Dear ,

We’ve done everything we can do (or we can think of) for this General Assembly. The reconvene session is April 12, so perhaps there’ll be some action needed on the budget or other matters soon. Click HERE for our updated policy results.

Even during this General Assembly, the upcoming elections were on everyone’s mind (and in many conversations). At least one new subcommittee was created to allow folks to avoid taking controversial votes. Every House and Senate district has been reconfigured and every state delegate and senate seat is up for election in November. This is an opportunity for VICPP to talk with candidates about issues, register new voters, get people to the polls, and host candidate forums. We are still fleshing out plans, but here are the key components: 

• 1.     Recruit 300 congregations to pledge to become 100 percent voting congregations. Click here to view and sign the pledge.
  
  
• 2.     Train regional teams to lead the civic engagement work. We are hoping to have teams in Hampton Roads, Henrico, Prince William, and maybe Loudoun, Williamsburg, Petersburg, and Stafford/ Fredericksburg. If you are interested in serving on one of these regional teams, please email Robert@virginiainterfaithcenter.org. The training will take place on May 31. 
  
  
• 3.     Host candidate forums jointly with partner organizations. We will host candidate forums jointly with partner organizations, such as the League of Women Voters and the NAACP. Some forums will take place in the summer while most will be in the fall.
  
  
• 4.     Reach out to unregistered or infrequent voters via postcards, calls, or canvassing. Last year, VICPP activists sent postcards to 5,500 infrequent voters, encouraging them to vote, and placed 4,500 calls to people who are not registered to vote. We know this personal attention matters. It is a little early to start this work, but it’s not too early to tell us if you have a group of folks who might do 100, 500, or even 1,000 postcards. If this appeals to you, email Robert@virginiainterfaithcenter.org. 

You are going to hear a lot from us about voting this year. It was tough to move many of our issues during this year’s General Assembly. We can change the environment by talking with candidates and getting folks to the polls – and making sure legislators know of our involvement.

Get ready.

Faithfully yours, 

Kim Bobo
Executive Director

p.s. Ramadan blessings to our Muslim sisters and brothers in faith who will begin observing the holiest month of the Muslim calendar at sundown this evening!

Join the James River and the Hampton Roads chapters of VICPP to push back against the dominant story of gun violence in our culture. Chapter leaders have invited bestselling author and renowned activist Shane Claiborne of RAWtools, Inc. from Philadelphia to Newport News. Together, we will decommission a gun and, using a blacksmith shop, forge it into a garden tool. The event will take place at St. John’s Church of God in Christ in Newport News, Virginia.

Shane is a self-described “champion for grace” who values helping unhoused people, protesting against wars, advocating for the end of the death penalty, and supporting methods to end gun violence. He has worked with Mother Teresa in Calcutta, founded The Simple Way in Philadelphia, and heads up Red Letter Christians. Together with RAWtools founder Mike Martin, Shane wrote Beating Guns.

Click the button below to stay updated with event details.

Our friends at the Protecting Immigrant Families Coalition are partnering with Clinica Romero for a free health promoters training on COVID-19 and flu vaccine outreach. Participants will work with seasoned promoters and a member of the PIF team, exploring strategies to address immigration-related vaccination concerns, as well as field-tested approaches to encourage immigrant families to get vaccinated. Participants will receive a certificate of completion. These interactive workshops are available in Spanish (on March 28) and English (on March 29). Click below to register for either or both.

This evening, sundown marks the beginning of the holiest Muslim month of Ramadan. During this time, Muslims abstain from eating and drinking from dawn until dusk. It is a time of complete refocus, recentering, and reset of mind, body, and soul. The month intersects with the holy occasions of numerous faith traditions, some of which are listed below. April also happens to be Diversity Month in the U.S. One could say the calendar for the next few weeks is a beautiful illustration of humanity's different ways of honoring what is most sacred to each. May everyone who is observing, celebrating, and honoring during these days (and all days) find peace, purpose, and productivity through your worship, thoughts, intentions, and actions. 

• March 21 – Norouz/Nowruz: This day marks the Iranian and Baha’i solar New Year, which also occurs on the vernal equinox.

• March 22 to March 31 – Navaratri: A festival in the Hindu faith that celebrates the Goddess Durga. The Ashtami of the Chaitra Navratri, which is considered to be the most important day of ritual, falls on the 9th day of the Navratri which is on March 30.

• March 22 to April 21 – Ramadan: The holiest month of the Islamic calendar. During this time, Muslims observe a month of fasting. 
  
  

• April 4 – Mahavir Jayanti: The most important holiday in Jainism, it celebrates the birthday of Jainism founder Lord Mahavira.

• April 5 to April 13 – Passover: This holiday spans 7 days and commemorates the Israelites being freed from slavery in Egypt.

• April 6 to 9 – Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Sunday: This is a very important time of year in Christianity. It celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ, Lord and Savior of Christians.

• April 14 – Vaisakhi/Baisakhi: This is the most important holiday in Sikhism. It was already an ancient spring harvest and solar new year festival in Punjab, India when, in 1699, Guru Gobind Singh chose the festival as the moment to establish the Khalsa, the collective name given to Sikhs who've been baptized. It's still celebrated by many people outside of Sikhism, including Hindus and farmers in India.  

• April 21 to April 22* – Eid al-Fitr: The holiday that marks the end of Ramadan. To end the fast, a celebratory meal is its primary event. (Dates observed may vary depending upon moon sightings and differing views among communities.) 

Did we miss a holy occasion you're observing during this time? Let us know at ayeshaGT@virginiainterfaithcenter.org.

Upcoming events are posted to the web regularly. Please click the button below to check out the VICPP Events webpage.

Op Ed by VICPP Executive Director Kim Bobo

Column: Solitary confinement bill isn't perfect, but it's a start
Incremental Reform

Richmond Times-Dispatch, Mar. 18, 2023. 

Visiting the Sick: Healing for Body and Soul

Eucharistic Revival, Mar. 13, 2023. 

By Sheila Herlihy

US maternal mortality is more than 10 times higher than in Australia. Why?

The Guardian, Mar. 20, 2023. 

By Moira Donegan

The fight for exoneration: Over 29,100 years 'lost' in prison in wrongful convictions, database finds.
Sidney Holmes spent 34 years in prison before he was exonerated.

ABC News, Mar. 17, 2023. 

By Kiara Alfonseca

Faith as a Pathway to Climate Action.

Nonprofit Quarterly. Mar. 16, 2023.

By Anmol Irfan