Did you know? The Latin word for “Tree” is “Arbor”…sure you did!!!

Trees make a difference!

National Arbor Day is the Tree Planter’s holiday, and has been celebrated since 1872. It began in Nebraska, a largely treeless plain back in the 1800′s. It is a day to plant and dedicate a tree to help nature and the environment. Millions of trees are planted on this day.

The National Arbor Day Foundation provides millions of trees for planting. It is estimated that 18 million tress are planted each year on Arbor Day.

On Arbor Day, people are encouraged to plant and care for trees. A wide range of events are organized to promote Arbor Day. These include: communal tree planting ceremonies; proclamations by city governments; exhibitions and educational activities on trees and their importance to local communities and the planet as a whole; and fairs, musical performances and open days in garden centers. Schools are encouraged to plan lessons around the theme of trees. Arbor Day awards are also presented to individuals and organizations across the United States and around the world. These are awarded for outstanding service to trees, forestry or related ecological themes.

bird day, Bird Day, held on May 4th, is often celebrated in conjunction with Arbor Day.

1 The earth is the LORD’s and all that is in it, *
the world and all who dwell therein. 

2 For it is he who founded it upon the seas *
and made it firm upon the rivers of the deep.

- From Psalm 24

Earth Day — April 22 – each year marks the anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970.

Earth Day founder Gaylord Nelson, then a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, proposed the first nationwide environmental protest “to shake up the political establishment and force this issue onto the national agenda. ” “It was a gamble,” he recalls, “but it worked.”

The fight for a clean environment continues.

We invite you to be a part of this history and a part of Earth Day. Discover energy you didn’t even know you had. Feel it rumble through the grass roots under your feet and the technology at your fingertips. Channel it into building a clean, healthy, diverse world for generations to come.

Download the Environmental Sustainability Getting Started Guide now.

This is a great resource for Environmental Responsibility from the Catholic Health Association of the United States: CHAUSA | Resources.

(This info was originally sent out via the Weekly Update from the Catholic Climate Covenant, a project of the Catholic Coalition on Climate Change.

Do not pay homage to rage, to sorrow,
Save a few memories for tomorrow,
In every moment play your part!
For glory do not forsake your heart…
Embrace the NOW with delight!
To love, do not forfeit your right…

Do not forfeit your happiness…
Don’t live your life in token’s shadow
While there is sunshine in the meadows,
Even if you are penniless…
For life itself is pure happiness.

Do not forfeit your right to pray
If obstacles happen on the way,
There is no sin in honest toil…
Sow all your seeds in fertile soil,
Then share your bounty with thy neighbor.
Do not forfeit the joys of labor.

Do not forfeit your right to live.
Cherish your days, then close the chapter,
Before embracing the ever after.
Do not just forget, but forgive.
Thus you can earn your right to live…
Forever…

Originally posted by http://veggielover99.wordpress.com/

According to research carried out by the organization Free the Slaves, more people are enslaved worldwide than ever before.

In its 400 years, the transatlantic slave trade is estimated to have shipped up to 12 million Africans to various colonies in the West. Free the Slaves estimates that the number of people in slavery today is at least 27 million.

Originally published http://fact-o-tron.com/facts/people/human-rights-day/

Anuradha Koirala of Nepal was named CNN Hero of the Year 2010. According to CNN, Anuradha Koirala and her group, Maiti Nepal, “have helped more than 12,000 victims of Nepal's sex trafficking business.” She leads anti-human trafficking efforts in her country. Sources say that as this year's awardee, CNN Hero of the Year 2010 Anuradha Koirala will receive $100,000 in addition to the $25,000 awarded to her when chosen as one of the Top 10 CNN Heroes. Koirala was chosen by the public through an online poll that ran on CNN.com for eight (8) weeks.

Anuradha Koirala was chosen by the public in an online poll that ran for eight weeks on CNN.com. CNN’s Anderson Cooper revealed the result at the conclusion of the fourth annual “CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute.”

“Human trafficking is a crime, a heinous crime, a shame to humanity,” Koirala said earlier in the evening after being introduced as one of the top 10 CNN Heroes of 2010. “I ask everyone to join me to create a society free of trafficking. We need to do this for all our daughters.”

Koirala was introduced by actress Demi Moore, who along with her husband, Ashton Kutcher, created DNA, The Demi and Ashton Foundation, which aims to eliminate child sex slavery worldwide.

“Every day this woman confronts the worst of what humanity has to offer,” Moore said of Koirala. “She says, ‘Stop. Stop selling our girls.’ By raiding brothels and patrolling the India-Nepal border, she saves girls from being sold into the sex trade, where they are being repeatedly raped for profit, tortured and enslaved.

“Since 1993, she has helped rescue more than 12,000 women and girls. Through her organization Maiti Nepal, she has provided more than a shelter for these girls and young women, she has created a home. It is a place for them to heal, go to school, learn a skill, and for some who are infected with HIV/AIDS, it is the place where they can spend their days surrounded by love.”

See Koirala’s fan page on CNN Heroes

Koirala will receive $100,000 to continue her work with Maiti Nepal, in addition to the $25,000 awarded to each of the top 10 Heroes honored.

“This is another responsibility to me to work with all your support,” Koirala told the audience after being named Hero of the Year. “We have to end this heinous crime. Please join hands with me to end this crime. … Please try to respect the youth. They are the ones who are going to build the next generation. Thank you so much.”

Koirala’s speech capped the gala event, which was taped November 20 before an audience of nearly 5,000 and premiered Thanksgiving night on the global networks of CNN.

The show opened with a salute to the 33 Chilean miners and five of the people who rescued them last month after the miners spent 69 days underground.

“For 69 days we were amazed by these 33 brave miners,” Cooper said in welcoming the miners onto the Shrine stage. “Their ordeal was unthinkable; their rescue, unbelievable. No one has ever been trapped underground so deep for so long and survived.

“They endured a nightmare, experienced a miracle, and in the end became each others’ brothers and heroes. On behalf of CNN Heroes, we salute all 33 Chilean miners.”

After the miners sang the Chilean national anthem, two of them — speaking through a translator and holding the Chilean flag — expressed their appreciation.

