Be the change you want to see in the world.

2008-06-04T19:34:00.001-07:00

Published on Wednesday, June 4, 2008 by CommonDreams.org

Apartheid’s Global Face: From South Africa to the United States

by Joseph Nevins

Fourteen years ago in May, Nelson Mandela assumed the presidency of a democratic South Africa, marking the formal end of the transition from Apartheid. But the shocking reports and images of the recent attacks against immigrants in many of South Africa’s main cities that have left about 50 dead — some of them burned alive — show that apartheid lives on: it is a global one, embedded in the very fabric of a world order predicated on nation-states.

While the factors leading to the xenophobic terror are complex, they are in significant part the result of the practices of the South African state and its creation of a deserving “us” and a threatening, foreign “them.” Through its boundary fences and border patrols, arrests and deportations of unauthorized migrants, and the justifying rhetoric, South African officialdom has helped to create the very “problem” that the violent mobs seek to eliminate. As Paul Verryn, a Methodist bishop based in Johannesburg critical of South Africa’s leadership for not being more welcoming of migrants, has asserted, “The locals believe they are doing what the government is doing anyway, getting rid of the ‘illegals.’”

South Africa, however, is hardly alone in fomenting cruelty toward migrants; indeed, it does what all other nation-states do — especially the most powerful ones — to varying degrees. And just as in South Africa of old, where the state dictated where the majority of its inhabitants (black South Africans) could live and work, contemporary regulation of international mobility and residence results in systematic violence and dehumanization.

Here in the United States, the last several years have seen a huge increase in migrant imprisonment and detention, including of children with their parents; a steep rise in workplace raids; and massive growth of deportations of both legal and unauthorized residents. There has also been a dramatic expansion of boundary enforcement. As such, migrants must often literally risk their lives trying to enter the country clandestinely. The result is frequently death.

Such fatalities occur across the globe, but it is the boundaries between the so-called first and third worlds, the relatively rich and poor, secure and vulnerable, that are deadliest. In the U.S.-Mexico borderlands, approximately five thousand migrant bodies have been recovered since 1994 when the Clinton administration greatly intensified boundary policing. Similarly, along Europe’s perimeter many thousands have perished over the last decade trying to clandestinely enter its territory.

Apartheid might seem like an inappropriate term to describe the context in which such tragedies unfold given that there is no legally enshrined racial segregation between the so-called first and third worlds. Moreover, many third-world origin peoples have citizenship, or live and work in countries throughout the West.

Yet all nation-states, especially wealthy ones, regulate mobility and residence on, among other factors, the basis of geographic origins — one of the foundations of supposed racial distinctions — thus limiting the rights and protections afforded to migrants because of an essential characteristic over which they have no control. Similarly, Apartheid South Africa sought to both limit black mobility and make certain that there was a sufficient supply of black labor in nominally white areas, while denying those workers political rights and making their presence conditional and reversible.

Our world is one in which the relatively rich and disproportionately white are generally free to travel and live wherever they would like or have the means to access the resources they “need.” Meanwhile the relatively poor and largely people of color are typically forced to subsist where there are not enough resources to provide sufficient livelihood or, in order to overcome their deprivation and insecurity, to risk their lives trying to overcome ever-stronger boundary controls put into place by rich countries that reject them. And if they succeed in migrating, they must endure all the indignities and hazards associated with being “illegal.”

In a world of deep inequality between countries, national territorial divides have profound implications: which side of a boundary one is born on significantly determines the resources to which one has access, the amount of political power on the international stage one has, where one can go and under what conditions, and thus how one lives and dies.

This is the essence of racism, and the nation-state system as well, as it allows for double standards based on the assumption that some should have fewer rights because of where they’re from.

If such double-standards were undoubtedly wrong in Apartheid-era South Africa, shouldn’t they be equally wrong across the globe today — wherever they may take place and whatever the justifications?

Joseph Nevins, an associate professor of geography at Vassar College, is the author of the just-released Dying to Live: A Story of U.S. Immigration in an Age of Global Apartheid (City Lights Books).

