Join in the Season of Creation

The Season of Creation, running yearly between September 1 and October 4, is that time of the year when 2.2 billion Christians are invited to pray and care for creation.

September 1 was proclaimed as a day of prayer for creation (World Day of Prayer for Creation, or Creation Day) by Ecumenical Patriarch Dimitrios I for the Orthodox in 1989, and was embraced by the other major Christian European churches in 2001 and by Pope Francis for the Roman Catholic Church in 2015.

And it has happened that in recent years many Christian churches have started celebrating the “Season of Creation” (also known as Creation Time) between that date and October 4, which is the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi (author of the Canticle of the Creatures in the 13th century) that some Western traditions observe.

It is meant to give flexibility to celebrate prayer services for creation in alternative dates throughout the month, while engaging in different actions to care for creation throughout the season. Several statements from the past few years have called to observe this month-long Season of Creation, such as those of the Catholic Bishops of the Philippines in 2003, the Third European Ecumenical Assembly in Sibiu in 2007 and the World Council of Churches in 2008.

Help your community respond to the creator’s call. Host a prayer service with the easy-to-use toolkit. Or find a prayer service near you on the map online. 

Learn more by exploring the Season of Creation website. 

A Season of Creation CHARTER

In a Season of Creation we will:

1. Celebrate Earth as a sacred planet filled with God’s vibrant presence.

2. Unite with all creation in praising the God of creation.

3. Confess our sins against creation and empathise with a groaning creation.

4. Embrace our kin in creation as our extended family.

5. Proclaim the good news that the risen Jesus is the cosmic Christ who fills and renews all creation.

6. Go forth on a mission to be partners with Christ in the healing of creation.

Solidarity March and Mass with Immigrants and Refugees

On Saturday, April 8, 2017 hundreds of people gathered at the campus of St. Louis University to stand and march in solidarity with our immigrant and refugee neighbors.  This Solidarity March and Mass at the St. Louis Cathedral Basilica was sponsored by the Archdiocese of St. Louis and co-sponsored by a number of other religious congregations including the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word.  Present at the march representing the Congregation was Sr. Anne Marie Burke, Sr. Pilar Neira, and Jennifer Reyes Lay. 

The group gathered began the event with a series of prayers and songs in both English and Spanish, and reflections led by immigrants and refugees and those who serve them.  Then after about 30 minutes we began a march of solidarity down Lindell Ave. for about one mile, carrying signs of support welcoming immigrants and refugees as a faith commitment.  There were also songs and chants as we marched both in English and Spanish. 

The march ended at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis where a Mass of Solidarity was celebrated.  The Mass was a beautiful multi-cultural celebration incorporating seven languages throughout in prayer and song.  The homilist exclaimed with great joy that this was the first Mass celebrated in Spanish in the Basilica and the whole congregation gathered applauded and cheered!  It was truly a beautiful witness of the diverse Catholic community in St. Louis coming together to celebrate our faith and show our commitment to standing together in these difficult times.

Sister Story Highlight: Sr. Maria del Carmen Monroy

Carmelita, as we call her, is a very significant woman for many Peruvian Sisters and the people of Peru. Her testimony - in these lines - delves into spirituality and her commitment to non-violence: a way of dealing with systemic violence, inequalities and injustices.

Sister María del Carmen Monroy CCVI, born in Mexico, came to Peru almost 27 years ago to teach us – through her lived witness - that only through inclusion can we build real communities that seek to build the Kingdom of God here and now.

--------

Since the beginnings of my religious life in 1974 I have been formed in a corporate spirit where I was encouraged to share my thoughts or life experiences, but I also received many gifts from contact with my older Sisters who from their illness or old age encouraged me to look beyond what my eyes could see. There were difficult times, but at the same time they challenged us, they opened new paths for us to explore, gradually recovering the life that for a time had fallen asleep.

I can say with sincerity and gratitude that I have been very fortunate since my life resembles in some way that of Abraham, who was invited to leave what he knew and go in search of the fulfillment of the promises of God to make him father of a great people. I also left my land and have continued to follow my path to the present day, seeking day after day the signs of God’s creative presence.

