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January 2004

 • Concern about Poverty Missing from National Agenda
  • US Bishops Issue Guidelines for Socially Responsible Investing
  • US Council on Religions for Peace Discusses National Security
  • Catholic Relief Service Coffee Project
  • Save the Date

Concern about Poverty Missing from National Agenda
Call to Renewal, the national coalition of Catholic, Mainline Protestant, and Evangelical leaders, held its annual meeting in Washington, DC November 7, 2003. CMSM, LCWR and the USCCB are active members of the coalition and participants in the Roundtable. Hosted at the National Cathedral, Episcopal Bishop of Washington, DC, John Chane, welcomed the participants and set the tone of the meeting when he reminded the participants that while Jesus told his disciples that the poor would always be with them, he did not mean that the poor should be ignored or forgotten. John Carr, Secretary of the USCCB's Department of Social Development and World Peace and David Beckmann, President of Bread for the World, gave an analysis of the current "politics of poverty" where the poor are part of the rhetoric but not a part of the policy. Carr said that regarding policy in the U.S., "the poor just don't matter." Most of the policies of the current Administration and Congress have ignored the needs of the poor, focusing their attention instead on the "politics of terror," that includes not just the so-called "war on terror" but an agenda that is stripping people of their civil liberties at home, as well. Missing from the dialogue is the issue of the budget as a moral document, the relationship of poverty, globally and domestically, as a factor leading to terrorism; and the fact that churches, while doing excellent work in providing charity, are often absent from community capacity building programs. According to one participant, "You can't keep picking people up from the bottom of the cliff and not send someone to the top to stop people from jumping."

Included in the day was a discussion with journalists to begin a dialogue about fashioning a message about the effects of poverty in the US and around the world and how to place this as an issue on the political agenda during an election year. Nationally syndicated journalist E.J. Dionne told the participants that unfortunately much of the media associates religion with the religious right that only weighs in on "hot button" issues such as abortion and homosexuality but rarely addresses poverty, medical care, etc. There is a complete neglect of over 100 years of religious action on social justice issues. The religious right has developed a media relations campaign that has captured the media attention. Progressive and centrist religious leaders need to enter the debate both in the religious and political arenas. Dionne's address was followed by a panel discussion with Mary Leonard from the Boston Globe, David Anderson from Religious News Service, Alan Cooperman from the Washington Post, and Elizabeth Bumiller from the New York Times.

The Call to Renewal Roundtable will continue the dialogue on how to get issues surrounding poverty on the political agenda during the campaigns and into the next Administration and Congress. For more information on Call to Renewal and the press conference about U.S. policy and poverty visit the website at www.calltorenewal.com.

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US Bishops Issue Guidelines for Socially Responsible Investing
The US Bishops issued a new set of guidelines for socially responsible investment at the USCCB. The major goals for the new guidelines are to avoid participation in harmful activities, to use the conference's role as stockholders for social stewardship, and to promote the common good. Strategies for accomplishing these goals include a refusal to invest in some companies, divesting from some companies and the exercise of normal shareholder responsibilities. The new guidelines warn against investing in companies that extract natural resources from underdeveloped countries. The Justice and Peace Committee will be reviewing
the guidelines to recommend how these can be adapted for religious communities. The guidelines are posted on the USCCB website, www.usccb.org, and were published in Origins, December 4, 2003, Vol. 33: No. 26.

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US Council on Religions for Peace Discusses National Security
The US Council on Religions for Peace, one of the largest inter-faith gathering of leaders, met in Boston December 2-3, 2004 to discuss US national security policy and the role of religion in the Bush Administration. The first evening of the meeting was an off the record discussion of a soon-to-be published article on the issue. The second day of the meeting was a discussion of the role religion plays in the current climate of violence in the world. Participants noted that many religious leaders are reluctant to discuss the role of religion and violence, moving to discuss religion and peace as if religions are immune from violence. What religions must recognize, according to the inter-faith leaders, is that religious communities exist in the midst of violence in the world and are often sources of violence, intolerance, and hatred. Unless religions recognize their role in creating and sustaining violence, secular communities will continue to marginalize religious communities in the dialogues and programs of peace-building. Many of the religious bodies represented have designated 2004 as a year to focus on the issues of violence in society and in their communities. In addition to this honest recognition of the role religions play in violence, a new theology of peace must emerge from a new culture that brings people together to discuss conversion, reconciliation and repentance. Without these three elements no valid theology of peace will emerge.

The upcoming Joint Assembly will pick up many of the themes discussed at this meeting. CMSM is a member of USCRP with Executive Director Ted Keating, SM, serving on the Board of Presidents and JP Director Stan De Boe, OSST, serving on the Executive Council. More information about USCRP can be found at the website, www.uscrp.org.

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Catholic Relief Service Coffee Project
CRS is working with Equal Exchange to support the development of small-scale coffee farmers, to increase the demand for fair trade products, and to connect Catholic communities in the US with their brothers and sisters around the world. For information on their new Coffee Project and how you can participate visit their website at www.catholicrelief.org/fairtrade/coffee.

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Save the Date
Annual Catholic Social Ministry Gathering, February 20-25, 2004, Washington, DC: "Faithful Citizenship: Defending Live, Overcoming Poverty, Seeking Justice and Peace," Join Catholic leaders from around the country who put their faith into practice by working for a more just and peaceful world. As the nation prepares to choose a president and Congress, the gathering will focus on engaging the political debate to raise the issues of poverty and programs that effect the marginalized in our society. For information and registration materials visit the website at www.usccb.org/sdwp/csmg04.htm.

Ecumenical Advocacy Days for Global Peace with Justice, March 5-8, 2004, Washington, DC: Second annual ecumenical gathering concerning global issues that will include tracks on Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, economic justice, and nuclear disarmament. There will be speakers on these issues, advocacy training workshops, and preparations for visits with senators and representatives. For more information see the website at www.advocacydays.org.

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