Jamaal Bell

The Missionary's Role in the Indigenous Church

2011-05-26T14:23:57-04:00

Foreign missionaries do not create churches, but simply help local converts develop their own spiritual gifts and leadership abilities and gradually develop their own churches. Missionaries provide teaching and pastoral care alone. The church is thus indigenous from the start. It has always been self-supporting, self-propagating and self-governing.

What is an "Indigenous Church"?

William A. Smalley defines an indigenous church as "a group of believers who live out their life, including their socialized Christian activity, in the patterns of the local society, and for whom any transformation of the society comes out of their felt needs under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the Scriptures." This definition communicates that the church-planting missionary must be willing to allow the indigenous church to have different manifestations of Christianity rather than export their denominational or personal patterns that are rooted in the missionary's history and culture.

The missionary must understand it is not his or her place to make cultural decisions for the indigenous church. The missionaries can be valued advisers with their knowledge of scripture and history. In fact, it is the missionary's responsibility to be a source for cultural alternatives for people to select if they want and need them. However, the indigenous church leaders themselves should make cultural decisions based on their needs, problems, values and outlooks.

God Relates to Humanity in Culture

The Bible reveals that God has always dealt with people in terms of their culture. God intentionally worked his law, spirit and relationship with humanity within a particular culture. The missionary must act the same. The missionary must read and understand the Bible in its cultural perspective and God's dealing with humanity through different cultural situations. The missionary must be careful not to impose and decide what course a new church should follow, with having little to no knowledge of the cultural background of the people. The primary mission should not be to corporatize Christianity on people nor should it be to impose Western cultural norms. This is why some mission bodies do not like indigenous churches: They do not want the indigenous culture to embarrass the mission body.

The Goal of the Missionary

The missionary's goal is to preach that God, in Jesus, is reconciling the world unto Himself and the Kingdom of God in near. The goal is not to colonize or Westernize indigenous populations into our worldview and culture. Therefore we must trust the Holy Spirit to grow and guide the indigenous church. An indigenous church is precisely one in which the cultural changes taking place under the guidance of the Holy Spirit meet the needs and fulfill the meaning of that society and not of any outside group. The indigenous church leaders, not the missionary, should decide whether abstinence until marriage, monogamy and the wearing of clothes are proper expressions of a Christian in that society. With that in mind, it would be ridiculous to say that missionaries can preach a non-cultural Gospel without making judgments.

Since God is directly involved and deals with humanity in culture, preaching can only happen in cultural terms. Therefore, it necessary for the missionary to present alternate forms of cultural behavior to new Christians tactfully and thoughtfully based on God's dealing with diverse peoples in Scripture. In other words, suggestions must be biblically focused and supported. The missionary is also responsible for helping with prayer, in study and in experimenting with alternate cultural forms that allow that indigenous church to express themselves to God.

The Danger of Syncretism

What is role of the missionary when the indigenous church blends incompatible aspects of their former religion into their newfound Christianity -- for instance, other gods or rituals? There are few things the missionary could advise the new church to do. According to the Willow Bank Report, the missionary can advise the indigenous church:

1. To develop a leadership council to report heresy and errors in life and teaching.

2. To ensure all church customs and teachings are derived from Scripture.

3. To use visual or audible elements to illustrate biblical truths; for instance, architecture, worship and art.

They expressed that the missionary must trust the indigenous church leaders with reflection on Scripture and culture. Moreover, they should be present to advise and to teach the Word of God in its context and teach the indigenous church leaders to exegete Scriptures. These are difficult tasks for the missionary. However, it is not in their place to be the CEO or lead pastor for the indigenous church. Their purpose as a church planter is not to create policy. The missionary must advise, guide and teach the indigenous church and give them the knowledge and tools they need to do the work of Christ in their village. The missionary must trust the Holy Spirit will be present and shape the new indigenous church.

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$10 Million Not Enough To Restore Justice and Dignity for Indigenous Women in Canada

2010-07-11T22:59:09-04:00

Sunday, February 14th. About 200 braved the cold, gathered at Berri Square and quietly (except for a lone drum), marched all the way to Parc des Ameriques holding white hearts and signs: "3000 stories untold." - Photo courtesy of www.missingjustice.ca

After 600 Aboriginal women and girls go missing or found murdered in Canada the federal government decides to throw-a-bone and give $10 million dollars. In March, the Canadian Minister of Justice budgeted $10 million over two years to address the issue of murdered and missing women in Canada, however, they have yet to figure out how to use the money.

