BLOG ACTION DAY! HUMAN RIGHTS

Since the topic for this year's Blog Action Day is Human Rights, I've decided to "talk" about the Human Rights Campaign. For over 30 years, this organization has been   focusing on the rights of persons who are lesbian, gay, Bi- or trans-sexual. It is now the largest LGBT advocacy group in the United States with over 1.5 million members and supporters.

Why do I think it’s important to spot-light this group, and this issue, when there are so many other human rights issues? Issues like asylum seeking, human trafficking, and others? Because I know many people personally who have experienced prejudice and hatred because of their sexuality. People who have had to pretend to be someone else, people who couldn't share in the rights that I have, people who have suffered emotionally and mentally because of who they are. And because of those people, young and old, who continue to suffer.

A number of years ago, my daughter Mica Scalin, worked on a documentary, Same Sex America, about the laws in Massachusetts changing to permit marriage between same sex partners. This film was so heart warming and wrenching, at the same time. Why? Why? What is the problem here with not permitting people who love and care about each other to have the same equal protection, under the law, as I have. Why haven’t they been permitted to have hospital visiting rights, decision making rights, shared legal power, and on and on.

We all need to support this basic Human Right because we all know a person who is lesbian, gay, bi or trans-sexual. Even if we don’t KNOW it, we do know them, they are our friends, relatives, and neighbors. They are our teachers, police officers, bank tellers, postal workers, students, doctors, etc.; they are us. And we all need to be equal under the law. I do believe this.

Support equal rights, support HUMAN RIGHTS.

Blog Action Day 2012 - The Power of We. #BAD12

Today is the day that bloggers around the world come together to blog on one theme. This year that theme is The Power of We.

The "We" that I want to mention today is The Richmond Peace Education Center (aka RPEC) which has been working since 1980 to promote a just and peaceful community.  The organizations' vision is to promote non-violence locally and globally.

I first learned of this organization when it sponsored a project for young people that my son became involved in many years ago. Young people went into the community and presented a play about nuclear proliferation and the need to stop it. Later, when my now adult son became president of the board, I was invited to participate as a board member. I then went on to work on the committee for the annual fundraising auction for many years. Through the work of this organization, I feel the power of we and that feels very powerful!

One of my favorite things that the organization does is work with youth through   RYPP (Richmond Youth Peace Project.) Young people are trained to be conflict resolution trainers, helping other young people to learn to resolve their differences through non-violent means. A youth essay contest on themes related to non-violence is held each year. Young people growing up with the support of this organization become leaders and influence their peers. The effect that this organization has on our community is tangible.

Check out their website to find out more about the organization. If you don't have anything like this in your community, you might want to find out how to start a group like this. In community, We can be powerful.

Blog Action Day - FOOD

Today is Blog Action Day and the topic is food. I wasn't sure how to talk about this subject. I love food! I love to cook, I like supporting my local farmers, I like that my son started making the CSA movement in our community more visible, and I've read many books about food. I'd like to share a memory that I recently told M. about. When I started being involved in a food coop, I only thought about getting good food at lower prices. One of the members would talk about Food as a political issue. I was clueless. I listened, I learned. He suggested I read the book Food for People Not for Profit and my mind was opened. Here's some information that I read recently.

The world can feed itself without ruining the planet, study says

Author Jon Foley says feeding a growing world presents a huge challenge. But employing many strategies simultaneously can meet the problem.

...... a new study in the journal Nature argues that we can feed the world’s growing population without destroying the planet… if we make major adjustments now in agricultural and consumption practices and patterns. (Hey, if it were easy, we’d already be there, right?)
Based on new data about the Earth’s agricultural lands and crop yields, the study offers some core strategies to meet future food production needs and environmental challenges. Those strategies include:

• Stop farming in places like tropical rainforests, which have high ecological value and low food output;
• Improve crop yields in regions of Africa, Latin America, and Eastern Europe, where farmland isn’t meeting its potential;
• Change farming practices to better manage water, nutrients, and chemicals;
• Shift diets away from meat; and
• Stop wasting food (up to 1/3 of all food grown is wasted either in production, transport, or after purchase).

Taken together, these strategies could lead to 100-180 percent more food available for consumption and sustain the lakes, rivers, forests, and soil that food production depends on.
We found that there is no silver bullet – we need to incorporate the best of what we know now into solving the world’s food problems and protecting our natural resources.
Can we do it? We have to – it’s absolutely necessary. It’s up to us to decide what’s politically feasible. We can change how we govern, tax, ship, produce, etc. What we can’t change are the laws of physics.
READ the complete article here.

