There was a PEACE Alliance convention this past weekend in Washington DC. I went. The people who speak and attend these things always impress me. They really are a bunch of brainiacs, with a ton of professional letters behind their names - MS, PhD, MSSW, MA MFT, JD, etc.
I think I'm going to just put some random letters behind my name to show my education in the school of life. My bachelors just seems shallow by comparison. How about Garine Isassi, M.O.M. (Masters of Motherhood), R'n'Rer (life degree in rock n roll), D.O. (Doctorate of Organization)??
At any rate, I learned a lot from the speakers there and especially admire those who are working "in the trenches" against violence and hate. Organizations like battered women's shelters and Barios Unidos (an anti gang group). The founders of Challenge Day did a presentation and I think that every High school in America should have this program for the students AND the parents. So much of the stereotyping comes from the parents too. I'm going to talk to our school board about getting them in our district.
The biggest item to report, though, is that the Dept of Peace bill was changed to reflect more specifically where money would go. Now the bill asks for $10 billion a yr, with 85% of that to support domestic programs that prevent violence. Considering that we spend about $300 billion a year dealing with the AFTERMATH of violence within the borders of the United States,$10 billion seems like a bargain to prevent it from happening in the first place.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Friday, October 3, 2008
tii -iiime is on my side . . . yes, it is
While I was driving back from a kids music concert last month, with a bunch of wailing kidlets in the back of my mini-van, I had a mini revelation - the roads are mine. Yes, that is where I spend my time. Even in the gas crunch, I am a chauffer enslaved to karate classes, visits to Aunties, and my freelance clients.
What I mean is, there are millions of people driving up and down the federal roads in New Jersey everyday and, since they are FEDERAL highways, I am allowed to put up any political statement that I want to on said roads - freedom of speech and all that stuff.
So, I thought in my big brain extraviganza, that I can put up signs at every overpass that reads "Ask for a Federal Dept of Peace and Non-Violence" in 3 ft high letters.
Only problem is, in an anti-mick jaggerism, time is NOT on my side. So I put it out there to others who might have more time . . . .
What I mean is, there are millions of people driving up and down the federal roads in New Jersey everyday and, since they are FEDERAL highways, I am allowed to put up any political statement that I want to on said roads - freedom of speech and all that stuff.
So, I thought in my big brain extraviganza, that I can put up signs at every overpass that reads "Ask for a Federal Dept of Peace and Non-Violence" in 3 ft high letters.
Only problem is, in an anti-mick jaggerism, time is NOT on my side. So I put it out there to others who might have more time . . . .
SoapBox
I just discovered that there is a section on the congressional website -- congress.org -- called "SoapBox." It's something you pay $9 a month for a space on the website and outgoing alerts. I sent the link to the Peace Alliance organizers. I don't know if they know about it, but it seems like something pretty easy to get your grassroots efforts out there to people active on the Internet.
Congress.org is a great website because you can look up your representatives, both federal and state, and send them emails or letters right then.
I was on there about the bailout vote this morning.
Congress.org is a great website because you can look up your representatives, both federal and state, and send them emails or letters right then.
I was on there about the bailout vote this morning.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Talk the Talk, Walk the walk
I went to a Women in Communications Seminar about the internet and they went on and on about how the only way to get people to read your blog was to write in it every day.
Obviously, I am failing miserably in that department.
So, anyway, The Dept of Peace and NonViolence Campaign for New Jersey had a Walk for Peace on Saturday. There were a few people there - about 15. Not a stellar turnout, but we did get a district leader out of the deal. A slavic woman who is retired and lives in West Paterson.
This brought me to a little bit of a problem that I am having with this "campaign." Lack of ACTION. Right now, I think that the national campaign is kind of holding it's breath while we wait for the presidential election to finish.
Frankly, the winner will have a HUGE influence on our chances for passage of the bill in the next session. If Obama wins, we have a better chance of making this thing fly. That is the bottom line. If McCain gets in, it's four more years of the war machine that has been going on the past 8 years. How sad is that???
the DoP people had a booth at the Democratic convention. They gave a party and were included in the legitimate lobbying non-profit section of the convention. At the Republican Convention, they were not allowed in the hall. They had to be in the "protest" area outside with the radicals.
So, there is our problem in a nutshell. Here is a group, lobbying for a legitimate BILL that is already in Congress - stuck in with the protestors just because of the word "Peace" as if the simple idea of Peace and NonViolence is against government and/or the Republican party.
That is just WRONG.
Obviously, I am failing miserably in that department.
So, anyway, The Dept of Peace and NonViolence Campaign for New Jersey had a Walk for Peace on Saturday. There were a few people there - about 15. Not a stellar turnout, but we did get a district leader out of the deal. A slavic woman who is retired and lives in West Paterson.
This brought me to a little bit of a problem that I am having with this "campaign." Lack of ACTION. Right now, I think that the national campaign is kind of holding it's breath while we wait for the presidential election to finish.
