JUAN PABLO CHAVEZ
Areas of expertise:
Community Organizing
Faith-based Organizing
Violence Prevention
Workshop: Organizing for Liberation - Drawing from Biblical Leaders and Jesus the Liberator
In this workshop, we will explore the spirituality of great biblical and historical leaders, whose faith and determination transformed history.
We will reflect on their legacy through prayer and action, as well as the impact of their leadership - Moses: Raised as the son of Pharaoh, he left his comfort zone to join a people crying out for freedom. He not only freed them from slavery, but also had the ability to keep them united through the difficulties they faced, balancing guiding the people and contemplating the face of God; Nehemiah: A visionary strategist who, with wisdom and organization, restored the identity and strength of his people, maintaining a balance between prayer and action; and, lastly, Jesus: Teacher and Redeemer. He freed humanity from its internal and external bondage. Through the parable of the Good Samaritan, we will learn how a crime victim is healed, but we will also reflect on the fate of the perpetrator of the crime and the situation in the Jericho neighborhood. We will also analyze the story of Mary and Joseph fleeing as migrants, and Mary as a mother who survived tragedy.
In addition, we will reflect on the similarities between the oppressions of the poor Jewish people of ancient Israel and those of our people today, as well as between the injustices faced by the prophet Nehemiah and those we face today, including deportations and imprisonment.
We will analyze God's call to prophets committed to giving their lives for freedom and conclude with a call to the prophets of this century to fight for the defense of Christian values and social justice.
Bio:
Juan Pablo has been working in Latino communities and with faith leaders for over 20 years. In 1992, he began organizing youth groups for the Archdiocese of Chicago. In 1999, he helped implement the CeaseFire model in the Southside of Chicago, a program to reduce shootings and murders while offering positive alternatives, and mobilized faith communities to respond when a shooting happened. Working with immigrant students (DREAMers) and clergy in Illinois, he helped secure in-state tuition for undocumented students in the state.
After moving to Florida, he worked with low-income senior citizens and faith leaders to access affordable housing and better public transportation. He has also worked with Latinos and faith leaders though the Florida Immigrant Coalition. As the Director of Clergy Organizing for Faith in Florida, he engaged 2,200 people of faith for various campaigns in support of proactive immigration policies while training 150 lay and clergy leaders to support local, state, and national policy changes in support of immigrant families in Florida.