My thoughts after volunteering at Tent City

2008-05-08T15:22:00.001-07:00

Today I volunteered to help set up tent city at it's new location. tent city is an organized homeless encampment that travels around mostly to churches (you can read more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tent_City_4). It was set-up day, so we spent a lot of time working with others hauling stuff like pallets, plywood, tents and boxes. A lot of people helped; some were
residents of tent city and some were volunteers. Yes, you could recognize some as either residents or volunteers but for many it was really unclear. Some people were from churches, some from the synagogue, some were not native English speakers, some were young and others very old. We were all just people working hard together. You would hear these conversations
happening where a resident realized they were talking to someone who was a volunteer. I heard several people say thank you, but then the conversation would move. I was talking to someone who I thought was a volunteer and turned out he was a resident. It didn't matter. What mattered was that we were working together. There was lots of moving heavy stuff, unstable footing, nails and commotion. What mattered was the person holding the other end of the wood was being careful and that you were working together to share the load. I've set up for big projects, done the heavy lifting and many other projects over the years and this was the nicest bunch of people I've ever worked with. Yes, some people talked more then worked. Yes some
people didn't always get what they were supposed to do, but that was accepted. There was no anger or ego. There was patience with the confusion. There was a very clear, strong desire to make sure everyone was safe and protected. Everyone was watching out for everyone else. There was no "us" and "them".

It was cold out and we worked hard. At lunch time we sat on crates, tent city furniture, and ate sack lunches which contained peanut sandwiches. We all appreciated those sandwiches. We appreciated we had a crate to sit on and the chance to rest for a moment. We wished it was warmer. All the dividing lines vanished that simply. I was probably one of the grubbier
people there. I didn't really know how to socialize with anyone. I know that some thought I was a resident. It shows you how misleading our stereotypes can be. I was probably one of the smallest people there. People tried to make sure I wasn't give too much to carry, but they quickly accepted my strength and attitude. I was appreciated because I could work hard. A few
times someone asked to help carry something. Instead of getting wrapped up in pride and wanting to prove I could work as hard as the big men, I saw that these were people who wanted to help. Some of them couldn't carry much themselves, but they wanted to know that they had contributed. I probably have more serious mental health issues then many of the residents. I think one of the values of my struggles is I know I could have easily been in need of Tent City if things had gone slightly differently. I wish more often in the world, we could all be forced to work and sit as people together in the same situation.

Burma Blogging Day

2007-10-04T08:49:00.000-07:00

www.free-burma.org

CARE & Food Aid

2007-08-16T12:41:00.000-07:00

Not something you hear much about: the use of American subsidized farm products in food aid & how it can cause harm to the very people it's claiming to help. The non-profit CARE just recently decided they will no longer accept federal financing of this kind--about time to put the impoverished first! Read it here.

2007-08-12T19:19:00.000-07:00

A soldier's account of why he took a stand against the Iraqi war. From Sniper to War Resister: My Journey.

The People of Iraq

2007-08-03T15:44:00.000-07:00

Today in Baghdad at least 76 people were killed in car bombs. Sometimes with all the horrific attacks that rip a part bodies and bloody the streets, we forget about the daily suffering that have nothing to do with a spectacular explosion. We forget about the young children who can’t focus in school because they fear they might die. Many don’t go to school at all, the roads are to dangerous.

We forget about the little girl who looks up at her penniless father and asks her baba for bread. We forget about the hundreds of thousands of women who are now widows and are forced to find a way to feed their family. We forget about the day when the four-year-old who grew up in this war can’t get a job as an adult because it was to dangerous to go to school. We forget that not everything is Sunni vs. Shiite, Sunni vs. Sunni, Shiite vs. Shiite or Kurd vs Arab. We forget that not everything is about Al Qaida, a group that only formed in Iraq after the 2003 invasion and according to some reports is only responsible for 15 percent of the violence in Iraq. We forget that it’s not just about U.S. government catch phrases like, “democracy is hard,” or “If we don’t fight them here, they will follow us home.” We forget that this is more than labels, this is people.

Read the rest of the article here.

2007-06-12T18:20:00.000-07:00

What "These People" Contribute Remains America's Saving Grace
Great article about immigrants in the U.S.

