LET'S WELCOME ALL VOICES
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From: Ruth F.
Date: Monday, July 10, 2006, 2:56 PM
Subject: let's welcome all voices
Reply to: 255698
ID: 253295

Dear Starr, Susan M. Hesse and greetings to all

thank you both for emphasizing the importance of equality of all members in a society - I wish to include children too - and the vital role of human rights on all levels of decision making and action. If our goal is PEACE then we have to allow all people to raise their voices and bring in their concerns - whether they are considered 'positive' or 'negative' by some others. The concept of "positive and negative" is so outdated that I wondered it still appears within a spiritual forum.

I fully trust in the innate wisdom of a group of people who share one goal - but do not yet know how to achieve it. The process of clarification brings so many questions to the surface until the decision can be clearly seen. If this process is not given enough time - or, not even allowed to take place by those who are afraid of bringing up unresolved issues - the diversity in opinion and energy will come up later and block the process in action.

If our goal is PEACE - our means must be peaceful and allow a process of finding peace within and among ourselves - as a blueprint for what we want to achieve. There is no peace without equality - never has been, and never will be. It is with deep gratitude that I welcome all those sensitive voices here who really pay attention to what is presented to us in this forum - and who ask all those inconvenient questions they will never receive thanks for. Let's not forget that Adolf Hitler was elected by the votes of women - they had not learnt yet to ask inconvenient questions at that time, they didn't dare to disturb the party. But all thoughtful and critical voices are essential - they bear the seed for new solutions. Always 'being positive' is no value in itself.

Blessings and thanks to all of you

Ruth Frei

------ On 7/9/06, Starr* Saffa wrote ------

Greetings from Starr*

First of all, let me state that all my efforts are to usher in a new Cycle of Harmony and Balance based on equal rights and justice for all people.

Secondly, I want to thank all of you who have written to me personally relating to my in put to the discussion, and I hope you don't mind if I continue the discussion here at GTW.

I acknowledge that most here are moving on in this discussion to various forms of action in what they believe to be 'positive' thinking and action. Many of us are already active on many levels in the community. I agree with positive action, however, I like to throw in the ingredient of conscious awareness which includes 'knowing what the real goal is'.

Discussing the situation does not have to induce 'fear', but rather informed minds which are then better prepared to work on solutions that best achieve the over-all goal.

I was quite surprised yesterday when Clare told me not to write here about this topic anymore in a personal email she sent to me. I hope other voices have not been silenced by such emails. Attempts to bully, vilify, or to make others 'afraid' to discuss situations and topics openly is using the tool of ‘fear’ itself. This is dangerous, and in the end can cause a pack mentality which adds little to a harmonious world.

Bruce wrote: So, I am glad to see the passion that has been speaking here this last week. I say, the more the merrier. Let's get it on. So in that Spirit I’ll continue with some of the original discussional thoughts, but before I do let me state:

Starr*: I just read Andre’s “Call to Women” paper and find it very powerful. It advocates women working together world-wide non- violently to end war. This can be the real beginning of ending force and using the tool of ‘magnetic attraction’ to power life on earth. I particularly like the quote he provided .” Lao Tsu said, “Struggling to achieve unity is not as natural as the spontaneous experience and participation in the unity.” Of course, I say that war will not end, or be sustainable when people are not afforded equal rights. Therefore, when women come together to work for peace let them draw up charters that ensure their equality as a base for working for peace, and let them work with organizations that will not in the end hijack their victories and subordinate women as they have done in the past.

In another forum at UCS, Ram writes regarding working together and goals:

Ram: ”This is generally well recognized that all individuals have unique inclinations, backgrounds and aspirations; therefore they will find a unique combination of ways and means to attain what they aspire to be in this great world we must know, create and enjoy. Hence it gives birth to a very valid question: do we really know ourselves to realize what is it that is working presently and we would like to maintain it for sure? Likewise, do we also know what is not working for us and we would like to discard it? On the same wave-length, do we also know for sure what we aspire to have that we currently don't have and why? Needless to say, all this knowing needs stillness first to truly know and then to manifest what we know. Once we practice to master the conversations with our inner-selves silently, answers will automatically flow without any struggle and hassle. Rest is only the motions of manifestation and letting it go.”

Ram goes on to explain that once “honing in on a way to proceed, doubting can negate the effort. This is why it is important that a clear GOAL is articulated and agreed upon up front. As Ram says in the same post: “ “We are all spiritually joined together into an infinite Unity that sustains us, caresses us, enjoys and exalts us---if we only acknowledge our connection and manifest our noblest aspirations. Such a combination of Truth-Awareness- Joyfulness is the way to go, as has been shared earlier by many realized souls, of course.

Many important points have been brought up under this topic which I would like to address; however, I could not hope to respond to them all, so I will continue to discuss what I started and explain why.

Starr* (old): Thank you Nadine, Susmita, Karen, and everyone for the great thoughts. Here are a couple that I pulled out of the recent posts that I hope to make comment on in a later post.