“We want to thank the world, and we want to thank God for your prayers,” Luis Urzua told the audience in Spanish.

“Our families suffered. Our children suffered, too. But thanks to the prayers of the whole world, we could come out of this difficulty,” Mario Sepulveda added.

“Some of our rescuers are here with us tonight,” Urzua said. “Thank you for bringing us home. You are our heroes.”

CNN brought the miners and their rescuers to the United States to attend the tribute show. The five rescuers were selected to represent the many thousands whose talent and effort led to the dramatic rescue.

The top 10 CNN Heroes, chosen by a blue-ribbon panel from an initial pool of more than 10,000 nominations from more than 100 countries, were each honored with a documentary tribute and introduced by a celebrity presenter.

The program also featured performances by Grammy Award-winners Bon Jovi, John Legend and Sugarland.

Rock legends Bon Jovi performed “What Do You Got?,” a new song from their greatest hits album, which came out earlier this month. Legend performed “Wake Up Everybody” along with hip-hop artist Common and R&B singer Melanie Fiona. Sugarland performed “Stand Up,” a new song from their album “The Incredible Machine,” which made its debut in October.

All three performances echoed the spirit of the CNN Heroes campaign, which salutes everyday people whose extraordinary accomplishments are making a difference in their communities and beyond.

Celebrity presenters included Halle Berry, Demi Moore, Jessica Alba, Kid Rock, LL Cool J, Renee Zellweger, Gerard Butler, Kiefer Sutherland, Marisa Tomei, Aaron Eckhart and Holly Robinson Peete.

“CNN Heroes has illustrated the best of humanity through the telling of stories of selfless acts of kindness, courage and perseverance” said Jim Walton, president of CNN Worldwide. “We are honored to bring these Heroes the recognition they so deserve. It is a program the entire CNN family is proud of and excited to share with our viewers on Thanksgiving night.”

Again this year, producer/director Joel Gallen served as executive producer of “CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute.” Among his credits, Gallen produced telethon events supporting victims of the Haiti earthquake, the 9/11 terrorist attacks and Hurricane Katrina. He won an Emmy Award and a Peabody Award for “America: A Tribute to Heroes.”

Preceding the tribute broadcast, CNN and HLN aired a red carpet special, “Showbiz Tonight @ CNN Heroes,” at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT. Hosted by A.J. Hammer and Brooke Anderson, the special featured exclusive coverage of celebrity arrivals and interviews, as well as a celebrity-hosted social media suite tapping into the worldwide online passion and interest in the Heroes event.

Here are the 2010 top 10 CNN Heroes in alphabetical order:

Guadalupe Arizpe De La Vega founded a hospital in Juarez, Mexico, that cares for about 900 people daily — regardless of their ability to pay. Despite the escalating violence in the city, the 74-year-old travels there several times a week to make sure residents get the care they need. Learn more about Guadalupe

Susan Burton was once caught in a cycle of addiction and incarceration. Today, her nonprofit A New Way of Life Reentry Project provides sober housing and other support services to formerly incarcerated women in California. Learn more about Susan

With her weight-loss challenge, Shape Up Vicksburg, Linda Fondren is helping her Mississippi hometown battle the bulge. Through free fitness activities and nutrition classes, residents have lost nearly 15,000 pounds to date. Learn more about Linda

Anuradha Koirala is fighting to prevent the trafficking and sexual exploitation of Nepal’s women and girls. Since 1993, she and her group, Maiti Nepal, have helped rescue and rehabilitate more than 12,000 victims. Learn more about Anuradha

Narayanan Krishnan brings hot meals and dignity to India’s homeless and destitute — 365 days per year — through his nonprofit Akshaya Trust. Since 2002, he has served more than 1.2 million meals. Learn more about Narayanan

Since 1992, Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow has dedicated his life to helping people in need. Today, his program, Mary’s Meals — run from a tin shed in the Scottish highlands — provides free daily meals to more than 400,000 children around the world. Learn more about Magnus

Harmon Parker is using his masonry skills to save lives. Since 1997 he has helped build 45 footbridges over perilous rivers in Kenya, protecting people from flash floods and predatory animals. The bridges also connect isolated villagers to valuable resources.Learn more about Harmon

Aki Ra is helping to make his native Cambodia safer by clearing land mines — many of which he planted years ago as a child soldier. Since 1993, he and his Cambodian Self Help Demining organization have cleared about 50,000 mines and unexploded weapons. Learn more about Aki Ra

Evans Wadongo, 23, invented a way for rural families in Kenya to replace smoky kerosene and firelight with solar power. Through his Use Solar, Save Lives program, he’s distributed an estimated 10,000 free solar lanterns. Learn more about Evans

Since 2005, Texas home builder Dan Wallrath has given injured Iraq and Afghanistan veterans homes of their own — mortgage-free. He and his Operation Finally Home team have five new custom homes under construction. Learn more about Dan

This story appeared on the CNN website On November 20, 2010

About the conference

The Bay Area Anti-Trafficking Coalition, in concert with Menlo Park Presbyterian Church and affiliated organizations, is presenting Freedom Summit 2011, to be held on Friday, January 21^st and Saturday, January 22^nd, 2011 at Harbor Light Church in Fremont, California.

Freedom Summit 2011 is a conference on human trafficking and modern-day slavery with Former Secretary of State Dr. Condoleezza Rice providing the keynote address and musical artist/activist Sara Groves performing live on both nights.  Dr. David Batstone, Founder of Not for Sale, Bradley Myles, Executive Director of Polaris Project, and Lt. John Vanek, head of the San Jose Police Department Human Trafficking Task Force will lead the plenary sessions.  Freedom Summit 2011 will place strong emphasis on ‘training the trainer’ with robust breakout sessions designed to turn awareness into action by equipping individuals to fight human trafficking in their own communities.

Register online at freedom-summit.org.

Message from the conference chair

The inspiration behind this year’s Freedom Summit was to mobilize our heightened awareness of human trafficking here in the Bay Area into tangible action that brings rescue for victims. Our aim is to equip every concerned individual to be able to impact his/her sphere of influence in a way that empowers communities to be traffick-free and an example to others. Together, we are taking a stand to say the Bay Area is NOT a place where human trafficking: both sex slavery and labor trafficking, will be tolerated.

