We are all connected to each other, in our communities, in our cities, our states, our countries, our regions, and ultimately our world. In this economic crisis, people around the globe are feeling the effects. No person is an island to her/himself. It's not just economic crisis, however, that should raise our awareness of how we are connected. If we just step back from our individual lives and try to look at the world as a whole, the suffering of one community should be on the radar of our own, the plight of one country should be something we are aware of in our own country. The world is a large place, and yes, our lives can get busy and crazy, but still, I find that the least we can do is try to learn about one more place each day, month, or year.
I meant to post this when it first became available on YouTube, but I am a guilty party to being busy with the goings-on of my life and forgetting that I meant to share this with you. What is it? It is a documentary by Madonna. I know that a bit of the media and probably several people are just tired of news about her and her adoption issues. Granted she's not perfect, at least she's attempting to use her fame and her fortune to be a part of someone else's suffering. The documentary called "I Am Because We Are" is one that I recommend because of a couple of reasons: 1) It is about my childhood home--Malawi, and 2) it sheds some light on the reality that Malawians face on a daily basis. Although every country in Sub-Saharan Africa afflicted by HIV/AIDS has its own personal story, the general theme of difficulty and suffering are the same. So I urge you to watch it. Click here to watch it online.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Bullying should not be ignored
There has been so much in the news recently about 2 boys who killed themselves, driven to suicide by bullying. Such a tragedy. These are not rare incidents, unfortunately. Bullying occurs all the time. But what are educators doing about it? It is not enough about intervening when bullying happens, but it is about preventing bullying from happening in the first place.
Creating a culture of tolerance and acceptability, creating compassion for others without judging, and maintaining that environment is just as important as acting on the situation when it happens.
Here's a fact sheet put out by the National Association of School Psychologists on bullying. And there's also a book that talks about the effects of bullying that I think should be read by adults everywhere. It's called "The Wounded Spirit" by Frank Peretti.
Let's raise our awareness about bullying and be a voice for those children who are victims of bullying, regardless of whether it is your child involved directly or not.
Creating a culture of tolerance and acceptability, creating compassion for others without judging, and maintaining that environment is just as important as acting on the situation when it happens.
Here's a fact sheet put out by the National Association of School Psychologists on bullying. And there's also a book that talks about the effects of bullying that I think should be read by adults everywhere. It's called "The Wounded Spirit" by Frank Peretti.
Let's raise our awareness about bullying and be a voice for those children who are victims of bullying, regardless of whether it is your child involved directly or not.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
World Water Day 2009
March 22nd 2009 was declared World Water Day 2009, designated by the UN. According to some sources (like World Vision and the UK Government) 900 million people do not have access to clean water. To see their video, click here. It reminds me of what I take for granted. I turn on the faucet and know I'm going to get clean, drinkable water - both cold and hot. I know that I don't have to worry about any waterborne diseases. But there are so many people who are not able to do this.
Here's another World Water Day video made by a charity organization.
For more information on water and sanitation programs, visit the UN site at www.unwater.org. This year, the primary focus has been transboundary waters.
Here's another World Water Day video made by a charity organization.
For more information on water and sanitation programs, visit the UN site at www.unwater.org. This year, the primary focus has been transboundary waters.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Peace for Civilians in the New Year?
Civilians - children included - are caught up in this constant back-and-forth attack between Israel and the Hamas, particularly in the Gaza strip. We face the new year and while we look forward to many things, the civilians in this part of the world are constantly suffering - both in Gaza and Israel.
See what Human Rights has published on these recent bombings and attacks that have targeted civilians here. Amnesty International has an online petition that you can sign urging Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to take action on these occurrences. This is not just a conflict between two military/political entities, and it does not leave civilian lives untouched; it affects the lives and the futures of those who have little choice as bystanders, inevitably drawn in because of proximity and default by birth.
See what Human Rights has published on these recent bombings and attacks that have targeted civilians here. Amnesty International has an online petition that you can sign urging Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to take action on these occurrences. This is not just a conflict between two military/political entities, and it does not leave civilian lives untouched; it affects the lives and the futures of those who have little choice as bystanders, inevitably drawn in because of proximity and default by birth.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Hate Crimes on Long Island
Earlier this month there was a tragic incident that occurred here on Long Island, close to home. It was a horrific reminder that sometimes human rights violations occur right in our own neighborhoods. And if we tolerate it in our own neighborhoods, would we really care about human rights violations around the world?
