Arise member fasting, protesting with with Code Pink in D.C.

Arise office manager and peace organizer extraordinaire Ellen Graves is Washington, D.C. right now with Code Pink, , participating in a ten day fast and walking the freezing streets so that the voices of peace can be heard.

Here is an email message from Ellen and also a story of a mother and daughter in Bahrain that shows how far a good message can carry.

Dear Friends,

It is now Saturday night, ending the 7th day of the fast. Except for the bitter cold everything is going very well.. .

DC is bitter, bitter with a cold cold wind. We are outside most of the day and no matter how many clothes I have on the cold still manage to come in.. We are staying in a Buddhist Center.. which is kept very chilly ( we don't have to put the juicces in the fridge at night cause the rooms are very cold).

We have had a very busy week and have had some great news and tv coverage, as we are seen in different locations around the city. ... We make a very impressive statement, as we walk single file in our orange jump suits and black hoods around DC...There are around 30 of us in procession...

We have stood many days in front of the White House and in front of The Capital in a line in silence.... Tuesday , we were standing across the street from the trans. office.. knowing that the press van was there as well as 2 black limos... so we know Obama was there.... but the police came just as he was coming out and made us move.. so we went down the street. .. and pretty soon he came driving by..( We made CNN and the Washington Post that day) .

We also went to both days of the Eric Holder Hearings,, It was very interesting.. If you saw any of the news coverage you most likely saw the orange jump suits...and the little signs saying No torture and Torture is a crime... It is going to be interesting to see if he is confirmed and if so if he does all the things he said he thought was correct.

Today we started out with mass in the house of the Catholic Workers at 7am and didn't get back until 7pm tonight, and some of the things today included the usual walks though the streets standing in front of the White House , joining with a group of young children in a big peace parade... Which we took to Union Station and waited for Obama arrival plus meeting and reflexions.. Another Busy Day!!

It is time for me to close.. Peace and Hugs to All.. Ellen



Women Launch Flower Power Drive
By TOM HANRATTY, Gulf Daily News

TWO Bahrain women have launched their own international 'flower power' campaign for a halt to the Israeli onslaught in Gaza. Christine Hasan and her daughter Moona Fairooz are urging women in Bahrain to send white flowers to US Ambassador Adam Ereli, with a message urging a halt to the killing.

They have also e-mailed peace groups around the world, including Iraq, the UK and Australia, urging women there to send flowers to their respective US embassies.

Ms Hasan, a veteran educationalist and peace campaigner, believes that small gestures can make a big difference, if they come from enough people.

"People are saying it will make no difference, but small things can always make a big difference," the Muharraq resident said yesterday. "This is an ongoing campaign and we are asking women to take part at any time they can.

"Even a weekly e-mail to the embassy will be much appreciated."

The move comes in the wake of a decision by US-based Code Pink, the international anti-war organisation, to send white flowers to the office of US President-elect, Barack Obama, in protest against the attack on Gaza.

Code Pink was started in November 2002 by a group of American women campaigning to stop the US invading of Iraq and has since grown into a global peace organisation.

Ms Hasan says the flowers may be real or synthetic and accompanied by the following message:

"60 years of aggression have not worked. We have to try to find another solution. Please do not be silent. The children of Gaza need your help."

Ms Hasan adapted the message being used by Code Pink, saying she felt it necessary to detail how long the aggression against the Palestinian people had been going on.

Messages may be faxed to the US Embassy on 17270547 or e-mailed to Elmawieh@state.gov

Women in Bahrain are also being asked to make a longer lasting statement by wearing a white flowers on their clothing, on their handbags, or in their hair, as a mark of solidarity.

Photos: Holly, Liz, Ron and Ellen at a 'Vote No on Question One" rally, Bahrain women organizing from the Gulf Daily News.

Welcome to Tent City

Came across this video about a tent city in Ontario, CA. It's a too common story. Check it out.



link: YouTube

Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday

This Monday, January 19, we celebrate the Birthday of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Today as more people are sliding into economic Depression after eight years of Federal mismanagement and corruption, Dr. King's message is more timely than ever.

