Members who served on the Ethical Action Committee (EAC) this year were Arnold Fishman, leader Richard Kiniry, Saul Machles, Scott Pleune, Nick Sanders as recording secretary, and Temma Fishman as chairperson. The mission of the Ethical Action Committee is Òto offer an Ethical Humanist response to social problems, with an area of responsibility that includes community outreach programs and political involvement.Ó Following are the projects sponsored by the EAC this year. Millennium Development Goals - Read about the MDGÕs in detail at http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals or on the chart displayed in our lobby. A statement declaring our support of these goals is posted on the board outside the Society building. The Dictionary Project- This is annual effort to distribute dictionaries to third graders at the Robert Morris School. Nick Sanders and Temma Fishman led an interactive lesson in their use. We also distributed bookmarks designed by Nick Sanders and Janice Moore with the notion of ÒPay it ForwardÓ Ð urging the children to do a favor for someone else now that they have received a favor. Ethics in Action Ð This is the part of our Sunday platform where members bring issues from the Ethical Action Report (EAR) to our attention. The EAR is available online at aeu.org or in the Society lobby. Causes for action from other sources may also be presented. Micro lending to help eliminate poverty- We held a forum on micro lending organized by Nick Sanders and facilitated by Russ Hill for Fonkoze-Haitian enterprises on Nov. 11th. At our Humanist Thanksgiving Celebration, we collected $1,000 for KIVA, an organization that offers micro loans to entrepreneurs from the developing countries of Southeast Asia, Africa, South America and the Middle East. Opposition to the Iraq War- We joined United for Peace and Justice protests on October 27th and March 19th -the 5th anniversary of the war. Nick Sanders organized both events. Helping the homeless - Judith Will led the effort to provide home-cooked meals to homeless men at the Trinity Shelter at 22nd and Spruce in the winter months. Members prepared and served the meals to the men. Scott Pleune organized an effort for getting lockers installed at city shelters for the homeless so they can have a secure place to store belongings. He forwarded a letter and petition signed by members to Mayor Nutter. Scott is awaiting a reply from the mayor. Promoting Peace and Compassion through Nonviolent Communication - On February 16th, peacemaker Keith Pacheco led a workshop exploring the philosophy and techniques of NVC. Member Chuck Ward has organized a discussion group for those interested in putting NVC to use in their lives. If you are one of them, contact Chuck. To read about it, visit nvc.org. Opposition to the Death Penalty- Leader Richard Kiniry regularly reports to the EAC on meetings of the Pennsylvanians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty and is currently engaged in persuading local clergy to work to eliminate the death penalty in Pennsylvania. We supported the nominatio of Celeste Fitzgerald, winner of the American Ethical Union Elliott-Black Award at the AEU Assembly in April. Ms. Fitzgerald is founder of the New Jerseyans for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, the group that succeeded in getting the death penalty abolished in New Jersey. Human Rights Ð Ron Coburn attends monthly Amnesty International meetings. At platforms, he educates us about the violations AI is protesting and provides letters of concern to sign, which are then mailed to the appropriate leaders. Day of Caring - This is our humanistic, rational response to the National Day of Prayer. Our Sunday School children prepared 60 breakfast bags of non-perishable foods to be donated to the elderly and disabled by Aid For Friends. Carole and Jim Erb supplied the items needed and delivered the finished bags to AFF headquarters for distribution. The EAC needs your leadership and creative energy to fulfill its mission. Meetings can be scheduled at convenient times. Contact Temma or Richard if you are interested in serving in some way. Opportunities abound for putting your passion for doing good to work. Find out more by attending the Annual Meeting on June 1st.