Salt of the Earth: Idea Exchange

SOTE self help zone

Need some advice on how to start a project at your parish or church? Maybe just some information for an upcoming presentation on hunger or unemployment? If you're seeking expert assistance, look no further. The "expert" on this page is the SOTE cybercommunity. Just e-mail your question or problem to us , and if we can't help you, we'll see if someone else can by posting your message here.
Don't cell out!
I saw your article at U.S. Catholic on Coltan and cell phones ("Wouldn't you just kill for that cell phone?" ). Can you recommend a company that sells cell phones with synthetic coltan (if it exists) or that certifies the coltan did not come from the Congo?
Thanks.
Peg O'Donnell

Peg:
It is possible to use coltan alternatives in cell phone manufacturing, but it is often difficult to find out anything from manufacturers about the composition of their products. Fortunately, you do not necessarily have to own a coltan-free phone. American-based Kemet , the world's largest maker of tantalum capacitors, has asked its suppliers to certify that their coltan ore does not come from Congo or bordering countries.
Other manufacturers are also voluntarily restricting their coltan sourcing to non-conflict regions, e.g., the U.S., Korea, and Austrailia. If you find a phone you are interested in purchasing, visit that company's website and see if they have a policy on coltan sourcing. Attached, for instance, is a file that spells out Motorola's (laudable) policy on the matter. If they have a policy that seems sufficiently strict, you can consider that phone, and if they don't, you might want to pass on their product. If that's the case, please let the manufacturer know why in an e-mail. You can help prod them along to a stronger position on conflict commodities.
Happy cell phone hunting,
KC

Looking for Sister Helen
I am interested in contacting Helen Prejea. I am a postgrad at Uni Cape Town working on gendered spirituality. Can you help me find her?
Neal O'Donnell
Cape Town, South Africa
Visit http://www.prejean.org/ or e-mail hprejean@aol.com .

Just trying to be hospitable
I am seeking guidance and direction about starting a House for Hospitality, according to the philosophy of Peter Maurin and Dorothy Day, in a hotel in the Catskills. I am a member of St. Joseph's Parish in New Milford/Oradell, New Jersey.

I don't think you can go wrong by hooking up with the folks at http://www.catholicworker.org and seeking advice from them. They have some great information there and leads to other resources about the Catholic Worker movement.

Tracking corporate misdeeds in the Maquiladoras
I need information about which American Companies have located in the Maquiladoras zone and are contributing to the injustices toward the workers and to the pollution of the rivers. Our investment committee is careful about where we invest, and needs to know names of companies who are exploiting workers and polluting. Thank you.

mhanon3@xxxx.com

I'm afraid I can't be of much specific help identifying all the companies that are running plants in maquila zones in Mexico and other Central American countries. Virtually every large clothing manufacturing, designing, and distributing company—Gap, DKNY, Levis, etc—has a presence in Mexico and Central America, and if you wanted to eliminate all the large U.S. manufacturing companies that maintain maquila plants, you would have a very short list of investments to choose from. Ford, GM, Apple computer, IBM—and many more—maintain assembly plants in maquiladoras.

You may best serve maquila workers by examining your existing portfolio and then reviewing each company's prospectus or annual review to find out which ones have plants overseas. You might then check in with labor rights and environmental groups to find out about their track records on these issues. If bad, I would not automatically divest but would consider raising human, labor rights and environmental concerns at your company's next annual meeting. You may begin the process of changing attitudes at the companies you invest in.

For more info sweatshop conditions among US manufacturers, try the National Labor Committee and for info on issues in Mexico and Central America in general, visit the Resource Center for the Americas: .

Good general sources on companies anywhere that are best avoided as investments are The Multinational Monitor and Corporate Watch .

For a look at life in a typical maquila zone, read an old piece from yours truly: Snapshots from the edge .

Looking for a link between drug use and crime
I'm looking for recent statistics/research studies which show a causal link between PCP and alcohol abuse and violent aggression which leads to crime, especially homicide and robberies. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you.

Salt of the Earth is not a clearinghouse on that kind of material but a good place to start is a recent Stat House report . Also the Bureau of Justice Statistics keeps some records on general drug use and crime . There are a number of other documents at this site related to drug and alcohol abuse and crime. I did not find PCP specifically mentioned—it is often lumped together with Mescaline and LSD under a general category of hallucinogen.

Is "Keep on Truckin'" a social-justice slogan?
Our high school youth group is doing a year of social justice/service education. We are putting together both a weekend and a week-long social justice, faith-in-action immersion program. I am looking for T-shirts that they can wear with social justice slogans? Do you know how or where I can purchase these shirts?

Terri Seitz
Winter Haven, Florida

Okay, folks: any suggestions for Terri ?

One visitor suggests SoJo Net .

Service anyone?
I am a young Catholic woman just out of college. I plan to attend medical school beginning in one year. Between now and then, I really don't know what I am doing. I would like to do some sort of service-oriented position. Unfortunately I would have to have a small salary, but only enough to live on. I am especially interested in working with children or underprivileged people. Does anyone know exactly who I could contact to find a Catholic service position?

Thank you!

Many orders maintain lay service volunteer agencies, including the Franciscans, Jesuits, and the order that I work for, the Claretians, that often include stipends and provide community-style living arrangements.

The Claretians run several one-year (longer if you like) programs in parishes around the country and the world that engage volunteers in a variety of direct services. I would also check with your local diocese for information about local volunteer programs.