Nadine MacGillivray: “we have to be very careful that the matrix we set for ourselves is in fact good for all, and is what we truly wish for - as in the adage "be careful what you wish for"

Starr*(new): Perhaps this little saying is a good one. "As we move towards our goal, let us keep our eye upon the donut and not upon the hole"

I think the big problem is that we are in denial about how and why the present day world we live in has been and is constructed. Therefore, we are not getting a clear picture of what the GOAL needs to be to advance beyond the limiting construct. As such our energy is often being used to serve the very structure which we really want to replace. We want inclusive institutions that do not have to pander to world government politics.

The institutions of medicine, education, religions, media, politics, military, intelligence organizations, business, world banks and corporations are all set up to serve a centralized world government holding the power rather than serve the needs of the people. Therefore, when we act together for PEACE we might want to move the GOAL POST to rise above these institutions and operate apart from their controlling methodologies. Can we do this?, is it possible?, do we want to? All of these are good questions to ask ourselves if we are to come up with *plans* that make a difference, plans that are not constantly being hijacked by the Oligarchy as one recent post explained. Women can choose to create an alternative reality that works for everyone (donut), one that does not maintain an eteranlized oppression of the women of the world.

Susmita: We as individuals need to be very very cautious and careful to keep our minds free.

Starr*: I certainly agree that we need to keep our minds ‘free’ to think for ourselves. We are presently being called to UNITE under the banner of ‘unity in diversity’ for world peace. Yet studies have shown that even though we start out with diverse thinking, in a short time, most members take on the mantle of the “group think mentality’ without realizing it. Therefore we should make efforts to keep our thinking ‘free’ while being in a united group so that we know through our own knowledge and experience. As we go forward supporting a cause and being willing to learn from one another it is also helpful to ask ourselves ‘if we really believe something from our own experience, or are we being influenced by majority group think to such an extent that we are crossing our own inner moral ground’? When members question themselves like this, it helps keep the project on its original target.

Susmita: The time has come for us to stop proclaiming women as victims and powerless - and bring awareness to our innate courage, wisdom, intuition and authentic divine Goddessself. We can benefit each other by transcending our limited-image conditioning by changing one belief at a time and sharing our personal journey/experiences consciously.

Starr*: I couldn’t agree more. It is women waking up to their Goddesself Powers that will make it impossible for them to be victims because they will have the empowerment to rise above limitations.

Karen Fiala: There are so many facets of life which, for too long, mankind has merely accepted because that’s the way society said it should be – and who were we to try and question the system? Anwar Sadat (President of Egypt) said, “He who cannot change the fabric of his thought will never be able to change reality.”

Starr*: Yes, we are at the point in time where ‘questioning’ and ‘re- evaluating’ consensus constructs will allow for us to lift our gaze and the Goal Post so that we don’t follow the herd over the cliff. We want to keep our minds opened and free to embrace lateral thinking and new thought through conscious awareness.

Bruce: Sometimes you just have to trust what feels right. I agree with Starr that the Baha'i religion probably has some deep-seated issues.

Starr*: Yes indeed, keeping women from equal rights in practice while spreading the religion world-wide preaching the equality of women is a serious issue! Bait and switch praxis! I am one of those women who is tired of doublespeak tactics to keep us oppressed.

Karen Bacquet has written a paper about it entitled: When Principle and Authority Collide: Baha'i Responses to the Exclusion of Women from the Universal House of Justice

She concludes:” Overall, one is left with a sense of missed opportunity. The scriptures of the Baha’i Faith explicitly uphold the equality of men and women, and the promotion of this principle is an essential part of Baha’i identity, especially among Western Baha’is. Yet, the exclusion of women from the highest elective office has created a culture of denial, and has even caused some Baha’is to engage in sexist and stereotypic thinking about women in order to explain it. While the Baha’i Faith has a positive role to play, especially among its adherents in the developing world, and it gives women comparatively more power than they have in most religious hierarchies, its potential for progress is hampered by a conservative approach to religious authority and the interpretation of religious texts. http://www.angelfire.com/ca3/bigquestions/exclusion.html

Bruce: But that alone does not invalidate their larger global vision and the beauty and grace they have brought to this world.

Starr*: I guess you are saying that in the end it is better to sacrifice human rights in the name of the “Greater Good”, a concept which can be supported in Baha’i praxis. Personally I don’t think World Peace can be a reality that works for the people while Human Rights for all people are not in place. Those who are not receiving justice will always find a way to revolt because they are suffering from discrimination and/or exclusion in the society.

I realize how difficult it is for a man to realize how important equal empowerment is for all people in order to build a stable civilization. Men may not see equal rights as an important “priority” issue because they believe it isn’t their concern. However, with equal rights in place people will be more opened to recognizing their “Oneness” and will be in a better position to RESONATE for further progress and a sustainable peace.

The United Nations set up a committee to ensure equal rights for women world-wide. The irony is that the Chairperson belonged to a religion that does not believe in women serving in the top decision making positions – thus discrimination against women.

I hope, as women respond to Andre’s Call to Women they will align themselves with ‘peace’ organizations that are prepared to support women’s full equality and rights and that the women will ensure that ‘equal rights’ for women are written into the charters as a priority issue.

Just as this discussion was about to be posted Susan M. Hesse’s vital comments came in regarding ‘violence’. She pointed out that male dominance promotes violence – so how are woman going to really promote non-violence without equality of the sexes being a priority issue? I want to thank you Susan for bringing this point out so clearly.

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