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Greetings!
CCOP members are asked to read a statement about U.S. nuclear policy and sign a petition to be sent to President Obama. See the the Action Alert in the right column.
March 24th & 25th Fair Trade Easter Egg Sale: Fair Trade chocolate eggs and bunnies will be available for purchase after all Masses at St. Elizabeth Seton and St. Augustine. By purchasing Fair Trade chocolate eggs and bunny boxes for Easter you will be helping disadvantaged chocolate producers in Africa and artisans in India earn a fair price for their labor, enabling them to provide food and clean drinking water for their families.
For those who do not have access to email, copies of the emailed "Public Policy Insights" sent out each Friday are now being printed and placed in the vestibules of both churches. If you know CCOP members needing this service, please advise them.
Please send comments about anything related to this newsletter to Social Justice.
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Organizing for Social Change
This article is a summary of a workshop presented by Claudia Albano as part of the Social Justice Forum at Holy Names University, February 11, 2012
If you have a desire to bring about some social change or merely are curious about how people can work together to effect social change, this article may be of interest to you. Also, having occasional "uncommon conversations" as described here, about, for example, "what you love" or "what you want to do and be in your life" can deepen relationships.
We will look at two models of community organizing: the relational model pioneered by Saul Alinsky and the ideological model which developed, primarily, as a result of the Civil Rights Movement.
The relational model typically is used to organize and empower the parents at a school, the members of a faith community, or a neighborhood. PICO,
http://www.piconetwork.org/, is an example of a national organization that uses this model. The model employs 1 on 1 meetings or "uncommon conversations" to build an organization of individuals who know and trust one another. Initially, this is brought about by individuals meeting 1 on 1 for periods of 40 minutes to an hour. An organizer will make an appointment with a person seen as a potential member or ally of the community organization being formed. The organizer ordinarily will begin by asking questions about the person and their community -- leading to a dialog about what issues are important to them and what is possible when people work together. Often the two people will discover that they are like-minded in significant ways, have built trust in each other, and are willing to work together.
Using 1 on1s to start an organization is common practice and helps the community organization grow. Initially, the organizer explains the process of holding 1 on 1 conversations to a few key leaders and invites them to meet with several other individuals they know. The circles not only expand but also intersect with one another and are continually strengthened. The two people who first met meet with each other again. They stay in touch with one another.
The original leaders train the new members, imparting organizing and leadership skills and also begin training members in the work skills needed by the organization. Typically four to six weeks are devoted to and initial 1 on 1 "listening campaign". These serve to identify problems, issues and leadership as well as a mailing list of concerned individuals. The mailing list is used to call together a large community meeting where issues are chosen and to initiate the organizing process:
problem -> issue -> target -> tactics (strategy) -> action -> evaluation.
Community Organizing has four main goals which organizations using either of the two models generally adhere to
Goal #1 Win concrete improvements in people's lives
Goal #2 Empower people to speak and act effectively on their own behalf
Goal #3 Institutional Change
Goal #4 Build strong grassroots organizations that can leverage the power of the community.
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Brief Links
The Caging of America -- why do we lock up so many people? Adam Gopnik article in The New Yorker, Jan. 30, 2012 Caging
Catholics Confront Global Poverty CCGP
Faithful Citizenship (brief version) brief
Faithful Citizenship (long version) long
Syria, the Implosion: on the front lines of a burgeoning civil war, The New Yorker, Feb. 27, 2012 Syria
Brief Links accidentally omitted from Feb. 23 newsletter
City of Pleasanton's Final Climate Action Plan, adopted and certified February 13, 2012 CAP
Climate Change page about Climate Action Plan of the Pleasanton Green Scene website page about CAP
Video of Special Pleasanton City Council Meeting, February 13, 2012 video. The meeting starts 3 minutes after the start of the video. The Housing Element Update is the first agenda item. Section on Climate Action Plans begins 1 hour after the start of the video.
