Editors: Profiles and photos of award recipients at: www.churchworldservice.org/news/archives/2008/02/862.html
Activists win CWS awards for Ecumenical Advocacy Days
Washington, DC, Feb. 26, 2008 -- Church World Service today announced the names of recipients of its scholarship awards for 10 community activists from around the nation to attend Ecumenical Advocacy Days, the nationâs largest annual international gathering of Christian peace and justice activists, March 7 - 10 in Washington, D.C.
Granted by the agencyâs Education and Advocacy Program, the awards, will make it possible for a group of outstanding leaders of Church World Service CROP Hunger walks in cities throughout the nation to attend the gathering and participate in a day of Capitol Hill lobbying.
Each year, some 2,000 communities across the U.S. sponsor CROP Hunger Walks to raise awareness and funds for local hunger fighting efforts and to support the overall work of CWS, especially its grassroots, poverty-fighting development programs with partners in some 80 countries. CROP is the acronym for Communities Responding to Overcome Poverty.
âThe goal of the scholarships is to provide a forum for some of our U.S. activists to network and engage in collective ecumenical witness with CWSâ global partners, activists from member denominations, and other participants from different regions of the world, says Church World Service Director of Education and Advocacy Rajyashri Waghray.
The scholarship recipients, who were nominated by Church World Service(www.churchworldservice.org) regional directors because of their activism around hunger and poverty, come from all regions of the United States.
Under the theme, âClaiming a Vision of True Security,â conference participants will explore visions of the real or âtrueâ security that would result from racial, social and economic justice; from peace building and sustainable development; and from poverty reduction, as opposed to the false sense of security brought about through the unwarranted exercise of power and force.
Now in its sixth year, Ecumenical Advocacy Days educates and empowers grassroots religious advocates to speak out to political leaders on policies that impact the world. Participants range from seasoned advocates to younger people who are just now getting involved.
âThe CWS advocacy volunteers will be able to take part in a gathering where they can discuss important policy issues, learn advocacy skills and actually participate in lobbying visits to congressional offices,†says Church World Service Associate Director for Public Policy Martin Shupack.
Topics of discussion (http://www.advocacydays.org/tracks/) will include U.S. domestic issues such as immigration; global economic justice concerns like fair trade and debt cancellation; eco-justice issues, including the effects of global warming; as well as the impact of U.S. policies in every region of the world.
Shupack believes the experience for the CWS advocacy scholars will extend beyond the four-day event. âFor some, it will be the beginning of a long-term involvement in faith-based policy and advocacy.â
The CWS Education and Advocacy scholarship recipients for 2008 are: Victor Atiemo-Obeng, Midland, Mich.; Mark Coats, Austin, Tex.; John Gaus, Bloomington, Ind.; Rev. Phil Grigsby, Schenectady, N.Y.; Rev. Dan Hamlin, Greenbelt, Md.; Henry Jones, Fullerton, Calif.; Brian Miller, Mount Vernon, Ohio; Kathi Moton, Aurora, Colo; Josef Walker, Kansas City, Mo.; and Allison Lanza, Nashville, Tenn.
CWS also will bring partners from Latin America, Africa, and North America to the event as presenters and participants.
The gathering concludes with the activists visiting Capitol Hill on March 10 to lobby lawmakers on issues.
Ecumenical Advocacy Days (http://www.advocacydays.org/) is a movement of the ecumenical Christian community and its partners and allies. Church World Service has been a primary sponsor since its inception in 2003.
Church World Service is the humanitarian relief and development agency supported in part by 35 Protestant, Orthodox and Anglican denominations in the United States.
Media Contacts
Lesley Crosson, (212) 870-2676, lcrosson@churchworldservice.org Jan Dragin - 24/7 - (781) 925-1526, jdragin@gis.net