Check This Out!

MODERN-DAY SLAVERY MUSEUM TO TOUR NEW YORK

FROM AUGUST 2ND TO AUGUST 4TH

The Florida Modern-Day Slavery Museum consists of a produce truck of the same model that farmworkers were locked inside of and chained in one of the latest slavery prosecutions (U.S. v. Navarrete, 2008), accompanied by displays on the history and evolution of slavery in Florida agriculture. The museum's central focus is on the phenomenon of modern-day slavery – its roots, the reasons it persists, and its solutions.

The exhibits were developed in consultation with workers who have escaped from forced labor operations as well as leading academic authorities on slavery and labor history in Florida. The museum is endorsed by several leading human rights and anti-slavery organizations, including Amnesty International and Anti-Slavery International, respectively the largest human rights organization and the oldest human rights organization in the world. It has recently been hosted at the U.S. State Department building and the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

The museum was conceived by the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, the human rights award-winning farmworker organization that has aided in the prosecution by the Department of Justice of seven farm slavery operations and the liberation of well over 1,000 workers since 1997. A federal indictment for the most recent forced labor case in Florida agriculture was unsealed just this month.

The tour will also raise awareness about labor conditions in the tomato supply chains of Ahold's USA supermarket brands, including Giant, Stop & Shop, and Martins.

“Slavery in Florida agriculture today is not separate from the past – indeed, its roots extend deep within our state’s history. Farmworkers have always been, and remain today, the state’s poorest, least powerful workers,” explains Gerardo Reyes of the CIW. “If we are to abolish slavery once and for all in Florida agriculture, we must pull it up by the roots by addressing farmworker poverty and powerlessness.”

NEW YORK CITY STOPS INFORMATION

Date: Monday, August 2nd

Location: Cathedral of St. John the Divine, 1047 Amsterdam Ave.

(between 112th and 113th Streets)

Time: 10am - 9pm.

Date: Tuesday, August 3rd

Location: Judson Memorial Church, 55 Washington Square South (West

4th at Thompson)

Time: 10am - 9pm.

Date: Wednesday, August 4th

Location: Middle Collegiate Church, 50 E. 7th Street (between First

and Second Avenues)

Time: 10am - 9pm.

Let Your Voice Be Heard

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

EPA considers weakening regulations that will protect children’s

environmental health

When: July 29, 2010

Where: Empire Room at Hilton Times Square

234 W 42nd St., NY, NY 10035

Time: 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Who should be heard? Parents of children in NYC public schools, Teachers, School Custodians and other Maintenance Staff, Environmental Justice Advocates, Environmentalists, Environmental Experts, and Concerned Citizens.

Why? Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) are highly toxic compounds that were banned in 1978. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is considering weakening the regulations for PCB-contaminated caulk with the possibility of eliminating them altogether. Under the EPA’s current regulatory framework, PCBs at greater than 50 parts-per-million (ppm) “present an unreasonable risk of injury to health.” EPA also states that caulk containing more than 50 ppm PCBs “must be removed.”

PCBs in caulk pose a significant risk to human health, especially children’s health.

Background

More than 500 NYC public schools built in the time frame when PCBs were being added to caulk may contain illegal and potentially dangerous levels of PCBs. The timing of the EPA’s decision to reassess its PCB regulations is highly inappropriate. It comes on the heels of a recent groundbreaking agreement entered into by the EPA and the NYC Department of Education (DOE) to carry out a pilot study designed to generate a citywide clean-up plan. This is an obvious attempt to avoid dealing with the potential costs of cleaning up PCB-contaminated caulk. The financial cost of protecting human health is not an acceptable basis for refusing to confront the problem or for undermining efforts to come up with effective solutions.

WE NEED YOU TO MAKE YOUR VOICES HEARD AND ASK THE EPA TO MAINTAIN THE CURRENT REGULATIONS!

EPA REQUIRES AN RSVP! In order to attend or speak at the meeting (identified by docket ID number EPA-HQ-OPPT-2009-0757) PLEASE CALL OR EMAIL:

John H. Smith, National Program Chemicals Division, Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, Environmental Protection Agency at (202)566-0512; e-mail address: smith.johnh@epa.gov.

More information can be found here: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/2010-14522.htm

For more information about this issue please contact

Gigi Gazon (Community Organizer), ggazon@nylpi.org or

Miranda Massie (Sr. Staff Attorney), mmassie@nylpi.org

at New York Lawyers for the Public Interest. (212) 244-4664

http://pcbfree.blogspot.com/

Stand with Arizona...by Marching in New York!

