Healing the Wounds of War

October 31, 2009 at 10:57 pm · Filed under Iraq, Uncategorized ·Tagged , ,

by Mary Patterson

I watch my daughter jump into the still pool. Ripples spread out then bounce back. I think about war, about the thousands of unknown waves spreading for years across families and continents. How one bomb or death threat can fling a family across the ocean for generations to come.

Kansas City has received scores of refugees from Iraqi Operation Enduring Freedom over the past 2 years. The first family came to Kansas in 2007. “It was like landing on the moon,” they say. Clever, funny, and educated, they left a country that is no longer safe for them. Sometimes these refugees had to drive a different car every morning in Iraq, or had to take different routes to school to avoid bombs. They endured kidnappings and death threats. Houses were burned. Some fled without even gathering family photos.

One boy told me that he watched the bombs fall from the rooftop of his home. “Why,” I asked, “didn’t you go into the basement?” He looked at me blankly, “What difference would it have made?” We naively forget the power of bombs.

4.7 million Iraqis have been forced to leave their homes since the beginning of the Iraq war—roughly 2 million as refugees and another 2.7 million internally displaced. The U.S. allowed 12,000 Iraqis into this country in 2008 and are set to allow only 17,000 in 2009. This is in stark contrast to the late 1970’s when over 130,000 Vietnamese were allowed to resettle here. Clearly, the U.S. has the capacity to allow more war victims into our country.

The Iraqis come to the U.S. as political refugees and are sponsored by agencies that provide help with Foodstamps, Medicaid, and cash assistance. The sponsoring agencies furnish apartments with furniture and pick refugees up from the airport. They receive a social security number and then must wait 5 years to become a U.S. Citizen.

Here in Kansas City Iraqis begin a whole new life. They want to know how to get a bank account, how to buy a car, how to get a job. Iraqis need help finding English classes, getting their driver’s license, negotiating the healthcare system. One day I got a call, “My son’s school says they need pipe cleaners and puff balls. What are these things? We have looked everywhere to find out.” Another family asked me how to cook acorns.

I warn them that the first Wednesday of every month there will be sirens. Thunderstorms strike terror and bring back frightening memories of the bombs. They have no idea why Americans insist on having animals in our homes. They ask me if Americans are really like those people on The Jerry Springer Show.

It is difficult finding work despite their high education and excellent English skills. Job interviewers sometimes ask, “So are Iraqi’s glad America came?” They are asked, “Are you Sunni or Shiite?” Engineers are told they are overqualified for many positions. These are difficult times in the U.S.and especially difficult for Muslims from a foreign land.

Health problems are numerous. War has meant 7 years with no healthcare. High blood pressure went unchecked. Heart problems, diabetes and children’s handicaps did not get proper treatment. Stress has surfaced, physically and mentally. There are sleep problems. The long healthcare void has touched just about every single refugee family.

Fortunately, the Iraqis are hopeful people. The children do great in school. Their birthday parties are loud, joyous occasions. At one party in the park, we were cheering the birthday boy so loudly that I noticed other picnics stopping to stare. Hannah Montana is popular, as are the Power Rangers. Soccer balls and bikes are scattered around and there is lots of running and jumping.  Headstart has helped the preschoolers learn English is just a few months. English programs at the public elementary and high school levels have helped tremendously.

Iraqi food is delicious and they always offer it freely. The first winter they were here, I told a woman how much I liked her coat. Immediately, she took it off, put it in a bag and handed it to me. Whenever you tell Iraqis that you like a watch, or jewelry, they take it off and it is yours. So, caution is advised when complimenting! People who have lost everything giving all they have. This is the gift we have received in Kansas City. Let us do all we can to heal the wounds of war.

 

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The long road from surviving to thriving

October 31, 2009 at 10:45 pm · Filed under Health care, International Justice, Uncategorized ·Tagged ,

By Sisters Marilyn Lacey, RSM and Kathleen Connolly, RSM

Sister Marilyn Lacey, RSM, the Executive Director of Mercy Beyond Borders, wrote:  “The current debate raging around health care reform in the U.S. prompts me to reflect on the health of the women and girls in Sudan whom I have come to know through Mercy Beyond Borders. ‘What type of health insurance system would you prefer?’ is a question never asked in South Sudan. There is no debate.  Why?  Because, quite simply, there is no health insurance whatsoever. And for most of the people, there is little or no health care, either.  It is common for a woman to walk 6 or 7 days to reach a rural clinic or for a seriously injured person to ride atop a lorry jostling through the bush for 8 hours to get to a distant hospital – which may or may not have the needed personnel or medicines.”  Mercy Beyond Borders is addressing these problems.

Emma Ross, medical writer for the Associated Press, has described Southern Sudan as “one of the poorest and most neglected areas on Earth, with possibly the worst health situation in the world.”

