Archdiocese joins other faiths in efforts to end global poverty
Giving just $10 to buy a mosquito bed net and rudimentary health care education for a family of four in Mali is one of four easy ways that youth and young adults can help reduce poverty and disease in developing countries, say two organizers of youth involvement in a conference on world poverty to be held at St. Mary’s Cathedral, 1111 Gough St. April 20-21.
Simple ways that anyone – but particularly youth – can help raise the standard of living in developing countries will be the focus of this year’s One Voice of Faith Conference sponsored by the Interfaith MDG Coalition, which includes the archdiocesan Office of Public Policy and Social Concerns. The Coalition includes Muslims, Jews, Buddhists and Christians. The group bills the conference as “a catalytic convening of activists, leaders, and youth for education, networking and advocacy.” MDG stands for United Nations Millennium Development Goals, which were unanimously passed by the UN in September 2000.
“Ten dollars is three days at Starbucks,” says Hafsa Arain, 22, a Faiths Act fellow, who with Tim Brauhn, 26, is on an eight-month fellowship sponsored by The Tony Blair Faith Foundation. Student groups from St. Mary’s College in Moraga, University of San Francisco, UC-Berkeley, Santa Clara University and Stanford University will participate in the One Voice of Faith Conference, Arain said.
Organizers are highlighting the Youth Leadership Summit on Tuesday, April 20, which features speaker Jessica Beckerman, founder of Project Muso, an organization focused on simple steps to prevent malaria, a scourge of developing countries. The 4 to 7 p.m. youth summit will include pizza, a keg of root beer and root beer floats. High school and college students are welcome.
The eight Millennium Development Goals the nations of the world pledged to achieve by 2015 include eradicating extreme poverty and hunger; achieving universal access to primary education; promoting gender equality and empowering women; reducing child mortality; improving maternal health; combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases; ensuring environmental sustainability; and developing a global partnership for development. The Catholic Church fully supports the UN goals, said George Wesolek, director of the Office of Public Policy and Social Concerns, and one of the founding members of the MDG Coalition.
“The Vatican, through its representative, the papal nuncio to the United Nations, has been very supportive of the UN Millennium Goals,” Wesolek said. “Both Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI have mentioned the goals as worthy of international support. It is probably one of the only truly interfaith efforts that is focusing on the 1.3 billion people in our world who survive on less than $1.25 a day.”
Speakers at the event will include: Ruth Messinger, president of the American Jewish World Service; Maha ElGenaidi, founder, president and CEO of the Islamic Networks Group; Joan Rosenhauer, executive vice president for U.S. Operations for Catholic Relief Services; Dr. Bonnie Anderson, president, House of Deputies, Episcopal Church; Rev. Dr. Heng Sure, director, Institute for World Religions and Dharma Master at the Berkeley Buddhist Monastery; Ian Linden, Tony Blair Faith Foundation; Katherine Marshall, Berkeley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University; Alex Baumgarten, government relations, Episcopal Church.
Cost of the conference is $50 for all events; $25 for student admission; and $20 for the Youth Leadership Summit, only, which includes dinner. Tuesday luncheon is included in the conference price.
For more information: visit www.imdgc.org or call Monica Landeros at (415) 614-5569.
By Valerie Schmalz
