“Eternity is with us, inviting our contemplation perpetually, but we are too frightened, lazy, and suspicious to respond; too arrogant to still our thought, and let divine sensation have its way. It needs industry and goodwill if we would make that transition; for the process involves a veritable spring-cleaning of the soul, a turning-out and rearrangement of our mental furniture, a wide opening of closed windows, that the notes of the wild birds beyond our garden may come to us fully charged with wonder and freshness, and drown with their music the noise of the gramaphone within. Those who do this, discover that they have lived in a stuffy world, whilst their inheritance was a world of morning-glory: where every mouse is a celestial messenger, and every thrusting bud is charged with the full significance of life.”

Talk about the Fourth Estate is at an all time high with the reunion this weekend (that I missed) but I’m brought back to those first feelings I had when I landed back in Austin. I think about the things we learned, from changing our consciousness to learning how to innovate and not imitate, the question of “it’s not where is God but where are God’s people?”  and speakers telling us that we are the lights of hope,  that the youth have to take back the power and it is up to us to change humanity and that in the end, it all shall be well. We are and will be on the mountain top until our life’s mission is complete.

“It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat.”  -JFK

I’m sitting on the patio of a friend’s apartment on a cool breezy night listening to Fear by OneRepublic looking back on all that I’ve experienced these past few months. It’s been a blur. It’s been a blessing. And I’m absolutely ready and prepared for more.

Today, Palestine was voted into Unesco and the U.S. decided to cut funding to Unesco, about $70 million. While this monumental thing was happening, everyone I encountered today talked about the fact that Kim Kardashian is getting a divorce. How is it that this was the center of conversation? This is when I start becoming concerned and to be honest, a little pessimistic about our world. I thought it was common knowledge for people to live their life in such a way to leave the world better than when they entered it, like a friend of mine recently said. But is this just something I assumed to be true? Is fame really worth more than positive change and bettering people’s lives? Is legislation such a mundane thing to people that it doesn’t bother people enough to act anymore? I sometimes get so angry at the lack of interest and even empathy in our world. For me, it’s easy to get upset and down when dealing with this on a day to day basis. My perseverance starts winding down. But I do have hope in something: people I met from the Fourth Estate and other fellow activists that won’t back down and let the societal norm get in the way of what they know needs to be done. Sacrificial love is the best kind, and seeing it in the few people I know is enough inspiration for me to get back up on my feet and run full speed at justice.

I’ve recently come to the again-realization that my life is absolutely, in every way, enormously a huge blessing. I just want to thank everyone that is in my life, whether we are best friends or acquaintances and all the opportunities I’m given at St. Ed’s. There are millions of people, literally millions of people, who would want to be where I am. That comes with a responsibility to not waste a second of my life. I want to challenge all of you to do the same. Take time to do something meaningful, because who knows when you’ll get an opportunity like this again.

Obama sent troops into Central East Africa to alleviate the issues of the longest running war in Africa two days ago. The LRA Disarmament Bill was passed in Spring of 2009 after endless visits to our Congressmen’s offices. The strategy was delivered in November of 2010, and in October of 2011, it is being implemented.
Aid is real.
The troops are in action.
This is the year the war ends. I can feel it.

It’s difficult to explain this feeling. I am filled with excitement and settled with anxiety as a subtle peace wavers over me. As I sit in this coffee shop looking back at the events of my life, I know it’s all leading up to this moment, to something more than me. To something more than you. To something grander and greater than we can imagine. It’s not only empowering but relieving. It is my life’s calling and purpose. It’s what living in this world is demanding me to be and to do.

I found out last weekend that I will be going to Uganda for two weeks in May of 2012. I will be in Fort Portal, just on the border of Uganda and the DR Congo. I have confidence that the war will be winding down if not over. I have faith in this thing we call unity. I will go forward. This movement will not end.

