<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<rss version="2.0">
<channel>
<title>Social Upheaval</title>
<link>http://www.socialupheaval.com/</link>
<description>Political commentary from a feminist activist perspective. I&apos;m a life member of Women&apos;s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF), chair of WILPF&apos;s intl communications committee and work in direct marketing.</description>
<copyright>Copyright 2010</copyright>
<lastBuildDate>Sat, 07 Aug 2010 18:51:28 -0800</lastBuildDate>
<generator>http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.31</generator>
<docs>http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss</docs> 

<item>
<title>The Economy, The Poor, and Our Responsibilities</title>
<description><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.jackandjillpolitics.com/" target="_blank">Jack and Jill Politics</a> embedded a fascinating interview with Dr. Cornel West: <object width="420" height="245" id="msnbc2170db" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=10,0,0,0"><param name="movie" value="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32545640" /><param name="FlashVars" value="launch=38566037&amp;width=420&amp;height=245" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="wmode" value="opaque" /><embed name="msnbc2170db" src="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32545640" width="420" height="245" FlashVars="launch=38566037&amp;width=420&amp;height=245" allowscriptaccess="always" allowFullScreen="true" wmode="opaque" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.adobe.com/shockwave/download/download.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash"></embed></object><p style="font-size:11px; font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #999; margin-top: 5px; background: transparent; text-align: center; width: 420px;">Visit msnbc.com for <a style="text-decoration:none !important; border-bottom: 1px dotted #999 !important; font-weight:normal !important; height: 13px; color:#5799DB !important;" href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com">breaking news</a>, <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032507" style="text-decoration:none !important; border-bottom: 1px dotted #999 !important; font-weight:normal !important; height: 13px; color:#5799DB !important;">world news</a>, and <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032072" style="text-decoration:none !important; border-bottom: 1px dotted #999 !important; font-weight:normal !important; height: 13px; color:#5799DB !important;">news about the economy</a></p><br />
I find it incredibly important to think deeply about Dr. West's message. It adds to the conversation that A Mohit began on Technorati recently on <a href="http://bit.ly/bJi7eY" target="_blank">the systematic destruction of the middle class in the U.S.</a></p>

<p>This week's Torah portion, Re'eh (Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17), includes the commandment to take care of the needy. Some may say this means a community should provide the poor with the bare minimum of food, shelter, and health care. For me, it is an entry point to question the great disparity between the rich and the poor.</p>

<p>It is not enough to simply ameliorate suffering. Rather, we must determine the root of the problem: is the wealth of the rich created on the backs of the poor? </p>

<p>I believe there are fundamental problems with the U.S. economy, a system that is tilted in favor of the few, with constant bailouts and tax breaks for the wealthy, while the middle class disappears and the poor are kept docile through credit cards, mass entertainment, and the delusional myth of "the American dream."</p>

<p>I look forward toward fundamental policy changes that support human growth and allow all citizens equal opportunity.</p>]]></description>
<link>http://www.socialupheaval.com/archives/2010/08/the_economy_the.html</link>
<guid>http://www.socialupheaval.com/archives/2010/08/the_economy_the.html</guid>
<category></category>
<pubDate>Sat, 07 Aug 2010 18:51:28 -0800</pubDate>
</item>
<item>
<title>Digital Activism, Digital Diplomacy, Digital Chasms</title>
<description><![CDATA[<p>I just finished readin the amazing NYT article, <a href="http://nyti.ms/cWJS8V" target="_blank">"Digital Diplomacy,"</a> by Jesse Lichtenstein. This article is important, not just because it shows the frontier of digital statecraft, but because it proves the importance of integrating social media into policy activism. </p>

<p>Perhaps this point is obvious to you. If you want to influence policy, you need to engage in debate on the interwebs, not just in face-to-face meetings with diplomats or in coalition meetings with like-minded organizations.</p>

<p>Lichtenstein does a great job of showing how State isn't fully equipped to handle the type of engagement created by <a href="http://bit.ly/9HWoo8" target="_blank">Jared Cohen</a> and <a href="http://bit.ly/bO8Ggq" target="_blank">Alec Ross</a>. While she's quick to point out the ways digital media can enhance grassroots activism, and get the USG's positions out to the masses, she overlooks a key problem: like governments, most NGOs are not equipped to handle digital activism. If you've been involved in an organization that allows social media policy and practice to be handled solely by interns, then you understand what I mean. </p>

<p>I'm not trying to disparage interns. Indeed, they are essential to most nonprofits. But we've got to figure out a way to integrate these new communication channels into the lifeblood of our organizations. </p>

<p>I'm looking forward to working with others to fill the digital chasm that exists in the <a href="http://bit.ly/ciNEoo" target="_blank">Women's International League for Peace and Freedom</a>. If you've got ideas, please let me know. Because we're leaders in international peace and justice movement; and we provide the best reporting on <a href="http://bit.ly/aH6Twi" target="_blank">gender and conflict</a> and <a href="http://bit.ly/coeBGh" target="_blank">disarmament</a> at the UN. But our social media strategy is in its infancy and our membership organization lacks a unified approached to digital activism. </p>]]></description>
<link>http://www.socialupheaval.com/archives/2010/07/digital_activis.html</link>
<guid>http://www.socialupheaval.com/archives/2010/07/digital_activis.html</guid>
<category></category>
<pubDate>Sun, 18 Jul 2010 19:21:17 -0800</pubDate>
</item>
<item>
<title>Independence, Nationalism, the American Experience</title>
<description><![CDATA[<p>Plenty of people can't fathom criticizing nationalism. If you don't accept that we live in the greatest country in the world, why not leave? If you can't appreciate your freedom, just leave! </p>

