From moriah at preferred.com Sat Jan 1 01:19:15 2005 From: moriah at preferred.com (Mary Calhoun) Date: Sat, 1 Jan 2005 00:19:15 -0500 Subject: [saymaListserv] Fw: Help AFSC save lives and rebuild in Asia Message-ID: <000401c4efd3$b6d88e80$6464a2c6@abc> Tsunami/Earthquake ReliefReceived at the SAYMA office. ----- Original Message ----- From: American Friends Service Committee To: AdminAsst at sayma.org Sent: Thursday, December 30, 2004 1:50 PM Subject: Help AFSC save lives and rebuild in Asia Dear AFSC Friend, As many as five million people in South Asia are without medical attention, shelter, food, and potable water in the aftermath of the tsunami that took more than 80,000 lives. We urgently need your support to respond effectively to this crisis. Give now to help AFSC save lives and rebuild. Click here: https://www.donatefast.com/donate.cfm?id=afcrisis AFSC is mounting a full-scale response to this disaster: a.. Grants from the AFSC Crisis Fund are being wired immediately to the Society for Health, Education and Environment for Peace (SHEEP) a local Indonesian organization and to the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) for relief work that has already begun in Indonesia with staff on the ground. b.. A delegation of medical personnel sponsored by AFSC and the Society for Health, Education and Environment for Peace (SHEEP) is traveling to Indonesia's remote Aceh Province, which was devastated by flooding. This group of Indonesian medical professionals will be relieving a team that left for the region on the 27th. c.. An AFSC assessment team, in partnership with MCC, is preparing to leave for Indonesia where our work will build on AFSC's more than 30 years of experience in that country. The situation on the ground and AFSC's response are still developing at this time. One thing is certain: the more rapidly and robustly that we are able to respond, the more lives we will be able to save as the injured are found and water-borne diseases begin to spread. Will you help us by making a contribution now? Give now to help AFSC save lives and rebuild. As always, we thank you for your ongoing support and your trust that we will use your gift wisely. Together we can make a difference for thousands of people whose lives have been shattered by this terrible disaster. Visit http://www.afsc.org/give/southasia.htm to learn more about how we will use your gift. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Ask your friends to sign up for AFSC's email lists. Tell-a-friend! If you received this message from a friend, you can sign up for American Friends Service Committee. This message was sent to AdminAsst at sayma.org. Visit your subscription management page to modify your email communication preferences or update your personal profile. To stop ALL email from American Friends Service Committee, click to remove yourself from our lists (or reply via email with "remove" in the subject line). © 2004 AFSC American Friends Service Committee 1501 Cherry Street Philadelphia, PA 19102 www.afsc.org If you would like to unsubscribe from a specific AFSC list, or update your account settings, you can visit your Subscription Management Page. Click here to remove yourself from all AFSC lists. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From moriah at preferred.com Sat Jan 1 01:32:39 2005 From: moriah at preferred.com (Mary Calhoun) Date: Sat, 1 Jan 2005 00:32:39 -0500 Subject: [saymaListserv] Fw: Urgent Help Is Needed {J Goldthwait} Message-ID: <000501c4efd3$b7880860$6464a2c6@abc> A message from Jane Goldthwait, Celo FM. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jane Goldthwait" Sent: Friday, December 31, 2004 12:45 AM Subject: Fwd: Urgent Help Is Needed > > Dear Family and Friends, > > > > The situation here in Sri Lanka is devastating. We > get 24 hour coverage even now almost a week later. > Things are normal here in Colombo. My son-in-law's > cousin's husband was killed. > > > > Here is a list of links to send money. Nejem's uncle > > who is from here, but lives in Washington, DC, sent > > this. > > > > Also, the Rotary of Kandy, Sri Lanka, is requesting > > that people send to them or to the Red Cross. > > > > Rotary Kandy > > 03, Temple Street > > Kandy > > Sri Lanka > > phone from inside the country is 077-877199. I left > > the book with the country code prefix in the hotel. > > > > Jane > > > > > > http://www.slembassyusa.org> -- Sri Lanka Embassy > > > > > > http://www.icrc.org/web/eng/siteeng0.nsf/iwpList4/6A6D1CCA2737CBADC1256F78005A45AA> > > > -The Red Cross > > > > > > > > > http://www.oxfam.org.uk/what_we_do/emergencies/country/asiaquake/index.htm> > > > - Oxfam Great Britain > > > > > > > > > http://www.careusa.org/newsroom/pressreleases/2004/dec/20041227_asiaquake.asp> > > > - CARE > > > > > > http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org> - Doctors > > > without Borders > > > > > > http://www.helpsl.org > > > > > > > > > Nejem > > > > > > > > > > > > __________________________________ > > > Do you Yahoo!? > > > Yahoo! Mail - now with 250MB free storage. Learn > > > more. > > > http://info.mail.yahoo.com/mail_250 > > > > > > > > > > > > __________________________________ > > > Do you Yahoo!? > > > Dress up your holiday email, Hollywood style. > > Learn > > > more. > > > http://celebrity.mail.yahoo.com > > > > > > > > > __________________________________________________ > > Do You Yahoo!? > > Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam > > protection around > > http://mail.yahoo.com > > > > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around > http://mail.yahoo.com > > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From freepolazzo at comcast.net Tue Jan 4 11:22:16 2005 From: freepolazzo at comcast.net (free polazzo) Date: Tue, 04 Jan 2005 10:22:16 -0500 Subject: [saymaListserv] Military recruitment in our high schools. Message-ID: <6.1.2.0.2.20050104101606.02e3d3c8@mail.comcast.net> Dear Friends, The NY TImes has put a spotlight on an issue we need to be aware of . . military recruitment in our high schools. Note that a parent can ask a school to NOT have their child's information sent to the military recruiters. Please pass this on. Free ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NY Times Editorial: Leave No Sales Pitch Behind January 4, 2005 The fine print in President Bush's No Child Left Behind Act is slowly dawning on the parents of high school students across the country as the war in Iraq drags on: military recruiters can blitz youngsters with uninvited phone calls to their homes and on-campus pitches replete with video war games. This is all possible under a little noted part of the law that requires schools to provide the names, addresses (campus addresses, too) and phone numbers of students or risk losing federal aid. The law provides an option to block the hard-sell recruitment - but only if parents demand in writing that the school deny this information to the military. Hard-pressed recruiters have stepped up the sales pitch to meet wartime manpower shortages. One sergeant filmed by the NewsHour on PBS recently sounded like a salesman from David Mamet's Glengarry Glen Ross as he exhorted a campus group: "I mean, where else can you get paid to jump out of airplanes, shoot cool guns, blow stuff up and travel, seeing all kinds of different countries?" The Pentagon insists that it enjoys the same entree to high school students as college and corporate recruiters. But clearly, No Child Left Behind has given the military a thumb on the scale with the threat of lost money. Some students on the cusp of adulthood describe the recruiters as merely offering another option in life; others complain of outright pestering. Recruiters have learned to focus on the most promising markets - typically lower-middle-class schools. No one can complain of unfairness in a draft-free society where many have found fine careers in the military, with recruitment part of the process. But it is objectionable when the government tucks a decided advantage for its wartime armies' salesmanship into a law invoked in the name of children. http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/04/opinion/04tue3.html?ex=1105851728&ei=1&en=1ef39b7dc46a75e8 From moriah at preferred.com Tue Jan 4 19:40:35 2005 From: moriah at preferred.com (Mary Calhoun) Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2005 18:40:35 -0500 Subject: [saymaListserv] Fw: Elaine Pagels Lecture: 4/16/05 Message-ID: <19f501c4f356$ea5e4480$6464a2c6@abc> ----- Original Message ----- From: Sally Rickerman To: Sally Rickerman Sent: Monday, January 03, 2005 10:39 PM Subject: Elaine Pagels Lecture: 4/16/05 Dear Friends, Although I realize the unlikelihood of any of your members and/or attendenders coming to Philadelphia in April, I am sending you this information in case you know of some who might be studying in the area or coming for another reason around this time. We are thrilled to have been able to get her to do so - in her words "I'd love to speak to Friends". This is indeed a special ocassion. We are having her talk and the question and answer period afterwards taped so that we can distribute it to those Friends meetings who wish to discuss her comments. We will know more about that opportunity after the event as to when we are able to do so and for mow much per CD. She does not wish to publish her remarks because she said she might wish to use them herself in a subsequent book. So far we have people coming from Toronto, NY, NJ, MD, MA, RI, FL and of course PA and over 300 tickets have already been sold for an event that is 4 1/2 months away! We three who are organizing this event feel that there is a tremendous similarity between the early Friends understanding of "Primitive Chrisitanity" and the Gnostic writing discovered buried at Nag Hammadi after 1900 years! I am including three