The Peace and Justice Center

Hello - Can you help?

Monday the House released its transportation bill, the American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act - it threatens to  reverse all progress we have made in the past twenty years.
 
TODAY - Thursday, February 2, the House Transportation Committee will vote on whether to approve this bill or amend it to include bicycling and walking programs. Take action now - tell your representative to restore bicycling and walking . 
House leadership is exerting pressure to completely cut bicycling and walking out of transportation.  Lawmakers seem to have gone through line-by-line to gut programs that make streets safer.
The outrageous American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act:
• Destroys Transportation Enhancements by making the program optional
• Repeals the Safe Routes to School program, reversing years of progress in creating safe ways for kids to walk and ride bicycles to school
• Allows states to build bridges without safe access for pedestrians and bicycles
• Eliminates bicycle and pedestrian coordinators in state DOTs

But there’s still a chance to save biking and walking. This week, Representatives Petri (R-WI) and Johnson (R-IL) plan to stand up to leadership by offering an amendment that restores dedicated funding for Transportation Enhancements and Safe Routes to School.  Representative Petri and Johnson can only be successful if everyone with a stake in safe sidewalks, crosswalks, and bikeways contacts their Congressional Member today.
 
Please take action now by going to http://www.capwiz.com/lab/issues/alert/?alertid=60929976&type=TA  enter you zip code at the bottom and fill out the required information.

Thanks everyone.

Carol Hussa
Today Is a Gift, Have Fun!
Life is like riding a bicycle to keep balanced you must keep moving.
Albert Einstein

Luzerne County Bikes & Walks

1. Next all-group Luzerne County Bikes & Walks  meeting: Wednesday, Feb. 15th, 7:00 PM
 
Location TBD-- Y rooms are under construction now
 
Some committees (policy & education, structure/organization) may be meeting again before this date-- contact Michele to find out times/places if you are interested in attending these meetings
 
2. Contact your Congressional Representative about Bicycle and Pedestrian funding before Feb. 2nd!  Take Action today! 
3. Jan. 17th Luzerne County Bikes and Walks meeting and LCBW committees. 
• Notes on Meeting & Committees. Here.

• LCBW Start-Up Survey Results Summary (presented at meeting).   

4. PA Safe Bicycle Passing Bill passes State Senate with a safe margin, now needs to be signed into law.  More info...

Live Well Luzerne | 41 West Northampton St | Wilkes-Barre | PA | 18701

Plans are underway for the fourth annual BIKE: Spencer Martin Memorial Bike
Ride for Habitat’12. On Sunday, May 6, bikers will wind their way through the
scenic Back Mountain for a spectacular 30 mile ride. Proceeds from this event
will help us to eliminate poverty housing in Wyoming Valley.

We look forward to your support.

TO:                  Northeastern Pa. colleagues/friends/fellow environmental organizations
FROM:             Kate Gibbons, Northeastern Pennsylvania Outreach Coordinator, PennFuture
Our colleague Ed Perry at the National Wildlife Federation has organized a get-together at Cooper’s on Feb. 7th, and you can help make this first one a success! Details are below.
Please RSVP to me if you think you’ll attend.  I’ll be attending and hope to see you there.

Got Energy, NE PA???
WHAT:  Get together with like-minded people to discuss and brainstorm actions on climate change and clean energy  -- over a delicious local beverage. Meet other green activists and interested allies, old and new, and put our voices together.
WHEN:  Tuesday, February 7, 6:30 pm - ??
WHERE:  Cooper’s Bar and Restaurant, 701 N. Washington Ave, Scranton.  www.coopers-seafood.com
WHY:  As you know, this Congress (the House) has constantly attacked any environmental initiatives advanced by this administration.  As a result, there will be no legislation on greenhouse gas pollution and/or clean energy until at least until 2014.

However, the Environmental Protection Agency has forged ahead with rules designed to slowly reduce CO2 emissions.  Just recently, they finalized their mercury rule, which will cause some old, carbon-spewing plants to close down and others to clean-up. 
On Jan 19, there was a public hearing in Philadelphia to take testimony on EPA's clean car rule, which will significantly reduce CO2 emissions.  Light trucks and cars will be required to obtain an average, industry, fleet-wide gas mileage of 54 mpg for model years 2017 through 2025.
And finally, EPA has sent their greenhouse gas rule to the Office of Management and Budget for review that will begin ratcheting back CO2 emissions for coal and oil-fired power plants.
The fossil fuel industry and its allies in congress are not going to take this lying down.  They are going to come after EPA and try to stop them from implementing any of these rules.  And the only thing standing between them succeeding is us.
Join us February 7th in Scranton!
In case of winter weather postponement, please contact:

Ed Perry
National Wildlife Federation
Climate Change Campaign
Phone - 814-880-9593
paglobalwarmingoutreach@gmail.com

Kate Gibbons
Northeastern Pennsylvania Outreach Coordinator
Citizens for Pennsylvania's Future (PennFuture)
15 Public Square  Suite 101
Wilkes-Barre, PA  18701
Phone: (570)208-1757
www.pennfuture.org

WAYNEPEACE

PRESS RELEASE
For immediate release

For more information contact Waynepeace, 570-251-3637

WAYNEPEACE DISCUSSION, 2/7/12, WCPL: “BEYOND CITIZENS UNITED”

(HONESDALE) On Tuesday, February 7, beginning at 5 PM, Waynepeace will present a discussion entitled “Beyond 'Citizens United'” at the Wayne County Public Library, on North Main Street in Honesdale.

January 21 marked the second anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court decision in the “Citizens United” case.  In that decision, the Court, by a 5-4 vote, declared that the First Amendment prohibits government from regulating political “speech” (i.e. campaign donations) by corporations or special interests in elections.  This has led to the injection of unprecedented amounts of money, whose donors are not required to be disclosed, into our political system.  This decision was based on the concept of “corporate personhood,” an idea that goes back over 125 years, which is the basis for increasing corporate power and influence over policy and legislation.  Many national organizations, including Public Citizen, Move to Amend, Democracy for Americans, and others are collaborating to urge Congress to amend the Constitution and reverse the effects of Citizens United. 

The discussion on February 7 will include a brief history of how corporate personhood became part of our system of jurisprudence, who the “Citizens United” group represents, the effect of this Supreme Court decision on our elections, and what actions people are taking to amend the decision. Our presenter will be Ms. Kathie Aberman, an activist and teacher from Liberty, NY, who has recently immersed herself in the study of this topic.

The use of Wayne County Public Library facilities by Waynepeace does not represent an endorsement by WCPL of Waynepeace's policies or positions.  For more information, see www.waynepeace.org.

--30--

CORPORATE GREED AT COOPER TIRE
FLAT OUT WRONG!

Please pass along to your members and delegates.
We are asking for a crowd of 50 at this event for 10:00 AM
We are Asking for Sign Ups to stay and pass out information for 2 shifts.
Please send me names e-mail and Phone Numbers of people who will be participating.
Please do your best to engage your membership.
 Lets Start 2012 Out Correctly.
 We will need lots of engaged folks this year. Lets start gearing up now!

When Cooper Tire hit hard times, USW Local 207L members in Findlay, Ohio sacrificed:
$31.2 million of concessions in the 2008 contract negotiations.
Taxpayers in the City of Findlay and the State of Ohio also stepped up with grants and abatements:
The state alone has provided Cooper Tire with $2.5 million in subsidies since 2009.
Since January 1, 2009, however, Cooper Tire has made $448 Million dollars in Operating Profits and posted an income (before taxes) of $360 million.

JOIN US
Cooper Tires Informational Protest
Saturday Jan 14, 2012
Pep Boys
450 Wilkes-Barre Blvd
Wilkes – Barre,  PA 18702
(cross street - Coal St/Highland Blvd/Casey Ave)
Kick off Rally at 10:00 AM
Informational Hand Outs to Customers
Shifts will be:
Shift # 1   10:30 AM to 12:30 PM
Shift # 2   3:00 PM to 5:00 PM
 
Executives have rewarded themselves handsomely:

Its top five executives in 2010 took home more than $9.5 million and bought themselves a shiny, new corporate jet. In addition, two wage increases and double bonuses were given to management personnel.

And what about the workers, the men and women, who build the tires?

The members of USW 207L wanted to continue working while negotiating a fair contract.  Instead the company locked them out and is now replacing its highly-skilled workforce with out-of-state workers with who-knows-what kind of expertise.

Roxie
Roxanne Pauline
Northeast Pennsylvania Area Labor Federation Coordinator
570-840-1650
Roxiep9@aol.com
Facebook : NEPA Alf
Twitter: #neparealaborfed

Making Peace through Justice –a project sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy in cooperation with Equal Exchange, an Interfaith Fair Trade Company.

Enjoy delicious beverages and candy bars knowing you are providing a just wage for the farmers and their families in Latin America, Africa, and Asia; protecting their health and yours because no poisonous chemicals are used in the growing and processing and providing a healthy safe environment for earth’s many other creatures.

COFFEE
Percolator Grind:   Organic Fellowship Blend—1 lb.  $7.25
            Drip Grind:
            Regular:
  Organic Breakfast Blend—12 oz. $6.40
  Organic Mind Body Soul—12 oz. $6.40
  Hazelnut Crème, Toffee Carmel, —12 oz. $6.65
  Organic Whole Bean Breakfast Blend—12 oz. $6.40;5 2-lb $78               
  Organic Columbian —12 oz. $6.40
  Café Salvador,—12 oz. $6.40

Decaf
Organic Decaf—12 oz. $7.40
Hazelnut Crème decaf—12 oz. $7.65

TEA—all teas Organic  $2.75
English Breakfast             Black Tea (more robust than English Breakfast)
Green Mint                        Herbal—Mint           Earl Grey

Cocoa  Organic Hot Cocoa Mix—(12 oz can $5.00)

Chocolate Bars   $2.50 each
Organic plain Very Dark Chocolate--71% cocoa …..
Milk Chocolate with hint of hazel nut…38%cocoa  
Dark Chocolate/ Almonds --55% cocoa….. Dark with mint chips 67%       
Dark Chocolate with orange (65% vegan and gluten free)
Dark Carmel Crunch with sea salt—55%

Snacks- Organic tamari roasted almonds—5 oz. bag $4.35
         
I try to keep all items on hand and will order if I don’t have an item you want.

Local distributor: Sr. Constance  Kozel.  675-1872 or cmkozelrsm@aol.com

12 Min video on Fair Trade: DVD on The Dark Side of Chocolate available for loan.

All prices are at cost. 

If you wish to add a donation, it will be sent to the Peace & Justice Center in Wilkes-Barre and Mercy Farm, Vermont.

                             Many thanks for your support.  Enjoy!

·       DREAM Act Workshop:

St. Nicholas Parish Social Concerns Committee, Wilkes-Barre, will sponsor a two-hour educational workshop on the “DREAM Act” on Wed., November 30, 2011 from 7-9 PM in the Community Room.  A representative of the national Interfaith Coalition on Immigration will participate and respond to questions.  The “DREAM Act” (Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors) is a bi-partisan bill that would allow a select group of immigrant students to contribute fully to America.

Plan now to attend this educational event!

All are welcome.

·       PEACE RALLY SCHEDULED AT MARYWOOD

Local peace activists will rally on Friday evening at Marywood University as part of an international effort to close the School for the Americas.

In 1989, terrorists trained by the U.S. Army’s School of the Americas (SOA) at Ft. Benning, Georgia murdered six Jesuit priests, their co-worker and her teenage daughter in El Salvador.  To call attention to the murders and hundreds of other atrocities committed over the last few decades by SOA graduates against missionaries, teachers, and activists, in 1990 SOA Watch, lead by Maryknoll Father Roy Bourgeois, began an annual November protest at the military base.

SOA Watch is now diverse movement whose goal is to close the school and to change U.S. foreign policy in Latin America by educating the public, lobbying Congress and participating in creative, nonviolent resistance.  In 2001, the Pentagon responded to the movement only by changing the school’s name to the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation.  Congress is currently reviewing the Latin America Military Training Review Act (HR 3368), a bill that proposes that the school be closed and its links to terrorism in Latin American be investigated.

The Marywood event will start at the Swartz Center at 7 PM. Speakers will include Marie Karam, who has experience linking local university students to peers in El Salvador, and Dr. Michael Allison, a professor of Latin American Studies at the University of Scranton.

After the presentations and a prayer service, those assembled will process to the university’s commons where they will place crosses bearing the names of hundreds of people killed by SOA graduates.

The local rally will include representatives of the Sisters of the IHM, Sisters of the Religious Sisters of Mercy, Jesuit volunteers, the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, Pax Christi USA and NEPA, Witness for Peace, Fellowship of Reconciliation, Church of the Brethren, Presbyterian Church, Catholic Worker communities, United Church of Christ, United Methodist Church, Unitarian Universalists, and Veterans for Peace.

The public is welcome.

·       Nine (9) slots have opened up on the Peace Center’s Martz Bus Trip to Washington, DC.

They are available on a first-come, first serve basis.

•       Cost = $35 (CHEAP!!!)

•       Saturday, November 19

•       Leave Sears parking (Mall) at 6:45 AM

•       Return Sears parking (Mall) at about 11:00 PM

•       First-pay, first-serve

The Martz Bus will drop-off and return from the Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC.

Most are touring the Holocaust Museum, the new Dr. Martin Luther King Memorial, Smithsonian. 

All are free to take advantage of the low cost and enjoy the day in Washington DC.

Please respond with money in hand ASAP if interested.

peace to all workshops, vigils, and bus riders

Visionary Guidance

Offering Intuitive and Trance sessions extensively since 1986, Cé Änn (say on) hails from a heritage of psychics, travels through the States and Internationally offers Visionary Guidance. Affectionately called: 'the Channel's channel,' Cé Änn inspires loving allowance, self motivation, intuitive growth and the awakening of unlimited human potential. He makes his home amongst the red rocks of Sedona.