<p>My wariness of nationalism stems from its historical roots. By creating an identity larger than your community, but separate from people beyond a border, Us vs. Them becomes easier to swallow. In a world connected by the interwebs, it can be depressing that more people aren't more closely connected with a global perspective.</p>

<p>Regardless of your feelings about Independence Day, <a href="http://nyti.ms/bPx6d2" target="_blank">"The Great Rupture,"</a> by Peter Goodman in the NYT should be required reading today. The profound disconnect between economic reality and policy is laid bare in vignettes from across the country. The US government provided billions to bail out the "financial system," ensuring bonuses and hefty salaries for the charlatans who got us into this mess, yet "fiscally conservative" politicians refuse to extend unemployment benefits for the millions of people devastated by the economic collapse caused by the geniuses of <del>Wall Street</del> legal gambling. </p>

<p>It's time to take a stand. Declare your independence from group think. Reach out to your neighbors, next door and across the world. Learn about your history. Learn about your neighbor's history. And let's work together to create the nonviolent paradigm shift desperately needed to convince politicians that Public Works is more effective than Corporate Bailouts. That diplomacy should be led by the State Department, not the DOD. </p>

<p>Social upheaval: it's closer than you think.<br />
</p>]]></description>
<link>http://www.socialupheaval.com/archives/2010/07/independence_na.html</link>
<guid>http://www.socialupheaval.com/archives/2010/07/independence_na.html</guid>
<category></category>
<pubDate>Sun, 04 Jul 2010 11:54:41 -0800</pubDate>
</item>
<item>
<title>The Sad State of Sunday Morning Round Tables</title>
<description><![CDATA[<p>Ingredients of a successful round table: fill with 4 parts older white men, 1 part older white woman. Any one part can be exchanged with one of the following: younger white man, woman of color, man of color. No more than one part of the following can be included in the mix: person of color, person under 50. You may include two people under 50, if all other people on the panel look over 60. </p>

<p>I don't know why I'm still surprised every Sunday when there is absolutely no space allowed for a liberal voice, let alone an activist voice on ABC or NBC. The <a href="http://bit.ly/bkEgCV" target="_blank">"Tea Party"</a> is claimed as a legitimate, logical part of the political landscape, but goodness help you if you believe society has an obligation to support its individual members. </p>

<p>Nevermind that none of these shows have said a single word about the <a href="http://bit.ly/bkEgCV" target="_blank">Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference</a> currently underway in NYC. </p>

<p>But let's spend all of our time talking about Elana Kagan. </p>

<p>Check out <a href="http://bit.ly/dqPNIq" target="_blank">the photos on the Meet The Press site</a>. Since it was the first program I watched today, it forced me to recognize the lack of diversity in these shows. </p>

<p><a href="http://bit.ly/9gkiDD" target="_blank">Jake Tapper is still the moderator on This Week</a>. It is painful to watch the conservatives talk beyond him, always taking up more than half the time when a "two position" discussion is "moderated." Sadly, Senator Patrick Leahy is truly getting older and may be too slow when speaking responses to be truly effective in today's fast-paced media. Senator Jeff Sessions not only bogarted the air-time, he also appeared more coherent and comprehensive in his answers. Leahy meandered his way into calling the b.s. of Sessions' rants. I can't wait until August, when Cristianne Amanpour become the moderator. </p>

<p>I have to admit it - I usually hate listening to Katty Kay on <a href="http://bit.ly/cEXhs9" target="_blank">The Chris Matthews Show</a>. On today's show, I respect what she's said. Sad that it's an all-white panel discussing the <A href="http://bit.ly/9SQIto" target="_blank">racist Arizona law.</a> Did you know there is only one person of color on the Matthew Meter? Perhaps you did. Or perhaps you gave up on the mainstream media long ago. I find it important to keep up with the official spin on how the world turns.</p>]]></description>
<link>http://www.socialupheaval.com/archives/2010/05/the_sad_state_o.html</link>
<guid>http://www.socialupheaval.com/archives/2010/05/the_sad_state_o.html</guid>
<category>politics &amp; media</category>
<pubDate>Sun, 16 May 2010 12:46:04 -0800</pubDate>
</item>
<item>
<title>I am not self-hating. I am a practicing Jew and I am opposed to the Israeli occupation of Palestine.</title>
<description><![CDATA[<p>I grew up in a Conservative synagogue. The first map I ever saw of Israel emphasized it was a "tiny outpost for Jews in a sea of Muslim countries." As you may imagine, the map didn't label anything "Palestine," nor did the history I learned in Hebrew School acknowledge the existence of Palestinians. </p>

<p>As a member of <a href="http://www.wilpfinternational.org/index.htm" target="_blank">a peace organization</a> with sections in Israel, Palestine, and Lebanon, I have been engaged in Middle East peace activism for many years. I respect the right of self-determination and I believe all people should be free to practice their religion and participate equally in civil society. As a student of political science, I find it difficult to understand how a religious state can be a truly democratic state. As my Israeli WILPF sisters often say - there is a class divide in Israel caused by religion. Many entry-level jobs are only open to people who have served in the military. Only Jewish Israelis can serve in the military. How is that a true model of democracy? How is this treatment different from any other denial of civil rights? </p>

