Thank You to our Endorsing Organizations

Interfaith Summit for Immigrant Justice,
April 12, 2007

Honorary Chair Speakers

Cardinal Sean Patrick O’Malley
Rabbi Barbara Penzner
Right Reverend Thomas Shaw
Reverend Hurmon Hamilton
Imam Basyouny Nehela
Pastor Greg Bishop
Reverend Cheng Imm Tan

List of Endorsing Organizations

ABCD Southside Headstart, Roslindale
Agencia ALPHA
Al-Huda Society, Revere, Chelsea, E. Boston, Lynn
Al Nur Academy, Mansfield
Allston Brighton Islamic Center
American Association of Jewish Holocaust Survivors of Greater Boston
American Civil Liberties Union, Mass. Chapter
American Civil Liberties Union, Worcester Chapter
American Jewish Committee
Angolan Association in Massachusetts, Inc
Anti Defamation League
Asian Task Force Against Domestic Violence, Boston
Asian American Civic Association (AACA), Boston
Association of Haitian Women (AFAB), Dorchester
Association of New Americans, Boston
Berkshire Immigrant Center
Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center
Boston Chinese Catholic Community
Boston EITC Coalition
Boston Society of the New Jerusalem (Church on the Hill)
Boston Workmen’s Circle
Brazilian American Association (BRAMAS), Framingham
Brazilian Immigrant Center, Allston
Brazilian Ministers Network (BMNET)
Brazilian Women’s Group
Brockton Interfaith Community (BIC)
Boston Jewish Spirit
Cape Verdean Association of Brockton (ACVB)
Catholic Charities Archdiocese of Boston
Center for Haitian American Rights
Center for New Americans, Northampton
Centro Latino de Chelsea
Centro Presente, Inc., Cambridge
Church World Service
Clarendon Hill Presbyterian Church, Somerville
Codman Square Health Center, Dorchester
Community Action Agency of Somerville
Community Connections of Brockton
Community Learning Center, Cambridge
Concilio Hispano Inc., Cambridge
Congregation B’nai Brith of Somerville
Congregational Church of Needham
Congregation Dorshei Tzedek, West Newton
Congregation Lion of Judah, Boston
Cooperative Metropolitan Ministries (CMM)
Dar al Islam, Boston
East Boston Ecumenical Community Council
El Centro Cardinal, South End
Episcopal City Mission, Boston
Episcopal Divinity School, Cambridge
Essex County Community Organization (ECCO), Lynn
First Baptist Church, Jamaica Plain
First Churches of Northampton
First Congregational Church of Amherst
First Congregational Church of Somerville
First Congregational Church, UCC, Mission Action Coordinators, North Adams
First Parish in Malden, Universalist
First Parish Unitarian Universalist, Arlington
Franciscan Order of Saint Joseph Cupertino
Freedom House, Inc
GrassRoots Organizing Work (GROW), Amherst
Greater Boston Interfaith Organization (GBIO)
Greater Lowell Interfaith Leadership Alliance (GLILA)
Guatemala Solidarity Committee, Manchester
Harry H. Dow Legal Assistance Fund
Hillel Council of New England
Health Care for All, Boston
Haydenville Congregational Church, Florence
Immaculate Conception Parish, Marlborough
Immigrant Pastoral Center, Brockton
Immigrants’ Assistance Center, New Bedford
International Christian Network Foundation in Framingham     
International Institute of Rhode Island
International Language Institute, Northampton
Irish Immigration Center (IIC)
Islamic Academy of New England, Sharon
Islamic Center of Burlington
Islamic Center of Boston, Wayland
Islamic Center of New England (ICNE)
Islamic Council of New England, Quincy
Islamic Institute of Boston, Quincy
Islamic Society of Boston (ISB), Cambridge
Islamic Society of Boston University
Islamic Society of Greater Lowell, Chelmsford
Islamic Society of Greater Worcester
Jamaica Plain Community Centers Inc. Adult learning Program
Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Justice (JALSA)
