Bending the Arc references a quote by Rev. Dr. King who said, “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” This digital newsletter from the CSA Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation office showcases the work of changemakers, opportunities to learn, and opportunities for you to help “bend the arc” toward justice. Full contents of the newsletter are published on this page.
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Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty
October 04, 2024
The Paris Agreement sets a benchmark for global climate action through its temperature goal. However, despite fossil fuels being clearly identified as the main driver of the climate crisis, they are not mentioned once in the world’s leading climate agreement.
Addressing only emissions reductions and demand without fossil fuel supply has allowed countries and companies to claim to be climate leaders while continuing to open, approve and fun new fossil fuel projects.
This is why the Paris Agreement must be complemented by a new Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty that will: 1) Immediately end expansion of new coal, oil and gas production; 2) wind down existing production in line with the Paris Agreement target of 1.5 degrees Celsius in a manner that is not only fast but also fair; and 3) a just transition with global support to ensure no workers, community or country are left behind.
The good news is that a rapid global exit from coal, oil and gas is possible. The world has more than enough renewable energy resources to meet energy demands of every person on Earth.
Governments must now work together to ensure the global transition away from fossil fuels is fast and fair. You can join the call for a fossil fuel treaty and learn more here: https://fossilfueltreaty.org/
Posted in
Cosmology & Creation
Block the Vote!
October 04, 2024
The Israeli military has massacred over 41,000 Palestinians in Gaza, and has now begun carrying out massacres and mass forced displacement in Lebanon. The Israeli government is bringing the entire region to the brink of full-blown war. The grief, sorrow, and pain is endless. And it is funded and enabled by the Biden administration, which continues to arm the Israeli government. Congress must intervene.
For the first time in U.S. history, there will be a vote in Congress to block weapons to Israel. Senators Bernie Sanders, Peter Welch, and Jeff Merkley have introduced Joint Resolutions of Disapproval to stop a $20 billion weapons shipment approved by the Biden administration.
Call your Senators immediately and tell them to block these weapons, and to support a full arms embargo on the Israeli government to save lives. Here’s how:
Follow the instructions on the page closely. When you click "Call me", you will receive a phone call on the number you provided and be patched through to your Senator. You will be able to view a script at this time. After you deliver a message, press * (star) to be connected to your next Senator. If you don't get through, please leave a voicemail.
When I did this, I read the message to a staffer for Sen. Johnson’s office and recorded the message for Sen. Baldwin’s office. It was very easy!
Posted in
Peace & Nonviolence
JCoR Advocacy Days
September 20, 2024
![](https://i0.wp.com/jcor2030.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Color-w-Title.png?fit=60002290&ssl=1"")
In an earlier Bending the Arc post from 7/31/2024, we detailed the efforts of JCoR and its partners in calling upon the US Congress and Department of Homeland Security to approve legislation aimed to stop the supply of arms and ammunition from the United States to Haiti and an invitation to join Advocacy Days in D.C. later this month. Even if you cannot go to Washington, your voice can still be heard!
WRITE to your congressional representatives and president with this template letter: https://quixote.org/action#/16
CALL your congressional representatives (contact information available here: https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials )
For more details, visit: https://jcor2030.org/stop-illegal-u-s-arms-to-haiti-advocacy-days/
JCoR - Justice Coalition of Religious - is a group of 23 non-governmental organizations that are accredited to collectively represent over 200 congregations of Roman Catholic women and men Religious at the United Nations (UN) Headquarters in New York. UNANIMA International is one of the NGOs that make up JCoR, and CSA is one of 23 Congregations who make up UNANIMA International.
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Peace & Nonviolence
Roots and Legacy of the Farmworkers Movement
September 12, 2024
Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with film screenings and panel discussion.
Milwaukee PBS presents a free screening of Roots and Legacy: Jesus Salas followed by a panel discussion at Flores Hall in Milwaukee on Wednesday, September 25, 6:30 - 8:30 pm.
The documentary is based on Jesus Salas’ memoir Obreros Unidos: The Roots and Legacy of the Farmworkers Movement. It sheds light on the historical struggle of Latino migrant farmworkers during the 1960s. Facing harsh living conditions, they united to confront employers who denied them their rights. The movement led to new social services organizations and significant progress for Latinos in Wisconsin.