<p>I'm tired of being labeled a self-hating Jew because I believe in equal rights. I'm tired of the accusation of anti-Semitism. For many years, my political convictions kept me from connecting with my religion. I wanted to talk with my rabbi about it, but he committed suicide before I got up the courage to ask. Currently, I belong to <a href="http://www.ohrhatorah.org/" target="blank">a Zionist temple</a>. I joined the temple because I believe passionately that our rabbi's Neo-Hasidic Kabbalistic teachings will lead to my personal spiritual transformation. Though I accept on face value when he assures me that I'm welcome in the community whatever my political beliefs are, I hesitate to get too close to my fellow congregants, fearing banishment. (This is the fear that follows me to shul every Saturday.)</p>

<p>If I could turn back time, I'd figure out a better resolution to World War II. I'd ensure two political states were recognized at the same time, Israel and Palestine. And I'd work to heal the wounds of my people so that we could put aside the mantle of victim and focus on personal transformation and communal empowerment. Instead of making the Holocaust the world knows about the Jews, I'd encourage a re-birth of our religious/spiritual heritage. </p>

<p>I know what I'm writing is heresy to many people. I know some will find it particularly egregious because <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yom_HaShoah" target="_blank">Yom Hashoah</a> is tomorrow. I'm tired of staying silent when the topic comes up in conversations with family. I'm tried of biting my tongue when people talk at my shul. </p>

<p>I believe in freedom of religion. I believe in Judaism. I am a Jew by choice and by birth. And I believe the Israeli government is guilty of war crimes. I believe the Israeli government discriminates against its non-Jewish citizens. I believe the Israeli government is illegally occupying East Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza. And I believe it is time that more Jews of conscious stand up and speak out against the crimes done in our name. </p>]]></description>
<link>http://www.socialupheaval.com/archives/2010/04/i_am_not_selfha.html</link>
<guid>http://www.socialupheaval.com/archives/2010/04/i_am_not_selfha.html</guid>
<category>Middle East</category>
<pubDate>Sat, 10 Apr 2010 17:55:19 -0800</pubDate>
</item>
<item>
<title>Realities of War As Seen Through &quot;The Hurt Locker&quot;</title>
<description><![CDATA[<p>Politicians who want to make the world safe for democracy by sending in the US military should remember a simple truth: most of the English-speaking countries in the world are already democracies. That means the barrel of a gun is the only form of communication between the vast majority of military personnel and the people they are "protecting."</p>

<p>Apparently, making a statement as overt as the above is too political for today's movie-making climate. And the UN is just a place for terrorists to place bombs. It's truly fascinating to me that more people are willing to watch, in slow motion, excruciatingly boring detail, the tour of a bomb squad than are willing to understand the nuance of diplomacy and cross-cultural communication. </p>

<p>At this point, I don't care what you think about the Iraq War. I think it's a travesty that instead of trying to better understand Iraqis, today's war movies can only accomplish one thing: increase our empathy for American soldiers. </p>

<p>Compare <A href="http://bit.ly/bws5hr" target="_blank">The Hurt Locker</a> to <A href="http://bit.ly/bRgzEH" target="_blank">Three Kings</a>: in this year's biggest Oscar bait flick, the most extensive Iraqi part goes to a kid hocking pirated DVDs. On the other hand, the fictitious depiction of the first Iraq War provided a look at both the terror inflicted by Saddam's regime and the cruelty of the "American liberators" (in that they abandoned their Iraqi cohorts rather than working to overthrow Hussein). </p>

<p>Oh - but there, I've done it. I must be a crazy left-wing nut to want my war movies to have a point, a plot, and a reason to care about the characters.</p>

<p>This post is not about how I think the US should have handled its relationship with the country of Iraq. This is about the depiction of war in the US: the rejection of nuance; the refusal to portray any non-Western character as more than 2-dimensional, and the ridiculous Scarlet A attached to any film that dares to make you think about the consequences of war. </p>

<p>I just don't know why I'm so surprised. </p>]]></description>
<link>http://www.socialupheaval.com/archives/2010/02/realities_of_wa.html</link>
<guid>http://www.socialupheaval.com/archives/2010/02/realities_of_wa.html</guid>
<category>politics &amp; media</category>
<pubDate>Sat, 20 Feb 2010 22:23:32 -0800</pubDate>
</item>
<item>
<title>Cause Marketing and Drug Addiction: Two Gifts the US Gives to the Americas</title>
<description><![CDATA[<p>This weekend, I was desperate for a massage. In addition to my chronic pain, I returned to the gym this week and my entire body has been screaming at me ever since.The receptionist at my neighborhood spa said "10% of our proceeds on Sunday go to Haiti relief."</p>

<p>I didn't try--at any point--to express my opinion on retail fundraising. First of all, where exactly is this 10% going? (They never did give me a nonprofit name for their contribution.) Second, if I really cared about giving money to Haiti wouldn't it be more effective for me to give the money directly to a nonprofit? I rarely contribute to anything besides <a href="http://bit.ly/cmKPhY" target="_blank">WILPF</a>, but when the earthquake hit, I did donate to <a href="http://bit.ly/c2WNXJ" target="_blank">Partners In Health</a>. But I don't make spa appointments based on my desire to help out the world. Mostly, I make them for personal reasons: like every muscle in my body being tight and the pain in my back and forearms being overwhelming.</p>

