IDF News and Updates

The Illinois Disciples Foundation (IDF) recently held its Annual Fall Dinner, our biggest event of the year, on Saturday, November 5th. Over seventy-five community members, students, activists and friends of the IDF came out to this event to enjoy an all-vegan Indian buffet, anti-war speakers, and the raffle.

After dinner, Jen Tayabji, the Executive Director of IDF, introduced our keynote speakers, Paul and Patricia Vogel. They are active members of Military Families Speak Out (MFSO), a national organization of over 3000 military families who are seeking an immediate withdrawal of our troops, the proper care of our wounded and a full accounting for this disaster. The Vogels have been speaking out against the war since their son Aaron was deployed to Iraq in April 2003.

In November 2003, Paul traveled to Baqubah, Iraq, through the help of the American Friends Service Committee, to visit his son. He was able to meet many local Iraqis, from families with a daughter in the Baghdad orchestra, to religious leaders who worked with local NGOs. Paul also met with other soldiers in Aaron's unit during his visit and heard of the suffering and sense of betrayal these soldiers felt. The fear and anger the Iraqi people also felt was very apparent even then. Their son returned safely in April 2004, but four soldiers in his unit were not as lucky.

In December 2004 Paul petitioned the Governor of Illinois to join only 5 other states in honoring the soldiers from our state who have been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, by lowering the US and State flags to half staff on the day of the funeral for that soldier. The Governor issued a proclamation to that effect in February 2005. In March 2005 Pat was one of six people arrested by the Chicago police during a protest march to mark the second anniversary of the Iraq war. Most recently, Pat joined Cindy Sheehan in Crawford, TX to demand an answer from President Bush about what our soldiers were dying for.

In their talk entitled, “We’re the Problem, Not the Solution: Out of Iraq NOW,” the Vogels spoke of their personal experiences of having a loved one serve in Iraq, on speaking out as a military family, current local and national anti-war legislation, and what we can do to get the immediate withdrawal of our troops from Iraq.

The final event of the evening was a raffle with a number of great prizes from all of Urbana-Champaign. Non-profit organizations and student groups donated merchandise from their campaigns, including t-shirts, buttons and bumper stickers. Local merchants also generously donated some great gift certificates and products from their businesses. Our grand prizes were very exciting! Circles’ Boutique offered a gift certificate of $100 for the second prize. The grand prize was an ink drawing of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. We would like to thank Old Vic Art Gallery and Victor Gallo himself for donating a piece that really reflects the peace with justice Mission of the IDF.

In all, the event was a great success that brought together the community to really think about anti-war organizing while enjoying dinner, and of course, each other’s company.

The IDF would like to thank the following organizations and businesses for donating gifts for our raffle: Old Vic Art Gallery, Circles, Dandelion, G-Mart, Krannert Center, Moonstruck, Retro Rocket, and the Walnut St. Tea Company, Cafe Luna, Caffe Paradiso, Dandelion, The Dragon’s Table, The Great Impasta, Jane Addams, Radio Maria, Red Herring, Strawberry Fields, World Harvest, Campus Greens, Champaign County Health Care Consumers (CCHCC), Graduate Employees’ Organization (GEO), Illinois Disciples Foundation, National Organization for Women (UI Chapter), Progressive Resource/Action Cooperative (PRC), and the Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW).

The IDF would also like to thank the following cosponsors: Activist Forum, Anti-War Anti-Racism Effort (AWARE), Campus Greens, Champaign County Health Care Consumers, Channing-Murray Foundation, National Organization of Women (UI Chapter), Progressive Resource/Action Cooperative (PRC), U-C Friends Meeting, Vietnam Veterans Against the War.

Each spring, the IDF holds an annual Human Rights Films Series. Last spring, our films series was so successful we decided to begin holding additional Fall Human Rights Film Series.

