Promoting the Millennium Development Goals as Set Forth by the United Nations
Planning Convention
January 13-15, 2005
Valdosta GA
Being invited to attend such an important seminar with the possibility of helping to make the MDGs more viable, meeting with such prestigious members of the religious and spiritual communities of the world and traveling to a warmer climate to do it made for an exciting adventure in January!
We arrived in Jacksonville, FL on Wednesday January 12 met by the famed Southern Hospitality of Georgia as represented by Mr. Gautam who manages the Hampton Inn where we rested until other delegates arrived. Now accountable for a party of four, Gautam loaded passengers and bags into his car for the two and a half hour drive north to Valdosta. Having deposited us at our hotel this generous and attentive young man sped off to be back at work in Jacksonville the next morning. Like our fellow delegates, Rabbi Soetendorp and Elizabeth Araujo, our energy was exhausted from traveling and without noticing much about Valdosta in the dark we all retired.
By 9:00 Thursday morning a diverse group of delegates began to gather at Valdosta State University for the Inaugural Ceremony. The assorted and colorful costumes of the delegates were awesome. Looking around me, I couldn't help but wonder how I could ever be satisfied with blue jeans and a t-shirt again. "Sari envy" Rabbi Malka Drucker laughingly called it.
Now with the sun shining brightly we could see Valdosta and Valdosta State University as well. Christine and Ari, our chauffeurs that morning eagerly told us about their community. With a growing population of 47,500 residents, Valdosta ranks the tenth largest city in the state of Georgia and also serves as the County Seat of Lowndes County. Abundant with historical sites as well as gardens and the "Azalea Trail" the city offered us an opportunity to enjoy its beauty during one of our breaks via our drivers.
Valdosta State University was the venue for this morning's initiation to the conference. Established in 1906 the university is located on a Spanish Mission-style campus that is nationally recognized for its beauty. Their branches dripping with Spanish Moss the surrounding trees stand guard like old men watching over her students and faculty.
Entering
the Magnolia Room each delegate was honored with rose water and a rainbow wreath
before taking their seats. Offering the traditional Indian greeting of
"Namaste" (I honor the God in you.) Beaver and I found our places with
the other members of the coalition.
The room was soon filled by some forty-nine delegates representing nine nations, Valdosta State University staff and faculty, Valdosta city officials, church representatives and numerous students and other onlookers as well as our East Indian community hospitality experts. It is somehow humbling to be honored by this last group who believe "the guest is God." They certainly taught by example the lesson of simple service and humble deeds performed with great love as a means to peace.
Considering the altitude of humility that raised the citizens of Valdosta to our high esteem it should not have surprised me that the driver who had chauffeured us all from our hotel that morning was none other than Dr. Aristolellis Santas, Professor and Acting Department Head of Religious Studies at VSU. "Ari" called us to order making his announcements with a large smile and hardy voice.
Dr. Vrnda
Chaitanya, a visiting Louie Brown Scholar at VSU, was the birth-mother of the
coalition and the conference. A Vedic monk with great drive and tenacity, this
little lady loomed large as she welcomed everyone inviting them to share in an
experience of diversity within union. Vrnda was my first contact with the
coalition arranging for our transportation and comfort while in Valdosta. Her
knowledge is overwhelming and her softness is never hidden by the fiery nature
that caused her to bring so many religious and spiritual leaders together in
dialogue.
There were opening prayers and speeches given by many others from the VSU staff and Valdosta officials. I particularly enjoyed hearing prayer in so many voices, so many tongues, so much song. Prayer was, it seemed, always joyous here .
An
Episcopalian from Georgia
A Jew from the Netherlands
Baba from Nigeria
A
Vedic Monk from India
A Muslim
A Native American
There were many more including Sufi's, Roman Catholics, Baptists and Buddhists from China that were here and now ready to go to work. Whisked away in VSU transport vans once again by Dr. Santas and Dr. Christine James the delegates moved to the Park Avenue Church for tea before beginning their sessions.
These
tea breaks took place each morning and afternoon of the conference. Along with
lunch and dinner they were literal feasts served by the Indian community. A
totally vegetarian faire the food was abundant, colorful and yes, oh yes,
spicy!
Obviously, we weren't shy about indulging - at least not at first.
