JPANet February 2021 Newsletter

Getting to the Root of It

Each month, the Justice and Peace Action Network meets to discuss possible topics for the next Getting to the Root. This month we asked UCC Minister for Economic Justice, Rev. Sekinah Hamlin to talk about something that is on our minds for policy moving forward; reparations. 

Before Building the City, Repair the Breach

“Repairer of the breach” is a powerful aspiration. Only when the breach is repaired in a city’s wall can all the people sleep easy. But so often in this world, we try to build the “city on a hill” without putting in the work first to repair the breach that festers at its core. We talk about love and reconciliation, but we don’t talk about how to justly repent for the wrong we’re trying to reconcile (continue reading). 

Justice Events

Webinar: Evangelical Christianity and the Climate Crisis

The next Creation Justice Webinar will focus on Evangelical Christianity and the Climate Crisis. It will feature Dr. Robin Veldman, author of “The Gospel of Climate Skepticism: Why Evangelical Christians Oppose Action on Climate Change” along with the Rev. Kyle Meyaard-Schaap from the Evangelical Environmental Network and Emily Robertson from Young Evangelicals for Climate Action. Sign up now for this webinar at 1 PM ET on Wednesday, February 10th.

Join the Deliver With Dignity February 14 Action to #DumpWendys

The United Church of Christ remains committed to the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, Fair Food Program, and Wendy’s Boycott thus ask that you join us in the Deliver with Dignity February 14 Day of Action to #DumpWendys. For more than 8 years, Wendy’s has been the lone major fast-food company to not endorse the Fair Food Program’s enforceable protections against sexual assault, forced labor, and other human rights violations for farmworkers in its food supply chain.  Thus, tell the US top delivery companies to #DumpWendy’s! You can take part on February 14 in this Valentine’s Day Action by 1) making a Valentines’ card to the delivery companies asking them to support farmworker justice and #DumpWendys; 2) take a picture with your card; 3) post the picture on Twitter, Instagram, and/or Facebook and tag @DoorDash, @Postmates, @UberEats, and @GrubHub and use #DumpWendys and #UCC.

Justice in Action

Sign on to Support Student Debt Cancellation

Individual people of faith, churches, and other ministries can join the United Church of Christ Justice and Local Church Ministries by signing on to the faith letter to President Biden and Vice President Harris in support of substantial administrative student loan debt cancellation.  The student debt crisis even before COVID-19 was more than $1 trillion.  Access to education is an essential part of a just society and access is hindered when the burden of debt limits the ability of individuals and communities to thrive. Today, two in five borrowers are in default or delinquent, and many borrowers are not reducing their principal even after almost a decade of repayment. Almost one in four (23%) of student loan borrowers still owe more than half of their original loan balance after eight years in repayment. Black borrowers are struggling most due to continuing discrimination and exclusion. Half of all families with Black heads of household aged 25–40 have student debt, and 85% of Black graduates in 2016 took on debt to finance their undergraduate degree. For Black borrowers who entered higher education in 2003–2004 as undergraduates, almost half had defaulted by 2016 and up to 70% of this cohort is projected to default by 2024. Failure to address this debt crisis in bold and visionary ways will add to that burden, harming all Americans. Please use the form here to sign on.

Thursdays in Black

In every country, gender-based violence is a tragic reality. This violence is frequently hidden, and victims are often silent, fearing stigma, and further violence. We all have a responsibility to speak out against violence, to ensure that everyone is safe from rape and violence in all places in our societies. You can find more information, resources, and ways to act on our webpage.

Justice Resources

DC Action Center

Each week, the D.C. Office creates an action alert based on what is happening at that time in Congress, and offers you the opportunity to contact your legislators with just one click! You can find the alerts and take action here!

The Pollinator

The Pollinator is a digital platform of the UCC for the sharing of ideas and inspiration. Its focus is the building of a faith-filled and faith-rooted movement for the care of creation

Witness for Justice
Looking for up-to-date social justice commentary? Check out Witness for Justice, a weekly editorial opinion column written by the staff of Justice and Witness Ministries.

Featured topics:

E Pluribus Unum | To Heal, We Must Remember | This is the Most American | Abolish the Death Penalty

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