Weekly Justice Highlights

Human Trafficking:  The November issue of Stop Trafficking co-sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth is located here.  

Empowering Women:  The Charity Federation invites individuals to act in support with Sisters in the Korean Province with regard to acts of prostitution that happened during the Second World War.  Help these individuals obtain an apology from the Japanese government for allowing soldiers to abuse these women.   

Challenging Unjust Systems:  U.S. citizens are invited to urge Congress to commit to voting NO on "fast tracking" the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement.    

U.S. Budget talks continue and legislators need to hear from constituents.  Urge federal legislators to reach a framework agreement by the end of November that does not include sequestration cuts and indecision that leads to more cuts but rather a Faithful Budget.       

Care of Earth: Urge the Department of Interior Secretary, Jewell, to support a bill to close the Halliburton Loophole that exempts hydraulic tracking from the Safe Drinking Water Act and parts of other critical environmental laws.    

Empowering Women and Men: Act in support of the Military Justice Improvement Act that would help women and men in the military by taking rape charges outside of the chain of command and leave it with independent prosecutors.      

In the Spirit of St. Vincent:  Call U.S. Senators (1.888.705.5182; NO charges) urging them to vote yes on the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2013 that would raise the federal minimum wage to $10/hour in three phases so that those who remain stuck at $2.13/hr (tipped workers of which women are 70%) could afford food, housing and other necessities for their families and improve economic growth.

Kentucky:  A video is available on the Bluegrass Pipeline Bust.   

Promotion of Peace: The School of the Americas vigil is this weekend (http://www.soaw.org).  Individuals and groups are invited to pray in solidarity with those attending in Fort Benning, Georgia.  
Provident God, aware of our own brokenness, we ask the gift of courage to identify how and where we are in need of conversion in order to live in solidarity with all Earth's people.  Deliver us from the violence of superiority and disdain.  Grant us the desire, and the humility, to listen with special care to those whose experiences and attitudes are different from our own.  Deliver us from the violence of greed and privilege. Grant us the desire, and the will, to live simply so others may have their just share of Earth's resources.  Deliver us from the silence that gives consent to abuse, war and evil.  Grant us the desire, and the courage, to risk speaking and acting for the common good.  Deliver us from the violence of irreverence, exploitation and control.  Grant us the desire, and the strength, to act responsibly within the cycle of creation.  God of love, mercy and justice, acknowledging our complicity in those attitudes, actions and words which perpetuate violence, we beg the grace of non-violent hearts.  Amen.  (Source: Sisters of Divine Providence)