Here is an in depth documentary on Chavez in Venezuela.
In the documentary there was a good quote. “Chavez is the first virtual president.” According to the documentary Chavez is media savvy. He took Roosevelt’s fireside chats to a whole new realm. Alo Presidente is his TV broadcast that has no time limit. It is where he shares with the public his plans and policies.
I saw this on my friend Eliacin‘s Blog, so here are a few sound bites of a life in NOVA:
On Monday, I arrived home from the SOAW Vigil at Fr. Benning, GA. This gentleman clown was one of the most memorable people in the crowd at the protest.
It was a long drive to Georgia. On the way down I listened to some speeches by Dr. Martin Luther King. The most important thing that I learned from Dr. King as I traveled down to participate in a nonviolent peaceful protest was that our actions are not to humiliate our opposition. We are to approach our adversary with love. Dr. King also said that our opposition can be one of our best teachers. So as I participated in this protest I had a different attitude. I tried to approach my opposition with understanding and equanimity.
At the end of the Sat. rally, I was walking by myself to get the car as my friend interviewed another protester. There was a counter rally in support of the SOA at the street corner. I was walking to get to my car and I had to go through the protesters. Dr. King’s words were on my mind as I approached them and I saw them with love. I smiled and greeted them with nothing else on my mind except that I had to pick up my friends. As I approached they did not return my greetings and they avoided eye contact. When I passed them they turned and started chanting words in support of the SOA. I guess I am glad they did not start yelling at me as I approached, but I thought it was a poor move to chant as I walked away. I would have entered into dialogue with the opposition if it were not for their standoffish attitude. But Dr. King’s words helped me to love instead of getting angry or have fear.
Actually the Southern Christian Leadership Conference was at the rally in support of the SOAW. This was the organization that Dr. King and many others organized to promote non-violent peaceful protest. For me it was great that they were there at the rally. It was a sign of hope that things can change because they did change the world through non-violent action.
This is an informative video about what Arab people have heard when they share with some one that they are Arab. My wife is Syrian/Finnish American and my interest in how Arabs are treated is increased because of the child that I await to be born. My prayer is for peace in the Middle East and that Arab is no longer associated with negativity like the people in this video share. At the end of the video you will get to see the positive contributions Arab people have made to the world community.
Here is a great YouTube Channel. I have never subscribed to a channel, but I do now. She has some great content and she is making a valiant effort to foster some genuine dialouge in a very heated situation-the Middle East. The best part of it all is her videos have a light hearted feel. I hope many people will be able to connect with Arabic people at a human level, instead of the media’s “terrorist” presentation of Arabic people.
Check out this clip on the 10 Reasons Why Queen Rania is on YouTube. I hope Letterman invites her to come on the show.
The massacre of six Jesuit priests, Elba and Celina Ramos has not found peace. I believe that this continues to come up because the truth has not been acknowledged. Unfortunately, there is no investigation into these killings. It is disappointing to me that Archbishop Lacalle has not supported an investigation into these atrocious acts. In the National Catholic Reporter, Michael Humphrey writes:
Nov. 17 that Archbishop Fernando Sáenz Lacalle spoke out against a criminal complaint filed last week in the Spanish High Court naming 14 members of the Salvadoran military and the nation’s president, accused of masterminding and covering up the assassination of six Jesuit priests, their housekeeper and her 16-year-old daughter at a San Salvador Jesuit university in November 1989. Lacalle was quoted, “El Salvador’s affairs should be resolved in El Salvador.”
I hope that the Spanish High Court and the Spanish NGOs and US NGOs will continue to advocate for the truth to come out.
Wandering Thoughts 2 