Public Advocacy

God is Lord of all of life. As followers of Jesus, our faith calls us to exercise stewardship of our citizenship through involvement in the public arena. Visit the Legislative Action Center to find the latest information on current issues, locate your Senators and Congressperson, and draft an email or letter that lets them know how you feel. Writing a letter to the editor is one form of advocacy in which we can all participate. The Presbyterian Washington Office Web site makes writing such letters easy. Go to the Media Guide and type in your zip code to find the media outlets in your area.

Why are persons of faith involved in the public arena?

What do scripture and the Reformed tradition tell us about their involvement in the world? [Read more]

Making Poverty History: Hunger Education Activities That Work!
A global chorus of voices is calling to make poverty history. We have the resources, we have the knowledge, but do we have the will? Church World Service has collected these activities, simulations, skits and worship resources to help build that will by providing a glimpse into the lives and struggles of impoverished people around the world. Download this resource.

Let Justice Roll - Living Wage Campaign

The Let Justice Roll Living Wage Campaign, a nonpartisan program of more than fifty faith-based and community-based organizations, works in support of federal legislation to raise the federal minimum wage and state legislation and ballot initiatives to increase the minimum wage in selected states.

Antiracism 

Office of Racial Justice and Advocacy

Advocacy Packet on Global Racism from the Presbyterian United Nations Office 

Resources for dialogues on issues related to race

Many groups are engaging in dialogues on issues related to race and racism in the aftermath of the March 18 speech by Barack Obama. The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) provides several resources that might be helpful in organizing such dialogues:

Print Resources

Facing Racism: A Vision of the Beloved Community (1999)
The report of the Initiative Team on Racism and Racial Violence, approved by the 211th General Assembly (1999) as the PC(USA)’s comprehensive policy document on racism.

Living the Gospel of Peace: Tools for Building More Inclusive Community
This six-session study teaches communication guidelines, mutual invitation, community bible study, and power analysis and explores how to use these tools to build community in the face of racism and other factors that divide us.

$3.00 •  PDS #7027004014

Facing Racism: In Search of the Beloved Community
This five-session study for youth was developed to help youth confront racism and work to build the "beloved community."

$1.25 • PDS #7027098002

The Belhar Confession
The General Assembly has commended the Belhar Confession to the church as a “resource for reflection, study, and response, as a means of deepening the commitment of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to dealing with racism and a means of strengthening its unity, bearing in mind that the Belhar Confession emerged from the context of racism in South Africa.” Download The Belhar Confession and The Belhar Confession study guide.

Study Opportunities

This year’s Multicultural Institute at Ghost Ranch will include two opportunities to develop and refine skills for use in dialogue on issues of race and racism:

• Lambs and Wolves Talking Together will draw on the work of Eric Law and others to look at communication across cultural differences.
• Building Community — Dismantling Racism will make use of tools from the PC(USA) antiracism training program to understand the ways racism continues to impact our lives and how we can work to dismantle racism.

Colombia resource booklet

Full document (2.24MB)

Resource booklet in parts

• Part 1 (894k)
• Part 2 (262k)
• Part 3 (605k)
• Part 4 (1.12MB)

Christian Witness for Peace in Iraq

Ongoing Witness

The Christian Peace Witness for Iraq is a Christian-based movement that seeks to create real security and peace in Iraq. Five commitments guide the Christian Peace Witness:

• End the U.S. war and occupation
• Support our troops
• Support an Iraqi-led peace process
• Say NO to torture
• Say YES to justice by fully and justly funding human needs at home

Decade to Overcome Violence

2008 Annual Focus

“Witnessing to God’s Peace” is the theme of the 2008 DOV Annual focus on the Pacific Islands. The Pacific Region includes more than 20,000 islands scattered across the world’s largest ocean. The islands are home to a population exceeding 7.5 million. While they may share the same ocean, the Pacific is as unique as its many volcanic islands and atolls. The island region discussed here fall culturally and geographically into three main areas: Polinisia (Polynesia), Melanisia (Melanesia) and Maikoronisia (Micronesia).

The Decade to Overcome Violence provides a collection of resources from a variety of countries and denominations to help mark this focus.

Video Messages of Peace

Nobel Peace Prize laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu is among more than a dozen well-known Christian leaders and peacemakers from all over the world who have created video messages supporting the World Council of Churches' Decade to Overcome Violence. The two-minute messages also affirm the churches' and faith communities' work for peace and justice. 

The video messages are available in both webcast and broadcast quality. Links are also provided to full transcripts of the messages. 

