Pax Christi Florida

Pax Christi Florida Prayer-Study-Action (PSA) Network October 2009 E-Newsletter Supporters of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) gather at Publix to demand that the largest privately held company in Florida do its part to help improve farm labor conditions and eliminate modern-day slavery in our state. (Photo from CIW web site.) Take Action To Support Coalition of Immokalee Workers! 1. Support the CIW! For actions taking place around the state, click here. 2. See ―Faith In Action‖ below for resources for Farmworker Sunday – Nov. 1, 2009 Be sure to check out the CIW site today, http://www.ciw-online.org for a complete roundup of video and pictures from a weekend full of colorful, lively Publix protests throughout Southwest Florida. +++++++++++ Blessing Prayer Bless the hands of the people of the earth, The hands that plant the seed, The hands that bind the harvest, The hands that carry the burden of life. Soften the hands of the oppressor and Strengthen the hands of the oppressed. Bless the hands of the workers, Bless the hands of those in power above them That the measure they deal will be tempered With justice and compassion. Amen. Source: National Farm Worker Ministry, www.nfwm.org Quote of the Month The problems in Afghanistan cannot be solved by military means alone. Even General David Petraeus agrees with that. But what are the alternatives? The Obama administration has been re-evaluating U.S. policy in the region. If the president is serious about developing more effective strategies, he needs to de-militarize the mission and prioritize political reconciliation efforts. Source: Alternatives to war in Afghanistan by David Cortright Cost of the War as of October 20, 2009 Iraq      Total Number of U.S. soldiers killed: Deaths - State of Florida: Financial Cost to U.S. Taxpayers: 4,351 188 *$693,000,000,000+ Afghanistan Total Number of U.S. soldiers killed: Financial Cost to U.S. Taxpayers: 881 *229,000,000,000+ *Taxpayers in Florida will pay $49.8 billion for total Iraq & Afghanistan war spending since 2001. *Source: National Priorities Project Take Action To End War! Even as we marked the eighth anniversary of the war this month, generals are requesting another escalation of 40,000 American troops for next year, as well as a rapid expansion of the Afghan national army and police. The Obama administration is reevaluating its strategy and considering not sending the additional troops. But President Obama is still saying that he does not plan to substantially reduce current troop levels. We can't afford this war without end. At this critical moment, we must raise our voices!  Call the White House today (202-456-1111), or go to the following web site: http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/. Tell President Obama not to send more troops to Afghanistan, to withdraw our troops and to promote a diplomatic settlement. Call your Congressperson (202-224-3121) and ask him or her to co-sponsor H.R. 3699, introduced by Barbara Lee and 21 other Members of Congress, which will prohibit funding for any increase in the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Sign petition: Afghanistan - A Petition to Take Action Against the War View video, Body of War – for information: http://www.bodyofwar.com/    Pax Christi Florida News Dear Pax Christi Members and Friends, Greetings of peace – I hope this finds each of you in good health and high spirits. There are several items that I want to bring to your attention this month in addition to the many suggestions for prayer, study, and action found in this e-newsletter: 1. We need YOUR input. Please take time to go to PCF’s web site and follow the instructions to complete the SWOT form found there. It is most important for us to learn from YOU what you perceive to be PCF’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. This exercise will only take you 5-10 minutes…thank you in advance for sharing your wisdom with us. 2. PCF Assembly Talks Available! Pat Mahon graciously tape-recorded four of the five presentations given at PCF’s recent assembly and if we are able to work out the technology, we will soon have them uploaded on PCF’s web site. Unfortunately the wonderful address by Dr. Debra Susie of Florida Impact will not be available due to some technical difficulties but we do encourage all of you to go to Florida Impacts web site where you will find a wealth of information on ending hunger in Florida. 3. Great News! Florida mercenary training center voted down! In the September issue of the PCF e-newsletter, we urged you to take action to stop approval of a proposal for a privatized military facility, the Eagle National Security Training Center, in the remote and naturally pristine area of Venus, Florida. We are happy to report that after 11 hours of testimony and public input, Highlands County Commissioners unanimously turned down the rezoning request for the center. Thanks to all who took action! What we cannot do alone, we can do together! 