tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2430827873190220616.post5483666538620208108..comments2009-03-28T19:18:42.273-04:00Comments on Peace Blog: Week 13 and Beyond: To the End of the SemesterBad Runnerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11487294423544434727noreply@blogger.comBlogger56125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2430827873190220616.post-13216803328542531012007-12-12T04:30:00.000-05:002007-12-12T04:30:00.000-05:00Yesterday I had a unique experience that, even tho...Yesterday I had a unique experience that, even though it is often merited, rarely takes place. Having done something to offend and upset one of my close friends, I had to ask forgiveness in order to 'make peace' in our relationship.<BR/><BR/>Though it didn't feel great at the time, my friend was honest and open enough to tell me that I had offended her. Too often, especially with my male friends, I feel like these (sometimes little / sometimes large) transgressions pass without being articulated. It is assumed that time heals all wounds. However, this sort of approach does not necessarily alert the 'trangressor' of the wrong he or she has committed. In my case, I was lucky to have a good enough friend that would broach this subject in order to help me to overcome my fault.<BR/><BR/>Faced with the realization of my fault, I immediately apologized. And while this helped, I feel that it was more of a reflex than an well-thought out sentiment. I spent a part of the day trying to figure out a better way to make amends. This better way eventually came to me through the idea of baking cookies for my friend, visiting her room, and apologizing again. These actions allowed me time to think about what I'd do differently to prevent this from happening again -- for instance, I had only once visited her room this semester (though she often visited mine). My coming to peace with the situation involved me realizing that I could no longer take her and my other friends for granted.<BR/><BR/>Having undertaken these steps...and, for me, this new approach to apologizing...I found myself more at ease with myself and assured of my friend's forgiveness. I think that our communication, which she initiated, allowed me to recognize areas to improve in my life.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2430827873190220616.post-85860895141267384012007-12-12T00:11:00.000-05:002007-12-12T00:11:00.000-05:00Well, I got to witness my first finals related mel...Well, I got to witness my first finals related meltdown today, and I can’t wait for these to increase in frequency as finals week drags on. It happened a few hours ago, as a freshman next to me was working on a paper. Since it’s the last day of classes, a number of people in my dorm were celebrating with music, beverages, and shouting. Eventually, all of this noise just got to be too much for the freshman, who stormed over to the celebrating room and began pounding and shouting on the door for them to quiet down. Well, of course this caused the upperclassmen to come out and make more noise to bug the freshman, who continued to scream and yell, until he finally realized how futile it all was and moved his stuff to another area to work. At this point, the upperclassmen laughed at his reaction, and went back to celebrating.<BR/> While fairly entertaining, this little altercation showed a number of interesting things. It was amazing to see how little it took to push a stressed out person over the edge to complete madness. In all honesty, the upperclassmen weren’t even making that much noise, and yet it still sent the freshman into a complete frenzy. If a little something like noise can push a stressed out student over the edge, it’s no wonder that it takes so little to set off those who are oppressed, hungry, or homeless. And unfortunately, unlike in this situation, those poor people have no where else to go, but must remain there growing angrier at the indifference of those with power to their plight. Really, it’s almost amazing that everyone isn’t at each other’s throats all the time, since almost anything can set anyone off. While this little incident was insignificant in the grand scheme of things, it was still interesting to watch as it showed just how easy it is to get into a conflict.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2430827873190220616.post-78170079388583663732007-12-11T21:11:00.000-05:002007-12-11T21:11:00.000-05:00Reflection – Peace Blog 10As I look back on the pe...Reflection – Peace Blog 10<BR/><BR/>As I look back on the peace blog, I think that I have really made some positive steps toward creating greater peace in my life and in the lives of others as well. I’ve made long overdue apologies, faced mistakes I’ve made, helped the environment, and realized the everyday peace occurring in my life. If at worst I have become more aware of myself and how I have not created peace in certain situations, I would say that this has been a success. Though I came in sort of skeptical and thinking ‘oh another homework assignment’, I certainly feel that I can take much more from this exercise by continuing to recognize different situations in a peaceful way. I think that I also can make a difference for others, though I know it sounds sort of cheesy. I was really proud of my recycling plan that involved my entire block, and am hoping that it will be a success through the rest of my senior year. I also plan to continue my ‘awareness of anger’ plan on a monthly basis, knowing that it should translate over to the other 3 weeks I am not fully paying conscious attention to it. The blog has been helpful to reflect on my past experiences, become more aware of my current experiences, and plan for future more peacefully experiences. It has allowed me to learn from some mistakes in the past and even given me an extra boost in rectifying those mistakes. Overall, I think it has been a very positive experience from a number of angles.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2430827873190220616.post-15484598169332440302007-12-11T19:10:00.000-05:002007-12-11T19:10:00.000-05:00I decided to try another suggestion on the peace b...I decided to try another suggestion on the peace blog page. One day, I chose to make a sign to wear around my neck that said "FREE HUGS". I thought this was a pretty funny exercise to do. I wore it on my way to class and I found a lot of people reading the sign and then just laughing or smiling at me. A few random people did take up my offer of a Free Hug, but not nearly as many as I expected.