<p>The commodification of nonprofits demoralizes me. The insistence that for-profit models ("social entrepreneurship") is how we should all move forward towards a better world. And the way businesses use cause marketing to enhance their brand cache (and bring customers in on a slow Super Bowl Sunday) is just ridiculous. </p>

<p>But these are my problems with the system in general. I don't hold it against my local spa that they chose to jump on the bandwagon. Mostly, I've been plagued by the questions that family members raised: how can we be sure the money doesn't line the pockets of corrupt politicians (or greedy NGOs)? The answer to that is simple - give to <a href="http://bit.ly/c2WNXJ" target="_blank">Partners In Health</a>. But to the larger question - how has Haiti persistently stayed the poorest country in the hemisphere? To that, I don't have the clearest answer.</p>

<p>I know some things in general terms: US governments backed coups. US corporations supported corrupt governments that suppressed the people of Haiti. US agriculture dumped food stuffs on Haiti that US consumers don't want to eat (all those chicken breasts we clamor for? They're attached to animals full of the other, other white meat. As in dark meat. As in the food we dump on developing countries at prices far lower than it would take to raise a chicken and slaughter it in the country.) While based on the experience of Jamaica, the documentary film <a href="http://bit.ly/bd1PK3" target="_blank">Life and Debt</a> can give insight into these issues. </p>

<p>But ultimately, and this I should have realized before reading an op-ed in the NYT, it comes down to a simple equation: US drug addicts fuel violence, instability, and class chasms throughout Latin America. I think it's a bit of a stretch to link a crack pipe in NYC to a terrorist cell in Yemen. But it's a much easier link between that crack pipe and the social/economic/political problems of Haiti and many other Latin American countries. </p>

<p><a href="http://nyti.ms/byTouA" target="_blank">Ben Fountain details the connection in his brilliant op-ed, "Addicted to Haiti."</a> If we want to give Haiti a fighting chance of recovering, instead of trying to adopt its orphaned citizens, we should start caring for the US'ians who are addicted to cocaine. We should start treating US addiction as the public health crisis it is, rather than continuing this nonsense about wars and czars. Black and white, law-based reaction to addiction has failed. Not just for Haiti. But for the survivors of never-ceasing blood baths in Juarez, Mexico. And the survivors of the never-ending civil war in Colombia. And every family who has struggled to put the pieces back together after a loved one diminishes his brain capacity by filling it with toxic substances. And for the addicts who struggle to stay sober; and the ones who don't make it. </p>

<p>Let's stop texting the Red Cross. Trust me, they'll keep going without you. Let's get real about regional development and start working to decrease demand, increase the availability of rehabilitation, de-criminalize addiction, increase social and economic opportunities so fewer kids seek out gangs for community identification / monetary gain. What do you say? What do we have to lose?  </p>]]></description>
<link>http://www.socialupheaval.com/archives/2010/02/cause_marketing.html</link>
<guid>http://www.socialupheaval.com/archives/2010/02/cause_marketing.html</guid>
<category></category>
<pubDate>Sun, 07 Feb 2010 22:43:19 -0800</pubDate>
</item>
<item>
<title>More Female Ambassadors in DC: More Women Leaders or Less Power for Diplomacy?</title>
<description><![CDATA[<p>In today's Washington Post The article <a href="http://bit.ly/4qqUF6" target="_blank">'Hillary effect' cited for increase in female ambassadors to U.S.</a>, by Mary Jordan</a> was published in today's Washington Post and highlighted in <a href="http://bit.ly/4RRy4z" target="_blank">Slateist Morning Edition</a>.</p>

<p>It's good to know that there are now 25 female ambassadors posted in DC (out of 182 accredited ambassadors, they represent 13.7% of all ambassadors to the US). The rise has been credited to the string of female US Secretaries of State (Albright, Rice, Clinton). </p>

<p>Some female ambassadors refuse to acknowledge that they might bring a different perspective to the art of diplomacy. Carolina Barco from Colombia simply wants to push free trade, though she admits being female gets her noticed. Former SecState Albright rejects the notion of women focusing on "soft issues," stating: ""They are often the hardest issues: poverty, discrimination, education and health."</p>

<p>I was happy to learn that Bahrain's ambassador since 2008 is Houda Ezra Ebrahim Nonoo, the first Jewish ambassador from an Arab state.</p>

<p>Nevertheless, I was deeply troubled by the question posed by Susan Johnson, president of the American Foreign Service Association:<blockquote>Johnson said the rise in female diplomats coincides with what she sees as a shift in investment away from diplomacy and toward defense. "Is the relative feminization of diplomacy indicative of its decline as a center of power and influence?" she wonders.</blockquote>Indeed, one need look no further than Obama's Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech to realize that world leaders erroneously believe human security can be developed through instruments of war. </p>

