Building The Voice of the Poor Network

Transcription

1 Building The Voice of the Poor Network A Society of St. Vincent de Paul National Webinar July 25, 2018

2 Prayer of a Reluctant Leader (Joe Seremane Lifelines/Christian Aid) You asked for my hands that you might use them for your purpose, I gave them for a moment, then withdrew them for the work was hard. You asked for my mouth to speak out against injustice. I gave you a whisper that I might not be accused. You asked for my life that you might work through me. I gave a small part that I might not get too involved. Lord, forgive my calculated efforts to serve you only when it is convenient for me to do so, only in those places where it is safe to do so, and only in those who make it easy to do so. Lord, forgive me, renew me, heal me, nurture me, empower me, send me out as an instrument of your peace that I might take seriously the meaning of servant-leadership. Amen.

3 The 4 Most Common VOP Challenges 1. Not What We Signed on For! 2. That s Politics, and We Don t Do Politics 3. We Don t Have Enough Time or People 4. We Don t Know What to Do or How to Begin

4 Not What We Signed On For! Awareness of a Need Traditional Vincentian Charity (Direct Aid) Not So Traditional Social Justice (Advocacy and Empowerment) Short-term or Intermittent Transactional Can Morph into Toxic Charity Interactive Transformational Can Bring About Systemic Change Vincentians Are Called to Practice Both Charity and Justice

5 Not What We Signed On For! Actually, It Is! What the Rule Says! Rule 7.6 of Society of St. Vincent de Paul: Where injustice, inequality, poverty or exclusion are due to unjust economic, political, or social structures or to inadequate or unjust legislation, the Society should speak out clearly against the situation, always with charity, with the aim of contributing to and demanding improvements.

6 Not What We Signed On For! Actually, It Is! What the SVdP Founders Said! There are many ways of providing Charity. The assistance of money or assistance in kind that we give to the Poor will not last long. We must aspire to a more complete and longer lasting benefit; study their abilities, their level of education and try to get them work to help them out of their difficulties. Sr. Rosalie Rendu "You must not be content with tiding the poor over the poverty crisis; you must study their condition and the injustices which brought about such poverty, with the aim of long term improvement. Blessed Frederic Ozanam

7 We Don t Do Politics! Or Do We? Politics Defined: At its fullest, politics is the prudential struggle to creatively and doggedly enact moral principles in public life. -- From Voting and Holiness The Disappearing Common Good as a Challenge to Catholic Participation in Public Life: The Need for Catholicity and Prudence, Vincent J. Miller Consequently, no one can demand that religion should be relegated to the inner sanctum of personal life, without influence on societal and national life, without concern for the soundness of civil institutions, without a right to offer an opinion on events affecting society.an authentic faith which is never comfortable or completely personal always involves a deep desire to change the world, to transmit values, to leave this earth somehow better than we found it.if indeed the just ordering of society and of the state is a central responsibility of politics, the Church cannot and must not remain on the sidelines in the fight for justice. Pope Francis Joy of the Gospel

8 We Don t Do Politics! Catholic Social Teaching and the Vincentian Heritage Catholic Social Tradition Teaches: From US Conference of Catholic Bishops: Responsible citizenship is a virtue, and participation in political life is a moral obligation. Frederic Ozanam Spokesperson for the People See Chapter 6 of Antoine Frederic Ozanam By Raymond L. Sickinger (2018,University of Notre Dame Press) Ran for political office Prolific writer on public policy issues Probably a radical for his time among 19 th Century French Catholics

9 We Don t Do Politics! Catholic Social Teaching and the Vincentian Heritage Is Frederic Ozanam The Father of Catholic Social Teaching? He observed the real situation of the poor and sought to be more and more effective in helping them in their human development. He understood that charity must lead to efforts to remedy injustice. Charity and justice go together. He had the clear-sighted courage to seek a front-line social and political commitment in a troubled time in the life of his country, for no society can accept indigence as if it were a simple fatality without damaging its honour. So it is that we can see in him a precursor of the social doctrine of the Church which Pope Leo XIII would develop some years later in the Encyclical Rerum Novarum. From Homily of John Paul II at the Beatification Ceremony of Frederic Ozanam, Notre-Dame de Paris, August 22, 1997

10 The 10 Principles of Catholic Social Teaching Common Good Dignity of Human Person Respect for Human Life I N F U S E Human Equality Subsidiarity SVdP Home Visits Food Pantries Direct Aid Clothing Association Participation I N S P I R E Stewardship Preferential Protection for the Poor Solidarity

