Speak out for those who cannot speak, for the rights of all the destitute.
Speak out; judge righteously. Defend the rights of the poor and the needy.
(Proverbs 31:8-9)

In This Issue:

· FY 2005 Supplemental Appropriations Bill Finalized: House and Senate Expected to Pass Shortly
· A Small Legislative Victory Worth Celebrating
· Congress Passes Fiscal Year 2006 Budget Resolution
· Urge Congress To Evaluate Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) With Moral Criteria
· Please Continue To Pray For the People of Darfur, Sudan
· Northeast Ohio Resident, Andy Summerscales Speaks Up For Colombia
· Resources to Put Your Faith in Action
· Contact Us

FY 2005 Supplemental Appropriations Bill Finalized: House and Senate Expected to Pass Shortly

This week, the House and Senate conference committee negotiating the differences between their respective FY 2005 supplemental appropriations bills agreed on the provisions of a final bill, which is expected to pass both chambers in the next week. The supplemental bill mostly provides funding for the Department of Defense but also includes funding for urgent international assistance programs, tsunami relief, and other unexpected or emergency needs not covered by the existing FY 2005 budget. CRS, USCCB and advocates around the country made a tremendous push to ensure that critical global needs were being addressed in the FY 2005 supplemental. We thank all of you for your vigorous and determined efforts to contact your Senators and Representatives on this critical issue.

CRS is generally pleased with the outcome of the FY 2005 supplemental appropriations bill. It includes important funding for programs that will address critical humanitarian needs around the world. At the same time, the United States can and should do more to prevent hunger, alleviate poverty, and address conflicts. CRS is already preparing for another tough budget fight ahead as Congress turns its attention to the FY 2006 appropriations bill. Please stay tuned for further action!

Summary of the FY 05 Supplemental Appropriations Conference Report

· A total of $240 million for food aid. CRS/USCCB had advocated for a total of $470 million to address current global food needs but given the tough budget environment we are pleased with this amount. It will help greatly in fighting hunger and malnutrition around the world. This amount is $90 million more than President Bush requested.
· $90 million for International Disaster Assistance and Famine Relief, of which $40 million will benefit people in the Darfur region of Sudan and $50 million will be used to meet other needs in Africa, including Ethiopia, Liberia, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. CRS/USCCB supported the higher House-passed $94 million. The amount is $46 million higher than the Bush request.
· $200 million for the Palestinians but with onerous conditions CRS/USCCB opposed. · $20 million for Haiti to assist in restoring peace, stability, and security, the amount CRS/USCCB supported. President Bush had not sought this additional funding.
· $22 million for humanitarian assistance and $10 million for peacekeeping operations in southern Sudan.
· $680 million for international peacekeeping activities of which a total of $50 million may be transferred to the African Union in Darfur, Sudan. The total is $100 million below the Bush request.
· $120 million for refugee assistance, of which $67 million is to be used for assistance for refugees in Africa and to fulfill the goal of admitting 70,000 refugees to the U.S. This is $67 million above the Bush request.
· $656 million for tsunami-affected areas to fund recovery and long-term reconstruction, $3 million short of the House-passed level, which CRS/USCCB supported. This does not include President Bush's request for an additional $45 million to fund debt relief for affected nations. An additional $222 million is also provided in the Defense section of the supplemental.

The conference report unfortunately also includes H.R. 418, the "REAL ID Act of 2005," which CRS/USCCB strongly opposed. The REAL ID Act will (1) Make it more difficult for asylum-seekers fleeing oppression to receive asylum in the United States by raising evidentiary standards to prove a claim, effectively returning bona fide asylum seekers to their persecutors; (2) Deny driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants, who will continue to drive without insurance or driver's training; and (3) Permit the federal government to waive all laws for the construction of barriers along the U.S.-Mexico border, which would drive migrants into more dangerous routes.

