WISCONSIN FAITH VOICES FOR JUSTICE:
MOVING FROM CHARITY TO JUSTICE
November 27, 2023
“The right to vote is almost sacred. It is the most powerful nonviolent tool we have in a democracy.”
-Rep. John Lewis
Dear Friends,
For those of you celebrating Thanksgiving with your families this past weekend, I hope your homes were filled with joy and laughter. As the world becomes more tumultuous each day, it becomes ever more important for us all to find fellowship in our communities. Some are separated or estranged from their families of origin and I only hope that you found an opportunity for fellowship with a family of your choosing. For many of you, the weekend was also spent shopping for presents and I hope that you enjoyed that time as well. The goal of this appeal is not to provoke guilt for consumption during this time but to remind you that there is also an opportunity to give after this holiday. It is an opportunity for you to bring balance to the celebrations of the season.
With the coming presidential election, I am sure that politics became a point of discussion around many holiday dinner tables. With that in mind, I am going to take this opportunity to outline some of our work on Voting Rights and Civic Engagement. We are not a partisan organization. From our perspective, the most important thing is to ensure a fair and transparent democratic process throughout Wisconsin, so that every vote is counted and every voice is heard.
Wisconsin Faith Voices for Justice partners with the Wisconsin Council of Churches to organize the Wisconsin Interfaith Voter Engagement Campaign (WIVEC). Its purpose is to engage the interfaith community in the democratic process. It is an initiative with numerous activities directed toward increasing involvement in the democratic process.
Two of the most successful WIVEC programs so far have been the Poll Chaplain program and the WIVEC Canvassers program. On election day last year, 25 clergy and faith leaders served as Poll Chaplains for WIVEC. Serving at polling places in Madison, Milwaukee, Wausau, Green Bay, Kenosha, McFarland, and Waukesha, our clergy helped ensure Election Day was peaceful and pleasant for voters and poll workers alike. The project received substantial media coverage. I encourage you to take a look for yourself.
Canvassers from WIVEC worked from last July, for the August primary, through November 6 to #GetOutTheVote for the general election. We had canvassers in Madison, Milwaukee, Racine, and Kenosha, talking to voters, giving out literature, helping voters get registered, making sure they had the right ID, and making sure they knew where their polling places were. With the help of WIVEC canvassers, Wisconsin had one of the highest voter turnouts across the country.
It is our belief that engaging in this work will build increased understanding and stronger ties among different faith communities; increase engagement in the electoral process; and result in a greater understanding by faith communities of the influential role they can play in the public square. Widespread voter engagement is needed to ensure that elected leaders will pay attention to the needs of all their constituents, especially those who are least often listened to, and who have the most at stake in the decisions made by our elected officials.
Please enjoy this holiday season however you choose to spend it. Bring joy to those around you and when Tuesday comes around, after the gatherings and shopping are done, take the time and think about what you can give to make Wisconsin a place where all people can live with dignity and pride.
Giving Tuesday is November 28. Make a plan to give!
Know someone who wants to speak out against injustice in Wisconsin? Invite them to join our network and subscribe to our newsletter. Share this email today!
Wisconsin Faith Voices for Justice | Moving from Charity to Justice
c/o Madison Christian Community
7118 Old Sauk Road
Madison, WI 53717
608-513-7121 wifaithvoices4justice@gmail.com