<BR/><BR/>Everyone of my friends gave me big hugs and most of them questioned why I was wearing such a 'ridiculous' sign. I explained that it was for my peace studies class, where we had to perform acts of peace for our blog. They thought that was pretty funny, but a lot of them really respected the idea. I thought that it was cool how many people continued to ask me questions about the class.<BR/><BR/>I also wore the sign in the dining hall and I got quite the response from the workers there. I received at least two hugs from staff members that I didnt know and I know I got a smile from each that I saw. I thought that the best thing about this excersize was how many people ended up smiling or laughing after seeing me. Even if the person did not take me up on my offer, I am at least glad that they could get a smile out of it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2430827873190220616.post-38961006279741374692007-12-11T16:42:00.000-05:002007-12-11T16:42:00.000-05:00Last weekend, a friend of mine organized an event ...Last weekend, a friend of mine organized an event called Christmas on Campus. This event brought children from the homeless shelter and the Hope Rescue Mission to Campus and provided an array of activities for them. I volunteered to sponsor a child to take around for the day.<BR/> I think one of the things that struck me the most about the event was the hope it gave me for a diverse peaceful world. The children with whom we were working were of varied ages and races. In fact, the twenty or so children who came to the event probably comprised the most racially diverse group I had seen together in a long time. It would be wholly inaccurate to say that all of these children behaved peacefully; rather, what caught my attention was that the children treated each other no less peacefully based on their races. Despite all the many conversations we have had in class about the unlikelihood of achieving peace between races, yet the event inspired me to think that if cooperation starts early enough, it might be a possibility.<BR/> Furthermore, I was inspired by seeing the forty or so Notre Dame students giving of their time and money to be with these children. Though the event did not specifically take any direct action to promote peace, the spirit of cooperation and camaraderie which pervaded it made me hopeful. Partaking in Christmas on Campus reminded me what a big difference a small group of people can make and how contagious such thoughtfulness can be.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2430827873190220616.post-24264110203363814622007-12-11T02:40:00.000-05:002007-12-11T02:40:00.000-05:00“… And then I found $20!”About a month ago I found...“… And then I found $20!”<BR/><BR/>About a month ago I found $20 on the sidewalk. Two conditions made me feel a little guilty about picking it up. First, I encountered the bill on the way back from Peace Studies class. Second, it was on “God Quad”. I would like to think that were it not for these circumstances I still would’ve felt guilty. Nevertheless, I gathered the twenty and made a promise to myself: I would use the money in some way that God and my fellow Peace Studies students would approve of. I thought about it for about five more minutes on my way back to Walsh. After climbing up three flights of stairs to my dorm room, I tacked it on the bulletin board, where it has remained fallow until tonight. <BR/><BR/>A few hours ago I decided how I was going to spend the money. Every year around Christmas time, Walsh chooses a charity and each resident is expected to contribute five dollars. Girls can either pay out of their own pocket, or earn $5 for doing work for our rectress, Sister Janet. This year Walsh chose to contribute to Heifer International, an organization that purchases livestock for the poor and oppressed in targeted areas throughout the world. I have heard a lot about this aspect of the organization, but I didn’t realize until after research that it does so much more than that. Heifer International has global initiatives in Agroecology, Animal Well-Being, Gender Equity, HIV/AIDS, Microenterprise, Urban Agricultre, and Young People’s Development. <BR/><BR/>Giving money is a really easy way to help out a variety of people across the world. I am very satisfied with spending the $20 on such a worthwhile cause.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2430827873190220616.post-81901739361095478902007-12-11T01:36:00.000-05:002007-12-11T01:36:00.000-05:00This is my environmentally friendly peace blog in ...This is my environmentally friendly peace blog in response to the waste that I see everyday coming from our block of houses, including knowing the waste I produce each day myself. At home in Chicago, I know we have three recycling bins that go out each week and are completely full! Last week, while I was taking out the trash in the alley in South Bend, I opened up our trash cans (we share 5 cans with our two neighboring houses) and saw a multitude of items simply on the top that should and could have been recycled (cans, plastic bottles, newspaper, etc) – no I did not dig through the garbage. Now, knowing myself and our house’s waste habits, and assuming most of our neighbors have similar waste and consumption patterns, it seems pretty clear to me that we are not doing anything to help out in the environment. However, we could at least be conscious of recycling to stop some of the meaningless waste that occurs on our block.<BR/><BR/>So I decided to take action and call the Waste Management company in South Bend to ask about their Curbside Recycling Program. They told me that to get involved, all we had to do was register our houses and have a house representative for each address. So, I went around our block and talked with our neighbors to see if they would be interested in participating in recycling. All six student houses said they would be interested in doing it, some with more enthusiasm than others. So I got the information I needed and signed us all up. I just went and picked up the bins today and distributed them to our block. The recycling guys pick up every other week in our area on Wednesdays. I’m pretty excited since it is set to pick up this Wednesday. I just hope that everyone participates and we can at least do our little part to help the environment out. I know in the grand scheme of things it is probably quite small, but indeed if everyone had this attitude to recycle I think it would help out a lot, and reverse the negative trends of Americans destroying the environment.