"We must be the change we wish to see"

"We must be the change we wish to see"

-Ghandi

http://www.gandhiinstitute.org/

--- In metatuning@y..., <dante.interport@r...> wrote:
> "We must be the change we wish to see"
>
> -Ghandi

Absolutely. I haven't responded, but Dante, I'd like to thank you for
your clarity, perseverance, and (dare I say) courage to speak words
of peace, and of the possibility of non-violent action. It is a
welcome perspective amidst all the other ... points of view.

Respectfully,
Jon

Please let me thank Dante and Jon for carrying this message of peace.

It is not a question of localizing the cycle of pain, or responsibility
for it, in one place, but of acknowledging shared responsibility and
acting to break the cycle rather than perpetuate it.

It seems to me that the women of Afghanistan have a special role to play
in this process, and that if they had been represented earlier -- for
example, around the late 1980's, when the Cold War was ending and there
might have been some international support for a progressive coalition in
Afghanistan reflecting human rights and feminist concerns -- the tragic
events of this year might have happened differently.

It is not a question of one atrocity or injustice justifying a new one,
but of a vicious cycle of causes which must be recognized so that the
cause of peace may yet prevail.

This means seeking to understand -- not to condone, but to understand --
the viewpoints of various forces, even ones taking actions with which I
radically disagree, whether on 11 September 2001 or 6 August 1945, for
example.

The Branch Davidian tragedy at Waco, which some commentators have analyzed
with a perspective looking to the spiritual roots of the group in the
Seventh Day Adventist movement as well as the immediate situation in early
1993, may serve as an example of the need for understanding. The
government might have -- but tragically did not -- sought a resolution of
the crisis based on a recognition of the group's perspective. Ironically,
for example, while firearms were indeed an issue, the community had a
history of conscientious objection to armed military service during the
Second World War, a pattern typical of the Seventh Day Adventist
tradition. Instead of seeking some negotiated surrender of David Koresh
based on a serious dialogue, the law enforcement agencies acted like a
"superpower" flexing its military might and resorting to methods of
harassment calculated to escalate the crisis.

Terrorism should opposed everywhere, along with the conditions which
promote it. This means also recognizing the needs of Indigenous
communities, not only historically but today, and ending the terror,
poverty, and powerlessness there too.

If "terror" seems a strong word, consider the violence visited upon
Indigenous activists and communities over the last three decades, not to
speak of the last 500 years -- thank you, Neil, for keeping this topic in
focus as we seek a better basis for the next 500 years.

Most appreciatively,

Margo Schulter
mschulter@...