NOTE: UPDATES ON THE DARFUR VIGIL BEGIN BELOW THIS POST. Please scroll down.
Friday, August 31, 2007
Darfur Vigil at Sudan Embassy DC Aug 31
The Darfur Vigil will be interrupted this weekend as I join east coast Catholic Workers and Jonah House in an annual gathering in Connecticut. Some of these are the folks I was arrested with this month fighting the Iraq War at the Pentagon and Fighting Nuclear War at the White House. The Darfur Vigil will resume early next week at the Sudan Embassy in DC, God willing.
In all likelihood Darfur will die under the weight of this summer's success, and if anyone can make certain of this, President al-Bashir is the one to bet on. Yes, at long last the UN passed a resolution for UN Peacekeepers able to use force in their mission. Yes, the UN and international community has established some initial pressure toward a meaningful Peace Negotiation.
Unfortunately, the temptation to delude ourselves that the real work is behind us is likely to doom Darfur. The real work, including the activist work, has not yet begun. The peace making effort needed to Rescue and Restore Darfur is widely described as the largest and most complex ever undertaken by the International Community.
Why will the International Community follow through? Will they find the determination and perseverance? They will not. They will not unless we citizens en masse first follow through, find and maintain the determination and perseverance for this multi-year peace making effort.
Everything depends on the Rescue and Restore of Darfur. Almost every day I feel torn in my extreme desire to fight the war in Iraq, to eliminate nuclear weapons, to stop the mad war spending of the US, to bring humanity to Palestine.... But Darfur, as I have written before, is our key. Nowhere is there such an opportunity to begin the mobilization of Global Humanity that can then be directed to these other horrific situations. Nowhere is there the moral clarity and do ability of Darfur.
Darfur is the last, best hope to restart the engine of Humanity on planet earth. And so far, we are not rising to the opportunity. God will help us, but She will not do it for us; we must stand with our brothers and sisters in Darfur, like family, until their lives are restored.
In all likelihood Darfur will die under the weight of this summer's success, and if anyone can make certain of this, President al-Bashir is the one to bet on. Yes, at long last the UN passed a resolution for UN Peacekeepers able to use force in their mission. Yes, the UN and international community has established some initial pressure toward a meaningful Peace Negotiation.
Unfortunately, the temptation to delude ourselves that the real work is behind us is likely to doom Darfur. The real work, including the activist work, has not yet begun. The peace making effort needed to Rescue and Restore Darfur is widely described as the largest and most complex ever undertaken by the International Community.
Why will the International Community follow through? Will they find the determination and perseverance? They will not. They will not unless we citizens en masse first follow through, find and maintain the determination and perseverance for this multi-year peace making effort.
Everything depends on the Rescue and Restore of Darfur. Almost every day I feel torn in my extreme desire to fight the war in Iraq, to eliminate nuclear weapons, to stop the mad war spending of the US, to bring humanity to Palestine.... But Darfur, as I have written before, is our key. Nowhere is there such an opportunity to begin the mobilization of Global Humanity that can then be directed to these other horrific situations. Nowhere is there the moral clarity and do ability of Darfur.
Darfur is the last, best hope to restart the engine of Humanity on planet earth. And so far, we are not rising to the opportunity. God will help us, but She will not do it for us; we must stand with our brothers and sisters in Darfur, like family, until their lives are restored.
Monday, August 20, 2007
Darfur Vigil Sudan Embassy Aug 20
In order to help out my sister Ellen and brother Thomas, the support of the Darfur Vigil thus far, I remain off-site from the Embassy until EARLY NEXT WEEK. At that time I expect to remain for many months unless and until:
- It is clear that Rescue and Restor of Darfur is assured;
- I am jailed for either of my arrests last week.
Monday, August 13, 2007
Urgent Needs
FELLOW WARRIORS
RECRUITING
MEDIA COVERAGE / SPREADING THE WORD
Funds toward New posters ($100 for printing and laminating at Kinkos each). Current posters are wearing out, accelerated when Start with the posters was hit by a car in July.
Funds toward boots to replace the pair worn out in the last 4 months of marching in front of the embassy (about $70)
Loan of Audio / EBooks (studied while marching): YOUR LIBRARY MAY HAVE THESE
A Knock at Midnight: Inspiration from the Great Sermons of Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr.
Amazon.com: A Call to Conscience: The Landmark Speeches of Dr ...
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Papers Project: Purchase our Publications
A People's History of the United States
Readings from Voices of a People's History of the United StatesAudio CD
Any and all books by Phil Berrigan.
RECRUITING
MEDIA COVERAGE / SPREADING THE WORD
Funds toward New posters ($100 for printing and laminating at Kinkos each). Current posters are wearing out, accelerated when Start with the posters was hit by a car in July.
