POWER SUMMIT

2009-08-19T13:35:00.001-07:00

Here are some of the great photos of Power Summit '09 from the Tacheny album!

Making POWER Summit T-shirts!

The creation of the mural from start...........

..........to finish!!!

Good times with tasty (and beautiful!) food

Thanks to our speakers and panelists!

Participating in the weekly peace vigil to bridge Minneapolis and St. Paul at the least, among other things, on the Lake Street and Marshall bridge. (Every Wednesday, 5-6 PM, or 4-5 in the winter.)

All the colors from the trip to the Mercado Centrale

Creating the wall, then knocking it down!

Having time to reflect or create in writing.

Beautiful smiling faces to match the weather!

The ever-present Italian Peace flag (PACE)

2009-06-25T16:11:00.000-07:00

Day 3- Breaking down Barriers and Borders through our spirituality

To kick off our third day of POWER Summit, some of us took an optional field trip to the Minnesota History Center in downtown St. Paul to check out an exhibit called Open House: If These Walls Could Talk. Located in an actual reconstructed house, the exhibit tells the stories of various residents living in a house on the East Side of St. Paul during the past 100 years. Through interactive exhibits, we learned about the diverse immigrant families that called that place home through the years while getting a piece of Saint Paul history. It was fascinating to see how immigration has changed so much in the last century and to read about the unique, yet similar struggles and triumphs that each family experienced while living there. It got me thinking about all the different families that have lived in my own house, and where they came from, as well as encouraging me to think deeper about my own roots and family history.

Back at the Carondelet Center, we continued the day with a panel of speakers from four different spiritual backgrounds- Catholicism, Judaism, Islam and the Buddhist tradition. Each speaker inspired the group with their personal stories and experiences working for social change. They described how their spirituality sustains them and inspires them to continue their important work. Though all four claim very different beliefs, the same message of social justice and compassion echoed in their words. The panel helped us realize the universality of these beliefs, and it was clear that no matter what barriers and borders that we may build up between different religions, in the end we are all truly looking for peace and justice. Bree, of the Buddhist tradition inspired us all when she told us that our lives are like a crayon, when the crayon is all used up it is not gone, but rather the mark we made on the world with our crayon will live on. It is up to us to figure out what that mark is going to look like, and what difference we are going to make in the world.

Next, we got in our Learning Circles to reflect on and discuss what we heard in the panel. We learned more about each other and our personal histories as we shared our religious beliefs, experiences and struggles. We discussed the ways in which each of us are sustained by our spirituality and how that spirituality helps us break down various barriers and borders in our lives.

After a short snack break, Sister Brigid McDonald spoke about the weekly Peace Vigil on the Lake Street bridge to prepare us for our outing later that night. After listening to her stories about the peace movement, we were inspired by her energy and started making protest art right away! We carpooled over to the bridge and had a great time putting our words and ideas throughout the week into action through nonviolent protest. And in a way, we even broke down the border of St. Paul and Minneapolis! After the Peace Vigil, we headed over to St. Albert the Great Church in Minneapolis for a potluck dinner and an evening of storytelling and sharing about the Peace Vigil's ten years of resistance to war. It was a truly inspirational ending to a busy day!

After the storytelling, we all headed home to get some rest for tomorrow- the last day of POWER Summit, where we will be declaring our action steps, sharing our creative expressions and having a big celebration. I can't wait!

- Carolyn

2009-06-16T23:01:00.000-07:00

Day Two – How building community helps break down barriers and borders

Day two began with another icebreaker. We got into our learning circles and wrote down every-day barriers and borders on small boxes. We thought of things like religion, sexuality, geography, class, and language that make us feel like there are barriers or borders between ourselves and people we don’t know and understand. Using those boxes, we constructed a big wall, then each group described and acted out little things that each of us could do in our interactions with people to break down some of those barriers. Finally, we joyfully destroyed the wall!

We then heard from Salvador Miranda, Twin Cities community organizer and instrumental leader in the inception and construction of the Mercado Central, a large Hispanic market on East Lake Street. His firey words at the very least made each of us think deeply about issues such as institutional racism, the prison industrial complex, affirmative action, the war on poverty, the war on drugs, charity and advocacy work, and the polarized political “debate of values,” that he identified as central to creating a solution to social problems. He framed his message through the story of his own journey from “Chicano homie” during Reagan’s first months in office to beneficiary of affirmative action to law student to community organizer to man responsible for many amazing developments for the Twin Cities’ Latino community. His message was challenging and inspiring. His energy was something that stuck with people throughout the day and will continue to influence many of us as we take on what he would call “battles” for what we believe in.

Following Sal, we hopped on Metro Transit and traveled west and north to visit two cool locations on Lake Street: Mercado Central and the Global Market. We indulged in great food, soaked up the sights and sounds of Lake Street and shopped and enjoyed the vendors of both places.

After a filling meal, we returned to the Carondelet Center for more processing in a large group. We felt drained but inspired, confused but enthused, challenged but eager to act. From our large group we broke into our two creative expression groups. The writing group workshopped what we had created on Day one, sharing, offering comments and compliments, and loving everyone’s energies, styles, and effort. The mural group made great progress on their visual creation, adding color and significance to what was a white canvas the day before.

We finished day two ready for rest and more adventures tomorrow!

