07057
January 30, 2007

Ecumenical Advocacy Days will attract record number

5th annual Washington event will focus on children’s issues

by Dan Webster
NCC News and Information

WASHINGTON — Nearly 1,300 religious advocates are expected for this year’s Ecumenical Advocacy Days — Mar. 9-12 — in suburban Washington, under the theme, “… and How Are the Children?”

     Nearly 50 religious groups, including the National Council of Churches (NCC), and a wide array of Christian denominations, including the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), are sponsoring this fifth annual gathering of social justice advocates from around the nation.

     The event will include speakers and workshops on eight different areas of concern:  Africa, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Middle East, domestic issues, jubilee & economic justice, environmental justice and global security.

     Experts will inform participants about U.S. domestic and international policies that impact all of God’s children and train them on how to do advocacy. The gathering will conclude with a visit to Capitol Hill where participants will ask their Congressional representatives to make the needs of children the center of the 2007 legislative agenda.

     Marian Wright Edelman and the Rev. Cliff Kirkpatrick are scheduled to preach at the two worship services.  Edelman is founder and president of the Children’s Defense Fund.  Kirkpatrick is the General Assembly stated clerk of the Presbyterian Church (USA).

     A complete schedule and registration information for Ecumenical Advocacy Days are available online.

     “Ecumenical Advocacy Days is a movement of the ecumenical Christian community, and its recognized partners and allies, grounded in biblical witness and our shared traditions of justice, peace and the integrity of creation,” says the group’s mission statement.  “Our goal, through worship, theological reflection and opportunities for learning and witness, is to strengthen our Christian voice and to mobilize for advocacy on a wide variety of U.S. domestic and international policy issues.”