HONESDALE, PA • NOVEMBER 9 - 11
TranceMissions • 11/9
Mini Channelers Symposium • 11/10 • 7 - 10pm Galactic Gateway Circle • 11/11/11 • WITH MINWAH, THOMAS & CE ANN
Venue: The Sanctuary of Oils • 61 Commercial St., 18431 ? Reservations Requested ?
Call or email the Host: Minwah • 570.468.7350 • mayasmail@earthlink.net to book the Event you are interested in attending, for further Info, or Consultation appointments.
Private Consultations Available the 9th & 10th and Taped for your Convenience ? AUTUMN SPECIAL: $85 FOR 30MINUTES (USUALLY $100) ?
•• Exchanges: TranceMissions: $25; Mini Channelers Symposium: $50 •• ADVANCE PAYMENT AVAILABLE (ON WEBSITE 'TOURS' PAGE) ALL EVENT TIMES ARE 7 - 9PM, OTHERWISE STATED ABOVE ?

Cognizance beyond the distractions of the human experience, Visionary Guidance is an all encompassing consultation technique; a seeming blend of philosophies, psychologies, and spiritual practices of human reality merged with non-physical awareness using an altered state or trance. Channeling has been utilized by many to gain greater clarity with regard to their transformational process and as a source of guidance and confi rmation for a truthful, expansive, validating view of their reality. No matter how you refer to the expressed information, the bottom line is truth. Whether in a public group, a semi-private, or one to one, this is your opportunity for expansion.
Come "Explore your Self, Awaken your Mind and Expand your Heart" with an enlightening refl ection
during..."TranceMissions": a publicly channeled group session, where a number of frequencies move through depending on the group consciousness gathered; questions encouraged. "Mini-Channeler's Symposium":
explore MultiDimensional Reality, experience Your channel in a supportive environment, with exercises, group discovery, and conscious commitment with Spirit. All Channelers welcome; no prior experience required!
Surf by www.visionaryguidance.com or Call 800.514.9234

members of the peace center,

yes, today is a day of mourning, for those who lost their lives that day,
and it's a day of remembrance and praise for those who showed great courage and
sacrifice to help save others; yet probably what you won't see the media citing, today, is the
fact of the entirely dishonorable, disastrous, immoral and destructive US response to the
events of that day

we won't see the media citing the fact the US response has caused more than
50,000 fatalities and woundings to US soldiers (for what?)

we won't see the media citing the fact that the US response has caused the deaths
of more than 600,000 Iraquis, needlessly, for no reason at all

we won't see the media citing the fact that our invasion of Iraq, as a response
to 911, has about as much causal relationship as say, were the US to attack
New Zealand, due to global warming

we won't see the media citing the fact that the US military response to 911
will rank as one of world history's most destructive, stupid, irrational, cruel and sacrificial
acts of war ever undertaken by any nation

no, we're not seeing anything of that today; but we need to, otherwise, the real
sacrifice made by the victims of 911 will never come to light, and again, we'll have
learned nothing as a nation

- bk

The DEP is advising residents whose homes or businesses have been affected by flood waters to take a number of precautions to assure a safe cleanup.
 
Homeowners who suffered flood damage should note these cleanup guidelines:
 

Be careful when entering a flood-damaged building. Loose, wet ceiling plaster is heavy and dangerous, so knock down hanging plaster before moving around. Watch for holes in the floor and loose boards with exposed nails;
Once inside, turn off the gas and electricity. Wear rubber-soled shoes or boots and rubber gloves and turn off the main switch using a piece of rubber, plastic or dry wood while standing on a dry board to avoid electrocution;
Do not pump the basement until the water has gone down, as pumping a water-filled basement could result in the walls collapsing;
Never use a gas-powered pump or generator in an enclosed area; carbon monoxide fumes could overcome you;
Test plumbing and basement drains by pouring a bucket of water in them. If the water does not run out, remove the clean-out plug from the trap and rake out the mud with a wire;
Do not rush to move back into your home. Before a house is habitable, it must be dried and thoroughly cleaned, since flood waters pick up sewage and chemicals as they travel;
Open doors and windows to ventilate and dry the inside, and wait until all floors, ceilings, walls and furnishings are dry and free of mold and mildew before trying to repair or salvage them;
Everything that flood water has touched should be disinfected. Scrub down walls and any other smooth, hard surfaces with a solution made of clean water and two-percent chlorine bleach. Two to three capfuls of chlorine bleach to a bucket of water are recommended. Wear gloves when disinfecting surfaces;
Do not attempt to repair floors until they are fully dry. Once dry, buckled floors may be drawn back into place with nails, and planing and sanding may remove humps;
Remove drawers and clean all mud and dirt from wooden furniture. Be sure to dry furniture slowly and indoors to prevent the sun from warping it;
If possible, simply air-dry family treasures such as books, photographs or paintings.
Also, here are some tips to help those speaking to their insurance companies about flood damage:

Call your insurance agent as soon as possible;
Be patient, but ask for a timeline on when your agent can help you;
Review your insurance policy so you understand what is covered;
Sewage damage MAY be covered under your homeowner’s policy even if you don’t have flood insurance; 
Photograph all damage;
Secure the problem so you don’t have more damage; 
Don’t do any permanent repairs until your insurance agent views the problems and approves the repairs; 
Keep all your receipts;
Be aware that multiple claims under a homeowner’s policies could result in a rate increase. Homeowners can take care of minor repairs on their own without reporting the damage to the insurance company; 
For more information on insurance call the Pennsylvania Insurance Department’s toll-free consumer hotline at 877-881-6388.

FOR A CLEANER,
HEALTHIER,
SAFER CITY

Bikes Belong Rally!
Join us!  Ride for a Bicycle-Friendly Wilkes-Barre!
5:15 pm, Tuesday, September 6th
Rain or Shine

5:15 pm:   Assemble, with bicycles, at the Irem Temple parking lot on  
   North River Street across from the Millennium Circle.

5:40 pm:   Mass bike ride thru Wilkes-Barre past City Hall; follow the leader, obey the law.  Wear a helmet if you are 12 or younger. 
 
6:30 pm:   Social gathering at Rodano’s for an informal meet, greet and learn more.

Visit www.bikewb.org and sign the petition.

* * *
Why we are riding?

1. So people & motorists will see bicyclists on the streets in Wilkes-Barre.
2. To support an effort to modernize Wilkes-Barre’s laws to include bicycles, reflecting current state law.
3. To encourage efforts to Complete the Streets: to insure that when city streets are re-paved and re-marked, the needs of all users - pedestrians and bicyclists as well as automobiles - are included.

We are planning to ride monthly to advocate for a safe environment for bicyclists and transportation choice in the City of Wilkes-Barre. Email mgschasbe@gmail.com for more information.

The more people there are cycling, the safer the roads become for all.

Bikes Belong * Share the Road * Complete the Streets

Will we be the generation that fulfills the dream of a peaceful world?

To make that dream a reality, it will take ALL of us coming together to learn the best peace practices, create reconciliation and healing, as well as gain inspiration from the most inspiring peace pioneers in the world.

That's why we're so excited to bring you PeaceWeek 2011!

Last year we gathered more than 20,000 people from 152 countries to create the world's largest virtual peace summit ever. This year we have assembled another global cast of top luminaries such as Alice Walker, Deepak Chopra, Marianne Williamson, Arun Gandhi, Michael Bernard Beckwith, Daniel Goleman and many others who have inspired millions to create peace in their lives.

It's all FREE and it's happening in the convenience of your own home or office, September 15th - 21st.

Get all the details and REGISTER HERE: http://peaceweek.info

PeaceWeek 2011 is a full week of groundbreaking sessions designed to help you deepen your personal peace practices, deal with conflict constructively, build bridges between polarized groups, heal ancient wounds and teach future generations to live compassionately.

Simply dial in via your phone line or listen via webcast - or if you aren't able to make the live calls, you can download the recordings and enjoy them on your own time for years to come. Join us and you'll gain:
• Personal practices for cultivating inner peace
• Steps you can take to create peace in your family and in your communities
• Ways to incorporate peace and happiness into your business
• Insights on healing our collective wounds and cultural traumas
• Ideas for generating peacebuilding among youth
• Greater perspective on the economy and peace
• And much more!
When you register, you'll also have access to the full library of recordings from PeaceWeek 2010 - featuring dozens of global peacebuilders and pioneers promoting wide-scale peace.

It's up to all of us to lead the way to peace. It starts in our own hearts, homes and communities - and then ripples out across the world - until we reach that tipping point where we truly have created a global culture of peace.

PeaceWeek gives us that opportunity. We ask you to take a stand with us and say "YES" to peace in your life and in our world. 

Group: Bpeace
Subject: Shout-Outs from Bpeace

Hi Members of the Bpeace Group

1. We have started a new group for DOSTI SOCCER BALLS hand-stitched by Afghan women. Please join us: http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Dosti-Soccer-Balls-Afghan-Women-3970011

2. We are in search of a Traveling Finance Mentor to travel to El Salvador in July or August for 5-10 days to work with a food-processing company. Help them identify ways to free up cash flow and better understand which of their products are profitable and which are not. I have a scope of work to send you if you know someone who might be interested.

3. If you know an owner of a multiple-location restaurant/bakery combo business, sheet metal business, please let me know.

THANKS.

--Toni Maloney
Bpeace CEO

Marie Howe will be reading at Keystone College on Thursday, April 14, at 7:00 in Evans Hall in the Hibbard Campus Center. It's free and open to the public.
Marie Howe was born in 1950 and received her MFA from Columbia University in 1983.

Her debut volume, The Good Thief, was selected by Margaret Atwood as winner of the 1987 Open Competition of the National Poetry Series, published in 1988 by Persea Books. Since then, she has published two more collections, What the Living Do (W. W. Norton, 1998) and The Kingdom of the Ordinary (2008).

The Kingdom of Ordinary Time, released by W.W. Norton in 2008, is Howe's most recent collection. Her poetry is "luminous, intense, eloquent, rooted in abundant inner life" (Stanley Kunitz).

This is a wonderful opportunity to hear her share her work. Don't miss it!
Cheers,
Jennifer.
--
Reading, Writing, Publishing, Coffee-ing: paperkitepress.com Smiling with your whole body: whirligighoopers.com Crawling around in Jenny's brain: jenniferdunnhill.blogspot.com

A truly compassionate person touches a chord in us that resonates with some of our deepest yearnings...This is the ideal to which we aspire and it is not beyond our capacity.
— Karen Armstrong

Join a Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life Reading Group sponsored by WYOMING VALLEY INTERFAITH COUNCIL

Using Karen Armstrong’s new book, we’ll explore the meaning, cultivation, and
practice of compassion in our everyday lives.

Meeting Dates: First Mondays beginning May 2, 2011 (second Monday in July & Sept.)
                            [one chapter per month in sequence]

Meeting Time:  6:30 p.m.
Location:  Barnes & Noble – Public Square

Contact:  Rev. Ann Marie Acacio – revannmarie@verizon.net - 357-5824

In America today, there isn't a systemic approach to getting all college-ready students to college.  Every year, hundreds of thousands of high school students who are "better than their numbers"—who have average test scores and/or grades—but who have clearly demonstrated their potential for college success, fail to make it to college. Data shows that getting into college requires more than solid academic preparation and even adequate financial aid.

The Transition Movement is a vibrant, grassroots movement that seeks to build community resilience in the face of such challenges as peak oil, climate change and the economic crisis. It represents one of the most promising ways of engaging people in strengthening their communities against the effects of these challenges, resulting in a life that is more abundant, fulfilling, equitable and socially connected.

• Also, please join Transition Honesdale's Renewable Energy Action Group at Sweet Eden this Saturday, Feb 12th at 11 am to create an action plan from the brainstorming discussion we had back in December.  We will be cautious not to duplicate the good efforts of SEEDS, but there is plenty of work to be done!  So bring your good ideas, no matter how big or how small.

P.S.  If you are interested in being involved in the Renewable Energy Action Group but cannot make this meeting, please email juliehudson1215@gmail.com to get on the list or to share your ideas.

peace to all good community events,

rod

Motorists can call PennDOT to report the location of potholes on state roads.
1-800-FIX-ROAD
1-800-349-7623

Callers are asked to be as specific as possible when reporting pothole locations. For state routes, callers must report the county, municipality, street name, or the state route number found on small, black-and-white signs posted along state roadways. Callers should also offer a description of any familiar landmarks to find the problem area.

The hotline may be used to report any maintenance concern on state roads, including deer removal or signage issues. Once notified, PennDOT will work expeditiously to address concerns; however, winter services remain the primary focus of maintenance crews at this time of year.

To report potholes on local roads, motorists should contact the municipality in which the pothole is located.

Potholes develop when water seeps below the road through small cracks in the pavement surface. As the water repeatedly freezes and thaws, a cavity below the road is formed and larger cracks develop, causing the pavement to crumble.

The 1-800-FIX-ROAD hotline should not be used to report traffic accidents, disabled vehicles or other emergencies. Motorists should continue to call 911 to report those types of incidents.

I wanted to let you know about our peace and justice conference coming up on Saturday, March 5th, 9am to 4pm, at the Lutheran Theological Seminary's Valentine Hall, Gettysburg.  The program, called "Let It Begin With Me," is designed as a series of discussions on building inclusive communities.  Topics will include "Challenging Racism," "Gay in Gettysburg," "Believing In Each Other" (religious tolerance) and "Welcoming the Stranger" (immigration issues).  Opening ceremonies will feature the Gettysburg Children's Choir and keynote speaker, Darryl Jones.  We hope to end the day with a performance by River Crossing Playback Theatre, an improvisational troupe which acts out stories told by audience members.  (The River Crossing performance has not yet been confirmed, but we are optimistic!)  This event is co-sponsored by ICPJ and the Lutheran Seminary's Social Action Committee of the Student Association.
 
I will keep you posted as our plans for "Let It Begin With Me" continue to come together.
 
Best wishes.
 
