Jeremy Cloward, Ph.D.
Professor & Author
The Frances Marie Nemeth Foundation for Peace
The Frances Marie Nemeth Foundation for Peace is named in honor of Frances "Fran" Marie Nemeth. Born and raised in Niles, Michigan, she eventually moved to the San Francisco Bay Area where she married, raised a family, and made the world a better place by loving everyone equally that crossed her path. Every day, with a warm smile, she addressed everyone around her with a "honey" or an "I love you." She was a natural-born mother and there was not one child that she came across that did not enjoy a hug or a kiss from her when they found themselves in her company. In fact, it was not unusual to see a child sitting with or playing around this beautiful woman, soaking up her kindness like the the earth soaks up the warmth of the sun. For many, she was the best person that they knew, grounded in the down-to-earth wholesomeness of the Midwest, and was guided by the best qualities of our nature -- love, understanding, empathy, and kindness. In remembering her, we donate to the best organizations that we believe exist in the world today that best represent who Frances Marie Nemeth was and her view of the world. We list them here in case you might want to contribute to them to help make this world a better place for us all. (Photos from left to right: Frances or "Frankie" as she was known to her family as a young girl, Gary Lee Price's "Circle of Peace," and Fran in San Francisco, California).
"The mission of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is to advance cures, and means of prevention, for pediatric catastrophic diseases through research and treatment. Consistent with the vision of our founder Danny Thomas, no child is denied treatment based on race, religion or a family's ability to pay."
"In the years following World War I, America was gripped by the fear that the Communist Revolution that had taken place in Russia would spread to the United States...Thousands of people were arrested without warrants and without regard to constitutional protections against unlawful search and seizure. Those arrested were brutally treated and held in horrible conditions. In the face of these egregious civil liberties abuses, a small group of people decided to take a stand, and thus was born the American Civil Liberties Union."
"We provide independent, impartial medical humanitarian assistance to the people who need it most. Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) cares for people affected by conflict, disease outbreaks, natural and human-made disasters, and exclusion from health care in more than 70 countries."
"Our mission
Seeking to put God’s love into action, Habitat for Humanity brings people together to build homes, communities and hope.
Our vision
A world where everyone has a decent place to live.
Our principles
-
Demonstrate the love of Jesus Christ.
-
Focus on shelter.
-
Advocate for affordable housing.
-
Promote dignity and hope.
-
Support sustainable and transformative development.
Who we are
Habitat for Humanity is a movement of people in your local area and around the world, working together to build more prosperous and vibrant communities by making sure everyone has a decent, safe, affordable place to call home. Since our founding in 1976, together we have helped tens of millions of people in countries around the world build their life on their own terms through access to decent, affordable homes. Through our 2020 Strategic Plan, Habitat for Humanity will serve more people than ever before through decent and affordable housing."
"Human Rights Watch investigates and reports on abuses happening in all corners of the world. We are roughly 550 plus people of 70-plus nationalities who are country experts, lawyers, journalists, and others who work to protect the most at risk, from vulnerable minorities and civilians in wartime, to refugees and children in need."
"[The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is] the home of grassroots activism for civil rights and social justice.
We advocate, agitate, and litigate for the civil rights due to Black America.
In our cities, schools, companies, and courtrooms, we are the legacy of W.E.B. Du Bois, Ida B. Wells, Thurgood Marshall, and many other giants."
"Through our detailed research and determined campaigning, we help fight abuses of human rights worldwide. We bring torturers to justice. Change oppressive laws. And free people jailed just for voicing their opinion."
"The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) was established in 1946, in the aftermath of World War II. Our mandate was clear: to help children and young people whose lives and futures were at risk – no matter what role their country had played in the war.
What mattered to UNICEF was reaching every child in need, protecting children’s rights to survive, thrive, and reach their full potential.
This is the DNA of UNICEF. From the ashes of war to the global challenges that affect millions today, our mandate has never wavered. UNICEF has consistently worked to protect the rights and well-being of all children. Whoever they are. Wherever they live."
"We bring life-saving relief in emergencies and use food assistance to build peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change."
"Mankind must put an end to war -- or war will put an end to mankind."
President John F. Kennedy in his
Address in New York City before the General Assembly of the United Nations on September 25, 1961
"UNCF envisions a nation where all Americans have equal access to a college education that prepares them for rich intellectual lives, competitive and fulfilling careers, engaged citizenship and service to our nation.
UNCF’s mission is to build a robust and nationally-recognized pipeline of under-represented students who, because of UNCF support, become highly-qualified college graduates and to ensure that our network of member institutions is a respected model of best practice in moving students to and through college.
UNCF’s North Star is to increase the total annual number of African American college graduates by focusing on activities that ensure more students are college-ready, enroll in college and persist to graduation."
"Since 1970, the Native American Rights Fund (NARF) has provided legal assistance to Native American tribes, organizations, and individuals nationwide who might otherwise have gone without adequate representation. NARF has successfully asserted and defended the most important rights of Indians and tribes in hundreds of major cases, and has achieved significant results in such critical areas as tribal sovereignty, treaty rights, natural resource protection, voting rights, and Indian education."
"Begun in the early 1960s by Cesar Chavez, Dolores Huerta, Larry Itliong and other organizers, the United Farm Workers of America is the nation’s first enduring and largest farm workers’ union...UFW contract agreements protect thousands of vegetable, berry, winery, tomato, and dairy workers in California, Oregon, and Washington state."
"Our mission is to provide medical and humanitarian relief collectively and individually to children throughout the Levant, regardless of their nationality or religion. We envision a world where all children in the Middle East have access to quality medical care, humanitarian aid, and specialized surgical procedures."
"Due to the high rates of poverty and joblessness in remote reservation communities in the Northern Plains, many Native Americans struggle to access the necessities of life. Additionally, Native Americans endure a legacy of healthcare disparities, leading to disproportionate disease rates. The Northern Plains Reservation Aid® (NPRA) program helps to ease some of these hardships through our food and water, emergency, health, and holiday support services."
"Oxfam is a global organization that fights inequality to end poverty and injustice. We offer lifesaving support in times of crisis and advocate for economic justice, gender equality, and climate action. We demand equal rights and equal treatment so that everyone can thrive, not just survive. The future is equal."
"UNRWA was established by UN General Assembly Resolution 302 (IV) of 8 December 1949 “to carry out […] direct relief and works programmes” for Palestine refugees. The Agency began operations on 1 May 1950...UNRWA has a humanitarian and development mandate to provide assistance and protection to Palestine refugees pending a just and lasting solution to their plight...UNRWA provides humanitarian assistance and contributes to protection of refugees through essential service delivery, primarily in the areas of basic education, primary health care and mental health care, relief and social services, microcredit, and emergency assistance, including in situations of armed conflict, to millions of registered Palestine refugees located within its five fields of operations (Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Gaza)."
"CASA has come a long way from the church basement it started in. CASA was established by activists opposing U.S. interference in Latin America and the funding of military and paramilitary assaults on the communities of Central America. As the US continued to invest in the destabilization of Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras, and El Salvador in particular, refugees began flooding into the DC region escaping torture and death. Since those humble beginnings, CASA has grown, lifted by waves of activism led by day laborers and domestic workers, students and parents, co-conspirators for justice in labor, faith, and civil rights organizations."
"The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian Church. Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination."