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COP 28 Closes with a few steps forward
Two big steps were taken at the just-concluded COP: Language was created that gave some of the most impacted nations (island and coastal nations) ability to make claims to a “loss and damage fund” for climate, but they didn’t fund it. And for the first time language acknowledging the need to get off of fossil fuels was included. Without a clear path forward the claims seem shaky. But some climate activists are encouraged that these are potential tools to make demands on an industry with inordinate power over our lives and economies. Check out the UN Interpress Service reports on […]
Saturday Gaza Protest
Sat Dec 16 – 11:00-1:00 – Court House Dickson and College Omni folks, we are invited to join the protests against this terrible situation in Gaza that’s simply not acceptable. Saturday – tomorrow – please bring a poster that expresses your feelings and stand with those who call for ceasefire and an end to the bitter carnage. This situation does not help Israel. It’s time for peace.
John Rule memorial Saturday
Saturday Dec 9, 2023 – 1:00 pm – Omni Center Long-time Omni people remember John Rule as the poet on the corner of our table on the square, or reading his work at Open Mic. John passed peacefully on Oct 25. His partner of the past decade Ruth Francis, passed just one week before him. His dear wife Margaret passed in 2009. John and Margaret lived for many years in a moss-covered fairy-tale cottage in the deep Arkansas woods. There’s lots to remember about him. John’s granddaughter Sarah K. Moore and his family invite Omni friends to join them for […]
Homeless Solutions: Patching the Cracks in the broken system
Homelessness is a complex system of needs and greeds that can’t be fixed with a few patches. But that’s were we are right now. We do what we can and learn from the experience. A group of concerned Omni folks and friends are holding meetings about solutions to this very wicked problem bubbling up over our area, and a newsletter about their work will be launching in January. If you’d like to receive the Homeless Solutions Post to find out what solutions are emerging, please drop a note to omni@omnicenter.org and say “put me on the “Solutions” list. More inspiration: […]
We Must Be Relentless in Humanizing Palestinians -from Yes Magazine
The fragile ceasefire could end at any moment. Most of the world sees that the bombing campaign is not a real solution to peace in the Middle East, but some parts of the Israeli government cling to violence as the only way. The humanity of both sides is lost in the firefight. “… A decade ago, analyst Norman Solomon pointed out … how Time Magazine defined “collateral damage” as “a term meaning dead or wounded civilians who should have picked a safer neighborhood.” That descriptor can easily be applied today to Gaza, a minuscule and densely populated strip of land […]
COP 28 Opens in Dubai
The Climate Moment …. What’s happening around the world about climate? Selected moments from the collection of Reevaluation Counseling leader Russ Vernon-Jones and shared by local Omni member Dorothy Marcy With great fanfare and angst on all sides the new COP – the Conference of Parties on climate change – gather this week. The clock is ticking on the enormity of the task and the potential for real action. There is great concern that this crucial meeting will be marred because the fossil fuel industry has forced itself into a leadership role in the organization of the COPs. This years […]
World Beyond War billboard campaign
3% of military budget feeds the world Ending starvation across the globe entails redirecting a miniscule portion of an inordinate budget currently set aside to perpetuate wars worldwide. It is not a question of where the money can be found, but how it’s being used. Militarism is escalating at truly horrifying rates across the world, and millions upon millions of people are being displaced and left without reliable access to food and water. And to think, such a small amount of this spending could be used to turn the world in a course opposite to what we’re currently witnessing. Whether […]