Today, we
present our ELCA Advocacy Update for the month of August. Please read below for important information on ELCA Advocacy efforts in
Washington, across the country and throughout the world. To read the full
version of the update and for more information on advocacy efforts from our
Lutheran State Advocacy offices, visit our blog!
Advocacy
Update - August 2017
ELCA Advocacy, Washington D.C.
FOR
SUCH A TIME (AUGUST): This month’s day
of fasting and action is Monday, Aug. 21. In August, we focus on programs that
provide relief from the effects of environmental degradation on the livelihoods
of the poorest among us. As Lutherans, we are called to “seek sufficient,
sustainable livelihood for all” and to ensure that all of God’s children are
cared for, no matter where they live.
The
U.N. Environment Programme (UNEP) “Healthy Environment, Healthy People” 2016
report showed that “in 2012, an estimated
12.6 million deaths globally were attributable to the environment. The air we
breathe, the food we eat, the water we drink, and the ecosystems that sustain
us are estimated to be responsible for 23 per cent of all deaths worldwide.”
Click here to learn about how the
ELCA and the Episcopal Church are coming together to #PrayFastAct "For
such a time as this" (Esther 4:14). To
prepare for the day of fasting and action, read the joint ELCA Advocacy and
Episcopal Church prayer resources and look for action alerts in the coming weeks!
HEALTH
CARE: On Friday, July 28, in the early morning hours,
the Senate defeated legislation that
would have ended health care coverage for millions of seniors,
veterans, children and low-income working families. Lutherans sent more than 3,000
emails and calls to their senators, and the impact is now clear.
Our
elected leaders must find bi-partisan solutions to the challenges that face our
nation. Bi-partisan proposals to address health care are now being offered in
both chambers. ELCA Advocacy will continue to track these developments and
encourage August recess activities.
FOREIGN
ASSISTANCE: On July 19, ecumenical and
interfaith leaders from around the country, including ELCA pastors, came to
Washington, D.C., to meet with their members of Congress in support of robust
funding for foreign assistance. They shared their stories and faith-inspired
convictions for why it is important for the U.S. government to maintain its
funding support for humanitarian relief and development assistance. The event
was organized by the Interfaith Working Group on Foreign Assistance, of which
ELCA Advocacy Office is a member.
IMMIGRATION: At the end of July, the
House of Representatives passed a spending package that includes funds to build
a southern border wall. This bill is not likely to move forward in the Senate.ELCA
Advocacy, alongside
other Interfaith Immigration Coalition members, has been advocating against
funding the radical expansion of detention and deportations of migrants. This
isespecially important because the
Department of Homeland Security has begun targetingunaccompanied children who
have turned 18 and the sponsors of the children fordetentionfor deportation.
AUGUST
RECESS ACTION: Lawmakers
will soon depart Washington, D.C., and return to their home districts for the August
recess. This is a great time to meet with your members of Congress
face-to-face, ask questions and engage on critical issues happening at the
national level. Read more about how you can plan for
advocacy this summer at the ELCA Advocacy Resource Center.
Lutheran Office for World Community
KEY
PRIORTIES ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS 5 and 16:
On July 14, the Women’s
International League for Peace and Freedom held a panel discussion during the forum
titled "From Shrinking Spaces to Feminist Movement Building: Key
Priorities on SDG 5 and 16 for Sustaining Peace.” The panel focused on the role
of women’s rights nongovernmental organizations
(NGOs) worldwide
in the achievement of the sustainable development goals. Lopa Banerjee Bianco,
from U.N. Women, spoke about conservatism and fundamentalism undermining social
justice and solidarity and about the current resistance to key aspects of
women’s rights.
Panelists
included representatives from WILPF (Women’s International League for Peace and
Freedom) Sweden, Women for Women International, Women Deliver, and Estudio e Investigation
de la Mujer. All panelists spoke of shrinking NGO space in national capacities
and the threats of violence toward feminist activists. An emphasis was made on
the importance of creating flexible funding towards local NGOs to ensure
effective implementation of existing commitments and ensuring the voices of rural
and local women are heard.
Mabel
Bianco, from the Fundación para Estudio e Investigation de la Mujer in
Argentina, discussed NGO involvement with several national review processes,
declaring that many countries do not allow for meaningful participation of
women’s groups.
Lutheran state advocacy efforts across the country
Find out all about the vast and incredibly important work and top priorities of Lutheran state advocacy networks across the country by visiting the ELCA Advocacy Blog.
(To view this email in web format, click here.)