There is, in essence, no health care system. Foreign humanitarian agencies provide nearly all of the doctors and medicine. Three surgeons serve southern Sudan, a span of 80,000 square miles (one and a half times the size of Iraq). The number of proper hospitals can be counted on one hand, and in some areas there is just one doctor for about 500,000 people. War has displaced much of the population and prevented a proper census, but experts estimate that 6 to 8 million people now live in the region.

“This really is the forgotten front line when it comes to health,” said Francois Decaillet, a public health specialist at the World Bank who has 20 years of experience in Africa. Southern Sudan has the world’s highest rate of maternal death by childbirth. Diseases which have been eradicated in most parts of the world remain stubbornly common in Sudan: guinea worm, Hansen’s disease, tuberculosis, polio.  And even now, 4 years after the signing of the peace agreement that ended the North/South civil war, gunshot wounds rank as the #1 “presenting problem” of patients appearing for clinic treatment.

What can be done?

The fledgling government of Southern Sudan is building clinics and attempting to set up an infrastructure for health care.  That will be a long process and ultimately a fruitless one unless Sudanese students themselves can train for health careers. Mercy Beyond Borders is now launching two new programs to improve the situation:

1. Nursing Scholarships and Internships:  Mercy Beyond Borders supports the academic training of young women graduating from 12th grade who wish to pursue careers as doctors, nurses, midwives or nurses’ aides at local colleges.  MBB also underwrites yearlong internships for young adults interested in nursing who need practical work in a medical clinic to qualify them for entrance into a nursing school.  Sister Angela Limiyo, recovered from the gunshot wound she suffered in a random vehicle ambush in Sudan earlier this year, has graciously offered to supervise interns willing to work with her at the remote Kuron Clinic in Eastern Equatoria, Sudan.

2. Women’s Health:  Mercy Beyond Borders began its Women’s Health Outreach workshops in villages in and around Narus during September.  Sister Kathleen Connolly works in partnership with Anna Mijji, a Sudanese woman who knows the local area and its Toposa people and can negotiate the protocols (e.g., permissions from local chiefs) essential for a successful program.  Kathleen and Anna are conducting half-day workshops to teach basic health practices to the women:  Wash your hands. Boil the water. Cover the food.  These health habits may seem obvious, but they are challenging to implement in regions where both water and firewood are scarce and burdensome to obtain each day.

Sr. Kathleen described what pure gratitude looks like.  Immediately after a torrential day-and-a-half rainstorm (the first real rain in two years, welcomed by everyone in that drought-stricken region), they conducted the first women’s health workshop in the town of Narus. This is her description:

“At first we thought the workshop might be canceled due to the rains, but no, the show went on when we learned that 30 women had assembled and were waiting for the training to begin…. We wound up walking in absolute muck twice to and from the compound and the workshop site because we underestimated the number of women who would come and I had to go back [about 1/2 mile] to get more cups and soap.

Twenty-five Toposa women came, not counting their children, and 5 more straggled in at the end.  I mimed a little scenario of what happens when you DON’T wash your hands before eating.  The women actually clapped, and I curtsied.  Two Sudanese women and I taught as a team for 45 minutes and then there were animated questions and comments… Afterwards, while we were doling out maize flour into large plastic cups for each woman, all the women spontaneously erupted into song, and after we gave each some soap they started dancing.  I wish I’d had a camcorder.  I had forgotten what pure gratitude looks like. Next week we are to go into the bush to another small village….”

Postscript:  Kathleen was bitten recently by a scorpion that had nestled in the clothes in the suitcase in her tukul.  “Never have I experienced such exquisite pain,” she wrote.  What an understatement!

For more information, please visit Mercy Beyond Borders at www.mercybeyondborders.org

If you would like to receive regular editions of Mercy Beyond Borders, please email your first and last name and email address to mercybeyondborders@yahoo.com.

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A Responsible Christmas

October 31, 2009 at 10:25 pm · Filed under Simple living, Uncategorized

by Chandra Blackwell

Ahhh, Christmas.  Songs rejoice in it.  Poems revere it.  Stories, movies, and television specials allegorize its spiritual lessons.  It’s the season of faith, cheer, and goodwill toward all.

Unfortunately, it can sometimes also be the season of irony, because by the third week in December, our goodwill has often been sapped by the stress of the season, and we pass the favor on by making less-than-responsible choices about how to celebrate this most spiritual of holidays.  With a little thought and advance planning, however, you can find your way back to the true meaning of Christmas by celebrating in ways that nurture your own spirit and extend social and global goodwill.

Celebrate With Goodwill Toward The Earth

The Problem: Our culture of consumption results in toxic waste.

