Standing Rock Water Protectors are fighting for your future - will you stand with them? from Brandon Mauai via Groundswell of The Auburn Theological Seminary in New York, New York, United States for Tuesday, 22 November 2016Tell Pres. Obama To Protect The People of Standing Rock.
As you gather with your families this weekend, don't forget the historical significance of Thanksgiving, and the displaced indigenous peoples, my people, who continue to fight at Standing Rock for your future - it is the moral obligation of communities of faith and conscience to stand with us.
Hau, Mitakuyapi. The Rev. Deacon Brandon Mauai Emačiyapi. Hello, my name is Brandon L. Mauai, a deacon with the Standing Rock Episcopal Community in North Dakota, and an enrolled member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe.
In the last few months there have been thousands who have traveled here from around the world to faithfully and prayerfully resist the Dakota Access Pipeline - including over 500 clergy1 - the very pipeline which threatens the health of our communities and the future of the Earth. These gatherings have been peaceful, prayerful, and in solidarity with my people of Standing Rock Nation.
On Sunday night, our peaceful protest was met with an escalation of police violence: Water cannons were used to blast Water Protectors in 25-degree temperatures, and we were sprayed with rubber bullets, stinger grenades, and tear gas. Hundreds were injured Sunday night, and this continues on. Contrary to the local sheriff's statement, that the police are using "less than lethal" forms of weapons, they are life threatening.2
We need relief right now.
President Obama broke his silence on what is happening at Standing Rock only to say he would let it "play out for several weeks"3 - but winter is here in North Dakota, and we cannot afford to wait. In 2014, President Obama visited Standing Rock and made a commitment to do everything he can to support the children and youth on the reservation.4 We're asking President Obama to follow through on his commitment by putting pressure on the Army Corps to deny the pipeline permit, and asking the Dept. of Justice to start an investigation into the excessive use of force against peaceful protectors.
This is about our water and our human rights. It's also about our climate and the future of our global community. I was at the Paris Climate talks last year and know firsthand how important it is to reduce the use of fossil fuels, work towards significant carbon reduction, and increase the use of renewable energy.
As you gather with your families this weekend, don't forget the historical significance of Thanksgiving, and the displaced indigenous peoples, my people, who continue to fight at Standing Rock for your future - it is the moral obligation of communities of faith and conscience to stand with us.
Faithfully & Prayerfully,
The Rev. Deacon Brandon Mauai
1. "At Standing Rock, Over 500 Clergy Answer The Call To Reconcile and Stand Witness." Auburn Voices, Nov. 3, 2016.
2. "Police deploy water hoses, tear gas against Standing Rock protesters." pbs.org, Nov. 21, 2016.
3. "Obama Says Alternative Routes Are Being Reviewed for Dakota Pipeline." New York Times, Nov. 2, 2016.
4. "President Obama Visits Standing Rock Reservation, North Dakota." WhiteHouse.gov, June 16, 2014.
-------
Auburn Theological Seminary
475 Riverside Drive, Suite 1800
This is about our water and our human rights. It's also about our climate and the future of our global community. I was at the Paris Climate talks last year and know firsthand how important it is to reduce the use of fossil fuels, work towards significant carbon reduction, and increase the use of renewable energy.
As you gather with your families this weekend, don't forget the historical significance of Thanksgiving, and the displaced indigenous peoples, my people, who continue to fight at Standing Rock for your future - it is the moral obligation of communities of faith and conscience to stand with us.
Faithfully & Prayerfully,
The Rev. Deacon Brandon Mauai
1. "At Standing Rock, Over 500 Clergy Answer The Call To Reconcile and Stand Witness." Auburn Voices, Nov. 3, 2016.
2. "Police deploy water hoses, tear gas against Standing Rock protesters." pbs.org, Nov. 21, 2016.
3. "Obama Says Alternative Routes Are Being Reviewed for Dakota Pipeline." New York Times, Nov. 2, 2016.
4. "President Obama Visits Standing Rock Reservation, North Dakota." WhiteHouse.gov, June 16, 2014.
-------
Auburn Theological Seminary
475 Riverside Drive, Suite 1800
New York, New York 10115, United States
-------
It’s not enough to vent on Facebook - join the front lines from Valarie Kaur via Groundswell of The Auburn Theological Seminary in New York, New York, United StatesWe are building a rapid-response community to engage Congress and change the course of our future.
President-Elect Trump's rhetoric and proposals threaten the dignity, safety, and civil rights of millions. But we don't have to give up. We are building a rapid-response community to call members of Congress - Republicans and Democrats - and hold them accountable to the will of the people.