My thoughts on anti-semitism

2007-05-26T12:36:00.000-07:00

Today, I was making a list for my birthday of organizations that I would like to see get donations, instead of me getting presents. I added the the Jewish Federation of Seattle's Victims Fund and the "Brick by Brick" fund. I haven't forgotten the shooting that happened last year. How can I? When I go to Services I, like other members of my congregation, say hello the security guard standing outside the door to keep us safe. As I walk down the hallway, I see the picture of Pam Waechter who was killed in the shooting. Five other people were shot and injured on that day. I went to services that night, listening to the news, not knowing who in my community was safe and who was hurt or dead. After the shooting, with much support from the Seattle community, the Jewish Federation remodelled the building and move back in. Now, that building is being vandalized.

The sad thing is I am not surprised. This is nothing new. The Synagogue I attended in Tacoma experienced vandalism, threats, gunshots (into an empty building) and attempted arson. I was followed in my car once and harassed after the High Holidays. I, like any other Jew, know that I can be targeted because of my religion and heritage. Most of what we experience is more subtle. As a child growing up I wondered if I would become greedy and rich. Certainly that's the message I got. I heard comments like "the car dealer was trying to Jew up the price". I saw portrayals in the media and in literature of the rich Jews who were greedily counting their money. I struggled to reconcile those messages with what I knew of my Jewish relatives. I learned to have a public, non-Jewish persona. I was told by my teacher once that my Yiddish expressions were "made up" and scolded for using them. Every Jewish person I know carries some level of fear and has their own stories to tell.

All too often hate crimes and anti-Semitic acts are either labeled "an isolated event" or are buried under debates of politics. Both are a way to distance ourselves from the reality of what happens to people in our own neighborhoods. I know that my grandfather was beaten up for being a Jew, if he wandered out of his neighborhood in the Bronx. My mother was the "token Jew" at her school. She got to attend classes, but was not welcome at any social events. Anti-Semitism has existed long before the latest turmoil in the Middle East. Even the word "anti-semitism" seems an effort at distancing. Why not call it what is is - hate, judgement, fear, violence and discrimination. Within the Jewish community, I think we sometimes fear the backlash we can cause by speaking out. We do not want to create a culture of "them" and "us". I was taught to be grateful for our success and acceptance in the USA. How can I complain about prejudice or hate? Have I experienced anything comparable to what many African-Americans live with daily? What about all the other groups in the world that suffer so much. Yet, the Anti-Defamation League reports over 1,500 anti-semic incidents in the USA in 2006, 39 of which occurred in Washington State.

More often I have experienced acceptance and curiosity about my Judaism. I have always lived in places where the Jewish population was extremely small, usually less then 1%. I'm usually approached with a desire to learn not a need to judge. I write this in hope not fear or blame. In talking openly and honestly about the issues we face we can build a better tomorrow.

2007-04-18T18:49:00.000-07:00

32 Senseless Deaths: A Chance for Empathy, Change of Heart, and Change of Course

Martin Luther King Jr.

2007-04-06T11:22:00.000-07:00

I have always admired this man & the movement he helped create, & counted him among my heroes. As a young teenager I poured over articles & memorials about King & his work. I looked forward to January & the huge full-page spreads the Seattle Times would do on King's life. I admired his courage & what at the time would have been seen as audacity. I was drawn to the fact that everything he stood & fought for, was done with non-violence & that his message was so full of hope & love & a better future for all humankind. The majority of what I read & learned all centered around the civil rights movement of the early 1960s. I found this article yesterday & was immediately intrigued: "The Martin Luther King You Don't See on TV".
It gives some insight into the last few years of King's life & why we don't hear much about that period. The civil rights acts passed in 1964 & 1965 & King was not assassinated until 1968--what was his focus in those last years of his life?
Read on friends...even more reasons to admire & learn from this man.
The Martin Luther King You Don't See on TV

I'll be doing some research on these rarely-heard-about years of King's life (just as soon as this hunger banquet is over).

2007-03-20T13:28:00.000-07:00

Impeachment As an Act of Patriotism
When people who are honestly mistaken learn the truth, they will either cease being mistaken, or cease being honest.

Debt Relief

2007-03-15T15:58:00.000-07:00

Great article on tying together the debt issues of both Africa & the United States poor & debt-trapped.

2006-12-20T13:26:00.000-08:00

Thoughts about peace & love for the holidays.

Something to think on...

2006-12-12T19:52:00.000-08:00

Yes, It's Christmas 2006: What Would Jesus Do?

Serving My Country?

