Behold! I am doing a new thing.  It springs forth; Do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.  Isaiah 43:19

TIME TO BELIEVE
Faith In Democracy

October 12, 2008
3:00 – 5:30 p.m.

Saint Paul RiverCentre
175 Kellogg Blvd.
Saint Paul, Minnesota

(Free and Open to the Public)
 

IT’S TIME TO BELIEVE:  OUR CALL

ISAIAH is becoming part of a multi-racial faith-based movement committed to transforming our communities, our state and our country around a vision of racial and economic justice for all people.  Racism and inequity are the product of the lie that we are fundamentally separate, that all God’s people around us are not our brothers and sisters.

We believe that it is time to create an agenda that truly responds to the challenges of our generation – global climate change, endemic racism, crumbling public infrastructure, schools failing to educate many of our children and increasing economic insecurity.

Our current politics are not sufficient to respond to these profound challenges.  We must eliminate racial inequities in our state, chart a course for environmental renewal, revitalize our economy for the benefit of all, and transform our government and public institutions to enable a democracy fit for a challenging future.

Every generation must decide what legacy they will leave.  We are making our decision.

We will act with hope and confidence to build the way for a healthy, vibrant, flourishing community.  This will require transformation not only of the world around us, but within our own hearts.

THE 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 Harms
? 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.

We must also act to Transform Our Own Hearts:
? We  Must Know Who We Are
? We Must Reckon With Our Past
? We Must Know We Are Called
? We Must Act As If We Believe It

ISAIAH will pursue Racial and Economic Equity in:
? Health and Health Care
? Job Creation and Transportation Equity
? Comprehensive Immigration Reform
? Education and Housing
? Environmental Renewal

TIME TO BELIEVE:  A REVIVAL

On October 12^th thousands of people of faith, public officials and others from across the state of Minnesota will come together to celebrate, to be in relationship with one another and to invite others to start building a new thing!

We will:
? Rejoice in our unity across denomination, faith, race and culture
? Tell the truth about the challenges that face us as a society and as a community
? Proclaim a path to a transformative and specific issue agenda
? Challenge our public officials to walk with us and to face our common challenges with courage and imagination
? Walk the Path through engaging with one another and our public officials around our Issue Agenda, aiming toward real change.