Movie trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvevL1WYobQ
The screening will be followed by panel discussion. Don’t miss this opportunity to come together and honor the contributions, the rich culture, and heritage of Milwaukee’s Latino community.
RSVP by clicking here.
Not in the Milwaukee area? This movie will also premiere on September 18th on Milwaukee PBS’ YouTube channel.
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Peace & Nonviolence
Challenge Day Returns to Fond du Lac High School: Volunteers Needed
September 10, 2024
Challenge Day is an interactive anti-bullying program featuring music, exercises, impactful encounters, and discussions over one entire school day. It will be held in the small gymnasium of Fond du Lac High School and led by two energetic, charismatic, and highly trained facilitators dispatched from California. Each day 100 students and 30 volunteers confront stereotypes and prejudices and other underlying causes of bullying. See www.challengeday.org for a short video on the home page which beautifully shows what happens in this powerful workshop.
Adult volunteers participate side-by-side with the 100 freshman students per day selected by the administration, staff, and teachers. The Challenge Day facilitators (from Oakley, CA) will provide the necessary training for volunteers on the selected day(s), prior to the students entering the small gym.
Thirty (30) adults are needed each of the four days, October 14-17, from 8:00 am - 3:45 pm. Volunteers are required to commit themselves to the whole day in order to provide the optimum support for students. Lunch is provided to volunteers without charge. You may sign up for one or multiple days. If more than one day, you might consider a rest day in between.
BACKGROUND CHECK: All volunteers are required to complete a background check per the Fond du Lac School District. This is standard procedure for involvement in student activities such as Challenge Day. All volunteers are required to complete this form, even those returning from previous years. After you have submitted this form, you will be sent an email to complete the background check process.
Challenge Day is an annual effort by United for Diversity. CSA is a membership partner of United for Diversity and a co-sponsor of Challenge Day.
Posted in
Equity & Human Dignity
The Middle East Crisis
September 10, 2024
Peter Makari, UCC Global Relations Minister for the Middle East and Europe will offer a Zoom presentation for churches and communities of faith on the crisis in the region.
On Thursday, September 26, at 7 pm, Peter Makari, a leading specialist on the crisis in Gaza and the Middle East, will offer a Zoom presentation for churches and other communities of faith on the crisis in the region. Born in Egypt, Peter is the Global Relations Minister for the Middle East and Europe for the United Church of Christ and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ.) A member of the Board of Churches for Middle East Peace, he is among the most well-informed Church leaders on developments in the Middle East, having spent much of his life studying and living in that part of the world.
Interfaith Peace Working Group (IPWG) invites readers to join Peter in an hour-long discussion of the present crisis in Gaza and Israel. Mark your calendars now! No registration needed.Use this Zoom link on the 28th: https://UCC.zoom.us/j/83824972681?pwd=KNjOoQkkRV6b2KzXBzaNhMROMADVsL.1
Meeting ID: 838 2497 2681 and Passcode: 688763.
For additional information, contact Jerry Folk at interfaithpeaceworkinggroup@gmail.com
Tracy Abler, JPIC Coordinator for the Sisters of St Agnes, recently accepted an invitation to serve on the Interfaith Peace Working Group Steering Committee.
Posted in
Peace & Nonviolence
Where Olive Trees Weep
September 10, 2024
Celebrate International Day of Peace (Sept 21) with screenings of a film that provides a look into the struggles and resilience of the Palestinian people.
The film, Where Olive Trees Weep, offers a searing window into the struggles and resilience of the Palestinian people under Israeli occupation. It explores themes of loss, trauma, and the quest for justice. View the film trailer and learn more at https://whereolivetreesweep.com/
The film will be screened on International Day of Peace - Saturday, September 21 @ 7:00 pm at Madison Friends (Quakers) Meeting House, 1704 Roberts Court, Madison WI. The screening will be preceded by a social gathering starting at 6:30 and a discussion session will follow the film.
Can’t get to Madison? Use this link to privately view the film on your own or host your own small group: https://kinema.com/events/where-olive-trees-weep-hjpxh. Admission is free with this link, but only on September 21, 2024, courtesy of the Interfaith Peace Working Group of Wisconsin.