As a Sikh mother, I have been terrified since Election Day.
More than 400 incidents of hate and bias have swept America in the name of President-Elect Trump. Soon his administration will consider proposals that threaten the dignity, safety, and civil rights of millions of families, including mine.
It's no longer enough to vent on Facebook or love our neighbor while keeping to ourselves. We are called to become political.
I'm going to fight - for my son and the next generation.
-------
It’s not enough to vent on Facebook - join the front lines from Valarie Kaur via Groundswell of The Auburn Theological Seminary in New York, New York, United StatesWe are building a rapid-response community to engage Congress and change the course of our future.President-Elect Trump's rhetoric and proposals threaten the dignity, safety, and civil rights of millions. But we don't have to give up. We are building a rapid-response community to call members of Congress - Republicans and Democrats - and hold them accountable to the will of the people.
As a Sikh mother, I have been terrified since Election Day.
More than 400 incidents of hate and bias have swept America in the name of President-Elect Trump. Soon his administration will consider proposals that threaten the dignity, safety, and civil rights of millions of families, including mine.
It's no longer enough to vent on Facebook or love our neighbor while keeping to ourselves. We are called to become political.
I'm going to fight - for my son and the next generation.
We're building a rapid-response community to flood Congress with phone calls to stand for love and justice in the face of dangerous policies on the horizon.
Trump has captured the White House, but Congress still has the power to check and halt his most dangerous proposals. And members of Congress - Republican and Democrat - must be responsive to the will of the people.
So how do we do it?
During my brief time working in the Senate, I witnessed first-hand how constituents can make a difference: More than tweets and form letters, flooding congressional offices with phone calls brings work-as-usual to a halt. Our voices cause staffers to pay attention; our stories can change the minds of representatives - and embolden them to take a stand.
Trump has captured the White House, but Congress still has the power to check and halt his most dangerous proposals. And members of Congress - Republican and Democrat - must be responsive to the will of the people.
So how do we do it?
During my brief time working in the Senate, I witnessed first-hand how constituents can make a difference: More than tweets and form letters, flooding congressional offices with phone calls brings work-as-usual to a halt. Our voices cause staffers to pay attention; our stories can change the minds of representatives - and embolden them to take a stand.
When you sign up, we will send you an invitation to join our upcoming strategy call.
We are poised to do this. This fall, the Revolutionary Love Project seeded 100 dialogues and film screenings on campuses and communities on how to combat hate with love. We spread the message on a national tour reaching 20,000 people. Then we harnessed this energy in a Get Out the Vote campaign with our partners. Together, we made 45,500 calls to American Muslim households in the state of Florida. Each phone call was not just a means to an end, but an end in itself - a way to fight hate, voter intimidation, and turn love into action.
You might still feel afraid and uncertain: The future is dark.
But what if this darkness is not the darkness of the tomb - but of the womb? What if the America we love is not dead but a nation still waiting to be born? What if this painful moment of contraction calls forth strength we did not know we had?
America will only be the land of the free if it is the home of the brave.
Valarie Kaur
Founder of Groundswell Movement
Founding Director of The Revolutionary Love Project
P.S. This week, Sikh Americans commemorate Gurpurab, the birth of Guru Nanak the founder of our faith. He called us to a life of "Chardi Kala" - relentless optimism even within darkness, revolutionary love even in the face of hatred. I gave this Sikh prayer after Election Day - may it offer a moment of solace and inspire you to join us today.
-------
Auburn Theological Seminary
We are poised to do this. This fall, the Revolutionary Love Project seeded 100 dialogues and film screenings on campuses and communities on how to combat hate with love. We spread the message on a national tour reaching 20,000 people. Then we harnessed this energy in a Get Out the Vote campaign with our partners. Together, we made 45,500 calls to American Muslim households in the state of Florida. Each phone call was not just a means to an end, but an end in itself - a way to fight hate, voter intimidation, and turn love into action.
You might still feel afraid and uncertain: The future is dark.
But what if this darkness is not the darkness of the tomb - but of the womb? What if the America we love is not dead but a nation still waiting to be born? What if this painful moment of contraction calls forth strength we did not know we had?
America will only be the land of the free if it is the home of the brave.
Valarie Kaur
Founder of Groundswell Movement
Founding Director of The Revolutionary Love Project
P.S. This week, Sikh Americans commemorate Gurpurab, the birth of Guru Nanak the founder of our faith. He called us to a life of "Chardi Kala" - relentless optimism even within darkness, revolutionary love even in the face of hatred. I gave this Sikh prayer after Election Day - may it offer a moment of solace and inspire you to join us today.