Jewish Community Housing for the Elderly, Brighton
Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Boston
Jewish Family and Children’s Service, Waltham
Jewish Family Service of Metrowest
Jewish Family Service of the North Shore
Jewish Family Services of Western Massachusetts
Jewish Family Services of Worcester, Inc
Jewish Labor Committee, New England Region
Jewish Vocational Service, Boston
La Alianza Hispana, Roxbury
Latinos United in Massachusetts (LUMA), Everett
Lawrence Family Development and Education Fund/Maria del Pilar Quintana Family Center
Little Sisters of the Assumption, United States Province
Lowell Community Health Center
Ludlow Area Adult Learning Center, Holyoke Community College
Lutheran Community Services of Southern New England
Malik Academy, Cambridge
Marlborough Interfaith Association
MAS Boston
Masjid al Quran, Dorchester
Massachusetts Alliance of Portuguese Speakers (MAPS)
Massachusetts Association of Jewish Federations (MAJF)
Massachusetts Board of Rabbis
Massachusetts Communities Action Network (MCAN)
Massachusetts Conference of the United Church of Christ
Massachusetts Council of Churches
Massachusetts Law Reform Institute
Merrimack Valley Project
Metropolitan Interfaith Congregations Acting for Hope (MICAH), Framingham
Moroccan American Civic and Cultural Association, Malden
Mosque for the Praising of Allah, Roxbury
Most Holy Redeemer Church, East Boston
Mujeres Unidas en Acción, Dorchester
National Student Partnerships, Somerville
Neighborhood Legal Services, Inc., Lynn
Neighborhood of Affordable Housing (NOAH)
New American Center, Amherst
New England Peace Pagoda, Leverett
New England Regional Council of Carpenters
New England Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
North American Indian Center of Boston, Inc.
Northeast Diocese of St. Francis of Assisi, CCA
Notre Dame Center for Education, South Boston
Notre Dame Health Care Center, Inc., Worcester
Office of Cultural Diversity, Archdiocese of Boston
Office of New Bostonians
Old First of Springfield
Old West Church, Boston
ONE Lowell
Our Lady of Fatima Parish, Peabody
Peniel International Evangelical Church, Malden
Progressive Clergy of the North Shore
Project Hope, Roxbury
Public Policy Institute, Boston
ROCA, Inc., Chelsea
Rabbinical School of Hebrew College, Newton Centre
Russian Community Association of Massachusetts
Saint Martin De Porres Church, Boston
Saint Martin De Porres Church, Brockton
SEIU Local 615
Sisters of St. Joseph, Boston
Sister of St. Joseph of Springfield—Justice and Peace Committee
Somali Development Center, Jamaica Plain
Somerville Family Network
South Asians Stepping in Solidarity (SASS Boston)
South Berkshire Educational Collaborative
St. Andrew’s Church, Marblehead
St. Andrew’s United Methodist Church, Jamaica Plain
St. Mary's Episcopal Church, Dorchester
St. Patrick’s School and Education Center, Lowell
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Brookline
Tekiah
Temple Beth Zion, Brookline
Temple Emunah, Lexington
Temple Hillel B’nai Torah, West Roxbury
The First Baptist Church in Jamaica Plain
The PASS Group
The Paulist Center, Boston
The Sisters of Saint Anne, St. Marie Province, Marlborough
The Mayor’s Multicultural Advisory Commission, Everett
The Welcome Project, Somerville
Tifereth Israel Congregation, New Bedford
Tri-City Community Action Program, Inc., Everett, Malden, and Medford
Unitarian Universalist Association
United Interfaith Action, Fall River and New Bedford
University Lutheran Church, Cambridge
Whittier Street Health Center, Roxbury
Worcester Interfaith
Workmen’s Circle, Brookline
Young Cape Verdean Club, Inc., Boston and Brockton
Zion Korean United Methodist Church, Warwick