<p>I too welcome increases in the number of women engaged in diplomacy. But we should always remember that it's not enough for us to have more seats at the table. As global citizens, we must demand that conflict resolution begin and end with nonviolent negotiations. We must explain to our fellow citizens and elected leaders that the vast majority of money spent on the military is wasted, leading to less <a href="http://bit.ly/6TFRZW" target="_blank">human security</a>, not more. And we must promote democratic institutions: from the town hall meetings to the US Congress to the United Nations as the proper arenas for conflict resolution. </p>]]></description>
<link>http://www.socialupheaval.com/archives/2010/01/more_female_amb.html</link>
<guid>http://www.socialupheaval.com/archives/2010/01/more_female_amb.html</guid>
<category></category>
<pubDate>Mon, 11 Jan 2010 06:23:28 -0800</pubDate>
</item>
<item>
<title>Transitions in WILPF</title>
<description><![CDATA[<p>WILPF's Secretary General, Susi Snyder, will be leaving her position effective Janaury 15.</p>

<p>Below is a short video in honor of Susi's departure. It was compiled by our UN Office Director Anjie Rosga. We had hoped to surprise Susi by showing it at the IB meeting, but technical difficulties made that impossible. I can't bring myself to repeat the title Anjie gave the piece, because I refuse to believe this is an end; rather, another door has opened.</p>

<p><object width="400" height="225"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=8634525&amp;server=vimeo.com&amp;show_title=1&amp;show_byline=1&amp;show_portrait=0&amp;color=&amp;fullscreen=1" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=8634525&amp;server=vimeo.com&amp;show_title=1&amp;show_byline=1&amp;show_portrait=0&amp;color=&amp;fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="225"></embed></object><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/8634525">Farewell Susi!</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user2159765">WILPF-UNO</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p></p>]]></description>
<link>http://www.socialupheaval.com/archives/2010/01/transitions_in.html</link>
<guid>http://www.socialupheaval.com/archives/2010/01/transitions_in.html</guid>
<category>WILPF</category>
<pubDate>Sun, 10 Jan 2010 06:44:44 -0800</pubDate>
</item>
<item>
<title>War, Media &amp; The Plight of Veterans</title>
<description><![CDATA[<p>The <a href="http://www.westlademclub.org/ target="_blank">West LA Democratic Club</a> sponsored a fundraiser for <a href="http://bit.ly/7lCix0" target="_Blank">The Veteran's Project</a>. </p>

<p>I'm a member of the Democratic Party, but the last time I actively participated in the party, beyond voting, was 1988. It was weird to see what a local political party is like in person. The president, Cara Robin, got up and thanked everyone for coming "on behalf of the West LA Democratic Party and our co-sponsors." That's the extent to which co-sponsoring organizations were mentioned. So much for movement building. She then made cursory statement about the need for us to <a href="http://www.barbaraboxer.com/home" target="_Blank">re-elect Barbara Boxer</a>, support <a href="http://www.winograd4congress.com/" target="_blank">Marcy Winograd's bid for Congress</a>, and help get <a href="http://www.californiansfordemocracy.com/" target="_blank">California Majority Rule</a> on the ballot. </p>

<p>Then she sorta introduced the first speaker, Georg-Andreas (Andrew) Pogany, from <a href="https://www.giveanhour.org/skins/gah/home.aspx?mode=user" target="_blank">Give an Hour</a>. He apologized for needing to read his speech from his computer. He lost his original speech, and due to a brain injury that occurred as a result of the war, he has difficulty memorizing things.  </p>

<p>After Pogany spoke, Ms. Robin introduced the rest of the panel.</p>

<p>Robert Sheer is a nationally syndicated columnist, co-host of <a href="http://www.kcrw.com/news/programs/lr" target="_blank">Left, Right, and Center</a>, Editor-in-Chief of <a href="http://bit.ly/6OcsH6" target="_blank">Truth Dig</a>, and author of <a href="http://bit.ly/63qyEZ" target="_blank">Pornography of Power</a>.</p>

<p><a href="http://bit.ly/6nqyNo" target="_blank">Scott Ritter</a> is the author of Target Iran, Waging Peace, and Iraq Confidential. He is a former senior weapons inspector in Iraq. </p>

<p><a href="http://peterrichardson.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Peter Richardsom</a> teaches California Culture at San Francisco State University and recently published a book on Ramparts Magazine, <a href="http://bit.ly/6Qf74M" target="_blank">A Bomb in Every Issue</a>.</p>

<p>Mr.Sheer spoke next in a dis-jointed manner that was difficult to follow for people not intimately knowledgeable about his career. Mr. Richardson spoke next and didn't give a complete explanation of Ramparts magazine, since 30% of the audience raised their hands to say they knew what it was. (His short definition: it brought muckraking journalism back to the mainstream. Shortly after it won the prestigious Polk Award, CBS premiered 60 Minutes and the Pentagon Papers were published by the Washington Post.)</p>

<p>After hearing an explanation of why Martin Luther King, Jr came out against the Vietnam war that started with Sheer telling the end of the story and Richardson telling the beginning and middle, I started wondering if I was really at a panel about the experiences of veterans in war or if I was at another panel on the history of the peace & justice movement. </p>

<p>I don't mean to disparage the speakers. Pogany, Sheer, and Richardson had important messages to give. They just weren't all talking about veterans. And ultimately, I was more inspired by Ritter's speech than those of his fellow panelists.</p>

<p>Eventually, Mr. Ritter spoke. His insightful, biting commentary was just what you'd expect from a former military man: sprinkled with profanity, cutting to the heart of the manner with no b.s. I found it interesting that several audience members were offended by the way he spoke, telling him afterward that he didn't make a solid case. Here's the abbreviated version of what he said:<br />
<blockquote>We're here because of veterans. No matter what they look like physically, military will never be the same when they come back from war. The process of preparing our youth for war, changes a person forever. </p>