Many justice organizations such as Amnesty International and Native Women's Association of Canada (NWAC) have made recommendations. Both organizations suggest that the $10 million is not enough to support the decades of injustice for Aboriginal women and girls.

NWAC said the $10 million is not enough to actually prompt real change in the lives of women who are experiencing violence, families who've never received justice, or appropriate counseling or support through victim services. NWAC have been collecting evidence, raising awareness, and developing policy directives to address the issue of missing and murdered Aboriginal women and girls since 2005.

"It's unclear. Is the $10 million new money, or just allocated within the same budget?" said Craig Benjamin, campaigner for the Human Rights of Indigenous Peoples at Amnesty International Canada. "There hasn't been word on where the $10 million came from. But it is definitely not enough."

NWAC Sisters' in Spirit Director, Kate Rexe said, spent wisely, and with commitment from all levels of government and NGOs, there is an opportunity to change the system and how the system responds to violence and the disappearance of Aboriginal women and girls. "NWAC recommends a comprehensive action plan based on four key areas of priorities: Increasing access to justice, reducing violence against Aboriginal women and girls, increasing economic security, and reducing the impact of children in care," Rexe said.

How could the $10 million be used specifically? Mandatory police and justice officials training?

Since this $10 million is mandated by the Minister of Justice, Rexe said this funding should primarily address Aboriginals' access to justice. Rexe said the funds should target: mandatory training of police officers and justice officials to understand the history of Aboriginal people, systemic violence and human rights abuses and today's impact and outcomes of government policies, such as the Indian Act.

Rexe said that navigating through the Indian justice system is complex. The right tools and resources are needed to support family, friends, and those who have experienced violence. "[Justice System navigation tools] will help families, as well as police and justice officials, in the reporting of cases, accessing programs and resources for help and healing, developing networks of support, and raising awareness of where gaps are in the system with the aim to fill in these gaps."

According to the Department of Justice Canada, since 1991 it has implemented the Aboriginal Justice Strategy (AJS). The AJS programs are aimed at reducing the rates of victimization, crime and incarceration among Aboriginal people and helping the mainstream justice system become more responsive and sensitive to the needs and culture of Aboriginal communities.

In 2002, Jessie Sutherland, Director of Worldview Strategies, said in an article that the Aboriginal Justice Strategy may attend to some of colonialism's surface wounds, but it certainly doesn't address the systemic root problems nor offer lasting solutions. She said a successful Aboriginal Justice Strategy must go beyond participatory and indigenised justice processes. Rather, it must support healing and capacity building within First Nations' communities as well as endeavor to decolonize and repair the relationship with the Canadian state.

Attempts were made to contact the Aboriginal Justice Directorate to provide details on implementation of the strategy, how it is funding community-based justice programs and the capacity building fund and how it measures the strategy, today. However, no response was given.

The federal government developed a volunteer Professional Development Centre for Aboriginal Policing (PDCAP) in 2006. PDCAP states it is the only program in Canada completely dedicated to providing advanced training specifically for police officers working in Aboriginal communities. The Centre provides three courses and one senior police officer course. It is small unit consisting of two staff members Inspector Lennard Busch, Manager of PDCAP and Sergeant Craig Nyirfa. The courses are taught by the two officers and they also invite speakers from across Canada to train officers on the history of Aboriginal people, the Aboriginal culture and courtesies.

For one officer to go through all three courses it costs $7,026. For a senior officer to take all four courses it costs $9,908. Nyirfa said it is a volunteer program and cost does affect some who cannot afford to travel and take the courses. "[Busch] is looking for opportunities to create scholarships for those who can't afford the course. We've also taken steps to take training on the road so they don't have to necessarily come to Ottawa to take the course." Nyirfa mentioned numerous times that they are a small unit of two. The courses they offer are:

Aboriginal Gang Prevention and Diversion Strategies

Critical Incident Stress Management for Police Leaders Workshop (CISMPL)

Integrated Approaches to Domestic Violence in the Aboriginal Community (IADV)

Organized Crime Disruption in the Aboriginal Community (OCDAC)

Senior Police Administration Course (SPAC)

Several federal and local police task forces have been created to combat violence against Aboriginal women, but Benjamin said that there are huge gaps in police accountability. "I've talked to many families who their loved ones have been missing or their loved ones have been found murdered and they don't know whether the police are doing a good job or a bad job."