Catholic Charities USA uses many volunteers, for instance.

Here are some other useful links:
Claretian volunteers
Jesuit Volunteer Corps
Catholic Network of Volunteer Service

And the St. Vincent Pallotti Center (Cardinal Station Box 893 - Washington, DC 20064) has hundreds of volunteer links and descriptions.

Looking for speakers on the death penalty
Hi, Our Peace & Justice core team is looking for a speaker or activities around the death penalty. We feel education on this issue is very important to our community. Any suggestions or places that we might obtain a speaker would be helpful.

Thanks Ida G., St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish

I don't know where your parish is located. If you are located in or near a large city such as New York or Washington, D.C., I think you are going to have more options.

The first place I would suggest contacting is your state Catholic Conference or your local diocesan office of peace and justice (or whatever title your diocese uses for the social advocacy office). If your diocese does not have such an office, you might want to contact the USCC's Office of Social development and World Peace and see if they can provide any guidance. Ask for Dan Misleh. They can be reached on the Internet at http://www.nccbuscc.org/ or Office of Social Development & World Peace, National Conference of Catholic Bishops/United States Catholic Conference, 3211 4th Street, N.E., Washington, DC 20017-1194; 202-541-3000.

Here is the USCC's online resources regarding capital punishment: http://www.nccbuscc.org/sdwp/national/criminal/cappunishment.htm

Other possibilities:
Sister Helen Prejean is a willing speaker against the death penalty. Her schedule can be tracked at http://www.moratorium2000.org/events/index.lasso . Catholics Against Capital Punishment, P.O. Box 3125, Arlington, VA, 22203, phone/fax: 301-652-1125, www.igc.org/cacp/ ; e-mail cacp@bellatlantic.net . This group might be able to find a local representative to speak at your parish.

National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty , 1436 U Street, NW, Suite 104, Washington, DC 20009; 888-286-2237.

Religious Organizing Against the Death Penalty Project , c/o American Friends Service Committee, 1501 Cherry Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102-1479; 215-241-7130; e-mail: patclark@afsc.org . I hope this is enough to get you started.

Teaching justice
I wonder if you have any suggestions for teaching materials for social justice for the high school level. I was thinking of creating a "Monopoly" game to teach the concept of "there, but for the grace of God, go I, to our privileged group of high school students. But I thought something similar must exist. Any suggestions?

mbardeli

There is a folder in our Message Pad that I set up for social justice teachers to share ideas, strategies, etc. So far it has been very quiet but perhaps you can help start the conversation. Look for "Teachers (relatively) anonymous ."

I also suggest visiting or calling the folks at the Office for Social Justice for the diocese of St. Paul/Minneapolis. They have created a curriculum for social justice teachers . Find out more about it at.

Anyone else with suggestions should feel free to e-mail them or visit the "Teachers . . . " folder.

From Barbara Gunderson, Human Concern Coordinator St. Mary Parish, Buffalo Grove, Illinois:

This is a response to a request . . . for resource materials for high school education on social justice issues. The material is titled: Catholic Social Teaching Learning and Living Justice by Michael Pennock There is a book and a teachers manual. Hope this is helpful to others.

Social-justice resources wanted
Our newly formed diocesan peace and justice commission in Reno, Nevada is planning a presentation to Parish Directors of Religious Education. We would like to provide them with information on what is available in video, or informational material that will integrate social justice issues into their CCD curriculum. Do you have any information on "Educating for Peace and Justice: Religious Dimensions, K-6 and Grades 7-12.

It's offered by James McGinnis, Institute for Peace and Justice and is dated 1993. Do you have any other recommendations? Thanks for your assistance.
Liz Reville

I'd suggest visiting the Office of Social Justice for the Archdiocese of St. Paul/Minneapolis for advice/resources. Here at Claretian Pubs, we offer the "Catholic Wisdom on . . . " series of easy-to-read pamphlets which review Catholic social teaching on issues such as racism, abortion, consumerism, the death penalty, etc. Visit http://www.uscatholic.org/new.htm for more info or to order online. Also, by all means I encourage you to visit Salt of the Earth again and see what you can use from our archive . I'd also like to encourage you to visit the DRE conference area you'll find there. Post this query and see if other DREs can help you out.

Anyone have suggestions for Liz? Write us and we'll post the results here.

Sister parish in Belize
I am on a committee that is developing a sister parish project with a mission parish in Belize City and was wondering about any available resources that might assist us in this project? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Tom Oetinger
Saint Joseph Parish
Belmont, NH

Any suggestions for Tom? Write to me and I'll post the results here.

Calling all Carrs
Could you kindly provide us with a contact information—including phone, fax and e:mail on John Carr, Secretary for Social Development and World Peace. We are interested in making contact with him in connection with the Earth Initiative that will focus on "Children and Environmental Health." This initiative was announced 27 May as part of a $16 million 10-year environmental campaign. Many thanks for your cooperation in the matter.

No problem. Here is the address for John Carr: Office of Social Development and World Peace , National Conference of Catholic Bishops/United States Catholic Conference, 3211 4th Street, NE, Washington, DC 20017-1194; (202) 541-3000.
*Note to students: Though we applaud your interest in social-justice issues, this is not the place to try to get your homework done. This area is meant as an aid to church- and community-based organizers. Please no broad queries along the lines of "What has the church taught about poverty?" or "What's the significance of the Catholic Worker movement?" You may want to post those kinds of questions in our message area and get a conversation going with some of our other visitors.

Back to page top