-------
Auburn Theological Seminary
475 Riverside Drive, Suite 1800
New York, New York 10115, United States
-------
Close Rikers before Trump's "law and order" from Rev. Dr. Jacqui J. Lewis via Groundswell of The Auburn Theological Seminary in New York, New York, United States
Mayor Bill de Blasio: #CLOSErikers and Invest in Restorative Justice
As clergy and people of faith and conscience, we call on NYC's Mayor to close Rikers, and redirect the $208,500/year it costs to house each inmate into restorative criminal justice programs across New York City's five boroughs.
The newly elected administration has proposed extreme "law and order" policies that will increase the racial profiling and incarceration of people of color.1
It is critical that we put those on the margins at the center of our activism.
Kalief Browder was a 16-year-old sent to Rikers Island Jail in May 2010 for allegedly stealing a backpack - his family could not afford the $10,000 bail. He spent nearly three years awaiting trial with no conviction, two of them in solitary confinement, fighting for his life in a place notorious for rampant violence by inmates and correction officers alike.
At age 22, this innocent young black man committed suicide.2
Nearly 8 out of 10 people at Rikers have not been convicted of a crime - they are waiting for a trial. And the majority of those held cannot afford bail.
Rikers is a place dangerous to the flesh, a place where surviving turns you inside out and erodes your soul. In the new Bill Moyers documentary, RIKERS, former detainee Ralph Nuñez says, "It's gladiator school for real. If you get there and you don't have a weapon to defend yourself, you have an issue."
As people of faith, it is our moral responsibility to stand for the marginalized, to care for the poor, to have compassion for the children of God who are behind bars, whose lives are shattered, and who live in danger every day.
New York City has a history of failed reforms for Rikers. Though Governor Cuomo and City Council President Melissa Mark-Viverito have both called for Rikers to be closed, Mayor de Blasio has said it would be too complicated and too expensive to do so.3
Locking up just one person at Rikers costs $208,500 a year. Imagine those funds redirected to more just systems and centers in the five boroughs. And as we think about comprehensive solutions, we must create bail reform, "speedy trial" reform and alternatives to incarceration.
-------
Close Rikers before Trump's "law and order" from Rev. Dr. Jacqui J. Lewis via Groundswell of The Auburn Theological Seminary in New York, New York, United StatesMayor Bill de Blasio: #CLOSErikers and Invest in Restorative Justice
As clergy and people of faith and conscience, we call on NYC's Mayor to close Rikers, and redirect the $208,500/year it costs to house each inmate into restorative criminal justice programs across New York City's five boroughs.
The newly elected administration has proposed extreme "law and order" policies that will increase the racial profiling and incarceration of people of color.1
It is critical that we put those on the margins at the center of our activism.
Kalief Browder was a 16-year-old sent to Rikers Island Jail in May 2010 for allegedly stealing a backpack - his family could not afford the $10,000 bail. He spent nearly three years awaiting trial with no conviction, two of them in solitary confinement, fighting for his life in a place notorious for rampant violence by inmates and correction officers alike.
At age 22, this innocent young black man committed suicide.2
Nearly 8 out of 10 people at Rikers have not been convicted of a crime - they are waiting for a trial. And the majority of those held cannot afford bail.
Rikers is a place dangerous to the flesh, a place where surviving turns you inside out and erodes your soul. In the new Bill Moyers documentary, RIKERS, former detainee Ralph Nuñez says, "It's gladiator school for real. If you get there and you don't have a weapon to defend yourself, you have an issue."
As people of faith, it is our moral responsibility to stand for the marginalized, to care for the poor, to have compassion for the children of God who are behind bars, whose lives are shattered, and who live in danger every day.
New York City has a history of failed reforms for Rikers. Though Governor Cuomo and City Council President Melissa Mark-Viverito have both called for Rikers to be closed, Mayor de Blasio has said it would be too complicated and too expensive to do so.3
Locking up just one person at Rikers costs $208,500 a year. Imagine those funds redirected to more just systems and centers in the five boroughs. And as we think about comprehensive solutions, we must create bail reform, "speedy trial" reform and alternatives to incarceration.
I'll be delivering your name to the Mayor at a prayer vigil surrounding his Gracie Mansion home that day with other clergy and concerned citizens - find the Facebook event in the petition to join us in New York City.
Kalief's tragic story is not unique. Over 70,000 New Yorkers cycle through Rikers every year, most of them poor people of color, many of them young, struggling with mental health issues, substance use, and housing instability.
