Action Alert

August 2012

What actions do I take to promote gender equality?

Do you know that the average U.S. teenager spends over ten hours/day consuming media? While this may not be new to many, the way that women are portrayed in this media is pause for consideration. In 2011, a documentary entitled Miss Representation (90 minutes) was released. According to the website, “the film exposes how mainstream media contribute to the under-representation of women in positions of power and influence in America. The film challenges the media’s limited and often disparaging portrayals of women and girls, which makes it difficult for women to achieve leadership positions and for the average woman to feel powerful herself.” In addition, “stories from teenage girls and provocative interviews with politicians, journalists, entertainers, activists and academics, like Condoleezza Rice, Nancy Pelosi, Katie Couric, Rachel Maddow, Margaret Cho, Rosario Dawson and Gloria Steinem build momentum as Miss Representation accumulates startling facts and statistics."

Among the statistics presented in the documentary are:

• 53% of 13 year old girls are unhappy with their bodies. That number increases to 78% by age 17 (Source is here).
• 65% of American women and girls have disordered eating behavior (Source is here).   
• About 25% of girls will experience teen dating violence (Source is here).
• The number of cosmetic surgical procedures performed on youth 18 or younger more than tripled from 1997 and 2007 (Source is here).

After the release, the director and filmmaker, Jennifer Siebel Newsom teamed up with a diverse group of educators to design a curriculum that gives media literacy a much needed gender focus. This K-12 and collegiate curriculum is divided into age appropriate content modules. According to the website for Miss Representation, the modules include age appropriate film clips, definitions of relevant concepts, reflection exercises, discussion questions, in-class activities and homework suggestions. The modules are sequenced to build on one another and equip both girls and boys with critical thinking skills to question the media that they are amidst daily.

This documentary leaves individuals imaging what healthy media looks like. Included on the website is information on the Healthy MEdia Commission. They recently developed a list of elements that all forms of healthy media should strive to include. Among these are healthy body images, active and diverse female characters, equal and healthy relationships, and increased number of roles for women and girls.  More information on this is located here. 

Reflection/Action:

• In addition to speaking with the manager of a store whose advertisement portrays women negatively, make an effort not to shop at these stores.
• On a monthly basis, how many magazines do I browse through? What would I put into a letter to the editor about the use of Photoshop to alter women’s bodies? How might I challenge them drop the use of Photoshop or limit its use?
• What do health, education, religious, political and other institutions share with us through action and word about equal and healthy relationships and the role of women?
• Women will account for close to 40% of participants at the Olympic Games while the percentage of women in governing and administrative bodies of the Olympic movement has remained low. This is often the case in many institutions. In solidarity with the SCN GA2008 directive, what more can I do to empower women to assume their rightful place in church and society?
• How gender friendly are the institutions and places of ministry that I work within with regard to recruitment, hiring, pay, and promotion?
• What mentorship programs and opportunities are available to young female leaders where I live?
• The documentary, Miss Representation, can be viewed here.      
•  Host a showing together with a group at work, in school, and other places. Be sure to preview BEFORE viewing with younger audiences for age appropriate clips.
• The website for the documentary is located here. In addition to a resource link, it also includes a link to a facebook page with abundant resources.
• The curriculum can be purchased from the website located here. There is opportunity here for donating curriculum to educational institutions.
• The first ever UN celebration for Day of the Girl will be on October 11, 2012. A toolkit is available for helping organize events by clicking here.
• Urge legislators to support gender friendly legislation for women and girls.
• Choose suppliers, distributers and business partners that promote women as leaders and challenge those that do not.

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International Day of the World's Indigenous People

August 9 is International Day of the World’s Indigenous People. The focus this year is Indigenous designs: Celebrating Stories and Cultures, Crafting our Own Future. The purpose of this UN celebration is to promote and protect the rights of the world’s indigenous population.

According to the State of the World's Indigenous Peoples Report released in 2010, “indigenous peoples make up around 370 million of the world’s population – some 5 per cent – they constitute around one-third of the world’s 900 million extremely poor rural people. Every day, indigenous communities all over the world face issues of violence and brutality, assimilation policies, dispossession of land, marginalization, forced removal or relocation, denial of land rights, impacts of large-scale development, abuses by military forces and a host of other abuses.” “When indigenous peoples have reacted and tried to assert their rights, they have suffered physical abuse, imprisonment, torture and even death,” states the publication.

