The CARE Action Network invites you...

Save the date for Thursday, March 5! If you want to learn more about the great work that CARE does to fight global poverty by empowering marginalized women and girls to bring lasting change to their communities here’s your chance.

In honor of International Women’s Day, CARE will present A POWERFUL NOISE in 450 movie theatres nationwide. The movie will be shown at 5:30 p.m. Mountain Time

Albuquerque, Santa Fe and central and northern New Mexico residents can view the movie at the Albuquerque Dowtown 14 and the Cottonwood 16 buy tickets

For our friends, in Las Cruces and southern New Mexico, the nearet theater is the Cielo Vista Mall in El Paso buy tickets

The movie takes you inside the lives of three women from different countries to witness their daily efforts to fight HIV/AIDS, champion girls’ education and unite ethnically divided communities. The film will be immediately followed by a town hall discussion with expert and celebrity panelists – including Nicholas Kristof, Christy Turlington Burns and Dr. Helene Gayle - broadcast live from New York City to participating theatres.

There is the possibility that the CARE Action Network (CAN) will host a local question-and-answer session. To find out more, please drop a note to Keith West-Harrison, CAN's volunteer state coordinator in New Mexico. keithwestharrison@mac.com

"We are trying to fill more than 120,000 theatre seats on March 5, so your presence is important! Forward this to your friends, family and co-workers and invite them to come to the theatres on that date," said Mr. West-Harrison.

CARE would like to make this the biggest awareness-building event in the organization's history. If you would like to help, you can take steps such as as championing a theatre, posting banner ads on your websites, or creating an event on your Facebook page. Local and national assistance is provided. Please drop a note to Mr. West-Harrison at the above address or visit this site.

"I would also encourage you to pass this on to your co-workers, book clubs and other personal/professional organizations that you may be involved with," said Mr. West-Harrison. "We have resources they can use to turn this into a group night out as well."

Mr. West-Harrison had a chance to view the movie at the CARE National Conference in Washington last summer and offers a strong recommendation.

"It was an emotionally moving experience. To see how these women live compared to our lives is drastic," he said. "It was truly inspiring to see how people with so little have made such a big impact on their communities."

If you would like to know more about CARE and CAN, please join us at the Bread for the World Offering of Letters Workshop in Santa Fe on March 1. Mr. West-Harrison is one of our speakers.

HUNGER ACTION FORUM

A Bread for the World Workshop for Las Cruces and El Paso

• LEARN about Bread for the World's 2009 Offering of Letters Campaign and how to organize in your community
• LEARN what is going on in your local community on poverty and hunger in relation to immigration and the faith community
• LEARN about poverty and nutrition
• REFLECT on the biblical basis for justice
• ACT and get your congregation or campus to make hunger history.

Peace Lutheran Church
1701 E. Missouri Ave,
Las Cruces, N.M.
10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

PARTICIPANT INFORMATION
The Forum is FREE and sponsored by Bread for
the World and Peace Lutheran Church’s World
Hunger Committee. Participants will receive a
free 2009 Offering of Letters Kit.
Click here to RSVP

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

10:00 a.m. Welcome and Opening Prayer
-LaVerne Kaufman, District Coordinator, Bread for the World Las Cruces.
10:10 Seeking Justice on the Border
- Rebecca Wiggins, College Instructor, NMSU
Rebecca has worked with issues of poverty,economic development and human rights
in the border colonias of the United States and Mexico and also with women in Chiapas, Mexico.
10:35 Bread for the World’s 2009 Offering of Letters Video.
- The 2009 Video highlights this year’s Bread campaign to urge Congress to rework U.S. Foreign assistance to make it more effective in reducing poverty with stories from Latin America
and Africa.
Following the video Meredith Story-Williams, Regional Organizer for the Central Southern Region will discuss how to conduct an Offering of Letters.
11:05 Break
11:15 Reforming Foreign Assistance
- Robin Stephenson, Field Organizer for Bread for the World’s Western Region, will give a
power point presentation on this year’s Offering of Letters campaign.
12:00 Breaking of Bread
- Peace Lutheran Church’s World Hunger Committee will provide a simple meal of Bread and Soup
12:45 Biblical Basis For Justice
- Ellen Young, long time member of Bread for the World, will provide insights into the Biblical
basis for justice.
1:00 Breakout Sessions (see below)
1:45 Reassemble for benediction and final thoughts.