"It's madness," says Tariq Barness, a formerly incarcerated Rikers detainee.
Our tax dollars fund this madness, and it will only get worse under the new administration. We cannot stay silent. Let's #CLOSErikers now.
In solidarity,
The Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis
1. "Fact Check: Donald Trump's First 100 Days Action Plan." NPR. Nov. 10, 2016.
2. "The Brief and Tragic Life of Kalief Browder." The Atlantic, June 8, 2015.
3. "Cuomo Backs City Council speaker's plans to close Rikers." New York Post, Feb. 15, 2016.
-------
Auburn Theological Seminary
475 Riverside Drive, Suite 1800
Kalief's tragic story is not unique. Over 70,000 New Yorkers cycle through Rikers every year, most of them poor people of color, many of them young, struggling with mental health issues, substance use, and housing instability.
"It's madness," says Tariq Barness, a formerly incarcerated Rikers detainee.
Our tax dollars fund this madness, and it will only get worse under the new administration. We cannot stay silent. Let's #CLOSErikers now.
In solidarity,
The Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis
1. "Fact Check: Donald Trump's First 100 Days Action Plan." NPR. Nov. 10, 2016.
2. "The Brief and Tragic Life of Kalief Browder." The Atlantic, June 8, 2015.
3. "Cuomo Backs City Council speaker's plans to close Rikers." New York Post, Feb. 15, 2016.
-------
Auburn Theological Seminary
475 Riverside Drive, Suite 1800
New York, New York 10115, United States
-------
When they come for our neighbors, what will you do? from Rev. Alison Harrington via Groundswell of The Auburn Theological Seminary in New York, New York, United States
Join the Sanctuary Movement to Resist Deportations & Discrimination
As the newly elected administration makes plans to deport millions, register Muslims, and roll back anti-discrimination policies - we must stand up as communities of faith to say: NOT IN OUR HOUSE.
In the past couple of years, a growing group of communities of faith have stood up to stand in solidarity with immigrants facing deportation through the work of sanctuary.
My church in Tucson has been at the frontlines of this movement since the 1980s - and many of you have actively joined us on our most recent journey as we fought alongside Daniel, Rosa, their families, and the sanctuary communities across the country to stop deportations.1
-------
When they come for our neighbors, what will you do? from Rev. Alison Harrington via Groundswell of The Auburn Theological Seminary in New York, New York, United StatesJoin the Sanctuary Movement to Resist Deportations & Discrimination
As the newly elected administration makes plans to deport millions, register Muslims, and roll back anti-discrimination policies - we must stand up as communities of faith to say: NOT IN OUR HOUSE.
In the past couple of years, a growing group of communities of faith have stood up to stand in solidarity with immigrants facing deportation through the work of sanctuary.
My church in Tucson has been at the frontlines of this movement since the 1980s - and many of you have actively joined us on our most recent journey as we fought alongside Daniel, Rosa, their families, and the sanctuary communities across the country to stop deportations.1
The newly elected administration has pledged to target, detain and deport immigrants at even more alarming rates; register and discriminate against religious minorities; roll back LGBTQ, healthcare and reproductive rights; ignore the urgent call from indigenous communities to protect the environment and our future; and push through extreme criminal justice policies that will continue to disproportionately affect people of color.
There have been over 300 reported incidents of hate since Election Day - more than after 9/11.2 We need sanctuary spaces everywhere, and we need them now.
We must use every inch of the space we can claim as sacred, working to expand sanctuary until it includes every street corner in every neighborhood - and as people of faith, we can start in our houses of worship.
Sanctuary is a grounding principle that seeks to maintain safe places where protection is found from persecution. Sanctuary is a stronghold of love and resistance. It grants us a taste of reprieve and protection so we can gather strength to go out there again and fight. Wherever sanctuary is found, it is space that must be protected, it is a principle that must be defended.
We call upon our congregations and communities to go beyond talk of loving our neighbor to revolutionary love, so that we can live our faith and values by opening our doors and hitting the streets to create sanctuary alongside Indigenous, Immigrant, Black, LGBTQ, Muslim and Sikh communities to stop the violence and seek justice in all that we do.
With love and resistance,
Rev. Alison Harrington
Pastor, Southside Presbyterian Church in Tucson, AZ
P.S. We're organizing a movement call in the next few days. If you're a faith leader or community organizer, stay tuned.
1. Sanctuarynotdeportation.org
2. "There have been more than 300 reported hate incidents since Election Day." ThinkProgress, Nov. 14, 2016.