2009-06-16T22:56:00.000-07:00

Day One – A personal look at barriers and borders

We started the day off with some wonderfully awkward icebreaker activities. Faith encouraged us to greet new friends as if they were our long lost relative, then another new friend as if we really didn’t want to be here, then another as if they were telling us we had just won a million dollars. We then moved into our learning circles – small groups which whom we will spend time throughout the week processing, discussing, and reflecting.

Next, we heard from Kim Anderson. After a short introduction from her about Casa Guadalupana, the immigrant resource center which she founded and runs, we got into groups and did an empathy-building exercise around immigration. Kim gave each group a foreign board game with instructions in a language we couldn’t read. Our task was to try to figure out how to play the game while one of our group members took notes on the group process. Upon reflection on the activity in a large group, we found that each group, even though we had different games and different languages, faced similar struggles and dealt with them similarly. We all tried to relate parts of the game to other games we had played before. We all expressed feeling frustrated and that it was unfair. We didn’t even know where to begin with these children’s board games, all because of a language barrier. It helped us feel a miniscule portion of what groups of immigrants may experience when trying to come to the US.

Lunch on Monday was delicious Mexican food with a salad made of organic lettuce from our community garden.

After lunch we heard from a panel of young people. Two of them were recent immigrants from Iraq and one was the son of two Hmong immigrants. All three openly shared stories of either their immigration or the immigrations of their parents. The POWER Summit audience was struck by their struggles, from language to culture to education, and inspired by their energy and hope. Instead of being bitter after so many setbacks, the three of them work in different ways on behalf of immigrants. They were gracious and happy to answer our questions about their what they miss most of home and what their greatest hopes for their futures and the futures of other immigrants. Some spoke of missing friends and family and their hometowns. All were hopeful that immigrants will soon have an easier time, both in the immigration process itself and in terms of the cultural challenges that often face immigrants.

The rest of Monday was spent doing creative expression. Half of us spent time with Jessica Lopez Lyman and Steven Tacheny working on writing while the other half learned from Gustavo Lira, a local muralist, and began designing our own mural. Both groups will present their final creative expression projects during Thursday afternoon’s Celebration of Gratitude.

2009-04-09T15:38:00.000-07:00

Our latest development team meeting has last Tuesday! And here is a brief update!
We began the meeting with an excercise led by Jessica Lopez Lyman. One person stood on a chair while another person sat behind the chair. Both people looked out at the room and described what they could see. Jessica then shared that the chair represents institutional racism, and asked us to reflect on that. We had some great sharing about institutional power and how for those of us who are "standing on the chair," it is hard for us to recognize our unearned privilege because don't always recognize that the chair is beneath us, we just see the world and think that what we see is the same as what everyone else sees. The exercise helped some of us remember that those who are oppressed by racism are seeing the world from behind huge obstacles, in our example, a chair.
Then, we got into updates. They included:
1. updates - they are coming in! National and local
2. food - our chef at the Carondelet is willing to try to make ethnic foods, and had experience cooking authentic Mexican food. Excellent!
3. money - scholarships and discounts are indeed available, and the process in informal and easy (basically a conversation with Jill and Jennifer)
4. marketing - we have been invited to table at De LaSalle and can investigate individual contacts at public schools to move into marketing
5. We did a little schedule clarification, then moved into larger groups.
This was out last meeting before pep and prep in June! Groups are emailing final lists of needed materials and plans before then.
Remember that you can register for POWER Summit at our website: http://www.csjstpaul.org/celeste_power_summmit_schedule.aspx
See you in June!
Peace,
Esther

2009-04-09T14:24:00.000-07:00

Welcome, Spring!
The following is a brief summary of our meeting on March 3.
The environment task force talked about their planning of ice breaker activites, creation of ambience, etc.
The creative action group shared their ideas about individuals they are considering bringing in, as well as visions of what the creative action could look like, including spoken word, visual art: murals, 3-d, art for social change, graffiti artists. We will again have stencils for making POWER Summit t-shirts.
The ending celebration is now the Celebration of Gratitude! We are working on food, music, other activities that will be elements of this.
The waste free people spoke to the issue of waste free in terms of food - sustainable, local food coming from different ethnic traditions. We are looking at Mexican and Hmong ethnic dishes, since those cultures are very present in the twin cities. Again, we will be gathering lettuce from the community garden for a portion of our meals.
The people working on developing the panels shared an exciting pool of community contacts who were considering inviting to share their stories at POWER Summit. The panel members come from international and local backgrounds, are of diverse ages and education levels, and identify with different spiritual traditions.

2009-01-22T08:30:00.000-08:00

Happy Thursday!
To see our latest schedule for POWER Summit 09, just click on the "find us on facebook" link in the post below. You don't need to have a facebook account to see the group and check out the schedule. However, if you are on facebook, we'd love to have you in the group. Anyone can join!
Peace!
Esther

2009-01-15T07:30:00.000-08:00

Salutations!

On Tuesday the POWER Summit development team met at the Carondelet Center while outside temperatures continued to drop. Today, as I type this, it feels like 34 below here in Saint Paul, although the sun is shining and beautiful. It's hard to remember the heat of last summer's Summit, and we can't wait for the return of that sunny, peaceful week.
Before it arrives, though, we have much to do in preparation. At our development team meeting, we divided into working groups, including groups to focus on planning our panels, the closing block party, making the Summit waste free, environment and community building, marketing, and creative action. We also checked out our new publicity, which looks great and uses our new theme of Breaking Down Barriers and Borders: From Cliques to Global Conflicts, Learn Practical Peacemaking Skills.
Check back soon for a posted schedule, and don't forget to find us on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=44264158365&ref=ts
Peace,
Esther

2008-09-25T12:34:00.001-07:00

Hello!
Many of you will soon be receiving or have already received a fabulous POWER Summit newsletter via email. If you didn't get one in your inbox and would like to start, or got one and wish you had not, send me an email at ebmoss@stkate.edu and let me know what's up.