In his famous "I Have a Dream" Speech Dr. King said,

"It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds." But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we have come to cash this check — a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice. We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quick sands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children."

Complete Speech is at www.usconstitution.net/dream.html

Today we live in a nation that has become known world-wide for War, Torture, and hidden Ghost Prisons. Where working people are losing their incomes and homes. Where taxpayer fortunes bail out the culprits who ruined our economy in the first place, while the peoples who built everything stand on the outsides with empty hands. If Dr. King were alive today he would be leading the struggle for Economic Equality. Fortunately, however, this struggle continues. As Barbara Jordan once said, "What the people want is very simple. They want an America as good as its promise." Please pitch in for everyone's good.

Picture from RedDartFrog - DeviantArt

Causes of homelessness

I found a good list online of the causes of homelessness...two I'd add...kids who age out of foster care, especially when their placements have not prepared them to live independently...and kids who have been physically, sexually or emotionally abused at home and run away...which ones can you add?

• Automobile related - Broken down car, no insurance, tickets, etc.
• Decline in Public Assistance - Current TANF benefits and food stamps combined are below the poverty level in every state; in fact, the median TANF benefit for a family of three is approximately one-third of the poverty level. Thus, contrary to popular opinion, welfare does not provide relief from poverty.
• Divorce - Divorce often leaves one of the spouses homeless. Most often it’s the father, but sometimes it’s the mother and children or everyone involved.
• Domestic Violence - Battered women who live in poverty are often forced to choose between abusive relationships and homelessness.
• Drug and Alcohol related problems - Rates of alcohol and drug abuse are disproportionately high among the homeless population.
• Illness - For families and individuals struggling to pay the rent, a serious illness or disability can start a downward spiral into homelessness, beginning with a lost job, depletion of savings to pay for care, and eventual eviction.
• Job loss - No income to pay rent.
• Lack of affordable housing- The lack of affordable housing has lead to high rent burdens (rents which absorb a high proportion of income), overcrowding, and substandard housing.
• Lack of child support - In families where child support is ordered but not paid, the decrease in income can lead to an inability to pay rent, utilities, or both.
• Low wages - Declining wages have put housing out of reach for many workers: in every state, more than the minimum wage is required to afford a one- or two-bedroom apartment at Fair Market Rent.
• Mental Illness - Approximately 20-25% of the single adult homeless population suffer from some form of severe and persistent mental illness.
• Natural Disaster / Fire - Situations where due to chance a fire, tornado, flood or hurricane renders housing inhabitable.
• Physical Disabilities - Disabled individuals may be unable to work or find appropriate employment. For those receiving SSI, they often struggle to obtain and maintain stable housing.
• Post Traumatic Stress Disorder - This disorder is common with veterans and those that have been in violent situations. It can make it difficult to have a stable life.
• Poverty - Being poor means being an illness, an accident, or a paycheck away from living on the streets.
• Roommates - When one or more roommates falls through with their end of the bargain, they can be a reason for others becoming homeless.
• Severe Depression - Can make it impossible for an individual to maintain a stable life.
• Tragedy - It is surprising how many people just quit functioning because their families died or were killed...sometimes recently...other times 15 years ago...other times 30 years ago.

Photo from Daymark

Motion to Dismiss--THURS JAN 15th 2pm

January 15th
Pre-Trial Hearing at 2PM

On Monday, December 29th, Jason Vassell’s defense submitted a motion to dismiss Vassell’s indictment, No. 08-56, “on the ground that the defendant has been selectively prosecuted because of his race, in violation of the rights guaranteed him by the Sixth and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution and Articles I and XII of the Massachusetts Declaration of Rights.”

The motion and a 50+ page memorandum in support of the motion were one of the topics discussed at Vassell’s pretrial hearing on December 31st. At the hearing, the judge agreed that Jason’s case would go to trial in March, 2009.

January 15, 2009 will be the hearing on the Motion to Dismiss Charges, Subpoena for Bosse and Bowes’ School Records, and more. It was great that 70 people came out to support Jason at his last hearing during a snowstorm on New Year’s Eve. This time we will bring even more!