BREAKOUT SESSIONS
Participants may choose one of the following sessions for the afternoon.

A. Advocacy 201: Building the Anti-Hunger Movement Locally
Think globally and organize locally. Organizers Robin Stephenson and Meredith Story-Williams will teach participants methods to organize in their own communities through chapter building, congressional visits and outreach.

B. Our Borders. Our Neighbors
Ryan Steinmetz, Director of Border Servant Corps in Las Cruces and El Paso along with Rebecca Wiggins will discuss efforts to provide for the needs of border communities in the region.

C. Poverty and Nutrition
Kari Bachman, Program Coordinator of Nutrition Education at NMSU will talk about nutrition, food culture, and food security for low income families.

Questions?
LaVerne Kaufman, Volunteer District Coordinator, Bread for the World Las Cruces. lrkaufman@zianet.com (575) 382– 7430.

Robin Stephenson, Field Organizer Bread for the World Western Region. rstephenson@bread.org (888) 75-BREAD Extension 5.

Meredith Story-Willams, Central Southern Region, breadtx@bread.org (888) 257-0239

Mark Your Calendars

Offering of Letters Workshops

In 2009, Bread for the World will urge Congress to rework U.S. foreign assistance to make it more effective in reducing poverty. While the world has changed dramatically, the 1961 Foreign Assistance Act still drives how we deliver foreign aid.

U.S. foreign aid programs are scattered across 12 departments, 25 agencies, and nearly 60 government offices. A more efficient system will ensure poor people get help faster and more effectively. In 2009, a new U.S. president and Congress present a once-in-a-generation opportunity to make U.S. foreign assistance more effective in reducing hunger and poverty.

Come learn how your church, congregation or group can participate in the campaign.

ALBUQUERQUE
Saturday, February 28
9:30 a.m.-Noon
St. Andrew Presbyterian Church
5301 Ponderosa NE
(east of San Mateo, north of Comanche)
Map

Speakers:
Mark Peceny, chair, Political Science Dept., UNM
Mark is a long-time member of Bread for the World. His research and teaching interests at the University of New Mexico lie in the areas of international relations, U.S.foreign policy and inter-American relations. He will give us a brief history and background on U.S. foreign-aid policies, and how those policies have affected countries around the world.

Robin Stephenson, Bread for the World field organizer
Robin works out of the Bread for the World western regional office in Portland, Oregon. She will provide background about this year’s Offering of Letters, including strategies for letter-writing and relevant legislation.

Maria Franco-Tapia, Heifer International staff
Maria is on of two community relations coordinators for Heifer in the Central Region, which includes New Mexico. She will tell us about the work of her organization in poor countries around the world and how people in New Mexico can become involved in the work of Heifer. Heifer International works with communities around the world to end hunger and poverty and to care for the earth.

Click here to RSVP for this workshop

SANTA FE
Sunday, March 1
1:30-4:00 p.m.
First Presbyterian Church
208 Grant Ave. (across from the former Sweeney Center)
Map

Speakers:
Tom McDermott, former UN regional director
Tom, who spent 39 years working in international development through UNICEF and the Peace Corps, will give us a bit of background on U.S. foreign aid policies and how those policies have affected other countries. He is currently special events coordinator and community liaison for the Santa Fe Council for International Relations, a >non-partisan organization dedicated to the belief that individual citizens can shape foreign relations “one handshake at a time.”

Robin Stephenson, Bread for the World field organizer
Robin will provide background about this year’s Offering of Letters, including strategies for letter-writing and relevant legislation.

Keith West-Harrison, New Mexico state chair, CARE Action Network (CAN)
Keith, who is based in Santa Fe, will tell us how people in New Mexico can become involved with CAN, which is comprised of volunteers around the country who support the work of CARE. Their main goal is to educate our nation's leaders about issues of global poverty. CARE is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty.