We kicked off the film series with Champaign-Urbana’s Premiere Screening of the documentary Howard Zinn: You Can’t be Neutral on a Moving Train. Featuring interviews with Zinn himself as well as by many of his contemporaries and fellow activists like Alice Walker and Noam Chomsky, You Can’t Neutral… does a great job at detailing the life and times of the renowned writer of A People’s History of the United States. The screening was a huge success, packing our large first floor Wisegarver Room with students and CU residents alike. Jeff Machota, a lifetime activist involved in both community and nationwide campaigns, facilitated a rich discussion in which most of the 80-member audience stayed to participate. This was our most successful film screening in the history of the Human Rights Film Series.

Our second film, The Revolution Will Not Be Televised gives an exclusive look at the 48-hour coup in which Venezuelan President and folk hero, Cesar Chavez, lost and regained power. Kim Bartley and Donnacha O’Brien, the film’s directors, were in the presidential palace to witness, with cameras, the events that brought the charismatic hero back to power. The facilitator, Bob Naiman, formerly of the Center for Economic and Policy Research, is a member of the IDF Board, a graduate student in Economics here at the University and has a long history of working around Venezuelan issues. His experience and expertise in this field allowed him to lead a fruitful discussion of the film’s contents and issues facing Venezuela today and during the 2002 coup.

Lost Boys of Sudan, our third film, takes a look at the struggles and triumphs young Sudanese refugees face when moving to the United States. The entire film is told in their own words as the boys look for and work at low wage jobs, try to get an education, manage their first apartments and acclimate to Western culture in the poor neighborhoods of some Midwestern Cities. All who attended could agree that these boys were not so different from American’s their age in interests and concerns, but they seemed to face a gulf of difference when interacting with Americans their own age.

Finally, the IDF presented an encore screening of Operation: Veteran Freedom, an independent documentary made by a veteran of the Persian Gulf Conflict about the three-day meeting and formation of the National Iraq Veterans Against the War in Fort Bragg, NC in March 2005. Veterans and their families, as well as anti-war activists working in solidarity, came out to discuss the issues facing soldiers in active duty and as they return to domestic life in the U.S. This film looks at the personal stories of veterans dealing with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and soldiers who were taking loans out from the bank to buy the armor they needed to protect themselves while fighting for the United States in Iraq. The soldiers questioned U.S. involvement in Iraq as well its commitment to the soldiers sent to risk their lives. Jen Tayabji, IDF Director and anti-war activist, facilitated a short discussion on what local residents can do to truly “Support Our Troops” by bringing them home now and providing the support they deserve.

In all, the series was a great success with strong co-sponsorship, great turnout and thought-provoking discussions. The IDF would like to thank those who attended, our facilitators and our cosponsors, including: Activist Forum, Amnesty International #124, Anti-War Anti-Racism Effort (AWARE), Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), La Casa Cultural Latina, McKinley Foundation, Progressive Resource/Action Cooperative (PRC), School for Designing a Society, Socialist Forum, South Asian Collective, Together Encouraging the Appreciation for Multiculturalism (TEAM), U-C Friends Meeting, University YMCA, and the Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW) for their support.

On April 22nd, the Illinois Disciples Foundation held its 100th Anniversary Benefit Show at Nargile in downtown Champaign. The rock show celebrated IDF’s 100 years of peace with social justice work in Champaign-Urbana. Three great bands, the Decals, the Weakdaze and The Frame got the crowd excited before local heroes JigGsaw, featuring IDF-staff member Mark Kenny, took the stage and played their crowd-pleasing mix of rock and pop. Throughout the evening, over 150 people came out to celebrate the IDF’s anniversary and social justice mission. The IDF would like to thank all of the bands and the owners of Nargile as well as the crowd for supporting us and making such an event a great success!

Everyday at the Illinois Disciples Foundation we are struggling to discern our role as a peace with justice organization in the little known tradition of left-wing, Anabaptist Christianity. It is a struggle which was brought to the IDF and made a central part of our mission due to the legacy of one man, our Campus Minister Emeritus, James B. Holiman. The struggle for discernment, to see how best one can serve the mission of working for peace with justice within the framework of American Empire, has also been Jim’s personal struggle for much of his life. He brought that sensibility to the IDF and helped direct our work in that spirit for the 37 years he served as the Campus Minister of the IDF. That tradition continues to guide the IDF today. Although Jim has been retired for five years now, we always keep that mission a priority in our work.