Along with the newsletter updates, we want to keep you aware of various events happening in the CSJ community. You'll notice that many of these events have to do with the upcoming election. I can think of no better way to be an active peacemaker than to infrom your vote and encourage others to do so as well. These CSJ happenings are a great way to get started.

Also, I know many of you are getting involved in Get Out the Vote or other such organizations in your local communities. Tell us about it! You can use this blog or the facebook page to update the POWER Summit peace community about your own peace/election related goings on.
Here are the promised event updates:

Eco-Spirit ritual focusing on the element of water, Sunday, September 28, 4 p.m., Carondelet Center. All are invited to attend this family-friendly gathering centered on creation, compassion, and healing. After the ritual, we’ll move outside (rain site: Ad Center) to share a potluck meal together. [This ritual is an evolving gathering of people who are seeking a spiritual community to gather with on a monthly basis. The ritual will be shaped by the universe story/creation as sacred text revealing the divine and calling us to deep communion with earth and each other. We plan to incorporate the arts, movement, and great music. It will draw upon the world's wisdom traditions of indigenous as well as from the main religions of Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. It is a recognition of ancient sacred energy … that the Spirit has been moving long before human history but also in and through the very beginnings of human's understanding of the holy on up through today.]

The State of Minnesota and our Legislative Response to Climate Change, Tuesday, September 30th, 6:30-8:30 p.m. , Carondelet Center. Featuring Senator Ellen Anderson, along with J. Drake Hamilton and Sheila Bayle of Fresh Energy. Voter Registration with Legislative Advocacy Partners. Co-sponsored by the CSJ EarthPartners & Legislative Advocacy Partners.

Non-Partisan G et Out The Vote Rally, Monday, October 6, 7-9 p.m., Carondelet Center. Secretary of State Mark Ritchie as keynote speaker.

Election 2008: The Voting Challenge – Thursday, October 9, 7-8:30 p.m., Carondelet Center. This is a follow-up to the Convention for the Common G ood presented by G ina Webb, Joänne Tromiczak-Neid, Mary Ellen Foster, Joan Spence Wittman, Ann Redmond, and CSC students Rachel Toenjes and Holly Larson who attended the convention providing an opportunity to examine the tools to help us make an informed decision based on Catholic Social Teaching and to clarify our own thinking and raise questions.

Non-Partisan G et Out the Vote (NP G OTV) – NP G OTV has information available at the CSJ Ad Center and Carondelet Center, including voter registration materials, NETWORK presidential candidate position sheet, absentee ballot application forms, voter registration forms, and pins and bumper stickers (free through the Minnesota Council of Non-Profits).

Visiting Women's Communities of Faith – Saturday, September 27, 9 a.m.-7 p.m.

Visit Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, Benedictine Sisters, Franciscan Poor Clares, and Sisters of St. Joseph all in one day! Explore with a group of women, 20-40 years of age, who are also seeking. See where the Sisters live and pray. Enjoy a day of learning, praying, and talking with us. Limited to 12. Contact Jill Underdahl, junderdahl@csjstpaul.org , 651-696-2873 to register or for more information.

High school students! Youth Venture Minnesota wants you to know about a high school workshop they are piloting called the Dream It. Do It. Challenge . It will take place over a series of Saturdays starting in October and will be held at a recreation room at Green Central Gym Park at 3400 4 ^th Ave. south Minneapolis . The workshop is free to all participants and will include: A weekend retreat in the Minnesota woods (at a YMCA camp with a ropes course), many hands on activities, more opportunity for youth peer-to-peer interaction, and up to $1000 in seed funding for every community Venture that launches as a result of participation in the Challenge. For more information, contact Jess Kraft at jkraft@youthventure.org at 612.455.2007.

Peace,

Esther

2008-07-18T10:26:00.001-07:00

Hey people,
Like the pictures? Want more? If there is something you're not seeing posted here but think we might have a photo of from POWER Summit (we probably do), post a comment or email us at celeste@csjstpaul.org.
Enjoy the sun!
Peace,
Esther

2008-07-18T08:49:00.000-07:00

Day three!

Dot Maver, President and CEO of Peace Partnership International, was ou keynote speaker this year.

We brought t-shirts from home and stenciled them with the POWER Summit logo. Tweet and Anna, two St. Joseph workers, helped us with this project. The T-shirts looked awesome and it was an excellent earth-friendly alternative to buying new shirts.

From left to right, Tish and Desdamona, two spoken word artists who performed, participated, and helped out with creative expression during POWER Summit. We loved having them around. Posted earlier on the blog is one of the spoken word pieces that Desdamona performed for us.

2008-07-18T08:33:00.000-07:00

Pictures from day two of POWER Summit

2008-07-14T19:53:00.000-07:00

Hello again, everyone.
Here are some action steps that summitters developed on Thursday, our last day together. To all of you who created an action step, we hope you are continuing to be conscious of it. To those of you who weren't around for this or any other part of the summit, feel free to be inspired by and awestruck at the earth-changing ideas of this year's POWER Summit participants!