My days are always long and weeks are short. Juggling four different leadership positions plus school plus life’s obstacles is always a challenge, but one that I’m deeply grateful for. Every morning when I walk around the campus gazing at its beauty and wonder, I can’t help but feel an overwhelming peace and happiness. I feel like the most blessed girl in the world. The fact that I have clothes, a house, an education, two jobs, food to eat, money to share, and a million more things just shocks me every single day. It is an alarming yet soothing reality to know that by grace I have been given these opportunities and am more fortunate than about a quarter of the world’s population. I know these things are simple truths but they truly are not so simple… it is by mere happenstance I am not living on the streets or in a war torn country. It is not that I deserve this wonderful, abundant life I live. It is not that at all. I was gracefully given this life, unswervingly, and my plan is to live it out the best I can: giving to others at all chances and being happy in every way possible. “Happiness is in the heart, not in the circumstances.” My chocolate wrapper said that today.  I find it to be the truest of true statements.

I also want to plug in a revolutionary invention that was unveiled today. It is called the LRA Crisis Tracker. You might remember me raving about it back on my Fourth Estate notes. This is the greatest thing to hit the world wide web. On this site, you can see live updates of LRA sightings, incidents, and attacks. It is detailed, documented active information regarding the LRA and Joseph Kony. Take a look at it. Tell your friends, coworkers and family members. Tell strangers. Peruse the site and let it bring an awakening in you to act: http://www.lracrisistracker.com/

With that said, I feel it is important for people to use their voice. One of the biggest goals in my life is to see people using their voices to their full potential. So many of us sit back and refuse to speak up, whether it be huge social issues that we are faced with on a day to day basis, or just standing up to someone teasing or bullying someone. I want people to know that they are so much more powerful than they think they are. I was able to meet Jamie Van Leeuwen yesterday, and everything he said resounded with how I feel. It was a truly remarkable moment for me. He further motivated me to bring my dreams to reality and that it doing so is a very simple and possible thing. I’ve recently been faced with a situation of me acting upon this belief, and I somehow crossed the “red tape” of some rules and regulations. Typical of me, unintentionally reeking havoc everywhere I go. I don’t know if it’s just me, but I feel that as a person, no matter what other labels I may have (student, staffer, daughter, etc.), I should be able to act on the opportunities and rights I have to speak my mind. And for people to tell me I can’t do that is not only frustrating and offensive, it’s flat out wrong. I have passion in everything I do. It is the sole motivation for every action I take. My passion for speaking my mind, doing what is right, spreading love and helping others is immeasurable. And yes, passion makes you do crazy and impulsive things. But who is to say that it is wrong? Why is going after my dreams and sticking to my word a negative thing? I made a commitment for speaking for those who can’t speak and acting on be-half of those that don’t have the opportunity. And I’m here to say I will do whatever it takes to get things done. It’s time to throw the rule book out the window.

And for those that say I can’t survive on passion alone: watch me.

“Through our great good fortune, in our youth our hearts were touched with fire. It was given to us to learn at the outset that life is a profound and passionate thing. While we are permitted to scorn nothing but indifference, and do not pretend to undervalue the worldly rewards of ambition, we have seen with our own eyes, beyond and above the gold fields, the snowy heights of honor, and it is for us to bear the report to those who come after us. But, above all, we have learned that whether a man accepts from Fortune her spade, and will look downward and dig, or from Aspiration her axe and cord, and will scale the ice, the one and only success which it is his to command is to bring to his work a mighty heart.”
–Oliver Wendell Holmes

and when we escape like squirrels
turning in the
cages of our personality
and get into the forests again,

we shall shiver with cold and fright
but things will happen to us
so that we don’t know ourselves.

Cool, unlying life will rush in,
and passion will make our bodies taut
with power,

we shall stamp our feet with new power
and old things will fall down,

we shall laugh, and institutions will
curl up like
burnt paper.”

-D.H. Lawrence.

Fourth Estate
August 4-7^th 2011
USD Campus

Day One:
Proving the Universal through the Specific.
This is the theme of the conference.

It’s all about being the exception to the rule: not waiting for anything but going out and doing it.