When I became aware of diversity I was able to experience a lot of joy.  Knowing different things encouraged me to look for creative ways of encounter.  I was confirmed in my belief that the Holy Trinity did well to make its home among us, in order to express to the world and to the Church that love, reconciliation, and a tender embrace is possible as a tangible presence of God.

During these 40 years as a Sister of Charity of the Incarnate Word, I have heard the continuous call to live unity in diversity, to create bridges of communion and participation.  This has inspired me on my spiritual path to contemplate four icons: the Ark of the Covenant, the Holy Trinity, the Incarnation of the Word and Pentecost. Each one has been very important since they continue to motivate me to seek fruitfulness in community life and witness.

Having had the opportunity to live in different communities both nationally and internationally has become a great joy in my life since it has broadened my horizons and opened me up to multiculturalism which I have embraced with all its challenges.  It also has been an opportunity to be protagonist of history, not only congregational but also the Church, in the world and as part of this cosmos.

It has been in the community setting that my sense of belonging and missionary spirit has been revitalized, continually listening to the words of the Gospel of Luke and making them mine: “He sent me to bring the Good News to the poor, to announce release of the captives and sight to the blind, to bring freedom to the oppressed, and to proclaim a year of the Lord's favor.” (Luke 4: 18-19).

I find such strength in realizing that the Word gives sense to our daily living as people and as a community!  It is this God of Life who sustains us in a timeless embrace!  Because as I look back I realize that the Word has been with us since the beginning of the Congregation: when in 1866 Bishop Claudio Maria Dubuis asked for help and the first Sisters came to Galvenston; when the Madeleine Sisters, Pierre and Agnes took the rugged road to San Antonio, Texas in 1869; and when our Sisters left San Antonio in 1885 to bring the Word, and find it, in the people of Mexico, Peru, Guatemala, Ireland and Zambia.

And as in the beginning, today and always: God speaks the Word; God speaks our life in the always present now. Every day I receive invitations to say yes, to share Christ with everyone. I can share this positivity even through silence: smiling at strangers where I find them, happily accepting people or unexpected events, respecting and appreciating what is different, listening with my heart and my ears, letting go of negative feelings, being open to new ideas, trying something different, and replacing anxiety with confidence in the Incarnate Word that knows and loves everything.

LCWR Assembly Confronts Racism and Religious Life

(from the LCWR website)

During the course of the 2016 LCWR assembly in Atlanta, Embracing the Mystery: Living Transformation, we, the members of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, affirmed a resolution committing

ourselves to examine the root causes of injustice, particularly racism, and our own complicity as congregations, and to work to effect systemic change  . . . and We pledge prayer, education, and advocacy and commit to using our collective voice, resources, and power in collaboration with others to establish justice which reflects God’s abundant love and desire that all may have life.

This set the context for what was to become a powerfully moving moment as we listened to Dr. Shannon Dee Williams provide an overview on the history of racism and US religious life.

The pain and discrimination suffered by women of color who joined religious congregations in this country became a palpably present truth which could not be denied. The words of one of the responders, Dawn Tomazewski, SP, resounded in our hearts:  “. . . not only does our country need healing but also our congregations. I want to make amends with these women; I need to make amends with these women.”

... Our hope for a better future lies in the rise of a deeper commitment to anti-racist work by increasing numbers of individuals and groups engaged in consciousness-raising discussions examining white privilege, systemic racism, and racist practices which will lead to concrete actions for justice in solidarity with people of color.

Download the PDF below to continue reading

Attachment: 

 Resolutions to Action -- Fall 2016

Caring for Our Common Home in Mongu

Our sister, Cecilia Zavala CCVI, shares with us a few lines about the seeds of hope that are being planted in Mongu, Zambia in collaboration with other religious congregations.  We give thanks to God for this gift and for all of those who inspire us to actively become “protectors of creation.”

