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Action Alert: Tell Congress to Advocate for Palestinian Children
The
detention of Palestinian minors by Israel raises serious concerns about
lack of due process and ill-treatment. These concerns serve as a call
to action for those who feel a responsibility to care for the most weak
and vulnerable members of society.
According to the Israeli human rights organization, B’Tselem,
as of the end of March 2015, 184 Palestinian minors were held in
Israeli custody. Furthermore, as B’Tselem notes, “the military law
applied in the West Bank…denies them the
protections accorded to minors under both international and Israeli
law.” A 2013 UNICEF report
states, “Ill-treatment of Palestinian children in the Israeli military
detention system appears to be widespread, systematic and
institutionalized.” While noting positive progress on some fronts, a
UNICEF update this year states,
“The data demonstrates the need for further actions to improve the
protection of children in military
detention, as reports of alleged ill-treatment of children during
arrest, transfer, interrogation and detention have not significantly
decreased in 2013 and
2014.”
Contact your Members of Congress today: Ask them to attend an important Congressional briefing to learn more about this issue and to advocate for ending the ill-treatment of Palestinian children in detention. Entitled, “International Juvenile
Justice Reform: Children in Israeli Military Detention,” the briefing will take place Tuesday, June 2, 2015 at 9:30 AM in the Capitol Visitors Center, Congressional Meeting Room
North.
The
briefing will discuss the legal and structural components of the
military court system, and situate the detention of Palestinian children
within the larger context of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. Opening
remarks will be provided by Congressman Keith Ellison and featured
speakers include Tariq Abu Khdeir, a Palestinian-American who will
provide a firsthand account from a child’s perspective and examine the
effects of detention.
Also: If you’re in the DC area, you are invited to attend an Interfaith
Vigil on the occasion of the International Day for Protection of Children, Monday, June 1, at noon, at the Upper Senate Park, 200 New Jersey Ave NW, Washington, DC 20001.
The vigil will highlight the issue of Palestinian children in Israeli detention.
General Assembly Policy
In 2014, the 221st General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) approved the following policy:
1. Reaffirms
the commitment of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to the human rights
of all children, particularly the children of Palestine and Israel.
2. Reaffirms
the support of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) for the United Nations
Convention on the Rights of the Child as expressed by the 202nd General
Assembly (1990), and affirms its support for the Optional Protocol to
the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement on children
in armed conflict.
3. Calls
upon the United States Senate to ratify the United Nations Convention
on the Rights of the Child and directs the Stated Clerk to communicate
this call to members of the Senate and encourages the Presbyterian
Mission Agency of the PC(USA) to promote the ratification of the UN
Convention on
the Rights of the Child in its advocacy with the United States Senate.
4. Directs
the
Presbyterian Mission Agency, to engage in advocacy and public witness
for the human rights of children in Palestine and Israel in relation to
5. Directs
the Presbyterian Mission Agency, to create information documents, study
guides, or other educational materials using information, research, and
statistics from the Palestinian Authority
and the State of Israel, United Nations agencies, including OCHA and
UNICEF, and other human rights or nongovernmental organizations, such as
B’Tselem, Defense for Children International Palestine, and Amnesty
International to be made available through digital download at the
PC(USA) website, as well as links to materials and research from other
organizations.
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Friday, May 29, 2015
Action Alert: Tell Congress to Advocate for Palestinian Children
Prayers to End Hunger: May 29 - June 12
Prayers to End Hunger: May 29 - June 12
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Team Sweaty Sheep Newsletter
Shuffling into Summertime!!!
People
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Thursday, May 28, 2015
Action Alert: Raise the Wage!
Action Alert: Raise the Wage!
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Action Alert: Raise the Wage!
“Woe
to him who builds his house by unrighteousness, and his upper rooms by
injustice; who makes his neighbors work for nothing, and does not give
them their wages …” (Jer. 22:13)
While the value of the minimum wage in 1968 is equivalent to $10.79 in 2015 dollars[1],
the current federal minimum wage remains at $7.25, last increased by
Congress in 2007 with the final increase taking effect in 2009. Contrary
to popular rhetoric that this wage primarily impacts teenagers,
eighty-eight percent of minimum-wage workers are over twenty years old;
fifty-six percent of them are women.[2]
Two weeks ago, Senator Patty Murray (WA) and Congressman
Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA) introduced the Raise the Wage Act
(S.1150/H.R. 2150) to address this issue.