Protection Plan:
The LRA Crisis Tracker
This took 8 months to create. With this program, you can see where the LRA is attacking at all times.
IC will be expanding the radio connection and it’s the number one priority this fall. These towers are going into the Bas-Uele and Congo. These radios will allow citizens to protect themselves. The small individual portable radios are what will SAVE. The need for additional communication systems is so important. There is no way for the attacks to be reported. But things are changing this fall. New radios are being built and there will be people there to report and alarm others of attacks or sightings.

The places that are being attacked are so remote, that it would take us five days to get to the area. Current reported areas in Haut-Uele are very high, while the Bas-Uele areas haven’t been reported on. That is because there is almost zero communication. We can’t help these people unless we have the data. Communication and documentation is SO important. So many incidents are going unnoticed and undocumented. That is why we need the radio towers and the crisis tracker.

It’s not the condition, but the conviction.

Sean Stephenson:

You have to take the potential and make it kinetic. Take what you want to become, and turn it into BECOMING. It’s always all about the emotions. We all have them. You bring the party with your energy. But we have to condition our mind to know insecurity isn’t worth it. Arrogance is about proving yourself. Confidence is about improving yourself. The size of your BUT is what stops people from going after their dreams. We have to take a stand for humanity. Don’t ne stuck by your BUT. First we have to connect with each other. Second, connect with yourself. You need to know and love yourself! People tend to ignore their five year old inner voice by distractions like eating or doing drugs or playing sports. People will do anything to shut up that inner five year old voice. You have to love that inner kid and embrace the child, because when you start doing that, the insecurities will melt away.

Day Two:

By Jason:
You are more powerful than you think you are.
You have a song inside of you. You need to know, love and share that song.
FINISH STRONG. FINISH WELL.
Every moment in your life is preparing you for an opportunity to come.

Jason Russell was once so depressed at age 16 that he was suicidal. But he prayed and prayed and prayed for a better day. And it finally came. His friends Bobby and Laren prayed too, and they found themselves in Africa. That is how this all started. God’s plan is bigger than any plan we could have for our self.  Jason’s montage was playing in his head one night in Uganda, and he heard God saying to him “It is all me.” We have to surrender to His will. The Creator will tell you and you will have to surrender to Him and then, you become ALIVE in Him. That is why Jason is the DREAM EVENGELIST.

Emily Sernaker:

Every year a child is in school, their poverty is reduced by 10%. Education and activism go hand in hand. Most people believe the world can be better. Given the opportunity, they will act on that belief.

Carl Wilkins:

Carl showed a picture of a poverty stricken woman and said, “She didn’t focus on what she didn’t have but what she had and what she could do.”

Stories and service.
That is how you will get people’s attention.
(He references “A Thousand Hills” by Stephen Kinzer)

You do with what you have. It’s not about fighting genocide, but about fighting the definition in our own head. The exclusive problem solving is comfortable at best and genocide at worst.

“THE GIRL EFFECT.” Girleffect.org

When the militia killers came into Carl’s neighborhood in Rwanda, his neighbors saved him by telling the killers a story.

Are we getting an education to be served or TO SERVE? Carl made it through the genocide and war because of his wife Teresa, his neighbors, his kids and God. We all have the bystander, perpetrator, and survivor inside. That is why WE ALL HAVE OUR CHOICES. When we engage our mind and our muscles, we learn how we think, and that will change the world.

The History of the LRA by Laren:

The Northerners: Nilotic
Southerners: Bantu

Acholi are from the north, and they had lots of chiefs. The Buganda are from the south and they had one king. The colony verses the Protectorate meant inserting people all over verses one person in charge of all of Uganda, like the British did.

The division happened here: artificial elevation of people in the north and south is the real problem. Kony thought he is doing northerners a favor, but he is the manifestation of the division. He is delusional and pure evil.

King Mutessa was made king by the British in 1962. Milton Obote was an Acholi and kicked out Mutessa and rose to presidency. The people were upset. Then Idi Amin, a crazy horrible person took over and killed hundreds of thousands of people. This brought the North and South together, because they both wanted Amin out. This first alliance brought Obote back to power, and he had Democratic elections (or so they say). Museveni then became president by starting a small rebel group and rising to the top. Kony was in grade school at this time. And a Northerner. He was upset at Museveni, and joined the Spirit Rebellion. Alice Lakwela, Kony’s predecessor and truly delusional woman, is now exiled.

