Washington DC: First Day of M2EP

For the last four years, I have been able to attend some of the most intellectually stimulating conferences around the country because the church I work at (and community I am a part of) values the continuing of my education. I have been able to learn about economics and how to be a better grassroots organizer in our nation's capital, studied adolescent development in Sacramento with fellow youth workers, and learned about immigration in Tijuana while staying with recently deported migrants. This year, I attended Sojourners' Mobilization to End Poverty (M2EP) in Washington DC. I am a firm believer that a good conference experience includes three components: education, experience, and fun. The following entries are from my trip at the end of April 2009.

One of the most wonderful things about DC is the public transit system. Each morning i would grab my i-pod and walk from Arlington (where I was staying), pass Iwo Jima, and hop on the Metro to get to the Convention Center. The energy was palpable as people of all ages rubbed shoulders, squeezed into the underground train, and left for work.

As the conference began, we heard from Rep. Rosa DeLauro, Rich Stearns (the President of World Vision, and Jim Wallis (founder/President of Sojourners). I have been to a few anti-poverty conferences and have heard plenty of talks about the movement to end hunger, but never have I heard speakers so optimistic. Wallis' words were moving as he talked about how people in the anti-poverty movement have been "sowing seeds for a long time," (Wallis himself has been arrested 22 times for protesting policy and budgets that affected the poor). His voice slowly grew to a roar as he called activists of all ages and experience to "reap what we have sown!" His optimism drew from his experiences of the first 100 days of the new administration. The President's budget had just been unveiled and passed, and he received a phone call from the White House asking if they left anything out. For the first time since Wallis could remember, it included programs for the poor, foreign aid, and reflected the values of the Christian call to "take care of the least of these" in Matthew 25.

You can read a great Washington Post article about the morning here.

And watch this 2005 interview with Jim Wallis on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart. This was the first time I had heard him.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	M - Th 11p / 10c
Jim Wallis
thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Economic Crisis Political Humor

Next up was a panel of three people from the Obama administration- Josh Dubois, director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnership; Van Jones, special adviser for Green Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation; and Martha Coven, director of the White House Office of Mobility and Opportunity. It was great to hear about the White House's platform to fight poverty. I especially enjoyed hearing Van Jones (a TIME Magazine 100 Most Influential People nominee) talk about the creation of a green-collar economy- using the current environmental crisis as a launching pad for job creation. This got me even more excited about our high school trip to Chicago...the Windy City is leading the country in finding innovative ways to fight poverty through environmental justice.

You can read the TIME 100 article on Van Jones by Leonardo DiCaprio here.
My day concluded with an Evangelical Lutheran Church in America/ELCA (the denomination Nativity is a part of) sponsored happy hour at a local micro-brewery. While I usually am quite skeptical of ELCA functions, this was reallt great. I mean, after all...whose not gonna enjoy free rounds of beer??? Since I got lost and arrived late, I sat with some of the presenters at the conference. I thoroughly enjoyed talking with Bob Francis from the DC advocacy office of the ELCA; Alexia Salvatierra who serves as executive director of C.L.U.E. (Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice) in Los Angeles; and Rachel Anderson from the Boston Faith and Justice Network and recipient of this year's Organizer Award. I kind of felt a little out of my league, but really enjoyed the connections and felt like I was able to contribute a perspective on mobilizing youth for social justice.

I often struggle with labeling myself "Christian" or "Lutheran" or even "Youth Minister." This is mostly because of the unfortunate reputation that precedes us in Central Oregon. After this first day, I was reminded that I share faith with some really great people out in the world representing well. People who are inclusive, who are fighting for those not often heard in society, who promote peace and justice as a way of life.

To all I met in DC...keep fighting the good fight!