"There is no national or local policy on how to investigate missing Aboriginal women and girls. When families speak out, they feel stonewalled. Police seemed to not be concerned and are unresponsive," said Benjamin.

Benjamin said it takes tremendous strength for Aboriginal people who are victims to maintain hope and continue to fight when there is no accountability. "On every level, there is no mandate or open discussion with police on missing Aboriginal women and girls," said Benjamin.

Rexe said one of the problems is that Aboriginal women are often criminalized by police before an investigation starts. She recalled, "A 13-year-old girl was taken from a shopping mall. When the mother reported her missing to the police, the officer asked, 'Was she working?' She said, 'No, she's 13-year-old.' The officer said, 'No, is she a prostitute?'"

Rexe said Aboriginal women are assumed to be drug addicts and prostitutes. She said that race, economic and gender barriers to justice must be broken. Can $10 million over two years support that?

Can $10 million over two years put a dent in the legacy of injustice that contributed to and perpetuated violence against Aboriginal women? In future articles, events and policies throughout Canada's history that created strong and still apparent gender-based and racialized barriers will be discussed. Some of the impacts are colonialism, residential schools, available statistical data, the Indian Act and a two decade period called the "60's Scoop" or the "Stolen Generation."

"All these programs were designed by the government to get the "Indian" out of Indians," Rexe said.

There is HOPE

There is hope that things can change for Aboriginal women in Canada. There are many organizations like Battered Women's Support Services, NWAC, Amnesty International, and many others fighting every day for Aboriginal women's rights. There are Aboriginal mothers who have had their daughters stolen like Laurie Odjick and they continue to have the strength to fight and pressure the Canadian government and their communities to do more.

Gladys Radek, founder of Walk4Justice, who's had her niece stolen, is leading a group of supporters to march on British Columbia's Highway 16 known as the Highway of Tears.

British Columbia, according to a NWAC report, has the most "known" cases of missing and murdered women of any province with 137 victims.

These organizations and supporters have rallied around and are fighting alongside the victims. They are not alone. There is hope that they can continue to persuade and mobilize more Canadians and the government to care and act on the issue of missing and murdered Aboriginal women.

Aboriginals are not asking for money and they need more than an apology. They are asking for justice, accountability, equality, social services, access to justice, dignity, recognition of their culture, and healing. Frankly, they are asking for human rights.

Sidenote: Last year the UN's Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights received 50 submissions from NGOs slamming Canada for it human rights violations citing racism, sexism, aboriginal rights, poverty and Canadians facing death penalty overseas. The UN adopted the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples by a vote of the overwhelming majority of UN members states.

The Canadian government said it would "take steps to endorse this aspirational document in a manner fully consistent with Canada's Constitution and laws" but ultimately rejected the declaration. Other countries who rejected and voted against the declaration were United States, Australia, Canada and New Zealand. Since 2007, Australia is the only country who reversed its position.

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Crossposted from Race-Talk.

Senator Sherrod Brown, Don't Fear the Opposition -- Support the DREAM Act

2010-06-14T20:45:54-04:00

Senator Sherrod Brown to support the DREAM Act.

A few months ago, Senator Sherrod Brown conducted an interview with Kathleen Wells for my online publication Race-Talk.org. We really appreciated his time to discuss critical labor and economic issues we are dealing with today. From the interview, our readers were impressed with his avocation for social justice.

But many people in Ohio are urging you, Senator Brown, to co-sponsor the DREAM Act. This is your opportunity to stand-up for education and to give undocumented youth an opportunity for an American education and a path to citizenship. To back this law requires courage, and based on the interview you gave Race-Talk, courage seems part of your DNA. Well, I hope you show your courage to the people of Ohio.