Peace Talks:
1994, 1998, 2003, 2007
Al-Bashir made a deal with Kony to eradicate the rebel group in Darfur and funded Kony with anything he wanted. Now that Kony is out of Uganda, he’s moved into the Central African Republic (CAR) and the Congo. The people in those countries don’t know why the LRA is attacking. They are scared and tend to attack back. The reason the LRA is in the Congo is because there are tons of people to abduct and tons of food to lewt. UPDF supports the fight against the LRA and attempt to help.
The problem is that Kony will become the absolute King of these lands if we stop pressuring him.

Adam Fink- CULTIVATOR TRACK

Big government aid, development (sustainability) and humanitarian relief are the main points of this talk. There are always complexities and unintended consequences in this field. Paul Farmer is a great example of how to develop correctly. Mayo’s response is that “aid has made the poor poorer and the growth slower.” The four things that are destroying nations are war, disease, poverty and corruption. If you throw enough money at something, you can solve it. THAT IS A MYTH. That only creates dependency. The context of what would work in the USA isn’t always what will work over seas. Intervention is starting to become a problem.

IC’s Rules of Engagement (unofficially):

1)      Ask questions ALWAYS

2)      Local knowledge + solutions (seekers vs planners)

3)      Bring expertise

4)      Community ownership

5)      Ensure sustainability

6)      Be adaptable

7)      Embrace innovation

8)      Be transparent

9)      Put yourself out of business (have an exit strategy and always strive for the end goal)

“It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat.”  -JFK

Jolly Okot:

She was in a dance team in 1979, and had a good life. When Amin was overthrown, she became poor for a year and didn’t even have clothes. She was also abducted during this time and was doing admin work for Kony. She escaped and went back to school. She didn’t get enough rehab, so it was really really hard for her. Thing were difficult but she HAD to find a solution, and that answer was schooling.

Patrick Mundunga:

Education is the key to ending poverty.

Education–> scholarship–> mentorship–> university and secondary school
Education–> schools for schools–> hardware and software–> curriculum, technology, computer, etc

There is a unique focus on secondary school:
High visual impact
Performance incentives
Community participation driven
Flexible and Demand driven
Sustainability
Gender sensitive
Environment friendly

Why all these things? For personal, strategic and fundamental reasons!

Post-conflict recovery includes new classrooms, bathrooms, girl accommodations, safe water, and the teacher exchange. When the guns go silent, that is when the real work begins.

Rehabilitation Center: It took Jolly 10 years to forget the horrors of the bush. It’s so important to go into rehab, but no one has even been introduced to it in the LRA affected areas. This center will be up and running by September.

Jeremy Rifkin– The Empathic Civilization:

July 2008 is when the economic earthquake occurred. We hit the peak of civilization, so how did this happen? Our entire civilization is dependent on fossil fuels in every way- maybe that’s why.

40% of the world lives on $2 a day.

So much carbon is in the world that the heat can’t get in or out of the ozone. Climate change is worse than we are being told. Don’t be fooled. The way the climate is changing, the pace and the temperature rising, the planet won’t be able to handle it. Water will melt or dry up in areas that will cause harm. 70% of species will be depleted by the end of the century. WHAT IS WRONG WITH OUR SPECIES? How could we let this happen? It’s more than not coming up with solutions or predicting these tragedies. It’s our humanity and the ethics that are in questions. Thomas Haus has said humans are vicious. John Mack said that every baby will soak in what you tell him or her. Different philosophers have ideas on the condition of babies , and they are all negative. But if we stay this way forever, with 6.8 billion people living, we are doomed.

U.S. bonds went from triple-A to double-A, which is beyond comprehension for what the future will hold.

The mirror neurons were discovered in chimps and also discovered in humans. It makes us affectionate, sociable and full of solidarity. Compassion is humanity. How does empathy change history?

