It would be an understatement to say that the world is fractured and in need of repair. Global conflicts continue to rage, working people are struggling to make ends meet, and the climate crisis escalates, among other things. People of faith cannot stand idly by against this backdrop of human and ecological needs. We need to enter the political fray and use social values as a guide when working with our neighbors to engage today’s challenges. This weeklong, dialogue-based Program will have two areas of focus. First, we will explore some of the practices and values that can help us become the types of people who can build and flourish in a more just world. We will take a deep dive into key themes of Catholic Social Teaching such as solidarity, hope, the preferential option for the poor and racial justice. In the second part of the program, we will cover some areas of public life that desperately need our citizen engagement such as housing and homelessness, climate policy, militarism, and criminal justice reform. We will introduce some policy areas, but the focus here is on skills: communicating with neighbors, congregations, and legislators; building relationships to effect positive change; and how we can bring a moral voice to the public square.

Resource Person: Dwayne David Paul, MA, is a graduate of Yale University, New Haven, CT in 2011, with a Masters of Arts in Religion, concentration on the Philosophy of Religion. Dwayne is an experienced lecturer and student affairs administrator as well as a regular correspondent for the NCR, see his many articles here. He has developed curriculum and student formation process to compliment international human rights delegation program. Dwayne is the co-founder of Religion in Revolt, a digital platform that aims to develop and promote the liberation work of faith communities. Dwayne was raised in Saint Matthews Catholic Church, a tri-lingual – Haitian Kreyol, Spanish and English – Caribbean and African American community in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn. That community and its interests continues to shape his worldview. He presently lives in Hartford, CT.