Agenda and links to documents of Special Pleasanton City Council Meeting, February 13, 2012 Agenda & links
PBS video, "Earth: The Operators Manual" Earth video
The Role and Relevance of Multilateral Engagement in U.S. Foreign Policy Role
For Women Under 30, Most Births Occur Outside Marriage births
Islamists' Ideas on Democracy and Faith Face Test in Tunisia ideas
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Carnegie
2nd Annual Social Justice Forum, Holy Names University, February 11, 2012 Forum
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Action Alert
Department of Justice, Peace
and Human Development
Urge President Obama to
Change Outdated
Nuclear Policy
March 2, 2012
Dear colleagues,
The Obama administration is currently weighing cuts in U.S. nuclear forces. Within weeks, the President will be making important, once-in-a-decade decisions on the Presidential nuclear weapons policy "guidance." This guidance affects everything from war plans to the size, structure and cost of the nuclear arsenal. It will help determine whether we continue to live with the threat of nuclear annihilation by accident or by design--or move closer to a world free of the danger of nuclear war.
At a time of fiscal restraints, our nation is currently planning to spend about $210 billion over the next ten years to maintain our Cold War-based nuclear force structure. We could save tens of billions of dollars for other needs. As the Second Vatican Council taught: "[T]he arms race is an utterly treacherous trap for humanity, and one which ensnares the poor to an intolerable degree."
During the 2010 debate on a treaty to reduce the numbers of U.S. and Russian nuclear weapons, Cardinal Francis George, OMI, then President of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, wrote: "The horribly destructive capacity of nuclear arms makes them disproportionate and indiscriminate weapons that endanger human life and dignity like no other armaments. Their use as a weapon of war is rejected in Church teaching based on just war norms. Although we cannot anticipate every step on the path humanity must walk, we can point with moral clarity to a destination that moves beyond deterrence to a world free of the nuclear threat."
While possession of a minimal nuclear capability may deter the use of nuclear weapons by others, the Church urges that nuclear deterrence be replaced with concrete measures of disarmament based on dialogue and multilateral negotiations. As Pope Benedict XVI stated in in his 2010 World Day of Peace Message, "I firmly hope that ... concrete decisions will be made towards progressive disarmament, with a view to freeing our planet from nuclear arms."
Now is our opportunity to make our voices heard by pressing President Obama to make good on his commitment to "put an end to Cold War thinking" and pursue further, dramatic steps that would make us all safer from the threat of nuclear weapons.
Please join thousands of Americans by adding your name to the following petition to the President before
March 31, 2012
President Obama, move us closer to a world free of nuclear weapons
Dear Mr. President,
Thank you for supporting the vision of a world free of nuclear weapons and for pledging to "put an end to outdated Cold War thinking." In the 21st century, nuclear weapons are a global security liability, not an asset. You must act now to reduce the nuclear danger and the role of nuclear weapons.
In the coming weeks, I urge you to end outdated U.S. nuclear war-fighting strategy, dramatically reduce the number of U.S. nuclear weapons and the number of submarines, missiles, and bombers that carry those weapons, and take U.S. nuclear weapons off high alert. Maintaining large numbers of nuclear forces on alert increases the risk of accident or miscalculation.
By taking these steps, you will facilitate reductions in Russia's nuclear arsenal, encourage other nuclear-armed countries to join in reductions, and move us closer to a world free of nuclear weapons.
Signed,
Please click here to sign your name
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Upcoming Events
Wednesday, March 14, 7:00 - 8:00 P.M.
Peace Vigil sponsored by Pleasantonians 4 Peace,
http://www.pleasantonians4peace.org/
Meet in front of Pleasanton Museum, 603 Main Street, Pleasanton
Saturday, March 17, 9:00 A.M. - Noon
Medshare in San Leandro: sorting medical supplies
Contact Mark Nevins, 925-846-1014,
menevi@sbcglobal.net, in advance to participate
Saturday & Sunday, March 24 & 25, all Masses
Fair Trade Chocolate Easter Egg & Bunny Sale
Wednesday, March 28, 6:00 P.M.
Pleasanton Energy and Environment Committee meeting
Operations Service Center
3333 Busch Rd, Pleasanton
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