GATHER THE WOMEN NEWSLETTER ~ OCTOBER 2009
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From: Julie R.
Date: Sunday, November 1, 2009, 8:24 PM
Subject: Gather the Women Newsletter ~ October 2009
ID: 269099
You are invited to visit our website: www.gatherthewomen.org
I. Message ~ Reaching Out and a Format Reminder
II. GTW Vibe ~ Preview: Journey into Deepening by Suzy Karasik
III. Passions ~ Meet: Suzy Karasik
IV. Earth Circle ~ The Sacred Feminine and Women’s Leadership
at the Parliament of the World’s Religions by Kathe Schaaf
V. Circle Offerings ~ Event Cancellation
VI. Echoes ~ IRAN - CHRISTIAN WOMEN IMPRISONED ON APOSTASY CHARGE
VII. Feedback ~ Contributed by Mary M. McNally, MBA
Reaching Out
Gather the Women is the place of opportunity. It's where the "women at the well" gain the tools of virtual reality. It's where we begin to see our numbers and our strength and come to understand that together we are, in fact, unstoppable.
— Patricia Smith Melton, Founder, Peace X Peace
One of the most important aspects of Gather the Women is our commitment to discovering new models of effective collaboration. We believe that an incredible synergy is possible when organizations doing powerful, transformational work our planetary well-being come together in one matrix—to connect, to share information and resources, to collaborate on projects.
The newsletter is divided into the following segments:
I. Message – a column authored by rotating members of the GTW core.
II. GTW Vibe – Stay on top of what’s happening in this amazing organization
III. Passions – A monthly feature article that will focus on one GTW woman. Get to know the another women in the circle, what she’s passionate about and why she’s here.
IV. Circle Offerings – The when and where of what’s coming up
V. Earth Circle – Feature article about events, organizations and people outside of GTW
VI. Echoes – a news item related to women from one of the many news sources around the world.
VII. Feedback- GTW equivalent of a letter to the editor.
Preview: Journey into Deepening
By Suzy Karasik
August 19-22, Burlingame, CA
www.Mercy-Center.org
I want you all to know as much as possible about our August Gathering or Journey into Deepening, as early as possible, so that you can plan, save and commit. Just think, it's about 40 weeks away, so if you stash $15 a week, you will manifest a major portion of your expenses! IN RETREAT we will allow ourselves the time and space (and this is one incredible space) to truly connect with ourselves and our sister coordinators. Arriving on Thursday is best, and there is a free shuttle between 3-7PM. There will be valuable introductory work that night to prepare us for our journey. We will start early Friday, with that entire day devoted to connecting, sharing our stories, skills, passions and actions.
Saturday will be a powerful day; walking the Labyrinth, doing "the WORK" and experiencing Afia Walking Tree's SpiritDrumz.org Throughout the weekend there will be plenty of free time for reflection and silence in Mother Earth's magnificent sanctuary at Mercy-Center. Sunday too, will allow ample time for closure and exploration into releasing and manifesting.
Our goal is to make use of and showcase your creations. Your artwork will be the decorations, your creations will provide us with altars and whatever else helps us to honor each other and beautify our space. I'll explain that better next month. The facility has a pool, a lovely, huge meditation room and so many areas to gather and still keep our circle room as the grounding focal location. Rooms are single, with a fluffy duvet on each bed and a cute little sink. The shared showers/bath is lovely and clean; it's all heavenly! Upon registration, you will be sent a tentative schedule so that you will know what to expect, what you want to bring and how you want to plan your visit to the San Francisco Bay Area.
That's it for now from your core planners: Suzy Karasik, Beth Blevins, Sharon Riegie Maynard and Mary Cunningham. Each month a member of the planning committee will update you on specifics. I am providing my contact information below for any of you who wish me to know more about your skills with group work.
Call me at 209-710-8299
e-mail suzykarasik@specialized-systems.com
Meet ~ Suzy Karasik
Suzy Karasik has been apart of Gather the Women for about three years. Like many of us, her first experience with other Gather the Women Regional Coordinators was at Saint Cloud, Minnesota in 2008. Eager to continue the strong energy of the regional coordinator conferences she stepped forward in Seattle during our August RC meetings to create a regional coordinators conference for 2010.
“I spent many years educating myself and learning as much as I could across many disciplines, including the world of Silicon Valley. At 45 I joined the Peace Corps and spent the next 5 years in Malawi and South Africa. It was a life-changing experience for my own personal growth and the relationships I fused forever. At 52 I married for the first time and my focus became to do the one thing I had never done - be in relationship til death do us part, or so we say! I need circles of women to nourish that which feeds me, connecting with people all around the world, making a difference, educating and supporting others on their journey, giving and receiving love - the latter often the most difficult to realize!”