After tea informal introductions began with an ice-breaker facilitated by Dr. Victoria Rue, Ph.D. from San Jose State University. Dr. Rue will soon be ordained as a Catholic priest but for this day she was more of a drama or art coach as we created human sculptures that depicted the accomplishment of the Millennium Goals.
Coming
into physical and emotional contact with our fellow delegates we came to have a
certain intimacy with one another. The colorful back you see in the foreground
belongs to our friend Elizabeth Araujo, a Mayan Elder from Guatemala. Elizabeth
has a smile that would warm any heart but those colors on her back are no slouch
in the warming department either.
After lunch and a brief rest at the hotel we returned for more tea and then it was time for the work to really begin.
Our first of five plenary sessions focused on the Relevance of Religious Diversity for Equitable Development. Ms. Dena Merriam, a practicing Hindu, much admired for her dedicated work in bringing about the Global Peace Initiative of Women Religious & Spiritual Leaders at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, 2002 spoke first followed by Ms Amber Jayante.
Amber started the Santa Cruz School for Tarot & Qabalah
Study
Reading a poem from her book "Legacy", Ekua Omosupe was next to have the floor. Ekua received her Ph.D. in American Literature from U.C.S.C. She teaches writing (English 1A, 1AMC), Women's Studies (African American Women's Cultures), and English 2 Critical Thinking (Race, Class, Gender and Sexual Orientation) at Cabrillo College. She is current poetry editor for Sinister Wisdom. Ekua's poems and essays are published in various journals and anthologies. Her most recent contributions appear in From Wedded Wife to Lesbian Life, does your mama know? An Anthology of Black Lesbian Coming Out Stories and Gay and Lesbian Biographies.
Next was Dr. Livingston Rasalam, chief of staff for the Psychiatric Division of Valdosta's South Georgia Regional Hospital and a wonderful Christian Psychiatrist. He and his wife, Trudy, host a quarterly Ministry to Ministers banquet. This lovely couple not only blesses the ministers of South Georgia but also sponsors over 400 poor children in their native country of India with clothing, medical care, educational opportunities and guidance in the ways of Christ.
Dr. Wande Abimbola a universally renowned scholar of Ifá thought, Yorùbá theology and traditional culture told us of the four hundred plus one gods of his religion bringing the session to its close.
I've given these brief biographies to show the true diversity that was brought to each panel. Many wonderfully enlightening things were discussed both by the panel and during the open forum that concluded our business for the day. As is my way I had to take it all back to my journal that evening but not until we indulged in a wonderful Indian supper followed by a cultural program of entertainment.
One would think that after such a full day arriving back at the hotel after 9:00 that evening I would have been quickly ready for sleep. However my journal called as my mind retraced the steps of this adventure in our search for open dialogue among religious and spiritual communities. This is what I wrote that night before retiring.
"Have we been picking scabs and impeding our own healing? Digging up bones and savoring the scent and flavor of anger upon them as we chew unceasingly upon past woes?
Perhaps it is time to cut a new road - a path through the wilderness of all our tomorrows, a time to let the flood waters of forgiveness, the tears of our mothers and our grandmothers, wash away the silt of our yesterdays.
A time for our men and women to put away their swords, their knives and their rifles, a time to plow the fields left fertile by the blood of their fathers and their grandfathers. A time to plant new seeds in the rich soil of the human soul prepared by the plough shares of understanding, compassion and trust. Enriched by the values we share these seeds will allow men and women of every nation to reap the harvest of peace and walk into the Divine Destiny the prophets have foretold.
Let us instill passion not panic, fervor not fanaticism, calm not chaos as we endeavor to heal the world and her inhabitants.
Let us stop preaching to the choir and begin a dialogue that will empower through education, educate through entertainment and heal through happiness where ever and when ever possible."
At 8:00 Friday morning we were ready to reconvene for a second plenary session: Religion and Development - Theologies and practices conducive to socio-economic development.
After opening prayers Rabbi Awraham Soetendorp began the panel discussion. Rabbi Soetendorp presides over the European region of the World Union for progressive Judaism. He is an Earth Charter Commissioner, a founding board member of Green Cross International, and a Co-Chair of the Global Forum of Spiritual and Parliamentary Leaders with Sheikh Ahmed [ Koftaro], the Grand Mufti of Syria.
