On Nov. 16, 2011, at 12 p.m. (Eastern, Central, Mountain, and Pacific time zones) faith leaders, parishioners, advocates, community lead-ers, and their constituents will come together to join hands and create human circles around agencies and programs at risk of deep budget cuts in the supercommittee and appropriations processes.
The Circles will form in towns and cities across the country at 12 noon in every U.S. time zone. Through this rolling national action, people of faith will signal to the congressional super committee and all congressional representatives that the nation’s budget must not be balanced on the backs of “the least of these” (Matthew 25:40).
We've got 5 flagship Circles in New York City, Chicago, Philadelphia, Orange County and Portland. Below are locations for each circle (each will happen at noon local time). For more information, email Karla Vasquez.
AUTHORIZE
THE U.S.
COMMISSION ON INTERNATIONAL RELIGIOUS FREEDOM (USCIRF)
1.
It’s vitally important that the
United States actively support religious freedom abroad.
·
Religious
freedom is a core human right, and often the first freedom threatened by tyranny. In countries that
protect this right, religious freedom is associated with democracy, rising
socio-economic well-being, diminished religious tension and violence, and
greater stability.
2. USCIRF
does exactly that: It’s an independent,
bipartisan federal commission that monitors the status of religious freedom or
belief and makes recommendations to the President, Secretary of State, and
Congress.
·
USCIRF,
as the world’s only commission with this mandate, raises the profile of
religious freedom.
·
USCIRF
has proven its value its work in countries like Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey,
the Philippines, Pakistan, Nigeria, Morocco, Iraq, Iran, Indonesia, Egypt, and
China. At the UN, USCIRF helped ensure
that an intolerance resolution replaced a defamation resolution that would have
promoted violations of the crucial freedoms of religion and expression.
3.
USCIRF will go out of business on
November 18, 2011 unless Congress takes action to reauthorize it. Otherwise, Congress ends USCIRF’s work and sends the signal that the
United States does not care about religious freedom.
·
USCIRF
was created with the enactment of the International Religious Freedom Act
(IRFA) of 1998 as a temporary commission.
It thus needs periodic reauthorizations to continue. Currently, it is
authorized until November 18, 2011.
·
H.R.
2867, a bill that would reauthorize USCIRF, passed the House of Representatives
on September 15, 2011 by a vote of 391-21.
·
After
passing the House, H.R. 2867 was sent over to the Senate where it has yet to be
voted on.
·
We
must leave nothing to chance. Given
Congress’ preoccupation with other issues, it is far too easy for USCIRF’s fate
to fall through the cracks. November 18,
2011 is fast approaching, and Congress needs to take action and reauthorize USCIRF.