Five thousand workers... great news.
SMITHFIELD WORKERS OK CONTRACT: Five thousand workers at the world’s largest pork processing plant have their first-ever union contract, after a majority of workers at the Smithfield plant in Tarheel, NC ratified the agreement over a two-day vote. Members of UFCW Local 1208 join more than 10,000 other Smithfield workers, and more than 240,000 others who work in the meat packing and food processing industry who have a UFCW union contract. “This contract will completely transform our workplace,” said Orlando Williams. “This is the biggest four-year wage increase Smithfield workers have ever had and it will make a real difference for our families and in this community. We could never have gotten that increase without a chance to bargain with the company. We will finally have a sense of security on the job because through our union we can make sure we have a safe place to work, and that everyone’s treated fairly.” The campaign to organize the Smithfield workers included a major focus on DC-area customers, who make up one of Smithfield’s largest markets. "Thanks to all the local leaders and activists who played such a critical role in supporting the Smithfield workers," said UFCW Local 400 President C. James Lowthers.
photo: 2008 DC Smithfield demo; photo by Tiye Kinlow
(From the Union City emails... sign up here: https://www.thedatabank.com/dpg/366/personal2.asp?formid=signup)
lunes, 6 de julio de 2009
martes, 30 de junio de 2009
Getting the message across...
Photos here:
http://obamarememberus.wordpress.com/
DC STREETS BLOCKED TO PROTEST COLOMBIAN UNION MURDERS:
Labor and human rights activists shut down traffic in front of the White House yesterday to protest the murders of Colombian trade unionists. The noontime action was timed to coincide with President Obama’s first meeting with Colombian President Alvaro Uribe. Dressed completely in black, their faces painted a ghostly white to represent murdered union leaders, the activists locked their arms into PVC pipes and laid down in a human chain across the intersection of 16th and H streets, while over a hundred chanting supporters surrounded them and helped block traffic. “I took a bus from New York this morning,” Colombian native Amy Velez told Union City, “My heart is bleeding to see my country with over four million displaced people.” Afro-Colombian activist Marino Cordoba was forced to leave his homeland seven years ago, after his community was bombed and his neighbors killed. “We were fighting for the right of Afro-Colombians to own their own land. Uribe’s government kills most Afro-Colombians who received their own land titles.” Curious tourists mingled with activists and their supporters for well over an hour as the demonstration continued to block the street. Eventually, police carefully cut the pipes and chains from the demonstrators arms and released them into the surrounding crowd, which triumphantly chanted “We are with the resisters, they’re our brothers they’re our sisters!”- Julia Shindel; photos by Adam Wright
Text courtesy of Jobs with Justice
CNN says, "President Barack Obama discussed a free-trade agreement with his Colombian counterpart Monday, while scores of protesters clogged streets near the White House to demonstrate against the pact."
http://cnnwire.blogs.cnn.com/2009/06/29/protesters-block-streets-as-obama-uribe-talk-free-trade/
This from yesterday morning (pre-protest) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/29/AR2009062901496.html "Obama to Pursue Different Path with Colombia's Uribe"
http://obamarememberus.wordpress.com/
DC STREETS BLOCKED TO PROTEST COLOMBIAN UNION MURDERS:
Labor and human rights activists shut down traffic in front of the White House yesterday to protest the murders of Colombian trade unionists. The noontime action was timed to coincide with President Obama’s first meeting with Colombian President Alvaro Uribe. Dressed completely in black, their faces painted a ghostly white to represent murdered union leaders, the activists locked their arms into PVC pipes and laid down in a human chain across the intersection of 16th and H streets, while over a hundred chanting supporters surrounded them and helped block traffic. “I took a bus from New York this morning,” Colombian native Amy Velez told Union City, “My heart is bleeding to see my country with over four million displaced people.” Afro-Colombian activist Marino Cordoba was forced to leave his homeland seven years ago, after his community was bombed and his neighbors killed. “We were fighting for the right of Afro-Colombians to own their own land. Uribe’s government kills most Afro-Colombians who received their own land titles.” Curious tourists mingled with activists and their supporters for well over an hour as the demonstration continued to block the street. Eventually, police carefully cut the pipes and chains from the demonstrators arms and released them into the surrounding crowd, which triumphantly chanted “We are with the resisters, they’re our brothers they’re our sisters!”- Julia Shindel; photos by Adam Wright
Text courtesy of Jobs with Justice
CNN says, "President Barack Obama discussed a free-trade agreement with his Colombian counterpart Monday, while scores of protesters clogged streets near the White House to demonstrate against the pact."
http://cnnwire.blogs.cnn.com/2009/06/29/protesters-block-streets-as-obama-uribe-talk-free-trade/
This from yesterday morning (pre-protest) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/29/AR2009062901496.html "Obama to Pursue Different Path with Colombia's Uribe"
miércoles, 17 de junio de 2009
I didn't realize avaaz.com was this good
Dear friends,
Iran is on a knife-edge, with millions of voters taking to the streets in outrage as evidence mounts that the government may have massively rigged and stolen Thursday's election. The regime has cracked down brutally on the protesters and is imposing a blackout on Iranian society -- shutting down domestic and international media, the internet and even text-messaging.
