Although the Board of the Interfaith Alliance of Rochester does not meet during the months of July and August, the Executive Committee continues to meet in order to attend to emerging events and plan for the coming year. Executive Committee meetings are generally held at the Golden Fox Restaurant on Culver Road at eight in the morning of the first Tuesday of the month. Board meetings are generally held on the third Thursday at Culver United Methodist Church at four in the afternoon. TIAR members are always welcome at Board meetings. At the first Board meeting in September, Barry Swan was elected as an additional member. A member of TIAR, he had been active on the Immigration Committee for over a year. Other changes in Board membership include the resignation of Eleonore Herman due to schedule conflicts. Our archivist, David White, has announced that the records of TIAR since its founding are now stored in a facility provided through the Greater Rochester Council of Churches.
During the year, we set guidelines for monetary donations by TIAR, as well as for amounts to be contributed when cosponsoring an event. A budget for the year 2009 was determined. Reports are to be made on a calendar year basis.
MEMBERSHIP
Since membership in TIAR does not make one a member of the national Interfaith Alliance, and membership in national does not convey membership in the local group, we have worked during the year to encourage membership in both groups.
POVERTY COMMITTEE
Under the leadership of Paul Brayer, the committee arranged to update our DVD on poverty, incorporating statistics previously available only as a separate power point. All TIAR members are urged to help us find opportunities for showings of the DVD in order to increase awareness of poverty in our community. We plan to have this DVD showing during our Annual Meeting on June 14, so that you may see it for yourselves. Leadership of the Poverty Committee has now been taken over by Marilyn Wienk and
Becky Elwell.
ANTI-RACISM
In response to the racial slurs broadcast by radio host Bob Lonsberry, it was decided to work with the Spiritus Anti-Racism Commission, a group working toward racial equality in our community.
ROCHESTER CLERGY AND LAITY UNITED FOR ECONOMIC JUSTICE (CLUE)
We have continued our work with this group which is attempting to facilitate the formation of a union at one of our downtown hotels. Most recently, there was a demonstration on May 8, 2009 at the Rochester Plaza Hotel.
IMMIGRATION COMMITTEE
In January, the Board adopted the “Interfaith Statement on Humane Immigration” as adapted from a document of the Friends Committee on National Legislation. In March, the committee recommended that TIAR join the NY State Interfaith Network for
Immigration Reform. Since that time we have been seeking to meet with our legislators to discuss the issue. Members participated in a rally on December 10, 2008 at the Border Patrol.
SINGLE PAYER HEALTHCARE
In January the Board moved to support the concept and principle of single payer healthcare. As a result, a letter was sent to Dr. C. Welton Gaddy, President of the Interfaith Alliance urging that the national organization take a similar stand. This letter was accompanied by documentation prepared by Board member John Noronha. We also signed on to a letter to Governor Patterson supporting universal healthcare for New Yorkers.
ROCHESTER VOTERS ALLIANCE
TIAR worked with many other non-profit organizations in the Rochester area to register voters living in the inner city. As a result of this effort, more than 5,400 people were registered -- of these, 4,800 voted and 1,600 were first time voters. Rochester Voters
Alliance received an award from Metro Justice for this effort. We are, I think, justifiably proud of this project which was largely the brainchild of Paul Brayer.
INTERFAITH DECLARATION OF PEACE
The Board decided to adapt a statement prepared by interfaith leaders of the Boston area in regard to the situation in Gaza. The letter was printed in the March 11-17 issue of City Newspaper and later sent to President Obama, our Senators and Representatives.
LET JUSTICE ROLL LIVING WAGE CAMPAIGN
The president was authorized to sign a letter to Congress supporting the campaign. We continue to have representation with the local group.
FAIR ELECTION PRACTICES COMMITTEE
With the League of Women Voters, TIAR continued the practice of requesting candidates for office to sign a fair campaign practices pledge. No complaints were received this year.