POWER Summit 2008 Action Steps

· Plant trees

· Start a chapter of the Student Peace Alliance and make a commitment to diversity in the group

· Get my school to start composting waste

· Raise money to help my school get solar panels

· Communicate non-violently with people in conflict situations

· Use ‘I statements’ to help me to think before I talk, to not just react to situations

· Commit to walk and bike more

· Take time every day to reflect, to find my own peace: write poetry, journal, create art

· Create a memorial for the child victims of the Iraqi war

· Seek out and talk more with war veterans, offer my support for what is a hard experience

· Get involved in this election: voter registration, working for a campaign

· Become more aware of current affairs

· Actively share compassion and non-judgment, about myself and others

· Start a ‘water project’ at our school: eliminate bottled water, sell Nalgene bottles

· Start a group at my school that mirrors the bridge protesters: meet once a week and plan/do an action for the earth, for peace, for clean water

· Attend a trip to the School of the Americas

· Carpool to donate blood

· Start a movie night and show movies with meaning

· Start a weekly, planned demonstration in our town, like the St. Paul bridge protest

· Develop art workshops that create community and deal with the issues of other teens

We had an awesome week learning from our keynote speaker, Dot Maver, our other presenters from groups like Wellstone Action, Friends for a Nonviolent World, and Youth Venture, and our community panel of local peace makers. We were challenged, motivated, and encouraged by the people we met, who ranged from high schoolers to recent college graduates and beyond. We ate delicious organic, local, and sustainably raised food all week long and enjoyed just hanging out with a large group of people all thinking about Peace: The New Energy. Keep checking back here and on the Facebook group page for more updates and info about getting ready for next year!

Peace,
Esther

2008-07-13T17:36:00.000-07:00

Hello!
Hope all your summers are going swimmingly and that you are carrrying with you the energy we created at POWER Summit this year.
Here are more link:

Interface Carpets:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUG4JXE6K4A

Global Call to Action:
http://www.globalcalltoaction.org/

Yes!'s website:
http://www.yesworld.org/

More about Yes!:
http://www.actionfornature.org/amaze-yes.html

Youtube clip about the film China Blue:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0yfNOkBClI

Peace,
Esther

2008-06-26T11:00:00.000-07:00

Pictures from day one of POWER Summit '08! Here are some summiters harvesting lettuce from the Celeste's Dream communtiy garden right behind the Carondelet center before we began our day. We harvested every morning and then ate the lettuce in our salad at lunch. Organic, of course, and as local as it gets!

2008-06-25T14:32:00.000-07:00

Greetings!
Colleen here... so I feel terrible... Esther started writing to you all about what we learned today and I accidently deleted it!!! She and I will put our heads together to make sure that we recap to the best of our ability what went down today.

First of all.... Starting with Dot's morning presentation we learned that we must change our attidudes before our actions can change. I think this is key because our mentality is linked directly to our actions. For example... If you think that running is the greatest form of exercise, chances are you're a runner!

Secondly, another thing that stuck out to a lot of folks was the metaphor of the sunflowers by Thich. The abbreviated version of the story is: "In France we don't see sunflowers, but that doesn't mean they don't exist. So a group of farmers decided to plant sunflower seeds and are waiting for them to grow. The problem is they don't have any rain or sunshine or the month of July, but the fact that those seeds are in the ground means that they DO EXIST. They just need the right conditions."

Dot used this story to show that there are lots of business who are transitioning from wasteful practices to more sustainable and eco-friendly practices. For example Ray Anderson from Interface Carpets who was inspired to change his ways simply be reading a book!

Another thing that stuck out to us is the belief that change is the result of many simple steps that were taken consistently.

So we're off to the Peace Bridge so we'll write more later!!

Peace,

Esther and Colleen

2008-06-25T14:17:00.001-07:00

Greetings!
This is Esther adding to a newly recovered post from yesterday. Just a little add-on to what we blogged yesterday.

Yesterday was our last day with Dot Maver, our guest speaker. She opened her presentation with a little Black Eyed Peas asking us "Where is the Love?"

Dot built on Tuesday's call to engage in creating a culture of peace. She took that invitation one step further by presenting us with real life examples of successful organizations, businesses, and foundations that have reformed the bottom line. Instead of profit being the all important deciding factor, Dot showed us how people's minds are shifting to worry about the planet and the people in addition to making a profit. Then, she asked us to cultivate our own structures that create peace in the real world.

Jack Davis, a POWER Summitter, reminded us that instead of trying to change peoples minds to make them believe that sustainability is a good thing, we can show them by making it a profitable thing. He suggested using techniques like government subsidies and also said that he hopes there will come a time when we won't need things like subsidies to encourage businesses to operate sustainably; it will just be the way things are done.

Kathleen Otto, another Summitter, talked about her group's idea of an educational system that includes peace and social justice instruction from the beginning.

As you can see, the week so far has been super full of great ideas, both from the presenters and from the participants. So much energy and hope!

Just a note, those of us who protested Guantanamo Bay and war in general on the Lake street bridge yesterday had a great time. Some hopped into orange jumpsuits and we all carried signs. The energy was exciting and it felt good to take what we had been talking about all week and put it into action.

