Creative Agents of Change

Updates -- Father Jean Juste, Oshkosh, and cancer research for anybody...

More on Father Jean Juste...
Father Gerry has been charged with the murder of the journalist whose funeral he was attending, even though he was in Florida at the time.  According to an eyewitness account from his attorney, a mob of mostly outside agitators created a melee at the funeral, beating the priest and accusing him of the murder.  He was rescued from the mob by the police, but then charged with the murder because of "public clamor."  He remains in jail.  You can read the story here.  Father Gerry is a man of peace, who cares deeply for his people and for Haiti's democracy.  His democratic leanings have made him a target of the new government, which has yet to restore order to the country or hold free elections, even though the coup that overthrew Aristide happened in early 2004.  At the risk of getting political, you would think that an administration that's so hell bent on bringing Democracy to the rest of the world might be interested in a country that sits only a few hundred miles from it's own coastline, but once again, we chose to help create chaos and suffering. 

Please keep Father Gerry in your prayers.

More news from Oshkosh...
Doug Ramsburg from Northglenn, Colo, will be the first non-rich guy to take a ride on Virgin Galactic.  He won a ticket by participating in an on-line contest during the Super Bowl.  He says he always dreamed of going to space when he was a kid, now he'll get to do it.  "I think it's going to be a real spiritual experience," he said. "I know the risks are very real. But I feel ready to go. Even if I die doing this, I think that would be the most perfect death you could ask for. We all gotta go sometime."   Woohoo, Doug!  Ride for all of us!  (And thanks to AVweb for the story.)

Steve Fossett plans to make the world's longest non-stop flight when he takes Global Flyer on another around the world trip next winter.  Instead of stopping at his departure point, this time he'll continue on to cross the Atlantic again, for a total of almost 29,000 miles, the operational limits of the plane.  The flight will take about 85 hours.  The pilot's pod is tiny, barely big enough to hold Fossett and his supply of shakes.  And you thought spending four hours in coach was uncomfortable...
It's a way cool airplane, another creation from the idea-rich visionary brain of Burt Rutan.

Team Andrax...

I'm thrilled to have joined Team Andrax, an international group of individuals who are using their spare computing power to assist researchers at Oxford University in finding new cancer treatments.  The research centers on proteins that have been determined to be a possible target for cancer therapy. Through a process called "virtual screening", special analysis software will identify molecules that interact with these proteins, and will determine which of the molecular candidates has a high likelihood of being developed into a drug. The process is similar to finding the right key to open a special lock — by looking at millions upon millions of molecular keys.

If you want more info, please email me.  It's free, it's painless, and it's helping change the world.  What more could you want in a team?

Ad Astra!

Earlier this week, Burt Rutan and Sir Richard Branson, speaking at EAA's Air Venture in Oshkosh, WI, announced that they'll be forming a new joint venture to build commercial space vehicles.  This comes on the heels of the three successful launches of Rutan's Space Ship One last year.  The first customer for the  vehicles will be Virgin Galactic, Branson's space tourism company.

While many in the mainstream press have snickered at the idea that a bunch of rich dilettantes now have another toy with which to amuse themselves, the space launches last year were an awesome display of true genius, the spirit of adventure, and raw courage.  As I stood in the press area at the first launch, I noticed that, when Space Ship One streaked across the sky to achieve "space," the usual chatter ceased and there were tears in the eyes of more than one cynical reporter.

While it's true that seats on the first flights, set to launch sometime in 2008, will run in the $200,000 range, as the technology becomes more available and the industry matures, that price will come down, and ordinary people will be able to take a ride in space.  But what else does this mean?

It means that someday, we'll have same day package delivery between almost any two major cities on the planet.

It means that, in the not so terribly distant future, we'll be able to travel between continents in the time it takes now to fly from Denver to Phoenix.

It means that, instead of rafting in Costa Rica or bicycling through Viet Nam, people who want adventure vacations will be able to spend a week in a space hotel.

It means that our tax dollars won't be funding a bloated bureaucracy that landed men on the moon in the less than ten years, but hasn't been able to keep the shuttle flying since then.