Since last June we have cosponsored the following events:
“Thank God for Evolution” sponsored by the Center for Sustainable Living 6/08
“Poverty and Violence: Assault on Human Rights” Conference 10/08
“What Religious Values Do You Take to the Voting Booth” 10/08
Salaam-Shalom Film Series 10/08 - 12/08
“Facing our Fears About Islam” 10/08 - 11/08
Human Rights Day 12/08
Immigration Rally at Border Patrol Office 12/08
Rochester Interfaith Coalition for Darfur
Donation to Alternatives to Violence Program 10/08
Donation to Social Action Welfare Alliance for Reality Tours 3/09
“Loving our Enemies - Transforming Us vs Them Thinking” 5/09
Respectfully submitted,
Sally Chamberlin
It was a cold day late last winter when the Rochester Voters Alliance began the process of registering voters for the 2008 Presidential election. Those who had worked during the 2004 election season came together at the Center for Disability Rights under the able guidance of Paul Brayer of the Interfaith Alliance of Rochester to plan the process.
RVA is a coalition of non-profit, non-partisan, faith and community groups. Sponsoring organizations include The Interfaith Alliance of Rochester, the national Interfaith Alliance, the First Unitarian Church of Rochester, the League of Women Voters, the Center for Disability Rights, the Catholic Family Center, the Susan B. Anthony House, the Jewish Community Federation, Women of Reform Judaism, Let Justice Roll, Life Listening Resources, the AAUW, the ACLU, the School Without Walls-Foundation, the RSD Law Academy, Strong Memorial Hospital, and Rochester General Hospital.
By the time we started registering voters, it was April. Before that could happen, however, there were arrangements to make. Five Tops Markets in Rochester were contacted and the management agreed-- as they had in 2004-- to let us conduct registration at these stores. With their cooperation, we were able to set up a schedule and staff registration tables several times each week. Save-A-Lot on North Goodman also welcomed us. Registration times were based on the days and hours which store managers felt to be busiest. Rochester’s Public Market agreed to let us register potential voters on their popular market days as did some of the smaller public markets in the city. Contacts were made with agencies such as AIDS Rochester, the Salvation Army, and St. Joseph’s House of Hospitality. All in all, registration was conducted at thirty-seven different sites, most of them in the inner city. Our official kick off registration effort was in the park by the Susan B. Anthony House on a rainy summer Saturday at which we were assisted by volunteers from the Susan B. Anthony House.
We worked through early October-- a busy, and often hectic, period. In order to increase the number of people registered who actually voted, we operated phone banks during the week before the election to remind them to vote.
After election day, our final celebration was a luncheon for students from the School Without Walls held at the Susan B. Anthony House. These students, who had worked registering voters on Main Street between Clinton Avenue and Franklin Street, each received a certificate of thanks for becoming involved in the registration effort.
Our efforts included voter education. Cards with information on “Why I Should Vote” were distributed, and many of our registration tables featured information on the history of voting in the United States.
In case you wonder if all this effort was worthwhile, I am proud to say that over 5,400 people were enrolled.
At the moment, we don’t have an accurate count of the number of volunteers involved. Does that give you any idea of how many there must have been? We’ll try to get that information to you later. All of us who were involved found it to be a deeply rewarding experience. If you are interested in participating in 20012, let us know. We’ll be doing it again!
As we ponder the current financial crisis and concerns for people of faith, it might be helpful to read the letter below which was prepared by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops:
Letter from Bishop William Murphy, Chair of the USCCB Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development.
September 26, 2008
Dear Secretary Paulson, Majority Leader Reid, Minority Leader McConnell, Speaker Pelosi and Minority Leader Boehner:
The economic crisis facing our nation is both terribly disturbing and enormously complicated. I write to offer the prayers of the U.S. Catholic Bishops and express the concerns of our Conference as you face difficult choices on how to limit the damage and move forward with prudence and justice. As pastors and teachers, my brother bishops and I do not bring technical expertise to these complicated matters. However, we believe our faith and moral principles can help guide the search for just and effective responses to the economic turmoil threatening our people.
* Human and Moral Dimensions: This crisis involves far more than just economic or technical matters, but has enormous human impact and clear ethical dimensions which should be at the center of debate and decisions on how to move forward. Families are losing their homes. Retirement savings are at risk. People are losing jobs and benefits. Economic arrangements, structures and remedies should have as a fundamental purpose safeguarding human life and dignity. The scandalous search for excessive economic rewards even to the point of dangerous speculation that exacerbates the pain and losses of the more vulnerable are egregious examples of an economic ethic that places economic gain above all other values. This ignores the impact of economic decisions on the lives of real people as well as the ethical dimension of the choices we make and the moral responsibility we have for their effect on people.
