Sacred Activism in Everyday Life

Janet, a conference attendee, posted the comment below several weeks ago.  This is a great springboard for dialogue – we invite your ideas and feedback about sacred activism in everyday life:

So, the theme/title of the ISL annual conference was sacred activism. I’d like to hear from participants (as opposed to presenters) about the roles they play in sacred activism. How do people in the trenches carry out what we learned about sacred activism, and what does it look like in the 8-5 work day (or whatever configuration you’d like to go with)? Is it more than working at a soup kitchen once a month, for example. I felt totally inspired and challenged by what I heard, but I want practical ways to be a sacred activist while working and caring for a family. How do you do sacred activism?

Conference on how to organize sacred activist activities

I am sorry that I haven’t posted anything on this blog till now. The past two months have been very   busy. Below you will find an announcement of a conference sponsored by The National Catholic Reporter that should be helpful to sacred activists. I consider it to be my responsibility to post opportunities like this for your information.  I will continue to do so as I find them. Hope some of you find this intriguing and useful. Please feel free to post your comments. And thanks for reading. Fred Burnham   National Catholic Reporter June 16, 2009

Dear Reader of NCRonline.org, I want to see if you’d join us for our “A Summons to Build” conference in Kansas City Oct. 8-9. We’ve put together a two-day conference for people who want to put their faith into action and like hearing from others who share the same commitment. Sometimes the dream to build a social ministry or outreach program is there, the Gospel call is strong, but you’re just not sure where to start, or how. That’s why A Summons to Build is so important — this conference will bring together real people who have responded to pressing needs and built programs (both large and small) to respond to those needs. You’ll go home with hands-on tools and confidence that it can be done. Our conference will be opened by Jack Jezreel, founder and executive director of JustFaith Ministries. And we’ll hear from organizers of a parish nurse program, advocates who fight homelessness, promote financial literacy and help women in crisis pregnancies, among others. Author Paul Wilkes (Best Practices from America’s Best Churches) and NCR editor-at-large Tom Roberts will be featured luncheon speakers. Visit our conference Web site, NCRonline.org/summons for more information or to register. Take advantage of our early-bird discount! Or, if you need more time, sign on to our list of interested readers and we’ll keep you updated as time progresses. I look forward to having you join us October 8-9 in Kansas City — which reminds me, Kansas City’s got a lot going on and we’ve listed some October events and activities on our Web site, too. And if you’re still not sure you want to visit Kansas City, check out this mouth-watering article in yesterday’s Washington Post: “Things Can Get Heated in BBQ-Loving Kansas City.” We’ll look for you at A Summons to Build! Sincerely, Joe Feuerherd Publisher and Editor in Chief National Catholic Reporter

Contact Information ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ E-mail: emailalerts@ncronline.org Phone: 816-531-0538 Web: http://ncronline.org

Notes from Economy Interest Group

We invite feedback on the following:

ECONOMY INTEREST GROUP

Discussion Saturday, April 18

 

 

Assumptions we brainstormed:

 

Ø      Knowing one facet of trading, the intricacy of the loans is scary because it was gambling

Ø      We will do mergers, fire thousands, and extract $$ for management . . . this has failed and must be improved

Ø      Federal Reserve will bail out the banks – money supply & inflation

Ø      20’s & 30’s will never have the financial security their parents had

Ø      Coming out we will have inflation . . . first deflation

Ø      Widening gap between have’s and have-not’s

Ø      Unless there is a grassroots movement to influence our leaders for good regulation . . . require campaign finance reform

Ø      Because of debt & dysfunctional economic system, we will never have the time of cheap oil again . . . we need graceful descent . . . change our values

Ø      People who have power and wealth will not give up . . . fear the reaction, lust for power

Ø      Some of the leaders will embrace servant leadership . . . change those companies

Ø      We need to have a grassroots movement, but first we need articulate and literate grassroots

Ø      We could pass a law of a 15:1 ratio of executive pay for top 1500 firms

Ø      Experiments going on throughout nation, learn about other economic systems

Ø      We can’t go back to rural system

Ø      “Transition towns,” local living economies, community-building, is an example of an alternative

 

 

If we developed a plan for fair, just, and moral economic system, the plan would include the following:

 

-         De-leverage the corporation (separate chairman & CEO, grow by efficiency, service and manufacturing – not acquisition)

-         Process to compute triple bottom line (people, planet, profit)

-         Where everyone has basic needs met (housing, universal health care, safety, education)

-         Training program for literacy (ecology, economy, entrepreneur)

-         Groups to support (envisioning, problem-solving) – use Internet

-         MASSIVE increase in transparency in regulation – change accounting rules

-         Sense of personal responsibility (a citizen, not a consumer)

-         More employee-owned entities

-         Micro-enterprise opportunities

-         Empower, recognize and support new entrepreneurs

-         Give priority to sustainability

-         Revise taxes to make more simple and progressive

-         Ensure that we do not treat the Wall Street as the other

-         Whatever we create, we must take into account the world

-         Revise our assistance – World Bank & IMF – to empower the developing world

-         Re-think NAFTA because it only benefits the U.S.

-         Challenge (cut the link) of unlimited growth (sustainable living)

-         Business will be accountable to local communities

-         Return to local financial institutions (break up large banks)

-         Recognition that diversity is necessary and good

Hello world!

Hey everyone!  The blog is now up and running.  This is the first time I’ve ever set up a blog, so I’m learning as I go.  Some of you pros can give me some pointers!