<p>When you are born into this world, you are not programmed to do what the military programs you to do. We can throw whatever rhetoric we want out there: <i>An Army of One. Navy: A Global Force for Good.</i> The truth is join the military and learn to take human life. You're either directly taking it or supporting people taking life. The military exists for one reason only: to kill human beings. We're taking human beings and de-humanizing them.</p>

<p><i>Audience member asked a question, stating that "cleaning up the mess we began" is a strong argument for keeping the US military in Afghanistan. How do you propose we clean up the mess in a different way?</i></p>

<p>First of all, it is the quintessential American issue. We live by the Pottery Barn rule: you break it, you own it. It really does work, sort of. What happens when you insert the elephant into the china shop? Shit, buy new china. The ultimate way to resolve it is get the elephant out of the china shop. Afghanistan is a horrifically complicated place. Is Holbrooke going to speak any of the native languages of Afghanistan? If we're going to take a 20 year old kid from Poughkeepsie, NY or Santa Cruz, CA then we should give him the 11 years of education to understand the language and culture at a pH.D level before going there. Otherwise, we shouldn't send him there. We don't have the tool set to fix it. The people best equipped to fix Afghanistan are the Afghan people themselves.</blockquote></p>

<p>It's time to get the bull out of the china stop. US citizens need to stop seeing the US as the global policeman. We need to embrace internationalism and work through the United Nations to help people create politically viable nation states. We need to begin diplomacy with human beings, not machine guns. </p>

<p>It's not enough to read books and listen to <a href="http://bit.ly/6z1gbf" target="_blank">Democracy Now!</a> We must be engaged citizens. We must hold politicians accountable: not just by voting, but by working together to create a critical mass of political will for peace and justice. <a href="http://bit.ly/4G2I0r" target="_blank">Join the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom</a> and help create the change so desperately needed.</p>

<p>It's time to expose the fallacy of the paradigms espoused by the meritocracy and political elite. It's time to assert that another way is possible. WILPF is the way global citizens of all genders can create non-violent social upheaval.</p>

<p>And yes, we need to support veterans. We need to support veterans of both genders, recognizing not just PTSD, but also the horrific levels of rape faced by our female soldiers. I do not believe in war. I do not believe there is a conflict best solved by violence. But I do believe that veterans deserve mental and physical health services and they deserve re-training. Not another 2 for 1 pizza coupon or vehicle discount, but real health services for them and their families.</p>]]></description>
<link>http://www.socialupheaval.com/archives/2009/12/war_media_the_p.html</link>
<guid>http://www.socialupheaval.com/archives/2009/12/war_media_the_p.html</guid>
<category></category>
<pubDate>Sat, 05 Dec 2009 17:35:50 -0800</pubDate>
</item>
<item>
<title>US to Escalate Destabilization of Afghanistan</title>
<description><![CDATA[<center><img alt="hopelessEscalation.jpg" src="http://www.socialupheaval.com/hopelessEscalation.jpg" width="424" height="100" /></center>

<p>Tuesday night was a turning point in the Obama presidency. All weekend, details of his "plan" leaked out in the political media. So I had plenty of advanced warning that like many foolish presidents before him, Obama thinks he can save the world by occupying it with the US military. So many people are so hopeful for the leadership he supposedly offers. Sure, he's said some pretty rhetoric about nuclear disarmament. But what does any of that talk - or his Nobel Peace Prize mean when the man does not recognize that Human Beings Live in Afghanistan. He <a href="http://bit.ly/7QIVeS" target="_blank">talked about the Taliban and al Qaeda, but never about poverty or corruption, war lords or illegitimate presidents</a>. And then he had the gall to end his speech hoping that we all join in unity, like we did after 9-11. </p>

<p>Let's be clear about something: if you have to rely on pandering to the fears created by the horrific terrorist attack on US soil in 2001 to unify your audience, then you've failed to make a persuasive argument. </p>

<p>Yet, he did. And there are so many people who think he's right. I'll admit something: eight years ago, I thought the US military would be useful to bring women out of the shadows of Afghanistan and create space for all people of the country to create a real nation. How foolish I was. And how foolish the US political elite continues to be.</p>

<p>Obama's Afghanistan strategy relies on everything that is wrong with international relations. IR focuses on Power: you must be a war lord, terrorist, state leader, or corporation to be meaningful in a discussion based on <a href="http://bit.ly/7DJEG9" target="_blank">"realist" theory</a>. The men who created this paradigm thought so highly of their beliefs that anyone daring to oppose them were derided as "idealists." </p>

<p>I'm tired of these standards of discourse. Poverty, political corruption, and social instability have never been resolved by military occupation. Flooding Afghanistan with English speaking US soldiers and US-paid mercenaries serves one purpose: it props up the corrupt, illegitimate Karzai government and gives carte blanche to warlords wielding power in the name of fighting terror.</p>

<p>I accepted the reality of international relations seven years ago, when I made the decision to stop pursuing a career in the foreign service. The paradigm shifts needed to create real human security are so massive: non-violent social upheaval is simply the only way to make it happen. And I can't help move the world towards needed paradigm shifts from a job serving the US Empire. </p>

