Evangelical Lutheran Women Inc.

Evangelical Lutheran Women Inc.

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ELW e-news View Full Story Minimize

Posted: March 03, 2010 | Ruth Magnuson

After years of declining subscriptions and increasing costs of production it was concluded that Esprit is no longer an affordable magazine to produce. ELW e-news The National ELW Board of Directors met this past weekend in Winnipeg. Adding to the excitement of the weekend was the novelty of meeting at the same time as Sacred Place Away--SPA retreat for women. The women from MNO, including one woman who attended from Regina, focused on prayer and meditation through the wisdom of a Spiritual Director. Music and yoga as well as massage and free time allowed participants to contemplate their spiritual journey. At the same time, however, there were some very serious decisions made by the Board of Directors. Esprit will no longer be published after the Fall 2010 issue After years of declining subscriptions and increasing costs of production it was concluded that Esprit is no longer an affordable magazine to produce. The 2010 subscription year will see the end of Esprit. Many valiant efforts have been made over the years by Esprit contact persons and subscribers themselves to promote the sale of the beloved magazine. There is no single reason for its loss. Many factors contribute including: decline of number of subscriptions, costs to produce print resources, a narrow market from which to draw subscribers, electronic communications, economic barriers amongst the target audience as well as global economics. Many organizations producing print publications are experiencing similar difficulties. This decision will have an impact not just on its readership but on the whole of the organization as well. A continued assessment of finances, programs and staffing will be taking place over the next few weeks. Steppin' Out Women's Convention Steppin' Out will be held in May 2011 in Winnipeg at the Fairmont Hotel located in downtown Winnipeg. Registration information will be available this summer. By then, it is hoped that speakers will also be finalised and announced. Please start planning to attend. For fun we will be using the red shoe as a symbol of Steppin' Out and the Red Shoe Banquet will be a highlight! You may want to invest in a pair of red shoes or spray paint a pair! Whichever way you go, bring red shoes! The always popular Jackie Schmitt Leadership Fundraising Synodical competition will be called Fill Your Boots. Plan on holding Fill Your Boots events to raise money for this leadership fund. The Synodical ELW that raises the most money will receive a beautiful trophy (hmmm... an old painted boot?) Your donations can be sent to the ELW office (please do not send boots!). While at the convention the competition between Synodical ELW's will continue to Fill Your Boots until a winner is declared. Organizational Restructuring While the organization restructures itself programmatically, the Board is looking at structural re-organization which includes the drafting of a new Bylaw. Heading towards the Convention this structural renewal process is combining the wishes of the grassroots to be: less structured less dependent on many leadership roles more reflective of the lives of women today ie: busy good stewards of all that God has provided. The draft of the Bylaw was reviewed and has gone back to the lawyer with our input. Ruth Magnuson (see endnote) and Pam Radunsky, N-ELW president, will be travelling to Synodical Board meetings to begin the communication process about the implications of the new structure. The MNO Synodical ELW is laying the groundwork for organizational restructuring by starting to work in new ways. This is not an easy process as every step along the way is being evaluated to figure out what will work best. A summary of the Mindmaps collected by the ELW office from Fall 2009 events was given to the Board. All Synodical ELWs will be using the summaries of the Mindmaps to prepare for upcoming Fall Conference events. ELW Finances The auditor presented the 2009 statements and indicated that there was a reduction of income to Esprit of approximately $30,000. Grace Gifts income was down slightly while expenses are slightly above the income total therefore a slight loss was incurred for administrative costs. The ELCIC received 80% or $80,000 of total Praise Offering income with the remaining 20% to be designated by the Board in consultation with the ELCIC. The total for the year given to CLWR for the Human Rights and Health Project in Chamanculo, Mozambique was $15,746. ELCIC Structural Renewal Task Force A member of the ELCIC Structural Renewal Task Force reported to the Board and discussion time was appreciated by both Allen Francis and the Board members. The Board's special note: The decision to end Esprit was not easy to make. Every person at the meeting felt a heaviness and the mood was sombre after the decision was made. This is a decision that not only affects a magazine people love to read but the way the whole organization will be able to operate. A review of operations and financial realities will help reveal what changes will need to take place to be faithful stewards of time, talents and financial resources. Please pray for the Board and staff who will be looking for affordable options.

Resources and Facebook View Full Story Minimize

Posted: January 08, 2010 | Ruth Vince

ELW e-news January 8, 2010 ELW has resources for you to use. Devotions could be used as discussion starters a book clubs, Church Council meetings. Are you currently participating in The Word Made Flesh (Copr. 2009

Abolition of Slavery View Full Story Minimize

Posted: December 02, 2009 | Ruth Vince

ELW supports the abolition of slavery which inclues the exploitation and trafficking of persons. ELW supports the abolition of slavery which includes the exploitation and trafficking of persons. Does this happen in your area? If you live in Calgary you'll want to take note of the article below. This is not a crime isolated to people overseas or inner cities. Luring of women and girls takes place in our homes, on our computers. Be aware. Be alert. Identify someone in your ELW group to be a "Clipper". The Clipper's assignment is to clip articles from magazines and newspapers that talk about sexual exploitation, slavery, trafficking of persons and post them in a public place to raise awareness. How often is this crime reported in your area? How many articles are collected in one month? What is astounding about these? For some examples of trafficking go to www.slaverymap.ca. Human Trafficking Charges on International Day for the Abolition of Slavery FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 2, 2009 VANCOUVER – Today, two separate human trafficking cases were announced by the Calgary Police Service – the first such charges to be laid in the city since the 2005 offence became law. They are poignant reminders that modern-day slavery exists in Canada on the very day that the world is commemorating the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery. “The diligent work of the Calgary Police Service has exposed allegations of modern-day slavery,” said Benjamin Perrin, a law professor at the University of British Columbia and expert on human trafficking. “Prosecutors need to ensure that these cases are given the full attention that they deserve due to these serious allegations. Unfortunately, our research shows that these are not isolated incidents.” The first case announced by police is believed to be the first in which an undercover officer was able to purchase women. The amount negotiated was $8,000 for two Asian women who were to be sold for sex. The second case involved four females, three of whom were under-aged Canadian girls, who were allegedly lured over social networking sites for commercial sexual exploitation. Tougher Laws against Child Trafficking Needed In September, the House of Commons approved Bill C-268, which would enact tougher penalties for child traffickers with a five-year minimum term of imprisonment. Inadequate sentences in both Ontario and Quebec in 2008 spurred calls for action. In one case, a convicted child trafficker spent just a week in prison upon conviction after receiving 2-for-1 credit for a year of pre-trial custody. Unfortunately, Bill C-268 is currently stalled in the Senate because independent Senator Anne Cools has unilaterally adjourned debate on it. “Senator Anne Cools is stalling critical legislation that was approved overwhelmingly by the House of Commons to ensure that child traffickers are held accountable and victims are protected,” said Professor Perrin. “As a result of her inaction, alleged child traffickers in a Calgary case announced today will benefit from lax sentences that the current law permits. The Senate must take action.” December 2 has been declared by the United Nations as the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery. This year, it is also the 60th anniversary of the adoption by the United Nations of the Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others (resolution 317(IV) of 2 December 1949). Professor Perrin is currently writing a book, tentatively titled Journey of Injustice: Canada's Underground World of Human Trafficking, to be published by Penguin Group (Canada) in October 2010. - 30 - For more information, please contact: Benjamin Perrin Assistant Professor, Faculty of Law University of British Columbia Email: perrin@law.ubc.ca Phone: (778) 928-9327 Website: http://faculty.law.ubc.ca/perrin/ Coverage of the Calgary cases: http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/Arrests+made+police+probe+human+trafficking+rings+running+Calgary/2294439/story.html

