Meet in Boston

Andre Sheldon — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 21:42:53 -0400

Hello Susan,

Yes, it would be wonderful to meet with you in August! We have much to share. I would love to compare our spiritual paths, its interaction with reality, and how diversity makes the world special.

I look forward to your call.

Peace and Love,
Andre

With full-body chills...

Susan Livingston — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 22:32:15 -0400

...and a lump in my throat, I promise that I will investigate the movement you describe and respond to you in more detail. For now, I have a point I'd like you to ponder and a request for you to consider.

I'm not calling for a unified movement. On the contrary, I am calling on my inner resources to stretch and encompass diversity and beyond - conflict, chaos. I am asking myself to put my head together with racists, junk food junkies, libertarians - all kinds of people that violate my most cherished values.

When I saw your MA address and checked the google map, I was moved to ask for a meeting later this summer to explore our potential for collaboration. I'll be spending a week in metro Boston in mid-August, and I'm hoping to connect with a couple of other major contributors to this movement. Interested? I'll contact you directly within the week.

Editor, propeace.net

Women and Nonviolence

Andre Sheldon — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 16:41:52 -0400

Dear Susan,

I enjoyed your blog entry “Building a New World.” The positions you discussed are very progressive and intriguing. You wrote at the end that you wanted feedback to hash out some ideas.

The overall picture I received from your entry was a desire for unity. The second element was a need for a new political system. The third was the inclusion of spirituality and nonviolence. You finalized by stating you are still contemplating all these elements. For me, all the good work that is being done is not changing the core of the problems and if a major altercation happens in the world, people are not prepared to react nonviolently. Perhaps, a catalyst is required – something outside of the box, that will illustrate a new course of action and captures the world’s attention.

I would like to propose an initiative that gives meets the above criteria and gives credibility to the women’s agenda. The initiative itself would be the empowerment of women, specifically focused on peace and nonviolence. The initiative addresses unity, politics, spirituality and nonviolence.

Unity and Politics

On May 19th, in an AlterNet article Kathambi Kinoti, of AWID, wrote the following about a Srilatha Batliwala paper, “The challenge is in creating an overarching and shared political agenda so that on at least some set of issues feminist movements are speaking with a unified voice.”

The world is not focusing on the women’s agenda. What the world doesn’t realize is that the women’s agenda is not for themselves, but for others. Throughout time, it has been “for the children.” Herein lies the answer – a shared political agenda. The hypothesis is that if the world, women and men, mandates work for the children, a commonality, it would solve other problems. Are women able to direct the focus of society to prioritize working for the children? The end result, the goal, is elusive and subjective, but the road is what is important. The effort would be led by women, but not exclusive to women. Does the effort by women exemplify equality?

A mobilization of women around the world, for the children, would create unity. The unity would enable new political entities, such as the Earth Federation, you alerted me to. It sounds like a wonderful comprehensive plan. There are many supportive, visionary initiatives. Ex: Citizens Without Borders http://citizenswithoutborders.org/index.htm, Sophia Circles http://www.sophiacircles.org/, Tikun www.tikun.org, and the Open Society http://www.soros.org/.

What they don’t have is political clout! Part of the theory is that a people movement is required. Howard Zinn, author and activist, stated he would only follow a people movement. The director of the Boston Research Center, Virginia Benson, told me a study confirmed that for the U.N. to be more effective, it needs to be empowered by a people movement.

What will stimulate a people’s movement? Will women take on the role of peacemakers and change the world? On the Earth Federation website, I read the Manifesto, By Dr. Glen T. Martin. Part Eight, where do we go from here?, stated, “If many citizens of the Earth were to stand up on behalf of a decent world order at this crossroads of history, a world of sanity, peace, and prosperity would be just around the corner.” A catalyst is required to have the people stand up together.

Martin Luther King stated, in the Riverside Church speech, “Beyond Vietnam”, April 4th, 1967, “Every nation must now develop an overriding loyalty to mankind as a whole in order to preserve the best in their individual societies.”

Spirituality and Nonviolence

The next major element is nonviolence. Mahatma Gandhi said, “Non-violence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind. It is mightier than the mightiest weapon of destruction devised by the ingenuity of man.”

What if women and nonviolence are promoted as the catalyst? There are exceptions to every rule, but women are socialized to be less violent than men, therefore must have an advantage as promoters of peace.

Nonviolence works! The sages told us it works. How do we use it in the modern era?

