Social Justice

Please visit: Unitarian Universalists for a Just Economic Community www.uujec.org
and Protestants for the Common Good thecommongood.org

Quote: Peace of Mind

Our peace of mind increases in spite of suffering; we become braver and more enterprising; we understand more clearly the difference between what is everlasting and what is not; we learn how to distinguish between what is our duty and what is not. Our pride melts away and we become humble. Our worldly attachments diminish and, likewise, the evil within us diminishes from day to day.

-Mahatma Gandhi

Movie News

Social Justice Movie Night
August Feature: "The Business of Being Born"

Friday, August 15th, at 6:30pm
Davenport Unitarian Church
3707 Eastern Ave (In the Sanctuary)
Free popcorn and lemonade always served!
http://www.qcprogressiveaction.org

Director Abby Epstein's controversial documentary takes a hard look at America's maternity care system, juxtaposing hospital deliveries against the growing popularity of at-home, natural childbirths that many expectant parents are now opting for. Former talk show host Ricki Lake was inspired to produce this compelling exposé after a dissatisfying birthing experience with her first child left her with many unanswered questions.

Birth is a miracle, a rite of passage, a natural part of life. But birth is also big business.

Compelled to explore the subject after the delivery of her first child, actress Ricki Lake recruits filmmaker Abby Epstein to question the way American women have babies.

The film interlaces intimate birth stories with surprising historical, political and scientific insights and shocking statistics about the current maternity care system. When director Epstein discovers she is pregnant during the making of the film, the journey becomes even more personal.Should most births be viewed as a natural life process, or should every delivery be treated as a potentially catastrophic medical emergency?

Our new SJ Movie Night co-facilitator, Wendy Burrows, and I with be seeking your feedback on film ideas and suggestions so please don't be shy! Send your recommendations to me at carolina1961@gmail.com.

PACG General Council Meeting

PACG meets on the 4th Thursday of every month downstairs in the Social Hall from 6:30 to 8pm. If you are passionate about an issue and would like to get more involved in the process of working toward positive social and economic change, you will feel right at home here! Please join us! For more information contact Caroline Vernon at carolina1961@gmail.com

Say "YES" to Student Exchange

If you are interested in participating in this exchange program or know anyone who may be, please contact Caroline Vernon for more information.

The Youth, Exchange and Study (YES) program has been the first opportunity for young people from sub-Saharan Africa to ever participate in a high school exchange. We have brought 55 students to Iowa in the past three years and are set to bring another 20 students in the 06-07 academic year. We only have one or two more Muslim boys to place and strongly believe they must be placed in an area where there is an Islamic
Center and their religious beliefs can be respected. The Quad Cities fit that requirement.

We are looking for host families who have space in their home and would be the kind of people we would want to host our child if they were in another country. They must respect and support the religious beliefs of their guests. If the families are open to learning, flexible, patient and have a good sense of humor...those are the best
qualities. We typically look for two host families at about one semester each for the best program, but the full year of hosting is also possible.

The program is funded by the U.S. State Department, and students will receive a monthly stipend for their day to day expenses. They also receive insurance coverage and will participate in an enrichment program while they are in the United States.

We have found that placing a student requires a direct contact with a potential host families. Newspaper articles or church bulletins help get the message out, but they almost never get a response in themselves. The best approach would be for a small number of persons from the Fellowship or other group to begin identifying persons who would be good hosts and them asking them directly. IRIS will also be happy to make the request if we have the appropriate contact information. You can learn more about IRIS and our project at www.IRIS-Center.org

Sincerely,
Bob Anderson

Support "Farm to Cafeteria" Program for Children's Nutrition

Imagine if school children ate fresh food from local farms, instead of highly processed, prepackaged food that arrives to schools in giant cardboard boxes from across the country. Sound like a utopian fantasy? Well, over 200 schools across the country have “Farm to Cafeteria” programs where kids eat fresh food from nearby farms. These programs are win-win: good for the kids and good for the farmers. To expand these efforts, however, schools need to receive start-up funding for Farm to Cafeteria programs.

Please ask your Congress members, as 20 Senators already have, to support Farm to Cafeteria funding. In particular, ask them to support $5 million funding for Section 122 of the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004.

Congress is in recess, and legislators are in their home offices, until April 23rd. They need to hear from you that Farm to Cafeteria programs are important for children’s nutrition and small farmers! Go visit your legislators or call them! For phone numbers of the local offices, go to www.qcprogressiveaction.org and click on 'My Legislator.'

Want to find out more about Farm to Cafeteria? Read more: http://www.foodsecurity.org/farm_to_school.html

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