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Letter to Obama, Sen. Schumer and Gillibrand on Immigration Reform

Jorge Fusaro — Sat, 01 May 2010 23:53:50 +0000

TO:

President Barack Obama
Senator Charles Schumer
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand

As a Christian, I believe my faith calls me to view all people, regardless of citizenship status, as made in the “image of God” and deserving of respect; to show compassion for the stranger and love and mercy for my neighbor; and to balance the rule of law with the call to oppose unjust laws and systems when they violate human dignity.

These biblical principles compel me to support immigration reform legislation that is consistent with humanitarian values, supports families, provides a pathway to citizenship for immigrant workers already in the U.S., expands legal avenues for workers to enter the U.S. with their rights and due process fully protected, and examines solutions to address the root causes of migration.

I believe the current U.S. immigration system is broken and reform is necessary. I call on Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform with the above elements by the end of this year.

Signed by:
Jorge Fusaro

======

Our current immigration system does not reflect our nation’s best values. It is time to enact humane and practical laws that move beyond the legislative stalemate of the past few years.

I just signed a petition in support of fair and comprehensive immigration reform, and sent a copy to President Obama and Congress.

This letter and campaign is led by Christians for Comprehensive Immigration Reform (CCIR). CCIR is a coalition of Christian organizations, churches, and leaders from across the theological and political spectrum, united in support of comprehensive U.S. immigration reform. We are working together to see fair and humane immigration reform enacted in Congress this year because we share a set of common moral and theological principles that compel us to love, care for, and seek justice for the stranger among us.

Will you join us?

Write your own letter and/or tell A friend! Click here.

Words of Wisdom for Today – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Jorge Fusaro — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 10:25:33 +0000

“Power at its best is LOVE implementing the demands of justice. Justice at its best is LOVE correcting everything that stands against LOVE.” -MLK, 1967.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American clergyman, activist and leader in the civil rights movement. He became one of the few historical icons of human rights, along with Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi, to seek justice via non-violent means.

King fought a non-violent fight so that you and I would be respected and valued by the “content of our character” rather than be judged by the “color of our skin.”

I believe King’s message of hope, love, and unity to end discrimination (of all types), abolish poverty (worldwide), and oppose war (Vietnam or any other war) is more important today than ever before. His prophetic vision continues to inspire those who believe that faith is not simply believing, but is also a call to redeeming action. Faith without works is empty, just as works without faith is empty. God expected Israel to “do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God.”

Lets recall some of MLK’s words of wisdom and truth:

Champion Non-Violence: “Nonviolence is the answer to the crucial political and moral questions of our time: the need for man to overcome oppression and violence without resorting to oppression and violence. Man must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love.” (MLK, Nobel Prize acceptance speech, 12/1/1964.)

End Discrimination and Racial Segregation: “Discrimination is a hellhound that gnaws at Negroes in every waking moment of their lives to remind them that the lie of their inferiority is accepted as truth in the society dominating them.” (MLK, 8/16/1967).

Abolish Poverty: “The curse of poverty has no justification in our age. It is socially as cruel and blind as the practice of cannibalism at the dawn of civilization, when men ate each other because they had not yet learned to take food from the soil or to consume the abundant animal life around them. The time has come for us to civilize ourselves by the total, direct and immediate abolition of poverty.” (MLK, Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?, 1967).

Oppose War: “The bombs in Vietnam explode at home; they destroy the hopes and possibilities for a decent America.” and “A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death.” (MLK, Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?, 1967).

www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbUtL_0vAJk

The catastrophe in Haiti has brought worldwide attention to the poorest country in the Western world. Lets remember the voices of those who came before us and do things that truly matter: lets give generously. If you already donated, great. Try to give a bit more and motivate your friends to give. The time is now. Consider these words by King: “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”

Do you think MLK’s message is relevant today?

You are encouraged to share your thoughts in the comment section below. Thanks for sharing!

TIP: If you have not read any of Martin Luther King Jr. books, I recommend you read Strength to Love and Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community? If you are a communicator and aspire to lead, inspire, and mobilize people, I suggest you listen (and study) MLK’s superb oratorical skills.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther_King,_Jr.

How to Pray for Haiti and its People

Jorge Fusaro — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 21:48:15 +0000

Why help Haiti? Haitians are extremely vulnerable because of poor infrastructure and extreme poverty (poorest in the Western Hemisphere). We can take care of the poor in crisis.

Haitians are a people in crisis and need all the help possible. It is our duty to love [and help] our neighbor as we love ourselves.
Because we have too much. Haitians live under $2 a day. That’s the prize of a bottle of water!
Through prayer we can make quite an impact: “The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and wonderful results (James 5:16).”

How to pray for Haitians? If you are a person of faith, please join others as we intercede together for the people of Haiti. If you have never prayed before, consider making an exception for others and see what happens.

Pray for God to bring Peace among the people and prevent violence, riots, and more crime.
Pray for healing to those who are broken in body and/or in spirit.
Pray for refuge for those who are homeless, have no clothes and nothing to eat.
Pray for the local government to lead selflessly and efficiently.
Pray for the nations of the world to be moved with compassion and a desire to serve.
Pray that survivors do not lose hope and will look upward for faith, understanding, hope, and love.
Pray for unity and reconciliation among the Haitian people.
Pray for a deeper global understanding and solidarity between the wealthy and the poor.