Lea Czar
Chair, Interfaith Center for Peace and Justice

The Interfaith Center for Peace and Justice, of Gettysburg, PA, is a non-profit organization that seeks to nurture dialogue on peace, social justice and environmental balance and to enrich our community by inspiring individuals to work nonviolently toward the realization of those values in human society. The Center is not only an educational institution but also a catalyst for action and a source of support for individuals and groups responding to community needs and to threats which may arise to just and peaceful community life. Committed to advancing the well-being of all, we act non-violently, with respect for truth and one another as our guiding values.

http://www.icpj-gettysburg.org

Click here to see the PCM Bylaws for full information

WAYNEPEACE

PRESS RELEASE
for immediate release

for more information, contact Skip Mendler, 570-251-3637, smendler@yahoo.com

WAYNEPEACE HOSTS DISCUSSION OF AMERICAN PLUTOCRACY & CORPORATE CONTROL OF POLITICS, 1/4/2011
 
(HONESDALE) Local activist group Waynepeace brings its series of  public discussions into the New Year with a presentation entitled “Just Lie Back and Enjoy It: The Wonderful Benefits of American Plutocracy” featuring fictional CEO T. Bigglesworth Bellows, at 5 PM on Tuesday January 4, 2011, at the Wayne County Public Library on Main Street in Honesdale.

Mr. Bellows (a creation of actor, writer, and Waynepeace co-founder Skip Mendler of Honesdale) is CEO and Chairman of the Board of Bellows Industries Worldwide International, the planet's largest manufacturer of hot-air hand dryers, blast furnaces, car cigarette lighters, and flame throwers. (As the company slogan goes, "Where there’s hot air, you’ll find a Bellows.") A proud member of the Billionaires for Wealthcare, he is an unapologetic advocate for plutocracy (government by the wealthy).  In fact, Bellows maintains, the US has been a plutocracy for years, and “it’s high time we quit pretending otherwise.”
 
In his presentation, Mr. Bellows will discuss the ramifications of the Supreme Court’s recent “Citizens United” decision, which led to an unprecedented amount of anonymous campaign donations being raised during the 2010 election cycle.  He will cavalierly dismiss as "pish-posh" the silly objections raised by democracy activists that such levels of spending skew the political process, and lead to policies that favor the wealthy at the expense of ordinary citizens.  He will also gleefully recount recent events, such as the unsuccessful struggle to rescind the so-called “Bush tax breaks,” and make the case for Reaganesque “trickle-down economics” – which he describes as “the perfectly common-sense proposition that when your feet stink, the thing to do is wash your hair.”

The public is invited to attend this surprisingly free presentation.    Refreshments will even be served, but seating will be limited.  More information may be gathered from the Waynepeace website, www.waynepeace.org.

Use of Wayne County Public Library facilities by Waynepeace does not constitute an endorsement of Waynepeace policies or positions by WCPL.

--30--

[contributed by Pat cCormick]
A multi-national peace organization is building a brand new school that will host students from across the world.

            These young people will train to work at embassies, foreign ministries, and even the United Nations.
            And they've chosen Central Pennsylvania as their new home.
This is Mount Carmel, Pennsylvania. And now one group is hoping to make this hometown into a household name.
Steve Bartos, project organizer, says, "Mount Carmel, Pennsylvania will be in the international spotlight. It will have a huge impact on this community economically and socially."
The Global Nuclear Disarmament Fund, a  group that promotes nuclear peace, chose Mount Carmel as the spot for their new school.
Bartos explains, "It will be an international school where kids will learn about global politics. We're hoping to host 100 international students a year"
            The Fund is turning the former Holy Spirit school off Route 61 into a learning center.
            Organizers say will be similar to a 5-star hotel.
Bartos adds, "We’re bringing this building back to life."
            The project is also working to put some extra life into this quiet coal town.
            In fact, the effects of the school have already been felt by local businesses.
Tony Scicchitano of Scicchitano Ace Hardware says, "They come in here quite often. It’s always a plus to get some extra business."
            School leaders say they chose Mount Carmel because of its close-knit feel and expression of Americana...something they think will benefit international students.
            The general feeling in town is excitement, yet some are reluctant.
Cathy Welker of Academy Sporting Center adds, "We've been promised so many things that some people are unsure. But I’m optimistic. I'm hopeful."
Project organizers say they hope to have the school up and running by the fall semester of next year.

---

Peace Rides in the Sky!

Celebrate the peaceful beauty of the Wyoming Valley from above, with a scenic flight with pilot (and longtime supporter of the Peace and Justice Center) Brad Kurlancheek.

Brad has pledged 100% of your $250 Peace Flight cost to go to the good works of the Peace and Justice Center.

An excellent gift for birthdays, anniversaries, other milestone celebrations and the upcoming holiday season, Brad's 1998 Maule Single Engine airplane accommodates peace passengers in style.

Brad is a licensed FAA certified flight instructor with over 1200 total flight hours, and holds commercial and instrument ratings.  He earned his flight ratings at the Spartan School of Aeronautics in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  In the Maule, he's flown from the west coast to east, and from PA to FL and back several times.

Flights will originate at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport, PA, where Brad keeps his plane.

To reserve your peace flight,
contact the Peace Center at (570) 823-9977 or peacewb@verizon.net.

Date: Monday, November 15, 2010
Time: 5:30PM-7PM
Place: Brennan 228
Speaker: Sister Patricia McCarthy, CND
Topic: A Chance to Make a Difference

Sister McCarthy told me that the talk could be especially pertinent for
faculty and students in Education, Criminal Justice, Philosophy, Theology,
and Counseling.
If you have a class at 5:30PM on Monday, please consider bringing them over
to the talk. Perhaps you can offer students extra credit for attending if
you believe this is a worthwhile discussion. Thank you for your
consideration--Anthony.

Here is the information Sister sent to me:

“A Chance To Make a Difference”

Imagine if someone gave you a black screen, canvas, stage, musical score,
hard drive, website, or a school, prison, church, or neighborhood, and said:
“Fill it with your dreams for life.” What would you create? What variety of
hopes would you be willing to speak and what challenges willing to meet?
This is truly what God offers us every day of our lives – a chance to make a
difference. Imagine if peace were the difference?

Sr. Patricia McCarthy is a member of the Congregation of Notre Dame, United
States Province. Prior to her present leadership position, she worked with
abused children, administered a school for emotionally disturbed children,
taught elementary and high school in inner city and poor rural areas for
thirty years. She taught peace throughout the world, especially in places of
conflict and war: North Ireland, Ireland, Bosnia, Croatia, Vietnam,
Australia, Japan and Canada. She has given hundreds of workshops on
nonviolence to faculties and students of both public and private schools.
She is a columnist for a local paper in Providence, Rhode Island, has
published numerous articles and five books, including a curriculum on
Nonviolence for Elementary schools. Her book, The Word of God-The Word of
Peace won first place for spirituality by the Catholic Press Association in
2003. In 2007 the Catholic Press Association awarded her second place as
columnist in a Catholic paper and magazine. Currently she is Provincial for
the United States province of her community.

Hello Everyone,
Please feel free to pass this information on to anyone you think might be interested.  Thank you so much.  I hope to see you there.
With Much Gratitude,
Grace
 

Interfaith
"ThanksGiving
GivingThanks"
Sharing Service

"ArtsYouniverse"
47 North Franklin St.
Wilkes-Barre

Sunday
November 21st

4:00 pm
Drumming
If you would like to participate 
please bring a drum, rattle or instrument of choice

5:00 pm
Sharing Service
"What are you thankful for?"

6:00 pm
Pot Luck Fellowship
The most important part of the evening is the fellowship.
So if you wish - bring your favorite dish.

Donations of packaged food or dry goods will be accepted
for the "Tunkhannock Food Pantry."   Thank you!

Rev. Grace Taylor   
570-779-2421

"Never Instead of,
          Always in Addition to"        

  Hi Everyone:

You are being invited to participate in a unique event designed to help you learn more about making your own community healthier. Please take advantage of the opportunity to become an active part of a much-needed improvement in our county!

As you know, Wyoming Valley Vegetarians is involved with the Live Well Luzerne County Coalition. We have been working to empower ourselves in an effort to make Luzerne County a healthier place to live, learn, and work. Carol Hussa and LWL have been commended for many past efforts that that positively impacted our cities and towns. Here is your chance to get involved in a New Initiative! Come to this event and learn how you can make a difference.
On November 10th, the Live Well Luzerne County coalition will launch its Healthy Community Challenge; an initiative focused on improving health and quality of life at the community level using proven strategies and policy change.   The group will challenge conference attendees to plan and implement at least one permanent sustainable change in their community that will improve access to physical activity, healthy food or tobacco avoidance.  Training, mentorship and mini-grants will be available to help municipalities and community groups work together to accomplish these lasting changes in four areas: healthy parks and public places, healthy streets and roadways, healthy community planning and zoning and healthy eating.  
 
The free half-day Healthy Community Launch is open to anyone who is interested in learning more about making lasting, health enhancing changes in their hometowns: elected municipal officials and decision makers including mayors, council members and supervisors; municipal planning and zoning commission members; borough and city managers; neighborhood organizations and civic groups; PTAs & PTOs, faith organizations; school districts, non-profit agencies, Senior Citizen groups, housing authorities, trail, park and recreation organizations among others.  Launch attendees will be offered the opportunity to apply to participate in the Healthy Community Challenge.  If an applicant group or municipality is chosen they will be assigned a mentor to assist with planning and implementing their project and a mini-grant.  Challenge applicants must attend the launch in order to be eligible to apply to participate in the Challenge.
 
The Healthy Community Challenge is supported by a grant from the Healthy Northeast PA Initiative and the Pennsylvania Department of Health in partnership with Live Well Luzerne County and the Wilkes-Barre YMCA’s ACHIEVE initiative. 
The event will be held in the Stettler Learning Resource Center on the campus of Wyoming Seminary, Kingston starting at 7:30 am
to 12:30 pm on Wednesday, November 10tt,   Space is limited and registration is required. 
For more information or to register, call 823-2191 x 140 or email, carol.hussa@wbymca.org.

PRESS RELEASE

for immediate release

For more information, contact Skip Mendler, 570-251-3637; Richard Forman, 570-251-7737

LOCAL MAN SHARES STORIES OF CIVIL RIGHTS ERA, 11/2

On Tuesday, November 2, Honesdale resident Dick Forman will share his experiences of working in the South during the Civil Rights era. His talk, sponsored by Waynepeace, will be held at the Wayne County Public Library in Honesdale, beginning at 5 PM.   

Born and raised near Seattle, Dick moved to Swarthmore, Pennsylvania with his family in 1960. After graduating from Cornell University in 1966, he joined the Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA Program). After training by the Urban League, Dick was assigned to a public housing project in Atlanta’s West End, where he established numerous community action projects for pre-school, youth, adults and seniors.

1n 1967, Dick was accepted by the United States Teacher Corps and assigned to teach African-American students in segregated public schools in Galveston and Aldine, Texas. He also worked with the Community Action Council of Galveston as a community organizer. After two years of service and completion of a Master of Secondary Education Degree at the University of Houston, he was recruited by the University to teach in an innovative resident on-campus program with 18- to 23-year-old Mexican-American migrant worker youth from the Rio Grande Valley.

In the 1970’s, Dick worked with a large construction trade union safety, education and training program as Education Director. He served for 25 years as Executive Director of the Associated General Contractors of New Jersey, retiring in 2006. Dick now lives in Honesdale with wife Sandi and a shelter dog, Savannah.

Come hear a unique and little-heard perspective on some of the momentous events of the 1960's, and on the not-so-momentous but still impactful day-to-day work involved in the struggle for social justice.  Refreshments will be served.  (The use of Wayne County Public Library facilities by Waynepeace does not constitute an endorsement by WCPL of Waynepeace's policies or positions.)  For more information, visit the Waynepeace website, www.waynepeace.org.

Waynepeace would also like to remind all citizens to exercise their right to vote on November 2.

PRESS RELEASE for immediate release

For more information, contact Skip Mendler, 570-251-3637

“MUSICAL POTLUCK” FEATURES SONGS OF PEACE, 10/17

(HONESDALE)
Local peace group Waynepeace will mark the eighth  anniversary of its founding, and the ninth anniversary of the beginning of the war in Afghanistan, with a “Musical Potluck for Peace.” 
The event will take place beginning at 6 PM on Sunday, October 17, at the Grace Episcopal Church Parish Hall on Church Street in Honesdale.

“We're inviting people to bring food to share, like a regular potluck,” says Waynepeace co-founder Skip Mendler, “but we also want them to bring their favorite songs of peace, along with their voices and instruments.”  Mendler anticipates “a wide mix of music – everything from hymns to punk anthems to folk classics.”

There is no admission charge for the event, but donations will be collected for the Central Asia Institute to help in flood recovery efforts in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
For more information, call 570-251-3637, or visit www.waynepeace.org.

'Love is what makes you smile when you're tired.'

Terri - age 4

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'Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK.'

Danny - age 7

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'Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more.
My Mommy and Daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss'

Emily - age 8

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'Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen.'

Bobby - age 7 (Wow!)

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'If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate,'

Nikka - age 6
(we need a few million more Nikka's on this planet)

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'Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday.'

Noelle - age 7

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'Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well.'

Tommy - age 6

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'During my piano recital, I was on a stage and I was scared. I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling.
He was the only one doing that. I wasn't scared anymore.'

Cindy - age 8

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'My mommy loves me more than anybody
You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night.'

Clare - age 6

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'Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken.'

Elaine-age 5

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'Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford.'

Chris - age 7

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'Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day.'

Mary Ann - age 4

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'I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones.'

Lauren - age 4

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'When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you.' (what an image)

Karen - age 7

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'Love is when Mommy sees Daddy on the toilet and she doesn't think it's gross.'

Mark - age 6

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'You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget.'

Jessica - age 8

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And the final one -- Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once talked about a contest he was asked to judge.

