
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Ketchup or Sequestration? February 27th, 2013
One stream of the analysis of the January retail numbers focused concretely on the impact that the reinstatement of the payroll tax had on the paychecks of more than 160 million U.S. workers and therefore on their spending habits. At the stroke of midnight on Dec. 31 the temporary rolling grand bargain on the fiscal cliff immediately brought lower paychecks to many households. For workers earning $50,000 in annual salary, that means $80 a month slashed from take-home pay, a bag of groceries weekly.
In Gratitude for Pope Benedict XVI February 27th, 2013
“In this world of ours, in which, despite the profession of good intentions, the value of the person, of human dignity and human rights is seriously threatened by the widespread tendency to have recourse exclusively to the criteria of utility, profit and material possessions, it is important not to detach the concept of justice from its transcendent roots. Justice, indeed, is not simply a human convention, since what is just is ultimately determined not by positive law, but by the profound identity of the human being. It is the integral vision of man that saves us from falling into a contractual conception of justice and enables us to locate justice within the horizon of solidarity and love. ” – Pope Benedict XVI, Message for World Day of Peace, Educating Young People in Justice and Peace, 1 January 2012
These quotes reveal the Holy Father’s deep concern for the environment and the importance it plays in the lives of people:
“Preservation of the environment, promotion of sustainable development and particular attention to climate change are matters of grave concern for the entire human family.” (Address to Religious and Scientific Leaders, September 1, 2007)
“My dear friends, God’s creation is one and it is good. The concerns for non-violence, sustainable development, justice and peace and care for our environment are of vital importance for humanity.” (World Youth Day, June 2008)
“Creation is the beginning and the foundation of all God’s works and its preservation has now become essential…It is imperative that humankind renew and strengthen that covenant between human beings and the environment, which should mirror the creative love of God, from whom we come and towards we are journeying.” (If You Want to Cultivate Peace, Protect Creation, January 2010)
The Debt ‘Trial of the Century’ – Vulture Hedge Funds v. Argentina February 26th, 2013
US Government Files Brief Supporting Argentina Faith Community to Vigil Outside Court Proceeding on Wednesday
On February 27th, two holdout vulture funds, including Paul Singer’s NML Capital, are in a New York Federal court verses Argentina. The Financial Times has dubbed the proceeding the “‘the trial of the century’ in sovereign debt restructuring.” The US Government filed a friend-of-the-court brief noting a ruling against Argentina could make it much harder for countries in financial recovery or countries facing economic stresses to access credit and debt swaps.
The faith community and other groups, organized by Jubilee USA, will vigil out of concern for poor people affected by vulture funds during the proceeding outside the Federal 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals Wednesday, February 27th starting at 1:00 PM in New York City. Vigils will also take place in London and Buenos Aires.
“If these vulture hedge funds win, it will mean they will more aggressively target poor countries in fragile financial recovery. If we win, it will mean that it will be harder for vulture funds to target the monies that develop social infrastructure in many poor countries,” said Eric LeCompte, Jubilee USA Network Executive Director. The US Province of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate is an organizational member of Jubilee USA, and has supported debt relief work for several decades.
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