Washington DC: Mobilization to End Poverty

For the last four years, I have been able to attend some of the most intellectually stimulating conferences around the country because the church I work at (and community I am a part of) values the continuing of my education. I have been able to learn about economics and how to be a better grassroots organizer in our nation's capital, studied adolescent development in Sacramento with fellow youth workers, and learned about immigration in Tijuana while staying with recently deported migrants. This year, I attended Sojourners' Mobilization to End Poverty (M2EP) in Washington DC. I am a firm believer that a good conference experience includes three components: education, experience, and fun. The following entries are from my trip at the end of April 2009.
The three-day event held at the Convention Center played host to 1100 attendees from all over the country interested in the intersection between faith and poverty. It was great to hear presentations from people that I have long respected- Jim Wallis, Brian McLaren, Bishop Mark Hanson, Jeffrey Sachs, Glen Stassen, Vincent Harding, Alexia Salvatierra, Van Jones and many others.
The conference by the numbers...
1153 people attended The Mobilization to End Poverty, representing 44 states (and The District of Columbia) and 6 countries ( Australia, Canada, Ireland, Kenya, Madagascar, UK).

82 Senators and 210 Representatives received visits from Mobilization attendees during Capitol Hill Day.

353 voicemails were left on Congressional office message machines to plan all those visits.

90 volunteers served more than 540 hours to make The Mobilization to End Poverty a success.

24 denominations were represented by Mobilization attendees.

60 speakers attended The Mobilization.

15 workshops and training sessions were available at The Mobilization.

750 AIDS caregiver kits were created by Mobilization attendees through World Vision.

7 sponsors and 41 outreach partners joined with Sojourners to make The Mobilization happen.

645 tweets about The Mobilization hit the twittersphere during The Mobilization.

5 members of congress and 2 staffers spoke at the Congressional Rally.

67 news articles about The Mobilization were published.

1 Presidential Address to the conference.....click here to see President Obama's Message to the faith-based community

I look forward to posting more from my time in DC soon- it was a great experience filled with many memorable moments, new friends, and much-needed inspiration.

Tales from the Inaugural Punchbowl: Samuel Richard

The campaign, election, and subsequent inauguration of Barack Obama moved many of us to tears. I watched the 44th President take oath on a 12 inch television screen mounted on the wall of my hotel room in Barcelona. Hearing the stories from friends who were at the historic event made me feel as though I was there. I have asked three friends if I could repost their stories here. This is the third and final post in a 3-part installment called Tales from the Inaugural Punchbowl.

The following story comes from Samuel Isaac Richard- Sam turns 24 this week and is a student at Arizona State University studying Nonprofit Leadership & Management. He has volunteered for various campaigns in Phoenix (as well as for Obama), organized for multiple causes, and has a heart to see the nonprofit sector embrace technology and collaborate with one another. The following was originally posted on his blog- you can find it him at desertedafterdark.blogspot.com.

To Our Friends & Family-

We write to you with great joy and pride.

On the eve of the most historic event in our lifetime I asked my brilliant, caring, and gorgeous girlfriend, Kim, to marry me. And she said, "Yes!"

The Story

We were traveling with a few friends to Washington, DC for the Inauguration of President Obama. After settling into our temporary home we decided to take a late-night tour of the National Mall and avoid the 2 million other visitors with the same idea. We walked past the Capitol, a few Smithsonian Museums, the Washington Monument, and the White House before reaching the Lincoln Memorial.

On our way up the steps, I had handed my camera to a friend and said, "Start taking pictures." I then began a speech that I had rehearsed about 175 times, but still screwed up. It went something like, "Much change has happened here. Among many others, Cesar Chavez, John Lennon, and Martin Luther King, Jr. inspired hundreds of thousands of people from these steps, built in honor of one of America's greatest leaders. But all that pales in comparison to the change you have made in my life." Up until this point, Kim was oblivious to what was about to happen. Those who know me well can resonate with Kim, who thought that this was just another one of my pontifications about changing the world. Blah, blah, blah...

