Tag Archives: Respect for Diversity

Super Tuesday: The empire strikes back, but the rebellion lives

March 4, 2016NewsCommunity-Based Economics, Decentralization, Ecological Wisdom, Feminism, Future Focus, Grassroots Democracy, Non-Violence, Personal and Global Responsibility, Respect for Diversity, Social JusticeShane Pekny

From Jill Stein and Jill2016.com:

Super Tuesday was a big win for oligarchy, as the Democratic Party establishment delivered over 60% of available delegates for Hillary Clinton and billionaire demagogue Donald Trump stomped to victory in 8 states.

But despite the dominance of Clinton and Trump, the millions of votes for Bernie Sanders show that Americans are hungry for sweeping changes to a broken system that’s throwing workers, students, the middle class and the poor under the bus.

I agree with Bernie and his supporters that we must take our democracy back from the billionaires, win economic justice for the 99%, confront the existential threat of climate meltdown, adopt an improved Medicare For All healthcare system, provide a welcoming path to citizenship, and end racist violence in our criminal justice system.

On many issues, we must go further – for example, by canceling all student loan debt, urgently transitioning to 100% clean renewable energy by 2030, nationalizing the Federal Reserve, and reforming the electoral system with measures like proportional representation. And we must roll back the military-industrial-surveillance complex that is undermining our liberty and security while bankrupting us financially and morally.

Dr. Jill Stein: People’s State of the Union

January 18, 2016NewsCommunity-Based Economics, Decentralization, Ecological Wisdom, Feminism, Future Focus, Grassroots Democracy, Non-Violence, Personal and Global Responsibility, Respect for Diversity, Social JusticeShane Pekny

From jill2016.com:

The Precarious State of Our Union: A Bipartisan Disaster We Can Fix

From the viewpoint of everyday Americans, the State of our Union, in point of fact, is not strong. In reality, we are in a state of historic crisis – for our economy, ecology, democracy and security.

Thankfully, these crises are still eminently solvable. With a majority of Americans disapproving of both establishment parties, there is unprecedented momentum for a new way forward, based on principles of democracy, justice and peace, towards an America and a world that works for all of us.

Republicans have long been recognized as unabashed servants of the economic elite, leading the charge against the public interest. But they have not been alone.

Democratic priorities were clear when President Obama had two Democratic Houses of Congress to support him, as the party went to bat for trillions in Wall Street bailouts, tax cuts for the rich, job-killing corporate trade agreements, austerity budgets, health care reform that locked single payer out and private profits in, mass deportations of hardworking immigrants, privatization of schools, expanding wars for oil and regime change, climate-killing “all of the above” energy policies, and unprecedented assaults on privacy and press freedoms.

As a result of this bipartisan assault, we have not had a recovery by any measure.

Read the full People’s State of the Union.

Refugees are victims of the same people we are frightened of

December 1, 2015NewsNon-Violence, Personal and Global Responsibility, Respect for DiversityShane Pekny

From the Lincoln Journal Star:

There is little rest these days for refugee resettlement workers at Lutheran Family Services.

Between working with people whose loved ones are scheduled to arrive in the U.S. next month, counseling recent arrivals who fear for their safety, and answering calls from strangers angered that Nebraska might someday receive refugees from Syria, Vanja Pejanovic and her staff are keeping busy.

That’s especially the case since deadly terror attacks Nov. 13 in Paris led Gov. Pete Ricketts to join governors in most other states to seek a temporary halt to Syrian refugee resettlement in the U.S., said Pejanovic, who coordinates resettlement activity in the Lincoln area.

“I think our governor should go sit at Lutheran Family Services, with the people who work there day after day right now with the terrified Muslim people in our community,” said Mary Pipher, a retired clinical psychologist from Lincoln and author of a widely read book about refugee resettlement.

Read the full story.

Gov. Ricketts tells nonprofits to stop taking Syrian refugees

November 17, 2015NewsNon-Violence, Personal and Global Responsibility, Respect for DiversityShane Pekny

From the Governor’s press release:

LINCOLN – Today, Governor Pete Ricketts sent a letter to refugee resettlement agencies in Nebraska to urge them not to pursue resettlement of Syrian refugees.

“Nebraska is a welcoming place for families seeking a home to live, work, and raise a family. While I understand the danger and persecution many are facing in the Middle East, it is important that our state and our nation consider the safety and security of Nebraskans and Americans first in any refugee resettlement efforts. The terrorist attacks that occurred over the weekend in Paris are a solemn reminder of the reach and strength of ISIS and their agents.

“Today, I am requesting that all refugee resettlement agencies in our state decline to participate in potential Syrian refugee resettlement efforts.”

Learn more about the Syrian refugee issue and the role played by state governments:

Hear an economic development success story in Lincoln Oct. 4

September 29, 2015EventsCommunity-Based Economics, Respect for DiversityShane Pekny

From Nebraskans for Peace:

Don’t miss “Building a Company and Rebuilding a Community,” part of the Sorensen Lecture series, on Sunday, October 4, at 7 p.m. Lance Morgan, President and CEO of Ho-Chunk, the award-winning economic development corporation owned by the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska, will tell the story of Ho-Chunk, Inc. and the Winnebago Tribe’s rise from economic despair to an international company with over $250 million a year in revenue in one generation, and its impact on a small, poor, rural community.

Morgan was one of the initial founders of Ho-Chunk, Inc. in 1994 and under his leadership, the corporation has grown to more than 1,000 employees across the United States and in nine foreign countries. For more information on Morgan and Ho-Chunk, check out www.hochunkinc.com.

Morgan’s talk will be at the Unitarian Church of Lincoln, 6300 A St.

Presentation on preserving native languages Oct. 1 in Lincoln

September 28, 2015EventsRespect for DiversityShane Pekny

From Nebraskans for Peace:

Don’t miss “The Seventh Generation,” a presentation by Barbara Salvatore, Thursday, October 1, 7 to 8:30 p.m.

Join the Peace and Justice Team of Plymouth Church and the Nebraskans for Peace, Lincoln chapter, to hear speaker Barbara Salvatore. In 2011, Barbara followed her dream to move her family 1100 miles to Nebraska to study the Omaha and Ponca languages and to become a Ponca language educator. As an author, artist, poet, visionary, and storyteller she has worked to preserve the language and culture of the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska. This family friendly event will highlight the Native American cultures around us as we think together about how our actions today impact our world seven generations from now.

The event will be at Mayflower Hall, First Plymouth Congregational Church, 2000 D Street, in Lincoln.

2015 Annual Peace Conference in Grand Island Oct. 17

September 22, 2015EventsCommunity-Based Economics, Decentralization, Grassroots Democracy, Non-Violence, Respect for DiversityShane Pekny

The 2015 Annual Peace Conference, presented by the University of Nebraska Omaha’s Grace Abbott School of Social Work and Nebraskans for Peace, will be held October 17 at Trinity United Methodist Church in Grand Island. The event runs from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30. It includes a panel presentation by local experts on housing, economic opportunity, education, health, and legal rights issues. The event is free and open to the public; lunch is $10.

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