Back to top

A Small Legislative Victory Worth Celebrating

In early April as the Senate considered additional food aid funding in its version of the FY 2005 emergency supplemental bill, an amendment was put forward by Senators Herb Kohl (D-WI) and Mike DeWine (R-OH). The amendment sought to supplement existing Title II food aid programs that fight hunger in Africa, Latin America and Asia with an additional $470 million dollars. As part of the Coalition for Food Aid, CRS pushed for the amendment's approval and urged its grassroots partners to make calls to key U.S. Senators that sit on the Senate Appropriations Committee. In a matter of days, the office of Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA) received so many calls from constituents that they requested our legislative office to get grassroots advocates to 'back off'. Senator Specter supported the Kohl-DeWine food aid amendment as did enough Committee members, which guaranteed its passage. Although this amount was ultimately reduced as the House and Senate negotiated the differences in their bills, (see story above), your commitment to this process must still be commended. Keep up the great work!

Back to top

Congress Passes Fiscal Year 2006 Budget Resolution

Congress narrowly approved the FY 2006 budget resolution along party lines on April 28. While the budget resolution is non-binding, it does make spending recommendations for U.S. government domestic and international programs, and sets overall spending limits on items such as the foreign aid budget.

Despite strong advocacy efforts by Catholic Relief Services, the resolution only includes $31.4 billion for the international affairs budget, $2.2 billion below the president's request. The international affairs budget covers various initiatives, including global relief and development programs, the fight against global HIV/AIDS, and the Millennium Challenge Account. The president is expected to sign the FY 2006 budget resolution shortly.

CRS expects that the FY 06 budget resolution will force significant reductions from the Millennium Challenge Account and more modest cuts to other important foreign aid accounts. Likewise, it may also complicate our efforts to get a robust figure for urgently needed food aid. At the same time, as has happened in previous years, we will likely see another supplemental appropriations bill, which may alleviate some of the anticipated cuts in regular appropriations.

The next step in the FY 06 budget process will be a spending allocation to the various appropriations subcommittees, including foreign operations responsible for international relief and development programs. We expect tough budget choices ahead and will need all the advocacy support available to ensure that we secure adequate funding for programs that assist our brothers and sisters worldwide. Stay tuned for future action on this important issue!

Back to top

Urge Congress To Evaluate Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) With Moral Criteria

The Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) is a trade and investment agreement negotiated between the United States and six Central American and Caribbean countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic. President George W. Bush is expected to request that the United States Congress approve CAFTA very soon. Congress must ratify CAFTA in an "up or down" vote because under current law, also known as "fast track" authority, no amendments can be considered as part of international trade agreements.

As part of our work to promote public policies that promote the dignity of the human person and foster justice and peace in our world, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and Catholic Relief Services (CRS) believe that international trade policy should dovetail with other development policies to stimulate economic growth and reduce poverty. The Church offers a moral perspective for decision-makers who shape trade policies, placing the human person at the center of all economic activity.

A recent joint statement of Central American and U.S. Catholic Bishops observed that "trade is about more than economics; it is about people's lives and livelihoods." USCCB and CRS do not support or oppose CAFTA. Rather, we urge Congress to examine CAFTA based on a set of moral criteria and explore the following questions:

· Livelihoods of farmers and food security. Poor farmers in Central America may not be able to compete with much more efficient, highly subsidized U.S. agriculture. At the same time U.S. subsidies are not focused on the needs of small and medium-sized farms in the U.S. Meanwhile, tariff reductions and elimination of supports under CAFTA could subject staple foods like corn, beans, and rice to serious price fluctuations. How will CAFTA address the needs of small and medium-sized farms in the U.S. and Central America?

· Worker rights and environmental protection. While certain labor and environmental provisions are included in the agreement, it is not clear that they will lead to stronger protection of fundamental worker rights and the environment. How will CAFTA protect the rights of workers and the environment?

· Transparency and democratic participation. During the negotiations and since the agreement was signed there has been an absence of broad consultation with key sectors who will be affected, and little information has been available in publicly accessible forms. How will people have a say in how CAFTA impacts their lives?

· Intellectual Property. CAFTA's extension of protections for intellectual property rights may impair the right of Central American countries to exercise proper stewardship over their natural resources and may limit access of poor people to affordable generic medicines. How will CAFTA's intellectual property provisions impact the poor?