What if a plan states it is time for “Nonviolence” to be the doctrine of all societies and countries. It is time for women to rise up, proactively, around the world, in every village, town and city to stop war, as a symbol of nonviolence, to “illustrate” unity, and to set in motion the development of a new political system of gender equality.

My theory is we, the people, have to DISPLAY nonviolence overtly. We, the people, must CREATE A MANDATE (political).

First peace within: By illustrating nonviolence, people will exhibit inner peace. It will be empowering. I agree with Maura Ubinger, people must find inner peace. Mother Theresa stated, “Peace begins with a smile.” There are thousands of spiritual and religious organizations that already support nonviolence. Would they support a women’s movement?

Proclaim nonviolence and NO violence for defense. (As you and Kathy Kelly agree) (I met Kathy and Cindy Sheehan two weeks before Cindy became famous. They were speaking at a Cape Cod Peace organization rally. I receive VCNV emails)

This all leads to STOPPING WAR and or preventing war. Therefore, we start by stating we will not allow war anymore. Women will be taking a proactive stance, based on kindness, compassion, forgiveness, with no violence associated! The plan is to create an achievement to set in motion equality and understanding in the future. The political elements will follow.

There are risks. Millions die in war. Nonviolence is the resolve. Both are dangerous, but what will affect opinions and societies in the future more?

All groups are attempting to enlist followers and be as large as possible. The plan is to be the largest, spiritual, nonviolent movement the world has ever seen.

Over the past six years, I have developed a plan called for a Global Strategy of Nonviolence, For the Children (GS of NV) and an initiative called a “Call to Women, a World-Wide Unity Campaign.” It is a people movement – an Action Plan and an Awareness Campaign. A Call to Women will be the catalyst. It is designed to create change, not wait for it. Conferences are imperative but there also is a need for action. Many state they are action plans, but do not create political clout. Please see my website, www.globalstrategyofnonviolence.org. (Still in development)

I’m writing to request your collaboration. I have the research, theories, and plans. The plans are designed as guidelines and include administration, funding, marketing, implementation, and follow-up. Plans include the enlistment of leaders and advisors.

I’m a Johnny Appleseed, a facilitator. The plan is designed as steps to change the political focus of the world (priorities “for the children”), address the obstacles of the male ensconced corporate, economic, military mind set – a Behemoth, via nonviolent conflict resolution, and empower women around the world to mobilize for change.

In conclusion, according to Riane Eisler, in the Chalice and the Blade, people have the intellect to change from a male dominated society to a partnership society (cultural transformation theory). I am dedicated to this premise.

James Carroll, columnist at the Boston Globe, June 9, 2008 wrote there is an “atmosphere of a civilization rooted in male supremacy.” The “…structure of oppression will not easily be dismantled.” Men “should want help in leaving it behind.”

Recently, at the United Nations conference, the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) there was prolific evidence that women are not listened to. Despite incredible programs by NGO’s, women’s situations are getting worse instead of getting better. Reports of violence against women throughout the world abound. Each day our world is becoming more violent and going in the wrong direction. The world needs a counter balance, a movement for world-wide unity and nonviolence, giving credence to the moderate voice and showing mutual respect.

Socialization is the basic answer but obstacles and problems exist. The plan is idealistic, but the world needs action and idealism. Let’s create an ideal! Create curiosity. Create an appeal. Create an opportunity.

In preparation for after the election year, please work with me on this people movement to influence the new government and every government.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Andre Sheldon
calltowomen@rcn.com
andre@gsofnv.org
Newton, MA
617-964-5267

Sister Joan Chittister stated, from a speech at the Omega/VDay Conference in New York City, September 11, 2004:

“there must be a universal call to women and an organized international voice for peace.”

“The lives of our children, the protection of millions, the hopes of all humankind, wait again now for women, from opposite cultures, opposite tradition, to step over the line of political hatred to save them.”

“…must take a voice until they are given a voice.”

To paraphrase Sister Chittister: Women must be in the forefront because being first brings “courage and hope to others”.

Building a New World

Susan Livingston — Mon, 26 May 2008 22:23:00 -0400

My participation in the World Prout Assembly’s (WPA) first Building a New World conference in Radford, VA really started the night before the conference started, on the evening of Wednesday, May 24, at the annual banquet of the Appalachian Peace Education Center (APEC) where I met Kathy Kelly, our keynote speaker and founder of Voices for Creative NonViolence.

the propeace community - Building a New World - Comments

Meet in Boston

With full-body chills...

Women and Nonviolence

Building a New World