The purpose of the contest was to find the most caring child.

The winner was a four year old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife.

Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman's yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there.

When his Mother asked what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said,

'Nothing, I just helped him cry'

Eugenia Kim

Special to AOL News (Sept. 27) -- The morning after my father attended my high school's PTA meeting, teachers stopped me in the hall to say, "Your father is a remarkable man." By third period, I'd heard from two other teachers that my dad was cool.

I thought my father, who rarely went to PTA meetings, was an embarrassment. He was a Korean minister and also worked for Voice of America's Korean Service. I was a 1968 hippie 11th-grader. My dad was smart, hardworking, his round head topped with thinning gray hair, sonorous on the pulpit and gullible for direct mail charity appeals. He wore black suits from Penney's. A staunch anti-communist, my dad believed in the necessity of the Vietnam war. My dad was not cool.

My father, Jacob Kim, came to America before the Korean War and gave community presentations to educate and garner support against North Korea. He explained how the Soviets and Red Chinese had instigated North Korean aggression, and he believed communism was to be feared.
 
The school had been buzzing with news that angry parents had mobilized the PTA meeting to protest the inclusion of Mao Zedong's "The Little Red Book" and Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels' "The Communist Manifesto" in a social studies syllabus. Somehow my father heard about this, though he wouldn't have mentioned it to me. In our family of eight, the youngest two of us still at home were busy with our Beatle-manic Americanized lives, and we orbited around our parents, occasionally landing at the dinner table. I doubt I knew he attended the PTA meeting.

At the end of that school day, the music teacher mentioned my father's wonderfulness, and I begged to know more. Much later, I also learned the details from my father.

In the packed auditorium, outraged parents proposed banning "The Little Red Book" and "The Communist Manifesto." They felt these books fostered dangerous radicalism and treason. The teachers objected, but parents were adamant. Someone called for a vote. My father walked to the front of the auditorium. He would've still been in his black suit, and I imagine that his preacher's voice reached the back of the room.

He told about the Korean War -- an entire peninsula in such chaos that every Korean citizen was affected. He hadn't heard from his elderly parents in North Korea since before the war, and no longer expected to. One of his daughters, age 3, lived in South Korea when North Korea invaded. Our relatives fled Seoul by foot among mobs of refugees. My uncle pulled a handcart carrying their belongings, my grandmother who'd had a stroke and my sister who'd tripped and was nearly crushed by the cart's wheel. My father spoke about another relative and her 5-year-old daughter who joined the panicked masses. She lost hold of her daughter's hand and never saw her child again.

The Korean War never really ended; a stalemate yielded a tenuous peace threaded together by an armistice. The communist threat was, and still is, a daily fact for South Koreans. My father, more than anyone else in that room, had the right to request that the teaching of these books be banned, but if it came to a vote, he would vote "no."

Sponsored Links When my father said that reading Mao's "Little Red Book" would not make us communists, the PTA heard him. When he said reading breeds intelligence and understanding, not ignorance, treason, fear or hatred, they understood.

No vote was taken. And my dad became cool, the teachers' hero.

That day gave me a glimpse into my father's hidden history, and something great about his character. To us, his children, he had never once expressed the immense private pain he'd experienced throughout the Korean War, but for the sake of education and the freedom to read, he did so to a crowd of other parents who wanted, and failed, to ban books from our classrooms.

Eugenia Kim is a first-generation Korean-American who has published short stories and essays in journals and anthologies. Her debut novel, "The Calligrapher's Daughter," centers on a young woman who fights for a brighter future in occupied Korea.

[from our good friend Joe Rogan]

The link below provided information on the trial of Kathy Kelly ... and Fr. John Dear.
Joe

Dr. Mary Sommerfeldt from Baltimore, Maryland, writes:
I'd like to take the opportunity to let you know that both my husband and I, Catholics, have been enjoying your newsletters and your books. We have evolved away from the institutional church's thinking (although we still go to church and sing in the gospel choir) and look to scholars like you to inspire and inform us. A Presbyterian friend of mine with whom I have shared your newsletter asked if I would pass this question on to you. Would you please give it some consideration?
The attached letter came from Bill Millen:
Pastor Terry Jones and other members of the Dove World Outreach Center, a Florida church have planned an "International Burn a Koran Day" this September 11.
Pastor Jones writes: We are unconvinced that the "nice" church is winning against the Kingdom of darkness. God and God's people were not always sweet and loving to people and practices that were evil. We hope you will be interested in the book "Islam is of the Devil," a challenge to the Christian Church in general to come out of sleepiness and apathy. We hate the Koran. This letter concerns me on many levels:
• Lumping all of Islam as evil
• Inspires hatred of a group of people
• Burns more than a book — it burns a way of life, a people.
Dear Dr. Sommerfeldt and Bill Millen,
Thank you for your words and for bringing to my attention the letter from Pastor Terry Jones of the Dove World Outreach Center.
That letter expresses an ignorance of what Christianity is that is breathtaking to say nothing about its ignorance of Islam. It is an attitude that reeks of tribal religion in a pre–modern world; it plays on the fears and hatred that tribal religion always engenders and it ultimately leads to the dehumanization of the book burners.
Islam has been instrumental in creating some very beautiful lives, while at the same time fundamentalist Christians have frequently revealed the very attitudes Pastor Jones seems to be condemning in the Koran. I remind my readers that it was the states of the Confederacy known then and now as the Bible Belt of the South that fought to preserve slavery, then to establish segregation and finally to save segregation with fire hoses, police dogs and murderous church bombings to save segregation. Remember that the final civil rights conviction for the murder of civil rights workers in Philadelphia, MS, was handed down only a few years ago on the Reverend Edgar Killan, who was described as an ordained Baptist minister and a member of the Ku Klux Klan. Christianity like Islam and every other religious system has produced members who are anything but ideal.
Pastor Jones and the Dove World Outreach Center do not understand the basic teachings of Christ, who enjoined us to love our enemies, to bless those who persecute us. Love alone transforms hatred. The kind of hatred Pastor Jones advocates never breeds anything but more hatred.
This action is an embarrassment to the Christian Church and, on behalf of many Christians, I apologize to the world and to Islam for this outrageous behavior emanating from those who claim to be the followers of Christ.

– John Shelby Spong

NEPA Organizing Center Event Announcement
Community Journalism: Telling the Untold Stories

- Media Mobilizing Project of NEPA: Orientation Event and Training

...- Sat, Sept 11, 2-5, NEPA Organizing Center, 198 S. Main St., Wilkes-Barre, PA 18701

- Now is the time to join our Community Journalism Program!

Are you a media maker, artist, writer, journalist or activist seeking to volunteer?
Join us at our Orientation Event and help us build a public voice for local issues through our Community Journalism program!

We will be rolling out our work in September, so now is the perfect time to get involved!

Event will include:

- A presentation of our work so far, and discussion of our upcoming Issue Campaigns (Housing Rights, Gas Drilling Awareness, and others)

- Screening of MMPTV production from the Philadelphia Media Mobilizing Project

- Discussion of next steps: Weblog and media production training, events, and trips

- Free time, music, and refreshments

Visit www.nepaorganizingcenter.org or email frank@nepaorganizingcenter.org to RSVP or for more information.
Space is limited so contact us today!

Hi Stephanie:

I finally took the time to check out the site.
I am so pleased and excited with the site development, and the results of our efforts to include our membership in our activities.

I am copying this to everyone to remind them to visit the site, comment, and register. It is really worth it for the "RUSH" that you get.  Anyone who receives this email can send info to Steph or me at the above addresses to include in the site -  if it is relevant - to expand your communication loop.

It is also neat to see your print in someone else's site.

We can all help each other by sharing and promoting each other's info.

Then pass on the info to your friends and visit us on Facebook.

You will eventually see me there when I get more acquainted.

Send recipes as well.

Thanks, again
arlene sindaco

Family Fun Day at the Scranton Iron Furnaces
Sunday, September 12, 2010, 3p.m. – 8 p.m.
 
A Fun event in Celebration of the Scranton Iron Furnaces 170th Anniversary Year to be held at the historic Scranton Iron Furnaces
 159 Cedar Avenue
Scranton, PA  18505

• Tours of the site, storytelling and fun hands-on activities for children.
• A fascinating interactive multi-generational program on traditional juggling.
• Book sale & signing of the new book Taylor, by Margo L. Azzarelli.
• Slide show of youth campers from the Anthracite Heritage Museum camp.
• Feel free to bring your own picnic lunch; snack foods and beverages will be available for purchase.
• At 7 p.m. there will be a special showing of the documentary film Rocky Glen Park.
• Visitors are encouraged to bring cameras, and lawn chairs or blankets to sit on.

 Hi Friends,
I’m sending you some information about a discussion on Nonviolent communication, and asking you to please send it to all who are local.  Folks of all ages are welcome.

Have you ever walked away from a conversation or confrontation and thought “How did that get so tense?”  Have you ever thought of the perfect response two days after a confrontation?
If the answer to these or similar questions is YES!, you will want to check out these discussions.

Nonviolent Communication will be the subject of a book discussion in 4 sessions.  If you would like to communicate better with family members, co-workers, and partners, you are welcome to attend.  The four sessions will be held on August 31, September 7, 14 and 21, all Tuesday nights at 7:00pm at Unity Church at 140 Grant Street Wilkes-Barre.  Free parking is available on Bethel Street, which is at the back entrance of the church. $5 per session is the suggested contribution; however, any or all contributions of any size are accepted. Please call 824-7722 and leave a message to register.

The book to be discussed, Nonviolent Communication by Marshall B. Rosenberg Ph.D., is available at the Unity Church bookstore and also on Amazon.com (which can be accessed through the UnityNEPA.com website.)  If you do not enjoy reading, but would like to explore this topic us, please feel free to join us.

Each session will be independent, so that if you cannot attend all sessions, you are welcome to others. The August 31 session will focus on the difference between communications that block compassion and those that “give from the heart” or, Chapters 1-3 of the book.  In session two we will discuss ways to identify, express, and take responsibility for feelings, i.e, Chapter 4 and 5.  Session three will be devoted to requests, or Chapter
6 of the text.  The final session will be comprised of whatever topic the group has decided (in sessions 1-3) that we would like to explore or practice.

While the discussion is located at Unity Church, these discussions are not religious in nature.  Everyone is welcome.

Discussions will be facilitated by Diane Smith, who is a certified teacher of communication.  She has also been described as a person who can find the funny in almost any situation and is willing to balance the seriousness of this topic with a light-hearted approach.

[From our good friends at Paper Kite Gallery]
I'm getting the word out about this every way possible, because it's an awesome project and opportunity. Consider yourselves personally invited, and please spread the word about it if you can.

Start thinking about what you might like to have professionally photographed. A family portrait? An author portrait? Pets? A photograph of a still-life you set up? An object to be documented? A crazy-fun costumed portrait? A photograph of something you created?
Think, dream, and then call the studio to set up an appointment with Fraser Stables, a professional photographer who will be setting up shop in the studio from August 16th - 20th to take photographs. You'll get a free print of your photograph, and one will become part of the resulting exhibit that will open on the evening of the 20th. More details are below.

Excited? We are! It's our Happy Anniversary present to the community.

Cheers,
Jenny.

Free Photographic Services

Fraser Stables, a visual artist who works with photography and video, will spend the week of August 16th-20th in residence at Paper Kite Gallery. The gallery, which was previously used as a store, will be turned into a quasi-commercial space, and Stables will offer free photographic services. The public is invited to have their portraits taken in the gallery, to bring objects in to be photographed, or to request location photography. The idea is for the project to be expansive in terms of what gets recorded.

Prints will be provided for no cost.

Studio Dates/Times: August 16th-20th, 2010 • 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
please call for appointment, walk-ins may have to wait
Phone: 570-328-8658

The resulting photographs will serve to document a segment of the community, while representing the imaging needs or desires and those who engage the project. This project may be considered in relation to documentary practices, in which the photographer is embedded in a community, or "relational" art practices in which the art audience becomes participants within the production of work.

Free Photographic Services Opening Reception:
Friday, August 20th • 6 - 8 p.m.

For past projects, Stables has created video and photography projects which bridge documentary and staged traditions, and often involve the human subject. With this project, the implicit contractual relationship between photographer and subject is inverted-the subject, rather than the artist, directs the photographic priorities.

The photographs taken during this week will be hung for the exhibition reception on August 20th and will be on view through September 12th.
This exhibition takes place during Paper Kite Gallery's anniversary slot, which in past years has held the Free Art exhibition, in which artwork by a range of artists is available to the public for free.

Biography:
Fraser Stables is a Scottish-born artist who currently lives and works in Northampton, MA. His artwork utilizes conventions of documentary and performance in order to explore the construction of narrative and identity. His work has been exhibited in museums and galleries in the US, Canada, and Europe, and he was an artist in residence at the Core Program (Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, TX). Stables was recently included in the group exhibition Le Deuil at IFF (Aix-en-Provence, France), and has a forthcoming solo exhibition at Media Center, Rice University (Houston, TX). Stables' artwork is represented by Devin Borden Hiram Butler Gallery (Houston, TX), and Georgia Scherman Projects (Toronto, Ontario, Canada).

Lobby Day 2010: Save the Forests and Make Polluters Pay
 Ask legislators to be heroes and make sure drilling is done responsibly
Join PennFuture and our allies for a Lobby Day on Tuesday, June 15 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Pennsylvania State Capitol in Harrisburg. We will be calling on our state legislators to be heroes by:
• Enacting a natural gas impact fee, or severance tax, to ensure that natural gas drillers- not Pennsylvania taxpayers – shoulder the public costs associated with increased drilling; and
• Passing HB 2235, the Save Our Forests legislation, in the Senate. This bill will put a freeze on new leases for natural gas drilling in our state forests.
We need you to attend a media event and meetings with your legislators throughout the day. We can help set up the meetings, and we’ll provide you with talking points and other helpful materials. We can also help with travel by setting up vanpools or connecting you with other interested carpoolers.

