At meetings scheduled for Wednesday, November 7, 10:15 – 11: 30am, and Sunday, November 25, at Noon (both meetings in the Bradow room), members of the Economic Justice Task Force who met October 17 and 2, and any others who are interested, will further explore the following possibilities and any others that may be suggested in the meanwhile and, if possible, will choose the direction of the group for 2013. If you have input to this process, please let us hear your ideas!
Report on the October meetings
The Economic Justice Task Force met in September and October to discuss our organization and choice of specific action plans for the year. After the all-church retreat at the end of October, we intend to make a specific annual plan. Among alternative proposals, some involve working for structural and institutional changes to advance economic justice, while others involve face to face interaction with individuals and groups experiencing poverty or economic injustice. At meetings scheduled for Wednesday, November 7, 10:15 – 11: 30am, and Sunday, November 25, at Noon (both meetings in the Bradow room), members of the group who met October 17 and 2, and any others who are interested, will further explore the following possibilities and any others that may be suggested in the meanwhile and, if possible, will choose the direction of the group for 2013. If you have input to this process, please let us hear your ideas!
Some suggestions ranging from very ambitious to more modest: The ambitious possibilities for 2013 would only be attempted if CUCC can team up with other groups. We should judge our own energy and resources and avoid being either too timid or too ambitious.
1. Two factors that have contributed to Southern poverty are weak or non-existent unions and comparatively low wages paid to women (on average $ 0.72 for women vs. $1.00 for men), especially single mothers. Partner with the Center for Poverty, Work, and Opportunity at UNC (Gene Nichol), the Class Center at Duke, and/or HK on J (Historic Thousands on Jones Street; Curtis Gatewood) to work on labor issues. (Mac Hulslander)
2. Poverty. What is poverty really like? How are we going to learn realistically rather than academically what the problems of poverty are? Engage directly with poor people.
(Marge Eckels) Suggestions 1 and 2 may be mutually reinforcing.
3. Collaborate with the “Occupy Faith” movement, which is organizing in several locations “A People’s Investigation of Money, Debt and Power” modeled on previous truth and reconciliation commissions. According to their statement of purpose, “A People’s Investigation is an effort to restore a sense of hope by connecting individual stories of financial struggle to a more accurate national and
international narrative. By encouraging people to tell their stories, and by providing a more accurate portrayal of the roots of their struggles in our financial system itself, we will transform shame and alienation into hope and activism.” (Edith Sylla) Addendum: perhaps collaborate with the Justice Center. Consider taxes and how we finance public services. (Bill Lamb)
4. Become more effective in assisting unemployed or homeless people and others who turn to CUCC for monetary and other help. Have readily available locations and telephone numbers of agencies providing various types of assistance. Investigate what others are doing (e.g. the Hope Center at Pullen Church) along these lines. Other possible ways of assisting those in poverty: “Backpack buddies,” in which food is sent home for poor families on weekends. Other churches support this program. (Kathy Widenhouse)
5. Concentrate on volunteering to help a single organization that is active in an area related to economic justice. One such organization that many members of our congregation, as well as the CUCC as a whole, already support is Loaves and Fishes. Decide to broaden and deepen our connection in the coming year. Connect with parents of students at Loaves and Fishes. (Shannon Core)
6. Transportation. How did the United States get to the place where we are now with regard to automobiles? At present, we can no longer sustain the cost of maintaining highways. Germany requires that long distance transportation of goods be done by train. How can we dig ourselves out of the hole we have gotten into? What could be done about use of petroleum for cars? (Glen Core)
7. Energy: Hierarchical access to energy; Excessive share of energy being used by United States; Outsize influence of energy industry over legislators; Impact of energy extraction on environment; Fracking; Need for individual life-style changes to reduce energy use. (Steve Halsted)
8. Thinking creatively about the interaction of all the many factors involved in the issues listed above. What happens when people with few resources get in a car accident? What is the effect of not having good transportation? The effect of high gas prices on programs like “Meals on Wheels.” What happens when medical expenses exhaust people’s resources? Can we come up with new ideas and unique contributions to the solution of the inter-related problems of economic justice? (Greg Flynn)
9. Population. We have over-populated the planet. Should we be concerned about the size of families? Are people sufficiently aware of the problems of excess population and uncontrolled growth? Do people recognize the desirability of family planning and, if so, do they have access to birth control methods? (Ann McLaughlin)
Those involved in the October 17 and 21 meetings have agreed to think further about the various possibilities by which their names are listed and to present the results of their investigations at the Task Force meetings on November 7 and/or November 25. This does not mean that we are limited in choosing 2013 action items from this present list of possibilities. We want to hear from you! Perhaps as a result of what happens at the church retreat, more thought can be given to the inter-relationship of the activities of the Economic Justice Task Force and the activities of the other existing ministries and groups of the church. The different activities should reinforce each other rather than compete with each other.