This legislation, if enacted, would
• Raise the federal minimum wage to $12 by 2020, starting with an increase to $8.00 an hour in 2016
• Gradually eliminate the tipped-industry loophole, which has
allowed employers of tipped workers to pay a subminimum wage of only
$2.13 per hour to tipped staff since 1991; and
• Index the minimum wage to median income, so as to maintain its value to low-wage workers and provide stability and predictability for employers.
Why the Minimum Wage is Important
One of the most notable parts of this legislation is its elimination of the tipped wage,
which has created a sub-class of minimum wage workers. Tipped workers
are more than two times as likely as other workers to experience
poverty.[3] In no other industry are wages determined by customer satisfaction or mood.[4]
Furthermore, there is no enforcement mechanism to ensure employers
close the gap for employees whose tips do not reach the $7.25/hour
threshold (the Fair Labor Standards Act requires employers to make up
the difference between their workers’ after-tip income and $7.25 per
hour). [5] Seven states have already leveled
the playing field for tipped workers. [6]
This Raise the Wage Act would impact 38 million workers,
particularly benefiting women and people of color who disproportionately
live in poverty. Thirty-two percent of women in the
workforce would see their paychecks increase; thirty-seven percent of
African American workers and forty percent of Hispanic workers would see
a rise in their paychecks. Twenty-four percent of all U.S. children (18.7 million) have a parent who would get a raise.[7]
Twenty-nine states and the District of Columbia have already
raised their minimum wage higher than the federal minimum wage,
recognizing the inadequacy of the federal minimum wage. Moreover, twenty cities have also risen to the challenge to raise the wage.[8]
The time is now. Call on your Congressional members to act to #RaisetheWage.
Higher Minimum wage is Key to Ending Poverty
The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) supports social safety net
programs and tax credits that help to lift people out of poverty, but it
has spoken out about the necessity of a living wage as a foundation for
a healthy economy and society.
The 183rd General Assembly (1977) “….Reaffirm[ed] the actions
of previous General Assemblies supporting the right of every employable
person to a job, decent and safe working conditions, and a salary
adequate to meet at least his or her basic needs.”
In 2006, the 217th General Assembly called for an
increase in the federal minimum wage, saying that our society should
have the “the goal of a wage level sufficient to lift full-time workers
out of poverty.”[9]
Even though $12 per hour is not a living wage for many
workers, this legislation is a step in the right direction. Congress
will no longer have to act to raise the wage. Instead, the minimum wage
will increase yearly according to the “annual percentage increase in the median hourly wage of all employees as determined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.”[10]
Supporting Striking Federal Contract Workers
Currently, federal contract workers in Washington, D.C., earn
the federal minimum wage, despite the city’s recent wage increase to
$10 per hour, rising to $11.50 per hour in 2016.[11]
The Office of Public Witness Director J. Herbert Nelson, has joined
with local workers to call on the federal government to set an example
for businesses in its respect for workers’ rights and a fair day’s wage
for a fair day’s work.
In recent years, Nelson has participated in several strikes
with federal contract workers who have been organizing for a living wage
of $15 an hour, protections against wage theft, reliable work
schedules, and the protection of collective bargaining. President Obama
has responded with Executive orders raising the wage on new contracts to
$10.10 per hour and protecting workers against wage theft. The
President still has the opportunity to issue executive orders giving
contract preferences to employers to create good jobs and collectively
bargain with their workforce.
Nelson spoke at a ‘Good Jobs Nation’ event on April 22, declaring, “But
now I say – I want my tax dollars to create good jobs – with livable
wages, benefits, paid sick days, safe workplaces, reliable schedules,
and the right to bargain collectively for the good of the whole.”
