This issue of the newsletter has four articles worth reading. You may not want to follow all the links in the article about the EPA's proposed new rules but look at the ones following "Two Recent Additions".
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Rectifying Social Segregation in Alameda County
This is the fifth in the series of articles about "Needs and Opportunities in the Tri-Valley-to-Oakland Corridor" but it will try to tackle this major - seemingly impossible - objective.
Social segregation in Alameda County is largely self-imposed or by choice. We tend to live in the best neighborhoods we can afford and in neighborhoods populated by people like ourselves. The unfortunate result of this is that by isolating ourselves we miss out on enjoying the cultural richness of the area and also miss out on opportunities to develop and utilize abilities to get to know and work with a diversity of people on tasks for which we might be well suited. This means, for many of us, that we do not fully realize our potential, do not put to use the full range of our personalities and talents. It also means that many crying human needs seem remote to us and are not felt as our personal concerns.
As Catholics we have two guidelines that can help us rectify social segregation
- Our obligation to love others and demonstrate concern for their well-being
- The principle of subsidiarity
The first guideline encompasses the whole message of Christ's teaching. Our respect for human dignity needs to see others as unconditionally loved creations of God like ourselves. We need to understand our human nature as described by Catholic Social Teaching and be trying to replace our concern for ourselves with a willingness to connect with and be helpful to others.
The following is an excerpt from a reflection about our calling as Christians:
"... For the vast majority of us, that call is to witness in the manner in which we conduct ourselves at work, at home, in service to others and in our recreation. It is a call to live counter culturally, to always put the other person first in a society that emphasizes personal freedom even to the detriment of others. It is a call to show respect for the dignity and presence of the Holy Spirit in each individual. It is a call to share the joy of God's love for us - and our love for him - in all that we are and all that we do. " Reflection for May 26 by Susan Tinley of the College of Nursing at Creighton, University, link
The principle of subsidiarity is explained by the following:
"Yet states and governments often exceed their legitimate role and infringe upon individuals and groups in society so as to dominate rather than to serve them. To combat this tendency, Catholic social thought emphasizes the principle of subsidiarity. Non-Catholics also have discovered this principle. Abraham Lincoln wrote: 'The legitimate object of government is to do for a community of people whatever they need to have done, but cannot do at all or cannot so well do, for themselves - in their separate and individual capacities.' Government should be as small as possible, but as big as necessary to accomplish whatever needs to be accomplished that cannot be accomplished in any other way. Excerpt from a page from CatholicCulture.org entitled, "Observe the Principle of Subsidiarity", link
Governments at all levels need to operate in such a way as to encourage the initiative and self-reliance of individuals and groups. In Severine Deneulin's book, Wellbeing, Justice and Development Ethics, this was referred to by the term "agency" meaning that people need to be agents of and in control of their own lives.
We as individuals need to think and act independently and also be ready and willing to work with and assist others when our help is needed. We need to act out of a love and concern for our fellow human beings.
The principle of subsidiarity is a good starting point for conversations between liberals and conservatives. People in both camps need to avail themselves of reliable and unbiased sources of information and to think for themselves. How can we help and encourage each other to do this? Perhaps all of us can look more critically at the newspapers, magazines and books we read and the TV news programs we watch and look for alternatives.
Possible steps for rectifying social segregation include efforts to
- Remove the inequity in quality of public schools
- Remove the inequity in police protection, that is, trying to make all neighborhoods safe
- Raise the level of neighborliness particularly in poorer neighborhoods
- Increase people's willingness to speak with and associate with people different from themselves
Those of us who live in the Tri-Valley can make an effort to learn about and take advantage of cultural activities in other parts of Alameda County:
We can also make an effort to attend events that will give us opportunities to meet and get acquainted with a variety of people. Aside from barriers of income and education level, skin color, religion, and political ideology there are social barriers regarding mental illness, addictions, eating disorders, and disabilities. All of us are God's creations.
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EPA to Seek 30 Percent Cut in Carbon Emissions
On Sunday, June 1, the New York Times printed a story about the announcement that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was going to make the next day. Here is what was said:
"The Environmental Protection Agency will unveil a draft proposal on Monday to cut carbon pollution from the nation's power plants 30 percent from 2005 levels by 2030, according to people briefed on the plan.
