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DEBBIE'S
PEACE
BLOG
This page is a forum in which to present
ideas, from me and others, about the world at large and how certain events in the
news relate to the message in my writing, especially in my essay
series and nonfiction book, The World I Imagine: A
creative manual for ending poverty and building peace.
So many world events are directly related to
the conditions of poverty and war. In fact, these are the two greatest
issues affecting the current political race. The
tendency has been to put all our hopes in one candidate or another, one
party or another, but as I explain in my book, one person or one
party will not fix these problems. Even worse, the battle
between candidates and parties actually contributes to the chaos
of the situation.
It will take genuine cooperation from
everyone--and not the kind in which there are winners and
losers--before we can really start to eliminate poverty and
build any kind of peaceful society on the planet! We cannot
change society unless we change the rules of the political game.
That means we have to figure out how to implement only
win-win-win solutions to all of society's problems, and we have
to do them together, as a family. The entire human family!
I'll write more about this in the future, but
for now, look for my book, The World I Imagine,
online or in your local book store. And if it's not in your
favorite book store, ask the manager to order a copy of it! Direct the manager to this web
site, to my home page and the Imagine page. There's enough
information there to show them what the book's all about and how
they can get it.
To jump to a particular article, just click on the title
below:
Debbie
Jordan
Author: The World I Imagine
Author: Lion's Pride
The two pictures above are the cover photos
on the back of my two books,
The World I Imagine:
A creative manual for
ending poverty and building peace
and
Lion's Pride.
My husband, Jim, took the pictures
with his older digital camera.
He recently bought a
newer, bigger, better digital camera
and gave the old one to me, naturally.
One of these days, I'll have him
teach me to use it!
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IDENTIFYING
ISSUE NUMBER ONE
(Originally featured in
Arizona City Independent Edition,
August 26, 2008)
With my first essay collection, The World I
Imagine: A creative manual for ending poverty and building peace,
in bookstores around the world, I continue to focus on ways to
deal with ongoing problems so we can reach these goals. I wrote
the following column in the summer before the current
mortgage-Wall Street meltdown, but the principles still stand.
The only way to solve those problems is to end poverty. Here, I
discuss the first two steps we must take to rectify that
horrendous situation:
Identifying Issue Number One
If a pollster called and asked your opinion of
the most important issue in the country today, how would you
respond? Would you say it’s the economy? The war in Iraq? The
war on terrorism? What about health care?
No matter which issue you choose, your answer
will be correct. Not merely because it’s your opinion, which is
what the pollster expects to hear, but because each of these
areas, and many more, represent extremely difficult problems
which must be solved if we are to have a well-functioning
society. The problem is, these are merely symptoms. What we
really need to do is focus on those steps that would lead us to
truly effective solutions to our social problems.
Now, what would you say if the pollster asked
you which social problems are so important that they must be
addressed first? Which are the issues that, if we could turn
them around in a short time, would begin to have positive
effects on most of the rest of our social calamities?
I’d say there are two areas: education and
employment. Notice, I didn’t say unemployment. I’m talking
positive here. Unemployment is the problem; employment is the
solution.
In fact, I would venture to say that these
issues are so vital that if we could address both of these
issues simultaneously, everything else would fall into place.
Not without a whole lot of effort on the part of every citizen,
of course, but just imagine:
What if every single person were educated to
the limits of his or her abilities and interests? What if
everyone made learning a lifetime habit? And what if every
person were allowed to work at a job that was both interesting
and fulfilling? Most importantly, what would happen if every
single person on the planet earned at least twice as much as it
cost to purchase all the basic goods and services, so even the
lowest-paid person had some extra money to spend?
If we could resolve the issues of education
and employment at the same time, then the solution to every
other problem would be within reach. All that would be needed
would be the application of common sense and the combined effort
of every member of society. It’s as simple as that!
For instance, a lot of people say the economy
is the biggest problem we face these days. They cite the housing
crisis, the lack of health insurance, and other gaps in
delivering basic goods and services to millions of people in
this country, and billions around the world.
But imagine what it would be like if everyone
earned at least a little more than they needed to pay for their
basic needs, including health care (as opposed to the insurance
system that enriches for-profit businesses while denying care to
people who actually need it), housing, food, basic
transportation, and especially education. In that case, the
government could implement a universal saving program in which
everyone invested a small percentage of their salary for a
preset length of time. Such a plan would not only ensure that
everyone could build personal wealth but would provide a static
economic base to strengthen businesses, in this country and
around the world.
