Tag: Human Rights

Dignity: Tap Into It

Dignity. The word has been with us in Latin and French since the 13th century. It was used to exalt human characteristics of moral and ethical uprightness. We’ve celebrated our dignitaries and, as we have the tendency to do, emulated the trappings of those we believed qualified to carry the term. We acknowledged status, but this is a far more superficial understanding of what it means to hold dignity, or to be a dignified human being.

The Enlightenment brought the understanding of treating human beings with respect and recognized dignity to be an inalienable right. In 1948, the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights proclaimed that ‘All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.’ And while this marked a major milestone in human evolutionary thought, little has changed in the ways we’ve treated one another or have allowed others of us to be treated.

In fact, when you dive into the word (as Frederick Douglas did) it becomes apparent that political, legal and scientific scholars are ambiguous about the term. Dignity is largely left undefined.

But this is when the true meaning of dignity can emerge; when people cannot agree to a definition because the term cannot be encapsulated. Dignity cannot be caught in the trappings of language, and not in the mindset of intellectualism.

Dignity must be felt. Each of us has the right to claim and manifest the inherent dignity that lies within – which no one can take away and no law can circumvent. 

It is our right and duty to manifest dignity. But first we must tap into it. Be courageous. Be human.

The photo is of my Diné friend and mentor who lived “Walk in Beauty”

“The soul that is within me no man can degrade.” Frederick Douglas

“No power on this earth can destroy the thirst for human dignity.” Nelson Mandela

Prem Rawat on Realizing Your Potential as a Human Being

Finding One Another

As luck would have it, our well went out this week. Not a good thing anytime. This was a particularly bad time. We called a reliable friend who recommended a reliable friend. The recommended reliable friend came and not only set the well right, he explained that the well had been dug too deep. We had paid for that “too deep” nearly ten years ago. And of course, there is no warranty on a well from those who put it in.

This gentle man explained a lot of things about the water table, the well, the pump, and the electricity. He was happy to do it. I was happy to learn. He shared valuable information that will help direct our course here. When we parted, we parted as friends and the appreciation for one another was genuine.

It is getting clear to me that there are two types of people on the earth right now. 

There are human beings who have dignity and respect for other human beings. And there are others who are not fully human. Not a judgment, just an observation. And that’s why we are in the pickle we are in. Another observation. The government of Israel is starving Palestinians.

It’s now a full blown, openly discussed genocide. 

There are two types of people: human beings who care and are trying to help and the others who are not fully human. Right now, non-humans are winning.

We’ve handed the reins to the not fully human. And unless and until we take back those reins, we’re in for quite a ride.

For those who believe we are here to suffer, please rethink this. And if you choose suffering, perhaps you could leave the rest of us to the peace we know is possible.

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Palestinian poet Mosab Abu Toha has won the Pulitzer Prize. “I can’t celebrate while Gaza is starving.”

You can listen to my conversation with Mosab Abu Toha on Changing the Narrative.

Never Again Must Be Now

We’re still in Ramadan and our Palestinian friends are engaged in daily fasts and prayers, while stories of starvation and tents bombed in the night haunt them. While heightened renewal of violence in the West Bank and Gaza robs humanity of its dignity, here we face the disruption of families and disappearance of immigrants and students by ICE, adding to the human nightmare. Israel, Russia and now the US are purveyors of violence and terror.

What will it take for us to resist the self-inflicted wounds of hatred and greed which underscore our lives? If you’re still waiting for superman; you’re ignoring the most important truth of all. You’re the one you’ve been waiting for. 

Regardless of the politics you hold; it is incumbent upon us to challenge violence in all forms. It’s imperative that we become a human shield for peace with our words and actions to end the inhumanity. It’s not a time to cower. 

We’re fed storylines to drive fear and to have us reject empathy and compassion. Our sense of normalcy is being erased and replaced with dystopia. Our politicians stand in lock step with Israel and supply weapons and money in the billions, and they allow the deportation policies causing suffering for many. Both parties vote to continue the downward spiral of human dignity. But where do we, as individuals, stand?

Colonialism, the theft of land and the subjugation of people have been the human history. It does not have to be our future. 

For people of peace and justice, there can be no room for debate. Our government is eradicating free speech and using the label of “terrorist” to dissuade those of conscience into silence. We cannot be silent.”Never again” needs to be now and for everyone.

