tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-205097082009-11-19T23:36:43.976-05:00<B>YOUR CENTRAL LOCATION for DISCIPLES JUSTICE ADVOCACY NEWS, VIEWS, and EVENTS</B>.<br><br> <small>A project of the DISCIPLES CENTER for PUBLIC WITNESS in partnership with DJAN (the Disciples Justice Action Network), and DAWN (the Disciples Advocacy and Witness Network in the Christian Church Capital Area). <br><br> <B>Please note</B>: <I>Not everything posted on this blog represents the official positions of any or all of the organizations collaborating on this project.</I></small>Disciples Justice Advocacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09134646981083635482disciplesadvocacy@gmail.comBlogger275125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20509708.post-80971013110706655492009-11-19T20:00:00.005-05:002009-11-19T23:36:44.110-05:00

Faithful Reform in Health Care (FRHC), a broad coalition of diverse national and local faith groups, is encouraging advocates in communities of faith to pray for health care reform as part of their Thanksgiving preparations."In this season of Thanksgiving, let us not forget to give thanks for the abundance of health care resources available in our country" said The Rev. Linda Walling, executive

Disciples Justice Advocacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09134646981083635482disciplesadvocacy@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20509708.post-34182624162833646832009-11-18T23:34:00.004-05:002009-11-18T23:51:05.440-05:00

With the release of the Congressional Budget Office's analysis of the Senate health care bill expected soon, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid highlighted Democrats' desire to begin debate on the floor. "Our purpose and resolve remain strong.""We're energized," said Reid. "We stand on the doorstep of delivering historic reform to the American people."But Republicans plan to oppose the bill even

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The General Assembly of the National Council of Churches and Church World Service, celebrating the Biblical call to rejoice, pray and give thanks, also called upon churches and governments to take additional steps toward worldwide justice and peace. The General Assembly adjourned Thursday night following the installation of National Council of Churches President Peg Chemberlin and President

Disciples Justice Advocacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09134646981083635482disciplesadvocacy@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20509708.post-52156885123359894182009-11-17T11:17:00.002-05:002009-11-18T08:31:47.610-05:00

Federal opposition parties are accusing Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper of giving up on climate-change negotiations three weeks before a UN climate conference in Denmark.Citing "significant differences" between world leaders over how to combat climate change, the prime minister seemed to express doubts that a winning deal was possible at the all-important UN conference scheduled for

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Declaring that the current U.S. immigration policy is "an affront to every law-abiding citizen and every company that plays by the rules," Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano stated that the Obama Administration would take on the issue of immigration reform in 2010. She also insisted that the Administration would do so by addressing the problem as a whole. "If you really want to deal

Disciples Justice Advocacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09134646981083635482disciplesadvocacy@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20509708.post-23526344361631871242009-11-12T11:44:00.000-05:002009-11-12T14:02:41.514-05:00

Dr. Sharon E. Watkins, General Minister and President of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada, joined more than 40 senior leaders of major faith groups in the United States to sign a letter calling on Congress to do everything in its power to close Guantanamo now. Addressed to the leaders of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, with copies to

Disciples Justice Advocacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09134646981083635482disciplesadvocacy@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20509708.post-1030499092653515392009-11-11T07:54:00.010-05:002009-11-11T13:13:50.487-05:00

Remembrance Day in Canada – also known as Poppy Day, Armistice Day (the event it commemorates) or Veterans Day – is a day to commemorate the sacrifices of members of the armed forces and of civilians in times of war, specifically since the First World War. It is observed on 11 November to recall the end of World War I on that date in 1918. (Major hostilities of World War I were formally ended at

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On the second day of the ecumenical young adult gathering New Fire 2009, nearly 40 young adult participants from across the country attended Sunday worship at the Church of All Nations, a multi-cultural Presbyterian Church (USA) congregation in Minneapolis. After church the New Fire delegates met with ecumenists over 35 -- "seasoned ecumenists" in the lexicon of young

Disciples Justice Advocacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09134646981083635482disciplesadvocacy@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20509708.post-9260227182993743352009-11-07T23:08:00.000-05:002009-11-07T23:33:41.155-05:00

The U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act.

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Congresswoman Jackson Lee and other Congressional leaders today hosted a press conference to discuss the benefits of H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act. Ministers, physicians, nurses, patients, and other advocates joined Representative Jackson Lee and her colleagues to encourage the House to pass health care legislation that provides affordable, quality health care to all

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Communities of faith have been essential to the movement for health care reform. Faith groups have provided dramatic stories that illustrate the human pain and suffering that result from inadequate health care or lack of it. They have run clinics in poor and underserved neighborhoods, and they have cut through complex economic arguments to frame the moral heart of the matter. They have also

Disciples Justice Advocacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09134646981083635482disciplesadvocacy@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20509708.post-4841967479754013442009-11-05T16:07:00.007-05:002009-11-07T16:47:00.875-05:00

