Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns

Foreign policy decisions made in the United States reverberate around the world, in positive and negative ways. To educate voters in the U.S. about how the decisions made by their legislators and leaders can affect our brothers and sisters in other countries, in 2008 the Maryknoll Global Concerns Office prepared an election guide based on the principles of Catholic social tradition and gospel teachings, and inspired by the deep and long experience of Maryknoll missioners around the world.

Many of the recommendations included in our guide were presented to the presidential transition team in late 2008 and early 2009 making known our recommendations to the new president.

Maryknoll resources on the 2008 elections 

• Election guide: Download English or Español.

• Election guides are still available! To order a hard copy of the election brochure (in English or Spanish), please contact us via email or call 202-832-1780. (Donations to cover the cost of printing and postage are greatly appreciated. As a suggestion, for large orders (over 100 copies) we ask $0.25 per copy; for smaller orders (20 copies or under) we ask $0.50 per copy. Please send checks to the Maryknoll Global Concerns Office, P.O. Box 29132, Washington, D.C., 20017).

• Sunday reading reflections and homily starts: Reflections and homily starts in PDF files, written by Maryknoll missioners and staff, for Sundays and Holy Days from the Sunday after Easter through Inauguration Day, January 20, 2009.

• Maryknoll Leadership statement on 2008 elections (English or Español).

• Maryknoll experience: Maryknoll stories reflecting on-the-ground experience with the impact of U.S. policy on climate change, economic justice, HIV and AIDS, immigration and peace and security.

• Voices of Our World: Listen to stories that focus on some of the issues talked about during the 2008 U.S. elections process and the five themes highlighted by our election project. Sponsored by Maryknoll, "Voices of our World" is an award winning weekly public affairs program that presents perspectives rarely heard in the mainstream media. It features programs on human rights and social justice issues, peace activism, globalization, the environment and the plight of under-represented people around the world.
  

• Resource packets: Those who seek information preparing them for action can turn to Maryknoll’s five information packets organized around the five themes of the election project: climate change, economic justice, HIV and AIDS, immigration, and peace and security.

Ways that communities and individuals became involved in the election project:

• They distributed the election brochure in their local faith communities.

• They organized local dialogue around one or more themes raised in the Maryknoll voter reflection guide.

• They used Maryknoll homily starts as reflections in their faith community to help raise awareness of the international impact of U.S. policy decisions.

• They endorsed the Platform for the Common Good.

Links on election 2008 

• Faithful Citizenship, a project of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

• Campaign 2008: Redefining "National Security" (pdf): An election resource produced by the Religious Coalition of Justice and Peace Promoters.

• Voting for the Common Good, the Center of Concern’s Election 2008 project, helped voters participate actively in political campaigns as informed and faithful Christians.

• The Catholic Vote: Written by Clarke E. Cochran and David Carroll Cochran and published by Orbis Books, this book is an accessible guide to issues Catholics should consider before going to the polls. Based on the Catholic values of life, dignity, solidarity, and proper stewardship, its five concise chapters describe 1) the importance of participating in the political life of a community, 2) the extent to which Catholic values influence Catholic voter choices, 3) the significant issues, 4) how to evaluate candidates for office, and 5) how the Catholic tradition can transform our political landscape. Issues covered include the economy, poverty, health care, family, crime, waging war, race and ethnicity, immigration, the environment, and protecting human life. 144 pages, $16. Go here to order.

• The major presidential candidates’ statements and votes on Iraq, Iran and nuclear weapons, compiled by the Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL, the Quakers). You can also download the report by clicking here (PDF document).

• Questionnaire for candidates on Africa policy from the Africa Faith and Justice Network.

• “On the issues” lists the candidates for president and provides a link to a brief overview of their opinions on certain issues.

• The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life focuses on religion and politics; offers comparisons; and links to articles related to the candidate and issues; biographies, etc.