Gaia: ActiveZaadz

Jan. 11, 2008 Day of Action to Close Guantanamo Prison

http://shelivesintheforest.gaia.com — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 23:14:31 GMT

Witness Against Torture, a member group of UFPJ, has been a leading force in the efforts to shut down the detention center at GuantÃ¡namo. Now they are organizing what promises to be an important day of protest on Friday, January 11, 2008. More information about the plans for activities in Washington, DC, that day -- as well as what you can do locally -- are included in the message below.

Peace,

Leslie Cagan
National Coordinator, UFPJ

"Immediately close the detention center at GuantÃ¡namo Bay, Cuba,
and either release its inmates or bring them before an impartial tribunal."
â€" United Nations Human Rights Commission

CALL TO ACTION

We declare January 11, 2008, six years after the first prisoners arrived at Guantanamo, an International Day of Action to Shut Down GuantÃ¡namo. In Washington, DC, we will hold a permitted demonstration at the National Mall followed by an orange jumpsuit procession to the Supreme Court. There will also be solidarity demonstrations in Chicago, Miami, London and Paris, with more being added every day. We invite you to come to Washington and participate, or else join or plan an action in your own community. We also encourage people around the world to wear orange t-shirts, armbands or other orange clothing on January 11th to mark the date.

JOIN US IN WASHINGTON, DC

Friday, January 11, 11:00am. (National Mall).

The day involves several elements:

Demonstration at the National Mall. Witness Against Torture has teamed up with Amnesty International and the National Religious Campaign Against Torture to hold a permitted demonstration on the National Mall at 11:00am. (Gather at 12th street NW between Madison Dr NW & Jefferson Drive SW - near the Smithsonian Metro Stop.)

"Prisoners of GuantÃ¡namo March." Hundreds marched in last year's procession
A provocative street theater performance involving people wearing orange jump suits and black hoods. We will march from the National Mall to the Supreme Court in an orderly silent procession hauntingly evoking the moral disgrace that is GuantÃ¡namo. With your help, we will form a prisoner contingent including as many protesters as there are prisoners.

Funeral Ceremony at the Supreme Court. Following the procession to the Supreme Court, we will hold a Funeral Ceremony to remember the four men who died in custody at GuantÃ¡namo and to mourn the death of Habeas Corpus. Like last year, some may choose to risk arrest. To participate, please consider attending an orientation meeting on Thursday, 4pm, at St. Stephen and the Incarnation Church (1525 Newton Street, NW) or come early to the National Mall for an orientation and rehearsal at 10:00am. Please let us know in advance if you are willing to participate in either the Prisoners Contingent, Nonviolent Direct Action, or both. Email jan11@witnesstorture.org or call Matt Daloisio at 201-264-4424.

For up-to-date details as well as information about housing, food, rides and directions, legal support and much more, please visit our website at http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=KcnPe1lIjQXPcM%2Fta%2FWEhNcwg%2Bixqqk6.

WEAR ORANGE ON JANUARY 11TH!
Wherever you are on January 11th, we encourage you to wear orange to raise public awareness and strengthen the movement to demand an end to torture and indefinite detention. Consider wearing one of Witness Against Torture's Orange "Shut Down GuantÃ¡namo" T-shirts, an ACLU arm band, or even an orange jump suit.

JOIN THE GROWING NUMBER OF LOCAL VIGILS - ATTEND OR ORGANIZE AN ACTION IN YOUR COMMUNITY
If you can't join us in Washington D.C., please consider attending or organizing a vigil, march or a public forum in your community. Actions are currently planned in 30 cities, including New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Miami, London, Paris and elsewhere.

Visit http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=jbIGLMk5uIb00rQWxbVsW5AAAAmDI8X6 for up-to-date details about solidarity events, as well as to find ideas for actions, to post to our calendar, or to download flyers and other resources.

WHO WE ARE
Two years ago Witness Against Torture drew international attention after it walked to GuantÃ¡namo to visit the prisoners. Upon its return, the group has organized vigils, marches, nonviolent direct actions and educational events to expose and decry the administration's lawlessness, build awareness about torture and indefinite detention, and forge human ties with the prisoners at GuantÃ¡namo and their families.