Peace,
Esther

2008-06-25T13:16:00.000-07:00

Hello again,
These links accompany the activity we did yesterday with Tommy and the string and the conversation we had about how we can "vote" with our dollars.
Need help figuring out what to vote for? Check these out:

www.organicconsumers.org

www.sweatshopwatch.org

www.coopamerica.org

www.fairtrade.org

Peace,
Esther

2008-06-25T13:14:00.000-07:00

POWER SUMMIT POEM – created during the first meeting when evenyone was asked how they experienced peace.
Authored by the Power Summit People!!! Typed and gathered by Desdamona

Shine (reflect) / Shine (reflect) / Shine (reflect)

A Ribbon of moonlight across the water
Find the music and give it to the people
A downpour of community and connection
So glad

When I think of peace I think of hip-hop
And the balance it has brought to my life
I think of the nighttime - midnight
The most peaceful time
The slight flickering of light from the candle
The spark of nature in the labor of spring
A newborn baby
The baptism ritual born from the morning light
The remembrance of some heavenly caress
With all the hope of the world in it’s tiny hands
I think of the mountaintops, capped with snow
And the snow melting to sift to the lake below
Water circling all around me

Make a circle in the air with your finger
Now pull back the old skin
And no longer think of your self as one of many
But instead think of one being, one breath

1 song and 1 community

Peace is held in the reluctance of youth who are waiting to take control of their own lives
On the edge of the volcano, watching the world transform before their eyes

We are building an invisible building
Stronger than any structure built by man

Think of the innocence of a child who has never known anything other than peace
Think of the learning circle, the constant revolution of our ideas through the universe
Like the circulation of blood through the body

Moonlight reflections of sunlight from the other side of the world
A feather dangling on the edges of the air
Everything is aligned – we all just took a dip in the pool of peace and NOW
Everything is wet with the experience

Shine (reflect) / Shine (reflect) / Shine (reflect)

The resurrection of a flower after the deep-freeze of winter
An Earthling sapling waiting take root on the burned forest floor
The melody of one voice harmonizing with the song of the ground beneath our feet

What does the world look like without war?

What does the world look like with the presence of peace?

Resources, renew, depleted energies
Toxins release
Inhale the possibilities
Exhale the action behind the idea
Inhale inspiration
Exhale gratification
Inhale the smell of apple trees in bloom and fog hanging across the mountains
Exhale this…slow…process…of change

Are there any questions?

Any stories to tell?

If you don’t tell your story who do you think is going to tell it?

When you remain silent you become invisible.

Are you invisible?

When did you first become aware that injustice existed in the world?

When did you first taste the bitterness of hopelessness?

Did you spit it out? Or hold it in your mouth?

What is “Action Step One”? ------Create Peace

This is a call to action

Shine (reflect) / Shine (reflect) / Shine (reflect)

2008-06-25T11:06:00.000-07:00

Hola, Summiters!
Here are some links from Dot's presentation today:

Ryan's Well Foundation page:
http://www.ryanswell.ca/

Info about Cradle to Cradle, the book Dot mentioned that is produced sustainable and very recyclable:
http://www.mcdonough.com/cradle_to_cradle.htm

George Carlin!:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/24/arts/24carlin.html?ex=1229832000&en=1f672e3af00a503d&ei=5087&excamp=GGGNgeorgecarlindies&WT.srch=1&WT.mc_ev=click&WT.mc_id=GN-S-E-GG-NA-S-george_carlin_dies

Dearborn Ford plant greenroof info:
http://www.greenroofs.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=290&Itemid=50

China Blue, the independent film about unfair blue jean-producing labor in China:
http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/chinablue/

2008-06-25T07:04:00.000-07:00

Refracted Light
Written by: Desdamona
Wonder when the light might ride back

To guide the way for we

Come shine

Bring the light

A child of the elements of speech

Poems placed on my palate

Produced from pure belief

That all these seen should ultimately be free

We have to really get righteous

So we really see

That we are the unfulfilled dream Of history

This ain't an accident or coincidence

Not mere proof of my natural talent

Didn't just walk into this feelin the vibe

The verbs I scribe are the reason I'm alive

You can find me on pages before my form existed

My grandmother wrote me down

And through my parents I got lifted

Turned into a picture Father mother to child Birth descendent ascended branches of this evergreen

Planted and placed the spirits breathe through me

I have no superstars shooting through my rhymes

But I'm bright from the light in my parents' eyes

These are the stories told through my grandmother's dreams

Recollections of peace sewed by my mother's seams

I'm fast and freed by my sister's children

They be bouncin off the walls

And ricochetin to the ceiling

I am the pure proof of my father's teachings

The essence of my mother's capacity

And the strength of her heart reaching

Past the history at my grandfather's fingertips

Past his poem prayers

And his one forgotten wish

The accumulation of shame and submission

To rid my future of these disease is my life mission

To make decisions

For seven generations past my flesh

To realize and be wise to the life beyond my death

We are the mesh that these next children will be sifted through

So it's our responsibility to give them something to hold on to

This is the poem that I performed a portion of was at the opening of power summit on Monday. Peace, desdamona

2008-06-24T14:10:00.000-07:00

Here are some links from today:

Article nine from Japan's constitution that Dot referenced in her talk today:
http://www.solon.org/Constitutions/Japan/English/english-Constitution.html
(just scroll down a bit to article nine in chapter two)

The trailer for the Singing Revolution:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DA9PmZo-2jo

The Tariq Kamisa Foundaiton PSA:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5398886663965029147&q=tariq+khamisa+psa&ei=xGRhSO3JNKDk4ALYi-HEAg&hl=en

