“When we were being instructed by the Great Peacemaker, he said, when you sit and you consult for the welfare of the people, think not of yourself, nor your families or even your generation.
He said make your decisions upon those generations coming so that they may have and enjoy what you have today.”
Chief Oren Lyons, excerpt from FORUM2021 keynote address.
Dear Friends,
We live in troubled times. Anxiety and uncertainty is our new normal. Heart-wrenching images of families fleeing their homes due to war and poverty, natural disasters on the rise displacing millions; countless small island states facing sea level rise making their culture and homeland at risk of extinction.
The choice we have is either to sink into despair alone or join together in taking action!
Taking Action can be as direct as making a donation to support our ECO JUSTICE FOR ALL Dialogue Series which presents the wisdom of religious leaders, scientists, Indigenous voices, activists and change makers. Taking Action can also mean supporting our FORUM2021 online program showcasing the organic farming movement as an alternative to destructive industrial agriculture. Taking Action can also mean supporting our TOU Internship Program for 17 to 22 year olds, a month long summer intensive to learn about the peacekeeping work of the UN through guest speakers from missions and agencies.
As Imam Saffet Catovic mentioned during our last EJFA Dialogue, “It takes time and pressure to make a diamond.” Please join us in keeping up the pressure to make this world a just and sustainable home for everyone.
Warmly on behalf of the Board and Staff of the Temple of Understanding,
Alison Van Dyk, Chair Person.