The voice of Iranians may have been silenced at the polling booth, now the regime is attempting to silence them everywhere else. Facing beatings and gunfire, the opposition is organising mass demonstrations and a general strike. We can’t afford to let the regime dismiss the voice of the people -- the truth must be heard.
Avaaz is urgently organising a rigorous “exit poll” of Iranian voters and a media effort to publicise it -- working with an international polling firm to do a telephone survey of Iranian citizens to ask how they voted. We urgently need 10,000 Avaaz members to pitch in a small amount each to raise $119,000 in the next 24 hours and give Iranians a powerful new way to be heard -- follow this link to view video from the streets of Tehran and support this exit poll to find out the truth:
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/iran_vote_truth/
Public polling in Iran is heavily restricted, and no-one else is mobilizing fast enough to fund an international exit poll. It's urgent that we pitch in. A telephone poll won't be 100% accurate, but the difference between opposition and government claims is massive -- a rigorous poll can show which claim is remotely near the truth.
Unlike Western organizations, Avaaz's global network has a strong membership in Iran and across the Middle East. Backed by a respected polling firm, our effort will be harder to dismiss by Iranian conservatives. We'll send the poll results to the media and help our members in Iran to rapidly and virally spread the news despite the regime's blackout.
Messages have been flooding in from our Iranian members -- from Fariba: “20.000.000 people have lost their votes for peace and human rights. The government wants to use this votes for every thing but PEACE. Avaaz is a Persian word too and means voice -- hear our ‘avaaz’”. From Mahmoud: “The government has stolen the vote the people. The people in the street are beaten badly by the police. Now now now do not lose the time”. Stand with Iranians now and help their voices be heard:
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/iran_vote_truth/
This election matters to us all. Iran is a major regional power, and the international community is seeking diplomatic engagement that holds a key to peace in the Middle East. But hawks and extremists on all sides want war instead: a conservative coup in Iran could destroy all our hopes.
The conservative Guardian Council, headed by a key Ahmadinejad ally, is reviewing the vote over the next 9 days -- our poll can be ready before they give their verdict, to counter any further rigging and the violent purge that could follow.
There is a real possibility that democracy will prevail. Ultimate power in Iran lies with Ayatollah Khamenei, who may have backed the rigging -- but he is hired and fired by the Assembly of Experts, chaired by ex-President Rafsanjani who has condemned vote-fixing. If Rafsanjani and allies can get enough votes on the Assembly this week, they can press to re-open the results, even to remove Khamenei from power. A scientific opinion poll could be a powerful piece of evidence.
In the next 72 hours, the Iranian people will try once again to be heard. Let’s help make sure their voices are not silenced -- follow this link to see their courage and donate now to help fund the exit poll:
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/iran_vote_truth/
With hope,
Ricken, Graziela, Paul, Pascal, Alice, Brett, Paula, Milena, Raj, Raluca, Taren and the whole Avaaz team
Sources:
1. The Guardian: "Iran's regime cracks down on opposition and media", 16 June 2009http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jun/16/iran-protests-election-recount
2. Al-Jazeera: "Supreme Leader Under Pressure", 15 June 2009http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2009/06/2009616184556951795.html
3. "Evidence that the Iranian Presidential Election Was Stolen", Juan Cole, 13 June 2009http://www.juancole.com/2009/06/stealing-iranian-election.html
4. More detailed analysis by a polling expert of "fishy numbers" in the results announced by the interior ministry:http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2009/06/iran-does-have-some-fishy-numbers.html
5. One of many active live-blogs:http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/
6. #IranElections - live, unfiltered updates via Twitter from Iran and around the worldhttp://twitter.com/#search?q=%23iranelection
----------
Want to support Avaaz? We're entirely funded by member donations and receive no money from governments or corporations. Our dedicated online team ensures even the smallest contributions go a long way -- donate here.
