August/September 2006
The Civic Obligation of a Healthy Planet
Lesley Adams
Renewable Energy is Capable of Meeting Our Energy Needs
from Public Citizen
Supply and Da Man
Joel Makower
Joy & Tom Williams
The Diebold Bombshell
David Dill, Doug Jones & Barbara Simons
Protecting the 2006 Vote
Art Levine
Our Natural Instinct to Heal
Tijn Touber
Learning to Be Evolution
Tom Atlee
Learn to Trust Your Inner Wisdom
Darrin Owens
Discovering Who We Are, One Step At a Time
Bonnie Greenwell, Ph. D.
Dancing The Heart
Merlla McLaughlin
Finding Your Authentic Self Through "The Way of the Horse"
Astrid Raffin Peyloz and Denise Moody
Cordwood Masonry
Rob Roy
Reviews
Deborah Mokma
Cosmic
Calendar
Salina Rain
“Whenever we see any disagreements, we must think how to solve them on the basis of recognition of oneness of the entire humanity. This is the modern reality. When a certain community is destroyed, in reality it destroys a part of all of us. So there should be a clear recognition that the entire humanity is just one family. Any conflict within humanity should be considered as a family conflict. We must find a solution within this atmosphere.” - The Dalai Lama
Choices. We make them every day—choosing what we will wear and eat, where we will go, what our mood will be, how we will relate to others. And, although it may seem otherwise, lack of action is a choice too. Certainly some of us have more choice in our every day existence than others, but regardless of circumstances we each choose what our attitude and responses will be. Indeed, these are perhaps the most important choices we make.Last June US Army First Lieutenant Ehren Watada refused to deploy to Iraq because he believes the war there is illegal and that it would make him party to war crimes. After military officials told Watada he was barred from speaking publicly about the case, he issued a video recording on June 7th, explaining why he is refusing to fight. In the video he stated: “It is my duty as a commissioned officer of the United States Army to speak out against grave injustices. My moral and legal obligation is to the Constitution and not to those who would issue unlawful orders. I stand before you today, because it is my job to serve and protect America’s soldiers, its people and innocent Iraqis who have no voice. It is my conclusion, as an officer of the Armed Forces, that the war in Iraq is not only morally wrong, but a horrible breach of American law.” On August 17, Lt. Ehren Watada will face a pre-trial hearing for refusing to deploy to Iraq. On August 16, the day prior to the hearing, The Friends and Family of Lt. Ehren Watada are calling for a “National Day of Education” to pose the question, “Is the war illegal?” You can visit ww.thankyoult.org to find out how to participate in this action.In September 2003 Yonatan Shapira, an Israeli Defense Force pilot wrote a “letter of refusal” which 26 other pilots signed. “We refuse to take part in attacks by the Air Force on civilian populations, and we refuse to harm innocent civilians. These acts are illegal and immoral, and the direct result of the ongoing occupation, which corrupts Israeli society.”
Although the media does not often share these stories, there are many hundreds of American service people who are refusing to participate in the war in Iraq, and Israeli “refusniks”—reserve combat officers and soldiers who understand that “the price of Occupation is the loss of IDF’s human character and the corruption of the entire Israeli society”—who while willing to perform service to their country are unwilling to participate in the occupation of the Palestinian territories.
In the face of continuing violence in the Middle East, what can the rest of us do? First and foremost, we must realize that there is no way to peace through conflict. As US Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich (D-Ohio) stated in a speech to the House of Representatives last July “We make war with such certainty, yet we are befuddled how to create peace. Creating peace requires the mirror of compassion—putting ourselves in the other person’s place, in all their suffering, with all their hopes—acting from our heart’s capacity for love, not fear.”
Heart-centered dialogue, acceptance of others, and unconditional love will provide the solutions we seek. Whether it is within the context of our immediate family or with those with whom we relate in our day-to-day lives—at work, the grocery store or during our daily commute—peace begins with each of us, and ripples out to the rest of the world. Making conscious choices which reflect the needs of the greater good is where we must begin, and the time is now.
