U.S. and Iranian religious leaders discuss peace

Social justice news
March 2007

ACLU challenges detention of immigrant children
Annual CRS collection is March 17 and 18
Counting up the human cost of China's economic "miracle
Iraqi Christians "losing hope"
New U.S. weapon could jumpstart nuclear arms race
Sharon Daly receives the 2006 U.S. Catholic Award for Furthering the Cause of Women in the Church
Social ministry leaders gather in Washington
U.S. and Iranian religious leaders discuss peace
Vatican: world must do more on women and human rights

Social ministry leaders gather in Washington
Even as the U.S. Senate discussed a bill that increased AIDS funding last month, Catholics from across the country gathered in their senators' offices to prod them on this issue. Perhaps not coincidentally, that measure passed in the Senate.

The 2007 USCCB Social Ministry Gathering brought together about 600 Catholics to learn about and lobby on four timely issues: AIDS funding, peace in the Middle East, the Farm Bill, and immigration reform.

As Catholics we have powerful voices, event organizers told conference participants. These amatuer Catholic lobbyists conveyed the opinions of the nation's Catholic bishops and of the borader Catholic votering public, but unlike both Congress members and professional Catholic lobbyists in Washington, they also work closely with the people whom the legislation affects. Organizers also encouraged these Catholic activists to take these issues home and continue the conversations with their representatives in Congress.

Here are quick summaries of the four main legislative priorities adopted at the conference. (For the complete Hill Notes and background sheets, visit the Social Ministry Gather’s website):

HIV/AIDS Funding: Congress did approve increased funding for AIDS work.

Catholic lobbyists also ask for an effective conscience clause, allowing religious organizations to access funding for responding to the HIV/AIDS crisis while respecting their moral convictions. In the International Plenary, Charity Musamba of Zambia also spoke of the need for debt cancellation and fair trade policy in addition to aid as part of a comprehensive development strategy for poor nations.

USCCB on Global Poverty

Middle East: While the U.S. Catholic Church had expressed "grave moral concerns" about the war in Iraq from the beginning, Catholic lobbyist were advised not to say "I told you so," but to encourage a "responsible transition" out of Iraq.

This means advocating neither "staying the course" nor pulling out the troops immediately, but demanding that Congress should engage in regular oversight of the war, evaluating strategies by the probability of their success in terms of security, economic reconstruction (employment for Iraqis, not U.S. contractors), and pursuing political solutions. The Catholic bishops also stress that Congress needs to support and work toward a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine to create regional stability, as well as provide aid to the Palestinian people, so that they can have the capacity to run a state.

USCCB on the Middle East

Immigration Reform: The Catholic bishops call for comprehensive immigration reform that takes the human rights of migrants into consideration. This includes addressing the causes of migration-global poverty, for example-as well as reforming our immigration system. The bishops advocate earned legalization, a guest worker program with worker protections, uniting families across borders quicker, and due process for immigrants. They are against enforcement-only legislation.

Bishop's Justice for Immigrants website

Farm Bill: The Farm Bill is up for reauthorization this year, presenting an opportunity to fix a system that the Catholic Church sees as broken. One problem with the farm policy was illustrated by a protest, taking place across the street from the conference, against a free trade agreement with Korea.

Accoridng to critics, if highly subsidized U.S. rice were sold in Korea, many poor Korean rice farmer would be put out of work, as has happened in third-world countries where excess U.S. commodities are "dumped." The church would like to see the farm policy protect these farmers abroad, promote stewardship of the land (rather than overproduction), as well as provide services for rural communities and family farms rather than corporate farms. Food Stamps are also covered by the Farm Bill, and this program lacks funding. More money is needed for increasing benefit levels from its current average of $1 per person per meal and for improving outreach and enrollment to reach eligible families not enrolled.

Workshops provided further insights on these and other domestic and international issues. In addition to sessions on AIDS, the Middle East, and the international impact of the Farm Bill, the international break-out sessions included U.S. policy toward Left-Leaning Governments in Latin America, President Bush's New Plans for Foreign Aid, Extractive Industries, and Darfur. Domestic break-out sessions also included Health Care and the Uninsured, Accessing Affordable Housing, Social Policy, and Global Climate Change. Information on these subjects, and others, is also on the Social Ministry Gathering website.

Another highlight of the conference was the opening plenary speaker, Ronald Rolheiser, OMI, who was repeatedly quoted by other speakers following him about the spiritual dimension of social justice work. Many of his comments can be read in the U.S. Catholic interview with Rolheiser, appearing in the April issue.

U.S. Catholic magazine also presented Sharon Daly, a former lobbyist with both Catholic Charities and the USCCB who has been greatly involved with the conference for years, with the U.S. Catholic Award for Furthering the Cause of Women.

The Catholic Campaign for Human development presented the Sr. Margaret Cafferty Award to Comunidad en Movimiento at the conference. This organization of women in a Los Angeles neighborhood has promoted community safety, helping reduce violence, especially against children, dramatically.--Megan Sweas

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