Register today!

A Great Urgency

To All World Religious and Spiritual Leaders
My Relatives,

Time has come to speak to the hearts of our Nations and their
Leaders.  I ask you this from the bottom of my heart, to come together from
the Spirit of your Nations in prayer.

We, from the heart of Turtle Island, have a great message for the World; we are guided to speak from all the White Animals showing their sacred color, which have been signs for us to pray for the sacred life of all things. 

As I am sending this message to you, many Animal Nations are being threatened, those that swim, those that crawl, those that fly, and the plant Nations, eventually all will be affect from the oil disaster in the Gulf. The dangers we are faced with at this time are not of spirit. The
catastrophe that has happened with the oil spill which looks like the bleeding of Grandmother Earth, is made by human mistakes, mistakes that we cannot afford to continue to make. I asked, as Spiritual Leaders, that we join together, united in prayer with the whole of our Global Communities. My concern is these serious issues will continue to worsen, as a domino effect that our Ancestors have warned us of in their Prophecies. I know in my heart there are millions of people that feel our united prayers for the sake of our Grandmother Earth are long overdue.
I believe we as Spiritual people must gather ourselves and focus our thoughts and
prayers to allow the healing of the many wounds that have been inflicted on
the Earth. As we honor the Cycle of Life, let us call for Prayer circles globally to assist in healing Grandmother Earth (our Unc¹I Maka).

We ask for prayers that the oil spill, this bleeding, will stop. That the winds stay calm to assist in the work. Pray for the people to be guided in repairing this mistake, and that we may also seek to live in harmony, as we make the choice to change the destructive path we are on.

As we pray, we will fully understand that we are all connected. And that what we create can have lasting effects on all life. So let us unite spiritually, All Nations, All Faiths, One Prayer. Along with this immediate effort, I also ask to please remember June 21st, World Peace and Prayer Day/Honoring Sacred Sites day. Whether it is a natural site, a temple, a church, a synagogue or just your own sacred space, let us make a prayer for all life, for good decision making by our Nations, for our children¹s future and well-being, and the generations to come.

Onipikte (that we shall live),

Chief Arvol Looking Horse 19th generation Keeper of the Sacred White Buffalo Calf Pipe (Wolakota.org)

Our very own Fr. Bill, peace and justice acitvist in the news:
A local Roman Catholic priest known for his human rights and peace activism will face trial in Washington, D.C., on Monday after he was arrested during a peace protest in the capital in January.

The Rev. William Pickard was protesting congressional funding for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan Jan. 27 with members of regional chapters of Pax Christi, a Catholic peace organization, when 13 members of the group including the priest laid down on a sidewalk to "symbolize that the cost of war is immense, especially among civilians," he said.

The protesters were warned to move because they were blocking an area where tourists stand to take photos of the White House, he said. When they did not move, they were arrested.

The protesters were a "bunch of elder citizens," most of them in their 60s and 70s, the Rev. Pickard said.

"Rather than being charged and released on our own recognizance, which is typical for such minor violations, we were held overnight under extremely harsh conditions," he said.

For some of the male protesters, much of the night was spent in an underground prison that the Rev. Pickard, a local prison rights advocate, said was cockroach-infested and "like a medieval chamber."

But the priest, who cites Catholic teaching against violence and unjust war, said he knew the group was "taking a risk" in its protest.

"If we are really talking about peace, we need to be soldiers for peace," he said.

The Rev. Pickard and two other protesters that had prior civil disobedience arrests in Washington, D.C., pleaded not guilty to charges of unlawful assembly and failure to obey an officer. The other 10 protesters were given the option to pay a $150 fine.

As a condition of his release, the Rev. Pickard was told to "stay away from the 1600 block of Pennsylvania Avenue," according to the court docket of his case.

There will be a memorial service and celebration of Bob Witkowski's
life on May 22nd, at noon, at the Memorial Shrine Cemetery on 8th St
in Wyoming up near Francis Slocum park. At that time, Bob's ashes will
be buried near his son Kevin's grave. The event will be grave side
weather permitting. If you would like to contribute any words,
thoughts, or songs at the time of the memorial and celebration, please
contact me, Beth-Ann, Bob's daughter, and let me know.
Please feel free to send this email on to others who may be interested
in attending or participating.
http://bobwitkowski.blogspot.com/

Beth-Ann Witkowski

Below is a message from Susan Shoval – let’s all vote, vote daily, and please help get this notice to go viral!

(Thanks in advance)

===========
 I'm sure most of us  from the Wilkes-Barre are have seen,  and hopefully taken  advantage of,  the beautiful  on-going revitalization happening at the River Common. The Cultural Council of Luzerne County is looking to help our  entire  community enjoy this resource and has entered a submission into PepsiCo's “Refresh Project!” -- which allows us to compete for a $50,000 grant that will be used to sponsor free, season-long cultural events that will take place  in the downtown area, on the banks of the Susquehanna River! The top 10 project ideas (those receiving the most votes in the month of May) will be funded. Right now, we are #130, so we really need help to get enough votes to win!!!
To cast your ballot for “Host Free, Cultural Events in a Community Park in Northeastern PA,” click the following link:
http://www.refresheverything.com/rivercommon.
The process is fast, easy, and potentially very rewarding. Once you’ve landed on the page, select “Vote for this idea.”
I did it; it's easy!
I promise that you can do it, too...
Remember, everyone can (and is encouraged to) vote once a day/every day during the month of May.
One more request - please send this message along to friends and family members and ask them to do the same! We need all the votes we can get...
Thank you so much,
Susan 
============

2010 state of the world forum will recognize jim spak as the winner of the peace and protest award, in memory of Bob Witkowski.

date; sunday, may 2 at 893 main street, sugar notch. outdoors, no rain date.
open mic event will feature various speakers on big issues. music and food.
public can speak or perform after featured speakers and award presentation.
diiections, call mario at 570-819-0721 or email at mariofiorucci@yahoo.com.

http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-28020-Natural-Gas-Policy-Examiner~y2010m4d16-Pennsylvania-Citizens-to-demand-statewide-jngas-moratorium-on-Earth-Day

On April 22, Pennsylvania citizens suffering from gas production horrors won't be celebrating Earthday at fairs hawking plastic corporate crap. These politicized farmers, stay-at-home moms, and small business owners will be gathering outside of their regional Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) office demanding an end to the destruction caused by gas drilling.  Their demands include:

* an immediate moratorium on all horizontal hydrofracturing in the Commonwealth, including in our state forests and on floodplains,
* an immediate freeze on all new Marcellus Shale drilling permits throughout Pennsylvania,
* the immediate suspension of the Delaware and Susquehanna River Basin Commissions’ authority to approve drilling-related water withdrawals anywhere in their respective watersheds, and, if necessary,
* the immediate resignation of DEP Secretary John Hanger.

These citizens will be upholding the Pennsylvania Constitution which states "All power is inherent in the people" and are acting now to protect the Commonwealth's public natural resources and to renew the promise of the first Earth day which was a non-corporate event.

The first Earth Day in 1970 gathered almost 20 million people from across the nation to celebrate, educate and demonstrate. The event was a nationwide grassroots teach-in that gave rise to the modern day environmental movement. Since the 1980's Earthday became dominated by corporations which limit the input and involvement of grassroots citizen groups, hence the fairs selling plastic crap and a lack of non-commercial educational forums at these fairs.

During the 1970s, the environmental movement involved citizens from all walk of life and class, and their collective strength gave our nation's citizens the protections of the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, and the creation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Although these protections were watered down by industry lobbyists, these laws are still major tools for citizens to use to ensure that the rivers we swim and eat fish from are cleaned up by the polluter if our waters become drenched in toxins. These laws also attempt to ensure that the water we buy from our municipal water systems don't contain high levels of mercury or DDT.

For the 2010 Earth Day, the citizens gathering outside of the Pennsylvania DEP regional offices on Thursday April 22 at noon are demanding that our water, soil, air, and health be protected, not sold to gas and oil tycoons. Enough destruction has happened already: our children get rashes when they take a bath, our family members vomit when they drink their tap water, and most of us can't let our children play outside because of the gas production hazardous waste pits in our backyards, or the natural gas compressor stations pumping out toxins such as benzene and toluene into the air we breathe. Our ears drums burst from the grinding noises from those compressor stations and drills that are louder than standing next to a jackhammer ramming into asphalt, and we have to try to sleep next to that noise. Our lives and our health have been endangered. Citizens in Pennsylvania are calling for the destruction to stop, the royalty payments don't cover the damaging health effects and loss in property values.

In 1969 rivers in the U.S. were so polluted that some like the Cuyahoga River in Ohio erupted into flames, and Time Magazine's report said the river "oozes rather than flows" and is where a person "does not drown but decays." Officials noted that the river was a fire hazard.

Today people all over the state from Clearville to Dimock have tap water that burns with flames and oozes brown. The DEP officials shrug and say 'oh, that's normal' and tell the citizens to keep drinking and bathing in it. Sounds eriely similar to the movie "Erin Brockovich" which is based on a natural gas production pollution in Hinkley, California where citizens suffering rare diseases from contaminated drinking water.  Those folks were told for decades by public officials and the gas industry that the water was safe to drink. Do we have to wait until cancer clusters wreak havoc for  to take collective precautionary action?

The statewide events are being sponsored by the Green Party of Pennsylvania, the Citizens for Clean Water, and NoDrill NEPA.

Keynote speakers and scheduled activities will commence at noon on Thursday April 22 at the following DEP Regional Offices: Norristown / Wilkes-Barre / Pittsburgh / Williamsport / Meadville / Harrisburg.

DEP Regional Office locations can be found at:

http://www.depweb.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/regional_resources/13769

Op-Ed Columnist, The New York Times
The Happiest People
By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF
Published: January 6, 2010

SAN JOSÉ, Costa Rica

Hmmm. You think it’s a coincidence? Costa Rica is one of the very few countries to have abolished its army, and it’s also arguably the happiest nation on earth.

There are several ways of measuring happiness in countries, all inexact, but this pearl of Central America does stunningly well by whatever system is used. For example, the World Database of Happiness, compiled by a Dutch sociologist on the basis of answers to surveys by Gallup and others, lists Costa Rica in the top spot out of 148 nations.

That’s because Costa Ricans, asked to rate their own happiness on a 10-point scale, average 8.5. Denmark is next at 8.3, the United States ranks 20th at 7.4 and Togo and Tanzania bring up the caboose at 2.6.

Scholars also calculate happiness by determining “happy life years.” This figure results from merging average self-reported happiness, as above, with life expectancy. Using this system, Costa Rica again easily tops the list. The United States is 19th, and Zimbabwe comes in last.

A third approach is the “happy planet index,” devised by the New Economics Foundation, a liberal think tank. This combines happiness and longevity but adjusts for environmental impact — such as the carbon that countries spew.

Here again, Costa Rica wins the day, for achieving contentment and longevity in an environmentally sustainable way. The Dominican Republic ranks second, the United States 114th (because of its huge ecological footprint) and Zimbabwe is last.

Maybe Costa Rican contentment has something to do with the chance to explore dazzling beaches on both sides of the country, when one isn’t admiring the sloths in the jungle (sloths truly are slothful, I discovered; they are the tortoises of the trees). Costa Rica has done an unusually good job preserving nature, and it’s surely easier to be happy while basking in sunshine and greenery than while shivering up north and suffering “nature deficit disorder.”

After dragging my 12-year-old daughter through Honduran slums and Nicaraguan villages on this trip, she was delighted to see a Costa Rican beach and stroll through a national park. Among her favorite animals now: iguanas and sloths.

(Note to boss: Maybe we should have a columnist based in Costa Rica?)

What sets Costa Rica apart is its remarkable decision in 1949 to dissolve its armed forces and invest instead in education. Increased schooling created a more stable society, less prone to the conflicts that have raged elsewhere in Central America. Education also boosted the economy, enabling the country to become a major exporter of computer chips and improving English-language skills so as to attract American eco-tourists.

I’m not antimilitary. But the evidence is strong that education is often a far better investment than artillery.

In Costa Rica, rising education levels also fostered impressive gender equality so that it ranks higher than the United States in the World Economic Forum gender gap index. This allows Costa Rica to use its female population more productively than is true in most of the region. Likewise, education nurtured improvements in health care, with life expectancy now about the same as in the United States — a bit longer in some data sets, a bit shorter in others.

Rising education levels also led the country to preserve its lush environment as an economic asset. Costa Rica is an ecological pioneer, introducing a carbon tax in 1997. The Environmental Performance Index, a collaboration of Yale and Columbia Universities, ranks Costa Rica at No. 5 in the world, the best outside Europe.

This emphasis on the environment hasn’t sabotaged Costa Rica’s economy but has bolstered it. Indeed, Costa Rica is one of the few countries that is seeing migration from the United States: Yankees are moving here to enjoy a low-cost retirement. My hunch is that in 25 years, we’ll see large numbers of English-speaking retirement communities along the Costa Rican coast.

Latin countries generally do well in happiness surveys. Mexico and Colombia rank higher than the United States in self-reported contentment. Perhaps one reason is a cultural emphasis on family and friends, on social capital over financial capital — but then again, Mexicans sometimes slip into the United States, presumably in pursuit of both happiness and assets.

Cross-country comparisons of happiness are controversial and uncertain. But what does seem quite clear is that Costa Rica’s national decision to invest in education rather than arms has paid rich dividends. Maybe the lesson for the United States is that we should devote fewer resources to shoring up foreign armies and more to bolstering schools both at home and abroad.

In the meantime, I encourage you to conduct your own research in Costa Rica, exploring those magnificent beaches or admiring those slothful sloths. It’ll surely make you happy.
peace!