4. PCF Assembly Photos - If you haven’t already viewed the wonderful photos of Pax Christi Florida’s recent assembly taken by John Stewart, please do so as you will surely enjoy them. Additional photos, taken by Johnny Zokovitch, can be found on Pax Christi USA’s web site, click here. 5. PCF Council to Meet early in 2010 – PCF’s council will hold its weekend planning session in late January or early February so please notify me or one of the council member of any items you would like brought to our attention by the end of December. In Christ’s peace, Barbara Richardson (bar8537@earthlink.net) Pax Christi USA News  Pax Christi USA’s October/November 2009 E-Newsletter Pax Christi International News  Pax Christi International’s October 2009 E-Newsletter Study Resources & Articles of Interest EIGHT YEARS OF U.S. WAR IN AFGHANISTAN: THE DOLLARS ADD UP National Priorities Project (NPP) analyses find that, to date, U.S. military operations in Afghanistan have cost U.S. taxpayers $228 billion, $60.2 billion of which was spent in FY 2009 alone. Monthly costs in Afghanistan during FY 2009 averaged $5 billion, up from $3.5 billion per month in FY 2008. In FY 2010, U.S. military spending for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars is projected to be $130 billion. In the past, funding was split between the two U.S. wars at a 70/30 ratio, with the majority of U.S. dollars going to operations in Iraq. In FY 2010, this ratio is projected to shift, with Afghanistan war spending accounting for over 50 percent of total costs. NPP has a host of Afghanistan Warrelated resources, including:     Cost of War Counters: Afghanistan, Iraq and combined, http://www.costofwar.com/ War spending trade-offs: state, Congressional district and more than 1,000 cities and towns, helping to convey the magnitude and meaning of budget figures, http://www.nationalpriorities.org/tradeoffs "Quick facts" about Afghanistan: with troop levels, annual funding, etc., http://www.nationalpriorities.org/2009/09/02/quick-facts-US-military-operationsAfghanistan Cost of War in Afghanistan: a primer on both the human and economic costs of war, http://www.nationalpriorities.org/cost_of_war_afghanistan With the passage of the FY 2010 Department of Defense budget, total U.S. spending for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars will exceed $1 trillion by March of next year. For more information: www.nationalpriorities.org. MOORE’S NEW MOVIE ON CAPITALISM EXPLICIT IN CATHOLIC THEMES Michael Moore's new film, "Capitalism: A Love Story," is representative of his mockumentary style, but what may not be apparent is how much Moore's Catholicism influences the film -- along with a sharp, honest critique of Christianity. Several Pax Christi members have already seen the movie and said it is a ―must see.‖ Read More Related Article: Pax Christi connections in the latest Michael Moore movie by Johnny Zokovitch SPARKS OF ADVENT LIGHT – JOAN CHITTISTER, OSB "Because Advent has been lost somewhere between Thanksgiving turkey and the preChristmas sales, we have lost one of the richest seasons of the year. Unless we can reclaim Advent, the lack of it will show dearly in the way we go through the rest of life itself." – Joan Chittister Includes: Scripture readings and reflections by Joan Chittister for each Advent Sunday and Christmas; thoughts for each day of the week; responses and actions; discussion questions; special Advent and Christmas Week feastdays; O Antiphon section–December 17-23. Advent begins November 29th. $3 (Save $2) To order, click here. Faith in Action! CELEBRATE FARMWORKER SUNDAY – NOVEMBER 1, 2009 The bishops of Florida have designated November 1 as Farmworker Sunday. The following information is provided to assist parishes, parishioners and groups in planning activities for the weekend of October 31 - November 1. If this date is already designated for another issue or activity, a parish may choose to celebrate farmworkers on an alternative Sunday in November. Resources Available!  Mass Readings for the Day  Facts about Farmworkers PowerPoint (takes time to load) \  Facts and Figures on Florida Farmworkers  Prayers  Litany to St. Isidore  Petitions/Intercessions  Hymns  Small Group Discussion  Field Gleaning Experience  Green Ribbon Campaign  Speakers Bureau  Farmworker Justice Committee Bishops' Pastoral Honoring the Dignity of Work: A Call for Solidarity with Florida’s Farmworkers and Other Vulnerable Workers (English / Spanish / Creole) Video Clips: Farmworker Stories (takes time to load)  La familia es lo mas importante/The family is the most important  Mi experiencia de trabajo/My work experience  Recuerdos/Memories Links to Farmworker Organizations/Web Sites  Coalition of Immokalee Workers: www.ciw-online.org  Farmworker Association of Florida: www.floridafarmworkers.org  Farmworkers Self-Help: www.fshflorida.org  Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food: www.usda.gov/knowyourfarmer ANOTHER FLORIDA DEATH WARRANT IS SIGNED Gov. Charlie Crist has signed a Death Warrant for Paul Johnson who is scheduled to be executed on Wednesday, November 4th at 6:00 pm at the Florida State Prison near Starke. Paul Johnson was convicted for the 1981 killing of Polk County Sheriff’s Deputy Theron Burnam, Winter Haven taxi driver William Evans and Lakeland painter Darrell Beasley. Take Action To End Florida’s Death Penalty!  