Some of the organizations endorsing the Jan 11 Day of Action include:

    Act Against Torture
    Bill of Rights Defense Committee
    The Catholic Worker
    Center for Constitutional Rights
    CodePink
    Declaration of Peace
    International Federation of Human Rights
    National Campaign for Nonviolent Resistance
    Network of Spiritual Progressives
    Pax Christi USA
    Peace Action
    School of the Americas Watch
    Torture Abolition and Survivors Coalition
    United for Peace and Justice
    US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation
    Voices For Creative Nonviolence
    War Resisters League
    World Can't Wait
    ...and more. See a full list of endorsers.

DONATE
Please make a contribution to help cover the costs of the January 11th event. You can donate online or send a check made out to "Witness Against Torture" to Mary House Catholic Worker, 55 E. Third Street, New York, NY 10003.
http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=Zk68A9FOKSO0ek%2FrkZZayJAAAAmDI8X6

Help us continue to do this critical work: Make a donation to UFPJ today.

UNITED FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE
http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=0bk2yhauBoiWV0J3KCc5sJAAAAmDI8X6 | 212-868-5545
To subscribe, visit http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=eT8k8zlqNpJyR%2FXsl70k2ZAAAAmDI8X6

Reduce Paper Use, etc.

http://shelivesintheforest.gaia.com — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 16:12:31 GMT

Saving paper means saving forests which we need to slow climate change. The Ancient Forest Friendly website, http://www.ancientforestfriendly.com/ , has the following guide to reducing paper use (http://www.ancientforestfriendly.com/paper-efficiency/home).

A Practical Guide to Increasing Paper Efficiencies

In this section you'll find practical ways to make your paper use much more efficient. Paper efficiency means you are acting smart about your environmental and financial resources. We ask this of our signatory companies, but individuals can practice paper efficiency as well.

The three R's of waste reduction are Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. The first ‘R' is the most resource efficient of them all.

At Home and Work

read newspapers online, read magazines from the library or buy digital magazine subscriptions,
have your name removed from catalogue mail lists,
post a ‘no unaddressed mail' notice on your post box and don't print your emails.

And here are more tips for around the office:

Photocopiers

Set photocopy machines to double-sided by default. Your photocopy technician can perform this simple service.
Introduce codes for use of photocopiers. This will provide everyone with insights to their consumption by tracking the paper consumption of various departments. This is particularly helpful and motivating when working towards increasing efficiencies. Add a little incentive to your paper efficiency drive - set up inter-departmental competitions or annual targets for each department based on the previous quarter/year's consumption.
Adjust photocopy machine for recycled paper to avoid any potential of copier jamming. Your photocopy technician can perform this simple service.
When purchasing new printers and photocopy equipment, ensure they can easily print double sided.

Mail

Wherever possible shift to electronic bills and online application forms. For clients who require hardcopies, print double sided bills and application forms.
Reduce the basis weight of the paper - it will save postage costs.
Where possible, reuse envelopes for correspondence. Use address labels to cover original information.
Use inter-office envelopes which can be re-used multiple times.

Computers and the Paperless Office! Use your computer to reduce paper consumption not increase it!

General Office Use

Reduce the basis weight of the paper used in the office and for promotional use. E.g. switch from a 60lb sheet for general office use to a 50 lb sheet.
Post memos on a central bulletin board.
For editing processes, have several people edit the same document using different colour ink and track changes.
Use single sided waste paper for printing drafts.
Maximize formatting by reducing font size and increasing margins.
Buy 100% post consumer recycled copy paper. Many brands are available and they work well in today's machines.

Company Documents and Reports

Reduce size of printed pieces by working with your designer and printer to try creative formatting to maximize use of parent sheets for printing.
Post reports electronically.
Reduce the basis weight of paper used.

Faxes

Use fax stick it forms rather than cover sheet.
Use plain paper faxes
Program your machine to eliminate printed confirmation sheets
Format fax carefully so that excessive pages are eliminated.

Re: Green Shopping: Recycled Paper Towel, Toilet Paper, Napkins..

http://shelivesintheforest.gaia.com — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 15:22:10 GMT

Depending on the office supply stores where you live, you may be able to find out about which recycled papers or boxes you want to use from looking online.

