Pax Christi Florida



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Catholic Peace Movement

November 2014

Prayer-Study-Action E-Newsletter

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PRAYER

Dangerous Women Creed

Author: Lynne Hybels

(This prayer recently appeared in CORPUS magazine in memory of Carol Ann Breyer)

Dear God, please make us dangerous women.

May we be women who acknowledge our power to change

and to grow, and be radically alive for God.

May we be healers of wounds and righters of wrongs.

May we weep with those who weep and speak for those who

Cannot speak for themselves.

May we cherish children, embrace the elderly and empower the poor.

May we pray deeply and teach wisely.

May we be strong and gentle leaders.

May we sing songs of joy and talk down fear.

May we never hesitate to let passion push us, conviction

Compel us, and righteous anger energize us.

May we strike fear into all that is unjust and evil in the world.

May we dismantle abusive systems and silence lies with truth.

May we shine like stars in a darkened generation.

May we overflow with goodness in the name of God and by the power of Jesus.

And in that name and by that power, may we change the world.

Dear God, please make us dangerous women. Amen.

View video of Carol Ann’s Memorial, click here.

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QUOTE OF THE MONTH

My fellow Americans, we are and always will be a nation of immigrants. We were strangers once, too. And whether our forebears were strangers who crossed the Atlantic, or the Pacific, or the Rio Grande, we are here only because this country welcomed them in, and taught them that to be an American is about something more than what we look like, or what our last names are, or how we worship. What makes us Americans is our shared commitment to an ideal -– that all of us are created equal, and all of us have the chance to make of our lives what we will.

That’s the country our parents and grandparents and generations before them built for us. That’s the tradition we must uphold. That’s the legacy we must leave for those who are yet to come.

- President Obama’s Address to the Nation on Immigration (Nov. 20, 2014)

To read full statement or to watch video, click here.

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PAX CHRISTI FLORIDA NEWS

Pax Christi Florida’s 2014 Assembly Photos

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PCF Council Members (left to right back row) Amy Finn-Schultz, Patrick Finn-Schultz holding Grace, Christina Leano, Steffano Montano holding Malia, and Celeste Finn-Schulz (front row).

Click here to view additional photos from PCF’s 2014 Assembly.

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Pax Christi Florida’s 2015 Retreat

Mark your calendars, March 21 & 22, 2015!

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Living a Nonviolent Life

with

Rev. Bob A. Cushing

Waycross, GA

Campaign Nonviolence is a new, long-term movement to maintain nonviolence and to foster a culture of peace free from war, poverty, climate crisis, and the epidemic of violence.

• Practice nonviolence toward ourselves, toward all others, and toward a world longing for peace, economic justice, environmental healing and effective nonviolent solutions

• Explore, study, and unleash the principles and methods of nonviolence in our lives, our communities and our societies

• Connect the dots and join forces in the long-term struggle to abolish war, end poverty, reverse the climate crisis and take a stand against all violence, including the structural violence of racism, sex- ism, homophobia, economic inequality, and all forms of oppression

• Discover and deepen the power of nonviolence, including the vision and tools for nonviolent change that Mohandas Gandhi, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and many other people and movements have activated for social and personal transformation San Pedro Center, Orlando, FL

San Pedro Center, Orlando, FL

March 21-22, 2015

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2014 Advent Resource

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Hard copy = $3.50

Electronic Version = $2.50

Order from Pax Christi USA today by clicking here.

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Please remember Pax Christi USA during your end of the giving!

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Click here and give right now, securely, quickly through our website.

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Violence in Israel and the occupied West Bank is escalating, leaving Israelis and Palestinians dead and injured and fanning the flames for even more violence. Tensions on the Haram al Sharif/Temple Mount complex have led to violence and threaten to further erupt. Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem expressed concern in a November 6 statement in which they called for protection of sites and preservation of access.

Click here to read more of this article by the Faith Forum on Middle East Policy.

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Pax Christi marks 70 years of pursuing peace

by Tom Roberts

National Catholic Reporter – Oct. 17, 2014

ROCKVILLE, MD.

Pax Christi International was born 70 years ago of two people, one a bishop, the other a laywoman, who advanced ideas that were jarringly dissonant in the context of that time.