Ohio needs to see that you will stand-up for children who want an opportunity for an American college education -- the best in the world. Ohio needs to see their Senator fight and support the poor and disenfranchised -- the people who WANT to live and prosper as American citizens -- and achieve the "real" American Dream, the OPPORTUNITY to achieve all they can dream. The OPPORTUNITY to support one's neighborhood, family and be a contributor to our democracy. A dream, that we as citizens are having now because of your ancestors and other people who have fought for justice and served the people.

You say on your website: "The solution to our immigration problem will not be a simple one, as many things in our country need to be fixed to stop illegal immigration. It is time to take a common sense approach to immigration reform."

The DREAM Act is a small step in the right direction. More work needs to be done. To support the DREAM Act is to support and to pay homage to the immigrants before us. It also allows us to say proudly our American welcome message:

Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!

- Statue of Liberty

It is in our American roots to SUPPORT immigrants. It is our CALLING. Answer the call Senator.

We urge that you do not fear the opposition. As our Senator, I urge you to do what's right, not what's safe; to do what is just, not what's easy.

Co-sponsor the DREAM Act today, brother -- don't fear the opposition -- we will support you, too:

More info about the DREAM Act.

Over three million students graduate from U.S. high schools every year. Most get the opportunity to test their dreams and live their American story. However, a group of approximately 65,000 youth do not get this opportunity; they are smeared with an inherited title, an illegal immigrant. These youth have lived in the United States for most of their lives and want nothing more than to be recognized for what they are, Americans.

The DREAM Act is a bipartisan legislation ‒ pioneered by Sen. Orin Hatch [R-UT] and Sen. Richard Durbin [D-IL] ‒ that can solve this hemorrhaging injustice in our society. Under the rigorous provisions of the DREAM Act, qualifying undocumented youth would be eligible for a 6 year long conditional path to citizenship that requires completion of a college degree or two years of military service.

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VIDEO: Less Human Trafficking Awareness Campaigns, More Action Campaigns

2010-05-20T11:36:30-04:00

In April, during the Price of Life Campaign Rally at Ohio State University, I spoke to David Batstone, Director of the Not For Sale Campaign, to discuss human trafficking.

I focused on the question of how can the everyday citizen help combat human trafficking and what change is needed the most: economic change, policy change or cultural change?

Learn how you can help stop human trafficking on the Not For Sale Campaign website.

My interview with David Batstone, Part 1

My interview with David Batstone, Part 2

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Mass Incarceration: A Destroyer of People of Color and Their Communities

2010-05-17T13:03:29-04:00

Dear Obama Administration,

Instead of having our Drug Czar focus on addiction recovery and prevention programs, how about changing the policy of our racialized criminal justice system that has used the "War on Drugs" policy to put more Black males in the criminal justice system than slavery in 1850?

Around this time last year, the Obama Administration's Drug Czar, Gil Kerlikowske said he wants to banish the idea that the U.S. is fighting "a war on drugs," which is a move that favors treatment over mass incarceration. While this approach is being taken, more than 60% of the people in prison are now racial and ethnic minorities.

For Black males in their twenties, 1 in every 8 is in prison or jail on any given day. These trends have been intensified by the disproportionate impact of the "war on drugs," in which three-fourths of all persons in prison for drug offenses are people of color, according to a report by The Sentencing Project.

The Obama Administration and the states must take racial disparities in our criminal justice system seriously because it affects the public safety of entire communities. Research shows that people of color who live in high crime areas fear victimization and express a need for increased public safety, yet empathize with offenders and the struggles that they face upon release from incarceration.

What are those struggles?

For example, ex-offenders struggle to find housing, transportation and basic health care upon release from prison, according to Minnesota's Council on Crime and Justice. In fact, according to Michelle Alexander, author of "The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness," ex-offenders aren't eligible for public assistance such as public housing, Medicaid and welfare, moreover, are legally discriminated against when applying for employment.

Furthermore, if ex-offenders are fortunate enough to even find employment, in some states the government can garnish up to 100 percent of their income for the cost of their imprisonment, court and legal fees. This inequity, by our justice system in its failure to address the immediate needs of returning offenders, causes the families and the communities they live in to bear the burden of providing support.

Don't forget about Native Americans in this injustice.