I'm in Canada, and I looked at two suppliers online for paper and boxes. One was great and said exactly how much post-consumer recycled paper was in a product, and the other one said nothing - except it had a recycling symbol next to it. I don't have any suggestions for you about that end of it; although even better than 100% post consumer friendly would be paper used.

Even better, is using paper that is Ancient Forest Friendly (that is, from a sustainable forest). Here are a couple sites, one to Greenpeace and one to the Forest Stewardship Council:

http://www.greenpeace.org/international/campaigns/forests/greenpeace-book-campaign/ancient-forest-friendly-paper

http://www.fsc.org/en/

Finding a socially responsible/sustainable company may be more work. At least on the Canadian site, Greenpeace does have its eyes on some logging/paper making companies (in a negative way) so you could try avoiding them (if that is possible).

Otherwise, some socially responsible mutual funds will list online the companies they are invested in, and they will have done the screening process for you.

If there is a local Greenpeace office where you live you could always try asking them or ask the main Greenpeace. There may be other environmental groups where you live you could contact like the Sierra Club, etc.

Good luck.
Inukshuk

Re: Green Shopping: Recycled Paper Towel, Toilet Paper, Napkins..

http://moltencuriosity.gaia.com — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 14:10:12 GMT

I am starting a new business that is going to use recycled paper boxes for delivery of our goods. Our crew is made up of exceptionally Eco-Conscious individuals. Do you have any suggestions as to which company would be best to go through for these boxes? I am not only concerned with the boxes being recycled, but I have issue with the process of creating said boxes. I really do not want to invest in a company that pollutes our evvironment as a means of recycling.

Thanks for your great post!
Troy

Hey all you ActiveZaads Phychos I'm Back

http://moltencuriosity.gaia.com — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 14:03:37 GMT

Hey Y'all I have been gone for a very long time and I apologize for that. I had asked a couple of you to help out while I was gone and I totally appreciate all your efforts.

Well I graduated from Dental Lab school at Idaho State University and being the masochistic individual I am, decided to go back for more punishement.

I am doing well, but have not been satisfied with just going to school. Some friends and I are starting a handcrafted art and jewelry business that will be getting off the ground very soon. As soon as we are online, I will post the link so you can see what we are up to. We want to get to a point where we can start showcasing other artisens and craftspersons art to allow then greater exposure in a time when we are being taken over by cookie cutter art and jewelry that is stamped out and printed by a machine rather than crafted by a person who loves the process of creation just as well as the final product.

I will keep you all updated on my project as it evolves and I welcome any hints as I have never had a business online and I know for a fact several of you have. Also feel free to email me with project ideas of your own.

I will not be here like I originally was, due to this new active project, going to school fulltime and being a full-time dad, but I will be here a great deal more then I have been.

Thank you so much for holding it all together,
Troy

Green Shopping: Recycled Paper Towel, Toilet Paper, Napkins...

http://shelivesintheforest.gaia.com — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 05:22:25 GMT

The National Resources Defence Council (NRDC) website has some general tips on how you can help save forests by choosing paper products (paper towel, toilet paper, napkins and tissues), which you can find below. The website then has charts which list brand named paper products and which are the best and worse choices for the environment. I can't seem to add the charts without everything getting scrambled, so you'll need to have a look yourself:

http://www.nrdc.org/land/forests/gtissue.asp#facial (best & worst brand name charts)

TIPS: THREE THINGS YOU CAN DO TO HELP SAVE FORESTS

1. Buy paper products with recycled content-especially post-consumer fibers.
Look for products that have a high recycled content, including high post-consumer content. Post-consumer fibers are recovered from paper that was previously used by consumers and would otherwise have been dumped into a landfill or an incinerator.

2. Buy paper products made with clean, safe processes.
Paper products are bleached to make them whiter and brighter, but chlorine used in many bleaching processes contributes to the formation of harmful chemicals that wind up in our air and water and are highly toxic to people and fish. Look for products labeled totally chlorine-free (TCF) or processed chlorine-free (PCF). In some cases, elemental chlorine-free (ECF) may be acceptable.

