 QUOTE OF THE WEEK |
For us, it was very important to receive the support of the universities. We are impressed by the social conscience of the students in the United States.
- Moises Alvarado, president of the union at a closed plant in Choloma, Honduras, after a succcessful campaign by United Students Against Sweatshops persuaded Russell Athletic to agree to reopen the plant and rehire 1,200 workers. (Source: The New York Times)
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Build, Don't Destroy in Afghanistan: An Open Letter to President Obama
Your voice is being heard. Already, thousands of you have signed a letter and contacted the White House urging a new way forward in Afghanistan. Today, Sojourners staff will be meeting with White House officials to hand-deliver the following letter. I encourage you to read it and to endorse this message if you have not done so already. Support for a new way forward is growing. InterAction, a coalition of 187 non-governmental relief and development organizations focused on the world's poorest and most vulnerable people, has now written a letter of support for this new approach that you can read here. As the president’s decision draws near, please, as always, pray for peace.
Dear Mr. President,
In your speech to the United Nations General Assembly this fall, you eloquently stated one of your core beliefs, that while too often peace remains a distant dream:
We can either accept that outcome as inevitable, and tolerate constant and crippling conflict, or we can recognize that the yearning for peace is universal, and reassert our resolve to end conflicts around the world ... For the most powerful weapon in our arsenal is the hope of human beings -- the belief that the future belongs to those who would build and not destroy; the confidence that conflicts can end and a new day can begin.
We share that belief, and urge you to make it your guiding principle in Afghanistan. We speak not as military or political strategists, but as religious leaders seeking to faithfully apply our moral values to this most crucial issue. We have been watching, listening, and praying as the political arguments and counter-arguments about what to do in Afghanistan fill the air. We commend you for taking time to make your decisions in such an important matter which will affect the lives of so many.
We believe that after eight years of war we need a whole new approach in Afghanistan. And we respectfully and prayerfully suggest to you a different strategy that we would name: the humanitarian and development surge.
First, lead with what we know works -- massive humanitarian assistance and sustainable development. We know that what can re-build a broken nation; inspire confidence, trust, and hope among its people; and undermine the appeal of terrorism is massive humanitarian assistance and sustainable economic development. And it costs less -- far less -- than continued war.
Many of us as religious leaders are deeply involved with the people and organizations who know places like Afghanistan the best; and they are neither the military nor the private contractors who increasingly dominate U.S. foreign policy in war-torn regions. Rather they are the NGOs, both faith-based and secular, doing relief and development work which have been there for years, have become quite indigenous, and are much more trusted by the people of the country than are the U.S. military. We’ve also learned that it is vitally important that humanitarian and development assistance should be provided, as much as possible, by independent civilian and non-governmental organizations, both international and local -- rather than using aid as a government adjunct to military operations. Another way to say it is that the best face of America to the world is a baseball hat and not a helmet.
Of course, we recognize that effective development needs security, and when we have massively intervened in a country as much as the U.S. has in Afghanistan, we can’t responsibly just walk away -- as has tragically happened to that country in the past. But we should lead with economic development now, starting in areas that are secure with the plan of growing the transformation from there and providing only the security necessary to protect the strategic rebuilding of the country. That kind of peacekeeping security might better attract the international involvement we so desperately need in Afghanistan, both from Europe and even from Arab and Muslim countries. Let the non-military strategies lead the way, rather than the other way around. Let us not make aid and development another weapon of war, by tying it so closely to the military; but rather provide the security support needed for the development work to succeed -- led by both respected and well-established international organizations with strong local connections.
Second, we feel deeply about the ethical and moral issues that are at stake in our decisions about future policy in Afghanistan -- legitimately protecting Americans from further terrorism, protecting the lives of American servicemen and women, protecting the Afghan people from the collateral damage of war, defending women from the Taliban, genuinely supporting democracy and, of course, saving innocent lives from the collateral damage of war -- to name a few.