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2430827873190220616.post-43679582061976228352007-12-11T01:04:00.000-05:002007-12-11T01:04:00.000-05:00After looking at all my past nine (possibly ten......After looking at all my past nine (possibly ten...i lost count) peace blogs, I have realized that I have not changed my behavior all that much from the way I think I normally would have. Almost every event I blogged, I realized that i could relate it to the peace blog after I have done it. Now you can take this one of two ways. The first is that I am very lazy and somehow managed to do the least amount of work possible. Or you could take it, as i prefer to, that i just lead an already peaceful life. Most of my blogs have been about actual service activities that i have done. These i consider to be one of the most important fruits of being peaceful. Because they are a tangible way to help one another and have a way to counter all the injustices that go on in the world today. The other ones have been self-reflective, such as going to see Loyal Daughters and friends. I think these also are important because they call awareness to the different injustices going on in hopes that you can change your attitude towards them and in hopes that you do something tangible to fight them. So looking back, I am pretty pleased with all my blogs, even though they weren't necessarily extra for this blog alone. But this blog has also been good to see some of what other people have been doing and to reflect on how I might do something similar. This peace blog has also made me keep an eye out for activities that I could do that would contribute to living a peaceful life. So overall this blog has been helpful for me to reflect on my service activities and caused me to reflect on many issues i might not have thoroughly considered.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2430827873190220616.post-89366287929762543152007-12-11T00:48:00.000-05:002007-12-11T00:48:00.000-05:00For the past couple months now, I have been planni...For the past couple months now, I have been planning a service event for my dorm called Christmas on Campus. I had an similar event at my high school and I thought that it would also would work for my dorm. So I talked to my dorm president and everything and we made sure that it would be okay and then I was sent forth to plan it. This is what I was planning: I wanted to have around 25-30 kids come to my dorm and have my residents "adopt" them for an afternoon and bring then around to different activities/games that would be set up on the first floor. The residents would buy a gift for the kids and just have fun with them. We would have food for all the participants, and Santa would come at the end. And then the kids would leave and we would have Mass and dinner for the residents afterwards. Well after countless hours of organizing and promoting and recruiting residents (which could have been the hardest part) and decorating and everything else, it finally happened this past Saturday. We had 26 kids from the South Bend Center of the Homeless and Hope Rescue Mission come to my dorm and we had numerous groups "adopt" them. There were numerous times when I doubted whether I could pull it off and have it be successful. And there were points when I had numerous difficulties, including the day of the event. But it somehow came together at the end and was a big success. Everyone had a lot of fun, not only the kids but also the residents and friends and anyone else who came to participate. They went around to different stations such as musical chairs, christmas cookie decorating, snowflake making, tambourine making, christmas coloring, ping pong, hot poatato, bean bags, movie watch, and foosball. It was just a lot of fun all around, and a very big relief. And after stuff got rolling, people started taking ownership in the event and really helped out and just really helped to make the event run smoothly. My rector, after some initial hesitations, was extremely pleased with how the event went. And he wants to make this a new tradition. So it looks like i will be doing this again next year, but i think now that i have done it already and worked out alot of the legistics it will be easier. And i think the enthusiasm of the dorm has really upped and next year it wont be any trouble getting them to do it, considering the success of the event.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2430827873190220616.post-88471227303541871722007-12-11T00:34:00.000-05:002007-12-11T00:34:00.000-05:00Saturday, December 8Christmas on CampusThis past S...Saturday, December 8<BR/><BR/>Christmas on Campus<BR/><BR/>This past Saturday, I particpated in Christmas on Campus, a Knott Hall Dorm Event organized by Charlie Gardner. Pairs of students were asked to "adopt" an underprivileged child for the afternoon and take them around to various activities stations throughout the Knott Hall first floor. At the end of the event, Santa disrtibuted gifts to the children selected by the pair of students adopting them.<BR/><BR/>My boyfriend and I adopted a fifteen year old deaf girl and went shopping friday to select a gift. We eventually settled on a scarf and hat-- complete with a gift receipt. When Saturday afternoon came, however, Latisha was unable to attend and we found ourselfves childless. Across the room, I spotted three guy friends whose 'adopted' four year old girl seemed rather unwilling to join in the fun. It turned out a suggestion to make paper dolls was all it took to get her involved in the fun.<BR/><BR/>Allie and I hit it off right away. An extremely feminine child myself, I shared her appreciation for pink and purple, princess and ballerina games, as well as an insistence on wearing skirts even in cold winter weather. It turned out that the sight of so many large college guys had simply intimidated her. Together with my guy friends, I was able to get her to open up and enjoy the day. Hot potato, duck duck goose, hide and seek, as well as cookie decorating were all part of the agend.