The Sisters of St. Agnes will also be offering a free screening of the film on Monday, September 23 at 5:30 pm at their Motherhouse in Founders Hall, County Road K, Fond du Lac. Please use this link to reserve your seat: https://forms.gle/R3Q21JmA9kjJXvwEA. Please share widely.
You can also:
- Show or view the film on another date: https://sand.thrivecart.com/where-olive-trees-weep/ A donation for that is welcome, but not necessary.
- Get ideas for ACTIONS to take now: https://whereolivetreesweep.com/resources/
- Contact Interfaithpeaceworkinggroup@gmail.com for a film discussion guide, media resources to promote your event, and any questions
Posted in
Peace & Nonviolence
We Choose Freedom!
September 06, 2024
On September 11, 6-8 pm CT, NETWORK will offer the virtual event, White Supremacy and American Christianity: We Choose Freedom. Participants will explore how, when we exercise our freedom to participate in our country’s public life, we ensure the future of all the freedoms that we enjoy in a vibrant democracy. This builds a future where every person can thrive, no exceptions.
This is the fifth conversation in a series of dialogues, where we will once more engage Fr. Bryan Massingale of Fordham University and Dr. Robert P. Jones of the Public Religion Research Institute on what it means to choose freedom, especially through the practice of multi-issue voting.
Posted in
Equity & Human Dignity
A Future For All or a Future For Few?
September 06, 2024
An 18-page report, released Aug. 28 by Network Advocates for Catholic Social Justice suggests that Project 2025 clashes with several principles of Catholic social teaching, particularly through its proposals that would benefit corporations and wealthy Americans at the expense of the poor and middle class. Learn more in this September 3, 2024, NCR online article.
To learn more about NETWORK’s 2024 nonpartisan voter education campaign, “Vote Our Future,” and the issues at stake in the upcoming election, visit networkadvocates.org/election-2024
Take the Pope Francis Voter Pledge: https://www.mobilize.us/network/event/614667/
Follow the 2024 Nuns on the Bus (and friends) tour here: https://www.nunsonthebus.org/
Posted in
Poor & Vulnerable
It Is Immoral and “Illegal” to Possess Nukes
September 06, 2024
Nuclear weapons offer an illusion of security. By allowing the U.S. nuclear posture to shift from deterrence to employment, there will be a scenario where the U.S. will use nuclear weapons.
Successive U.S. administrations have eschewed arms control in favor of maintaining American strategic advantage over real and/or imagined adversaries.
This is accomplished by embracing nuclear weapons employment strategies that deviate from simple deterrence into war-fighting at every level of conflict, including scenarios that don’t involve a nuclear threat.
At a time when the U.S. advocates policies exacerbating already high levels of tension with nuclear-armed adversaries Russia and China, the Biden administration has signed off on a new nuclear employment plan that increases, rather than decreases, the probability of nuclear conflict.
Left unchecked, this policy can have only one possible outcome — total nuclear annihilation of humanity and the world we live in.
Read more in this recent article by writer, Scott Ritter, in Consortium News - an independent investigative journalism and political review.
According to a 2021 petition by Change.org, “The threat of nuclear annihilation is greater than it has ever been… A nuclear war must never be fought, because everyone will lose," said several presidents, including Joe Biden. The leaders of every major religion call for abolishing nuclear weapons. Pope Francis says it's immoral to possess them.
It's not only immoral. It's illegal to possess nukes, since the International Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons was signed and ratified by the majority of world nations and became law in January 2021.
Yet the U.S. possesses thousands of nuclear bombs. About 1,750 of them are deployed on missiles (aimed and on hair trigger alert), and another 3,500 are in reserve. Consider the horror of the bomb that destroyed the city of Hiroshima in 1945. Today’s nukes are, on average, 20 times more destructive than the Hiroshima bomb. In other words, the US has enough nukes to incinerate 100,000 Hiroshimas and let the remaining living beings die a slow death from radiation poisoning.”
Learn more and Speak Up here: https://www.change.org/p/stop-making-nukes
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Peace & Nonviolence