NETWORK (lobbying group)
Encyclopedia
NETWORK is a national Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...

 social justice
Social justice
Social justice generally refers to the idea of creating a society or institution that is based on the principles of equality and solidarity, that understands and values human rights, and that recognizes the dignity of every human being. The term and modern concept of "social justice" was coined by...

 lobbying
Lobbying
Lobbying is the act of attempting to influence decisions made by officials in the government, most often legislators or members of regulatory agencies. Lobbying is done by various people or groups, from private-sector individuals or corporations, fellow legislators or government officials, or...

 group based in Washington, DChttp://www.networklobby.org/ NETWORK was founded on December 17, 1971 by forty-seven Catholic nuns as a group dedicated to ensuring "justice for all." The organization now represents the views of its more than 100,000 members across the country. It is run by its national director, currently Sr. Simone Campbell and by a board of directors primarily made up of women religious and lay women.

NETWORK's mission is to be "a Catholic leader in the global movement for justice and peace." Issues that the organization lobbies on include:
  • Immigration reform
    Immigration reform
    Immigration reform is a term used in political discussion regarding changes to current immigration policy of a country. In its strict definition, "reform " means to change into an improved form or condition, by amending or removing faults or abuses....

  • Affordable housing
    Affordable housing
    Affordable housing is a term used to describe dwelling units whose total housing costs are deemed "affordable" to those that have a median income. Although the term is often applied to rental housing that is within the financial means of those in the lower income ranges of a geographical area, the...

  • Universal healthcare
  • Retirement
    Retirement
    Retirement is the point where a person stops employment completely. A person may also semi-retire by reducing work hours.Many people choose to retire when they are eligible for private or public pension benefits, although some are forced to retire when physical conditions don't allow the person to...

     security
  • Food security
    Food security
    Food security refers to the availability of food and one's access to it. A household is considered food-secure when its occupants do not live in hunger or fear of starvation. According to the World Resources Institute, global per capita food production has been increasing substantially for the past...

  • Wage equity
  • Peace in Iraq
    Opposition to the Iraq War
    Significant opposition to the Iraq War occurred worldwide, both before and during the initial 2003 invasion of Iraq by the United States, United Kingdom, and smaller contingents from other nations, and throughout the subsequent occupation...

     through economic development
    Economic development
    Economic development generally refers to the sustained, concerted actions of policymakers and communities that promote the standard of living and economic health of a specific area...

  • Fair trade
    Fair trade
    Fair trade is an organized social movement and market-based approach that aims to help producers in developing countries make better trading conditions and promote sustainability. The movement advocates the payment of a higher price to producers as well as higher social and environmental standards...

  • Investment in human needs globally and locally

US Health care debate

On March 18, 2010 Sr. Simone Campbell was interviewed by NPR
NPR
NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...

 about NETWORK's support of the then pending US national health care bill, when she, along with "heads of dozens of religious orders representing more than 50,000 nuns" signed a letter to congress urging passage. NETWORK circulated the letter to the various heads of the orders and asked them to sign. In the interview, Sr. Campbell was asked about divisions within the Catholic Church and the difference between her position and that of the US Catholic Bishops.

Sr. Campbell received a "hug of gratitude" from President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....

 Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...

at the signing ceremony for the March 2010 Health Care Reform act. The NETWORK group was credited with being a significant force in the passage of the bill into law.
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