3. Tell tissue manufacturers to stop using virgin wood for throwaway products.
If a brand you buy for your home doesn't have any recycled content, contact the manufacturer (click here to send a message to paper giant Kimberly-Clark). Tell the company to use more recycled fibers, to avoid sourcing from ecologically valuable forests such as those in the Cumberland Plateau and Canadian boreal, and to ensure any virgin fibers used are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. Saving forests also helps reduce global warming pollution.

P.S. If you live in Canada, go to the Greenpeace.ca website, where they have similar information on best and worst choices of paper products for Canadians: http://tissue.greenpeace.ca/

I realize there are even greener alternatives than post-consumer recycled paper products, such as cloth napkins or towels, but most people are not keen to switch to cloth "hankies" from tissue, and I don't even want to think about whether there are alternatives to toilet paper.

Tips to Green Your Kitchen in Order to Help Stop Global Warming

http://shelivesintheforest.gaia.com — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 00:44:14 GMT

Here are some things you can do in your kitchen, to stop global warming. These suggestions are from the British Channel 4 website: http://www.channel4.com/science/microsites/E/environment/help_1.html .

Tips for being green in the kitchen

Quick tips

Don't overfill the kettle
If you're making tea for one, only use that amount of water. If you're making tea for two, use that amount and so on. Overfilling the kettle wastes needless energy.

Don't waste food
This might seem like an obvious point, but a survey by Braun found that YUBBIES (Young Urban Bin Baggers) waste £865m of food every year by letting it go stale or out of date. One in six people wastes more than 10% of their average £42 weekly groceries shopping. Salad and fresh vegetables are the most likely items to be thrown away.

Eat your leftovers
The Braun survey also showed that people in the UK no longer keep leftover food for another meal, preferring to bin it or feed it to the dog instead.

Let food cool down before refrigerating it
This saves energy. Also, only keep the fridge door open for as long as you need to.

Make your own lunch
Not only will this save you a lot of money, but also you'll use less packaging than a sandwich shop.

Only wash full loads in the washing machine
Only ever wash full loads of clothes instead of half loads to save water and energy.

Replace ordinary light bulbs with energy efficient ones
They might cost more initially, but they last much longer and are significantly better for the environment.

Recycle
As well as buying recycled products, get in touch with your local authority to find out about recycling schemes in your area. Pretty soon you'll be required to sort your rubbish anyway, so why not start now?

Re-use items
Bottles, carrier bags and refillable containers don't have to be thrown away - they can all be reused. Many supermarkets now offer 'bags for life'.

Think twice before you put something in the bin
Can it be reused or recycled?

Turn the lights off when you leave a room
This is one of the easiest things anyone can do - and the difference it can make to the amount of energy we consume is considerable.

Use refill packs
Most washing powders, liquids, fabric softeners and dishwasher products have refill packs rather than buying the large plastic bottle over and over again.

More tips

Buy less processed foods
Processed foods are often over-packaged, so try buying more fresh items.

Buy locally produced food where possible
Locally-produced foods don't have to be transported, making them a considerably more environmentally-friendly option by far.

Buy products with less packaging
Less packaging usually means less waste - although how environmentally friendly a product is also depends on how the product was packaged and transported originally.

Don't pour oil, fats and harmful chemicals down the sink or toilet
Inside drains lead to a septic tank or sewer system, where water will be treated. But some chemicals and substances won't be broken down and will still end up back in the sea or rivers. Inside drains and toilets should not be used to dispose of hazardous waste or chemicals - go to your local dump where they will be disposed of properly.

Dispose of your fridge properly
Many old fridges contain chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which contribute to the hole in the ozone layer. If you need to dispose on an old fridge, contact your local authority.

Grow fresh food in your garden
Like locally-produced foods and products, there is no transport involved here, so you can't get much greener.

Repair damaged goods
Half of electrical goods that go to the dump only need minor repairs - and it will probably cost you less than buying a replacement.

Reuse plastic and glass bottles and jars or take them to a recycling bank
Containers like bottles and jars don't always have to be thrown away or recycled - you can reuse them, too.

