Jubille Picnic

Jubilee Summer Picnic

Last Thursday nine out of seventeen Jubilee congregations in Portland and SW Washington gathered for a summer picnic at the residence of Nancy Johns. We shared our passions about the world and our particular interest and concern about the impact of the debt burden on many countries in the Global South. Karen Schmidt, member of Ainsworth UCC, and an organizer of the picnic, made the banner calling for new global leadership on poverty/development and debt cancellation. Twenty or so of us enthusiastically yelled "Cancel the debt" and the photo was taken!! We hope that many congregations and chapters will participate in this campaign.

PEPFAR Victory!! (One Campaign)

And it was a big one. In the past few weeks, more than 100,000 ONE members have written letters, signed petitions and made phone calls, asking our senators to support the reauthorization of PEPFAR, America's lifesaving response to global AIDS, TB and malaria.

On Wednesday, 80 senators did just that by voting to pass PEPFAR. Overwhelming bipartisan majorities stuck together to defeat a number of amendments that threatened to cut funding or otherwise undercut the success we've had in fighting these diseases.

In Oregon, both Senators Gordon Smith and Ron Wyden voted to reauthorize PEPFAR, answering your calls and providing hope for the millions of people around the world who look to America as a partner in fighting these deadly, but treatable diseases. In fact, Senator Smith went a step beyond by co-sponsoring PEPFAR reauthorization and showing unshakeable commitment to our cause.

I hope you'll take a moment to call Senators Smith and Wyden at the numbers below to thank them for standing with us and reaffirming America's commitment to saving lives in some of the poorest parts of the world.

Senator Gordon Smith
Phone: 202-224-3753

Senator Ron Wyden
Phone: 202-224-5244


When you speak to your senators' staff, make sure to tell them:

1. You are a constituent and a ONE member.
2. That you appreciate and support their vote to reauthorize PEPFAR for five more years.
3. You are especially grateful for Senator Smith’s decision to co-sponsor PEPFAR.
4. You recognize how important it is for America to continue to lead the world in efforts to end global disease and extreme poverty – even as we face challenges at home.

After you've made your calls, please report your call by clicking here:

http://one.org/call?tg=FSOR_2.FSOR_1&cp_id=30&id=418-3533236-UryluHx&t=1

A victory of this scale calls for reflection and recognition of everyone who made it possible. After PEPFAR passed the House of Representatives with strong support from President Bush, it got stuck in the Senate, where a handful of opponents used procedural tactics to prevent all action on the bill. Their unwillingness to allow open debate on PEPFAR prevented it from being passed before the G8 Summit in Hokkaido, Japan, earlier this month, where it could have been a powerful diplomatic tool to leverage commitments from other wealthy nations.

It took your voices, combined with the work of many others, and patient and persistent efforts by our allies in Washington to get PEPFAR unstuck. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Senators Biden and Lugar, and the White House all demonstrated extraordinary leadership in making this all possible.

And just as we pushed and prodded our senators to support this bill over the past weeks, it's important that we take a moment now to thank our leaders for their support.

Senator Gordon Smith
Phone: 202-224-3753

Senator Ron Wyden
Phone: 202-224-5244


After you've made your calls, please report your call by clicking here:

http://one.org/call?tg=FSOR_2.FSOR_1&cp_id=30&id=418-3533236-UryluHx&t=2

This new PEPFAR is going to do a whole lot of good for millions of people. It will provide care for 12 million AIDS patients, including five million orphans. It contains massive increases in investments in fighting TB and malaria, two diseases that are at their most devastating in the world's poorest countries. And in places desperate for doctors and nurses, PEPFAR will provide training for 140,000 new healthcare professionals.

Reauthorizing PEPFAR is an accomplishment we can be proud of and the Senate vote was the last major hurdle. In the coming days we expect the House to pass the Senate version of the bill and President Bush to sign it into law.