Click here to RSVP for this workshop

For more information, contact breadnm@gmail.com

A Table of Blessings

First United Methodist Church is one of the congregations in Albuquerque that has most embraced Bread for the World. The evidence is the way in which the church chose to observe Hunger Sunday this year on the Sunday before Thanksgiving.

The Social Justice Team and Pastor David Okerberg used bulletin inserts, scripture readings, bulletin reflections, pulpit reflections and a special monetary offering to ensure that the congregation was in solidarity this day with poor and hungry people around the world. (The congregation collected more than $1,300 for Bread for the World).

But the organizers wanted to ensure that Hunger Sunday was not going to be just a one-day event. They put together a booklet, comprised of favorite short table blessings from members of the congregation, to distribute a few weeks after Hunger Sunday.

"Their blessings are collected here for your use and reflection," said the booklet. "Some are family-related or personal; others are anonymous; some tuneful and physical; some are traditional; others are 'different.' Some are borrowed from famous writers; others are heritage blessings in the language of our ancestors.

All are filled with joy, praise, thanksgiving, and love of God and of our brothers and sisters who suffer from want.

Behind every effort like this one, there is always one person or team that provides the energy to make it happen. In this case, the person was Estella Gahala, who also led the congregation's successful Offering of Letters campaign in the spring. "Our association with...Bread for the World has blessed us at FUMC," said Estella.

Click here to read a sampling of the blessings in the booklet.

A sampling of blessings

Here is a sample of some of the blessings contained the First United Methodist Church booklet:

Personal blessings:
Come, dear Jesus, be our guest.
Bless this food thou has given us.
-Vicki Zinn

Traditional blessings:
Our morning Joy, our evening Rest,
And with our daily bread impart
Thy love and peace to every heart. Amen.
-the Book of Common Worship

Tuneful blessings:
(Sung to the tune of "The Addams Family")
We thank you for our food, Lord,
For all the things you do, Lord.
We thank you for our parents
And all our family,
Do do do do
Do do do do
Do do do do.
Amen.
-Dana Stringer

Not-Your-Typical Blessings
First everyone finds the cook and throws a kiss to the cook.
Then everyone throws a kiss skyward.

Borrowed Blessings
For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food,
For love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
(offered by Calla Ann Pepmuller)

Heritage Blessings
A New Mexican blessing:
Bendito seas, Señor, Dios del universo,
Por este pan, fruto de la tierra y del trabajo del hombre,
Que recibimos de tu generosidad
Y ahora te presentamos;
El será para nosotros
pan de vida.
-offered by Estella Gahala-Lange

O Lord, give bread to those who have hunger
and hunger of Thee to those who have bread.
-Haitian proverb

'Last year I was your donor, and this year I need your help.'

The top story in this morning's edition of the Albuquerque Journal featured Gov. Bill Richardson's decision to withdraw his name for consideration as President-elect Obama's commerce secretary. While that story was huge and deserved major attention, there were other articles published in the back pages or sections of the newspaper that in my opinion merit some attention.

For example, there was the blurb about the Albuquerque Bar Association's forum on Tuesday, Jan. 6, about the legal rights of the poor in New Mexico.
The one story that caught my attention, however, was the one-on-one interview with Melody Wattenbarger, director of the Roadrunner Food Bank. The story was carried in the Business Outlook section. My guess is that many readers do not pick up this section, since most articles are business-oriented. But that's just a guess.

Still, I credit the Journal and Assistant Business Editor Autumn Gray for choosing to interview Ms. Wattenbarger, a very dedicated member of our anti-hunger and anti-poverty community in New Mexico.

Since online access to the Journal is restricted to subscribers, I will run excerpts from the interview that I found most compelling.

Q: How much have you seen hunger and poverty increase in the state in the last year, or in the last few months as the recession has worsened?
A: I'm entering my 23rd year doing this kind of work. I have never received the kinds of calls and inquiries as I am receiving now. For one thing, we're receiving requests for food help via e-mail, which I don't remember until the last few months that ever happening. And the e-mails are coming from places you would recognize — businesses and places that you would know, and the people who are working there need help. We started seeing it as a consequence of all of the inflation — the inflation in fuel, which is now reversed, but fuel drove up the price of things and the price of those things has not dropped, like food. People were just finding that their salaries weren't making it anymore. It just didn't stretch far enough.

