Lift Every Voice! –
Racism, Class & Power
Election Year National Gathering and
Lobby Day in our nation’s capital addresses solutions to issues of injustice to
communities of color and immigrants, voter suppression, and economic
exploitation
REVIEW OF THE ED 2016 PROGRAM IN
GENERAL
The EAD 2016 National Gathering, held at the conveniently
located Double Tree Hilton, Pentagon City (across the I-395 from the Pentagon
and within sight of National Airport [I refuse to give recognition of its new
name]), featured an array of speakers and preachers with a range of national
and international experience discussing the theological, ethical, policy, and
advocacy dimensions of issues related to racism, class and power.
Hundreds of Christian and other
faith-based advocates raised their voices for justice this past weekend,
in the midst of a critical election year, with a focus on pending
voting rights legislation and a trade agreement pending in Congress. The 14th
Annual National Gathering of Ecumenical Advocacy Days (EAD) for Global Peace
with Justice with its Congressional advocacy day was held in Washington, D.C.
from April 15-18, 2016, and was entitled, “Lift Every Voice! Racism, Class and
Power.”
For background on the theme, chick out http://advocacydays.org/2016-lift-every-voice/theme/
“During this year’s EAD National Gathering
and Congressional advocacy day, people of faith spoke truth to power concerning
the suppression of political and economic rights, and the corporate undermining
of the local voice of ordinary people in the U.S. and around the world,” said
Douglas Grace, M.Div., S.T.M., Executive Director of EAD. “Through prayer,
worship, advocacy training, networking and mobilization with other Christians,
we faced the realities of racism, class and power impacting politics and policies
and advocated for the liberty of ‘Every Voice.'”
Together,
advocates were inspired by dynamic preachers of the Gospel, including Rev. Dr.
William Barber, the President of the North Carolina NAACP and convener of the
Forward Together Moral Movement, and Rev. Amy Gopp, Vice President of
External Relations for IMA World Health. Participants learned about the
enmeshed issues surrounding discriminatory policies and practices related to
race, class exploitation, as well as voter and other human rights suppression
in the United States and throughout the world. Keynote speakers on policy
issues included Ashindi Maxton, an independent strategist in democracy reform,
racial justice and education, as well as Sandy Sorenson and Rev. Michael
Neuroth of the Justice and Witness Ministries of The United Church of
Christ.
A lunch
plenary on Saturday featured a keynote address by world-renowned child advocate
Marian Wright Edelman on the “The Cradle to Prison Pipeline” affecting so many
poor families in the United States and other nations. An international plenary
on Sunday highlighted “People Power Around the World” and included activists
from the Middle East, the Philippines, Peru, and the #BlackLivesMatter
movement. In addition, over 60 issues workshops reflecting on global issues of justice related to the EAD
theme, as well as advocacy skills training, were held over the three-day
gathering.
Opportunities for networking by
denomination and by state and local regions allowed advocates to be
briefed on the EAD’s 2016 Congressional
advocacy “Ask,” which focused on efforts to restore key
protections of the Voting Rights Act recently invalidated by a decision of the
Supreme Court, and to oppose the pending Trans-Pacific Partnership trade
agreement in Congress due to significant issues regarding economic injustice
and environmental considerations which remain unaddressed in the current
agreement.
Grace provided a theological context for
the National Gathering and the legislative activity: “As Christians, we believe
that leaders and policy makers are called to act and to govern in fairness and
with justice for all. Like the persistent widow of the Gospel who demands that
the judge hear her plea (Luke 18:1-8), at EAD 2016, we brought our petitions
for justice to Capitol Hill. Like the persistent widow, we are not silenced.”
The event concluded Monday, April 18, as
the advocates moved from their conference location to Capitol Hill to join in
prayer at a vigil held on the lawn of the Capitol to various meetings with
Senators and Members of Congress throughout the day. They were supported in
their visits with a coordinated call-in to Congressional offices from remote
advocates who joined their voices in the calls for justice.
Photos
from Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of the National Gathering are now available, along
with photos of EAD’s
Monday Lobby Day. Videos of the plenary
speakers and panels, as well as the celebration and worship services will be
added in the coming days and weeks, along with other written resources from the
event.
The listing of
the over 60 sponsors of EAD are at the bottom of the EAD website page.
