Dear Friends,
Welcome to the web-site of the Justice For All Speakers Forum! The Forum is brought to you by a diverse group of congregations in the mid-Hudson who are committed to insuring that the voices of those who have been at the forefront of creating a more just word that can be heard. The Justice For All Speakers Forum began in 2004 and has its roots in the small Episcopal congregation of St. Margaret's Staatsburg, New York. Their hope was to raise awareness about the intimate and necessary connection between the Judeo-Christian tradition and action on behalf of justice for the poor, the marginalized, the disenfranchised and the oppressed both in our nation and in our world. The Rev. Frank Alagna, Co-founder of Justice For All Speakers Forum had this to say of the Forum's importance:
"Given the intrinsic and abiding relationship between our faith tradition and the requirements of justice for all, an authentic response to human misery can never solely and exclusively rely on simple acts of charity on behalf of identified victims. No, faith always urges us to discern and address those underlying social complexities and agendas that necessarily produce victims. Believers and all people of good will must remain informed, poised and ready to take action with regard to systems, structures and interests that invariably give rise to the pain of humanity."
Our goal at the Justice For All Speakers Forum is to be provocative. We invite prophets to move us beyond the expected and the status quo to a realm thatinspires thoughtful reflection and effective action. Now some of us may not always agree with what these prophets are saying, but we value the importance of providing an opportunity to speak, and in doing so we are hoping that all of us, no matter what our faith background may be, will find out faith
challenged, broadened and ultimately strengthened.
It is an amazing and diverse collaboration of congregations that sponsor the Justice For All Speakers Forum. Some of them have been on the cutting edge of social justice and others are in the process of developing their mission. Each however is committed to working with the others to present something that they would not be able to do on their own. And for over three years they have offered a remarkable speakers forum, which such speakers as: Daniel Berrigan, Martin Marty, Chung Wha Hong and Bishop Thomas Gumbleton. Join us this year as we once again offer a fascinating array of speakers.
In Peace,
The Rev. Richard Witt
Executive Director, Rural and Migrant Ministry
and Shepherd of the Justice For All Speakers Forum
Where? The Forums move around from month to month to the different sponsoring congregations.
When? By and large the Forums take place on the third Sunday of each month at 4pm (with a reception that follows at 5pm)
Who? Take a peak at the 2010 Season:
Join us on Sunday, April 18th at 4:00 p.m.
at St. Margaret's Episcopal Church
Staatsburg, New York 12580
845-889-4181
with
FRIDA BERRIGAN
" Bread Not Bombs: Funding Human Security First"
Frida Berrigan is a Senior Research Associate at the World Policy Institute’s Arms Trade Resource Center. A graduate of Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts, Frida spent six months as an editorial intern at the Nation magazine before joining the World Policy Institute in early 1999.
Her primary research areas with the project include nuclear weapons policy, war profiteering and corporate crimes, weapons sales to areas of conflict and military training programs. She is the author of a number of Institute reports, most recently Weapons at War 2005: Promoting Freedom or Fueling Conflict.
Frida Berrigan’s primary responsibilities with the project currently involve coordinating our outreach to the media, government policy makers, and non-governmental organizations. Toward that end, she serves as the editor of the project’s highly regarded e-mail newsletter, ATRC Update, which goes out roughly twice a month to hundreds of key activists, journalists, and policymakers, many of whom pass it on to their own extensive lists.
She is also responsible for organizing and updating the project’s media lists and cultivating new media contacts. In addition, she serves as a principal spokesperson for the project in the media and in various public forums, supplementing the work of Project Director William D. Hartung on these fronts.
Since joining the project, she has published articles in the Nation, Newsday, the Hartford Courant, the Duluth News-Tribune, the Baltimore Sun and Peaceworks. She is a frequent contributor to Foreign Policy in Focus, a contributing editor at In These Times, and serves on the board of the War Resisters League.
Participating Churches
St. Margaret's Episcopal Church
Staatsburg
Unitarian Universalist
Poughkeepsie
Christ Episcopal Church
Poughkeepsie
Spiritual Life and Studies of Vassar College
Friends Meeting House Poughkeepsie
AND
A Generous Grant from our Partner:
TRINITY WALL STREET
Generous Donations
from
Our Friends:
Byrnes Message Bureau
Northern Dutchess Pharmacy
June & Aaron Gillepsie Forum Inc