I also found this question very interesting....

Q: So hunger is no longer that far removed from the local business world?
A: I can't say where those e-mails are coming from. I wouldn't say. But Business Outlook readers have employees who are at work sending e-mails to the food bank saying I can't feed my kids. And we're seeing huge percentage increases — 30 and 40 percent increases (in people in need) from the organizations that we serve. And the numbers were high already. A lot of those people are new, brand new, people who never needed help before. Some of them have even said to us, 'Last year I was your donor, and this year I need your help.'

If you have a delivery and/or online subscription to the Journal, click here to read the full piece.

A Lobby Visit with One of our New Members of Congress

As part of Bread for the World's Beat 08 campaign, members around the country attended candidate forums and met candidates for Congress to bring up hunger- and poverty-related issues.

This effort continued past the Nov. 4 election, when members sought out the newly elected representatives to discuss issues important to our organization.

On Monday, Dec. 22, Bread member Jim Brown (pictured at right) met in Santa Fe with Rep.-elect Ben Ray Lujan, who will represent the New Mexico Third Congressional District.

Here is a short account of Jim's visit with Rep.-elect Lujan.

I was able to meet with Congressman-elect Ben Ray Lujan one-on-one representing Bread for the World.

After giving him some basic information about Bread and some brochures, I answered some questions which he posed about our organization. He did say that what we represent, fighting hunger and the many related causes and issues, was a subject of interest to him.

I said I would be in touch with the proper staff person on our issues once his office was fully set up. -Bro. Jim Brown, FSC

Speaking of our new congressional delegation, here is a great guest piece written by Julie Heinrich, wife of Rep.-elect Martin Heinrich, in the Democracy for New Mexico blog. The article gives us an overview of Rep.-elect Heinrich's busy work since he was elected to represent the New Mexico First Congressional District.

We look forward to following up with Rep. Lujan, Rep. Heinrich and the rest of our New Mexico congressional delegation on Lobby Day in mid-June (probably June 15).

A Christmas Card

Bread for the World-New Mexico

Wishes you

a Blessed and Merry Christmas

Fourth Week of Advent: A Sunrise Prayer

Riding on our new Railrunner service between Albuquerque and Santa Fe, it's very easy to get lost in the landscape. As the train rolls just past the city limits of Albuquerque, our local mountain range is quite visible to the right. One cannot help but notice how the light plays with the shadows and shapes of the Sandia Mountains.
There is quite a different landscape on the return trip from Santa Fe in the evening. Again, sitting on the right-hand side of the train, I detect the Jemez Mountains much further in the horizon. The Jemez aren't as tall as the Sandias but the light from our Creator plays with them just as well.

So in that spirit of light, I want to share this poem from Praying Advent (Creighton University)

Thank you. What a gift this morning from you as I watched the blazing sunrise through a cloudy winter sky. It is hard getting up these dark mornings, Lord, and yet you gift me with a sight that I miss at other times of year, when the weather is warmer and the sun rises before I get up.

I stared out the window at the red and purple light, gloriously framed by the gold of the rising sun. "Be still, and know that I am God" was the only thing that came to me. I watched in silence, filled with a sense of your presence in my life.

I am filled with gratitude this day for such a treasure and could feel it and see it as a gift from you. Thank you for your love. Today, let me carry a sense of how much you love me to send me such a gift.

Let that awareness of your love change the way I treat others today. Let me be more reverent in the irritations of the day. I ask your help to move through my errands and holiday preparations today with peace and a sense of your sunrise in my heart. Your glory fills my spirit and I want only to give thanks with my life this day.

Local community food advocate recommends direction for USDA

Mark Winne, a Santa Fe-based advocate for community-based food systems, wrote a piece in his blog in which he recommends the direction that the U.S. Department of Agriculture should take under the new administration.

Here's an excerpt:

The mere structure of the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture...presents a lingering policy problem that thwarts those growing hordes of activists who see the promise of justice and sustainability being fulfilled at the community level.

