Join Interfaith Youth Core by participating in Better Together Day on April 10th! IFYC supports students and educators on over 450 campuses and seeks to actively build bridges and work toward an America characterized by interfaith cooperation. Better Together Day is IFYC’s national day of interfaith action that “will engage over 5,000 people in activities that show we are better together.” Find out how you can participate in Better Together Day by visiting the website.
Action
Salve Regina University Hosts Film to examine the Consequences our Actions have on the Environment
Salve Regina University recently screened an award-winning documentary titled “The Age of Consequences.” The film “examines the intersection of fossil fuels, climate change and national security and investigates the impacts of climate change on increased resource scarcity, migration and conflict through the lens of U.S. national security and global stability.”
This documentary was hosted by the Citizens Climate Lobby Rhode Island in partnership with the Pell Center for International Relations and Public Policy in order to inform students, faculty, and the local community. The documentary features Pentagon insiders that discuss the effects and consequences of climate change if people do not change the way they live. The film seeks to set an unnerving tone among audience members in order to call for action and cause them to rethink how we use and produce energy.
To read more about the screening by Salve Regina, visit Salve Regina news.
Save the Date – Divest/Invest 2015
Save the date! Join the University of Dayton on Thursday, November 5th through Saturday, November 7th for the Divest/Invest conference. The conference, ‘Acting on Pope Francis’ Call: Divestment and Investment in Care for Our Common Home’, will bring together representatives from diverse Catholic institutions to discuss the practical implications of the Church’s teaching and of the climate crisis for institutional investment practices.
Click here for more information about the University of Dayton’s upcoming Divest/Invest conference!
Prayer against Human Trafficking
Today, February 8, is the First International Day of Prayer against Human Trafficking. Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson, president of the Pontifical Council on Justice and Peace, commented, “The Holy Father invites us all to recognize that we are facing a global phenomenon which exceeds the competence of any one community or country. In order to eliminate it, we need a mobilisation comparable in size to that of the phenomenon itself”. The prelate explained that the International Day against Human Trafficking constitutes “a mobilisation of awareness and prayer on a global scale. Our awareness must expand and extend to the very depths of this evil and its farthest reaches… from awareness to prayer… from prayer to solidarity… and from solidarity to concerted action, until slavery and trafficking are no more.”
On the occasion of this first day of prayer and reflection, all dioceses, parishes, associations, campuses, families, and individuals are invited to reflect and pray in order to cast light on this crime, as indicated by the theme of the initiative. In addition, prayer vigils will be held in different countries, culminating in the Angelus prayer in St. Peter’s Square.
Today, the faithful are invited to recite the following prayer:
O God, when we hear of children and adults
deceived and taken to unknown places for
purposes of sexual exploitation, forced labour, and
organ ‘harvesting,’ our hearts are saddened and
our spirits angry that their dignity and rights are
ignored through threats, lies, and force.
We cry out against the evil practice of this modern
slavery, and pray with St. Bakhita for it to end.
Give us wisdom and courage to reach out and
stand with those whose bodies, hearts and spirits
have been so wounded, so that together we may
make real your promises to fill these sisters and
brothers with a love that is tender and good.
Send the exploiters away empty-handed to be
converted from this wickedness, and help us all to
claim the freedom that is your gift to your
children.
Amen.
Action Steps Against Hunger
What are simple ways for college students to learn about world hunger and engage their campus community? See Catholics Confront Global Poverty’s four steps against hunger:
- Use this prayer before mealtime.
- Watch this video by Pope Francis on hunger.
- Take to Social Media to bring more attention to this issue! Feel free to retweet and repost these messages from CRS:
- Twitter: A meal makes a big difference. It encourages school enrollment, improves attentiveness & nourishes a child. #WFD2014
- Twitter: The @USDA funded CRS #FoodForEducation programs are meeting simple needs, but are making a huge difference: http://bit.ly/1sg9I0E. #WFD2014
- Facebook: A meal makes a big difference. It encourages school enrollment, improves attentiveness and nourishes a child. The U.S. Department of Agriculture funded CRS Food for Education programs are meeting this simple need in 6 countries and are making a big impact: http://bit.ly/1pjOXuB.
- Raise Your Voice! Following Pope Francis’ call, we invite you to get ready to raise your voice on behalf of our brothers and sisters who struggle with hunger once Congress returns to DC following the mid-term elections. It’s likely that two pieces of legislation related to addressing hunger, Agriculture Appropriations and Feed the Future, will be taken up by Congress the week of November 10. Learn about these pieces legislation, and consider advocating for them.
ACCU Peace and Justice 