On April 19th, we all had a chance to be reminded of that legacy and of the personal struggle that brought it about when Jim shared his experiences and recollections with us in an Activist Forum Presentation entitled, “Deep Memories and Uprising Hope.” The purpose of the Activist Forum Speaker Series is to allow life-long activists the opportunity to share their experiences in the struggle for justice with others and to inspire new generations of activists with their stories. Past Activist Forum speakers have included Esther Patt of the Champaign-Urbana Tenant Union, Barry Romo of Vietnam Veterans Against the War, Kathy Sims of the Center for Women in Transition, and Rev. Dan Dale.

When planning our spring events for this year, our 100th anniversary year, we knew that we wanted to have an especially exceptional and appropriate speaker for the Activist Forum; of course there was no better choice than Jim. Beginning in 1963 Jim helped lead the IDF’s social justice work into new directions: civil rights, work against the war in Vietnam, providing local services to low income people who lived in the neighborhood which lead to the creation of what would become the Common Ground Food Cooperative, Latin American solidarity work and the Sanctuary Movement, and the movement against the first Gulf War and the racist mascot at the UI, “Chief Illiniwek.” But Jim’s story started well before 1963, and for many of us who know the history of Jim’s time at the IDF, it was the stories he shared of his formative years which were the most fascinating. Many of us who have know Jim for years, heard many stories we had never heard before about the early experiences which lead him to commit himself to struggling for peace with justice. It was a memorable night for all, new friends and old who came out, and we all hope to hear more of Jim’s story again in the near future!

On Saturday, April 16th, the Illinois Disciples Foundation (IDF) and the Progressive Resource/Action Cooperative jointly held “Veterans Speak Out: An Anti-War Speakers Panel.” Over 25 people came out to this free event despite it being one of the first nice days of the Spring!

The event showcased three speakers: Bill Davis, Meg Miner and Ray Parrish. Bill Davis is one of the national coordinators of Vietnam Veterans Against the War, an organization dedicated to fighting for peace, justice, and the rights of all veterans. Davis is also the president of Auto Mechanics Union Local 701. He served in the US Air Force during the Vietnam War era. Meg Miner is retired from the US Air Force and served during the first Gulf War. She currently works as a librarian in central Illinois and is very active in the community, working on various social justice issues. Ray Parrish is the military counselor for the Vietnam Veterans Against the War’s Military Counseling Service. He is a former US Air Force Sergeant and served during the Vietnam War era.

At the beginning of the event, each panelist spoke for 15-20 minutes about anti-war issues that have affected them personally or that they have worked around. This was followed by a lively and constructive discussion.

The event was cosponsored by: 85% Coalition, Activist Forum, Anti-War Anti-Racism Effort (AWARE), El Centro por los Trabajadores, School for Designing A Society, Socialist Forum, St. Jude Catholic Worker House, St. Patrick’s Social Action Committee, UC Friends Meeting, and the Vietnam Veterans Against the War. The IDF and PRC would like to thank the panelists, the event cosponsors, and everyone who made the event a success!

This spring, the IDF held its third annual Human Rights Films Series. Each film yielded a spirited discussion facilitated by community members with knowledge and experience around the issues each film explored.

We kicked off the film series with a screening of “Soldiers Pay.” By David O. Russell, the man who directed “Three Kings” a fictional account of soldiers’ lives in Iraq, “Soldier’s Pay” takes a closer look at the current war in Iraq and at the lives being affected by the ongoing occupation and insurgency. Joe Miller, a national coordinator of Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW) as well as a Professor of Political Science here at the University of Illinois facilitated the subsequent discussion about the current anti-war movement and its importance to our troops. With the insurgency raging on in Iraq and the casualty list growing on an almost daily basis, “Soldiers Pay” compelled its audience to rethink the anti-war movement in terms of those who are paying the real price of the war---Iraqi civilians and American Troops.