Funds toward boots to replace the pair worn out in the last 4 months of marching in front of the embassy (about $70)
Loan of Audio / EBooks (studied while marching): YOUR LIBRARY MAY HAVE THESE
A Knock at Midnight: Inspiration from the Great Sermons of Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr.
Amazon.com: A Call to Conscience: The Landmark Speeches of Dr ...
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Papers Project: Purchase our Publications
A People's History of the United States
Readings from Voices of a People's History of the United StatesAudio CD
Any and all books by Phil Berrigan.
Saturday, August 11, 2007
DARFUR VIGIL: INTERRUPTED INDEFINITELY BY JAIL
[from a letter to an inquiring friend]
Hi beloved [friend.] Along with a 16 year old "angel" from New Haven Catholic Worker and the first genuine, non-hypocrite "Pastor / Priest" that maybe I've yet encountered (Steve Miller, and YES he's been "fired" from the church for non-hypocrisy[see today's posts]!) got out after 27 hours of jail after arrest at the White House for lying on the sidewalk still, dead, as a Nagasaki/Hiroshima victim. Photos and video of our actions this week - click here (and here for more background). Only posted so far are Pentagon (pictures like the one below) and DOE/Bechtel. White House and Archdiocese of the Military (THE MOST EVIL EVER COMBINATION OF WORDS?) will go up in the next day or so I'm sure if you check back on their site. (continued below) 
If I have met only one living saint it may be Margaret McKenna pictured below, creator of Philadelphia's New Jerusalem. I've tried for maybe 8 years to meet her, and it never worked out. Now, we've been arrested together! Meet her. All of you, each of you, meet her. Know her. Help in her work. For yourself. She defines humility. She defines peace. She defines the presence of "God." She is completely non-dogmatic, profoundly agreeing (I perceive) as I told her I believed that "Loving" is the only true religion. She is maybe the closest encounter yet I have had of God; not a lot closer encounter than you beloved sister and several others have given me; and maybe not closer than my bio-father. Margaret must be known. She must be helped. SHE MUST BE LEARNED FROM. Tell her you are my sister, my "family." I've told her of you. i think she Loves me. (more below).
Not that it bothered me personally but the DC White House Arrest I've just been released from, and specifically how "the system" treats human beings (poor, defenseless, outside the "power structure," for parking tickets and the like - chains, shackles, pens, cages, sleep deprivation, toilet paper deprivation, food deprivation, water deprivation, 27 hour whimsical life/liberty/"human rights" deprivation...), dozens of us that I personally witnessed, is possibly the greatest inhuman evil that personally I've ever touched; evil I expect I cannot walk away from.
I don't mean to alarm you, and you know by now that often, OFTEN, early in hearing one of my "callings" I get Her intention wrong and do NOT move forward, but I've also promised to be honest with you and keep you informed. I'll be writing of my experience and plans over the next few days and will post on this and the Start Loving blog. As I sit here the morning after release, I find myself "Called" to violate the conditions of my release (8 hours community service; service I'll do anyway at a place I've long wanted to serve, CCNV, but not report that service and hence the "violation") and to their surprise and anger, re-present myself with total peace and respect to the officials of the system (part of my family) for re-arrest but now acting with complete and profound non-cooperation - being a piece of limp meat - complete non-cooperation with this consummately evil system of violence to our brothers and sisters. Gandhi and others are correct in saying that, "Non-cooperation with evil is as much a duty as is cooperation with good." And, as Oscar Romero predicted, "Those committed to the poor must share the same fate as the poor."
About 15 years ago a premonition swept over me that I would be homeless. I was living in "my" $500k West Chester house that I built on Cloverly Road at the the time. TA-DA! A year or so ago I had a similar premonition, but this time that I would die, murdered by the system for non-cooperation with evil in prison.
Truly I am sorry to worry you; probably without basis. I will share more with you when it is written over the next few days.
Loving you and profoundly blessed by your love, Start
If I have met only one living saint it may be Margaret McKenna pictured below, creator of Philadelphia's New Jerusalem. I've tried for maybe 8 years to meet her, and it never worked out. Now, we've been arrested together! Meet her. All of you, each of you, meet her. Know her. Help in her work. For yourself. She defines humility. She defines peace. She defines the presence of "God." She is completely non-dogmatic, profoundly agreeing (I perceive) as I told her I believed that "Loving" is the only true religion. She is maybe the closest encounter yet I have had of God; not a lot closer encounter than you beloved sister and several others have given me; and maybe not closer than my bio-father. Margaret must be known. She must be helped. SHE MUST BE LEARNED FROM. Tell her you are my sister, my "family." I've told her of you. i think she Loves me. (more below).
Not that it bothered me personally but the DC White House Arrest I've just been released from, and specifically how "the system" treats human beings (poor, defenseless, outside the "power structure," for parking tickets and the like - chains, shackles, pens, cages, sleep deprivation, toilet paper deprivation, food deprivation, water deprivation, 27 hour whimsical life/liberty/"human rights" deprivation...), dozens of us that I personally witnessed, is possibly the greatest inhuman evil that personally I've ever touched; evil I expect I cannot walk away from.