This is a critical period in the case. The judge could ultimately exonerate Jason at this point in time, or could dismiss the motion completely. Your support is needed more than ever, which is why we need to stand in solidarity behind Jason at his upcoming pre-trial hearing. The judge and the district attorney must see the support behind this motion for the dismissal of charges against Jason.

Please attend the hearing on JAN. 15TH AT 2 PM. Hearing will take place in the Hampshire Superior Court -15 Gothic St. Northampton MA 01003.

After the hearing there will be a press conference at First Churches to announce upcoming events in support of Jason Vassell and to discuss the events of the day.

We need to make some calls

Hey, Arise folks, I posted this on my blog Michaelann Land today but these are calls we really need to make.

By tomorrow, I hope, I'll organize an email I got from Marion about the potentially catastrophic results of the Governor's intention to transfer responsibility for family shelters from DTA to the Department of Housing and Community Development. We'll have some more calls to make.

Given the size of the financial crisis in this state, we'll all have to work to stop the worst from happening.

~~ Michaelann



MCH Bill Priorities, 2009-2010 Session

Please Contact Your Legislator and Ask Him or Her to Support Three Bills That Will Help Low Income Individuals and Families to Maintain and Obtain Housing

In January 2009, the Legislature initiated its 2009-2010 bill session. The Coalition has worked closely with several legislators to file three critical pieces of legislation to assist low income families and individuals:

• "An Act to Protect and Improve the Emergency Aid to the Elderly, Disabled and Children (EAEDC) Program" being filed in the House by Representatives Kathi-Anne Reinstein and Ruth Balser, and in the Senate by Senator Susan Tucker improves the safety net for destitute seniors, people with disabilities and homeless high school/vocational school students. This bill would:

1. Gradually raise the EAEDC grant until it matches the level of assistance provided to recipients of the state's Transitional Assistance to Families with Dependent Children program ($428/ month for a household of one) through regular Cost of Living Adjustments (COLAs).

2. Restore EAEDC payments to full-time students attending a high school, vocational school or GED program to help them complete their educations.

3. Facilitate the movement of EAEDC recipients onto Federal Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program by providing legal assistance and support with applications and appeals.

Fact Sheet on Bill.

• "An Act to Prevent Homelessness Among Recipients of Transitional Assistance" being filed in the House by Representative Denise Provost and in the Senate by Senators Pat Jehlen and Karen Spilka would establish a housing stability screening program at the Department of Transitional Assistance and would improve income benefits to TAFDC and EAEDC recipients experiencing homelessness. The bill would

1. Establish regular housing stability screenings with participants in DTA cash and nutritional assistance programs to assess if these families and individuals are at risk of homelessness.

2. Provide stabilization funds and services to link at-risk households to needed resources.

3. Increase income supports to TAFDC and EAEDC households experiencing homelessness, establishing escrow accounts with the money currently being deducted from their monthly grants.

Fact Sheet on Bill.

• "An Act to Prevent Homelessness by Removing Barriers to Subsidized Housing" being filed by Representative Carl Sciortino will complement ongoing efforts by the Commonwealth to prevent homelessness and reduce reliance on emergency shelter by removing unwarranted barriers to those who are homeless or at imminent risk of homelessness to accessing permanently affordable, subsidized housing.

Fact Sheet

Cynthia McKinney to speak in Northampton!

What: A day of community-honoring the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Who: Cynthia McKinney (former U.S. Congress woman and recent Green Party Presidential Candidate) with special guests Lee Stringer (author), Dr. Enoch Page, Musician Tom Nielson, Julius Ford and featuring a multi-media presentation about U.S. Involvement in the Congo by Keith Harmon Snow.

Where: The First Churches of Northampton, 129 Main Street-right in the center of town.

When: January 19, 2009. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. from 7:00-9:30 PM.

Why: To benefit "Friends of the Congo" and "Video Vanguards/youth action coalition.

Tickets can be purchased at; Food For Thought in Amherst, The Blue House Cafe in Haydenville, The Old Creamery in Cummington, Arise for Social Justice in Springfield.

Suggested Donation
$10.00 Students/$20.00 Adults in advance
$15.00 students/$25.00 Adults day of the show
Under 13 free. Sliding scale (low-income) available on request.