Last Chance to Purchase Esprit and Bible Study View Full Story Minimize

Posted: November 13, 2009 |

Have you forgotten to subscribe to Esprit or order your Bible study? We are providing you with one last opportunity to order the 2010 Esprit and Bible study which will be mailed to you together in early December. The cost? $34.00. You have until 2:00 CST, November 17 to send an email to elwinc@elcic.ca. In the subject line write "Order 2010 Esprit + Bible Study". In the text of your email include your name, address, postal code and congregation name. You will be invoiced for your order.

Raising Dignity View Full Story Minimize

Posted: November 10, 2009 | Ruth Vince

ELW has raised issues around abuse for years and is supporting Religions for Peace efforts in raising awareness and encouraging action. Please join even if only by using the following prayer: ELW has raised issues around abuse for years and is supporting Religions for Peace efforts in raising awareness and encouraging action. Please join even if only by using the following prayer: Religions for Peace invites you to join in Interfaith prayer in your place of worship. You may use this prayer, adapt it, or develop your own. As we gather in faith and action to promote a more secure and peaceful world, we pray to challenge ourselves and strengthen our voices, in collaboration with others, to end violence against women. As people of faith, we stand united to affirm our roles in educating, advocating and preventing violence against women and girls. We pray that we may open hearts and minds to support women and girls. We draw our actions from our deeply shared spiritual assets and religious resources of the inviolable dignity of every human person. Where there is challenge or despair, may we hold to hope and inspire vision as we act together for peace to end violence against women. Dear Sisters and Brothers in Faith, Warm good wishes from the Global Women of Faith Network. Your participation in the Restoring Dignity initiative so far has been inspiring. We appreciate your leadership and want to thank you for taking action at www.wcrp.org/initiatives/women/restoring-dignity. Today marks the official launch of Phase II of the UN Secretary-General’s and UNIFEM’s Say NO—UNiTE initiative. The Say NO-UNiTE initiative will count actions by individuals, governments, civil society partners and faith-based partners. Please visit the Relgions for Peace dedicated partner page on the Say NO website: RESTORING DIGNITY-End Violence Against Women and take action by: Adding your signature to the Letter to the UN Secretary-General to strengthen partnerships with faith-based organizations and increase commitments to end violence against women Sign the Interfaith Pledge on Restoring Dignity Join in Interfaith Prayer on Ending Violence Against Women Submit a Poster for the Interfaith Youth Poster Competition. On this webpage, we invite you to create your own resources and actions, update photos from your interfaith event, and even link videos to youtube! And the best part, it’s very easy to use! But if you have any snags, email us at GlobalWomenofFaith@religionsforpeace.org for technical support. TAKE YOUR FIRST ACTION TODAY! Sign the Call to Action to the UN Secretary-General by 23 November 2009. With much appreciation for your leadership and support on this momentous occasion, Ms. Jacqueline Ogega Religions for Peace Director, Women's Mobilization Program P.S. - Please help spread the word! Forward this email to everyone you know—friends, relatives, co-workers, your sisters and brothers in faith—and help RESTORE DIGNITY-End Violence Against Women.

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Human Trafficking View Full Story Minimize

