bread bakers by meredith stern

on monday, two members of the sparrow community house took a trip up to brevard, nc to pick up a bundle of donations! the women of iwil, who had graciously done a service project at the house in november, donated pots, pans, dishware, and other kitchen neccessities to make our work of serving meals easier and much more efficient. we had a wonderful and humbling trip.

our house has been so blessed by our partnership with iwil. a million thanks for your continued service.

in japan in the 1980’s, some business men began to use an old term in a new way. the original term, which directly translated means “global localization” was used to refer to the adapting of farming techniques to local needs and environments. But the new use referred to a marketing strategy that encouraged companies to understand local consumers so that profits could be maximized and global expansion would become fiscally feasible. some socially conscious folks are starting to use the expression “glocalization” in place of the bumper sticker standard “think globally, act locally” but obviously the term is more than a little problematic.

perhaps the biggest dilemma is that along with the well-intentioned activists, military and paramilitary forces are co-opting this idiom and implementing the strategy in reverse. in central and south america, the use of school of americas graduates has helped to curb resistance against the state. and if it works there, it’ll work here right?

presently, folks trained in methods of torture in the united states are working with roberto michelette in honduras to suspend the following rights: personal liberty; freedom of association and assembly; and the right to freedom of movement, to leave, enter, and stay within the national territory. This evening, less than two hours from the gates of ft. benning, in atlanta, georgia people experiencing homelessness are finding their own rights suspended indefinitely. arrested for asking for money, not having “proper identification”, sleeping outdoors, or simply sitting down on the sidewalk - our homeless citizens are never safe from police harassment.

with confirmation that xe, formerly blackwater usa, has trained members of the atlanta police force at its training center in north carolina, we can no longer deny that the military’s reverse glocalization is silencing and brutalizing america’s poor along with the huddled, disenfranchised masses abroad that we could more easily distance ourselves from.

may we seek to understand that the fight against systematic injustice is more than an intellectualized international cause. certainly, the struggle against “disappearing” and state sanctioned violence begins on peachtree street and trails through hundreds of fearful occupied nations. we should find the courage to hold those in power accountable, and the love to nonviolently resist with our neighbors who have been stripped of the power they are due. act locally, act globally, but before it’s too late, we must certainly act.

for more pictures from the soaw, check our facebook page

while we were at the protest in ft. benning, house members handed out copies of our first zine. along with ekua’s prayer, the zine contained a piece about the value of community and a general explanation of the phases of service we are undertaking together. of course, the paper version of the zine is precious but if you can’t get a hold of one or you’re trying to use less paper, we will post all the articles on the website.

if you feel like you really need a paper copy, send us your mailing address in an email and we will snail mail it to you.

sparrowcommunity@gmail.com

Great Spirit,

We come to you holding hands, each of us acting as a representative

creating a great circle of world communities

with the understanding that without You,

there could be none of what we value here on Earth.

We understand that this time is prolific, and we are each willing to do our individual parts

to achieve the composite productivity of our communities.

We are willing to see the nobility in the smallest ailing flower,

the tattered homeless woman on the street, the struggling families in far away countries

as well as those down the block, and within ourselves.

We know that we are not separate from You,

and we are not separate from each other.

We are willing to walk with our heads held high,

even in the face of adversity, poverty, and great struggle.

We will keep our eyes straight ahead and focused

on our intended outcome, which is peace and unity.

We will show the world through our deeds and words

that we have respect for ourselves as a community,

and that we will not compromise our dignity.

We give thanks for the ability to soften our hearts and receive Love,

and we will not hesitate to give Love to ALL of the people who cross our paths,

for, we know that when we give Love freely and without conditions,

we speak Your language.

We are willing and able to quiet our minds so that we may feel

your warmth and loving light washing over us,

protecting us from all of the things that we fear,

and affording us the faith that we had taken for granted.

We see that when we allow this, we become energized and revitalized,

and joy springs forth in our lives.

It is in this way that we become lighthouses

that show the way in a world of darkness

to those who would have otherwise been lost,

with the understanding that ours is not a better way,

ours is merely another way.

It is in the name of Love that we pray,

Ashe and Amen.

by Ekua - house member

this prayer is featured in the first edition of a zine created by members of the sparrow community house

this weekend is the annual protest at the gates of the school of the americas, a combat training school for latin american soldiers, located in ft. benning, georgia. five of the six sparrow house members will be in attendance handing out info about serving in decatur. in addition to being witnesses for peace at the gates on saturday and sunday, two house members will be at the protest at the stewart detention center in lumpkin, georgia on friday. this prison is a for-profit center holding over 1,750 men primarily from latin america.

the human rights violations connected with both the school of americas and the stewart detention center mirror injustices happening across the americas and certainly in our own backyards.

http://www.soaw.org/index.php

“I have received many complaints of public housing demolitions and no replacements in the same number of units from various parts of the country, but specifically from Chicago,” Rolnik said.

house members and friends (from left: diedra, megan, kris, ekua, kirsten, lucy the dog and hillary on the back row) saturday evening after a great work day with the women of iwil from brevard college.

this saturday, we’ll be hosting a work party from brevard college at the house. they’re going to help us do a little clean up to get our back lot ready for chickens. we’re hoping that our little feathered friends will provide plenty of eggs for residents. if you want to drop by and lend some muscle or a shovel or two, we’d love to have you.