September 2012
International Peace Day
International Peace Day
First celebrated in 1982, International Peace Day (September 21) is a day that provides an opportunity for all individuals, organizations and nations to create practical acts of peace. The theme for this year’s International Peace Day is “Sustainable Peace for a Sustainable Future.” In
Reflection/Action:
- Express “Peace” in artistic media or poetry.
- Read and reflect on Pope John XXIII’s
encyclical, Pacem in Terris (Peace on Earth).
- Write a prayer for peace and/or plan a prayer
service for peace.
- Contact a local government official and ask
what s/he plans to do in the civic community to celebrate the
International Day of Peace.
- Write a letter to the editor expressing your
hopes for peace in your local community; in the world.
- Plant or re-dedicate a peace pole in your community, parish, school, etc.
- Plant a rock for peace.
- Write peace statements on paper and turn them
into objects of art.
- Educators can obtain a booklet on "Peace Lessons from around the World." Contact Sr. Caroljean at the NGO
office at cjwilliengo@gmail.com for an entire page of suggestions for
educators.
- Reflect on a peace quote.
- Join with people throughout the world for a
one minute “Pause for Peace” in your geographic location.
Election time has circled around again and no doubt many of us remember the document Faithful Citizenship from the U.S. Catholic Bishops. The document states that, "Responsible citizenship is a virtue, and participation in political life is a moral obligation." In addition to the Faithful Citizenship document that exists from the U.S. Catholic Bishops, attentiveness to the signs of the times and critical thinking are imperative to conscious formation and decision-making. The media and candidates tend to frame issues in such a way that the public is attracted toward these messages. It is important to consider how issues are framed and what language we hear in that framing. Recent reading indicates that America's two-party system is more divided than ever and that consequences exist no matter who ends up in the White House in January. The two most dominant framing models in today’s political conversations are those of the “Strict Father” and the “Nurturing Parent.” Below are the power beliefs of each:
The Strict Father:
- We live in a dangerous world with constant
competition.
- Morally there are absolute rights and wrongs.
- The strict father is THE moral authority in
the family and knows what to do.
- The father's authority and decisions are not
to be challenged.
- Obedience to the father is moral and
disobedience is immoral.
- Children are born undisciplined and are
taught through rules.
- Rewards and punishments are the key to
learning.
The Nurturing Parent:
- We live in a complex world.
- Apart from some basic rules (i.e. don't kill), right and wrong
are complex issues that each person needs to develop a conscience to
assess.
- Moral authority is nurtured in each person
and shared in the group.
- Challenging authority is nurtured in each
person and shared in the group.
- Not engaging in dialogue and hearing your
conscience is immoral.
- Children are basically good and need to be nurtured
to empathy.
- Empathy and solidarity are the keys to
learning.
With continued reflection on the issues and the candidates as election time nears, critical analysis in the form of questions based on Catholic Social Teaching. Thus, each of us are invited, amidst our contemplative time, to be with these potential questions:
- What combination of the above frameworks did
I experience while growing up? Do I still operate from these frames? How
difficult or easy is it to change these frames?
- Where is Jesus’ historical life amidst these
two models? As he relates to Abba Father? As he relates to his followers?
- The document from the United
States Catholic Conference of Bishops entitled Faithful Citizenship and a vast
array of materials for use in a variety of settings.
- How is the document Faithful
Citizenship framed? What value does this have for the common
good?
- What is the current reality in institutions
such as my national government? The Catholic Church? Media? The
environment where I minister?
- How does my language and the way I frame what
I say add to the extremes of these frameworks?
- Where is the potential bridge that connects
these two frameworks?
In this election year, little time remains for legislative action amidst an abundance of issues. Among the issues in need of resolution are the FY 2013 budget, the 2012 Farm Bill, the Violence Against Women Act, and Human Trafficking legislation. The U.S. House plans to be in session for 8 days during September. Amidst legislative priorities, campaigning and partisan divide, there exist some approaching legislative deadlines.
- With regard to the Federal Budget,
plans are to pass a 6-month continuing resolution in September that will
keep the government running into FY 2013. Several coalition groups
including NETWORK and Coalition on Human Needs are circulating a letter
calling upon Congress to promote the common good, protect vulnerable
persons, and rebuild the economy. In addition,
- The Farm Bill expires
September 30. The Senate has already passed a farm bill; the House
Agriculture Committee has written one. This legislation includes the
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program/food stamp. Other programs that
support farms and rural communities and work to fight hunger in our
country and around the world are also included in this legislation.
- The Temporary Assistance for Needy
Families (TANF) expires on September 30.
- Emergency Unemployment Compensation benefits expire on December 31.
- Personal income tax rates as per the Economic Growth and Tax
Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001, the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief
Reconciliation Act of 2003 and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
of 2009 are set to expire in December 2012. These are the income tax cuts
that have benefited the top 1-2% of the population.
- Individuals may remember that late in 2011
(The Budget Control Act), a super committee (Joint Select Committee on
Deficit Reduction) was put together to decrease the deficit by at least
$1.2 trillion. The committee failed to do this leaving what we call sequestration
(automatic spending cuts) to take place on January 1,
2013. These automatic cuts DO NOT reach Social Security,
Medicaid, or many other programs for low-income Americans. Any Medicare
cuts would affect payments to providers, not beneficiaries. The automatic
cuts that are scheduled would affect defense and non-defense programs
equally and unfortunately, would include discretionary programs that
specifically serve low-income people.
- It has been nearly a year since the Violence
Against Women Act (VAWA) expired and there have been over 1.29
million domestic acts of violence committed since the expiration. There
have been 253 members of Congress who have voted to protect perpetrators.
Urge federal legislators (1.202.224.3121; charges apply) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell to
support and pass the Violence Against Women Act (S. 1925) as soon as
possible.
- There are four pieces of legislation related
to human trafficking in need of action. These are
highlighted by Polaris Project with action. They include the Trafficking
Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA) of 2011(S. 1301); the
Business Transparency on Trafficking and Slavery Act (H.R. 2759); the
Strengthening the Child Welfare Response to Trafficking Act (H.R. 2730)
and the End Trafficking in Government Contracting Act of 2012 (H.R.
4259/S.2234). September 4 is a national call in day for S. 1301.
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