[van-announce] Orphans-- The forgotten in the war on terrorism.

[announcements at resist.ca]

Orphans-- The forgotten in the war on terrorism.

Where:
Nationwide

When:
Friday, 23rd of July 2004 from 1:00 AM until approximately 1:00 AM

Cost: free

CALL TO DIRECT ACTION: The first annual 
DAY OF THE WORLD'S ORPHANS, July 23, 2004, 
a day of responsive contemplation in answer to the prayers and pleas of the 
world's orphans. Many of the world's orphans have become bereft of their 
parents through the ravages of disease or war. They have experienced in 
their short lives only chaos and destruction in their communities, or have 
experienced only the slow, agonizing demise of their parents through AIDS. 
On July 23, some of us may find that they are able to dedicate this day to the 
world's orphans while at work. Others may find it necessary to stay home on 
that day, or to take to the streets as a physical demonstration of solidarity 
with the most powerless of all roups.
Every night, every orphan sends to every one of us her plea, that we stop the chaos of 
armed conflict that ravaged her community, or prays to us that we do 
something about the disease that took his mother and father, or prays to us 
that we stop torturing each other, and earnestly asks us why we do not love 
each other. Most of us adults already know this, yet we let these nightly 
prayers, which are directed to us, go unanswered. We say to ourselves, let 
someone else do it. We think in the back of our mind, this does not affect me; 
or, the government will take care of it; or, let God answer these prayers, 
because I am too busy with my own 'life'. 
Please join the NATIONAL WORK STOPPAGE, on July 23, 2004.
The question of reform of American government is searingly conspicuous in view 
of the dangerous present day context. But the government is just a 
projection of us: a mirror. Seemingly unable to do anything, we stand before 
the mirror awaiting the next terrorist assault. In some tragically ironic 
way, the current Republican administration, its "war on 
terrorism" being a major raison d'etre for itself and its 
aggrandizement, has soinflamed and exacerbated the problem, and while 
doing so has so eviscerated American liberty, and so polluted American 
morality, that one can almost feel a gradually rising, silent scream from 
the inocents, the uncertain, the dependent and trusting, and burden 
bearers of our society. Let us look into the mirror. There we see extremes of 
wealth, extreme rates of consumption, and extreme degrees self 
absorption. And we see imbalance everywhere -- a systemic, structural, 
socio-psychological imbalance pervading modern American society and 
culture, one exacerbated by what may be termed corporate Protestantism. We 
pray to our defense budget, as our high priests in the House or Senate intone 
the magic words. The gavel falls and the rite is accomplished. But our doubts 
are not dispelled thereby. Let us look at this imbalance now. Let us begin by 
contrasting ourselves with the very least advantaged of all, the world's 
orphans. They are praying to us, who are the most powerful of all, who are the 
most capable of doing away with war and the ravages of disease. 
Their terrorist strikes have already happened. 
Are we worthy to be the object of devotion of the world's orphans? Are we 
deserving of their trust and their hopes for the future? Let us be able to say 
that we were found to have exerted ourselves mightily in response to these 
daily prayers of the world's orphans to us .

Reach me at nnininger at highstream.net, 541-552-0291.

For more information:
Neil Nininger
nnininger at highstream.net
5415520291


This event is being organised by ad hoc committee for day of the world's orphans
  




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