Decade to Overcome Violence Goals

• Addressing holistically the wide varieties of violence, both direct and structural, in homes, in communities and in international arenas and learning from the local and regional analyses of violence and ways to overcome violence.
• Challenging the churches to overcome the spirit, logic and practice of violence; to relinquish any theological justification of violence; and to affirm anew the spirituality of reconciliation and active nonviolence.
• Creating a new understanding of security in terms of cooperation and community instead of in terms of domination and competition.
• Learning from the spirituality and resources for peace-building of other faiths to work with communities of other faiths in the pursuit of peace and to challenge the churches to reflect on the misuse of religious and ethnic identities in pluralistic societies.
• Challenging the growing militarization of our world, especially the proliferation of small arms and light weapons.

Democratic Republic of Congo

Prayers for the Democratic Republic of Congo

PC(USA) at Work in Democratic Republic of Congo

Congo Mission Network

On Promoting a Free, Fair, and Democratic Election in the Democratic Republic of Congo
217th General Assembly (2006) Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

UN News Centre — News Focus: Democratic Republic of Congo

United Nations Country Fact Sheet

United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MUNOC)

MUNOC and the Elections

Disarmament

Faithful Security: The National Religious Partnership on the Nuclear Weapons Danger

Faithful Security is a network of citizens who participate in the National Religious Partnership on the Nuclear Weapons Danger. Participants are committed to organizing religious communities on a local level to break faith with nuclear weapons once and for all. Faithful Security works toward the permanent elimination of nuclear weapons by empowering religious communities to take action on a local level. The group has created a toolkit to provide resources to learn about the nuclear weapons danger and suggests action to build a safer world for all of our brothers and sisters.

Muslim-Christian Initiative

The Muslim-Christian Initiative on the Nuclear Weapons Danger was developed to enable Muslims and Christians in this nation to work to end the nuclear weapons danger. The initiative has developed study materials for use by individual Christians and Muslims, church groups and Islamic centers. The Muslim-Christian Study and Action Guide on the Nuclear Weapons Danger will help Muslims and Christians apply their faith to the nuclear weapons danger and provide opportunities for the two faith communities to work together on an issue of fundamental importance. Creation, Love, and Peace: People of Faith and the Nuclear Danger contains study guides for three sessions. Designed as a supplement to the study and action guide, the materials include prayers, readings and discussion questions.

Nuclear Non-Proliferation Issues

Non-Governmental Organization on Disarmament, Peace and Security

For more than thirty years, the Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) Committee on Disarmament, Peace and Security has provided services and facilities to hundreds of citizens' groups concerned with the peace and disarmament activities of the United Nations. Because of its distinguished efforts as conference organizer, network clearing house, newspaper publisher, and year-round UN liaison, the NGO Committee is viewed as a primary ally of the international movement for arms control, peace and disarmament, and the continuing body designated to serve this worldwide constituency. The NGO Committee publishes a periodical Disarmament Times that looks at nuclear disarmament, the small arms trade, weapons in space, and other issues related to peace and security

World Religions for Peace

A Call for Arms Control and Nuclear Disarmament

General Assembly Actions

Summary of General Assembly Actions Related to Nuclear Weapons

At the Crossroads

A resource from the Friends Committee on National Legislation

Strategies for Congregations to Work on Disarmament Issues

1. Educate members on the nature of disarmament issues making clear why people of faith care about this issue.
2. Advocate that this issue be addressed in worship.
3. Recruit committed members for the Presbyterian Washington Office's Global Security Network or another network monitoring legislative action on disarmament issues.
4. Work with others in the religious community to implement educational and legislative strategies.
5. Express your concerns and commitments about disarmament issues publicly through letters to the editor and other communication channels.

— Adapted from a resource of the Interfaith Committee on Nuclear Disarmament

HIV/AIDS

• A Candle Lighting Service for Children Living with HIV/AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa
• AIDS and Peacemaking
  This one-sheet leaflet briefly describes the work of the PC(USA)’s International AIDS Ministries in Africa and how that work to peacemaking. Congregations, presbyteries, and synods are encouraged to use all or part of their share of the Peacemaking Offering to support AIDS-related ministries.
• PC(USA) International AIDS Ministries
• HIV/AIDS information from PC(USA) National Health Ministries
• Presbyterian AIDS Network
• A guide to working with faith-based organisations in the response to HIV and AIDS
  The guide reviews the relevant teachings and structures of five of the major world religions: Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity, Judaism and Islam and has been produced by Church World Service, Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance, Norwegian Church Aid, UNAIDS and World Conference of Religions for Peace.
• The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS
• World Health Organization on HIV/AIDS
• Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance
• Kaiser Family Foundation on HIV/AIDS
• HIV/AIDS Policy Fact Sheet, June 2007 by the Kaiser Foundation