We feel deeply and that takes us somewhere. But where?

Lately, I’ve been struck by how much easier it is to focus on the emotional aspects of human trafficking than the less sensational realities which demand personal lifestyle change. Emotions can either give us the energy to move decisively forward, or can be a smokescreen, deflecting personal responsibility and steering us off course. For example, we become angry and demand action when faced with child sex trafficking (and we should!), but then turn around and eat tomatoes picked by slaves in our fields. Labor trafficking is not as sensational and doesn’t get the same press as sex trafficking, but it is still modern slavery. We contribute every day to labor trafficking. We can not be content with freeing kids from pimps and then eat tomatoes harvested by slaves. It’s fairly easy to get angry about something I read in the paper. It’s more difficult to sacrifice parts of my lifestyle permeated by slavery.

Are we just getting high off the emotion of righteous anger or are we using the energy to propel us
beyond awareness to lifestyle change and smart activism?

What are your thoughts about this?

There is much more to this E-Blast… Check out the full content here .

4,641 Blogs, in 134 Countries, reaching 34,698,241 Readers –Blog Action Day focuses on  water. There have been some recent posts on famvin about water but for those of you who want to dig deeper into the often shocking, disheartening, yet hopeful issues around water, we’ve outlined a list of ideas for things to write about below.

The problem of scarce clean water:

Nearly 1 billion people lack access to clean water, which causes a litany of struggles, diseases and even death.

• 40 Billion Hours: African women walk over 40 billion hours each year carrying cisterns weighing up to 18 kilograms to gather water, which is usually still not safe to drink. More Info »
• 38,000 Children a Week: Every week, nearly 38,000 children under the age of 5 die from unsafe drinking water and unhygienic living conditions. More Info »
• Wars Over Water: Many scholars attribute the conflict in Darfur at least in part to lack of access to water. A report commissioned by the UN found that in the 21st century, water scarcity will become one of the leading causes of conflict in Africa. More Info »
• A Human Right: In July, to address the water crisis, the United Nations declared access to clean water and sanitation a human right over. But we are far from implementing solutions to secure basic access to safe drinking water. More Info »

Water over-consumption in industrialized countries:

While the developing world faces a water crisis, those in industrialized countries consume far more than their fair share.

• Food Footprint: It takes 24 liters of water to produce one hamburger. That means it would take over 19.9 billion liters of water to make just one hamburger for every person in Europe. More Info »
• Technology Footprint: The shiny new iPhone in your pocket requires half a liter of water to charge. That may not seem like much, but with over 80 million active iPhones in the world, that’s 40 million liters to charge those alone. More Info »
• Fashion Footprint: That cotton t-shirt you’re wearing right now took 1,514 liters of water to produce, and your jeans required an extra 6,813 liters. More Info »
• Bottled Water Footprint: The US, Mexico and China lead the world in bottled water consumption, with people in the US drinking an average of 200 bottles of water per person each year. Over 17 million barrels of oil are needed to manufacture those water bottles, 86 percent of which will never be recycled. More Info »

Water and the environment:

The disregard for water resources in industrialized countries impacts more than humans – it causes environmental devastation.

• Waste Overflow: Every day, 2 million tons of human waste are disposed of in water sources. This not only negatively impacts the environment but also harms the health of surrounding communities. More Info »
• Polluted Oceans: Death and disease caused by polluted coastal waters costs the global economy $12.8 billion a year. More Info »
• Uninhabitable Rivers: Today, 40% of America’s rivers and 46% of America’s lakes are too polluted for fishing, swimming, or aquatic life. More Info »

Water solutions:

The good news is that there are great organizations working on solutions and new tools that empower people to do their part to address the water crisis.

• Building Wells: Organizations like Water.org and charity: water are leading the charge in bringing fresh water to communities in the developing world.
• Technology for Good: Do you want to measure how much water it took to make your favorite foods? There’s an app for that. More Info »
• Conservation Starts at Home: The average person uses 465 liters of water per day. Find out how much you use and challenge your readers to do that same. More Info »
• Keeping Rivers Clean: We can all take small steps to help keep pollution out of our rivers and streams, like correctly disposing of household wastes. More Info »
• Drop the Bottle: Communities around the world are taking steps to reduce water bottle waste by eliminating bottled water.More Info

While these facts may be grim, there is hope for real solutions as more and more people around the world are waking up to the clean water crisis. Earlier this year, the UN declared access to clean water a human right and groups like charity: water and Water.org continue to work tirelessly to bring water access to the developing world.

When you click on the above link you will come to the Stop Trafficking! home page.  You will have an opportunity to sign a petition to tell Apple to block app that facilitate child sex trafficking.  Please consider signing the petition.

The September issue is now posted online at:

http://www.stopenslavement.org/index.html

There is a very important debate going on for a short time online at the Economist. It is polling readers as to their position on legalizing prostitution. I urge you to go to:

http://www.economist.com/debate/debates/overview/182

and VOTE.

Those versed in the complex issues and facts around human trafficking know that legalization of prostitution would further the cause of pimps, users and all those who make money off vulnerable women and children. Please vote! And comment, if you are able.

Gratefully,
Jean Shafer, sds

Sunday, September 12, 2010
By Ann Rodgers, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

“]

Rob Goeller, Richard Graney and Mike Fabry sort freshly picked sweet corn at the Villa Maria farm west of New Castle. Mr. Goeller is a volunteer beginning a year's stay on the farm. [Photo Credit - Bob Donaldson/Post-Gazette

“See the praying mantis?” said Mr. Moreira, director of land management at Villa Maria, the motherhouse of the Sisters of the Humility of Mary in Lawrence County. Part of the Catholic sisters’ ministry is an organic farm, and the mantis will eat pests that eat crops.

“If we used pesticides, they would be the first to die. But they help us. They are part of our team,” he said.