Posted: October 28, 2009 | Ruth Vince

The National ELW Board endorsed human trafficking as an issue of concern and a topic that will receive our focus. For the past year Ruth Vince, ELW executive director, has been participating in conference calls with a Human Trafficking group under the umbrella of the Canadian Council of Churches. November 6-7, 2009 members of this group, including Ruth, will be meeting in Vancouver to give support to those in Vancouver who have been working to raise awareness of human trafficking and the implications of it in regards to the upcoming Olympic games. The group will also be discussing some future work that the CCC might do to raise our collective consciousness on this horrific crime. ELW e-news October 28, 2009 Topic: Human Trafficking The National ELW Board endorsed human trafficking as an issue of concern and a topic that will receive our focus. For the past year Ruth Vince, ELW executive director, has been participating in conference calls with a Human Trafficking group under the umbrella of the Canadian Council of Churches. November 6-7, 2009 members of this group, including Ruth, will be meeting in Vancouver to give support to those in Vancouver who have been working to raise awareness of human trafficking and the implications of it in regards to the upcoming Olympic games. The group will also be discussing some future work that the CCC might do to raise our collective consciousness on this horrific crime. Below are a couple of emails that describe some work being done on the topic. The first is the Lutheran World Federation asking for greater public awareness and the second relates to prostitution (trafficking is one way women are moved into prostitution) and gives a good description of how pimps (and traffickers) work. This is an unusually lengthy e-news--no apologies though! Please read through it all and pray afterwards. LUTHERAN WORLD INFORMATION LWI News online: http://www.lutheranworld.org/News/Welcome.EN.html LWI Council Press Release No. 11/2009 Call for Greater Public Awareness of Forced Labor and Human Trafficking ILO Specialist Says Tighter Law Enforcement Is Required GENEVA, 27 October 2009 (LWI) - Representatives of international and faith-based relief organizations attending the Council of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) emphasized that wide-spread public awareness was necessary in order to tackle the problems of forced labor and human trafficking. "Upholding Human Dignity: Confronting Human Trafficking," is the theme of the 22 to 27 October meeting of the LWF governing body, attended by around 165 participants at Chavannes-de-Bogis near Geneva, Switzerland. Mr Roger Plant, head of the Special Action Programme to Combat Forced Labour at the International Labour Organization ((ILO), called for concrete legislative measures and stricter enforcement of the existing laws of individual countries. He pointed out that despite the great outcry against modern slavery the existing legislative countermeasures were poorly enforced. Criminal law and labor law needed to be brought into line. According to a first ILO report in 2005, an estimated 12.3 million people throughout the world were at the time victims of forced labor, the majority of who (9.4 million) were in Asia. The human trafficking industry alone generates estimated profits of almost USD 32 billion per year. Plant urged churches to use their influence to strengthen awareness in civil society about injustice and to call upon their governments to take appropriate measures. He confined himself to problems involving labor-related exploitation. Numerically, human trafficking of women for sexual exploitation is of greater magnitude, yet it also receives greater public attention. Apart from the more brutal and dramatic instances of human trafficking - for example, when refugees die of asphyxia in freight containers - there were many subtler forms of coercion. According the ILO report "The Cost of Coercion," a growing number of migrant workers were entrapped into slave-like conditions, as labor brokers promising high wages lured these workers from their home countries. Once abroad, they find themselves isolated, vulnerable and helpless, unable to speak the foreign language and heavily indebted. The passport they would need for the trip back home is taken away from them. Employers and legal recruiters work hand in hand in order to deceive workers. Low wages and poor working conditions aside, forced labor is defined by the ILO as "all work or service which is exacted from any person under the menace of any penalty and for which the said person has not offered himself voluntarily." This can also apply to legal work. In the French-speaking part of Switzerland, the relief organization Liberta has opened a hotline for persons seeking help. Of the 118 calls received last year, 31 were cases of human trafficking. Ms Ismaila Faye, head of the organization, reported that a great stir was caused when they identified six cases of sexual exploitation of women who had been brought legally into the country by diplomats. The organization sees as its most urgent task to heighten awareness among the population, in particular among women and migrants, churches and relief organizations, government bodies, media, police and customs authorities. Ms Elena Timofticiuc, project manager for AIDRom (Ecumenical Association of Churches in Romania), highlighted the social consequences of migrant labor in Romania, often involving coercion. Families fall apart, marriages break up, and children are left behind. At least one parent of the 172,000 children attending secondary school is working abroad. According to Timofticiuc, both parents of 35,000 children aged between 10 and 14 years work abroad. Rev. Sonia Skupch of the Evangelical Church of the River Plate, Argentina, and an LWF Council member, presented a documentary film on the topic of sexual exploitation, produced by the Argentinean ecumenical relief organization for refugees and migrants CAREF with support from the LWF. The film's core message is "prostitution is not the oldest profession in the world, but rather, the oldest form of abuse of women." Dr Fulata Lusungu Moyo, program executive for Women in Church and Society at the World Council of Churches, focused on the exploitation of women from a biblical perspective, saying that women's bodies were not a commodity, but God’s likeness. As a result, trafficking of women perverts the biblical and humanitarian value of hospitality into its opposite - it is the host who should afford protection and satisfy the needs of the guest, not vice-versa. LWF General Secretary Rev. Dr Ishmael Noko, in a thought-provoking conclusion, recalled that many high-ranking church leaders, who understood work as a vocation and a blessing, were unaware of the complex reality of slavery and exploitation. Yet, examples of human trafficking could be found even in the Old Testament. He suggested that "this can encourage us to read the Bible with different eyes." (773 words) More information on the 2009 LWF Council meeting is available on the LWF Web site at: www.lutheranworld.org ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/27/us/27runaways.html?hp For Runaways on the Street, Sex Buys Survival IAN URBINA Published: Tuesday, October 27, 2009 at 5:10 a.m. Last Modified: Tuesday, October 27, 2009 at 5:10 a.m. ASHLAND, Ore. — She ran away from her group home in Medford, Ore., and spent weeks sleeping in parks and under bridges. Finally, Nicole Clark, 14 years old, grew so desperate that she accepted a young man’s offer of a place to stay. The price would come later. They had sex, and he soon became her boyfriend. Then one day he threatened to kick her out if she did not have sex with several of his friends in exchange for money. She agreed, fearing she had no choice. “Where was I going to go?” said Nicole, now 17 and living here, just down the Interstate from Medford. That first exchange of money for sex led to a downward spiral of prostitution that lasted for 14 months, until she escaped last year from a pimp who she said often locked her in his garage apartment for months. “I didn’t know the town, and the police would just send me back to the group home,” Nicole said, explaining why she did not cut off the relationship once her first boyfriend became a pimp and why she did not flee prostitution when she had the chance. “I’d also fallen for the guy. I felt trapped in a way I can’t really explain.” Most of the estimated 1.6 million children who run away each year return home within a week. But for those who do not, the desperate struggle to survive often means selling their bodies. Nearly a third of the children who flee or are kicked out of their homes each year engage in sex for food, drugs or a place to stay, according to a variety of studies published in academic and public health journals. But this kind of dangerous barter system can quickly escalate into more formalized prostitution, when money changes hands. And then, child welfare workers and police officials say, it becomes extremely difficult to help runaways escape the streets. Many become more entangled in abusive relationships, and the law begins to view them more as teenage criminals than under-age victims. Estimates of how many children are involved in prostitution vary wildly — ranging from thousands to tens of thousands. More solid numbers do not exist, in part because the Department of Justice has yet to study the matter even though Congress authorized it to do so in 2005 as part of a nationwide study of the illegal commercial sex industry. But many child welfare advocates and officials in government and law enforcement say that while the data is scarce, they believe that the problem of prostituted children has grown, especially as the Internet has made finding clients easier. “It’s definitely worsening,” said Sgt. Kelley O’Connell, a detective who until this year ran the Boston Police Department’s human-trafficking unit, echoing a sentiment conveyed in interviews with law enforcement officials from more than two dozen cities. “Gangs used to sell drugs,” she said. “Now many of them have shifted to selling girls because it’s just as lucrative but far less risky.” Atlanta, which is one of the only cities where local officials have tried to keep data on the problem, has seen the number of teenage prostitutes working in the city grow to 334 in February from 251 in August 2007. The barriers to rescuing these children are steep: state cuts to mental heath services, child welfare agencies incapable of preventing them from running away, a dearth of residential programs where the children can receive counseling. After years of abuse, trauma and neglect, the children also tend to trust no one. The longer they are on the streets, experts say, the more likely they are to become involved in crime and uncooperative with the authorities. “These kids enter prostitution and they literally disappear,” said Bradley Myles, deputy director of the Polaris Project, a nonprofit organization based in Washington that directly serves children involved in prostitution and other trafficking victims. “And in those rare moments that they reappear, it’s in these revolving-door situations where they’re handled by people who have no idea or training in how to help them. So the kids end up right back on the street.” The Flip Interview That revolving door is what an F.B.I. agent, Dan Garrabrant, desperately hoped to stop in Interview Room One at the Atlantic City Police Department on Sept. 5, 2006. Conducting what the police call a “flip” interview, Mr. Garrabrant was trying every tactic he knew to persuade a petite 16-year-old girl named Roxanne L. from Queens, N.Y., to stop being a prostitute and to inform, or flip, on her pimp. Sending the girl home was not the answer. Home was where her mentally ill, crack-addicted mother lived. Home was where the problems had started. But Mr. Garrabrant also knew that she would flee if he sent her to a youth shelter. And with her would go his best chance at prosecuting the real criminal, her pimp. A social worker for six years before joining the F.B.I. almost two decades ago, Mr. Garrabrant has been honored by anti-trafficking experts, prosecutors and the police as one of the best flip interviewers in the country. On this day, however, he was getting nowhere, according to a recording of the interview and his notes. While Roxanne had all the signs of being controlled by a pimp — a tattoo with initials on her neck, a rehearsed script about how she was new to the work — she adamantly denied working for anyone. Mr. Garrabrant had only an hour before the local police would take Roxanne to a shelter. Trying to ease the mood, he started by asking her why she had run away from home. She told him she had been raped by a relative when she was 12 years old. At 14, she left home because her mother’s boyfriend had become abusive. Soon, running out of time, he zeroed in. “What’s the worst part about working the streets?” he asked. “Honestly,” Roxanne said, giving him a cold stare, “having to look at the tricks and tell if they are cops or not.” “So a pimp never approached you and tried to turn you out?” Mr. Garrabrant asked. “Yeah, they tried, but I ran,” she said, maintaining that she was “renegading,” or working without a pimp. Mr. Garrabrant’s task was to get Roxanne to consider leaving her pimp without forcing her to admit she had one. He needed to push hard enough to break her from her rehearsed script, without descending into a frustrating game of wits, a contest in liar’s poker. And he had to do all this at exactly the wrong time and place — at the police station after an arrest for solicitation, when the girl felt most panicked and most angry about being treated like a criminal. “Look, I want to help you,” he said, after several failed attempts to get her to acknowledge her pimp. He told her that he might be able to enter her into a residential program in California that offered counseling and classes to girls leaving prostitution. “Yeah, I know,” she said, as she looked down and pensively picked at her nails. “Give me some time,” Mr. Garrabrant pleaded as he handed her a card and asked her to keep it handy. With no time left, he released Roxanne back to the local police, who took her to the youth shelter. Four hours later, she disappeared. Seventeen days after that, according to the F.B.I, she was found stabbed to death by the pimp she had so adamantly denied existed. In one of her pockets she had Mr. Garrabrant’s card. “Two days, that’s all I needed to get her to stay away from her pimp and I think things would’ve ended up differently,” said Mr. Garrabrant, shaking his head in frustration. “I still don’t understand how these guys loop these girls in so far.” A Dangerous Dependency A runaway’s relationship with a pimp does not occur by accident. It takes work. After using court records to compile a database of over a hundred convicted pimps and where each is incarcerated, The New York Times began interviews more than two years ago. In interviews by phone and in letters, more than two dozen convicted and still incarcerated pimps described the complicated roles they played as father figure, landlord, boss and boyfriend to the girls who worked for them. They said they went after girls with low self-esteem, prior sexual experience and a lack of options. “With the young girls, you promise them heaven, they’ll follow you to hell,” said Harvey Washington, a pimp who began serving a four-year sentence in Arizona in 2005 for pandering a 17-year-old and three adult prostitutes. “It all depends on her being so love-drunk off of me that she will do anything for me.” While most of the pimps said they prefer adult women because teenage runaways involve more legal risks, they added that juveniles fetch higher prices from clients and are far easier to manipulate. Virtually all the juveniles who become involved in prostitution are runaways and become pimp-controlled, according to law enforcement officials and social workers. Built of desperation and fear, the bonds they form with their pimps are difficult to break. Some girls continue working for pimps even after the pimps are incarcerated. “The problem is that there is no methadone for a bad relationship,” said Rachel Lloyd, a former child prostitute and the director of Girls Educational and Mentoring Services, a program in New York that helps girls escape and stay away from prostitution. The pimps view themselves as talent mangers, not exploiters. “My job is to make sure she has what she needs, personal hygiene, get her nails done, take her to buy an outfit, take her out to eat, make her feel wanted,” said another pimp, Antoin Thurman, who was sentenced in 2006 to three years for pandering and related charges in Buckeye, Ariz. “But I keep the money.” Wayne Banks Jr., a pimp serving at least 40 years in Hazelton, W. Va., for the sex trafficking of a minor and related charges, wrote that the girls have to be convinced that the pimp is best equipped to handle their clients and finances. “Seems more despicable to me to give something so valuable away as opposed to selling it,” he wrote, describing his pitch to persuade girls that prostitution was a smart business decision. When recruiting, some pimps said they prowled homeless shelters, bus stations and shopping malls or posed in newspaper advertisements as photographers and talent scouts. Others said they worked Internet chat rooms and phone-sex lines. “I’ll look for a younger female with a backpack,” said Mr. Thurman, describing how he used to drive near schools after hours. “I’m thinking she’s leaving home, she’s leaving for a reason, she had a fight with her parents or she just wants to leave home.” Mr. Banks wrote that he preferred using “finders’ fees”: $100 to anyone who sent a prospect his way. His only condition was that the girl had to be told up front that he was a pimp. Runaways are especially attractive recruits because most are already engaging in survival sex for a place to stay, said Evelyn Diaz, who is serving a nine-year sentence in a federal prison in Connecticut for three counts of sex trafficking of minors. “Some become very loyal to you since you take them under your wing,” she wrote. Controlling girls through beatings or threats was common, but coercion was not an effective basis for a lasting relationship, most pimps emphasized. “Everything about the game is by choice, not by force,” said Bryant Bell, who is serving a four-and-a-half-year sentence in Georgia after pleading guilty in 2002 to helping run a prostitution ring that involved girls as young as 10 years old. For those girls not already engaged in survival sex, the grooming process was gradual and calculated. At first, the sex is consensual. Before long, the girl is asked to turn occasional tricks to help pay bills. “I might start by asking her to help me by sleeping with a friend,” Mr. Washington said in a telephone interview. “Then I push her from there.” A Better System Ten years ago, the Dallas Police Department found an average of fewer than 10 minors working as prostitutes every year, along with one pimp working with them. In 2007, the department found 119 girls involved in prostitution and arrested 44 pimps. The city’s child prostitution problem has grown over time. But the bigger reason for the change is how the department handles the cases, using a special unit and some unusual techniques. Previously, said Sgt. Byron A. Fassett, who leads the department’s effort, girls working as prostitutes were handled as perpetrators rather than sexual assault victims. If a 45-year-old man had sex with a 14-year-old girl and no money changed hands, she was likely to get counseling and he was likely to get jail time for statutory rape, Sergeant Fassett said. If the same man left $80 on the table after having sex with her, she would probably be locked up for prostitution and he would probably go home with a fine as a john. The department’s flip interviews almost always failed, and even if they worked, there was no place to put the girls to receive treatment. Officers resisted investigating what they viewed as a nuisance, not a crime. Prosecutors regularly refused the cases against pimps because the girls made for shaky witnesses and unsympathetic plaintiffs. Frustrated with this system, Sergeant Fassett started combing through old case files, looking for patterns. One stuck out: 80 percent of the prostituted children the department had handled had run away from home at least four or more times a year. “It dawned on me, if you want to effectively deal with teen prostitutes, you need to look for repeat runaways,” he said. In 2005, Sergeant Fassett created the “High Risk Victim” unit in the Dallas Police Department, which flags any juvenile in the city who runs away from home four or more times in a given year. About 200 juveniles per year fit that description. If one of those children is picked up by the police anywhere in the country, the child is directed back to Sergeant Fassett’s unit, which immediately begins investigating the juvenile’s background. The unit’s strength is timing. If the girls are arrested for prostitution, they are at their least cooperative. So the unit instead targets them for such minor offenses as truancy or picks them up as high-risk victims, speaking to them when their guard is down. Only later, as trust builds, do officers and social workers move into discussions of prostitution. Repeat runaways are not put in juvenile detention but in a special city shelter for up to a month, receiving counseling. Three quarters of the girls who get treatment do not return to prostitution. The results of the Dallas system are clear: in the past five years, the Dallas County district attorney’s office has on average indicted and convicted or won guilty pleas from over 90 percent of the pimps arrested. In virtually all of those cases, the children involved in the prostitution testified against their pimps, according to the prosecutor’s office. Over half of those convictions started as cases involving girls who were picked up by the police not for prostitution but simply as repeat runaways. In 2007, Congress nearly approved a proposal to spend more than $55 million for cities to create pilot programs across the country modeled on the Dallas system. But after a dispute with President George W. Bush over the larger federal budget, the plan was dropped and Congress never appropriated the money.

