As countries worldwide become more interdependent upon each other, it is important that the global community work in solidarity to protect human rights. The economic decisions by the global marketplace have resulted in the destruction of the environment, families, & countries, and it is important to work in unity to prevent economic exploitation. The books listed below provide a framework to explore the consequences of globalization.

Read the rest of this entry »

Understanding racial and economic inequality within our country can amount to a seemingly daunting and exhaustive task. Racism permeates the individual attitudes and behavior of people, but even more seriously, it infiltrates public systems, institutions, and culture. The books listed below explore the issues of racial and economic inequality, while providing some solutions to aid in the fight for justice.

Read the rest of this entry »

Searching for a way to get involved? ICPJ would like extend an opportunity for individuals to lend us support in our efforts to educate others about the threat to diversity. Individuals and/or congregations have the opportunity to get involved by organizing an informal educational event to educate others about the November ballot initiative that may eliminate equal opportunity in Michigan.

Your involvement makes a difference as we work to educate the Michigan community about the importance of affirmative action and outreach programs within our state. To learn more about hosting a house party, please read the kits below. Please contact Stephanie Malosh at stephanie@icpj.net or (734) 663-1870 with any questions you may have.

Read the rest of this entry »

During the night of October 5, 2005, after days of intense rain from tropical storm Stan, a huge mudslide buried alive more than 1,000 Mayan peasants at Panabaj.

Director Rolando Duarte tracks a resilient group of women weavers who lost everything in the storm. By taking up their weaving again, they discover how to resurrect hope with new projects and dreams.

Monday, June 5 2006, 7:30-9:30 PM

First Baptist Church, Memorial Lounge, 512 E. Huron, Ann Arbor (parking on Washington St. Side).

Download the flyer (pdf)

As Immigration dominates the national news coverage, the Restaurant Workplace Project shows how it affects the lives of workers here in Ann Arbor.

The project surveyed immigrant restraunt workers in Ann Arbor. They found that many immigrant workers were denied overtime, received lower pay (sometimes below minimum wage), and were underpaid or not paid on time.

You can download the Restaurant Workplace Project Brochure (PDF, required Adobe Acrobat Viewer), and read more of the results below the fold.
Read the rest of this entry »

On Monday the Rev. Dr. Paul Sherry, Director of the Let Justice Roll campaign for a just minimum wage told us that “Poverty Can Be Beaten.” There were three elements to his vision:

1. TRUST that universe is neither neutral nor malevolent on issue of justice. As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., said, “the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.”

2. LOVE. Trust frees us to love courageously, and loving relationships forged in the crucible of the struggle for justice transform us.

3. COURAGE TO DARE. As Jim Wallace says, ‘hope is believing in spite of the evidence, and watching the evidence change.’

But what most struck me wasn’t the talk itself, it was a comment he made in the question and answers, “good organizers know not to stretch themselves too thin that they are not effective doing any one thing.” This is a lesson that I think ICPJ needs to wrestle with. How can we both create a community of struggle for justice and have sufficient focus that we can achieve some victories?

I think this is an area where ICPJ can grow, to do more in building community and to find a way to bring more focus on key issues, and I welcome your ideas about how to bring this about.

Excerpt: “I began asking after the processes that brought each item to my door: what people had worked where, for slave wages and with deadly pesticides; what places had been deforested; what species were being driven extinct for my cup of coffee or banana bread. It doesn’t taste so good when you think about what died going into it.” Read the rest of this entry »

Last week, we had an unexpected chance at offering an amendment about the SOA/ WHINSEC to the Defense Authorization bill. Even though the Rules Committee didn’t allow our amendment, two very influential Members of Congress – including the ranking member of the Armed Services Committee – set the stage for our June vote by speaking on the floor about the importance of allowing debate on the SOA issue!

This is thanks to your hard work and perseverance! Let’s keep the pressure on as we look towards a vote in early to mid-June.

Read more about last week’s happenings, send an email to your Member of Congress and find out more about the legislative campaign: www.soaw.org/legislative

Comprehensive Immigration Reform (CIR) has moved to the top of the President’s and the Senate’s agenda.  Not only is U.S. immigration law criticized for problems such as backlogs in family-based immigration and cuts in social services to immigrants, the problem of illegal immigration is becoming increasingly acute.  There are approximately eight to twelve million individuals currently living in the U.S. without legal status, and unauthorized crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border have led to a record number of deaths in the past year.  In addition to the humanitarian issues these problems create, domestic security is undermined when such a large number of residents are living in the shadows of society.

In emails, faxes, and phone calls, please contact your Senator and urge him or her to support comprehensive immigration reform that offers real solutions to our nation’s immigration problems. The Capitol Switchboard can be reached at 202.224.3121.

Read the rest of this entry »

An Israeli rocket killed Hadeel Rhabin, 7, on Monday, April 10, as she sat in her home watching TV with her family. A cement beam spared her baby sister’s life by protecting her from the blast. Twelve neighbors and other family members were injured. The blast demolished their home. Such incidents have been occurring regularly since Israel decreased the “safety range” allowed for shelling near inhabited areas, endangering Palestinians seeking refuge in their homes. Read the rest of this entry »