 National Book Launch in New York City Coming January 2010! (Date TBA) NY Faith & Justice is partnering with New York Times bestselling author Jim Wallis to launch his new book Rediscovering Values on Wall Street, Main Street, and Your Street: A Moral Compass for the New Economy [From the back cover] Getting back to "the way things were" is not an option. It is time we take our economic uncertainty and use it to find some moral clarity. Too often we have been ruled by the maxims that greed is good, it's all about me, and I want it now. Those can be challenged only with some of our oldest and best values-enough is enough, we are in it together, and thinking not just for tomorrow but for future generations. Jim Wallis shows that the solution to our problems will be found only as individuals, families, friends, churches, mosques, synagogues, and entire communities wrestle with the question of values together. Mark your calendars and stay tuned. Book launch details are coming soon. Follow us on our blog or twitter for updates. Contact Miriam at mamo@nyfaithjustice.org or call 212.870.1254 for more information. |
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Book Launch Event
Conversations for Change
Save the Date! February-March 2010  Violence = No Safety No Trust = No Safety Broken Community = No Safety Broken Systems = No Safety No Safety => No new Business => Fewer Jobs => Poverty Join the Conversation. Be the Change. Check out NEW Video from the September Organizing Training Event! South Bronx Conversations for Change will launch weekly small group conversation circles between police and community members February-March 2010. To Register for a Conversation Circle in your neighborhood contact Marian at mamo@nyfaithjustice.org or call 212.870.1254 |
November 2009: Synergy, Solidarity, Symphony
Synergy...
If you've ever been to one of our Faith Leaders for Environmental Justice breakfasts, you know there are three main things we are all about: Food Justice, Climate Justice, and Toxic Hazards that affect poor, under-resourced communities... and by extension they affect us all.
Well, guess what conference the Manhattan Borough President's office is co-sponsoring with NYU and Just Food (the newest organizational partner of NY Faith & Justice).
Click the pic to register now! The last conference the Borough President's office put on reached capacity (at 500 people) in less than a week. This time we have more room, but seats will go fast. So, click or contact Kate Spaulding at kspaulding@manhattanbp.org or 212-669-2094 (Manhattan Borough President's Office) for more info now!
FYI, There will be lots of great learning opportunities. Among them, I will be leading a skills-building workshop on faith-rooted food and climate justice organizing. See you there!
Solidarity...
Pat Purcell, Organizing Director of the United Food and Commercial Workers-Local 1500, offered me his seat. I sat down, pulled the microphone closer, clicked the red button, the red light shined, and the City Council Chamber's two-minute clock ticked down...
On October 26, 2009 I represented NY Faith & Justice members and organizational partners as part of a broad coalition testifying about the city's F.R.E.S.H. (Food Retail Expansion to Support Health) program. The Fresh Program is a wonderful idea that will bring more healthy food to under-resourced areas in all five boroughs. But there's a big and urgent problem. F.R.E.S.H. stores could accelerate gentrification, displacing the very people the program aims to serve. Click here to read my City Council testimony and find out how the council can turn this problem into a opportunity.
...When I finished, the audience cheered and Councilman Robert Jackson sincerely thanked our coalition for its testimony. We gave a one hour presentation to the Black, Latino, and Asian caucus two days later.
Jesus stood in solidarity with the bleeding woman, whose suffering had increased over twelve years (Mark 5:21-43). In the same way, NY Faith & Justice is standing in solidarity with communities that have suffered for years from hunger, diabetes, diabetes related death, and joblessness. Now they are at-risk of massive displacement.
The City Council committees will vote on F.R.E.S.H. on Nov 17 and 24th. Now, is the time to stand in solidarity.
Please take 5 minutes to stand with these bleeding communities. Write or call Speaker Christine Quinn and let her know you care about the F.R.E.S.H. vote. Click here for instructions.
Then join us for the F.R.E.S.H. Rally. Date to be announced. Follow us on twitter for action alerts and rally updates.
Symphony!
... NY Faith & Justice is convening formal and informal organizational partners to co-host the national launch of Jim Wallis's forthcoming book, Rediscovering Values on Wall Street, Main Street, and Your Street: A Moral Compass for the New Economy.
A diverse faith-rooted justice movement is emerging in our city and across the nation. In multiple arenas we are now partnering to press for policies that care for "the least" in our city and our nation. Yet, the events of the past year have revealed our nation's financial center remains unchanged and untouched.
In Rediscovering Values, Wallis (New York Times bestselling author of God's Politics) issues a prophetic call for our nation to see the economic crisis for what it is; a wake up call. He urges us all to seize this moment and use it as an opportunity to consider a new: "What exactly do we value?"
Mark your calendars now! Plan to bring friends and members of your communities. Enter 2010 with us; in a posture of examination and hope.
In the meantime, here are a few ways you can experience the synergy, stand in solidarity, and join the symphony this month!
Click on these links or scroll down for more info:
Thank you for your continued prayers and support. And don't forget to follow us on twitter, facebook, or the nyfj calendar for up to the minute action alerts, program changes, and details.
In Solidarity!