(By Cecilia Zavala, CCVI)  What we have done in regards to Care of Creation, together with other religious congregations present in Mongu has been:

• -          Educational Workshops about the care of creation.
• -          Informative pamphlet in the local language (Silozi) with facts about the reality of the environment in Zambia with motivating suggestions for action.  One of the main problems is the indiscriminate felling of trees for the purpose of producing coal, an activity that provides families in the villages an income.
• -          We promote sustainable alternatives like the use of solar energy and we teach how to build and use solar stoves, which is a sustainable ecological alternative to the use of coal. 
• -          In Zambia we don’t have recycling plants, but we do teach and encourage people how to recycle paper, plastic, glass, etc. by optimizing their uses.  We also teach the importance of sorting trash and taking advantage of the organic waste by composting. 
• -          Reforestation campaigns – for example on one occasion we planted more than 150 trees in the external area of a prison.  We involved children, youth, elders, and of course employees of the prison. 
• -          Radio programs that include interviews with people from different organizations: government, churches, local leaders, religious congregations, members of NGOs, etc.

We thank Sr. Cecy, as we lovingly call her, for her sharing.  Each action teaches us that it is possible to realize a loving act for God’s creation each day, in every moment, in every circumstance.  Thank you!  Your initiatives inspire us to continue caring for our mother earth. 

The Call of the Forest

(by Victor Mendoza Barrantes)  I live in a port town whose bay, before the “fishing boom,” was called the “Pearl of the Pacific.”  So much beauty in its water, sand, and beaches which can no longer be enjoyed because of our own harmful actions toward it.  The richness of its ocean was over-exploited by the characteristics of “savage capitalism.” Today the contamination of the land, ocean, and air prevails.  And this great beauty, can no longer be enjoyed up close, only observed at a certain distance.  This is Chimbote, Peru. 

From my position as a human rights lawyer, director of the Social Justice Commission of the local diocese, and in recent years a member of the International JPIC Committee for the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word (CCVI), the words of Pope Francis constantly resonate with me, “What kind of world do we want to leave those who come after us, to the children who are growing up?” (LS 160).  An urgent and pertinent question about the future of our common home which is highly contaminated and impacted by excessive consumerism and the lack of respect for life in general. 

My responsibility, as a response to the question of Pope Francis, consists in organizing and executing actions that lead to reflection and awareness of what is happening to our planet.  Also, together with other people and institutions, getting the attention of government authorities regarding the urgent need to save our planet.  That is why we are organizing our local participation in the 8^th Pan-Amazon Social Forum in Tarapoto, Peru in 2017.  This Forum will include themes of alternative paradigms and processes of resistance; territory, earth, and identity; climate change and food sovereignty, as well as consider the model of neocolonialism and its impact on the rights of indigenous and pan-amazon populations, including the rights and political participation of indigenous and pan-amazon women.   

Approximately two thousand people will participate from the nine pan-amazon countries and from solidarity groups throughout Latin America and the world in general.  There will be representatives of organizations from indigenous communities, women’s organizations, organizations working to fight climate change, social organizations, centers of investigation, and members of the civil society in general. 

It will be a great opportunity to contribute to saving our common home and to continue to reflect on the meaning and value of life. “Why are we here?  What are we working and struggling for?  Why does the earth need us?” These are the questions Pope Francis leaves us with. 

We must act before it is too late.  I don’t want the Amazon or parts of its territory to end up like by beloved Chimbote.  

Nuns On the Bus 2016: Mend the Gaps

NETWORK’s Nuns on the Bus are hitting the road again – daring to call on elected officials and candidates to Mend the Gaps in income and wealth inequality in our nation.

Read Our 2020 Vision: Mend the Gaps | View Our 2016 Bus Schedule| For the Media

In an election year, it is crucial that this message be heard and heeded because we know that when people at the economic margins do better, we all do better. We will bring the bus to both the Republican and Democratic Conventions where we will educate people on the gaps that we are experiencing in our society and NETWORK’s proactive policy strategy that can bridge those divides.

Our goal is to bring a politics of inclusion to divided places, change the conversation to mending the vast economic and social divides in our country, and counter political incivility with our message of inclusion.