Humans figured out a writing system even when they didn’t know what I was. How do you explain that? Mythical, theological, ideological and psychological ways are how we determine things. The communication revolution has changed everything for us! It’s a lateral source, much like the distributing energy plan Rifkin came up with. It’s just like file sharing. This energy is everywhere. The EU in 2007 took this plan which will make 20% renewable energy by 2020. The number one cause of climate change is buildings, the number two cause is beef production in factory farming, and the third is transportation. The number one problem is also our solution; we just have to make it sustainable. 8 billion euros  will go into hydrogen fuel which is the future for this planet. The internet is going to converge with energy. They will be under the same strategy. You will be able to direct energy in ways that you want. It took us thirty years to answer this climate problem.

Our bodies are biologically tuned to the rhythm of the Earth. We are interconnected in energy and bio-self consciousness. Every single thing we do has an ecological footprint. Self reflection was discovered in the 1400’s and changed consciousness. Apollo 13 showed the earth from the universe and that also was a consciousness shift.

Changing our consciousness is a daunting task. We don’t know if our species can last but we can try. We can jointly experience the knowledge of the human race. We have to ask ourselves two questions: 1) do we have the attention span? The internet is a great thing, but when abused to waste hours, it will get the best of you (literally.) 2) sometimes we become insensitive to things not in front of us. Real time and face to face interaction makes a big difference.

This kind of knowledge comes with responsibility.

Day Three:

If you don’t have a yang to your life, FIND IT. You need it. You cannot exist on dream or inspiration alone!

Ben Keesey:

He went to UCLA and majored in applied math and science as well as management and business. He had three huge internships in college which set him up for a successful career right out of college. But in 2005 he went to Uganda and knew what he wanted to do: be the business side for IC. His guiding principles include: respect for each person’s story. Sometimes beliefs become divisive but it doesn’t have to be that way with IC. Another principle is that one must stay humble and consistent with compassion. Jump first, fear later, is a slogan that is always being said, as well as never quit. These are the principles they work and live by. Ben said his commitment is to use the resources we give him to the best of his ability and seriously as well. They know we worked our butt off raising that money, so they will work their butt off using it wisely.

Shannon Sedgwick Davis:

Don’t imitate, but innovate. Know, tell and act. I challenge you to do these things not with just IC but with everything. Always speak in love. The pursuit for social justice isn’t about boasting but about a CALLING. We have to ACT. We can’t keep waiting for others. We have to power NOW. Knowledge=notice.

Gary Haugen:

IJM is focused on violence against the poor. This unique form of violence in the world is what unites us.
-Slavery
-Human trafficking
-Police abuse
-Violent land theft
-Sexual violence

No one is being convicted of these crimes. That’s where IJM steps in. IJM is full of indigenous activists, lawyers, teachers, HR, etc. The first step is victim relief with undercover operations. Then police intervention and lawyers have to act. IJM makes sure prosecution takes place as well as aftercare. The structural transformation for prevention and strengthening is so important. Violence is real but WE CAN STOP IT.

Gary’s personal story starts with him wanting to know God. He knew God dwells in areas of suffering, so he went to those places. He went to South Africa during apartheid. He was actually arrested for being in a black city. He saw violence first hand and was appalled. The problem, he says, is always violence.

The question isn’t where is God, but where are HIS PEOPLE?

Moral clarity means that paralysis is analysis. Complexity seems to be prized over clarity. We have to get rid of that mindset. Clarity should be prominent. We have to discern right from wrong.
The ones suffering the most are far away and “unlike us” but with “cumpassio” means “with suffering” aka we need to push outside of our circle. Vagrant means wondering out of bounds. So we need to suffer with them in such a large way.
Violence will fight you back. The young people who aren’t yet afraid will decide to be free of the fear. We are afraid of humiliation, but should be striving for humility. We will find more defeats than victories but we have to KEEP PURSUING.
We cannot give up no matter the beating. Psalm 27 tells us to not stop and to JUST GO. Joy is the oxygen for persevering through the hard times.

John Prendergast:

The Kimberly Process is when the blood diamonds were eradicated and made conflict free. It took two years, but the war on diamonds in West Africa was over due to the UK and US movements.
Obama said it himself that the youth are the backbone of social justice movements.