· Poverty reduction and sustainable development. CAFTA's ability to increase opportunities for the poor and to enhance prospects that they will genuinely benefit from increased trade remains unclear. Trade policies must be framed within an integrated development agenda that incorporates measures to improve education, health care, and democratic participation. How will CAFTA promote integral human development, especially of the poor?

How You Can Help

Click here to take action on the most recent CRS/USCCB action alert on the issue of CAFTA. Ask members of Congress to send you written feedback on the questions raised. Click here to read a joint statement on CAFTA by Central American and U.S. Catholic Bishops
Click here to read recent congressional testimony on CAFTA by Bishop Alvaro Ramazzini of Guatemala
Click here for CRS educational resources on CAFTA, including a two-page background document and PowerPoint presentations

Other Resources

The Catholic Campaign Against Global Poverty, a joint effort by USCCB and CRS, encourages Catholics in the United States to learn about the issues of aid, trade and debt, how they affect our brothers and sisters worldwide, and what you can do to advocate for U.S. policies that promote economic and social development for people living in poverty.

For more information on CAFTA related issues, contact:

Tina Rodousakis, Legislative Network Specialist, 1-800-235-2772 x 7462,
Trodousa@catholicrelief.org

Fr. Andrew Small, OMI, Policy Advisor, USCCB, 202-541-3153,
http://capwiz.com/catholicrelief/admin/mlmcreate/asmall@usccb.org

Back to top

Please Continue To Pray For the People of Darfur, Sudan

"We were robbed, and some have been killed," recalled Fatoma, a Sudanese woman currently living in the Ardmata refugee camp. "They took our animals and all of our maize." Fatoma's story is not unique. Thousands of refugees living in the camps in western Sudan and Chad tell of similar stories of the attacks by government troops and allied militia, the aftermath of family separation, looting and burning of property, deliberate killing of civilians, rape and kidnapping of women, and a dangerous, arduous journey to the border with Chad.

With people dying at an estimated rate of 10,000 a month, the misery caused by the humanitarian crisis in Darfur, Sudan is hard to ignore. According to most estimates more than 300,000 have died, more than 2.4 million are homeless, and at least 2.6 million people are affected by the humanitarian crisis in Darfur, Sudan. It is for this reason that people at home and around the world are acting in ways they hope will make a difference. They are contacting their elected officials, donating to a humanitarian agency on the ground in Sudan, and raising public awareness through workshops and in private conversations. All with the hope that this tragedy will soon end.

In the U.S., one place where people are doing something is in Northeast, OH, where Catholics within the diocese of Cleveland have joined people around the U.S. and the world in calling for a peaceful resolution to the Darfur crisis. Says Deacon Rocky Ortiz, CRS Diocesan Director at the Diocese of Cleveland, "During our 2005 Africa Awareness Week in March, Darfur, Sudan was on the agenda and over 1,500 pieces of literature on the crisis were distributed. We also got various parishes to sign petitions for Darfur. At my own parish, Capilla del Sagrado Corazon (Sacred Heart Chapel) in Lorain, Ohio, my pastor and I have both preached about Darfur and over a weekend picked up several hundred signatures to the petition."

Last August the Diocesan Social Action Committee, in response to a request from Bishop Anthony Pilla, put out a statement urging people to fast, pray and take action around the Darfur crisis. During a designated week of prayer parishioners were asked to show compassion and solidarity for their Sudanese brothers and sisters affected by the conflict in concrete ways. People were asked to forgo one meal and donate the cost of the meal to CRS to support its humanitarian operations in Darfur. Frank Comunale of St. Sebastian Catholic Church in Akron, OH was one local resident who stepped up to the plate. Frank, who at the time was chairman of his church's parish council, completed a one day fast and donated the money to CRS. "The cause for Darfur is so compelling, and besides I have so much to be thankful for. This single personal act is such a pittance compared to what needs to be done," Frank notes.

