NON-PARTISAN GROUPS WORK TOGETHER TO EDUCATE COMMUNITY MEMBERS ABOUT IMPORTANT ISSUES
Virginia Beach, VA: Virginia Organizing and the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy hosted a Social Justice University to help educate people about important issues in their community. This year’s event in Virginia Beach primarily focused on the local affect of immigration, uranium mining, predatory lending, health care and the budget.
Mike Stark, a local Virginia Organizing leader and Hampton Roads Chapter leader of the Virginia Interfaith Center, said “Social Justice University is the combined effort of Virginia Organizing and the Virginia Interfaith Center to educate people on the issues that are most important to them. The main idea is to empower people with the information so they can talk about these things with their legislators.”
After the event, participants will schedule meetings with elected state officials to talk about these important local issues. Stark explained, “It’s important to get these issues before the legislators before the General Assembly. Hopefully, they will take these issues into consideration during debates this year.”
Virginia Organizing has long been committed to having people who are directly affected by public policies talk directly to elected officials to stress the importance of policymaking based on the real people’s experiences and not on special interests. The Virginia Interfaith Center is dedicated to social justice and bringing together diverse faith groups based on the common interest of promoting a more just Virginia.
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