Passionate about mentoring young and older women, Suzy finds that a lot of women in the autumn of their years want specific changes with health and wealth. Using a lot of detoxing and body oriented work Suzy helps women to transform their body and emotions to reveal dormant personal passions that synergize the energy in her clients lives. The spirit, emotional, physical and financial body finds new life through cleansing and nurturing.
Mother Earth is Suzy’s sanctuary. She says, “God comes to me in all of Mother Earth’s creatures.”
If I had a magic wand? “I would wish for all women to have the freedom and tools to manifest their dreams for security and abundance.”
The quote that guides Suzy’s life is, "When those who "see" speak, it is not to convince others. They do it to guide and awaken the consciousness of those destined to follow the path of illumination. Their words are for the nourishment of the spirit."
For Suzy, Gather the Women is a safe place to come and sit in circle; it is a place where she creates a base for her work. She is the Regional Coordinator for Los Banos, California.
The Sacred Feminine and Women’s Leadership at the Parliament of the World’s Religions
by Kathe Schaaf
To women of Spirit everywhere:
Wonderful news! The program staff at the Parliament of the World's Religions has approved our proposal to create an event to honor and celebrate the Sacred Feminine at the 2009 Parliament to be held in Melbourne, Australia December 4-9, 2009. Our event will feature a creative exploration of the Divine Feminine in the music, dance, poetry and song of many traditions, co-created by women around the world. We trust the result will be a powerful and inspiring experience that promotes spiritual unity, empowers women as spiritual leaders, and acknowledges and celebrates the Sacred Feminine.
We are also collaborating with many women and organizations to build energy, awareness and appreciation for the value of women’s leadership at this Parliament.
WE WELCOME YOUR PARTICIPATION.
For those attending the Parliament in Melbourne ~
~ We are seeking musicians, singers, poets and artists of all kinds to participate in the Creative Expressions of the Sacred Feminine event.
~ We welcome your creative participation in our grassroots collaboration to build the 'women's leadership' energy
Registration for the Parliament will close November 19. It is not too late to join us. Visit www.parliamentofreligions.org .
For those unable to attend ~
~ We are inviting women everywhere to join is a Global Moment of Connection at the exact time we will open our event in Australia, lighting a candle and joining us energetically.
~ We invite you to create local events and gatherings to join and support us.
-~We will be creating a Ribbon Mandala at the event and invite you to mail us a short section of narrow ribbon inscribed with your name and a blessing to add to this mandala.
Details about all of these opportunities will be available at http://womenattheparliament.blogspot.com/ after November 4.
On behalf of the Sacred Feminine,
Meredith Tenney meredithhtenney@yahoo.com
Kathe Schaaf katheschaaf@cox.net
Women’s Leadership: Passion and Action
Seven Stones Leadership calls announced last month have been postponed indefinitely.
http://www.bosnewslife.com/9387-iran-christian-women-may-face-execution-on-apostasy-charge
IRAN - CHRISTIAN WOMEN IMPRISONED ON APOSTASY CHARGE
October 8, 2009
BosNewsLife Middle East Service- Stefan J. Bos
TEHRAN , IRAN (BosNewsLife)-- Two young women who converted from Islam to Christianity may face execution or at least life imprisonment after an Iranian court officially charged them with "apostasy" and "propagation of the Christian faith", trial observers and Iranian Christians confirmed Thursday, October 8.
Marzieh Amirizadeh Esmaeilabad, 30, and Maryam Rustampoor, 27, were detained in March for practicing Christianity after authorities raided and confiscated materials from their home.
Authorities reportedly also accused them of "engaging in anti-government activities" but that charge was dropped during the unexpected hearing at the Revolutionary Court on Wednesday, October 7, Christians said.
Both women have refused to renounce their faith in Christ and return to Islam, despite reported pressure from authorities in this strictly Islamic nation.
The two young women are to appear in front of a regular court, trial observers said. The United States has criticized their detention. Iranian Christians have expressed concerns about the health of the women, who have been held in Tehran 's notorious Evin Prison.
FOOD POISONING
On October 4, Maryam Rustampoor suffered severe food poisoning, but was given medical attention only after much insistence, Christians said.
"Maryam and Marzieh have now been in prison in Tehran because of their faith for over six months and their health is deteriorating," explained 'Pray for Iran ', an Internet initiative of Iranian churches, which has closely followed the case.
"Both women are suffering from sore thoughts, irregular painful stomach aches and often intense head aches. Both have lost much weight during their ordeal, because of their sickness and lack of nutrition," Pray for Iran added.