It's a victory for the world's most vulnerable people that won't be forgotten. And we can be sure our senators don't forget by thanking them for their leadership and reminding them of our ongoing support for acts of diplomacy that save lives and reflect the generosity of Americans.

Senator Gordon Smith
Phone: 202-224-3753

Senator Ron Wyden
Phone: 202-224-5244


Thank you for your voice,

Josh Peck, ONE.org

Debt & AIDS Event at PSU – Education and Action

For the last several months of Winter Term at PSU, we, a group of college seniors, have participated in a Senior Capstone course, International Debt Relief taught by Dr. Patricia Rumer. Our curriculum has taught us about a number of interrelated topics, such as the Millennium Development Goals, The Jubilee Act, PEPFAR, the ONE Campaign, and the issues they address such as HIV/AIDS, global poverty, and the cancellation of illegitimate debt. We worked in three groups to study the Millennium Development Goals and with community partners to create an educational/advocacy community event.
The goals 6 and 8 of the MDGs focused a public event on campus featuring film and educational speakers, Debt & AIDS: an International Perspective. The event took place on February 26, 208 at the PSU Native American Center. For many of us, this was our first attempt at creating a community event. We were extremely pleased to have Argentine Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Adolfo Perez Esquivel speak at our event. We were also grateful to have Beverly Keene, a colleague of Sr. Esquivel, who translated for him and contributed her own insights as Jubilee South coordinator. Our third speaker was Vice Provost Sean C. Smallman of PSU, who has independently conducted his own extensive research on HIV/AIDS in South America. After the presentations we had a lively Q&A session with all three speakers.
The other main component of our event was two short films, one of which was directed and produced this term by our very own classmate, Carrie Stiles. Entitled, The Haiti Resolution: A Call to Action, it effectively covers the context and history of Haiti’s odious debt, and the current legislation being pushed for its relief. The 10-minute film features footage of Desmond Tutu, Wangari Matthai, and interviews with Nancy Yuill and Beth Poteet, co-chairs, Jubilee Oregon, our community partners for the Goal 8 group. The final cut of the film will be used by Jubilee Oregon as a promotional tool, and will be posted on You Tube for further exposure.
The other film showed at our event was “Our Brother’s Keepers,” directed by Katherine Mullins. It is a documentary set in Lusaka, Zambia that gives a perspective of the AIDS crisis in Africa. The film reveals some of the social implications of debt and AIDS in Zambia. Hundreds of thousands of Zambian children have been orphaned by AIDS and this film follows two families in their fight to provide for their siblings and just survive. Throughout the film there were clips of a speech made by Stephen Lewis, former UN Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa, who demonstrated the “bigger picture” of the causes and implications of debt on poor countries, like AIDS orphans. Stephen Lewis will be in Portland to speak on May 9th, World AIDS Orphans Day. If you are interested in hearing him speak, look for the details on Jubilee Oregon’s website, www.jubileeoregon.org.

ADVOCACY:

During our 10-minute break and at the conclusion of the event, our audience was able to converse with our speakers, learn more about Debt and Aids from our community partners who were tabling in the back, and most importantly, take action by sending an email or signing postcards to our congressional representatives in Oregon and Southwest

(photo from Julia Cortez, El Hispanic News, Portland, OR)

Jubilee Oregon welcomes Nobel peace laureate, Adolfo Perez Esquivel and Jubilee South Coordinator, Beverly Keene

Adolfo and Beverly founded Jubileo-Dialogo 2000 in Argentina. Adolfo won the Nobel Peace Prize in the early 1980’s for his human rights witness during the time of the rule of the generals in Argentina. He continues to make the connections between militarization and economic justice with a focus on debt cancellation. In 2005 Adolfo led a Jubilee South delegation to Haiti to address Haitian concerns about militarization and debt.

Twenty Jubilee supporters gathered at Holladay Park Plaza’s penthouse, as guests of Nancy Johns, to discuss the new phase of debt – especially in Latin America where Argentina, Brazil and Bolivia have settled their obligations with the IMF. In the case of Argentina the IMF and other creditors accepted 35 cents for every dollar owed.