Our second film, “Plan Colombia: Cashing In On The Drug War Failure” looks at another ceaseless war that America has been engaged in for nearly twenty years, the War on Drugs. “Plan Colombia” examines the failure of the Drug War as more drugs come into the country now than ever before. This documentary depicts a country whose riches don’t lie solely in drugs, but in a vibrant culture and a lush countryside, rich in natural resources. “Plan Colombia” takes a closer look at how the ‘war on drugs is devastating this landscape and the people who live there by destroying farms, contaminating ground water and engaging in warfare. The film begs the question, “To what purpose?” Then we find out that Colombia has one of the largest oil supplies in South America, second only to Venezuela. Can the drug war be a tool to access this country’s rich natural resources or a genuine effort to stop the flow of drugs from the South America into the U.S. Claire Szoke from the Channing-Murray Foundation facilitated a discussion of the U.S. drug policy and the devastation that it has caused in a number of Latin American countries.

Most remarkable about the film series is that, though the films range in release dates from 2004 all the way back to 1993, each film touched on issues that are as relevant now as they were when the films were released. Take “Ballot Measure 9” for instance. Though it covers a referendum placed on Oregon’s Ballot in 1992 to limit the rights of gays and lesbians in the state of Oregon, the Christian Conservative movement is using much of the same rhetoric and many of the same tactics as they were over a decade ago. It gives human rights activists pause to consider just what battles have been won and what we can do to overcome the current tactics of the Christian Right’s attack on the civil rights of LGBT people across the nation.

Also in headlines these days is the issue of energy as gas prices soar and we begin to discuss what our energy alternatives are. “End of Suburbia,” addresses the issue of oil’s peak and decline and how it will affect our high-energy lifestyle. The film featured interviews with experts in energy, the environment, and urban planning to demonstrate that we are only about a decade away from an energy crisis. The film advocates a form of urban planning known as New Urbanism that allows residents to work, shop and live in energy efficient “walkable” communities. To supplement the discussion, facilitator David Ruzic, a professor who teaches an “Introduction to Energy Sources” class at the U of I, led a discussion about the pros and cons of various energy alternatives.

The last documentary of the Film Series, “Brothers and Others” could not be more relevant today. In the wake of the tragedy of 9/11 and the Iraq War, Americans are frightened at the possibility of future terrorist attacks and the Bush administration has capitalized on that fear to seek a second term in the Presidency. Through the Homeland Security department and the Patriot act, we may have more “security” but at what at cost? And to whom? All Americans should be frightened for their civil liberties but Muslim Americans have paid the largest price. “Brothers and Others” looks at how this event affected the personal lives and identities of this large population of Americans, but how it affected them financially and politically as well. IDF Executive Director Jen Tayabji led the subsequent discussion.

In all, the Human Rights Film Series was a huge success. We filled to capacity for nearly every screening and those who came out brought interesting opinions and perspectives to share, which led to rich and sometimes heated discussions. We would like to thank the facilitators, the participants and the Common Ground Food Co-op for providing snacks.

On Sunday, April 3rd, 2005, the Illinois Disciples Foundation organized and hosted “Acoustic Loving: A Benefit for the Center for Women in Transition.” In a comfortable and intimate living-room-atmosphere at the IDF, the local bands Shipwreck, Kate Hathaway, The Elanors, Mike Ingram together with Kayla Brown, and Larry Gates of Lorenzo Goetz stripped down their music to acoustic guitars and offered a wide variety of sounds from folk to blues to rock ‘n’ roll. About 40-50 people came out to enjoy the music and show their support for the Center for Women in Transition (CWT), which provides support services and safe transitional housing to homeless women and their children to foster and sustain their self-sufficiency. The IDF would like to thank the bands and all those who attended in helping us raise money for CWT!

“All too often fundraising events can mean long speeches and rubber chicken dinners,” explained Mike Doyle, Executive Director of Community Shares of Illinois. “We wanted to do something different. Having a delicious meal with family and friends is something we all cherish. With Share a Meal with Community Shares, you can not only have a wonderful meal with people you enjoy, but you are supporting non-profit organizations serving your community at the same time.”

