World Vision Dialogue - What YOU CAN DO TODAY

KATRINA: You can help!

As we look on at the KATRINA tragedy, we can all do something to help our neighbors.

My wife and I are donating two rooms in my house to participate in the HurricaneHousing.org project run by MOVE-ON.org. You'll find access to information on how you can help by sharing your home and also other links to get involved.

We signed up and were contacted immediately by a coordinator. They said that people in the area are willing to help pay for a family to travel here and then would be willing to help us with food and clothes if needed to support our neighbors from KATRINA's tragedy.

Do your part...help in some way!

Joshua Peace Seeker

P.S. The world is watching. This tragedy is not just a hurricane, it is a failure of leadership.

Other articles:
Apocalypse in the USA
The Superdome: Monument of a Rotten System

Peace Now

My wife and I went to a vigil last night.  We went to show our support for the mothers of the suffering.  Both home and abroad mothers are crying every day for lost sons and daughters.   In Vancouver normally just a few dozen people show up for peace actions but last night was different.  Nearly 400 people showed up at a park and we shared our feeling about this war. 

With just a little coverage from the mass media people are starting to stir.  I am so hopeful that things are changing for the better.  Awareness of the problems at hand is growing.  As more feel the pain and see the lies the anti war movement will blossom. 

What are you doing today to stop this war?  Really, what steps have you taken to help?  Do whatever you can to spread the message of peace.  Now is the time to start standing up for what you believe.  If not now when?  If not you who?  Our kids need us to do something NOW.

Talking top and bottom, not left and right

I have found that trying to convince a right or left wing person to change
is nearly impossible when you talk about the surface issues.  The issues
that are screamed about on the television every day are not issues people
can really talk about.  We argue over abortion we argue over religion and
the whole time the rich are still taking advantage of the poor.

I would suggest readjusting your debates to include more talk of equality.
Most everyone has been or is angry about the way corporate America treats
them.  I can barely stand talking to a customer service person at any
company I use.  The lack of care for people is one of the problems.  If you
have ever lost a job while a company is posting record profits you probably
understand.  In people lies hope. We just can't keep fighting with others
about moral issues and preserve the environment and/or stop a war.

So let's try again to focus on what is really keeping us down as a people.
The people who have most of the power are rich and will do just about
anything to keep the current system in place.  Those of us who make less
then 1.2 million a year are in the lower class of this global society.  From
looking around my fairly successful neighborhood, I don't think any of us are
making 1.2 million a year.  We are the majority, lets act like it.

Joshua Peace Seeker

Bio-Diesel

MY family and I just spent the last few days in California.  It was to warm and the traffic was awful but I have to say I enjoyed it all.  The people I met everywhere had a bunch to say about the current state of the world.  I had a hundred conversations about Bio-diesel.  Many people had heard of it before but knew very little.  I love to talk about my VW Bug running of 100% veggie oil.  When I do people always want to know more and by the end of the conversation I have them agreeing to make a diesel their next car. 

Much like Oguchi Nkwocha talks about I am dreaming big.  I see that Bio-diesel is and will be an answer to a lot of our problems.  I am spreading the word and living an example of change.  My family and I are committing to buying land very soon and processing veggie oil for our community. 

I would hope that other energetic people that want to manifest change connect with me on this and start making other projects fly.  Just informing people about the potential of veggie oil is a simple way to do your part.

Community Supported Agriculture

Over the last few months my family has been enjoying the freshest organic produce directly from the farm. We joined a Community Supported Agriculture project or CSA.  We pick up a container of fruits and veggies from the farmers market in downtown Portland Oregon every weekend.

In the beginning we were just thinking of a healthy way to eat but it has turned into much more. The amount of energy we are saving by going directly to the farm is awesome. Only 1/5^th of the fuel used getting food to your table comes from the actual production. The rest is packaging, middle men, processing and cooking.

The flavor is amazing and the cost per week is around $21.00. I thought I hated radishes until I had the organic and farm fresh type. One grocery bag at the organic store cost twice as much, so not only are we doing good but we are saving money! 

Please check out the farm we use and do some local research on your options. This is a wonderful way to redirect your funds. Our only true vote these days is with our pocket books. If we want to speak change we must be change, when given the chance. 

http://www.gatheringtogetherfarm.com/ 

Peace,

Joshua Peace Seeker

Building a bio community NOW

My family and I spent the last week at the Oregon Country Fair. It is a yearly ritual for us.  My partner Yemaya is an amazing belly dancer at the beautiful Gypsy stage. Normally my days and nights are filled with walking around from booth to booth. Watching amazing musicians and performers in every style you can imagine. 

During the daytime as many as 20,000 people stroll through the fair and many wonderful connections are made. Night time is a whole different story. Somewhere around 7,000 people work behind the scenes as performers, construction, food servers and much more. My job every year is to build a stage and take care of my little girl while Yemaya dances. But this year was different for me. I found myself driven to spread words of peace and action.

In a setting that many try to disconnect from what is going on in the world I found that hundreds of my friends wanted talk about the opportunities developing to help propel change. This is where bio diesel comes in.  I spoke constantly about changing our personal habits and driving a bio diesel was a huge attention getter. People from all over the world left this last week with a confidence in themselves to make the change, the bio diesel seed grows. 

I am an optimist when it comes to people. I believe in the human spirit and I know how strong we can be when we have to be. I will not sit still and watch others form my world into a violent dirty place. I will actively create the world I want. I want a world where communities take control of their resources and remove the greedy hand from their pockets.

I read somewhere recently that the harder I work the luckier I get. I agree with this and we need to work together now. Please work with your fellow humans. Please work with me now by buying a diesel for your next car.  Hopefully we will get lucky and create a planet worthy of our children.

