Katy, Mary and I have been busy this week with the Annual Catholic Social Ministry Gathering in Washington, DC. Besides the fun of sipping Fair Trade coffee from our partners, Higher Grounds, Beans for Better Life, Grounds for Change, Nectar of Life, Equal Exchange and Larry’s Beans, and reuniting with Fair Trade Ambassadors, a highlight has been the launch of the Catholics Confront Global Poverty campaign.
Working with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), Catholic Relief Services calls on one million Catholics in the United States to confront global poverty. Our two organizations are taking up a range of advocacy efforts to end hunger, disease, conflict, and other issues that affect the lives of our brothers and sisters worldwide. Here are the key objectives:
* reform global trade and agriculture policies
* use natural resources in ways that protect the environment and benefit poor persons
* address global climate change and help poor countries mitigate and adapt to it
* complete debt relief
* increase poverty-focused international assistance
* promote comprehensive immigration reform and confront the root causes of migration
* strengthen international peacekeeping and peacebuilding initiatives
On this holy day of Ash Wednesday, we invite you to join us!