Given this reality of poverty, poor health and displacement, this year’s focus of celebrating stories and cultures is as important as ever. As individuals celebrate in solidarity, they are encouraged to reflect upon:

• What further understanding do I have related to the harsh realities of the indigenous people in my country? In other countries?
• Who are/were indigenous of the land that I currently occupy?
• How can I impart the significance of the present/former indigenous peoples?
• What concrete actions can be taken to demonstrate my own/others indigenous pride?
• What pieces of indigenous art exist in my surroundings?
• What aspects of wisdom do I have from indigenous ways of knowing?

Human persons are willed by God; they are imprinted with God's image. Their dignity does not come from the work they do, but from the persons they are. (The Hundredth Year, Donders translation, #11)

Reflection/Action:

• In reflecting upon the reality of indigenous persons and catholic social teaching, what call do I feel to promote the human dignity of the indigenous persons in my local, state, or national setting?
• Updated information for reflection and sharing is located here.      
• Several resources for use with others exist here.     

Weekly Justice Highlights

Promoting Peace: Urge President Obama and Governor Mitt Romney to issue a joint call asking Congress to reinstate the expired federal assault weapons ban.   

Food Security:  Urge President Obama to end hunger in countries by expanding the New Alliance to include at least 15 countries by the end of the year and double that amount at the end of next year.   

Challenging Unjust Practices: Urge U.S. legislators to stop the rubber-stamp approval of Genetically Engineered crops (supported by Monsanto) and to remove these provisions from the 2012 Farm Bill.  

Last week, the U.S. Senate approved the Middle Class Tax Cuts Act (S. 3412) and voted to end the Bush tax breaks above $250,000/year.  Express a thank you or disappointment to your Senators. 

Call and urge U.S. Representatives (1.202.224.3121; charges apply) to co-sponsor H.R. 3619 to make the Protecting Tenants at Foreclosure Act permanent (this bill would permanently extend federal protections for renters facing foreclosure). 

Call and urge your Senators 1.202.224.3121; charges apply) to co-sponsor S. 489, and your Representative to co-sponsor H.R. 1477. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) and Representative Elijah Cummings (D-MD) introduced bills that would capitalize the National Housing Trust Fund through profits from the Treasury Department’s sale of Troubled Asset Relief Program warrants. These bills would provide much-needed funding for the NHTF. 

Kentucky citizens are urged to file comments in writing until October 1 on a recent decision of the executive branch that filed a new regulation to govern how the state will kill inmates through lethal injection.  The new regulations are located here  (Comments can be sent to Ms. Amy Barker, Assistant General Counsel, Department of Justice, 125 Holmes Street, Frankfort, Kentucky 40601; or fax them to 502.564.6686.) 

New reports from Americans for Tax Fairness, Citizens for Tax Justice and the National Women's Law Center demonstrate how public investments and taxpayers in each state would be affected by the competing approaches to the Bush tax cuts.  These are located here.  

Weekly Justice Highlights

Good News:  Last week the Mulvaney-Frank amendment to reduce military spending for fiscal year 2013 (reduce by $1.1 billion) was passed with bipartisan support.  While this returns the level to FY 2012 at $518 billion and exempts spending on military personnel, the Defense Health Program and the Global War on Terror. Congressman Frank states, “I believe is still far higher than it needs to be, but it does represent an important first step in making clear that military spending cannot be exempted from a responsible deficit reduction package.”

Urgent:  Adapt a message to U.S. Senators to support the Middle Class Tax Cut act (S. 3393) and urge them to oppose Bush-era tax cuts only to taxpayers whose income is less than $250,000.  Urge them to support raising reasonable revenue for responsible programs.  (Act today)

Care of Earth:  Urge Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the State Department to include climate impacts in their analysis of Keystone XL and reject this tar sands pipeline once and for all at (Act before July 30)

Promoting Peace: Urge Secretary of State Clinton to reinforce the unequivocal opposition of the United States to actions that undermine a two-state solution to the Holy Land conflict, make Israel less secure, and create more obstacles to a viable and independent Palestinian state.

Urge President Obama and EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson to deny Shell’s permit to drill in the Arctic if its fleet cannot meet the legally required standard for air pollution.

Families USA has released a document to help advocates in the Healthcare institution in implementing the Affordable Care Act within your state.  The document, entitled, Designing the Essential Health Benefits for Your State: An Advocate’s Guide is available here. 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently unveiled an updated version of Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food Compass, a digital resource detailing the USDA’s involvement in local and regional food.  The site includes local food projects in 50 states, farmers markets, food hubs, wholesale markets among other data. 

