The Community of Congregations together with The Mansfield Institute for Social Justice of Roosevelt University will bring together a different panel for each of the first two sessions composed of clergy, academics, and local individuals whose expertise or view would round out the panel. There will be a presentation with ample time for participation by the audience.
The intent of the programs is to be a catalyst to community involvement in an unusual process of self-examination. Ours is a community which has pioneered in issues such as diversity and integration. But is too easy to become complacent about our accomplishments. It is easy to throw terms like "social justice" around without much analysis. This collaboration will take place over a three-year or five-year cycle in order to study a different focus each year culminating in a comprehensive report on the state of the community. For additional information: Call (708) 386-8802
This Series is part of the programming provided by the Albert and Anne Mansfield Institute for Social Justice, which was established in 1999 at Roosevelt University through the generosity of the Mansfield Family. The Institute is offering an undergraduate curriculum in social justice studies; it will sponsor research projects on related subjects. The Community of Congregations is a consortium of religious organizations from a wide spectrum of faith communities, serving the greater Oak Park - River Forest community; its ministries include sponsorship or participation in the local food pantry, community blood drives, development of senior resource coordinators, and other volunteer projects. The Community of Congregations is one of the Midwest's oldest interfaith organizations. In the late 1980's it evolved from the Council of Churches into its present form and now welcomes participants from all faith communities. It is devoting its fall and winter meetings to this program. Admission to the series is free to the public. For additional information, call Elliot Zashin, MISJ Coordinator, at (312) 341-3752.
A panel will analyze the concept of social justice from several different perspectives, including religious, philosophical, legal, and historical traditions, and translate it into a set of criteria for assessing the quality of social justice within the community.
Panelists include:
Hosted by Cornerstone United Methodist Church, 171 N. Cuyler Avenue, Oak Park
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The panelists include: Dr. Rebekah Levin, deputy director of the Center for Impact Research in Chicago and an involved resident of Oak Park, Rev. Len Sharber who has a congregation on the Austin border of OP, and Dr. Evan McKenzie, who teaches political science at UIC and is also active in Oak Park as a resident.
They will be discussing different views of social justice and addressing how the community might work to sensitize itself to social justice concerns and build structures and processes to increase the degree of social justice in the community.
Hosted by Parenthesis at Euclid United Methodist Church, 405 S. Euclid, Oak Park.
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This program will be hosted by:
First United Church of Oak Park
848 Lake Street, Oak Park.
Our special guest speaker will be Mary Nelson, the founding president of Bethel New Life, Inc. a church-based community development corporation on Chicao West Side. Ms. Nelson has devoted more than 20 years to building this unusual organization which uses a wholistic, sustainable, community-based approach to tackle problems of affordable housing, employment and training, health and family services and community empowerment.
Ms. Nelson has received many honors for her work and serves on a the boards of a variety of organizations that work on community development. She is associated with the Asset-Based Community Development Institute at Northwestern's Institute for Policy Research.
Ms. Nelson will be speaking on "Social Justice and the Quality of Life in our Communities."
The following individuals, who have participated with the Community of Congregations on this project, have been invited to offer comments following Ms. Nelson's remarks: Dr. Rebekah Levin of the Center for Impact Research, Professor Evan McKenzie (UIC, political science), Rev. Don McCord of Austin Boulevard Christian Church, Rabbi Victor Mirelman of West Suburban Temple in River Forest, Rev. Len Sharber, Sherlynn Reid (civic leader in Oak park), Jim Lewis of the Institute for Metropolitan Affairs at Roosevelt), Professor Leon Stein (Roosevelt, history), and Dan Lauber (attorney, urban planner and local activist).
Host organization/location: First United Church of Oak Park
NB: There will be a $15 charge for dinner. Call (708) 386-8802 to reserve a place.
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The intent of the programs is to catalyze community involvement in an unusual process of self-examination. Oak Park/River Forest as a community has pioneered in issues such as diversity and integration. The Community of Congregations is concerned that the community not become complacent about these accomplishments. The term "social justice" is often used in the media without real analysis. So this is an opportunity for residents to collaborate with experts to define and study social justice in their community. The projected study would take place over a three-year or five-year cycle; each year, a different aspect of the community will be the focus, culminating in a comprehensive report on the state of the community.
Project Consultants:
This program is made possible in part by a grant from the Illinois Humanities Council, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Illinois General Assembly.
The views expressed therein do not necessarily represent those of the Illinois Humanities Council or the National Endowment for the Humanities or the Illinois General Assembly.
For additional information about the Community of Congregations and the program: Call (708) 386-8802 or contact - their website for updates.
Mansfield Institute for Social Justice
Page Rev10/21/2000 5:42:01 PM
A Community Looks At Social Justice Oak Park/River Forest September 21, November 16, 2000 & January 18, 2001This page maintained by Leonard Grossman who maintains a whole collection of websites.