The 24th annual Social Action Institute, “Peacebuilding for the 21st Century,” will take place Aug. 1-4 at Santa Clara University. The Diocese of San Jose is host, with Linda Batton, Director of Social Ministries, as local contact; batton@dsj.org; 408-983-0158.
Batton is a member of The Roundtable, the association of diocesan social action directors, which is a sponsor along with JustFaith, Catholic Charities USA, Catholic Relief Services, and the USCCB’s Catholic Campaign for Human Development and its office of Justice, Peace & Human development. Visit: www.catholicroundtable.org
The Institute provides intensive education and advocacy training based on Catholic social teaching. The national meeting will have two tracks, “Foundations of Catholic Social Teaching” and “Developing Peacebuilding Skills.”
There will be public action skill-building workshops and a special track for parish leaders, along with opportunities for networking and tours of successful CCHD

community organizing and economic development projects.
National presenters who will lead plenary sessions and workshops include:
• Dr. Scott Appleby, director of the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies at Notre Dame University who will explore the “Spiritual & Moral Imagination of the Catholic Peacebuilder.”
• Dr. Ami Carpenter of
the Kroc Institute for Peace
& Justice at the University of San Diego who will
speak on “Becoming a Peacebuilder.”
• Dr. Kristin Heyer, Santa Clara University, “Foundations of Catholic Social Teaching.”
• Tricia Hoyt of the Diocese of Phoenix who will speak on “Biblical Justice.”
• Father John Baumann, SJ, “Supporting Faith-Based Community Organizing Today.”
• Father Eduardo Hernandez, “Hispanics and Social Ministry.”
Joe Grant of JustFaith Ministries will close the Institute with a plenary session titled “Sent into the Eye of the Storm: Engaging Spirituality for These Times.”