For more infomration please call megan at 413-250-5352 or e-mail meganfaces@aol.com

from the Reminder..Former Marine explores conversations on war

Former Marine explores conversations on war
HOLYOKE Outside of a history class, how does one have a conversation about war? Is war like other topics such as religion or politics thought of as off limits in polite society?

For former Marine Capt. Tyler Boudreau, war is not just a conversation to be had but an "inferno" raging furiously inside his mind since his deployment to Iraq in 2004 and subsequent deactivation from the armed forces.

Since the publication of his debut book, "Packing Inferno: The Unmaking of a Marine," Boudreau has been traveling throughout the Pioneer Valley to speak about his experiences and how they led to his chosen retirement from the military after 12 years of service. His next appearance will be at Barnes & Noble on Jan. 10.

"The trouble with this particular topic war is that it is so volatile, so polarizing, that people, most people, tend to shy away from the conversation altogether to keep the conversation polite," he said, adding that he is "not always welcome" among people with varying views of the war.

Boudreau went on to say that there is no question about his military life that he will refuse to answer because Americans deserve to know the truth.

"The fear is, I think, that there are events that were so traumatizing for the veteran that he/she would rather not discuss them," he explained. "And of course there are times when this is true. But there's also a bit of a 'code of silence' thing going on here. This 'code' has no particular value, no particular function; it's a cultural code. It facilitates a sort of exclusivity for the warrior class. But I find that code utterly antithetical to the principles of democracy. The people the voters need to know what war is all about. Excepting possibly those with serious combat stress, I think soldiers have an obligation to openly discuss the nature of war. On the other hand, I'd say the people back home have an obligation to openly listen. As far as I can tell right now, neither is happening.

"Since leaving the Marines, Boudreau has dedicated his time to his family and to the open discussion of war. He explained that his affection for his men and their well being trumped any mission therefore challenging traditional military strategy and his need to end his career.

Boudreau said people often ask him, "What was the moment you knew you could no longer support the war in Iraq? Did you have an 'aha!' moment?" "I did not have an 'aha!' moment," he explained. "Officers are trained to watch for trends, not make snap judgments on a single events or factors. So that's what I did. I watched for trends. By the time the deployment was over, I'd noticed a number of trends that led me to the conclusion that we were not on the right path.

"Boudreau said writing his book has proved to be a therapeutic exercise for his psyche that began while reading "Dante's Inferno" during his deployment.

"As I traveled with Dante and Virgil down through the circles of Hell, I noticed curious similarities emerging between the conditions of Dante's underworld and the battlefield which I was traversing," he wrote. "The heat grew more intense as the summer approached, the danger more severe. There was death, and blood, and hypocrisy, and as much 'sin' in one place as I'd ever witnessed. But it was more than that I saw the struggle in humanity, and in the heart; I saw the political strife, the regret, and the rage, and the hardship, even the characters I saw them all in both the battlefield and the book.when I got home, I found the war was still raging, but it was not outside me anymore, not to touch, or to see, or to hear, or to smell. It was within me. I was no longer packing 'Inferno' in my sea-bag [to read during my deployment], but in my head.

" Boudreau explained that writing about the war was difficult, mostly because of people's varying political views."It's a socially fragile conversation," he said. "So to write about it, to get people to listen objectively, to get them to care and even possibly open their view.that is the greatest challenge of writing about war. I say to myself: 'How am I going to get people to relate to me? How am I going to get them to see that I have no agenda? How do I break this conversation from the confines of rhetoric and ideology?' It's tough to do.

"However, Boudreau fights through the war raging through his mind daily, having spewed it onto the pages of his book in the hopes that one day all people will be able to speak candidly of war."Ultimately it is my struggle," he wrote. "I am packing 'Inferno.' But slowly, slowly, day by day, year by year, I am unpacking it."For more information about Boudreau or upcoming appearances go to http://www.tylerboudreau.com/