Think about how much plastic gets used and discarded on an average day.  From apple sauce to yogurt, so much of what we buy is packaged in plastic or, just as often, made of plastic.  And that plastic doesn’t go away.  Instead it winds up in places like the North Pacific, where an oceanic gyre has trapped seven million tons of plastic waste in an area twice the size of Texas.  With that in mind, think about how much more we buy at Christmas—decorations, presents, and food and beverages—and the amount of plastic that ends up as waste increases exponentially.

What You Can Do:

Chances are, you won’t be able to avoid plastic altogether this holiday season, but there are certainly ways that you can cut down on plastic waste.  Shop for environmentally friendly gifts made of wood, metal, or fabric (check out pristineplanet.com), or give gifts that can be experienced, like tickets to a play, or dinner for two.  Even bringing your own eco-friendly shopping bags on that pantry-stocking grocery shopping trip before the holiday guests arrive can go a long way toward reducing waste and showing our Earth a little Christmas love.

Celebrate With Goodwill Toward Our Global Community

The Problem: Our “bargain” is sometimes another person’s exploitation.

Our nation’s trade policies with still-developing nations often exploit an underpaid (and sometimes underage) work force.  In addition, poor inspections on goods made in exploitative overseas labor markets hurt people on both sides of the trade.  One need only think back a couple of years to the infamous lead paint issue with Thomas the Tank engine toys to see how underpaid labor affects the entire global community.

What You Can Do:

Buy locally made and/or fair trade items as gifts.  Fair trade items can range from food items to clothing to home décor, and are available here in Kansas City via merchants such as Ten Thousand Villages (visit tenthousandvillages.com for locations).  But who says a gift has to be new to be wonderful?  My friend Jennifer’s family has an annual tradition of exchanging books that they’ve loved.

“It’s nice,” she says, “because you don’t have to buy anything—you can just pass along a great read.  I get some of my favorite books this way.”

Another option for socially responsible gift-giving is to make gifts by hand: if you’re a cook, make delicious treats for everyone on your list; if you’re a knitter, a little advance planning can have your loved ones warm and cozy come January.  If you want to make someone’s heart feel warm and cozy, giving the gift of a donation in that person’s name to a cause they hold dear is another fantastic way to show love to people in your inner circle, and in the global community.

Celebrate With Goodwill Toward Yourself and Those You Love

The Problem: Your Christmas Spirit got lost at the mall.

We’ve all been there; it’s 7:17 p.m., you’ve worked a full day in the office, and you’ve been in a checkout line for the past 20 minutes, waiting to purchase this season’s hottest electronic gewgaw for your brother, and simultaneously nursing the black eye that you incurred while elbowing and diving your way toward the last one on the shelf.  (Well, OK, maybe we haven’t all been there, but admit it—it’s not a wholly alien scenario, is it?)  You despair of making it home in time for dinner, let alone in time to wrap your white elephant gift and bake two dozen Santa-shaped cookies for tomorrow’s office Christmas party before you collapse with exhaustion, wanting only for this holiday season to end already.

What You Can Do:

Four simple words: Learn to let go.  Easier said than done, I know, but remember this one simple thing: People love you not for the toys or electronic gewgaws you buy for them, or even for your famous Santa-shaped cookies.  What’s really valuable to anyone who cares about you is your well-being, and spending time with Happy You. So remember this season to show yourself a little goodwill.  Take time to relax, practice your faith, and engage in happy-making activities that celebrate the season.  My cousin, Camille, who grew up in a large family, shares a simple Christmas tradition that focuses on company, not commodities:  “We decorate our Christmas tree, turn on the tree lights, turn out the house lights, and play Musical Chairs in the dark with Christmas music until we collapse from laughter!” And isn’t laughter a better cause for collapse than holiday stress and exhaustion? With a little thought and planning, you can make sure that this holiday season is truly a reason to celebrate not only our Savior, but our friends and family, our global community, and our Earth.

Chandra Blackwell is a writer and editor who lives in Olathe, Kansas with her husband and 20-month old son, both of whom make her life a little bit like Christmas every day.

Editor’s Note:  There are many agencies and organizations offering fair trade products.  Two other sites you may want to visit are SERRV at www.serrv.org and Heifer International at www.Heifer.org.   Organizations such as Lutheran World Relief and Catholic Relief Services collaborate with SERRV in bringing fair trade products to the U.S.

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A Reflection on El Salvador

October 31, 2009 at 10:10 pm · Filed under International Justice ·Tagged , ,

by Laura Davidson

Here I am, Lord.