If everyone received a good basic financial
education and were assured of continuous employment, few people,
if any, would spend themselves into the deep holes in which so
many people find themselves. There would be few, if any,
foreclosures. Business could rely on a strong and steady market
for goods and services, depending only on the quality of their
products instead of shifting economic sands.
The elimination of the conditions that cause
poverty--undereducation, underemployment, and
unemployment--would also lead to a marked reduction in crime,
which would lower costs for everyone and eliminate much of the
stress we now experience. And the natural reduction of stress
would reduce health problems for most people, which would be a
big step toward reducing the currently out-of-control costs of
medical care.
Of course, I could list many other areas in
which the resolution of these basic issues would affect other
problems that people rarely think about. In fact, I’ve done
exactly that in the columns I recently collected in my book,
The World I Imagine: A creative manual for ending poverty and
building peace, and I'll continue to do so in future
columns and articles.
For several months I’ve had the pleasure of
discussing these issues in radio interviews, and these
opportunities are expanding as word travels farther afield. I
plan to continue discussing these issues as long as these forums
are available to me. Perhaps something I say will help people to
focus on the root causes of our problems, instead of just
"picking at the scabs."
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TOP TEN LIST OF
STEPS
TO WORLD PEACE
(Originally featured in
Arizona City Independent Edition,
July 29, 2008)
It’s been a while since I’ve
added a new article to my Imagine series. I’ve since compiled 47
of those essays into The World I
Imagine: A creative guide to ending poverty and building peace.
Now that I’m publicizing both my books, these subjects are very
much in my thoughts. So, I’ll be writing more in that vein. I
hope something I write here will make you think. After all,
that’s why I’m writing about the topics of ending poverty and
war. Now, here is my:
TOP TEN LIST OF
STEPS TO WORLD PEACE
1) Implement a system of full
employment, so even the lowest-paid full-time worker on the
planet is able to earn at least twice the cost of all the basic
goods and services necessary to enjoy a dignified existence.
2) Implement a worldwide system
of fair wages and anti-pollution rules, so no employer or region
can undercut another by denying workers or residents access to
essential goods and services, and no entity can win a labor
contract by fouling the planet we all depend upon for survival.
3) Establish an educational
system in which everyone can learn at their own pace and to the
extent of their individual capabilities.
4) Provide adequate health care
for everyone, according to individual need, with no restrictions
based on health status or the cost of services received.
5) Provide decent basic housing
for everyone.
6) Provide healthful food for
everyone.
7) Provide “green” transportation
and utilities for everyone.
8) Balance employment
opportunities with basic services for the young, the old, and
disabled people, so everyone has access to all they need in
exchange for contributing what they can, no matter their
limitations.
9) Establish a system in which
every individual enjoys full civil rights balanced with
community responsibility.
10) Establish a system in which
every resident participates in the process and success of their
community.
This list includes some of the
most vital issues that must be addressed in order to end
poverty, but there are countless other details I have yet to
discuss. That’s why I plan to continue writing on this subject
for as long as I can--or need to. And while I’m grateful for the
opportunity to write here, I hope this is only the beginning.
In the coming months, as I’m
interviewed by more people in the media, I’ll look for more
outlets for my columns. In time, I’d like to syndicate. It can
happen!
Meanwhile, to everyone who asks
about the impact this work can have, I have a simple answer. All
anyone can do is share ideas. I hope my efforts will spark
others to share their own creative ideas for ending poverty and
building peace. We all need to “think outside the box,” because
the same old ways of doing things simply are not working. In
fact, those same old ways are the reason so many problems exist
in the first place.
Can one person have an impact?
Just think about two people who ignored the “nay sayers” and did
the right thing: Mohandas K. (Mahatma) Gandhi got rid of the
English and established a “home rule” Indian government, while
Mother Teresa transformed the way many people treat the poor and
sick in India.
In the U.S.,
Al Gore and
Ed
Begley Jr. have pushed “green” living for years. Only recently
have most people accepted their message as the only hope for the
future of the planet. And there are still people who can’t see
the pollution for the profits, so we must keep talking about the
necessity of “being green.”
As a child, I was inspired by the
Christophers, an organization founded in 1945 by Father
James Keller “to encourage people of all ages, and from all
walks of life, to use their God-given talents to make a positive
difference in the world.” Their motto is: “It’s better to light
one candle than to curse the darkness.”
These words encouraged me through
years of fighting not only illness, but the people who continued
to deny my basic rights and needs, even as I tried to use my
gifts to help others. Now, I’m finding people who not only care
about me but encourage me to continue this work--not only for
myself, but hopefully, for the future of society and the planet!
