TH6.1: The Work of Ending Poverty

Spurred on by the success of last spring’s Truth Commission, we begin this year even more aware of poverty as the defining issue of our times and the responsibility of people of faith to call for its complete elimination. This year we will consolidate our own infrastructure as well as respond to current events. Hurricane Katrina, in particular, has laid bare many truths about our society, and we are trying to formulate ways to support the voicing of poor people’s ideas and solutions in its aftermath. We will also focus on immigration issues, the intersection of prisons and poverty, the utilization of arts and culture, and, of course, the ways in which the religious community in particular can mobilize for economic justice.

As always, through continual self-examination, we will remain genuinely and honestly in relation with those immediately affected by economic injustice, who are the leaders of the movement to end poverty. We believe that the more that we hear stories and solutions from the people directly affected by economic injustice – and acknowledge that ending poverty is not only our moral imperative but our theological and spiritual calling – the better we will become at what we do. Thus, the Poverty Initiative wants to become a resource for burgeoning and current activists, religious leaders, social workers, teachers, advocates, and citizens.

The Poverty Initiative will hold a general meeting on Wednesday, October 12, at 2pm, in the Poverty Initiative office. Other events throughout the semester include a chapel service on November 10, and a day-long seminar class (FE 226) on November 18. The Poverty Initiative’s office hours are 9am-12pm.

–The Poverty Initiative