Prayer
February 8 is the Feast of St. Josephine Bakhita, patroness of the victims of human trafficking. Injustice and peace circles, we talk a lot about intersectionality. You can’t talk about one issue without discussing others that intersect with it—for example, human trafficking and climate change. In Sierra Leone, climate change has intensified and has trapped more people in human trafficking. Sierra Leone is among the top 10% most vulnerable to climate change. As people flee 60% unemployment and the loss of homes and crops from flooding and drought, traffickers exploit them with false promises of jobs, especially in the Middle East. Victims are then forced into labor situations after having their documents seized. Almost 99% of Sierra Leonean domestic workers in Oman reported being trafficked, with a third reporting sexual abuse. Another point of intersectionality is human trafficking and racism. The majority of people trafficked are people of color. They have few resources to find their way out of these situations and are often criminalized for being a victim, for when they do strike back at their captors, they face prosecution and imprisonment.
Advocacy and Action
As we watch the continued horror in Israel and Palestine, Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) has a list of films they recommend for a glimpse of the history and reality of life there. CMEP is a coalition of more than 30 national Church communions and organizations working to encourage U.S. policies that actively promote lasting and comprehensive resolutions to conflicts in the Middle East.
The American Immigration Council held a week-long Breaking Down the Border Bill webinar. This bill, which we were asked to advocate earlier this week, is being voted on in the Senate. It is a tough call as this bill has some good things. But others are pretty bad. This webinar breaks down the bill to look at the consequences. Watch the recording.
PBS recently released a compelling documentary titled “We Are All Plastic People Now.” This persuasive film talks about the toxicity of plastics and what studies show it is doing to our bodies and brains.
Democracy Watch
More and more justice advocates are paying attention to several concerning our democratic process. It is something I have frankly tried to ignore. It seems so big and so frightening. However, ignoring concerning things has never helped anyone. I have added a section to the Weekly Update. Just so you know – it will appear as needed.
DON’T FORGET! The Collaborative for Catholic Organizing will host a webinar on February 8 at noon (ET). Come and reflect on a Catholic theology of voting with NETWORK’s Deputy Executive Director Joan Neal, learn about guidelines, resources, and framing of Faithful Citizenship from USCCB’s Jill Raugh, Director of Education & Outreach for Justice, Peace, and Human Development, and learn from other organizers about their 2024 civic engagement work. RSVP..
Here’s something likely out of your comfort zone. It is out of mine, for sure. Would you consider Phone Banking? This is calling citizens in a particular state for a specific reason. Currently, Common Cause is looking for people to take a shift to make calls (and help strengthen our democracy) on Wednesdays and Fridays from 4 PM to 6 PM ET. The focus currently is on Massachusetts voters. The goal is to connect them to their legislator to demand the removal of administrative barriers to voting by passing the Voting ACCESS Act currently being considered in that state. It will allow for same-day voter registration, decouple voter registration from the municipal census, uniform mail-in and absentee voting forms and ballots, and strengthen accessible polling location oversight. All first-time phone bankers will receive training! You can find more information here.
Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life will host Faith and the Faithful in the 2024 Election on Tuesday, February 13, 2024, from 7:00 to 8:00 PM (ET). Five respected leaders and analysts will look back at the role of religion in the 2020 U.S. presidential election, examine its place in ongoing campaigns, and discuss the impact it is likely to have in November. More info and the RSVP is here.