<BR/><BR/>It was one of the best dorm events I've been to yet, and all involved had a wonderful time. I can't think of a better way to get in the Christmas spirit.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2430827873190220616.post-87229142333775140642007-12-11T00:22:00.000-05:002007-12-11T00:22:00.000-05:00Even more backlogged peace bloggingFriday, Novembe...Even more backlogged peace blogging<BR/><BR/>Friday, November 16<BR/><BR/>This particular Friday, I attended Loyal Daughters and Sons. My immediate reason for going was the fact that one of my guy friends was acting in the performance, but, more importantly, I wanted to go in support of the several girls and women I know who were sexually abused at some point in their life. In addition, I felt it was important to support attempts to raise awareness, including my own, about various forms of sexual violence.<BR/><BR/>I attended the performance with one girls and two guys. It was interesting to note the varied reactions to the performance. Afterwards, one of the guys asked me if I wanted to discuss the play, as he knew that I had found the performance rather thought provoking.<BR/><BR/>As we began to discuss the circumstances surrounding sexual assault at parties, it became clear that we shared differing views on what should and should not be classified legally as rape. <BR/><BR/>It is important to note that he personally does not care for the party atmosphere, as it stands in contrast with many of the values he judges most important. Because of this, he has made the decision not to attend binge drinking parties, etc., and believes that others, if they do not agree with the behaviors going on at certain types parties should make similiar decisions to stay away. Once you are there, he said, it is like stepping onto a highway where everyone else is going 80 mph. Trying to avoid being pulled into things you don't agree with will put you in the position of a pedestrian expecting the cars to stop for them. Its both dangerous and highly unlikely. <BR/><BR/>Furthermore, drinking obscures intentions and makes it harder to judge what the other person wants and does not want. There are plenty of guys who are used to casually sleeping with girls on the weekends, he says, and stepping into an empty bedroom with one of them is a signal that you're alright with that, too. In his opinion, if you want to be respected like you should be, don't put yourself in such a dangerous situation. <BR/><BR/>Personally, I am of the opinion that a drunk girl deserves a hangover, not unwanted sexual contact. Those who take advantage of another person's debilitated state should always be held accountable. Perhaps, I should say that I have also made the decision not to attend binge drinking parties. In my opinion, it is too dangerous a situation to place myself in. However, I believe that regardless of what guys, or girls for that matter, are used to doing at parties, they should not make any assumptions about the other person's intentions.<BR/><BR/>The conversation continued for several hours--certain moments were more peace-promoting than others--and there are many more comments I could make about sexual violence. Overall, however, I will just say that while there are many constructive criticisms I would make about the production, I found Loyal Daughters and Sons thought-provoking and well-done. It certainly raised my awareness about perspectives on sexuality and sexual violence on campus.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2430827873190220616.post-83832923590414346432007-12-11T00:18:00.000-05:002007-12-11T00:18:00.000-05:00My dorm had an event a couple weeks ago sponsored ...My dorm had an event a couple weeks ago sponsored by MAV (Men Against Violence). Some representatives came to my dorm and spoke to us about gender issues and sexual violence. This was only a couple days after Loyal Daughters and Sons, and I was particularly open to this type of thing more than i normally would have been. It just further hit home on often the situation of women who have been assaulted and that any of my friends are potential victims too. It really just made me want to protect them, and scared for them. It also talked a lot about the "Tough Guise" of men, and what it means to be a man. I realized that my protecting feeling is part of the qualities that men are meant to have, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. It is just helpful to be aware of the role we men are meant to play. A lot of the videos that we watched was pretty cheesy, but it had some pretty valid points and brought up important issues in society today. Many men feel that part of the roles of men is to be violent, independent, and often abusive. But we need to address these issues and change the paradigms of guys. Overall I thought the talk was very well done and revealing.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2430827873190220616.post-26053553647023083732007-12-10T23:44:00.000-05:002007-12-10T23:44:00.000-05:00Well, after trying for an entire semester I finall...Well, after trying for an entire semester I finally succeeded in not acting angry for an entire week. It was probably one of the most difficult things I’ve ever tried in my entire life, and in fact couldn’t have happened without several key sports victories throughout the week. See, every other time I had tried to be not angry for a week, Notre Dame, or the Bills, or the Sabres would go and lose, causing me to get upset and eventually lash out at someone who was bugging me. However, this past week everything worked out. It was my final week of fun before finals so I really wanted to be in a good mood, Notre Dame’s season was over so no matter how terrible they were, it could no longer affect me, the Bills won, and the Sabres were finally looking competent. However, even with all of this going for me it was still pretty hard to remain outwardly in a good mood, when I really still just wanted to yell at people who were bugging me. However, I ignored those urges and remained calm and composed throughout the week. And I must say, my outward goodness slightly affected those around me. I noticed throughout the week, as I made an effort to remain positive and supportive of my friends, instead of throwing out sarcastic remarks, that they too seemed more friendly and positive, and less prone to sarcasm and anger. It would be interesting to see if entire communities could be made more peaceable if a larger number of people consciously tried to be friendly and helpful all day.