Louisville Peace Performance:  On July 28 at 1 p.m.(Highland Baptist) or 8 p.m. (Clifton Center), a peace performance/dialogue of peace activists spanning 60 years will be held.  Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at St. Williams, St. Agnes, Carmichael’s Bookstore, or at the door.  More information is located here   or louisville@som.org or 502.452.2501 

About 55 percent of the continental United States is now designated as in moderate drought or worse. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has declared more than 1,000 counties in 26 states as natural disaster areas.  Individuals and faith groups are invited to petition our patron saint, Isidore the Farmer, to intercede on their behalf and we invite our network to pray the Novena to St. Isidore is located here.

Weekly Justice Highlights

Urgent:  The Senate will take up the Bring Jobs Home Act on Thursday that would stop allowing corporations to deduct their moving expenses when they offshore good American jobs to other countries.  Call U.S. Senators (1.888.659.9401; NO charges apply) urging them to support Bring Jobs Home Act (S. 2884) Act today or early Thursday morning.

Challenging Unjust Structures:  This week is a National call in (1.888.659.9401; NO charges apply) to U.S. Senators urging them to end the Bush tax cuts for the richest 2% - those making more than $250,000/year.  Also urge Senators to oppose any extension of tax cuts –both temporary and permanent.  Tell them that with the current U.S. deficit, we cannot afford to give assistance to the richest 2%.  (People who earn over $1 million a year get an average tax break of $143,000 from the Bush tax cuts.   People making about $50,000 a year get an average tax break of about $1,000.)

Care of Earth: The State Department is preparing to re-open its review of the environmental impacts of the Keystone XL pipeline leg that runs from Canada to Nebraska.  The public has a chance to submit comments on the scope of this review through July 30.  Urge the Obama administration to fully review the climate consequences of Keystone XL.  Climate change is not in our national interest; neither is a pipeline transporting tar sand material. 

In the Spirit of St. Vincent: Urge U.S.Representatives to oppose cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act (H.R. 6083).  These cuts would eliminate food assistance to millions of low-income families with children and seniors. 

Death Penalty: Thank Ohio Governor John Kasich who granted clemency and commuted the death sentence of John Eley to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Demand that Bahraini authorities protect free speech and release human rights activist Nabeel Rajab, jailed for libel and "insulting a national institution" (exercising his human right to free speech) on Twitter.  (International Action available)

Urge U.S. Representatives (1.202.224.3121; charges apply) to vote NO on current proposed FY 2013 Pentagon Budget unless it includes Lee amendments and YES for Jobs Program, Federal Aid to States and Vital Social Services.  Ask that she/he vote for the Lee amendments and any others, which eliminate funding for continued fighting in Afghanistan, for the use of drones and for expensive and unnecessary weapons systems.  Use the saved Pentagon money to adequately fund domestic needs.

Jani Silva, a Columbian community organizer, states that 115 families from Perla Amazonica, Putumayo have joined the ranks of Columbia’s 5.2 million internally displaced persons.  Those hundreds remaining in the communities within the region are preparing to flee from the violence that the Columbian Armed Forces and the insurgency continue to fight through civilians.  The 12^th year anniversary of Plan Columbia military package is not leading to peace.   Send the U.S.Congress and the U.S. Ambassador in Columbia a message in support of Perla Amazonica. 

This is the third week of the first ever Arms Trade Treaty and the U.S. is demanding a vague, open-ended “escape clause” that would trump human rights concerns – essentially giving weapons suppliers a free pass to continue supplying weapons to countries with human rights abuses.  Urge President Obama’s UN delegation that we expect better.  

American Airlines just secured a baseless injunction to delay their employees’ right to vote in protecting themselves as the airline attempts to gut their jobs, benefits and working conditions through bankruptcy proceedings this month.  Urge American Airlines to stop squashing their employee’s right to vote.

A six minute film on the plight of the undocumented by John X. Carey is located here.

A calculator compares your taxes under three different proposals for Bush Tax Cuts telling you what percentile you fall into and how much of the tax cuts in a given scenario will go to people in higher percentiles than you (i.e. people richer than you.). 

Weekly Justice Highlights

Urge U.S. Representatives to stop attempting to derail full implementation of the Healthcare law and get back to work creating good jobs for Americans. (Act as soon as possible)

In the spirit of St. Vincent: Call and urge U.S. Representatives (1.202.224.3121; charges apply) to protect hungry families from cuts by opposing any Farm Bill that cuts billions from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Currently the House is on track to cut $16.1 billion from SNAP. This means two to three million individuals will lose their food assistance entirely and nearly 300,000 children will lose free school meals.