attachments, giving background, how to sign up and how to get to Arch Street Meetinghouse - chosen because it can hold 900! Thansk for your help, In Friendship, Sally Rickerman sshhrr at earthlink.net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Background and Support.doc Type: application/msword Size: 27648 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Info Updates.doc Type: application/msword Size: 26624 bytes Desc: not available URL: -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Parking, directions etc.doc Type: application/msword Size: 27648 bytes Desc: not available URL: From moriah at preferred.com Fri Jan 7 01:07:48 2005 From: moriah at preferred.com (Mary Calhoun) Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2005 00:07:48 -0500 Subject: [saymaListserv] Pagels attach'ts >>> body Message-ID: <00ff01c4f476$e2e9ade0$6464a2c6@abc> Friends, For anyone who couldn't open the attachments to the posting about Elaine Pagels' lecture, the texts are pasted below. Two of the files seem to have very similar content -- -- the 3rd file below was named Parking, directions etc.doc 12-20-04 9:47am -- the 2nd file below was named Info updates.doc 12-20-04 10:27am I haven't worked out the differences. ^o^ \_/ Mary AdminAsst at sayma.org 276-628-5852 POB 2191, Abingdon VA 24212-2191 *k --------------------------------- Background and Support for the Pagels' Lecture [Note: Because of the popularity of our speaker and the limitations of our facilities, and because this talk is of such importance to the Quaker community it was decided that Friends - and those closely associated with them through membership, attendance or connection with Friends schools - should have preference for tickets until March 1st 2005.] Since the 1979 publication of Elaine Pagels' book. the Gnostic Gospels, Friends have been interested and fascinated with the similarity of the early Friends' discovery and practice of what they defined as Primitive Christianity. Others have obtained enlightenment on this topic by attending Pagels' lectures, reading her other books or hearing her on radio or TV. The result is that many have desired to have the author, a foremost Gnostic scholar who is a professor of religion at Princeton University, speak before a Quaker audience on her findings based on the 1945 discovery of the Gnostic writings. It was felt that her message would help Friends better understand the uniqueness of the message of George Fox and other early Quakers. To arrange this event several Friends formed a Working Group under the Standing Committee of Worship and Care of PYM. Grants have been received from both the Chace and Bequests Funds of PYM and the Quaker Universalist Fellowship to enable this event - those working on this project are grateful for this support. To give a "taste" of her understandings, we offer these three quotes from her writings. In her Beyond Belief, she says: "But since Christians often adopt Irenaeus' view of controversy, Many still insist that only their church, . . . -actually remains faithful to Jesus' teaching. Furthermore, since Christian tradition teaches that Jesus fully revealed God two thousand years ago, innovators from Francis of Assissi to Martin Luther, from George Fox to John Wesley to contemporary feminist and liberation theologians, often have disguised innovation-even from themselves-by claiming that they are not introducing anything new but only clarifying what Jesus actually meant all along." This approach to the teachings of Jesus has been both refreshing and stimulating to a number of Friends, who have had difficulty with some of the pronouncements of the "Christian" church which sometimes seems as if it is promoting the mythology of Christ. The second quote is from her Adam, Eve and the Serpent, as she explains, when talking about Valentinus' understanding of going beyond the elementary steps of faith, baptism and moral reform to spiritual illumination: Other gnostics claimed to know the secret teachings of Jesus himself-teaching only hinted at, they said in the New Testament gospels but revealed more fully in such secret writings as the Gospel of Thomas. the Gospel of Mary Magdalene and the Dialogue of the Saviour. Such writings, suppressed and lost for nearly sixteen hundred years, remained, until recently, virtually unknown. . . . What the discovery certainly does offer, however, is extraordinary insights into the early Christian movement. For the first time, we can read firsthand works later condemned and destroyed by the bishops as heretical. Now for the first time the "heretics" can speak to us in their own words. For church leaders of the second century . . . had attacked the gnostic Christians, condemned their teachings , and attempted to drive them out of the churches. And from The Gnostic Gospels: Gnostic accounts often mention how the recipients respond to Christ's presence with intense emotions - terror, awe, distress, and joy. Yet those gnostic writers do not dismiss visions as fantasies or hallucinations. They respect - even revere - such experiences, through which spiritual intuition discloses insight into the nature of reality. For further information about Elaine Pagels and her spiritual journey see her interview on PBS's Religion and Ethics of 10/10/2003 at www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/week706/profile.html ................................................................................................ INFORMATION UPDATES AND REMINDERS Starting March 1st the general public will be invited to share the day with us on a first reserved - first served basis. (At the present time there are six such requests on file in the order of the date they were made. These and subsequent ones will be filled in the order of application when spaces become available on that date.). PARKING INFORMATION The only reserved parking spaces in the Arch Street Meetinghouse lot are for those cars having both a handicap tag and three other passengers in that car. If the parking lot is full or there are less than a minimum of 4 ticket holders in a car, there are three other nearby parking lots. . One on 3rd Street (one-way north and one block from Market Street) abutting the meetinghouse lot which charges $7.00 for the day and is usually available before 9 am; . The National Park Service has an underground parking facility on 5th street under the Liberty Bell Mall (drive on the left side of 5th street for the entrance) which charges $9.50/ day, if in before 9 am and out before 6 pm - otherwise it is $13.00/day. . The Holiday Inn on 4th Street across from the Meetinghouse is $20.00/day. APPROACHES TO ARCH STREET MEETINGHOUSE FROM I-95 Going North on I-95: Take the next exit after the Walt Whitman Bridge - Washington Street and go left at the light onto Christopher Columbus Blvd. At Locust, turn left and at the next street, Front, turn right. Go through two lights and at Arch Street, turn left (the only way you can go!). Continue on Arch until 4th Street and turn left. **The Parking lot is on the left. If the meetinghouse lot is full, turn left onto Market and turn left of 3rd Street for the 3rd Street lot or turn right onto Market and right onto 5th for the National Park Service underground lot.** Going South on I-95: Take the I-695 exit bear right onto Callowhill Street. Turn left onto 4th Street and cross Arch. ** ** LUNCH ARRANGEMENTS (Both buffet and box lunches are $10.00) As of the 19th of December although there are over 270 lecture tickets sold, a little over 100 buffet lunches have been bought. So there is still room for further orders for the buffet lunch in the East Room as well as the pre-ordered box lunches. Both the pre-ordered box lunches (available for the East Room "overflow") and those bringing their brown bag will be able to eat upstairs in the committee rooms and will be able to purchase hot drinks there. REMINDERS All ticket requests and checks got to Sally Rickerman, 121 Watson Mill Road, Landenberg PA 19350: 610-274-8856: sshhrr at earthlink.net for processing. Checks should be made out to PYM. TICKET AND OTHER MAILINGS As soon as we have final approval from our lecturer on the text who wishes to all attending to read before she speaks, we shall print out the 115 verses of Thomas and the 95 of Mary and send that pamphlet to those whose ticket applications have been paid. We shall also be sending with that mailing the admission and lunch choice ticket. ..................................................... INFORMATION UPDATES AND REMINDERS Starting March 1st the general public will be invited to share the day with us on a first requested - first served basis. (At the present time there are six such requests on file These and subsequent ones will be filled in the order of application when spaces become available on that date.). PARKING INFORMATION The only reserved parking spaces in the Arch Street Meetinghouse lot are for those cars having both a handicap tag and three other passengers in that car. If the parking lot is full or there are less than a minimum of 4 ticket holders in a car, there are three other nearby parking lots. . One on 3rd Street (one-way north and one block from Market Street) abutting the meetinghouse lot which charges $7.00 for the day and is usually available before 9 am; . The National Park Service has an underground parking facility on 5th street under the Liberty Bell Mall (drive on the left side of 5th street for the entrance) which charges $9.50/ day, if in before 9 am and out before 6 pm - otherwise it is $13.00/day. . The Holiday Inn on 4th Street across from the Meetinghouse is $20.00/day. APPROACHES TO ARCH STREET MEETINGHOUSE FROM I-95 Going North on I-95: Take the next exit after the Walt Whitman Bridge - Washington Street and go left at the light onto Christopher Columbus Blvd. At Locust, turn left and at the next street, Front, turn right. Go through two lights and at Arch Street, turn left (the only way you can go!). Continue on Arch until 4th Street and turn left. **The Parking lot is on the left. If the meetinghouse lot is full, turn left onto Market and turn left onto 3rd Street for the 3rd Street lot or turn right onto Market and right onto 5th for the National Park Service underground lot.