The team is five paid farm workers, supported by an army of volunteers. They help the sisters accomplish their mission of feeding the poor and teaching how to live in harmony with God’s creation. At least half of the produce they grow is given to charity.

Villa Maria, which bridges the Pennsylvania-Ohio border, is a town with its own post office, a 300-acre farm and a 400-acre sustainably managed forest. Another 26 acres hold the convent, apartments for the elderly and a vast retreat-and-conference center with amenities ranging from an indoor pool to a 400-seat chapel. It was also the site of the first hospital the sisters founded after they arrived in 1864 and began using their knowledge of herbs to aid victims of smallpox.

“If you think of all the prayer and good works that have been done on this land, you can feel it,” said Juliane Arena, the marketing director for Villa Maria.

Farming and monasticism have been entwined for 1,500 years. In the sixth century. St. Benedict declared, “[T]hey are truly monks if they live by the labor of their hands.”

But the Sisters of the Humility of Mary never farmed in France, where they were founded a decade before emigrating in 1864.

“They knew how to do things like make lace and teach music,” said Sister Joanne Gardner, the archivist and director of communications. Their mission was to educate girls from French villages. But when a missionary priest begged for a few sisters to teach French settlers in the Ohio wilderness, the entire community of 11 sisters responded.

They accepted a gift of wetlands that neither the bishop of Pittsburgh nor the bishop of Cleveland wanted. They farmed it where others had failed.

Until the 1960s, novices worked in the field, tended cattle and collected eggs. Frank Romeo, now 76, began helping in their gardens as a 9-year-old, when his mother worked in the kitchen. In 1955 the sisters hired him to run the farm, where he still volunteers as land manager emeritus.

“It was always organic,” he said, because all farming was until the mid-20th century. In its heyday it had, in addition to vegetables, 12 acres of orchards, 11,000 laying hens, 500 meat chickens, 75 beef cattle and 500 hogs. The Villa Maria community reached its height in the late 1960s with more than 600 sisters. Those who lived at the motherhouse ate their own produce and sold the rest to support their ministries.

But the Catholic religious communities and American farms experienced separate crises, with both facing dramatic declines in the 1980s. By the mid-1980s the sisters couldn’t afford to raise livestock. They dissolved their farm corporation and laid off all workers except Mr. Romeo. They told him to grow potatoes and sweet corn for the St. Vincent de Paul Society.

“That was the beginning of our outreach,” he said.

A call from God

Meanwhile, Sister Barbara O’Donnell was asking God what she should do next. After entering the community in 1965, she spent many years teaching school and religious education before taking a sabbatical in 1990.

During a four-month retreat in the Adirondacks, she became profoundly aware of the beauty of the earth and the changing seasons. She read books on the intersection of environmentalism and faith.

“I was praying for God to direct me for what would be next in my life,” she said. “I woke up one morning and said, ‘Education for the earth.’ I came home, having had what I considered a direct call from God.”

She began researching the history of the farm and learning about its operation from Mr. Romeo. She believed the sisters’ mission of cultivating the virtue of humility was directly tied to their cultivation of land, on which they were humbly dependent for God’s providence.

“We see this earth as a gift from God, and we are responsible for it. We want to care for it in a sustainable way, so that we can have a healthy habitat and healthy soil for healthy food for future generations of all species,” she said.

She and Mr. Romeo offered classes and retreats on a spiritual approach to organic gardening and sustainable living. Villa Maria’s produce isn’t certified organic, because the sisters can’t afford the $800-$1,000 annual fee for the inspections and verification required to obtain that designation, Mr. Moreira said

“You can’t afford to do that when you give away so much. If I had $1,000, I’d spend it on a refrigerator or a stainless steel sink for the market barn,” he said.

“But if we wanted to be certified organic tomorrow, we could be. All of our practices are documented.”

Ed Petrus, a district conservationist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Services, considers Villa Maria a showplace. While he has to press other growers to follow environmental regulations, the sisters are eager first-adopters of those practices who go beyond what is required.

“It’s a pleasure to work with them,” he said.

He has hosted meetings for other growers and conservationists at the villa.

“Walking around, seeing people actually implementing all the things we are talking about, is very rewarding,” he said.

A greenhouse was erected a decade ago to raise poinsettias and Easter lilies for sale. A small herd of cattle supplies the sisters with their own diet of organic beef. They also raise sheep.

Mr. Moreira grew up working on his grandparents’ farm and had a master’s degree in sustainable agriculture. But he was supporting his family with a print shop when he saw “a very odd ad” for a “full-time seasonal organic gardener.

“That’s as rare as a diamond in dust,” he said.

He was soon promoted to director. The sisters encouraged his passion for old growth forests. Their oaks, maples and hickories are lightly harvested, with an eye to retaining trees needed to sustain wildlife or protect wetlands.

Last year, blight destroyed the tomato crop in less than a week. Mr. Moreira applied no fungicides and used crop rotation to stave off the deadly fungus this year. Because potatoes are vulnerable to the same disease, the workers and volunteers moved their biggest give-away crop to a field nearly a mile away.

“At this point, it seems that it’s working,” he said.

Sharing a legacy

The farm takes immense labor, much of it volunteer. Individuals and families can do service retreats there. A high-ranking executive of a major corporation has helped at the height of spring planting for several years.

“It’s her vacation, and she’s working 10 to 12 hour days to help us plant all of our crops,” Mr. Moreira said.

Two social service agencies offer youth offenders from the inner city the opportunity to work on the farm as an alternative to incarceration. Mr. Moreira said they have a great work ethic.

“They are fascinated by certain things. If one of them finds a bird’s nest in a blueberry patch, they all go over to look,” he said.

Long-term help comes from college interns and post-college volunteers who donate a year.

After graduating from Xavier University in 2009 with a degree in social work, Rob Goeller, 23, spent a volunteer year with Americorps before taking the sisters up on their offer of food and housing for labor.

“Everyone I graduated with who hasn’t done a year of service is unemployed,” he said.

On Tuesday he was picking pumpkins. He had already gained experience mixing cattle feed, castrating calves and loading up boxes for donation.

“It adds a lot of meaning to what I do to know that half the food is going to shelters and food pantries.” he said.