Much of the literature written about mass incarceration tends to be primarily about the Latinos, Blacks and Whites. What about our Native brothers and sisters?

The incarceration rate of Native Americans is 38% higher than the national rate. The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights attributes this higher rate to differential treatment by the criminal justice system, lack of access to adequate counsel and racial profiling .

One example: in South Dakota, Native Americans make up 8 percent of the state's population, they compose 22 percent of the state's male prison population. Native women compose 35 percent of female prison population, according to a Dakota-Lakota-Nakota Human Rights Advocacy Coalition Report.

Law enforcement agents arrest American Indians and Alaskan Natives at twice the rate of the greater U.S. population for violent and property crimes. On average, American Indians receive longer sentences than non-Indians for crimes.

They also tend to serve longer time in prison for their sentences than non-Native Americans. The suicide rate is higher among American native inmates incarcerated in jails than non-Indians.

What needs to happen?

We need to admit that racial disparities are tied to our unequal justice practices, and develop strategies, in-cooperation, with law enforcement and community that will reduce racial disparity and enhance public safety.

We need to change policy by removing barriers for those with criminal records so they can gain access to employment, housing and civic engagement. What is the point of being released back into society if you can't positively participate in society?

We need to create programs that support ALL families of offenders/ex-offenders. It is important for ex-offenders, the children of incarcerated parents, and their caretakers to establish a network of social support.

Thankfully, there are some states, NGOs, associations and research institutions around the nation advocating for the rights of ex-offenders and combating racial disparities in America's prisons. However, there needs to be a shift in the administration and the states' thinking and action.

Race needs to be explicitly discussed as it relates to policy change, mass incarceration, and criminal justice. Also how the racially disproportionate enforcement of the "War on Drugs" has negatively affected communities of color.

Sidenote: An example NGO is Rebuild Resources located in St. Paul, Minnesota. Rebuild Resources is a non-profit enterprise helping recovering men and women rebuild their lives through the most powerful social program... A job.

However, they are explicitly committed to serving people who struggle at the intersection of recovery, reentry and racism. "Rather than cherry-pick people who have the fewest barriers to overcome, we look to hire the people who most need our services, are committed to changing their lives, and are ready to work," said Lori Stee, Program Director of Rebuild Resources.

Stee, knows the importance and the need for policy change as it pertains to mass incarceration. "[Rebuild Resources] is deeply involved in collaborative community partnerships to better serve people reentering the community after incarceration," said Stee.

She went on to say that the public must be educated regarding the need for more effective reentry policy. "Policy changes must be from a 3-fold perspective: public safety, fiscal responsibility and social justice," said Stee.

Rebuild Resources has helped more than 900 Minnesotans since 1984, however, 6,000 people are released from Minnesota prisons each year.

The Minnesota Second Chance Coalition and more than a dozen other NGOs advocate for fair and responsible laws, policies, and practices that allow those who have committed crimes to redeem themselves, fully support themselves and their families, and contribute to their communities to their full potential. View their 2010 legislative policy agenda.

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Race and Human Trafficking in the U.S.: Unclear but Undeniable

2010-05-10T08:57:04-04:00

I watch and listen to the advocacy of human trafficking at rallies, on web sites, in government reports and NGO reports. The research and statistics on human trafficking in America are ambiguous, especially in relation to race and ethnicity. We need to explicitly recognize the connections between trafficking, poverty, migration, gender, racism and racial discrimination to adequately battle and destroy human trafficking in the U.S.

Trafficking persons is inherently discriminatory. Since an overwhelming majority of trafficked persons are women, trafficking in most circles is usually considered a gender issue, especially in the United States (majority of trafficking in the U.S. is sex trafficking). In the U.S., most state human trafficking laws explicitly and directly address sexual exploitation, ignoring or vaguely covering other types of trafficking (myths of trafficking).

However, a link that is rarely discussed in open forums about human trafficking is racial discrimination. A question that I don't hear enough is, "Does race and ethnicity contribute to the likelihood of people becoming victims of trafficking?" I say, "Yes." Furthermore, I believe that not only does race and ethnicity constitute a risk factor for trafficking, it may also determine the treatment those victims' experience.