Homeless families rise 22% in a year

By Milton J. Valencia
Globe Staff / January 6, 2009
The number of homeless families living in Boston has jumped for the fourth straight year, making children without a home the fastest-growing group, according to results from the mayor's annual census.
The Homeless Census showed that the number of families living in emergency shelters, transitional housing, or even in motels jumped 22 percent in the past year, from 3,175 in 2007 to 3,870 in December. The number of children without a home soared 24 percent in 2008, from 1,850 to 2,288.
As past programs have targeted the elderly and people with drug addictions and mental illnesses, city officials said a new, concerted effort is needed to assist homeless families as their numbers climb during tough economic times.
"For families, it's really about insufficient income to afford a place to live," said Jim Greene, director of the city's Emergency Shelter Commission. "Family homelessness is caused by the divide between people's incomes and housing costs, and when the gap is too great the problem gets worse."
The Homeless Census, required by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, is based on a count of the overall number of people living in emergency shelters, transitional housing, hospitals and medical facilities, hotels and motels, and on the streets on one given night.
On Dec. 15, Mayor Thomas M. Menino and about 350 volunteers including city and state officials went into Boston's neighborhoods, reaching out to people living in alleys and under bridges and referring them to shelters and programs.
City officials counted an overall total of 7,681 homeless people that night - which included individuals and family members - up from 6,930 last year, an 11 percent jump.
The census, however, also showed that while the number of families without homes has climbed, the count of homeless individuals only - those considered unaccompanied by anyone - has held steady over the last several years, a tribute to new strategies in reaching out to people living on the streets.
According to the census, the city counted 3,811 homeless individuals, compared with 3,705 last year, a 3 percent increase.
A positive sign of the survey was that the number of elderly people living on the street dropped from a high of 77 in 2004 to fewer than 30 last month.
"We have made some progress, but more needs to be done," Menino said in a statement, adding, "this census reflects the growing challenge that low-income families, especially young mothers, are facing during tough economic times."
Joe Finn, executive director of the Massachusetts Housing and Shelter Alliance, said the stable number of homeless individuals is a credit to Menino's strategy to find people homes before treatment is discussed.
Only then, he said, can officials work with someone to address the root problems that caused them to be homeless - mental illness, substance abuse, or economic woes.
Lyndia Downie, president and executive director of the Pine Street Inn, a Boston homeless shelter, said the increase in the number of families without homes is an ugly sign of the touch economic times.
"I think it's part of a trend across the country, where a combination of so many things going on with the economy are really hitting families in every way," she said.
Greene said that the homeless families often include a single parent who lost a job. In other cases, parents have jobs but still can't afford housing. Meantime, funding for housing vouchers has plunged, he said.
"We need more than just what the city can do," Greene said. "We need the state and federal government to look at the housing crisis for families. We need every level of government and the private and nonprofit sector aligning their resources to address this housing crisis."
Milton Valencia can be reached at mvalencia@globe. com.

http://www.boston. com/news/ local/massachuse tts/articles/ 2009/01/06/ homeless_ families_ rise_22_in_ a_year/

Homelessness, heating oil, health care: Bad news just keeps on coming

Don't look at the Boston Globe this morning if you don't want to be depressed.

Heating oil: Citgo Petroleum Corp., a Venezuelan oil company, will no longer be making donations of oil to Citizens Energy Corp, a non-profit which has provided heating oil at reduced cost to low-income people and Native American communities in 23 states. Declining oil prices-- which means declining profit-- is cited as the chief reason.

Homelessness: The number of homeless families living in shelters or motels in Boston has jumped 22 percent in one year. (I imagine it's similar across the state.) Reason? "For families, it's really about insufficient income to afford a place to live," said Jim Greene, director of the city's Emergency Shelter Commission. "Family homelessness is caused by the divide between people's incomes and housing costs, and when the gap is too great the problem gets worse."

Health Care: Increasing health care costs around the state are jeopardizing the state's new mandated health insurance plan. Meanwhile, Tufts Medical Center in Boston has announced it will no longer accept Blue Cross/Blue Sheild health insurance because the reimbursement rates from the insurer are too low for the medical center to operate efficiantly. A sign of things to come?