NETWORK’s 44 year-old faith-filled political message is an alternative to the anger, fear, and polarization of this election cycle.  We believe in faithful citizenship, which compels us to travel the country to listen to the lived experiences of people in their communities and hold elected officials accountable to the promises they have made to legislate for the common good.

Read more: https://networklobby.org/bus2016/ 

Can Environmentalists End Human Trafficking?

By Sr. Ann Oestreich, IHM

Finally, it’s April. In northern Indiana, where I live, April’s arrival means that the grey, cold, snowy days of winter give way to the tender greens of spring, daffodils and flowering trees. People are outside, walking and biking again, and tilling the soil for their gardens. Creation is coming back to life! On April 22 we celebrate the grandeur, beauty and fragility of our planet on Earth Day, and re-commit ourselves to reverencing and preserving what Pope Francis calls “our common home.”

In his 2015 encyclical, Laudato Sí, Pope Francis challenged us all to recognize that care for our Earth and care for people who are poor and vulnerable are not separate concerns. They are interconnected, inter-related, in what he calls an “integral ecology.” When we think about the elegance of creation and human trafficking, a horrific abuse of human dignity and human rights, where do we see that interconnection?

Kevin Bales, co-founder of the organization, Free the Slaves, makes this connection convincingly in his latest book entitled “Blood and Earth: Modern Slavery, Ecocide and the Secret to Saving the World.” As Bales traveled the world documenting and working to end human trafficking, he noticed that where slavery existed, so did “massive, unchecked environmental destruction.”1.

We’ve known for a long time that environmental change and human trafficking/slavery are linked. Whether it’s the slow desertification of sub-Saharan Africa or the devastating force of a southeast Asian tsunami, both cause people to migrate away from their homelands, and people on the move are vulnerable to traffickers. Once captured, they may be forced into mining gold or coltan, cutting down forests or working on brutally demanding shrimping/fishing boats for months or years at a time.

But Bales goes beyond pointing out the mutually reinforcing evils of slavery and ecocide. He posits that “slavery is at the root of much of the natural world’s destruction.”2. How can that be, given that there are an estimated 35 million slaves, a horrific number, but still a small fraction of our global population?  Bales argues: “Slaveholders are criminals, operating firmly outside of any law or regulation. When they mine gold they saturate thousands of acres with toxic mercury. When they cut timber, they clear-cut and burn…leaving behind a dead ecosystem. Laws and treaties may control law-abiding individuals, corporations, and governments, but not the criminal slaveholders who flout the gravest of laws.”

He continues, “When it comes to global warming, these slaveholders outpace all but the very biggest polluters. Adding together their slave-based deforestation and other CO2-producing crimes leads to a sobering conclusion. If slavery were an American state it would have the population of California and the economic output of the District of Columbia, but it would be the world’s third largest producer of CO2, after China and the United States. It’s no wonder that we struggle and often fail to stop climate change and reduce the atmospheric carbon count. Slavery, one of the world’s largest greenhouse gas producers, is hidden from us. Environmentalists are right to call for laws and treaties that will apply to the community of nations, but that is not enough. We also have to understand that slavers–who don’t adhere to those laws and treaties–are a leading cause of the natural world’s destruction. And to stop them…we need to end slavery.”3.

In Laudato Sí, Pope Francis reminds us that “the human environment and the natural environment deteriorate together; we cannot adequately combat environmental degradation unless we attend to causes related to human and social degradation.”4. It seems that Bales and Pope Francis are of the same mind. Modern day slavery and environmental destruction are both increasing. We need to be aware of the connections between these sins against humanity and creation, and work to root them out. To save our planet, we have to end human trafficking. To end human trafficking, we must reverence and protect Earth, our common home.

I close with some recommendations for reading and reflection. For every environmentalist, please consider reading “Blood and Earth” by Kevin Bales. For everyone who works to end human trafficking, ponder the words of Pope Francis in Laudato Sí. (You can find it online at https://laudatosi.com/watch)

And for every person who has ever experienced the indignity, despair and unspeakable abuse of human trafficking/modern-day slavery, I wish you the rebirth of April, the new life of Resurrection.