Here we are: Ten of us, four adults and six students, riding a bus to El Buen Pastor, a community of about 100 people in central El Salvador. As we sat there, slightly perspiring partly from apprehension and partly from the heat radiating off the sticky vinyl seat, the nervousness, excitement and French toast from breakfast mixed in our stomachs. We weren’t sure what to expect, do and say in a country in which most of us had spent less than 24 hours and where we spoke very little of the language. And how were we supposed to react when we arrived in El Buen Pastor, a place we had heard about for years but all of us, save one, had never experienced? What were we to say? What were we to offer?  We felt powerless. Sure, we had been preparing since January for our stay in El Salvador. But as we passed pickup trucks with workers crammed into the bed of the truck on the way to find work for the day, mothers and children selling fruit in run down shacks on the side of the road and dirty dogs roaming the street, the reality of a country suffering from high unemployment, poverty and gang violence set in. We really were out of our element.

But before any of us could process anything we are seeing, the bus slows and pulls off the road where a crowd of people waits. Children, mothers with babies and an old man waving a red balloon stood at the gate of the community waiting to greet us. We had arrived at El Buen Pastor.

Is it I, Lord?

It’s easier to forget that El Salvador exists, especially in times when our own country is engaged in multiple armed struggles and the state of the economy is uncertain. As we were travelling to El Salvador, we all had second thoughts about coming. It would be easier to have never seen the reality that 7 million Salvadorans live every day.

There is nothing subtle about the need in El Salvador. And even though El Buen Pastor has many advantages that other rural communities do not because of the twinning with Good Shepherd, they are not exempt from this need. Too many men are unable to find enough work. Women, homosexuals and those who live in poverty continue to struggle for human rights. Gangs make neighborhoods unsafe at night. Too few students complete high school, and even fewer attend college. Every business, home and store protected with metal gates and razor wire is a blatant reminder of the desperation in El Salvador.

But the unsettling feelings, though uncomfortable, were necessary. They forced us to reevaluate what is important. And we were forced to look at ourselves and see what we wanted to change about how we treat other people.

The people of El Buen Pastor were rich is so many ways that we are poor. We have never been treated more hospitably. They were willing to give us things they didn’t even have for themselves. When there wasn’t an open pew in mass, some community members left mass and walked several blocks to get chairs so we could sit down. When the water wasn’t running for the shower and toilet in the guesthouse, they immediately began to fix the problem so we could be comfortable. In their homes, they don’t have showers and toilets. They had built the bathroom in the guesthouse so delegations could be more comfortable. It was the little things they did that showed us that we were not visitors whom they had never met before, but rather they considered us family.

I have heard you calling in the night.

In addition to visiting El Buen Pastor, we visited another community near San Salvador called Las Nubes, meaning “The Clouds” in Spanish. This community of 14 houses is nestled on the side of a dormant volcano where low-lying clouds occasionally hang. This mountain is property of a television station, and unbeknownst to the company, these families have lived there for nearly fifteen years. The community at the base of the volcano, San Ramon, had even forgotten people were living here. The people live in shacks of corrugated tin that would look pitiful even in comparison to the modest homes in El Buen Pastor. By our standards, these structures would be unfit for animals. The people of Las Nubes had no electricity, and until recently, no source of water in the village. Last year, the people didn’t even have enough food to feed themselves, so they went down the volcano to ask San Ramon for help. San Ramon is also a poor community. Even so, they have helped feed the people of Las Nubes and build a pipeline to carry water up to volcano once every eight days. This was the poor giving to the desolate.

It’s impossible to see things like this and not be compelled to act.

I will go, Lord, if you lead me.

As we left El Buen Pastor and El Salvador, we left with new friends, new perspectives, but most importantly we no longer felt powerless.

While El Buen Pastor needs financial support that is not the only way to assist them. We learned that our time, our support and encouragement are also much-needed gifts. Solidarity is the most important resource we can give them

The people of El Buen Pastor taught us important lessons of humility, hospitality and hope. And, we, just by listening to their stories, worries and dreams, we were able to validate their lives.

I will hold your people in my heart.

 

Laura Davison is a freshman majoring in journalism at Missouri University and is a member of Good Shepherd Church, Shawnee, KS.  She visited El Salvador this summer with other Good Shepherd parishioners through the SHARE Foundation.  The SHARE Foundation has been accompanying Salvadorans for twenty eight years and has various programs to support women’s empowerment, leadership development and citizen participation.

For an opportunity to travel to El Salvador with SHARE in March 2010 for the 30th anniversary of the assassination of Archbishop Oscar Romero, go to the SHARE website at: http://www.share-elsalvador.org/delegations/romero2010.htm or email Laura Hershberger at laura@share-elsalvador.org

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Mary P. Vincent – The Toast of the Town

October 4, 2009 at 11:36 pm · Filed under Community ·Tagged ,

Why would anyone want to toast or roast Mary P. Vincent?

If you have to ask that question you don’t know Mary. Combine the compassion of a saint with the free spirit of a coyote and you begin to get a sense of Mary. Throw in someone who loves donkey and penguin jokes, who hates injustice and war, who isn’t going to be silent about either of these passions and you have Mary Vincent.