Student Peace Alliance:
www.studentpeacealliance.org

2008-06-24T13:58:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone!
We are well into our second day of POWER Summit and Colleen and I wanted to share with you some of what we talked and learned about so far today.
Dot spoke with us today inviting us to become a culture of peace. In order to do this, she reminded that we need to be feeding the fire of peace instead of the fire of violence, which, as we all know, is raging in the universe today. She names us as design architects in this culture of peace.
She also talked about the difference between diplomacy and dialogue. For instance, diplomacy being done solely in the interest of one and acting from that singular interest, whereas dialogue involves real communication where we find out and keep in mind the needs of all involved.
She asked "What is the vaccine for violence?" She pointed out that in the US, our first reaction to violence is to try to cut it out (putting people in prison). Versus trying to prevent violence by changing the systems that support violence.
She introduced us to the idea of an iceberg of violence, that is, what we see (violent acts, words) is just the tip of the iceberg; a small part of something much bigger and well established. Immediate violence is supported by structural violence (social, economic, and political violence) and cultural violence (social norms and values).
Peace,
Colleen and Esther

2008-06-24T06:50:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone!
Here is the wombat link from Dot's presentation yesterday.
http://bumpercars.com/wombat/wombat.swf
To learn more about the mala beads that Dot gave us yesterday to help us meditate, check out this site:
http://www.healthandyoga.com/html/product/malabeads.html

Yesterday we learned from Dot's presentation that in order for peace to exist between us we need to have peace within ourselves. So ask yourself this: "When/where are we at war with ourself?"

How can we resolve conflict within ourself so that we can spread peace out into the world?

That's all for now! Stay tuned for more!

-Esther and Colleen

2008-06-14T14:25:00.001-07:00

Hello, all.
Our keynote speaker, Dorothy J. Maver, PhD recommends the following websites:

h ttp://peacejam.org/gcaconference/

http://www.yesworld.org /

http://www.unoy.org /

http://www.kidsforpeaceusa.org /

http://www.thepeacealliance.org/content/section/17/187/

http://www.actionfornature.org/amaze-yes.html

http://www.ryanswell.ca/difference/waystogive.html

http://brothersjudd.tempwebpage.com/news/news060114gangs-peace.dwt

http://www.kimmieweeks.com/index.php

http://www.earthfuture.com/economy/

www.worldbusiness.org

http://tpu.transcend.org /

www.mfp-dop.org

Check them out and enjoy!

2008-06-11T17:24:00.000-07:00

Hello, all,
Summer is finally underway and POWER Summit is happening in only TWELVE DAYS. We have been planning and preparing for out time together on June 23 through the 26. Excitement is building as we get ready to celebrate and cultivate peace as the new energy.
One goal of ours is to have a waste free summit, so get ready for reusable napkins, cups and utensils as well as organic and sustainably produced meals.
This year's summit will be full of music, spoken and written words, visual art and movement, all expressing and deepening our relationships with peace in our lives.
POWER Summit promises to instill hope, inspiration and action among all of you attending as well as everyone welcoming our energy into the universe.
We are eager to welcome you to our summit!
Peace,
The POWER Summit development team

2007-11-01T13:32:00.000-07:00

Last Wednesday, the 24th of October, the 2008 POWER Summit planning committee met for the second time this year. The meeting was full of ideas and insight, and those who attended felt the energy that is already building for this year's POWER Summit.
After a large group discussion that included a push to add art for social change as a separate value, we separated into smaller groups and discussed possible focuses both for the sustainability and the global citizenship concentrations of POWER Summit. We compared the pros and cons of utilizing separate topics, combining topics, and relating distinct topics to each other through two separate days. Each group contributed plenty of interesting topics, and some common themes began to emerge.
In large group, we discussed the importance of certain topics to the target POWER Summit audience, especially regarding voting for the first time, including issues like immigration and war.
Building on the group's responses, a theme of peace as the new energy emerged.
The content we produced included a commitment for POWER Summit to address peace in the three capacities of spirituality/art, global citizenship, and sustainability. This includes examining peace and conflict within our own lives, taking a look at the world's economy without war, especially in regards to the UN Charter, and exploring the environment of a war-free planet.
We also aimed to conduct a waste-free POWER Summit, and Megan got us started on this value with a compostable container to get most of our waste (including the pizza boxes!) into the compost.
The meeting gave us much to think about, as well as great momentum as we make POWER Summit of 2008 a reality.
We look forward to seeing everyone back for the next planning meeting to continue the progress we made. Mark January 9th on your calendars and plan to attend!

2007-08-14T07:48:00.000-07:00

Dear POWER Summit Participants and Leaders,

Please mark your calendars and join us on Wednesday, August 15, 2007, 6-7:30pm for the POWER Summit Reunion. We will meet at the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet Administration Building, 1890 Randolph Ave (Just across the parking lot and north of Carondelet Center).

We will provide dinner and video and photos of POWER Summit. It will be an opportunity to check in with project ideas and post-summit thoughts. We will also gather a few ideas for Summit 08.

Please let Jennifer know if you plan on attending so that I can plan for food.

FYI – POWER Summit 2008 planning dates (for those of you interested in being on the development team):
Wed. Oct. 24 6-8pm
Wed. Jan 9 6-8pm
Wed. March 12 6-8pm
Wed Apr. 16 6-8pm
Wed. June 11 6-8pm – Pep and Prep
Sun. June 22 5-8pm – Set-up
June 23-26 POWER Summit 2008

Peace,
Jennifer and Jill

2007-07-09T08:13:00.000-07:00

POWER Summit this year was a blast with a focus on Sustainability and Global Citizenship. We ate great lunches, many items from local farmers and heard some inspiring speakers. Check out some pictures!

