WASHINGTON — September 22, 2015 — Ecumenical Advocacy Days for Global Peace with Justice (EAD) is pleased to announce the 2016 theme for its national gathering in Washington, DC on April 15-18, 2016. The gathering is titled, “Lift Every Voice! – Racism, Class and Power.” The 2016 gathering will be the 14th annual federal public policy and legislative conference that EAD has hosted.

The 2016 event will again be held at the DoubleTree Crystal City Hotel in Arlington, VA – just across the Potomac River from the U.S. Capitol Building. The event concludes with EAD’s Lobby Day where a prepared legislative “Ask” is taken to members of Congress by gathering participants, “We expect again nearly 1,000 Christian advocates from across the country to attend the gathering,” said Douglas Grace, director of EAD. “Registration is now open at AdvocacyDays.org, along with the young adult scholarship application process, so plan now to be in Washington next April!”

EAD’s 2016 theme reads:

In a major U.S. election year when lives, votes and the global economy are at stake, followers of Christ ask, “Who has a voice?” The response is, “Everyone!”

But in our neighborhoods, cities, and around the world, the voices of too many people are silenced. For generations in this country, social, economic, corporate and political powers have colluded to reduce and eliminate access to voting. Historically, systemic injustice has been carried out through poll taxes, unreasonable and egregious voter requirements and violent opposition to calls for justice and change. Today, we are experiencing injustice through not only an attempt for voter suppression, but police brutality, detention and mass incarceration. In the U.S. and around the world, communities whose health, water, air and land are threatened by corporate greed, voices for justice are often curbed through extreme violence, intimidation and murder.

In this country, communities of color are under siege: named and unnamed black lives are killed each year by police; immigrants are detained and scapegoated; and public displays of discontent and calls for solidarity have too often been met with disregard, suppression or violence. Around the world, decisions that affect the well-being of lives and the entire global economy – one based on continued growth despite the limits to earth’s natural resources and capacity to absorb such growth – are often made in closed boardrooms and in great secrecy.

But as Christians, we believe that leaders and policy makers are called to act and to govern in fairness and with justice for all! Like the persistent widow who demands that the judge hear her plea (Luke 18:1-8), at EAD 2016, we will bring our petitions for justice to Capitol Hill. Like the persistent widow, we will not be silenced.

Come to “Lift Every Voice” on April 15-18, 2016 where people of faith will speak truth to power concerning the suppression of political and economic rights, and the corporate undermining of the local voice of ordinary people in the U.S. and around the world. Through prayer, worship, advocacy training, networking and mobilization with other Christians, we will face the reality of racism, class and power impacting politics and policies and advocate for the liberty of “Every Voice!” – all culminating with EAD’s Congressional Lobby Day on Capitol Hill.