Barack Obama

you know __PUNCT__ faith base_group like east_side commun ministri carri a particular mean for me __PUNCT__

becaus in a wai __PUNCT__ thei what led me into public_servic __PUNCT__

it wa a cathol group_call the campaign for human_develop that help fund the work i did mani year_ago in chicago to help lift up neighborhood that were devast by the closur of a local steel plant __PUNCT__

now __PUNCT__ i didn't grow up in a particularli religi household __PUNCT__

but my experi in chicago show me how faith and valu could be an anchor in my life __PUNCT__

and in time __PUNCT__ i came to see my faith as be both a person commit to christ and a commit to my commun __PUNCT__ that while i could sit in church and prai all i want __PUNCT__ i wouldn't be fulfil god will unless i went out and did the lord work __PUNCT__

there ar million of american who share a similar view of their faith __PUNCT__ who feel thei have an oblig to help other __PUNCT__

and thei make a differ in commun all across thi countri __PUNCT__ through initi like ready4work __PUNCT__ which is help ensur that ex __PUNCT__ offend don't return to a life of crime __PUNCT__ or cathol chariti __PUNCT__ which is feed the hungri and make sure we don't have homeless veteran sleep on the street of chicago __PUNCT__ or the good_work that be done by a coalit of religi_group to rebuild new orlean __PUNCT__

you see __PUNCT__ while these group ar often made up of folk who come togeth around a common faith __PUNCT__ thei usual work to help peopl of all faith or of no faith at all __PUNCT__

and thei particularli well __PUNCT__ place to offer help __PUNCT__

as i said mani time __PUNCT__ i believ that chang come not from the top __PUNCT__ down __PUNCT__ but from the bottom __PUNCT__ up __PUNCT__ and few ar closer to the peopl than our church __PUNCT__ synagogu __PUNCT__ templ __PUNCT__ and mosqu __PUNCT__

that why washington need to draw on them __PUNCT__

the fact is __PUNCT__ the challeng we face_todai __PUNCT__ from save our planet to end_poverti __PUNCT__ ar simpli too big for govern to solv alon __PUNCT__

we need all hand on deck __PUNCT__

i not sai that faith __PUNCT__ base_group ar an altern to govern or secular nonprofit __PUNCT__

and i not sai that thei somehow better at lift peopl up __PUNCT__

what i sai is that we all have to work togeth __PUNCT__ christian and jew __PUNCT__ hindu and muslim __PUNCT__ believ and non __PUNCT__ believ alik __PUNCT__ to meet the challeng of the __NUM___centuri __PUNCT__

now __PUNCT__ i know there ar some who bristl at the notion that faith ha a place in the public_squar __PUNCT__

but the fact is __PUNCT__ leader in both parti have recogn the valu of a partnership between the white_hous and faith __PUNCT__ base_group __PUNCT__

presid_clinton sign legisl that open the door for faith __PUNCT__ base_group to plai a role in a number of area __PUNCT__ includ help peopl_move from welfar to work __PUNCT__

al_gore propos a partnership between washington and faith __PUNCT__ base_group to provid more support for the least of these __PUNCT__

and presid_bush came into offic with a promis to __PUNCT__ ralli the armi of compass __PUNCT__ establish a new offic of faith __PUNCT__ base and commun initi __PUNCT__

but what we saw instead wa that the offic never fulfil it promis __PUNCT__

support for social_servic to the poor and the needi have been consist underfund __PUNCT__

rather than promot the caus of all faith __PUNCT__ base_organ __PUNCT__ former offici in the offic have describ how it wa us to promot partisan interest __PUNCT__

as a result __PUNCT__ the smaller congreg and commun_group that were suppos to be empow end up get short __PUNCT__ chang __PUNCT__

well __PUNCT__ i still believ it a good_idea to have a partnership between the white_hous and grassroot group __PUNCT__ both faith __PUNCT__ base and secular __PUNCT__

but it ha to be a real partnership __PUNCT__ not a photo __PUNCT__ op __PUNCT__

that what it will be when i presid __PUNCT__

i establish a new council for faith __PUNCT__ base and neighborhood partnership __PUNCT__

the new name will reflect a new commit __PUNCT__

thi council will not just be anoth name on the white hous organ chart __PUNCT__ it will be a critic part of my administr __PUNCT__

now __PUNCT__ make no mistak __PUNCT__ as someon who us to teach constitut_law __PUNCT__ i believ deepli in the separ of church and state __PUNCT__ but i don't believ thi partnership will endang that idea __PUNCT__ so long as we follow a few basic_principl __PUNCT__