Lutheran World Federation View Full Story Minimize

Posted: October 28, 2009 | Ruth Vince

Women Challenged to Insist on Gender Justice for a Sustainable Community First LWF Pre-Assembly in Anticipation of Stuttgart in 2010 ELW e-news October 28, 2009 Below is an a brief from the Lutheran World Federation, Women's Pre-Assembly gathering. Margaret Sadler, Edmonton, is in attendance. LUTHERAN WORLD INFORMATION LWI News online: http://www.lutheranworld.org/News/Welcome.EN.html Women Challenged to Insist on Gender Justice for a Sustainable Community First LWF Pre-Assembly in Anticipation of Stuttgart in 2010 GENEVA, 28 October 2009 (LWI) - An international gathering of women from across the Lutheran communion today kicked off the first Pre-Assembly in a series of seven that will precede the July 2010 LWF Eleventh Assembly, to be held in Stuttgart, Germany. Referring to the Eleventh Assembly theme, "Give Us Today Our Daily Bread," which will guide deliberations at the Women's Pre Assembly (WPA), Mr Jaap Schep, acting director of the LWF Department for Mission and Development (DMD) called upon women to prepare a strong contribution on gender perspectives to issues that are on the assembly's agenda. Schep expressed his hope that the pre-assembly participants "will not be overwhelmed by the many negative trends in global food production." He urged them "to create a strong call for this world to become a sustainable community that must" include gender justice. "Is it not for the same reason that some 2 billion women around the world wake up much earlier than anyone else to prepare for the necessities of the day?" Schep asked participants, linking women's role in providing bread and the WPA as the first pre-assembly. Participants in the 27- 31 October pre-assembly include 34 women representatives from LWF member churches in the Federation's seven regions. The event takes place at Bogis-Bossey, near Geneva, Switzerland. The acting DMD director urged the WPA participants to use the opportunity of coming together "to make a strong contribution to the process of preparing yourselves for the Assembly of our communion." "The prevailing gender inequality is also clearly present in the context of our daily bread," said Schep, citing what he had witnessed during DMD-related visits to projects of LWF member churches. "I see in many regions women working on preparation of the daily food ... and men usually talking with other men ... . I have seen food being distributed unequally. And I have seen women, especially mothers, taking the least [portions]," he said. During the opening worship, women were invited to speak out their names, and to share bread and bowls from their regions, as well as words and ideas that were inscribed on a patch work cloth. The women also remembered fellow delegates from Cameroon, India and Nigeria who had been invited to take part in the meeting, but did not receive visas. Deliberations at the four-day international meeting include issues of women and power, women's participation in decision making and women and justice. The participants will also have the opportunity to get acquainted with the LWF Assembly rules and procedures. The DMD desk for Women in Church and Society has organized the WPA. Five regional pre-assemblies will take place in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean and North America, as well as an international Youth conference, organized by the respective DMD desks. (482 words) More information on the Pre-Assemblies is available under the "Journey" section of the LWF Assembly Web site at: www.lwf-assembly.org * * * (The LWF is a global communion of Christian churches in the Lutheran tradition. Founded in 1947 in Lund, Sweden, the LWF currently has 140 member churches in 79 countries all over the world, with a total membership of 68.94 million. The LWF acts on behalf of its member churches in areas of common interest such as ecumenical and interfaith relations, theology, humanitarian assistance, human rights, communication, and the various aspects of mission and development work. Its secretariat is located in Geneva, Switzerland.) [Lutheran World Information (LWI) is the LWF's information service. Unless specifically noted, material presented does not represent positions or opinions of the LWF or of its various units. Where the dateline of an article contains the notation (LWI), the material may be freely reproduced with acknowledgment.]