2006-11-07T20:45:00.000-08:00

"Here's why I love what the Army does in terms of education. They say if you serve your country, we will invest in your education. Part of the problem is, why is it the only way to serve our country by going into the military? Why can't I serve my country in a disaster relief force, so that when the next forest fire burns in California, we don't send a group of young kids to do that, or the next time we have a Katrina, our kids don't go down there. Why can't I serve my country by assisting in an urban school? Going to rural healthcare facility where no one has access to healthcare? We should trade service to our country on many different levels, so our kids can have an education they can use and take with them."

Andy Stern - President of the Service Employees International Union
Click here for the entire article.

America 101

2006-11-01T19:28:00.000-08:00

It's long, but it's worth it.
America 101

2006-10-24T13:57:00.000-07:00

On November 7th: Vote for Love

2006-10-20T13:37:00.000-07:00

Preaching Peace, Practicing War

The Military Commissions Act

2006-10-19T16:30:00.000-07:00

I generally try to post positive articles. As this one is entitled "The Beginning of the End of America" it is definitely not. But it's impactful & sadly enough, true.

2006-09-29T13:01:00.000-07:00

I'm No Bush Hater

Torture

2006-09-26T12:54:00.000-07:00

"Can't the United States see that when we allow someone to be tortured by our agents, it is not only the victim and the perpetrator who are corrupted, not only the 'intelligence' that is contaminated, but also everyone who looked away and said they did not know, everyone who consented tacitly to that outrage so they could sleep a little safer at night, all the citizens who did not march in the streets by the millions to demand the resignation of whoever suggested, even whispered, that torture is inevitable in our day and age, that we must embrace its darkness?"

Ariel Dorfman, Chiliean novelist and human rights activists

2006-09-22T10:29:00.000-07:00

"We should take care, in inculcating patriotism into our boys and girls, that is a patriotism above the narrow sentiment which usually stops at one's country, and thus inspires jealousy and enmity in dealing with others. Our patriotism should be of the wider, nobler kind which recognizes justice and reasonableness in the claims of others and which lead our country into comradeship with the other nations of the world. The first step to this end is to develop peace and goodwill within our borders, by training our youth of both sexes to its practice as their habit of life, so that the jealousies of town against town, class against class and sect against sect no longer exist; and then to extend this good feeling beyond our frontiers towards our neighbours."

Lord Baden-Powell

From Pastor Rich Gamble of Keystone UCC

2006-09-12T09:55:00.000-07:00

Why do you see the speck in your neighbor's eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye.
Matthew 7:3

It is a very human thing to want to believe that our own actions are right & the actions of those opposed to us are wrong. And therein lies the problem. For if human behavior is going to change it must do so either through force exerted from someone else, or through the willingness of the individual or community to change itself. If everyone refuses to examine their own beliefs & actions, then conflict is inevitable & that often leads to violence.

One example of this is found in the forms of the word, "terrorist" used today.

From an FBI document about terrorism I found this quote: "The U.S. Code & the FBI define terrorism as '...the unlawful use of force or violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives.'"

According to our own government's definition, the employment of violence to coerce others to obtain a political or social objective is terrorism. And by that definition there is no distinction between a million dollar bomb dropped by a multimillion dollar jet, & a bomb made with fertilizer & diesel fuel. It is not the type of bomb or the means of delivery, it is the intention.

Every war's goal is to "coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives." War is terrorism. This is no surprise to soldiers. They seek to instill terror in their enemy. Military planners strive to coerce the government & civilian population of the enemy. That is why we bombed civilian targets like Berlin, Dresden, Tokyo, Hiroshima, Hanoi, & Baghdad. That is why the Israelis have bombed civilian targets in Lebanon.

The FBI definition limits terrorism to the "unlawful" use of force or violence. They would argue that our violence is legal. The violence of "terrorists" is not. But the legality of something is subjective. Jesus was legally executed. Hitler's murder of Jews & Gypsies conformed to the laws of Germany at the time. Our massacre of Lakota men, women & children at Wounded Knee was carried out by a duly constituted authority. But the victims of these acts of terrorism would undoubtedly & rightly claim that these actions were criminal. In conflicts between groups each side sees their violence as legal & the violence of the other as criminal.