Mason Square Library

There has recently been positive movement in returning the Mason Square Library to the citizens of Springfield. Over the past five years there have been many organizations and community leaders pressing for the return of the Mason Square Library to its original location.
Arise for Social Justice has been one of those organizations that have spoken out many times in support of a full service library at Mason Square. Arise will continue to monitor the progress of the city in taking the former library location back by eminent domain and will continue to work toward that end. There are still a few hurdles to overcome and we the community at large, cannot afford to let our guard down. It's not a done deal yet so we must remain diligent in our efforts to return the library to its former capacity. If all goes as planned, the Mason Square Library will soon be back in its original location on State Street and back to serve the people and especially the children of Springfield. Stay tuned.

D.J.

Native American radio journalists urge war crimes tribunal for Bush,

http://www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com/

Posted by Brenda Norrell - January 1, 2009 at 4:52 am
Native American radio journalists urge war crimes tribunal for Bush, immediate withdrawal from Iraq and protection of Native sacred places
By Brenda Norrell
LOS ANGELES -- On American Indian Airwaves, Native American radio hosts Kehaulani Kauanui, Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian) and James Brown, Elm Pomo Nation in California, called for a tribunal to hold President Bush responsible for war crimes, during a panel discussion by distinguished Indigenous journalists and scholars.

"I think we need to pursue trying George Bush and company for war crimes related to this illegal and unlawful occupation in Iraq," Kauanui said."We need to have a war crimes tribunal and bring all these people in," Brown added. Both Kauanui and Brown called on President elect Obama to initiate immediate withdrawal from Iraq upon entering office.

During the panel on KPFK Radio Los Angeles/Santa Barbara, Suzan Harjo joined James Brown, producer of "Tribal Voices Radio" on KPFZ, and Tiokasin Ghosthorse, Lakota Nation. Ghosthorse serves as host of "First Voices Indigenous Radio,"at WBAI in New York. Kehaulani Kauanui, an associate professor and producer of "Indigenous Politics: From Native New England and Beyond," on WESU, in Middletown, Conn., completed the panel on Dec. 31, 2008.

The show demonstrated Indigenous programming and shared the history, girth and diversity on Pacifica since the 1960s, according to American Indian Airwaves cohosts Marcus Lopez (Chumash Nation) and Larry Smith (Lumbee Nation.)James Brown, Pomo, spoke about Rattlesnake Island and the incompetence of the BIA.

"Our so-called protectors can not be trusted with the land," Brown said. The BIA sold off Pomo land for mercury mining in the 1940s, leaving the tribe with only 50 acres of land, located 100 miles north of San Francisco.

"We have all our Creation stories here. We were basically fishing villages," he said.

Brown said Pomo is a matriarchal society, which resulted in the strength of the culture which has lasted so long. Earlier, Pomo fought Boise Cascade and prevented Rattlesnake Island from being subdivided for condominiums. Now, a wealthy businessman, John Nady, is attempting to build a mansion on their sacred mound and burial grounds at Rattlesnake Island.

"We may end up occupying this island to help preserve it this coming summer," Brown said.

Harzo praised President elect Obama for promising to protect Native American sacred places. Harzo said Native Americans have no way of protecting their "churches," or sacred places because of the lack of legislation. Harjo, now president of the Morning Star Institute, said she was a WBAI broadcaster for "Seeing Red" in the 60s and 70s.

"We have hundreds and hundreds of sacred places being desecrated as we speak," Harjo said.

Native American radio hosts described the desecration of sacred places, including San Francisco Peaks, and how US courts have closed the door to Native Americans protecting their sacred places.Kauanui pointed out that the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals is allowing "sewage to be turned into snow so the rich can ski" on San Francisco Peaks. However, countries in South America have made strides in Indigenous rights.

Harjo said the Bush administration has not honored federal laws regarding the protection of endangered species or of Native peoples' human remains. Harjo said this sent a signal that it was "open season" on Native remains.B rown said Obama's appointment to head the Interior, Ken Salazar, is a disappointment. Describing Salazar as a "cowboy," Brown said a Native American should have been appointed to head the Interior. "Let's light a fire under Obama," Brown said.

Brown said he supported the Green Party and Cynthia McKinney, who has a better understanding of Native Americans.Brown also pointed out that universities, including UC Berkeley, are violating the Native American Graves Protection Repatriation Act.