-------
Auburn Theological Seminary
475 Riverside Drive, Suite 1800
There have been over 300 reported incidents of hate since Election Day - more than after 9/11.2 We need sanctuary spaces everywhere, and we need them now.
We must use every inch of the space we can claim as sacred, working to expand sanctuary until it includes every street corner in every neighborhood - and as people of faith, we can start in our houses of worship.
Sanctuary is a grounding principle that seeks to maintain safe places where protection is found from persecution. Sanctuary is a stronghold of love and resistance. It grants us a taste of reprieve and protection so we can gather strength to go out there again and fight. Wherever sanctuary is found, it is space that must be protected, it is a principle that must be defended.
We call upon our congregations and communities to go beyond talk of loving our neighbor to revolutionary love, so that we can live our faith and values by opening our doors and hitting the streets to create sanctuary alongside Indigenous, Immigrant, Black, LGBTQ, Muslim and Sikh communities to stop the violence and seek justice in all that we do.
With love and resistance,
Rev. Alison Harrington
Pastor, Southside Presbyterian Church in Tucson, AZ
P.S. We're organizing a movement call in the next few days. If you're a faith leader or community organizer, stay tuned.
1. Sanctuarynotdeportation.org
2. "There have been more than 300 reported hate incidents since Election Day." ThinkProgress, Nov. 14, 2016.
-------
Auburn Theological Seminary
475 Riverside Drive, Suite 1800
New York, New York 10115, United States
-------
Hear from Rev. Barber this Sunday - organize with us Monday from Clinton Wright via Groundswell of The Auburn Theological Seminary in New York, New York, United States
Good Evening,
Greetings from Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II and Repairers of the Breach. On Monday, November 14 at 8pm EST, we will host a Moral Conference Call. Please join Rev. Barber for a shared dialogue for moving forward during this critical time in our democracy. This post-election call is open to all clergy, faith leaders, organizers, activists, and supporters of the Moral Movement. We must stand our ground on principles of justice; defending the moral arc of the universe. Now is the time to be statesmen and stateswomen who know that love and truth are more powerful than hate.
Call: (218) 339-7800, access code: 7526184
When: Monday, November 14, 2016 8:00 p.m EST
Who: Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II, President/Senior Lecturer Repairers of the Breach
-------
Hear from Rev. Barber this Sunday - organize with us Monday from Clinton Wright via Groundswell of The Auburn Theological Seminary in New York, New York, United States
Good Evening,
Greetings from Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II and Repairers of the Breach. On Monday, November 14 at 8pm EST, we will host a Moral Conference Call. Please join Rev. Barber for a shared dialogue for moving forward during this critical time in our democracy. This post-election call is open to all clergy, faith leaders, organizers, activists, and supporters of the Moral Movement. We must stand our ground on principles of justice; defending the moral arc of the universe. Now is the time to be statesmen and stateswomen who know that love and truth are more powerful than hate.
Call: (218) 339-7800, access code: 7526184
When: Monday, November 14, 2016 8:00 p.m EST
Who: Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II, President/Senior Lecturer Repairers of the Breach
- Please also join Rev. Barber, the NC NAACP, and the Charlotte Clergy Coalition for Justice via livestream: https://livestream.com/accounts/5188266/events/6620333
or in person this Sunday, November 13 at 5pm EST for a Special Evening Worship Service as he delivers a sermon on the complex issues around race in our country. (flyer attached)
What: Special Evening Worship Service: Resiliency Revival and Moral Revolution After Rejection
Where: Myers Park Baptist Church, 1900 Queens Road, Charlotte, NC
When: 5pm EST
Who: Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II, President/Senior Lecturer Repairers of the Breach
Please let us know if you have any questions.
Forward together,
Clinton Wright
Pronouns: He/Him/His
Social Justice Organizer, Repairers of the Breach
Rev. Dr. William Barber II, Rev. Dr. James Forbes, Rev. Dr. Traci Blackmon, Sr. Simone Campbell started this petition on Groundswell. If there's an issue close to your heart that you'd like to campaign on, you can start your campaign here.
What: Special Evening Worship Service: Resiliency Revival and Moral Revolution After Rejection
Where: Myers Park Baptist Church, 1900 Queens Road, Charlotte, NC
When: 5pm EST
Who: Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II, President/Senior Lecturer Repairers of the Breach
Please let us know if you have any questions.
Forward together,
Clinton Wright
Pronouns: He/Him/His
Social Justice Organizer, Repairers of the Breach
-------
No comments:
Post a Comment