It means that advances in technology will bring us environmentally friendly ways to travel and develop new sources of renewable energy.

It means that more humans will be able to experience The Overview Effect, and maybe realize that in the vastness of space, this precious blue marble is all we have, and it needs our nurturing and care.

It also means that my dream of growing up to be an astronaut just might come true.  How cool is that?

Help Father Jean Juste

I received the following email from my friend Margaret, the founder and director of the What If? Foundation.  (See my May 16 post for another story.)  Father Jean Juste runs the program in Haiti, which feeds hundreds of kids in one of the poorest neighborhoods in Port au Prince.  I spoke with him last year, and found him to be an amazing man, full of hope and love in the most difficult circumstances.  He is also an outspoken Aristide supporter, which has earned him many enemies in the current government. 

He was arrested last fall, (dragged out and beaten in front of the kids, several of whom were wounded in the altercation) held for seven weeks without being charged with a crime, and then released due to pressure from Amnesty International and the UN.  Now he's been arrested again.

If you feel called to help, Margaret has listed the contacts at the end of her email.  And if you don't have the inclination to write letters on his behalf, please keep him and the parishioners of St. Claire's in your prayers.

Dear Friends of the What If? Foundation,

It is with profound sadness that I write to tell you that Fr. Jean-Juste has been arrested in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.  Since his arrest on Thursday, July 21, at a church where he was about to participate with other priests in a funeral for a slain journalist, he has been held by the Haitian police, even though no formal charges have been filed against him.  Deeply concerned about his arrest, and believing that he is being held in prison solely because he has peacefully exercised his right to freedom of expression, Amnesty International has designated Fr. Jean-Juste a “Prisoner of Conscience,” and asked for international action/intercession on his behalf. 

We are outraged by Fr. Jean-Juste’s arrest and are doing all we can to intercede (letter writing, faxing, emailing officials in Haiti and at the United Nations), asking for his immediate release.  Please keep him in your prayers.   

I want to assure you that our food and education programs will continue despite Fr. Jean-Juste’s arrest.  We have strong systems in place to see that the children are fed and enrolled in school.  During his arrest in October 2004, we established an effective infrastructure that allows our programs to run smoothly without his presence. 

We are in our sixth year of the Feed My Lambs food program. Because of your financial support, the prayers of thousands of people, and the dedication, faith and courage of the members of St. Clare’s Church in Port-au-Prince, our meals for the children have continued.  This, despite the Feb. ‘04 coup d’etat, Fr. Jean-Juste’s seven-week confinement in prison last October/November, two powerful hurricanes, and the escalating violence and persecution now taking place across Haiti.  Through it all, the hopes and dreams of the children and those at St. Clare’s who are serving them have remained steadfast.

Two weeks ago, the Trustees of the What If? Foundation voted to expand the Feed My Lambs food program to include a FOURTH day of food for the children.  As you know, we started a third day of meals in April.  But with the deteriorating conditions in Haiti, and families struggling more than ever to feed their children, we wanted to provide more meals.  Now 3200 meals are being served every week at the St. Clare’s Church Rectory (800+ meals every Sunday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday).  Some of the children who come to eat walk for miles.  We also started our 3rd Annual Summer Program earlier this month.  Here’s an email from Fr. Jean-Juste, written two weeks ago:   
 
“We are very happy to start this week another day of hot meals – on Thursdays. Thanks be to God!  In one of the pictures, you'll see a child licking her fingers as she was enjoying good food.  Also, 400 + youngsters enjoyed a very beautiful first day of Summer Camp. It is a great joy to watch the youngsters develop their skills in workshops such as: Floral Arts, Macramé, Baneko (using banana peels to make beautiful cards), Calligraphy, Sewing, Embroidery… We keep the kids busy and are teaching them something useful. They are having a good time in recreation while also being fed.  I've met some desperate mothers today who want their children to participate in the Summer Camp.  One said: ‘I understand you have no more seats.  I'll bring you three more benches if you accept my children.’ 

”Thanks to these programs, hope is kept alive in the midst of troubled days.