** Going South on I-95: Take the I-695 exit bear right onto Callowhill Street. Turn left onto 4th Street and cross Arch. **see above for the all lots' directions**. LUNCH ARRANGEMENTS (Both buffet and box lunches are $10.00) As of the 22nd of December, although there are over 270 lecture tickets sold, but only a little over 100 buffet lunches have been bought. So there is still room for further orders for the buffet lunch in the East Room Both those who have the pre-ordered box lunches and those bringing their own lunch will be able to eat upstairs in the committee rooms where they will be able to purchase hot drinks. There are, also, many nearby local eateries. REMINDERS Send all ticket and lunch requests and checks to Sally Rickerman, 121 Watson Mill Road, Landenberg PA 19350 for processing. Checks should be made out to PYM For special info contact her at 610-274-8856 or sshhrr at earthlink.net. TICKET AND OTHER MAILINGS FOR PAGELS' LECTURE As soon as we have final approval from our lecturer on the text, we shall print a pamphlet containing the 115 verses of the Gospel of Thomas and the 95 verses of the Gospel of Mary Magdelene and send it along with admission and lunch choice ticket to those who have completed their registration. PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From moriah at preferred.com Sat Jan 8 23:58:07 2005 From: moriah at preferred.com (Mary Calhoun) Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2005 22:58:07 -0500 Subject: [saymaListserv] viaYMaa>> Fw: Quaker UN Summer School '05 Message-ID: <041801c4f602$e0ce4b00$6464a2c6@abc> Received at the SAYMA office. ^o^ \_/ Mary AdminAsst at sayma.org 276-628-5852 POB 2191, Abingdon VA 24212-2191 ============================= ----- Original Message ----- From: "Helen Bradford" Sent: Friday, January 07, 2005 10:08 AM Subject: Quaker United Nations Summer School June, July 2005 Dear Friend, I am writing in connection with our annual Summer School on the United Nations, which we run in late June, early July in Geneva. I wonder if I could ask if you might advertise it. I have provided a description below. Thank you. Best wishes Helen Bradford ------------------------------ QUAKER UNITED NATIONS SUMMER SCHOOL 26th JUNE to 8th JULY 2005, GENEVA The annual Quaker United Nations Summer School in Geneva provides an opportunity for twenty five young people between 20 and 26 years of age to meet together to study the work of the United Nations at first hand as seen through the programmes of QUNO -- the Quaker United Nations Office in Geneva. QUNO works on disarmament and peace, human rights and refugees, and trade and development. During Summer School there will be talks by staff of the UN, non-governmental organisations and diplomatic missions, as well as informal discussion sessions and visits to the UN itself. The participation fee for the summer school is £360, which goes towards the costs of accommodation, programme and meals. Travel costs to Geneva and spending money are not included. No formal qualifications are necessary. However an active interest in international affairs is needed, as well as the desire to share understanding with others. Application forms are available from www.quaker.org.uk or from Helen Bradford, Quaker Peace & Social Witness (QUNSS), Friends House, 173-177 Euston Road, London, NW1 2BJ, UK. Or via e-mail: helenb at quaker.org.uk CLOSING DATE FOR RECEIPT OF APPLICATIONS IS 16th MARCH 2005 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From moriah at preferred.com Tue Jan 11 18:10:15 2005 From: moriah at preferred.com (Mary Calhoun) Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2005 17:10:15 -0500 Subject: [saymaListserv] viaYMaa>> Eyes Wide Open coming to DC Message-ID: <038501c4f852$5d586f60$6464a2c6@abc> Eyes Wide Open in DCReceived at the SAYMA office... ^o^ \_/ Mary AdminAsst at sayma.org 276-628-5852 POB 2191, Abingdon VA 24212-2191 ========================== ----- Original Message ----- From: American Friends Service Committee To: AdminAsst at sayma.org Sent: Monday, January 10, 2005 12:20 PM Subject: Eyes Wide Open is coming to DC Eyes Wide Open, the American Friends Service Committee's widely acclaimed exhibition on the human cost of the Iraq war, is coming back to Washington, D.C. January 19 - 21 National City Christian Church 5 Thomas Circle NW (14th St. and Massachusetts Ave.) Washington, D.C. The exhibit commemorates all the lives lost, and includes: - a pair of boots honoring each U.S. military casualty; - a field of shoes and a wall of remembrance to memorialize the Iraqis killed in the conflict; and - a multimedia display exploring the history, cost and consequences of the war. Don't miss this powerful memorial and call to wage peace! Exhibit times Wednesday, Jan 19: 12 - 5pm Thursday, Jan 20: 9 am - 1 am 5 pm - 1 am: Candlelight vigil 5 - 6 pm: Iraq veterans and military families speak 6 - 10 pm: Reading of names Friday, Jan 21: 9 am - Noon Getting there Bus: 52, 53, and 54. Metrorail: Orange or Blue line to McPherson Square (Walk 2 blocks north on Vermont Ave.) Volunteers are needed for set-up, break-down and staffing To volunteer, email: blankespoor at gmail.com or call: (866) 393-9433 or (202) 299-9100 For more information about the exhibit, call: (202) 483-3341 or visit the Eyes Wide Open web site at http://eyes.afsc.org © 2004 AFSC American Friends Service Committee 1501 Cherry Street Philadelphia, PA 19102 www.afsc.org =============================== From Mmarjean at aol.com Wed Jan 12 07:18:46 2005 From: Mmarjean at aol.com (Mmarjean at aol.com) Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2005 06:18:46 EST Subject: [saymaListserv] Eyes Wide Open Message-ID: <127.53709622.2f166196@aol.com> The Memphis Friends Meeting is also co-sponsering the Eyes Wide Open Exhibit in Memphis, Jan. 28-30 at the National Civil Rights Museum. See www. AFSC.org for details about the exhibit. Peace, Kristi -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From freepolazzo at comcast.net Wed Jan 12 13:36:02 2005 From: freepolazzo at comcast.net (free polazzo) Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2005 12:36:02 -0500 Subject: [saymaListserv] Is al Qaeda Just a Bush Boogeyman? Message-ID: <6.1.2.0.2.20050112123553.02d713c0@mail.comcast.net> A very interesting piece on just what the "war on terror" may be all about. Free ------------------------------------- Is al Qaeda Just a Bush Boogeyman? http://www.alternet.org/story/20954 A new BBC film argues coherently that much of what we have been told about the threat of international terrorism "is a fantasy that has been exaggerated and distorted by politicians." ------------------------ From pennywright at earthlink.net Wed Jan 12 15:53:38 2005 From: pennywright at earthlink.net (Penelope Wright) Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2005 13:53:38 -0600 Subject: [saymaListserv] viaYMaa>> Eyes Wide Open coming to DC References: <038501c4f852$5d586f60$6464a2c6@abc> Message-ID: <006501c4f8e0$69c7efd0$cd3045cf@user2ih5nie4yp> As has been shared about Memphis co-hosting this exhibit, Nashville will also have the exhibit. February 1-3 it can be seen on the Fisk campus. Nashville Peace and Justice Center, of which Nashville MM is a member is sponsoring it. Penelope Wright ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mary Calhoun" To: "sayma" Sent: Tuesday, January 11, 2005 4:10 PM Subject: [saymaListserv] viaYMaa>> Eyes Wide Open coming to DC > Eyes Wide Open in DCReceived at the SAYMA office... > > ^o^ > \_/ > Mary > AdminAsst at sayma.org > 276-628-5852 > POB 2191, Abingdon VA 24212-2191 > ========================== > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: American Friends Service Committee > To: AdminAsst at sayma.org > Sent: Monday, January 10, 2005 12:20 PM > Subject: Eyes Wide Open is coming to DC > > Eyes Wide Open, the American Friends Service Committee's widely acclaimed > exhibition on the human cost of the Iraq war, is coming back to Washington, > D.C. > > January 19 - 21 > National City Christian Church > 5 Thomas Circle NW > (14th St. and Massachusetts Ave.) > Washington, D.C. > > The exhibit commemorates all the lives lost, and includes: > - a pair of boots honoring each U.S. military casualty; > - a field of shoes and a wall of remembrance to memorialize > the Iraqis killed in the conflict; and > - a multimedia display exploring the history, cost and > consequences of the war. > > Don't miss this powerful memorial and call to wage peace! > > Exhibit times > Wednesday, Jan 19: 12 - 5pm > Thursday, Jan 20: 9 am - 1 am > 5 pm - 1 am: Candlelight vigil > 5 - 6 pm: Iraq veterans and military families speak > 6 - 10 pm: Reading of names > Friday, Jan 21: 9 am - Noon > > Getting there > Bus: 52, 53, and 54. > Metrorail: Orange or Blue line to McPherson Square > (Walk 2 blocks north on Vermont Ave.) > > Volunteers are needed for set-up, break-down and staffing > To volunteer, email: blankespoor at gmail.com > or call: (866) 393-9433 or (202) 299-9100 > > For more information about the exhibit, call: (202) 483-3341 > or visit the Eyes Wide Open web site at http://eyes.afsc.org > > © 2004 AFSC > > American Friends Service Committee > 1501 Cherry Street > Philadelphia, PA 19102 > www.afsc.org > =============================== > > > _______________________________________________ > Southern Appalachian Yearly Meeting and Association mailing list > posting address: sayma at kitenet.net > subscribe/unsubscribe: http://kitenet.