Ecumenical Advocacy Days expects record numbers

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February 2007

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Ecumenical Advocacy Days expects record numbers

Nearly 1,300 religious advocates are expected for this year's Ecumenical Advocacy Days (Mar. 9-12) in suburban Washington, D.C., under the theme, ". and How are the Children?"

The National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA (NCC), Pax Christi USA, and Catholic Relief Services are a few of nearly 50 religious groups and a wide array of Christian denominations sponsoring this fifth annual gathering of social justice advocates from around the nation.

The 2007 theme focusing on issues affecting children will guide and inspire workshops and speakers in eight different areas of concern: Africa, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East , Domestic, Jubilee & Economic Justice, Eco-Justice, and Global Security.

Experts will train participants on how to do advocacy and inform them of U.S. domestic and international policies that impact all of God's children. The gathering will conclude with a visit to Capitol Hill where participants will ask their Congressional representatives to make the needs of children the center of the 2007 legislative agenda.

Marian Wright Edelman and the Rev. Dr. Cliff Kirkpatrick are scheduled to preach at the two worship services. Edelman is founder and president of the Children's Defense Fund. Kirkpatrick is the stated clerk (chief ecclesiastical officer) of the Presbyterian Church (USA).

A complete schedule and registration information for Ecumenical Advocacy Days is available at http://advocacydays.org/index.php

"Ecumenical Advocacy Days is a movement of the ecumenical Christian community, and its recognized partners and allies, grounded in biblical witness and our shared traditions of justice, peace and the integrity of creation," says the group's mission statement. "Our goal, through worship, theological reflection and opportunities for learning and witness, is to strengthen our Christian voice and to mobilize for advocacy on a wide variety of U.S. domestic and international policy issues."

A preliminary event, "Fixing No Child Left Behind," begins Friday morning at the same Arlington, Va. hotel where the advocacy workshops will take place. The pre-event will take up the shortcomings of the No Child Left Behind Act which is up for Congressional re-authorization this year. This workshop is sponsored by the NCC's Committee on Public Education and Literacy. Click the box at left for details.

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