Interfaith Summit for Immigrant Justice, List of Individual Endorsing Leaders

Rev. Dr. Jim Antal, Minister and President of the Massachusetts Conference of the United Church of Christ
Rev. Kathy Duhon, Unitarian Universalist Meeting of South Berkshire
Rev. Robert Francis Murphy, Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, Falmouth
Rev. Tricia Brennan, First Parish Unitarian Universalist, Arlington
Rev. Dr. Anthony Pappas, Executive Minister of the American Baptist Churches of Massachusetts
Bishop Margaret Payne, Bishop of the New England Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Pastor Paul D. Sinnott, Ministry Specialist, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Bishop Peter D. Weaver, United Methodist Church, New England Conference

Photos: Driss Bahraoui

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Your Stories Are Powerful

Every bill passed into law affects lives.

When speaking with Legislators, the media, or people you meet on the street, telling your story makes the impact of  laws more real. Please consider sharing your story with us in written form so that many people can be educated and inspired:

To submit your story or to help a client submit a story, please contact Cynthia at ctschampl@miracoalition.org or 617-350-5480 ext212.

Stay Involved!

After the big event, there are many ways to stay involved:

1.  Learn about candidates running for local office.

2. Tell your friends, family, co-workers and neighbors about what you have learned.

3. Help register people to vote. We are building toward a national goal of 1,000,000 new voters or citizenship applications. Please let us know how many registrations you/your group has accomplished: ctschampl@miracoalition.org

4. Bring people to vote for the primary election as well as the general election.

5. Volunteer for the campaign of a candidate that shares the same values as you.

6. Join others in your area working for immigrants' rights in your area. Contact Cynthia for a list of local folks in action: 617-350-5480 x212 or ctschampl@miracoalition.org.

7. Goto www.massvote.org for materials, tips and more information.

Polling Places: Where Do I Vote?

¿Donde Votar en Massachusetts?, Puedes verificar el lugar donde vas a votar en estas elecciones. Podemos ayudar a personas con la información correcta a donde van a ir a votar antes de las elecciones. Es importante que la dirección o residencia sea la correcta, tambien este link te ofrece los numeros de telefonos donde puedes llamar para pedir información del lugar donde vas a ir a votar en tu ciudad. http://www.wheredoivotema.com/bal/myelectioninfo.php. Ahorra es el momento comenzemos las llamadas telefonicas a nuestros familiares, amigos y miembros de nuestra comunidad. No podemos esperar al mismo dia de las elecciones para hacer el trabajo. Pa'lante que la lucha continua!!

Where Do I Vote in MA? You can verify the location where you are supposed to vote. You can also help others find where they are to vote. It is important to type in the correct place of residency or you can call the phone number on this link: http://www.wheredoivotema.com/bal/myelectioninfo.php. NOW is the time to make calls to your family, friends and neighbors. If you wait until election day, it will be too lete. Let's hear it for voter empowerment!

New National Report

Download the new NATIONAL REPORT that shows that there will be over 14 million new citizens eligible to vote by the 2008 November elections. The REPORT shows that there are many States in which immigrant new citizens will outnumber the difference that decided the last Presidential elections.

Interfaith Summit for Immigrant Justice

Over 1,200 gather at Massachusetts State House

Reverend J. Bryan Hehir, President of Catholic Social Services in the Archdiocese of Boston: "Immigration, like the civil rights movement of the 1960s, is the kind of issue which joins our deepest religious convictions with clear moral principles to shape a human policy. The central religious conviction is the dignity of the human person. The basic moral principle is the need to honor the basic human rights of each person; rights which belong to people even if they are undocumented."

Sister Tess Browne: “We are here today to hear from faith traditions on how we are called to treat one another, to educate on ways to strengthen the Commonwealth for all residents and to practice good citizenship.”

This year's Immigrants' Day

On April 12, 2007, MIRA brought together faith leaders and organizations from across the state for the Interfaith Summit for Immigrant Justice. The purpose of this summit was to increase understanding, support and advocacy for immigrant members of congregations and communities. While the Summit builds on ten years of being the largest annual advocacy day inside the State House, we are especially interested in expanding the constituencies we reach.

Agenda for the day:
7:30-9:30am Coffee and pastries at Church on the Hill (Across the Bowdoin street from the State House.)
8:45am Registration and Entertainment Begins at Great Hall and Gardner Auditorium.
10-11am Interfaith Summit Speakers in Great Hall.
10-11am Multilingual Welcome Program in the Gardner Auditorium.
11am-1pm Legislative visits and workshops throughout the State House simultaneously.

This year's workshops are more powerful and more exciting than ever!

Workshop 1 (Hearing Room A-1, 11:30-12:30pm)--Lessons from the Field: Clergy Sharing Best Practices
Presenters:
Imam Abdullah Faaruuq of the Mosque for the Praising of God
Rev. Marc Fallon, C.S.C., Catholic Social Services in New Bedford
Rabbi William Hamilton, Temple Kehillath Israel

Workshop 2 (Hearing Room A-2, 11:30-12:30)--Immigrant Justice: What Faith Traditions Have to Say
Presenters:
Rabbi Toba Spitzer, Congregation Dorshei Tzedek
Dr. Shahinaz Bedri, frequent lecturer on the role of Women in Islam and Women's education in the Sudan.
Sister Ellen Dabrieo, Sisters of Notre Dame.

Workshop 3 (Hearing Room B-1, 12:00-1:00pm)--Media Advocacy: How to Write a Letter to the Editor to get Published.
Presenter: Thomas Keown, Media Relations for Irish Immigration Center

Commitment-Sheet-for-Interfaith-Summit.doc

It's Never Too Late to Educate!

Whether or not your group attended the Interfaith Summit, it is never too late to make a commitment to educate your community on issues affected by immigration. Take a look at the documents below to whet your appetite and then contact us at ctschampl@miracoalition.org or 617-350-5480 x212 ...Thanks!

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