But then, I got down to one knee, pulled out the box that I had in my jacket and asked Kim to be my wife. The rest, they say, is history. And a lot of crying. :)

Ubuntu

The Zulu word, ubuntu, roughly translates, "I am who I am because of who we all are," and that definition has much relevance in our lives. Kim and I are lucky to have such a deep community to share this next chapter of our lives with, and we are blessed by the reality that marriage is about much more than just two people. It is about two families, two groups of friends - two distinct communities - converging to become one. We thank each and every one of you who has been part of this journey and look forward with expectant hope to whatever comes next!

With Much Love & Gratitude,

Sam & Kim

I would love to hear your inauguration story- post a link, or share in the comments section.

The Pseudo-Sacrifice of War...Two Years Later

A few years ago on my old Political Pop Culture blog I wrote about my frustration with the lack of a war effort in a few posts called "the pseudo-sacrifice of war." The following post was written in May of 2007. As you can see, part of what I wrote included my frustration with the policy that denied media coverage of flag-draped caskets coming home. I feel as though this is an important thing for Americans to see as it reminds us that the war is actually happening...that there actually is a "cost" to the war. Last week I was incredibly excited to see that President Obama lifted the ban on media coverage that the first Bush put in place back in 1991. You can read more about that story here.

"What does a war effort look like," I asked my elder? "Oh, I guess you've never really known one," he replied with heavy eyes.

The truth is, I haven't the slightest clue as a civilian what the military words "sacrifice," "cost of war," and "war effort" mean. Apparently, those older than I- that have lived through multiple wars remember and know these words well. I have recently inquired about what daily life for civilians looked like in previous wars- the answers I got made a few of the pieces of the puzzle come together in my mind.

The war effort included rationing on the part of the people- people could only buy gas on certain days, they saved and recycled rubber goods, and were forced to weep and pray as they watched the television every night and saw the images of flag-draped caskets coming home from overseas.

Today, war looks and feels much different. A war effort does not exist- civilians know no immediate sacrifice. It has become a white collar effort back home- companies like exxon/mobil continue to drive gas prices up while raking in record breaking profits...while no mention of rationing/conserving gas on the part of the people. The images once shown on the television have been removed "out of respect for the soldier's families," and the cost of war will not truly be known until 10 years from now when the war is over physically, but not mentally for the veterans.

I am sure most of you reading this now already understand why there is no war effort this time around- if there was, and civilians couldn't live comfortably- then I think this war would have been over a while ago. This is the same reason why I am pro-draft...if there was a draft, and the upper-class had to go to war- it would be over tomorrow.

It is vital that we have a war effort back home. I think seeing images of flag draped caskets help civilians to understand and remember the cost of war. If there is no effort now, why should the administration expect there to be one in 10 years?

So I ask blog[world]...how can we create a war effort stateside? Do you feel it is too late? Can we somehow usurp the conversation and re-frame it to include the importance of civilians sacrifice/cost of war/effort?

This war is bankrupt in so many ways because stateside it is effortless.

Ron Werner Jr

May 16, 2007

While we may not be recycling rubber and rationing gasoline like wars of yesteryear, I hope that we all are making intentional efforts to remember that there is a war happening right now. As part of my Lenten journey this year, I am joining some peace activist friends (they have been doing this since the war started) on the corner of downtown Bend each Friday afternoon to protest the war and plead for peace. Come make a poster and join us- or just come by and say hi!

You can read my other posts on the "Pseudo- Sacrifice of War" from May 2007 here and here.

Tales from the Inaugural Punchbowl: Caroline Mello

The campaign, election, and subsequent inauguration of Barack Obama moved many of us to tears. I watched the 44th President take oath on a 12 inch television screen mounted on the wall of my hotel room in Barcelona. Hearing the stories from friends who were at the historic event made me feel as though I was there. I have asked three friends if I could repost their stories here. This is the second in a 3-part installment called Tales from the Inaugural Punchbowl.

The following story comes from Caroline Mello- Caro is 25 and works for Planned Parenthood as an organizer in New York City. She worked heavily as a volunteer on the Obama campaign trail. The following was originally posted on her private blog.