”Thanks to the What If? Foundation and all the benefactors, there is a place where people are loved, respected and fed at least four times a week.  It is an islet in the middle of the ocean.  God's blessing always! Peace and love to you and all!  Gerry”   (Fr. Jean-Juste)

Our programs are needed now more than ever. 

Thank you for your support and for your prayers during this very difficult time. 

With love and gratitude,

Margaret


P.S.  If you want to join us in writing on behalf of Fr. Jean-Juste, here’s a list of contacts:

James B. Foley
Ambassador to Haiti
phone: 011-509-222-0200, 222-0354, 222-0269, 222-0327
fax: 011-509-223-9038
Email to Dana Banks, Human Rights Officer:
BanksD@state.gov

Juan Gabriel Valdes
Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General to Haiti
phone: 011-509-244-9650 or 9660
fax 011-509 244 3512.

David Beer
Commissioner of CIVPOL the UN Civilian Police in Haiti
phone: 011-509-525-5279
email: beer@un.org
fax: 011-509-244-9366.

UN Human rights officers:
Mahamane Cissé-Gouro - cisse-gouro@un.org 011-509-403-4012
Thierry Fagart - fagart@un.org


--
Margaret Trost, President
What If? Foundation
1563 Solano Ave., #192
Berkeley, CA  94707
http://www.whatiffoundation.org
<margarettrost@yahoo.com>
Providing Hope and Opportunity to Impoverished Children in Haiti

Creating literate kids

I just read an article in Breathe Magazine about Dave Eggers, the author of A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, and his foundation, 826 Valencia. Located behind a pirate supply store (yes, a pirate supply store) in San Francisco, the center is a place that encourages kids between the ages of 8 and 18 to write, and helps them improve their skills in creative writing, expository writing, and English as a second language.  The staff includes a highly-credentialed group of volunteer tutors who run workshops, tutoring sessions, and field trips for school classes.  In addition, they help kids publish their work.  The 826LA center in Los Angeles just published Rhythm of the Chain, Young Writers Explore Teamwork, a collection of essays written by students at Animo Inglewood Charter School and assisted by coach Phil Jackson.

The foundation now has centers in Brooklyn, Chicago, Seattle and Ann Arbor, MI, in addition to the LA and San Francisco Centers, and more are on the way.  Check them out here.

I love it when writers mentor young writers.

Changing the world with her words

Yesterday Maureen Dowd wrote a loving tribute to her mother, who recently passed away.  Her mother was an undefinable character, a hard-working Irish Catholic woman who never hesitated to put her words in writing, whether it was a letter of encouragement to a US President, a fashion tip to her daughter, or a note on a recipe card.

She wasn't famous and she didn't have a major marketing machine behind her, but still her words changed the lives of those who read them.

For me, it's a reminder that the words that I write, no matter how seemingly insignificant, have an impact on somebody somewhere, and it's important to choose them with care.  It doesn't mean creating a perfect essay with impeccable grammar and spelling, but it means being conscious of what I'm saying, and how it will be read.  It means writing on purpose.

Read Maureen Dowd's story here.

Innovative Science (and the lack thereof)

The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them.
- Albert Einstein

When I was growing up, I always thought that a career in science was in my future.  I pictured myself sitting in a lab, surrounded by Petri dishes, test tubes and microscopes, finding cures for horrible diseases and making life better for mankind.  I would be another Marie Curie, or Jonas Salk.  If you ask my mom, she'll tell you that I even got an early start -- I had a whole collection of fuzzy Petri dishes stashed in the dark recesses of my closet, where I grew Lord knows what kind of microorganisms that came from all kinds of dubious sources.  But that's a story for another time...

When I got to college and began preparing for my science career, I came to realize that my idealistic vision of life as a noble researcher was nothing more than a fairy tale.  Academic science was driven by money, politics and power.  Great ideas were worthless unless you could bring in the funding to support your research, and that depended on how well you sucked up to the powers that controlled the money.  It was disheartening and disillusioning, and led me to a different career choice.

