Just Act - Social Justice Resources

On this Earth Day, many of us – more than a billion people, globally – set aside a day to focus our attention and energies on our planet and its needs. We cannot fail to notice that our world is becoming increasingly defaced and volatile.

Pope Francis has developed “Twenty Points on Migration” to help individuals and nations understand and uphold the rights of migrants and refugees. It is important to reflect on these points as we deal with the current rhetoric and realities around migration today in America. Studies show that misinformation has permeated the consciousness of many Americans, leading to distorted views of immigrants, the issues they face, and U.S. immigration policy – which, in turn, fuels anti-immigrant sentiment and laws. It is fundamental to CST that all human beings are made in the image of God.

As we approach the midterm elections in the United States, most citizens have aligned themselves with one of the two major political parties. To many who profess loyalty to a political party, members of the other party (or anyone who voices an opinion at odds with their own) are, in the words of the president, “the enemy.” Party ideology has so divided our nation that we cannot come together even on moral issues, for fear of appearing to acquiesce to the thinking of the “opposing” party. Voting, then, is often as easy as selecting the “straight party ticket” option. For those of us who profess Catholic faith, however, political engagement never can be this simple.

This social justice resource analyzes the gun violence epidemic in the United States using a theological framework. The U.S. experiences significantly more mass shootings than any other country, and this year alone, as of June 12, 2018, gun violence already has been responsible for the deaths of 6,367 people and the murder or injury of 299 children and 1,193 teenagers – significantly more than its counterparts.

This month's social justice resource The Just Act June Report sheds light on the epidemic of human trafficking in the fishing industry. Over 40 million people in the world are currently enslaved, and the fishing industry is inundated with trafficked workers due to the difficulty of monitoring fishers. Because our seafood purchases drive the demand for slave labor, we must become socially responsible consumers!