Check back soon for more updates and pictures!

2006-12-21T08:43:00.001-08:00

We are well on our way to planning the next POWER Summit! Meeting dates/times are as follows:

Wed. Jan 3 7-8:30pm - Global Citizenship Group, Ad Center
Wed. Jan 24 6:30-8:30 - Sustainability Group, Ad Center
Thurs. Feb 22 6:30-8:30 – Integration of Sustainability and Global Citizenship, Ad Center
Wed. March 14 6:30-8:30 – All Groups meet for check in, pulling things together and t-shirts, Ad Center
Thurs. June 14 6:30-8:30 – All Groups meet for Prep & Pep and distribute folders, Ad Center

And here is the preliminary schedule:
POWER Summit June 25-28, 2007 10am-4:30pm

Day 1

10:00-11:30 AM Opening Ceremony & Getting to Know the Group
11:30 AM Overview of Week
12:00-12:45 Lunch
1:00-2:00 PM Global Citizenship Activity/Lesson
2:15-3:30 Keynote: Deep Shika, College of St. Catherine
3:30-4:00 Process/Reflection
4:00-4:30 Production Team/Arts

Day 2 (Sustainability) and 3 (Integration of Sustainability and Global Citizenship)

10:00-10:30 AM Intro for the day
10:30-12:00 Keynote
12:00-12:45 Lunch
1:00-3:15 PM Lesson and activities
3:30-4:00 Process/Reflection
4:00-4:30 Production Team/Arts

Day 4 (Action Steps and Community Organizing)

10:00-10:30 AM Intro for the day
10:30-12:00 Action Steps: Community Organizing
12:00-12:45 Lunch
1:00-2:30 PM Planning our Course of Action
2:30-3:30 Production Team/Arts
3:30-4:30 Closing Ceremony/Ice Cream Social

Can't wait to see you there!

2006-12-21T07:19:00.000-08:00

While many of these activities are over, the work to be done on them is far from over. Check out the articles and read up to get ready for POWER Summit 2007!

If you have not gotten involved with a group to help plan POWER Summit, contact Jill and she will get you connected with a group!

Peace,
Megan
St. Joseph Worker

There are a number of events and actions upcoming to which we can offer our POWER!

Fresh Energy’s Global Warming Action for September 2006 urges us to contact our congressional representatives to proposed bills on global warming. Go to http://www.fresh-energy.org/involved/campaign_gwbills.htm to learn more and see sample letter you can send to your representatives.

Tuesday, September 19, Brigid McDonald, CSJ, was featured in Doug Grow’s column in Star Tribune. Read more by clicking on… http://www.csjstpaul.org/content.asp?id=2473 “Fasting and Praying for Peace: This Week on the Lake Street Bridge” A group of people committed to peace fasted and held vigil at Lake Street Bridge Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday this week to bring awareness to UN International Day of Peace, September 21, learn more at http://internationaldayofpeace.org

For Peace and Justice Stop the Merchants of Death: Justice RallyConcert and Rally will begin and end with A.I.M.'s Vernon Bellecourt and Indian Drumming. Also invited: Utah Phillips (singer/songwriter), Winona LaDuke (former Vice-Presidential Candidate), Paul Krassner (Yippie co-founder, "Father of Satire"), Medea Benjamin (Global Exchange, Code Pink), Frida Berrigan (World Policy Institute, WRL), Sister Rita Steinhagen (SOA Watch), Marv Davidov (Freedom Rider, co-founder Honeywell Project), Prince Myshkins (Madison, WI, satirical group), Tom Bottolene and Pepperwolf (AlliantACTION and SOAW), Jack Nelson Pallmeyer (author, MN Congressional Candidate), Joanne Sheehan (War Resisters International).

Sunday Evening, October 1st - 7 PMCollege of St. Catherine, O'Shaughnessy Auditorium2004 Randolph Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55105 Additional info tel: 612 874 7715Cost: $12, $10/student, payable at door. Funds will support organizations working against the production of nuclear weapons, conventional weapons, and depleted uranium.

Next meeting for planning POWER Summit 2007 Wednesday, October 25 7:00 PM. CSJ Administration Center 1884 Randolph Avenue St. Paul, MN 55105

2006-08-24T10:17:00.000-07:00

"GO GREEN WHEN YOU GO TO THE FAIR"
There's a good article in the Aug. 23rd Star and Tribune Home and Garden section entitled: "Go green when you go to the fair." Essentially, it details a new exhibit at the fair called the Eco Experience which is in the progress Center Building. The exhibit "explains how environmentally friendly practices and choices can keep our water and air clean and preserve natural resources" (Star and aTribune). There will be an "eco-home" on display and Arctic explorer, Will Steger will present on global climate change on Wednesday, Aug. 30th at 2pm. If you're planning on going to the fair, check out this exhibit!!!

2006-08-21T11:37:00.000-07:00

Hey Summitters! Remember J. Drake Hamilton from Fresh Energy (she talked about alternative energy sources)? She will be coming to talk about Global Climate Change: How It Affects Minnesotans and What We Can Do About It on Friday, September 8 at the Carondelet Center at 6:30pm. It will be very interactive with discussion leading to action! Please join us for this great event! Bring your families so they can hear the info as well!

