Action Alert - Brethren Action Alert

Action Alert
Brethren Witness/Washington Office

It is an important time for organizations to help farmworkers by signing a letter supporting AgJOBS that will be sent to every member of Congress. AgJOBS would give hundreds of thousands of farm workers and their families the opportunity to earn legal residency in the U.S.

The letter is being circulated by Farmworker Justice. The deadline for signing the letter is March 28, 2007. To sign on, please fill in the form at the Farmworker Justice web site at http://www.fwjustice.org/Immigration_Labor/TakeAction.htm.

Please sign on behalf of an organization if you can, or make every effort to get the appropriate person to sign on. We are seeking signatures from religious groups, individual congregations, immigrants' rights organizations, ethnic solidarity organizations, civil rights groups, local labor unions, civil liberties organizations, environmental groups, food cooperatives, and businesses of any kind.

At this time 600 employers are expected to sign a letter opposing AgJOBS, so it is important that we find more than 600 organizations to sign this support letter.

The undersigned organizations and individuals, representing a broad cross-section of America, join together to ask you to support enactment of the Agricultural Job Opportunities, Benefits and Security Act of 2007 (AgJOBS), S. 340 and H.R. 371. This landmark bipartisan legislation would achieve historic reforms to our nation's labor and immigration laws as they pertain to agriculture. The legislation reflects years of negotiations on complex and contentious issues among employer and worker representatives and leaders in Congress.

A growing number of our leaders in Congress, as well as the President, recognize that our nation's immigration policy is flawed and that, from virtually every perspective, the status quo is untenable. America needs reforms that are compassionate, realistic and economically sensible - reforms that also enhance the rule of law and contribute to national security. AgJOBS represents the coming together of historic adversaries in a rare opportunity to achieve reforms supportive of these goals, as well as our nation's agricultural productivity and food security.

AgJOBS represents a balanced solution for American agriculture, a critical element of a comprehensive solution, and one that can be enacted now with broad bipartisan support. For these reasons, we join together to encourage the Congress to enact promptly, the Agricultural Job Opportunities, Benefits, and Security Act of 2007, S. 340 and H.R.371.

Jubilee USA Network is an alliance of 75 religious denominations and faith communities, human rights, environmental, labor, and community groups, including Brethren Witness, working for the definitive cancellation of crushing debts to fight poverty and injustice in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Part of Jubilee USA's message is that the debts being demanded of these poor countries by their wealthy creditors are in many cases unfair or unjust. As inspired by the biblical call to "forgo working the land and cancel all debts" every seventh year (Nehemiah 10:31), 2007 is the Sabbath Year: the seventh year since the powerful global movement for Jubilee debt cancellation in 2000. Each month Jubilee calls on its supporters to participate in an action that can help in bringing the concerns of specific suffering countries of the world to the attention of the people who can help them at the given time. This month, send a message to the new Congress, to tell them about the need for broader debt cancellation in 2007. Please urge your Members of Congress to support legislation that would cancel the debts of all impoverished countries that require it to meet the Millennium Development Goals. For more information go to www.jubileeusa.org

"And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God."-Micah 6:8

From June 9-12 join thousands of people of faith in Washington, DC for the Bread for the World National Gathering to sow the seeds of a movement to end hunger and poverty in our nation and around the world. We encourage all Brethren to strongly consider registering for this educational event full of opportunities to pray, speak, listen, debate, discuss, advocate, and lobby on issues of hunger and poverty.

The conference, held at American University, will include training sessions and workshops, congressional visits to Capitol Hill, an interfaith convocation at the National Cathedral, and forums with presidential candidates to deepen the nation's commitment to end hunger and poverty.

Join Brethren Witness/Washington Office and the Global Food Crisis Fund, along with Brethren leaders Belita Mitchell, Annual Conference Moderator, and Stan Noffsinger, General Secretary of the General Board, for this event.

To register go to www.bread.org or for more information contact Howard Royer at the Global Food Crisis Fund (800 323-8039, ext. 264) or Emily O'Donnell at the Brethren Witness/Washington Office (800 785-3246).

"We recommit ourselves to follow the teachings of Jesus that prompt our loving response to the poor and hungry."--Church of the Brethren Annual Conference 2006 Global Poverty and Hunger Resolution

If you have questions on these or other issues, contact the Brethren Witness/Washington Office at the address below. We would love to hear from you!

Brethren Witness/Washington Office Action Alerts are sent out as important issues arise. Forward this alert to others! To add an e-mail address to our list, contact us at:

Brethren Witness/Washington Office
337 North Carolina Avenue, SE
Washington, DC 20003
Local Phone: 202-546-3202
Toll Free: 1-800-785-3246
Fax: 202-544-5852
E-mail: washington_office_gb@brethren.org

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