The American Friends Service Committee has been blessed with Mary as a volunteer working with us to expose the human costs of war, chairing our fundraising committee, and enlivening our lives. At the September 12th toast honoring Mary’s service to our community she was toasted and lightly roasted by her family and friends. The 60 plus people there celebrated her with, “Mary stories,” penguin jokes, a KCMO proclamation naming the day, “Mary P. Vincent Day,” and uproarious laughter.

Here are a few comments from her tribute book and from the event:

Your light outshines the darkness. You shine like the sun and light the way for the rest of us.

- Much love, Linda & Jerry

Our sister may be roasted, but she’s sure no turkey! We’re proud of you, Mary!

-With love from, Louisa, Tom, Terry, Bill and Anola

Thanks for 18 years of weekly service to the poor as a kitchen supervisor in the St. James Place Community Kitchen.  …And Thanks for your giving and hopeful spirit. Congratulations on a life well lived (so far)!

-From All Your Friends at St. James Place.

Thank you for your long and faithful service and your shared commitment.

-Br. Louis Rodemann, FSC of Holy Family Catholic Worker House and a friend of Mary’s since her high school days.

Yes Mary shines, she serves, she’s no turkey and she has a hopeful spirit. AFSC and all of her friends are fortunate for her sharing herself with us.

————————

Mary was born the fourth of six children. She has two sisters and three brothers and lots of nephews and nieces. She is married to her delightful husband, Bob. She has two beautiful and brilliant children–her daughter, Jennifer, and her son, Matthew. She has three step-granddaughters–Christin, Taylor, and Hannah as well as her daughter-in-law, Amy. Mary often hangs out with her 97 year-old mom at Happy Hour at Grand Court.

Mary attended elementary school at St. James Catholic School and high school at Loretto Academy. She was graduated with honors with a degree in Psychology. She taught for eight years at Operation Discovery, ten years at St. Francis Xavier, and then subbed for a while. After “retiring” from teaching, she continued her education with art classes. She has become an accomplished artist and potter.

She was active in the Vietnam anti-war movement long before it was fashionable to do so. She was a founding member of the Iraq Task Force. She is a member of the KC program committee of the American Friends Service Committee and is fundraising committee chair.

The bulk of Mary’s time is spent helping others. In addition to her work with AFSC, she is a Monday Night Supervisor at St. James Place every Monday and shows up at Holy Family Catholic Worker every Wednesday. She volunteers at Ozanam’s greenhouse every Thursday afternoon. Around all of these things, she is the fundraising chair for St. James, one of the organizing forces of the bus-stop ministry and the knitting group at St. James.

She is a member of WOMEN OF THE DRUM. In the little time she has left, Mary enjoys throwing pots, practicing drumming, reading, gardening, yoga, taking Quincy Jones (her dog) on long walks, and cuddling with her cats, Newman and Weezie.

The guiding forces in her life are peace and justice for all. Her heroes are Dorothy Day, Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Camille Pissarro and Cat Ballou.

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Some Thoughts from the Migrant Farmworkers Project

October 4, 2009 at 11:16 pm · Filed under Farmworkers ·Tagged , ,

Mild temperatures and abundant rainfall are making this a beautiful fall season to celebrate our 26th year working with Missouri’s migrant farmworkers and their families. In contrast there are hot, dry falls that make working conditions miserable, and years in which the lack of fruit does not provide enough work.

However, throughout the abundance and the scarcity, the Migrant Farmworkers Project (MFP) staff has been there to assist with meeting the health care, educational and emergency needs of the migrant workers and family members and the year-round orchard families who live and work in Lafayette County, about one hour east of Kansas City.

MFP staff ponders the conditions and trials that these families face daily:

-They think about the children who live in the orchard housing camps, hidden inside the trees, no closet for their toys or clothes, a shared bunk bed, walking the long dirt road up to the highway for the school bus…always smiling, happy to see us coming to pick them up.

-They wonder what Yessenia and Miriam are learning in this second month of college?

-They picture the six little 1st graders and their teachers at Santa Fe Elementary School. What are they doing? They muse that we have a “Mexican take-over” in the making in the small first grade at Waverly.

-They are concerned about “Paco”, the 5th grader in Lexington who would be in 6th grade in Mexico, but just arrived from Mexico and speaks no English at all. Will the school agree with our idea to put him into the 6th grade math class? Will Paco continue to come to MFP tutoring every week?

-They worry about Fernando who is nine years old and doesn’t know the alphabet. Will the doctors at the behavioral medicine clinic find something to help us understand how to better advocate for him?

