Quaker

I was watching CPAC, and heard this statement. I almost immediately wrote this email and sent it off. Mrs. Savoie must have responded from her Blackberry, because 14 minutes later, I had a response.

Restorative Justice

Dear Mrs Savoie,

I was just watching the statement portion in the house of commons, and was listening to your statement on restorative justice. I'm a party member and active within the Guelph Riding Association, and have often felt that the NDP needs to take a more comprehensive approach to justice, as you mentioned.

• Think of no one as "them"
• Dont' confuse your comfort with your safety
• Talk to strangers
• Imagine other cultures through their poetry and novels
• Listen to music you don't understand
• Dance to it
• Act locally
• Notice the workings of power and privilege in your culture
• Question consumption
• Know how your lettuce and coffee are grown: wake up and smell the exploitation
• Look for fair trade and union labels
• help build economies from the bottom up
• Acquire few needs
• Learn
  

It has been a long time since I've posted about spiritual matters, and I think that's perhaps because I have not felt the need to. Perhaps it's because I feel my lifestyle is an extension of my spirituality, and that they aren't merely separate "hobbies". My political and social action I feel are strong representations of my spiritual (and indeed religious) belief in God's existence within the world without. Political and social action itself to me is a form of worship.

This weekend, I was at my Quaker camp participating in administrative and operational meetings. Our camp is in the midst of growing, changing, and overcoming some pretty substantial hurdles in seeking our visioning. The process often puts each other at opposite ends of the room, polarizes us, and generally makes our time at camp strained. My friend Galen stressed that this is in part because we have not followed Quaker process to the extent that we should have been, and I'm beginning to agree. Quaker process is somewhat different from what I would see to be common democratic/Robert's rules style process. The intention is not only to be democratic, and egalitarian, but to seek out the light within members of a given meeting for worship (with a concern for business). It is difficult to conceive of a relationship where business is the focus, and yet the basis for decision making is the Light within. In fact, I can imagine that such a process might be seen to be easily corrupted for individual interest, on account of the lack of "procedure" for appeals, misrepresentation, etc.

Here is an informal group of party members who are oriented largely through their faith. This is something I can find both commonality with, but also a great deal of hesitancy, as it does seem to tread on thin ice. I was somewhat relieved to see "Our group is guided by a fundamental respect for the principles of secularism, the separation of church and state, and religious freedom." in their "who are we" section, but I nevertheless am still wary that this could be lost along the way.

Apparently, they plan to meet at the convention to discuss the possibility of becoming some formal part of the NDP. I think I will try to attend. There are unending examples of faith becoming an inappropriate component of politics. However, seeing this site has urged me to think of the examples of faith, spirituality, and religion becoming a force for good in politics. George Bush would be the most obvious example of the first. The natural thought process is to then ask why one spiritual outlook might be volatile for the democratic process, and why others have been at the root of some substantial improvements in social justice.

I've been writing in some programming guides that for Quakers, building coops and playing with worms is a religious experience. Well, I guess I've been saved! Hallelujah! It's been nearly a week since Paul mentioned that the chickens may be coming in on Thursday or Friday, which meant I've been working 'a butt-load' to get this thing done!

I'm now looking for a really hip name for the sucker. In a book I saw a duck coop called "Duckingham Palace"; I wish I could have that in chicken form.

Today I had a wonderful moment with my (F)friend Ian. Ian is working on a programme for this year at camp where individuals who have chosen to take on simple living practices in ordinance with peak-oil, and the ever looming crash.

Ian and I have an affinity for developing thoughts and engaging in worthwhile discussion on such subjects, so I hope that I can be useful for him in his project as he has been invaluable for me and FYDE. I managed to ask him if he had thought of a query or theme that would summarize the programme. I was admittedly fishing for some straight sentence or phrase which would focus my ideas and thoughts towards something. Themes have a wonderful way of drawing things together.