<BR/> My final reflection on this is that it’s really kind of sad how much sports affected my mood. I know I could do nothing to change the outcome of any of these games, and yet I had so much invested in the teams, I identified with them so much, that their loss was my loss and so I became miserable. I know I inherited this from my family, and from growing up in Buffalo, where the local sports teams, especially the Bills, were all that the community had, and so came to represent the entire city. I guess this shows just how easily groups of people can become attached to and identify with a seemingly random object, and how much that object can affect the group’s collective psyche and mood.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2430827873190220616.post-13460954753694923942007-12-10T23:42:00.000-05:002007-12-10T23:42:00.000-05:00So one of my first peace blogs was going bowling w...So one of my first peace blogs was going bowling with mentally handicapped adults from the Logan Center. I commented on how the people there took joy in the littlest things and never lost their innocence. Professor Myers wrote back to try to do something that would recapture my lost innocents. So I decided to do Crazy Hat Week. The week before the Duke football Game I wore a different crazy hat every day. I started on Monday with a Dr. Suess Irish hat, and it continued with a fidora, a santa hat, a scottish hat with orange hair, a llama hat, and finally a giant foam leperachan hat. I wore the hats to all of my classes, to work, to the dining halls, around my dorm, to the football game, and even to one of my professor's house. It was fun, and many of the people in my classes looked forward to me coming in with a different hat wondering what kind it would be. And they said it brightened their day. I even got a couple people to join me for a day or two. I could tell most people who saw me were a bit confused why someone would be walking down the hall/quad with a mock Scottish hat for apparently no reason. And when I told people about it they often were still confused and asked whether this was an official holiday and was recognized by others or ???. And I told them that it was an event that I created that anyone could paticipate who wanted to. And as I said some did, other just laughed, and interestingly enough some even gave me a hard time about it and said it was one of the stupidest things that they ever heard of, which I find surprising. But I continued to do it, and at times I did feel a bit self-conscious about it. And people in my classes said that it was hard to take me seriously when I was trying to talk philosophy when I was wearing a Dr. Seuss Hat. But I realized that it didn't really matter what others thought of it anyways and that a lot of people enjoyed it. And that sometimes people take things in general to seriously and this was a way to lighten up a bit. So this is my peace blog.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2430827873190220616.post-15834636959232167792007-12-10T22:38:00.000-05:002007-12-10T22:38:00.000-05:00In light of our gender and violence segment of the...In light of our gender and violence segment of the course, I decided to go to Loyal Daughters this year. Last year, when Loyal Daughters came to campus, I didn’t think much about going to see it. This year, however, I heard a lot of people talking about it and debating whether or not it had a place on Notre Dame’s campus, and I started to think about our class discussion about feminism. I thought that a lot of people on campus saw Loyal Daughters as a “Feminist” play and were biased against it for that reason. I wanted to see and understand why so many people felt so strongly about it, so I decided to go.<BR/> When I went to the play, I was blown away. I learned that Loyal Daughters was not necessary an inherently “feminist” play, it was just a play that intended to make the Notre Dame community aware of the many instances of violence which occur on campus and are rarely spoken about. Often, sexual violence is viewed as the fault of the victim, a tragic and horrible allocation of blame, which makes victims unable to talk about their experiences. The play made me aware of how many people endure this violence alone in a school community where their pain is largely ignored. The violence portrayed was both physical and emotional.<BR/> I realized that if we as a Notre Dame community want to help put a stop to sexual violence, we must be much more vocal about our condemnation of it. We must openly express our support for victims and provide avenues which might aid in their healing. Ending sexual violence must be a community effort, and helping to repair the damage it has wreaked must be as well. Loyal Daughters encouraged me to think extensively about a problem I had not often contemplated before.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2430827873190220616.post-71559582499375770202007-12-10T22:09:00.000-05:002007-12-10T22:09:00.000-05:00A few weeks ago someone in our class introduced a ...A few weeks ago someone in our class introduced a website she found called KIVA.com. It is a way to participate in Micro financing entrepreneurs in developing countries. It seemed like a really interesting idea and a way to participate in a small way to a project that has a huge impact in the lives of people desperately trying to escape poverty. So I have joined and am currently involved in a loan to a woman in the Dominican Republic who is trying to start a clothing store in her community. It is a really interesting process and you receive information about the person you have loaned the money to and the progress that they are making toward their goal. It really has been an uplifting experience to feel as though I have actively participated in something that could really help someone.