Availability of HIV/AIDS Medications

• Human Rights Challenges Facing Abbott Laboratories: Risks and recommendations
• Investors Support Faith-Based Calls For Access to Medicines, Accountability, and Transparency at Big Pharma Companies
• Abbott Laboratories Fails to Make HIV/AIDS Medications in Poor Countries and Refuses to Sell Kaletra in Thailand

Prayer Resources from Church World Service

• Prayers for people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS
• Prayers for children orphaned and made vulnerable to HIV/AIDS
• Prayers for women living with and vulnerable to HIV/AIDS

Iran

• Campaign for a New American Policy
• Multireligous Call for Peace with Iran
• Words, Not War, with Iran Study Guide from Faithful Security
• PC(USA) at work in Iran
• Iran Chamber Society: information on Iranian/Persian history, art and culture
• Iran Country Briefing from The Economist
• Iran Country Profile from the BBC
• Iran Library of Congress County Study
• Iranian Embassy in Canada
• Faith Leaders Visit Iran
• Words, Not War Campaign
• Conflict Prevention Strategies with Iran
  Provided by the 3D Security Initiative of Eastern Mennonite University
• War Is Not the Answer: The Medical and Public Health Consequences of Attacking Iran
  A report by Physicians for Social Responsibility

Myanmar (Burma)

• Prayers for Myanmar
• PC(USA) at work in Myanmar

Faces of Myanmar

Click the photo for a slideshow.

These images are a collection of photographs of the people of Myanmar. They provide a human face of the people of that country: people who work, smile, laugh and seek to live their lives. The photographs were taken by David P. Young.

Statements on September 2007 violence in Myanmar

• Caritas International Statement
• Religions for Peace Statement
• South Africa Council of Churches Statement

Other Links

• Free Burma Rangers
• Christians Concerned for Burma
• Buddhist Peace Fellowship

News Sources

• United Nations News Centre on Myanmar
• BBC Background on Myanmar
• New York Times on Myanmar

Nonviolence

PC(USA) Statements

• Christian Obedience in a Nuclear Age
  200th General Assembly (1988)

PC(USA) Study Guides

Steps Along the Way: Living as Peacemakers in a Violent World by Arch Taylor and Jan Arnow

This eight-session study for adults explores a variety of issues of violence and steps peacemakers who seek to follow Jesus might take. Bullying, domestic violence, restorative justice, hate crimes, and militarism are among the topics considered. PDS #70-270-03-011; $3.00 plus shipping and handling

Peacemaking in a Violent World by Vera K. White

This five-session study for adults looks at reality of violence and the nonviolent alternatives available through faith in Jesus Christ. PDS #70-350-95-289; $.75 plus shipping and handling

Children & Violent Video Games

Video

• A Force More Powerful (Video and More)

Other Study Materials

• Presbytery of Greater Atlanta Study and Reflection Paper
  • A Call for Conversation: Seeking Justice and Peace through Non-violence and Abolition of War 
  • Suggestions for Discussing A Call for Conversation: Seeking Justice and Peace through Non-violence and Abolition of War

• Ain't Gonna Study War No More: Biblical Ambiguity and the Abolition of War by Albert C. Winn, former moderator of the General Assembly.
• What kind of people are these? by Sister Joan Chittister.
• Children and Video Games: What's the Problem? by Alexa Smith. This one-session study for adults presents an introduction to the world of video games and provides information for those who want to learn more or for those wanting to join efforts to control access and irresponsible content.
• Bullying in the Classroom by Martha Bettis Gee. This one-session study for adults addresses a public health issue that can have long-lasting effects for both the bully and the victim. The study resents the facts about this pervasive problem and suggests proactive responses Christians can take.

