Act for the For The People Act
When the Senate returns from recess on April 12^th, one of the first orders of business will be the For The People Act (S.1)—a once-in-a-generation transformative democracy reform bill.

Join the National Call-In Day—Thursday, April 8.
Please call your Senators on April 8 to urge them to support passage of S.1.

The For the People Act would

1. protect and strengthen the sacred right to vote,
2. end the dominance of big money in politics,
3. end partisan gerrymandering, and
4. implement anti-corruption, pro-ethics measures to clean up government.

Contact your Senators today and urge them to support this bold, comprehensive response which is critical to strengthen and protect our democracy. You might say something like:

I’m (Your Name) from (Your City). I am a  constituent and a person of faith. I’m calling to ask the Senator to support  S. 1, the For the People Act. The common-sense reforms in this legislation are deeply popular across the political spectrum and have been enacted into law in many states and localities. People of faith see fair representation, voting rights and accountability for elected leaders as moral issues of utmost importance. My faith tells me that a fair and inclusive democracy is about dignity for all and passing the For the People Act is the first step to get us there. Can I count on Sen. ___ support for this comprehensive reform legislation which responds to the comprehensive problems undermining our democracy.

On April 8^th please call your Senators and ask them to support the For the People Act.

Click here for information on contacting your senators.

The Crisis at the Border
Thanks to Sr. Barbara Kane, OP, who shared this excellent article by Don Kerwin on from the Center for Migration Studies. The article is an excellent assessment of the causes of the increased number of unaccompanied children and asylum-seekers crossing the US-Mexico border. Click here for the article.

Learn About Caring for our Soil
The theme for Faith Climate Action Week (April 16 – 25) is “Sacred Ground: Cultivating Connections Between our Faith, our Food, and the Climate.” We are featuring the film Kiss the Ground, which discusses how regenerating the world’s soils has the potential to rapidly stabilize Earth’s climate, restore lost ecosystems, and create abundant food supplies.

Watch the trailer and register to view the film here.

Thanks to a special arrangement with Kiss the Ground and Ro*co films, IPL will offer a free online viewing period for home viewing from April 10 through April 26. All viewers must register with IPL here.

Once you register you will receive a link-to-view for three different versions—the full-length film (84 minutes), a grower version (45 minutes), and an educational version for schools (45 minutes.)

You can also download the free screening kit that includes faith-based discussion questions on the film page, and host a film discussion with your congregation, and attend the companion webinar on April 21.

We’ll have a conversation with Kiss the Ground filmmaker, Josh Tickell, and Faith in Place’s Statewide Outreach Director, Veronica Kyle, on what congregations can do to be part of the solution to food justice and climate justice. When you register to view the film, you will also receive the Zoom link to join the webinar.

Contact Sarah at programs@interfaithpowerandlight.org for more information.

Sexual Assault Awareness Month
The Dominican Sisters of Peace have been part of Common Spirit Health’s “United Against Violence” campaign since 2009. Common Spirit Health is conducting a special communications campaign during Sexual Assault Awareness Month in April. Each week during April, the OPPEace News will feature information from this campaign.

For more information in the United Against Violence campaign, please click here.

Speak Up For Voter’s Rights

In today’s Justice Bog, Sr. Judy Morris addressed the frightening number of state laws currently under consideration that will erode the voting rights of millions. Today, the Senate will hold a hearing on S.1, the For the People Act of 2021. This important legislation would protect and expand voting rights, take steps to remove dark money from political campaigns, and limit partisan gerrymandering. It has already passed the House, and now we’re sending the message that the Senate should pass it with a simple majority vote.

Please contact your senators to let them know you support this important legislation.

Personal Intervention Seminars

After the horrific murder of six Asian women in Atlanta, abuse and attacks on our Asian American neighbors has been brought into focus. It is up to each of us to stand up for our sisters and brothers when we see them being harassed.

Hollaback! and Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC are partnering for a virtual workshop on bystander intervention.

The one-hour, interactive training will teach you Hollaback!’s 5 D’s of bystander intervention methodology.

• We’ll start by talking about the types of disrespect that Asian and Asian American folks are facing right now — from microaggressions to violence — using a tool we call the “spectrum of disrespect.”
• You’ll learn what to look for and the positive impact that bystander intervention has on individuals and communities.
• We’ll talk through five strategies for intervention: distract, delegate, document, delay, and direct; and how to prioritize your own safety while intervening.
• We’ll have time at the end for practice, and you’ll leave feeling more confident intervening the next time you see Anti-Asian and Asian American harassment online or in-person.

You must register in advance for all trainings. They will be capped at 1,000 people.

