{"id":1588,"date":"2016-10-07T08:52:34","date_gmt":"2016-10-07T13:52:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/advocacy\/?p=1588"},"modified":"2016-10-12T08:01:13","modified_gmt":"2016-10-12T13:01:13","slug":"october-advocacy-update","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/advocacy\/october-advocacy-update\/","title":{"rendered":"October Advocacy Update"},"content":{"rendered":"

Lutherans are taking action across the country! Below you will find our monthly State Advocacy Newsletter. Share with your friends!<\/h2>\n

____________________<\/strong><\/h3>\n

ELCA Advocacy Office, Washington, D.C.<\/h1>\n

The Rev. Amy Reumann, director<\/p>\n

ELCA.org\/advocacy<\/a>\"1\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cVOTE FAITHFULLY SUNDAY\u201d<\/strong>: <\/strong>ELCA Advocacy has joined with our United Church of Christ and The Episcopal Church ecumenical advocacy partners in observing the Sunday before Election Day as “Vote Faithfully Sunday.” This is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate and raise up\u00a0every voice in our community, reflect on our commitment to the common good and prepare to cast our ballots. In October, ELCA Advocacy will provide a #votefaithfully toolkit for congregations that includes our #ELCAvotes resources and jointly created worship resources.<\/p>\n

NATIONAL VOTER REGISTRATION DAY:<\/strong> Sept. 29 marked National Voter Registration Day. ELCA Advocacy, in collaboration with ELCA Racial Justice Ministries, sent an action alert<\/a> reminding Lutherans to register to vote and hosted an #ELCAvotes Twitter chat to commemorate the day of action. Pa<\/a>rt two of the #ELCAvotes Bible study series<\/a>, \u201cFrom the Margins,\u201d was also released this month. The new resource focuses on Luke 3:1-6 and guides discussion on our calling to act by speaking out as advocates and engaging in local efforts to guarantee the right to vote to all citizens.<\/p>\n

FLINT WATER AID MOVES IN\"2\"<\/a> CONGRESS:<\/strong> It has been nearly a year since Flint, Mich., declared a state of emergency over the lead contamination of its water supply. In late September, after a series of intense negotiations and hundreds of messages from Lutheran advocates, both the U.S. House and the Senate passed separate amendments<\/a> to address the water needs of Flint. Both houses passed the GOP-sponsored Water Resources Development Act, a routine bill that authorizes dozens of water projects throughout the U.S., with funding for Flint included. Both versions of the bill must be reconciled when legislators return to Washington, D.C., in November, when it is expected to receive a speedy vote. ELCA Advocacy action alerts are planned for later this year to help push the bill to the president\u2019s desk after Election Day.<\/p>\n

HIV and AIDS: <\/strong>After support and calls from ELCA Advocacy and other partners, the U.S. government in September made a commitment of up to $4.3 billion for the Global Fund<\/a> over the next three years. The Global Fund fights AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria and is projected to save roughly 2 million lives each year.<\/p>\n

SHISHMAREF: <\/strong>Shishmaref, Alaska, is an island village that has gained national attention for its historic decision to relocate. Residents were driven to this decision because of the unique and challenging circumstances of their environment. Climate change has led to increased flooding and erosion. As a result, Shishmaref is one of the most dramatic examples of a population affected by climate change. Find out more by reading the full article<\/a>.<\/p>\n

____________________<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Lutheran Office for World Community, United Nations, New York, N.Y.<\/h1>\n

Dennis Frado, director<\/p>\n

U.N. SUMMIT ON ADDRESSING LARGE MOVEMENTS OF REFUGEES AND MIGRANTS: <\/strong>In early August, U.N. members agreed on three texts related to the Sept. 19 Summit on Addressing Large Movements of Refugees and Migrants. The primary aim of the summit was better international response to the situations of both groups of people on the move. The final document was adopted by the General Assembly on Sept. 9, and government leaders endorsed it<\/a> at the high-level summit. It starts a multi-year process to prepare a refugee response framework and a global agreement on migration. LOWC has been collaborating closely with The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in advance of the summit as part of a civil society action committee. LWF endorsed the committee\u2019s call for \u201cA new deal for refugees, migrants and societies<\/a>\u201d and a subsequent Act Now statement and scorecard<\/a>. LOWC staff attended the summit and will be engaged with LWF in post-summit activities in New \"3\"<\/a>York and Geneva. LOWC is also coordinating follow-ups with the assistant director for migration policy and advocacy in the ELCA Advocacy office in Washington, D.C.<\/p>\n

WHOLE OF SOCIETY APPROACH TO REFUGEES:<\/strong> On Sept. 20, Lia Hansen attended an event on \u201cMobilizing a \u2018Whole of Society\u2019 Approach to Refugees.\u201d It was co-organized by the Permanent Missions of Canada and Ecuador and the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees. The main topic was the effective engagement of all sectors of society in resettling refugees. The minister of migrants and refugees of Canada, John McCullum, began by outlining Canada\u2019s \u201cnational project\u201d aimed at creating public-private partnerships in refugee resettlement efforts. This project allows private groups to sponsor refugees. McCullum declared that private partnerships are essential for the national project, as private sponsorships engender the support of the national population. Fariborz Birjandian, CEO of Calgary Catholic Immigration Society and an Iranian refugee to Canada, advocated for increased partnerships between faith and cultural organizations in sponsoring refugees. The Canadian government, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees and the Open Society Foundation are collaborating<\/a> on ways to export Canada\u2019s public-private model globally.<\/p>\n

KEEPING THE FAITH IN DEVELOPMENT: GENDER, RELIGION AND HEALTH: <\/strong>Last week during the U.N. General Assembly general debate week, Charlotte Mildenberger and Christine Mangale attended an event titled \u201cKeeping the Faith in Development: Gender, Religion and Health.\u201d It was co-hosted by UNAIDS, U.N. Women, U.N. Population Fund (UNFPA), the World Council of Churches-Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance, the Wijngaards Institute for Catholic Research and Islamic Relief USA. The event launched three reports examining the intersections and areas of contention between health, human rights and religious beliefs:<\/p>\n