January 10, 2010

Dear Editor,

Last Thursday evening (1/7) I felt honored to be part of the studio audience at WVIA for the live television presentation “The Shenandoah Six—will the Feds Make it Right?” The program focused on the federal indictments handed down as a result of the beating death of Luis Ramirez in July 2008. Host Suzanne Kapral-Kelly did a masterful job of facilitating the dialogue among presenters: Barry Morrison, Regional Director, Anti-Defamation League, Philadelphia, Amilcar Arroyo, Editor, El Mensajero Media, Hazleton, Rodrigo Gereda, Chief Facilitator, Peace & Justice Center, and Arthur Breese, NEPA Diversity Education Consortium.

The beating death of Mr. Ramirez by two teenagers because he was Hispanic is inexcusable, just as any beating death would be.  I found it disturbing to learn that there was a police cover-up to shield the teens from prosecution. Four Shenandoah police officers, including the Chief of Police, have resigned.  It was equally disturbing to hear Mr. Ramirez’s fiancé, Crystal Dillman, say via telephone that she and their two children have moved away from Shenandoah to escape death threats! The presenters made it very clear that, although there is an underlying current of bigotry in the Shenandoah community, the majority of the residents are welcoming and accepting.

On the WVIA program a question was posed asking what residents can do if they witness a hate crime or are aware of a hate group meeting in our area.  The Wyoming Valley Interfaith Council is hosting a series of dialogues on the theme “Overcoming the Challenges of Hatred and Bigotry in our Community.”   The second in a series of three dialogues, "Uncovering Hate Groups,” will be held on Sunday, January 31^st, 6 p.m. at Temple B’nai B’rith, Wyoming Ave., Kingston.

Luzerne County District Attorney Jacqueline Musto-Carroll and Nancy K. Baron-Baer, Associate Regional Director of the Eastern PA/Delaware Region of the Anti-Defamation League will discuss what "groups" are operating in our area, how we promote awareness while not bringing publicity to them, what is actively being done to monitor, observe, or hinder their objectives, and what we, as individuals, can do.   The ADL provides guidance and leadership to individuals, groups and institutions throughout the area in fighting bigotry and discrimination and promoting intergroup relations. Silence implies complicity, whereas awareness gives us that first tool necessary to stand up against such reprehensible deeds.

This event is free and open to the public. A time for questions and answers will follow the presentations.  The Interfaith Council encourages residents to attend and be educated in this very timely topic!

Sincerely,

Rev. Ann Marie Acacio

President

Wyoming Valley Interfaith Council

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

We have reached a new phase in our struggle for justice and dignity in Maricopa County, Arizona and in other communities suffering severe civil rights abuses due to the failure of United States immigration policy.

The nation has watched with disbelief as Sheriff Joe Arpaio has carried out a systematic reign of terror in the name of immigration enforcement, but directed against all communities of color in his jurisdiction.
In the process, he has become a symbol of abuse, bigotry, and intolerance. The Obama Administration's recent endorsement of Sheriff Arpaio - through renewal of his 287(g) authority - is an affront to this nation's struggles for equality and justice.

Click here to Join "Arpaio's America IS NOT Our America" campaign

Not since Bull Connor has this country seen a public offcial abuse his authority to terrorize and intimidate communities based on the color of their skin. The hatred and extremism that Sheriff Arpaio breeds is felt from Phoenix to Washington DC. It is an extremism that, left unchallenged, threatens to disrupt communites, destroy lives and undermine bedrock constitutional protections for us all.

Please JOIN US and take a stand for justice and basic human dignity. We ask that you march in Phoenix, Arizona on January 16 to demand that the federal government restore constitutional protections and peace to families in Maricopa County and across the nation.

Thank You,
Pablo Alvarado

Executive Director
National Day Laborer Organizing Network.

February 22, 2010, 8:30 pm Distant Wars, Constant Ghosts
By SHANNON P. MEEHAN

SINCE the two recent NATO-led military strikes that accidentally killed dozens of Afghan civilians, I have been thinking a great deal about the psychic toll that killing takes on soldiers.

In 2007, I was an Army lieutenant leading a group on a house-clearing mission in Baquba, Iraq, when I called in an artillery strike on a house. The strike destroyed the house and killed everyone inside. I thought we had struck enemy fighters, but I was wrong. A father, mother and their children had been huddled inside.

The feelings of disbelief that initially filled me quickly transformed into feelings of rage and self-loathing. The following weeks, months and years would prove that my life was forever changed.

In fact, it’s been nearly three years, and I still cannot remove from my mind the image of that family gathered together in the final moments of their lives. I can’t shake it. It simply lingers.

I know that many soldiers struggle long after they leave the battlefield to cope with civilian deaths. It does not matter whether they were responsible for those deaths, whether it was a mistake of the command, of the weaponry, or even the fault of the enemy, who in parts of both Iraq and Afghanistan have been known to intentionally place or involve civilians, even children, in their operations. Just seeing the lifeless body of a little boy or girl is all it takes.

For many soldiers, what follows a killing is a struggle of the mind. We become aware that what we’ve seen has changed us. We can’t unlearn it, and we continue to think of those innocent children. It is not possible to forget.

Killing enemy combatants comes with its own emotional costs. On the surface, we feel as soldiers that killing the enemy should not affect us — it is our job, after all. But it is still killing, and on a subconscious level, it changes you. You’ve killed. You’ve taken life. What I found, though, is that you feel the shock and weight of it only when you kill an enemy for the first time, when you move from zero to one. Once you’ve crossed that line, there is little difference in killing 10 or 20 or 30 more after that.

War erodes one’s regard for human life. Soldiers cause or witness so many deaths and disappearances that it becomes routine. It becomes an accepted part of existence. After a while, you can begin to lose regard for your own life as well. So many around you have already died, why should it matter if you go next? This is why so many soldiers self-destruct when they return from a deployment.

I know something about this. The deaths that I caused also killed any regard I had for my own life. I felt that I did not deserve something that I had taken from them. I fell into a downward spiral, doubting if I even deserved to be alive. The value, or regard, I once had for my own life dissipated.

Five weeks ago, my first child, a son, was born. Not surprisingly, my thoughts often race back to the children I killed. With the birth of my son, I received the same gift I destroyed.

The fact that soldiers are trained and expected to kill as part of their job is something that few people wish to talk about. Many men and women coming back from war don’t risk telling the stories that have so profoundly changed their lives.

In recent months I’ve been trying to honor the lives I took by writing and speaking in public about my experience, to show that those deaths are not tucked neatly away in a foreign land. They may seem distant, but they are not. Soldiers bring the ghosts home with them, and it’s everyone else’s job to hear about them, no matter how painful it may be.

Captain Shannon P. Meehan (Ret.) was a leader of a tank platoon for the 1st Cavalry Division of the U. S. Army. He is the author of “Beyond Duty,”  written with Roger Thompson, a chronicle of his experiences in Iraq.

An Immigrant Learns 2 New Languages

By Eric Hoover

Philadelphia

Fourth in an occasional series on students over 50 who seek a higher education.

A desk, a love seat, and a small bookshelf. Little else could fit inside the room Ruth Maldonato calls her sanctuary. Some days, after coming home from class, she closes the door and sits in the quiet, surrounded by four purple walls.

For years she has studied here, on the second floor of the row house she shares with her husband. In this room, she has typed several essays, read many books, and looked up thousands of words.

Ms. Maldonato, a part-time student at the Community College of Philadelphia, learned two languages after emigrating from Colombia 12 years ago. The first was English and the second was law. She plans to graduate in December with an associate degree in paralegal studies. After that, she hopes to find a job, and a way to help immigrants like herself, if only to translate an unfamiliar world.

At 52, Ms. Maldonato has settled in this big, buzzing city, unlike any she once knew. Born in Medellín, she grew up in small towns where people had neither cars nor electricity. As a teenager, she read about the Kennedys and danced to disco, but never imagined living in the United States, which seemed as far away as the moon.

Then, while vacationing in Costa Rica in 1997, she met an American with a grin two feet wide. His name was William. She knew no English, but he spoke decent Spanish. They fell in love right then and there.

After returning to the States, William sent her dozens of books, like Exploring English and Easy True Stories, as well as Spanish-English dictionaries and language cassettes. Months later, he visited her in Colombia, then asked her to come to see him in Philadelphia, where he proposed. At their wedding just weeks later, she knew none of the guests.

His home had a second bedroom. "You can do whatever you want with it," he told her. She decided to turn it into a study, and in that room, she began to redefine herself.

Ms. Maldonato took English courses and eventually became a U.S. citizen. She learned how to drive and how to park on South Philadelphia's narrow streets. She found that she liked Geno's famous cheesesteaks, even American football. She was happy.

Still, something was missing. Ms. Maldonato missed her family, but she felt something deeper than loneliness. She needed a purpose. In Colombia, she had worked in the accounting division of an engineering company, a job she enjoyed. She wanted a routine, a challenge.

"I needed to fill that empty hole in my life," she says. "That was my goal—to be somebody."

'Another Kind of World'

In 2002, Ms. Maldonato found her first job when a young couple hired her as a nanny. Their first child arrived, then a second. Over the years, she cleaned the house, made the beds, and did the laundry. She changed the children's diapers, took them to the zoo, and played games with them. Sometimes she taught them Spanish words.

The family embraced Ms. Maldonato. In 2005, when she announced that she planned to enroll at the community college, the couple told her they would pay for her courses, which would cost up to $1,700 a semester. She accepted the offer, vowing to study hard. She worked in their home eight hours a day and took classes in the evenings.

Early on, Ms. Maldonato met with an adviser who encouraged her to pursue a career as a paralegal. The idea intrigued her, but she had doubts. To learn a language is to piece together a puzzle that is never quite done. She could read legal cases, but could she interpret them? She could master unfamiliar words, but could she grasp their meaning?

The first novel she read in English was Foreigner, by Nahid Rachlin. It tells the story of an Iranian woman who studies in the United States, where she marries and settles down, only to return years later to her native country. Ms. Maldonato filled the book's pages with notes. "It was the same pain," she says. "She knew no English, had no friends. There was different weather, different food. She had to face another kind of world she was not prepared to live in."

Long before Ms. Maldonato came to Philadelphia, she had known the feeling of moving from one place to another. Her mother was a schoolteacher whose job required her to relocate every two or three years. The family's homes changed, but one thing did not: Each night after dinner, her mother would sit everyone down and read to them from the Bible, for they owned few other books.

Only later did Ms. Maldonato learn other stories. When she first read Cinderella, her mind flooded with fantasies about the many things she would like to own. For a time, she thought a lot about Disneyland.

She grew into a serious student. In 1980 she enrolled at the University of Medellín, where she studied economics. Her family helped pay for her first year, but eventually she decided she could not afford the tuition. After two and a half years, she dropped out and found a job.

For years, Ms. Maldonato looked back in frustration. In Philadelphia, she resolved to graduate, no matter what.

Early on, Ms. Maldonato befriended Clint Gould, a professor at the community college who taught her English 101 course. Over the years, Mr. Gould, who lives just a few blocks away, has talked her through many assignments. Recently, he helped her write her résumé.

Soon she will need it. This spring, she will take a business course for paralegals and a course on wills. In the fall, she plans to complete a legal internship, the last requirement she must fulfill for her degree. If she cannot find a full-time job, she will volunteer, to get some experience.

Not long ago, the family for whom Ms. Maldonato worked moved to Connecticut. Since then, she's paid for her courses with money she had saved. She remains close to the couple, who have promised to attend her graduation.

Until then, Ms. Maldonato will study in the room with the purple walls. It contains things she once did not own: a computer, a shelf full of American paperbacks, a copy of Black's Law Dictionary. It's a humble study, with an ironing board behind the door and a window overlooking the alley. But in this room, she says, she has everything.

On April 4, 1967 – one year prior to the day that King was murdered – he gave a speech titled, “Beyond Vietnam” at Riverside Church in New York City. Much in the way that those who speak out against war today are labeled “anti-American” by pro-war voices, Martin Luther King’s attention to the war angered many civil rights supporters as well as those who already hated what Martin Luther King stood for.

Below is an excerpt from this speech:

A true revolution of values will lay hand on the world order and say of war, “This way of settling differences is not just.” This business of burning human beings with napalm, of filling our nation’s homes with orphans and widows, of injecting poisonous drugs of hate into the veins of peoples normally humane, of sending men home from dark and bloody battlefields physically handicapped and psychologically deranged, cannot be reconciled with wisdom, justice, and love. A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death.
MLK, “Beyond Vietnam”
Riverside Church, New York City
April 4, 1967
Click here to listen to “Beyond Vietnam.” >>> Beyond War.

Also, if you would like to learn more about the historical Martin Luther King Jr. and not the sanitized version that most American’s receive in history class and on the news, you can visit the Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute at Stanford University online.  This is one of our nation’s greatest assets for preserving the radical teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King. 
It includes MLK’s speeches and sermons; the MLK Online Encyclopedia; lesson plans for teachers; and a number of other wonderful resources.
I hope you will set aside some time today to explore these resources in honor of Dr. King's memory.

Peace,

Jim Keady, Director
Educating for Justice

An Open Letter To President Obama On Afghanistan

Dear President Obama,

Do you really want to be the new "war president"?
If you go to West Point tomorrow night (Tuesday, 8pm) and announce that you are increasing, rather than withdrawing, the troops in Afghanistan, you are the new war president. Pure and simple. And with that you will do the worst possible thing you could do -- destroy the hopes and dreams so many millions have placed in you. With just one speech tomorrow night you will turn a multitude of young people who were the backbone of your campaign into disillusioned cynics. You will teach them what they've always heard is true -- that all politicians are alike. I simply can't believe you're about to do what they say you are going to do. Please say it isn't so.

It is not your job to do what the generals tell you to do. We are a civilian-run government. WE tell the Joint Chiefs what to do, not the other way around. That's the way General Washington insisted it must be. That's what President Truman told General MacArthur when MacArthur wanted to invade China. "You're fired!," said Truman, and that was that. And you should have fired Gen. McChrystal when he went to the press to preempt you, telling the press what YOU had to do. Let me be blunt: We love our kids in the armed services, but we f*#&in' hate these generals, from Westmoreland in Vietnam to, yes, even Colin Powell for lying to the UN with his made-up drawings of WMD (he has since sought redemption).

