Faith groups come together to launch social justice organization in Nevada

14 October, 2012

Twenty-eight different faith communities and their leaders participated at the public launch of faith based social justice organization ACTIONN in Reno, Nevada, in the US.

PARTICIPANTS NUMBERING about 500, came from various denominations of Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Sikhism, etc., and included three bishops, many clergy and various political and civic leaders. “The need for ACTIONN is apparent, with Nevada at the bottom for high school graduation and at the top for unemployment”, an ACTIONN (Acting in Community Together in Organizing Northern Nevada) release said.

Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, who spoke on the occasion, has congratulated ACTIONN for aiming at improving education, creating jobs, improving quality of life, expanding opportunity, achieving power for positive change and impacting long term change. Zed points out that religion has innumerable mutual relationships with other social institutions like polity, law, economy, family.

Social justice should be an integral part of religious groups as religions tell us to help the helpless, Rajan Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, adds.

Reverend Neal T. Anderson, minister of Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Northern Nevada; Father Charles T. Durante, pastor of Saint Teresa of Avila Catholic Community in Carson City; Rita Sloan, Chairperson of ACTIONN Leadership Council and Pat Fling, its Executive Director; also spoke and shared the ACTIONN's vision for change. Central theme of the event appeared to be “Better Together”.