-They think of the kids who do not ever participate in any of their school’s after-school bands, sports, or debate club because they will miss the bus home or they were not here when it was time to sign up, or they need to go to work for the last 2 or 3 hours at the packing shed to help their family’s finances.

-They speculate which children will not be there when they go to pick them up for tutoring. Families are frequently given very short notice by their crew leader when it is time to leave. So there are no goodbyes, just hopes that they will be safe and return next year.

The faded passage from Hebrews (13:1-3) on the office wall at Legal Aid reminds us that we must:

“Continue to love each other like brothers and sisters, and remember always to welcome strangers, for by doing this some people have entertained angels without knowing it.”

We at the Migrant Farmworkers Project work to provide services to an unnoticed segment of our society that provides so much to our food supply and culture, and yet is often ignored.  And we are very grateful to the numerous volunteers and agencies that have worked with us nearly three decades to improve the lives of the migrant farmworkers.

Charlene Sims

Project Development Writer

Migrant Farmworkers Project

Suzanne Gladney

Managing Attorney

Migrant Farmworkers Project

How You Can Help… Sunday, December 6, 1-5 p.m.

The Migrant Farmworkers Project invites everyone to mark this anniversary and the holiday season with us. On Sunday, December 6, Ten Thousand Villages will host MFP for a Community Benefit Shopping Day. The store, located at 7947 Santa Fe Drive in downtown Overland Park, features beautiful, fairly traded home décor, jewelry, gifts, and more made by artisans in developing countries. MFP will receive 15% of the sales made from 1 to 5 p.m. that day. We will use the proceeds to support our education and leadership development programs for migrant youth and adults.

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Honduras elections. Some questions. Few Answers.

October 4, 2009 at 10:46 pm · Filed under International Justice ·Tagged

Some say let the present coup of Honduras play itself out and if the coup-meisters call an election this year just boycott it. Not wise. The nations of Latin America, and a day late and a dollar short, the United States State Department, have clearly called the coup illegitimate. The present government of Honduras has no legal base for calling elections without the presence of all political parties and their leaders.

Let’s think it through. If an illegitimate government calls an illegitimate election while the legitimate President is in involuntary exile and cannot convene his party or campaign for its candidate, the coup-meisters are sure to win in a rigged election. A boycott would only insure that victory and Honduras would have a dubious legitimate “democracy” for the next four years. And a deeply divided country would continue to teeter on the brink of a violent civil war. Or continuous street protests, frustrated by a corrupt congress and judiciary, would be dealt with by unjust military repression with no resolution of the underlying problems of social class and institutionalized poverty.

The Organization of American States and the renewed pressures and posture of the United States State Department indicate that only the immediate return of the legitimate President Zelaya, democratically elected and illegally deposed by military force alleging fatuous legal claims, would satisfy the democratic aspirations of the hemisphere. The scheduled elections slated for later this year could then give Honduras a new government with all parties participating in public campaigns permitting a national debate around issues of national concern.

Another point to be considered is the deep distrust of the past, and now present, Administration of the  United States government until it proves by deeds a new relationship with Latin America. Times have changed. “Good Neighbors” do not appear to support military coups anymore. They work for mature, independent and legitimate democracies which do not create, or maintain, former political or economic dependencies or client states. The memory of the totally illegal support of the “Contras” in Honduras by the Reagan administration is still quite fresh in Latin America. Progressive Latin American governments are dubious and Honduras is a test case for democracy in the Hemisphere. Boycotting illegal elections is not an wise option.

Rev. Michael J. Gillgannon

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Jim McGinnis, 1995 Pax Christi USA Teacher of Peace, died August 13, 2009

September 3, 2009 at 4:06 pm · Filed under Peacemakers ·Tagged

Pax Christi USA learned that Jim McGinnis, 1995 Pax Christi USA Teacher of Peace and the co-founder of the Parenting for Peace and Justice Network, died of a heart attack while on an early morning walk on Thursday, August 13.

Janice Vanderhaar, a Pax Christi USA Ambassador of Peace and good friend to Jim and his wife Kathy, wrote Pax Christi with the news.

“This evening Kathy McGinnis called to tell me the heartbreaking news that our dear friend, Jim McGinnis, died suddenly from a heart attack while taking an early morning walk… Jim was an extraordinary human being who gave every ounce of his being to spreading peace through nonviolence.”

Jim had recently attended the Pax Christi USA National Conference in Chicago, promoting and signing his latest book, Praying for Peace Around the Globe.

“We have lost one of the true lights of our movement,” stated Dave Robinson, Pax Christi USA Executive Director. “Jim, in his work with Kathy, helped all of us in the peace movement to see that our commitment to nonviolence did not only mean working for peace at the national and international levels, but that we were called to act for peace and practice justice at home–within our families, our churches, and our local communities.”