FULL REVIEW OF THE WEEKEND
The
following is the description of the topics and speakers for the plenary
sessions as well as the breakouts in which I took part during the weekend and
Monday. All the breakout session were so interesting that choosing which ones
to attend was a difficult ask. All sessions were well-presented and very full
of content.
Videos of EAD
speakers are now available. Click the links below each list of speakers to go
to the page with the video of their presentation.
Friday, April 15 OPENING CELEBRATION REMARKS AND
SPEAKERS
|
Rev.
John McCullough
President & CEO, Church World Service |
|
|
Sr. Marie
Lucey, OSF
Director of Advocacy & Member Relations, Franciscan Action Network |
|
|
Douglas
G. Grace, M.Div., S.T.M.
Director, Ecumenical Advocacy Days |
|
|
Keynote
Speaker:
Rev. Dr. William Barber President, North Carolina NAACP; Convener, Forward Together Moral Movement
I
highly recommend viewing the video of this presentation
using
the link bleow (Dr. Barber’s presentation follows the Welcome and
Introductory Comments).
jpw
|
|
The
conference worship experiences are always a very formative and enlivening part
of our weekend of education and advocacy. As an organization that draws diverse
Christians from all across the United States and beyond, we strive to allow a
variety of gifts from the various Christian churches and communities to find
expression in an harmonious way as we build upon areas of commonality and allow
ourselves to be stretched to embrace new worship experiences. Similarly, we
allow our imaginations and vision for worship to be expanded by each year’s
conference theme and the perspectives of the various workshops, plenaries, and
legislative needs that are presented.
ELCA
Glocal Musicians
Music and worship leadership during this
year’s EAD National Gathering is provided by the Glocal Musicians of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The musicians were formed by the
Global Formation Team in ELCA Global Mission to provide musical leadership for
the Glocal Gatherings hosted by congregations and other Christian communities
throughout North America and the Caribbean. Through its intentional
diversity—including representation from many countries, denominations, and
several cultures—the group embodies ways to stand in mutual solidarity while
amplifying marginalized voices.
In addition to offering musical worship
that includes global voices, the musicians are committed to forming local
leaders seeking to introduce global themes in their communities. The songs they
teach are grounded in the community stories that raise awareness and inspire
advocacy. The musicians embody what it means to be “Glocal”—simultaneously
global and local—so we can accompany one another across cultures, even in our
own neighborhoods.
Saturday, April 16 - SATURDAY POLICY PLENARY: “RACISM, CLASS AND POWER”
|
Ashindi
Maxton
Independent Strategist in Democracy Reform, Racial Justice and Education |
|
|
Sandy
Sorenson
Director of Washington Office, Justice and Witness Ministries, The United Church of Christ |
|
SATURDAY LUNCH PLENARY: “THE CRADLE TO PRISON
PIPELINE”
|
Marian
Wright Edelman
Founder and President, Children’s Defense Fund |
|
More
about this speaker is at http://advocacydays.org/2016-lift-every-voice/speakers/saturday-lunch-plenary/
BREAKOUT by STATES: SATURDAY April 16 - 11:00 – 12:00 PM
Gathering
of fourteen New England (VT, CT, NH) participants, all but one (NH) from
Connecticut, to discuss our approach to legislators during the “lobby day” on
the Monday morning. The “ASK”:
We call on Congress to restore the voice of all Americans in our
democratic process and to help create a global economy of inclusion, ensuring
livelihoods for all God’s children and a sustainable planet by:
·
Supporting the Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2015 (S.
1659/H.R. 2867) as a substantial legislative step to restoring and
strengthening the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and
·
Defeating the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement that deepens
inequality and prioritizes corporate interests over both God’s creation and
people, especially vulnerable communities in the U.S. and abroad.
More on the specifics of the “ASK” at: http://advocacydays.org/2016-lift-every-voice/lobby-day-ask/
ISSUE
WORKSHOPS
There were a total of sixty 2 ½ hour “Issue
Workshop Sessions” scattered between the Plenary Sessions of Saturday and
Sunday. Participants could choose from among eight distinct issue areas to
follow in their workshop participation:
· Africa
· Asia Pacific
· Domestic U.S.
· Eco-Justice
· Global Economic Justice
· Latin American & Caribbean
· Middle East
· Peace & Global Security
Or participants could pick-and-choose
according to diverse interest areas. I chose to pick-and-choose the workshops
listed in the following sequence:
Session I: Latin American & Caribbean
Session II: Domestic U.S.