The 2nd annual Share a Meal with Community Shares event was held at restaurants across Illinois on Tuesday March 8, 2005. Sponsored by Community Shares of Illinois, a non-profit organization representing more than 70 charities including the Illinois Disciples Foundation, this year’s event more than doubled the number of participating restaurants from its inaugural year in 2004.

Eighteen restaurants, including eleven in the Chicago area and seven more in downstate Illinois, agreed to donate 30% of their sales during the Share a Meal event to Community Shares of Illinois and its member organizations. Community Shares started the event last year, seeing it as a perfect opportunity for family and friends to get together and have a great meal while giving back to the community, all in one sitting. After the events overwhelming success in it’s first year, with each restaurant raising on average $1000 for Community Shares of Illinois, Community Shares members decided to expand the event for this year.

“We are very proud to be a part of this important event, and to lend our services to Community Shares,” said Ina Pinkney of Ina’s in Chicago. “This gives us the perfect opportunity to give back to our community by doing what we do best, serving great meals.”

In addition to the restaurants committing to donate 30% of their proceeds from the evening, diners also had the option to direct a portion of the proceeds from their bill to the IDF or any of the charities that are members of Community Shares of Illinois, with a pledge card that was provided to each diner at all restaurants. Undesignated pledges are distributed amongst all Community Shares members.

The Restaurants that participated this year were:
Champaign-Urbana: Kennedy's, Milo's and Silvercreek
Bloomington-Normal: Crazy Planet Kitchen
Chicago/Loop - 312 Chicago, Atwood Café, Cyrano's Bistro, Ina's, and South Water Kitchen
Chicago/North - Ann Sather, Artemio's Restaurant, Gulliver's, Heartland Cafe, Rudy's Taste
Chicago/South – Outriggers in Olympia Fields
Springfield - Maldener's and Tuscany
Southern Illinois - El Jalapeno in Anna, Illinois

Although results are still being counted, this year’s event appears to have been an outstanding success and improvement upon last year. Locally, the Illinois Disciples Foundation along with other Community Shares members including Habitat for Humanity of Champaign and Piatt Counties, Champaign-Urbana Tenant Union, Champaign County Health Care Consumers, WEFT 90.1FM Community Radio, Homestead Corporation of CU, Illinois Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), Prairienet, and Illinois Migrant Council, among others, helped to organize the event with participating restaurants, publicize it to the community, and volunteered hosts to greet diners. Hosts had a chance to talk to diners about the event and about the work of Community Shares and it’s member organizations.

Community Shares of Illinois is fundraising federation that represents more than 70 organizations working to make our communities a better place to live. Community Shares raises money predominantly through workplace-giving campaigns, and in addition to participating in or managing numerous workplace-giving campaigns for both state and private employers in Illinois, Community Shares manages the Combined Federal Campaign for all federal employees in Chicago. The Community Shares federation was formed in 2003 by the merger of the Illinois Women’s Funding Federation (IWFF) and the Public Interest Fund of Illinois (PIFI).

Member organizations work to improve the quality of life in Illinois by addressing a wide range of issues including affordable housing and health care, peace and social justice, the environment and civil rights as well as other issues affecting women and children, people of color, working families and the disabled and poor.

Due to the success of this year’s Share a Meal event, Community Shares of Illinois Executive Director, Mike Doyle says that he hopes to make it a national event next year when Community Shares federations in 20 other states join in the event. Watch for more information about next year’s Share a Meal event on March 14, 2006.

The Illinois Disciples Foundation would like to thank all the restaurants that participated this year, especially Silvercreek for making things very cozy for IDF volunteer hosts. Also, the IDF would like to thank the business partners who helped to make the Share a Meal event a success: Fasprint, The Hub, WCIA 3-TV, Illinois Times, Timothy Allan & Associates, and Salsedo Press, Inc. And of course, the IDF would like to thank all it’s supporters and friends who went out to the event. Your help and support keep us going.

