Northern California Interreligious Conference
4335 Virginia Avenue
Oakland, CA 94619
510-536-6700
MEDIA ADVISORY
For Immediate Release
November 10, 2011
Contact:
Jackie Wright,
415 525 0410
MAYOR JEAN QUAN JOINS DR. JAMES A. FORBES AT NCIC ALL FAITHS PASTORS BREAKFAST CONVENED FOR HEALING IN WAKE OF OCCUPY OAKLAND VIOLENCE
Thanksgiving Breakfast Calling All Pastors of All Faiths Together unfolds
to Include Prayers and Release of Doves for Healing in the Aftermath of Occupy Oakland Violence.
WHO: James A. Forbes, “Dean of Clergy,” Founder of Healing of the Nations Church, Senior Minister Emeritus of Riverside Church, built in 1927 by John D. Rockefeller Jr. in 1927; Mayor Jean Quan, Reverend Greggory Brown, Board President of Northern California Interreligious Conference (NCIC), Reverend Phil Lawson, NCIC Board Member, Director of East Bay Housing Organization, Reverend Michael Livingston, Director of the National Council of Churches’ Fighting Poverty With Faith Initiative (National Food Stamp Challenge), Invited: U.S. Congresswoman Barbara Lee (unconfirmed) Pastors of All Faiths, and other invited dignitaries.
WHAT: All Pastors Interreligious Thanksgiving Breakfast to honor the unsung work of pastors and to inspire clergy to initiate healing prayers and action after the violence of Occupy Oakland. Doves will be released to symbolize the heavenward prayers.
WHEN: Friday, November 11th 9:30 a.m. Media can interview from 9:30 a.m.-10:15 a.m. During the Keynote speech (approximately 10:25) and the prayers media are asked to not move around through the audience in respect to sacred activities. Interviews can resume at the end of the breakfast (11:00 a.m.) Pastors will be encouraged to go over to Occupy Oakland after the event.
WHERE: Cathedral of Christ the Light Church, 2121 Harrison Street, Oakland, CA 94612
WHY: All Pastors Interreligious Thanksgiving Breakfast is a call to action for leaders of all faiths to pray and take action for the good of all. The Clergy is part of the 99% of the Occupy Movement. The violence against protestors at Occupy Oakland who were assembled lawfully and who were exercising their “right to freedom of speech” October 25 and with the reported violence overnight have created a sense of urgency for clergy to perform their role to “call for justice and a call for peace.”
During these hard economic times, the clergy are at the forefront of bringing solutions to their neighborhoods. They are among the first to hear the cries of the people concerning food scarcity, foreclosure, and joblessness. NCIC is honored to have the highly respected “Dean of Clergy,” Dr. James A. Forbes Jr. speak to the conscience of clergy. NCIC supports Michael Livingston & the National Council of Churches Fighting Poverty with Faith Initiative that kicked off “Food Stamp Challenge” at Congress last week, encouraging lawmakers to survive on $31.50 a week ($4.50 a day) for food for their families. Congresswoman Barbara Lee took part in the challenge that ends today. Considering the crime statistics, they would be worse, if it were not for clergy 1) inspiring people to do good and 2) helping to rehabilitate those that have been incarcerated.
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Dear Friends,
ReplyDeleteDid you hire a professional with trained white homing pigeons for the "dove release"? If not, if instead you purchased doves from a pet store or white king pigeons from the poultry market and released them, you have done something that is completely counter to the notion of peace. Instead, you have illegally abandoned domestic birds in the wild with no hope of survival. White doves have no homing instinct or survival skills. Same for squab (4 week old white king pigeons bred for meat and sold at poultry markets). PLEASE help to educate your colleagues about the tragic and inhumane results of releasing anything but trained white homing pigeons (which have a good chance of surviving and making it back to their loft). Please visit www.MickaCoo.org to learn more about domestic pigeons and doves and please consider donating in support of these innocent birds that are so poorly treated by many, even the well-intentioned. Thank you!