Writings related to ‘Bearing Witness’
July 16th, 2010
This is the first in a series of posts about the necessity of protecting Afghan women’s rights in creating a sustainable peace. I discuss what is involved in that process and what can be done to help. This analysis is based on scores of interviews from two trips I have taken to Kabul and on-going […]
Topics: Afghanistan, Bearing Witness, Women's Rights
Posted in: Letters from the Road
May 12th, 2010
Kabul, Afghanistan The Streets Kabul was nervous today. The car bomb went off at rush hour, rattling the windows of our guesthouse, the smoke rising about a mile to the west. People came out on their roofs and stood quietly, watching the cloud of smoke ascend. I saw one woman staring, her hand to her […]
Topics: Afghanistan, Bearing Witness, Nonduality, Peace, Social Action
Posted in: Letters from the Road
April 28th, 2010
. The U.S. Role in the Return of the Taliban After 9/11 the people in Afghanistan, Pakistan and many international optimists like me expected the US-led international community to commit to rebuilding Afghanistan and undertaking reforms in Pakistan – a western-led Marshal plan for the region. What we got instead was a Republican president and […]
Topics: Afghanistan, Bearing Witness, Pakistan, Peace, Social Action
Posted in: Letters from the Road
April 22nd, 2010
It was tea break. I joined the stream into a large gloomy room with no windows (for our security I was told) in the National Library in Islamabad and confronted a sea of men, all of us pushing for our portion of strong sugary tea. None of the faces felt familiar – Muslims from all […]
Topics: Afghanistan, Bearing Witness, Pakistan, Peace, Social Action
Posted in: Letters from the Road
January 4th, 2010
Becoming a Citizen Diplomat
10 years ago my husband, Elias, and I sold our house and belongings, packed what was left in a small storage container, raised funds from a few friends and set off on an open-ended pilgrimage of direct service and teaching.
Topics: Bearing Witness, Pilgrimage, Social Action
Posted in: Letters from the Road
December 2nd, 2009
WEST BANK, PALESTINE I have just returned from my eighth trip to the Middle East in as many years. I had read news reports to the effect that conditions in the West Bank had improved since my last visit to Palestine – that the Israelis has reduced checkpoints and made travel easier in the West […]
Topics: Bearing Witness, Israel-Palestine, Non-violence
Posted in: Letters from the Road
November 1st, 2009
KABUL, AFGHANISTAN So ring the bells that still can ring forget your perfect offering There is a crack in everything That’s how the light gets in. – Leonard Cohen I recently returned from the Middle East and Afghanistan, and am surrounded by my journals, magazine articles, blog snippets, position statements from peace groups, everything written […]
Topics: Afghanistan, Bearing Witness, Social Action
Posted in: Letters from the Road
October 1st, 2009
KABUL, AFGHANISTAN Kabul: armed guards, machine guns and sand bags at every intersection and at the door to my guest house – open sewers and fecal dust – traffic jams of SUVs, military convoys, bicycles and pedestrians – six-story buildings amidst crumbling houses and filthy refugee encampments – men, lots of men everywhere, and street […]
Topics: Afghanistan, Bearing Witness, Non-violence
Posted in: Letters from the Road
June 1st, 2009
IRAN I would like to step back for a moment from the compelling drama occurring now in Iran to look at this drama with a long-view question in mind: what does it tell us about the evolution of human societies? What does the conflict in present-day Iran reveal about what is seeking to be born […]
Topics: Bearing Witness, Iran, Non-violence
Posted in: Letters from the Road
April 4th, 2006
Invocation for the Beginning of a Gathering By the grace of countless beings we are here, thank you by the grace of this heavy planet, we are here, by the grace of sunlight warming everything, by the grace of mystery beyond all we can know, we are here, thank you. By the grace of a […]
Topics: Bearing Witness, Identity, Prayer
Posted in: Poetry