Contact Gov. Charlie Crist and tell him to STOP signing Death Warrants. Call for a ―Time-Out on Executions‖ in order to thoroughly review and openly assess Florida’s Death Penalty system and re-allocate the tens of millions of taxpayer dollars spent on it every year…it is insanely expensive (over $50 million a year), mistake-prone and totally unnecessary (the alternative is permanent incarceration without parole). Gov. Charlie Crist The Capital 400 S. Monroe St. Tallahassee, FL 32399 Phone: 850-488-7146 Fax: 850-487-0801 Email: Charlie.Crist@MyFlorida.com  Please see Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty’ Web page for more information. Click here. Related Article: High Cost of Death Row – NY Times Editorial JOIN INTERNATIONAL DAY OF CLIMATE ACTION – OCT 24 350.org is an international campaign dedicated to building a movement to unite the world around solutions to the climate crisis--the solutions that science and justice demand. Their mission is to inspire the world to rise to the challenge of the climate crisis—to create a new sense of urgency and of possibility for our planet. Take Action on Climate Change:  On October 24, the International Day of Climate Action will cover almost every country on earth, the most widespread day of environmental action in the planet’s history. To be a part of this extraordinary event, click here. NOTE: The Florida Coalition for Peace and Justice will observe International Climate Action Day at the Florida Coalition Teaching Farm on Sunday, October 25 at 10665 SW 89th Ave (at the corner of County Roads 18 and 227) in Hampton, Florida, northwest of Gainesville. Click here for a map. Activities will include a presentation from retired UNF English Professor Allen Tilley who serves on the Northeast Florida Group of the Sierra Club's Executive Committee. The program begins at 4:00 PM; a covered dish potluck is at 6:00 PM. FMI about Allen Tilley, click here; his website with links to articles is at Professor Tilley's Track FMI on the event: bob@fcpj.org or (352) 214-1778.  Call Florida Senator Nelson’s Office - Right now, US Senators are meeting behind closed doors to negotiate the contents of America's first serious attempt to address climate change. With critical UN climate negotiations in Copenhagen mere weeks away, the fate of a fair, ambitious, and binding global climate treaty hangs in the balance. Two key provisions of the bill would fund developing countries' efforts to adapt to climate change and bypass a dirty-energy economy. These efforts are crucial to the global negotiations -- but now they're under fire from the fossil fuel lobby as it seeks to line its pockets with taxpayer money. Florida's Senator Nelson is on the Senate Finance committee, which could announce its climate finance proposal any day now. Let's flood the committee's phone lines to demand that Congress fully fund international climate adaptation and technology transfer. Call Senator Nelson at (202) 224-5274 now to tell him:  The Senate Finance Committee must allocate 5% of the revenue from carbon trading to international adaptation -- to save lives by helping poor countries cope with climate change caused by countries like the US.  The Committee should also allocate 5% of the bill's revenue to international clean tech transfer, to make a global treaty possible and avoid other countries taking the same high-pollution road we've been on.  Funding for climate adaptation and clean tech transfer must be additional to existing aid money -- not taken away from urgent priorities like fighting AIDS and providing clean water. NEW Resource from PCF Member, Mary Ann Holtz Challenge and Hope at this Kairos Moment – a 2 page article prepared by Mary Ann Holtz, member and past coordinator of Pax Christi Florida. This handout was available at PCF’s recent assembly as part of the ―Listening to Earth‖ presentation. We felt it important to make this resource available to all of Pax Christi Florida’s members and friends. To view and download, click here and scroll down to Environmental Resources. OCTOBER 20 – NATIONAL DAY OF ACTION FOR HEALTHCARE The Senate finance committee passed its healthcare bill on Tuesday, October 13, 2009, by a vote of 14-9. All the Democratic Senators on the committee voted for the bill, and so did Republican Senator Olympia Snowe. Every other Republican voted against the bill. Now the healthcare debate moves to its final stages. It is very important to keep the momentum going. What you can do:  Go to http://www.networklobby.org/Oct20sign-on.html to sign on to NETWORK's statement on healthcare reform and add your comments.  