Albuquerque Center for Peace and Justice - Newsletter -- Coordinating Committee Notes and Noticias

Albuquerque Center for Peace and Justice 202 Harvard SE Albuquerque, NM 87106 505-268-9557		Updated: 27 April 2008
Newsletter May 2008

May 2008
Newsletter Contents

Coordinating Committee Notes and Noticias
Membership Application

Coordinating Committee Notes

P&J Calendar / Newsletter editors: We are thrilled to inform you all of a new young volunteer who helped put this newsletter together! Veronica Rivera, is a junior at the University of New Mexico, working to get her degree in Family Studies. Veronica's eagerness to help and be a part of this working little team is what makes this publication possible.

A couple of months ago we called on Zaida Amaral, our Feng Shui consultant … and she obliged! The Peace Center building has benefited from this ancient Chinese design having in mind elements, energies, etc.…but let us share with you what Zaida says, "As working since 2004, I can document the results, positive by the most, and also your effort to make this work applicable and worthy. Congratulations!"

If you would like more information about what has been done and what there is to do here at P&J, and give us a hand, let us know! And here is Zaida's 'Resonance Design' phone number for your own personal consultations with her: 410-4611. We also thank Loralee for suggesting we put a water dragon in the Peace Hall (which will happen soon). Loralee's phone number is 239-8023. Happy Feng Shui to you!

Many thanks to Bert Lopez for constructing the Peace Center's new water catchment system. One beauty of the system is that it also reflects our goal of using recycled materials. We should be able to store several hundred gallons of rainwater in it.

The current art found on the walls of the Peace and Justice Center is the art work of Mendy Mills. She says, "In my search for better understanding of both myself and the world, art creation is a rewarding and insightful means to becoming a more whole and conscious person." Mendy's work includes woodcuts, mixed media shadow boxes, and oil on paper and masonite.

4 good Ws regarding posting on our newsletter/calendar as well as on the web and on GRNM: Who, What, When, Where and contact: Your event, once sent to the printed newsletter/calendar, automatically goes on the website. Your event, once on the website, is automatically included on that week's GRNM community calendar.

Having in mind that GRNM is only 4 minutes short (including the great music by Rahim), we try our best to include everybody. Therefore, the entries are sometimes very short, but sweet.

[Noticias]

Great Peacemakers Added to ACPJ Library
Albuquerque native Ken Beller and his wife, Heather Chase, have donated a copy of their new book, Great Peacemakers, to the ACPJ library. This book tells the true life stories of twenty great peacemakers from around the world, including famous leaders and lesser-known individuals who are making a positive difference in the world. Organized into five paths to peace (choosing nonviolence, living peace, honoring diversity, valuing all life, and caring for the planet), the book also offers inspiration and insights for creating peace in daily life.

Great Peacemakers won the 2007 International Peace Writing Award and is endorsed by three heads of state and three Nobel Peace Prize recipients, including Dr. Oscar Arias, president of Costa Rica and Nobel laureate, who said, "Powerful, well-researched and, above all, timely, Great Peacemakers should be required reading for the youth of the world."

More information at www.GreatPeacemakers .

Solar Incentives set to expire - Action Alert
Federal incentives for solar, wind, geothermal, and other sustainable technologies are set to expire this December. That means these sustainable energy sectors, some of the most promising and strategically important industries in America, are at risk of losing Federal support - unless we act now.

The facts are clear. Sustainable energy technologies are key components in powering green-collar jobs, promoting energy independence, and tackling climate change. At a time when fossil fuel costs continue to rise, the costs for renewable energy continue to fall.

But legislation to extend these sustainable energy tax incentives (H.R. 5351) is currently stalled in the Senate and time is running out. The best way to break this stalemate is for grassroots supporters of solar, wind, geothermal, and others to stand together and take action. Contact your Senator (s) to urge them to extend the renewable energy and energy conservation tax incentives to help generate green collar jobs, promote energy independence, and strengthen national security (see Saturday May 3 event in our calendar).

U.S. Senate calls on Guatemala to address murders of women: In commemoration of International Women's Day, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed Senate Resolution 178 highlighting the more than 2,000 unsolved murders of women and girls in Guatemala since 2001, a number that has nearly doubled in seven years. Many of the victims are subjected to brutal torture, mutilation, and sexual violence before their deaths.

Author Bob Aldridge has donated to our library a new copy of his book, America in Peril. Thank you, Mr. Aldridge.

Peacecraft is accepting bike donations to be auctioned off at their 19th anniversary celebration on Saturday, June 14. All proceeds will go directly to Peacecraft. Call 255-5229.

Simply Meditation, Simply sitting still and breathing Sundays from 6 to 7pm at P&J

A Zen style meditation but not formally aligned with any particular religious or spiritual orientation. Two twenty-five minute sits with a ten-minute walking meditation in between.

Please arrive about ten minutes early as the door will be locked at 6pm so the meditation will not be disrupted by late arrivals. A $2 donation is requested by the Peace & Justice Center for the use of their facility. Please bring your own meditation cushions or benches. Chairs will be available. For info, please contact Cliff Wilkie at 247-0125.

Nuclear-Free World In the March 20, 2008 issue of Asahi Shimbun, the former Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs at the United Nations argues that a nuclear-free world is a viable possibility. The powerful opinion pieces were published in the Wall Street Journal.

Please send calendar items, comments, and questions concerning this Web document to Web@abqPeaceAndJustice.org .