In 1995 Jim and Kathy were recognized for their work as Pax Christi USA Teachers of Peace. Jim was a regular presence at Pax Christi events throughout the years, as a speaker, mentor and participant. His books have been published by Pax Christi USA and the Institute for Peace and Justice, which he co-founded and served as program director. He has been featured in the Catholic Peace Voice, National Catholic Reporter, and numerous publications.

“Although we will miss his presence deeply, his legacy and spirit will live on,” stated Vanderhaar.

“Our hearts go out to Kathy and his family,” said Robinson. “Jim’s passing leaves a hole in each of us who knew him, but his witness will continue to inspire us.”

If you would like to leave messages or remembrances of Jim, Pax Christi USA has set up a discussion thread on their Facebook page for people to share memories, thoughts, thanks and more. You can click on this link to read the discussion thread or post your own comments.

You are invited to continue Jim’s lifelong work through donation and continuing support of:

The Institute for Peace & Justice
475 East Lockwood Ave.
St. Louis, MO 63119
Ph: 314-918-2630

For more information, contact Johnny Zokovitch, Director of Communications, at johnnypcusa@yahoo.com or 352-219-8419.

NOTE: This was a press release from Pax Christi USA

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Global Exchange human rights delegation: On the ground findings from Honduras

September 3, 2009 at 3:48 pm · Filed under International Justice ·Tagged

Global Exchange Delegation members traveled to Honduras from August 7 to 15 to witness and assess the current situation. We visited and spoke with human rights officials, leaders of the “National Front Against the Coup,” worker and campesino leaders, a Catholic priest and environmental activist (Father Andrés Tamayo), Mrs. Xiomara Castro de Zelaya (the first lady of Honduras), Carlos H. Reyes (Independent Presidential candidate for the November elections), lawyers, women’s rights activists, an opposition radio station, dozens of rank and file protesters and many people on the streets and service workers in hotels, taxis, and restaurants.

The military coup d’état on June 28, 2009 violated the Honduran constitution but has been supported by an alliance of wealthy elite, a coalition of business leaders representing the biggest business interests. The Catholic Church leadership and faithful were sharply divided over these political and social justice issues, as were some of the growing Evangelical congregations. These groups were offended by some of the measures President Zelaya had taken such as sharply raising the minimum wage  and instituting other reforms beneficial to the poor majority, as well as positioning Honduras geo-politically within the ALBA, the Bolivarian alternative for Latin America. The stated reason for the coup (that Mr. Zelaya was removed and exiled because of constitutional violations), does not appear to have merit.

Members of our delegation participated in and observed both the daily demonstrations demanding the return of President Zelaya and a constitutional assembly to reform the constitution. We observed that the resistance to the coup is large, diverse, and appears to be growing after 48 days. This movement includes working people, professionals, campesinos, public employees, elderly, indigenous, women, and students. The daily demonstrations were well-organized, intentionally peaceful, inspiring and huge. We were impressed by the courage, determination and unity of the people in the streets and in meetings. We observed the mass-media vastly underreporting the extent of the protests against the defacto regime and we witnessed ongoing human rights abuses perpetrated by police and military against protesters. Over 90% of the dominant media is owned by coup supported businesses. Their use of slanderous and biased language to describe the activities of the pro-Zelaya demonstrators labeling them as vandals and terrorists made their position evident.

Our delegation met for an hour with United States Ambassador Hugo Llorens.  Only the U.S. and Japan have not withdrawn their ambassadors after the military coup. Mr. Llorens  assurred the group that that the U.S. was opposed to the coup and was doing everything possible to restore the constitutional order and the return Manuel Zelaya to the presidency. We pointed out the need for the U.S. to take stronger measures against the de facto regime such as cutting off all military and economic aid, freezing the assets of the coup leaders and principal supporters, revoking visas to the coup leaders and principal supporters, ending all training of Honduran military, including soldiers trained at Fort Benning, and withdrawing the U.S. Ambassador. The United States should legally declare that a military coup has occurred so that all non-humanitarian aid would be halted under Section 7008 of the Foreign Operations law. We urged the U.S. to join the other countries in the Americas who have stated their intention not to support or recognize elections in Honduras if they take place under a coup regime.

We believe Honduras is becoming more dangerous by the day. As the resistance to the coup grows, so does the repression and many expressed their fear of a civil war. The coup in Honduras poses a threat to countries seeking to strengthen their democracies. The failure of coup leaders to engage in serious negotiations, together with the stalling by the U.S., and their unwillingness to act in concert with other nations of the Americas, all increase the likelihood that there will be a boycott of the November elections extending the crisis into next year and beyond.   This has implications for all of Latin America. The United States’ actions are being watched by all.