By the way, in all of this action talk I still had a blast with friends and family and bonded with many new loving people.

Joshua Peace Seeker

Do you want to help stop terrorism?

If you want to really stop terrorism in the world you can. First, stop being a terrorist nation. Stop funding the networks by purchasing the from worst terror groups.

 

For example:

General Electric – You have to divest your retirement and or stocks and STOP buying G.E. products. When you help them they in turn build huge bombs and jet engines to destroy people’s lives. 

Any US Oil company – You have to get off of Petroleum. Buy a diesel and switch to a veggie oil fuel. It is fairly easy and it is a huge step in reducing terror. Our oil companies are the driving force behind oppression and genocide in dozens of countries.
 

Any large chain stores – The slave labor used and the political dominance of these stores product manufacturers is creating new “enemies” everyday. Every time another child dies of cancer from a polluted river in India another father wants to take up arms against the USA.  They also murder anyone who tries to build a union or create safer work environments. What would you do? 

You have power to help stop the madness. Just start being accountable to the world yourself. NOW before it is far too late to redeem yourself.

I am starting a Veggie oil business!

In America it can be hard to follow your heart when you are forced to participate within the system of finances we have woven ourselves.  I have decided that I am starting a Veggie oil business.  I have already begun speaking to local restaurants about collecting their used fryer oil.    The market is screaming out for options and I think this will help reduce our communities’ dependence on oil.  People will switch to Veggie oil powered cars if they feel confident they will be able to get an affordable fuel.  If anyone wants to chat about ideas or experiences with veggie oil please start a dialogue.

If you are trying to figure a way out of a job that is not your passion, you need to think different ways to earn a living.  We need to be innovative and build the world we want.  The politicians and corporations have been building the world they want for a long time.  It is time for us to risk.  It is time for us to go out on a limb and help our community.  It is time to take the actions you can.

"If no one will lead, you lead"

Just think about U.S. Military power

What do you think a country like China with its booming economy, ballooning military and population thinks about American military might?  The "shock and awe" tactics did little to win a war.  With the anti-occupation forces stirring emotion and interest in American homes, we lose this war as each minute passes.

Just take a moment and think from the perspective of the Chinese or the Russians.  They see George W. Bush overreaching and floundering.  They see the empirical grip slipping in the third world.  How close could we be to isolation?  When these powers decide to protect themselves, whether it be might or economics, America will feel the pressure in disastrous ways.   

However the people of this country are opening their eyes to the corruption that runs this system.  Bigger than any President, they see the web of corporate control and greed.

This is why I am more hopeful than ever that a powerful change is right around the corner.  The propaganda machine can not cover certain facts forever.  The fact that America is only five percent of the world's population and consumes more than twenty five percent of the resources is a scary model to be duplicated by the world's largest populations.  With China and India on the rise in size and desire to modernize this planet is in for a wake up call.

As more of us think and act on these truths we will progress.  Soon we will have millions supporting peace legislation.  Soon we will have millions protecting people's right to not starve to death and receive medical care when needed.  These problems are too large to ignore forever.  Join with the peacemakers of the world and make change possible.  Take the steps in your own life to do better to others and to the planet.

Hopefully China and the rest of the world do not fight the changes necessary as hard as America has so far.  Or harder!

Send this letter to your representative today

The highest duty of an elected official

In the State of Washington, as in other states, elected state officials from the Governor on down swear to an oath of office. The oath for elected officials in Washington State starts “I do solemnly swear that I will support the Constitution of the United States…” Next, the elected official swears to support “the Constitution and laws of the State of Washington, and that they will faithfully discharge the duties of their office to the best of their abilities.” If an elected official is aware that there is a violation of the Constitution or its amendments, it is the primary duty of said elected official to act to on behalf of the people to defend the Constitution by any legal means necessary as stated in the oath they take. Unambiguous.

So, how best should an elected official proceed with such a powerful directive?  By ignoring it? By asking permission or guidance of his or her party apparatus? By asking lobbyists clamoring for favor? By taking a poll to see if his or her constituents approve? Or by working with constituents and other elected officials to redress violations to the Constitution as the first priority of their office? By understanding the edicts of the constitution and its Amendments. By acting without bias. By asking, “What does the Constitution require of me?” By determining legal avenues to pursue, and above all, by listening to what his or her conscience articulates. A few examples to contemplate follow:

·         The Constitution states, “The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.” Do lies that cause us to enter into wars constitute a high Crime? Does the approval of torture in violation of international law rise to the level of a high crime? Do wars that take property, without fair payment, the resources of another country amount to a high crime? When the President enters into undeclared wars what are you obligated to do? And do preemptive wars of aggression violate the constitution as well as international law?

·         The First Amendment to the Constitution states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” Did the internment camps of World War II, or the camps at Guantanamoand elsewhere violate the protections of the First Amendment? Do attempts to introduce religious teachings into government contravene the First Amendment? Do attemps to limit access to Presidential appearance as in Colorado and elsewhere limit the rights of the people to assemble or to their exercise of free speech?

·         The Sixth Amendment to the Constitution states, “In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defense.” Does the holding United States citizens, against their will, without trial or due process a violation of their Sixth Amendment rights even if they are suspected of crimes against the state?

·         The Eighth Amendment to the Constitution states, “Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.” Is the torture at Guantanamoand other camps directly banned by the Eighth Amendment?

What will you, our leaders, when confronted with injustice, high crimes and the abrogation of our Constitutional rights, do? Will you stand up to corruption? Who will you work with to overcome injustice? What actions will you take, now and in the future, to ensure that the Constitution is not just a grand idea, but a vital living document that America and the world looks to for justice? And if the mandate of your oath is ignored, what is left of the promise that is America?

www.johnnypeaceseed.com