first __PUNCT__ if you get a feder_grant __PUNCT__ you can't us that grant monei to proselyt to the peopl you help and you can't discrimin against them __PUNCT__ or against the peopl you hire __PUNCT__ on the basi of their religion __PUNCT__

second __PUNCT__ feder_dollar that go directli to church __PUNCT__ templ __PUNCT__ and mosqu can onli be us on secular program __PUNCT__

and we also ensur that taxpay_dollar onli go to those program that actual work __PUNCT__

with these principl as a guid __PUNCT__ my council for faith __PUNCT__ base and neighborhood partnership will strengthen faith __PUNCT__ base_group by make sure thei know the opportun open to them to build on their good_work __PUNCT__

too often __PUNCT__ faith __PUNCT__ base_group __PUNCT__ especi smaller congreg and those that aren't well connect __PUNCT__ don't know how to appli for feder_dollar __PUNCT__ or how to navig a govern websit to see what grant ar avail __PUNCT__ or how to compli with feder_law and regul __PUNCT__

we reli too much on confer in washington __PUNCT__ instead of get technic assist to the peopl who need it on the ground __PUNCT__

what thi mean is that what stop mani faith __PUNCT__ base_group from help struggl famili is simpli a lack of knowledg about how the system_work __PUNCT__

well __PUNCT__ that will chang when i presid __PUNCT__

i will empow the nonprofit religi and commun_group that do understand how thi process work to train the thousand of group that don't __PUNCT__

we __PUNCT__ train the trainer __PUNCT__ by give larger faith __PUNCT__ base partner like cathol chariti and lutheran servic and secular nonprofit like public/priv ventur the support thei need to help other group build and run effect program __PUNCT__

everi hous of worship that want to run an effect program and that will to abid by our constitut __PUNCT__ from the largest mega __PUNCT__ church and synagogu to the smallest store __PUNCT__ front church and mosqu __PUNCT__ can and will have access to the inform and support thei need to run that program __PUNCT__

thi council will also help target our effort to meet kei challeng like educ __PUNCT__

all across america __PUNCT__ too mani children simpli can't read or perform math at their grade __PUNCT__ level __PUNCT__ a problem that grow wors for low __PUNCT__ incom_student dure the summer month and afterschool hour __PUNCT__

nonprofit like children defens fund ar work to solv thi problem __PUNCT__

thei hold summer and afterschool freedom_school in commun across thi countri __PUNCT__ and mani of their class ar held in church __PUNCT__

there a lot of evid that these kind of partnership work __PUNCT__

take youth educ for tomorrow __PUNCT__ an innov program that be run by church __PUNCT__ faith __PUNCT__ base school __PUNCT__ and other in philadelphia __PUNCT__

to help narrow the summer learn gap __PUNCT__ the yet program hire qualifi teacher who help student with read us proven learn techniqu __PUNCT__

thei hold class four dai a week after school and dure the summer __PUNCT__

and thei monitor progress close __PUNCT__

the result have been outstand __PUNCT__

children who attend a yet center for at least six month improv nearli __NUM___year in read abil __PUNCT__

and the averag high_school school_student gain a full grade in read level after just three month __PUNCT__

that the kind of real progress that can be made when we empow faith __PUNCT__ base_organ __PUNCT__

and that why as presid __PUNCT__ i expand summer program like thi to serv on million student __PUNCT__

thi won't just help our children_learn __PUNCT__ it will help keep them off the street dure the summer so thei don't turn to crime __PUNCT__

and my council for faith __PUNCT__ base and neighborhood partnership will also have a broader role __PUNCT__ it will help set our nation agenda __PUNCT__

becaus if we ar go to do someth about the injustic of million of children_live in extrem_poverti __PUNCT__ we need interfaith coalit like the let justic roll campaign stand up for the powerless __PUNCT__

if we go to end genocid and stop the scourg of hiv/aid __PUNCT__ we need peopl of faith on capitol_hill talk about how these challeng don't just repres a secur crisi or a humanitarian crisi __PUNCT__ but a moral crisi as well __PUNCT__

we know that faith and valu can be a sourc of strength in our own live __PUNCT__

that what it been to me __PUNCT__

and that what it is to so mani american __PUNCT__

but it can also be someth more __PUNCT__

it can be the foundat of a new project of american renew __PUNCT__

and that the kind of effort i intend to lead as presid of the unit_state __PUNCT__