ABOUT AVAAZ Avaaz.org is an independent, not-for-profit global campaigning organization that works to ensure that the views and values of the world's people inform global decision-making. (Avaaz means "voice" in many languages.) Avaaz receives no money from governments or corporations, and is staffed by a global team based in Ottawa, London, Rio de Janeiro, New York, Buenos Aires, and Geneva. Call us at: +1 888 922 8229 or +55 21 2509 0368
Iran is on a knife-edge, with millions of voters taking to the streets in outrage as evidence mounts that the government may have massively rigged and stolen Thursday's election. The regime has cracked down brutally on the protesters and is imposing a blackout on Iranian society -- shutting down domestic and international media, the internet and even text-messaging.
The voice of Iranians may have been silenced at the polling booth, now the regime is attempting to silence them everywhere else. Facing beatings and gunfire, the opposition is organising mass demonstrations and a general strike. We can’t afford to let the regime dismiss the voice of the people -- the truth must be heard.
Avaaz is urgently organising a rigorous “exit poll” of Iranian voters and a media effort to publicise it -- working with an international polling firm to do a telephone survey of Iranian citizens to ask how they voted. We urgently need 10,000 Avaaz members to pitch in a small amount each to raise $119,000 in the next 24 hours and give Iranians a powerful new way to be heard -- follow this link to view video from the streets of Tehran and support this exit poll to find out the truth:
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/iran_vote_truth/
Public polling in Iran is heavily restricted, and no-one else is mobilizing fast enough to fund an international exit poll. It's urgent that we pitch in. A telephone poll won't be 100% accurate, but the difference between opposition and government claims is massive -- a rigorous poll can show which claim is remotely near the truth.
Unlike Western organizations, Avaaz's global network has a strong membership in Iran and across the Middle East. Backed by a respected polling firm, our effort will be harder to dismiss by Iranian conservatives. We'll send the poll results to the media and help our members in Iran to rapidly and virally spread the news despite the regime's blackout.
Messages have been flooding in from our Iranian members -- from Fariba: “20.000.000 people have lost their votes for peace and human rights. The government wants to use this votes for every thing but PEACE. Avaaz is a Persian word too and means voice -- hear our ‘avaaz’”. From Mahmoud: “The government has stolen the vote the people. The people in the street are beaten badly by the police. Now now now do not lose the time”. Stand with Iranians now and help their voices be heard:
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/iran_vote_truth/
This election matters to us all. Iran is a major regional power, and the international community is seeking diplomatic engagement that holds a key to peace in the Middle East. But hawks and extremists on all sides want war instead: a conservative coup in Iran could destroy all our hopes.
The conservative Guardian Council, headed by a key Ahmadinejad ally, is reviewing the vote over the next 9 days -- our poll can be ready before they give their verdict, to counter any further rigging and the violent purge that could follow.
There is a real possibility that democracy will prevail. Ultimate power in Iran lies with Ayatollah Khamenei, who may have backed the rigging -- but he is hired and fired by the Assembly of Experts, chaired by ex-President Rafsanjani who has condemned vote-fixing. If Rafsanjani and allies can get enough votes on the Assembly this week, they can press to re-open the results, even to remove Khamenei from power. A scientific opinion poll could be a powerful piece of evidence.
In the next 72 hours, the Iranian people will try once again to be heard. Let’s help make sure their voices are not silenced -- follow this link to see their courage and donate now to help fund the exit poll:
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/iran_vote_truth/
With hope,
Ricken, Graziela, Paul, Pascal, Alice, Brett, Paula, Milena, Raj, Raluca, Taren and the whole Avaaz team
Sources:
1. The Guardian: "Iran's regime cracks down on opposition and media", 16 June 2009http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jun/16/iran-protests-election-recount
2. Al-Jazeera: "Supreme Leader Under Pressure", 15 June 2009http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2009/06/2009616184556951795.html
3. "Evidence that the Iranian Presidential Election Was Stolen", Juan Cole, 13 June 2009http://www.juancole.com/2009/06/stealing-iranian-election.html
4. More detailed analysis by a polling expert of "fishy numbers" in the results announced by the interior ministry:http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2009/06/iran-does-have-some-fishy-numbers.html
5. One of many active live-blogs:http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/
6. #IranElections - live, unfiltered updates via Twitter from Iran and around the worldhttp://twitter.com/#search?q=%23iranelection
----------
Want to support Avaaz? We're entirely funded by member donations and receive no money from governments or corporations. Our dedicated online team ensures even the smallest contributions go a long way -- donate here.
ABOUT AVAAZ Avaaz.org is an independent, not-for-profit global campaigning organization that works to ensure that the views and values of the world's people inform global decision-making. (Avaaz means "voice" in many languages.) Avaaz receives no money from governments or corporations, and is staffed by a global team based in Ottawa, London, Rio de Janeiro, New York, Buenos Aires, and Geneva. Call us at: +1 888 922 8229 or +55 21 2509 0368
martes, 9 de junio de 2009
Link of the morning - June 9, 2009
From my inbox this morning, a link to ask the Senate to pass paid parental leave for government employees:
http://www.capwiz.com/now/issues/alert/?alertid=12845061
Paid Parental Leave -- Urge Your Senators to Support This First Step
We did it! Thanks to your calls and emails, the Federal Employee Paid Parental Leave Act passed the House by a wide margin.
Now it's on to the Senate. Ask your senators to support this legislation to guarantee federal workers four weeks of paid parental leave for a new child, as a first step toward universal paid leave.
Action Needed:
As the nation's largest employer, the federal government should serve as a model for family-friendly workplace policies. Passing the Paid Parental Leave Act is a critical benchmark as we work to provide paid sick, family and medical leave for all workers.
Paid parental leave for the 2.7 million federal workers will help millions of working families right now, and can be a model for achieving paid parental and family leave for the rest of our nation's workers, setting the standard for upcoming discussions about policies intended to help families balance work and family life.
Send an email message to your senators using our website. We need your help to increase the number of co-sponsors in the Senate so that this legislation has a better chance of passage.
Background:
Read more about this important piece of legislation.
http://www.capwiz.com/now/issues/alert/?alertid=12845061
Paid Parental Leave -- Urge Your Senators to Support This First Step
We did it! Thanks to your calls and emails, the Federal Employee Paid Parental Leave Act passed the House by a wide margin.
Now it's on to the Senate. Ask your senators to support this legislation to guarantee federal workers four weeks of paid parental leave for a new child, as a first step toward universal paid leave.
Action Needed:
As the nation's largest employer, the federal government should serve as a model for family-friendly workplace policies. Passing the Paid Parental Leave Act is a critical benchmark as we work to provide paid sick, family and medical leave for all workers.
Paid parental leave for the 2.7 million federal workers will help millions of working families right now, and can be a model for achieving paid parental and family leave for the rest of our nation's workers, setting the standard for upcoming discussions about policies intended to help families balance work and family life.
Send an email message to your senators using our website. We need your help to increase the number of co-sponsors in the Senate so that this legislation has a better chance of passage.
Background:
Read more about this important piece of legislation.
lunes, 1 de junio de 2009
Diana says...
10:30 AM Diana: cool sufi poet dude
me: nice
Diana: i have a book of his poems at home with an introduction that might give you more background
me: oh nice!
10:31 AM that would be awesome
I'll try to remember to ask you when I'm at your house next time =)
10:34 AM Diana: one of my favorite lines in a rumi poem is "one man curls up contentedly in the nook of a mosque. Another man walks disappointedly in his elegant gardens"
10:35 AM me: ahh I love it
that's gonna have to be my quote of the day
Diana: sweet
Reason number 382 that Diana is awesome :)
Reason number 382 that Diana is awesome :)
domingo, 31 de mayo de 2009
Blog of the late afternoon
Dear you,
Here's a neat link from an email my dad forwarded to me. It's called the Restorative Justice Project.
http://www.cnvc.org/en/about-us/projects/restorative-justice-project/cnvc-restorative-justice-project
The quote at the top is great:
"Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I will meet you there." - Rumi
Who is/was Rumi?
Here's a neat link from an email my dad forwarded to me. It's called the Restorative Justice Project.
http://www.cnvc.org/en/about-us/projects/restorative-justice-project/cnvc-restorative-justice-project
The quote at the top is great:
"Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I will meet you there." - Rumi
Who is/was Rumi?
miércoles, 20 de mayo de 2009
Links of the morning - Wed, May 20
Links of the morning of Wednesday, May 20. What I'm reading this morning.
1. Let's start with some good news. This from the DC Labor Council:
WASHINGTON WOMEN BUILDING SOLID FOUNDATIONS: Hoping to build a better future, Washington-area women are looking to break out of low-paying jobs by getting hands-on tr
aining in the construction trades. A group of 14 women from Washington Area Women in the Trades (WAWIT) completed the hands-on portion of their training last Friday after an eight-week program that provides skill-based training for women who are seeking to enter a trade. “This program enables women who typically find themselves in a cycle of poverty - many in the ‘pink collar’ economy – to have the opportunity to join apprenticeship programs, build careers in the building and construction trades, provide for their families, become empowered by their self-sufficiency and create a stable living environment for themselves and their children,” WAWIT Trades Liaison Sylvia Casaro Dietert told Union City. The 8th WAWIT training cycle included training at Cement Masons Local 891, Laborers Local 657 and Sheet Metal Workers Local 100. WAWIT is a partnership of the YWCA, Wider Opportunities for Women and the Community Services Agency of the Metro Wash ington Council. – photo by Sylvia Casaro Dietert
(DC Union City emails are great - they help keep me connected to local labor issues. Website here.)
