OMNI NEWSLETTER: EVENTS, ACTIONS, COMMENT
MARCH 7 2005


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OMNI CENTER FOR PEACE, JUSTICE, AND ECOLOGY
Corner of Maple and Storer in Fayetteville in Presbyterian and Disciples Student Center

OMNI contact, Dick Bennett, jbennet@uark.edu (479) 442-4600 (website: www.omnicenter.org)

Changing Society for a Culture of Peace. Peace is not merely the absence of war, but is the replacement of the War System by peace and justice.U. S. Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121.



MARCH 7, MONDAY, PATRIOT ACT COMMITTEE, OMNI 7PM

Please join the committee; we need your ideas and influence.



MARCH 8, TUESDAY, INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY

OMNI/UNITED CAMPUS MINISTRIES MAIN CHAPEL, 7PM

A celebration of remarkable women who have advanced world peace, social justice, and the environment. Master of Ceremonies: Rev. Libby Lizarraga. Introduction: Melanie Dietzel. Speakers: DeLani Bartlette on Margaret Sanger (founder of Planned Parenthood); Jo Bennett\ Marion Orton (Fayetteville activist extraordinaire; Candice Houston-Sizemore\ Joan Baez (folk singer world peacemaker); Fran Alexander\ Mary Burks (founder of first national wilderness east of the Mississippi); Karen Faupel\ Melissa Terry (environmentalist, Audubon executive) and Wangari Matthai (Nobel Peace Prize 2004 from Kenya, www.greenbelt.org); Marion Orton\ Carrie Chapman Catt (suffragette and founder of the League of Women’s Voters).

Contact Melanie Dietzel if you wish to help prepare IW’sD 2006.

MARCH 10, THURSDAY, 2 TO 4, AT OMNI, WAMM VISITORS

Members of Women Against Military Madness from Minneapolis will visit us Thurs. afternoon. Please come to give them welcome and participate in a discussion peace and justice.



MARCH 13, SUNDAY, VIDEO UNDERGROUND, OMNI 7PM

Unconstitutional:
The War on Our Civil Liberties



Following the Patriot Act's history, the film highlights the many draconian ways that the law invites infringement of the very civil liberties that set the United States apart from other nations. The film views the Patriot Act as a runaway train: unexpected, terrifying, and completely out of control. In between personal testimonies, legal explanations, and evidence of the act's misapplication, the film packs a large amount of information into one hour, leaving at least this viewer dizzy from the intensity.





MARCH 15, TUESDAY, NUCLEAR NATIONS FORUM, at OMNI 7PM

The panelists, from the nuclear nations, will discuss nuclear proliferation and remedies. U. S. (Prof. Hobson), India (Surendra Sing), Pakistan (Altaf A. Abro), and others. Name the 5 greatest threats to our world, and nuclear war would be in the list. Yet the our government and our citizenry are silent. This panel speaks especially to our congressional representatives. Come to get informed and to add your opinion.



MARCH 17, THURSDAY, OMNI STEERING COMMITTEE, 5:30 Potluck, 6:00 Business

All welcome. We seek your advice and practical assistance.



MARCH 20, SUNDAY, REMEMBERING THE INVASION

Contact Melanie Dietzel.



WEST FORK PROTEST AGAINST CORPORATE DUMP

Go to: www.westforkisnodump.com



SEND LETTERS TO CONGRESS

Make Your Voice Heard. Enroll in http://www.ProgressiveSecretary.Org From Coralie



FSTV

Example of excellent programs last week: Enviro Close-up moderated by environment hero Karl Grossman, interviewing brilliant John DeGraaf of Take Back Your Time Day, www.globalworkingfamilies.org, film on Affluenza, and related work.



OMNI’S AWARDS FOR OUTSTANDING ARKANSAS PEACE AND JUSTICE HEROES

Have you contacted your acquaintances around Arkansas to ask them for nominations? Contact Gladys Tiffany.



