Stay engaged: group seeks ‘spirit-filled justice seekers’

By Pat Ruda, FSPA justice and peace promoter

Pat Ruda and Sisters Betty Daugherty, Nancy Hoffman and Joann Gehling add their signatures to Nuns on the Bus during the Tax Justice Truth Tour stop in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. 

Midterm Elections 2018 are behind us. Now what? “Send your elected leaders a note of congratulations; remind them that you’re holding them accountable,” said Simone Campbell, a Sister of Social Service and NETWORK’s executive director, during a Nuns on the Bus tour stop in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in October. 

NETWORK sponsored 54 stops during its Tax Justice Truth Tour, which closed Nov. 2, with a Fiesta for the Common Good (and Final Journey to Mar-a-Lago), hosted in West Palm Beach, Florida. “The tour is about telling the truth about tax law, and the exclusive Mar-a-Lago Club is the icon of this tax policy,” explained Sister Simone. 

Encouraging attendees at every stop to get out and vote on Nov. 6, Sister Simone also stressed the importance of remaining involved post-election. “Speak up and stay engaged; change how we talk about our nation.” In addition to sending your elected leaders a note of congratulations (reminding them what is theirs to do), make sure they are meeting with constituents and not just donors. Be assertive. “Continue telling the stories of America’s broken hearted; let us come back from the brink of hyper-individualism and choose to speak of the needs of the whole community,” said Sister Simone.

NETWORK offers many ways to stay engaged. Members and supporters receive action alerts, participate in policy update webinars and in-district lobby visits. “Each one of these individual actions helps NETWORK to build power and impact federal policy,” according to the organization. And a new program, NETWORK Advocate Teams, will “connect spirit-filled justice seekers within a metropolitan area and equip them to act effectively for social change by rooting them in a network that shares their values and vision for our nation.” 

If you are interested in joining an existing advocates team or starting a new advocates team, contact info@networklobby.org with “Interest in Advocates Team” in the subject line.