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Solidarity with the Victims of
Domination
1. Learn their
stories/realities
-
Invite/listen
to them speak (e.g., immigrants, victims of sexism & domestic & hate
violence)
-
Read
their stories (e.g., Maryknoll Magazine and News Notes -
www.maryknoll.org; Christian Peacemaker
Teams -
www.cpt.org; biographies of Nelson Mandela, Rosa Parks, Cesar
Chavez... )
Watch
videos about their struggles (e.g., LONG WALK HOME, DEAD MAN WALKING, CRY
FREEDOM, ROMERO, MALCOLM X, PLATOON, PHILADELPHIA …)
Taste their realities (e.g., fasting, urban
plunges, solidarity trips & work projects)
2. Read/view
stories of advocates for these victims for inspiration
-
Dorothy Day
(LOVE IS THE MEASURE by Jim Forest)
-
Jean Donovan
(SALVADOR WITNESS by Ana Carrigan)
-
Dr. King
(“Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” STRENGTH TO LOVE, TRUMPET OF CONSCIENCE)
3.
Stand with them and develop personal & mutual relationships (“doing
with” vs. “doing for”)
-
Join their
worship community, community organization, project, or events/actions as
“allies"
-
Correspond
with prisoners (contact your local criminal justice ministry office)
-
Direct service
opportunities where relationships can develop (e.g., Meals on Wheels,
mentor at risk students or ex-offenders, Habitat
for Humanity, include others in holiday celebrations)
-
Accompany them
(e.g., sanctuary, Witness for Peace, death row inmates & victims of crime)
4. Economically
support/empower groups struggling against their domination
-
Buy directly from small local producers and local service providers.
-
Shop through Fair Trade groups; buy “Third World” handicrafts (see back
side)
-
Support consumer boycotts (www.boycotts.org
for descriptions of current boycotts)
-
Twin with a
faith community, school, village or self-help project (e.g. Haiti Parish
Twinning Program –
www.olgp.net/ministry/haiti
; or Heifer International -
www.heifer.org)
-
Invest in
revolving loan funds (e.g. Wisconsin Coord. Council on Nicaragua –
www.wccnica.org)
Donations
(e.g., ALL OUR CHILDREN for medicine for Iraqi children -
www.allourchildren.org)
5. Political action on their
behalf
www.bread.org)
Children’s Defense Fund (re
children’s needs in the US –
www.childrensdefense.org)
Family Violence Prevention Fund ( www.endabuse.org)
Amnesty International (re
prisoners of conscience worldwide –
www.amnestyusa.org)
Network (re many of these issues
–
www.networklobby.org
)
American Friends Service
Committee (re Iraq, Middle East, global poverty –
www.afsc.org)
Pax Christi USA (same focus from
a Catholic perspective –
www.paxchristiusa.org)
6. Live more simply and share
the savings
-
Fasting, public/church libraries for books & videos, recycle shops,
neighborhood/church coops
-
Donate a similar older item for each new item you buy (e.g., clothes,
books, computer, appliances)
-
Renounce economic privileges (e.g., “voluntary surcharge,” i.e., taxing
ourselves 10% for goods involving exploited labor & donating it to groups
working for economic justice; include groups working on behalf of the poor
in our wills)
7. “Solidarity Days”
- 1 day a week/month focused on a specific group, fast/pray for them, read
about them, write letters and make an economic sacrifice on their behalf,
invite others to respond.
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