Take back your power. Be human.

Take back our collective power. Vote, Wisconsin, Tuesday April 1

“NonViolence and NonCooperation” is the theme of this WDRT Conversation with author and nonviolence activist Rivera Sun. This hour is packed with historical facts and an enthusiastic call to action as we reclaim our humanity. Take a listen! Photo from our first meeting in 2015.

https://www.wdrt.org/?post_type=post&p=14055

Change Course

There’s no doubt we’re in for a ride as the chaotic upheaval of the government continues. Certainly, there’ll be people in need and hopefully we’ll find a way around failing systems to help. If you’re still falling in line with Republican or Democrat talking points, it may be time to consider the talking point that suffered the most in both parties’ rhetoric: our humanity.

When a government abdicates its responsibility to protect the welfare of its people by choosing instead to build wealth through military industry and resource theft, that government is not worthy of its people’s allegiance. Since October 2023, we have witnessed a government unyielding in its support of genocide. The hand off from Biden to Trump was seamless and now we are expected to complete the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians by a single decree of our president / king. 

And just as South Africa and others accused Israel of genocide, there is now a request for the International Criminal Court to investigate Biden, Blinken and Lloyd for their complicity in genocide by “aiding and abetting” Israeli war crimes in Gaza.

European nations are uniting in fierce opposition to Trump’s erroneous statements on Ukraine. And we must reckon with what appears to be another US resource grab in disregard for the sovereignty of Ukrainians – and what it could mean for other nations if Putin’s aggression continues with US approval.

As the United States wealth gap increases and countless marginalized people face the terror of hatred unleashed and run amuck, we shouldn’t ask, “How did we get here?” In a country whose entire history has been one of attempted genocide of Indigenous people, cruelty of enslaved people and the scapegoating of anyone who challenged the normalcy of the “divine right of kings” – the question should be: “How do we emerge from this horror?” 

It’s beyond time for us to acknowledge, challenge and change the storyline of empire that has been our history. Yes, we have been led by high ideals but time and again we have surrendered those ideals. Whether out of fear of the powerful or the desire to climb the ladder, we have squandered beloved community. We have sacrificed our humanity, our individuality and our human family and for what? Changing course is still an option. It will require a commitment toward peace and peace building. It will require a truth telling and courage to face the backlash that will surely, is surely, coming. It will require a restoration of each individual’s humanity and the reinvigoring of community. It is possible and it is happening for some of us. We can remain frozen in the fear of this moment of violence and repression or rekindle and support the ideals of liberty and equity for all. Choose. 

You Are Not Rudderless

You are not rudderless. You have the capacity to determine the course of your life. You may not be able to influence circumstances that occur, but you can choose how you will respond to them. 

In this moment, we can do well to be touched again “by the better angels of our nature”, as Lincoln once penned.* The order of the day is to resist the cruel and power wielding nature of man and return again to our capacity to be human. We’ve witnessed the upsurge of violence and hatred, but we have yet to extol and promote the power of benevolence and goodwill.

We have succumbed, by default and by choice, to the most egregious calamities both to the earth and to one another. We have, by default or by choice, handed our power to the ignorant and the arrogant and we will now collectively suffer the consequences of our inaction.

And what would it look like to return again to our humanity? Foremost, it would mean that a majority of us would reclaim our rudders, or better to say our moral compass. It would mean we would take time to discover in silence and in the reckoning of our own being, what is most important to us.  

What we may find are common threads that run throughout humanity – our desire to live in peace, to respect and be respected, and to know the capacity of the earth to care for us and to feed us.  Certainly, we would understand and cultivate dignity.

There is no dignity in being rudderless. There is no dignity in allowing suffering. There is no dignity in following inhumanity to its end. Your moral compass knows this. Take it out, dust it off and let’s begin again.

*From Lincoln’s inaugural address, “We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory will swell when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.”

Presidential Actions after 1 week in office. – Many are being contested in courts and some have already been rescinded due to public outcry. Refuse to be victims.

Let’s Celebrate! Diversity Equity and Inclusion

Don’t hesitate to let your Congress to know how you feel. Find your Congress members here.