<BR/><BR/>I am from the Cayman Islands and over fall break I was at home and had an opportunity to have dinner with the Speaker of the House in Jamaica. He came to Cayman on a tennis tournament trip for people over the age of 40 of which my dad is a member of the team in Cayman. It was at the big dinner where I was able to speak with him. Inevitably talk of politics came up and I found myself interested in a conversation he was having about the desperately poor people in Jamaica. I tend to be pretty shy but I was honestly interested in whether or not the government has have participated in Micro finance. So I mustered up enough courage and asked if he knew if the Jamaican government had ever formally participated in a program like the one on KIVA.com. <BR/><BR/>It ended up being a very interesting conversation. He did say that the government had tried a program similar to it but that there was a high rate of people who would take the money offered by the government to start a business and then they would misuse it and end up defaulting on their loans. He said it was a nice idea in theory but in practice, at least as he had seen it, it wasn’t as feasible as it would seem. I told him about the website and he said he would look at it, who knows if he will. He may have just been humoring me. But it was really a cool experience to have an intelligent conversation with someone about this aspect of peace building and it was interesting to hear about real life situations where it has been implemented regardless of whether of not is was successful.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2430827873190220616.post-83518214966470347692007-12-10T21:53:00.000-05:002007-12-10T21:53:00.000-05:00I have been really bad with keeping up with puttin...I have been really bad with keeping up with putting my posts onto this blog so this week there will be quite a few from me (sorry Prof Myers). <BR/><BR/>This activity in being peace was from the week of October 7th. Across Notre Dame this was Energy Week which consisted of many activities across campus aimed at getting people and the campus to 'go green' and treat the environment with more care. During the week of September 17th we read an article by Aldo Leopold called The Land Ethic. This article talked about taking care of the environment as a way toward building last peace. By constantly striping the earth of the resources we are leaving fewer resources for the people of the world to share. When this occurs and people have to compete for the remaining resources then conflict inevitably ensues.<BR/><BR/>During Energy week here on campus I was able to show my care for the environment. For that week not only did I make sure that I recycled everything that I could, but I also made sure to utilize the goods available to be that were more environmentally friendly. I participated in the lights out campaign across campus as well. I thought it would have been more effective if it was done in the evening time rather than the middle of the day, but I appreciated the concept.<BR/><BR/>Since reading this article and participating in some of the activities of that week I have come to greater understanding of how much I take for granted in my life. I have also come to realize that what I do really does impact the environment in a big way, even if it doesn’t affect the people around me. So now I make a conscious effort to use the resources of the earth in a more respectful way. I turn off the lights whenever I leave the room even when it is only for a few minutes, I try to recycle everything I can and I try to buy goods, like paper made from recycled material.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2430827873190220616.post-64569619855851221922007-12-10T21:28:00.000-05:002007-12-10T21:28:00.000-05:00Earlier this semester I went to the symposium spon...Earlier this semester I went to the symposium sponsored by the law school on human trafficking. At the symposium a woman who had been a victim of human trafficking told her story. She told us about how she was brought to the US and forced to work as a stripper. She was closely watched all the time and not allowed to have any contact with people other than at work. She didn’t have access to a phone or the internet and there was a person assigned to watch her and other girls (that were also human trafficking victims) every day at work. I couldn’t believe her story and that something like this could happen here in the United States. The control that the men exercised over her and the fear they instilled in her is absolutely incredible. Also during the symposium one of the officers that worked on her case spoke. He talked about how the girls finally got someone to help them. First they had to figure out their address so that they could tell someone where to come help them. Even this minor detail of their life was hidden from them. They finally figured it out one day when a piece of junk mail showed up at their house. They also had to find a person that would help them, something that was challenging at a strip club with someone watching them the whole time. A Notre Dame law professor also spoke about what can be done for these victims. She spoke a lot about immigration law and how it applies to victims of human trafficking. Most victims are brought to the US on limited work visas which expire while they are here and then they are in the US illegally. When they are discovered and helped escape from their desperate situation they are often departed immediately. Since they were forced to work and captives in their homes it seems counter intuitive to punish them. We are in essence calling them criminals for something that they had no choice in doing. This was a completely new dynamic about immigration law that I had never really considered before. The Notre Dame law professor made the point that their needs to be some exceptions for people forced into these situations. I wholeheartedly agree with her and am so glad that I was able to learn about this issue that has repercussions in the immigration debate.