I was there. I still can’t really put to words what an amazing experience it was to actually be there. I was resigned not to go, I knew the crowds would be beyond insane and I wasn’t interested in having to fight my way to stand on some random sidewalk. But, then somehow I got a ticket to the ceremony. And then I got a ticket to an inaugural ball so I actually got to be in the same room as POTUS. I knew then I couldn’t turn it down.

I got to DC early in the morning on the 20th, slept for a few brief hours on the couch of a friend of a friend and then woke up at 5 to make the trek to the Metro. I was prepared for huge Metro crowds and, at first, it didn’t really seem much worse than my daily commute on the extremely overcrowded Lexington Avenue subway. But, when I got to my stop it was clear I was wrong. There were people everywhere, so much that you couldn’t really move your arms because it was wall to wall people. I realized getting off the train that I could only expect things to get more crowded.

And, I was right. Even with tickets I stood in line for 3 hours, crammed by strangers. But, it was easily the weirdest crowd experience because everyone was so nice! Like, seriously when are folks ever happy when they are crammed by a bunch of strangers at 7am? But, it was Obama day and I don’t think that anything could have ruined our moods. It was great to talk to the people around me because everyone had their own story of how they got there and why they felt they needed to come. I think one of my favorite things about Obama is that so many people feel like they have a piece of his Presidency. It’s a beautiful thing to watch people believe again.

Once I was in the ceremony nothing else mattered. I was standing on the mall area, so about 1-2 city blocks away from the capital. So, I could see the capital, I could slightly make out the Obama’s but mostly I watched it on the jumbotan. I cried when Aretha sang and realized then just how cold it was because the tears literally froze on my face. I watched the whole thing and felt like I was holding my breath in absolute disbelief that this is actually happening. But, it did. Towards the end as Bush was leaving everyone starting chanting “nah nah nah, nah nah nah nah, hey hey hey goooood bye!” which made me feel a little bit like I was at a sporting event but was still cool. And, when Bush’s helicopter flew away I looked around and everyone around me was flipping him off. Without talking about it. I think that pretty much sums up how we all felt about his Presidency.

After the ceremony I braved the crowds to try to get out, got a little lost, found a bar with some friends and then took a quick nap before getting dressed to go the ball. I went to the Western States inaugural ball where Marc Anthony performed. He sang beautifully, mostly in Spanish and for the last sang JLo joined him on the stage. It was pretty great although at the time I desperately wished I didn’t have a small white Jewish guy as my date and instead had a man I could salsa with. Sigh. But, easily the best part of the night was when Barack and Michelle spoke and danced. I sunk into the press section of the ball so I had a close view. And, I couldn’t stop smiling.

I still can’t stop smiling. It’s been three days and already he has closed down Gitmo and has reversed the Global Gag rule, something that will greatly improve reproductive health services for women everywhere. It’s a new day in America. I can’t wait to get to work.

I would love to hear your inauguration story- post a link, or share in the comments section.

Jindal is the new Kenneth

Dubbed the Republican party's debut of rising star Gov. Bobby Jindal, the "rebuttal" speech to President Obama's first address to a joint session of congress left me quite underwhelmed.

I had previously seen Jindal make comments on various 24-hour news outlets, but this time he spoke to the general public as if we were 7 years old using trite metaphors and simplistic language. Rising star? I am not so sure.

Last night's Daily Show compared him to Mr. Rogers- you can catch the clip here.

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Bobby Jindal's Republican Response

Daily Show Full Episodes
Important Things With Demetri Martin

Funny Political News
Joke of the Day

More than Mr. Rogers, Jindal remided me of another famous southerner...Kenneth the page from 30 Rock! Last night Jimmy Fallon posted this clip on his new Late Night blog. This is the second time Jimmy Fallon has pleasantly surprised me (the first was announcing one of my favorite bands, The Roots as his house band)...his show debuts this Monday, March 2nd.



Let me know what you thought of both Obama and Jindal's speeches!