PS Here are some more pictures!

2006-08-18T07:35:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the pictures from Power Summit. More to come...

2006-08-14T13:42:00.000-07:00

Yay! More opportunities!
1. The Nonviolent Peace Force is hosting a Youth conference coming up soon! The Sword that Heals is being held August 18-20, 2006 at Anathoth Community Farm in Luck, Wisconsin (a little over an hour from St. Paul). The conference is for young people 16 years and older and the cost is only $35. Contact Maya Main at mhmain@csbsju.edu with questions. Reply to this message if you want an application!

2. Also on Friday, Aug. 18, 2006 is a benefit concert for the people of El Salvador featuring lots of local bands and fun! Join us for an evening of wonderful music for a great cause!
Plan de Trabajo: A Night for the Tamarindo Foundation
Friday August 18, 2006
7:00pm-9:30pm
Cretin-Derham Hall High School
$4 at the door

Artists include:
Bob Galligan
Tony Molek
and others!

The Tamarindo Foundation works to break the cycles of violence and
poverty that trap so many of the youth in El Salvador. Using sports, faith, and education, the Foundation works with the youth of Guarjila, El Salvador, to create an environment where youth not only survive but thrive. (This is the organization Becky Chabot works with!)

Much peace to you all!
Megan Kuhl
St. Joseph Worker

P.S. Pictures from Power Summit 2006 will be posted very soon!!

2006-07-20T09:45:00.000-07:00

Opportunities:
1. The Sisters of St. Joseph and Consociates of St. Stephens Parish in Minneapolis are hosting a brunch this Sunday, July 23 from 10:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. to benefit the NONVIOLENT PEACEFORCE. It will be held in the basement of the church. The sliding scale donation is $5.00 - $25:00. All are welcome.
St Stephens Catholic Church
(612) 874-0311
2211 Clinton Ave
Minneapolis, MN 55404

2. Fresh Energy (Remember J. Drake Hamilton from the Summit?) is organizing a media training for students and community members on effectively communicating renewable energy messages with the media. This training will be held Saturday, July 29th in Mankato. Please let us know if you are interested in attending this by emailing Jill at junderdahl@csjstpaul.org. See invite below.

3. Lastly, please let us know if you plan on attending the reunion/looking ahead gathering on Aug. 17th 5-7pm by emailing Jennifer at jtacheny@csjstpaul.org.

Peace, Jennifer

Is your voice being heard by the media on
21st Century Energy Policy?

Become a 21st century Messenger for Renewable Energy!

Minnesota Media Messengers

Media Training

Saturday, July 29th
10:00 AM- 3:00 PM

Blue Earth County Library
100 East Main Street
Mankato, MN 56001

Join other community members and students from around the state to learn how to effectively communicate your message on renewable energy to the media.

At this one day media training, learn about renewable energy framing, what the media is looking for with energy stories, receive hands on video training and interview techniques, and discover the many resources available to you as a media messenger to Fresh Energy.

To RSVP or with questions, email Holly Lahd at media@fresh-energy.org or 651-726-7576.

About the Fresh Energy Media Center:

For over a decade, Fresh Energy has been doing groundbreaking work in
the media to push for an energy system that supports the health of our
economies, our people, and our environment while moving us toward energy
independence.

For more information about Fresh Energy, check out www.fresh-energy.org

For a map to the library, click here.

Lunch will be provided; carpooling from the metro area will be arranged.

Note: Space is limited, so RSVP today!

Fresh Energy, formerly Minnesotans for an Energy-Efficient Economy, catalyzes state and regional policy and regulation that will stimulate the technological advancements necessary for an energy system that sustains our economy, our people, and our planet.

2006-07-19T12:50:00.000-07:00

Below is a posting from POWER Summit participant, Patrice Bushinski.
Sorry this is posted so late.

The Global Sale Is Here! Spread the Word!
WARNING: Only for people who care about making a positive difference in the world.

Please come to enjoy some lemonade and baked goodies. If you do not like lemonade, we will have water too! there will also be over 30 gently-used exercise videos for sale along with clothes and other thrift sale items.

So, What’s the sale for?????
All money earned will go to a charity of unanimous choice*. To make a change, you need a community of people that care. Please join us in the fight against world hunger, genocide and poverty. There will be plenty of interesting facts and millennium development goal (MDG) bracelets.

Who: Patrice and friends --EMAIL:Vanillacupcake04@aim.com
When: Wednesday July 12th; Friday July 14th; Tuesday July 18th; Friday July 21st (8:00 am-5:00 pm)
Where: the corner of White Bear Avenue and York Avenue in St. Paul

Prices: (subject to change)
• Lemonade—$0.50
• Cookie—$2.00
• Brownie/Bar—$2.50 or $3.00
• Water—$0.10
• Exercise video—about $5.00
• And much more!

2006-07-05T19:28:00.000-07:00

Photo

2006-07-05T09:50:00.000-07:00

Greetings all POWER Summit folks!

We are so delighted by the success of our first POWER Summit! Thank you to all the participants, volunteers and staff for making the week so meaningful, challenging and impacting. Here are a few photos from the week. I will attach Deep Shikha's lecture notes and statistics as soon as I receive them from her. We will also post a few reunion/looking ahead dates soon. Until then, feel free to post comments, challenges or ideas you've had since the summit ended.

Peace,
Jennifer and Jill