The newly formed Bank of the South has promise of a new approach to regional development and lending, but grassroots organizations in South American are looking for how and what this new bank will fund and support.

Adolfo expressed his frustration with the lack of political will among Latin American governments to take strong stands against IMF policies as well as to take responsibility for the debts incurred. Ecuador is the hopeful exception as it is conducting the first official debt audit to see what debts were legitimate – e.g. benefited the people and which debts were illegitimate.

Rev. Chris Laing presented Jubilee USA t-shirts to Adolfo and Beverly in appreciation for the Jubilee North-South partnership on debt and their continued efforts to support Haiti’s citizens’ debt network.

100% Oregon Congressional Delegation Co-Sponsors Jubilee Act - House and Senate versions!

In August, 2006 two Jubilee Oregon activists, Pat Rumer and Andy Szatkowski met with Judah Ariel, Washington DC staff for Congressman Earl Blumenauer to discuss future debt cancellation legislation. Judah suggested that Jubilee Oregon organize outreach to the entire Oregon delegation with the goal of bi-partisan support of the ACT. That became Jubilee Oregon’s goal for the 2007 Sabbath year.

Education and Outreach – Winter 2007
Andy, as chair of the Jubilee OR advocacy committee, worked with others to meet with Portland-based congressional staff to discuss the elements of the proposed Jubilee ACT. Jubilee Oregon collaborated with the Portland Area Global AIDS Coalition and the Oregon Fair Trade Coalition in these visits to make the links between debt and AIDS and debt and trade.

Jubilee ACT introduced – June 2007
Congressmen Blumenauer and Wu signed on as cosponsors as soon as the ACT was introduced. Jubilee OR hired a summer intern who set up appointments and organized visits with other members of the Oregon delegation.

Fall 2007 – Rolling fast and Senate version of the bill introduced:
Jubilee Oregon and many individual Oregonians participated in the rolling fast with Rev. David Duncombe during September and October. Jubilee OR collected paper plates to send to their Congressional representatives, signed postcards and organized a special Fast Day action on Debt and AIDS.

Five Jubilee Oregon volunteers participated in the Lobby Days in mid-October and met with both Senate and House staff asking them to cosponsor. Rev. Duncombe’s fast was critical to Representative Greg Walden’s decision to cosponsor.

November-December – Advocacy with Oregon’s Senators:
At every public event for six weeks we asked people to sign letters and petitions asking Senators Smith and Wyden to cosponsor. The week before Christmas Pat Rumer received calls from both Senators advising Jubilee OR that they had signed onto the ACT as cosponsors.

Jubilee OR’s board sent thank you notes to the entire Oregon delegation. In early 2008 Jubilee OR board members met personally with Senator Smith and Congressman Blumenauer to say thanks in person and presented each with a Jubilee t-shirt.

What did we learn?
Organization, setting a clear goal, persistence PLUS lots of letters, phone calls, and personal visits convinced Oregon’s representatives and Senators that their constituency cared about this ACT and the impact it would have on debtor nations as a first step towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals.

Debt & Aids : A Global Perspective

February 26th, 2008
4:30 - 7:30pm
Native American Center
Portland State University

Special Guests:
Adolfo Pérez Esquivel -Nobel Peace Prize Laureate
Beverly Keene - Jubilee South/Americas Coordinator
Vice Provost Shawn C. Smallman - PSU Dean of Undergraduate Affairs

Featuring Short Film - Their Brother’s Keeper
Also Original Student Film - The Haiti Resolution: A Call To Action

Click here to see the Flyer

Film Screening & Panel Discussion: Iron Ladies of Liberia (Wed Feb 27th)

Wednesday, February 27, 2008
8:00 p.m.
FREE ADMISSION

After 14 years of a brutal civil war, Liberia elects its first female president—Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, nicknamed the Iron Lady. With her predominately female cabinet, President Johnson Sirleaf struggles during her first year in office to rebuild a war-ravaged country, fight rampant corruption and prevent a descent back into war.