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/sayma > From bertskellie at mindspring.com Thu Jan 13 12:09:12 2005 From: bertskellie at mindspring.com (Bert Skellie) Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2005 11:09:12 -0500 Subject: [saymaListserv] "Neighborhood Safety and Stereotypes" brochure available Message-ID: <002801c4f98a$3925d400$0b02a8c0@bert> "Neighborhood Safety and Stereotypes" brochure available Atlanta Meeting's ORAIIARH (Our Roles as Individuals in America's Racial History) has produced a brochure in response to a growing concern about racist behavior witnessed in predominantly white neighborhoods. For instance, in the neighborhood of two of our members, an e-mail list identified a suspect only as an African American male. We became concerned about the consequences for Black people living in, working in, or walking through the neighborhood. The text is pasted in below. Contact Bert Skellie (bertskellie at mindspring.com, 404-378-5883) for printed copies to distribute in your neighborhood or for a copy of the pdf file (if attachment doesn't work on your list), which will soon be available at http://www.quaker.org/atlanta. Neighborhood Safety and Stereotypes How can a community be safe for ALL neighbors, friends and visitors? Imagine that you are reading a report in your neighborhood newsletter about a suspected car thief. As the words jump off the page, you realize, with horror, that the description fits you - "African American male." That's all the information provided. Not only does it describe you, but also your sons and some of your neighbors. You feel imprisoned now in your own neighborhood. Vulnerable Scared Angry How can you feel safe working in your yard? Walking the dog? Jogging for exercise? You remember the beating of Rodney King and the killing of Amadou Diallo while police considered them "suspects." You are now considered a suspect in your own yard, on your own street, in your neighborhood business. Your African American friends and relatives who may come to visit are also suspects. Or the African Americans who may walk through the neighborhood to get to school, work or the store. Stereotype Danger The previous section describes a situation from the perspective of an African American male. African American women also fear for the safety of their husbands, sons and themselves. The rest of this brochure will describe ways in which whites can make a difference. In a neighborhood, residents often mistrust someone they don't know, especially if the person looks different from themselves. In neighborhoods where most of the residents look the same, there is a strong tendency to make assumptions about who is and isn't a neighbor. Yet, neighborhoods are becoming increasingly pluralistic. Neighbors can take steps to be inclusive of all, and most importantly, can acknowledge and undo personal racism that often sets neighbors apart. Historically, the fear of black men and exploitation of black women has led to the reality of racism in our neighborhoods today. These behaviors continue despite decades of laws meant to extend equality to all. What can white people DO? What can a neighborhood DO? White people can do a lot to eliminate these stereotypes. Acknowledge that people of many racial and ethnic backgrounds live in the neighborhood. Acknowledge that white skin color is not the norm. Examine your own racial prejudices and stereotypes. Intentionally work to change your racial biases. Begin a conversation with neighbors about racial stereotyping. Share leadership with your neighbors of differing ethnicities and plan social gatherings for the neighborhood. Extend invitations to all members of the community, following up by speaking personally to everyone. Plan activities that are inclusive of people of different backgrounds, for instance, a welcoming dinner for new residents, a potluck with foods from each individual's heritage, a multi-cultural festival or a book discussion featuring multi-cultural authors. When describing criminal suspects, be as specific as possible about their appearance and behavior. Avoid identifying people by race or ethnicity because these descriptions victimize all people of that background, including residents. For example, the following description would really help residents look for a particular individual: "a male, short hair, about 40 years old, no facial hair, with dark complexion, tall and thin, wearing jeans, a yellow t-shirt, and a baseball cap, peering into parked cars in driveways." Use this test to help decide if behavior witnessed in a neighborhood is suspicious. Ask, "Would this behavior be suspicious if a white person was acting in this way?" For instance, a white person riding a bike through a white neighborhood would not be suspicious, but one who was trying the open doors on several cars would be. Read more about stereotypes at the following web sites: http://www.thepeoplesinstitute.org http://www.tolerance.org https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/ For more information call 404-377-2474. Ask to leave a message for "ORAIIARH" (Our Roles As Individuals In America's Racial History). About the Authors A discussion group of the Atlanta Friends Meeting, most of whom are white, wrote this brochure in response to a growing concern about racist behavior witnessed in predominantly white neighborhoods. For instance, in the neighborhood of two of our members, an e-mail list identified a suspect only as an African American male. We became concerned about the consequences for Black people living in, working in, or walking through the neighborhood. Many people live in multi-ethnic communities, yet very few are equipped with the experience and background necessary to live without racism in such a community. This is especially true for white people in the US who frequently have not lived, worked or worshiped with those of another racial or ethnic heritage. We hope neighborhoods will find these ideas helpful. This is a work in progress and we are interested in your responses. Copyright © June 2004 Permission is granted to copy and distribute this brochure in its entirety. For an electronic copy of this brochure, please visit http://www.quaker.org/atlanta -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: trifoldsafe4.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 59926 bytes Desc: not available URL: From mcgahey at yancey.main.nc.us Thu Jan 13 14:16:48 2005 From: mcgahey at yancey.main.nc.us (Geeta Mcgahey) Date: Thu, 13 Jan 2005 13:16:48 -0500 Subject: [saymaListserv] Eyes wide Open- Greensboro In-Reply-To: <20050113120003.758DD180A5@kitenet.net> Message-ID: <5.1.0.14.0.20050113115947.02aa31a0@yancey.main.nc.us> AFSC's The Eyes Wide Open Exhibit will be shown at The Depot at 300 East Washington St. in downtown Greensboro on Jan 23rd, 24th and 25th. Hours will be Sunday the 23rd 1pm -9 pm, Monday 24th 9 am-9 pm, and Tuesday 25th 9 am-9 pm. Contact John Young, New Garden Friends. "John D. Young" They may need help staffing. In the Light, Geeta Jyothi From kcarlyle at main.nc.us Sat Jan 15 11:07:56 2005 From: kcarlyle at main.nc.us (Kim Carlyle) Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2005 10:07:56 -0500 Subject: [saymaListserv] SAF -- timely news Message-ID: <005b01c4fb17$6f176400$a56dc0d1@yourfulkl1oh2q> Dear Friends, The winter edition of SAF has been mailed to your meeting. It contains timely information of upcoming events. Please see that it gets distributed to Friends in your meeting. (That means it gets put in their hands, not put on a table to collect dust.) Also, you can view it electronically, along with other SAYMA information, at www.sayma.org. Thanks for your help. Peace on Earth, Peace with Earth, S & K Carlyle, eds. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From moriah at preferred.com Sat Jan 15 13:35:22 2005 From: moriah at preferred.com (Mary Calhoun) Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2005 12:35:22 -0500 Subject: [saymaListserv] viaYMaa>> Interested in Europe and the EU? Message-ID: <000801c4fb2a$3fab36c0$6464a2c6@abc> Received at the SAYMA office. ^o^ \_/ Mary AdminAsst at sayma.org 276-628-5852 POB 2191, Abingdon VA 24212-2191 ------------------------------ Interested in Europe and the EU? Want to Learn More? Sign up for the QCEA Study Tour (2-10 July 2005) The QCEA Study Tour provides the perfect opportunity to learn, discuss and reflect on what Europe means to you. The Study Tour will include visits to the various European Institutions in Brussels & Strasbourg; meetings with MEPs; NGOs; interactive discussions about security, peace, justice and human rights*. We guarantee eight days of learning and fun which will leave you with fresh insights and new perspectives on all things European. You will learn about the issues QCEA works on as well as many other topical issues in Europe. You will meet with people from all over the continent and have the opportunity to discover Brussels & Strasbourg together. The cost (excluding travel to Brussels) is ?475 for guesthouse accommodation (with some meals included) or ?425 for youth hostel accommodation (with all meals or meal allowance included). Bursaries may be available. The study tour is open to Quakers or those in sympathy with the Religious Society of Friends who are aged 18 and over. For more information and to download an application form please visit: http://www.quaker.org/qcea/studytours.htm Or contact Quaker Council for European Affairs (QCEA) Square Ambiorix 50, B-1000 Brussels Tel: +32 2 230 30 62 (E-mail: studytours at qcea.org) Deadline for applications: 2 May 2005 *At this stage the exact programme is still to be confirmed. ---------------------------------- From bright_crow at mindspring.com Sat Jan 15 20:39:32 2005 From: bright_crow at mindspring.com (Michael Austin Shell) Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2005 