Since July, torrential rains in Pakistan have caused flooding that washed out roads, homes and tracts of land, leaving millions destitute. Catholic Relief Services has a strong presence in Pakistan and is working, along with other charity organizations, to provide relief, but resources are scarce and the scale of the catastrophe is enormous.

Please consider making a donation to CRS in support of their efforts to comfort those in the midst of this natural disaster. Click the TAKE ACTION button to be directed to their donation page.

Currently in our national conversations on policy we are experiencing a great degree of inflammatory language.   It is language which exaggerates differences and hardens positions and language which is provocative in nature and uses violent imagery at times.

For this reason Franciscan Action Network offers some principles for public conversation based on the life of Francis and our Franciscan traditions. Our purpose in proposing these principles is to be mindful of a Franciscan way to promote policy reform and to demonstrate peace in an ongoing process of transformation.

Join our efforts and make the F.R.A.N.C.I.S. Commitment to Civility in Discourse and contact your candidates for federal office, inviting them  to partake in our commitment to change the tone of discourse in the upcoming elections.

Make the commitment and help us transform our conversations in the spirit of St.Francis and St. Clare!

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(Note: Taking action below will constitute your agreement for Franciscan Action Network to enter your name into our electronic mailing list, so that you can receive occasional email updates from us. You may always unsubscribe from these mailings easily and permanently if you wish. In compliance with our privacy policy, we will never sell, trade, rent, or share your personal information with any other organization or individual. It will only be used by us to contact you.)

Near the end of March 2009, a bill was introduced in Congress to facilitate documentation for immigrant youth who are undocumented through no fault of their own. The Development Relief and Education of Alien Minors (DREAM) Act. This Bill was introduced both in the Senate by Richard Durbin (D-Ill) and in the House by Howard Berman (D-CA).
It encourages young immigrants to aspire to higher education or military service. It gives residency status to young people--primarily of high school or college age--who have been in the country for at least 5 years. They would therefore qualify for state-sponsored tuition rates, grants and loans, facilitating for them the possibility of higher education and participation in our nation's economy at this critical time. 

As Franciscans, we support immigration policy that is compassionate, comprehensive, just, and promotes the common good.  Many members of our communities, congregations, and orders minister directly with immigrant families. 

As a nation of immigrants, we believe that immigrants contribute to our well-being through their skills, talents, hard work, and values.  Those who would benefit from the DREAM Act are talented, intelligent, and dedicated young persons who know only the United States as their home.  The DREAM Act represents a practical, fair, and compassionate solution for thousands of young persons in our nation who simply want to reach their God-given potential and contribute to the well-being of our nation.

Although FAN remains committed to the wider goal of comprehensive immigration reform (CIR), the DREAM Act represents a significant step in the right direction. There are indications that the act may be voted on in the present Congress.

FAN members are urged, in conjunction with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' Justice for Immigrants (JFI), to contact your Congressional Representative and Senators to support the DREAM Act.

Click below to TAKE ACTION.

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(Note: Taking action below will constitute your agreement for Franciscan Action Network to enter your name into our electronic mailing list, so that you can receive occasional email updates from us. You may always unsubscribe from these mailings easily and permanently if you wish. In compliance with our privacy policy, we will never sell, trade, rent, or share your personal information with any other organization or individual. It will only be used by us to contact you.)

Simplicity, gratitude, and reverence characterized Francis and Clare’s humble enjoyment of the created goods which support and enrich human life. The communities and persons who seek to imitate their example are called to relate to Creation with those same values in mind. Household energy use accounts for more than one-fifth of U.S. carbon emissions, which is almost twice the amount of emissions produced by passenger cars. The knowledge that basic efficiency improvements can reduce energy waste and greenhouse gas emissions in most American homes by 20% to 40% calls Franciscans and Franciscan-hearted persons to support better stewardship of energy resources.

Franciscans also value the dignity of all workers, including those whose skills could improve energy efficiency. Construction and manufacturing workers have suffered particularly during the economic recession.

Legislation that would assist efforts to reduce energy waste and lead to an estimated 168,000 construction and manufacturing jobs has passed the U.S. House of Representatives. Please contact your Senators  and ask them to support the HOME STAR bill (S. 3177).

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(Note: Taking action below will constitute your agreement for Franciscan Action Network to enter your name into our electronic mailing list, so that you can receive occasional email updates from us. You may always unsubscribe from these mailings easily and permanently if you wish. In compliance with our privacy policy, we will never sell, trade, rent, or share your personal information with any other organization or individual. It will only be used by us to contact you.)

On March 19-22, 2010, more than 700 Christians are gathering in Washington, DC at Ecumenical Advocacy Days to prepare to visit their members of Congress and call for humane and comprehensive immigration reform. They also will be joining with tens of thousands on Sunday, March 21st to rally for immigration reform. All of this activity culminates on Monday, March 22nd when people of faith will speak in solidarity for humane and comprehensive immigration reform.

Franciscans are an active part of these events, as would be expected, given our tradition of being in community with persons who are marginalized like our immigrant sisters and brothers.

You too can be a part of this effort by amplifying all of our voices for justice. Please call your members of Congress on Monday, March 22, 2010 and add your voice to this cry for a transformed world.

As always, please keep our immigrant brothers and sisters and all who minister to them in your prayers.

The U.S. Senate is presently debating health care reform and is coming to consensus but significant points of debate remain.  There is still time for Franciscan values to be part of this important effort. As the Bill is being scored by the Congressional Budget Office, there are a number of unknowns. The extent of the law on public funding of abortion in the compromise is unknown, and the provisions to reduce the total cost of health care are also unknown.
 
FAN looks for the Senate to support policy that contributes to the common good by creating accessible health care for everybody, reducing cost, caring for life, and securing health care insurance for those who are sick and poor. Franciscans and Franciscan Hearted People must share the parameters that we, as people of faith, support in Health Care Reform.

Through this action alert, Franciscan and Franciscan-hearted must share the parameters that we as people of faith would like to see in Health Care Reform.

Please write your Senators and urge her/him to support health and life.

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(Note: Taking action will constitute your agreement for Franciscan Action Network to enter your name into our electronic mailing list, so that you can receive occasional email updates from us. You may always unsubscribe from these mailings easily and permanently if you wish. In compliance with our privacy policy, we will never sell, trade, rent, or share your personal information with any other organization or individual. It will only be used by us to contact you.)

The U.S. Senate is presently debating health care reform and is coming to consensus but significant points of debate remain.  There is still time for Franciscan values to be part of this important effort. As the Bill is being scored by the Congressional Budget Office, there are a number of unknowns. The extent of the law on public funding of abortion in the compromise is unknown, and the provisions to reduce the total cost of health care are also unknown.

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(Note: Taking action will constitute your agreement for Franciscan Action Network to enter your name into our electronic mailing list, so that you can receive occasional email updates from us. You may always unsubscribe from these mailings easily and permanently if you wish. In compliance with our privacy policy, we will never sell, trade, rent, or share your personal information with any other organization or individual. It will only be used by us to contact you.)