ELW e-news View Full Story Minimize

Posted: October 02, 2009 |

The National ELW Board of Directors met September 18-20 in Winnipeg. Several decisions were made that now start the course towards significant renewal for the organization. ELW e-news September 24, 2009 The National ELW Board of Directors met September 18-20 in Winnipeg. Several decisions were made that now start the course towards significant renewal for the organization. New Structure A proposal for a new governance structure was reviewed and was well received. It includes such things as Synodical Program Committees rather that the current ELW boards. The structure gives support to the event-based model of programming that was introduced at the March 2009 Board meeting. It also responds to requests by the membership to reduce leadership/executive positions while maintaining an effective democratic control structure. Given the positive response to this restructuring proposal work will begin with a lawyer to redefine the structure. Special Convention As a step in this new direction, a bold decision was made to call a special ELW Convention to be held in the Spring of 2011 in Winnipeg. This decision was made in an effort to make the changes needed so that ELW can continue to be an effective and efficient organization. Many changes are naturally being made by its membership and often the leadership hears, " We are already doing it that way." The Board's decision to hold this convention a year earlier than originally planned is to respond to the desire to make changes for the benefit of the whole organization. This will be an extravaganza you will want to attend. People are still talking about Be Not Afraid in Calgary 2008. Start planning so that you can attend the event in 2011 either as a delegate or visitor. MNO Pilot Project To begin the process of change, the MNO Synodical ELW has been chosen to begin modelling its programming and financial processes. This will start in 2010. The MNO Board meets this weekend to begin the communication process. Melissa Ulrich, MNO president, is excited about leading the Synodical ELW into a new way of operating, helping to 'work out the bugs' and developing systems that will eventually be used across the country. Humour and patience will be required by all those in MNO as a new path is defined! Other Business In other business there was an endorsement of human trafficking as a significant issue for our world today. The ELW website has some information and links to other organizations active on the subject. It also endorsed the Religions for Peace North American Women's Network as an association worth noting. For more information see http://www.wcrp.org/initiatives/women/northamerica. Irene Churchill is the representative on the Women's Inter-Church Council where she serves as treasurer. Thank you to Irene for her involvement in this organization. The Board also passed the 2010 budget which depends on subscriptions to Esprit and the Bible study. If you haven't subscribed yet, do it today by going to http://www.elw.ca/Order.aspx. Each Board member went home exhausted by the discussion of the weekend yet excited by the possibilities the future holds. We ask for your prayers as these decisions are made with a great deal of hope and faith and discerning of God's will.

National ELW Board Highlights View Full Story Minimize

Posted: March 26, 2009 | Ruth Vince

National ELW Board meeting makes some changes with regards to: Esprit and the Bible study Mission Statement Event based structure Board Goals At the March 19-22, 2009 meeting of the National ELW board decisions were made providing some hopeful revitalization to the organization. Throughout the decision making process the board acknowledged the joy of former ways of operating and at the same time knew it needed to make bold decisions to be relevant to today’s operating realities. Those realities include fiscal responsibility and program development that meets the needs and interest of a diverse demographic of women. The following are the decisions that will slightly alter the course of ELW. 1. Esprit and the Bible study The 2010 Esprit will be published solely as a magazine. The Bible study will be published as a separate 9-session volume. This decision was made for several reasons. a. There are people who love the magazine for the articles. b. There are people who just want to do Bible study. c. There are increased opportunities to market both better if they are separated as they both serve separate functions. There will be opportunities to link Esprit articles with the Bible study, create discussion articles, link with an increasingly interactive website and encourage gatherings of women who will use all these resource options. Although the distribution method for the Bible study is not fully determined at this time, it is hoped that it will be sent with the first mailing of the 2010 Esprit in December 2009. In this way, the majority of people who want the Bible study and the magazine will indicate such on the subscription renewal sent out in August. There will be some price adjustments to reflect costs more accurately. It is hoped that people will embrace and support this radical change. As the kinks are worked out efforts are being made to move forward being faithful to our mission and as good stewards of the organizational and personal resources available. 2. ELW is a Christ-centered community committed to nurturing faith and spiritual strength to enable us to be people of God in mission. The above is the ELW mission statement. The word ‘women’ has been removed to be inclusive. However, the mandate remains that this is a women’s organization programming primarily for women. 3. Event based organizational structure Being committed to its mission, ELW will place emphasis on its gatherings of women at events that will be diverse in the type, style and content. Using the current structure of gathering (Conference Spring Conventions/Fall Leadership events and congregational events) different kinds of events will be phased in over the next few years that will not conform to the same structure. Perhaps this seems confusing at this time however it will become clearer as we begin to unveil the vision, consult with leadership across the country and begin implementing the ideas. 4. Board Goals to be monitored until 2012 a. To increase revenue to achieve a balanced budget by 2011. b. To implement a communication strategy. c. To develop structures and processes to support an event-based organizational model. 5. Financial Gifts from ELW to ELCIC and CLWR The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada received $100,000 Praise Offering for 2008. This gift is used for the overall mission and ministry of the ELCIC which covers all areas from stewardship to global mission. Don’t forget to use the 2009 Praise Offering Service that highlights the five pillars of the ELCIC in a sermon written by National Bishop Susan Johnson. ELW contributed just over $13,000 to the Human Rights and Health Project, Chamanculo, Mozambique. Canadian Lutheran World Relief is a partner in this project that has been realizing positive changes in the lives of the residents of the slum. People living with or affected by HIV/AIDS receive counseling and care while others receive small business training and leadership development. We give thanks for all those who work out of the Lutheran World Federation office in Maputo, Mozambique to care for the people in Chamanculo.