• Wednesday March 24 2021. 6pm ET/ 5pm CT/ 4pm MT/ 3pm PT/ 1pm HST. Register Here.
• Tuesday April 6th 2021. 2pm ET/ 1pm CT/ 12pm MT/ 11am PT/ 9am HST. Register Here.
• Wednesday April 7th 2021. 3pm ET/ 2pm CT/ 1pm MT/ 12pm PT/ 10am HST. Register Here.
• Thursday April 8th 2021. 1pm ET/ 12pm CT/ 11am MT/ 10am PT/ 8am HST. Register Here.

Celebrate St. Romero Day

Join COAR – The Community of St. Oscar Romero, for a special St. Romero Day Prayer Service
Today, Wednesday, March 24
7:00 pm ET
The service will stream live at coarpeacemission.org.
Click here to register. 

Recycling to Stop Human Trafficking
Do you have a few ill-fitted bras you’ve never worn stashed away in the back of your drawer? Many women do. Rather than sending these bras to the local landfill, you can donate those gently-used bras to Free the Girls. This non-profit organization partners with safe houses and aftercare providers to offer sustainable employment opportunities for women rescued from sex trafficking around the world.

In most developing countries, bras are sought-after items, and women selling donated bras may make three to five times the minimum wage in their communities. Selling bras also provides opportunities for these women to work exclusively with other women, which is important for a survivor who is working on recovering from years of being trafficked predominately by men. The women are able to build their own business selling bras while going to school and working to establish a home.

To learn more, click here!

A Strong Postal Service is a Justice Issue
We have all experienced the severe delays in the performance of the postal service. This will become more obvious as recovery stimulus checks are sent out to individuals and qualifying dependents now. Under the management of Postmaster Louis DeJoy,  the mailed check or debit card may be received weeks late or never.

 ACTION: Call or write your state’s federal Senator and Representative to pass the USPS Fairness Act–HR 695 for the House; S2965 for the Senate.  Moreover indicate the following: 

1. Eliminate the mandate contained in the 2006 Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act requiring the USPS to pre-pay retiree health benefits 75 years in advance. No other government agency or private business does this; this ensures deficit spending by the USPS.
2. A new Board of Governors be appointed and confirmed by the Senate; then a new experienced Postmaster General can be appointed to replace Dejoy.

Witness and Grace by Global Sisters report|
Catholic sisters have long been involved in efforts to protect the environment, address climate change and care for creation. Join Sr. Sheila Kinsey from Rome and Sr. Melinda Roper from Darien, Panama, with Gail DeGeorge (Editor, GSR) and Barbara Fraser (Editor, EarthBeat) for an inspirational and insightful conversation about the pressing needs of our planet, how sisters are making a difference – and you can too.

How Catholic Sisters are Helping to Save the Earth — and You Can Too
Presented by Sr. Sheila Kinsey and Sr. Melinda Roper

Tuesday, April 13, 2021
3 p.m. Eastern  |  2 p.m. Central  |  1 p.m. Mountain  | 12 p.m. Pacific

To learn more or register, click here.

Welcome Your New Legislators
U.S. Catholic Sisters Against Human Trafficking created a Welcome Packet for all legislators of the 117th Congress. The welcome packet introduces U.S. Catholic Sisters Against Human Trafficking, focuses on the reality of human trafficking, outlines priorities for the 117th Congress, and help them make connections to some of the root causes of human trafficking through  policy papers on forced migration, gender inequality, neoliberal capitalism, and climate change. You can help new legislators learn about the importance of fighting human trafficking.

1) Download a copy of the Welcome Packet HERE

2) Download a sample Cover Letter HERE 

3) Look up your Legislator’s email and/or mailing address HERE and send them a copy of the Welcome Packet.

4) Fill out our short Google Form to let UCSAHT know to whom you sent the Welcome Packet.

Stop the Death Penalty
What would it be like to accompany another human being to their execution by the state? Sister Barbara Battista of the Sisters of Providence, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, IN, tells her story in a report from CNN. Click here to read.

Kansas, Ohio, and Louisiana still have the death penalty’ Sisters in those states may advocate against the death penalty and for restorative justice measures in their State.

HR 1 – For the People
At a time when states are trying to squash voting rights, the For the People Act is an opportunity to help heal our democracy. The bill is designed to expand Americans’ access to the ballot box, reduce the influence of big money in politics, strengthen ethics rules for public servants, and implement anti-corruption measures.

Sister Simone Campbell, SSS, of the NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice, says that “The For The People Act is faithful democracy in action.”

The bill was passed by the House on March 3, 2021, and will be in hearings this week. Please call your senator and encourage her or him to pass the For the People Act. For a list of phone numbers, click here. To find additional contact information, click here for the 270 to Win website.

Justice for Honduras
Our Sisters ministered in Honduras for years, and have seen first hand the cruelty of the current regime. Sr. Doris Regan shares this editorial from the Washington Post (click here to read) about the Berta Caceres Human Rights in Honduras Act and how it will prohibit U.S. assistance to the police or military of Honduras and allow the Honduran people to have the democratic space to build a good society.