The victim of the incident was a 36 year-old man from Ecuador, brutally beaten and stabbed by 7 white teenagers. The reason? The teenagers were in search of someone "Mexican" to beat up. Based on the color of his skin, he was tracked down and murdered in a blatant racist hate crime. It is terrible that these teenagers deliberately isolated someone who was culturally different, not to mention their obvious stereotyping.
But this is not the first hate crime committed on Long Island. There have been various others, mostly targeted towards a growing Hispanic population on an island that happens to be in close proximity to one of the most diverse cities in the U.S. (New York City). As several people mentioned tonight in a vigil to remember and celebrate the life of Marcelo Lucero (the Ecuadorean man who lost his life tragically), how can such tragedies occur in a country that has elected its first African-American president? [Read the full story here.]
It leads me to ponder the words of one of the faculty who spoke earlier this evening: how are we contributing to a culture of inaction, rhetoric, and silence? Are we? And what are the consequences of that? Privately we may shake our heads in disbelief, but what do we do publicly to challenge those norms of inaction, of words that become rhetoric but ring hollow in the wake of the silence that follows? How do we change all this and teach the next generation about the value of human beings regardless of their skin color, their shape, their language, their culture, their religion, or their gender?
Something else that rang in my head this evening was the words "never again".... The president of our university echoed those in her remarks; but where have we heard them before? We heard them echoed after the Rwandan genocide - that "never again" will the world standby as genocide occurs. I am tempted to think that is yet more rhetoric, falling from lips to floor in silence and inaction as we look around us, not just here on Long Island but in the U.S. and in the world as more atrocities happen. And yet again the communities stand by and do nothing because of no personal vested interest or gain. It is no wonder the next generation still has yet to learn the value and dignity of human beings.....
Where do you stand? And how will you play your part? I hope that I can answer these questions for myself and attempt to transform inaction to action, rhetoric to meaningful dialogue, and silence into voice. Be a voice, be a neighbor, be a friendly look or hello, be involved, and be a part of transforming our communities.
The victim of the incident was a 36 year-old man from Ecuador, brutally beaten and stabbed by 7 white teenagers. The reason? The teenagers were in search of someone "Mexican" to beat up. Based on the color of his skin, he was tracked down and murdered in a blatant racist hate crime. It is terrible that these teenagers deliberately isolated someone who was culturally different, not to mention their obvious stereotyping.
But this is not the first hate crime committed on Long Island. There have been various others, mostly targeted towards a growing Hispanic population on an island that happens to be in close proximity to one of the most diverse cities in the U.S. (New York City). As several people mentioned tonight in a vigil to remember and celebrate the life of Marcelo Lucero (the Ecuadorean man who lost his life tragically), how can such tragedies occur in a country that has elected its first African-American president? [Read the full story here.]
It leads me to ponder the words of one of the faculty who spoke earlier this evening: how are we contributing to a culture of inaction, rhetoric, and silence? Are we? And what are the consequences of that? Privately we may shake our heads in disbelief, but what do we do publicly to challenge those norms of inaction, of words that become rhetoric but ring hollow in the wake of the silence that follows? How do we change all this and teach the next generation about the value of human beings regardless of their skin color, their shape, their language, their culture, their religion, or their gender?
Something else that rang in my head this evening was the words "never again".... The president of our university echoed those in her remarks; but where have we heard them before? We heard them echoed after the Rwandan genocide - that "never again" will the world standby as genocide occurs. I am tempted to think that is yet more rhetoric, falling from lips to floor in silence and inaction as we look around us, not just here on Long Island but in the U.S. and in the world as more atrocities happen. And yet again the communities stand by and do nothing because of no personal vested interest or gain. It is no wonder the next generation still has yet to learn the value and dignity of human beings.....
Where do you stand? And how will you play your part? I hope that I can answer these questions for myself and attempt to transform inaction to action, rhetoric to meaningful dialogue, and silence into voice. Be a voice, be a neighbor, be a friendly look or hello, be involved, and be a part of transforming our communities.
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