Tiokasin Ghosthorse, Lakota Nation, said he is watching to see what Obama will do once in office. Ghosthorse said there is a "mystical" feeling that something is going to change, but he wants to wait and see. Ghosthorse said Native Americans must dictate their own sovereignty and not allow the seizure of their lands for energy development.

"We have to see past the system that depleted us of our spiritual values," Ghosthorse said, adding that countries in South America are now stating the rights of nature within their laws. He said the treaties have not been honored in the United States. Further, the United States and New Zealand still have not signed the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Kauanui urged the Obama administration to honor the petition from the Lipan Apache women to halt construction on the US/Mexico border wall and stop the forced removal of Indigenous individuals and communities. Kauanui said Obama should take a stand on the state sponsored terrorism and attacks on Palestine and the issue of colonialism. She said there must be careful watch to make sure the US does not "start aggravating in Iran."Kauanui said US universities can lose all federal funding if they do not comply with NAGPRA laws. But the problem is the Bush administration has not gone after the violators.

"Obama needs to turn this around," she said. She urged Obama to oppose the Native Hawaiian Reorganization Act, also known as the Akaka bill, which does not ensure Native Hawaiian rights.After the show, Kauanui explained that the problem with the bill is that it is being sold as federal recognition and therefore packaged as a solution for Native Hawaiians. But it actually states that any future Native Hawaiian governing entity would be subject to both state civil and criminal law.

"We Native Hawaiians have sovereignty claims that the US government already recognizes and exceed US federal policy regarding tribal nations. This bill is about setting up a 'reorganized' Hawaiian government that would settle un-adjudicated land claims to 1.8 million acres, the same lands recognized in the Apology Resolution," she explained.Kauanui said Obama must honor the apology resolution of 1993, US Public Law 103-150, which states "the indigenous Hawaiian people never directly relinquished their claims to their inherent sovereignty as a people or over their national lands to the United States, either through their monarchy or through a plebiscite or referendum."She said the Akaka Bill undermines this resolution.

On the radio show, Ghosthorse said there must be withdrawal from Iraq and soldiers must have a way to come home, without bringing the violence with them.

"Instead of honoring the killing, they have to reinstate their relationship with the Creator," Ghosthorse said. Harjo said there are cleansing ceremonies for soldiers returning home.Ghosthorse said Pacifica radio and pirate radio stations have helped counter the mainstream media and more needs to be accomplished to reveal the truth from Israel and Palestine.Ghosthorse has served as host of "First Voices Indigenous Radio,"at WBAI in New York since 2002, after beginning with KAOS in Olympia, Washington in 1992.

"Other Indigenous radio stations in South America have formed a broadcasting relationship with First Voices Indigenous Radio largely due to their participation at the United Nations' Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues," Ghosthorse said.Today's show, broadcast on New Year's Eve 2008, will be available in KPFK archives at: http://www.kpfk.org/

One in five elders in MA live below the poverty level

Here's a video (and text, in case you don't have sound) about a program helping homeless seniors in Boston get into shelter. This week I'm going to be interviewing seniors at the Loaves and Fishes soup kitchen in Springfield, MAto find out why they need to eat there instead of at home. If anyone is interested in helping, let me know.

Hearth works to end elder homelessness in Boston

Play video

(Greg Wayland, NECN: Boston) - For many older Americans, the new year marks the beginning of a new chapter in their "Golden Years". Still others will begin the new year in a homeless shelter. Homelessness among older citizens is the special concern of one Boston-based organization.

A snowy New Year's Eve at Boston's Pine Street Inn. This is the men's shelter in a system of shelters that care for ten thousand men and women a year.

Inside it is lunch hour. And it is busy.

25-year-old Kate Waters is the outreach case worker for Hearth -- a seventeen-year-old Boston-based non-profit organization working exclusively to end elder homelessness.

"I got the news from the Section Eight lottery, so we can go over that today. Where you are on the waiting list."

Since 1991, Hearth has placed 1300 elders in housing. -- elders being defined as men and women over fifty. Through outreach workers such as kate, hearth tries to integrate housing, mental health, medical and social services in an effort to gain independence for its struggling clients such as 66-year-old James Coleman.

