Exciting new project on social justice to be released

Watch out this winter for a new project covering the important topic of social justice in light of Catholic teaching from ACTS Evangelism and Worship, and artist Sal Solo.

Known as We Cry Justice!, the DVD and CD project (in partnership with Catholic Relief Services and distributed by HeartBeat Records) is Solo's most ambitious project since his groundbreaking multimedia Mass, Anno Domini. We Cry Justice! is a comprehensive treatment of social justice, each song covering a different facet:

1. GENESIS
Creation, Cain and Abel, Tower of Babel .... Basically showing how injustice first came into the world.

2. MONEY
About the distribution of wealth and resources on the planet, and the big gap between populations and wealth per head.

3. CRY OF THE POOR
Also known as "Option for the poor" in Catholic social teaching. The rap makes reference to homeless in America.

4. I CHOOSE LIFE
The right to life in every area: stem cell, euthanasia, capital punishment.

5. SILENT SCREAM
Specifically about abortion and teen pregnancy.

6. YEAH LADY
Child brides and female circumcision (FGC or FGM)

7. A.I.D.S. AFRICA
The poorest nations of the world. Why they are poor. That we enslaved them and crippled them with debt.

8. EVIL PROSPERS WHEN GOOD PEOPLE DO NOTHING
Highlighting racism, as in Auschwitz.

9. 50¢ A DAY
Workers rights. Pay discrepancy etc .

10. I SHALL BE RELEASED
9/11 footage in this one - that the number dying each day from hunger is far greater.

11. IF YOU WANNA SEE PEACE, WORK FOR JUSTICE
The world spends more on arms than feeding the poor.

12. ONE HUMAN FAMILY
The relation between our everyday things and the rest of the world.

13. WE CRY JUSTICE
This really sums up the whole thing - wars, child prostitutes, begging...

14. RAINFOREST
This is an instrumental drawing attention to our duty to protect the planet

Preliminary reviews have this to say about We Cry Justice!:

"Truly motivating. It really has the power to touch all people on all different levels"
Rob Kaczmark, Spirit Juice Studios

"Just to watch the trailer was an emotional experience! Leave it to Sal to reach into the heart with music and visuals."Stephen Schnee, Hands and Hearts, CA

"Innovative, exciting and ground-breaking; a truly new approach to social justice teaching through multi-media. The '50 cents a day' idea will inspire many, young and old, to open their hearts to the poor. This is an important new project for the Church." Susan Bailey, GrapeVine

Through ACTS, Sal Solo conducts youth rallies, retreats and concerts all over the world. In bringing We Cry Justice! to the public, Solo explains, "I will begin to incorporate it into my retreats, including discussion materials to follow it. I have a call and answer thing with the kids which says "We are here to EDUCATE, to MOTIVATE, and to ASK OURSELVES; WHAT CAN I DO?" It is essential to focus on putting the message into action. We have plans for a study guide, which should be a valuable addition. "

In this interview conducted at the Catholic Marketing Network trade show last spring, Solo explains the project further and how it came to be: