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Dear Justice-Seeker,

This issue of MFSAVoices is jam-packed with resources and information. So much so that it won't all fit in your email message so be sure to click view entire message at the bottom of this email to view the entire issue. Our newsletters are designed to be used all month long. So take a quick glance and take note of important dates to add to your calendar but also come back in the following weeks to work your way through the action items. 

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We continue to see the urgency of our work to make broad systemic change. Change that honors the dignity and worth of all people, puts people over money, and honors the earth and all her inhabitants. COVID-19 continues to highlight the inequities in our society that has literal life or death consequences. Since 1907, MFSA has been shining a light on injustice and organizing to change it. 

You make our collective work possible by your witness for justice every day in your church, community, and Annual Conference. MFSA does not receive any financial support from the United Methodist Church's giving channels. 100% of our budget is funded through your membership dues and your generosity in giving.

Stealing the Earth: The Conquering of Indigenous People, the Role of Christianity, and What Can Bring about Justice

Part One: What Is the Doctrine of Discovery? Definitions and Demarcations.
August 11, 2021 • 1:00 pm Eastern Time

You are invited to participate in a five-part discussion of the “Doctrine of Discovery,” a theological and legal concept that has legitimized the seizure of indigenous people's lands by those from so-called Christian nations. We will first discuss its impact in North America and then broaden our inquiry to Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and beyond.

Chapter Highlight: OR-ID MFSA Working to Reduce Gun Violence

How can we, as Christians and justice-seekers, open conversations about this issue? What are the facts, and what actions can concerned citizens take? How can we motivate our state legislators and Congresspersons to take appropriate action to reduce unwanted injuries and death? Just what kind of firearms is it reasonable for responsible citizens to possess? 

To aid in this conversation, Oregon-Idaho’s Methodist Federation for Social Action has gathered resources, weblinks, and readings on gun violence – its sources, its impact, and its story.

Check out the resources on the Oregon-Idaho MFSA website to learn more and take action!

Disability and Youth

On Saturday, July 10th, Michael D. Langford spoke on the marginalized sub-cultures of youth ministry and disability culture.  Sharing part of his own story with disability, Langford envisioned what the Church might look like if it embraced all members of the community as vital participants at the table in order for us to be wholly the people of God.

Now's the Time for Action

Here are a few ways you can seek justice and work for broad systemic change:

1. Sign the petition to ask Congress: Include A Path To Citizenship In The Upcoming Infrastructure Budget
2. Sign the Ban Shock Therapy on Students with Disabilities Sign the petition and take action to #StopTheShock
3. Join the #WelcomeWithDignity movement by signing the pledge to reimagine the way our country and our communities treat people seeking safety.
4. Take the ACLU's Racism in Policing Coarse
5. Contact your Senators and Representatives to pass common-sense legislation that saves the lives of farmworkers like the Asunción Valdivia Heat Illness and Fatality Prevention Act.
6. Call on U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blinken to demand Israel stops all plans of illegal expulsions and forced displacement of Palestinians homes and families in Jerusalem and the West Bank.
7. In solidarity, join workers demanding $15/hr and tell McDonald’s to raise wages now.
8. Check out what military acquired by your local law enforcement, and sign the petition to demanding more police transparency.
9. Contact your elected officials and demand Congress cut funding for ICE and CBP and defund hate.
10. Tell your Member of Congress to support the Accessible, Affordable Internet for All (AAIA) Act, an act that can help bridge the digital divide that disproportionately impacts Black, Latinx, Indigenous, rural, or low-income people.
11. Write to the leadership of the township of Fairfield, CT to contact Sturm Ruger, the largest firearm manufacturer in the United States with headquarters in Fairfield, and demand the company suspend weapon and bullet sales to Israel.
12. Tell President Biden and Vice President Harris to hold Israel accountable to its obligations as an occupying power and insist that Israel provide COVID-19 vaccines equally and fairly to Palestinians living under its occupation.
13. Contact your elected officials to take an intersectional response to the incidents of AAPI hate and to center the needs of those most impacted, Asian American women and elders.
14. Check the State Voting Bills Tracker to find out if your state lawmakers have introduced one of the 253 bills aimed at suppressing voting rights, and contact your state lawmakers to demand they support voting rights.
15. Sign the petition and tell Congress to abolish the federal death penalty.
16. Has your country signed on to the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons?  Contact your elected officials to support the end of nuclear weapons in the world.
17. Check out the BDS Toolkit and learn what economic actions you can take to fight along the side of Palestinians and their struggle.
18. Manufacturing in an illegal Israeli settlement is a war crime.  Tell General Mills to stop making Pillsbury products on stolen Palestinian land by signing the petition, sending an email to the CEO, and #BoycottPillsbury.
19. Write a letter and join the grassroots organizing for the rights of refugees, asylum seekers, and immigrants.
20. Sign the petition and join Palestinian Cry for Hope: a Call to Decisive Action, a global movement set by Kairos Response that "rouses churches to action and awakens civil society to the reality of Palestinian suffering."
21. Take free online university courses on systemic racism.
22. Host a virtual Card Writing Party to write and mail letters to immigrants in detention via The Casa Mariposa Detention Visitation Program.
23. Call your legislators (202-224-3121) and advocate for permanent federal paid sick leave, expanded unemployment benefits, SNAP increases, and a moratorium on evictions, utility shut-offs, and payments. 

In Case You Missed It

1. Access the latest webinar and access resources from MFSA and UMKR's webinar A Deep Dive with Jewish Voice for Peace
2. Watch the recording of the MFSA and Association of Ministers with Disabilities's webinar Disability and Youth
3. Watch the recordings of the #DecisionDay Virtual Rally and Town Hall.
4. Watch the recording of the Showing Up for Racial Justice webinar on White Supremacy Culture Characteristics
5. Check out Tema Okun's new website "White Supremacy Culture"

We at MFSA encourage you to be a witness and a good neighbor. Please continue to do your part in flattening the curve by practicing physical distancing.