"Marzieh's tooth infection is only being treated by painkillers and if the infection spreads it could become critical. Due to overcrowding in the prison and the limited facilities, they have not received adequate treatment."
There are reportedly many other sick inmates and, Christians said there is "a constant risk of picking up other viruses."
PRAYERS URGED
.......Rights group International Christian Concern (ICC) said it remains hopeful that Iran will eventually release the women. "We welcome the move by the Iranian court to drop the charges of anti-state activities against Maryam and Marzieh," added ICC Regional Manager for Africa and the Middle East Jonathan Racho.
"We urge Iranian officials to drop charges of apostasy and propagation of Christianity, as well. As party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Iran has an obligation to respect the right of Maryam and Marzieh to follow the religion of their choice.”
Iranian Christians say there has been growing "government intimidation" of Christians in Iran . In recent months dozens of Christians are known to have been imprisoned and there were reportedly some cases of torture.
The following article has been offered to the GTW Newsletter in response to last months Echo story.
My ECHOE Response
Mary M. McNally MBA
With the challenging job market in the US which impacted me most directly in April 2009 when I was forced to collect unemployment, I decided, almost as a last resort or a lark, to investigate career opportunities abroad. Ultimately that lead me to accepting a full-time position teaching Business courses (Managing HR Services, Managing Projects and Managing Budgets and Finance) at a private women’s college in Kuwait. To quote the Navy motto, “It’s not just a job, it’s an adventure.” I believe this is an enormously unique opportunity given that women have recently earned the right to vote. I am essentially a pioneer working with young women who aren’t even old enough yet to vote.
My hopes are many: to inspire my students to fulfill their own personal greatness; nurturing their creativity, sense of self, sense of leadership while allowing them to expand through learning, critical thinking, and analysis. Meanwhile, as a child of the 60s, I have the unrealized dreams of working in the Peace Corps or being an exchange student. This opportunity is allowing me to actualize those dreams and my sense of purpose, my own soul’s mission or destiny of serving as an ad hoc ambassador of the United States and exchange teacher instead of exchange student.
In reading the words of National Assembly member Dr. Maasouma Al-Mubarak in your last month’s publication, I must corroborate that obviously at my institution, indeed women are being given the opportunity of a post-secondary education in Kuwait. This insitution has been established as a private college for women, devoted to providing a positive learning environment which nurtures life long learning and achieving goals.
We are offering essentially a strong vocational education program based on the Australian Quality Training Framework where the students earn certificates in Interior Design, IT, and Business that are taught in English only. Initially the students may also have matriculated through a Foundation program to polish their English reading, writing, and speaking skills.
Mind you I am now only completing my fourth week of teaching and it has proven invigorating as well as opened up my creativity in terms of information delivery and classroom management. As I have just parachuted into the country, I can only surmise that changes are taking place rapidly, such as the building boom, yet, at first blush, society maintains an appreciation for a strong practice of tradition.
The young women love fashion whether they are fully abaya-clad, clothed in Western dress or in colorful attire more reflective of their Kuwaiti heritage. There is a strong sense of creating personal identity through the choice of shoes, handbags, sunglasses , eyeglasses, watches and jewelry for those who are “covered” and uncovered alike. There is lots of bling -- these gals know how to dazzle. Those uncovered women take it a step further with makeup and hair styles.
Typically, however, most women dress rather modestly -- I can count on one hand how many women I have seen wearing long shorts, for example. Most women are wearing long sleeves and skirts to at least their knees, if not longer.
My students are quite verbal, active, alive and fun! I asked them to read the article which ironically they read on the October 27, 2009, the first day of the Parliamentary Session. Then I asked, “What issues are important to you personally?”
Here is a sampling of their responses:
“I’m very concerned about the environment of Kuwait because I feel by keeping the environment clean, we can have tourism in Kuwait. I would like cleaner beaches, cleaner streets and would like more flowers and trees planted.”
“I’m interested in the discrimination issue between men and women in society.”
“My important issue is education in Kuwait. They have to move the education level up.”
“Agriculture in Kuwait is important to me. I would like to provide more agricultural areas in Kuwait to help reduce the dust because Kuwait has a desert terrain.”
“I really hope all Kuwaiti women hope to be heard. I want to grow up and have children. I want the children to feel proud that Kuwaiti women did something in this country. I also want women to do something; not just let the men lead the country.”
Kuwait is an amazing and wonderful country. I think my students will be contributing members of society being a part of any solutions required and not the problem.
Julie Raymond, GTW Newsletter Editor
gtwnorthwest@yahoo.com
Idaho Falls, Idaho
208.252.1390
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