Pastors for Peace Visit Austin, TX on July 17, 2009 for one night …
Community Meeting
Host: Candra Banks 214.673.6647 AustinCaravan@gmail.com
Press contact: sylvia.benini@gmail.com 512.799.5117
What: Pastors for Peace Caravan to Cuba
Who: Rev. Thomas Smith
When: Friday, July 17th at 7:30pm
Where: Resistencia Bookstore, 1801-A South First St. Austin, TX 78704
The traveling caravan of Pastors and assistant citizen volunteers will be speaking at Resistencia Bookstore in Austin, TX on Friday, July 17, @ 730PM.
There will be a short reception after the meeting for those who gather. All
are encouraged to attend, and are welcome to contribute to these efforts by your presence and donations. Needed items include: Financial donations. Donations are tax deductible.
Who:
Rev. Smith will be speaking about the Caravan and on what you can do to
help. He serves as President on the board of the Interreligious Foundation
for Community Organization/Pastors for Peace, and has traveled with Pastors
for Peace to Cuba on several occasions and Chiapas, Mexico. Rev. Smith
will share his important perspective on why we challenge an unjust law that asks us to hate our neighbor.
Why:
Come join us as Pastors for Peace arrives in Austin to speak about the
Caravan to Cuba.
Over 130 Pastors for Peace volunteers from the US, Canada and Europe will challenge the immoral and illegal US blockade and travel restrictions against Cuba at the US – Mexico border on July 22nd.
They expect to collect 100 tons of humanitarian aid during a two-week caravan that will converge in McAllen, Texas before traveling on to Cuba without US treasury department licenses.
They intend to deliver the school buses, construction tools and materials, educational supplies, medicines, and medical supplies gathered in communities throughout the US and Canada.
“As people of faith and conscience, it is our duty to resist and condemn this cruel US policy,” declared Rev. Lucius Walker, Jr., Executive Director and founder of IFCO, a 42-year old ecumenical agency. “IFCO/Pastors for Peace rejects this licensing system as both immoral and illegal.”
“It is immoral because it endangers the lives of millions of Cubans and inflicts suffering on innocent children, as well as adults.”
The ecumenical initiative is a project of IFCO, the Interreligious Foundation for Community Organization, and has delivered more than 2,500 tons of urgently needed assistance to the Cuban people without seeking a US Treasury license.
Please visit the link below to learn more about the caravan.
Bio/ featured speaker Rev. Smith:
Rev. Thomas E. Smith currently serves as the Pastor of the Monumental
Baptist Church of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His duties include the senior
pastoral responsibilities of a three hundred-member congregation. In
addition to pastoral duties of the church, Rev. Smith serves as Executive
Director of the House of David, Chairman of the Center for Family Excellence
and Chairman of Monumental Mission Ministries Inc. Rev. Smith serves on
the boards of the Allegheny County Volunteer Board for Emergency Food and
Shelter and the Metro-Urban Institute.
Rev. Smith also serves as President on the board of the Interreligious
Foundation for Community Organization/Pastors for Peace, and has traveled
with Pastors for Peace to Cuba on several occasions and Chiapas, Mexico. Rev. Smith will share his important perspective on why we challenge an unjust law that asks us to hate our neighbor.
Resistencia Bookstore Austin, TX
www.resistenciabooks.com
512.416.8885