We also strongly recommend a diplomatic surge. We urge you to continue pursuing political and diplomatic solutions to these complicated issues, promoting stable governance in Afghanistan and Pakistan, seeking political integration of those elements of the Taliban that are willing to cooperate in preventing the use of their territory for launching terrorist strikes, engaging with the United Nations and other states in the region to build diplomatic and economic support for regional stabilization and economic development, as well as international policing to prevent the spread of extremists and the use of terror.
But Mr. President, as you deliberate on these momentous decisions, we are concerned that the discussion in Washington, D.C. is far too narrow, with only two points of view being seriously considered.
One strategy supports a robust strategy of counter-insurgency, requiring a substantial escalation of troops that would bring the total number of U.S. forces in Afghanistan to as many as 100,000. Yet, this only increases the massive American footprint in that volatile country; which is now one of the primary causes of our problems there, and is clearly helping to fuel the insurgency. Add in a corrupt Afghan government, a highly decentralized society, and a physical terrain that has confounded every other occupier in history; and we find little reason to be hopeful about the prospects of military success through more escalation.
The other prefers counter-terrorism, relying on precision targeting technology to apply military pressure on the most dangerous and extreme operatives who are the greatest threat to us. Our counter-terrorist missiles and unmanned drones may cost less in American lives and treasure, but they have very significant political and moral costs. In war, a laser-like focus is seldom possible, often leading to tragic results in unintended consequences and innocent casualties. The collateral damage of our technological war has already been great, resulting in many civilian deaths, further alienating the populace and, inadvertently, producing even more angry young recruits for terrorism.
And we fear the solution that may be emerging in Washington could be a confused combination of the two strategies, bringing us the worst of both worlds.
We humbly suggest it is time for a meeting at the White House with both American religious leaders and the heads of the leading international development agencies, some of whom have been in Afghanistan for years, with many indigenous employees and partners, who are trusted by the people of the country. These organizations can contribute their experience and wisdom on what U.S. policy would best work, and what kind of security they would need to really do the kind of development in Afghanistan that is most needed. Along with the military and political advice you are receiving, this input is crucial to your decision. And it is time, perhaps for the first time, for an on-going moral and ethical conversation between government and the faith community about the moral implications of our policy decisions.
Mr. President, we assure you that in taking the approach of effective aid and development, and real engagement with the moral issues that confront us in Afghanistan, you will have our support. As always, you are in our prayers as you seek the right decisions to these most difficult questions and choices. We look forward to hearing from you.
Blessings,
Jim Wallis, President and CEO, Sojourners
Noel Castellanos, President, Christian Community Development Association
Rev. William J. Shaw, Pastor, White Rock Baptist Church, Philadelphia, PA
Dr. Barbara Williams-Skinner, President, Skinner Leadership Institute
Rev. Rich Nathan, Pastor, Vineyard Church of Columbus
Thomas L. Jones, former chair, Social Justice and Peacemaking, Presbyterian Church USA
The Honorable Douglas W. Kmiec
Arturo Chavez, Ph.D., President and CEO, Mexican American Catholic College
Ingrid Mattson, President, The Islamic Society of North America
Dr. Anthony Campolo, President and Founder, Evangelical Association for the Promotion of Education
Fred Davie, The Arcus Foundation
Diana Butler Bass, Author and Educator
Harry Knox, Silver Spring, Maryland
Brian D. McLaren, author, speaker, activist
Rev. Sharon Watkins, General Minister and President, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Rev. Alexia Salvatierra
Rev. Wes Granberg-Michaelson, Reformed Church in America
Thomas and Karen Getman, The Getman Group
Mubarak Awad, American University
Robin and Nancy Wainwright, Middle East Fellowship
Norm Nelson, Compassion Radio
Susheilla Mehta
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| INSIDE SOJOURNERS MAGAZINE |
Video: How to Compost with Worms. Sojourners editor Jim Rice and his family have been composting with worms for more than a decade. In this video how-to, he shares seven easy steps to composting with worms.