1.      Blood and Earth: Modern Slavery, Ecocide, and the Secret to Saving the World by Kevin          Bales. Random House: New York, 2016. Quote from the inside book jacket.
2.       Blood and Earth: Modern Slavery, Ecocide, and the Secret to Saving the World, p. 9.
3.       Blood and Earth: Modern Slavery, Ecocide, and the Secret to Saving the World, p. 9-10.
4.       On Care for Our Common Home – Laudato Sí. Chapter 1, #48.

Article originally published by USCSAHT:  

http://www.sistersagainsttrafficking.org/2016/04/01/april-monthly-reflection/  

Good Friday Justice and Peace Meditation

Solidarity to the brink of death, painful death, and beyond. Never think that God doesn't understand your pain. He was there. 


"He was tortured, murdered and buried." Just like so many other men and women in human history who suffered at the hands of someone stronger than they. And a death as real as any experienced by all of humanity.

This knowledge of God's isn't something hard to comprehend, it is blood red, it is water flowing  from a spear wound, it is nails pounded into human flesh. It just doesn't get more real than that.  "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weakness. . . "  He bore our infirmities and our sufferings -- and by His stripes we are healed. 

Can we bear to behold such solidarity? Today we venerate and kiss the Cross, symbol of our Savior's offering, but isn't true veneration of the Cross the willingness to live the life-poured-out-for-others that it symbolizes? Today, tomorrow and the day after that? 

So what if we are not all Mother Teresa or St. Francis -- does this mean that we must close our eyes to what is happening all around us? I think that too often we would rather keep our Christ safely nailed to a cross, preferably a nice pretty gold or silver cross.  But the question of Good Friday is -- Where is our solidarity today with the Jesus who is among us? 


Would we volunteer our time in the urban inner city? Would we speak out against unjust war when the crowds are chanting "Crucify those Iraqi bastards!" What about an impoverished rural community along the Rio Grande,  or in the Navajo Nation? Do we spend more on fun and frivolity than we share with those who are in need? Can we kiss a Cross in our church,  and then turn our backs on it when we are out in the world?   Sure we can, we do it all the time, but the message of Lent culminating in this Good Friday  observance is to turn away from that kind of sin, reform your ways and manners of living, and rise on Easter to new life in Christ.

As we have journeyed through Lent and into Holy Week, the call to daily conversion of life is consistent and without any ambiguity. 

We do not have to walk in misery and darkness. We can break free of the chains of slavery to materialism and consumerism and violence and lust and greed and all the other sins of this era. We can rise with Christ to new life, a more holistic life, with balance and healing and virtue, a generative life that brings forth harmony, reconciliation, and peace, a joy that is rooted in service and holiness.
 
As the Good Thief discovered that day nearly 2,000 years ago, it is never too late to turn back to God. There is never so much water under the bridge, that the bridge cannot be crossed. There is no burden so great that Jesus cannot help you carry it. There is no one who is so far away that they cannot be brought near by the Blood of Jesus Christ, which cleanses us from all sin and restores our relationship with God and each other. 

"So let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and favor and to find help in time of need."

Pope Francis Will Wash the Feet of Refugees on Holy Thursday in Rome

Gerard O'Connell | Mar 14 2016 

In a powerful symbolic gesture that is sure to resonate across the globe from Europe to the United States and Australia, Pope Francis will wash the feet of 12 refugees on Holy Thursday in Rome.

He will do so on March 24, at a center that assists migrants in the city. The Vatican has not yet disclosed the venue.

The breaking news comes at a time when many politicians in Europe, the United States and elsewhere are calling for the closing of the doors of their countries to refugees and migrants. Several governments in Europe, including Austria, Poland, Hungary and Macedonia, have or are in process of closing their frontiers or building barriers or walls to what they perceive as a tidal wave of migrants and refugees from war-torn Syria, Iraq and other countries of the Middle East and Africa. The question of immigration is at the center of political debate in the United States and Australia, as well as in Germany, where yesterday many voters cast their ballot against the more humanitarian approach of Chancellor Angela Merkel. It is an issue that is not going to disappear as long as the wars continue and dire poverty forces people to leave their homes and the countries of their birth.