19:39:32 -0500 Subject: [saymaListserv] Fwd: NYTimes.com Article: Social Security Enlisted to Push Its Own Revision Message-ID: <6.1.2.0.0.20050115193728.0292b7b0@pop.mindspring.com> Friends, I'm generally very reluctant to barrage the SAYMA listserv with emailed news articles, but on this issue the Bush Administration has already gone too far. I personally am totally opposed to any sort of privatization of Social Security. Whatever you may believe on the subject, I hope you will agree with me that it is totally inappropriate for the President to be ordering the Social Security Administration itself to politic for his agenda. Please read this article and share it with others. Also, take a look at the New York Times special page on the Social Security debate: http://www.nytimes.com/pages/national/nationalspecial/index.html Thanks, Mike. >New York Times: >Social Security Enlisted to Push Its Own Revision > >January 16, 2005 > By ROBERT PEAR > >WASHINGTON, Jan. 15 - Over the objections of many of its >own employees, the Social Security Administration is >gearing up for a major effort to publicize the financial >problems of Social Security and to convince the public that >private accounts are needed as part of any solution. > >The agency's plans are set forth in internal documents, >including a "tactical plan" for communications and >marketing of the idea that Social Security faces dire >financial problems requiring immediate action. > >Social Security officials say the agency is carrying out >its mission to educate the public, including more than 47 >million beneficiaries, and to support President Bush's >agenda. > >"The system is broken, and promises are being made that >Social Security cannot keep," Mr. Bush said in his Saturday >radio address. He is expected to address the issue in his >Inaugural Address. > >But agency employees have complained to Social Security >officials that they are being conscripted into a political >battle over the future of the program. They question the >accuracy of recent statements by the agency, and they say >that money from the Social Security trust fund should not >be used for such advocacy. > >"Trust fund dollars should not be used to promote a >political agenda," said Dana C. Duggins, a vice president >of the Social Security Council of the American Federation >of Government Employees, which represents more than 50,000 >of the agency's 64,000 workers and has opposed private >accounts. > >Deborah C. Fredericksen of Minneapolis, who has worked for >the Social Security Administration for 31 years, said, >"Many employees believe that the president and this agency >are using scare tactics to promote private accounts." > >Social Security trustees say the program's financial >problems will grow as baby boomers retire. The program will >pay out more in benefits than it collects in revenue in >2018, they say. By 2042, they say, the trust fund will be >exhausted, and tax income will be sufficient to pay only 73 >percent of scheduled benefits. > >In campaign-style speeches, Mr. Bush and other officials >have said that Social Security is headed for bankruptcy, >and that workers should be allowed to divert some of their >payroll taxes into private accounts, as a way to build >wealth for themselves and their heirs. > >Such comments have prompted inquiries from the public to >Social Security offices. Agency managers said they expected >a torrent of calls after Mr. Bush's Inaugural Address on >Thursday and his State of the Union speech two weeks later. > >Mark R. Lassiter, a spokesman for the Social Security >Administration, said he could not discuss the agency's >communications plans because they were "internal >documents." The agency, he said, has a duty "to educate the >public about the financial challenges facing Social >Security," but has not prepared a script for employees to >use in answering questions from the public. > >The Bush administration ran afoul of a ban on "covert >propaganda" when it used tax money to promote the new >Medicare drug benefit and to publicize the dangers of drug >abuse by young people. The administration acknowledged >paying a conservative commentator, Armstrong Williams, to >promote its No Child Left Behind education policy. But on >Social Security, unlike those issues, the government has >not concealed its role. > >The agency's strategic communications plan says the >following message is to be disseminated to "all audiences" >through speeches, seminars, public events, radio, >television and newspapers: "Social Security's long-term >financing problems are serious and need to be addressed >soon," or else the program may not "be there for future >generations." > >The plan says that Social Security managers should "discuss >solvency issues at staff meetings," "insert solvency >messages in all Social Security publications" and spread >the word at nontraditional sites like farmers' markets and >"big box retail stores." > >Also, the document says, agency managers should observe and >measure how much their employees know about the solvency of >the program. > >Mr. Bush has created a sense of urgency by declaring that >"the crisis is now." > >A slide show, presented to various audiences by James B. >Lockhart III, deputy commissioner of Social Security, says >that "benefit cuts would be drastic" after 2042 if the >Social Security law and payroll tax rates continue >unchanged. > >A policy brief prepared by the agency says those benefit >cuts "would double the poverty rate of Social Security >beneficiaries aged 64 to 78," increasing the number of >indigent people in that age bracket to 1.8 million, from >875,000. > >Witold R. Skwierczynski, president of the Social Security >Council of the federation of government employees, said: >"Some of the information being imparted by agency officials >is not factual, not accurate. There is no immediate >crisis." > >In interviews, other Social Security employees expressed >similar views. But council members were more willing to >allow use of their names because a federal law generally >protects them against "penalty or reprisal" when they speak >publicly or testify before Congress. > >Social Security employees denied that their concerns were >motivated by a bureaucratic mentality, a fear of change or >a desire to protect their jobs. > >"There's a lot more to it than that," said Colleen M. >Kelley, president of the National Treasury Employees Union, >which represents lawyers and paralegals at the Social >Security Administration. "There's a genuine concern about >how people will live when they retire, a real fear that >Social Security benefits could be eroded by private >accounts." > >The official policy brief, analyzing the consequences of >inaction, was written by Andrew G. Biggs, the associate >commissioner of Social Security for retirement policy. Mr. >Biggs, 37, joined President Bush in making the case for >private accounts at a White House forum this week. > >When he was an analyst at the Cato Institute, Mr. Biggs >championed private accounts, saying they "would pay >substantially higher retirement benefits than the current >Social Security program" because some payroll taxes could >be invested in stocks and corporate bonds rather than in >government securities. > >In 2003, just before he became associate commissioner, Mr. >Biggs said that AARP, the lobby for older Americans, was >"spreading disinformation" about the risks of private >accounts. Mr. Biggs, who has a doctorate from the London >School of Economics, said critics were wrong to suggest >that personal accounts meant large cuts in benefits. In >fact, he said, Social Security cannot pay the benefits it >has promised. > >The combination of benefits from traditional Social >Security and a private account would substantially exceed >what the current program can actually pay, Mr. Biggs said. > >Other analysts, including the Congressional Budget Office, >have reached a different conclusion. They say the >combination of benefits from the trust fund and individual >accounts is likely to be less than actual benefits under >the current system. > >In a document sent each year to millions of workers, the >government emphasizes the looming financial problems. The >document shows a worker's earnings history and estimated >future benefits. But it says the scheduled benefits could >be cut because "without changes, by 2042 the Social >Security trust fund will be exhausted." > >Agency employees raised their concerns with Reginald F. >Wells, a deputy commissioner of Social Security, and two >associate commissioners, David L. Feder and Roger >McDonnell. Mr. McDonnell confirmed that employee >representatives had shared their concerns with him, but he >declined to say how he replied. > >Robert M. Ball, who worked at the Social Security >Administration for three decades and was commissioner under >Democratic and Republican presidents from 1962 to 1973, >said: "It's fine for the agency to answer factual >questions, but it's unusual to use the Civil Service >organization to push a political agenda, especially because >what they're saying is not true. The program is not going >bankrupt." > >When asked about the outlook for Social Security, several >agency officials pointed to a White House "fact sheet" that >says, "By 2042, when workers in their mid-20's begin to >retire, the system will be bankrupt - unless we act now to >save it." > >http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/16/politics/16benefit.html?ex=1106834869&ei=1&en=16171923c86a13ea > >--------------------------------- >For general information about NYTimes.com, write to >help at nytimes.com. > >Copyright 2004 The New York Times Company From moriah at preferred.com Mon Jan 17 16:26:18 2005 From: moriah at preferred.com (Mary Calhoun) Date: Mon, 17 Jan 2005 15:26:18 -0500 Subject: [saymaListserv] viaYMaa>> Fw: online Peace University Message-ID: <000501c4fda1$20ababa0$6464a2c6@abc> Received at the SAYMA office. ^o^ \_/ Mary AdminAsst at sayma.org ----- Original Message ----- From: TRANSCEND To: programs at transcend.org Sent: Wednesday, January 12, 2005 10:46 AM Subject: [TRANSCEND] Training Programmes & Courses - TRANSCEND PeaceUniversity (TPU) Announcement for courses and training programmes of TRANSCEND Peace University (TPU) www.transcend.org / www.transcend.org/tpu TRANSCEND Peace University (TPU) On-Line 1.. Opening Registration for courses beginning February 2005 (www.transcend.org/tpu) TRANSCEND International Peace and Development Training Programmes (www.transcend.org) 2.. Peacebuilding, Conflict Transformation and Post-War Rebuilding, Reconciliation and Resolution (PCTR) five-days advanced international training programme, March 28 - April 1, 2005, Cluj-Napoca, Romania 3.. Globalisation from below: strategies and actions for social transformation and nonviolent struggle - learning from and building local and global movements, April 18 - 22, 2005, Cluj-Napoca, Romania Please distribute as broadly as possible to individuals, organizations and agencies which may be interested in participating. 