Spring Semester 2010

SPRING SEMESTER COURSES

Mondays 2 – 4 P.M. E 360 Gospel of Paul: Poverty & Spirituality

Mondays 6 – 9 P.M. CS 320 Poverty and Poor People’s Movements – Social Analysis and Ethical Reflection

JANUARY

Thursday 7th, Evening with Rev. Jesse Jackson

Wednesday 14th –  Friday 22nd, Poverty Initiative Immersion Course New York City and Beyond

Saturday 16th, United Workers Justice Theater Conference, Baltimore, MD

Sunday 17th, NE Pennsylvania Organizing Center, MLK Day Celebration, Wilkes-Barre PA

Monday 18th, Philadelphia Student Union MLK Day Call to Witness and Action, Philadelphia, PA

Sunday 24th, Willie Baptist at Penn State Behrend, Erie, PA

Sunday 31st, St. Michael's Episcopal Church

FEBRUARY

Monday 1st, 2010 Poverty Scholars Program Media and Communications Planning Meeting, Rutgers University, New Brunswick NJ

Monday 1st, Presentation at Grace Episcopal Church

Wednesday 3rd, UTS Remembering Haiti Chapel Service

Sunday 7th, Advent Lutheran Church Virtual Wall Street Tour

Monday 8th, (12 – 12:30 p.m.) Poverty Initiative Chapel: Lessons from 2010 Immersion

Wednesday 10th, (4 – 6 p.m.) “The Church and Cesar Chavez – What Price Servanthood?”

Monday 15th – Tuesday 16th, Union Board of Trustees

Thursday 25th – Sunday 28th, Sam King in NY with Poverty Initiative

MARCH

Monday 1st, Columbia University Urban Planning History and Theory Class, Willie Baptist Guest Speaker

Friday 12th 8 p.m., Picture the Homeless with Rev. Billy, Harlem Worship, St. Mary's Church

Sunday 14th 11 a.m., Domestic Workers United Justice for Pat Rallly!

Thursday 18th, Picture the Homeless, Potter's Field Memorial Service, Hart's Island

Thursday 18th, CIW 14th Street NYC Rally at Trader Joe's

Saturday 20th - Sunday 21st, Left Forum, Poverty Initiative panelists

Saturday 27th –  Sunday 28th, Penn State Erie, Ithaca College & Justicia Global (from the Dominican Republic) NY Immersion Trip

APRIL

Thursday 8th - Sunday 11th, Poverty Scholars Program Strategic Dialogues on Media & Communications and Religious Strategy

Saturday 9th, 7pm, PUBLIC EVENT: Poverty Scholars Program Hosts Talk By Journalist and Public Intellectual Chris Hedges

Friday 16th - Sunday 18th, Farmworker Freedom March Coalition of Immokalee Workers, Tampa FL

Thursday 22nd, "Dignity Overdue: Standing Together for the Domestic Workers Bill of Rights" A Town Hall Meeting

MAY

May 1 - June 30 Poverty Initiative Fund Drive!

May 1 - International Workers Rights Day with United Workers - Maryland, Vermont Workers Center - Vermont, ROC-NY/Domestic Workers United/Picture the Homeless Immigrant Rights Rally, New York City

May 13 - Community Organizing Residency (COR) Interviews

May 14 - Micah Institute Living Wage Campaign Training

May 17-21 - Resilience and Unemployment conference, University of Salzburg, Austria

May 19 - Picture the Homeless "Homes Not Shelters" Rally

May 21 - Union Graduation

May 31 - June 3 Poverty Initiative Staff Retreat

JUNE

June 1 - Philadelphia Student Union 15th Anniversary Celebration

June 8 - Domestic Workers United Day of Action in Albany

June 11 - 18 WV Immersion Trip with First Baptist Church of Greater Des Moines

June 22 - 26 US Social Forum, Detroit Michigan

June 25 - July 12 MST Brazil visit NYC

July 29 - August 1 COR Opening Training

Past Events:

Fall 2009 Semester

September

September 4, 2009

UTS Orientation: Introduction to the Poverty Initiative and Bible Study - 9:00 am- 12:00pm

September 10, 2009
"Moral Obligation To End Poverty" Event with Peter Singer, author of The Life You Can Save: Acting Now to End World Poverty. Co-sponsored by UTS, PI and Oxfam NY 