"The proposed rule amounts to the strongest action ever taken by the United States government to fight climate change.
"Coal-fired power plants are the largest source of the greenhouse gas emissions that scientists blame for trapping heat in the atmosphere and dangerously warming the planet.
"The rule could trigger a fundamental transformation of the nation's energy systems - if it withstands an expected onslaught of legal and legislative attacks.
"In his first term, Mr. Obama tried but failed to push a sweeping climate change bill through Congress. But now, as many Republicans question the science of climate change, and even as many Democrats from coal-dependent states fear that a climate change bill could damage their economies, Mr. Obama is moving ahead on his own. He is using the executive authority under the 1970 Clean Air Act to issue the regulation.
"Under the proposal to be unveiled on Monday, states will be given a wide menu of policy options to achieve the pollution cuts. Rather than immediately shutting down coal plants, states will be allowed to reduce emissions by making changes across their electricity systems - by installing new wind and solar generation, energy-efficiency technology and by starting or joining state and regional 'cap-and-trade' programs, in which states agree to cap carbon pollution and buy and sell permits to pollute.
"In a 2009 United Nations accord, Mr. Obama pledged that the United States would cut its greenhouse gas pollution 17 percent from 2005 levels by 2020, and 83 percent by 2050." New York Times article, June 1, link
The next day the New York Times' article on the subject had the headline, "Taking Page From Health Care Act, Obama Climate Plan Relies on States". Here is a link to that article: link
There is an EPA web page on the Proposed Rule which includes links to many more details, link
The National Catholic Reporter's Eco-Catholic Digest for June 3 had an entry entitled "New EPA moves need our support", link
US bishops to EPA: protect 'least of these' in power-plant carbon rules, link
Historic EPA global warming rules: How will they affect California? (Tri-Valley Times and Mercury News, June 3), link
Obama's new emission rules for power plants require 30% cut by 2030 (June 2 article from the Associated Press carried on Mercury News website), link
Two Recent Additions
Though Not Quietly, Kentucky Moves to Cut Reliance on Coal (New York Times news article, June 7), link
Obama on Obama on Climate (New York Times opinion piece by Thomas Friedman, June 7), link
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Last Chapter of "Wellbeing, Justice & Development Ethics"
This article is the fifth in the series of articles based on Severine Deneulin's book, Wellbeing, Justice and Development Ethics entitled "A Social Justice Vocabulary". The book gives definitions for a few terms such as "wellbeing", "agency", "functioning" and "capability" and also sets forth a conceptual framework for discussion about promoting justice and human flourishing.
The last chapter of the book is a brief summary of what the book has set out to accomplish and also points to directions for future work.
Justice rather than Development
The first point suggests that future work to promote the well-being of peoples within societies should aim to make societies more just rather than to advance their development since many efforts under that banner have gone astray. Deneulin says,
"There has been a lot of unease with the very idea of development and what has been done under its name. 'Human development' was an attempt to humanize the processes of economic and social change and ensure that humans, and their flourishing, were at the center. But an increasingly large number of scholars and social activists are calling to discard the word 'development' from the policy and social sciences vocabulary. The capability approach is said to have laid the foundations of 'human development' by providing a framework with which to assess whether people's lives were flourishing or not in the economic processes of accumulation. Development was about expanding the 'real wealth of nations', that is, the opportunities people have to live long, healthy and creative lives. This book has argued that the capability approach has gone beyond 'human development' and is providing conceptual contents to a development-free or 'post-development' world. With its core concepts of wellbeing and agency, it has shifted development discourse from development to justice. The question is not whether countries are more or less developed than others but whether societies are just or unjust than others. The capability approach gives a framework for assessing how just societies are and how to make them less unjust."
Near the end of the book Deneulin speaks of "understanding of freedom in the form of living well and acting justly" She notes, "Sometimes, the exercise of one's freedom may undermine the opportunities other people have to enjoy a valuable set of beings and doings, such as having one's voice heard or being adequately fed and sheltered."