All of this is to say that there is no line of separation between those who employ violence to gain their own ends. Violence is terror producing. Those who use it are terrorists. In this light then the President's "War Against Terrorism" makes no sense. It is a campaign of Violence to end Violence. The end result can only be perpetual violence.

In the U.N. the representative of Israel said they were fundamentally different from Hezbulla. Israel, he said, grieved the deaths of the innocents they killed whereas Hezbulla celebrated the innocent deaths they caused. In other words it is not whether you kill people but how your act of murder makes you feel that separates out good people from bad. This ridiculous statement shows how bankrupt any attempt to justify the use of violence is.

So let's drop all the name calling & all the justifications & let's say that any use of "violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives" is wrong. Let's challenge anyone who uses the phrase "terrorist" as label for others. Let's admit that when we resort to violence we become terrorists & before we can expect others to give up violence as a tool to gain "political or social objectives" that we as a nation must do so.

Iraqis know the terror brought on by our invasion. The people of Lebanon know that the bombs that are dropped on them by Israel are paid for by U.S. tax dollars. It is time we saw the world & ourselves through the eyes of those our nation calls enemy.

2006-09-10T19:59:00.000-07:00

Tell the Truth about 9/11

Go California!!

2006-08-30T18:53:00.000-07:00

California to Cap Greenhouse Gas Emissions...

2006-08-25T15:41:00.000-07:00

A Right to Food?

PG&E considers BIOGAS

2006-07-13T16:01:00.000-07:00

GOT GAS?
PG&E considers using a natural energy source that comes from cows -- and it sure isn't milk.

In its quest to tap renewable sources of energy, California has harnessed the wind, the sun, the mighty force of rivers and the steady heat within the Earth.
Now it's looking at cow manure.
Pacific Gas and Electric Co. has signed an agreement to distribute a form of natural gas derived from cow excrement collected at Central Valley dairies.
A small New Hampshire company will produce the gas at individual California farms and deliver it to PG&E's pipeline system, a 40,123-mile web spanning the northern and central part of the state. San Francisco's PG&E might buy the gas or ship it to other buyers -- that hasn't been decided.
The plan has a certain logic.
California relies on natural gas to fuel power plants. Natural gas prices are soaring. A kind of gas, called biogas, can be made from decaying manure. And California -- home to more than 2 million cows -- has an ample supply.
"California, to us, represents the mother lode," said Albert Morales, executive vice president of New Hampshire's Environmental Power Corp. "This is the holy grail."
Many farms use it
The idea isn't exactly new. Farmers scattered throughout the United States and Europe have experimented with similar systems for years, turning manure from cows and pigs into gas and burning it on their premises to generate power. And San Francisco is investigating the feasibility of generating power from pet waste.
"There's truly a track record," Morales said. "It's not a neat idea from a couple of guys in a garage."
PG&E and Environmental Power, however, want the farms' gas to flow throughout the state. It could be bought and sold like regular natural gas, burned in power plants or piped into home furnaces and stoves.
If all goes according to plan, PG&E customers could be using gas from cows in 12 to 18 months.
"There is the potential for a significant renewable resource here," said Bob Howard, PG&E vice president in charge of gas distribution. "This is a big experiment for us to see how a process like this can work."
Cows alone, however, won't solve the state's energy problems. Under Howard's best-case scenario, PG&E might be able to get 5 percent of its gas from farms in 10 to 15 years.
"Compared to the amount of gas we use in California, it's always going to be small-scale," said Peter Lehman, director of the Schatz Energy Research Center at Humboldt State University.
Considering alternatives
He added, however, that the state is in no position to ignore a homemade, renewable source of power.
"There's some fossil fuel we don't have to burn because we've burned the biogas instead," Lehman said. "It's something we need to do."
Turning dairies into the equivalent of gas fields is, in some ways, relatively simple.
Manure is collected and dumped into a tank that removes oxygen and controls the temperature. Bacteria break down the waste and release gas -- mostly methane and carbon dioxide.
Environmental Power's process then removes the carbon dioxide and refines the gas into a product similar enough to natural gas that it can be shipped in the same pipelines.
The carbon dioxide vents into the atmosphere. That compound has been blamed as the key culprit behind global warming.
Despite that, energy researchers tend to view biogas as relatively benign. The manure comes from whatever plants the cows happen to eat, and those plants absorb carbon dioxide from the air, creating a kind of carbon-dioxide loop. In the end, burning biogas leaves less carbon in the atmosphere than burning its fossil-fuel relative.
Environmental benefits
It also consumes methane, a greenhouse gas far more powerful than carbon dioxide. Leave the manure to decompose in an open-air pool -- a common practice on farms -- and the methane ascends into the atmosphere, warming the planet bit by bit.
A subsidiary of Environmental Power plans to sign up individual dairies, install its equipment and build pipes connecting to PG&E's network. PG&E will test the gas daily to ensure its quality.
PG&E has not yet decided to buy Environmental Power's biogas and no money has changed hands between the companies. Prices, presumably, would be based on the open market. Natural gas currently costs more than twice its historic average, the result of supply problems and its rising popularity as a fuel. It remains to be seen if Environmental Power can produce its cow-based fuel at a price that will be competitive with natural gas.
That, to PG&E, is the main reason to give biogas a try. The utility depends on natural gas shipped from out of state. And staunch opposition from environmentalists has prevented California from importing liquefied natural gas, transported in tankers, from elsewhere.
The state, in other words, has few options to get more gas. Other than cows.
"Any new supply has the potential to moderate the price," Howard said. "It's gas we don't have to buy from somewhere else."