2. This on human rights in Burma:
"Dear Friends,
"
Burma's democracy leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Aung San Suu Kyi, has been locked up on new trumped up charges, just days before her 13 years of detention was due to expire. She and thousands of fellow monks and students have been imprisoned for bravely challenging the brutal military regime with peaceful calls for democracy.
"Risking danger to speak out for their jailed friends, Burmese activists are demanding the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and all political prisoners and calling on the world to help. We have just six days to get a flood of petition signatures to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon calling on him to make their release a top priority -- he can make this a condition of any renewed international engagement. Follow the link to sign the petition, and forward this email on to friends to ensure Aung San Suu Kyi and all political prisoners are freed. Burmese activists will present the global petition to the media on May 26th. "
Learn more and take action through my friend Mike's organization, the U.S. Campaign for Burma: http://uscampaignforburma.org/
3. Keeping it international. Here's some headlines from Just Foreign Policy. Thanks, just foreign policy folks, for making it easy to stay informed about what's going on with what the U.S. does worldwide.
--- Pakistan and Rwanda (wait, what??): UNHCR says the Pakistani exodus from Swat is turning into the world's most dramatic displacement crisis since the Rwandan genocide, the Guardian reports. Almost 1.5 million people have registered for assistance, bringing the total number of war displaced in North West Frontier province to more than 2 million, not including 300,000 the provincial government believes have not registered. Aid workers and political analysts warn that if international aid to ease the crisis is not urgently delivered, the strain on the displaced and those helping them could lead to political destablisation.
--- Panama and Trade Agreements: The Obama administration offered business groups more assurances it intends to move several pending trade agreements as soon as possible, The Hill reports. USTR Kirk expressed optimism to the Chamber of Commerce that the Panama trade deal would be submitted to Congress soon, and that he would try to move the Colombia deal this year.
--- Colombia: The Fellowship of Reconcilation says the US is planning to establish a new military facility in Colombia that will give the U.S. increased capacity for military intervention throughout most of Latin America, based on US planning documents. FOR says the plan should be subjected to vigorous debate.
4. It's an international kind of day. Here's an action alert from Oxfam.
As you probably know, the global food crisis has added at least 100 million more people to the 850 million people living at the brink of starvation.
But you may not know that there's a law that could help end this crisis by making US food aid to poor countries vastly more efficient and effective.
But without more support in Congress, it's not going anywhere.
Tell your Senators to co-sponsor the Lugar-Casey Global Food Security Act of 2009 and help end the global food crisis.
-----------------------------------------------
A note about why I'm doing this. I participate in a lot of action campaigns. It's part of my desire to be a positive influence on the world - which necessitates speaking out when I think something isn't right.
I don't want to make anyone to feel guilty here. I just want to share some things that I read every day that I care about.
If a friend of mine stops by every month or so and clicks a link or two, I will consider this website worthwhile.
1. Let's start with some good news. This from the DC Labor Council:
WASHINGTON WOMEN BUILDING SOLID FOUNDATIONS: Hoping to build a better future, Washington-area women are looking to break out of low-paying jobs by getting hands-on tr
aining in the construction trades. A group of 14 women from Washington Area Women in the Trades (WAWIT) completed the hands-on portion of their training last Friday after an eight-week program that provides skill-based training for women who are seeking to enter a trade. “This program enables women who typically find themselves in a cycle of poverty - many in the ‘pink collar’ economy – to have the opportunity to join apprenticeship programs, build careers in the building and construction trades, provide for their families, become empowered by their self-sufficiency and create a stable living environment for themselves and their children,” WAWIT Trades Liaison Sylvia Casaro Dietert told Union City. The 8th WAWIT training cycle included training at Cement Masons Local 891, Laborers Local 657 and Sheet Metal Workers Local 100. WAWIT is a partnership of the YWCA, Wider Opportunities for Women and the Community Services Agency of the Metro Wash ington Council. – photo by Sylvia Casaro Dietert(DC Union City emails are great - they help keep me connected to local labor issues. Website here.)
2. This on human rights in Burma:
"Dear Friends,
"
| |
"Risking danger to speak out for their jailed friends, Burmese activists are demanding the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and all political prisoners and calling on the world to help. We have just six days to get a flood of petition signatures to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon calling on him to make their release a top priority -- he can make this a condition of any renewed international engagement. Follow the link to sign the petition, and forward this email on to friends to ensure Aung San Suu Kyi and all political prisoners are freed. Burmese activists will present the global petition to the media on May 26th. "
Learn more and take action through my friend Mike's organization, the U.S. Campaign for Burma: http://uscampaignforburma.org/
3. Keeping it international. Here's some headlines from Just Foreign Policy. Thanks, just foreign policy folks, for making it easy to stay informed about what's going on with what the U.S. does worldwide.