Training Opportunities

• Center for Nonviolent Communication
• Fellowship of Reconciliation
• Institute for Peace & Justice
• Lombard Mennonite Peace Center
• Pace e Bene

Groups Working on Nonviolence

• PC(USA) Child Advocacy Office — Wage Peace for Children
• Presbyterian Against Domestic Violence Network
• PC(USA) Women's Advocacy Office — Eradicating Violence Against Women
• Presbyterian Peace Fellowship
• Decade to Overcome Violence
• Eastern Mennonite University Conflict Transformation Program
• The King Center
• M.K. Ghandi Institute for Nonviolence
• Pax Christi
• Center for the Advancement of Nonviolence

Opportunities for Nonviolent Involvement

• PC(USA) Columbia Accompaniment Program
• Christian Peacemaker Teams
• Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel
• Nonviolent Peaceforce

Nonviolent Peaceforce

Formed at the 1999 Hague Appeal for Peace and inaugurated in Delhi, India in 2002, the Nonviolent Peaceforce is a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating an international peace army of civilians trained in nonviolent strategies. The Nonviolent Peaceforce responds to requests for help anywhere in the world, using proven methods of nonviolence to assist human rights workers and to prevent violence, death, chaos, and destruction. The need is great: it's estimated that only 1,000 people trained in nonviolence could have prevented the violence and genocide that devastated Yugoslavia in 1998.

The Peaceforce represents an alternative to massive military intervention that many people hope for. It is a key component in the development of a strategic, cohesive, nonviolent response to brutality and threats of genocidal violence.  The Peaceforce's first effort is currently taking place in Sri Lanka.

Northern Ireland

• Northern Ireland Deal Struck in Historic Talks (from the BBC)
• For Cod and Ulster
  A reflection on the recent agreement by Doug Baker, PC(USA) Regional Liaison for Ireland and the United Kingdom
• Stated Clerk encourages Northern Ireland leaders
  Kirkpatrick calls power-sharing agreement a ‘beacon of hope’ to the world
• Reflection on Power-Sharing Agreement in the Presbyterian Committee for Northern Ireland Newsletter
• Presbyterians at Work in Northern Ireland
• Presbyterian Committee for Northern Ireland
• The 12th Bi-Annual Irish Summer Institute — August 18-31, 2008

The Philippines

Concerning Human Rights Violations in the Philippines — 218th General Assembly (2008)

Statement by the United Church of Christ in the Philippines on the murder of the Rev. Filomeno Catambis

The report of Philip Alston, United Nations Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions on the Philippines

Items marked with can be downloaded in Microsoft Word format. For best results, right-click the link (or click and hold for Macintosh), select "save target as" and save the document to your desktop.

Victims print by Amida Francisco. This oil painting shows five relatives of victims of violence in the Philippines. The impressionistic style gives them an almost faceless appearance, reminding us that so many victims of oppression are indeed faceless to the rest of the world. Prints of the painting may be ordered from the Reverend Larry Emery, Pastor of the Community Presbyterian Church, Walnut Grove, California for $25.00 with all proceeds going to CONTAK Philippines for the victims of the political killings.

• United Church of Christ in the Philippines Denounces Harassment to Church Leaders
• United Nations High Commissioner on Human Rights on the Philippines
• Testimony Submitted by Bishop Eliezer M. Pascua, General Secretary of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines to the U.S. Senate Sub-Committee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs
• Let the Stones Cry Out!
  The National Council of Churches in the Philippines created this report detailing human rights violations including the killing of over 800 people since the beginning of 2001.
• The Church Under Attack: Christian Leaders in Mindanao Increasingly Targeted as Victims of Political Repression in the Philippines by Matthew Black
• Faithful Witnesses: Supporting Church Leaders and Human Rights Workers in the Philippines by the Rev. Matthew Lang
• PC(USA) at Work in the Philippines
• CONTAK Philippines

Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation
(Formerly Known as the School of the Americas)

God in Jesus Christ calls us to make peace. Recognizing that the nations of Central America, South America and the Caribbean have experienced “sustained levels of violence, that military leaders of the countries have been responsible for many incidents of violence and have been implicated in human rights abuses, and that many of those leaders were trained at the School of the Americas the 206th General Assembly (1994) called for upon the United States government to

1. eliminate any and all funding for the School of the Americas, and close the school;
2. cease any further training of the military leaders from the countries of Central America, South America, and the Caribbean; and
3. use the funds that have been spent on the School of the Americas to support — both in the U.S. and in Central America, South America, and the Caribbean — programs for women, children, the hungry, the homeless, and other victims of violence.

The 207th General Assembly (1995) reaffirmed this action. The mission of the School of the Americas has been taken over by the Western Hemispheric Institute for Security Cooperation.

• Presbyterian Peace Fellowship on WHINSEC
• The Rev. Dr. John W. Kaiser, a PC(USA) minister, serves as the WHINSEC Ethics Instructor and is willing to talk about the work of the Institute.
• Presbyterian Army chaplains defend former School of the Americas by the Presbyterian News Service
• U.S. Army School of the Americas: Paradigm or Pariah? by the Rev. Jim DeCamp
• Official WHINSEC Web site
• School of the Americas Watch