The Polaris Project, who does outstanding work in combating human trafficking, stated the majority of trafficked persons come from vulnerable populations, including undocumented migrants, runaways and at-risk youth, oppressed or marginalized groups, and the poor; specifically because they are easiest to recruit and control. In the U.S., statistically speaking, people of color more than fit this criterion.

Available Statistics by Race

A large majority of trafficked persons in the U.S. for the purposes of labor and sexual exploitation are people of color. Domestically, 50 percent of trafficked victims are children and an overwhelmingly are girls, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Most foreign nationals are women, children and men from Mexico and East Asia, as well as from South Asia, Central America, Africa, and Europe, about 17,500 each year, according to statistics compiled by Polaris Project and 2009 TIP report.

Seventy-seven percent of victims in alleged human trafficking incidents reported in the U.S. were people of color, according to a Bureau of Justice Statistics Report. An example of BJS's ambiguity is that 747 out of 1,442 reported incidents recorded no racial or ethnic origin.

Racism is deeply embedded in human trafficking and must be racially inclusive and explicitly included in its literature, statistics and advocacy. To combat this modern-day slavery, the trafficking cycle should recognize explicitly the connections between trafficking, migration, poverty, racism, gender and racial discrimination.

We need to urge and support our NGOs, national and state governments to adequately report trafficking incidents. It is important to know the origin of the victims and the suspected traffickers, race and ethnic backgrounds to better understand the vulnerabilities and how traffickers exploit opportunities.

I am advocating that we remove and uncover the ambiguity of the characteristics of trafficked persons and the traffickers and be explicit about who they are and what populations in America are most affected so we can make specific and measurable progress. The notion that anyone can be a victim of human trafficking is true, however, the fact that the majority of victims are people of color should not be undermined or understated.

Recent human trafficking reports in the US:

Child Sex Trafficking in Atlanta from Erin Levin on Vimeo.

Woman rescued after investigators discover human trafficking operation in Greensboro; five arrested | The Times News

Photo by Kay Chernush via US State Department

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Mayweather Exposes Mosley's age, Thoughts of Retirement

2010-05-02T02:54:47-04:00

The faster, surprisingly bigger and stronger Floyd "Money" Mayweather Jr. disposes of "Sugar" Shane Mosley with his superior boxing ability and flawless strategy. Mayweather won 10 rounds straight and was the victor by unanimous decision in HBO PPV's biggest non-title fight of the year.

Mayweather spared no expense in making this fight a spectacle. Even though it was disgusting to see and hear Chris Brown, the R&B singer who physical abused female R&B star Rhianna, sing the national anthem, Mayweather's entrance seemed like a scene from Rocky IV with classic soul R&B group, the O'Jays , singing "For The Love of Money" in the middle of the ring. During Mayweather's Apollo Creed-like entrance, Mosely seemed nervous and tight like Drago.

Just like in Rocky IV, Mayweather's speed was getting the best of Drago, I mean Mosely, in the first round. After Mosely's nerves settled in the second round, he banged Mayweather right on the "money" with a huge right cross. Mayweather's knees buckled and Mosely continued to hit him with a flurry of punches while the jam-packed crowd in the MGM Grand stood in awe of the first possible knockout in Mayweather's career. The crowd is on their feet rabidly expressing their allegiance chanting, "Mosely! Mosely! Mosely!" But it wasn't enough to motivate him to maintain the pressure and Mayweather withstood the onslaught and survived the round.

Then the domination began. From round three to 12 Mayweather dominated with punching precision and strategy winning the rest of the rounds. By round six, Mosely seem gassed, outclassed and confused unable to get inside of Mayweather's straight punches and unable to penetrate his rock solid defense.

Mosely's frustration resulted to clinching and wrestling throughout the remainder of fight. His trainer, Nazim Richardson, begged him to let his hands go and follow the game plan. Richardson, in desperation, made Mosely recite the game plan out loud in the corner at end of round nine. However, Mayweather quickly shut him up and continued his dominance for the next three rounds to win the fight.

Mayweather is now 41-0; and Mosley has been beaten for the second time in his last four fights and is 46-6 contemplating retirement.

The two shook hands and hugged after the fight with Mayweather saying to Mosley, "You're a tough MF'er." And Mosely saying, "You're a great champion."