Frankly, the winner will have a HUGE influence on our chances for passage of the bill in the next session. If Obama wins, we have a better chance of making this thing fly. That is the bottom line. If McCain gets in, it's four more years of the war machine that has been going on the past 8 years. How sad is that???
the DoP people had a booth at the Democratic convention. They gave a party and were included in the legitimate lobbying non-profit section of the convention. At the Republican Convention, they were not allowed in the hall. They had to be in the "protest" area outside with the radicals.
So, there is our problem in a nutshell. Here is a group, lobbying for a legitimate BILL that is already in Congress - stuck in with the protestors just because of the word "Peace" as if the simple idea of Peace and NonViolence is against government and/or the Republican party.
That is just WRONG.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Pasta for Peace
We went to an event organized at a church in Wayside NJ. Tricia and Anne both spoke, as well as one of the main organizers. They also had a singer, Spook Handy (?). He was a riot.
It was basically a successful event, but, again, I start getting ansy whenever I go to these things and come across the one speaker who starts talking about things like conspiracy theories and the "evil government" thing. That is what the organizer did. It is such a turn off and I wish that there was some way avoid that.
We need some great speakers as part of this movement in NJ and I am electing myself as one. Of course, I don't really know if I could be great speaker, but, hey, I was in the drama club! I was a singer with my own band for 12 years, for crying out loud. I think I can inspire people without the foray into "big brother is watching you."
WE are big brother. WE need to tell our government what to do. We don't. We ignore our responsibility and then blame the politicians.
It was basically a successful event, but, again, I start getting ansy whenever I go to these things and come across the one speaker who starts talking about things like conspiracy theories and the "evil government" thing. That is what the organizer did. It is such a turn off and I wish that there was some way avoid that.
We need some great speakers as part of this movement in NJ and I am electing myself as one. Of course, I don't really know if I could be great speaker, but, hey, I was in the drama club! I was a singer with my own band for 12 years, for crying out loud. I think I can inspire people without the foray into "big brother is watching you."
WE are big brother. WE need to tell our government what to do. We don't. We ignore our responsibility and then blame the politicians.
Friday, November 9, 2007
Fairleigh Dickinson University PSA shoot
So, a professor at FDU here in New Jersey heard about and came to our May 27th event and got into it. She approached the Nat'l Peace Alliance to have her graduate media class produce a PSA!!!
Last week, they brought in people from Ceasefire NJ and the Tariq Khamisa Foundation to "star" in it, filmed it, and then had a gathering. Both Wendy Green and Patty Kurderer from the Peace Alliance were there, too.
Last week, they brought in people from Ceasefire NJ and the Tariq Khamisa Foundation to "star" in it, filmed it, and then had a gathering. Both Wendy Green and Patty Kurderer from the Peace Alliance were there, too.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Boo Hoo for ME!!! Hooray for DoP!!
After all of the excitement of going into the city and meeting Brian Lehrer and being in the WNYC studios, I get a call from Nuala McGovern, the producer, telling me that they are not airing me!
Whaa.
They decided that Brian sounded better on the Cable TV show with Marianne Perez (the NY Media Coordinator) - an interview that I set up!!! They said that he was more informed and energetic. Well, gee whiz, who was the one that informed him earlier that day??? ME!
So sad for me, but the Department of Peace was covered and I made it happen.
If that was not enough excitement for one week, we had our fundraiser on Sunday. I was in charge of the "young people," a term that Anne Creter, one of our state coordinators kept using. Which meant I drove into Manhattan and picked up the country singer, Carly Goodwin, her guitar player, Scott, and the Student Peace Alliance coordinator, Aaron. It felt like the good old days when I worked for Epic Records and was accompanying rock stars all over New York. I did feel kind of like an old fogy, though. They were all under 25 yrs old. Not that I am in the senior set, yet, but still. I am old enough, technically to be their mother.
The fundraiser was a success. We had more people that I expected and we made some $$$!! Can't beat that!
On top of that, I was able to talk to Dot Maver, the executive director of the Peace Alliance, about media coverage in the New York area.
Whaa.
They decided that Brian sounded better on the Cable TV show with Marianne Perez (the NY Media Coordinator) - an interview that I set up!!! They said that he was more informed and energetic. Well, gee whiz, who was the one that informed him earlier that day??? ME!
So sad for me, but the Department of Peace was covered and I made it happen.
If that was not enough excitement for one week, we had our fundraiser on Sunday. I was in charge of the "young people," a term that Anne Creter, one of our state coordinators kept using. Which meant I drove into Manhattan and picked up the country singer, Carly Goodwin, her guitar player, Scott, and the Student Peace Alliance coordinator, Aaron. It felt like the good old days when I worked for Epic Records and was accompanying rock stars all over New York. I did feel kind of like an old fogy, though. They were all under 25 yrs old. Not that I am in the senior set, yet, but still. I am old enough, technically to be their mother.
The fundraiser was a success. We had more people that I expected and we made some $$$!! Can't beat that!
On top of that, I was able to talk to Dot Maver, the executive director of the Peace Alliance, about media coverage in the New York area.
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