So now you feel backed into a corner. 30 years ago this past Thursday (Thanksgiving) the Soviet generals had a cool idea -- "Let's invade Afghanistan!" Well, that turned out to be the final nail in the USSR coffin.

There's a reason they don't call Afghanistan the "Garden State" (though they probably should, seeing how the corrupt President Karzai, whom we back, has his brother in the heroin trade raising poppies). Afghanistan's nickname is the "Graveyard of Empires." If you don't believe it, give the British a call. I'd have you call Genghis Khan but I lost his number. I do have Gorbachev's number though. It's + 41 22 789 1662. I'm sure he could give you an earful about the historic blunder you're about to commit.

With our economic collapse still in full swing and our precious young men and women being sacrificed on the altar of arrogance and greed, the breakdown of this great civilization we call America will head, full throttle, into oblivion if you become the "war president." Empires never think the end is near, until the end is here. Empires think that more evil will force the heathens to toe the line -- and yet it never works. The heathens usually tear them to shreds.

Choose carefully, President Obama. You of all people know that it doesn't have to be this way. You still have a few hours to listen to your heart, and your own clear thinking. You know that nothing good can come from sending more troops halfway around the world to a place neither you nor they understand, to achieve an objective that neither you nor they understand, in a country that does not want us there. You can feel it in your bones.

I know you know that there are LESS than a hundred al-Qaeda left in Afghanistan! A hundred thousand troops trying to crush a hundred guys living in caves? Are you serious? Have you drunk Bush's Kool-Aid? I refuse to believe it.

Your potential decision to expand the war (while saying that you're doing it so you can "end the war") will do more to set your legacy in stone than any of the great things you've said and done in your first year. One more throwing a bone from you to the Republicans and the coalition of the hopeful and the hopeless may be gone -- and this nation will be back in the hands of the haters quicker than you can shout "tea bag!"

Choose carefully, Mr. President. Your corporate backers are going to abandon you as soon as it is clear you are a one-term president and that the nation will be safely back in the hands of the usual idiots who do their bidding. That could be Wednesday morning.

We the people still love you. We the people still have a sliver of hope. But we the people can't take it anymore. We can't take your caving in, over and over, when we elected you by a big, wide margin of millions to get in there and get the job done. What part of "landslide victory" don't you understand?

Don't be deceived into thinking that sending a few more troops into Afghanistan will make a difference, or earn you the respect of the haters. They will not stop until this country is torn asunder and every last dollar is extracted from the poor and soon-to-be poor. You could send a million troops over there and the crazy Right still wouldn't be happy. You would still be the victim of their incessant venom on hate radio and television because no matter what you do, you can't change the one thing about yourself that sends them over the edge.

The haters were not the ones who elected you, and they can't be won over by abandoning the rest of us.

President Obama, it's time to come home. Ask your neighbors in Chicago and the parents of the young men and women doing the fighting and dying if they want more billions and more troops sent to Afghanistan. Do you think they will say, "No, we don't need health care, we don't need jobs, we don't need homes. You go on ahead, Mr. President, and send our wealth and our sons and daughters overseas, 'cause we don't need them, either."

What would Martin Luther King, Jr. do? What would your grandmother do? Not send more poor people to kill other poor people who pose no threat to them, that's what they'd do. Not spend billions and trillions to wage war while American children are sleeping on the streets and standing in bread lines.

All of us that voted and prayed for you and cried the night of your victory have endured an Orwellian hell of eight years of crimes committed in our name: torture, rendition, suspension of the bill of rights, invading nations who had not attacked us, blowing up neighborhoods that Saddam "might" be in (but never was), slaughtering wedding parties in Afghanistan. We watched as hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilians were slaughtered and tens of thousands of our brave young men and women were killed, maimed, or endured mental anguish -- the full terror of which we scarcely know.

When we elected you we didn't expect miracles. We didn't even expect much change. But we expected some. We thought you would stop the madness. Stop the killing. Stop the insane idea that men with guns can reorganize a nation that doesn't even function as a nation and never, ever has.

Stop, stop, stop! For the sake of the lives of young Americans and Afghan civilians, stop. For the sake of your presidency, hope, and the future of our nation, stop. For God's sake, stop.

Tonight we still have hope.

Tomorrow, we shall see. The ball is in your court. You DON'T have to do this. You can be a profile in courage. You can be your mother's son.

We're counting on you.

Yours,
Michael Moore
MMFlint@aol.com
MichaelMoore.com

P.S. There's still time to have your voice heard. Call the White House at 202-456-1111 or email the President.

“AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE”

By Henrik Ibsen, Adapted by Arthur Miller
November 18, 19, 20, 21 at 7:30 p.m.

KING’S COLLEGE THEATRE

FREE ADMISSION for
King’s Students, Faculty, Staff & Administration

Box Office RESERVATIONS

Call Ext. 5825 or boxoff@kings.edu

Thanks for your continued interest in Theatre at King’s.

Bro. Jim, c.s.c.

*****

Hi,
The article below was posted on several websites in the last few days.
Joe Rogan
  
The Rotten Fruits of War
by Dan Pearson and Kathy Kelly
October 22, 2009
Five months ago, shortly after the Pakistani government had begun a military offensive against suspected Taliban fighters in the northernmost area of the country, we arrived in Islamabad, the capital, as part of a small delegation organized by Voices for Creative Nonviolence (www.vcnv.org). Our initial travel plans had focused on learning more about civilian suffering caused by U.S. drone attacks. But, over the course of our three-week visit, close to 3 million people had become uprooted by violence in the Swat Valley and neighboring districts. Visiting tent encampments and abandoned buildings to which people had fled, we spoke with people who identified themselves as poor people, with meager resources, who were anxious to return to their homes as soon as possible. They were also alarmed because they feared that their crops, animals, shops and stores were already destroyed.

Now that the military offensive in Swat has wound down, Pakistan’s government officials have labeled the operation a success. They claim to have cleared the area of Taliban fighters and have commenced a new military offensive in South Waziristan.

A closer look reveals a very different story.

Many families from Swat and surrounding districts returned to find that their homes, crops and other means of survival have been damaged or destroyed. Such circumstances force many to rely heavily on food aid. According to Amjad Jamal, a spokesperson for the World Food Program (WFP), “around 2.4 million displaced people received aid from the WFP food hubs last month.”

The WFP announced today that they are temporarily closing 20 food hubs in the North West Frontier Province citing concerns of worsening security.

Reporting from a Pakistani field hospital run by the International Committee of the Red Cross, the BBC met with scores of victims wounded by land mine explosions. The father of a 14 year old boy whose hands were blown off while he was playing with a piece of unexploded ordnance expressed anger over the government’s failure to remove the land mines before telling people it was safe to return. The father worked as a jeweler before the military offensive began, but after he and his family fled the fighting, his shop was looted; now he has no income, and his home was damaged in the shelling.

The BBC also reported that more than 200 corpses, believed to be bodies of suspected Taliban, have been found across the valley in recent weeks. Pakistan's independent Human Rights Commission has called for an investigation into reports of numerous extra-judicial killings and reprisals carried out by security forces.

Dr. Aasim Sajjad, a professor at the Lahore University of Management Sciences, believes that the Taliban’s numbers will grow as a result of Pakistan’s military offensives. “The hundreds of thousands languishing in refugee camps talk of the mortar shells that have destroyed their homes and killed their relatives,” says Dr. Sajjad. “They seethe with anger and warn the government that most Taliban fighters hail from the local population. The longer the war continues -- and it has only just begun in this region -- the better the chances that the Taliban will be able to recruit from the refugees.” (Monthly Review “War, Islamists and the Left,” July 7, 2009)

Yesterday’s deadly suicide bombing at the Islamic University in Islamabad was the latest in a series of the Taliban’s recent reprisal attacks against the Pakistani government that have claimed the lives of over 150 people.

Military offensives that promise to smash or eradicate “the bad guys” may accomplish short-term “successes” by locking up or killing armed resisters and promising that the military will provide peace and security. But military establishments aren’t set up to address the long-term, desperate grievances that afflict impoverished people and give rise to support for militant groups of resisters.

According to conservative estimates, 75% of Pakistan's population of 170 million lives on less than $2 a day. The majority of Pakistanis yearn for food security, clean water, a livelihood that can sustain their families and education that will help their children break out of impoverishment. Young men who are jobless, shut out of education are resentful of social structures that favor wealthy landowners and other elites and they are drawn to Taliban groups that promise a Robin Hood sort of redistribution. These Taliban groups have been dealt a temporary setback by the military offensive, but the fundamental problems of hunger, lack of clean water, illiteracy and joblessness haven’t been tackled.

Meanwhile, U.S. drone attacks continue, in both Pakistan and Afghanistan. Using “eyes in the skies” by piloting Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, (UAVs or drones), the U.S. analysts can see and attack suspected Taliban or Al Qaida fighters, along with anyone else who might happen to be in the vicinity. But the UAVs won’t help us understand the acute need for humanitarian relief, diplomacy, negotiation and dialogue in a region already overwhelmed by attacks, counter-attacks, bloodshed and death.

Whether it is in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq or even in the U.S., as we've seen in recent years, war takes its heaviest toll on the poorest. It is a profound mistake to believe that military force is a solid foundation for peace.

-----

Kathy Kelly (Kathy@vcnv.org) and Dan Pearson (dan@vcnv.org) are co-coordinators of Voices for Creative Nonviolence.
With colleagues in Chicago, they are organizing the Peaceable Assembly Campaign to nonviolently resist U.S. wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan, as well as military support for the Israeli military. 

CONTACT: Joseph Rogan, 570 876 1066
PEACE ACTIVIST TO VISIT
Kathy Kelly, Co-coordinator of Voices for Creative Nonviolence, Chicago (www.vcnv.org) and an internationally-respected peace activist who has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize three times, will be the principal speaker at the November meeting of Pax Christi of Northeastern Pennsylvania. The session, which is set for Thursday, November 5 ay 4:45 PM at Misericordia University, will be cosponsored by the university’s Teacher Education Department as part of its American Education Week events and by its Campus Ministry Office.
Ms. Kelly will also conduct a session at the University of Scranton on Thursday, November 5 at 10:30 AM on the fourth floor of the DeNaples Center. This session will be cosponsored by the university’s Diversity Center.
Both sessions are free and open to the public, however, interested partices should register by Wednesday, November 4 at noon by calling 570 674 6338 or emailing joerogan@verizon.net.

Kelly has taught in Chicago area high schools and community colleges since 1974. From 1980 to 1986 she taught at St. Ignatius College Prep (Chicago).

Prior to the first Gulf War, Ms. Kelly helped initiate Voices in the Wilderness, a campaign to end the UN/US sanctions against Iraq. For bringing medicine and toys to children in Iraq in open violation of the UN/US sanctions, she and other campaign members were notified of a proposed $163,000 penalty for the organization, threatened with 12 years in prison, and eventually fined $20,000, a sum which they refused to pay. Voices declared its intent to remain in Baghdad, alongside Iraqi civilians, throughout a war they hoped they could prevent. They stayed in Baghdad throughout the bombardment and invasion and lived there until 2004. Later, she lived in Amman, Jordan among Iraqis who fled their homes seeking resettlement. She stayed in the region for the next six months to help coordinate medical relief convoys and study teams.

In addition to her efforts in Iraq, Kelly helped organize and participated in nonviolent direct action teams in Haiti (1994) and Bosnia (1992 and 1993). In April of 2002, she was among the first internationals to visit the Jenin camp, where conventional military forces of the Israeli Defense Force had destroyed over 100 civilian homes in the Occupied West Bank. She and three companions from Voices were in Beirut, Lebanon during the final days of the Israel-Hezbollah war in the summer of 2006 and subsequently reported from southern Lebanon following a ceasefire. More recently, she was in Gaza during the final days of the Operation Cast Lead assault in January 2009 and, in June, traveled to Pakistan with a Voices delegation to learn more about consequences of US drone attacks in Pakistan.

In 1988, she was sentenced to one year in prison for planting corn on nuclear missile silo sites. Kelly served nine months of the sentence in Lexington, KY maximum security prison. In the spring of 2004, she served three months at Pekin Federal Prison for crossing the line as part of an ongoing effort to close the School of the Americas (SOA), a US Army school that trains military for Latin American countries, many of whom have been found to be terrorists. She is active with the Catholic Worker movement and, as a pacifist and war tax refuser, has refused payment of all Federal income tax for 25 years. She currently helps coordinate the Voices for Creative Nonviolence campaign. www.vcnv.org. 

Ms. Kelly earned a BA from Loyola University in 1974 and a masters in Religious Education from the Chicago Theological Seminary; part of a consortium of schools which included the Jesuit School of Theology. 