For more information about Community Shares and the Share a Meal event, a listing of all its member organizations, to find out how to get Community Shares as a option for your workplace-giving campaign, or how to participate in next year’s Share a Meal event, go to their website at: http://www.communitysharesillinois.org.

Illinois Disciples Foundation Celebrates 100th Anniversary
A Century of Struggle for Peace with Justice

This April, the Illinois Disciples Foundation (IDF) is celebrating a tremendous milestone: the IDF’s 100th anniversary. The IDF is a pioneering peace with justice campus ministry, located on the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus, which was envisioned in April 1905 and later chartered in 1916.

The story of the IDF can best be understood by the ideals, traditions, and socio-historical circumstances that have shaped the past one hundred years. Since 1906, the tireless and visionary efforts of numerous individuals have kept the IDF at the forefront of campus ministry. The theology behind many campus ministries, like the IDF, is known as the Social Gospel Movement, a reaction to mainstream religion’s failure to respond to the growing consciousness that the evils in the world had a social origin and were not merely evidence of the failings of individuals. IDF’s Campus Minister Emeritus, Rev. Jim Holiman, describes the religious nature of the IDF as “a regional unit of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Illinois and Wisconsin. We represent the Anabaptist tradition of the Disciples, which is historically focused on doing social justice work.”

Continued...

The Illinois Disciples Foundation is a member of Community Shares of Illinois. The Share-a-Meal event provides a easy and fun way to support community organizations like the IDF by eating out at local restaurants. Read on to find out how you can join in and to find partcipating restaurants in your area. Make your reservations today!

“All too often fundraising events can mean long speeches and rubber chicken dinners,” explained Mike Doyle, Executive Director Community Shares of Illinois. “We wanted to do something different. Having a delicious meal with family and friends is something we all cherish. With Share a Meal with Community Shares, you can not only have a wonderful meal with people you enjoy, but you are supporting non-profit organizations serving your community at the same time.”

Now you can participate in this exciting event that will change the way you think about fundraising!

The 2nd annual Share a Meal with Community Shares will be held at restaurants across Illinois on Tuesday March 8, 2005. Sponsored by Community Shares of Illinois, a non-profit organization representing more than 70 charities including the Illinois Disciples Foundation, this year’s event will have more than double the number of participating restaurants from its inaugural year.

Eighteen restaurants, including eleven in the Chicago area and seven more in downstate Illinois, have agreed to donate a thirty-percent of their sales from the Share a Meal event to Community Shares of Illinois and its member organizations. This is a perfect opportunity for family and friends to get together and have a great meal and give back to the community, all in one sitting. It combines the delight of eating out with the joy of giving into one fun-filled event.

“We are very proud to be a part of this important event, and to lend our services to Community Shares,” said Ina Pinkney of Ina’s in Chicago. “This gives us the perfect opportunity to give back to our community by doing what we do best, serving great meals.”

Participating restaurants will donate 30% of the proceeds from the evening to Community Shares of Illinois. Diners will have the option to direct a portion of the proceeds from their bill to the IDF or any of the 70 charities that are members of Community Shares of Illinois, with a pledge card provided to each diner at all restaurants.

Champaign-Urbana: Kennedy's (lunch and dinner), Milo's and Silvercreek (dinner only)
Bloomington-Normal: Crazy Planet Kitchen (dinner only)

Chicago/Loop - 312 Chicago, Atwood Café, Cyrano's Bistro, Ina's, and South Water Kitchen
Chicago/North - Ann Sather, Artemio's Restaurant, Gulliver's, Heartland Cafe, Rudy's Taste
Chicago/South – Outriggers in Olympia Fields
Springfield - Maldener's and Tuscany
Southern Illinois - El Jalapeno in Anna, Illinois

Community Shares of Illinois represents more than 70 organizations working to make our communities a better place to live. Member organizations work to improve the quality of life in Illinois by addressing a wide range of issues including affordable housing and health care, peace and social justice, the environment and civil rights as well as other issues affecting women and children, people of color, working families and the disabled and poor.