Print NETWORK's flyer for the National Day of Action for Healthcare Reform (October 20) and distribute it in your community. The flyer is here: http://www.networklobby.org/issues/2009%20Issue%20Agenda/Oct20Flyer.p df  Hold a prayer service and/or incorporate prayers into your community's liturgies. You can find some sample prayers here: http://www.networklobby.org/issues/2009%20Issue%20Agenda/HealthcarePr ayers.pdf   Send a message to Congress about healthcare reform at http://capwiz.com/networklobby/issues/alert/?alertid=14174956&type=CO Forward this message to others! Related Articles:  Florida's scary vital signs Living Green! Go Green and Save Green 1. Cool it! Refrigerators use up enormous amounts of electricity, so adjust your fridge and freezer temperatures to 37 degrees F and 0 degrees F respectively to maximize efficiency. 2. Stay Local. Buy meat, poultry, eggs and other products locally, reducing your dependence on farms that ship nationwide. 3. Hit the Road. Bike or walk to work to save both gas and money on a gym membership. 4. Double Duty. Buy a reusable water bottle instead of constantly buying bottled water. You’ll make one purchase instead of multiple purchases and you won’t create waste. 5. Pass it On. Teach your children to be responsible for your family’s recycling so they’ll understand the importance of saving money and our planet. Source: Readers’ Digest General Water Saving Tips 1. Create an awareness of the need for water conservation among your children. Avoid the purchase of recreational water toys which require a constant stream of water. 2. Be aware of and follow all water conservation and water shortage rules and restrictions which may be in effect in your area. 3. Encourage your employer to promote water conservation at the workplace. Suggest that water conservation be put in the employee orientation manual and training program. Environmental Articles:    Rare butterfly is a clue to global warming (Evidence of global warming in Florida) Earth’s Life Support Systems Failing The Arctic Will Be Ice-Free in Summer within 20 Years, Research Says Coming Events Always be sure to check Pax Christi Florida’s website for additional events! OCTOBER 23-25: 2009 GANDHI-KING CONFERENCE ON PEACEMAKING Pax Christi Florida’s honorary member, Janice Vanderhaar of Memphis, TN, invites PCF members and friends to the 2009 Gandhi-King Conference on Peacemaking. Join Mubarak Awad, Rudy Balles, Kathy Kelly, Barbara Love, Michael Nagler, and CT Vivian with dozens of workshops, panel discussions, trainings, and other events in a three-day conference that brings together modern visionaries on nonviolence and social change with community leaders, activists, academics, and organizers to train, learn, plan, and organize. The conference will be October 23-25 in Memphis, TN. For more information, click here. NOVEMBER 8 (SUNDAY) AT 1:00 P.M. IN DORAL, FLORIDA Join us for a solidarity Close the SOA Rally, March and Vigil JC Bermudez Park, 3000 NW 87th Avenue, Doral, FL Overlooking the Southern Command Sponsored by SOA Watch: South Florida Participating Groups: Pax Christi: St. Maurice; Pax Christi: Palm Beach, Veterans for Peace: Chapter 032. For more information on this action, call Linda @ 305-801-0245, Ray @ 754-423-0051, or for Spanish, Orlando @ 305-221-0265. NOVEMBER 20 – 22: CLOSE THE SOA The annual gathering at Fort Benning in Columbus, Georgia to close the School of the Americas/WHINSEC torture and terrorism school will be November 20-22. For more information, click here. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Pax Christi Florida http://paxchristiflorida.org Please feel free to share this posting widely – anyone wanting to join PCF’s PSA Network should email Phyllis Jepson at phyllisjepson@earthlink.net. Please be sure to put ―Join PSA Network‖ in the ―Subject‖ line and include your name, mailing address, phone number and email address in the body of the email - your information will NOT be shared. Comments related to this e-newsletter should be directed to Pax Christi Florida’s PrayerStudy-Action E-Newsletter coordinator, Phyllis Jepson, at phyllisjepson@earthlink.net. Thank you! Donations to support the work of Pax Christi Florida should be made payable and mailed to: Pax Christi Florida Mercy-on-the-Manatee 505 Palm Avenue Ellenton, FL 34222 To Contact PCF’s Coordinator: Barbara Richardson (561-307-6293; bar8537@earthlink.net) God bless the whole world...no exceptions!