Creighton Center for Service and Justice

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CCSJ Advocacy Alerts

Poverty/Economic Justice:

Jesuit Conference USA - Affordable Housing
“As we know, the lack of affordable housing puts people on the street every day, especially in this economy. The [National Housing Trust Fund] will make more affordable housing available… Today we are asking you to please call your elected officials in Congress as soon as possible, urging them to cosponsor bills providing $1 billion for the National Housing Trust Fund (NHTF).”
Send a message to your representative about affordable housing.

NETWORK – Extend Unemployment Benefits
“Please encourage your senators to pass the Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2009 (H.R. 3548). The bill would provide 14 additional weeks of benefits to jobless workers in all 50 states. Those in states with high unemployment rates (states with a three-month average rate of at least 8.5 percent) would get another six weeks of benefits, for a total of 20 weeks.”
Send a message to your representative about unemployment benefits.

NETWORK – Keep People off the Streets During the Winter
“The increase in the unemployment rate has left a greater number of people unable to afford housing.  Moreover, there is not enough affordable housing available for extremely low-income households.  Increasing numbers of families are relying on overcrowded shelters, are staying on the floors of family and friends, or are sleeping out on the streets. It is urgent that the House and Senate pass bills to provide funding for the Housing Trust Fund. Please ask your representative to co-sponsor H.R. 3766, the ‘Main Street TARP Act’.”
Write to your senator & write to your representative.

Catholic Charities USA - Reduce Poverty in America
"Help Catholic Charities USA spread the word about the Campaign to Reduce Poverty in America by endorsing the Campaign yourself and then encouraging others in your community to do the same."
Learn more about poverty in America and act.

Sustainability/Environmental Justice:

National Catholic Rural Life Conference – Clean Energy
“With the healthcare debate at full speed, legislation which would curb our nation’s greenhouse gas emissions has been swept under the rug. But with an international climate treaty set to be completed in Copenhagen in December, the United States needs a commitment from Congress to reduce our emissions in order to play a leading role in the negotiations. Please urge your senators to pass historic clean energy legislation this year.”

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops - Protect the Poor in Climate Change
“Catholic Relief Services (CRS), Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA) and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) seek climate legislation that achieves two fundamental goals: care for creation and protecting the poor and vulnerable—both at home and abroad—who contribute least to climate change, but suffer its worst consequences. While we are encouraged by language in the Kerry-Boxer bill acknowledging the need to protect poor people worldwide, we are deeply concerned that the level of funding for these provisions is well below what is needed.”
Please write to your representatives about climate change.

The Catholic Coalition on Climate Change - Care for God's Creation
"Write to your Senators to ensure that the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act lowers greenhouse gases and protects the poor and vulnerable—both at home and abroad—who contribute least to climate change but are likely to suffer its worst consequences." Please tell them that our future depends on a sustainable relationship with the environment. Learn more about global climate change from a Catholic Perspective!

Peace/Non-Violence:

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops & Catholic Relief Services – Peace in the Holy Land
“President Obama has repeatedly stated that achieving peace in the Holy Land is a top foreign policy priority for his administration.  Please sign a letter to President Obama  supporting the construction of peace.  The petition states: ‘This is a moment of great opportunity and urgency. After decades of tragic conflict, many Israelis and Palestinians despair of the possibility of peace. While the international community and majorities of the Israeli and Palestinian people are committed to a two-state solution as the best option for achieving peace and security, the window of opportunity is rapidly closing.’”Learn more about peace-building at the Creighton Center For Service and Justice website.

Ignatian Solidarity Network - Lift Veil of Secrecy of The School of the Americas (SOA) / WINSEC 
Annually, the Ignatian Solidarity Network organizes a large peace vigil at the SOA / WHINSEC. Take a step closer to closing the SOA / WHINSEC by urging your senators to release the names of the graduates and instructors of the US Military School that has trained thousands of Latin American military leaders. The Defense Authorization Bill for the year 2010 is currently in a joint conference committee of the US House and Senate and it includes a measure to release the names of graduates and instructors of the SOA / WHINSEC. Write your senator now to ensure that this stays in the bill or learn more about the SOA / WHINSEC or the annual vigil for peace

Jesuit Conference USA - Ban Cluster Bombs
"The United States government needs to sign the Convention on Cluster Munitions treat banning cluster bombs and become part of the international consensus against this weapon. Banning Cluster Munitions, a new report released Friday by Cluster Munitions Coalition members, shows how the prohibition on cluster munitions is firmly taking hold as more countries join the new treaty banning the weapon and hold - our states shift their policies in the right direction. The U.S. is not among the 96 nations that have signed the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions...." Learn more about cluster bombs and act.

Catholic Relief Services - Peacemaking in the Holy Land
"Our Catholic faith calls us to be peacemakers...'Peacemaking is not an optional commitment. It is a requirement of our faith. We are called to be peacemakers, not by some movement of the moment, but by our Lord Jesus'...urge Congress to support White House Holy Land peace efforts"
Learn more about peacemaking in the Holy Land and act.

Jesuit Conference USA - Reduce Conflict in Colombia
"...the Jesuit Conference and Jesuit Refugee Service USA are asking you to call on Congress and the new Administration to change the direction of U.S.-Colombia policy by...Providing strong U.S. diplomatic support for a negotiated resolution of the conflict, prioritizing assistance for the victims of the conflict, and ending fumigation and developing more effective strategies to address the problem of drug trafficking..." Learn more about the situation in Colombia and act!

Immigration/Refugees:

Justice for Immigrants - Comprehensive Immigration Reform
Please take a few minutes to write a quick note to your Representatives urging them to support comprehensive immigration reform in the 111th Congress. Learn more or write to your representative.

Catholic Relief Services – Fix Broken Immigration System
“The Catholic Church’s teaching on migration is based on the commitment to promote and defend human dignity with particular attention to the most vulnerable.  These principles include:-People have the right to find opportunities within their own homeland: they have the ‘right not to migrate.’-People have the right to migrate to support themselves and their families where conditions do not exist to meet their basic needs. -Sovereign nations have the right to control their borders.-The human dignity and human rights of all migrants should be respected as part of enforcement and border control practices.”
“Tell your members of Congress that fixing our broken immigration system is important to you”

Jesuit Conference USA - Help Haiti Rebuild
"Urge Congress to give Haiti a chance to rebuild...Urge your congressional representative to sign-on as a co-sponsor of H.R. 144, a bill that will temporarily halt deportations of Haitian nationals in the United States, allowing the Haitian government the time it needs to invest its limited resources into rebuilding the country and offering emergency relief to its suffering citizens following four deadly storms last September." Learn more about the situation in Haiti and act!