“Haiti is a country where a tiny transnational clique of wealthy and well-connected families maintains a grip on industrial production, international trade, and political and social life. Meanwhile, 80% of their fellow citizens live in poverty, with 75% surviving on less than $2/day; 70% are unemployed; life expectancy is 52 years; infant mortality is 62 per 1,000 live births; there is a raging health crisis with grave HIV/AIDS infection rates, and the list goes on (Peter Hallward, Haiti, Aristide and the Politics of Containment. Quoted by Niraj Joshi, Global Research.)

Other ways to Help and Where to Give: The least we can do is pray and give generously. Give today and skip a meal if necessary. Skip a meal or a weekend activity if necessary. People die everyday because they have nothing no food! One meal less will not kill you. Let’s share what we have with those in greater need!

Yele Haiti (Wyclef Jean’s organization) – Text “Yele” to 501501, which will automatically donate $5 to the YeleHaiti Earthquake Fund (it will be charged to your cell phone bill), or you can visit Yele.org and click on DONATE.
Doctors without Borders – international medical humanitarian organization (Awarded the Nobel Peace in 1999) committed to bringing quality medical care to assist people whose survival is threatened by violence, neglect, or catastrophe.
Red Cross - Text HAITI to 90999 and automatically donate $10 to Red Cross! Confirm with YES. The donation (coordinated through the White House) will appear on your cell phone bill.
If you are in Puerto Rico, go to the Hiram Bithorn Coliseum (Hato Rey), Paquito Montaner (Ponce), or Estacion de Bomberos (Yauco) to donate clothes and other relief items such as medicines, blankets, shoes, bottle water, and canned food.
Save the Children – Providing help to Haiti since the 1980s.
World Vision – Worked in Haiti for 30 years and has some 370 staff in country. The website also provides information about how to sponsor a child in Haiti or other locations. Click here to donate.
Cnn.com/impact – plenty of other resources to donate/volunteer compiled by respected journalists.
How can you help? (Chris Anderson, TED curator)

You may wonder, what will happen after disaster relief??? Recovery takes years. That is why long-term support is critical. Consider giving to Beyond Borders, an organization with a respectable record of sustainable support inHaiti.

God bless the people and the country of Haiti!

L’union fait la Force!

If you have any other suggestions or resources, share them in the comment section below. Please forward and share this article with people you know who may be interested in donating, volunteering, and praying for Haiti and its people. Take action. Thanks!

Human Trafficking in the 21st Century is No Joke

Jorge Fusaro — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 16:45:58 +0000

*One voice to End Slavery*

Few things infuriate me. Human trafficking is one of them.

This form of modern-day slavery is the 2nd largest illegal industry after drug trade. It is a highly sophisticated form of organized crime that has overtaken the illegal trade of weaponry today. The UN estimates that 1-4 million people are trafficked worldwide every year.

Human trafficking is illegal in every country in the world and happens in every country of the world. However, justice has not yet been served.

A couple of years ago I had the opportunity to deliver a seminar on this topic, among other social justice issues, to a group of youth in Los Angeles. Unfortunately, only a handful of youth knew about this. Parents and adults were also clueless about the gravity of this issue. Perhaps you are too. Hopefully, this short article will shine some light. Your friends and coworkers need to know about it too. Share the facts. This needs to stop.

January 11th was the first annual Human Trafficking Awareness Day in the United States. I am hoping that this day will raise awareness in the US because, statistically speaking, human trafficking is more than likely happening around you.

If you thought slavery was abolished in the 19th century, sorry to disappoint you. It is estimated that about 27 million people were enslaved in 2008. The American government estimates that up to 17,500 people are trafficked into the US each year for purposes of labor and commercial sexual exploitation.

The victims of human trafficking can be used in a variety of situations, including prostitution, forced labor (including bonded labor or debt bondage) and other forms of involuntary servitude (via Wikipedia; thorough and informative link).

The words of Martin Luther King Jr. ring true, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

Human trafficked victims have no voice.

If this has not shocked or surprised you yet, consider this: There are more people forced into modern-day slavery today than in the transatlantic slave triangle. What does this say about society? humanity? international human rights? power and justice?

People working to abolish human trafficking address three main challenges: 1) Locating the victims, 2) Liberating them, and 3) Caring for the victims once liberated. Every step is critical to abolish modern-day slavery. There is a growing need for organizations that can offer psychological, social, financial, and spiritual assistance to the victims.

I find a lot of hope in Restore NYC. This organization, started by three young visionaries in NYC, is focused on providing holistic long-term aftercare services for international survivors of sex trafficking in NYC. Their goal is to help victimized women achieve complete and total reintegration back into society.

If you want to learn more check out the videos and links below:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tdEOeld2Oo

www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2XgmQZ-c8M

11 Practical Ideas to Combat Slavery
3 Short True Stories of Human Trafficking in the US
Amnesty International
Coalition Against Trafficking in Women-International (CATW)
International Justice Mission
Polaris Project
Movies/documentaries: Trade, Call+Response, Cargo, Fields of Mudan, etc.

If you have further questions, resources to share, or will like to get involved, please comment below.