Read his full remarks here
[1] http://www.bls.gov/data/inflation_calculator.htm
[2] http://www.epi.org/publication/wage-workers-older-88-percent-workers-benefit/
[3] https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/docs/20140325minimumwageandwomenreportfinal.pdf
[4] http://www.npr.org/2014/06/29/326715347/for-tipped-workers-a-different-minimum-wage-battle
[5] http://www.npr.org/2014/06/29/326715347/for-tipped-workers-a-different-minimum-wage-battle
[6] http://www.dol.gov/whd/state/tipped.htm#foot2
[7] http://www.chn.org/2015/04/30/raise-the-wage-act-would-help-millions-of-working-families/#.VVpVUFVVhBe
[8] https://www.nelp.org/content/uploads/2015/03/City-Minimum-Wage-Laws-Recent-Trends-Economic-Evidence.pdf
[9] http://pc-biz.org/PC-Biz.WebApp_deploy/(S(yr050i5qfm0ace0dn2bqhl2d))/Explorer.aspx?id=1353
[10] https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/senate-bill/1150/text?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22raise+the+wage+2015%22%5D%7D
[11]
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/dc-council-to-vote-on-1150-minimum-wage/2013/12/03/317d68b8-5b72-11e3-a66d-156b463c78aa_story.html
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Action Alert: Support Debt Relief for Nepal!
Action Alert: Support Debt Relief for Nepal!
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Action Alert: Support Debt Relief for Nepal!
Over
the course of three weeks, two major earthquakes struck Nepal, taking
over 8,000 lives and injuring countless others. Nepal is one of the most
impoverished countries in the world today. Over 30 percent of Nepalese live on less than 14 US dollars per person, per month[1], and recent events have left many more vulnerable to the devastating effects of poverty.
Nepal
is desperately in need of a recovery plan that will provide adequate
shelter, food, water and healthcare for its citizens. Each day, however,
the Nepalese government is responsible
for paying nearly $600,000 in debt payments. More than ever, Nepal needs
the ability to free up funds for the rebuilding and restoration of
communities across the country. Sign a petition and tell the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to cancel Nepal's debt.
In partnership with Jubilee (USA) and other faith-based organizations, the Office of Public Witness is calling on the IMF to use resources from Catastrophe
Containment and Relief Trust to cancel debt Nepal owes over the next
two years. Additionally, we are
calling on the World Bank to cancel Nepal's debt. Together, we can be
advocates our neighbors around the world who need a assistance.
The 208th Presbyterian General Assembly adopted the following principle around debt relief:
The
repayment of debts and interest at the expense of the basics of life
raises serious questions of justice. The burden of debts must be shared
equitably in ways that reduce poverty, protect the environment, and
avoid perverse incentives in the future (Minutes, 1996, p. 539).
The Assembly went on to specify policy options:
Our faith calls us to
care for those in need - and our Nepalese brothers and sisters are worthy of this charge. Act today, and urge the World Bank and IMF to cancel Nepal's debt.
For more information on how you can further support Nepal, visit the Presbyterian Disaster Assistance webpage here.
[1]
http://www.ruralpovertyportal.org/country/home/tags/nepal
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ACTION ALERT: "We need Milk with Dignity!"
ACTION ALERT: "We need Milk with Dignity!"
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ACTION ALERT: “We need Milk with Dignity!”
Vermont dairy workers declare June 20th as national Day of Action, launch petition in support of brand-new Milk with Dignity Campaign!
Last week, we shared the exciting news — via an excellent article in the national hub for food movement news, Civil Eats
— that Vermont dairy workers had created the Milk with Dignity Program
and are calling on one of Vermont’s biggest milk buyers, Ben &
Jerry’s, to support their worker-driven social responsibility plan. Drawing on the CIW’s groundbreaking Fair Food Program, Milk with Dignity offers a concrete, enforceable solution to the dangerous
working conditions, wage theft, poor housing, and other abuses that
Vermont dairy workers say have plagued the industry for decades.
When Migrant Justice, the dairy
workers’ organization, first launched their new initiative, they
thought that ice cream giant Ben & Jerry’s — renowned for
its socially responsible business agenda, commitment to seeking fair
trade ingredients, and great love of the state of Vermont — would
welcome the opportunity to partner with Mountain State farmworkers.
However — much to the workers’ surprise — Ben & Jerry’s has thus
far refused to join the Milk with Dignity Program and instead has chosen
to pursue its own “Caring Dairy” initiative, which Migrant Justice
representatives describe as a voluntary program that calls on farmers to
self-monitor with no mechanisms for real worker participation in
oversight or enforcement.
So dairy workers are turning to the people Ben & Jerry’s cannot afford to ignore — you,
their customers! Migrant Justice is calling on anyone who enjoys the
occasional cup of Half Baked ice cream or cone of Cherry Garcia to take
action to support Vermont dairy workers’ human rights today...
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Helping in a disaster - Presbyterian Peace and Justice Close Up
Helping in disaster | Presbyterian Justice and Peace Close-Up
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