In the film we will follow Ellen Sirleaf Johnson through her first year in office as she faces angry mobs, ambitious political rivals, and high-ranking members of the international community. Her story is inspiring a new generation of leaders in Africa and around the world.

Global Sistergoods is delighted to partner with ITVS, Independent Lens, and Oregon Public Broadcasting to bring this exciting new film series to our hometown: Portland Community Cinema. On the last Wednesday of each month from September-May, we will be screening a social issue documentary at St. John's Theater (map). Each film will be followed by a panel discussion, and will be FREE TO THE PUBLIC. We are proud to facilitate an informed discussion about pressing social issues.

The World Affairs Council of Oregon and Mercy Corps are proud co-sponsors of the film Iron Ladies of Liberia.
Visit http://www.globalsistergoods.com/events/ for more information.

100% of Oregon\'s Congressional Delegation Co-Sponsor Jubilee ACT

Holiday greetings to all Jubilee Debt Cancellation Supporters. Great news - last Friday, December 21 Senator Ron Wyden signed on as a co-sponsor to the Senate Version of the Jubilee ACT. That means that Oregon is the first state in the USA to have its entire Congressional delegation as co-sponsors of this important ACT and providing leadership in ending global poverty. For more information, about the Jubilee ACT contents, go to www.jubileeusa.org and on the right hand side click on the ACT for details. In 2008 we will be focusing our energy on passage of the ACT in House and Senate. Thanks for all your help. Jubilee Oregon steering committee.

Senator Gordon Smith is Jubilee ACT cosponsor!

Thanks to all your letters, cards and telephone calls to Senator Smith. His foreign policy aide, Andrew Peek, just called on 12/17 to tell me that Senator Smith has agreed to sign on as a co-sponsor. Senator Smith\'s office has notified Senator Wyden\'s office so now we just need to persist with Senator Wyden to get him as a co-sponsor and we will have delivered the entire Oregon delegation as Jubilee debt cancellation supporters. Stay tuned for activities in 2008! Happy Holidays, Pat Rumer

Great News about Liberia!

Its quite a month for good news from the Jubilee Front!

PROGRESS FOR LIBERIA! On November 12th, the IMF announced that it had found the necessary funding to clear Liberia's arrears to the IMF, thus paving the way for debt cancellation for Liberia. This is great news, and a real breakthrough.

Your efforts -- the Valentines you sent early in the year and the letters you sent in October -- made a critical difference. Thank you.

While this news is an important breakthrough, the journey towards complete debt cancellation of Liberia's unjust and illegitimate debt has only just begun. We will continue to accompany the people of Liberia as they pass through the debt relief process, urging that Liberia not be subjected to harmful economic conditions and the predatory actions of vulture funds. We will need your continued support as Liberia continues its critical journey towards economic justice.
You can check out the IMF's statement, our press release on the latest breakthrough, and some news coverage of the latest on Liberia's debt here.

Shop ‘til the debt drops on 12/7!

Shop ‘til the debt drops!

A community shopping night to benefit Jubilee Oregon at Ten Thousand Villages
onFriday, December 7th, 2007.

Ten Thousand Villages
914 NW Everett St.
Portland, OR 97209
503-231-8832

Support debt cancellation & talented artisans from around the world!

From 5 pm-8 pm on Friday December 7th, Ten Thousand Villages will contribute 15% of purchases* to Jubilee Oregon. If you need to shop earlier than 5 pm, mention Jubilee Oregon and 15% of your purchase* will also be contributed.

