Happy Tuesday, dear friends! I am finally settling into the groove of the new week, after so much celebration and fun over the weekend. I notice that when the kids come home, we have way more laundry and dishes to do. Imagine that?
I still have a lot of housework to do, but I always enjoy sharing news with you in the morning, so pull up a chair, and top off that coffee cup so we can get started!
Today we begin with a focus on existing gender violence in our world, so we can shine some light into the subject, and share a few steps in the right direction as well. We then move on from there.
Old ways of controlling gender are still affecting many the world over.
While it is sad to share such news, it is important to do so, for without knowledge, we cannot focus our energies on making positive change. A young Javelin thrower in India reports that she was tied up and beaten for being a witch in her home province of Assam. While charges have been filed against another woman, who may have incited the incident for personal reasons, witch hunts are still quite common in the area, and over 90 people have been severely brutalized or killed in the region in the last five years. Superstition has been used for centuries as a form of gender control, and hopefully, the more we illuminate the situation, as well as sharing positive news on gender equality, the more quickly we will see a shift to a world where all beings are safe, no matter their race or gender.
Indian athlete Debjani Bora beaten in ‘witch hunt’ by Subir Bhaumik for BBC News World
There have also been reports of acid attacks on women, not strictly adhering to the religious dress code, in the city of Esfahan in Northern Iran. Four women have been victimized, and arrests have been made. One of the victims even received a warning text message, that she would be splashed with acid if she did not follow the strict Islamic dress code, instituted after the 1979 revolution. Women in larger cities have been trying to push against the controlling religious culture, and some feel that this is a back lash from “veil vigilantes” who believe it is their responsibility to control women. Senior clerics in Iran condemn these attacks, saying it is not part of any Islamic or Sharia law practice.
No more violence is the focus of a new group and public service campaign in America.
I recently watched a public service commercial on television, where actors were speaking about allowing no more excuses for behavior, not only by perpetrators, but by those who know them and excuse their behavior. The idea interested me, and so I checked out the website on the screen. NoMore is an organization dedicated to eradicating abuse and gender violence by starting conscious discussion in society so people understand that these things are no longer socially acceptable, even though they have never truly been accepted, but only tolerated or treated with silence and shame in the past. Any campaign that focuses for change in this area, has a positive effect on our world.
All about NoMore and ending abuse
No More is supported by a Joyful Heart.
While digging through their wealth of material, I also discovered that the campaign was sponsored by the Joyful Heart Foundation, which was created by actor Mariska Hargitay, who was profoundly shaken by the script content of Law and Order when she began preparing for her role 16 years ago. She founded Joyful Heart in 2004 in Kona, Hawaii, where she says she had her heart awakening, and they support programs to end gender violence and abuse. They are now a national foundation that has raised 15 million dollars in support of recovery for victims of abuse and preventative educational programs. I am so glad to see this type of privately funded grass-roots support for ending gender violence.
The story of Joyful Heart Foundation.
New York women align to bring change to the state.
If you didn’t already know, I was born in Brooklyn in the early 60’s, and have lived on the beautiful island of Paumanok, natural muse of the poet Walt Whitman, and now renamed Long Island, all my life. New Yorkers are seen to be a tough, brash bunch, and I guess we are, but we are also known to have hearts of gold. Those golden hearts are shining brightly as the New York Women’s Equality Coalition comes together to create real change for women in the state. The group is a melding of 850 separate entities, that support various causes for women and family rights. Their platform is varied, and supports change in the area of gender inequality, domestic abuse, fair housing, sexual harassment and equal pay. It is lovely to see groups with similar focus coming together in unity, under one banner, to create more impact for change. I will continue to look for other programs in the various states and the world over, and share them when I can.
All about New York Women’s Equality Coalition
Moving on…
Earthquakes and severe weather on an up-tick, as the sun ramps up with major activity .
Please send love and light to Central America, the Solomon Islands and Ecuador, as they have all recently experienced significant earthquakes. Suspicious Observer has been following the pattern of release of high solar activity flares and earth quakes. Yesterday a large sunspot released both an X1 flare and an M flare and today the earth responds.
October 20, 2014 Suspicious Observer Weather Report on Youtube
Here is another site that does a great job tracking the motions of the earth’s core, if you are interested in following along and looking for patterns. I have pulled up the data on today’s 6.0 quake in Ecuador.
And finally, a tiny little story…
A college professor moves out of his home, and into a dumpster to teach his students about survival.
Jeff Wilson, an environmental studies professor at a college in Austin, Texas is going to live in a dumpster for 1 year, to teach his students a thing or two about sustainable living. The Dumpster Project is all about creating off-grid, sustainable and frugal living situations, that can be applied to various environments the world over. He did not move into just any dumpster though, as his has air conditioning, and they are in the process of installing rain water catchments, solar power, a sink and possible toilet. He says he is quite comfortable in his new environment, and plans to fine tune the project, so it can be economically shared with those in need of shelter internationally. Talk about taking the super tiny home model to the outer reaches of upcycling!
That’s the news for today! I hope you have a day filled with sunshine and love, and come back to join me for more news tomorrow!
Be Well. Be Joy. Be Love!
Alex