Video: Jim Wallis interviews Michael J. Sandel, Harvard professor and author of the book Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do?
| BUILDING A MOVEMENT |
Urbana Poverty and Advocacy Track
This winter break, join thousands of young Christians in St. Louis at Urbana ’09 -- one of the largest and oldest missions conferences in the country. Since 1946, InterVarsity has hosted Urbana to bring young Christians together to respond to God’s call.
Sojourners, World Vision and International Justice Mission will be leading an entire conference track on Advocacy and Poverty, focused on how to be a voice for change, especially on behalf of those trapped in poverty and modern day slavery.
Now you can get $50 off the registration fee. All you have to do is enter the special Sojourners code: SOJOURB.
Register today, and we’ll see you in St. Louis!
| ON THE GOD'S POLITICS BLOG |
+ See what's new on the blog of Jim Wallis and friends
The Mammogram Panic, or, False Positives Are No Picnic
by LaVonne Neff
I'll probably keep on getting my annual mammogram, and the HHS secretary assures me that this should be no problem. But I do understand the task force's wish to cut back on unnecessary procedures. As satirical columnist Gail Collins wrote this morning, "Whatever happens, we do not want the government conducting any studies on whether current health practices actually do any good. Let this continue and soon you will not be able to get your hands on a good leech when you need one."
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Unseen Privilege: The Overlooked Gender Dimension of the 'Deadly Viper' Conversation
by Kathy Khang
I'm having a tough time shaking the gender piece of this curriculum that hijacks and then stereotypes Asian culture while creating a false dichotomy between the feminine and masculine and describes strength, integrity and leadership in hyper-masculine terms.
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Biden on the Bailouts: 'Socialism for the Rich, and Capitalism for the poor'
by Sheldon C. Good
Joe Biden admitted last night on The Daily Show that the billions of dollars we've spent on big bank bailouts is "socialism for the rich, and capitalism for the poor." No kidding.
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Obama's Bow and R-E-S-P-E-C-T
by Valerie Elverton Dixon
President Obama's critics have complained that he bowed too deeply to the emperor of Japan during his current trip to Asia. The argument is that such a gesture demonstrates an undue deference. It is a sign of weakness. It flies in the face of America's value that all are created equal....
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Sarah Palin, Newsweek Cover, and Sexism
by Eugene Cho
What is the point of this cover? I don't have a problem with the lead title, but that image of Palin is demeaning. Let's call it straight: It's sexist.
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I've Heard It All Before: Consume less. Love more. Give more.
by Tracey Bianchi
Whenever someone starts yammering away on the moral attributes of the Christmas season, like a bored middle school student I start to doze off.
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Boys are Warriors and Girls are Princesses? Spiritual Gifts are not Divided by Gender
by Mimi Haddad
Have you ever visited your local Christian bookstore as an exercise in gender studies? Notice as you walk down the "women's" aisle how all the books take on shades of pink and lavender. Have a careful look, also, at the material published for boys and girls. Observe the abundance of materials geared to make your boy a warrior and a leader, and your girl a social princess and a beauty.
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Pentagon Blocks Release of Detainee Abuse Photos -- Obama Agrees
by Jimmy McCarty
What concerns me most in this situation is that our leaders expect more outrage from our enemies than from us over the inhumane treatment of defenseless persons.
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Psalm 109:8 -- A Prayer to Destroy Obama?
by Diana Butler Bass
During the last few days, Psalm 109:8, a Bible verse in the form of a "prayer for Obama," has topped the Google trends chart: "May his days be few; may another take his office." It was, most likely, intended as a joke. But it isn't really very funny. Especially since the next verse reads, "May his children be orphans, and his wife a widow."
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New Momentum for Immigration Reform
by Justin Fung
Comprehensive immigration reform has, in the words of Secretary Napolitano, "been punted from year to year, from Congress to Congress, from administration to administration," and the need for reform has not diminished in the slightest.
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Health Care: Keep Your Eyes on the Prize
by Jim Wallis
The following is a memo Jim Wallis has provided to leaders throughout the nation concerning the ongoing issue of abortion within the health care reform debate and the need to find common ground instead of allowing a resurrection of the "culture wars" that stymie honest debate and the change needed and wanted by the American people.
