ISAIAH: Building Just Communities

NEWS

Organizer position openings with ISAIAH. June 25, 2009. ISAIAH is seeking two experienced organizers. One will work in the Northwest suburban area of the Twin Cities and one will work in the St. Cloud region. Application deadline July 17, 2009. See Job Descriptions.

Tuesday, June 23, 2009, Washington DC. Interfaith leaders from ISAIAH confront US Chamber of Commerce over Health Reform. Sixty-five leaders from ISAIAH will join more than 500 other faith and community leaders from over 25 states in asking for the Chamber for a last minute conversion on health reform. Read the full press release.

David Greene, Grant Stevensen: Central Corridor complaint seeks a two-way conversation. Counterpoint Opinion piece published in Minneapolis Star Tribune, June 16, 2009
The Star Tribune's recent editorial concerning the civil-rights complaint filed against the Metropolitan Council missed the mark ("Central Corridor is not Rondo redux," June 11). The complaint is not simply a laundry list of grievances. It is an expression of frustration by a community constantly and systematically cut off from discussions about its future -- and it presents an opportunity to honestly examine and transform our planning processes. More

HIRE Minnesota secures $2.5 million
(May 22, 2009) After months of organizing, outreach and education, the HIRE Minnesota coalition, which includes ISAIAH, achieved a major victory today when the energy programs bill was signed into law with $2.5 million for green jobs training for low-income people and outreach programs. The bill also contains strong reporting requirements, which means state agencies that administer the funds will have to frequently report to the community on their progress toward training and hiring low-income people and people of color. More

Transit Victory
(May 5, 2009) ISAIAH is happy to report that today the Minnesota Legislature passed and Gov Pawlenty signed a transportation funding bill (HF1309) that includes $73 Million dollars to address the 2010-2011 budget shortfall for Twin Cities area Metro Transit. This is no small feat, as Gov Pawlenty has vetoed Transportation finance bills every session during his 2 terms. ISAIAH worked with transit advocates, low income workers, students and the faith community to highlight the critical need for sustaining current levels of bus transit without fare hikes. More

"Stop the snooze, fund the buses"
On April 24, 2009 leaders from ISAIAH, Transit for Livable Communities, Fresh Energy and Sierra Club gather outside the MN House Chambers to act out a skit highlighting the critical immediate needs for bus funding statewide.

ISAIAH Holds MN DOT Accountable
(February 18, 2009) The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MN/DOT) has not met its required goals of hiring women and minorities, and ISAIAH is keeping that failure on the table and vocalized. Close to 200 ISAIAH and HIRE Minnesota leaders attended MN/DOT’s report to the House Committee for Transportation Policy, Oversight Division on February 18. More

“Minnesota Recipe for Economic Security, Fairness & Opportunity” Launched, Potluck-Style, as Counter Framework to Pawlenty Budget Proposal February 25, 2009

Our Health! Our State! Our Time!
February 2009. ISAIAH rallies at the Capitol to encourage support
for the Minnesota Healthy Communities Act. More

Learn about the Healthy Communities Act; why it's
needed and what it would do for our communities.
February 2009. Healthy Communities Act Overview

ISAIAH’s Domestic Violence Task Force
February, 2009. One of ISAIAH’s regional issue groups has been
addressing domestic violence. Domestic violence stems from the
desire of one person to have power and control over another. A
small but mighty group of ISAIAH members from across the metro
area are working to “break the silence around domestic violence.”
Read more here, including how to schedule a Domestic Violence
educational forum in your congregation.

ISAIAH goes to Washington: Report from ISAIAH leader Bernadette Dodge of St. Thomas More Church in St. Paul. January 2009. Here

Rev. Grant Stevensen and ISAIAH to travel to Washington DC to speak at “Realizing the Promise: A Forum on Community Faith and Democracy” on Thursday, December 4; 2-5pm CST
To watch the webcast of the event, please visit www.realizingthepromise.org. This historic gathering brings together grassroots leaders, members of the new administration and Congress. For further information read the Press Release

Success for Bassett Creek Valley Redevelopment
ISAIAH and neighborhood association win city's approval on redevelopment project. November 2008 More