Separate your rubbish
Recycling is going to become a bigger part of all of our lives, so why not start separating your rubbish for recycling now? Contact your local authority to find out when your nearest recycling point is - there might even be a local collection service available.

Shop environmentally
Books like The Good Shopping Guide list the most eco-friendly products and brands to buy.

Use and buy energy efficient appliances
Products like fridges and washing machines have energy labels on. Categories 'A' and 'B' are the most energy efficient and use less water. Anything rated below rating 'D' is being phased out and should be avoided - it will cost you more and will use more electricity.

Use low temperatures on your washing machine
This saves water and energy.

Re: Worldwide Events Oct 16 & 17; Stand Up and Speak Out

http://shelivesintheforest.gaia.com — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 12:59:21 GMT

La version française suite

Dear Make Poverty History supporter,

Join millions of people around the world to STAND UP and SPEAK OUT to make poverty history between October 16th and 17th - and set a Guinness World Record at the same time!

Between 5pm Eastern time on October 16th and 5pm on the 17th, millions of people in Canada, Pakistan and Namibia and dozens of other countries will be sending a message to government leaders - that we need bold action now to make poverty history - by standing up and speaking out in their communities. Join this movement and help set a record for the number of people standing up in a 24 hour period!

Check for STAND UP events in your community that you can participate in.

Find out how you can organize a STAND UP moment in your school or workplace.

Check out the STAND UP video, an up-beat look at this global event.

The STAND UP Global White Band Day of Action - the 24 hours between 5pm on the 16th to 5pm on the 17th (Canadian Eastern time: see makepovertyhistory.ca/e/stand-up/when.pdf for your local time) - coincide with the opening of a new session of the Canadian Parliament.

Your participation in the STAND UP Global Day of Action can help to send a strong message to Prime Minister Harper that his government needs to give high priority to ending poverty both at home and abroad.

Canada needs to help to make poverty history by:

committing to a 10 year timetable to allocate 0.7% of Gross National Income for official development assistance;
supporting efforts to make trade rules more equitable by insisting on development-friendly WTO rules and bilateral agreements;
pushing the World Bank and the IMF to stop imposing harmful conditions for debt cancellation and development financing;
developing and implementing a plan to end child and family poverty in Canada;
implementing the Kelowna Accord, a plan to narrow the living standards gap between Aboriginal people and the rest of Canada.

During the recent Ontario election, Make Poverty History supporters helped to get all provincial parties to support a poverty reduction plan for Ontario. Your action is needed now to push for change at the national level. Stand Up and Speak Out on this date!

Thanks for your support.

Dennis Howlett
National Coordinator
Make Poverty History

Note: if you do not wish to receive further mailings, please go to makepovertyhistory.ca/e/php/unsubscribe/?signid=408642&signverify=a56d7fc6aa00ff3cea0b8534ee8d6366 to unsubscribe.

Cher partisan de la campagne Abolissons la pauvreté,

Joignez-vous aux millions de personnes partout dans le monde qui, les 16 et 17 octobre, répondront à l'appel Debout et Manifestez pour abolir la pauvreté - et aidez à établir un nouveau record Guinness du même coup!

Du 16 octobre à 17h, heure de l'Est, au 17 octobre à 17h, des millions au Canada, Pakistan et Namibie et dans des douzaines d'autres pays enverront un message aux chefs politiques - la nécessité aujourd'hui d'entreprendre une action ferme pour abolir la pauvreté - en se tenant debout et en manifestant dans leurs communautés. Joignez-vous à ce mouvement et aidez à établir un record mondial du nombre de personnes se tenant debout sur une période de 24 heures!

Consultez la liste des événements DEBOUT auxquels vous pouvez participer dans votre communauté.

Découvrez comment vous pouvez organiser un événement DEBOUT dans votre école ou au travail.

Regardez la vidéo DEBOUT, un vue fraîche sur cet événement globale.