On July 29th, Arizona intends to legalize racial profiling with a new law known as SB1070. New Yorkers along with the rest of the nation will be rallying to resist this law and the nation will be rallying to resist this law and to call for an end to the mass detention and deportation of immigrants.

On this day immigrants and their allies will march accross the iconic Brooklyn Bridge in solidarity with Arizona in the spirit of bridging borders and uniting cultures to demand:

• Policies that affirm Family Unity, Due Process and Fairness
• That local law enforcement in Arizona and across the country focus on protecting our communities, not destroying them
• That President Obama and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) immediately halt the Criminal Alien Program, Secure Communities, 287(g), and all partnerships between ICE and local law enforcement

WHEN:

Thursday, July 29, 2010 at 9:30am

WHERE:

Gather at Cadman Plaza, Brooklyn at 9:30am to March (take A/C trains to High Street, OR 2/3/4/5/R trains

to Borough Hall) and assemble at 11:30am Foley Square, Manhattan for Rally (4/5 to Brooklyn Bridge OR

N/R/W to City hall)

WHO IS MARCHING:

YOU, all people of conscience who want to raise their voice for immigrant justice

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON HOW TO JOIN THE MARCH ON JULY 29th CONTACT:

Families for Freedom (646-290-5551), Churches United to Save and Heal (718-469-8900), New York New Sanctuary Coalition (646-395-2925)

SPONSORED BY: Churches United to Save and Heal (CUSH),

Families for Freedom (FFF), American Friends Service

Committee‐NJ (AFSC), New York New Sanctuary Coalition

(NYNSC), Immigrant Defense Project (IDP), Wind of the

Spirit, The Black Institute, & Northern Manhattan Coalition

for Immigrant Rights (NMCIR)

Betraying the Age

Gary...in his own words (w/ special appeal)

Dear NY Faith & Justice Friends and Family, Last week NY Faith & Justice launched a two month campaign called "Betray the Age". We asked the question, "What does it look like to betray the age in our world, in our city, in our neighborhoods? For the months of July and August we will share one short story per week of people living in our city who are using their lives to betray the age. Each week we'll give you a few more ideas of ways you can betray the age in your daily life. Remember the two core lies of the age we identified last week: The ideology of individualism (i.e. "I am an island unto myself." "What I do only matters to me." "I gotta get mine.") Money = God. It demands the sacrifice of certain human beings on its altar. Meet Gary...In His Own Words Rev. Wiley gave this testimony at a press conference in front of the White House in Washington D.C., on July 1, 2010. My name is Rev. Gary Wiley, pastor of justice and care at Trinity Grace Church in New York City. I stand before you today as an evangelical Christian. I am also a husband, a father of three, a grandfather of two, and an American descended from immigrants that made their way to these shores over the past 350 years. I am also a card-carrying Republican, as were my parents and grandparents before me. Until recently my temptation was to hold my faith very close to my chest. Seldom did it move much beyond a concern for personal holiness. A book by Richard Stern, president of World Vision, pointed out "the hole in my gospel." What I now realize is that I am called to called not only to love God with my total being, but also to seek the very best for my neighbor. I am reminded that God takes very seriously how we treat the stranger (or immigrant) among us. Jesus said: "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of sisters of mine, you did for me" (Matthew 25:40). I was a missionary in Peru for 15 years. My adopted son is Peruvian, as are my son-in-law and my grandchildren. When SB 1070 was signed into law in Arizona I realized that I could go to Arizona and never to worry or be bothered, but my family would be in danger of being victims of racial profiling in that state now. I personally have never faced discrimination or profiling in this nation that I love, but it is a potential reality for the ones I love dearly. This is no longer someone else's issue; it is my issue. It has gone from the abstract to the personal. What affects my neighbor, affects me. The urgency of comprehensive immigration reform led me to participate in a non-violent protest in May. I was arrested for the first time in my life and charged with civil disobedience for this cause. As a political conservative and a card-carrying Republican, I'm here to remind Republican members of Congress that immigration reform is about protecting family values and doings what's morally right. Rev. Wiley will appear in court next Thursday, July 22, to face the penalty for his act of civil disobedience and to stand in solidarity, once more, with broken families facing the deportation of one or both parents without their children. Remember the lies of our age (above)? Which lie is Gary betraying?How will you betray the age? Join us. Maybe getting arrested isn't your thing. Maybe your life is too busy to get out and do a lot of the stuff your heart wants to make a difference in. One way you can get involved is to help us fight the good fight on the front lines! Right now NY Faith & Justice is working to raise $25,000 in new and renewed individual financial partnerships. Contributions from people like you make all of our work on Immigration Reform possible. If you haven't renewed your membership, now is the time. If you've been waiting to partner with us, today is the day! Betray the age and contribute $5/mth, $10/mth, $25/mth, $50/mth, $100/mth or more to the work of NY Faith & Justice. ***All who give $10/mth or more will receive a complimentary NY Faith & Justice T-Shirt! Don't forget to use the "Designation" box on the online giving page to indicate your size and let us know if you want a male or female cut. NOTE: If you prefer not to give online you can send checks made payable to "FCNY/NY Faith & Justice" to: NY Faith & Justice c/o Partnership 475 Riverside Drive, Suite 500 New York, NY 10115 Here are a few more awesome ways you can begin to betray the age right where you are! Discern the age! Check out this New York Times article, "'Immigrant' List Sets Off Fears" Check out my latest article on Huffington Post, "Immigration, The Bible, and The Lawsuit." Throw an Immigration Reform House Party for your friends! Thank you for your continued prayers and partnership and don't forget to follow us on , , the nyfj blog or the nyfj calendar for up to the minute action alerts, program changes, and details. Engage, Lisa Sharon Harper Co-founder and Executive Director New York Faith & Justice