You’ll find intriguing, beautifully handcrafted merchandise, all fairly traded. Support debt cancellation while supporting artisans who depend on you for sustainable employment.

www.jubileeoregon.org www.jubileeusa.org www.tenthousandvillages.com
*Except oriental rugs and furniture

Hearing on the Jubilee Act for Responsible Lending

Hearing on the Jubilee Act for Responsible Lending, Today, Nov. 8 @ 10 a.m.!

The hearing will take place on Thursday, Nov. 8, at 10 a.m. in Rayburn House Office Building, Room 2128 on Capitol Hill. If you are in Washington, D.C. or nearby, you are welcome to attend. For those outside of D.C. or if you can't get away from work, watch/listen to it online via live webcast! Go directly to the Financial Services Committee hearing page online at 10 a.m. today and join in!

Led by Rep. Barney Frank, Rep. Spencer Bachus, and Rep. Maxine Waters (and thanks in no small part due to the grassroots pressure created by the Cancel Debt Fast and Rev. David Duncombe's ministry), the House Financial Services Committee has scheduled a legislative hearing on the Jubilee Act for Expanded Debt Cancellation and Responsible Lending (HR 2634).
Among the expected witnesses are:

Neil Watkins, National Coordinator, Jubilee USA Network
Emira Woods, Foreign Policy In Focus Co-Director, Institute for Policy Studies
Gerry Flood, Counselor, Office of International Justice & Peace-U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
Aldo Caliari, Coordinator, Bretton Woods Project, Center of Concern

The hearing will consider provisions of the Jubilee Act (HR 2364, S 2166), which currently has 86 cosponsors in the House and 11 in the Senate. The Jubilee Act would:

Cancel the debts of up to 26 additional nations not currently eligible for debt cancellation, provided that they demonstrate plans to spend the money wisely on poverty reduction;

Cut harmful requirements that are delaying access to life-saving debt relief for countries like HaitiLiberia; and

Call on U.S. Treasury Secretary to address the challenges presented by so-called vulture funds, one of which recently extracted $15 million from impoverished Zambia; and

Establish policies for responsible lending to avoid odious and unjust debt accumulation in the future.

This hearing is an important first step as we work towards passage of this important legislation.
Be sure to visit the Jubilee USA website a few hours after the hearing, where we'll post transcripts of the speeches from the scheduled witnesses.

Thanks for all the work you do for Jubilee justice!

Funeral for Debt Event

Jubilee Oregon held a "funeral" for debt here in Portland yesterday (October 10th) as part of the Jubilee USA rolling cancel debt fast actions going on across the country. October 10th is the cancel debt fast day focused on HIV/AIDS. We were joined by our friends in the PAGAC in this cancel debt fast ceremony to highlight the strong links between debt cancellation and the crucial need to fund HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment.

Over 20 participants, dressed in black, attended the funeral ceremony. Three coffins depicted debt in Latin America, Asia and Africa were front and center.


We started our rally at Senator Gordon’s Smith’s local office. We gave speeches on the importance of the Jubilee act and its link to funding for AIDS prevention and treatment. We sang songs and chanted debt cancellation demands.


We presented plates to Senator Smith's representative and then headed out on our funeral procession. The procession carried the coffins through downtown Portland, calling out the names of the 67 countries "presente" who are targeted in the Jubilee Act.
We arrived at Senator Wyden’s office for our second presentation of plates. Six of our group met with Senator Wyden’s staffer Loretta Smith while the rest of us remained outside chanting for debt cancellation, calling out the names of the 67 Jubilee Act countries and signing songs.





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Jubilee Act Update : new cospnsors/ senate version

Two great news items from Washington D.C. regarding the Jubilee Act.