The sisters recently gave 746 pounds of zucchini and squash to the Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank in Duquesne, which supplies local soup kitchens and food pantries.

“When they first called us about donating, they wanted to make sure that we didn’t sell the produce. That was their concern,” said Michelle Herrle, gleaning coordinator at the food bank.

Whatever isn’t given away, sold or eaten becomes compost.

“The sisters won’t use anything that isn’t compostable,” Ms. Arena said. Composting is one of the lessons they teach in classes, camps and retreats.

“They are very concerned to educate the laity about what they do, because no one is sure about the future of these lands,” she said. The sisters are aging, and they want to ensure that others — even if they aren’t sisters — will carry on their legacy.

The community numbers 171 now, with the majority living outside Villa Maria. Many work in schools and health care, though one runs an orphanage in Haiti.

Villa Maria is home to 47 sisters, most of them retired. They can’t work the fields, but many have organic flower gardens and some make oils or wreaths from Villa-grown herbs. Those are sold with produce in the market barn, which is open to the public for half-days, Wednesday-Saturday.

Each year the season ends with a public Harvest Day Celebration, which will be held from noon to 5 p.m. Oct. 2. The food is all from Villa Maria. There are hayrides, drum circles, games, crafts and composting lessons. The last produce of the season is sold.

The celebration began 11 years ago to thank God for the harvest and to thank the volunteers for their labor. But 1,200 came last year.

The sisters’ ministry “is really an effort to share this land with others,” Mr. Romeo said. “This land was a gift to them, and they are making it a gift to others.”

Villa Maria can be reached at www.humilityofmary.org or 724-964-8920.

First published on September 12, 2010 at 12:00 amAnn Rodgers can be reached at arodgers@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1416.

Full article is here: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10255/1086940-455.stm

Humanitarian Principles represent the foundation of humanitarian action. Key humanitarian principles include:

Humanity: Human suffering must be addressed wherever it is found. The purpose of humanitarian action is to protect life and health and ensure respect for human beings.

Neutrality: Humanitarian actors must not take sides in hostilities or engage in controversies of a political, racial, religious or ideological nature.

Impartiality: Humanitarian action must be carried out on the basis of need alone, giving priority to the most urgent cases of distress and making no distinctions on the basis of nationality, race, gender, religious belief, class or political opinion.

Operational Independence: Humanitarian action must be autonomous from the political, economic, military or other objectives that any actor may hold with regard to areas where humanitarian action is being implemented”.

The 2010 World Humanitarian Day project is a collaborative film shot in over 40 countries in under 9 weeks, on a shoestring budget – with the goal of showing the enormous diversity of places, faces and endeavors of humanitarian aid workers in 2010.

It was filmed by humanitarian staff and freelance filmmakers from around the globe (over 50 contributors in total) with all time donated.

“Please help us by linking, embedding, tweeting and sharing this message with your friends, colleagues and contacts. Our sincere thanks to all those who contributed to the film, and to it’s dissemination.”

Credits:
Music by Krister Linder (www.kristerlinder.com)
2D animation by Anu Nagaraj @ Massmarket (www.massmarket.tv)
Title design by David Rasura

Produced by David Ohana/AVMU @ UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)

www.worldhumanitarianday.info

Afghan Women and the Return of the Taliban

By Aryn Baker

____________________________________________________

The following is an abridged version of an article that appears in the Aug. 9, 2010, print and iPad editions of TIME magazine.

+++++++

The Taliban pounded on the door just before midnight, demanding that Aisha, 18, be punished for running away from her husband’s house. Her in-laws treated her like a slave, Aisha pleaded. They beat her. If she hadn’t run away, she would have died. Her judge, a local Taliban commander, was unmoved. Aisha’s brother-in-law held her down while her husband pulled out a knife. First he sliced off her ears. Then he started on her nose. (See managing editor Richard Stengel’s message to readers about this week’s cover.)

This didn’t happen 10 years ago, when the Taliban ruled Afghanistan. It happened last year. Now hidden in a secret women’s shelter in Kabul, Aisha listens obsessively to the news. Talk that the Afghan government is considering some kind of political accommodation with the Taliban frightens her. “They are the people that did this to me,” she says, touching her damaged face. “How can we reconcile with them?”(See pictures of Afghan women and the return of the Taliban.)

In June, Afghan President Hamid Karzai established a peace council tasked with exploring negotiations with the Taliban. A month later, Tom Malinowski from Human Rights Watch met Karzai. During their conversation, Karzai mused on the cost of the conflict in human lives and wondered aloud if he had any right to talk about human rights when so many were dying. “He essentially asked me,” says Malinowski, “What is more important, protecting the right of a girl to go to school or saving her life?” How Karzai and his international allies answer that question will have far-reaching consequences, not only for Afghanistan’s women, but the country as a whole.(Watch TIME’s video on photographing Aisha for the cover.)

As the war in Afghanistan enters its ninth year, the need for an exit strategy weighs on the minds of U.S. policymakers. Such an outcome, it is assumed, would involve reconciliation with the Taliban. But Afghan women fear that in the quest for a quick peace, their progress may be sidelined. “Women’s rights must not be the sacrifice by which peace is achieved,” says parliamentarian Fawzia Koofi.(Comment on this story.)

Yet that may be where negotiations are heading. The Taliban will be advocating a version of an Afghan state in line with their own conservative views, particularly on the issue of women’s rights. Already there is a growing acceptance that some concessions to the Taliban are inevitable if there is to be genuine reconciliation. “You have to be realistic,” says a diplomat in Kabul. “We are not going to be sending troops and spending money forever. There will have to be a compromise, and sacrifices will have to be made.”(Watch TIME’s video “Portraits of the Women of Afghanistan.”)