Session III: Latin America and the Caribbean
Issue Workshop Session I - Saturday,
Apr 16, 2016, 1:45 - 3:15 pm
Co-Sponsored by the Eco-Justice and Latin
American/Caribbean Workshop Areas
This workshop will help connect the dots between U.S.
imports of bio-fuels, GMOs, the drug war, hunger, and migration.
Speakers:
·
Luis Cabrales, ActionAid
USA
·
Representatives from the
Caravan for Peace, Life, and Justice: Stephen Bartlett,
Issue Workshop Session II -
Saturday, Apr 16, 2016, 3:45 - 5:15 pm
THE #BLACKLIVESMATTER MOVEMENT AND THE
CHURCH
The
#BlackLivesMatter Movement was founded in the wake of the killing of Trayvon
Martin and burst to public consciousness after the killing of Michael Brown in
Ferguson, MO. It is a broad based movement of mostly young people who feel
disenfranchised by institutional systems, including the institutional church.
However, many of the young people on the frontlines are people of faith. This
workshop will explore the role of the faith community and how “church” is
defined on the front lines of an activist movement. Presenters: Waltrina
Middleton & Erica Totten
5:30 Denominational Gatherings,
including Baptist, Dicsciples of Christ & United Church of Christ,
Evangelical Lutheran in America, Peace Churches, Presbyterian Churches, Roman
Catholic Mass and United Methodist Church.
The
Eucharist was arranged by Franciscan Advocacy Network (FAN), Patrick Carolan.
Father George, a local DC priest from Ghana was to be presider. He was delayed
and I spoke to Patrick, whom I know from Connecticut, offering to stand in as
presider. But there was a “canonical priest who was ready to do the same. I
suppose we could have co-presided. But Fr. George arrived, apologizing for his
delay and explaining it was due to a taxi side-swiping the car in which he was
being driven. Fr. George did a fine job of the homily using the theme “Don’t be
surprised of the finish” and including stories that illustrated the message
well.
Sunday, April 17 - SUNDAY INTERDENOMINATIONAL WORSHIP
|
Rev.
Amy Gopp
Vice President of External Relations, IMA World Health |
|
SUNDAY
INTERNATIONAL PLENARY: “PEOPLE POWER AROUND THE WORLD”
|
Esam
Boraey
Human Rights Activist |
|
|
Frances
Bagotlo Laminero
Executive Director, InPeace, Philippines |
|
|
Samantha
Master
#BlackLivesMatter Movement Activist |
|
|
Conrado
Olivera
Director, Joining Hands Peru | |
Moderator:
Rev. Traci D. Blackmon Acting Executive Minister, UCC Justice and Witness Ministries |
|
BREAKOUT by STATES - LUNCH: SATURDAY April 16 - 12:15 – 1:30 PM
Continuation of strategizing for the
visits to legislative offices of Rep. John Larson and Senators Blumenthal and
Murphy on The Hill on Monday morning.
Issue Workshop Session III - Sunday, Apr 17, 2016, 2:00 pm
A PLAN FOR PEACE FOR ALL:
NEED FOR AFRO-COLOMBIAN AND INDIGENOUS VOICES IN COLOMBIA’S PEACE PROCESS
Co-sponsored by
the Latin America & the Caribbean and Peace and Global Security Workshop
Areas
This year Colombia stands on the brink of reaching peace
accords to end a fifty-year war that has left 220,000 dead. Yet for peace to
truly be lasting and sustainable, Colombia’s leaders and the international
community accompanying the process must recognize and listen to the voices of all
victims of the conflict, particularly Afro-Colombian and indigenous communities
that have suffered disproportionately from abuses, violence, and forced
displacement. While Plan Colombia is touted as a huge success in the United
States, for these communities it is synonymous with war, extrajudicial
killings, and human and land rights violations. Speakers will discuss the
particular concerns of Afro-Colombian and indigenous communities and how the
international faith and civil society community can support the way forward
toward lasting peace.
Speakers:
·
Father Sterlin Londoño,
Pastoral Afro-Colombiana, Diocesis de Yuto and CONPA
·
Yvonne Caicendo, Foro-Inter Etnico Solidaridad Choco (FISCH) and CONPA
·
Marino Cordoba, AFRODES
and CONPA
Sponsors: CONPA, Washington Office on Latin America,
Latin America Working Group Education Fund, Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America
Advocacy
Skills Workshop Session - Sunday, Apr
17, 2016, 4:00 - 5:30 pm
This workshop will focus on efficiently building the
coalition you need for issue advocacy in any context. Tapping into strategic
networks, facilitating collaboration between like-minded groups, building
power. This workshop will cite state case studies + strongly encourage
opportunities for potential collaboration.
