Earlier this year, I traveled to Israel. Before that trip, I'd only seen the place through the distorted prism of harrowing news stories and the cruel "normalcy" of the ongoing conflict. I wrote about it here, relaying how much impact the trip had on my understanding of the difficult but inspiring struggle for peace and cohabitation in the region. The trip also inspired me to get involved with my hosts, the New Israel Fund, the leading social justice organization in Israel. This Thursday, The NIF holds its 13th Annual New Generations Benefit, at the Highline Ballroom, in New York City.
Unlike much of the stateside rhetoric we hear or engage in regarding the challenges of the Middle East, the NIF showed me that progressive and democratic action is pushing its head up in the challenging arena of Arab-Israeli politics. Going far beyond what most Americans--and many Israelis--would imagine, NIF's creative programs and outreach are bold and impacting.On the eve of their annual benefit (9/18), I opted to share my space here with NIF's organizers. Their sentiments follow:
When Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin quipped: "I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a community organizer, except that you have actual responsibilities," the irony was thick. After all, Ms. Palin might not be where she is today had it not been for the efforts of Susan B. Anthony, one of the most celebrated U.S. community organizers, to help secure women's suffrage.
While Palin intended the jab to belittle Obama's experience working to help improve impoverished Chicago neighborhoods, it in fact helped galvanize those of us who know just how critical, challenging and imperative a role community organizers play. A role that was even more significant when Barack Obama accepted the Democratic Party's nomination for president on the anniversary of community organizer's Martin Luther King Jr. "I Have a Dream Speech".
The New Israel Fund (NIF) knows first-hand the hope and change that community organizers inspire every day. After all, for the past twenty-nine years, the New Israel Fund has made social change our business. We built Israeli civil society from scratch, in a country without a tradition or history of third-sector activism. Today, our family of activists continues our efforts on issues ranging from lobbying for safe roads in unrecognized Bedouin villages, to strengthening laws helping the disabled, to challenging Israel's ultra-Orthodox establishment.
While Sarah Palin might not think that community organizers have "actual responsibilities," the Palestinian citizens in the region of Ma'ale Adumin near Jerusalem would disagree. Last week, the Israeli government decided to re-route the planned Security Fence in the region--returning some 1,000 acres of Palestinian land that would have been appropriated to Israel and made inaccessible to Palestinian villagers.
Citizens of Tel Aviv, plagued by some of the worst pollution in the developed world, would also disagree. The passage of Israel's Clean Air Law this past July will lead to a real reduction in pollution and the high rate of respiratory illness.
Jerusalem's Russian immigrants would also take on Governor Palin. In August, the largest Russian library outside of the former Soviet Union was prevented from closing by a long, patient community-organized campaign.
If you only know about Israel through the lens of its external conflicts, find out why this struggling but vibrant democracy needs progressive voices in the U.S. to advance human rights, social justice and religious pluralism. The 13th Annual New Generations Benefit in New York on September 18th draws over 500 people and raises funds for NIF's efforts to strengthen Israel's democracy and promote justice and equality for all members of Israeli society. The NIForum 2008: Innovation! New Strategies for Social Change in Israel, will focus on some groundbreaking strategies for empowering people without voices in the corridors of power.
To learn more, please visit www.nif.org.
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The most important consideration in choosing a vice president - substitute president - must be the candidate’s ability to occupy the Oval Office at any moment as the most powerful individual with the gravest and the greatest of responsibilities any individual throughout the history has ever had.
Ideally, no one in the country should be surprised at a presidential candidate’s choice of a vice president. It would not be an exaggeration, unfortunately, to say that if a national poll was taken before of the selection of Sarah Palin, more than 95% - Alaska’s population is about 700,000 - of our nation would not have had a clue of who she was.
I do not believe John McCain had given serious consideration to Sarah Palin taking over as President of the United States.
I wonder if it is possible to impeach a candidate for the presidency, before its taking the Oath of Office, for undermining the welfare of more than 300,000,000 of us and through us the welfare of humanity.
� The United States won its independence from the British Empire because of the service of community organizers. Paul Revere made his midnight ride to alert and organize the community! To unite the widespread and loosely connected communities of local fighting militia, George Washington was appointed as commander-in-chief by the Continental Congress.
� The community organizing work of the early abolitionists helped strike down the legal practice of slavery.
� Women gained the right to vote in the United States because of the community organizing efforts of leaders of the women"s suffrage movement.
� The community organizers in associations like the Children"s Aid Society fought for child labor laws in the United States and originated innovations in child protection and welfare such as the first parent-teacher associations, the first free school lunch programs, the first free dental clinics for children, the first day schools for disabled children, the first kindergarten in the U.S., and the first foster homes.
� The community organizers of the Civil Rights Movement were willing to sacrifice their lives so that every citizen of our nation might be recognized as having the same rights by law regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, or ethnicity.
The responsibility of a community organizer is the greatest responsibility of all--Christ"s commandment to "Love your neighbor as yourself."
Personally, Sen Obama's community organizing is especially favorable for me. Followed closely with his teaching of Constitutional Law.
He himself has said it is the best education he had, And he was magna cum laude at Harvard Law school, which means he is certifiably brilliant. High praise for community organizing.
I was shocked at the mockery shown by Mr Guiliani and Gov Palin, when they both derided Obama's CO experience.
They both exposed themselves as shallow and ignoramuses.
Most people like the idea of a president Community Organizer.
That awfully sneering Guli speech mocking "Community Organizers" is backfiring.
Just putting in Obama ads, would help Obama.
The Fake Christian GOP pharisees mocked Community Organizer Obama as the Messiah , just as Governor Pontus Pilot did with the "king of the Jews" wreath.
This is a powerful image for Christians.