"Christ's example is being
demeaned by the church if they ignore the new leprosy,
which is AIDS. The church is the sleeping giant here.
If it wakes up to what's really going on in the rest
of the world, it has a real role to play. If it doesn't,
it will be irrelevant."
- Bono
Tuesday, July 18, 2006 Tuesday, July 18, 2006 "With our love, we could save the world." George Harrison
While we are dealing with oppressive heat here in New England, I find I must stop and remember how fortunate we are compared to so many in the world. We have fans and many have air conditioning (oh, what a luxury that must be). We have plenty of drinking water and ice! We can also stop and cool off with some ice cream...
My thoughts are a little scattered today. I have purchased a home in Fairfield, Maine (near Waterville) and am overwhelmed with the amount of repairs! I have barely begun to move my household goods, as the repairs seem to take priority. I have so many things to tie up in the next week as I leave this area with a heavy heart. The number of people whom I have met in this area through Mainely Driftwood Writers Group, NEIDEEP, York-Ogunquit United Methodist Church, St. George's Episcopal Church, U2charists, the Seacoast NAACP, Green Acre Baha'i School and ARS as well as other events, truly has made the Seacoast feel like home. I am glad I will only be a few hours away. As sad as I am about leaving, I look forward to having my own home again - with a peaceful place for writing - and meeting more people through my mission of spreading awareness of extreme poverty to others. It will be exciting to see what new opportunities open up!
We want to wish Bishop Pete Weaver a joyful and happy marriage!!!
Please know that Paige and I will continue NEIDEEP and my move will expand our contacts and initiatives. We will be planning our fall event after a brief, but much needed rest!!!
Paige and I also decided that we will take a short break from postings and newsletters so that we can catch up on that little thing called life!
Please continue send in postings for events! I will be checking e-mail regularly for any updates! If your e-mail gets bounced back in the coming weeks, please click on the "contact us" link as you may be using an old address (which I will be changing soon).
Also know that although NEIDEEP mail comes through my server (and will continue to when I switch from Time Warner to Adelphia), Paige and I share all NEIDEEP correspondence. We ask that you send NEIDEEP correspondence to the NEIDEEP e-mail address and not to Paige or my other e-mail addresses. Paige is also taking a true break during the rest of her sabbatical and will not be responding to e-mail other than requests for U2charist services. We ask that you respect this much needed boundary so that she may get some rest and rejuvenation!
The following initiatives are from Oxfam - Please follow through with this important work:
We recently released a report on respect for labor rights in the sportswear industry in Asia. This report found that many of the workers -- most of whom are women -- who make sportswear garments and shoes face dismissal or threats of violence if they try to organize unions to negotiate for better wages and conditions. A US sportswear company, Fila, was ranked among the worst of the 12 companies in the report because it has failed to address serious labor abuses. Please sign the petition asking Fila to address labor abuses in its factories.Factory workers should have the right to organize and improve their wages and employment conditions. With your help, we can show Fila that there is strong demand by US consumers to address the serious abuses occurring where their products are produced.
Control Arms Campaign Delivers One Million Faces Petition to Kofi AnnanThis week, the Control Arms Campaign delivered the largest photo petition to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan at the opening of the United Nations world conference on small arms and light weapons. The petition is calling for tougher global controls on the arms trade and arms trade treaty. To learn more about the campaign and to add your face to the petition, click here.
I hope you will take time to enjoy some of the amazing events going on in the next few weeks!
173,045,325 People Stood Up & Took Action Against Poverty Worldwide
between Oct. 16 - 18, 2009!
They gathered at over 3,000 events in more than 120 countries.
116,993,629 People Stood Up & Took Action Against Poverty Worldwide
between Oct. 17 - 19, 2008!
That is almost 2% of the
total world population!
43,716,440 People Stood Up Against Poverty
Worldwide between Oct. 16 & 17, 2007! Were You One of Them?