<p>Tuesday's speech depressed me. It's depressing not just because the most recent Nobel Peace Prize winner fundamentally does not understand how to create global peace. It's depressing because to explain the faults in his reasoning requires a level of sophistication in political discourse that simply does not exist in the US mainstream media. The only place I've heard a bit of common sense on the topic was Josef Joffe, a German publisher/editor on <a href="http://bit.ly/5rKzqp" target="_blank">"To The Point"</a> explaining that Europeans, after experiencing two horrific wars on their soil in the 20th century, think diplomacy is the best way to solve international disputes and create nation states. </p>

<p>Remember, Europeans did not find these beliefs by sitting in ivory towers, thinking up ways to rule the world. The true horror of war, the disgusting indiscriminate nature of aerial bombings and painfully slow path to reconstruction taught them the simple truth: War Is Never The Answer. Period. Full Stop. </p>

<p>You may call me an idealist, but I believe I am the true realist. I have seen the core of human nature, I have seen the destruction of war and I say firmly: the US military is not a liberating force. The US fails to live up to <a href="http://bit.ly/7yEdCm" target="_blank">UN Security Council Resolution 1325</a>, which mandates women's equal participation in conflict resolution. Fighting terrorists through mercenaries, the US military, and corrupt warlords does not create human security for US citizens or Afghans. </p>

<p>The US Government has chosen the path to further destabilization of Afghanistan. </p>

<p><b>At this crucial moment in world history, will you silently ascent to the senseless deaths of more US soldiers and Afghans? Or will you take a stand for real justice?</b></p>

<p>Things to do:<br />
<ol><li>Sign the <a href="http://bit.ly/7lC1Hk" target="_blank">Code Pink petition against Endless Occupation</a>.<br />
<li>Join <a href="http://bit.ly/4G2I0r" target="_blank">Women's International League for Peace and Freedom</a>. We work tirelessly to challenge and change the root causes of war and injustice at the local, national, and international level.<br />
<li>Explain your opposition to the hopeless military escalation to your friends, family, and co-workers.<br />
<li>Chastise mainstream media for excluding articulate anti-war voices from their political talk shows. Ask how balanced a panel is when no one on it rejects the paradigm of IR realism. <br />
<li>Find a way to create peace in your own life so that your anger doesn't consume you: depression, though a logical response to this endless war, only poisons you. </ol> </p>]]></description>
<link>http://www.socialupheaval.com/archives/2009/12/us_to_escalate.html</link>
<guid>http://www.socialupheaval.com/archives/2009/12/us_to_escalate.html</guid>
<category>Central Asia</category>
<pubDate>Thu, 03 Dec 2009 21:21:07 -0800</pubDate>
</item>
<item>
<title>Institution Building: Civil Society is Key Ingredient for Nonviolent Paradigm Shifts</title>
<description><![CDATA[<p>People often find this blog when trying to understand what social upheaval is. There are many possible answers, but the definition I use is: nonviolent paradigm shift. </p>

<p>Globally, militarism, patriarchy, and free-trade capitalism are fundamental pillars of human interaction. I believe social upheaval is needed to create a society where the economy is based on human needs, where all people participate equally in the political process, and the use of physical force is severely limited, replaced by diplomacy. </p>

<p>Civil society is the key ingredient to accomplishing these goals. The institutions of civil society, such as <a href="http://www.wilpf.int.ch" target="_blank">Women's International League for Peace and Freedom</a>, provide individuals with a way to participate in the political process with as much legitimacy and weight as any political party or corporation. </p>

<p>While I believe helping individuals and communities succeed within the current global paradigm through development activities is important, development work does not create new systems of social and political equality. </p>

<p>From <a href="http://www.wilpf.int.ch/AboutUs/constitution.htm" target="_blank">WILPF's Constitution:</a><blockquote>WILPF makes it its duty to further by non-violent means the social transformation that enables the inauguration of systems under which social and political equality and economic justice for all can be attained, without discrimination on the basis of sex, race, religion, or any other grounds whatsoever.</blockquote>The League's focus on education and political action helps hold politicians accountable and provides people an opportunity to participate in the social upheaval needed to transform the world. </p>

<p>I fervently believe individuals working collectively through NGOs are the key ingredient to creating a better future. </p>

<p>What are you doing to create peace and justice?</p>]]></description>
<link>http://www.socialupheaval.com/archives/2009/11/institution_bui.html</link>
<guid>http://www.socialupheaval.com/archives/2009/11/institution_bui.html</guid>
<category></category>
<pubDate>Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:13:41 -0800</pubDate>
</item>
<item>
<title>The Journey Toward India Continues</title>
<description><![CDATA[<p>My visa application (including my actual passport) has been sent to the Indian consulate in San Francisco. I've submitted forms to the Cedars-Sinai travel clinic to find out what shots I need before I go. And I bought a ticket. Almost. </p>

<p>I was awarded a Kay Camp Travel Grant and I've received an incredible amount of support from individual donors. So I think I have fulfilled my fundraising goals for this conference. That is, unless something goes wrong with my flights.</p>

<p>I used <a href="http://www.trip.com" target="_blank">trip.com</a> to find flights on multiple travel sites. It was annoying - since each travel site popped up as a new window, but it saved me money. Except, now I'm beholden to <a href="http://www.travelocity.com" target="_blank">Travelocity</a> in a weird way. I booked flights on Air India through Travelocity, flying across the globe. My departure takes me through Japan and Singapore before arriving in Mumbai. My return takes me through Frankfurt (and maybe Jersey) before returning to LA. </p>

