There are times when we have to pause and think about what we can celebrate in the journey to overcome obstacles and injustices. And although it has been a few days already since this positive occasion, I still want to share this: the release of Aung San Suu Kyi.
If anyone knows about a light at the end of the tunnel, it must be her. She has been under house arrest or in detention for 15 of the last 21 years. And while this is a long-awaited positive event for her supporters in Burma/Myanmar and worldwide, it does not remove the injustice of her imprisonment or other political prisoners. But it is an event that will hopefully fuel more steps in the right direction to political freedom and actions of conscience in the world.
Read an article about the celebration of her release here.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Floods in Pakistan
Has anyone been tracking the situation with the floods in Pakistan? It has been an onslaught of water from torrential rains that have continued for over two weeks now. One article from MSNBC.com indicates that while the death toll of 1500 is "relatively small", the disruption and damage it has caused is staggering. 1500 people is 1500 too many...regardless of the opinion that it is a "relatively small" loss. The devastation from the floods is tragic, and what's worse is that the rains continue. Aid trickles in but it's not enough. Infrastructure damages and health hazards impact this area. Please keep these people in your prayers and do what you can to help them.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Gulf Coast Oil Disaster
By now I'm sure you're well aware of the situation in the Gulf of Mexico with the oil disaster. Why am I blogging about this on here? Because I think that it is definitely something that needs to be blogged about and advocated considering the thousands of animal, sea, coastal, and human life casualties that the disaster is yielding. Environmental disasters affect human beings; the ripple effect of that disastrous spill that is ongoing will reverberate out to the rest of the U.S. and perhaps even Central America and beyond.
What a tragedy that a company with high-tech machinery to drill for oil has had such miserable failures in capping it. Have you seen the pictures of the animals drenched in oil? Sickening.... And what about those people who now have no idea what their future will be like? Tragic.... And keep in mind, this is the very same area that experienced the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina.....Talk about double-trauma.... I for one am angered at the lethargic pace of BP in cleaning up this mess, almost as if they're stuck in their own oil. And I am boycotting BP, albeit it is the nearest gas station to my house; I refuse to gas up at BP, and I'm even more enthusiastic about alternative fuels, electric cars, and hybrids. We as consumers need to ponder the consequences of off-shore drilling and continuous dependence on oil. I for one don't like the consequences that I see. What about you?
What a tragedy that a company with high-tech machinery to drill for oil has had such miserable failures in capping it. Have you seen the pictures of the animals drenched in oil? Sickening.... And what about those people who now have no idea what their future will be like? Tragic.... And keep in mind, this is the very same area that experienced the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina.....Talk about double-trauma.... I for one am angered at the lethargic pace of BP in cleaning up this mess, almost as if they're stuck in their own oil. And I am boycotting BP, albeit it is the nearest gas station to my house; I refuse to gas up at BP, and I'm even more enthusiastic about alternative fuels, electric cars, and hybrids. We as consumers need to ponder the consequences of off-shore drilling and continuous dependence on oil. I for one don't like the consequences that I see. What about you?
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
International Women's Day
March 8th, 2010 was International Women's Day. So in honor of all the women in the world, I write this entry.
I am proud to be a woman, and am proud to recognize what women have fought for throughout history, all over the world - for freedom, equality in treatment, education, and independence of mind and action. Every culture, every ethnicity, every nation, and every tribe has plenty of great women who have come and gone; and every culture currently has great women among them, working hard not only to improve themselves but to improve the lives of those around them and those to come. Look around you; consider your community; read the annals of the past; and you will find inspiring stories of women everywhere.
Women have been victims and women have been ill-treated; yet women still seem to rise up with persistence, if only to ensure that their children will not face the same harsh realities. Countless women go unrecognized and countless women still suffer in various places in the world, but I hope that the rest of us can raise awareness of that suffering and recognize the strength and resilience with which women go on day after day in poverty, despair, tragedy, and economic insecurity.
On this International Women's Day, I hope we remember those women who have become victims of earthquakes in Haiti and in Chile; and women who become victims of violence. More personally, I remember my mother, who is my inspiration in all that she has overcome to improve our family's well-being. Who is your inspiration?
Here's an inspiring story shared by Madonna on the Huffington Post.
I am proud to be a woman, and am proud to recognize what women have fought for throughout history, all over the world - for freedom, equality in treatment, education, and independence of mind and action. Every culture, every ethnicity, every nation, and every tribe has plenty of great women who have come and gone; and every culture currently has great women among them, working hard not only to improve themselves but to improve the lives of those around them and those to come. Look around you; consider your community; read the annals of the past; and you will find inspiring stories of women everywhere.
Women have been victims and women have been ill-treated; yet women still seem to rise up with persistence, if only to ensure that their children will not face the same harsh realities. Countless women go unrecognized and countless women still suffer in various places in the world, but I hope that the rest of us can raise awareness of that suffering and recognize the strength and resilience with which women go on day after day in poverty, despair, tragedy, and economic insecurity.
On this International Women's Day, I hope we remember those women who have become victims of earthquakes in Haiti and in Chile; and women who become victims of violence. More personally, I remember my mother, who is my inspiration in all that she has overcome to improve our family's well-being. Who is your inspiration?
Here's an inspiring story shared by Madonna on the Huffington Post.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Prayers for Haiti
It has been a while since I blogged, but that doesn't mean I've been away from all the news and happenings around the world. Of course, by this time, it has been about 3 weeks since the earthquake in Haiti and everyone has heard of what is going on there. I would be remiss to not mention it, however, on this blog because this blog is about being a voice for those who are poor, disadvantaged, and suffering.
It is a tragedy that people who were already poor to begin with are suffering even more as a result of the earthquake; and the situation that has been unfolding post-earthquake has been heartbreaking. The news recently showed bodies of the dead plowed aside, and of those who have survived looking for ways to continue their survival despite the shortage of medical care, shelter, food, and water. The need is truly great, just as it was in the wake of the tsunami in southeastern Asia.
Amidst the difficulty the country faces, I pray that hope will not be lost and that all those whose lives are in upheaval and grief due to this tragedy will be comforted and renewed. And I pray that the world will recognize that we are all interconnected, that the suffering of people in Haiti is our suffering as well, and that this is a time to show our compassion and our benevolence in whatever ways we can to those who are less fortunate than us.
It is a tragedy that people who were already poor to begin with are suffering even more as a result of the earthquake; and the situation that has been unfolding post-earthquake has been heartbreaking. The news recently showed bodies of the dead plowed aside, and of those who have survived looking for ways to continue their survival despite the shortage of medical care, shelter, food, and water. The need is truly great, just as it was in the wake of the tsunami in southeastern Asia.
Amidst the difficulty the country faces, I pray that hope will not be lost and that all those whose lives are in upheaval and grief due to this tragedy will be comforted and renewed. And I pray that the world will recognize that we are all interconnected, that the suffering of people in Haiti is our suffering as well, and that this is a time to show our compassion and our benevolence in whatever ways we can to those who are less fortunate than us.
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