The bishop, Pierre-Marie Théas, of Montauban in the south of France, was a rare member of the hierarchy to both publicly protest the deportation of Jews from France and urge prayers for the enemy, Germany. Marthe Dortel-Claudot, who lived in the south of France with her husband and children, found herself thinking about praying for the enemy. Pondering the suffering of the German people, she wrote in her journal, "Jesus died for everyone. Nobody should be excluded from one's prayer."

The two, sharing a vision of reconciliation, went on to form the organization Pax Christi. Germany and France live in peace today; Europe has achieved union and nonviolent means of settling differences. Pax Christi, however, has not gone out of business. The purveyors of violence are endlessly inventive. From child soldiers to the utter detachment of drones, from crude IEDs to sophisticated bombs, from oil wars to the formation of caliphates, those who use violent means no longer observe rules or boundaries.

To read full article, click here. 

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PCI Monthly Newsletter

Every month Pax Christi International issues a Newsletter, available in English, French and Spanish. This Newsletter contains updates on the activities of the PCI Member Organisations, and coalitions. The Newsletter contains links to relevant websites, publications as well as a detailed calendar of events.

To read Pax Christi International’s latest newsletter, click here.

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THE COST OF THE WAR AS NOV 23, 2014

 

Peacemaking calls for courage, much more so than warfare. It calls for the courage to say yes to encounter and no to conflict: yes to dialogue and no to violence; yes to negotiations and no to hostilities; yes to respect for agreements and no to acts of provocation; yes to sincerity and no to duplicity. All of this takes courage, it takes strength and tenacity.

- Pope Francis, Address of the Holy Father

Invocation for Peace, June 8, 2014

 

IRAQ

• Total Number of U.S. soldiers killed:   4,488

• Deaths – State of Florida:                              196

• Financial Cost to U.S. Taxpayers:             $818,200,000,000+

• Every hour, taxpayers in Florida are paying $21,822 for Cost of War in Iraq.

AFGHANISTAN

Total Number of U.S. soldiers killed:          2,351

Deaths – State of Florida 151          

Financial Cost to U.S. Taxpayers:           $764,500,000,000+

• Every hour, taxpayers in Florida are paying $607,799 for Cost of War in Afghanistan.

COST OF MILITARY ACTION AGAINST ISIS

• Total cost of military action against ISIS to U.S. to taxpayers: $1,200,000,000+

• Every hour, taxpayers in Florida are paying $18,668 for Cost of Military Action Against ISIS.

RELATED ARTICLES:

Kathy Kelly: 'Uncomplicated' in Afghanistan: On Health and Healing in a War-Torn Nation



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STUDY

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Mother Jones: “Food Chains” Looks at the

Real Cost of Your Cheap Tomatoes

Food Chains isn’t just a typical tale of helpless peons getting swallowed by an oppressive system. The film, produced by Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation) and Eva Langoria and narrated by Forest Whitaker, highlights the progress that’s been achieved. Much of the movie traces the arduous and ultimately triumphant push by Florida’s Coalition of Immokalee Workers. After years of organizing, the CIW convinced consumers and companies to pay a “penny-per-pound” premium to tomato pickers and established a code of conduct that bans on-the-job harassment and unpaid labor.

Since 2011, national brands like Burger King and Subway have signed on to the CIW’s Fair Food Program. In January, Walmart joined. And last month, a “Fair Food” label debuted on tomatoes in Whole Foods. Ninety percent of tomato pickers in Florida now benefit from the program. In a state once deemed “ground zero for modern-day slavery,” the CIW reports finding no incidents of forced labor since the program’s inception. So far, buyers have funneled $15 million into the Fair Food Program through the premium, which shows up as a bonus on each worker’s paycheck. “The fact that the CIW was able to create this program in the most hostile environment for farm workers in the US shows me that it’s a model,” says Rawal. “If it works in Florida, it can work anywhere else.”...

Head over to the CIW website for more from the first wave of glowing reviews of the documentary "Food Chains"!

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Ferguson and the 'Us vs. Them' Illusion

by Robert C. Koehler

– Nov. 20, 2014

As the grand jury’s decision on whether nor not to indict Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson loomed, Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon told a TV reporter “he’s preparing for peace and war.”

What the governor did, in the tense uncertainty preceding the decision, was pre-declare a state of emergency and activate the Missouri National Guard to help contain the possibility of violent, anti-police protests. He also appointed 16 people, including several of the protesters, to a newly created “Ferguson Commission” to recommend solutions to the racial problems plaguing that community, which the killing of Michael Brown last August made unavoidably apparent.

Meanwhile, gun sales at local shops are through the roof and the local Klan is stirring, distributing fliers warning protesters that they’ve awakened a sleeping giant.

America, America . . .

To read more, click here.

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Central American refugees flee violence

Migration from the Northern Triangle of Central America — El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras — has risen steadily as violence has increased. Mary Small of Jesuit Refugee Service/USA and Shaina Aber of the United States Jesuit Conference explain what is driving people to flee for their lives.

View 4 minute video, click here.

More Homeless Children Now Than Any Point in US History

A new report on child homelessness in America finds that 2.5 million children experience homelessness annually.

by

Jon Queally, staff writer

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The annual levels of homelessness among children have never been higher in the United States, according to a new comprehensive report released on Monday.

Prepared by the National Center on Family Homelessness, the report—America’s Youngest Outcasts (pdf)—shows that with poverty and inequality soaring in recent years, approximately 2.5 million children in 2013 found themselves without a roof over their head or place to call home. That number equals one in 30 American children nationally, and constitutes an 8 percent increase over the previous year.

"Child homelessness has reached epidemic proportions in America," said Dr. Carmela DeCandia, director of the NCFH, in a statement. "Children are homeless to night in every city, county and state — in every part of our nation.”

To read more, click here.

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FAITH IN ACTION

 

A Call for an End to Florida’s Death Penalty

Please help PCF distribute to ALL of Florida’s Senators and Representatives.

Pax Christi Florida, Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty and Tallahassee Citizens Against the Death Penalty are joined by a number of major groups in their call to end Florida’s use of the death penalty.

To read the sign-on letter, click here.

TAKE ACTION:  If you haven’t already done so, please copy this letter (2-sided) and send a copy to your Florida state legislators.  Find contact information for your Florida state senators and state representatives.

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Rally in Tally Calling for an End to Florida’s Death Penalty

To view this 12 minute video, click here.

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"Scripture tells us that we shall not oppress a stranger, 

for we know the heart of a stranger-- we were strangers once, too." 

-President Obama

  

On November 20, President Obama announced that millions of mothers and fathers living in the shadows of every community in the United States could tuck their children into bed and wake up with less fear of a knock on the door, a random stop by police, or an unwelcome visit at work that could rip them away from their sons and daughters. This morning, we breathe a collective sigh of relief with families who have received help. 

 

The President's Immigration Accountability Executive Actions are sorely needed. Yet, many in Congress are calling the courageous executive action by President Obama harmful. In reality, it is a temporary fix to provide much needed relief for some immigrant families. A permanent solution that reaches all immigrants will not come until Congress passes comprehensive immigration reform.

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|Share this graphic on social media using#Ready4Relief #ImmigrationAction and#TimeIsNow. |

 

Please Share Your Support With Congress!

 

Call 1-888-410-0619 to be connected with your U.S. Representative. Tell the person who answers the phone, "I support President Obama's Immigration Accountability Executive Actions because Congress has failed to pass immigration reform." 

 

Please share the call-in number with your community. Representatives need to know their constituents support executive action in light of congressional inaction. We have included a social media graphic and a moving video of Catholic sisters supporting executive action for you to use to spread our message widely.

 

We also ask you share NETWORK's statement of support. I've included the text at the bottom of this message.

 

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Stop Endless War

American Friends – Wage Peace

President Obama wants a new Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) from Congress for the latest war in Iraq and Syria. 

He also requested an additional $5.6 billion in military funding to send another 1,500 U.S. soldiers and to arm and equip the Iraqi armed forces – despite documented evidence they’ve been committing war crimes and gross human rights violations.

The new funding request includes language specifically designed to circumvent existing U.S. laws that would have prohibited us from arming and equipping groups accused of human rights violations. 

In the five months since the U.S. armed forces were sent back to Iraq, troops have been deployed. And fighter jets, attack helicopters, and heavy artillery have been fast-tracked to various allies. Air strikes have begun in Syria, and Congress has approved arming and training militia forces.

We must stop this endless war. Tell Congress to oppose military intervention and to vote against any new Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF). 

Instead of more funds for war in Iraq and Syria, the U.S. could end military strikes and urge all other parties to pursue an arms embargo. This would not end the violence overnight, but it is an important first step to reducing it.