Mayweather said he wants to fight top welterweight Manny Pacquiao... if he submits to an Olympic style drug test, which consists of seven random blood and urinalysis examinations for performance enhancing drugs and costs more than $20,000 to conduct.

The ball is definitely in Pacquiao's court. Mayweather just fought and dominated the last credible known welterweight in the division. Yes, Andre Berto is an undefeated top contender but he's not a big money draw. Migel Cotto is a money draw but has lost two of his last four fights against Pacquiao and Antonio Margarito (who Mosley destroyed in his last fight).

Considering the way Mayweather performed in this fight, one may have reservations that Pacquiao can even stand a chance against him.

Pacquiao would be the smaller and slower man who charges straight forward. That is tailor-made for Mayweather. Freddy Roach is a superb trainer, but Mayweather has superior trainers, his uncle Roger Mayweather and his father Floyd Mayweather Sr. He also has the best cutman in the business, the legendary Joe Chavez. However, Chavez has been known to jump ship to the highest bidder. Before the Pacquiao and Cotto fight, Chavez ditched Cotto to work in Pacquiao's corner.

Speaking of Cotto, in the undercard, Jose Cotto (31-2-1), Migel's older brother, was beaten by 19-year-old prospect "Camelo" Saul Alvarez (32-0-1 with 23 KOs) by TKO in less than 10 seconds left in the ninth round.

Earlier in the night, southpaw Daniel Ponce De Leon, a former Mexican Olympian, out punched Cornelius Lock, a former U.S. amateur champion from Detroit, with devastating jabs to win a unanimous decision in a 10-round featherweight bout.

In a strange welterweight bout that lasted less two minutes, Said Quali (27-3, 19 KOs), a 29-year-old Moroccan fighter out of Las Vegas, came off the canvas to knock out once-beaten Hector Saldivia (31-1 with 24 KOs) of Argentina.

Mayweather is guaranteed a minimum of $22.5 million while Mosley is guaranteed a minimum pay of $7 million. Those numbers do not include the Pay-Per-View buy profits, so their respective payday's will increase and Mayweather could possibly wind up with $40 million or more.

Social Media Activism: Adding to the Haitian Narrative

2010-03-23T10:30:30-04:00

American relief efforts should be driven by an understanding of what resources would provide the greatest benefit, rather than driven by an ego-based desire to be the hero that swoops in and saves the day.

-Trina Chiasson, executive director of Media Make Change

NEW YORK - A survivor of a natural disaster has a voice and shouldn't be subjected to pity and judgment. If we can help Haitians share their stories through social media, we will all benefit. It's a form of media that is completely participatory and open to all, said Tara Conley, founder of Media Make Change.

Media Make Change, a media justice organization, launched a new outreach program, Project Haiti Speaks. They want to provide multimedia support to relief organizations on the ground and provide a multimedia platform for volunteers, workers, citizen journalists and survivors so their stories can be told. Conley stresses the significance of Haitians telling their own stories for the primary reason that sound bites about this disaster will have long-term implications.

"We always have to consider how mainstream media filters the stories of others particularly in the context of a natural disaster," Conley said. She said we need to ask ourselves, "How are Haitian citizens being portrayed? Who's telling their stories? What is the historical and political context of the crisis itself?"

The mainstream media has an important role, but she suggests that more stories need to be told from a first-person perspective through social media. "The mainstream media cannot be the only narrative when we look at this event 100 years from now," Conley said.

Collecting more donations for digital media equipment is Project Haiti Speaks' biggest challenge. They need more solar powered radios, digital cameras and batteries. Nokia, Flip Cam, Kodak, Radio Shack, HP, and Apple are major corporations they hope will donate equipment to Project Haiti Speaks. "I'm hoping that as the word spreads about Project Haiti Speaks, more people will be willing to donate," Conley said.

Media Make Change wants to provide a media outlet for Haitians and relief workers; and raise the awareness of the project. They plan to use social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Vimeo, MySpace and Media Speaks, their official blog, to accomplish this goal.

They are partnering with MADRE, an organization that, minutes after the earthquake shook Haiti Tuesday, January 12, was already in contact with its partners discussing the logistics of how to support the victims.