You want to stop thousands of people causing violence and help even more of thousands get back to a stable life….? YEAH, WHY NOT?
We are the lights of hope. It is up to us and it is a time of peace. It starts NOW.

IC’s core values include:
Local Solutions
Adaptability
Sustainable Impact

Sending Signals to the LRA:

Sean Poole explains the justice system in Uganda. Charles Arop was an LRA officer. He was part of the mass killings during the Christmas massacre. He was responsible for the 865 killed and the 161 abducted. But since he surrendered, he received full amnesty. The chief used to be the judge of all problems, but if he were to send someone to jail, they would escape easily because jails were usually made of tree branches and leaves. So prisoners would do manual labor or hand over their animals instead.
There is a tree in Uganda that has a very bitter taste. When someone puts it on their tongue, it takes all the bitterness out of them and they are forgiven. Another tradition is that someone who comes back from the war has to step on an egg because it cleanses them spiritually. When they do that they can go back home, but if they don’t do it they cannot go home.

The Business side of IC:

MEND is a business but it is also part of the IC movement. Production with dignity is branding for a social enterprise. It is cause plus lifestyle. They wanted a piece that is practical and for a reason. It is about authentic associations and compassion with function. These are what make a MEND product.

Sherman Pishevar:

Everything we do from this day forward is leaving behind a legacy.
These things are what we should always do:
1)  Always ask. Don’t be afraid. What do you have to lose? People will love you for who you are, so speak from the heart.
2) Life is short. It is a blessing that we have this time. It is the collection of experiences, not material things. People can achieve anything when embracing friendships.
3) Mentorship. You find yourself through selflessness. “The children of Adam are lenses of each other. If you have no sympathy for the troubles, you have no right to be human.” We cannot compartmentalize our lives. Everything I do with my life will be about giving back. Why are we trapped in structures we inherited? We have the power of change.
The young are there to assist and help the older leaders. THAT IS BOLLOCKS.
We have to TAKE BACK the power.

Tom Shadyack:

Is the darkness within us? –Mary Oliver

Operation Manual:
Do we really follow Newton’s law? Or Darwin’s survival of the fittest? How true are these things? The basis of nature is cooperation and democracy. But the world is competitive.

“If a human being wants to grow, he has to ask everything.” –Dave Hart

The heart sends more information to the brain than the brain to the heart. We function in a state of love rather than separation. Anger can be an appropriate response to injustice but it can’t stay that way because we weren’t made to be angry people. When you are angry, you are the one that gets hurt. We have to channel that anger into joy.

Space is full of energy. Through quantum physics, we are all connected. It’s the potential reality of life.

Are we brothers and sisters, or not? Bottom line is that we don’t take care of each other, no matter what your theology of human connectivity is. We can end this war, but there will be another war after that. We have to change the system. We have to change HUMANITY.

The way we treat celebrities is like cancer. We elevate them until they become poisonous to our lives. Why do we do this? WE ARE ALL PEOPLE. We don’t need money or fame to start something great. We need love.  The Gospel of Thomas says “If you bring forth what is within you, what you bring forth will save you. If you do not bring forth what is within you, what you do not bring forth will destroy you.”

The mystic Julian of Norwich once said, “All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.”

Day Four:

Jason’s advice on how to be cool:
Be comfortable in your own skin and tread others how you want to be treated.

The idolatary of magnitude is thinking you are not good enough or cool enough if you don’t start an NGO. Do what you are capable of doing. Do what you would want to experience. Don’t over saturate your ideas to others. Make things personal.

*We will all be said when we leave here, but we can’t act more elevated than anyone else. This is our time.* Positivity and inclusiveness : the importance of proactive communication. Share your experiences with authenticity.

WE ARE A PART OF THE STORY.
WE ARE ON THE MOUNTAIN TOP.
WE HAVE TO TACKLE THE SPECIFIC.
THE WORLD IS IN EACH OTHERS EYES.

They will say it all started at the Fourth Estate…. because it did.