Going Global with Youth — Holy Land

Volume 6, Issue 9

May 2006

[In the Holy Land] the State of Israel has to be able to exist peacefully in conformity with the norms of international law; there, equally, the Palestinian people has to be able to develop serenely its own democratic institutions for a free and prosperous future.

— Pope Benedict XVI, January 9, 2006

"The Middle East is a land holy to Jews, Christians and Muslims, but tragically it is also a land that yearns for a just peace. USCCB has a long history of working to address the conflict that has taken too many lives and crippled too many others. Violence, occupation and hatred have resulted in thousands killed and injured, most of them civilians, and in a denial of security and dignity to many more.

"Palestinian leaders must recognize Israel and clearly renounce terrorism, take effective steps to stop it, and bring to justice those responsible. It is reprehensible to call suicide bombers 'martyrs. ' Israel's often aggressive military response, its expansion of settlements, and its construction of a wall deep in Palestinian areas increase the misery and tension that often breed violence. The route of the "fence" presents a further impediment to creation of a viable Palestinian state that is necessary for a two-state resolution of the conflict. " (Holy Land. USCCB Office of Social Development and World Peace, February 2006. ) (To read this statement in its entirety, click here. )

So begins a recent update from the USCCB Office of Social Development and World Peace concerning the current conflict within the Holy Land. This issue of Going Global with Youth highlights the Catholic Campaign for Peace in the Holy Land and the work of CRS in this region of the world. The Catholic Campaign for Peace in the Holy Land is an unprecedented inter-religious initiative whose goal is to foster a just peace in the Middle East by working with Jewish, Christian and Muslim leaders and communities. Building upon the long-term efforts of the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops, the campaign outlines a faith commitment to supporting the work for a just and peaceful end to the conflict, challenging all of us to a deeper understanding of the needs in this region of the world and to raising our voices in solidarity for peace and justice.

Beyond the USCCB, the Caritas Network is one of many international organizations working to create a sustainable and just peace in the Holy Land. Their concerns and efforts echo the demands put forth by Bishops conferences around the world: "an end to violence, real security for the State of Israel, an end to the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza, the establishment of an internationally-recognized and viable state for Palestinians, just resolution of the refugee problems, an agreement on Jerusalem that protects religious freedom and other basic rights, an equitable sharing of resources, especially water, and implementation of relevant UN resolutions and other provisions of international law. " (CI Campaign on Peace in the Holy Land: Vision Statement (Draft). Caritas Internationalis. 17 April 2006. )

For a links to additional resources, reflections, documents, the USCCB and other organizations involved in promoting peace and justice in the Middle East, click here.

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Announcements

CRS Customer Relations Center Did you know that CRS has a toll-free line you can use for general information and assistance? For all general information on programs like Fair Trade, Operation Rice Bowl, and other U.S. Operations programs for youth and education, call 1-866-608-5978.

CRS Drama Project: The Line in the Sand "I tell my wife, 'If I don't take this chance, I am never going to get you out of this poverty. '" These are the words of a migrant worker interviewed for the Catholic Relief Services production, THE LINE IN THE SAND: Stories from the US/Mexico Border. This May, see the powerful new DVD portraying him and others affected by migration.

In August 2005, CRS sent a team of writers and actors to the Arizona-Mexico border. They spoke with ranchers, government officials, activists and the migrants themselves. Since its first performance, audiences have applauded the sincerity and variety of perspectives offered by this moving drama.

Experience THE LINE IN THE SAND with your school, parish or family, and see the face of migration on our country's border. Order your DVD or a script today by clicking here.

World Fair Trade Day A great way to connect youth with other cultures is to participate in simultaneous activities. World Fair Trade Day (WFTD) will be celebrated all over the world, especially among farmer and artisan communities, on Saturday, May 13, 2006, providing a great opportunity for schools and parishes to create or join in activities. CRS Fair Trade is a national sponsor of "World Fair Trade Day in the U.S.A. " and has contributed to the creation of a resource kit filled with fact sheets, press releases, and educational materials such as "Fair Trade and Catholic Social Teaching. " To order a CD-rom or download the kit, click here. The web site also lists events around the country. Check for one near you and show up! This year's WFTD theme, "Fair Trade Organizations NOW," urges consumers to support organizations like partners in the CRS Fair Trade Program, who are 100 percent committed to making the economy work for disadvantaged producers worldwide! Now that's something worth celebrating!