"We knew we had to respond quickly. The earthquake has the people in Haiti so vulnerable because of the poverty," said Yifat Susskind, MADRE's Policy and Communications Director.

MADRE is an international women's human rights organization that uses human rights to advance social justice. Susskind said that most people don't have an understanding of what it means to be a survivor of a major disaster in a poverty stricken area. She said it's important that survivors are able to tell their own stories.

"Telling their stories is a crucial part in getting past that experience," Susskind said. She went on to say, "Having [Haitians] tell their own stories is also a way to monitor the recovery efforts."

MADRE, for 26 years has executed extensive economic and environmental justice projects in Afghanistan, Guatemala, Bolivia, Panama, Nicaragua, Kenya, and Sudan. Susskind said MADRE understands the importance of monitoring aid and recovery to guarantee relief is distributed equally and to avoid the "truck and chuck" syndrome. The "truck and chuck" syndrome is when one fills a truck with goods and one chucks it out the other side to give it to the people, and the job is done.

Susskind said that "truck and chuck" is dehumanizing and also doesn't ensure that relief is given to those who need it most. She said the "truck and chuck" method doesn't guarantee that the injured, the elderly, women and children receive the relief they require.

Courtesy of Partners In Health

Thankfully, Susskind said that there are Haitian organizations like Zanmi Lasante, a nongovernmental health care provider which, since the destruction of government hospitals and neighboring clinics resulting from the earthquake, is now the single largest health care provider in Haiti. Zanmi Lasante is also the only clinic that delivers comprehensive primary care regardless of people's ability to pay.

Likewise, Evens Jean - born and raised in Haiti and currently serving as a youth development specialist for HANDY in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida - dropped everything and went to Haiti to assist the people and his family. He said he knows first-hand the importance of communication and the role of Project Haiti Speaks in helping Haitians contribute to the narrative of this disaster and recovery. He told his story on the Media Speaks' blog.

"[Media Make Change] is supporting me right now, to raise awareness about the devastation in Haiti and to make sure my country, my people are properly cared for and a new and better Haiti is rebuilt," Jean said.

Susskind said it's more important now than before that everyday Haitians have a voice and are heard. "The single most important thing that can happen is that the reconstruction process is administered by Haitians through a democratic process," Susskind said.

Conley said Project Haiti Speaks supports Haiti and wants to build coalitions one partner organization, one citizen journalist and one survivor at a time.

"Through Project Haiti Speaks, we are able to provide and facilitate communication platforms so people can share, document, and report on stories from their points-of-view," Conley said. "It's a way for survivors, volunteers, and citizen journalists to engage with the world community by raising the awareness and inciting activism."

Tent in the Water from Ciné Institute on Vimeo.

TREZO "Jou A Rive" Music Video from Ciné Institute on Vimeo.

Stories of Heroes from Ciné Institute on Vimeo.

The five ways you can help Project Haiti Speaks according to the Media Make Change's web site:

1. Send your used cameras. Don't let your old digital camera sit on the shelf and collect dust. Give it the chance to collect critical information on current events and social/political crises. We are currently collecting donations for Haiti in Chicago and New York City. Contact us to find out where you can send your digital media equipment.

2. Post about Project Haiti Speaks on your blog, Facebook, MySpace, or Twitter. Tweet about making change in Haiti today. Write a blog post about what you did to help earthquake relief, and then post it on YouthNoise to raise an extra $1 for Haiti.

3. Read blog posts and watch videos produced by Haitian citizens. The media giants get enough attention. Seek out the stories that are produced by the people. You'll get a much more balanced perspective on current events. Check out Global Voices and the Ciné Institute for digital media produced by Haitian citizens.

4. Contribute to the conversation about what we, as concerned global citizens and cit-journalists can do to make a difference. Learn about Haiti's history, comment on blog posts, talk about what's going on, and engage in the process of making social change.

5. Check on Media Make Change for updates on Project Haiti Speaks. Or better yet - stay in the loop by signing up for our RSS blog feed, following us on Twitter, friending us on MySpace, and becoming a fan on Facebook.

Contact Media Make Change at mediamakechange@gmail.com

Crossposted from Race-Talk.org.