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