1. TRANSCEND Peace University - TPU On-Line The world's on-line university for peace and development studies Announcing Registration for semester starting February 2005 The following is an announcement for the TRANSCEND Peace University (TPU), the world's first ever global peace university for policy makers, practitioners, scholars, students, UN staff and others working in peacebuilding, conflict transformation, post-war reconstruction, rehabilitation and reconciliation, development, human rights, and other related fields. Please forward this announcement to individuals, organisations, UN agencies and governments which you believe may be interested in participating in the TPU 's February Semester 2005. For more information or to apply on-line, please visit www.transcend.org/tpu. Please note, the deadline for applications for the February Semester is February 15, 2005. http://www.transcend.org/tpu TRANSCEND PEACE UNIVERSITY (TPU) February Semester 2005 Johan Galtung, the Rector of TPU and one of the founders of peace studies, invites you to join practitioners and students from around the world on-line. http://www.transcend.org/tpu With faculty and Course Directors drawn from amongst the leading scholars and practitioners in their fields internationally, TPU is the world's first truly global, on-line Peace University designed for government and NGO practitioners, policy makers and students at any level working in the fields of peace, conflict transformation, development and global issues. Since 1996 300+ on-site skills institutes have been offered for 6,000+ participants around the world, using the TRANSCEND manual "Conflict Transformation By Peaceful Means," published by the United Nations. There will be certificates; for single courses, diplomas for clusters of courses and eventually BA, MA; and PhD degrees. Participants may combine on-line and on-site courses. http://www.transcend.org/tpu In the 2005 February Semester TPU will offer the following 15 courses: http://www.transcend.org/tpu 1. Peaceful Conflict Transformation, Johan Galtung 2. Nonviolence as Political Tool and Philosophy, Jorgen Johansen 3. Peace Journalism, Jake Lynch and Annabel McGoldrick 4. Film and Peace, Paul D. Scott 5. Deep Culture in Conflict, Johan Galtung, Wilfried Graf and Gudrun Kramer 6. Democratization and Development, Paul D. Scott 7. Dialogue, Peace and Development, Katrin Kaeufer and Claus Otto Scharmer 8. Conflict Prevention, Intervention, Reconciliation and Reconstruction, S. P. Udayakumar 9. Development and Human Rights, Jim Ife and Lucy Fiske 10. Peace Futures: Mapping, Anticipating and Deepening Approaches to the Futures of Peace (and War), Sohail Inayatullah 11. Peace Museums, Christophe Bouillet 12. Peace Zones, Christophe Barbey 13. Transformacion Pacifica de Conflictos, Sara Rozenblum de Horowitz 14. Peace Business and Economics, Jack Santa Barbara and Howard Richards 15. Literature and Peace, Marisa Antonaya Starting Date: February 28, 2005 (or two weeks after the minimum number of students is met for that course) Ending Date: May 22, 2005 Deadline for Registration: February 15, 2005 Cost per one Course: For EU, North American, Japanese and South-East Asian/Australian, participants 300 Euros. For all others 150 Euros. http://www.transcend.org/tpu For more information or to register, please contact the TRANSCEND Peace University Global Center in Cluj, Romania with a staff to handle information, applications, payments, course related questions, and computer support: E-mail: tpu at transcend.org Tel +40-724-380511 Fax:+40-264-420298 Web-site www.transcend.org/tpu *** 2. Peacebuilding, Conflict Transformation and Post-War Rebuilding, Reconciliation and Resolution (PCTR) five-days advanced international training programme, March 28 - April 1, 2005, Cluj-Napoca, Romania for practitioners, policy makers, international and national agency staff and NGOs working in peacebuilding, conflict transformation and post-war recovery (www.transcend.org) Organised by TRANSCEND and the Peace Action, Training and Research Institute of Romania (PATRIR) Peacebuilding, Conflict Transformation and Post-War Reconstruction, Reconciliation and Resolution (PCTR 2005) is designed for practitioners, political leaders and policy makers, and organisations working in areas affected by conflict, violent conflict, and war, as well as countries and regions in post-war situations. Building upon experiences in peacebuilding, conflict transformation, and post-war reconstruction, rehabilitation, reconciliation and healing, and people-centred, participatory development, from former Yugoslavia, Aceh, Afghanistan, Cambodia, Colombia, Nepal, Somalia, Nicaragua, South Africa, and the Middle East, as well as from the countries of the participants themselves, the programme is highly intensive and practice-oriented. The training is needs-based and both skills and knowledge intensive, allowing participants to draw upon and address concrete issues and challenges facing them in their work and country/community. PCTR is designed for advanced participants and practitioners to develop skills and tools for implementation in practice, addressing both the needs of the individuals taking part, as well as the needs and challenges confronting the communities, organisations and institutions they work within, both in the field and in their organisation, programme and project design. The PCTR explores all three phases of violence and war - pre-violence, violence, post-violence - and what can be done: to transform unresolved conflicts, for war to peace transitions, to empower communities, organisations, and individuals for conflict transformation and peacebuilding, to design and implement effective cease-fire and peace processes, and to develop effective policy responses and programmes for conflict transformation and post-war reconstruction, rehabilitation, reconciliation, and healing. The PCTR is particularly relevant for senior to middle-range staff and executive officers in national and international aid and development organisations, field staff working in areas affected by violent conflict and war or in post-war/violence situations, international diplomats, national and local level politicians in countries affected by war and conflict or with portfolios responsible for issues dealing with peacebuilding, conflict transformation, and development policies, policy makers, UN staff, people involved in grass-roots and community-based peacebuilding, and practitioners of conflict transformation and mediation. For more information or to apply please visit www.transcend.org or write to Calina Resteman, Training Programme Coordinator at training at transcend.org *** 3.. Globalisation from below: strategies and actions for social transformation and nonviolent struggle - learning from and building local and global movements, April 18 - 22, 2005, Cluj-Napoca, Romania (www.transcend.org) An Invitation to solidarity struggles, social justice movements, feminists and women's organisations, unions, human rights workers, peace activists, and people's movements from across the world. The programme will be devoted to developing methods and strategies for empowerment, mobilisation, transformation, nonviolence, and building of movements, weaving together a network of organisations and practitioners across continents. globalisation from below is intended as a meeting point, and an in-depth, intensive training programme for those engaged in nonviolent movements and social struggles for people's and community rights, democratisation, peace, and social justice, drawing upon the inspiration and lessons learned from people's movements and struggles around the world over the past 50 years - from the People's Power movement in the Philippines to the non-violent revolutions in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union and the overthrow of political apartheid in South Africa to the Living Democracy Movement in India, the Assembly of the Poor in Thailand, the Landless Movement in Brazil, and the World Social Forum. globalisation from below will bring together social justice and human rights activists, social workers and organisers, and peace organisations and movements from around the world creating a space for sharing of experiences and training in skills and methods for practice - for local and global struggles - learning from the legacy of non-violent movements from all continents, and developing and strengthening a global network of committed social activists and non-violent practitioners. For more information or to apply please visit www.transcend.org or write to Jasmina Francetic, Training Programme Coordinator at jasmina at patrir.ro -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jhminshall at comcast.net Mon Jan 24 14:25:29 2005 From: jhminshall at comcast.net (Janet Minshall) Date: Mon, 24 Jan 2005 13:25:29 -0500 Subject: [saymaListserv] Re: [afmdiscussion] FW: Worth Reading In-Reply-To: <53A81150A4FD5540AA5B30836A96950C4EA203@n2-atl-exch2.it.n2bb.com> References: <53A81150A4FD5540AA5B30836A96950C4EA203@n2-atl-exch2.it.n2bb.com> Message-ID: Hi Jennifer, Thanks so much for the wonderful message you sent from Dr. Meyers. It speaks to every one of the Quaker testimonies. I plan to forward it on to several groups. Hope you don't mind. Blessings, Janet Minshall from Jennifer Thompson, Atlanta Friends Meeting Discusssion list: >A Minister who tells it as it is... > >Dr. Robin Meyers >Mayflower Congregational Church (405) 842-8897 >3901 Nw 63rd St >Oklahoma City, OK 73116 > >http://www.mayflowerucc.org/ > >As some of you know, I am minister of Mayflower Congregational Church in >Oklahoma City, an Open and Affirming, Peace and Justice church in >northwest >Oklahoma City, and professor of Rhetoric at Oklahoma City University. > >But you would most likely have encountered me on the pages of the >Oklahoma >Gazette, where I have been a columnist for six years, and hold the >record >for the most number of angry letters to the editor. > >Today, I join ranks of those who are angry, because I have watched as >the >faith I love has been taken over by fundamentalists who claim to speak >for >Jesus, but whose actions are anything but Christian. > >We've heard a lot lately about so-called "moral values" as having swung >the >election to President Bush. Well, I'm a great believer in moral values, >but >we need to have a discussion, all over this country, about exactly what >constitutes a moral value -- I mean what are we talking about? > >Because we don't get to make them up as we go along, especially not if >we >are people of faith. We have an inherited tradition of what is right and >wrong, and moral is as moral does. > >Let me give you just a few of the reasons why I take issue with those in >power who claim moral values are on their side: > >-- When you start a war on false pretenses, and then act as if your >deceptions are justified because you are doing God's will, and that your >critics are either unpatriotic or lacking in faith, there are some of us >who >have given our lives to teaching and preaching the faith who believe >that >this is not only not moral, but immoral. > >-- When you live in a country that has established international rules >for >waging a just war, build the United Nations on your own soil to enforce >them, and then arrogantly break the very rules you set down for the rest >of >the world, you are doing something immoral. > >-- When you claim that Jesus is the Lord of your life, and yet fail to >acknowledge that your policies ignore his essential teaching, or turn >them >on their head (you know, Sermon on the Mount stuff like that we must >never >return violence for violence and that those who live by the sword will >die >by the sword), you are doing something immoral. > >-- When you act as if the lives of Iraqi civilians are not as important >as >the lives of American soldiers, and refuse to even count them, you are >doing >something immoral. > >-- When you find a way to avoid combat in Vietnam, and then question the >patriotism of someone who volunteered to fight, and came home a hero, >you >are doing something immoral. > >-- When you ignore the fundamental teachings of the gospel, which says >that >the way the strong treat the weak is the ultimate ethical test, by >giving >tax breaks to the wealthiest among us so the strong will get stronger >and >the weak will get weaker, you are doing something immoral. > >-- When you wink at the torture of prisoners, and deprive so-called >"enemy >combatants" of the rules of the Geneva convention, which your own >country >helped to establish and insists that other countries follow, you are >doing >something immoral. > >-- When you claim that the world can be divided up into the good guys >and >the evil doers, slice up your own nation into those who are with you, or >with the terrorists -- and then launch a war which enriches your own >friends >and seizes control of the oil to which we are addicted, instead of >helping >us to kick the habit, you are doing something immoral. > >-- When you fail to veto a single spending bill, but ask us to pay for a >war >with no exit strategy and no end in sight, creating an enormous deficit >that >hangs like a great millstone around the necks of our children, you are >doing >something immoral. > >-- When you cause most of the rest of the world to hate a country that >was >once the most loved country in the world, and act like it doesn't matter >what others think of us, only what God thinks of you, you have done >something immoral. > >-- When you use hatred of homosexuals as a wedge issue to turn out >record >numbers of evangelical voters, and use the Constitution as a tool of >discrimination, you are doing something immoral. > >-- When you favor the death penalty, and yet claim to be a follower of >Jesus, who said an eye for an eye was the old way, not the way of the >kingdom, you are doing something immoral. > >-- When you dismantle countless environmental laws designed to protect >the >earth which is God's gift to us all, so that the corporations that >bought >you and paid for your favors will make higher profits while our children >breathe dirty air and live in a toxic world, you have done something >immoral. The earth belongs to the Lord, not Halliburton. > >-- When you claim that our God is bigger than their God, and that our >killing is righteous, while theirs is evil, we have begun to resemble >the >enemy we claim to be fighting, and that is immoral. We have met the >enemy, >and the enemy is us. > >-- When you tell people that you intend to run and govern as a >"compassionate conservative," using the word which is the essence of all >religious faith-compassion, and then show no compassion for anyone who >disagrees with you, and no patience with those who cry to you for help, >you >are doing something immoral. > >-- When you talk about Jesus constantly, who was a healer of the sick, >but >do nothing to make sure that anyone who is sick can go to see a doctor, >even >if she doesn't have a penny in her pocket, you are doing something >immoral. > >-- When you put judges on the bench who are racist, and will set women >back >a hundred years, and when you surround yourself with preachers who say >gays >ought to be killed, you are doing something immoral. > >I'm tired of people thinking that because I'm a Christian, I must be a >supporter of President Bush, or that because I favor civil rights and >gay >rights I must not be a person of faith. > >I'm tired of people saying that I can't support the troops if I oppose >the >war -- I heard that when I was your age, when the Vietnam war was >raging. We >knew that the war was wrong, and you know that this war is wrong--the >only >question is how many people are going to die before these make-believe >Christians are removed from power? > >This country is bankrupt. The war is morally bankrupt. The claim of this >administration to be Christian is bankrupt. And the only people who can >turn >things around are people like you--young people who are just beginning >to >wake up to what is happening to them. It's your country to take back. >It's >your faith to take back. It's your future to take back. > >Don't be afraid to speak out. Don't back down when your friends begin to >tell you that the cause is righteous and that the flag should be wrapped >around the cross, while the rest of us keep our mouths shut. > >Real Christians take chances for peace. So do real Jews, and real >Muslims, >and real Hindus, and real Buddhists--so do all the faith traditions of >the >world at their heart believe one thing: life is precious. Every human >being >is precious. Arrogance is the opposite of faith. Greed is the opposite >of >charity. And believing that one has never made a mistake is the mark of >a >deluded man, not a man of faith. > >And war -- war is the greatest failure of the human race -- and thus the >greatest failure of faith. > >There's an old rock and roll song, whose lyrics say it all: War, what is >it >good for? absolutely nothing. > >And what is the dream of the prophets? That we should study war no more, >that we should beat our swords into plowshares and our spears into >pruning >hooks. Who would Jesus bomb, indeed? How many wars does it take to know >that >too many people have died? What if they gave a war and nobody came? > >Maybe one day we will find out. > >Time to march again my friends. Time to commit acts of civil >disobedience. >Time to sing, and to pray, and refuse to participate in the madness. My >generation finally stopped a tragic war. You can too! > > >------------------------------------------------------------------------ >---- > > Dr. Robin R. Meyers >http://www.mayflowerucc.org/staff/meyers.html > > > Dr. Robin Meyers has been the Senior Minister of Mayflower >Congregational Church of Oklahoma City since 1985, a church that is the >fastest growing UCC church in the Kansas/Oklahoma conference. He is also >Professor of Rhetoric at Oklahoma City University, where he has taught >since 1991. Dr. Meyers was born in Oklahoma City, and grew up in >Wichita, Kansas. After graduating from Wichita State University, he >attended the Graduate Seminary of Phillips University, and then earned a >Doctor of Ministry degree at Drew University in Madison, New Jersey. In >1991, he was awarded a Ph. D. by the University of Oklahoma's >Communication Department, for his work in the area of persuasion and >preaching. > > Dr. Meyers is the author of three books. His first, With Ears to >Hear: Preaching as Self-Persuasion is a