USDA is hopelessly fragmented into programs that assist farmers – mostly very large commodity farmers, as we know; programs (15 separate ones in all) that feed people such as food stamps; and programs that support conservation.

If I walked into USDA headquarters in Washington, DC and asked to see someone who could help me develop a local food system that respected our natural resources, rewarded farmers with a decent livelihood, and provided healthy food to all our residents, nobody would know where to send me.

Read the full piece, entitled If Only He Asked Me - Thoughts on a New Way for USDA

Click here to access more of Mark's thoughts via his website and blog, including information about his recently published book, Closing the Food Gap. I wrote about it in a previous blog post.

2009 Offering of Letters: Reforming Foreign Aid

Excerpt from Bread West December newsletter
(By Robin Stephenson and Matt Newell-Ching)

Bread for the World is preparing to launch the 2009 Offering of Letters on Reforming Foreign Aid in January. Our 2009 Offering of Letters will urge Congress to rework U.S. foreign assistance to make it more effective in reducing poverty.

At a time of economic constraint, we have a long-awaited opportunity to make U.S. foreign assistance more effective and get more of our aid to people who really need it.

If foreign aid is fixed, more lives can be saved. Fewer children will die of hunger. Parents will be able to feed their families in the years to come.

Better foreign aid also means less waste. We will be asking Congress to bring U.S. foreign assistance up to date and ensure that development is elevated as a national priority, alongside defense and diplomacy.

Bread for the World has had sent groups to Ethiopia and Nicaragua to gather stories to create this year’s Offering of Letters DVD. Bread staffers Kimberly Burge and Brian Duss wrote about their trip to Nicaragua in the Bread blog. (The above photo was taken during Kimberly and Brian's trip)

Recently Bread for the World president David Beckman spoke about the hunger crisis and Foreign Assistance Reform on Voice of America. You can listen here. As well, there was a very good story on NPR’s All Thing’s Considered with about foreign aid and the next administration. Listen here.

There are good background papers by Bread for the World policy analysts online (you might want to build a study group around these).
1. Global Development: Charting a New Course by Todd Post.
2. Reforming Foreign Aid by Charles Uphau

Finally, the Dec. 14 edition of Parade magazine published a chart that provides good background on the direction of our foreign aid until now. The chart lists the top six recipients of foreign aid and the purpose of that aid. For the top four (Israel, Egypt, Pakistan and Jordan), the words "weapons" and "security" are prominent. For the next two, Kenya and South Africa, the key word is HIV/AIDS.
Here is a link to the chart.

Third Week of Advent: Candles and Gratitude

In many different traditions lighting candles is a sacred action. It expresses more than words can express. It has to do with gratefulness. From time immemorial, people have lit candles in sacred places. Why should cyberspace not be sacred? Click here to light a candle via your computer.
(Thanks to Gratefulness.org for providing this site)

Second Week of Advent: The Deeps of Invisible Light

Praises and canticles anticipate
Each day the singing bells that wake the sun,
But now our psalmody is done.
Our hasting souls outstrip the day;
Now before dawn, they have their noon.
The truth that transsubstantiates the body's night
Has made our minds His temple tent;
Open the secret eye of faith
And drink these deeps of invisible light.

-Thomas Merton
(an excerpt from the poem After the Night Office--Gethsemani Abbey)

First Week of Advent: Prayer Based on Millennium Development Goals

Leader: O God bless our wreath and be with us as we prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ. All: Amen

Leader lights the candle and says:
Brothers and sisters in Christ: As we await the great festival of Christmas, let us prepare our hearts so that we may be shown its true meaning. Let us pray for the world that God so loves; for peace and unity all over the earth; for the poor, the hungry, the cold, the helpless, and the oppressed; the sick and those who mourn; the aged and the little children; and all who rejoice with us but on another shore and in a greater light, that multitude which none can number, whose hope was in the Word Made Flesh, and with whom, in our Lord Jesus Christ, we forever more are one.
Moment of silence
All: Stir up our hearts, O Lord, to prepare the way for your only Son. By his coming, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness and put on the armor of light, that our feet may be strengthened for your service, and our path may be brightened for the work of justice and reconciliation in our broken world.
Leader: God of love, in your mercy,
All: Hear our prayer.