September  11, 2009  
PI Staff Day-Long Orientation

September 20, 2009
Riverside Bible Study: Women’s Theology

October

October 8-9, 2009
Union Days on The Church and Sex (PI will present a workshop)

October 13, 2009
Eco-Justice Event Co-sponsored by the Church and Society program and the Poverty Initiative (6:00 pm at Union, Social Hall)     

October 21, 2009
Seven Sisters Seminar in Stamford, CT on poverty in the US,
Featuring Poverty Initiative staff-person Onleilove Alston as panelist

October 22-24, 2009
Human Rights in the USA Conference, University of Connecticut

October 22, 2009
UN Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing Town Hall at Union

October 23-24, 2009
Buddhist Retreat for Social Activists with John Makransky
Co-sponsored by Paul Knitter

October 23-24, 2009

UN Special Rapporteur on Housing and Homelessness visits to NY and Wilkes-Barre, PA

October 27, 2009
Christianity In The Cities Course – Tour of Wall Street (led by the Poverty Initiative) (4 pm)

November

 November 5, 2009
'Report from the Frontlines of the Economic Crisis' and Reception (4 pm)

November 5-8, 2009
AAR Meeting in Montreal (Poverty Initiative will offer several presentations)

November 6-8, 2009
Poverty Scholars Program Next Steps Gathering at Union

November 8, 2009
Trinity Church: Discovery Ministry for Continuing Education Presentation

November 13, 2009
SU190 –  One Day Seminar: Ending Poverty: MLK and the Poor People’s Campaign

November 13, 2009
Documentary film The End of Poverty? NY premiere at the Village East Cinema

November 18, 2009
Educational on “Shackdwellers Movement in South Africa”

December

 December 7-13, 2009
United Workers Fair Food Solidarity Tour with Coalition of Immokalee Workers

2008-2009

Summer 2009

July 7, 2009   
Little Portion Friary Visit to the Poverty Initiative

July 21, 2009 
Cabrini College Visit to the Poverty Initiative

August 9-15, 2009
Poverty Scholars Program Leadership School in Charleston, WV

August 20, 2009
An Evening with the Shackdwellers Movement of South Africa - 7:30 pm

August 28, 2009
UTS Orientation: Screen on the Green showing "The Great Debaters" -   8:00 pm

Spring Semester

Willie Baptist and Jan Rehman teach CS 310 “Poverty – Social Theories – Alternative Models?”
Mondays 6-9pm

February

February 10, 2009
Poverty Initiative Members Lobby Visit to Albany with Domestic Workers United

February 16, 2009
Poverty Initiative Chapel Service, James Chapel, Union Theological Seminary

February 21, 2009
Poverty Initiative Members Visit Poor Voices United, Atlantic City, NJ  

February 23, 2009
Union Chapel Talk on Poverty Initiative February 16th Worship Service

February 27, 2009
Poverty Initiative Hosts Ohio Disciples of Christ Youth on New York visit and workshop

March

March 18, 2009
Willie Baptist guest lectures at Cabrini College, Radnor, PA

March 19, 2009
Poverty Initiative Presentation at Scarsdale Community Baptist Church

Picture the Homeless Housing Action

March 21, 2009
Scotland Poverty Truth Commission

March 26 – 29, 2009
Poverty Scholars Program Strategic Dialogue Gathering #3

March 28, 2009
NESRI (National Economic and Social Rights Initiative) National Campaign to Restore Housing Rights
Congressional Hearing, Los Angeles, CA

March 29, 2009
Member Jessica Chadwick's ordination, Scarsdale Community Baptist Church, Scarsdale, NY

April

April 2, 2009
Open Bible Study with the Poverty Initiative: Mark 11:1-11

April 5, 2009
United Workers Justice Sunday, Baltimore, MD

April 8, 2009
Domestic Workers United visit UTS professor Barbara Lundblad's Preaching for Social Transformation Class.

April 14, 2009
Domestic Workers United visit Union Theological Seminary for an information session.

April 15, 2009 

April 16, 2009
Alix Webb (Poverty Initiative) and Jeff Mansfield (Restaurant Opportunity Center of NY) host a table during UTS community lunch to talk with students interested in field education at these sites.