<p>And then I got an email from Travelocity yesterday that my flights aren't confirmed. So I called. And after a long wait, and a confusing conversation with an operator, was told that I needed to call back after 8:30 a.m. India Standard Time. So I called back and spoke with a more confident operator who left me on hold for over 10 minutes while she spoke to Air India. Apparently, I was wait-listed on two of my four flights, but I'm now confirmed on 3 of the flights. I have to call Travelocity back on Wednesday or Thursday to see if I've gotten off the wait list on my first flight. If not, Air India will rebook me. But all of this must be completed by November 23. I suppose I really should have taken the operator's name or some way of confirming that this conversation happened, since my entire trip depends on actually arriving in India.</p>

<p>Why didn't I just cancel the reservation and rebook? Well, flights to India are at least $500 more than the price I "paid." So, it's possible I'll need to keep raising money around this trip.</p>

<p>In the meantime, I'm trying to move forward as if the trip is definitely happening. I'm flying into <a href="http://wikitravel.org/en/Mumbai" target="_blank">Mumbai</a> and the WILPF board meeting is at <A href="http://www.gujaratvidyapith.org/" target="_blank">Gandhi University</a> in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahmedabad" target="_blank">Ahmedabad</a>. </p>

<p>I'll have about a week to be a tourist in Mumbai and Ahmedabad (with a train ride between them) before settling into 5 days of nonstop peace organizing. This Wednesday, I'll be participating in a conference call to discuss how I can help with the workshop "Strategic Planning and Campaign Building in a Digital Age." </p>

<p>The next six months will be a historical transition point for WILPF as an organization. I am hopeful that my integrated marketing expertise and ten year history with the organization will allow me to be a positive participant in our ongoing work. </p>]]></description>
<link>http://www.socialupheaval.com/archives/2009/11/the_journey_tow.html</link>
<guid>http://www.socialupheaval.com/archives/2009/11/the_journey_tow.html</guid>
<category>WILPF</category>
<pubDate>Sun, 15 Nov 2009 18:59:37 -0800</pubDate>
</item>
<item>
<title>Healthcare, faith, healing, fixing the system</title>
<description><![CDATA[<p>There are pages of thoughts behind this post.</p>

<p>Let's start with how radically broken the US healthcare system is. Radically, meaning at the root: at the root of the problem is the notion that gambling on whether I get sick or not is a rational way to fund health care. "Health Insurance" has no place in a rational society that recognizes the human right to health: and that in general, human beings should not be punished for the state of their health. Since its takes humanity to create the ills that befall us (see rising cancer rates. increases in asthma), humans as individuals cannot carry the burden of modernity. </p>

<p>Some people react to the randomness of the world by believing in religious healers. Though it is true that your mental and physical states are closely aligned, and that moral psychology can help diminish dis-ease, US healthcare will not be made better by inserting Christian Science into the officially sanctioned list of disease fighters.</p>

<p>At the end of the day, "prayer treatments" are probably a sham, and definitely have no place in the federal healthcare overhaul bill. But it's a minor, farcical side note to a larger transgression: in the name of political expediency, the Democratic Party threw its principles away to convert a minority, mis-informed conservative cabal that believes Economics & Individual Responsibility & Free Trade Greed will cure the US healthcare crisis.</p>

<p><a href="http://bit.ly/HoAeU" target="_blank">"Healthcare provision seeks to embrace prayer treatments,"</a> by Tom Hamburger and Kim Geiger in the LA Times</p>

<p>At a later date, I hope to have time to continue this thread.</p>]]></description>
<link>http://www.socialupheaval.com/archives/2009/11/healthcare_fait.html</link>
<guid>http://www.socialupheaval.com/archives/2009/11/healthcare_fait.html</guid>
<category>Healthcare</category>
<pubDate>Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:05:01 -0800</pubDate>
</item>
<item>
<title>WILPF Communications and Fundraising Update</title>
<description><![CDATA[<p>This week, I completed the <a href="http://www.wilpf.int.ch/events/2010/IB/Communications_committee_report.html" target="_blank">International Communications Committee Report</a> for the International Board meeting. </p>

<p>I also began receiving donations towards my participation in the January, 2010 WILPF IB Meeting, for which I am eternally grateful. To date, I have received $390 towards the trip from individuals. (Some of these donations came through PayPal, which charges a fee for its service, so the net donation amount is $382.13.)</p>

<p>I'm also pleased to report that I was awarded a Kay Camp Travel Grant. I wasn't informed what the amount of the grant will be, though I hope it was for $600 (the maximum available). </p>

<p><b>My current fundraising goal is $1,217.87.</b></p>

<p>My next goals: summarize the last WILPF LA bulletin into a one-page explanation of WILPF, for distribution at an upcoming Southern California Regional Conference of Organizations meetings. </p>

<p>After that, I'll begin working on a document to explain what communications strategy is and why it is vital to effectively distributing WILPF's messages.</p>]]></description>
<link>http://www.socialupheaval.com/archives/2009/10/wilpf_communica.html</link>
<guid>http://www.socialupheaval.com/archives/2009/10/wilpf_communica.html</guid>
<category></category>
<pubDate>Sat, 31 Oct 2009 15:37:32 -0800</pubDate>
</item>


</channel>
</rss>