AND KEEP LEARNING and SHOWING UP

Restore Human Dignity

For decades, we allowed the narrative regarding Israel to dominate our thinking and our choices. In doing so, we allowed the humanity of Palestinians to be diminished. We have turned our eyes as Israel developed a system of control that included water rationing, check points, blocked access, settler theft of Palestinian land, homes and sovereignty, bogus arrests and mistreatment of children and so much more. Israel is and has been an apartheid state.

For the past ten months we continued our path of complicity during the inhuman and illegal crimes against humanity that Israel has waged on the Palestinian people since the horrific attack by Hamas.

The more I learn, the more painful the reality. Biden has given more military aid to Israel than any president before him. Supporting Israel’s right to defend itself does not extend to mass slaughter of civilians. As the nations of the world have increasingly moved towards censoring and boycotting Israel because of its crimes against humanity, the United States alone has declared unwavering support for the roque nation. In doing so, we condone genocide. In doing so we prolong the human misery and relinquish any path towards peace.

I am not going to quote numbers of dead, missing, or injured (but you can read it here). I have done that weekly since October. It does not seem to move our hearts, nor do we act to end the madness.

Last week far too many Congress members applauded the war criminal Netanyahu in a joint session of Congress. It seems our citizens are more concerned with bashing the Olympic opener then ending our relationship with the butcher Netanyahu.  This self proclaimed “Christian nation” is awash in hypocrisy.

VP Harris has distanced herself from Biden’s lock step with Israel. It is up to us to make sure that distance widens. The U.S. military aid to Israel must end quickly as Netanyahu seems determined to drive the Mideast into a regional war. 

Keep applying pressure on Biden and Harris to recognize a free Palestine and to restore human dignity and independence – for all of us.

https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/not-another-bomb-sign-on-letter/
NOT ANOTHER BOMB sign on letter.

Weary of War

The United States will again hinder the course of international justice and challenge universal standards of morality. Biden has denounced the International Criminal Court’s decision to issue arrest warrants for top Israeli officials and Hamas leaders. 

Since its inception, the International Criminal Court has strived to establish rules of engagement for war and peace – a monumental undertaking given the diversity of thought that exists in the world.  Driven by a desire for human dignity to prevail, the court seeks to create a system of justice that would offer solace to victims and direct the course of human interactions towards peace.

The United States is a non-member of the ICC, and has supported the International Court when the Court has sought to employ justice against its foes, but has balked when the same Court has attempted to enact jurisdiction over the United States or its allies. Perhaps it’s time we evaluate our relationship to power and militarism and attempt peace keeping through diplomacy.  

The United Nation’s effort to establish peace among nations is repeatedly hindered by the United States. We’re often the first to veto efforts to rein in aggression. This we have seen throughout Israel’s inhuman assault on Gaza. Even our allies are turning toward peacebuilding and away from supporting arms sales to Israel.

And in a major turn of events, Norway, Ireland and Spain have begun to recognize the statehood of Palestine. As the three countries united in this action, they expressed it as a step towards peace – for both sides of the conflict. 

Many of us are weary of the normalization of war and the devastation of human life and the environment. Polls are bearing this out. 

Those fearing Biden will lose the election would do well to push him towards peace. 

Countries that recognize the statehood of Palestine.

Kindness and Sanity

Ramadan is the most cherished of Islamic holidays and begins on March 10 and continues to April 9. During this time members of the faith fast during daylight hours. It’s a time devoted to prayer and contemplation. 

With this as a backdrop, South Africa has urged the International Court of Justice to order Israel’s compliance with measures issued in January. These measures ordered Israel to halt acts that may be deemed genocidal against Palestinians. The new South African request noted “The threat of all-out famine has now materialized” and asked the court to order Israel to take “immediate and effective measures” ensuring humanitarian assistance reaches the starving masses. 

In Cairo, ceasefire talks continue between Hamas and Israel – with intermittent stalls. This as children are dying of starvation due to shortages of food, clean water and medicine.

Also, in acknowledgement of Ramadan, Britain is circulating a United Nations ceasefire petition for both sides of the Sudanese civil war that has raged the past year with thousands being killed and displaced. At this time, the United States seems poised to agree with this Sudanese ceasefire request.

Yet our country has been a holdout in demanding ceasefire in Gaza. We remain in staunch support of the horrific actions against the Palestinian people. We’ve allowed Israeli characterizations of Palestinians as less than human to enter our discourse. We believe the false narratives of Hamas using Palestinians as shields and ignore Israel’s outright murders of Palestinian civilians and even of their own. 