--- Pakistan and Rwanda (wait, what??): UNHCR says the Pakistani exodus from Swat is turning into the world's most dramatic displacement crisis since the Rwandan genocide, the Guardian reports. Almost 1.5 million people have registered for assistance, bringing the total number of war displaced in North West Frontier province to more than 2 million, not including 300,000 the provincial government believes have not registered. Aid workers and political analysts warn that if international aid to ease the crisis is not urgently delivered, the strain on the displaced and those helping them could lead to political destablisation.
--- Panama and Trade Agreements: The Obama administration offered business groups more assurances it intends to move several pending trade agreements as soon as possible, The Hill reports. USTR Kirk expressed optimism to the Chamber of Commerce that the Panama trade deal would be submitted to Congress soon, and that he would try to move the Colombia deal this year.
--- Colombia: The Fellowship of Reconcilation says the US is planning to establish a new military facility in Colombia that will give the U.S. increased capacity for military intervention throughout most of Latin America, based on US planning documents. FOR says the plan should be subjected to vigorous debate.
4. It's an international kind of day. Here's an action alert from Oxfam.
Dear Lily,
| Today we can extend a hand to more than 850 million people living on the brink of starvation. |
But you may not know that there's a law that could help end this crisis by making US food aid to poor countries vastly more efficient and effective.
But without more support in Congress, it's not going anywhere.
Tell your Senators to co-sponsor the Lugar-Casey Global Food Security Act of 2009 and help end the global food crisis.
-----------------------------------------------
A note about why I'm doing this. I participate in a lot of action campaigns. It's part of my desire to be a positive influence on the world - which necessitates speaking out when I think something isn't right.
I don't want to make anyone to feel guilty here. I just want to share some things that I read every day that I care about.
If a friend of mine stops by every month or so and clicks a link or two, I will consider this website worthwhile.
martes, 19 de mayo de 2009
Q: Where does $10 goes a long way? A: Gaza.
If you donate to one cause this month, make it this one.
Here's the email I got...
My next trip: can I count on you? (from the real Patch Adams)
Which reminded me of this amazing story from my church:
Hiroshima Children's Drawings
Gifts of Peace and Hope
On Sunday, April 5, All Souls Church commemorated and celebrated an important moment of global solidarity from more than fifty years ago.
"In 1948, inspired by the sermons of the Rev. A. Powell Davies, children at All Souls collected school supplies to send to children in Hiroshima, Japan. In appreciation, the school children in Hiroshima created original works of art in crayon, water color, pen, and calligraphic brush, which they sent back to All Souls as gifts. Sixty years on, the church has had these precious creations restored.
"You are invited to view these drawings (high-quality reproductions) in Pierce Hall, where they will be exhibited through the middle of June.
"Also, inspired by the story, the Intermediate classes (3rd-5th grade) will collect school supplies (washable markers or preschool crayons only) to help support our homeless or hungry neighbors who attend the after-school activities at Martha's Table. Place your donations in the baskets at the 16th Street and Harvard Street entrance. In 1948, they collected over a half ton of supplies. Let's see how much we can collect!"
There is also a longer version of this story. It tells how the art that was made by the survivors of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki is considered almost sacred in Japanese society. The artwork that is now displayed in the main hall of All Souls Church now is particularly special because they are such hopeful drawings, a testament to life's ability to continue after such a tragedy, the drawings of children.
I've taken a few Sundays to look at them now; I see something new each time.
- lily
-------------------------------------
Other links of the day:
- Here's some more info about Lt. Dan Choi getting fired for being truthful about his sexuality. http://www.couragecampaign.org/page/s/dontfiredan
- A very cool bed and breakfast in Lexington, VA recommended by my friend Jeanie. Lexington sounds like a very cool area. http://www.applewoodbb.com/general.html
- High quality products + American jobs = bailed out bank should do the right thing. Add your voice here. http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/hartmarx/
- This from Just Foreign Policy:
"Can Treasury Sneak IMF Money Through the Supplemental?
Lost in the drama over the war supplemental is a sneaky play by Treasury Department to get $108 billion in U.S. tax dollars for the IMF. If Treasury can get the money through the supplemental, it can avoid any Congressional debate over the policies of the IMF and whether this is a wise and just use of U.S. tax dollars; and whether Congress should insist on meaningful, observable reforms of IMF policy as the price of new U.S. funding.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-naiman/can-treasury-sneak-imf-mo_b_204058.html "
and this:
"1) After meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, President Obama said that Israel "is going to have to take some difficult steps," the Washington Post reports. "Settlements have to be stopped," Obama said."