* Responsibility and Accountability: Clearly, effective measures are required which address and alter the behaviors, practices and misjudgments that led to this crisis. Sadly, greed, speculation, exploitation of vulnerable people and dishonest practices helped to bring about this serious situation. Many blameless and vulnerable people have been and will be harmed. Those who directly contributed to this crisis or profited from it should not be rewarded or escape accountability for the harm they have done. Any response of government ought to seek greater responsibility, accountability and transparency in both economic and public life.
* Advantages and Limitations of the Market: Pope John Paul II pointed out that "the free market is the most efficient instrument for utilizing resources and effectively responding to needs...But there are many human needs which find no place on the market. It is a strict duty of justice and truth not to allow fundamental human needs to remain unsatisfied." Both public and private institutions have failed in responding to fundamental human needs. A new sense of responsibility on the part of all should include a renewal of instruments of monitoring and correction within economic institutions and the financial industry as well as effective public regulation and protection to the extent this may be clearly necessary.
* Solidarity and the Common Good: The principle of solidarity reminds us that we are in this together and warns us that concern for narrow interests alone can make things worse. The principle of solidarity commits us to the pursuit of the common good, not the search for partisan gain or economic advantage. Protection of the vulnerable - workers, business owners, homeowners, renters, and stockholders - must be included in the commitment to protect economic institutions. As Church leaders we ask that you give proper priority to the poor and the most vulnerable.
* Subsidiarity: Subsidiarity places a responsibility on the private actors and institutions to accept their own obligations. If they do not do so, then the larger entities, including the government, will have to step in to do what private institutions will have failed to do. This is a challenging time for our nation. Everyone who carries responsibility should exercise it according to their respective roles and with a great sensitivity to reforming practices and setting forth new guidelines that will serve all people, all institutions of the economy and the common good of the people as a nation. This includes not just the leaders of the economic life of our country. It means the political leaders and all those whose own expertise can contribute to a resolution of the current situation. Our Catholic tradition calls for a "society of work, enterprise and participation" which "is not directed against the market, but demands that the market be appropriately controlled by the forces of society and by the state to assure that the basic needs of the whole society are satisfied" (Centesimus Annus).
These words of John Paul II should be adopted as a standard for all those who carry this responsibility for our nation, the world and the common good of all.
Priorities adopted for 2007-2008:
Projects, including support and / participation:
RVA is seeking about 300 volunteers for this registration effort, which targets districts with low voter registration and turnout.
St. John the Evangelist Church (Humboldt St.)
Temple Sinai
Friends Meeting House
St. John Fisher College
Holy Name of Jesus Church
Webster Presbyterian Church
St. Luke and St. Simon of Cyrene Episcopal Church.
- Ag Jobs bill 7/07 and 2/08
- Increasing the welfare grant: 2/08
- The Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2007
- Darfur 7/08
- Response to Gandhi Blog 1/08
- Other topics of current interest written by Board Member Paul Hammer
Events:
Respectfully submitted,
Sr. M. Gratia L’Esperance, RSM, President
The Interfaith Alliance of Rochester
June 8, 2008
The 2008 Nominating Committee consisting of Paul Brayer, Sally Chamberlin, Bob Herman, Isabel Morrison, and Gail Mott (Chair) is proposing the following slate to be voted on at our June Annual Meeting:
Officer slate
President - Sally Chamberlin
Vice President –Marilyn Wienk
Secretary – Bob Herman
Treasurer – Isabel Morrison
Becky Elwell Class of 2009 (filling Lachme Rao’s place)
Marie Hickey
Peg Rubley
Current board members (2008) who will renew and become Class 0f 2011 - Sally Brown, Sr.Gratia, Bob Herman, Gail Mott, Heide Parreno, Farzana Razvi, David White, Denise Yarborough.
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Mission of The Interfaith Alliance of Rochester
We are committed to an inclusive democratic process based upon the mutual responsibility of public officials, public institutions, and the general public. It requires honest and civility through open discussion of issues and full participation open to all citizens.
We work towards a public good that offers dignity and wholeness to all people. This includes a quality public education, a sustainable environment, a living wage, comprehensive health care, adequate housing, and a voice for people of faith in the political arena that respects the First Amendment.
As a growing and diverse interfaith community, we bring a constructive and healing witness to public and political life in the Greater Rochester community. The Interfaith Alliance of Rochester is one of many local alliances in a national coalition of people of faith.
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