A little poetry for your 4th of July...

2006-06-30T14:05:00.000-07:00

...an article about supporting the troops, but not the war.

Protest in Music

2006-06-20T20:43:00.000-07:00

For those who like many genres of music & musicians, who use their talent & position to protest, an article.
And a few the article did not mention:
Dead Prez
System of a Down
Ben Harper (new album, Both Sides of the Gun)

Wilderness

2006-05-31T11:38:00.000-07:00

I only went out for a walk and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in. -John Muir

New Orleans

2006-05-05T18:08:00.000-07:00

An online friend of mine has made the journey from Manitoba to New Orleans. She and some other volunteers from her church have gone done to help. She has been sharing her journey on her live journal. Some of the pictures are amazing.

On Being Content

2006-04-14T08:52:00.000-07:00

A post from my friend Jack's blog.

Lessons for all from the Seattle Immigration March

2006-04-12T13:12:00.000-07:00

Article

Progressive Politics & Spirituality

2006-04-11T12:37:00.000-07:00

An interesting article about bringing spirituality into progressive politics.

Immigrants Rights

2006-04-06T12:42:00.000-07:00

I don't know how many people are following the numerous marches, rallies, walk-outs & boycotts across the United States for immigrant rights, but it's incredible & inspiring & reminiscent of the civil rights movement of the 1960s. People are coming together in peaceful, positive ways to make others realize their plight & hopefully make positive changes for this country.

A brief overview of the immigrant bill from the House of Representatives: this bill would change illegal immigration from a civil offense to a criminal felony, & would give the authority to jail anyone caught helping an illegal immigrant, including priests & staff at food banks & soup kitchens. The bill also includes the construction of a 700 mile wall on the U.S.-Mexico border.

Demonstrators are calling for a different type of immigration reform, one that proposes citizenship for undocumented workers. The voice & scale of the demonstrations speaks well for our country on one hand, as it is a prime exercise of our rights under the First Amendment. But on the other hand, it casts America in a deservedly poor light--that of the struggle of 11 million undocumented immigrants who face racism, classism, poor working conditions & constant fear of exposure, just to name a few. They hail from over a dozen different countries including Mexico, Honduras, Ecuador, El Salvador, & the Dominican Republic, fleeing to the United States with little more than hope for a better life for themselves & their children.

As Americans, if we desire a country of freedom, tolerance, hope, equal opportunity & prosperity , we must work to support legislation that grants undocumented immigrants rights as full citizens.
Power in Numbers
Milwaukee March
!Si, Se Puede!
California Student Walk-Out
LA Protest
The Sleeping Giant Awakes
More photos from LA Protest

Words from Thomas Jefferson

2006-02-26T08:42:00.000-08:00

As this blog is about change, here is a very applicable quote from the Thomas Jefferson Memorial in Washington DC.

Hope

2006-02-11T21:06:00.000-08:00

I just updated my Nature Blog. It helped me to refocus. I remember as a child being overwhelmed by the need in the world. I was bombarded by messages of how the world was in trouble- starving people, animals going extint, crime, garbage and forest fires. I seemed to get 2 messages- I was responsible and that it was too late.

