Catholics for Peace and Justice

Catholics for Peace and Justice of southeastern WI is an organization based on Catholic social principles. We support the Church's "consistent ethic of life," which begins with an understanding of God as our creator and human life as God's sacred gift. The dignity of all life must be respected from conception to natural death.

We are concerned about the state of our nation and world. We see a world threatened by war, terrorism, growing economic inequality, environmental catastrophe, and divisions between religions, nations, races, genders, and ethnic groups. We call on Catholics, and all people of faith, to consider whether their political and economic beliefs and actions are reflective of their faith. [Join Us]

Just Books Current Selection: Letters from Abu Ghraib by Joshua Casteel

Join the Catholics for Peace and Justice Common Ground Core Team Common Ground is a broad-based organization of organizations in Southeast Wisconsin whose leaders and members come from diverse racial, ethnic, religious, cultural and political backgrounds. What they share in common is the desire to achieve positive changes in our community.

Common Ground exists to build and support an organization to address Greater Milwaukee’s critical social issues in an effective, non-partisan way. By listening to over 1,400 people discuss their concerns including health care, education, jobs and economic development, crime, mental health, youth activities, immigration and housing Common Ground has prioritized areas of concern and developed initial action campaigns to address various aspects of these issues.

We invite you to learn more about community organizing and advocating for change. To get involved in Common Ground contact us at info@catholicsforpeaceandjutice.org

Common Ground Leadership Institutes teach volunteers the basics of organizing. Next Common Ground U classes: Track 1:Tuesdays, October 6,13 and 20 from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm at St. Anthony on the Lake in Pewaukee. Track 2: Saturdays, November 7 and 14 from 8:15 am to 1:00 pm at Greater New Birth Church in Milwaukee.

Common Ground Website: www.commongroundwi.org

Veterans for Peace Homeless Veterans Initiative One might expect veterans to have protection against homelessness because of the extensive array of services and benefits offered to all veterans. But the facts are that according to a number of Government Accountability Office (GAO) and VA studies, with the rising number of returning veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan, the VA is challenged to maintain the capacity to provide timely access to mental health and medical services for veterans at risk for homelessness.

ACTIONS & EVENTS

Declare Peace - End the US Occupation
Defund the War and Establish a Comprehensive Peace Plan for Iraq and Afghanistan
Together We Can Make a Difference

Host a workshop at your parish
Engage! Putting Your FAITH into ACTION

Learn about the social teaching of the Church

Death Penalty Project
Speakers Bureau

Support Fair Trade Four Corners Store

Vets for Peace Milwaukee

Catholics United

Pax Christi National

Catholic Peace Movement

According to the Monday Morning Workload Report (MMWR) of the Veterans’ Benefits Administration dated Jan 5, 2009, the backlog for veterans benefits claims stood at 808,607. Report is here… http://www.vba.va.gov/REPORTS/mmwr/2009/010509.xls

The same report for May 11, 2009 shows the backlog at 916,456. That report is here… http://www.vba.va.gov/REPORTS/mmwr/2009/051109.xls This is an increase in the backlog of nearly 108,000 claims in just over four months.

The issue of homelessness is complex and along with the factors that the general population faces, veterans can have additional factors that put them at risk for homelessness. Please use this link and read this month’s newsletter article on some of the reasons why veterans are homeless. www.milwaukeevfp.org/homeless_information

“World Café” General Meeting Recap of May Meeting - Fr. Jack Kern set the tone with a short reflection on the Gospel of John 10:11-19 “I am the good shepherd...” remarking that the Greek could be translated “model” shepherd instead of good shepherd. This translation implies that if we follow the model shepherd, we are called to imitate our model, including laying down our lives for others.

Individuals’ Peace and Justice concerns were surfaced in the groups. Some were looking for ways to focus their activities rather than always be doing MORE. Others spoke of the need to integrate their faith lives, exploring new ways of thinking about God, the world, and relationships. Another person felt a need to stop reading and talking about social justice but rather to put muscles into motion for a worthwhile cause. The need to mount a conscientious, thoughtful and consistent counter-response to our country’s war-making, whether Vietnam, Afghanistan, or Iraq, was a passion echoed by several participants.

The final discussions focused on four areas of interest that had surfaced from participating members’ reflections about God’s call to them as individuals and as part of CPJ. The groups were: Poverty, Violence and Homelessness in our midst; Immigration; Peace and Empowerment [as a way of life]; and Environmental Justice/Cosmology. Participants were asked to specify how CPJ could be a support in their personal call to Peace and Justice ministry, and how they could provide leadership to CPJ to move their agenda forward.

As we summarized our discussions the following common ideas about CPJ surfaced: CPJ currently provides through its newsletter. and should provide, a means of linking, networking and uniting people and groups who are both interested in and passionately pursuing issues of social justice through social and legislative action.

CPJ should provide means to empower people to be peace and work for peace in our communities, our nation and the world through prayer, spirituality, and education which includes reaching out to younger generations as well as a variety of cultures in our community. In our ministries, we all need to stand in solidarity, face to face with those who are struggling.

We need to define what it means to be a part of Catholics for Peace and Justice – as one person put it “shouldn’t everyone who is Catholic be a Catholic for Peace and Justice?”

The following plans surfaced: Many people volunteered for specific roles, from helping with the newsletter and with the website, to being a contact person to link to other social action organizations, to serving on the CPJ leadership council and becoming a CPJ core team member for Common Ground.

Individuals volunteered to network and create awareness around the issues of the environment/cosmology, immigration, spirituality, veterans and war.

The final outcome of the “World Café’ was that members connected with others around similar concerns. The role of CPJ as an organization providing networking, support and communication about Peace and Justice activities in the community was confirmed. Leaders stepped forward to work on newly surfaced concerns.

Prayers and Action for Peace and Justice
In the forthcoming months the CPJ prayer and education groups are combining efforts to present a series of speakers on issues of social justice in combination with our monthly prayer services.

Our monthly prayer services also will continue to be a time of recognizing and energizing God’s Spirit within us – a time of sharing in prayer and community to enliven us in the work we are called to do.

Iraq Refugees – Forgotten People
It is easy to forget, as we face of our own economic crises and the silence of the media on Iraq, that millions of Iraqi people continue to be displaced by the war, have been reduced to poverty and have no where to go. The following websites tell a powerful story of the humanitarian crises that needs to be addressed now and in conjunction with U.S. withdrawal. Share this information with others and contact your legislators to insure that we – the U.S. engages in appropriate humanitarian aid.

Iraqi Refugee Voices: The Impossibility of Return / Refugees International

Iraqi refugees facing desperate situation / Amnesty International

Stories from Iraq / Catholic Relief Services

Advocating for Change
Ideas and Resources from the Conference on "Justice, Advocacy, and the Social Teaching of the Church

Catholics for Peace and Justice Past Newsletters [Subscribe]

July 2009

June 2009

May 2009

April 2009

March 2009

February 2009

January 2009