- The Union of Concerned Scientists put out a report, Climate 2030.
"Today, the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) released the Climate 2030 Blueprint, a peer-reviewed study showing that the United States can dramatically cut global warming pollution while saving households and businesses in every region of the nation billions of dollars in energy costs."
- I'm also outraged that the University of Virginia denied one of the best professors I've ever had, Dr. Wende Marshall, tenure. I feel very fortunate to have been her student. Why am I going to my five year reunion? To hang out with Wende.
http://www.virginia.edu/anthropology/faculty/wende.html
- Finally, the Higher Awareness email quote. "Journey home - 'Everything seeks its source.' -- a universal principle" (it's true that one must always journey home, but it's also true that opposites attract. -lily)
-------------------------------------
Whew! I get enough emails between Monday and Tuesday to keep me busy all week!
Here's the email I got...
My next trip: can I count on you? (from the real Patch Adams)
| Patch Adams | Tue, May 19, 2009 at 3:25 PM | ||||||||||||
| Reply-To: codepink@mail.democracyinaction.org To: lswhitesell@gmail.com | |||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
As a "doctor/clown," I have traveled the world over to bring the healing power of laughter to children and adults in virtually every corner of the world -- from Afghanistan, to Bosnia, to Haiti. Right now, there is a group of children who are really in need of healing -- the children of the Gaza Strip. 
Which reminded me of this amazing story from my church:
Hiroshima Children's Drawings
Gifts of Peace and Hope
On Sunday, April 5, All Souls Church commemorated and celebrated an important moment of global solidarity from more than fifty years ago.
"In 1948, inspired by the sermons of the Rev. A. Powell Davies, children at All Souls collected school supplies to send to children in Hiroshima, Japan. In appreciation, the school children in Hiroshima created original works of art in crayon, water color, pen, and calligraphic brush, which they sent back to All Souls as gifts. Sixty years on, the church has had these precious creations restored.
"You are invited to view these drawings (high-quality reproductions) in Pierce Hall, where they will be exhibited through the middle of June.
"Also, inspired by the story, the Intermediate classes (3rd-5th grade) will collect school supplies (washable markers or preschool crayons only) to help support our homeless or hungry neighbors who attend the after-school activities at Martha's Table. Place your donations in the baskets at the 16th Street and Harvard Street entrance. In 1948, they collected over a half ton of supplies. Let's see how much we can collect!"
There is also a longer version of this story. It tells how the art that was made by the survivors of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki is considered almost sacred in Japanese society. The artwork that is now displayed in the main hall of All Souls Church now is particularly special because they are such hopeful drawings, a testament to life's ability to continue after such a tragedy, the drawings of children.
I've taken a few Sundays to look at them now; I see something new each time.
- lily
-------------------------------------
Other links of the day:
- Here's some more info about Lt. Dan Choi getting fired for being truthful about his sexuality. http://www.couragecampaign.org/page/s/dontfiredan
- A very cool bed and breakfast in Lexington, VA recommended by my friend Jeanie. Lexington sounds like a very cool area. http://www.applewoodbb.com/general.html
- High quality products + American jobs = bailed out bank should do the right thing. Add your voice here. http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/hartmarx/
- This from Just Foreign Policy:
"Can Treasury Sneak IMF Money Through the Supplemental?
Lost in the drama over the war supplemental is a sneaky play by Treasury Department to get $108 billion in U.S. tax dollars for the IMF. If Treasury can get the money through the supplemental, it can avoid any Congressional debate over the policies of the IMF and whether this is a wise and just use of U.S. tax dollars; and whether Congress should insist on meaningful, observable reforms of IMF policy as the price of new U.S. funding.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/
and this:
"1) After meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, President Obama said that Israel "is going to have to take some difficult steps," the Washington Post reports. "Settlements have to be stopped," Obama said."
- The Union of Concerned Scientists put out a report, Climate 2030.
"Today, the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) released the Climate 2030 Blueprint, a peer-reviewed study showing that the United States can dramatically cut global warming pollution while saving households and businesses in every region of the nation billions of dollars in energy costs."