Allan Fisher

afisher800@yahoo.com

415-585-0414

Members of delegation: Maria Robinson, Marin Interfaith Task Force, Tiburon, California, Judy Ancel, Cross Border Network Justice and Solidarity, Kansas City, Kansas, Allan Fisher,  and Alice    Kitchen, Social Worker, Kansas City, Missouri

Global Exchange staff: Andres Thomas Conteris, Joe Shansky

Suggested actions:

1.  Call your U.S. Representatives and ask them to support House Resolution 630 sponsored by Representatives McGovern, Delahunt, and Serrano.

2.  Call the White House and the State Department requesting that they freeze accounts and deny visas to the US for anyone involved in the illegitimate government, recall our US Ambassador, and stop all military and non humanitarian aid.

3.  Sign on to Rep. Raul Grijalva ‘s letter that is circulating in the House of Representatives asking the President to denounce the coup and freeze U.S. assets and suspend visas to visit the US for all coup leaders.

4.  Call US Senator John Kerry, Chair of the Foreign Affairs committee in the Senate and US Representative Berman, Chair of the same committee in the House and ask them to sponsor hearings to explore the facts for the American public to hear.

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Seed to Plate: Remaking our food system for a happy ending

September 3, 2009 at 3:25 pm · Filed under Community, Environment, Seed to Plate Series ·Tagged , ,

Last week’s top grossing film, The Final Destination, brought in over 28 million dollars. If only everyone who bought a ticket to that horror flick could have instead seen Food, Inc., Robert Kenner’s documentary that reveals the frightening reality of our broken food system. The moviegoers still would experience a certain level of suspense brought on by ominous music and a high body count. What they wouldn’t get is the sense of relief that comes when the mystery is solved and they exit the theater.

Instead, the message of Food, Inc. sticks. The film gives us a peek behind the curtain of a highly mechanized food system designed to provide an excess of cheap food. Each meal we eat, unless completely homegrown, has resulted from farm worker exploitation, mistreatment of animals, farmers losing their livelihoods under attack from seed giant Monsanto, food safety scares from new strains of E. coli, and a costly, life-threatening obesity epidemic.

There is no silver bullet, no stake through the heart, no secret-agent gadget that will make this bad guy go away. What might happen (though not over the course of 90 minutes) is a gradual shift to a system that ensures community food security.

According to Mary Hendrickson, director of the Food Circles Networking Project of the University of Missouri Extension, “Community food security is about making sure everyone has good food, all the time, from non-emergency sources.”

It sounds simple, but it can’t happen until we create a just food system that keeps environmental and social costs in check while providing fair wages to those who grow, distribute and deliver our food.

“You don’t move overnight from a system where people are hungry and the cheap food that’s available isn’t good food,” says Hendrickson, who points to zoning for community gardens and farmers market vouchers for low-income and senior populations as steps toward a more just food system.

According to the Community Food Security Coalition, Community Food Security (CFS) is a comprehensive solution based on six principals:

1. Low Income Food Needs

Like the anti-hunger movement, CFS is focused on meeting the food needs of low income communities, reducing hunger and improving individual health.

2. Broad Goals

CFS addresses a broad range of problems affecting the food system, community development, and the environment such as increasing poverty and hunger, disappearing farmland and family farms, inner city supermarket redlining (the practice of providing inferior products to residents of certain areas, often based on ethnicity and income), rural community disintegration, rampant suburban sprawl, and air and water pollution from unsustainable food production and distribution patterns.

3. Community focus

A CFS approach seeks to build up a community’s food resources to meet its own needs. These resources may include supermarkets, farmers’ markets, gardens, transportation, community-based food processing ventures, and urban farms to name a few.

4. Self-reliance/empowerment

Community food security projects emphasize the need to build individuals’ abilities to provide for their food needs. Community food security seeks to build upon community and individual assets, rather than focus on their deficiencies. CFS projects seek to engage community residents in all phases of project planning, implementation, and evaluation.

5. Local agriculture

A stable local agricultural base is key to a community responsive food system. Farmers need increased access to markets that pay them a decent wage for their labor, and farmland needs planning protection from suburban development. By building stronger ties between farmers and consumers, consumers gain a greater knowledge and appreciation for their food source.

6. Systems-oriented

CFS projects typically are “inter-disciplinary,” crossing many boundaries and incorporating collaborations with multiple agencies.

In this series, I’ve written about some of the people working to move Kansas City toward community food security. These urban farmers, advocates, educators and community organizers are leading the fight to keep our food system from becoming more of what film reviewer Mark Dujsik called The Final Destination: “A quick, cheap cash-in.”

To find out more about Community Food Security projects and what you can do, visit these links from the Community Food Security Coalition:

Community Food Security Projects: http://www.foodsecurity.org/CFS_projects.pdf

What One Person Can Do: http://www.foodsecurity.org/what_you_can_do.pdf

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