"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
Wednesday, September 13, 2006 Wednesday, September 13, 2006
“When a needle falls into a deep well, many people will look into the well, but few will be ready to go down after it.”African Proverb
Summer is ending, and here, in northern Maine, fall is in the air. Paige is back from her four-month sabbatical and I am settling into my new environment.
With all that has happened to us in the past few months, one thing remains the same. Extreme Poverty still affects a billion people around the world and 30,000 children have died every single day during this time. Darfur remains an unstable area with little changed. In Africa, a new strain of HIV/AIDS has shown up that is resistant to antiretroviral drugs and people continue to die in large numbers every day.
The good news is that progress has been made. Through Oxfam, US farmers traveled to Africa and learned about farming in several regions. Read about this story as well as about some of the world’s poorest people in West Africa who depend on agriculture to support themselves under the “Feature Stories” section here.
Mutual respect grew as the farmers learned of the difficulties of small and/or family farms on both continents. Learn about how the 2007 Farm Bill will affect farmers around the world. I am fascinated that cotton growers in Mali are carving out a niche for themselves by growing certified organic and Fair Trade cotton. I was touched by a story about one village that proudly sends one child to school. We take our blessings and opportunities for granted in our society.
Oxfam’s work is one example about how we can make a difference. We can eradicate poverty when we open ourselves up to the humanness of individual lives. One story – such as those on Oxfam’s site – enables us to have a better understanding than all of the horrible statistics. The stories that the US Farmers have to tell help us to see that we can make a difference and that we must. We learn how our voting on US bills affects those around the globe. What is good for dairy farmers in Vermont, fisherman on our seacoasts and blueberry growers in Maine, is good for cotton farmers in Africa and coffee growers in Asia and South America.
In the next few weeks and through our newsletter and e-mailings, Paige and I will ask you to help us with the next Global Call to Action and Millennium Campaign initiative – STAND UP! We will be asking you to STAND UP against poverty on October 15, 2006. For now, you can learn more on the UN Millennium Campaign website.
This initiative takes little panning and is free. It can take place during your regular church service such as St. Matthew’s in Hallowell, Maine is doing or you can have a special event like Paige has planned - the U2charist at St. George’s in York, Maine.
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!