Going Global With Youth
Volume 7, Issue 3
November, 2006
In this issue:
Have you seen the new CRS Education website? Catholic Relief Services launched a new website for educators and youth ministers to help foster global solidarity between young people in the US and those around the world. Access lesson plans, prayer services, retreat models, and additional resources and links for CRS and our partners. We have added a new section, Current News and Highlights, to help you keep track of CRS and international news or events.
When we are hungry, we become increasingly concentrated on relieving our hunger. When we are thirsty, we become more diligent in the effort to quench our thirst. As hunger and thirst increase, so, too does the desire to satisfy those needs. As we approach the harvest season, the season of thanksgiving for the bounty of food on our tables, take some time to be aware of your hunger - a condition with which an estimated one billion live on a daily basis. Ask yourself the questions, "For what do you most hunger in your life? How and with what do you respond to that hunger?'
I once heard a group of teenagers aptly describe Jesus "as the most authentic person. " In that discussion, we talked about how Jesus struggled with the same temptations all of us do. Jesus questioned God and even became angry with the seeming unfairness in the world. Jesus experienced the same emptiness, loneliness and hunger-for-more that we do. Yet, rather than filling his hungers with the latest quick fix or hiding from his hungers in fear as we can often do, Jesus, in his authenticity, fully embraced the very same hungers as ours and allowed them to direct his life toward communion with others. His hungers drove him to share food with people. His hunger for justice and what is right fostered compassion, an understanding of human suffering, and a respect for the dignity and life of all. His hungers drove him to bring people together in community - one committed to a mission of love and hope.
Jesus showed us the wisdom in embracing our hunger; in doing so we learn what it is we ultimately desire . . . the sacred, each other, a world free of fear and rooted in love. And we learn as Jesus did that it is God's love that will meet us in our loneliness, transforming it into belonging. It is God's love that satisfies all hunger leading us to healing and wholeness, communion and mutual respect for all humanity, and the dependence on God that sets our hearts free.
As we enter the feast of Thanksgiving, let us remember in our prayer all who hunger for food, human touch, opportunity, peace, freedom from fear, and a visible sign that God is with them. May we - who have much - pray for the hunger for goodness, truth and love in order to become what God calls us to be for each other: one human family. And may these hungers remind us that God, and God alone, is the Feast that satisfies.
LIFE IN THE FIELD
CRS Food Security Programs: In 2000, UN studies demonstrated that at least 13% of the world lacks the access to adequate amounts of food despite the fact that there is enough food globally to feed everyone. Food is not distributed equally and the poor often lack the means to purchase it. In helping to educate young people about hunger - an effect of the non-availability of food, it is imperative to discuss the concept of food security - the availability of food. Information is available about CRS' food security programs which attempt to provide a holistic response to hunger and famine by changing the conditions under which hunger persists. Additionally, through CRS' Food Fast program, you can obtain an educational DVD, Journey Against Hunger, that takes students on a journey through three villages in Niger and their response to food security issues.
CALLED TO ACTION
Support Haiti Trade Preferences! Among the poorest and most vulnerable in the Western Hemisphere are the people of Haiti, a country in need of long-term economic development. In the effort to foster sustainable development, create jobs for the poor and help create much-needed stability throughout the country, the USCCB and CRS urge you to contact your representative to support Haiti trade preferences in HR 6142 and to bring the bill to a vote when Congress reconvenes after November 7. Complete information is available in the CRS Action Center.
Join a CRS Foods Resource Bank Growing Project! Organize your class or youth group to 'sponsor a row of corn' or contribute to cover the cost of seed or fertilizer for a local growing project here in the US. Once the corn (or beans or soy or some other crop) is harvested, the crop is turned into cash and the cash value of the harvest is sent to support a CRS agricultural program overseas. Your group can choose which program you want to support overseas (for instance, sweet potatoes in Tanzania) and, if close enough, can make a field trip to the farm here where your US growing project is taking root (Have you ever seen a harvest festival?). For more info, contact John Taylor in the CRS Midwest Office.
ACTIVE SOLIDARITY
CRS Fair Trade Raise Money Right and Win Contest! Participate in the Raise Money Right contest sponsored by CRS Fair Trade and discover a simple way to live in solidarity with cocoa farmers around the world. Between now and St. Valentine's Day, February 14, 2007, CRS will conduct its Raise Money Right contest which can help schools and parishes raise money and bring Fair Trade into the classroom. It also can help students, teachers and youth ministers earn prizes such as a free trip to Ghana, where the farmers who grow the cocoa of Divine chocolate live and work. And, most important, your participation helps the 35,000 members of the Kuapa Kokoo cocoa farmer's association in Ghana. Check out the CRS Fair Trade website for complete contest information and numerous educational resources about fair trade.
New Food Fast materials now available! Order a fair trade olivewood magnet for the participants! The new Food Fast materials are now available! This year we packed in more multi-media resources in the CD-ROM and created activities and prayers focused on the relationship between hunger and peace. This year's Food Fast giveaway item is a fair trade olivewood magnet from the Holy Land. The design comes from a 6th century mosaic in the Church of the Multiplication of Fishes and Loaves, built on the traditional site of the miracle of the Loaves and Fishes. Palestinian craftsmen living in the West Bank area of Israel have been carving olivewood for Christian pilgrims to the Holy Land since Franciscan monks introduced the craft in the 17th century. Through this magnet we not only provide income and support to the olive wood artisans, but also are reminded to pray for a lasting peace in the Holy Land.
