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In This Issue
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It began with a
phone call
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GNCC went to
work
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Leadership
Chairs make
Two-fold request
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Listening to
those affected
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Beginning to
build power
with partners
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Waiting for you
Resources for Worship
Bulletin Insert
Litany
Resources for
Reflection
Leadership Chairs’ letter
Letter of invitation
ACORN’S PLATFORM
Resources for Action
Federal Visits Template
Resources for Analysis
Diaspora and the
Second Reconstruction David Rusk offers perspective
on Hurricane Katrina
Race and Poverty
in America
Dig deeper with
john powell’s PowerPoint
National
Alliance to Restore Opportunity
Track the growth of
Gamaliel building power in an emerging coalition
Media Template
News Release
Contact Us
www.gamaliel.org
info@gamaliel.org
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IT BEGAN WITH A PHONE CALL FROM
john powell
He called
Gregory Galluzzo founder of the Gamaliel Foundation concerned that
six months after Katrina our country must do better for the people
and communities that bore the brunt
of this
tragedy. Would Gamaliel be part of a National Day of Prayer and Call
to  Action?
Executive Director Galluzzo said he would make some phone calls. He
discovered that there was energy for such and effort among leaders
in our network. There was agreement that America could do much
better to meet the challenges
of Katrina What was destroyed in the lives of thousands upon
thousands of people needed to be restored.
Later in a
letter of invitation to other like minded organizations powell
wrote, “We are asking that you and your church, synagogue, mosque,
or other spiritual or religious group engage in prayer, reflection
and dialogue on March 3rd, 4th or 5th, as part of your traditional
worship service.” A lot has happened in our network since that
conversation.
The Clergy Caucus went to work
Members of the Gamaliel National Clergy Caucus collaborated to write
a litany and a bulletin insert for use by our member organizations
at worship this weekend. This is offered as a place to start. They
know that our religious communities will pray in ways that fit their
traditions.
Our Leadership Group Chairs Deliberated
The chairs of
Gamaliel Leadership groups representing the Council of Presidents,
the Gamaliel National Clergy Caucus, the African American Leadership
Commission, The Civil Rights of Immigrants Task Force and the Board
of the National Leadership Assembly came up with a two-fold request:
- that all
the clergy leaders of our member congregations consider offering
prayer and reflection in their services the weekend of March 3-5
for the victims of Hurricane Katrina.
- that
members of organization boards consider visiting their federal
representatives asking them to support legislation that adheres
to the following principles:
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that the federal
government must meet the needs of displaced people; and
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that the people
impacted by Hurricane Katrina must be able to participate in
decisions about their lives.
Since word went
out last weekend, we know that organizers, leaders and congregations
are already considering these requests, but in case you have not
heard, we ask that you consider these requests and begin a
conversation in your organization and congregation.
We are keeping
things simple. This is not call for a new national issue. It is a
call to join voices with those whose lives are still being ravaged
by Hurricane Katrina.
 From
the beginning Gamaliel has acted to express our solidarity ACORN
members living in the path of Katrina, including the Ninth Ward.
We are
energized by the picture of thousands of congregations holding
candle light vigils, inviting members of the Katrina Diaspora in
their cities to tell their stories, and to join in prayers of
lament, confession, and longing for restoration and new opportunity.
We are even
more energized by joining thousands of voices engaging their federal
representatives in conversations about the values that have guide
Americans in time of adversity.
The Phone calls
of Greg Galluzzo, john powell and many others are bearing fruit. A
new coalition is forming!
The list of
organization endorsing these ideas and becoming partners in The
National Alliance to Restore Opportunity is growing every day.
You will find the list at www.linkedfate.org/participants. Each of
these organizations will address these issues in their own way, but
whatever is done will begin in prayer and reflection and lead to
action. We are building Power.
You and your
organization and your congregation are invited to become signatories
to the Leadership Group Chairs Letter.Please complete the form at
www.gamaliel.org/katrina/endorsements.
Now we are
waiting for your prayers and actions.
We believe that
many will join us in prayer, reflection and action as we build
power for change with new and old partners. Don’t forget to report
your action. We want hear from congregations, core teams and
organizations. Use the online action reports link. We will
let you know what we hear.
How did I come to be on this list?
This answer
simple. You are a known leader of a congregation of the Gamaliel
Network. You are a pastor of a congregation that has chosen to
belong to a state-wide or local organization. You are a core team
leader your organization sent to Gamaliel training in the past four
years. As you registered for Gamaliel events we have collected your
e-mail address. Our intention is to use this and other list to share
with you the mission and the needs of the network. If you are no
longer interested the mission and needs of this network, please go
to the un-subscribe link at the end of this news letter and remove
your self from this list.
The
Gamaliel Foundation –
www.gamaliel.org –
info@gamaliel.org – (312) 357-2639
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