Solidarity with Sudan: Tell President Obama that working with Sudan and South Sudan to achieve sustainable peace must remain a top priority of his foreign policy agenda as the country celebrates its one year anniversary.   

Care of Earth: Urge U.S. Representatives to support the DeFazio amendment that would make void Monsanto’s rider in the 2012 Farm Bill requiring the Secretary of Agriculture to grant a temporary permit for the planting or cultivation of a genetically engineered crop, even if a federal court has ordered.  

The July Stop Trafficking newsletter co-sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth is located here. 

Call and urge U.S. Senators (1.202.224.3121; charges apply) to co-sponsor and support the African Growth and Opportunity Act (S. 3326) that would keep rules in place to support the budding garment industry in Africa. With this rule set to expire on September 300, African manufacturers will die and millions will lose jobs.

Urge the Environmental Protection Agency to save Bristol Bay from the potential devastating impacts of Pebble Mine.

Urge U.S. Representatives to oppose H.R. 4402, the National Strategic and Critical Minerals Production Act of 2012 that would allow mining companies to negotiate with federal agencies to shortcut the critical public review process.

Weekly Justice Highlights

Good News: The president of Ecuador, Rafael Correa, has announced that Ecuador will no longer send its soldiers to the School of Americas (SOA/WHINSEC). 

Care of Earth: Urge Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to deliver a full environmental review of America’s needs as Energy giant TransCanada has submitted a new application to build the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline.

As the Afghanistan war continues to break records in number of casualties this year, U.S. citizens are urged to contact members of Congress demanding military oversight and to end the war. 

While members are home over the July 4 recess, now is the perfect time to visit, call or write U.S. Representatives urging them to support a fair Farm Bill that feeds hungry people at home and abroad, promotes stewardship and strong conservation programs, reduces subsidies to those who really don’t need the assistance, and use the savings to support domestic and international hunger, nutrition and development programs.  A message can be adapted by clicking here.

The Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR) has written a letter to Jacques from the shareholder perspective.  Now ICCR has launched a petition to Mr. Jacques Rogge, President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) urging him to do all in is power to join the global movement to eliminate trafficking and slavery.  The petition is located here.

Beth Terry who works to be plastic free has written a book, Plastic Free: How I Kicked the Plastic Habit and How You Can Too.  It is published plastic-free.  An article about her work is here.

Legislative Accomplishments

Legislative Accomplishments April to June 2012

In April, Governor Dannel Malloy of Connecticut signed legislation to abolish the Death Penalty.  Connecticut becomes the 17^th state to abandon the death penalty.   

In April, several of the largest tobacco companies, including Reynolds American, agreed to designate a committee made of representatives of tobacco manufacturers, tobacco growers, and farmworkers agreed to meet with FLOC. 

In April, President Obama signed the STOCK Act that requires proactive online disclosure of public officials’ financial dealings.  This act will improve accountability if Congress and the administration create a website that allows the public to quickly find the information in a format that is easy to understand. 

In May, the U.S. Senate passed the International Protecting Girls by Preventing Child Marriage Act. This is an important step in upholding the rights of adolescent girls around the world and a critical step in preventing the harmful practice of child marriage.

In June, the Environmental Protection Agency proposed clean air standards that could save thousands of lives and sweep the air clean of choking haze.  A federal judge ordered the EPA to get moving on this proposal. 

In June, the Obama Administration granted relief from deportations to DREAMers and provided a pathway to work permits. 

In June, Texas announced that it would test the DNA on the potential execution of Hank Skinner at the urging of the public. 

In June, the Senate rejected a measure intended to roll back the Environmental Protection Agency's implementation of the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS), a rule that would limit mercury emissions from coal-burning power plants.

In June, the New York legislature stopped Vulture Funds in New York.  Jubilee activists stopped A7967 and S3767. One of these pieces of legislation would have allowed these funds to litigate poor countries into submission. Both Zambia and the Ivory Coast would have been impacted.

In June, all anti-Clean Water Act amendments were stripped from the Senate Farm Bill. 

In June, the U.S. Senate passed a fair Farm Bill that promotes human dignity, feeds the hungry, supports small family farmers and fosters stewardship of creation. 

In June the president of Ecuador, Rafael Correa, announced that Ecuador will no longer send its soldiers to the School of the Americas (SOA/WHINSEC).