Le jour de la mobilisation mondiale DEBOUT et du bracelet blanc -les 24 heures entre le 16 octobre à 17h et le 17 octobre à 17h (heure normale de l'est du Canada : pour voir d'horaire des activités dans votre région, allez à abolissonslapauvrete.ca/f/debout-et-manifestez/quand.pdf )- coïncide avec l'ouverture de la nouvelle session du Parlement canadien. Votre participation à la mobilisation mondiale DEBOUT peut aider à envoyer un message fort au premier ministre Harper, à savoir que l'abolition de la pauvreté au Canada et ailleurs devrait venir eu priorité majeure. Le Canada doit contribuer à l'élimination de la pauvreté. Pour ce faire, il doit la promesse :

S'engageant, d'ici dix ans, d'allouer 0.7% de Revenu National Brut à l'aide publique au développement;
Le soutien des efforts pour rendre le commerce international plus équitable, en exigent que l'OMC adopte des règlements plus favorables au développement;
Mettre de la pression sur la Banque Mondiale et le FMI pour qu'ils arrêtent d'imposer conditions défavorables à l'annulation de la dette et au financement du développement;
Concevoir et appliquer des mesures pour mettre fin aux pauvreté infantile et familiale au Canada;
Appliquer l'Accord de Kelowna, qui permettrait de réduire le fossé entre le niveau de vie des populations autochtones et celui du reste du pays.

Durant la récente campagne électorale en Ontario, grâce aux partisans de la Abolissons la pauvreté tous les partis provinciaux ont acceptéé de soutenir un plan de réduction de la pauvreté en Ontario. Nous avons désormais besoin de vous pour une action nationale. Debout et Manifestez les 16 et 17 octobre prochains!

Merci de votre soutien.

Dennis Howlett
Coordinateur national
Abolissons la pauvreté

Worldwide Events Oct 16 & 17; Stand Up and Speak Out

http://shelivesintheforest.gaia.com — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 22:59:18 GMT

"What is Stand Up and Speak Out?

STAND UP and SPEAK OUT is a worldwide call to take action against poverty and inequality and for the Millennium Development Goals*. On October 16th and 17th, be a part of this growing movement of people who refuse to stay silent or seated in the face of poverty. Help us break the world record so we can break the record of broken promises."

There are a number of events going on around the world, one of which you might want to participate in. You can also set up an event. The website is:

http://www.standagainstpoverty.org/ If you want to go straight to where you can find events happening near you, go to:

http://www.standagainstpoverty.org/en/events and pick the country where you live. You should be able to see all the events happening where you are.

*If you want to know more about the United Nation's Millenium Development Goals, see:
http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/

I hope you will consider getting involved.

Scales, Veils & Tales NOW online!

http://libramoon.gaia.com — Fri, 13 Oct 2006 20:58:06 GMT

Hey Visionaries,

Emerging Visions Issue #4 Scales, Veils & Tales is now online at:

http://emergingvisions.blogspot.com/

Re: Introductions Again..........well YEEEAHHH

http://desireeannetionette.gaia.com — Fri, 22 Sep 2006 12:47:52 GMT

Desiree' Annetoinette
AKA Eco-Diva
AKA GREEN GENIE
AKA Mommy
AKA Children's Clothing Designer and business owner
AKA wife
AKA CHANGE!
AKA Artist, Poet and outright ZANY individual!

Re: An Idea I have (to share)

http://princesamwise.gaia.com — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 12:05:17 GMT

I love to freely SHARE to the world my SMILE!

An Idea I have (to share)

http://professionalhumanbeing.gaia.com — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 05:21:33 GMT

Feel free to steal this. I operate a ridiculiusly creative ad agency that ONLY works for brands, services and causes we think are good for this earth. I want to create a campign that exits simply to get peopel to breathe, become aware and smile for any reason whatesover and I always felt that a bank or some other hum drum buisness woud benefit (as woudo we all) from sponsoing and publishing this. you can see this--smile 'you can read-smile 'you can type-smile Many people love you-smile.. etc. so steal this, share this take it help us with it, all you desire. luaP