First in the House of Representatives, we have secured the support of Representatives Peter DeFazio, Darleen Hooley and Greg Walden as co-sponsors of the Jubilee Act (HR 2634). Since we already have Blumenauer and Wu signed on, that means we have four out of Oregon\'s five representatives sponsoring the Act. Now, all we need is to have Representative Darlene Hooley sign on as a co-sponsor and we will have all the Oregon House delegation on board. PLEASE CALL OR EMAIL HER OFFICE IMMEDIATELY TO ASK FOR HER SUPPORT OF HR 2634 - The Jubilee Act.
Oregon Office phone: 503 557-1324Washington D.C. office: (202) 225-5711 phoneEmail: jennifer.wagner@mail.house.gov

Next, a companion bill has finally been introduced into the Senate The brand new Senate bill (S2166) currently has 6 co-sponsors: Senators Casey (D-PA), Lugar (R-IN), Dodd (D-CT), Biden (D-DE), Sununu (R-NH), and Obama (D-IL).

We're working hard to have the entire Oregon Congressional delegation stand up and speak out for an end to global poverty. So contact Wyden and Smith and ask them to co-sponsor S2166 now.

Pick up the phone and call the Capitol Switchboard: 202.224.3121.

Ask to be connected to your Senator's office. The receptionist will answer. Introduce yourself a constituent from Oregon and ask the Senator to support S2166, The Jubilee Act.

Thanks for your help - Andy Szatkowski

Mr. Salil Shetty, the Director of the Millennium Campaign for the United Nations will speak at St. Luke Lutheran Church on Tuesday, October 30th, at 7

The Millennium Campaign is based on the Millennium Development Goals that set a framework to end extreme poverty by 2015. In 2007, we are halfway there. Mr. Shetty's compelling presentation addresses how far we have come and what obstacles remain. This is a unique opportunity to hear first hand how the MDG's are working, and how we can help implement them.

For more information on the Millennium campaign, go to http://www.millenniumcampaign.org/ .

All are welcome. Free.

St. Luke is located at 6835 SW 46th Avenue , Portland, Oregon between SW Vermont and SW 46th Avenue (near Gabriel Park).

Mr. Shetty joined the United Nations in 2003 as the Director of the Millennium Campaign. In the last four years, Mr. Shetty has played a key role in building up the advocacy campaign for the MDG's in 50 countries. Prior to joining the United Nations, Mr. Shetty was the chief executive of ActionAid, a leading international development NGO. There he worked in the field in sub-Sahara Africa and in South Asia and in fundraising and advocacy programs in the United States and Europe

Oregon Center for Christian Values presents: Faith & American Values Conference (oct 6)

Come to our 2nd annual Faith & American Values Conference Poverty & Politics:
responding to god’s call for action Featuring Dr. Ron Sider Author of “Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger” and Founder of Evangelicals for Social Action
Register Now

“I know that the Lord maintains the cause of the needy and executes justice for the poor.”
Psalm 140:12

Do you want to:
Learn about how you can impact poverty in Oregon?
Join a movement to promote public policies for the common good?
Learn more about the biblical call to care for the poor?
Network with organizations addressing poverty in Oregon?
Then join us for a discussion on how the Christian community in Oregon can work together to address poverty in our communities

Event Details:
Date: Saturday, October 6th
Time: 12:45 – 4:00 PM
Where: Mosaic Community Church
1832 NE 39th Ave Portland, OR 97212

Lecture & Discussion, Book-signing to follow
Contact Laura at laura@occv.org or call 503-222-2072 to register for the event or get more information.

“The church must be reminded that it is not the master or the servant of the state, but rather the conscience of the state.”
Martin Luther King, Jr., Strength to Love, 1963.

Join Jubilee Oregon this Sunday, August 12th to launch the Cancel the Debt Fast

David Duncombe to Preach on Purpose for Cancel Debt Fast

Westminster Presbyterian Church,

1624 NE Hancock Portland

Sunday, August 12

10:30 am

David Duncombe spent almost two decades as chaplain for the Yale School of Medicine and a lecturer at Yale Divinity School, his alma mater. In 1967, his chaplaincy at Yale was one of the first at a nondenominational American medical school.

He was active in the civil rights movement, and has long been involved in peace and justice protests. In recent years, his activism has taken the form of protest fasts in the name of peace and poverty. In his social justice ministry, he has been arrested almost 100 times and sometimes jailed.