For Afghanistan’s women, an early withdrawal of international forces could be disastrous. An Afghan refugee who grew up in Canada, Mozhdah Jamalzadah recently returned home to launch an Oprah-style talk show in which she has been able to subtly introduce questions of women’s rights without provoking the ire of religious conservatives. On a recent episode, a male guest told a joke about a foreign human-rights team in Afghanistan. In the cities, the team noticed that women walked six paces behind their husbands. But in rural Helmand, where the Taliban is strongest, they saw a woman six steps ahead. The foreigners rushed to congratulate the husband on his enlightenment — only to be told that he stuck his wife in front because they were walking through a minefield. As the audience roared with laughter, Jamalzadah reflected that it may take about 10 to 15 years before Afghan women can truly walk alongside men. But once they do, she believes, all Afghans will benefit. “When we talk about women’s rights,” Jamalzadah says, “we are talking about things that are important to men as well — men who want to see Afghanistan move forward. If you sacrifice women to make peace, you are also sacrificing the men who support them and abandoning the country to the fundamentalists that caused all the problems in the first place.”

See pictures of Muslim women leading a soft revolution. Read more: http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2007238,00.html#ixzz0wQsieTFP
Read more: http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2007238,00.html#ixzz0wQsfMhNj

To read this article in its entirety, pick up a copy of TIME magazine at your local newsstand or download the TIME iPad app. Or, to have TIME magazine delivered to your door every week, subscribe.

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Join Us On Thursday, July 8_, 2010

To Protest Craigslist

at their San Francisco Headquarters

The Coalition Against Trafficking in Women (CATW) in partnership with Prostitution Research and Education (PRE) and other co-sponsors will be holding a protest in front of Craigslist Headquarters in San Francisco on July 8^th to bring attention to Craigslist’s facilitation of and profiting  from sex trafficking. “Craigslist continues to cynically profit by functioning as an online pimp,” says Norma Ramos, Executive Director of CATW. “Craigslist is the new stroll where pimps traffic, johns buy and Craigslist profits,” says Melissa Farley, Executive Director, PRE.

Craigslist is projected to realize a 22% increase in revenue – an estimated $36 million in 2010 – largely attributable to its functioning as a virtual red light district for pimps/traffickers and johns. Craigslist displays a reckless disregard for human rights by increasingly becoming a part of the sex industry. Craigslist could act to create a sex trafficking free internet by no longer hosting prostitution ads and thereby setting an industry standard.

We invite you to join CATW, PRE and our co-sponsors who include: Gloria Steinem, Breaking Free, Equality Now, A Call to Men, End Child Prostitution and Trafficking (ECPAT-USA), and many others at our protest to hold Craigslist accountable for facilitating and profiting from the rank exploitation of others.

Speakers Include:

• Joy Friedman, Women’s Program Manager, Breaking Free
• Glenda Hope, Executive Director, SafeHouse San Francisco for Homeless Women Escaping Prostitution
• Victor Malarek, Author/Activist, The Natashas and The Johns
• Aaron Cohen, Author/Activist, Slave Hunter
• Terria Joseph, Actor

When: Thursday, July 8, 2010

Where: Craigslist Headquarters

1381 9^th Avenue
(Between Judah and Irving Streets)
San Francisco, CA 94122

Time: 12:00 NOON – 2:00 PM

Co-Sponsors Include: Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), Center for World Indigenous Studies (Mexico/USA), Men Stopping Violence, Dayton Human Trafficking Accords, UNANIMA International, Aboriginal Women’s Action Network (Canada), The Temple Committee Against Human Trafficking (Canada), The Barnaba Institute, Global Centurion, National Organization For Women – NYC (NOW-NYC), Kathleen Barry, Robin Morgan, Embrace Dignity Campaign (South Africa), The Rebecca Project for Human Rights, Stop Porn Culture, Media Watch, Pacific Alliance to Stop Slavery, Girl Fest Hawaii, Public Good Project, Children’s Civil Rights Union, California Survivors of Craigslist Trafficking, Chab Dai USA, Veronica’s Voice, Women’s Justice Center, LOOKBOTHWAYS, California Against Slavery, A Girl Like Me Campaign, Nomi Network, Women’s Global Resource and Development Initiative, Minorities and Survivors Improving Empowerment (MASIE), Live2Free, Lydia Today Foundation, Love146, Nevada Coalition Against Sexual Violence, Nevada Coalition Against Sex Trafficking, National Dominican Women’s Caucus, Because Justice Matters, New York League of Puerto Rican Women, Inc. (NYLPRW), Soroptimist International of the Americas, Women’s Support Project (Scotland), Revolt: Fight To End The Commercial Sex Trade, Exploited Voices now Educating (EVE),  My Sisters’s Place, Inc (Canada), What If It Were Your Daughter/Silver Braid, Sex Industry Survivors, REED (Resist Exploitation, Embrace Dignity) (Canada), Apne Aap (India), Asian Women Coalition Ending Prostitution, Bamboo Bridges, Vancouver Rape Relief and Women’s Shelter (Canada), Canadian Association of Sexual Assault Centres, Council for Prostitution Alternatives,  Abolish Slavery, Mrs. Gingerbread Inc., Technorazzi.com, Asian Americans for Community Involvement (AACI),Feministiskt Initiativ (Sweden), Raise The Bar Productions, EAVES (UK),  TFK Ventures, LLC., Setting the Captives Free Ministries (Canada), Women’s Front of Norway, Florida Coalition Against Human Trafficking, Sisters of the Holy Family…

* Please help get the word out by e-mailing this notice to your contact list. You can use the PDF link at the top of the page.

The year 2010 is the International Year dedicated to Biodiversity. To this end, UNCCD aims to sensitize the public to the fact that desertification, land degradation and drought dramatically affect the biodiversity resident in the soil.

There is a close relationship between livelihood and ecosystem wellbeing, and soils that are rich in biodiversity. Healthy soils produce life, and yet soil health depends a lot on how individuals use their land. What we do to our soils determines the quality and quantity of the food we eat and how our ecosystems serve us. Our increasing ecological interdependence also means enhancing soils anywhere enhances life everywhere

The World Day to Combat Desertification has been observed since 1995 (General Assembly Resolution A/RES/49/1995) to promote public awareness relating to international cooperation to combat desertification and the effects of drought, and the implementation of the UNCCD. Last year, more than 40 events took place all over the world (see the 2008 report). We can celebrate the Day through organizing activities such as seminars, media events and campaigns. Every single activity involving community participation and cooperation is encouraged!