Her publications Other Lands Have Dreams: from Baghdad to Pekin Prison (2005) published by Counterpunch (www.counterpunch.org) and Voices for Creative Nonviolence. In a Time of Siege, a Peace Productions DVD about Voices in the Wilderness narrated by Studs Terkel is available from the Voices for Creative Nonviolence office. She is an editor and contributor to War and Peace in the Gulf, published by Cornerstone Press and a contributor to Iraq Under Siege edited by Anthony Arnove and  Live from Palestine edited by Nancy Stohlman and Laurieann Aladin. Her articles, essays and interviews have been featured in The Sun, The Chicago Tribune Magazine, America, The National Catholic Reporter, Columbia Journal of International Affairs, The Link, Fellowship of Reconciliation Magazine, Lapis Magazine, The Jordan Times, The Washington Report on the Middle East, The Capitol Times, MERIP Magazine, Satya Magazine, Hope Magazine, Common Dreams website, Counterpunch website, Electroniciraq.net website, Voices In The Wilderness website, Voices for Creative Nonviolence website, and Antiwar.Com website.
 Ms. Kelly has won numerous awards, including:
• Pax Christi USA Teacher of Peace Award, 1998
• Newberry Library Free Speech Award, 1998
• Detroit City Council Testimonial Resolution commending humanitarian efforts, February 1999
• Robert O. Cooper Fellowship in Peace and Justice Award, Southern Methodist University March 1999
• University of the Incarnate Word Distinguished Speaker Award March 1999
• California State Assembly Certificate of Recognition for Founding of Voices in the Wilderness November 1999
• Peace Abbey Courage of Conscience Award, 1999
• Consortium on Peace Research and Development Social Courage Award, 1999
• Dan Berrigan Award, DePaul University 1999
• Office of the Americas Peace and Justice Award November 1999
• International Fellowship of Reconciliation Pfeiffer Peace Award, February 2000
• Nobel Peace Prize Nominee with Denis Halliday 2000
• Arab American Anti Discrimination Committee Humanitarian Award June 2000
• Nobel Peace Prize Nominee 2001
• Chaldean Iraqi American Association of Michigan Appreciation Award for Dedication in Lifting Sanctions Against Iraq July 2001
• Newberry Library first place orator Bughouse Square Debates August 2001
• Life for Relief and Development Humanitarian Services Award September 2001
• Global Exchange International Women Rights Awardee May 2003
• Archbishop Oscar Romero Award, Mercyhurst College March 2003
• Nobel Peace prize Nominee, with Voices in the Wilderness 2003
• Call to Action Leadership Award, with Voices in the Wilderness 2003
• Thomas Merton Center Award, Pittsburgh, PA 2003
• Adela Dwyer St. Thomas of Villanova Peace Award, Villanova University, Voices in the Wilderness 2003
• William Scarlett Award from The Witness, Voices in the Wilderness 2003
• Association of Chicago Priests, Joseph Cardinal Bernardin Common Ground Award with Voices in the Wilderness 2004
• First Annual Award for Justice on behalf of the Religious Orders Partnership given to Kathy Kelly and Voices in the Wilderness
• Cranbrook Peace Foundation Annual Peace Award 2004
• Houston Peace and Justice Center National Peacemaker Award
• Peace Seeker of the Year 2005, Montana Peace Seekers Network
• Doctor of Theology honoris causa from Chicago Theological Seminary awarded May 14, 2005
• Honorary degree awarded from Lewis University, May 15, 2005
• Elliott Black Award for 2006 awarded by the American Ethical Union
• De Paul Center for Church/State Studies 2007 John Courtney Murray Award April 2007
• Bradford-Neill Medallion for Social Justice Recipient, Dominican University September 2007
• The Oscar Romero Award presented by Pax Christi Maine October 2007

 Ms. Kelly is in demand as a speaker across the country. In the last few months she has addressed audiences in parishes, several religious and community groups, Pax Christi regional groups, National Association of Muslim American Women Conference, and was the keynote speaker at Pax Christi’s annual conference and at the Gandhi Conference. Additionally, she recently addressed audiences at St. Louis University and Smith College.

"Strengthen the poor person, so that he does not fall and become dependent on others" (Leviticus 25:35).
 
As we confront the global ecological crisis by shifting to a green economy, we must ensure that this transition leads to a stronger, healthier workforce. During October, over 30 national faith-based organizations are coming together to urge elected officials to make poverty-reduction a key goal of the transition to a clean-energy economy. 
 
You can help by writing a Letter to the Editor encouraging our leaders to ensure that the most vulnerable communities are not left out of the opportunities presented by the emerging green sectors.
 
Here are some things to remember as you write your letter:
 
1. Make your letter current and relevant by referring to a recent article on climate change or unemployment.
 
2. Briefly describe the situation.
 
Example: As a society, we are coming to grips with the ecological crisis that we face, and the urgency with which we must respond. At the same time, the global economic downturn has brought unemployment and poverty to tragically high rates.
 
Visit http://www.cbpp.org/archivesite/share/ACS%20Template%20with%20adjustment_9.18.09.xls to view recent data on changing rates of poverty in your state. Find out how your state compares with the national statistics, particularly for children, those with disabilities, minority populations and women.  This information may be useful for your letter!

3. Explain how your values frame your response,
 
Example: As people of faith, our traditions teach us to help the less fortunate, as well as to work with government and private-sector entities to create long-term solutions to poverty. We are faced with the opportunity to clean up our energy industry and to build a strong and just economy at the same time.
 
4. Describe the solution and call Congress to action!
 
You can use the following talking points to craft your message:
"Congress should..."
Target funds toward projects that help low-income families develop the necessary skills to compete in a new economy;
Ensure green industries create "good jobs" with decent benefits, family-supporting wages and safe working conditions;
Promote projects that improve the quality of life for low-income families by lowering energy costs and enhancing public health through safer housing;
Fund worker training targeted at disadvantaged communities and ensure that low-income people will have access to jobs in green, traditional, and other newly emerging industries.
Also, you may want to remind readers that emerging "green industries" impact many areas of concern: Economy, Poverty, Ecology, Education, Healthcare (since good green jobs must provide quality, affordable healthcare coverage), Immigration (since emerging industries promote a healthy economy to accommodate a variety of workers), and even World Peace (since a green economy lessens our dependence on fossil fuels, the control of which motivates much global conflict)!
 
5. Conclude with a concise, powerful sentence.
          
Example: Let us speak with one voice to demand good jobs and green jobs for all members of our society.
 
6. Check your letter for spelling, grammar, clarity and length.  Note: most newspapers require letters to be under 250 words!
 
7. When your letter is published, send a copy to NETWORK (networkupdate@networklobby.org), as well as to your Representatives and Senators in Congress.
 
Thanks for making your voice heard as people of faith join together to demand a healthy economy, a healthy planet, and Good, Green Jobs for society's most vulnerable people!
 
 
***If you are interested in learning more about Good Jobs, Green Jobs, visit http://www.bostonconferencing.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=816&Itemid=157#archives to watch a replay of the webinar "Fighting Poverty with Faith:Good Jobs, Green Jobs webinar - What the New Census Data Tells Us About Poverty in America and What the Faith Community Can Do About It." You may learn something to include in your letter to the editor!***
 
 
More Tips for Writing Letters to the Editor:
Be Clear and Concise - Limit your letter to one topic and check your grammar. Most publications prefer 250 words or less. Check for submission requirements.
Be Current - Responding to a recent article in the newspaper or to an upcoming or very recent event greatly increases your odds of being published.
Be Compelling - Make sure your lead sentence draws attention. Consider using a personal story or attention-grabbing facts. Always refrain from personal attacks.
Contact - Include your name, organization address and telephone number. Newspapers will often only publish a letter if they are able to contact the signer to make sure s/he is the author.

Are we --
RECOVERING FROM
RACISM ?
OPPORTUNITY:
You might be interested in an educational workshop for the community that will be provided on Saturday, October 24, 2009 by Pax Christi USA and Pax Christi of Northeastern Pennsylvania.

GOAL:
The goal of the workshop will be to prepare participants  - individuals who interact with the public on a regular basis, such as police, government workers, business persons, educators, medical personnel, clergy, students, etc. – with techniques they can use to react to racist comments and actions they confront in their daily lives and thus cooperate in a community-wide healing effort to recover from racism.  

PRESENTERS:
Presenters will include Bill Marx and Altonette Stone of PCUSA’s National Anti-Racism Team. Our special guest will be Rafael Samanez, Director of NY City’s VAMOS Unidos Project.

DETAILS:
The workshop will take place at Lackawanna College’s Lyceum (the former CYC). Registration will begin at 8 AM. The program will start at 8:30 AM and run ‘til 5 PM with a break for lunch (which will be provided). The workshop and lunch are free to members of our community.

REGISTRATION:
Space is limited. Register by October 15 by calling 570.558.5050, emailing joerogan@verizon.net, or writing to Pax Christi NEPA, P.O. Box 168, Clarks Summit, PA 18411. Group registrations are welcome.

  Pax
Christi
   NEPA

NEWSLETTER: FALL 2009

PAX CHRISTI
OF NORTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA
AN AFFILIATE OF PCUSA:
A NATIONAL CATHOLIC PACE MOVEMENT

PC NEPA
P.O. Box 168
Clarks Summit, PA 18411

NOTE to Email Recipients:

We are in then process of snail-mailing this newsletter to our entire membership.
If you are satisfied with this electronic edition and can do without the hard copy, please let us know immediately.

We do not want to waste money on printing or postage.

MEETING
 
As you can see from this newsletter, we have been busy and will get busier in the next few weeks. Possibly we cut off more than we can chew, but maybe with everyone’s cooperation we can succeed with all of our activities.
 Because we have so many activities this fall, we will have only one actual membership meeting. It’s scheduled for September 30 at 7 in the Guild (third floor). PLEASE place it on your schedule right now. If you can be there, let us know at joerogan@verizon.net.

WEBSITE

Our website should have been up by now, but it is not yet ready. Drats. Stay tuned.

MEMBERSHIP
 Over the last few months we gained several excellent new members and, as far as we can tell, lost only one. Still, because there is much to be done, we can use more hands. Please freely share this newsletter with people – colleagues, family, neighbors, Facebook friends, real friends -  you think might be interested in joining PCNEPA and/or send their addresses or emails to us and we will contact them directly. If we each bring in one new member this fall, we will be in excellent shape.

 If you received this flier (and/or our emails) and do not want to associate with PCNEPA, please let us know. We will respectfully and promptly delete you from our lists.

 If the snail mail address label on this flier has an asterisk, you paid your 2009 dues. If not, please consider paying ($5).  Make checks payable to Pax Christi NEPA; send them to our post office box.

ACTIVITIES

Following PCUSA’s lead, over the last few months we lobbied our national leaders on several issues.
We asked our Senators and Representatives to intervene on Gaza and published an OpEd item supporting peace there.
We did the same relative to the Employee Free Choice Act and National Health Care.
More recently we asked Senators Casey and Specter to support the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty which is up for consideration this fall. Senator Casey responded saying that he will support CTBT.
  
On the state level we lobbied the legislature to reject SB56 which would criminalize kids who misbehave in schools. The bill seems to have at least stalled.

We wrote to judicial officials urging swift intervention in the “cash for kids” situation in Luzerne County.

We tried to arrange vigils making the UN’s International Day of Peace (9/21), including by asking all parishes (that have email addresses) to note the day this weekend.
We are not sure we succeeded.

PCUSA has posted some of our letters and OpEds. Our work was also mentioned in the newsletter of the Catholic Workers. If we have your email address, we tried to share all of our writings with you.
 
LCP

After almost two years, we are still plugging away trying to create systemic reform at the Lackawanna County Prison (LCP), especially relative to its medical care. For example, this summer we won two PA Office of Open Records cases. The County appealed one; it is being more responsive with the second. In fact, it will take some legal actions of its own on Monday (9/21). Maybe we are making progress after all.  We are very happy that other elements of the community seem to be weighing in on this topic. The legal staff of PA ACLU and the Philadelphia firm of Cozen O’Connor have been extremely supportive. 
 
Two weeks ago we received a batch of unsolicited pleas for help from female inmates relative to their ongoing concerns. We already brought the most important one to the attention of the Commissioners and have received their response (i.e., their solicitor’s). More recently, we summarized the other concerns and have reported them to the Commissioners.

HONORS
 
Because of their generous work at the LCP, we have designated several prison ministry volunteers as honorary members of PCNEPA. They include:

 Ronald Waroby, Ann Marie Hopkins, Helen Sylvestri, Michael Abdala,  Ed Facciani, Joan Holmes, Robert Blatz, Lindy Morrewlli, and Shelia  Borasse.

ANTIRACISM PROGRAM

We have scheduled a workshop on how individuals can react when they confront racist actions and words in their daily lives. The intent of our program is not to provide a history lesson or a review of law, but to actually equip participants with information and techniques they can personally use in their families, neighborhoods, communities, and work places to defeat racism. Sr. Ann Walsh and Jake Rosen have generously helped with arrangements.

The workshop is set for Saturday, October 24, 2009 from 8:30 till 5 at Lackawanna College’s Lyceum (the former CYC). Presenters will include Bill Marx and Altonette Stone of PCUSA’s National Anti-Racism Team and Rafael Samanez, Director of NY City’s VAMOS Unidos Project. The workshop is free but interested parties must register by calling 570.558.5050, emailing joerogan@verizon.net, or writing to Pax Christi NEPA, P.O. Box 168, Clarks Summit, PA 18411. Group registrations are welcome.
We have fliers ready to distribute. If you contact us, we can email you one (which you can duplicate) or we can mail you a batch. We need to get the word out on this excellent program.

KATHY KELLY

Thanks to our friends in Binghamton, NY, internationally-respected peace activist Kathy Kelly (twice nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize) will be with us in early November. She will visit with activists on the morning of Thursday, November 5 at the University of Scranton and participate in media interviews that afternoon. At 4:45 PM she will address a gathering at Misericordia University.

If you are interested in participating in any of the sessions, please email us at joerogan@verizon.net.

SOA
 
Fr. Roy Bourgeois will visit Keystone College on FRIDAY at 12:30 in the Hubbard Building, Presidential Dining Room.  Susan Constantine at Keystone is organizing the visit. 

PCUSA asks us to spread the word about the November 20-22, 2009 Vigil to Close the SOA at the gates of Fort Benning, Georgia. We will order and distribute information cards designed by César Maxit. His art is based on a photograph by Linda Panetta of Ingrid Carillo, who is holding a picture of her disappeared relative Alma Argentina at the gates of Fort Benning, Georgia. For more information, contact PCUSA.

PHEW!

 That’s a lot. But, if you have additional ideas for projects, we’d love to hear them.

Friends of EFJ:

Will you help me promote our grassroots education program,
"Behind the Swoosh: Sweatshops and Social Justice" to campuses all over the United States?

CLICK HERE to check out a video with all the info.

Peace,

Jim Keady, Director
Educating for Justice