‒ Submitted by Edith Sylla
Report on the October meetings
The Economic Justice Task Force met in September and October to discuss our organization and choice of specific action plans for the year. After the all-church retreat at the end of October, we intend to make a specific annual plan. Among alternative proposals, some involve working for structural and institutional changes to advance economic justice, while others involve face to face interaction with individuals and groups experiencing poverty or economic injustice. At meetings scheduled for Wednesday, November 7, 10:15 – 11: 30am, and Sunday, November 25, at Noon (both meetings in the Bradow room), members of the group who met October 17 and 2, and any others who are interested, will further explore the following possibilities and any others that may be suggested in the meanwhile and, if possible, will choose the direction of the group for 2013. If you have input to this process, please let us hear your ideas!
Some suggestions ranging from very ambitious to more modest: The ambitious possibilities for 2013 would only be attempted if CUCC can team up with other groups. We should judge our own energy and resources and avoid being either too timid or too ambitious.
1. Two factors that have contributed to Southern poverty are weak or non-existent unions and comparatively low wages paid to women (on average $ 0.72 for women vs. $1.00 for men), especially single mothers. Partner with the Center for Poverty, Work, and Opportunity at UNC (Gene Nichol), the Class Center at Duke, and/or HK on J (Historic Thousands on Jones Street; Curtis Gatewood) to work on labor issues. (Mac Hulslander)
2. Poverty. What is poverty really like? How are we going to learn realistically rather than academically what the problems of poverty are? Engage directly with poor people.
(Marge Eckels) Suggestions 1 and 2 may be mutually reinforcing.
3. Collaborate with the “Occupy Faith” movement, which is organizing in several locations “A People’s Investigation of Money, Debt and Power” modeled on previous truth and reconciliation commissions. According to their statement of purpose, “A People’s Investigation is an effort to restore a sense of hope by connecting individual stories of financial struggle to a more accurate national and
international narrative. By encouraging people to tell their stories, and by providing a more accurate portrayal of the roots of their struggles in our financial system itself, we will transform shame and alienation into hope and activism.” (Edith Sylla) Addendum: perhaps collaborate with the Justice Center. Consider taxes and how we finance public services. (Bill Lamb)
4. Become more effective in assisting unemployed or homeless people and others who turn to CUCC for monetary and other help. Have readily available locations and telephone numbers of agencies providing various types of assistance. Investigate what others are doing (e.g. the Hope Center at Pullen Church) along these lines. Other possible ways of assisting those in poverty: “Backpack buddies,” in which food is sent home for poor families on weekends. Other churches support this program. (Kathy Widenhouse)
5. Concentrate on volunteering to help a single organization that is active in an area related to economic justice. One such organization that many members of our congregation, as well as the CUCC as a whole, already support is Loaves and Fishes. Decide to broaden and deepen our connection in the coming year. Connect with parents of students at Loaves and Fishes. (Shannon Core)
6. Transportation. How did the United States get to the place where we are now with regard to automobiles? At present, we can no longer sustain the cost of maintaining highways. Germany requires that long distance transportation of goods be done by train. How can we dig ourselves out of the hole we have gotten into? What could be done about use of petroleum for cars? (Glen Core)
7. Energy: Hierarchical access to energy; Excessive share of energy being used by United States; Outsize influence of energy industry over legislators; Impact of energy extraction on environment; Fracking; Need for individual life-style changes to reduce energy use. (Steve Halsted)
8. Thinking creatively about the interaction of all the many factors involved in the issues listed above. What happens when people with few resources get in a car accident? What is the effect of not having good transportation? The effect of high gas prices on programs like “Meals on Wheels.” What happens when medical expenses exhaust people’s resources? Can we come up with new ideas and unique contributions to the solution of the inter-related problems of economic justice? (Greg Flynn)
9. Population. We have over-populated the planet. Should we be concerned about the size of families? Are people sufficiently aware of the problems of excess population and uncontrolled growth? Do people recognize the desirability of family planning and, if so, do they have access to birth control methods? (Ann McLaughlin)
Those involved in the October 17 and 21 meetings have agreed to think further about the various possibilities by which their names are listed and to present the results of their investigations at the Task Force meetings on November 7 and/or November 25. This does not mean that we are limited in choosing 2013 action items from this present list of possibilities. We want to hear from you! Perhaps as a result of what happens at the church retreat, more thought can be given to the inter-relationship of the activities of the Economic Justice Task Force and the activities of the other existing ministries and groups of the church. The different activities should reinforce each other rather than compete with each other.
‒ Submitted by Edith Sylla