In the long history of U.S. involvement in Iraq, policies dependent on fighting and coercion have contributed to deep divisions in the region, unimaginable refugee flows, and far too much death and destruction.

Alternatives exist. But as long as the U.S. and other outside powers continue to arm, finance, and train various forces in the region, we will never have the conditions needed for peace. The path leading away from these levels of violence must include sanctions on the weapons of war.

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Angry About the Violation of Basic Human Rights in America's Jails and Prisons? Come find out what you can do about it! 

 

Wednesday, December 10th, 7pm

 

Friends' Quaker Meeting House, 823 North A Street, Lake Worth, FL

The staff of Human Rights Defense Center (HRDC) and Prison Legal News (PLN)

invite you to celebrate International Human Rights Day

with us.

 

 *Meet and greet the staff of HRDC and PLN

 *Networking, socializing, refreshments

 * Activist holiday shopping from PLN's book selection and HRDC merchandise

 

The event is free (although donations are also welcomed, and greatly appreciated)

Since 2004 drone strikes have killed 2,379 human beings. Of those thousands killed, a mere 12% could be positively identified as “militants."¹The evidence is clear: drone strikes are killing innocent civilians. Over and over and over again. These innocents are mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, and grandmas. They are NOT terrorists.

Sign this petition urging President Obama to oppose authorizing any more drone strikes that take the lives of civilians.

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A year ago - for the first time ever – Brave New Films brought drone-survivor families from Pakistan to the United States to testify before Congress. Conversations have since changed on Capitol Hill and more members of Congress are paying attention and asking the right questions.

The number of US airstrikes in Pakistan has been declining in volume every year but there is still much more work to be done.² We need to continue to ramp up the public pressure against drone strikes.

Watch our video of this testimony and sign the petition to stop killing innocent civilians. 

¹ "Only 4% of drone victims in Pakistan named as al Qaeda members" by Jack Serle. The Bureau of Investigative Journalism. 10.16.14

² "Charting the data for US airstrikes in Pakistan, 2004 - 2014" by Bill Roggio. The Long War Journal. 

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5 Simple Things YOU Can Do To Begin Saving The Planet

"Going green" doesn't have to be a daunting task that means sweeping life changes. Simple things can make a difference.

[pic]GREENER LAWN CARE

If you must water your lawn, do it early in the morning before any moisture is lost to evaporation. Have a few weeds? Spot treat them with vinegar. Not sure if you should rake? Normal clippings act as a natural fertilizer, let them be. If you've waited too long, rake by hand — it's excellent exercise.

[pic]PICNIC WITH A MARKER 

Some time in between the artichoke dip and the coleslaw, you lost track of your cup, and now there are a sea of matching cups on the table, one of which might be yours. The next time you picnic, set out permanent marker next to disposable dinnerware so guests can mark their cup and everyone will only use one.

[pic]RECYCLE OLD CELL PHONES

The average cell phone lasts around 18 months, which means 130 million phones will be retired each year. If they go into landfills, the phones and their batteries introduce toxic substances into our environment. There are plenty of reputable programs where you can recycle your phone, many which benefit noble causes.

[pic]MAINTAIN YOUR VEHICLE

Not only are you extending the life of your vehicle, but you are creating less pollution and saving gas. A properly maintained vehicle, clean air filters, and inflated tires can greatly improve your vehicle's performance. And it might not hurt to clean out the trunk—all that extra weight could be costing you at the pump.

[pic]RECYCLE UNWANTED WIRE HANGERS

Wire hangers are generally made of steel, which is often not accepted by some recycling programs. So what do you do with them? Most dry cleaners will accept them back to reuse or recycle. (Cue Joan Crawford.)

Other Important Articles:

Scientists Confirm: 2014 Set to Be Hottest Year in Recorded Human History



Increased Fracking? No Thanks, Say More Americans



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Pax Christi Florida



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Please feel free to share this posting widely – anyone wanting to join PCF’s PSA Network should email Phyllis Jepson at phyllisjepson@.  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.

Also, contact Phyllis Jepson if you would like to have your email address removed from PCF’s E-network. Be sure to include “Remove from PSA Network” in the “Subject” line.

Comments related to this e-newsletter should be directed to Pax Christi Florida’s Prayer-Study-Action E-Newsletter coordinator, Phyllis Jepson, at phyllisjepson@. 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:

Nancy O’Byrne

obyrnen@

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