Creation Calls: Are you listening? / Te llama la creación: ¿Estás escuchando?

ENGLISH:  Many thanks to Theresa McGrath for sending in this beautiful video.  Although it contains a song in English, no words are needed to appreciate these incredible images of creation.  So sit back and enjoy!

CLICK HERE to view the video.

ESPAÑOL:  Muchas gracias a Teresa McGrath por enviar este video tan hermoso. A pesar de que contiene una canción en Inglés, no se necesitan palabras para apreciar estas imágenes increíbles de la creación. Entonces, no importa si entiendes una palabra de Inglés o no, sientate y disfrutalo!

HAGA CLICK AQUÍ para ver el vídeo.

"No Mas Violencia: Esfuerzos Ciudadanos Emergentes"

Gracias a Covadonga Suárez por esta información de Educa en su publicación actual de El Topil: "No mas Violencia: Esfuerzos Ciudadanos Emergentes"

Desde el editorial en El Topil:

" ... este número de EL TOPIL está encaminado a reflexionar sobre la violencia en sus distintas formas: directa, estructural y cultural, así como analizar los esfuerzos de la ciudadanía por enfrentar esta cruenta dinámica con procesos pacíficos y de noviolencia activa. Nos conducen en esta reflexión, Pietro Ameglio, Felipe Toussaint y Gustavo Esteva. Introducimos un breve texto de Juan Pablo Lederach sobre la construcción de la paz.

Dedicamos este número de EL TOPIL, in memoriam, a nuestro hermano Felipe Toussaint Loera."

Servicios para una Educación Alternativa A.C.

HAGA CLIC AQUI para leer la edición actual de El topil: "No mas Violencia: Esfuerzos Ciudadanos Emergentes"

 

50th Anniversary of the Freedom Riders: Oprah Honors American Heroes

*  A short background on the 1961 Freedom Riders, taken from Wikipedia:

Freedom riders were civil rights activists that rode interstate buses into the segregated southern United States to test the United States Supreme Court decision Boynton v. Virginia (of 1960).^[1] The first Freedom Ride left Washington, D.C., on May 4, 1961,^[2] and was scheduled to arrive in New Orleans on May 17.^[3]

Boynton v. Virginia had outlawed racial segregation in the restaurants and waiting rooms in terminals serving buses that crossed state lines. Five years prior to the Boynton ruling, the Interstate Commerce Commission had issued a ruling in Sarah Keys v. Carolina Coach Company that had explicitly denounced the Plessy v. Ferguson doctrine of separate but equal in interstate bus travel, but the ICC had failed to enforce its own ruling, and thus Jim Crow travel laws remained in force throughout the South.

The Freedom Riders set out to challenge this status quo by riding various forms of public transportation in the South to challenge local laws or customs that enforced segregation. The Freedom Rides, and the violent reactions they provoked, bolstered the credibility of the American Civil Rights Movement and called national attention to the violent disregard for the law that was used to enforce segregation in the southern United States. Riders were arrested for trespassing, unlawful assembly, and violating state and local Jim Crow laws, along with other alleged offenses.  CLICK HERE to read more.

*  The Oprah Winfrey show on May 4, 2011:  "Oprah honors American Heroes:  Freedom Riders Reunite 50 Years Later"

Beginning on May 4, 1961, 436 courageous and determined persons -- both black and white -- risked their lives to participate in the Freedom Rides.
On May 4, 2011, the 50th anniversary of the start of the Freedom Rides, Oprah Winfrey had the 178 survivors of the Freedom Rides on her show to honor these American heroes.

CLICK HERE for several short clips from Oprah's show.  Listen to why people made the decision to participate in the Freedom Rides and what they endured.  Scroll down to the bottom of the link to see a list of helpful resources.
CLICK HERE to read a rather complete summary of the entire show.
CLICK HERE to retrace the Rides and to learn about the history of the Freedom Rides.

Oración de la Comunidad: Año Internacional de los Bosques, 2011

El Año Internacional de los Bosques, promovido por la ONU en 2011, tiene como objetivo estimular la toma de conciencia en la urgencia de proteger los recursos forestales frágiles del planeta, y movilizar a la acción para promover la gestión sostenible de los bosques.

Con la celebración de los bosques y su importancia en la vida cotidiana, este año es una herramienta eficaz para el desarrollo de la conciencia sobre el papel de los bosques en el mantenimiento de la fuerza y la vitalidad del planeta, así como para lograr los objetivos acordados para el desarrollo internacional, incluyendo los Objetivos de Desarrollo del Milenio.  HAGA CLICK AQUÍ para la oración de la comunidad.

Prayer Service: U.N. International Year of the Forest - 2011

The objective of 2011 United Nations International Year of the Forest is to create awareness of the urgency to protect fragile global forestry and encourage a greater sustainability in their use.  This International Year will help cultivate an appreciation of the role of forests in conserving the strength and vitality of the planet, as well as achieving certain goals in global development, particularly those outlined in the Millennium Development Goals.  CLICK HERE for the prayer service.