3,900 gather in two ISAIAH public meetings to call for societal transformation
ISAIAH brought together 3,200 people in early October, 2008 to create a public platform for positive change in our communities. The “Time to Believe: Faith in Democracy” and the St. Cloud “Building Our Common Future” gatherings included politicians, policy makers, and clergy members, plus participants from many of the 90 Minnesota churches in coalition through ISAIAH and their guests, representing a wide variety of cultures, races, denominations and faiths. More

Path To Transformation
To create our health and the health of our democracy, major societal change is necessary. We will move our democracy and public institutions to:

Create Racial and Economic Equity with Reparation for Past Harm

Expand and Protect that Which Must Belong to All of Us

Pool our Collective Resources into Public Investments for the Common Good

Create Deep Democratic Participation in All Aspects of Our Common Lives

Ensure that "Citizenship" Extends to All Stakeholders in Our Democracy

Watch ISAIAH's Time To Believe Conversation Videos

Building a Multi-Racial Coalition:
A Frank Conversation (& Strategy Session) with Religious Leaders and Dr. john powell

On Friday, August 22nd, clergy and leaders from around the metro engaged in conversation about the challenges of co-creating a multiracial coalition and the pockets of hope and possibilities that arise when children of GOD act in community and faith. Prof. john powell addressed both the adversities and triumphs in achieving authentic relationships across race lines. Dr. powell's powerpoint presentation and other materials can be found here. More

Huge VICTORY on transportation funding!
ISAIAH marks a huge victory with the successful passage of the transportation funding bill into law on Monday, February 25, 2008! More

"Honest Abes" proclaim vision and wisdom on transportation funding (February 12, 2008)
ISAIAH leaders started off the 2008 legislative session with some truth telling from an iconic American—Abraham Lincoln. A dozen “Honest Abes” proclaimed vision and wisdom on the issue of transportation funding. More

Launching ourselves on a racial justice path for 2008
On Saturday November 10, 250 metro and 100 St. Cloud area ISAIAH leaders gathered to launch our organization on a path toward viewing all the issues we work on with a racial equity lens. Through research and discussions over the past several years, it became clear to us that we cannot reach our shared vision of a healthy, just community, rooted in hope, community and shared abundance, without solidarity across racial lines and an intentional focus on racial justice. Read more

Building Just Communities Tour Event
Working together we can create just communities!

Building Just Communities Tour Presentation is one hour of inspiration and information about congregations acting together to transform the world around them and the mission of ISAIAH.

This event is held on the first Wednesday of each month at 7:30 a.m. at the ISAIAH office. RSVP to Ginny Gleason at 612-333-1260 ext. 210.

(Many ISAIAH member congregations are using the "Unnatural Causes" and "Close the Gap" series to deepen the conversation around community and health disparities. If you are a member of ISAIAH and would like further information about how to use these to educate your congregation, please contact the ISAIAH office at 612-333-1260 ext. 210.)

Unnatural Causes: Is Inequality Making Us Sick?
The U.S. is one of the richest countries on the planet. Yet, we rank 29th in the world for life expectancy, among the worst in the industrialized world - and even lower than some poor countries like Costa Rica and Chile. What’s happening to our health? UNNATURAL CAUSES will, for the first time on television, sound the alarm about America's glaring socio-economic and racial inequities in health - and search for root causes. The six 30 minute series (slated for PBS broadcast beginning March 27 and a March 2008 DVD release) sifts through the evidence to discover there is much more to our health than bad habits, health care, or unlucky genes. The social conditions in which we are born, live and work profoundly affect our health and longevity.

UNNATURAL CAUSES is stimulating a national dialogue about what we as a society can - and should - do to tackle our health inequities and create more equitable, healthier conditions for everyone. The challenge is that improving health outcomes demands tackling other social problems. But there's a silver lining: working towards equity in other areas means better health and a better society for everyone. Things CAN be changed. Together, we can make a difference.
Click here for more information about ISAIAH's Health Equity Tour

Close the Gap: The Case for Change
In 2006, the Brookings Institution did a study of the Twin Cities called Mind the Gap: Reducing Disparities to Improve Regional Competitiveness. The study found alarming and striking disparities across income, race and place. The study made broad recommendations to address the disparities and prepare the way for a prosperous future through making core investments in critical infrastructure such as education, transportation, job creation, etc.

Produced in partnership with The Itasca Project, a documentary series has been created to deepen the conversation around solutions to the challenge of disparities in the region. The documentary is a series of five 30 minute episodes plus a 60 minute retrospective. To order copies email mindthegap@unitedwaytwincities.org.