Re: BIG Change, Opportunity:
John Falchi
It is good to know about this mass, pro-earth mobilization in Washington, D.C.on Tuesday, July 20, the third month anniversary of the Gulf Disaster and the celebration of Tisha B'Av-the ancient Jewish day of both lament for the destruction of the Temple and hope for transformation of the world. I will support you in this in every way possible, even though, for health reasons, I am not traveling far these days.
I am glad that you have widened the cause to include keeping dirty money out of politics,in addition to dirty fuels out of our air and water. I think that broadening our coalition enables us to be more powerful.
We just had a terrific event here in San Diego on 7/01/10 at the First Unitarian Universalist Church of San Diego that brought together seven different networks for change, including environmental protection, campaign finance reform,peace & justice, media reform, election integrity,immigration reform,and protection of the poor from budget cuts. Our theme for this 5th in a series of Defending Democracy Forums was "Earth Is For People, Not Corporations."
Many groups from each of these networks tabled in our patio and had speakers on the program. We had an hour before and a half hour afaterward to table, network, and sign books. Some of the leaders of these networks met for the first time last week and are already working together.
If I were you I would call upon the entire campaign finance reform movement for the support that they may choose to give to this mobilization, for example. It, also, sounds like you are going to call for support from various interfaith movements for change. I think that is excellent. I will be relating this to the Network of Spiritual Progressives, the Communities of Conscience, and United for A Hate Free San Diego and asking for their support. I will be meeting with the San Diego Leadership team for MoveOn Saturday morning, and this will come up. I will, also, put it on facebook for additional support around the country.
Thank you for all of the good work that you do, Rabbi Arthur. Please keep me posted in relation to this protest mobilization, so that I could do my best to support it.
Yours for a successful mobilization, John
______________________
John P. Falchi, Coordinator
Plan of Action in a Changing Era
San Diego, CA 92107
619-222-6036
From: Rabbi Arthur Waskow <off...@shalomctr.org>
To: pace...@sbcglobal.net
Sent: Fri, July 9, 2010 3:31:17 AM
Subject: BIG Change, GREAT Opportunity:
A Prophetic Voice in Jewish, Multireligious, and American Life
BIG Change and a GREAT Opportunity:
Heal the Earth on Tisha B'Av/ July 20 at US Capitol,
Dear John,
The BIG CHANGE is in the time and form of The Shalom Center's pro-Earth action at the US Capitol. We are now working with MoveOn, Friends of the Earth, and other progressive, environmental, and religious groups to mourn the destruction of the Earth and take hopeful action to heal her.
The action will be at Noon on Tuesday, July 20, which is the third "monthiversary" of the Gulf oil blowout and is also Tisha B'Av -- the ancient Jewish day of both lament for the destruction of the Temple and hope for transformation of the world. All are welcome.
During the last few days, some major progressive & enviro organizations -- including MoveOn, Friends of the Earth, others -- have decided to call for actions all across US on July 20, focused on these demands: --
Get Dirty Fuels out of our Air & Water;
Get Dirty Money out of our Politics
One major part of this will be an action at Upper Senate Park on the Senate side of the US Capitol at Noon on Tuesday, July 20.
After discussions in a phone call yesterday, The Shalom Center has decided to join in this event & move our previous plans from Sunday July 18 to do so.
The date was chosen twice: a number of progressive and environmentalist organizations chose it because it is the third "monthiversary" of the Gulf oil blow-out, and in some providential way, it is also Tisha B'Av, the traditional day for Jews to lament the Destruction of the Temples in Jerusalem 2000 and 2500 years ago -- and according to rabbinic teaching, the day when Mashiach (Messiah) was born.
A moment when the wail of lament and the hopeful wailing of the newborn come together.
Today the sacred Temple of all peoples, all life-forms, is the Earth itself.
The secular organizations that had begun planning this event agreed with enthusiasm to include a Jewish component and other faith communities as well.
The Shalom Center, working closely with Shomrei Adamah of Greater Washington, initiated the Jewish aspect of this effort, which has been endorsed and co-sponsored by Am Kolel and other Washington-area congregations and groups.
The framework we will use (with modifications) for the vigil/ interfaith service/ action is a liturgy you can see on our Website here
The Shalom Center, working closely with Shomrei Adamah of Greater Washington, initiated the Jewish aspect of this effort, which has been endorsed and co-sponsored by Am Kolel and other Washington-area congregations and groups.
The framework we will use (with modifications) for the vigil/ interfaith service/ action and that we encourage you to use in your own observances is a liturgy you can see on our Website here.
Please let us know who and how many are coming from your community to Upper Senate Park by writing to us at Lament...@gmail.com, which is the email for Vinny Prell, coordinator for this effort.
If you are coming from out of town and would like to arrive Monday evening, Washingtonians have offered home hospitality (numbers limited; write Vinny soon!)
Union Station is both a "Red Line" stop on the Washington Metro, and the Washington stop on Amtrak. It is close to the US Capitol.
If instead of coming to DC, you are planning to use or draw on this framework for your own event in your own region, either as a stand-alone event or integrated into your observance of Tisha B'Av, or or as part of the MoveOn action, please let us know at Off...@shalomctr.org
We will gather at a moment when the Senate will be struggling over whether or how to control the over-burning of fossil fuel that is bringing on climate crisis and endangering the web of life on Planet Earth.
Many Senators are being affected in their policies by huge lobbying and campaign gifts from Big Oil & Big Coal, which is why the demands will include "Dirty Money out of our Politics."
We will mourn what is being destroyed and then move from grief to hope, from hope to action.
We will lament the disasters that we face, using the ancient wailing chant of Lamentations and blowing the shofar (ram's horn) in grief and alarm.
And then we will move from grief to hope. The very knowledge that disaster threatens our planet as a whole bears within it the seed of planetary community. We will celebrate our great round home--the only home our human race can live in.
Some participants in the Senate action may then choose to move into the Capitol for lobbying or nonviolent protest.
Blessings of shalom, salaam, shantih -- Peace!
-- Arthur
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