Standing on the shoulders of...

I am standing on the shoulders of women around the world. There are many women who are pioneers in their country, region, world. Whether it's women fighting against poverty and excess in Southern Africa, black women who fought for civil rights and helped Obama get where he is today or a strong female presence at the Democratic National Convention (love or hate Hillary, she's gotten further than any other woman in the history of US politics), women have burst and currently are bursting through barriers and leading the way for the rest of us. Thanks ladies!

P.S. 13 wives! Really?

Standing on the Shoulders of...

After a hiatus, I am back paying respects to those who have given of themselves freely to help others. This week I am standing on the shoulders of Maung Thura, a comedian in Burma, who has resisted the SPDC in order to provide humantarian aide to victims of the cyclone. In doing so, he has been detained indefinitely. Maung Thura has a history of helping the Burmese in need, regardless of the penalties from the military-minded government. How many of us would be willing to do the same?

Peace is not the absence of conflict but the presence of creative alternatives for responding to conflict -- alternatives to passive or aggressive responses, alternatives to violence.
Dorothy Thompson

Standing on the shoulders of...

This week I am standing on the shoulders of the U.S. soldiers who testified against the violence and torture they were encouraged to perpetrate in Iraq. It's not easy to speak up against such a strong combination of military power, patriotism and fear. I give so much credit to these soldiers who gave up heroism to speak out against the things they did and saw. I have even stronger appreciation for them because not only are they dealing with strong idealism (from both sides), but they have to come to terms with their own participation in killing people. It's courageous that through the guilt and shame of their involvement, along with the rejection of the hero label, that these soldiers are so vocal against what truly is horrible. Hopefully they will help us to see that the violence and torture perpretrated by U.S. soldiers is not the work of a "few bad seeds". It obviously is deeply entrenched in the U.S. government and military.

Standing on the shoulders of...

This week I am standing on the shoulders of the Thai government. It' s pretty rare that I am inspired by any government, but the current one in Thailand has stood their ground in using Compulsory Licensing for drugs. Their actions have been critcized by pharmaceutical companies and by the EU, but Thailand continues to use compulsory licensing to keep down the costs of drugs to its residents.

Standing on the shoulders of...

Every week I try to find a person who inspires me to be compassionate and seek justice. This is easier some weeks than others. I find when I do this, I feel less negative about the world. There are a lot of people who have made a positive impact on the world, whether large or small. When I stand on the shoulders of these people, I commit to continue their spirit of compassion.

This week I stand on the shoulders of Sister Rugiatu Kanu, a midwife in Sierra Leone. Kanu faces adversity as she delivers babies in a country with one of the highest infant mortality rates. She often works in the absence of electricity, water and medical support. She sees death often, is underpaid and underappreciated, but she continues to be one of very few resources for poor pregnant women and their families.