Poor People’s Campaign Principle No. 8: We will build up the power of people and state-based movements to serve as a vehicle for a powerful moral movement in the country and to transform the political, economic and moral structures of our society.

By Andria Shores

It is important to work locally for justice.

This is because it is at the local level that we can connect personally with those who are most in need of advocacy. It is not enough to simply drop off canned goods at our local churches or food banks.

To do that is to hold at arm’s length those whom we should develop relationships with in order to understand what needs to be done. The Poor People’s Campaign — a National Call for Moral Revival upholds this concept and more (www.poorpeoplescampaign.org).

Once we are in true communion with our fellow human beings, we can begin to work through our local governments to ensure equal justice for all.

We are far from that now, and part of the reason is that we remain isolated from one another and in denial of real human pain, suffering and injustice.

Andria Shores is a member of the Salisbury Circle of the Poor People’s Campaign.