Beloved Exhibition View Full Story Minimize

Posted: November 14, 2008 | Ruth Vince

You are invited to attend the Beloved Project exhibit on Saturday, December 6, 2008, 1pm-3pm at the ELCIC offices, 302-393 Portage Ave., Winnipeg MB Through exploration, discernment and disclosure, the Beloved Project examines the many messages that surround us about our well-being. Come experience a presentation of our selves, our souls and our bodies. For more information contact Ruth Vince, 204.984.9163 or rvince@elcic.ca

Esprit Subscriptions, resources and other items View Full Story Minimize

Posted: November 19, 2008 | Ruth Vince

Esprit

It is not too late! You can still subscribe to Esprit for 2009. Articles will focus on particular justice issues as well as the stories and poems that lift one's spiritual journey. Also included in the magazine is the Bible study, Cords of Hope written by David Kaiser. ELW e-news

Esprit subscriptions, resources and other items To order:http://www.elw.ca, P:204.984.9160 Esprit

It is not too late! You can still subscribe to Esprit for 2009. Articles will focus on particular justice issues as well as the stories and poems that lift one's spiritual journey. Also included in the magazine is the Bible study, Cords of Hope written by David Kaiser. Cords of Hope

This nine-session volume explores the connection between the believer and God, a connection that is both offered from God as well as the response of the believer who accesses the connection. Hope in the context of God's word is identifiable. It is tangible. It can be known.

No Place Like Home
What is your congregation doing about homelessness? Start by addressing attitudes that prevent us from seeing the people on the curbs.
Order No Place Like Home and be creative with its many possible uses. Send us information on how you have used the resource so that we can share your experiences with others.

What's Enough?
Still talking about money in the church? Consider using What's Enough? to help facilitate your congregational discussions.

Leather keychains, coin purses and ring/jewellery boxes
These bright items make great small gifts for any person on your Christmas list. By purchasing these items you support fair trade, the Bangladesh artisans who made them and ELW. They are available from the ELW office or through Four Corner's Alternative Trade.

FREE On-line Resources (visit www.elw.ca to download your copy)

Devotions
New devotions are now available on the website. These short devotions written by David Saude focus on Hope and Intimacy and are designed for personal or group contemplation.

Advent/Christmas Resources
Need an Advent program? Preparing for the Advent of Advent, written by Irene Adams includes a script for five actors. It take a playful approach to the age-old question, "How do we slow down so as not to miss Advent in the rush up the Christmas?

Esprit Magazine Takes Home Six Wins at the 2008 Canadian Church Press Awards! View Full Story Minimize

Posted: May 06, 2008 |

The quarterly publication of Evangelical Lutheran Women Inc. made an impressive showing at the annual awards ceremony for Canadian religious publications held May 2, 2008 in Cambridge Ontario.

Each year Canadian Church Press hands out awards in some thirty-one categories to church publications of all shapes and sizes. The publications vary from denominational newsletters to specialized magazines.

In determining winners in each category no distinctions are made based on budgets or circulation.

For small publications like Esprit to win therefore, is a noteworthy accomplishment. The following six 2008 winners bring the total number of awards won by Esprit over the past sixteen years to twenty.

1. Ollie Miller, "Holy Darkness," Winter---3rd place, Poetry

2. Elvira Wiebe, "The River is Too Deep," Winter--- 2nd place, Personal Experience

3. Bramwell Ryan, "Katie Reynolds:Loving Thy Neighbour One Person at a Time, "Spring---1st place, Black & White Photo

4. Catherine Pate, "Not a Spoonful of Sugar," Spring--2nd place, Editorial

5. Sharon Betcher, "Sanctuary," Fall--2nd place, Theological Reflection (Devotional/Inspirational)

6. Esprit magazine--2nd place, General Excellence (Specialized Magazine)

Congratulations to the authors, photographers, designers and the whole team behind the publication who work hard to make Esprit the quality magazine that it is! And, thank you to Catherine Pate, editor, for her expertise in pulling it all together!

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National ELW Board Meeting Highlights View Full Story Minimize

Posted: April 23, 2008 | Ruth Vince, Executive Director

The National ELW Board met March 27-30, 2008 in Calgary Alberta. The National ELW Board met March 27-30, 2008 in Calgary Alberta. The following are highlights from that meeting.

Be Not Afraid Women's Convention: Planning is well under way for Be Not Afraid, the sixth quadrennial convention of ELW®. Features of this event include many learning opportunities ranging from "Taking a Carbon Sabbath," a conversation with a person from Mozambique, discovering more about restorative justice and even line dancing (We will be in Calgary during the Stampede so put on those boots and hat and start dancing!)

Our keynote speaker Kelly Fryer will be addressing the participants on several occasions. We will be making art and music together as well as taking time out for quiet prayer and meditation.

Visit www.elw.ca for more convention information. This event is open to anyone interested in attending. Bring a friend!

Financial Update: The National ELW Board recognizes and give thanks for some extra special contributions that significantly helped the organization in 2007. The BC and Eastern Synodical ELWs sent in funds over their budgeted amounts. Global Hunger and Development Appeal provided $2000 towards theNo Place Like Home resource and theWhat's Enough? resource was developed in partnership with Lutheran Planned Giving. There was an increase of funds coming from Conference ELWs and individuals who directed financial gifts directly to the national office. Without these extra gifts and supports there would have been a significant deficit.

The Esprit Sustaining Supporter program had the most subscribers ever in 2007. People who enjoy reading Esprit become a Sustaining Supporter by sending in a contribution of $60 or more. First time supporters receive a pendant which has been ordered by ELW through CLWR Four Corners Alternative Trade program. Thank you to the 2007 Sustaining Supporters. Without your support, Esprit magazine would not have met its budget in 2007. Become a Sustaining Supporter by visiting www.elw.ca/Sustaining_Supporter.aspx

This is all very good news. However, it is important to note that the budget is developed on the basis of pledged amounts by Synodical ELWs. Unfortunately, the actual income from those budgeted amounts is not enough to meet the increasing demand of expenses. There is still no money for creative programming or development of new programs. All the special contributions and partnerships mentioned above are those unexpected presents that bring a sigh of relief. It is impossible though, to predict them when the budget is developed.

ELW was again able to provide the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada with $100,000 from its Praise Offering directed funds. Another $16,000 was designated to special projects which will be announced at a later date.