For more information about the Day, please contact:secretariat(at)unccd.int

We would be delighted to hear from you about how your country plans to mark the Day. The information received will be posted on our website.

-Pope Benedict XVI, July 24, 2007

(Adapted from the 1991 statement of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Renewing the Earth)

1. A God-centered and sacramental view of the Universe.

In a God-centered (i.e. theocentric) and sacramental view, nature’s beauty and diversity reveal something about God.  God is present and active in Creation, while also transcendent.  “Faced with the glory of the Trinity in Creation, we must contemplate, sing, and rediscover awe,” said John Paul II.

“Reverence for the Creator present and active in nature may serve as ground for environmental responsibility,” wrote the U.S. Catholic Bishops.  “For the very plants and animals, mountains and oceans, which in their loveliness and sublimity lift our minds to God, by their fragility and perishing likewise cry out, ‘We have not made ourselves.’  God brings them into being and sustains them in existence.  It is to the Creator of the universe, then, that we are accountable for what we do or fail to do to preserve and care for the Earth and all its creatures….  Dwelling in the presence of God, we begin to experience ourselves as part of Creation, as stewards within it, not separate from it.”

“Jesus set before me the book of nature.” ~ St. Thérèse of Lisieux

“Accustom yourself to seeing God in everything, because nature is a reflection of God.  Oh!  How He sparkles, shines, dazzles and is radiant in the invisible and the visible.” ~ Padre Benedetto Nardella

“The whole world is asleep, and God so full of goodness, so great, so worthy of all praise, no one is thinking of Him!  See, nature praises Him, and man, who ought to praise Him, sleeps!  Let us go, let us go and wake up the universe and sing His praises!” ~ Blessed Mariam Baouardy

2. A consistent respect for human life, which extends to respect for all Creation.

The Church approaches the care and protection of the environment from the point of view of the human person.  Men and women are created in the image and likeness of God.  Fostering and protecting human life and dignity, from conception to natural death, lies at the heart of the Church’s social teachings.  We now realize that respect for human life and respect for nature are inextricably linked.  According to John Paul II, “Respect for life and for the dignity of the human person extends also to the rest of Creation, which is called to join man in praising God.”

Shamefully, the reverse is also true: Our lack of respect for life extends also to the rest of Creation and is an underlying cause of social injustice and environmental destruction.

The womb is the most endangered human environment in the world today.  The right to life precedes and underlies every other social and environmental issue or group of issues.

3. A world view affirming the ethical significance of global interdependence and the global common good.

Recent ecological concerns have heightened our awareness of just how interdependent our world is.  According to John Paul II, “Today the ecological crisis has assumed such proportions as to be the responsibility of everyone….  Its various aspects demonstrate the need for concerted efforts aimed at establishing duties and obligations that belong to individuals, peoples, states, and the international community.”

4. An ethics of solidarity promoting cooperation and a just structure of sharing in the world community.

We are all part of one human family — whatever our national, racial, religious, economic, or ideological differences.  Solidarity is a firm and preserving determination to commit oneself to the common good, and a willingness to lose oneself for the sake of others, including future generations.  “The ecological crisis,”  John Paul II has written, “reveals the urgent moral need for a new solidarity, especially in relations between the developing nations and those that are highly industrialized.”  Solidarity must take into consideration not only the needs of all peoples but also the protection of the environment in view of the good of all.

“We are all part of God’s Creation — we live as a human family.  The whole of Creation is everyone’s heritage.  All equally created by God, called to share the goods and the beauty of the one world, human beings are called to enter into a solidarity of universal dimensions, ‘a cosmic fraternity’ animated by the very love that flows from God….  We must learn again to live in harmony, not only with God and with one another, but with Creation itself,” said Archbishop Renato Martino at a 1992 UN conference in Rio.

All persons are called to a solidarity of universal dimensions that embraces all of Creation , entrusted to the care of all.

5. An understanding of the universal purpose of created things, which requires equitable use of the Earth’s resources.

God has given the fruit of the  to sustain the entire human family, including future generations.  “The world is given to all, not only to the rich,” said Pope Paul VI.

In the words of John Paul II:

It is manifestly unjust that a privileged few should continue to accumulate excess good, squandering available resources, while masses of people are living in conditions of misery at the very lowest level of subsistence.  Today, the dramatic threat of ecological breakdown is teaching us the extent to which greed and selfishness — both individual and collective — are contrary to the order of Creation, an order that is characterized by mutual interdependence.

6. An option for the poor, which gives passion to the quest for an equitable and sustainable world.

The ecological problem is intimately connected to justice for the poor.  “The goods of the Earth, which in the divine plan should be a common patrimony,” said John Paul II, “often risk becoming the monopoly of a few who often spoil it and, sometimes, destroy it, thereby creating a loss for all humanity.”  According to the U.S. Bishops, “The option for the poor embedded in the Gospel and the Church’s teachings makes us aware that the poor suffer most directly from environmental decline and have the least access to relief from their suffering.”  It is important to note that populations of poor people are never the primary cause of ecological destruction; rather, they are its victims. 

“Those who hold goods for use and consumption should use them with moderation, reserving the better part for guests, for the sick, and the poor” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 2405).

Blessed Mother Teresa expressed the option for the poor well when she said, “Suffering today is because people are hoarding, not giving, not sharing.  Jesus made it very clear.  Whatever you do to the least of my brethren, you do it to me.  Give a glass of water, you give it to me.  Receive a little child, you receive me.  Clear.”

Our duty is not only to share our wealth, but also to promote the values, institutions, and rights that properly generate wealth, including respect for life, liberty, free market economies, private property rights, the rule of law, and the right to a safe environment.  No amount of aid can ever be enough if the leaders of developing countries do not respect their people, open their markets, invest in better health and education, and abide by a legal system that is fair and consistent.

7. A conception of authentic development, which offers a direction for progress that respects human dignity and the limits of material growth.