At the invitation of Representative Michele Bachman, thousands of disgruntled and angry teabaggers and their allies came together to participate in a "Superbowl of Freedom." Wearing tea-bags and carrying signs about abortion, socialism, and Obama, participants shouted "kill the bill" as speaker after speaker took the podium to criticize H.R. 3962, The Affordable Health Care for America Act. (

Disciples Justice Advocacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09134646981083635482disciplesadvocacy@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20509708.post-34801987819909634742009-11-04T19:13:00.004-05:002009-11-04T19:37:16.470-05:00

Upset by religious support for humane immigration reform, the anti-immigrant lobby has launched an unprecedented attack on religious denominations. The move is primarily in response to the National Association of Evangelicals’ (NAE) recent statement in support of immigration reform and compassion for immigrant families.Roy Beck, executive director of NumbersUSA, an anti-immigrant Internet group,

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President Obama yesterday signed the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension Act of 2009. According to the White House, "It represents our ongoing commitment to ensuring access to needed HIV/AIDS care and treatment."The Ryan White Program is the largest federal program specifically dedicated to providing HIV care and treatment. It funds heavily impacted metropolitan areas, states, and local

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On Thursday, October 29th, Speaker Pelosi, House Democratic Leaders, Committee Chairs, Members of Congress and Americans who are struggling under the current health care system held a rally on the West Front of the Capitol to unveil the Affordable Health Care for America Act (H.R. 3962). The three panels with jurisdiction over health policy in the House have been working together as one committee

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Disciples News Service - The cocoa trade is a vital component of West African economies. Because 70 percent of the cocoa found in stores comes from West Africa, buying chocolate known as “Fair Trade” chocolate is an excellent way to eliminate the chocolate companies’ practice of relying on child labor, according to Global Ministries. Through “reverse trick-or-treating,” children will give Fair

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Hate crimes legislation moved one step closer to becoming law when the U.S. Senate, by a vote of 68 to 29, passed the Defense Authorization Conference Report which included the Hate Crimes Provision. Now, this legislation moves to President's desk for signature. This vote was the 14th and final time there has been a floor vote on this historic legislation.The U.S. House on October 8 successfully

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Canada's KYOTOplus climate coalition today raised giant banners on Parliament Hill displaying names from petitions signed by 100,000 Canadians demanding action from the Harper government on the climate crisis. The coalition, representing 100 groups, raised two banners, totalling 220 feet in length, as a backdrop for a news conference demanding Canadian climate action. The banners dramatically

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A select group of lawmakers were honored on Wednesday by global humanitarian agency Church World Service as champions of concerns vital to poor people around the world and to the interests of the ecumenical faith community.The October 21 reception on Capitol Hill also paid special recognition to the United States Agency for International Development for its collaboration with CWS and other

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Prominent clergy and faith leaders from key states, including Maine, Nebraska, North Dakota, Colorado, Louisiana, Florida and Missouri, gathered on Capitol Hill today to pray and proclaim the moral case for improvements to health reform legislation that will make coverage affordable for lower-income families.The clergy and faith leaders who gathered outside the Capitol Building sent a clear

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As President Barack Obama arrived in New Orleans for this first visit since his historic election, over 50 leading religious officials and faith-based organizations urged the President for robust long-term hurricane recovery policy to tackle poverty, coastal erosion and climate change.The signers include Rabbi Steve Gutow, Jewish Council for Public Affairs; Rev. Dr. Michael Kinnamon, National

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The Reverend Ronald Degges, President of Disciples Home Missions (DHM), is the newest member of the Council of Governors of the Disciples Center for Public Witness.The mission of the all-volunteer Center—which works closely with our ecumenical and interfaith partners—is to inform, connect, and empower Disciples for advocacy in the United States and Canada."I’m happy to be a part of the Center and

Disciples Justice Advocacyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09134646981083635482disciplesadvocacy@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20509708.post-34656594885421890862009-09-23T00:17:00.002-05:002009-09-23T00:17:00.612-05:00

The National Council of Churches, which has been relatively silent about nuclear disarmament since the end of the Cold War, has firmly renewed its opposition to proliferation with a ringing resolution.The NCC Governing Board, meeting in New York on September 21 and 22, unanimously adopted a statement called, "Nuclear Disarmament: The Time is Now." The resolution was drafted by the Council's

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The National Council of Churches, along with Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) and other individuals and groups, has supported unilateral commitments being urged upon Israeli, Palestinian and Arab leaders to rekindle the peace process in the Middle East.The commitments, which have yet to be reached, fall short of an agreement to end the conflict in the Middle East, but

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In his first public comments on Attorney General Eric Holder's decision to launch an inquiry into Bush-era interrogations of terror suspects, U.S. President Barack Obama said he doesn't want to see any "witch hunts" but won't interfere with the Justice Department's efforts to enforce the law. "I trust career prosecutors to be judicious. I've made clear both publicly and privately that I have no

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