What is God Calling us to do? To Be? Update: The National Board still struggles with how the organization can continue to operate from a financial and programmatic perspective. It was challenged with defining a 2009 budget that can be presented to the convention delegates. The goal is to be honest about what is possible in order to meet the needs of both a new demographic group as well as long-time supporter expectations. After reviewing some possibilities Executive Director, Ruth Vince was charged with drafting another budget option that expresses the conversation at this board meeting.The goal is to develop a budget and mission discussion document that Congregational ELWs and convention delegates can consider prior to the convention. In this way, it is hoped that there will be some understanding of why certain changes will need to be implemented if we are to be open to where God is leading us.

It is expected that there will be changes in terms of staffing and how Esprit and the Bible study are produced and distributed. There was also discussion about an alternative income structure.

Disbanding ELWs and Associates: A few ELWs disbanded over the past six months. We thank the women in these congregations who have given so much of themselves over the years in their ministry within ELW and in the church.

Several Associates were recognized. Associates are women who attend an ELW group at a church that is not their regular worshipping community. An Associate is eligible for leadership and delegate opportunities.

ELW®: The acronym 'ELW' is a registered trademark. In Canada, it is not to be used to refer to anything but the organization Evangelical Lutheran Women. If you see it being used in your church to refer to Evangelical Lutheran Worship, kindly inform those producing newsletters, bulletins, etc to refer to the worship hymnal by using the full name "Evangelical Lutheran Worship" or "Worship"or "W." Thank you.

Churchwide Homelessness Initiative launched within the ELCIC View Full Story Minimize

Posted: April 23, 2008 |

ELW applauds the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada and the Anglican Church of Canada for encouraging action on poverty and homelessness. ELW e-news March 4, 2007 ELW applauds the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada and the Anglican Church of Canada for encouraging action on poverty and homelessness. In 2007 ELW launched a resource called No Place Like Home which challenges participants to examine personal attitudes towards the homeless. It encourages discussion on the many faces of homelessness and the many causes of this social illness. In the No Place Like Home program, participants are called to prayer and worship as well. Cost: $35.00.

The following DVD and video are also available to groups who would like to know more about homelessness and poverty before writing letters or visiting MPs.

No Quick Fix (DVD) Young director Andree Cazabon draws on her own street experience to craft this powerful film. She accompanies two mothers, Marjolaine and Pierrette, who are consumed with anxiety and guilt and overwhelmed by their battle to find and save their children. No Quick Fix reveals the confusion and despair of parents who find themselves up against the frightening addictions of their children, just as Cazabon's parents were once tormented by their daughter's choices. ( Please note: This DVD takes viewers into the raw reality of life on the street. It contains scenes that are difficult to view and may for some evoke painful emotions.)

I Never Thought I would be Homeless (video) Many homeless are not visible on the streets. They may be staying with friends, acquaintances, or relatives for a brief period as "couch surfers" and can be living in situations that are not suitable for a family. As they struggle with providing for their family day to day, they are also trying to find a place to call "their family home". This video portrays the life situations of three women who, through marital breakdown or illness, find themselves under pressure to find safe, decent, affordable family housing in Edmonton.

Video/DVD borrowing includes a postage and handling fee.

For any of these resources contact the ELW office: 204.984.9160 or elwinc@elcic.ca

You are invited to attend Be Not Afraid Women's Convention in Calgary, July 10-13, 2008. Come, gather for worship, inspiration, dialogue and fun!

Check out the newly designed ELW website, www.elw.ca, for more information on what is going on in ELW!

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ELW Continues Search for Viable Path to Long-term Sustainability View Full Story Minimize

Posted: April 23, 2008 | Ruth Vince

Finding ways for the ELCIC's Evangelical Lutheran Women (ELW) to, "continue to support an office which in turn supports the tremendous ELW ministries taking place in congregations across Canada" is paramount to the future of the ELW, says Ruth Vince, executive director, ELW. Finding ways for the ELCIC's Evangelical Lutheran Women (ELW) to, "continue to support an office which in turn supports the tremendous ELW ministries taking place in congregations across Canada" is paramount to the future of ELW, says Ruth Vince, executive director, ELW.

The National ELW has been in a redevelopment process for the last couple of years; recommendations from the process are expected to be presented to the National ELW Board when it meets in March 2008.

Using surveys, focus groups and conversations with key stakeholders, ELW has been seeking to develop an understanding of the current landscape within the organization.

A strategic planning professional was brought in on-contract to assist with the assessment of the information collected and more recently an advisory group consisting of ELW National Board members, ELW staff and ELCIC National Church Council members, including the ELCIC National Bishop and national staff members met to begin discussing the findings.

The redevelopment process has been crucial to identifying viable ways to continue the operation of ELW.

Income levels have not been matching expenses over the last couple of years and in order to continue operating through 2008, significant measures were implemented. Included in the cuts were the reduction of office hours and staff salaries, along with cuts to programs and travel.

Vince notes that further cuts are likely a reality for the 2009 budget.

The advisory committee will continue to work towards its goal of bringing a recommendation forward to the March 15-18 National ELW Board meeting. At that time the board will explore whether convention delegates will need to vote on any redevelopment issues.

All Congregational-ELW groups will be informed in April if major decisions will be presented at the July National ELW Convention so that discussion can take place prior to it being voted on.

In a recent letter to Vince and Betty St. Onge, ELW President, ELCIC National Bishop Susan Johnson praised the work of St. Onge and Vince, as well as the board and staff of ELW.

Bishop Johnson noted with appreciation the ongoing partnership in ministry provided by the ELW and their role in nurturing faith, developing leadership and supporting the work of the church through ELW Praise Offerings.

The ELW was incorporated in 1986 when the ELCIC was formed and is a national non-profit organization of the ELCIC. ELW is self-supported through direct offerings called Grace Gifts. Individuals who attend ELW events are encouraged to support ELW in the form of free-will offerings. Donations to Grace Gifts and other ELW directed funds are also received through ELW's national office.

ELW Gets Behind Homelessness Letter Writing Campaign View Full Story Minimize

Posted: January 23, 2008 | Ruth Vince

ELW joins the members in the BC Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada in a letter-writing campaign directed at the Federal Government. The United Nations recently gave Canada a failing report card on its affordable and adequete housing for low-income people. As part of its commitment to provide education on this systemic issue ELW recently joined with members of the BC Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada in promoting a letter-writing campaign directed at the Federal Government.

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