I have always felt passionate about nature and animals. That is where my joy and strength are and I came to a realization, I couldn't do it all. I chose to focus on environmental education. I've been working as a natualist for about 14 years. I've seen a great deal of bad environmental education. The kind that leaves you numb and hopeless. Much of the education about global warming is done in this fashion, so is it surprising people tune it out?

There is something called Learned Helplessness. I believe this is the greatest enemy to change for the better and the way to combat it is to give hope. Yes, we need to inform people and make them see the problems, but then we must make them see there is hope. Hope is real, not an illusion; look at the the Bald Eagle or Peregrine Falcon. Drive up I-90 and see the green. Know that there are people and organizations succeeding at preserving the environment, feeding the hunger and changing the world. Remember the world is full of beauty.

Long walk

2006-02-10T14:49:00.000-08:00

After climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb. I have taken a moment here to rest, to steal a view of the glorious vista that surrounds me, to look back on the distance I have come. But I can rest only for a moment, for with freedom comes responsibilities, and I dare not linger, for my long walk is not yet ended.
-Nelson Mandela

events...

2006-02-09T15:30:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday I gave a short presentation about Heifer International at a dessert/fundraising event for two seniors from a local high school. As it was the girls' senior project, I am sure they had certain requirements to fulfill for the event. It was pretty fancy, with rented linens, cases of wine, & candles, complete within a gorgeous, & I'm sure extremely expensive, house (which was actually two houses combined). The event was very lovely (& raised over $1,400 for Heifer), yet I couldn't help but think about the money that had been spent to put the event together with such elegence. Hey, I'm all for fancy events, but when raising money for the poor, it seems to make one even more aware of the horrific unequal distribution of resources in the world. Who knows, maybe displaying that difference so obviously makes people more aware & more willing to donate!
My point with this (I promise I have one), is that I myself am hoping to put together a large awareness/fundraising event for Heifer this fall. It's been an idea in my head for years & I really feel that this is the year to do it. This recent event I attended helped me to picture what this large Heifer event should look like. I want reality, I want the truth, and I want it blatant. I want people to realize, as much as possible, the conditions in which much of the world's population are living in. I want to start with that awareness, somber & shattering, & then (here's the trick)...transform it. Show people how the conditions of life can change when given the means & education to build livelihoods. Turn it into a celebration in support of that change (picture global music, dancers & food). I want an event that is open to everyone & that is an education in how we can end global hunger & poverty. I'll be discussing this idea much more in the next couple weeks, at the Heifer potluck I am hosting this Friday & at our Heifer volunteer meeting on February 25th. With the much needed help of other volunteers, & the aid of numerous community businesses & groups, we can pull this event off. So, let me know if you this is something that interests you, or if you know a business or friend who might be able to help out with the logistics of a building, food, entertainment, etc. You will all be invited--more details to come...

Iraqi war?

2006-01-31T12:39:00.000-08:00

Is America actually in a State of War?

Interesting article.

Being Caribou

2006-01-30T10:28:00.000-08:00

A film documenting the experiences of a Canadian couple as they follow the Porcupine Caribou herd for five months on the journey to & from their breeding grounds in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge--the exact spot caught in controversy over drilling for oil. It's an incredibly moving film, with gorgeous scenery, & spurts of amusing irony provided by the Bush doll that the couple brings with them on their trek. And it is quite the trek: five months & roughly 930 miles. These two are truly hardcore & their documentary is definitely worth checking out. It has now won 17 awards at international film festivals!
We own a copy & anyone is welcome to borrow it (may be a week or so before it is available, as it is now being passed around Levi's work--just let us know!)

The Other Journal

2006-01-27T14:49:00.000-08:00

theotherjournal.com is an excellent website which provides a forum for exploring issues of social justice. Topics change quarterly, I believe. Currently the focus is Africa. This website was created by a handful of young people, a few of whom are friends of ours. The forum on April 7-9 looks great--films, a benefit concert series, and lectures.

