"When spider webs unite, they can entangle a lion."- Ethiopian Proverb
By Gianna Rendano and Kerri Peters
When people of faith join together for a common purpose - a holy purpose that is rooted in every faith tradition – it can turn the tides of economic injustice, challenge harmful and destructive polices and advance a prophetic vision of fairness, equality and hope for the world's poorest. To be a Jubilee Congregation is to transform religious beliefs and traditions into action to give hope to the world’s most vulnerable.
Faith communities play an essential role in helping the world’s most impoverished countries by building an international economy that serves, protects and promotes the participation of the most vulnerable. Jubilee USA harnesses the strength of the faith community to create a true Jubilee. All religious communities play a crucial role in raising awareness of socio-economic issues. Jubilee Congregations are faith communities that have committed to pray, advocate and take a stand on various debt and economic issues for the world’s poorest.
Jubilee USA strives to empower congregations while at the same time, the congregations help empower us. The words of Sr. Mary Donagher, a member of a Jubilee Congregation, help to illustrate the powerful relationship between faith and activism with Jubilee USA Network.
“I feel so privileged to be a member of a Jubilee Congregation and join hands with other interfaith communities around the nation acting on such important issues. My Congregation is new to the program and we have already been a part of Jubilee Weekend where we prayed and acted to save lives and restore hope for millions affected by the debt crisis. Jubilee USA helped us to prepare for our first Jubilee Weekend by sending educational resources and worship materials and also sent us a beautiful Jubilee banner to hang on the wall of our Congregation offices.
“We also participated by delivering thousands of petitions in NYC, calling attention to lack of coverage of one of the largest banking scandals of our time that affects so many of the poorest in the nation and abroad, the LIBOR banking scandal.
“Jubilee is a wonderful resource for the work of our Global Poverty Committee. We hope to continue to act with Jubilee USA Network to call on world leaders to create direct and long-lasting change in the lives of millions of people around the world.”
- Sr. Mary Donagher, Sisters of Charity of New York
Jubilee USA Network has won critical global financial reforms and more than $130 billion in debt relief for the world's poorest countries. We are an alliance of more than 75 US organizations, 250 faith communities and 50 Jubilee global partners.
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