Lisa Sharon Harper
Co-founder and Executive Director
New York Faith & Justice
If you've ever been to one of our Faith Leaders for Environmental Justice breakfasts, you know there are three main things we are all about: Food Justice, Climate Justice, and Toxic Hazards that affect poor, under-resourced communities... and by extension they affect us all.
Well, guess what conference the Manhattan Borough President's office is co-sponsoring with NYU and Just Food (the newest organizational partner of NY Faith & Justice).
Click the pic to register now! The last conference the Borough President's office put on reached capacity (at 500 people) in less than a week. This time we have more room, but seats will go fast. So, click or contact Kate Spaulding at kspaulding@manhattanbp.org or 212-669-2094 (Manhattan Borough President's Office) for more info now!
FYI, There will be lots of great learning opportunities. Among them, I will be leading a skills-building workshop on faith-rooted food and climate justice organizing. See you there!
Solidarity...
Pat Purcell, Organizing Director of the United Food and Commercial Workers-Local 1500, offered me his seat. I sat down, pulled the microphone closer, clicked the red button, the red light shined, and the City Council Chamber's two-minute clock ticked down...
On October 26, 2009 I represented NY Faith & Justice members and organizational partners as part of a broad coalition testifying about the city's F.R.E.S.H. (Food Retail Expansion to Support Health) program. The Fresh Program is a wonderful idea that will bring more healthy food to under-resourced areas in all five boroughs. But there's a big and urgent problem. F.R.E.S.H. stores could accelerate gentrification, displacing the very people the program aims to serve. Click here to read my City Council testimony and find out how the council can turn this problem into a opportunity.
...When I finished, the audience cheered and Councilman Robert Jackson sincerely thanked our coalition for its testimony. We gave a one hour presentation to the Black, Latino, and Asian caucus two days later.
Jesus stood in solidarity with the bleeding woman, whose suffering had increased over twelve years (Mark 5:21-43). In the same way, NY Faith & Justice is standing in solidarity with communities that have suffered for years from hunger, diabetes, diabetes related death, and joblessness. Now they are at-risk of massive displacement.
The City Council committees will vote on F.R.E.S.H. on Nov 17 and 24th. Now, is the time to stand in solidarity.
Please take 5 minutes to stand with these bleeding communities. Write or call Speaker Christine Quinn and let her know you care about the F.R.E.S.H. vote. Click here for instructions.
Then join us for the F.R.E.S.H. Rally. Date to be announced. Follow us on twitter for action alerts and rally updates.
Symphony!
... NY Faith & Justice is convening formal and informal organizational partners to co-host the national launch of Jim Wallis's forthcoming book, Rediscovering Values on Wall Street, Main Street, and Your Street: A Moral Compass for the New Economy.
A diverse faith-rooted justice movement is emerging in our city and across the nation. In multiple arenas we are now partnering to press for policies that care for "the least" in our city and our nation. Yet, the events of the past year have revealed our nation's financial center remains unchanged and untouched.
In Rediscovering Values, Wallis (New York Times bestselling author of God's Politics) issues a prophetic call for our nation to see the economic crisis for what it is; a wake up call. He urges us all to seize this moment and use it as an opportunity to consider a new: "What exactly do we value?"
Mark your calendars now! Plan to bring friends and members of your communities. Enter 2010 with us; in a posture of examination and hope.
In the meantime, here are a few ways you can experience the synergy, stand in solidarity, and join the symphony this month!
Click on these links or scroll down for more info:
- House Gatherings
- Faith Leaders for Environmental Justice Breakfast
- South Bronx Conversations for Change
Thank you for your continued prayers and support. And don't forget to follow us on twitter, facebook, or the nyfj calendar for up to the minute action alerts, program changes, and details.
In Solidarity!
Lisa Sharon Harper
Co-founder and Executive Director
New York Faith & Justice
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Jesus and Justice discussion with Dr. Peter Heltzl
Get a double dose of lively conversation this Saturday, November 14th, as both the Brooklyn and Queens House Gatherings will be having a discussion with Dr. Peter Heltzl about his book, Jesus and Justice: Evangelicals, Race, and American Politics.
Brooklyn House Gathering
Saturday, Nov. 14
12pm-2pm
Sucre Cafe
520 Dekalb Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11206
Map it here.
**Note: The House Gathering has moved from it's normal location for this particular gathering!
Queens House Gathering
Saturday, Nov. 14
7:30pm-9:30pm
69-26 Woodside Ave.
Apt. #2
Woodside, NY 11377
map it here.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Invitation to Next Faith Leaders for Environmental Justice Breakfast
Faith Leaders for Environmental Justice
Invites you to
“Synergy, Solidarity, and Symphony
… for environmental justice”
(a.k.a. How to Organize Your Faith Community to Advocate for a Better World)
Fourth Quarterly Breakfast of 2009
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Breakfast @ 8:30 am
Program @ 9-11am
The Interchurch Center
475 Riverside Drive
New York, NY10115
(Corner of Claremont and 120th, enter on Claremont)
The New York League of Conservation Voters (NYLCV) is now partnering with Faith Leaders for Environmental Justice!