I don't mean to alarm you, and you know by now that often, OFTEN, early in hearing one of my "callings" I get Her intention wrong and do NOT move forward, but I've also promised to be honest with you and keep you informed. I'll be writing of my experience and plans over the next few days and will post on this and the Start Loving blog. As I sit here the morning after release, I find myself "Called" to violate the conditions of my release (8 hours community service; service I'll do anyway at a place I've long wanted to serve, CCNV, but not report that service and hence the "violation") and to their surprise and anger, re-present myself with total peace and respect to the officials of the system (part of my family) for re-arrest but now acting with complete and profound non-cooperation - being a piece of limp meat - complete non-cooperation with this consummately evil system of violence to our brothers and sisters. Gandhi and others are correct in saying that, "Non-cooperation with evil is as much a duty as is cooperation with good." And, as Oscar Romero predicted, "Those committed to the poor must share the same fate as the poor."
About 15 years ago a premonition swept over me that I would be homeless. I was living in "my" $500k West Chester house that I built on Cloverly Road at the the time. TA-DA! A year or so ago I had a similar premonition, but this time that I would die, murdered by the system for non-cooperation with evil in prison.
Truly I am sorry to worry you; probably without basis. I will share more with you when it is written over the next few days.
Loving you and profoundly blessed by your love, Start
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Darfur Vigil Day #160 Sudan Embassy
I'll be away from the Embassy for most of this week turning my attention to issues of US Empire, Warring and Warming: Global war and the assault on the environment FAITH AND RESISTANCE RETREAT.
Arrested at the Pentagon yesterday, leafletting, for "Disobeying a Lawful Order" to stop. This is the 2nd time since I've been in DC that the police have attempted to hurt me. The first was in January late one night at the White House. This time it it was a huge officer that began by imagining wrongly that my acting out of conscience was somehow a personal attack on his manhood - profoundly unprofessional. Despite his roughing me up I declined to treat him as other than a brother and by the end of the 15 minutes it took to process us and load us in vans for the lockup he had been "disarmed" by brotherliness and was delicately and thoughtfully fastening our seat belts. THIS is the work - saving Hearts one at a time... until a "chain reaction" occurs. Court date October 12th. Depending on the Judge I face zero to six months. Oh well.
More later.
Arrested at the Pentagon yesterday, leafletting, for "Disobeying a Lawful Order" to stop. This is the 2nd time since I've been in DC that the police have attempted to hurt me. The first was in January late one night at the White House. This time it it was a huge officer that began by imagining wrongly that my acting out of conscience was somehow a personal attack on his manhood - profoundly unprofessional. Despite his roughing me up I declined to treat him as other than a brother and by the end of the 15 minutes it took to process us and load us in vans for the lockup he had been "disarmed" by brotherliness and was delicately and thoughtfully fastening our seat belts. THIS is the work - saving Hearts one at a time... until a "chain reaction" occurs. Court date October 12th. Depending on the Judge I face zero to six months. Oh well.
More later.
Thursday, August 2, 2007
After 4 years, Darfur progress. Hallelujah.
I envision months and months of vigil ahead here in DC marching to maintain focus on Darfur at the Embassies of France, UK, China, State Dept. and Sudan. Or, I may decide that remaining at the Sudan Embassy will best serve all. TBD.
With the news this week (below) I am elated, sober, and spent. From now until the end of next week I will work on blogs, prepare to resume the vigil, and attend the Catholic Worker Global war and the assault on the environment FAITH AND RESISTANCE RETREAT.
Hallelujah: UN Approves Darfur Peacekeeping ForceWashington Post, United States - Aug 1, 2007By EDITH M. LEDERER AP UNITED NATIONS -- The UN Security Council unanimously approved a 26000-strong peacekeeping force for Darfur on Tuesday to try to help ...Daunting task to unify Darfur rebels Washington PostSudan gives own interpretation of new Darfur force Washington PostSudan says Darfur UN force resolution "practical" Washington PostWashington Post - Washington Postall 1,477 news articles »
With the news this week (below) I am elated, sober, and spent. From now until the end of next week I will work on blogs, prepare to resume the vigil, and attend the Catholic Worker Global war and the assault on the environment FAITH AND RESISTANCE RETREAT.
Hallelujah: UN Approves Darfur Peacekeeping ForceWashington Post, United States - Aug 1, 2007By EDITH M. LEDERER AP UNITED NATIONS -- The UN Security Council unanimously approved a 26000-strong peacekeeping force for Darfur on Tuesday to try to help ...Daunting task to unify Darfur rebels Washington PostSudan gives own interpretation of new Darfur force Washington PostSudan says Darfur UN force resolution "practical" Washington PostWashington Post - Washington Postall 1,477 news articles »
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