To date the Diocese of Cleveland's Social Action Committee has collected approximately 6,000 petitions and sent them to President Bush, both Ohio Senators and the Secretary of State. They also partnered with the Jewish Community Board of Action to organize an Interfaith Prayer Service at Akron's historic First Congregational Church. The interfaith event included participation by the Akron Area Association of Churches and religious leaders from the Baha'i, Muslim, Buddhist, Jewish, Catholic and Unitarian faith traditions. The faith groups are part of a 'People of Faith' coalition on Darfur, Sudan. They hope their call to action will have a ripple effect, causing others around the U.S. to band together to end the suffering in Darfur.

As it relates to CRS' work in Darfur, Sudan the agency has pledged an initial $6 million to the crisis for relief in Darfur and across the border in Chad. It is providing humanitarian relief in the form of shelter, water, sanitation, refugee camp management, education and food.

CRS also provides testimony, builds awareness, and shares its field expertise to encourage policymakers to address the crisis in Darfur comprehensively. CRS seeks to generate greater understanding of the crisis with communities across the U.S. through panels, campus and diocesan outreach, speakers' tours, media outlets and CRS' legislative advocacy network.

To learn more about the situation in Darfur and how CRS' is responding, visit CRS' website.

How You Can Help

Pray for people affected by the crisis in Darfur, Sudan and refugees in Chad. Visit our website for an update on CRS' operations in the region.
Contribute to CRS' efforts to expand our response in Darfur. Visit our website to make your gift today - http://www.crs.org/ - or call 1-888-277-7575
Become involved in CRS' Africa Campaign, Africa Rising! Hope and Healing. Visit www.crs.org/africacampaign.cfm for more information.

Back to top

Northeast Ohio Resident, Andy Summerscales Speaks Up For Colombia

I am a parishioner of St. Mary Hudson in Hudson, OH and I became active in social justice issues having facilitated our first Just Faith program in 2003-2004. I am now quite involved with several social justice organizations including Bread for the World and Call to Renewal. I also recently became a member of the Catholic Commission of Summit County in Northeast Ohio. When the opportunity recently arose to visit Northeast Ohio members of Congress in Washington, D.C. to advocate for our brothers and sisters in Latin America, I saw this as a chance to grow in my faith, and stand and be counted!

The lobby day took place on April 6 and was organized by the Interreligious Task Force on Central America (IRTF), based out of the Diocese of Cleveland. The day before our trip to Washington, I met many of my fellow team members in Cleveland. We were provided a good overview of what our day of advocacy would entail, and how to get the most out of it. On the morning of our lobby visit we first attended a briefing session. It was a great experience to see the team's enthusiasm for the cause at hand, and to see how well informed so many of the students (seven out of a delegation of fifteen were university and high school students) were on the issues at hand.

Several issues were to be covered during our advocacy trip: Colombia, Guatemala, debt relief and the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA). With regard to Colombia, we were able to present the case of recent massacres in San Jose de Apartado to Congressman Steven Latourette (Ohio's 14th district) through his legislative assistant Kate Ostrander. It seemed this was an issue Kate was not aware of. We gave her information to pass on to the Congressman and made an appeal that the U.S. should withhold financial support (based on the U.S. government's human rights certification requirements) to Colombia, at least until these human rights abuses are thoroughly investigated and the perpetrators brought to justice. We pushed for the overarching message that our Congressional representatives should monitor the human rights situation in Colombia and be proactive in calling for improved human rights standards. Kate was receptive of our message, which to me signaled the potential of the beginning of cooperation between our group and Congressman LaTourette's office.

At the end of my trip to Washington I left with a renewed sense of the role I can play as an ordinary U.S. citizen, to influence our legislators as they tackle complex problems that could make a world of difference in the lives of so many people.

My advocacy trip to Washington, D.C. was made possible through the support of CRS' Latin America & Caribbean Regional Office (LACRO). Since 2000, CRS' In Solidarity with Colombia program has actively promoted cooperation between the U.S. and Colombian Catholic Church to confront the increasingly violent conflict that has claimed nearly 40,000 lives in the past decade, and displaced over three million people since 1990. In an effort to raise awareness within the U.S. about human rights issues in Colombia, CRS has worked with the Diocese of Cleveland and other Catholic, ecumenical, and civil society organizations to increase understanding of the complexities of the situation in Colombia. The agency also works with these groups to encourage advocacy that responds to Colombian Church partner's concerns. Visits of Colombian partners (especially church representatives at risk because of their human rights and peace-building efforts) to Cleveland and other cities have promoted an understanding of the complex situation with the public and politicians to increase global solidarity.