Climage Change - BLOG ACTION DAY

Today is BLOG ACTION DAY on Climate Change. I've been thinking about what I could add to this awareness, how I could tie it in with my art work, my daily life, and was coming up with, frankly, not very interesting stuff. Being at the Griffith Observatory this past Sunday, I saw the Earth in relationship to other planets, to the universe. I saw Earth, our planet, our little ball in space and I felt awed by it. I, also, felt responsibility to do a good post today. But what?

Then, re-reading an article in the September issue of The Sun magazine yesterday, I realized that I'd found something I wanted to share, some of Thomas Berry's words from The Meadow Across the Creek: "We have disengaged from that profound interaction with our environment inherent in our very nature....Our children do not learn how to read the Great Book of Nature or how to interact creatively with the seasonal transformations of the planet. They seldom learn where their water comes from or where it goes.....We have indeed become strange beings, so completely are we at odds with the planet that brought us into being....We no longer hear the voices of the rivers or the mountains, or the voices of the sea....The work before us is the task, not simply of ourselves, but of the entire planet and all its component members....Every member of the body must bring its activity to the healing."

I think of this, oh so scary, our planet in big trouble, and what can I do, little me, what can I do? I remember that great Margaret Mead quote:

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."

So I will continue to join with others in whatever small way I can to support whatever needs doing to help our planet heal. In the meantime, I'll be aware of what I consume, what I waste, what I recycle, what I reuse, what I re-purpose, and do the best I can. And to you, my dear friends, find what works for you. Find something that you can be involved in, no matter how small.

Here's something we can all do to take action here
and here.
We're all in this together, we're all on this one little blue ball in space.

Blog Action Day

The day is here, the day I had to decide what I'd post on my blog related to this year's theme: poverty. As I mentioned earlier, I'd been pondering this. I use the word ponder, rather than the word think, to give you some idea about the seriousness I felt about this subject. Well, today's newspaper gave me my focus. In the world news section, here was one headline "Financial crisis likely to hit world's poor hardest," dateline Geneva. "The world's poorest people will be hungrier...." I sell produce for my organic farmer friends during the growing season and like to cook, as you've seen from my photos and recipes. I love taking photos of the vegetables I sell.
When I read that there are people who don't have and won't have food, it's very disturbing to say the least. Okay, so that was national, but here's what was on the front page of my newspaper, "Demand for food assistance up 325%." The local foodbank can't keep up with the rise in recipients. Here are some numbers of recipients that give you the picture very clearly: 2007 - 12,359 children were recipients, in 2008 - 35,677 and an even bigger jump is in the elderly population were in 2007 4,764 elderly received food and in 2008 - 28,440. This is terrible. In America, not a faraway third world country, in America, in my community. This is more than terrible, this is appalling. America, the land of plenty! What can we do to help? This might be easier than some of the other problems with poverty....check out your local community needs for food. You can donate non-perishables. If you have the money to buy groceries and can buy an extra can of beans or bag of rice, do it and donate it, or, you can donate some money, even a small amount can buy a lot since foodbanks can sometimes get a truckload of free food but need money for fuel to get the delivery, or you can volunteer to bag groceries or deliver meals to the elderly. We can make a difference with this. Check your local needs, act locally, that's what I'm going to do.
photos by Mim Golub

Blog action coming up....

This year's theme! I've been thinking about this ever since I registered to take part in this action. What to write about. Poverty...what a huge issue, so much to it. I'm still pondering. On the 15th you'll read what I come up with. Stay tuned.....

Blog Action Day: the beginning

This is a view of the park and fountain "lake" which is within walking distance from our home. There were some ducks on the lake, a stop over for them on their flight to somewhere else, possibly. It was very quiet out, I was walking alone, enjoying the sight. I'm using this image to remind those of us who are lucky enough to have plenty in our lives, to be without want for the basics of shelter and food, that others are not so fortunate. This year, Blog Action Day, 15 October, focuses on poverty. I will be posting on that day in connection with the action...this is the beginning. Check out how you can be a part of this discussion.

More Bags

I'm feeling green~ my new blog look came about so that I could learn how to add my favorite sites to a side bar. I had to have a new template! I feel all new and refreshed. Now to take the time to add sites.

I'm not sure that I related my previous post to Blog Action day, read all about it here. The action was to post about the environment. The Stats are impressive for a first time action.

Here are a couple more bags that I made. I got up early yesterday to make the black and brown one and the other I made this afternoon. I'm on a bag making roll. Don't forget, carry a bag with you and use it whenever you shop. Mother Earth will like that.

Blogger Action Day

I've registered to participate in this action. Check my blog this coming Monday to see what I'll be talking about. You can participate, too.