NEWS ADVISORY

FOR IMMEDIATE CONSIDERATION Friday, August 4, 2007

Contact: Ray Utech, 901-573-7477 ray.utech@gmail.com

Local pastor to fast for 40 days in the nation’s capital, send-off slated for Sunday, August 12, as part of

Hungry for Justice: Jubilee Debt Cancellation movement ‘s 40-Day National Fast September 6 – October 15

Jubilee Oregon is hosting a public event to encourage and support Reverend David Duncombe's trip to Washington D.C. to lobby for debt cancellation.

Event: Reverend David Duncombe Send-Off for Jubilee's "Cancel Debt Fast"

Where: Irving Park; 875 Northeast Fremont Street, Portland, OR 97212

When: 1pm-3pm

Sponsor: Established in 2000, Jubilee Oregon, a coalition of religious and

community groups, is a part of Jubilee USA, a network of local

congregations and 80 religious denominations, faith-based networks,

development and community organizations in the US, including Sojourners, Action Aid International, and World Vision. Jubilee USA also partners on efforts to fight global poverty as a member of the ONE Campaign. Jubilee USA is part the global Jubilee network, with grassroots networks in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Europe

News/Press RSVP: Jubileeoregon@ gmail.com or call 503-287-7847 or 901 573 7477

PORTLAND, OR – The Rev. David Duncombe, whose water only ‘fast for life’ in 2000 in the halls of Congress convinced people like Jessie Helms and Ted Kennedy to approve debt cancellation measures for the world’s poorest countries, will begin a new fast.

Echoing his statement made then, the 77 year old United Church of Christ minister says now, “I've reached a point in my life in which it's very difficult for me to live on a playing field that isn't level. And it's very difficult for me to avoid the knowledge in my own life that there are millions of starving people and to go about my life as though there were not. I find it very undesirable to eat when other people can't.”

“I believe strongly that as a Christian that we are asked to love our neighbors and particularly people that are at a disadvantage and so this is a window of opportunity to express that. Being a pastor I wanted to do this in a pastoral way so I’ll go from office to office not only to talk about legislations but to try to get to know the staff as people and to understand where they're coming from. I intend to symbolize starvation. I want to do that because a lot of people in Congress -- by no fault of their own -- have never seen a starving person. Their only contact with starvation is that in a very abstract way they know that so many people are starving, but they have never seen it, they have never looked upon it they have never touched it. So I will go back to each office about once a week and let my starving body talk for itself and I hope that my message will get through and lift their consciences."

For additional information and background: http://www.jubileeusa.org/

Jubilee Jumble Success by St John the Baptist at Mission of the Atonement

The Lutheran and Roman Catholic Mission of the Atonement, on busy Scholls Ferry Rd, provided the perfect location of St. John’s first Jubilee fund raiser—a jumble (Brit for rummage) sale on June 30.

St. John’s location is a quarter mile off the road at Oregon Episcopal School. Member Valerie McIntyre caught a vision for the sale and saw it through netting over $800 divided between JubileeUSA and Jubilee Oregon. A good time had by all!

Jubilee Sunday

About a dozen congregations in the Portland/Vancouver metro area observed Jubilee Sunday in January. Some have chosen to become member congregations.

St John the Baptist Episcopal Church, off Scholls Ferry Road, celebrated the day with special prayers, music, a display, sermon and a forum. The response was strong and the February vestry (church council) meeting voted unanimously to become a Jubilee member, which includes prayer, study, simple action and a contribution. A plan for a Jumble Sale to raise a donation is in progress.

This decision is also seen as a way to participate in the Episcopal ONE Campaign, a parish focus for this Millennium Development Goals Sabbath Year 2007. Jubilee is a primary partner for the ONE Campaign focused on MDG goal for removal of odious international debt. Congratulations people of St John's Church!