Louise’s reflections on recent events
LESSON ON WAR: Empathize with your Enemy “One of the most fearsome ideas to emerge in the course of the 20th century was the idea of total war – the belief that the most effective way of winning wars was by the obliteration, or the threat of obliter- ation of the civilian population of the enemy’s town and cities by means of an annihilating attack from the air. . .civilians have more and more frequently been made the target of…
Last week two significant films about women debuted: He Named me Malala and Suffragette. Rooted in different cultures, focusing on different issues (education of girls and voting rights for women in the U.S.), set in different times they both demonstrate the desire of all women for EMPOWERMENT. Recently, there have also been a number of conferences of/for/about women in the 21st century. (http://blog.bizzabo.com/15-empowering-womens-conferences-in-2015) As both an educator and advocate for women and girls, I offer these personal reflections on EMPOWERMENT….
Embed from Getty Images When a foreigner resides with you in your land, Do not harass him/her. You shall treat the Foreigner who resides with you no differently than the natives born among you; have the same love for him/her as for yourself; for you too were once foreigners. . . (Lv. 19: 33-34) It’s beyond comprehension but here are just a few facts to ponder in a very complex situation: Today there are approximately 11 million refugees and migrants…
Embed from Getty Images Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhereThe ceremony of innocence is drowned;The best lack all conviction, while the worstAre full of passionate intensity. (William Butler Yeats, The Second Coming) Written in 1919 after World War I the above is one of 100 most anthologized poems in English literature. CAN the Center hold? This is a question that keeps rising within me as we…
Embed from Getty Images I began this blog on August 6, 70th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima; three days later, Nagasaki. The only nation who has used the atomic bomb – twice! Today, no matter where we live, violence affects us; violence pervades our surroundings, between people, within countries and throughout our planet. From the threat of nuclear weapons escalation hovering over us, civil wars in Congo, El Salvador, countries in the Middle East to a four year old little…
Embed from Getty Images July, 2015 WORLD CUP FOR US WOMEN’S SOCCER TEAM! Celebrations, euphoria, infinite media coverage, a New York City ticker tape parade! Title IX, a significant event in the 70s that allowed and promoted girls’ and women’s sports to evolve just became a winner through the unbelievable victory of the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team victory over Japan! When the US women’s national team routed Japan in the World Cup finals, more than 20 million viewers tuned in, making it the most-watched…
Embed from Getty Images “A house divided against itself cannot stand.”, 1858, Abraham Lincoln “This is our basic conclusion: Our nation is moving toward two societies, one black, one white – separate and unequal. . . This deepening racial division is not inevitable. The movement apart can be reversed. Choice is still possible. . . To pursue our present course will involve the continuing polarization of the American community and, ultimately, the destruction of basic democratic values.” (Report of the…
I ask you to read and reflect on the attached document below. It’s a process and struggle that continues today. The reflection is from the 1960s – another chaotic time with major shifts taking place. I believe it’s applicable and timely for the 2000s. The facts, as we continue to see and hear, are multiple and complex; perspectives and experiences contrast and conflict. In the midst of this many believe we are at a crisis point in our democracy. ….
Hello, All! Excuse my year long absence from my web site (due to health challenges) which I’ve now revised and updated. I believe it’s more succinct and more easily navigated. For those of you who are new participants I do hope you enjoy it and that it fuels your passion for justice work! Welcome. Louise
Jeffrey Sachs, Ph.D., Director of Sustainable Development Solutions Network, A Global Initiative for the UN; Director of The Earth Institute, Columbia University. He is Special Advisor to United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on the Millennium Development Goals, having held the same position under former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan. Yesterday I heard this man interviewed by Fareed Zacharia on the Global Public Square, concerning sustainability and earth’s peril. I have read books by him and seen other interviews but never have…