We’ve allowed hatred and retribution to win.

There’s still time to do the right thing. Cities and counties are passing ceasefire resolutions and Democrats are voting uncommitted in a united voice against Biden’s support of genocide. As in reference, in Wisconsin the primary vote on April 2 is for “uninstructed”, if someone wants to voice a call for ceasefire.

Sanity must prevail.

South Africa to bring the US and Britain before the ICJ for Complicity in committing genocide.

Don’t Be Numb

There’s a preciousness to life. One that can be missed if all we’re doing is running around and fixing broken pieces. There are a lot of broken pieces. Like shards of glass the insanity of violence cuts through us. Sometimes we’ve been cut so badly that we can’t feel anymore. We’ve grown numb. Thoughts about heaven and righteous language about “God’s will” give us a pass on feeling. Humanity suffers from ineptitude and God is our excuse for apathy.

We can lay this genocide of Palestinians at the feet of God. We’ve been indoctrinated into believing that God gave the land to the Jews and so this ethnic cleansing must be God’s will, right?

For the most part, Israeli’s have been kept from knowing Palestinians and have accepted that the indigenous people of Gaza are inferior and to be feared. And citizens of the United States, whose infatuation with war seems insatiable, eagerly devour the reminders of the horrific October 7th Hamas attack – with little to no recognition of the suffering of millions of human beings. Human beings, not terrorists. Human beings whose lives have been entrapped for generations in displacement, murder and subjugation. Palestinians in apartheid.

It would take one call from Biden to end this nightmare. And maybe a few calls to the arms brokers and energy giants. Or one united shout out from our citizenry to stop funding this genocide. 

The world is watching. It was watching when Aaron Bushnell, the twenty-five-year-old airman engulfed his body in flames and shouted “Free Palestine.”  

Life is precious. All of life is precious. And as a friend told me, “God is not a real estate broker.”

But you know that. Don’t let yourself go numb.

Evolution of Compassion

South Africa took the bold step to bring a case against Israel for the conduct and the intent to commit genocide against the Palestinian people before the International Court of Justice. The extensive legal document asserted that Israel’s conduct towards the people of Gaza is a breach of the 1948 Geneva Conventions regarding genocide. Israeli war operations and the intent voiced by Israel’s leading politicians were given as examples of inciting and not preventing genocide. The concluding request of South Africa’s application to the court asked that Israel immediately cease military operations in Gaza. 

In legal terms this case is an evolutionary step forward regardless of outcome. It is one that calls for a legal standing based on human obligations “owed to all”. If granted, it would allow the court to begin to enforce human rights treaties that have long gone unchecked. The Geneva Conventions of 1948 marked the first time nations agreed upon what constitutes genocide. This ruling could finally give power to that understanding. 

The International Criminal Court also began investigating Israel’s abuses of international humanitarian law. It does not have jurisdiction over the Geneva Conventions, as does the ICJ. While primarily focused on the warring activities since, October 7, the South African application to the ICJ does not excuse Hamas, but does elaborate on the seventy-five years of apartheid, the fifty–six years of hostile occupation and the sixteen year blockade of Gaza.

Why South Africa? South Africa’s experience of and the dismantling of apartheid gives it unparalleled status to be the convener of this legal remedy. And what is the system of apartheid used in South Africa’s past and by Israel today? When one group of people asserts power over others through unequal treatment under the law, discrimination due to ethnicity, race or religion, and uses brutal military force to maintain control, these are practices of apartheid. 

The case before the ICJ began Thursday, January 11. The court may ask Israel to cease the bombardment by Feb 12. Here are the other nations in support of South Africa’s application.

This is an important time to speak out. We have it within our reach to uphold human principles of dignity, preservation of life and the pursuit of peace. Peace will never be achieved through military means.

May the ICJ recognize the case against Israel and act to end the genocide. May our evolution of compassion continue to grow as we realize the power of peace and begin to demand it. 

The Promise and Risk of South Africa’s Case Against Israel

Bernie Sanders calls on Congress to block funding to Israel. Contact your senators and urge them to support Bernie Sanders bill S. Res. 504 on Tuesday, January 16 at 5:30 pm EST.

The flag of South Africa. Honoring their commitment to humanity and human rights.