Read more

A memorial service for Ed Chambers has been scheduled for:

8:30am, Wednesday, July 1st

Read more

Change Makers - The Texas Observer Celebrates 60 Years, Texas Observer

Industrial Areas Foundation Co-Director Ernesto Cortes, Jr. articulates and models the fundamentals of relational meetings, the core practice of broad based organizing.

This video, designed to showcase the craft of experienced organizer practitioners, was shot during a 3-Day IAF Training in Las Vegas, Nevada. Click on photo at right, or click here, to view clip.

Rick Cohen of NonProfit Quarterly has a few recommendations for US Vice President Joe Biden as he plans his next steps:

Read more

"A prime example of how the Sisters of Divine Providence practice ... is through the decades of dedication, hard work and efforts put forth by Sisters Christine Stephens and Pearl Ceasar. For over 30 years, these women of faith have worked diligently.... Their work and that of others from the Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF) has created a domino effect nation-wide that has trained thousands of ordinary citizens to be leaders and organize to be heard and bring about change. Hundreds of communities have become stronger, more viable and visible. IAF is a national network of organizers acknowledged by the Catholic Bishops to train and engage citizens within not only Catholic parishes and surrounding communities but from congregations of many faith traditions, Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Unitarian."

Read more here...

Leaders of EPISO and Border Interfaith leveraged enough City Council votes to restrict how much payday lenders can make off low-income families. Lobbyists flew in from Dallas and Austin to fight this ordinance, but this did not keep the council from heeding the organized voice of families and institutions, and voting 6-1 in support. Bishop Mark Seitz of the Catholic Diocese of El Paso supported these efforts to protect families from compounding debt and excessive fees.

The new payday lending reform in El Paso allows lenders to loan no more than 20% of a borrower's gross income. Contracts must now be presented in the person's dominant language and short-term loans cannot be rolled over more than three times.

Read more

With Louisiana residents paying more than $196 million in fees and interest to payday lenders in 2011, and such loans factoring into 20% of bankruptcy filings in Baton Rouge, leaders of Together Baton Rouge are beginning to educate and organize parishioners and residents about the dangers of payday lending and action they can take to protect themselves. Their most recent gathering, at Elm Grove Baptist Church, was standing-room only, as participants heard a presentation on the issue and shared their experiences with each other.

Residents: Time to Act on Loans, The Advocate

Read more

When Albuquerque Interfaith leaders learned that a lottery-funded scholarship program was in danger of going broke, they rallied to save the fund -- reaching out to parents, concerned congregation members and State Senator Jerry Ortiz y Pino. Parent leaders testified about the importance of the scholarship for students in state colleges; state legislators noted that the late notification prevented them from voting to channel money away from tax cuts for businesses and into long-term investments like college.

Parents Rally Around Lottery Scholarship, Albuquerque Journal

Read more

After a year of observing juvenile judicial hearings at the Polk County Courthouse, and identifying a 767% increase in misdemeanor holds for African American youth, AMOS leaders identified several ways to better protect youthful offenders. 200 leaders strategized about desired reforms at their 'Restorative Justice' conference, and voted to support a Polk Courthouse renovation plan, which includes several of AMOS' ideas , and which would require passage of a bond proposal in early November. The proposed plans include space for pretrial conferences and mediation; a system to keep youthful offenders away from adult offenders; discreet spaces that keep youth out of the public eye when brought into the courtroom; and a setup allowing for juveniles to sit eye-to-eye with judges in the courtroom.

Read more