Mr. Amir Al Islam is the executive director of the Center for Professional Education at Medgar Evers College of the City University of New York, where he also teaches African American history and world civilization courses. He followed the Rabbi describing himself as an “activist-scholar” working with the Muslim African-American community.
Another member of the panel was Leela Fernandes. She is an Associate Professor of Political Science and Women’s Studies at Rutgers University. She is the author of Producing Workers: The Politics of Gender, Class and Culture in the Calcutta Jute Mills and the forthcoming Transforming Feminist Practice.
Mr. Bob Chastain gave a Native American slant to the discussion and Elizabeth Araujo took us to Central American and the Mayan culture.
Next we broke into small groups for more intimate and focused discussions. The groups were divided according to practices. Beaver and I found ourselves in the "New Age" group along with Amber - our Qabalah and Tarot expert. We were soon joined by two of the university's students: Leslie and Kelly who took great interest as Amber laid out her cards. These young women were filled with abundant knowledge of the humanities with a thirst for more.
We asked the tarot a question: how can we best aide in achieving the MDGs? Reporting back to the larger group after our lunch break we concluded from the reading that past patriarchies and national agendas based on a single religious view must end and that our task was to move forward with a new agenda. Amber suggested that I read what you have already seen from my journal entries. That accomplished I began my processing once again. I am a tarot reader and have faith in the cards as a tool for finding answers but this reading was so vague and left far too many thoughts uncovered.
I was still considering the "five un-freedoms" that colonization had placed upon so many of the indigenous peoples: see what we want you to see, hear what we want you to hear, say what we want you to say, work where we want you to work and feel the way we think you should feel.
Mayan prophecies of the "return of the ancestors, men of wisdom" gave me hope while instilling in some a great sense of urgency. Now would have to be the time according to the Native Americans and others that the human family returned to ecologically sound principles and universal values.
Before arriving here I had spoken to one of my classes in great detail about the universal values that humanity shared. Like Amir Al Islam had earlier, I too called for forgiveness, overcoming hatred and mistrust. I stressed education in the humanities and comparative religious studies including the spiritual principles of indigenous tribes. How? That was the question that plagued my mind. How could this group influence others strongly enough to achieve those MDGs?
Still thinking I moved to join the others in yet one more plenary session. This session was titled: Spiritual Wisdom and the MDGs: Theologies.
Dr. Arife Hammerle spoke of Sufi wisdom and theology.
Dr. Hans Ucko the Program Secretary in the Office on Interreligious Relations and Dialogue of the World Council of Churches, Geneva, Switzerland talked about the "demonic side" of religion stressing the need for everyone to "teach their tongue to say I don't know." He spoke of being humble, something we were learning every day here from our Hindu hosts.
Rev. Sadvidyaji, a Vedic monk, spoke of finding peace on the inside.
Ms. Ann Smith told us of her endeavors in the "peace x peace" organization bringing women to empowerment through education and communication. I found this to be a concrete beginning to achieving our goals.
Marcie Lipscomb, a bishop's wife and long time supporter of the Bishop Masereka Christian Foundation, gave us all something to live up to recounting her visits to Africa and Asia where misery might abound but where smiles broadened the faces of those they helped.
Dr. Ambimbola spoke again about the need to respect all creatures, humanize all beings and find the sacred in all things.
The day was closing with the conclusion drawn that we needed, wanted, to do something to ease the pain in this world. We knew that our success as "leaders" depended upon continued dialogue and open minds, upon a restraint from further evangelizing and attempts to help by placing constraint on the freedoms of others.
My father taught me to listen twice as much as I speak learning more and making fewer mistakes. Exercising his instruction I did a good deal of listening as the group gathered for dinner and that night's cultural program.
Unused to the spicy food that I mentioned earlier, Beaver and I opted for fast food on our return to the hotel that evening. After that we were both more ready for bed than for thinking. In the morning it would be our turn to serve on a panel.
Ours was the fourth Plenary Session held on Saturday morning. The soft-spoken, wise and wonderful Dr. Carol Locust is holding the microphone as she gently twirls a feather between her fingers and explains the ways of her indigenous culture. For those who are unaware those white balls of light are spirit orbs. I believe that as Carol spoke her ancestors and spirit guides came to aide us all to understanding.