Leader: Let us pray for the poor, hungry, and neglected all over the world, that their cries for daily bread may inspire works of compassion and mercy among those to whom much has been given
Moment of silence
All: Almighty and most merciful God, you took on human flesh not in the palace of a king but in the throes of poverty and need: Grant that your holy and life-giving Spirit may so move every human heart; that, following in the steps of your blessed Son, we may give of ourselves in the service of others until poverty and hunger cease in all the world, and all things are reconciled in the reign of Christ.
Leader: God of love, in your mercy,
All: Hear our prayer.

Leader: Let us pray for schools and centers of learning throughout the world, for those who lack access to basic education, and for the light of knowledge to blossom and shine in the lives of all God’s people.
Moment of silence
All: Eternal God, the author and source of all knowledge and Truth: bless all who seek to learn and those who teach them, and inspire us to break down barriers that withhold education from your children; that, enlightened with the bright beams of Wisdom, all may be equipped to seek the blessings of liberty, justice, and peace.
Leader: God of love, in your mercy,
All: Hear our prayer.

Leader: Let us pray for an end to the divisions and inequalities that scar God’s creation, particularly the barriers to freedom faced by God’s children throughout the world because of gender; that all who have been formed in God’s image might have equality in pursuit of the blessings of creation.
Moment of silence
All: O God, in whom there is neither male nor female, Jew nor Gentile, slave nor free, Unite the wills of all people, that the walls which divide us and limit equality among your children may crumble, suspicions disappear, and hatreds cease; so that all may live together in justice, harmony, and peace.
Leader: God of love, in your mercy
All: Hear our prayer Leader:
Leader: Let us pray for the health of women, children and families around the world, especially for an end to maternal and child mortality, that in building healthy families, all God's people may be empowered to strengthen their communities and repair the breaches which divide nations and peoples.
Moment of silence.
All: Almighty and ever-living God, you were born into human flesh and sanctify all families: Protect the health and safety of all women in childbirth and the children whom they bear, and inspire your people to build strong and healthy families and communities, where all may be strengthened to do your will on earth until the day when you gather us into one heavenly family.
Leader: God of love, in your mercy,
All: Hear our prayer.

Leader: Let us pray for an end to pandemic disease throughout the world, particularly the scourges of HIV/AIDS, Malaria, and Tuberculosis; that plagues of death may no longer fuel poverty, destabilize nations, and inhibit reconciliation and restoration throughout the world.
Moment of silence
All: O God, the strength of the weak and the comfort of all who suffer: Grant your saving health to all who are afflicted by disease throughout the world. Bless the labors of all who minister to the sick, and unite the wills of nations and peoples in seeking an end to the pandemics of our age; that sickness may be turned to health, sorrow turned to joy, and mourning turned to praise of your Holy Name.
Leader: God of love, in your mercy,
All: Hear our prayer.

Leader: Let us pray for an end to the waste and desecration of God’s creation, for access to the fruits of creation to be shared equally among all people, and for communities and nations to find sustenance in the fruits of the earth and the water God has given us.
Moment of silence
All: Almighty God, you created the world and gave it into our care so that, in obedience to you, we might serve all people: Inspire us to use the riches of creation with wisdom, and to ensure that their blessings are shared by all; that, trusting in your bounty, all people may be empowered to seek freedom from poverty, famine, and oppression.
Leader: God of love, in your mercy,
All: Hear our prayer.

Leader: Let us pray for all nations and people who already enjoy the abundance of creation and the blessings of prosperity, that their hearts may be lifted up to the needs of the poor and afflicted, and partnerships between rich and poor for the reconciliation of the world may flourish and grow. Moment of silence
All: Merciful God, you have bestowed upon us gifts beyond our imagining and have reminded us that all that we have belongs to you alone and is merely held in trust by human hands: we give you thanks for those moments of reconciliation and grace we see in our world, of wrongs that are made right, knowing that in your love all things are possible. Inspire in our nation, its leaders and people a spirit of greater sacrifice and devotion in the use of our treasures for the reconciliation of your world; that, in forsaking wealth and giving up ourselves to walk in the way of the Cross, we may find it to be none other than the way of life and peace.