- I'm also outraged that the University of Virginia denied one of the best professors I've ever had, Dr. Wende Marshall, tenure. I feel very fortunate to have been her student. Why am I going to my five year reunion? To hang out with Wende.
http://www.virginia.edu/anthropology/faculty/wende.html
- Finally, the Higher Awareness email quote. "Journey home - 'Everything seeks its source.' -- a universal principle" (it's true that one must always journey home, but it's also true that opposites attract. -lily)
-------------------------------------
Whew! I get enough emails between Monday and Tuesday to keep me busy all week!
domingo, 10 de mayo de 2009
Links of the Day - Sunday, May 10, 2009
Some great quotes for today:
Look for the gifts
"In school you get the lesson and then take the test ... In life you take the test and then get the lesson."
-- Unknown Source
"The period of greatest gain in knowledge and experience is the most difficult period in one’s life."
-- Dalai Lama
"Out of clutter, find Simplicity. From discord, find Harmony. In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity."
-- Albert Einstein
These are all from the Inner Journey / Higher Awareness daily email, which I receive thanks to the recommendation of an awesome singer/songwriter named Erika (thanks Erika!)
Look for the gifts
"In school you get the lesson and then take the test ... In life you take the test and then get the lesson."
-- Unknown Source
"The period of greatest gain in knowledge and experience is the most difficult period in one’s life."
-- Dalai Lama
"Out of clutter, find Simplicity. From discord, find Harmony. In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity."
-- Albert Einstein
These are all from the Inner Journey / Higher Awareness daily email, which I receive thanks to the recommendation of an awesome singer/songwriter named Erika (thanks Erika!)
viernes, 8 de mayo de 2009
Links of the Day - Friday, May 8, 2009
Thoughts of the Day...
If you watch one thing today, watch this AMAZING Mother's Day "Women for Peace" video: http://www.codepinkalert.org/section.php?id=401
The Union of Concerned Scientists always has such great stuff:
http://www.ucsusa.org/food_and_agriculture/feed/feed-latest.html
I'm thinking of maybe doing the Potomac River Ramble, June 24-28. Anyone want to do it with me?
http://www.potomacriver.org/cms/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6:09-ramble&catid=25:about-us&Itemid=113
Here are some Watershed Management Documents that I'd like to look through some day:
http://www.arlingtonva.us/Departments/EnvironmentalServices/epo/EnvironmentalServicesEpoWatershedIntro.aspx#wmp
These are the Happenings and Opportunities from All Souls Church for Mother's Day Weekend:
http://campaign.constantcontact.com/render?v=00193_ii0u9BCIFuN4LchL6zHF7AoTXdhnRgl3X-JdTMJhU97YUoQgJ6eeFCSRh9-MDcEycmNrtvJ_cM5YH76amzmK37SbYmzkNvHiZWxwi-wzDAqNGVltIH3Ok5cfVznWlGJ3C1xQDqrM%3D
Here's the Carolyn Hax live discussion from yesterday:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2009/05/01/DI2009050102635.html
Everyone's talking about the Star Trek movie... crazy world we live in.
Movies to watch: The Times of Harvey Milk, Soul Food
If you take one action today, do this:
http://action.humanrightsfirst.org/campaign/asy_prisions/
And finally, the Inner Journey quote of the day:
If you watch one thing today, watch this AMAZING Mother's Day "Women for Peace" video: http://www.codepinkalert.org/section.php?id=401
The Union of Concerned Scientists always has such great stuff:
http://www.ucsusa.org/food_and_agriculture/feed/feed-latest.html
I'm thinking of maybe doing the Potomac River Ramble, June 24-28. Anyone want to do it with me?
http://www.potomacriver.org/cms/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6:09-ramble&catid=25:about-us&Itemid=113
Here are some Watershed Management Documents that I'd like to look through some day:
http://www.arlingtonva.us/Departments/EnvironmentalServices/epo/EnvironmentalServicesEpoWatershedIntro.aspx#wmp
These are the Happenings and Opportunities from All Souls Church for Mother's Day Weekend:
http://campaign.constantcontact.com/render?v=00193_ii0u9BCIFuN4LchL6zHF7AoTXdhnRgl3X-JdTMJhU97YUoQgJ6eeFCSRh9-MDcEycmNrtvJ_cM5YH76amzmK37SbYmzkNvHiZWxwi-wzDAqNGVltIH3Ok5cfVznWlGJ3C1xQDqrM%3D
Here's the Carolyn Hax live discussion from yesterday:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2009/05/01/DI2009050102635.html
Everyone's talking about the Star Trek movie... crazy world we live in.
Movies to watch: The Times of Harvey Milk, Soul Food
If you take one action today, do this:
http://action.humanrightsfirst.org/campaign/asy_prisions/
And finally, the Inner Journey quote of the day:
"Everything you need you already have. You are complete right now, you are a whole, total person, not an apprentice person on the way to someplace else."
-- Wayne Dyer
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