April 17, 2009
Poverty Initiative Gathers with Union Alumni, Local Poor People's Organizations, Local Pastors and Oberlin College to discuss the local affects and response to the current economic crisis.
First Congregational Church, Lorain, Ohio

April 18, 2009
Left Forum panel “Religious Communities, Social Justice Campaigns, and Poor People’s Movements”
Willie Baptist, Jan Rehman, Charlene Sinclair, New York, NY

United Workers B’more Fair and Human Rights Zone Protest, Baltimore, Maryland

April 24, 2009
One Day Course: “Struggles of the Poor: A Global Movement” SU190
Union Theological Seminary

April 26-29, 2009
Sojourners Mobilization to End Poverty, Washington, D.C.

April 27 – May 1, 2009
Domestic Workers United Week of Action

April 28, 2009 
Domestic Workers United Albany Day

May

May 3, 2009
Riverside Church, Beloved Communities Initiative, Poverty Initiative presentation on January Haiti Enrichment Program and Poverty Initiative programs

May 8, 2009
Willie Baptist speaks with NY Faith and Justice

May 14, 2009
Who's Barrio? Showing and Schomburg Collective

May 22, 2009
173rd Commencement

June

June 4, 2009
HARLEM COMMUNITY DINNER HONORING THE LEGACY OF DOMESTIC WORKERS

 Join domestic workers, faith leaders, legislators and the Harlem community for a dinner to recognize and honor the many women in our families who have done domestic work and supported New York communities through the generations. Bring photos, stories and memories of the domestic workers in your family tree.
7:00pm - 9:00 pm. FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. St. Philips Episcopal Church, Harlem, NY
204 W. 134th St. @ 7th Ave. - Take the B Train to 135th Street. RSVP - priscilla@domesticworkersunited.org or (212) 481-5747

June 7, 2009
 Celebration of Marilyn Clement, Director of HealthCare-NOW. Judson Memorial Church

June 8, 2009
DOMESTIC WORKERS SPEAK TRUTH TO POWER IN ALBANY

Join domestic workers for a day of culture, testimony, truth-telling, legislative visits, a rally and march at a critical time in the legislative session. Buses Leaving 6:30 am from Union Square Barnes and Nobles - North side of the park. Returning by 8:00 pm the same day. Take the N/R/4/5/6/L to Union Square. RSVP - aijendwu@gmail.com, or (212) 481-5747

June 10-13, 2009
Poverty Initative staff and community leaders prepare for August Leadership School in Charleston, WV

June 11, 2009
First Baptist Church, Des Moines, IA Jessica Chadwick and Youth Group visit

June 12-13, 2009
24-HOUR VIGIL FOR THE DOMESTIC WORKERS BILL OF RIGHTS

Many domestic workers, particularly live-in workers, work around the clock without rest. We're asking all New Yorkers who support domestic workers rights, to stand together for 24 hours straight in a symbolic show of support for the passage of the Domestic Workers Bill of Rights - so that domestic workers can receive overtime, job security, basic respect and recognition.
8:00 am - 8:00 am. City Hall - across from 250 Broadway. Take the N/R to City Hall, or the 4/5/6 to Brooklyn Bridge
RSVP, and sign up for a shift, aijendwu@gmail.com, or (212) 481-5747.

June 14, 2009
NY CHILDREN AND FAMILIES MARCH for DOMESTIC WORKERS RIGHTS

Bring your entire family, community and congregations to this Sunday afternoon, after-church, "march for peace and justice in the home" to show how many people of faith support and are connected to domestic workers. With children leading the march, many generations will march together with one common message and theme.  Let's send a strong message to the NY State Legislature and the Governor that we won't stop until they honor, respect and protect the work that makes all other work possible in New York.
1:00 pm - 4:00 pm. City Hall - across from 250 Broadway. Take the N/R to City Hall, or the 4/5/6 to Brooklyn Bridge
RSVP, particularly with groups to joycedwu@gmail.com or (212) 481-5747.