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VETERANS FOR PEACE
Who would know better the cost and devastation
of war than the wonderful men and women who do the actual
fighting, our brave veterans? Veterans For Peace is a national
organization founded in 1985. The organization includes men and
women veterans of all eras and duty stations, from the Spanish
Civil War (1936-39), World War II, the Korean, Vietnam, Gulf and
current Iraq wars, as well as other conflicts. Their collective
experience knows that wars are easy to start and hard to stop
and that those hurt are often the innocent. Thus, other means of
problem solving are necessary. VFP draw on their personal
experiences and perspectives gained as veterans to raise public
awareness of the true costs and consequences of militarism and
war--and to seek peaceful, effective alternatives.
To learn more about Veterans For Peace, check
out their website at:
http://www.veteransforpeace.org/index.php
For information on Veterans For Peace Phoenix
Chapter 75, go to:
http://www.veteransforpeacephoenix.org/
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STILL WORKING TO
BUILD
A CABINET-LEVEL
DEPARTMENT OF PEACE
AND
NONVIOLENCE
One of
the best ideas to come out of recent presidential campaigns is
the proposal by Representative Dennis Kucinich for a
cabinet-level Department of Peace and Nonviolence. Though his
dreams of occupying the Oval Office ended too soon, Kucinich's
idea for a DOPN remains viable, with many grass-roots
organizations around the country striving toward that elusive
goal.
I
recently discovered that the Arizona Department of Peace
Campaign remains active and is working to pass House Bill HR
808, the proposed law that would establish a Department of Peace
and Nonviolence. You can find a copy of the proposed bill at:
http://www.thepeacealliance.org/content/view/278/23/
This
web page is part of the web site of the national group known as
The Peace Alliance, whose home page is at:
http://www.thepeacealliance.org/
For
information about the Arizona group, go to:
http://www.azdopcampaign.org/
Most
importantly, please do your part to help create a Department of
Peace and Nonviolence by signing the petition that can be
accessed from the Home Page of The Peace Alliance before
September 11, 2008. You won't regret it!
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SOUTHERN ARIZONA
PEACE
GROUPS
You can find information on local peace
activities in Phoenix and Tucson on one of these four web sites:
http://www.aapj.org/links.html
http://www.aiper.org/
http://www.peacecalendar.org/
http://www.dryriver.org/
The first web site provides links
to various organizations around the state of Arizona that are
dedicated to peace; the second is the main peace group in
Phoenix; the third provides a comprehensive calendar of peace
activities in the city of Tucson; and the fourth is an
organization of people dedicated to fighting poverty and
building peace.
If you live in southern Arizona and want to be more effective in your efforts to end
poverty and establish a peaceful society, you might want to
connect with one or more of these groups.
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HELP
SIX CHARITIES
IN UNDER A MINUTE
How would you like to help people and
animals all over the world in the time it takes you to click
your mouse 12
times? It's easy and fun, and you might even
find something you'd like to buy in the internet store. What you will
definitely do is generate more donations from advertisers on the
combined sites for Hunger, Breast Cancer, Child Health,
Literacy, Rainforest, and Animal Rescue.
Here's how it works: Go to any
one of the sites for the causes listed. For instance, I start at
the Hunger Site at:
http://www.thehungersite.com/tpc/THS_linktous
Now, click on the big colorful
rectangular button in the upper right corner of the Home Page,
the one that says, "Click Here to Give--it's Free." That will
take you to a Catalog Page. If something there intrigues you, go
ahead and order it. One hundred percent of sponsors' fees go to
the site's charity. Even better, when you clicked on that big
button that took you from the Home Page to the Catalog
Page, the sponsors added your click to all the others made that
day to determine another fee they pay to that charity.
Now, look at the menu at the top
of any page on the site, and you'll find six different buttons for
the six causes listed in my first paragraph, above. Just click on any button and you'll find another
of those big "Click Here to Give--it's Free" buttons of a different color that you can click on. Do
this with all six causes, and you've done your good deed for
every organization listed.
If all you do is click, click,
click, for a total of 12 clicks, you'll have done your good deed
for the day. Of course, you're free to "monitor shop" without
buying anything. You'll notice that many, if not most, of
the products offered are made by the very people being served by
the charities involved under Free Trade arrangements, often from
recycled materials. That is
the wave of charitable "giving" in the future--not
merely giving but empowering people
to help themselves and others climb their
way out of poverty. That's exactly what I write about in my book
and essay series, The World I Imagine.
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Love and peace to all,
Debbie Jordan
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