Check out these cool Top Pun
Personal Favorites links:
Here is a smattering of
links, either having a personal connection to Top Pun, or just one that Top
Pun particularly likes. Since Top Pun is located in Toledo, Ohio, you
will find some local flavor here!
National Priorities Project: Cost of Iraq War
See the cost to your community!
costofwar.com
Jobs
with Justice
Founded in 1987, JwJ's mission is to improve working people's standard of
living, fight for job security, and protect workers' right to organize.
JwJ's core belief is that in order to be successful, workers' rights
struggles have to be part of a larger campaign for economic and social
justice. To that end, JwJ has created a network of local coalitions that
connect labor, faith-based, community, and student organizations to work
together on workplace and community social justice campaigns.
Jobs
with Justice coalitions now exist in over 40 cities in 29 states in all
regions of the country, made up of both member organizations and thousands
of individual activists who sign the Jobs with Justice pledge to be there
five times a year for someone else's struggle as well as their own. JwJ
creates strategic alliances locally and among organizations nationally to
develop a broad base of support. By building a base of diverse
constituencies at the local level as well as providing training,
coordination, and networking at the national level, Jobs with Justice is
re-building the infrastructure that gives communities a sense of their own
power.
First
and foremost, Jobs with Justice is about action. Action wins concrete
victories. Creative direct action empowers activists. Collective action
builds the relationships that make coalitions work. Our coalitions take
action around all kinds of issues, from the right to organize a union to
living wage to global justice to students rights.
National Jobs with Justice
www.jwj.org
Toledo Jobs with Justice
Another group that Top Pun is involved in...
www.jwjtoledo.org
Campaign to Protect Ohio's Future
Another group that Top Pun is involved in... The Campaign to Protect
Ohio's Future, a coalition of over 370 health, human services, primary and
secondary education and higher education organizations, calls on Ohio
Legislators to protect Ohio's most vulnerable citizens by restoring or
adequately funding vital services through a responsible budget that as--as
its primary priority--meeting basic human needs and providing sufficient
funds to invest in Ohio's future.
www.protectohio.org
Ohio
Coalition Against Gun Violence
Another group that Top Pun is involved in... The Ohio Coalition
Against Gun Violence's goal is to increase safety in Ohio in regards to
firearms. We educate about gun homicides, suicides, and unintentional deaths
and injuries. The Coalition supports and encourages local, state and federal
legislation to reduce the accessibility of firearms in our communities and
families.
www.ocagv.org
Northwest Ohio Peace Coalition
Another group that Top Pun is involved in...
A coalition of anti-war activists and groups in the Toledo area that
advocates and takes direct action to change US domestic and foreign policy
from a imperialist footing to one of social justice and peace. The NWOPC
yahoo list serve is designed to keep us up to date on news and actions
happening in and around the area.
Membership meetings are at 7pm the second Monday of every month in the First
Unitarian Church on the corner of Bancroft and Collingwood. Demonstrations
are every Sunday from 12pm -1:30pm in different locations throught Toledo
and surrounding areas.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nwopc
UM Power
Top
Pun is a United Methodist and uses this legislative action center regularly
-- Empowering United Methodists to act boldly and on faith.
www.kintera.org/site/pp.asp?c=fsJNK0PKJrH&b=459323
Toledo Metropolitan Ministries
Another group that Top Pun is involved in... Toledo Metropolitan
Ministries (TMM) is a social justice ministry of seven denominations:
American Baptist, Episcopal, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America,
Presbyterian Church (USA), Roman Catholic, United Church of Christ and
United Methodist. The purpose of TMM is to work ecumenically to identify
needs for systemic changes in the metropolitan Toledo area; to plan, develop
and coordinate strategies of mission among denominations, groups of
congregations, and other organizations and resources of the area; and to
initiate projects in order to advocate justice and empower people to meet
their needs.
www.tmmohio.org
Bread for the World
Bread for the World is one of Top Pun's favorite
charities and advocacy organizations. Top Pun even worked as a summer
organizer for BFW many, many years ago. Bread for the World is a
nationwide Christian citizens movement seeking justice for the world's
hungry people by lobbying our nation's decision makers. The Bread for the
World Institute seeks justice for hungry people by engaging in research and
education on policies related to hunger and development.
www.bread.org
Google - the best search engine in the world!
TopPun.com gets hundreds of hits everyday from the search engine at
Google.com - THANKS! This link goes to a page that will help you
customize your searches better.
www.google.com/help/customize.html
Human Values for Transformative Action
This
is a Toledo area group with international connections and implications that
Top Pun believes is worth checking out. Human Values for
Transformative Action (HVTA) draws diverse groups into deliberative spaces
within which they can establish a human connection based upon common
concerns for individual and collective wellbeing*. Guided by a sense of
shared purpose and collective responsibility, groups work in solidarity to
build just communities. Using a ground-up approach, HVTA calls upon
communities to tap into the experience and wisdom of local groups to
identify concerns and recommendations linked to the wellbeing of all. This
information is used to devise and implement focused action plans geared
towards generating long-term solutions. Lessons learned from these local
efforts will lay the context for expanding dialogues and organizing efforts
at regional, national, and international levels.
HVTA's approach emphasizes respect for difference, empowerment,
self-determination, collective action, sustainability, and accountability.
This approach is intended to expand values discourse and prompt individuals
and institutions to translate concerns for human wellbeing into policies and
practices that counter injustice and actually improve the lives of all
people, particularly those who have traditionally been marginalized. As a
step towards connecting local efforts to global agendas for promoting
wellbeing, HVTA cultivates an understanding of the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights, the vision and work of UNESCO (United Nations Educational
Scientific and Cultural Organization), and other selected UN documents.
In
the long term, HVTA envisions the development of informed and involved
communities and institutions that recognize and nurture a common humanity,
respect the dignity and worth of all individuals, and share responsibility
for promoting the wellbeing of all members.
http://www.hvta.org/index.htm
Ohio Public Health Association
Top Pun is a past president and long-time member
of the Ohio Public Health Association (OPHA). Public health was Top
Pun's full-time career before careening full-time in punning for peace and
justice. OPHA is Ohio's oldest and largest statewide professional
organization collectively representing public health disciplines, friends of
public health, and those interested in public health issues. As a
professional society for those engaged or interested in public health, the
Association exists to promote an understanding and appreciation for public
health among the general population and build a sense of unity among the
public health disciplines. OPHA is an affiliate of the American Public
Health Association.
www.ohiopha.org
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