Beaver
chaired this panel session courageously attempting to get at least the first
name on his list of speakers pronounced correctly. Quietly he reminded each of
us when our time was up compassionately standing at attention and hoping to get
the speakers to conclude without injuring anyone's pride. He truly succeeded in
being a fatherly figure of facilitation. I, on the other hand, found myself
standing for my address and calling for action to accompany faith. I was still
bothered by the how-to's of our task.
Other members of our panel included Dr. Victoria Rue, Rabbi Malka Drucker, Rev. Chang Ji, Ms McElwaine and several added speakers who arrived late due to transportation problems in New York. Twelve in all we were each limited to ten minutes as ours was to be the final plenary session before we broke into small discussion groups, report backs, committee selections, finally drafting resolutions upon which we could all agree - at least in theory if not in language.
We worked on that language and made suggestions for change closing the evening once again with a fine dinner (this time a mild Italian faire) and a wonderful cultural program performed by the Indian Community.
The program was a wonderful conclusion to the day but the conference was not over yet. Breakfast was served at the Valdosta Lowndes County Chamber of Commerce.
Considered one of the most outstanding examples of architectural design in the Southeast, this stylish residence was designed by architect Lloyd Greer and built in 1915 for E.R. Barber, inventor and local Coca-Cola bottler. The home was later bequeathed to Valdosta citizens by Mrs. Ola Barber Pittman. The home was restored in 1979 and the Chamber has displayed original family furnishings in addition to the formal gardens and old fashioned gazebo. The path to and through the gazebo is called the laughing path bringing chuckles and grins to visitors who walk over the randomly laid obstacles of raised brick and fallen stepping stones.
Following our laughing walk and breaking our fast we met for our final and conclusive plenary session. This preamble and a draft resolution were unveiled on Sunday morning after several delegates worked on the language until well after 2:00 AM.
We the undersigned pledge to form a body of religious and spiritual leaders dedicated to the MDGs. We appeal to the UN to include the indispensable contributions to the attainment of the MDGs by religious and spiritual leaders representing organized religions and indigenous spiritual traditions of the world. We propose this crucial alliance in the spirit of the eighth goal dealing with global partnerships, with a view to underscoring the salience of religious and spiritual wisdoms for the continued survival and preservation of all life forms. Such an alliance will initiate a series of dialogues and on-going initiatives designed to address the historical mistrust and severance of communication between organized religions and indigenous spiritual traditions arising from the colonization. A global forum to bridge these gaps will have far-reaching consequences, culminating in the revival and conservation of lifestyles conducive to promoting ecological and cultural diversity.
When a final edition of the entire resolution is released I will post it here.
In this historic setting we had made history and now we honored one another for our personal endeavors. Each of us presented another with a scarf and a few words of praise. There were tears of joy and shouts of laughter as we moved to end the conference only to begin the work of the future.
We listened to one another attempting to discover ways and means by which we as spiritual leaders could move our fellow planetary citizens to achieve the Millennium Development Goals:
 |
Halve extreme poverty and hunger by 2015 |
|
Achieve universal primary education |
|
Empower women and promote equality between women and men |
|
Reduce under-five mortality by two-thirds |
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Reduce maternal mortality by three-quarters |
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Reverse the spread of killer diseases, especially HIV/AIDS and malaria |
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Ensure environmental sustainability |
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Create a global partnership for development, with targets for aid, trade and debt relief |
These goals are achievable just as our diversity within unity was achievable at the planning conference. We were varied in our cultures, traditions, religions as well as looks and language yet we came to realize that we share the universal values that these goals represent. The UN as well as individual national governments have long thought of religion and spirituality as a dividing factor, a ring-pass-not that separates individuals and nations. We have proved by our resolutions that this is not the case, that dialogue will achieve not a blending of flavors but instead bring about an appetite for knowledge of each other's intellectual and religious spice moving us to preserve cultural diversity in a global union dedicated to peace and the MDGs.
Those
of us who were not leaving Valdosta immediately were taken to lunch where the
dialogue continued.
That afternoon Beaver, Stan and I presented a channeling to some of Vrnda's students after which we were once again driven to Jacksonville. But before I left Valdosta I just had to ask the trees to share a bit of their "gray beards" as Carol Locust called them.
If I have left anyone or anything out of this report (and I know I have) please know that all of you and everything that took place was for me a sacred experience. I look forward to continuing the work and knowing you all better.
Namaste!
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