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2430827873190220616.post-50844288102657363482007-12-10T21:20:00.000-05:002007-12-10T21:20:00.000-05:00A little late on blogging this peace event, but I ...A little late on blogging this peace event, but I attended the Dialogue of Cultures Ethics conference on campus last weekend. Two of the speakers I saw talked about how those of the Islamic faith can integrate themselves into Western society. Philosophy professor Alasdair MacIntyre, one of my favorite speakers to see here on campus, talked about Tariq Ramadan's attempts to help Muslim's integrate into European society. He called for a sort of "middle route," not entirely rejecting the elements of modernity in European society while not entirely assimilating into society as well. He said that the way most Christians have dealt with the conflict between Western culture and religion has been to reject their religion as the guiding instrument of their lives. He says that most people treat religion as just a separate group or institution they identify themselves with. One's neighborhood, one's favorite sports, one's hobbies, religion has become like this in modern society. One facet of someone's life, but not an integral facet. He does not think that Islam should come to this, but rather try to find this middle way. I think this exploration of this idea can be quite constructive in today's society, as the clash between religion and western culture has led to some destructive results, but to disregard either would be bad in my opinion, thus a middle ground must be found.<BR/> I also saw another speaker talk about the divisions in America and saw these divisions as the result of immigration and multiculturalism in America, whereas he thinks America should return entirely to what he calls its "Christian roots." I found his speech to fall into the former category of MacIntyre's distinction, complete rejections of modernity. This idea is implausible and probably a bad thing. This speaker rejected multiculturalism as a sort of universal toleration and rejection of moral standards, whereas I believe that one can accept different cultures and live in harmony while adhering to one's own beliefs. <BR/> Very cool that we have this conference on campus. A Saturday at here definitely beat some of those cold, boring, losing football Saturdays we had this year.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2430827873190220616.post-56597094603909768172007-12-10T20:55:00.000-05:002007-12-10T20:55:00.000-05:00Today, December 10th, was Human Rights Day. I got...Today, December 10th, was Human Rights Day. I got an email this morning from an organization that I belong to called Citizens for Global Solutions asking me to contact my local Representative and ask them to support appropriations of $724 million to support the joint African Union-United Nations mission to Darfur. The website of the organization gives a format for what you should say when you call: "Hello. My name is [Your Name]. I’m calling from [Your Town]. I'd like to let [Your U.S. Representative] know that I support providing $724 million in emergency funding for peacekeeping in Darfur, as requested by the president. I'd like [Your U.S. Representative] to make sure that Congress appropriates these funds to support the Darfur mission and to make sure that we pay what we owe to the U.N. Thank you for your time." So obviously I didn’t follow that format, but I still called my representatives office. I happened to intern with my Representative this summer, so I called and just asked the guy that handles foreign affairs where the House is on getting these appropriations moving and how Rep. Mitchell feels about it. The answer I got was mixed. Apparently Congress is really not moving very quickly on these appropriations. This is happening for a number of reasons. First, there is a group of Republicans that staunchly oppose US support of international organizations. Second, people don’t feel like they have to move on this right away. They think that since the surge in violence of the genocide in Darfur has already ended it is not as important to approve funding quickly. I kind of figured that this would be the case, but was still disappointed to here it. However, the upside is that if a bill were to get out of committee and come to a vote in the House (this is pretty unlikely) most of the Democrats would support it. On a related note: while I was working in that office this summer one of the things that I learned that really bothered me was how the office reacts to phone calls from constituents. A single phone call, or even quite a few phone calls, really will not make any difference on how a Representative will vote on a bill. It would take a HUGE grassroots movement for a Representative to even consider changing his vote on an issue.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2430827873190220616.post-46473717626883118542007-12-10T18:35:00.000-05:002007-12-10T18:35:00.000-05:00I used to be a big time television watcher, but at...I used to be a big time television watcher, but at college I simply don't have the time to watch. The other day I watched a little, however. I caught a show called Cold Case. The basic premises is that these detectives take old cases and try to solve them. I had never watched the show but left it on and caught the second half of the show. The show featured interviews with the people in the present intertwined with scenes of what actually happened. The case involves a triple murder of the couple that owns and runs a diner and the kid that they've taken who works at the diner. The kid allows his brother, who has drug problems, to come into the diner to get some food. The brother starts steeling cash from the register and the first kid tells him to stop. At this point the male owner comes in to find out whats going on. The brother pulls a gun and shoots him. The wife comes running and he shoots her too. He then gets the first kid to help him pull the bodies into the bathroom. The first kid discovers that the women is still alive and pleads with his brother to let him get her help. The brother pulls a knife and slits her throat, splattering blood across th wall. I was amazed at this. There was already blood all over the ground and then all this blood splatters all over. I couldn't believe this was on tv. And this is CBS, the self-proclaimed most popular network in America. There most likely countless kids watching. It really is amazing how much violence is on tv. And it's not just violence, it's graphic, brutal violence. Amazing what any kid with a tv can see.