Speakers: Ria Riesner, Senior Organizer, Faith in Public Life
EAD 2016 Dinner Banquet - 7:00 - 9:00 pm
Film Screening: “Dream On” - 9:00 pm
DREAM ON investigates the perilous state of the American Dream after
decades of rising income inequality and declining economic mobility. In an epic
road trip, political comedian John Fugelsang retraces the journey of Alexis de
Tocqueville, whose study of our young country in 1831 came to define America as
a place where anyone, of any background, could climb the ladder of economic
opportunity. Following in the Frenchman’s footsteps, Fugelsang asks whether the
optimistic spirit of the American Dream that Tocqueville popularized is alive
and well in the 21st Cenruty, or whether George Calrin was right when he
famously quipped, “It’s called the American Dream because whether you have to
be asleep to believe it.”
Monday, April 18 - Lobby Day
7:30 AM Bus to the Lutheran Church of the Restoration, in DC
Delegation to the Office of Rep John Larson
Meeting
with staff member Scott Stepahnou at
the offices of both Rep Larson were Jack Wentland, left, Stanley Maticka, Sister Nancy Audette RSM, and Michele Mudrick. Scott was informed about the topics of TPP and
Voting Right Act. Our work was made easy by our CT legislative delegation being
pretty much on board, Rep. Larson being a co-signer of the House version of the Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2015 (H.R. 2867)
and Senators Blumenthal and Murphy being co-signers of the Senate version (S.
1659). But
none of the staff held out much hope for either Act coming up for a floor
vote soon.
Delegation Meeting with the
Legislative Aides of Senators Blumthal and Murphy in the Office of Sen. Blumenthal
EAD Attendees: Mary Hunt, Michele
Mudrick, Stanley Maticka, Jordan Rebholz, Sister Nancy Audette RSM, Art Hunt, John
“Jack“ Wentland,
Notetaker : Art Hunt
(mmarhunt@gmail.com)
What were your impressions of your lobby visit? What does your Member or his/her staffer
already know about the issue(s) presented?
Were there particular points or concerns raised by the Member or
staffer(s) Did the Member or staffer(s)
make any commitment.
Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2015 (S.
1659 / H.R. 2867)
Both CT Senators
are co-sponsors of the Voting Rights Advancement Act. None of the staff members believed there
would be any action on the bill prior to the election and probably no action
during the current congress. The chairs
of the Judiciary Committees in both the Senate and the House are not willing to
vote the bills out of Committee.
We gave personal examples of the importance of voting and
the difficulty of complying with exact address requirements. We emphasized that this will be the first
presidential election in 50 years without a functioning voting rights act.
Trans-Pacific Partnership Act
Both CT
Senators have expressed opposition to the Treaty; however, Sen. Blumenthal’s Legislative
Correspondent, Donald Bell, and Se. Murphy’s Staff Assistant, Daniel Lee did
not indicate a firm commitment of the Senators to vote against it if it came to
the floor. Staff members indicated that the Senators were still studying the
language. Both staffs expressed concern over the extra judicial tribunals. The staff members did not
think there would be any action on the Treaty during this congress. There are only 90 days before the summer
recess and fall campaign season. During this period, emphasis will
probably be on appropriations.
We
specifically mentioned the effect on prescription drugs and the environment
with examples from South America.
Senator
Murphy’s staff assistant, Daniel Lee, indicated that it was useful for
constituents to email their concerns or “talking points” to them.
Our reception was warm and our conversation was
friendly. They expressed their
appreciation for our visit. The staff
members were well informed on both issues.
Further Comments:
The meeting lasted a full half hour. At the end of the meeting, we gave them the
EAD 2016 “Ask“ document plus documents collected by Art Hunt in the session on “Finding
A Lasting Peace in Syria” as well as mentioning debt relief for Puerto Rico which
prioritized the needs of the Puerto Rican people over hedge funds.
Departure by Train to Hartford
from Union Station on Monday April 18, at 3:05 PM,
Passing
through New Jersey with a view of the sunset reflecting off the One World Trade
Center Tower, Manhattan, arriving in Hartford at 10:00 PM.