Re: Ground-Zero for women's rights

http://lightman.gaia.com — Wed, 16 Aug 2006 00:48:07 GMT

Your absolutely right Troy, girls are commonly sold or married off to settle debts...I recenly read about a girl in Afghanistan who was forced to marry at the age of 8 to settle a 25$ debt...the average marrying age in Bamiyan, Afghanistan (where the big Buddha statues were blown up) is 11yrs old for girls, according to a local group of traveling doctors...What people don't realize is that the girls aren't just forced into marriage, they're forced into pregnancy at that age...if theres anything worse than being burned alive it would be trying to have a baby at 12 years old. Jan goodwin reported a girl, Maria who was married off and forced into pregnancy a the age of 12...and so it goes.
I'm trying to bring these things to light in an effort to create sympathy and support, yet so often people will brush it off and recite a litany of other atrocities that are inflicted on women...this does nothing for the purpose. Not that that is happening here, I just want to warn anyone embarking on the effort to help...it's tough to get people to be present with this issue for any period of time because it's much easier to spend time in the light and fluffy pods...that in my opinion aren't really doing much...but thats just me. I need quantative results to believe anything is really happening. You know? Ok I'm rambling...sorry

Re: Capital Revolution

http://capitalrevolution.gaia.com — Tue, 15 Aug 2006 17:44:11 GMT

Thanks for the feedback! I've taken your suggestions. Take a new look, have not completed the process, but new info will be developed soon!

Adam

Re: Ground-Zero for women's rights

http://moltencuriosity.gaia.com — Tue, 15 Aug 2006 14:44:32 GMT

Diane,
     Nobody is going to yell at you for asking a question that applies well here in the US. In places like Belgrade, (former)Yugoslavia and India women are bought and sold like cattle. I know for a fact that families in India have been known to sell their "extra" daughters as young as five years old to sex slavers and even at that age their are sick bastards who will pay to have sex with them, damaging them physically and emotionally for the rest of their lives. Some die of STDs as young as 12 years old and are thrown away like garbage so another little girl can fill her cage. In Yugoslavia, women that have been sold will have their families murdered if they try to escape.

Google - Sex Trade
                 Prostitution
Combine these with - India, Belgrade, Africa   and see what you come up with. I know everyone else puts links in, but I think a person needs to put in some effort to really start understanding...I am not meaning you Diane, You have shown more than once that you care. I am talking about all those people who talk about changing the world, but are more concerned with the price of gas than they are about little 5 year old girls getting raped legally for profit or young girls getting burned and maimed for the sick pleasure of their husbands or fathers. The world is not pretty, most people just like to pretend it is.

Re: Ground-Zero for women's rights

Tue, 15 Aug 2006 14:12:47 GMT

I hate to put this out there, please don't yell at me. ; ) But part of me wonders if, in order to escape the abuse at home and the threat of murder, do some of these women find the sex-trade an escape? Or maybe they consider it an escape until they are there, and then they see that it's just as dangerous and murderous as being at home.

Also, it's not hard for me to imagine that for every woman who escapes to a safe house, there are 10 others who live their lives this way because they have actually bought into it -- they feel this is their "lot in life." Is this true? What has your research shown?

It's obvious that most of the world is living in the middle ages.

Re: Ground-Zero for women's rights

http://lightman.gaia.com — Mon, 14 Aug 2006 22:25:36 GMT

Yep...50 or 60 thousand burnings per year are only the tip of the iceberg... hundreds of millions of girls sexaully mutilated, sold into sex slavery, forced into marriage and pregnancy before their teens....I think people need to focus on this because it's being ignored. Womens issues around the world are not being recognized as important...everyone should check out the safehouse site...The zaadz site has potential...there is a lot we can do but there needs to be a huge effort on our part to identify what needs to be changed and take massive action to make it happen. Thanks for the notes!
Sean

Re: Ground-Zero for women's rights

http://lightman.gaia.com — Mon, 14 Aug 2006 22:17:01 GMT

My website is www.womensassistance.com or the safehouse site is www.pwaisbd.org so if your professor friend or anyone else would like to help just have them emial me through the womens assistance website.
Thanks!
Sean

Re: Ground-Zero for women's rights

http://moltencuriosity.gaia.com — Mon, 14 Aug 2006 21:18:27 GMT

Sean has really only shown the tip of the iceberg as far as crimes openly commited against women in this world. Women have been sold openly on the streets in Belgrade as sex slaves for some time now and are treated worse than most domestic farm animals. This really is something we need to focus on.