June 15, 2009
National Domestic Workers Alliance Regional Congress Public Forum - WOMEN AND WORK

Join domestic worker organizers, feminist scholars, activists, legislators, and other allies to raise awareness on how to extend protections to all working women. Featuring a video presentation of women leaders from across the country who are raising their voices to support the work being done on behalf of domestic workers in this country. Video includes appearances by:
Jennifer Baumgardner, activist and author; the Guerilla Girls, artists and activists;
Maria Hinojosa ‘84, Senior Correspondent of NOW on PBS and NPR’s Latino USA anchor;
Katha Pollitt, author and The Nation columnist;
Amy Richards ‘92, activist and author;
Gloria Steinem, activist and Ms. Magazine co-founder;
Jessica Valenti, Feministing.com founder.
7:00 - 9:00 pm. Julius Held Auditorium. 304 Barnard Hall, Barnard College - Barnard Center for Research on Women
3009 Broadway New York, NY 10027

June 27th - July 10th
Poverty Initiative office is CLOSED for Summer Break!

August

August 9 – 15, 2009
Poverty Scholars Program Leadership School, Charleston, WV

Back to Top

2007-2008

April 17, 2008
Jesus People Against Pollution, founder Charlotte Keyes
Evangelist Charlotte Keyes presented the shocking story of environmental violence and injustice in her community and talked about her organization's commitment to fight for justice.

April 4-5, 2008
New Testament and Empire Conference

March 27, 2008
"Living Broke in Boom Times" film screening and discussion
The hidden story of poor people organizing in America, this action filled documentary spans the 1990s and includes current commentary from activists who were involved in the organizing, and are now drawing lessons from that period.

March 31, 2008
One-Breasted Woman Poetry Reading by Susan Deborah King
In her third collection of poems, Susan Deborah King bears witness to a soul’s transformation in the wake of a breast cancer diagnosis and subsequent mastectomy.

February 19-22, 2008
World Religions & Poverty Symposium

January 14-22, 2008
MLK Poor People’s Campaign 40th Anniversary Immersion Trip to Mississippi and Tennessee

January 4 –12, 2008
Train the Trainers Appalachia Immersion

December 4, 2007
Arts & Culture Event in commemoration of Martin Luther King, Jr. launching the Poor People’s Campaign in 1968

October 11-12, 2007
Bonhoeffer Lecture Series featuring a Poverty Truth Commission

Back to Top

2006-2007

April 12-14, 2007
Poverty Truth Commission
A public event that included workshops, documentary screenings, art exhibits, worship services, and music around the feature--a Truth Commission where individuals from around the country testified on violations of their economic human rights that are and have been a direct result of living in poverty in the United States. Commissioners from many backgrounds, including the academic, political, and religious realms, bore witness to these stories of injustice. more information

January 4-14, 2007
Immersion Experience in Appalachia
This hands-on and experience-based course explored the reality of poverty in Appalachia and across the United States and offered tools for overcoming and eliminating poverty.

Wednesday, December 6, 2006
Awarding of the Union Medal to Ophelia Dahl and Paul Famer
The Seminary's highest award was given to these pioneering global health activists. Prior to the medal ceremony the Poverty Initiative hosted a working session with Dr. Farmer and Ms. Dahl.

Tuesday, Novmber 7, 2006
An Evening With Tracy Kidder
A reading from and discussion of Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, the Man Who Would Cure the World with Pulitzer Prize winning author Tracy Kidder.

October 24 and 26, 2006
Fosdick Convocation Workshops
The Poverty Initiative sponsored two workshops, "Street Preaching" on Tuesday Oct. 24, and "Ending Poverty" on Thursday Oct. 26, at the 5th Fosdick Convocation held at the Riverside Church in New York City.

Friday, October 20, 2006 (9am - 5pm)
Ending Poverty: New Concepts and Skills in Community Organizing
Workshop led by Union’s Scholar-In-Residence, Willie Baptist and Poverty Initiative instigator Liz Theoharis.

Friday, October 13, 2006
"Do This in Memory of Me": the Story of Picture the Homeless in New York’s Potter’s Field
Prof. Hal Taussig, Picture the Homeless, and the Poverty Initiative presented this forum as part of the 2006 Union Days with Marcus Borg.

Monday, October 2 - Friday, October 6, 2006
Martin Johnstone from the Church of Scotland
The Poverty Initiative hosted Martin Johnstone from the Church of Scotland and discussed the predicament of the poverty in Scotland, including issues of deindustrialization, the plight of the poor, and the rise of pentacostalism.

Wednesday, September 14, 2006
Chapel Service led by Poverty Initiative

 Back to Top