For Immediate Release: For More: Contact: Brother David Andrews, CSC
The National Catholic Rural Life Conference Executive Director
515 270 2634
ncrlc@aol.com
The National Catholic Rural Life Conference Promotes The Rally for Rural
America March 20-21, 2000 Washington, D.C.
Rural America is being left behind during this time of record prosperity.
Adolescent drug use in rural areas exceeds that of urban areas. Environmental
devastation due to huge confined animal feeding operations is destroying the
quality of life. Corporate agribusiness is driving out family enterprises.
Sprawl is eating up our prime farm land. During a time when the Christian
churches are celebrating a Jubilee, the themes of that celebration: community
renewal, land reform, debt forgiveness, care for the poor are being ignored
in our Presidential campaigns and state of the union. Are you concerned? If
so, join farmers, ranchers, rural citizens and others in Washington, D.C.,
March 20-21, 2000 for the “Rally for Rural America.”
While most Americans have reaped the benefits of record economic growth,
rural America has become a clearance region, it is being depopulated. Hard
times on the nation’s farms and ranches have rippled throughout rural
America. Rural Communities are facing numerous challenges including a
depressed farm economy, an escalation of mergers and acquisitions, a loss of
businesses and jobs on main street, a dramatic erosion of health care and
education, a decline in infrastructure, racist attacks on immigrants, a loss
of capital investments, alarming increased costs due to utility de-regulation.
“The National Catholic Rural Life Conference saw this crisis coming in
November of 1998 when we called for a Green Ribbon Campaign to support rural
communities, rural businesses, our land, air, water quality, family farms,
farm workers, laborers in food processing. Rural life is being left out of
the economic prosperity.” Holy Cross Brother David Andrews, CSC, Executive
Director of the National Catholic Rural Life Conference pledged his
memberships’ involvement in the Rally for Rural America with many other
organizations. “We’ll be there in force, Bishops, clergy, laity from across
this country.” “ This is the Great Jubilee, rural life is at the heart of the
heritage of Jubilee.” said Andrews.
The Rally for Rural America is a chance to join others in calling on Congress
to take immediate action to address these issues and others.
The centerpiece of the gathering will be a noon rally at the U.S. Capitol on
Tuesday, March 21. That afternoon participants will be on Capitol Hill. A
special prayer breakfast is also scheduled for that morning.
On Monday, March 20, participants will attend a farmer’s share luncheon near
the U.S. Capitol and hear from key members of Congress and the administration
at a town-hall style meeting on the farm crisis. For those who arrive on
Sunday, March 19, a special evening prayer service will be held near the
U.S.Capitol.
Please contact Matt Russell at the National Catholic Rural Life Conference on
how to participate. ncrlcmr@aol.com (email) 515 270 2634 (phone) 515 270 9447
(fax)
For more information contact:
Jodi Niehoff, national rally coordinator, phone: 202-314-3104 fax: 202 554
1654
Michelle Miller
Pesticide Use and Risk Reduction Project
Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems
University of Wisconsin - Madison
U.S. Mail: 146 Agriculture Hall 608.262.7135
Campus: 1535 Observatory Drive 608.262.5200
Madison, WI 53706 fax 265.3020
www.wisc.edu/cias/ mmmille6@facstaff.wisc.edu
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