23,542,614 People Stood Up Against Poverty
Worldwide on Oct. 15, 2006! Bless Them All!
"Be the Change You Want to See In the World." Gandhi
Upcoming Events
Send Me Your Events!!! October 17, 2009 NEIDEEP Interfaith Service & Conference
at Fairfield United Methodist Church, 10am to 2pm, including potluck lunch
Join people of all faiths
Discover the role of women in
ending local & global poverty
Location - FUMC, 33 Rt. 201, Fairfield, Maine
Just off I-95, Exit 133
This event is in conjunction with
Stand Up & is Free
The Rev. Dr. Paige Blair Episcopal Priest & Bonnie N. Davis
Buddhist
First NEIDEEP Conference
Our First Meeting took place in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, USA on 2/21/06.
The day began with an Interfaith Service.
Sister True Virtue, who at the time was the Abbess of the Green Mountain Dharma Center, teaching in the tradition of
Thich Nhat Hanh's Order of Interbeing, led a meditation, centering & grounding
the more than 80 participants for the rest of the day.
Local Christians including The Rev. Dr. Paige of St. George's Episcopal Chuch (York Harbor), Pastor Sharon Miesel of
York-Ogunquit United Methodist Church (UMC)
& Pastor Sue Kingman of Sanford Unitarian Universalist Church (UUC) also took part in the Interfaith Service.
Iman Ibrahim Sayer, Boston Dialogue Foundation, did a transforming reading from the Koran in Arabic.
Rabbi David Mark, Temple Israel in Portsmouth, blew the Shofar,
made from Ram's Horn, reminding us that it is made from the same material as our fingernails &
that the work before us must be done with our hands.
The Rt. Rev. Peter Weaver, presiding bishop of the New England Conference of the United Methodist Church (NEUMC)was also
serving the Worldwide head the United Methodist's at the time of the conference. He spoke about trips to Africa, meeting with
religious leaders to speak with President Bush, & attending the Transatlantic Forum on Global Poverty in London prior to the 2005 G8 Summit.
Jan Schrock, Senior Advisor of Heifer International at the time, is the daughter of
Dan West, Heifer's founder, spoke about Heifer's interaction with communities, helping them plan their futures.
Lallie Lloyd, Episcopalian's for Global Reconciliation (E4GR), spoke about her book -
"Eradicating Global Poverty - A Christian Study Guide on the MDG."
Margaret Udahogora, of Rwanda, spoke about educating orphans from her country, also
reminding us of Africa's beauty. Suzanne Bowman,
talked about BeadforLife - Ugandan women (many HIV/AIDS positive) making beads and jewelry for two years and now
supporting 170 families.
NAACP, Salvation Army and United Way attended as guests with clergy and
other participants. Program stressed MDG, trade issues, & activisim.
Millennium Campaign Pledge & ONE Declaration were signed - "No Excuses" White Wristbands were handed out with
resource guides. By setting the example of working together across potitical, cultural, spiritual & religious boundaries,
we can make an amazing difference.
Interfaith Communities Can Heal the World!
A second round of NEIDEEP is planned for October 2008.
Activating New England will make a difference in ending extreme poverty. After all, we hosted a memorable
tea party that changed the course of history.
In a world where so many go hungry,
Let us make the fruits of creation available for all.
In a world where one billion of our brothers and sisters do not have safe drinking water,
Let us help the waters run clear.
In a world where so many die so young,
And so many mothers die in childbirth,
And so many families are ravaged by disease,
Let us bring health and healing.
In a world where women carry such heavy burdens,
Let us recognize and restore the rights of all.
Let us join together, with a new sense of global community,
A new awareness of our need for one another,
And for this fragile planet,
To meet the clear challenge of the Millennium Goals,
To bring hope as substantial as bread,
To make human dignity as visible as wheat in the fields.
Special thanks to The Rev. Mike Kinman for his assistance on how to set up a cool blog!