CHRISTIANITY AND THE ENVIRONMENT

“Dick, the following link is interesting in that it ties evangelical Christianity to the environmental effort in a way that many Christians appear to be missing in their usual training. It might be something of value on Omni's Web site and in the bibliography. http://www.creationcare.org/ Please visit the Evangelical Declaration on the Care of Creation, which is linked in light blue on the site: http://www.creationcare.org/resources/declaration.php “( from Aubrey Shepherd)

BASIC PRO-LIFE PRINCIPLES?
”If there were a truly pro-life movement--a world-wide spiritual/ecological/peace movement--what do you think
of the following as the 20 basic principles? I'd appreciate feedback on their universality and as being most basic. which would you delete or change; what needs clarification; what would you add? Put these in order of importance. Send your own list...I'd really appreciate any feedback you can give.”
--Coralie livanlern2002@yahoo.com

*I VOW TO BECOME [MORE] ENLIGHTENED IN ORDER TO SAVE ALL SENTIENT BEINGS. [Bodhisattva Vow] *REVERENCE FOR LIFE *RESPECT FOR CULTURES *GOLDEN RULE [in one of its many forms]
*PEACE *NOAH PRINCIPLE (human stewardship not exploitation of nature) *UNITY IN DIVERSITY *SHARE WORLD'S RESOURCES *SANCTITY OF LIFE FORMS (no patents, clones, chimeras) *BODY AS TEMPLE *SUSTAINABLE GROWTH *RENEWABLE ENERGY *DENUCLEARIZATION *APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY *THIRD WAY ECONOMICS (mixed economies, cooperatives, credit unions, barter exchanges, limits on corporations) *PREPARE FOR CLIMATE CHANGE (low-lying countries and coasts will be flooded, refugees, etc.) *REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOM *REDUCE ABORTIONS (by contraceptives, reducing poverty, social support) *ONE PERSON, ONE VOTE *RESPECT REASON AND SCIENTIFIC METHOD *RESPECT INTUITION AND FAITH



CAMPAIGN FOR L I F E

Also from Coralie: an excellent article on what is LIFE pub. In The Sound. All of you who feel that the right wing has stolen and distorted the meaning of LIFE, contact Dick regarding the formation of an OMNI committee to campaign for LIFE (half a million people dying from malaria and most of them children, ETC.).

NONVIOLENCE TRAINING IN NYC

Fellowship of Reconciliation 20 hour nonviolence training for personal and social change will be the weekend of April 1 - 3, 2005 at the Riverside Church, 91 Claremont Ave., between 120th & 122nd Sts, New York
City. This spiritual experiential training will cover the causes of violence, the transformative power of nonviolence, nonviolent social movements, community building and action planning. Facilitated by the Creating a Culture of Peace program of the Fellowship of Reconciliation. Cost: Sliding scale of $50 - $200 includes all materials
To Register or for more information contact Heather Maxwell at (845)358-4601 x26 or nv-intern@forusa.org



CATHOLIC TOLERATION

TMN (2-26) has an article about a nun, Sister Rose Thering, who was influential in the Catholic Church reversing itself on Jews as the killers of Jesus. A documentary was made about her, “Sister Rose’s Passion,” and is nominated for an Academy Award for short documentaries. It will be aired in May on Cinemax.



RELIGION AND HUMANISM

A magazine that brings together religion and humanism is The Human Quest (founded by Presbyterians in 1804). “It is edited in the conviction that ethics-oriented journalism must provide a platform for the free exchange of ideas and opinions; that religion is consonant with advanced revelations in every department of knowledge…”



TAPS

Concrete signs of US militarism and empire: We already know the Federal Cemeteries are running out of room and are buying more land, as here at Fayetteville. Now the headline “Taps Rendition to Highlight Bugler Scarcity” about insufficient buglers for so many ex-soldiers’ burials. U. S. permanent war policy ensures a large population of military-oriented citizens, another factor for understanding the recent election(?).



SHORT TAKES AT CAT
Dick enjoyed reading the story of Ferdinand the Bull, smelling the flowers. Join me in speaking or reading at CAT. Filming Monday nights 5:30, or Tuesday noon ‘til 1:30. Call Leo. Contact Dick.