Click here to read more about how CRS is working with the Church and local Colombian partners to bring attention to the crisis and how you can help.

Back to top

Resources to Put Your Faith Into Action!

The Children Left Behind Photo Exhibit

April 26 - June 12 the John Paul II Cultural Center, 3900 Harewood Dr., NE, Washington, DC. 20017

The Children Left Behind exhibit, sponsored by Catholic Relief Services, puts a human face on the HIV AIDS pandemic and views the issue through the eyes of its most vulnerable members, children. The exhibit vibrantly depicts the lives and circumstances of remarkably courageous children who have turned their pain into passionate expressions of their sense of hope for the future and a better quality of life. The children featured are from Guatemala, Uganda, India, South Africa, Cambodia and the United States. The exhibit features photos, interactive video and crafts made by the children. Visitors to the exhibit can also follow-up by writing letters to the children.

For more information visit http://www.thechildrenleftbehind.org/.

Back to top

Shop With Respect To Observe World Fair Trade Day

The 2005 global observance of World Fair Trade Day is May 14. It is an opportunity to create awareness about the worldwide effort to promote a just alternative to the international system of trade known as free trade. While the conventional system of trade is not always attentive to disparities between trading partners, fair trade aims to create a global economy based on justice, dignity and sustainability.

In 2004 Catholic Relief Services launched its Fair Trade Coffee project to make meaningful connections between the struggling low-income coffee farmers it works with overseas, and Catholic consumers in the United States. By ensuring that farmers earn a fair price for their coffee, Fair Trade helps struggling small-scale farmers to put food on the table even as world coffee prices reach historic lows. By ensuring that these farmers get access to credit and technical assistance, Fair Trade helps them to survive in a competitive international market. And by building long-term relationships with the small-scale coffee farmers who grow the coffee you drink, Fair Trade helps.

Recently, along with representatives of 14 Fair Trade coffee retailers and the Archdiocese of Seattle, CRS announced the expansion of its Fair Trade Coffee Program at a press conference. CRS' Fair Trade Coffee Project currently supports coffee farmers through assistance in the areas of organizational development, coffee quality and marketing. Your decision to buy Fair Trade coffee ensures that coffee farmers overseas will earn a fair price and live with dignity.

To learn more about this project, including a virtual tour of CRS' work with Nicaraguan farmers, and other educational resources and advocacy opportunities, visit www.crsfairtrade.org/index_flash.cfm or contact, msheridan@catholicrelief.org.

Back to top

Prayer Without Borders

Prayer Without Borders, Celebrating Global Wisdom contains prayers, wisdom stories and reflections from people in 25 countries CRS serves. It can be ordered through SERRV International by calling: 800-685-7572. Or click here and do a search for 'prayer without borders'. For more information on the book visit http://www.crsprayer.org/ The book is priced at $12.95.

Back to top

Contact Us

E-mail the Community Engagement Department at advocacy@catholicrelief.org or call us toll-free at 1-800-235-2772, ext. 7264.

Community Engagement Staff:

· Kathy Brown, Community Engagement Director, ext. 7232
· Alice Cutchember, Administrative Assistant, ext. 7264
· Rowena Gono, Advocacy Communications Specialist, ext. 7496
· Kimberly Mazyck, Campaign Project Officer, ext. 7424
· Tina Rodousakis, Legislative Network Specialist, ext. 7462
· Chris West, Community Organizer, ext. 7454

The Advocate is a monthly publication of the CRS Community Engagement Department. A two-page, print-ready version, as well as archived editions, can be downloaded from the grassroots advocacy pages of the CRS web site. Or e-mail us at advocacy@catholicrelief.org and we'll send it to you.

Back to top

To Unsubscribe: You may unsubscribe from our mailing list at any time by visiting here.