My hopes are to get into an apartment and get out of here

There are some success stories in the making at pine street. Al Davis is among them. Kate got him an interview with the boston housing authority for a possible apartment.

Oh, it really helped me a lot. Because, you know when I first came here, I was still in the shelter. I was living on the floors.

Hearth tries to serve a diverse population. Ramone Torriente-Rodrigues is Cuban, 63-years old and one of Kate's clients. "In everything she every day is helping for me, you know?"

Kate "It can take anywhere from six months to a year if somebody's meeting with an advocate on a weekly basis for them to get into housing."

Kate says both young and old come to homelessness from many paths. "I can't say that there's one certain path that leads to it. Certainly there are issues of mental illness for some folks. Substance abuse for some folks. Others maybe loss of income, job."

A lot of them don't have the resources to fall back on. Either they've burned bridges with family or friends or some family and friends...

Hearth expects to lose 12 percent of its federal funding...and has lost a quarter of the philanthropic funding it had anticipated.

Even before the onset of these hard times, the people at Hearth knew we were working in a tough environment. They say that here in Massachusetts, one in five people over the age of 65 lives below the poverty line.

"Yeah, I think there's just a lot more demand and there's a lot less housing."

But hearth will labor on, believing a person's golden years should not be spent on the street.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A DONATION TO HEARTH, YOU CAN VISIT THEIR WEBSITE AT www.hearth-home.org

Board Meeting

Don't forget-- Arise board meeting Monday, 6 pm-- send agenda items to DJ.

Food Bank needs volunteers for hunger survey

The Western Mass. Food Bank is looking for volunteers to help with a survey to collect information for Hunger in America 2009.

This survey is done every four years across the country by the organization Feeding America to get a comprehensive look at how many people are hungry in this country and why.

If you're interested in volunteering, you'll attend a three hour training at the end of January and can then conduct your surveys anytime between February and April.

For more information, contact Erin Sullivan, (413) 247-9738, ext. 143, or sullivane@foodbankwma.org.

Just a reminder......

Just a reminder that the EJ committee is meeting Thursday, January 8, 2009 at 6:00 pm. Hope to see you all there.

Peace
Liz

Homeless children By Chris Bohjalian

Homeless childrenBy Chris Bohjalian
December 31, 2008


There are a great many reasons why I was down right jubilant back on Nov. 5 and have vacillated between unrestrained giddiness and a more appropriate middle-aged optimism ever since. Part of my exhilaration was the election ofBarack Obama and the signal to the world that America's moral compass is sound,after all. And, yes, it will be nice to know that for at least the next four years the White House will no longer be mired in the Love Canal of Verbal Gibberish. But part of my excitement was simply relief that a campaign that began when trilobites were the lobsters of the seas and John and Cindy McCain owned merely a half-dozen cars was over. No more pandering, no more attack ads, no more fairy tale-like juxtaposition of the words "clean" and "coal."
Nevertheless, here are two more words that we rarely heard spoken in the same sentence in the long campaign and that haven't been linked with any frequency since it ended: "homeless" and "children." In all the debates about whom to bail out (pre- and post-election), in all the discussions of recession and depression, Wall Street and Main Street, there hasn't been a whole lot of focus on homelessness in America. Even now if you visit the website for the Office of the President-Elect and search "homeless children" you won't find them on the agenda. You will find a pledge to combat homelessness among our nation's veterans, which I applaud. But just as we should judge ourselves by how we care for our sick and elderly, we should judge ourselves by how we embrace and lift up the poorest among us. According to the National Center on Family Homelessness, 1.35 million children were homeless at some point this year; on any given night, at least 200,000 have no place to live. Obama has monumental tasks before him. The truth is, we all do. We all must roll up our sleeves as we haven't in generations. There probably hasn't been a better time for us to add two more words - and one more task - to our agenda.

Chris Bohjalian's novels include "Midwives," "The Double Bind," and"Skeletons at the Feast."© Copyright 2008 Globe Newspaper Company.
_http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2008/12/31/homeless_children/_(http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2008/12/31/homeless_children/)

Life in a tent city

This was first shown on CBS News in October, but I know this tent city is still there.