Bread Portland Open House

The Portland based staff of Bread hosted a very nice open house on 7/16/2008 at the office on 0245 SW Bancroft St. There were 4 staff members there (Robin, Shawnda, Joanne, and Matt) and our two summer interns (Danielle and Cora). Snacks were provided including a great lemon bar kinda thing that Shawnda made (I had 3 of those). They had door prizes which included eggs from Matts chicken's and they showed the new Bread intro video.

Its great having them based in Portland!

Bread for the World's Western Regional Office
0245 SW Bancroft St (map)
Portland , OR 97239
503-922-2182

PS - if you try to look up the map on Mapquest or Google maps, it will probably come up incorrect because of the leading "zero" in the address. Use this map or simply copy and paste this search term instead in google maps: SW Bancroft St and Sw Kelly Ave Portland , OR
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Time is running out on the Global Poverty Act

We sent out an action alert today to our networks about the Global Poverty Act. Congress is quickly approaching the end of its congressional session. We'd like to see the Global Poverty Act reach the senate floor for a vote. If it doesn't go to the floor, we'll need to start all over next year with the new congress. Your voice is important. Here are a few easy steps for taking action:

1) PRAY: Please pray that God will work in the hearts and minds of all U.S. senators. Pray that God moves them to understand that taking actions like passing the Global Poverty Act helps our nation keep the promises it has made to the world's poorest people. Pray that the senators will be motivated by a deep concern for justice for all God's people.

2) ACT: Before you make your call, check to see if your member of congress is a cosponsor of the Global Poverty Act (S. 2433). If so, read a list of talking points for existing cosponsors (Both Wyden and Smith are cosponsors)

Senator Gordon Smith
Phone: 202-224-3753

Senator Ron Wyden
Phone: 202-224-5244


If your senator is not listed as a cosponsor, ask them to cosponsor the Global Poverty Act (S. 2433) and pass the legislation before the end of this congressional session. Call 1-800-826-3688 as soon as possible but no later than July 25.

[Note: This toll-free number will connect you to the Capitol switchboard, where you will ask to be connected to your senator's office in order to leave your message. Find out who your senators are.]

Key points to make when you call:

Please cosponsor the Global Poverty Act. (If your senator is already a cosponsor--click here for the list--your talking points will be different. Read the list of talking points for senators who have signed on as cosponsors.)
With time running out on the legislative calendar, Senate leadership needs to see a robust list of cosponsors to move this important bill to the floor.
The Global Poverty Act seeks to bring clarity, coordination, and accountability to our foreign assistance programs has already passed through the House and has bipartisan support in the Senate.
The act would require the president to develop and implement a coordinated strategy of U.S. aid, debt relief, and trade policies to meet the goal of cutting by half the number of people who live on less than $1 a day by 2015.
Visit this page for background information.
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PEPFAR Victory (One Campaign)

And it was a big one. In the past few weeks, more than 100,000 ONE members have written letters, signed petitions and made phone calls, asking our senators to support the reauthorization of PEPFAR, America's lifesaving response to global AIDS, TB and malaria.

On Wednesday, 80 senators did just that by voting to pass PEPFAR. Overwhelming bipartisan majorities stuck together to defeat a number of amendments that threatened to cut funding or otherwise undercut the success we've had in fighting these diseases.

In Oregon, both Senators Gordon Smith and Ron Wyden voted to reauthorize PEPFAR, answering your calls and providing hope for the millions of people around the world who look to America as a partner in fighting these deadly, but treatable diseases. In fact, Senator Smith went a step beyond by co-sponsoring PEPFAR reauthorization and showing unshakeable commitment to our cause.

I hope you'll take a moment to call Senators Smith and Wyden at the numbers below to thank them for standing with us and reaffirming America's commitment to saving lives in some of the poorest parts of the world.

Senator Gordon Smith
Phone: 202-224-3753

Senator Ron Wyden
Phone: 202-224-5244


When you speak to your senators' staff, make sure to tell them:

1. You are a constituent and a ONE member.
2. That you appreciate and support their vote to reauthorize PEPFAR for five more years.
3. You are especially grateful for Senator Smith’s decision to co-sponsor PEPFAR.
4. You recognize how important it is for America to continue to lead the world in efforts to end global disease and extreme poverty – even as we face challenges at home.

After you've made your calls, please report your call by clicking here:

http://one.org/call?tg=FSOR_2.FSOR_1&cp_id=30&id=418-3533236-UryluHx&t=1

A victory of this scale calls for reflection and recognition of everyone who made it possible. After PEPFAR passed the House of Representatives with strong support from President Bush, it got stuck in the Senate, where a handful of opponents used procedural tactics to prevent all action on the bill. Their unwillingness to allow open debate on PEPFAR prevented it from being passed before the G8 Summit in Hokkaido, Japan, earlier this month, where it could have been a powerful diplomatic tool to leverage commitments from other wealthy nations.