Pope Francis believes in preaching the Gospel by deeds as much as by words, and he has emphasized this especially during the Jubilee Year of Mercy. His symbolic gestures this year, as in the past, come from the depth of his heart and are aimed at highlighting particular areas of great concern for humanity, in the hope of awakening consciences.

The son of Italian immigrants, he is deeply concerned about the dramatic plight of migrant and refugees, and in his first journey outside the Vatican after becoming pope he visited the island of Lampedusa, near Sicily, “to weep” for the some 20,000 migrants that have drowned in the Mediterranean Sea in recent years as they sought to reach the shores of Europe in search of refuge.

Since becoming pope, Francis has repeatedly drawn the world’s attention to this dramatic problem, as he did recently in Ciudad Juarez, at the border between Mexico and the United States. He is appealing to governments to respond with humanity and open their hearts to the biggest wave of refugees since the Second World War.

He has also called on the churches in Europe and the United States to respond with generosity to this humanitarian crisis. Last September, he asked every Catholic parish in Europe to give hospitality to one refugee family, and he set the example by instructing that the Vatican’s two parishes do likewise. Right now, two refugee families have a home in the Vatican, while many parishes across Europe have also given refuge to these people who have fled war and poverty in the hope of a new future. His gesture on Holy Thursday next week reinforces his call.

Source: America Magazine

Take Action February 8th To Prevent Human Trafficking

February 8 is the feast of St. Josephine Bakhita, a survivor of human trafficking and a Canossian sister. On the day that we commemorate her struggle and triumph, we remember all those caught in slavery and renew our commitment to abolish all forms of human slavery.

Today we are asking Catholic sisters and their colleagues, supporters and friends to act on that commitment.  We hope to direct thousands of calls to members of Congress asking them to support legislation that moves us closer to ending slave labor.  We are asking members in both houses of Congress to co-sponsor the Business Supply Chain Transparency on Trafficking and Slavery Act of 2015.

    Please call on Monday, February 8 and share this action alert widely! 

Call Congress

Call the Congressional switchboard 202-224-3121 where you will be directed to the offices of your members of Congress.  Please call both senators and your representative. Ask your members to co-sponsor the Business Supply Chain Transparency on Trafficking and Slavery Act of 2015, and if they’ve already become a co-sponsor of H.R. 3226 or S. 1968, please say “Thank You!”

Suggested Script

I am _________________, a (Catholic sister and a) constituent.  Could I speak with the staffer who handles legislation about human trafficking, please. 

I am calling to ask Senator/Representative _________ to co-sponsor S. 1968/H.R. 3226, the Business Supply Chain Transparency on Trafficking and Slavery Act of 2015.  Human trafficking and the use of slave labor is of grave concern to me.  As a consumer I care about how the products I purchase were produced. 

I’m asking that the Senator/Representative to become a co-sponsor of this legislation because:

• Consumers should be able to make informed decisions about what they purchase. 
• Congress can help hold corporations accountable for any forced or child labor in their production. 
• Businesses should be required to publicly disclose their efforts to eliminate human trafficking and child labor in their business operations and supply chains.

Can I count on the Senator/Representative to co-sponsor S. 1968/H.R. 3226?  Thank you!

Additional Background

The Business Supply Chain Transparency on Trafficking and Slavery Act of 2015 would: 

• Require companies with a minimum of $100 million in worldwide gross receipts annually to report transparently to the Securities and Exchange Commission and on their websites about their efforts to address slavery and child labor within their business operations, including supply chain and labor management;
• Create competition to improve practices to end slavery by providing the public and the market with information about companies that are – and that are not – taking real steps to address slavery;
• Help businesses by establishing clear federal transparency requirements that put all businesses on an even playing field, so they do not have to comply with a patchwork of state laws in an area of clear federal jurisdiction;
• Not require companies to take any specific action to combat slavery within their business. This is a pure transparency measure.

