"Justice for All" Speakers Forum

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Dear Friends,

Welcome to the web-site of the Justice For All Speakers Forum! The Forum is brought to you  by a diverse group of congregations in the mid-Hudson who are committed to insuring that the voices of those who have been at the forefront of creating a more just word that can be heard. The Justice For All Speakers Forum began in 2004 and has its roots in the small Episcopal congregation of St. Margaret's Staatsburg, New York. Their hope was to raise awareness about the intimate and necessary connection between the Judeo-Christian tradition and action on behalf of justice for the poor, the marginalized, the disenfranchised and the oppressed both in our nation and in our world. The Rev. Frank Alagna, Co-founder of Justice For All Speakers Forum had this to say of the Forum's importance:

"Given the intrinsic and abiding relationship between our faith tradition and the requirements of justice for all, an authentic response to human misery can never solely and exclusively rely on simple acts of charity on behalf  of identified victims. No, faith always urges us to discern and address those underlying social complexities and  agendas that necessarily produce victims. Believers and all people of good will must remain informed, poised and  ready to take action with regard to systems, structures and interests that invariably give rise to the pain of humanity."

Our goal at the Justice For All Speakers Forum is to be provocative. We invite prophets to move us beyond the  expected and the status quo to a realm thatinspires thoughtful reflection and effective action. Now some of us may  not always agree with what these prophets are saying, but we value the importance of providing an opportunity to  speak, and in doing so we are hoping that all of us, no matter what our faith background may be, will find out faith

challenged, broadened and ultimately strengthened.

It is an amazing and diverse collaboration of congregations that sponsor the Justice For All Speakers Forum. Some  of them have been on the cutting edge of social justice and others are in the process of developing their mission.  Each however is committed to working with the others to present something that they would not be able to do on  their own.   And for over three years they have offered a remarkable speakers forum, which such speakers as:  Daniel Berrigan, Martin Marty, Chung Wha Hong and Bishop Thomas Gumbleton. Join us this year as we once  again offer a fascinating array of speakers.

In Peace,

The Rev. Richard Witt
Executive Director, Rural and Migrant Ministry

Shepherd of the Justice for All Speakers Forum

Where? The Forums move around from month to month to the different sponsoring congregations.

When? By and large the Forums take place on the third Sunday of each month at 4pm (with a reception that follows at 5pm)

Who? Take a peak at the 2010 Season:

Join us on Sunday, September 19th at 4:00 p.m.

at Freedom Plains Presbyterian Church

Route 55 & Stringham Rd

Lagrange

(opposite Arlington High School)

with

Eddie Daniels

South African Activist & Author of "There and Back"

Former Prison Mate of Nelson Mendel for 15 years on Robben Island

“Shortly after we started working at the quarry, we were
joined by other prominent political prisoners…. We were
also joined by Eddie Daniels, a Coloured member of the Liberal
Party, who had been convicted for sabotage operations
undertaken by the African Resistance Movement, a small
sabotage group composed of members of the Liberal Party.
Eddie was to become one of my greatest friends in prison....
We recall his loyalty and courage; his sense of humor and
justice as well as total commitment to the struggle of the
prisoners for the eradication of injustice and for the betterment
of their conditions” - Nelson Mandela

For info, call 845-485-8627.
Sponsoring Congregations: Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of
Poughkeepsie; St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church, Staatsburg; Poughkeepsie
Friends Meeting (Quakers); Christ Episcopal Church, Poughkeepsie;
Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Catskills, Kingston;
Freedom Plains United Presbyterian Church, Rural & Migrant Ministry;
and the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life at Vassar College; with a
generous grant from our partner Trinity Wall Street.

Participating Churches

St. Margaret's Episcopal Church

Staatsburg

Unitarian Universalist

Poughkeepsie

Christ Episcopal Church

Poughkeepsie

Spiritual Life and Studies of Vassar College

Friends Meeting House Poughkeepsie

AND

A Generous Grant from our Partner:

TRINITY WALL STREET

Generous Donations

from

Our Friends:

Byrnes Message Bureau

Northern Dutchess Pharmacy

June & Aaron Gillepsie Forum Inc

For More information on how to participate in these forums;

please contact Sue Moshier at 914-474-5992

Dear Friends,

Welcome to the web-site of the Justice For All Speakers Forum! The Forum is brought to you by a diverse group of congregations in the mid-Hudson who are committed to insuring that the voices of those who have been at the forefront of creating a more just word that can be heard. The Justice For All Speakers Forum began in 2004 and has its roots in the small Episcopal congregation of St. Margaret's Staatsburg, New York. Their hope was to raise awareness about the intimate and necessary connection between the Judeo-Christian tradition and action on behalf of justice for the poor, the marginalized, the disenfranchised and the oppressed both in our nation and in our world. The Rev. Frank Alagna, Co-founder of Justice For All Speakers Forum had this to say of the Forum's importance:

"Given the intrinsic and abiding relationship between our faith tradition and the requirements of justice for all, an authentic response to human misery can never solely and exclusively rely on simple acts of charity on behalf of identified victims. No, faith always urges us to discern and address those underlying social complexities and agendas that necessarily produce victims. Believers and all people of good will must remain informed, poised and ready to take action with regard to systems, structures and interests that invariably give rise to the pain of humanity."

Our goal at the Justice For All Speakers Forum is to be provocative. We invite prophets to move us beyond the expected and the status quo to a realm thatinspires thoughtful reflection and effective action. Now some of us may not always agree with what these prophets are saying, but we value the importance of providing an opportunity to speak, and in doing so we are hoping that all of us, no matter what our faith background may be, will find out faith

challenged, broadened and ultimately strengthened.

It is an amazing and diverse collaboration of congregations that sponsor the Justice For All Speakers Forum. Some of them have been on the cutting edge of social justice and others are in the process of developing their mission. Each however is committed to working with the others to present something that they would not be able to do on their own. And for over three years they have offered a remarkable speakers forum, which such speakers as: Daniel Berrigan, Martin Marty, Chung Wha Hong and Bishop Thomas Gumbleton. Join us this year as we once again offer a fascinating array of speakers.

In Peace,

The Rev. Richard Witt
Executive Director, Rural and Migrant Ministry
and Shepherd of the Justice For All Speakers Forum

Where? The Forums move around from month to month to the different sponsoring congregations.

When? By and large the Forums take place on the third Sunday of each month at 4pm (with a reception that follows at 5pm)

Who? Take a peak at the 2010 Season:

"The Reality of Wrongful Incarceration and other Prison Stories "

with Dewey Bozelle

Sunday, January 31, 2009 at 4:00 p.m.

at Poughkeepsie United Methodist Church

2381 New Hackensack Road

Poughkeepsie, New York 12603

In October, Dewey Bozella was released from prison after 26 years of incarceration for a 1977 murder he did not commit. Bozella is scheduled to address the Justice for All Speakers Forum (JFA) at 4 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 21 at the Poughkeepsie United Methodist Church, 2381 New Hackensack Road, Poughkeepsie. His talk is titled "The Reality of Wrongful Incarceration and other Prison Stories."

Bozella and others will share their prison experiences. The panel will be moderated by the Rev. Ed Muller, longtime chaplain in the New York State prison system and chairman of the Commission on Chaplains. As always at JFA forums, audience participation will be encouraged.