It took your voices, combined with the work of many others, and patient and persistent efforts by our allies in Washington to get PEPFAR unstuck. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Senators Biden and Lugar, and the White House all demonstrated extraordinary leadership in making this all possible.

And just as we pushed and prodded our senators to support this bill over the past weeks, it's important that we take a moment now to thank our leaders for their support.

Senator Gordon Smith
Phone: 202-224-3753

Senator Ron Wyden
Phone: 202-224-5244


After you've made your calls, please report your call by clicking here:

http://one.org/call?tg=FSOR_2.FSOR_1&cp_id=30&id=418-3533236-UryluHx&t=2

This new PEPFAR is going to do a whole lot of good for millions of people. It will provide care for 12 million AIDS patients, including five million orphans. It contains massive increases in investments in fighting TB and malaria, two diseases that are at their most devastating in the world's poorest countries. And in places desperate for doctors and nurses, PEPFAR will provide training for 140,000 new healthcare professionals.

Reauthorizing PEPFAR is an accomplishment we can be proud of and the Senate vote was the last major hurdle. In the coming days we expect the House to pass the Senate version of the bill and President Bush to sign it into law.

It's a victory for the world's most vulnerable people that won't be forgotten. And we can be sure our senators don't forget by thanking them for their leadership and reminding them of our ongoing support for acts of diplomacy that save lives and reflect the generosity of Americans.

Senator Gordon Smith
Phone: 202-224-3753

Senator Ron Wyden
Phone: 202-224-5244


Thank you for your voice,

Josh Peck, ONE.org
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Sen Ron Wyden Cosponsors the Global Poverty Act!!

Senator Ron Wyden has recently signed on as a cosponsor of the Global Poverty Act!! Thanks to all who have written letters and urged him to get on board. We now have both Ron Wyden and Gordon Smith on board. Thanks again for your help and support.
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Battle for the Soul of the Nation

Secular and Religious Organizations co-sponsor forum on The Ethics of Torture and Human Rights

Wednesday, July 23rd, 2008

Portland, Oregon

A growing national campaign against the use of torture by the U.S. government will touch down in Portland on Wednesday, July 23, when several religious and secular organizations sponsor a one-day forum on “The Ethics of Torture and Human Rights.”

What is torture? Why do most religions find the use of torture to be morally repugnant? What international laws and treaties restrict the use of torture? Is there a universal human right that prohibits the use of torture under all circumstances or are there special situations that justify the use of torture? These questions and more will be addressed during the day’s discussions.

George Hunsinger, PhD, founder of the National Religious Campaign Against Torture (NRCAT) and professor of Systematic Theology at Princeton Seminary, will be the lunchtime keynote speaker, presenting “A Battle for the Soul of Our Nation: Why Torture Matters.” Other speakers include:

• Richard Amesbury, PhD, professor of religion and ethics at Claremont School of Theology.
• Jeff Bachman, chair of the Board of Amnesty International USA and an attorney with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality.
• Alison Brysk, PhD, professor of political science at University of California, Irvine, and author or editor of six books on international human rights topics.
• Dr. J. David Kenzie, director of the Oregon Torture Treatment Center at OHSU.
• Steven T. Wax, Chief Defender, Federal Public Defender 's Office for Oregon, and author of “When Kafka Came to America.”
• Travis Hall, attorney and former Army captain in the Judge Advocate General in Iraq, currently an attorney with Bateman Seidel.
• Mike “Abudharr” Branch, an advisory board member of the Muslim Educational Trust (MET).
• Rabbi Maurice Harris, Temple Beth Israel in Eugene and member of Rabbis for Human Rights, North America.

The forum will be held on Wednesday, July 23, 2008, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1624 NE Hancock Street, Portland, Ore.

The cost is $15 (includes lunch), and the registration deadline is July 16. Visit www.emoregon.org to download the registration brochure, or call (503) 221-1054 for more information.

The event is sponsored by Amnesty International, Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon; Jewish Federation of Portland Community Relations Committee; Muslim Educational Trust; National Religious Campaign Against Torture; Oregon Area Jewish Committee; and Willamette University Center for Religion, Law and Democracy.

George Hunsinger will also give his presentation on July 23, 7:30 p.m., at Central Presbyterian Church in Eugene, and on July 24, 12 p.m., at Nativity Lutheran Church in Bend.

Questions? Contact Kevin Finney or Jan Elfers at 503-221-1054, or at kfinney@emoregon.org, or jelfers@emoregon.org for more information.


Kevin S. Finney
Public Policy Director
Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon
Interchurch Center
0245 SW Bancroft St. Suite B
Portland, OR 97239
www.emoregon.org
kfinney@emoregon.org
503-221-1054 x204
503-250-0937 cell
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