This legislation is important because:

• Many goods Americans use every day have passed through the hands of a slave.
• The current legislative and regulatory framework to prevent such goods from entering the US is inadequate; the U.S. legal prohibition on importation of slave-made goods has resulted in only 40 enforcement actions on record in 80 years.
• Passage of this provision would help fight human trafficking, forced labor, slavery, and the worst forms of child labor, and would demonstrate the U.S. commitment to freedom.
• The law would raise awareness of an issue that is being largely ignored by companies doing business in parts of the world where slavery is prevalent.

Additional Resources

• Please visit www.sistersagainsttrafficking.org for additional resources of all kinds.
• Sisters of the Holy Cross Prayer Service for the International Day of Prayer and Awareness of Human Trafficking (Feb. 8)
• Monthly Reflection for February by Margaret Nacke, CSJ: http://www.sistersagainsttrafficking.org/resources/prayer-resources/monthly-reflection/

Civil Response to Violence

Transcript from Emiliano Salinas TED Talk   

"I'm going to talk about how to go from a society that acts as a victim of circumstances to a responsible, involved society that takes the future of its country in its own hands. I'm going to talk about four different levels of civil response against violence, from weakest to strongest. The first level, the weakest level of civil response against violence, is denial and apathy. Today, much of Mexican society is in denial of the situation we're going through. We want to go on with our daily life even though we are not living under normal circumstances. Daily life in our country is, to say the least, under extraordinary, exceptional circumstances. It's like someone who has a serious illness and pretends it's the flu and it will just go away. We want to pretend that Mexico has the flu. But it doesn't. Mexico has cancer. And if we don't do something about it, the cancer will end up killing it.

We need to move Mexican society from denial and apathy to the next level of citizen response, which is, effectively, recognition. And that recognition will sow fear -- recognizing the seriousness of the situation. But, fear is better than apathy because fear makes us do something. Many people in Mexico are afraid today. We're very afraid. And we're acting out of that fear. And let me tell you what the problem is with acting out of fear -- and this is the second level of civil response: fear.

Let's think about Mexican streets: they're unsafe because of violence, so people stay at home. Does that make streets more or less safe? Less safe! So streets become more desolate and unsafe, so we stay home more -- which makes streets even more desolate and unsafe, and we stay home even more. This vicious circle ends up with the whole population stuck inside their houses, scared to death -- even more afraid than when we were out on the streets. We need to confront this fear. We need to move Mexican society, the members of society who are at this level, to the next level, which is action.

We need to face our fears and take back our streets, our cities, our neighborhoods. For many people, acting involves courage. We go from fear to courage. They say, "I can't take it anymore. Let's do something about it." Recently -- this is a sensitive figure -- 35 public lynchings have been recorded so far in 2010 in Mexico. Usually it's one or two a year. Now we're experiencing one every week. This shows that society is desperate and it's taking the law into its own hands. Unfortunately, violent action -- though action is better than no action -- but taking part in it only disguises violence. If I'm violent with you and you respond with violence, you become part of the violence and you just disguise my violence.

So civil action is vital, but it's also vital to take people who are at the level of courage and violent action to the next level, which is non-violent action. It's pacific, coordinated civil action, which doesn't mean passive action. It means it's determined and effective, but not violent.

Mahatma Gandhi, one of the greatest civil fighters of all time, said, "Be the change you wish to see in the world." Today in Mexico we're asking for Gandhis. We need Gandhis. We need men and women who love Mexico and who are willing to take action. This is a call for every true Mexican to join this initiative. This is a call so that every single thing we love about Mexico -- the festivals, the markets, the restaurants, the cantinas, the tequila, the mariachis, the serenades, the posadas, El Grito, the Day of the Dead, San Miguel, the joy, the passion for life, the fight and everything it means to be Mexican -- doesn't disappear from this world.

We're facing a very powerful opponent. But we are many more. They can take a man's life. Anyone can kill me, or you, or you. But no one can kill the spirit of true Mexicans."

Watch the full video here:  https://www.ted.com/talks/emiliano_salinas_a_civil_response_to_violence?language=en