11 The 4 Most Common VOP Challenges

12 The Four Cornerstones In Building a VOP Network 1. An Ozanam Formation Voice of the Poor Module 2. Formation of Voice of the Poor Committees 3. A Voice of the Poor Agenda Item at Every Council and Conference Meeting 4. Deploying the Vincentian VoterVoice Tool for Social Justice Advocacy, Education and Awareness

13 The First Cornerstone: An Ozanam Formation VOP Module Formatted to match National program 14 slides long with speaker notes Works well after the Poverty Module Covers: Social Justice Heritage Catholic Social Teaching Connection to Systemic Change Perspectives on Advocacy Impact on our Calling as Vincentians

14 The Second Cornerstone: Forming a Voice of the Poor Committee Ideally at District or Central Council level Composed of Representatives from lower Council or Parish Conferences Linked through State or Council Coordinators Leading and Coordinating the Work

15 The Third Cornerstone: A VOP Agenda Item at Every Council and Conference Meeting But What Do We Do? The Tool Kit for VOP Committees and Representatives 1. Spirituality 2. Formation 3. The Fundamentals

16 The Third Cornerstone: A VOP Agenda Item at Every Council and Conference Meeting But What Do We Do? The Tool Kit for VOP Committees and Representatives 4. Voice of the Poor and Systemic Change 5. Advocacy at All Levels of Government and Public Policy 6. Growing the Voice of the Poor

17 The Third Cornerstone: A VOP Agenda Item at Every Council and Conference Meeting But What Do We Do? The Tool Kit for VOP Committees and Representatives 7. Collaboration with Others 8. VOP Representative Characteristics 9. Other

18 The Fourth Cornerstone: Using the Vincentian VoterVoice Tool for Advocacy

19 Vincentian VoterVoice Current Count About 5,200 Subscribers Subscribers/contact density = degree of darkness

20 The Fourth Cornerstone: Using the Vincentian VoterVoice Tool for Education and Awareness

21 The Fourth Cornerstone: Using the Vincentian VoterVoice Tool for State or Regional Advocacy, Education and Awareness Pennsylvania New England Payday Lending Eliminating Hunger

22 The Fourth Cornerstone: Using the Vincentian VoterVoice Tool for State and Regional Advocacy, Education and Awareness Massachusetts Michigan Criminal Justice Reform Medicaid Work Requirements

23 The Voice of the Poor Lens State See Federal Act Local & Community Social Justice Awareness and Advocacy Judge

24 Contact Information for National Voice of the Poor Committee Leaders Committee Co-Chairs Jack Murphy Southeast Region Voice of the Poor Leader Matt Walker East Region Voice of the Poor Co-Leader Dan Torrington Christine Krikliwy West Region Co-Leaders Bob Haller Steve Polk Midwest Region Co-Leaders Juan Pereira Southwest Region Leader Lynne Betts East Region Co-Leader Warren Wright David Dutschke Mideast Region Co-Leaders Michael McCann North Central Region Leader Tom Dwyer Northeast Region Leader Fr. Louis Arceneaux, C.M. Advisor, National VOP Committee Tom Mulloy Director of Poverty Programs, SVdP National

25 Lord of Light, Lord of Hope, May I Speak Out! Your prophet Isaiah cried, "Shout it aloud, do not hold back. Raise your voice like a trumpet. 1 Yet I have seen your people suffer, And have remained silent too long. Help me speak out. When human dignity is not honored, may I speak out. When the poor are oppressed, may I speak out. When injustice reigns, may I speak out. When charity is absent, may I speak out. When rights are not respected, may I speak out. When the law is unjust, may I speak out. When violence is normalized, may I speak out. When other voices are silenced, may I speak out. When I am most afraid to speak out, may I speak out nonetheless.

26 May I Speak Out! Lord, give me the courage to be your microphone 2 That my words may shine as brightly as yours, to still the oppressor's sword and soften the hearts of the mighty. Even now, I shudder at the thought of speaking. But you have promised that those who trust in you will not be put to shame. And to remain silent when I have seen what there is to see grows more unthinkable every day. Now is a time for prayer, Lord. Soon it will be a time for speaking. May I speak out Amen. 1 Isaiah 58:1 2 Oscar Romero, The Violence of Love