A few years ago a good friend of mine, who had earned a PhD while studying with a Nobel Laureate in medicine, found a way to deliver chemotherapy to cancer patients that would have done away with the debilitating side effects and would most likely have changed the face of cancer treatment.  Unfortunately, he had left academic research because of the politics and slimy behavior of some of his colleagues.  The journals wouldn't touch a paper written by someone who had no institutional affiliation, and when he approached a pharmaceutical company for funding to set up a small research lab, they offered him a pittance for the idea and told him they'd run with it, thank you very much.  They had their own scientists on staff who could run the trials.  They expected him to turn over several years worth of work and go back to his day job. 

So it was with great interest I read this month's edition of The Bleeping Herald, a newsletter published by the inventive and imaginative team that created What the Bleep.  The feature article profiles two scientists and one inventor who have all run up against the stultifying, inside-the-box thinking that typifies modern science.  While it's disappointing to see how widespread and pervasive the problem still is, it's also gratifying to see people on the front lines talking about the problem, and offering solutions.

We have the know-how to eliminate our dependence on fossil fuels, eradicate AIDS, and prevent the suffering brought on by diseases like cancer, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.  But we'll never get there if we maintain the status quo.  It's time for all of us to stand up and demand funding for the research that will truly change lives, instead of being told to sit down and take a pill for whatever ails us, whether it's wrinkles, erectile dysfunction, or depression.

Come on, people!  It's time to make some NOISE!

TrackBacks and world peace

My friend, fellow writer, and Blog Mistress Ann Zuccardy is figuring out how to use trackbacks.  She said once we figured this out, we could work on world peace.

So, Ann, send us some virtual Vermont Shortbread and let's get on with it.  Even though we laugh, maybe building a virtual community of like-minded people is a start.  Here's to trackbacks and pings and blogging for peace!

Barbara Kingsolver on Heifer International

Barbara Kingsolver's work always touches my heart, and so does the work of Heifer International, an organization that provides livestock to third world families.  Not only does the program teach people to feed themselves, they learn to share their wealth with their neighbors.

Here is her account of a trip to Peru to visit one of Heifer's program areas.

So what do all these buttons mean?

Some of my friends and colleagues have asked me to post a few words about what the "Syndicate this site" and "Add me to your TypePad People list" buttons mean.

If you're a member of TypePad and you'd like to put a link to my site on your page, all you have to do is click on the "Add me..." button and you'll get a pop-up that has all of the information filled in.  My name will then show up under your people Type List.  And if you do that for me, I'll most likely do the same for you.

If you want to read the posts without having to remember to visit the site, you'll need to have an RSS (Real Simple Syndication) reader.  You can download one for free at dozens of different places -- just type "free RSS reader" into a search engine and you'll get lots of choices.  I use Mozilla Thunderbird for my email client, which has a reader built-in.  So does Firefox, Mozilla's internet browser.

Once you have the reader set up, then you can click on the Syndicate button, and you'll get the URL to add to the reader.  Then anytime there's a new post, you'll get it automatically.  You can also use an RSS feed to follow the news on CNN, NPR, the BBC and others.

So that's it -- just another facet of the brave new world of blogs.

These kids today...

Living in Colorado, we've heard lots of bad news about what's going on at our local universities.  And while the Animal House mentality may still be with us, America's institutions of higher learning are also populated by many students who work and study hard and intend to make a positive contribution to society.

One group of those hard-working students is on the road this summer, driving a 1991 school bus, spreading the message that global warming is a problem, but one with a solution.  The school bus runs on used vegetable oil and biodiesel, and the band of activists on board would like to see American automakers take the lead in developing clean, fuel-efficient cars, not twenty years in the future, but now.

And it's not just about global warming -- these socially-conscious leaders want to end our dependence on foreign oil and contribute to the well-being of the union workers who build the cars.  By taking their message to Detroit, they hope to save jobs, save energy, and build a coalition of activists who support those ideals.  And because they understand the power of public opinion to sway even the most recalcitrant corporate cultures, they've developed an on-line petition to demonstrate that there are, in fact, lots of people who will buy and drive fuel-efficient cars.

You can lend your support by meeting them in Detroit on August 20, signing the petition, or sending a donation.

Follow their progress and read more about them at http://www.roadtodetroit.org