Other Educational Programs about Food and Hunger
Feeding Minds, Fighting Hunger provides numerous resources, lesson plans, and activities that assist youth in understanding hunger and malnutrition, who goes hungry, the reasons why hunger and malnutrition exist, and responses to help end hunger.
The Hunger Site offers young people a way to make a small difference each day. Each day, site visitors can click on the "Give Free Food" button on the homepage, and at no cost to them, food is donated through the site's sponsors to organizations working to provide food throughout the world.
GLOBAL THOUGHTS
"Today more than ever, in the face of recurring crises and the pursuit of narrow self-interest, there has to be cooperation and solidarity between states, each of which should be attentive to the needs of its weakest citizens, who are the first to suffer from poverty. Without this solidarity, there is a risk of limiting or even impeding the work of international organizations that set out to fight hunger and malnutrition. In this way, they build up effectively the spirit of justice, harmony and peace among peoples: 'opus iustitiae pax' (cf. Is 32:17). "
Pope Benedict XVI in his message to the Director General of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on the occasion of World Food Day, October 20, 2006.
MEDIA WATCH
Film - Babette's Feast: This foreign film tells the story about a village that is unable to understand what is most important in life, and discovers it through a generous feast that engenders reconciliation, peace and unity. Based on the short story by Isak Dineson, the film reveals both our physical and spiritual hungers and unfolds into a wonderful allegory of what it means to be Eucharist. Discussion guides and summaries are available online.
Music - Bryan Sirchio & Crosswind Music: Check out the ministry of Bryan Sirchio who conveys a powerful message about God's love, discipleship, peace and justice through his music and lyrics. Numerous songs address the issue of poverty and hunger. You may already be familiar with his collection of songs compiled for Justice Walking. Read more about Bryan's work in Haiti, youth ministry and for social justice by visiting his website.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Frontiers of Justice 2007 Now Accepting Applications! Frontiers of Justice, a joint program of CRS and the National Catholic Education Association for Catholic high school teachers, is now accepting applications for the 2007 program. Through prayer and reflection on Catholic social teaching, participants will connect with CRS' overseas work in education, counter-trafficking and peacebuilding in the United Nations administered province of Kosovo. Participants will also work with a Kosovar teacher on a global solidarity partnership project that will link their students throughout a school year. The Kosovo trip component of the program will be held over two weeks in summer 2007. Application deadline is January 5, 2007 and can be obtained on the CRS website.
World AIDS Day - December 1, 2006: CRS continues to work hand-in-hand with Catholic organizations around the world, including the National Catholic AIDS Network in the US, to help end the suffering and despair brought about by HIV and AIDS. The CRS World AIDS website contains valuable resources for prayer, education and information regarding the scope of the AIDS pandemic and of the work of CRS.
Look for CRS at the National Conference for Catholic Youth Ministry! The National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry hosts the bi-annual NCCYM in Las Vegas, NV, November 30-December 3, 2006. CRS will be exhibiting in addition to sponsoring the workshop, "Turning the World Upside Down: Engaging in Relationships that Foster Justice" and the Friday evening Coffeehouse. Stop by the booth to pick up the latest resources and information.
Education for Justice offers numerous educational and prayer resources on Catholic Social Teaching and related topics and issues. Education for Justice is rich in resources and provides opportunity to share, dialogue and connect with colleagues across the nation. Contact EFJ directly to sign up for a free 30-day trial membership.
CRS REGION NEWS
Contact your regional youth program officers for additional information about CRS resources and events in your area.
CRS Midwest
Read about the recent CRS Midwest involvement at the Kujenga V Youth Leadership Conference, a gathering that fosters faith development and spiritual leadership among young African American Catholics.
Thomas Awiapo, CRS staff person in Ghana, West Africa, has been sharing his story, "From Hardship to Hope," with numerous Midwestern high schools and other groups, including a Ghanaian Catholic community in Chicago. Read about Thomas' story of survival and success and share it with your students.
Recent Frontiers of Justice alumnus, Greg Milo, at Archbishop Hoban High School in Akron, OH, helped to organize a World Poverty Day where Thomas Awiapo spoke to more than 900 students and Greg shared his experience in Kosovo this past summer. Check out the pictures to get an idea about what can be done in your school!
CRS Northeast
Look for CRS Northeast to be represented at the Archdiocese of Philadelphia's "Fan the Flame" day of music and prayer for 1,000 youth and youth ministers on Saturday, November 11, 2006.
CRS Northeast will presentation to the Theology Department Chairs and Campus Ministers for the Archdiocese of Newark high schools on Wednesday, November 15, 2006. The focus of the presentation will be "Global Solidarity, Spirituality and Catholic Social Teaching. "
For information on opportunities to get involved in CRS education and youth programs in the Northeast, contact Dennis Fisher.
CRS West
The Children Left Behind: AIDS Orphans Around the World: CRS West is hosting this 1,200 square-foot exhibit that captures life through the eyes of orphans and other children left vulnerable by HIV/AIDS. As visitors "travel" to each country immersing themselves into the stories of the children, an intriguing picture unfolds of how different life can be when people, communities and organizations work together. The exhibit will show in Bellevue, WA at the Bellevue Regional Library from November 15 through December 29. A complete exhibit schedule and information about scheduling an exhibition is available online.