Leader: God of love, in your mercy, All: Hear our prayer. Leader: Let us pray for the departed, particularly those who have died as a result of poverty, hunger, disease, violence, or hardness of the human heart;
Moment of silence
All: Almighty God, whose blessed Son Jesus Christ was born into human flesh to live and die as one of us and destroy forever the bondage of sin and death: We commend to your mercy all your departed servants, particularly those who have died as a result of the brokenness of our world; and we pray that we, too, may share with the Blessed Virgin Mary, [______ and] all the saints in the joy of your heavenly reign.
Leader: God of love, in your mercy,
All:Hear our prayer.
Leader: Eternal God, in whose perfect kingdom no sword is drawn but the sword of righteousness, no strength known but the strength of love: So mightily spread abroad your Spirit, that all peoples may be gathered together and reconciled under the banner of the Prince of Peace, as children of one Father; to whom be dominion and glory, now and forever.
All: Amen
Thanks to the Office of Government Relations of The Episcopal Church for preparing this advent prayer

Human Rights and the Conflict in Congo

As we approach the 60th anniversary of the launch of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights, I would like to especially draw attention to the crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The bottom line is that war and conflict in the Congo are creating several emergencies where basic human rights are being violated. The crisis has generally been forgotten by most of the world for many years. Read Op-Ed piece in The Christian Science Monitor.

Oxfam, which works to bring relief to many areas of conflict around the world, offers this description of the situation in the sub-Saharan country:

Since war broke out in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1998, more than 5 million people have died—most of them from lack of access to food and health care. And though the conflict officially ended in 2003, fighting has continued, mainly in the country’s eastern provinces. Read full background from Oxfam.

There is no doubt that the UN Declaration of Human Rights applies in so many ways to this situation. Let me point in particular to Article 25 of the Declaration, which states:

Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control. Click here to see the full declaration (in .pdf format)

While the situation in the Congo appears to be a distant conflict best left to national governments and the community of nations (through the U.N.), we also must consider ways in which we can help.
First, we must encourage the U.S. Congress to introduce legislation that takes direct action. In September, the House of Representatives approved a resolution, HR1227, that has strong language condemning the violence and some very good recommendations, but it falls a little short of direct action.

Another easy way would be to support the efforts of organizations attempting to provide some relief. For example, Oxfam is one of the leading organizations providing water and sanitation. "We are working in the eastern regions of Ituri, North Kivu, and South Kivu where communities are hosting tens of thousands of displaced people," said Oxfam.

Oxfam offers opportunities for you to get involved, either through a donation or simply through raising awareness and other actions.

Another organization working in Congo is Doctors Without Borders, also known by its French name Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF).

"MSF medical teams carry out emergency surgery, treat injuries including gunshot wounds and burns, run mobile clinics to reach those who have fled to safer, more remote areas, provide health care in hospitals and health centers, treat diseases such as cholera, provide medical care to victims of sexual violence, and provide psychological support to those traumatized by what they have experienced," says the organization.
Read full description and/or click here to see a video. Support MSF efforts. More information

Albuquerque Peacemaker Traveling to Congo

But you can also become involved locally by supporting Albuquerque resident Kathleen O'Malley, who will be traveling to the Congo in January as part of a five-member human rights team. The team will document human rights violations and advocate for non-violence during the stay.

Kathleen, who is a local psychologist and peace activist, will discuss her upcoming trip on Saturday, Dec. 6, at the home of Keith and Judy Bierbaum, 1120 Summit Dr. NE, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. She will show a short documentary film and talk about the team's purposes and activities. She will also offer suggestions/opportunities on how you can help with her efforts, either monetarily or other means.

And while we're talking about the anniversary of the U.N. Declaration of Human Rights, I would like to also encourage you to attend a whole host of events taking place in Albuquerque on Dec. 3-10 to mark this very important document. Click here to see list.