Much of the destruction of Creation is caused by sin, including the sins of arrogance, greed, and disrespect for life.  Add to that human ignorance and error.  These lead to rampant consumerism, haphazard development, social injustice, the indiscriminant application of technology, and ultimately violence.  John Paul II has said, “In his desire to have and to enjoy rather than to be and to grow, man consumes the resources of the Earth and his own life in an excessive and disordered way….  The mere accumulation of goods and services, even for the benefit of the majority, is not enough for the realization of human happiness.”

Instead of limiting ourselves to mere “sustainable development,” Catholics strive for more: We strive for authentic development.  Numerous social conditions, including the right to life, liberty, respect for the person, food, clean water, clothing, health, work, education and culture, peace, security, the right to establish a family, and a safe and beautiful environment, impact our ability to realize our human dignity and reach our full potential.  Humankind carefully and wisely develops Creation so that the whole of Creation reaches its full potential, according to God’s will.

A full Introduction to Catholic Environmental Justice and Stewardship Edited by Bill Jacobs, ecologist and director of the Catholic Conservation Center

As a result of a United Nations General Assembly resolution passed in December 2008, World Oceans Day is now officially recognized by the UN as June 8th each year.

The concept for a “World Ocean Day” was first proposed in 1992 by the Government of Canada at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, and it had been unofficially celebrated every year since then. Since 2002, The Ocean Project and the World Ocean Network have helped to promote and coordinate World Oceans Day events worldwide. We help coordinate events and activities with aquariums, zoos, museums, conservation organizations, universities, schools, and businesses. Each year an increasing number of countries and organizations have been marking June 8th as an opportunity to celebrate our world ocean and our personal connection to the sea.

Together, we also developed and widely circulated a petition to the United

Nations urging them to officially recognize World Oceans Day. With help from our Partner organizations, tens of thousands of people from all parts of the world signed online or paper copies of the petition. Congratulations to all for helping to make this happen!

Designation of World Oceans Day provides an important boost to those organizations and individuals who have been deeply committed to ocean conservation. Official UN designation is another important step toward improving the health of our world’s ocean.

World Ocean Day Theme for this Year

June 5, Many Species, One Planet One Future

As people of religious faith, we bishops believe that the atmosphere that supports life on earth is a God-given gift, one we must respect and protect. It unites us as one human family. If we harm the atmosphere, we dishonor our Creator and the gift of creation. The value of our faith calls us to humility, sacrifice, and a respect for life and the natural gifts God has provided. Pope John Paul II reminds us in his statement The Ecological Crisis: A Common Responsibility that “respect for life and for the dignity of the human person extends also to the rest of creation, which is called to join man in praising God.” (John Paul II, The Ecological Crisis, no. 16). In that spirit of praise and thanksgiving to God for the wonders of creation, we Catholic bishops call for a civil dialogue and prudent and constructive action to protect God’s precious gift of the earth’s atmosphere with a sense of genuine solidarity and justice for all God’s children. . - US Catholic Bishops, Global Climate Change: A Plea for Dialogue, Prudence and the Common Good, 2001

“The complexity of the ecological question is evident to all. There are, however, certain underlying principles which, while respecting the legitimate autonomy and the specific competence of those involved, can direct research towards adequate and lasting solutions. These principles are essential to the building of a peaceful society; no peaceful society can afford to neglect either respect for life or the fact that there is an integrity to creation. Respect for life, and above all for the dignity of the human person, is the ultimate guiding norm for any sound economic, industrial or scientific progress.” John Paul II, 1990 World Day of Peace, no. 7.

“Man’s dominion over inanimate and other living beings granted by the Creator is not absolute; it is limited by concern for the quality of life of his neighbor, including generations to come; it requires a religious respect for the integrity of creation.” Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 2415

Smuggling migrants involves the procurement for financial or other material benefit of illegal entry of a person into a State of which that person is not a national or resident.

Virtually every country in the world is affected by these crimes. The challenge for all countries, rich and poor, is totarget the criminals who exploit desperate people and to protect and assist victims of trafficking and smuggled migrants, many of whom endure unimaginable hardships in their bid for a better life.

As the only United Nations entity focusing on the criminal justice element of these crimes, the work that UNODC does to combat human trafficking and the smuggling of migrants is underpinned by the United Nations Convention on Transnational Organized Crime and its protocols on trafficking in persons and migrant smuggling.

Learn more

To learn more visit What is human trafficking? and What is migrant smuggling?

Download UNODC’s anti-trafficking and anti-smuggling Tools and Publications

Watch Public Service Announcements and listen to expert interviews here

To learn about the Global Initiative to fight Human Trafficking (UN.GIFT) visit the UN.GIFT website

**********************************************

Do More:

Can you help our anti-trafficking effort by sending a letter?

• Hotel chain and trafficking
• Craigslist and the erotic services section petition from Change.Org
• The World Cup and Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) and The World Cup

Your support and involvement are imperative for vulnerable families. There are many ways you can join us and help Stop Trafficking!

Please also contact your Representatives to urge for policy reform.

• Senate - http://www.senate.gov/
• House of Represenatatives - http://www.house.gov/writerep/

A poster for the awareness campaign to fight human trafficking during the June 11-July 11 World Cup soccer tournament in South Africa. (CNS/courtesy of Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference)

VATICAN CITY – An international network of women’s religious orders has launched a worldwide awareness campaign aimed at preventing human trafficking during the June 11-July 11 World Cup soccer tournament in South Africa.

The campaign titled, “2010 Should Be About the Game,” has been targeting fans, religious leaders, potential victims of trafficking and the general public — warning them about the risks and urging them to spread the word.

Using the 2010 World Cup to exploit vulnerable women, children and men for slave labor, the sex industry or the drug trade is “an outright perversion of the spirit and ethical dimension of sport as well as of the idea and dignity of the human person,” said Salesian Sister Bernadette Sangma.

Sister Sangma, who coordinates the anti-trafficking project of the International Union of Superiors General, and others spoke at a Vatican news conference May 6.

A similar anti-trafficking campaign coordinated by the superiors general and the International Organization for Migration was highly successful during the 2006 World Cup in Germany, said Stefano Volpicelli, a migration office official who has been working with the sisters…

READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT CatholicNews.com

PLEASE SEE LETTER YOU CAN SEND, CLICK  HERE