textbook for preachers, and his >second, released in March of 1998 in hardcover, and May 2000 in >paperback is a book on living a simpler and more sacramental existence, >entitled Morning Sun on a White Piano: Simple Pleasures and the >Sacramental Life. Published by Doubleday of New York, it features a >prominent endorsement by television journalist and best-selling author >Bill Moyers. > > A third book, The Virtue in the Vice: Finding Seven Lively Virtues >in the Seven Deadly Sins is due out in hardcover in August, 2004 from >HCI Press (of Chicken Soup for the Soul fame). > > Dr. Meyers is a frequent preacher and speaker at church >conferences and communication workshops across the country, is the >author of numerous articles in the field of human communication, and has >been a quest radio talk show host in Oklahoma City. He was a finalist >for the pulpit of the Riverside Church, the Earl Preacher at the Earl >Lectures in Berkeley in 2000, and the winner of the Angie Debo Civil >Libertarian of the Year Award from the ACLU. His Sunday morning and >Sunday evening sermon broadcasts on KOMA reach the largest listening >audience of any religious broadcast in Oklahoma, and he is a regular >columnist for The Oklahoma Gazette, where he holds the record for most >angry letters to the editor. He is marred to Shawn Meyers, an Oklahoma >City artist, and they are the parents of three children, Blue, 26, >Chelsea, 23, and Cass, 10. > > > >*** >________________________________ > >Do you Yahoo!? >Yahoo! Search presents - Jib Jab's 'Second Term' >e/jibjabinaugural.html> > > >[Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > >------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> >Has someone you know been affected by illness or disease? >Network for Good is THE place to support health awareness efforts! >http://us.click.yahoo.com/UwRTUD/UOnJAA/i1hLAA/UlWolB/TM >--------------------------------------------------------------------~-> > > >Yahoo! Groups Links > ><*> To visit your group on the web, go to: > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/afmdiscussion/ > ><*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: > afmdiscussion-unsubscribe at yahoogroups.com > ><*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: > http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ > From nc_stereoman at charter.net Tue Jan 25 09:13:04 2005 From: nc_stereoman at charter.net (Steve Livingston) Date: Tue, 25 Jan 2005 08:13:04 -0500 Subject: [saymaListserv] Re: [afmdiscussion] FW: Worth Reading In-Reply-To: <6.2.0.14.2.20050124145439.0312ba50@mail.comcast.net> Message-ID: <41F5FF90.26826.28584E@localhost> Wow! Strong stuff! I note that Dr. Meyers presented this speech to a Peace Rally at the Univeristyof Oklahoma on Nov 14 of last year. A lot of us were feeling tremendous disappointment and anger at that time. His words capture the difficulties I have had as a Quaker struggling to hold George Bush in my heart as a human person, and sincerely and compassionately holding him in the Light. I have worked with this, sat with it, prayed over it, almost daily for years now. Every step forward is staggered by the reality of violence, greed, and duplicity that have marred our nation's current events, almost daily for years now. What's a Quaker to do? I have been fortunate that Way has opened for me, as it frequently does, in an unexpected direction. I was recently asked to participate in a performance for the Asheville Fringe Festival. The director, unfamiliar with my Leftist leanings, warned me that the piece was "pretty political". Little did she know how deeply I would be touched, how strongly it would resonate with me! I, of course knew nothing, except that an "opportunity" had appeared, and I was strongly moved to take it. The performance, entitled "First Supper: Responses to the November Election and the War in Iraq", is a combination of movement, improvisation, and recitation, moving through the emotions of fear, anger, and grief to emerge with dignity, hope, and courageous love. Participating in this performance has been tremendously uplifting to me. We are onstage this week, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights. Near the end of the performance, one of the characters, a self- described "budding Buddhist" describes how her feelings have changed toward the President: "I tried anger," she says, "but it just isn't working for me." She offers "I love you, George Bush" as a mantra, in conjunction with the Buddhist chant "Om Mani Padme Hum". She learns to feel it in the same way. As we are liberated from the oppression of our own anger and hatred, the rest of the ensemble addresses the audience with the hopefulness of personal empowerment and change. We come out as ourselves, not as characters in a play, and present to them our "Personal List of Immediate Changes", a list that was compiled from actual responses that each one of us offered to the director's inquiry as to how our lives had been affected by recent events. Here's how it goes: James: The day after George Bush was elected, my friends and I sat down and made a list of how we are going to change our lives - immediately. I guess I felt disconnected, like I had been working for structural change, but I didn't have to give up any of my personal comforts. Well, it looks like structural change didn't happen, so now I am working on myself. >From now on, Iwill be a more intentional American consumer, and hopefully a person who lives every minute of his life as an act of empowerment under an oppressive regime. Now, more than ever, we are traveling against the current. That doesn’t mean we jump ship, it just means we paddle harder. Let me read you what I have so far: January 27th, 2005 Personal List of Immediate Change James: Be more honest J: Drink less J: Smoke less pot – that’s gonna be a hard one J: Join a Farming Co-op J: Read more history J: Seek out what the news doesn’t tell us J: Do at least one subversive act per month Steve: Spend more time practicing my faith Althea: Stop being so comfortable Taryn: Spend more time talking about things that are actually important J: Like religion S: Politics T: Sex Lisa: Watch less TV A: No more TV J: Buy fewer things S: Support local small businesses T: No Wal-Mart Ever Again! L: More random acts of kindness A: Less bumper stickers J: Learn another language S: And stick with it T: Party less like an alcoholic L: Get clear on my relationship with my boyfriend A: Spend more time with my son J: Travel to new places S: Go dancing once a week T: Honor my body L: Speak my mind A: Listen to my heart J: Get out in nature more S: Spend less time in the car T: Bike to work L: Join the Biodiesel Co-op A: Walk more J: Walk in the rain S: Eat slower T: Don’t get so angry L: Give myself a break A: Never put myself down J: Make political art S: Tune the piano T: Make art L: Make Soup A: Give thanks every day J: Remember how far I’ve come -- Steve Livingston nc_stereoman at charter.net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From moriah at preferred.com Sat Jan 29 05:24:05 2005 From: moriah at preferred.com (Mary Calhoun) Date: Sat, 29 Jan 2005 04:24:05 -0500 Subject: [saymaListserv] Fw: Obituary Message-ID: <022301c505f0$e6f912a0$6464a2c6@abc> Received at the SAYMA office. ----- Original Message ----- From: Tim Lamm Sent: Friday, January 28, 2005 5:28 PM Subject: Obituary Dear Friends, Those of you who do not get a local Berea newspaper will be interested to read this obituary that Maureen and friends composed for Peter. It will be published with the attached picture. ---Tim Lamm Berea Friends Meeting PO Box 531 Berea, KY 40403 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------ Peter C. Reilly III, 56, of Berea, husband of Maureen Flannery, died unexpectedly on Thursday, January 27. Peter was the father of Kerry and Patrick Flannery-Reilly, and the son of Elizabeth Reilly and the late George Reilly of Indianapolis, Indiana. Born in Chicago, Peter graduated from Denison University, Ohio, and earned a Master's degree in Business Administration from Harvard University Business School. He and his family moved to Knott County Kentucky in 1979 and to Berea in 1986. Peter served as a consultant, board member, and volunteer for many organizations in the Appalachian region and beyond. He was a founding member of the Berea Interfaith Task Force for Peace and of the Appalachian Community Fund (ACF). Peter served as a member of the board of the Funding Exchange (FEX), a national network of organizations that promote "change not charity." To celebrate his 50th birthday, he completed a coast-to-coast bicycle ride fundraiser for ACF and FEX. Over the years he was involved in several capacities with Appalachian Federal Credit Union and the Human Economic Appalachian Development (HEAD) Corporation. In addition to his work with these organizations, Peter was an activist who devoted much time and energy to peace and social justice efforts. Peter was an active member of Berea Friends Meeting (Quakers), serving in many capacities, including clerk. He also served on the regional board of American Friends Service Committee. He enjoyed bicycling, jogging, and hiking. In addition to his mother, wife and sons, Peter is survived by his two brothers, George and Robert Reilly, and their families. A memorial service in the manner of Friends is planned for Sunday January 30, at 4:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall of First Christian Church, 206 Chestnut Street, Berea. Memorial contributions may be made to the Berea Friends Meeting (P.O. Box 531, Berea, KY 40403) or the Funding Exchange (666 Broadway, Suite 500, New York, NY 10012). ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------- -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: obit2.JPG Type: image/jpeg Size: 45190 bytes Desc: not available URL: