Greetings! Faith And The City offers the information below for your review. Use the associated links to learn more about each topic. For information on a wider range of public issues, visit our home page at http://www.faithandthecity.org.

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Faith And The City and The Regional Council of Churches of Atlanta begin consolidation study period
Faith And The City e.Newsletter
March 9, 2007
On February 21, Faith And The City (FATC) and the Regional Council of Churches of Atlanta (RCCA) announced that the two organizations have entered into a study period to explore the possibility of consolidation.
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Alban Institute workshop on power, ministry, and leadership based on “Alligators” book inspired by Faith And The City
Faith And The City e.Newsletter
March 10, 2007
The book that was in large part an outgrowth of the Faith And The City experiences of its editor and two contributors is now the basis of a workshop offered by The Alban Institute (www.alban.org). The workshop, Alligators in the Swamp: Power, Ministry, and Leadership, which is also the book’s title, will be offered May 14-16 in Belleville, Illinois. Led by noted educators -- the book editor, George Thompson, and a contributor, Beverly Thompson -- the workshop is designed for lay and ordained congregational leaders, including pastors and members of church governing bodies (local and regional), as well as denominational officers and executives.
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Conference on homelessness to empower faith communities
Faith And The City e.Newsletter
March 9, 2007
The goal of the Homeless Summit, a faith-based conference on homelessness, is to provide knowledge and information that will empower Faith Communities to increase their engagement with homeless persons and the agencies that serve them throughout metro Atlanta. The event is scheduled for March 16 at Peachtree Presbyterian Church. Registration is $25. For information on financial assistance, contact Johnny Myers at 404.842.5830. For more information on the conference or to register, visit www.homeless-summit.org.
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Teen 'sport killings' of homeless on the rise
By Ashley Fantz
CNN
Feb. 20, 2007
For some teens, "this passes as amusement," expert says. There were 122 attacks, 20 murders in 2006, according to National Coalition for the Homeless. Nathan Moore says he wanted to do was smoke pot and get drunk with his friends. Killing Rex Baum was never part of the plan that day in 2004. "It all started off as a game," Moore said.
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Affordable Workforce Housing Opportunity Fund to provide living options for Atlanta workers
Atlanta City Newsbytes
March 6, 2007
Yesterday, the Atlanta City Council approved an inter-governmental agreement between the City of Atlanta, the Atlanta Housing Authority (AHA) and the Atlanta Development Authority (ADA) to establish an Affordable Workforce Housing Opportunity Fund totaling $75 million.
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Between black and immigrant Muslims, an uneasy alliance

For many African-American converts, Islam is an experience both spiritual and political, an expression of empowerment in a country they feel is dominated by a white elite. For many immigrant Muslims, Islam is an inherited identity, and America a place of assimilation and prosperity.

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Families behind bars: Jailing children of immigrants
By Kari Lydersen, In These Times
Posted on Feb. 22, 2007, on AlterNet
The inmates are immigrants or children of immigrants who are in deportation proceedings. Many of them are in the process of applying for political asylum, refugees from violence-plagued and impoverished countries like Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Somalia and Palestine. (Since there are different procedures for Mexican immigrants, the facility houses no Mexicans.)
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State must fund PeachCare gap
Editorial by Mike King
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
February 11, 2007
In Georgia, 273,000 children -- virtually all in families earning less than $48,000 a year -- depend on PeachCare for their health insurance. But they are now at risk of losing their health care because of the political brinkmanship between Congress and lawmakers under the Gold Dome.
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A critique of pure reason
Opinion by David Brooks
New York Times
March 1, 2007
All the presidential candidates this year will talk about education. The conventional ones will talk about improving the schools. The creative ones will talk about improving the lives of students.
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Are college students on an ego trip?
Public Agenda Alert
March 1, 2007
College students have become more self-centered, according to a study that tracked responses to a "Narcissistic Personality Inventory" from 1982 to 2006. The study authors blame the "self-esteem movement" and say more assertive parenting might make a difference. "We need to stop endlessly repeating 'You're special' and having children repeat that back," said the study's lead author.
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NAEP reports grades rising, test scores lag
Public Agenda Alert
Feb. 22, 2007
More American students are taking challenging courses and getting higher grades, yet substantial percentages still score below "basic" levels on national reading and math tests, according to two reports released today by the National Assessment of Educational Progress. "The results don't square," said the chairman of the National Assessment Governing Board. Federal officials said rising grades could be because of improved achievement, changes in standards or grade inflation.
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Faith And The City posts brief event notices that must include a website address for additional information. Events should be concerned with faith, interfaith and public issues.

March 14: “ Atlanta Regional Housing Forum.” Atlanta Regional Commission.
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March 16: “Homeless Summit: A Faith-Based Conference on Homelessness.” To empower faith communities to increase their engagement with homeless persons and agencies that serve them throughout metro Atlanta.
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March 19-20: “Urban Mission Workshop.” McAfee School of Theology, Mercer Uniiversity. Featuring Dr. Raymond Bakke, Academic Dean, Distinguished Professor of Global Urban Ministry, and Chairman of the Board of Regents at Bakke Graduate University of Ministry.
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March 21: “Humanity at the Crossroads.” Initiative in Religion, Conflict, & Peacebuilding. Emory University Graduate Division of Religion. Featuring Marc Gopin, Director of the Center on Religion, Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution at George Mason University's Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution.
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April 11: (Lecture title TBA.) Initiative in Religion, Conflict, & Peacebuilding. Lecture series, Emory University Graduate Division of Religion. Featuring Dr. David O. Jenkins, Director of Faith and the City Program, Lecturer in Church and Community, Co-director of Contextual Education, Candler School of Theology, Emory University.
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May 14-16: "Alligators in the Swamp: Power, Ministry, and Leadership." Led by Beverly and George Thompson, the seminar is based on their book, which bears the same title and was inspired by the work of Faith And The City. Offered through Alban In stitute.
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