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Sarah Palin and the Demise of Public Discourse
by Chuck Gutenson
I wonder how many doctoral dissertations will be written over the next several years aimed at exploring the cultural phenomenon that is Sarah Palin. It is hard to imagine a scenario in which one would undertake such a study and come to the conclusion that the impact she has wielded on culture has been even marginally positive.
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The Charter for Compassion
by Cathleen Falsani
Karen Armstrong, the former Roman Catholic nun and one of the foremost writers on religion of our generation, and the renowned African spiritual leader and peacemaker Archbishop Desmond Tutu, in launching what they have called the "Charter for Compassion," are not saying anything new.
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Conservative Progressives?
by Brian McLaren
What would a conservative wing of the progressive party stand for? First, I think, they would be staunchly secular, deeply suspicious of progressive Evangelicals and Catholics being "out of the closet" about their faith in party circles. Second, they would be nervous about progressive religious Democrats who do not favor criminalizing abortion but are deeply committed to abortion reduction.
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Tools for Turning Your Travels into Pilgrimages
by Becky Garrison
In my ongoing quest to turn my travels into pilgrimages, I keep discovering resources that help me along the way.
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Practicing Jesus' Third Way in the Public Square
by Margaret Benefiel
In the midst of the hate speech that's surfacing in the public square these days, I've been asking myself how I can respond to such speech nonviolently. How can I engage with compassion those who sling word-arrows, inviting the slingers to transformation?
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What Happens When a Wheaton Grad Runs for Congress as a Democrat
by Matthew Soerens
Ben's concern for environmental conservation and justice are rooted in his Christian faith. That faith has also led him to advocate for health care for all Americans, for comprehensive immigration reform, for peaceful ends to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and a more judicious approach toward foreign policy, and for fiscal policies that ensure that a few greedy individuals cannot derail our entire economy. Despite that progressive agenda, the local Democratic Party has been split on their views on Ben's candidacy.
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| SOJOURNERS IN THE NEWS |
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Top Stories:
Justice Revival comes to Dallas
The Dallas Morning News religion blog
Sojourners, the Washington, D.C.-based social ministry, put on its first Justice Revival last year in Columbus, Ohio. Dallas got the nod for the second, and planning has been underway for more than a year. About 1,000 churches and ministries have offered at least some support, and some 200 are actively involved. The social justice focus is on supporting public schools and reducing homelessness. +Click to continue
Churches unite to make a difference in Dallas
WFAA Dallas ABC
The question "What would Jesus do?" is more than a slogan on a wrist band. Now, hundreds of Dallas-area churches have an answer. From neighborhoods all over the city, they are coming together to solve problems in needy schools and neighborhoods. The Pinkston High School band is in the midst of a revival, and so is the school itself. But the deteriorating paint in the band room shows it could use some help. That help is about to arrive, from churches as diverse as Sheron Patterson's Methodist congregation in Oak Cliff, and Ron Scates' Highland Park Presbyterian. +Click to continue
Justice Revival calls churches to unify and serve
The Baptist Standard
Dallas-area churches are taking notice of the 5,800 homeless people and the 89 percent of Dallas high school seniors who are not college- or career-ready when they graduate. And they are setting aside differences to follow God’s command to help the least of these. The Justice Revival is a faith-based event attempting to unite Christians across denominational lines, mobilizing churches to improve public schools and end chronic homelessness by creating permanent supportive housing. +Click to continue
Volunteers put Justice Revival spirit to work in projects across Dallas
The Dallas Morning News
Classes were out Saturday, but Barbara Jordan Elementary School was humming with activity. About 50 parents, students, neighborhood leaders and church volunteers spent the chilly autumn morning laying sod, planting bushes and preparing a community garden. The effort Saturday was one of 10 projects across Dallas that wrapped up Justice Revival. +Click to continue
"Sojourners in the news" articles are the most recent news clippings that mention Sojourners in any way - whether favorably or unfavorably. Though we provide the text on our site for your convenience, we do not necessarily endorse the views of these articles or their source publications. |
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