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2430827873190220616.post-4243538741056968182007-12-10T16:22:00.000-05:002007-12-10T16:22:00.000-05:00Last Thursday night, I attended a charity dinner f...Last Thursday night, I attended a charity dinner for the ND Millennium Project in Uganda and Eyes for Africa. This event was organized by the sophomore class council. The tickets were $10, $5 went to the Millennium fund and $5 went to Eyes for Africa. A few people spoke about the different functions of the two groups and what they are trying to accomplish, but somehow I managed to misplace the handouts. Eyes for Africa is an organization that I have never heard of, but they have a spring break volunteer opportunity and other things that I did not know about, so it was beneficial to hear about them. This is the first time I have attended a charity event like this, and it made me realize what a great idea they are. The event was marketed as a social gathering, with the interesting location of the ND Press Box, where the dinner was held. Events like this attract significant numbers of people, so it is an interesting way to raise funds for those in need. We were all talking at this dinner about how lucky we were that the cost was only $10, versus the $500-per-plate dinners you hear about for presidential campaigns, which is probably one of the hugest wastes of money I can imagine. I think events such as these to raise awareness would be very successful if more of them were offered at ND, but I find few opportunities, but that could just be my personal experience? Another good thing about these events is that they help to spread awareness about these topics. Although there weren’t thousands of people at the dinner, I know I spoke about it with my friends afterwards, so now they too are aware of some on-campus projects that help parts of Africa. Overall, I had a great experience with this kind of charity event. I enjoyed it a lot and benefited from the new knowledge because I can use it in the future when looking into the current issues in Africa or when trying to fundraise for a certain cause myself.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2430827873190220616.post-75248177643495143832007-12-10T14:17:00.000-05:002007-12-10T14:17:00.000-05:00Two weekends ago I spent the weekend in Michigan. ...Two weekends ago I spent the weekend in Michigan. A bunch of my friends and I all pitched in to rent a house in South Haven for the weekend. We all brought dates and called it a formal. We all got dressed up Friday night, went to a nice restaurant, and just had a great all around time. The next day we decided to go paintballing. And this is what I want to blog about. Paintball, the ultimate form of war simulation. Writing this blog and the sport(if you can call it that) itself provide an interesting paradox for me. On one hand, I know that a large part of the class probably condemns the sport as a terrible thing. On the other hand, I go once or twice a year and thoroughly enjoy it. So what I am to do? I certainly realize why so many people would have a problem with it. There does seem to be something wrong with going around shooting people with high speed projectiles that cause pain and bruising. But it is honestly just so much fun to me. So what does that say about me? Do I think war is sweet? NO! Do I think violence is cool? NO! Do I like the violent culture we have? NO! I love peace and want everyone to get along. So I honestly don't understand why I like to shoot high speed paintballs at my friends. I guess I'll just end by saying that I think that a person can indeed like things like paintballing and still be a great supporter of peace. And I hope that the paintball haters out there wouldn't dispute me on that.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2430827873190220616.post-29783586482611448152007-12-10T13:58:00.000-05:002007-12-10T13:58:00.000-05:00I'm never been a big service person. I've always s...I'm never been a big service person. I've always supported doing service and donated money to those trying to do service, but have never been that involved in it. I did some in high school but once I got to Notre Dame I got so involved in campus activities, work, and school that I never got involved in service. I say this not as an excuse but merely as a fact. It's not an excuse at all. But being in this class got me to thinking about it. It really made me think that I should try to to do some service during this latter part of my time here at ND. This thought also came around the time that I decided I had no desire to do another job next summer that's just for money or looks good on a resume. Despite being a finance major, I had no interest in going after a finance internship. So I figured that I should do some service over the summer. And what better way to do that than to do an SSLP? It also provided me the ability to do something outside of the Chicago land area which was a big plus. So I immediately filled out an application and signed up for an interview. I interviewed and was accepted two days later. I immediately signed up for the placement interview. When I decide to do something, I typically don't waste any time. So now I'm trying to decided where to go. It has come down to working at a summer camp in New York(in the woods) or at a non for profit loan organization in Denver. The woman at the CSC I could not have picked more different sites. And I believe her. The two are totally different. But either way I'll be spending 8 weeks this summer far from home and doing service. And I'm jacked about it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2430827873190220616.post-90537332432021043202007-12-10T13:10:00.000-05:002007-12-10T13:10:00.000-05:00Numero 5I'm about half way through from completing...Numero 5<BR/><BR/>I'm about half way through from completing my peace blog! As we all know, finals week is in full swing. I, like many others, have been stressing ALOT and on-edge. But, then I think about that time when we took a class to learn about relaxing and being "peaceful" in general. That session is really helping me now to keep from losing it. Just remembering that feeling of serenity is really comforting. Even if its just a few seconds of closing my eyes and taking a deep breath, I find that it really helps me keep my focus. Haha, and when I really want to be calm I remember that specific comment of starting the peacefulness at the very top of the head and letting it flow down. It might sound pretty lame, but it really helps!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com