Walk the World - May 21 Join the United Nations World Food Program and tens of thousands of individuals around the world to help end child hunger. The goal is to motivate people from all 24 time zones to walk for hunger in what is hoped to be the "world's largest humanitarian event. " For more information, click here.

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Life in the Field

CRS Work in the Middle East For more than 50 years, CRS has worked to promote peace, human development and solidarity in the Middle East. Through a broad scope of programming that includes peacebuilding education, agriculture, micro-financing, and community development to name a few, CRS strives to enhance human dignity, empower the people that it helps and foster a deeper commitment to interfaith relationships and understanding.

To learn more about our work in Jerusalem, West Bank and Gaza and the unique concerns facing our work in this region, click here.

To learn more about our work in Jordan, click here.

To learn more about the work of CRS in the Middle East and Northern Africa region in general, click here.

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Active Solidarity

Palestine is Calling: U.S. High School Students Connect with Palestinian Youth through Catholic Relief Services' Cyber Bridges Students from Catholic High Schools in Illinois and Minnesota along with their peers in Jerusalem and the West Bank are participating in Catholic Relief Services’ new project, Cyber Bridges. Cyber Bridges aims to promote global youth leadership between U.S. Catholic youth and their peers from countries where CRS works by connecting classrooms, building relationships and raising global awareness among these students.

Students from Fenwick High School in Oak Park, Illinois, Hales Franciscan and Maria High Schools in Chicago and Totino Grace High School in Fridley, Minnesota are currently connected with youth in Palestinian Youth Centers in Jerusalem and the West Bank.

Within each school, Cyber Bridges . . . (To learn more about this program, including how you can get involved, click here. )

Cyber Bridges Cyber Bridges is also connecting students in the Diocese of Metuchen with students in the Diocese of Thanjavur in southern India. More connections are in the offing.

Check out the latest news on Cyber Bridges by clicking here.

For more information, please contact Gloria Peterson-Ayigah, School Linkages Program Officer by clicking here or call 410-951-7412.

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Called To Action

Educational and Prayer Resources on the Holy Land CRS has developed an adult discussion guide on the US Bishops' response to the conflict in Israel and Palestine. With care, this guide can be adapted for use with college and high school students. Click here to obtain a copy of the discussion guide. Click here to obtain a prayer resource that can be used in schools or parishes.

Immigration Update. . .Keep the momentum building! Efforts In The US Across the country, over a million people rallied in over 100 cities for comprehensive immigration reform. 500,000 marched in downtown Dallas in the largest of the protests; 200,000 in Washington, D.C. ; upwards of 100,000 were in Phoenix; around 50,000 in Seattle, and around 125,000 in NYC. Rallies occurred in over 100 cities on Monday, April 10th. For a New York Times' summary of these events, click here.

The New York Times also provides daily lesson plans on various topics. To link the lesson plan associated with these events, click here. This lesson nicely complements those additional lesson plans available at the Justice for Immigrants campaign web site.

Legislative Update As you know, the Senate compromise fell apart on Friday, April 7. The set back is not indicative of Senators' support for immigration reform; the votes had to do with a procedural motion. The Senate Judiciary Committee has plans to resume negotiations upon their return the week of the 24th.

The rallies and efforts of everyone across the country have been crucial in turning the immigration tables to a pro-immigrant stance in the Senate. Thank you for your energy. Please continue to fuel the momentum by writing Thank You letters or making calls to the Congress people who made politically difficult decisions to support comprehensive immigration reform. Senators DeWine (R-OH), Voinovich (R-OH), Nelson (-FL), Brownback (R-KS) and Reid (D-NV) have received plenty of anti-immigrant mail, and therefore need to hear from us. Contact information is available by clicking here.

You can sign up at our legislative network by clicking here to receive our Action Alerts and stay informed as the effort progresses.

It is also critical to keep the debate going in your communities. Write to your local newspapers; organize press conferences or demonstrations supporting Comprehensive Immigration Reform. If you have questions or want more information please visit the Justice for Immigrants campaign by clicking here or contact Chris West at 410-951-7454 or by email at cwest@crs.org.

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Global Thoughts

Prayers for Peace in the Middle East For our Global Thoughts this month, we draw your attention to a diverse collection of prayers for peace in the middle east. To read these prayers and use them as a prayer resource, click here.

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CRS Regions

Click here for CRS Regional Office Contacts in the Midwest, Northeast, Southwest and West.

Northeast Region

Midwest Region

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