By Rev. Dr. Susan Henry-Crowe
Used with permission from the General Board of Church and Society of the United Methodist Church, October 7, 2021
I serve on a team for the Pilgrimage of Justice and Peace of the World Council of Churches. For more than six years, this international multifaith team has traveled to different parts of the world, listening and learning from people and communities whose voices are often marginalized and ignored.
By Kathleen McQuillen, Anti-Racism Task Force Member, First United Methodist Church, Des Moines, IA. Reprinted with permission; first published in The Light, First Church newsletter, June 2021
Is there (anyone) who is not familiar with Rev. Martin Luther King’s I have a dream speech? Just to refresh your memory, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”
By David Swanson, World BEYOND War, August 27, 2021, reprinted with permission
Presented Friday, August 27, 2021, to the Northern Colorado
Alliance for a Livable Future; To see the full powerpoint presentation: https://worldbeyondwar.org/afghanistan-five-success-stories/
1.
The Peace
Movement.
The people who spent 20 years largely excluded from the corporate media, lobbying Congress Members well paid not to listen to them, marching and protesting and holding teach-ins, making art, traveling across the globe or staying put on the same street corner for decades
By Verna Zook and Roger Farmer; reprinted with permission; first published for JPOG email list
On Wednesday, July 7, 2021, fifteen JPOG’ers and around sixteen climate riders enjoyed watching a presentation of VANG, a drama about immigrant farmers, cosponsored by JPOG and the Land Alliance Folk School at Dave and Anna Geyer’s farm near Oxford, Iowa.
By the First United Methodist Church Anti-Racism Task Force, Des Moines, IA; reprinted with permission, first published in the May 2021 issue of The LIGHT, the First UMC newsletter
One of the most difficult things we face as we try to confront and end racism, as individuals and as a community of faith is the fact that it’s so deeply embedded in our systems that we often don’t recognize it. Because it's built into the very foundation of American society, systemic racism occurs in some of our most fundamental structures.
By Ed Fallon, written 8/5/2021; reprinted with permission; first published for the Fallon Forum - http://fallonforum.com/here-come-the-migrants/
The highlight of my week occurs every Thursday at 8:00 a.m.
Sadly, it’s not a good highlight.
That’s when the National Drought Mitigation Center releases
its update about conditions across the US. Sure, I study the map of the
Midwest, where things have improved in some areas. But I spend more time
analyzing the map of the US West, where drought conditions continue to worsen
each week.
By Christine Sheller, Coordinator IPN
Peace organizations are planning a 2021 observance for the anniversary of the nuclear bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, 76 years ago. As described below, Des Moines has held an observance of this for four decades. Thanks to Jeffrey Weiss for writing the press release below.
By Ed Fallon, reprinted with permission. First published for Fallon Forum June 24,2021. You can check out Fallon’s blog and hear the
podcast: http://fallonforum.com.
Two months ago, The Conversation published a provocative and timely piece written by three climate experts -- James Dyke, Robert Watson, and Wolfgang Knorr. The authors note that, collectively, they have "spent more than 80 years thinking about climate change. Why has it taken us so long to speak out about the obvious dangers of the concept of net zero? In our defense, the premise of net zero is deceptively simple – and we admit that it deceived us.”
By Marisa León-Gómez Sonet
Reprinted with permission.
Originally published for NACLA. https://nacla.org/news/2021/06/08/immigration-policy-must-look-beyond-border
In March 2021, over 18,000 unaccompanied minors arrived at the U.S. southern border fleeing precarious conditions in Central America. Many policymakers seem to view what is taking place at the border as a “crisis” or “surge” due to so-called “open-border” under President Joe Biden’s administration. However, unaccompanied minors coming to the United States searching for safety should never be viewed as any sort of national security threat.
By David Swanson, reprinted with permission; first printed
for World Beyond War
https://davidswanson.org/remember-to-forget-the-alamo/
Mexico once had a problem with a local provincial government promoting illegal immigration from the United States into Mexico in order to engage in the illegal slavery of illegally trafficked people. The locality involved was called Texas. For years, Mexico let Texas get away with its lawlessness and immorality, including not paying taxes, and including killing Mexican soldiers.