Volunteers Needed!!

The East Harlem community is working to create a play street for the summer and they need your help. Can you donate a little bit of your time to help create a fun and safe place for the kids of East Harlem to play? Check out the details and contact Jennifer So Godzeno at jsogodzeno@health.nyc.gov, or 646-672-2379.

Event description:

Play Streets are about making neighborhood streets into safe, car-free spaces where people can play and socialize. Harvest Home Farmer's Market, Transportation Alternatives, and the NYC Strategic Alliance are partnering together for a new summer Play Street in East Harlem to encourage kids and families to get outside, be more active, and get to know their community.

Dates: Thursdays, July 15 - Sept 2 (7/15, 7/22, 7/29, 8/5, 8/12, 8/19, 8/26, 9/2)

*Can commit to any of these dates (one time or all 8 weeks), though volunteers who can come more regularly are preferred

Volunteer shifts: 9 am - 12 pm, 12 pm - 3 pm. (Play Street hours are 10 am - 2 pm)

Place: Harvest Home 104th Street Play Street (E 104th Street btw. 2nd & 3rd Avs) in East Harlem

Responsibilities:

* Play Street supervision -- includes watching the street, talking with kids and parents, optional involvement in street activities like jump rope, street chalk (not "baby sitting")

* Set up and clean up of Play Street equipment (toys, chalk, tables, recycling bins), and helping our program partners set up equipment for activities (sports, dance, crafts)

* Possible assistance with brief user surveys (e.g., how found out about Play Street, reasons for coming, demographics).

Requirements: Over 18 years old, or teen volunteers 15-17 years old (e.g., with youth leadership programs) with adult supervision.

Contact: Jennifer So Godzeno (jsogodzeno@health.nyc.gov, or 646-672-2379)

Come Hear Rev. Dr. Soong-Chan Rah

The Next Evangelicalism

Please be our guest at a unique opportunity to hear Rev. Dr. Soong-Chan Rah, Professor of Church Growth and Evangelism at North Park Seminary, speak about his award winning book, The Next Evangelicalism. Christianity Today awarded Professor Rah a coveted 2010 Golden Canon Leadership Award. In his book, he addresses the issues of materialism and individualism and how these and other elements in western culture have negatively impacted the practices, thinking and theology of the evangelical church, including many Asian American churches. His writing has been described as provocative. He also argues that we need to learn from ethnic and African American churches for a more complete picture of how the church is growing. Dr. Rah will be speaking twice on Saturday, July 17, once in New Jersey and once in New York City, at the sites of our co-sponsors as indicated below. More information about Rev. Rah himself and about his book can be found at http://www.ivpress.com/cgi-ivpress/book.pl/code=3360. As a Korean-American pastor, he well understands the Asian American church paradigm and introduces ideas to help us better evaluate how we are implementing the Great Commission. I'm sure you and your church leaders will find his analysis to be thought provoking. Sincerely, Andrew Lee East Region Director ISAAC

When and Where Saturday, July 17 10:00 - 11:30 AM New Brunswick Theological Seminary 17 Seminary Place New Brunswick, NJ 08901 (NBTS is located at the heart of Rutgers University by College Ave.) 6:00 - 7:30 PM New York Chinese Alliance Church 162 Eldridge St. New York, NY 10002 (NYCAC is on the lower east side, near the B,D, F, J & M trains.)

ISAAC 788 Rathbun Ave. Staten Island, NY 10309 (718)317-7930 "Soong-Chan Rah explores the impact of ethnic and geographic shifts on the present and future state of evangelicalism. He gives us fair warning that parts of his heartfelt book are 'intended to provoke,' and they will. But that doesn't stop his book from being timely, thoughtful and very rewarding." -Philip Jenkins, Edwin Erle Sparks Professor of Humanities, Pennsylvania State University, and author of The Next Christendom

Help Stop Finger Imaging for Food Stamps!

Make Two Phone Calls on A1681A/S6291

The NY State Senate passed a bill (S6291) that would eliminate the finger imaging requirement for food stamps. The bill was amended as it underwent debate in the Assembly (A1681A).

Now, both the Senate and Assembly have to get the bill to a vote in special session. To ensure they do so, email or call both your State Senator and Assemblyman and tell them:

"Hello, my name is _____ and I am calling in support of A1681A/S6291. This bill simplifies the food stamp application process by removing an expensive and ineffective barrier in the application process. I urge (Rep's name)to get this bill to a vote in special session on behalf of the 1.4 million New Yorkers who live in homes that cannot afford enough food."

NY Faith & Justice July Newsletter

Betray the Age July 2010 (w/ special appeal)

Dear NY Faith & Justice Friends and Family, Have you ever been told a lie--the kind that shapes your view of the world or your relationships in it? Have you believed it with your whole heart and mind and shaped your life and dreams around it? I have. I've been thinking about truth and lies lately--about their power to shape our worldview, our actions, our communities, and our worship. A month ago we sat in a D.C. conference room staring at a large blank flip-chart page taped to a wall. Seven New York Faith & Justice leaders and board members had joined 50 others representing teams from across the U.S. at the first annual National Faith & Justice Network Training Conference, Conspire: How to Build a Faith & Justice Movement in Your City. Alexia Salvatierra, our lead trainer and the executive director of CLUE (Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice) in California, explained that afaith-rooted approach to organizing begins with the identification of "core lies"-- lies that everyone in your community assumes are true, regardless of their race, class, or education. So, on this day, teams from Arizona, Texas, Michigan, Ohio, Boston, Seattle, California, South Carolina, Washington DC, and New York City were broken into regional groups to discern "core lies" that most people in our cities or regions believe to be true. The New Yorkers sat with empty flip-chart paper taped to the wall and it didn't take long. Within minutes a long list emerged that we eventually narrowed down to two core lies: The ideology of individualism (i.e. "I am an island unto myself." "What I do only matters to me." "I gotta get mine.") Money = God. It demands the sacrifice of certain human beings on its altar. There was heavy silence in the room as we took it in and considered what our own lives would be like if we really believed the truth: We are our brother's keeper (Genesis 4:9-10). True fasting is not to choose a day to humble oneself, it is to loose the bonds of injustice. It is to share your bread with the hungry and invite the homeless into your house (Isaiah 58:5-7) Do not worry about your life, strive first for the kingdom of God and the rest will be given to you as well. (Matthew 6:25-34) You shall have no other gods before me. (Exodus 20:3) You cannot serve God and wealth. (Matthew 6:24) All human beings are made in the image of God and, as such, are worthy of equal dignity and access to basic needs, including: food, shelter, work, and the ability to migrate (Genesis 1:26-28) Then we considered a few ways the lies are manifest in our world: BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico: up to 100,000 gallons per day killing ecosystems that God gave us the responsibility to steward. We failed to steward properly because we valued big money over regulation and stewardship of people and land. Financial system and devaluation of work and workers: Workers to executives wage gap is greatest since the years before the Great Depression. Food and Health Disparities: The reality of "food deserts" in a city known for fine restaurants. Broken Immigration System: Arizona immigration law passed. It devalues human beings, breaks up families, and encourages separate and unequal classes of people through the normalization of racial profiling. And more than 60% of the US likes the law. Normalized Violence: Creation of "throw-away" neighborhoods through the pervasive belief that some neighborhoods will just always be violent. All we can do is contain the violence there to make sure it doesn't spread to the "good" neighborhoods. Then a member and financial partner of NY Faith and Justice, said: "This reminds me of part of an Irish poem, by Brendan Kennely. 'If you want to serve the age, betray it.'" What does it look like to betray the age in our world, in our city, in your neighborhood? Well, for the months of July and August we will share one short story per week of people living in our city who are betraying the age. And each week we'll give you a few more ideas of ways you can betray the age in your daily life. Also each week we will give you the opportunity to partner with the work of NY Faith & Justice to betray the age. Right now we are working to raise $25,000 in new and renewed individual financial partnerships.Contributions from people like you make the Faith Leaders for Environmental Justice, Conversations for Change, and all of our work on Immigration Reform possible. If you haven't renewed your membership, now is the time. If you've been waiting to partner with us, today is the day! This week we'd like to suggest a simple way you can personally betray the age. Hold off on buying that new iPad or give up one trip to Starbucks or the movies per month. Do you really need another pair of strappy sandals? Instead, betray the age and contribute $5/mth, $10/mth, $25/mth, $50/mth, $100/mth or more to the work of NY Faith & Justice. ***All who give $10/mth or more will receive a complimentary NY Faith & Justice T-Shirt! Don't forget to use the "Designation" box on the online giving page to indicate your size and let us know if you want a male or female cut. NOTE: If you prefer not to give online you can send checks made payable to "FCNY/NY Faith & Justice" to: NY Faith & Justice c/o Partnership 475 Riverside Drive, Suite 500 New York, NY 10115 Here are a few more awesome ways you can begin to betray the age right where you are! Gather a team and volunteer to help clean up a beach in the gulf. Save the Date: Food, Faith, and Health Disparities Summit Save the Date: The Bronx Borough Police/Community Conversations for Change Summit. Betray the ideology of individualism! Get connected at the July House Gathering in Brooklyn Thank you for your continued prayers and partnership and don't forget to follow us on , , the nyfj blog or the nyfj calendar for up to the minute action alerts, program changes, and details. Engage, Lisa Sharon Harper Co-founder and Executive Director New York Faith & Justice

Coming in October!!

Faith Leaders for Environmental Justice invites you to Food, Faith, and Health Disparities Summit October 2010 Exact Date and Location TBA What is it like to live in a "food desert"? What is the link between poverty, obesity and diabetes? Do things just have to be this way? Is it a lost cause or can we do something about it? Mark your calendars now and join faith and community leaders, health and environmental advocates, and government representatives from the Boroughs of the Bronx, Manhattan, and Brooklyn in October for the Food, Faith, and Health Disparities Summit. Join hundreds of New Yorkers who live in New York City's food deserts and those who don't. Listen and share your stories of food, faith and health. Work with a small group representing a diverse cross-section of New Yorkers to discern the spiritual, social and structural causes for our city's health disparities. Then work together to set action priorities for the next year. Be a part of the solution! Follow , , or the blog for updates! This summit is made possible through the generous partnership of the Bronx Health REACH Legacy Grant.

Coming in November!!

New York Faith & Justice in collaboration with the Bronx Borough President's Office invites you to Bronx Borough Conversations for Change Summit Saturday, November 13, 2010 9am - 9pm The city-wide murder-rate increased 22.8% in the first quarter of this year over the same period in 2009. In the Bronx, alone, several shootings involving police and community members have intensified already eroded trust. Our communities are less safe, in part, because there is a breakdown in trust between the police and the community-especially youth. How do we bridge the trust gap? Where do we begin? Conversations for Change is a chance to build a community where businesses thrive, children play without fear, and positive partnerships between the police and community are built. Join us on November 13, 2010 as we engage in one day of dialogue that will lead to one year of shared action toward change! follow , , or the blog for updates! The Bronx Borough Conversations for Change project is currently seeking corporate sponsors and major donors. If you are interested, please contact Lisa Sharon Harper at lsharper@nyfaithjustice.org or call 646 702 9776.

July House Gathering!

Fun Food and Plotting Goodness Every Month! Brooklyn Saturday, July 17, 7 to 9pm Special Musical Guest TBA! Plus, join the block party after the gathering! @ Radical Living 32 Hart Street Brooklyn, NY 11206 To RSVP contact Melinda at melinda.faust@gmail.com.