Progress Through Partnership
E-Newsletter for members and friends of Chicago Appleseed
and the Chicago Council of Lawyers

April 2007

In this e-Newsletter:

Appleseed and Chicago Appleseed Release Report Detailing the "Fair Exchange" Pilot Program
 

caffj no wordsAppleseed, along with industry leaders GroupEx, Mitchell Bank, Viamericas, Wells Fargo, and other partners announced an important new initiative that provides immigrants who send money to their native countries with clear, up-front information on remittance fees and exchange rates. The project is part of Appleseed's effort to establish a "Fair Exchange" brand, similar to Fair Trade (TM) branded coffee that would make it easier for consumers to shop for the best remittance deals and reward transparent market players with greater market share.

The pilot launch follows up on Appleseed's December 2005 report, Creating a Fair Playing Field for Consumers: The Need for Transparency in the US- Mexico Remittance Market, which revealed that remittance pricing structures of many firms, particularly in regard to exchange rates, often made effective comparison shopping cumbersome for consumers. Receipts for remittance transactions after they are made currently include some pricing disclosures, but there are no consistent standards for disclosures prior to initiating a transaction.

A Request from the Council's Civil Liberties Committee
 

CCL no wordsOn May 1st lawyers representing Guantanamo prisoners plan to conduct a lobbying effort on Capitol Hill, urging them to restore Habeas Corpus for Guantanamo detainees. The Council's Civil Liberties Committee urges you to contact your Congressional representatives and urge this restoration of Habeas Corpus, and to urge Congress to block any attempt by the administration to impose additional restrictions on lawyers meeting with Guantanamo clients.

In a letter sent on April 5, 2007 by the Council to the Illinois Congressional delegation, Council President Carrie Huff and Gordon Waldron, chair of the Council's Civil Liberties Committee stated:

The Supreme Court on April 2 declined to hear the claims of Guantanamo detainees who have been held for more than five years. The detainees allege that they have never been enemy combatants. Indeed many of them were seized outside any war zone, including in places like Pakistan, Thailand and Zambia. Nearly 300 Guantanamo inmates have not been charged with any crimes and probably will not be. They have challenged their detention by filing Habeas Corpus petitions. For centuries courts have responded to such petitions in a manner that sorts out those persons who should be held in custody from those who should not.

The Guantanamo detainees have never had a fair process to challenge their imprisonment. Although they were allowed to appear before "Combatant Status Review Tribunals" ("CSRTs"), the procedures adopted by the Department of Defense for the CSRTs were not designed to establish the truth. The procedures are inadequate...

Parental Involvement under the No Child Left Behind Act
 A Policy Statement from Chicago Appleseed

caffj no wordsInvestment in Parental Involvement Needed

A recent editorial in the Chicago Tribune about the need to invest in Illinois schools states that "education policies need to focus less on fixing problems of the moment and more on proven reforms that will boost student outcomes" (The pitter-patter of progress, April 22). It is extremely unfortunate that there was no appeal to invest in parental involvement programs. Decades of research have proven this to be a key component of improved student achievement, yet it is often conspicuously absent when the topic of local and statewide education reform is addressed. Comprehensive parental involvement programs are crucial in engaging parents in the formation and maintenance of their children's education, particularly in communities where parents face challenges of language as well as lack of education and financial resources. By leveraging the resources of existing community organizations and strong school leadership, districts can prepare parents to be effective advocates for their children. Therefore, it is imperative that Illinois policymakers and educators take the lead in recognizing parental involvement as a meaningful investment of time and resources and prioritizing the establishment of community-school-parent partnerships to boost student outcomes. Investing in parental involvement now can only mean high yields in student achievement for the future.

Mary E. Anderson
President
Chicago Appleseed Fund for Justice

Save the Date for the 2007 Annual Luncheon!
 

dual logoThe 2007 Annual Luncheon will be held on Tuesday, October 2 at the Palmer House Hilton. We are pleased to announce Thomas Sullivan, senior partner at Jenner & Block LLP, as the keynote speaker. The Commitment to Justice honorees are Ada Skyles and Tom and Diane Geraghty.

Tickets and tables for the Annual Luncheon will go on sale this summer--we'll keep you updated! For more information about the 2007 Annual Luncheon, contact Amanda Grant at 312-988-6599.