Borgen Project

2006-01-27T10:23:00.000-08:00

Last night I attended the Borgen Project's Prefunk for Poverty. A nice, informal gathering at Pies & Pints in Roosevelt. The Borgen Project is a small, local & pretty new (2003) non-profit--their focus is Poverty Reduction Through Political Accountability.
I met one of their volunteers at an event last year & when I saw the Prefunk for Poverty I knew it would be a great place to meet others concerned with issues of hunger & poverty & to do some networking. I posted the Prefunk on the blog I administer for Heifer volunteers & a newly interested volunteer came to the pub & brought a friend.
When thinking & working in the realm of ending hunger & poverty, there are definitely times of discouragement. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed & get depressed by the statistics & wonder how I can possibly make a difference. And then I go to gatherings like the Prefunk for Poverty & remember why there is hope & why this work is so important. I sat for over two hours last night & talked with others who are all concerned about the same issues & working to find sustainable solutions. It was incredible to listen to the goals & struggles of an emerging non-profit like the Borgen Project (& straight from the mouth of the creator & president no less!)

As only one person, I can do very little. But joined together with countless of others, there's strength & hope & the power to change the world. That sounds corny, but it's true.

For any interested:
Prefunk for Poverty
Thursday, February 23rd, 6-8pm-- and every fourth Thursday of the month
Pies & Pints in Roosevelt (yummy, cheap food)
They are also having a fundraiser on March 5th at Chopsticks, the dueling piano bar on lower Queen Anne. It promises to be quite an entertaining night!

loving our neighbors

2006-01-19T16:29:00.000-08:00

Thank you, Eliza, for expressing your hopes and convictions, for commiting yourself to actions beyond thoughts and ideas. Thank you, too, for inviting co-ownership of this blog, and in so doing, inviting all of us to participate with you in taking small steps toward positive change--in our own hearts, in our own homes, in our communities and beyond. I love the idea of posting our thoughts and experiences (which will inevitably include successes and failures) here for ongoing encouragement.

Kyle and I are working on getting to know our neighbors. Not just their names and what they do for a living...but taking small steps to share life with them in practical and friendly ways. Borrowing and lending tools (and ingredients for baked goods), taking the time to say hello or go over and talk if we see them out in the yard. Sometimes we are surprised by how much courage this takes for us (though I am admittedly much more shy than Kyle when it comes to this sort of thing). I've noticed that kids do this naturally and wonderfully, and have no shame about asking your name if they've forgotten it (like we do, thinking, of course that we must be perfect and witty, wonderfully conversational, and never, NEVER awkward!) Having our pup Grover has opened up many new opportunities for connecting with our neighbors, which has been great. This is one area we are trying to grow in!

Personal Goals?

2006-01-18T15:29:00.000-08:00

My thoughts today took me in the direction of setting goals...suppose I made a different goal every week (or at least every month) to try out simple lifestyle changes & to attempt positive change in the world around me? Here are a few I thought of:

--for one week attempt to throw away as little trash a possible (i.e. don't use disposable items, don't buy things with excessive packaging, etc)
--for one week eat local food as much as possible. I think this one would be much easier in the summer & fall, with the incredible abundance offered by local farmer's markets
--one day, stop & talk to one of the many homeless people on the streets of downtown Seattle. On my way to & from work, I pass many of the same homeless people asking for money & we often smile & exchange greetings, but have never had a conversation. I would like to find out their name, a little bit about them & why they are homeless, their hobbies & hopes.
--for one week ride my bike everywhere I need to go. To work, to the store, to my friends', etc. This may be one of the biggest challenges yet!

Please share if you have any goals for changing the world, starting with our little corner of it!

Ending Homelessness in King County

2006-01-18T15:26:00.000-08:00

An organization called the Committee to End Homelessness in King County has put together a ten year plan for wiping out homelessness within their Washington county. The plan contains already existing strategies that are known to achieve sustainable success, but for the first time a group is combining strengths & resources to approach homelessness with the goal of ending it completely!
"A roof over every bed in King County: Our Community's Ten-Year Plan to End Homelessness"

The beginning...

2005-12-14T10:51:00.000-08:00

I found this quote by Gandhi a few months ago & it's been on my mind since. Every time I read it, it inspires me to act, instead of being passive about my unhappiness with the state of the world. And I've found it applies to everything, from world hunger to simply being more friendly. So, hopefully there will be many posts & articles to follow. Please let me know of your actions to change the world or good articles you have found!