One question is, Are there ways we can change our laws, institutions, or practices to reduce instances of people undermining the opportunities of others? Another question is, In what ways are people being treated unjustly? A very good resource for answering the question for most of the countries of the world is the organization Human Rights Watch. Their 2014 report on the United States is available at link.
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Update on Summit on Homelessness
Part 1 of Summit: Invited Speakers

Part 2 of Summit: Five Discussion Groups

For anyone who has not already read the Tri-Valley Times article on the April 30 Summit in Livermore, here is a link to it: link
Email to Attendees from Livermore official
Livermore's Human Services Program Manager Jean Prasher sent an email to Summit attendees on May 9 saying,
"Mayor John Marchand would like to thank you for your attendance at the Mayor's Summit on Homelessness on April 30. We appreciate your efforts to help us identify solutions to reduce the number of persons experiencing homelessness in the Tri-Valley.
"A report discussing key outcomes from the Summit will be presented to the City Council this summer. After the presentation, a Council Subcommittee will be reviewing the recommendations to determine the next steps. "If you volunteered to participate on post-Summit committees, City staff will send you additional information after the Subcommittee makes its recommendations.
"The web address below will link you to a page on the City's website that contains a link to the slide presentations from the Summit..." link
Editorial from The Independent
"An enthusiastic crowd gathered to take part in the Mayor's Summit on Homelessness in Livermore.
"The overall theme of the day was the importance of having a home. It was pointed out that living on the street places the focus on simply surviving, finding a place to sleep and food to eat. A permanent place to live allows people to deal with other issues they are facing.
"Some of the guest speakers debunked myths concerning who are the homeless. It was pointed out that people generally do not migrate from where they think is home to become homeless. "Personal failings do not cause homelessness. Public policy and lack of investment cause homelessness. Housing solves homelessness."
"Several good ideas came out of the session.
"One proposed a one-stop location where those who are homeless or about to become homeless could access a variety of mental health and social services, take a shower, have mailboxes, and find job counseling.
"A second suggestion focused on Housing First as a way to provide permanent housing. Once in a home, people can move on to deal with issues such as drug use and mental health.
"Over 200 people attended the summit. Livermore and the entire region should not let this opportunity go away to harness the energy of those people in working to make solutions to homelessness a reality." May 16 editorial from The Independent, link
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Brief Links
Rich Neighborhood, Poor Neighborhood: How Segregation Threatens Social Mobility (Brookings, Dec., 2013), link
Oakland Art Murmur, link
Oakland's Journey from Seedy to Sizzling (New York Times, May 2, 2010), link
Oakland Mo Fo (blog: Oakland Art Murmur First Fridays Every Month), link
Pope at Audience: If we destroy Creation, it will destroy us (Vatican Radio, May 21), link
Why Creating and Preserving Affordable Homes Near Transit is a Highly Effective Climate Protection Strategy (TransForm web page with Executive Summary and links to full report), link
Affordable Housing That's Very Costly [in Manhattan] (New York Times opinion piece, June 7), link
A New Model of School Reform,
BMW apprenticeship program trains workers to rise through the ranks without 4-year degree (PBS Newshour segment, June 4), link
Rwanda rebuilds after genocide with focus on community health care (PBS Newshour segment, May 29), link
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Upcoming Events
Friday, June 13, 6:30 - 9:00 P.M.
Ceasefire Night Walk
First Mt. Sinai Baptist Church, 1970 86th Avenue, Oakland (see map)
Saturday, June 21, 8:00 A.M - 4:00 P.M.
Habitat for Humanity Build Day
No special skills or experience required but must be at l6 years old. Contact David Browne, dabbowne@gmail.com, to sign up or for additional information
Saturday, June 21 & Sunday, June 22, all masses
Sign-up weekend for July 5 Blood Drive in John Paul II Center
Tuesday, June 17, 7:00 P.M., Santa Clara Wednesday, July 9, 7:00 P.M., Berkeley Wednesday, July 16, 7:00 P.M. , Santa Clara Information Session, Companions in Ignatian Service & Spirituality
Saturdays, July 19, September 20 & November 15
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