NYLCV is a non-partisan, policy making and political action organization that works to make environmental protection a top priority with elected officials, decision-makers and the voters in New York State. Now NYLCV will join forces with Faith Leaders for Environmental Justice to help mount campaigns that address issues of environmental injustice in the most marginalized corners of our city.
Come hear Marcia Burstyn (President, NYLCV) and get equipped to organize your faith community to advocate for a better world!
This is synergy.
This is solidarity.
It is time to raise our voices in symphony!
To RSVP contact Sarah Sayeed at ssayeed@interfaithcenter.org or call at (212) 870-3519.
Faith Leaders for Environmental Justice is a diverse collaborative network of faith leaders committed to making deep impact on issues of environmental justice in New York City through coordinated collective action.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Tools for Contacting Speaker Christine Quinn
Write Speaker Christine Quinn
Email Speaker Christine Quinn through her page on the NYC City Council websiteand ask that she make sure F.R.E.S.H. includes labor standards: http://council.nyc.gov/d3/html/members/home.shtml
Sample letter:
Dear Speaker Quinn,
New York City is becoming increasingly unaffordable, and many New Yorkers lack access to basic rights like the right to healthy food and the right to a dignified job with a living wage and benefits. Thank you for your leadership and all that you have done to tackle these issues.
A coalition of labor, community and faith leaders are calling for labor standards to be included F.R.E.S.H. We believe that F.R.E.S.H. is a strong step toward developing better food access. Taxpayer dollars, however, should not subsidize stores that pay poverty-level wages. F.R.E.S.H. must not contribute to poverty and gentrification—especially since the community districts affected by F.R.E.S.H. already suffer from the highest rates of poverty. Subsidies should only go to stores that pay living wages, provide decent benefits, and have clear promotional policies.
F.R.E.S.H. needs standards to guarantee that participating stores will empower communities, provide good food, and incentivize the development of living-wage jobs. We hope that City Council will amend the F.R.E.S.H. program, so that F.R.E.S.H. will alleviate rather than exacerbate poverty. Council support for the zoning incentives should be contingent on the inclusion of standards in the EDC financial subsidies.
We will support the F.R.E.S.H. zoning changes if community, environmental, and good job standards are attached to the financial subsidies included in the program. Only by guaranteeing good food and good jobs to all New Yorkers can we alleviate poverty and improve health. Thank you for your support.
Yours,
Call Speaker Christine Quinn
Dial: (212) 788-7210
Introduce yourself and ask to speak with her legislative director or leave a message.
Say why you are calling
I am calling to make sure that the Food Retail Expansion to Support Health Initiative, to be voted on by the City Council includes labor standards.
Ask for a specific action:
Use the following sentence or your own words:
I am calling to ask that the Speaker continue to make progress in attaching labor standards to the financial subsidies triggered by participation in F.R.E.S.H.
Give reasons why:
- Without good jobs standards, taxpayer money may subsidize unscrupulous stores that exploit workers and take advantage of communities.
Standards:
Good Jobs: The supermarket should be required to commit, in order to be eligible for the program, that all jobs at the store will meet minimum good jobs standards, defined as providing wages and contributions for benefits that are no lower than those prevailing in the New York City supermarket industry (taking into account a differential between full-time and part-time employees).
Job Creation: Because the public should see maximum return from public investments, priority should be given to supermarkets that will create the most jobs per public dollar spent with a preference for supermarkets with more than 25 employees.
Local Hiring: The supermarket should participate in a "First Source" hiring system that links employers with community residents and low-income New Yorkers.
Good Food: Stores should participate in the Pride of New York Program.
Transparency: The participating supermarket should be required to report publicly on a bi-annual or annual basis with information necessary to evaluate the food quality and employment standards (e.g. job and wage data) at the supermarkets participating in the loan program. All information should be available online.
Take Action NOW on the FRESH Initiative
The New York City Council is voting on the Food Retail Expansion to Support Health in the coming month. FRESH is a good effort to respond to the needs of many neighborhoods underserved by grocery stores, but FRESH still needs jobs standards!
Because of our united efforts, F.R.E.S.H. has already been improved. The program now includes two of our key recommendations.
· F.R.E.S.H. now includes provisions for community involvement in the program.
· F.R.E.S.H. participants must apply for the EBT and WIC programs.
Unfortunately, FRESH may go foul—unless it includes jobs standards. YOU can make a difference in 5 minutes. Write a letter or make a phone call!
1)Write a letter to City Council Speaker Christine Quinn
2)Call Speaker Christine Quinn
Thanks for your help! The united voices of community groups, labor organizations, hunger advocates, and people of faith are helping to shape the F.R.E.S.H. program to guarantee that it will empower communities. Don’t let F.R.E.S.H. turn foul!
The Good Food, Good Jobs coalition is made up of NY Faith & Justice, NY Jobs with Justice, United Food & Commercial Workers Local 1500, NYC Coalition against Hunger, Families United For Racial & Economic Equality (FUREE), and WE ACT for Environmental Justice. Thirty-two organizations have endorsed the call for jobs standards, as well as 3 borough presidents and a majority of the community boards that will be affected by F.R.E.S.H.
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