I HAVE A DREAM

"I HAVE A DREAM"
Martin Luther King

I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. So we have come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.In a sense we have come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds." But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we have come to cash this check -- a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice. We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quick sands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children.It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. Those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force. The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny and their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone.As we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall march ahead. We cannot turn back. There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied, as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We can never be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive.Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed. Let us not wallow in the valley of despair.I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.I have a dream today.I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.I have a dream today.I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with a new meaning, "My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring."And if America is to be a great nation this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania!Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado!Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California!But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia!Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee!Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.And when this happens, When we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"

Save Baby Seals: End the Seal Hunt

Each year, hundreds of thousands of baby harp seals are slaughtered on the ice fields off Canada's east coast for their pelts. Over 95% of the seals killed during this hunt are just days or weeks old.If you were to witness this cruelty personally, your heart would break. Newborn seals skinned or bled alive ... clubbed to death ... or shot and left wounded to die under the ice.In the past three years, nearly one million baby seals have been clubbed or shot to death. Shockingly, the hunt is subsidized by the Canadian government!Please help us show the Canadian government the rest of the world will no longer stand for this inexcusable and senseless hunt.Visit StoptheSealHunt.ca today to take action!Join the largest growing community to end the seal hunt in the world.The Biggest Seal Hunt in 50 YearsCanada's seal hunt is the largest deliberate slaughter of marine mammals in the world. More than 300,000 seal pups were killed last year by hunters before they reached three months of age. Speak out now.Government Subsidized CrueltyIFAW documents hundreds of examples of seal hunt cruelty each year, from seals being hooked and dragged across the ice while still alive for skinning, to others being shot in the water and dragged by hooks on to the ice, with no attempt made to check for consciousness.Speak Out Against the Seal HuntJoin others around the world in speaking out against the seal hunt. The sealing industry is counting on your silence. Tell Canada the world won't stand for such senseless cruelty any longer.Seal Hunt Facts Canada Doesn't Want You to KnowThroughout the world, Canada is known and highly respected for its progressive systems of health care, education and values. The senseless cruelty of the seal hunt is one value they'd rather keep out of the world's eye. Here's the true story.

SAY NO TO RACISM

What is racism?Racism means attitudes, practices and other factors that disadvantage people because of their race, color or ethnicity. Racism can be directed against any race, color or ethnicity. Some examples of racism are obvious, such as graffiti, intimidation or physical violence. Racial and ethnic slurs and "jokes" are other examples. Unfortunately, they are often ignored because people do not know how to deal with them. Other forms of racism are not obvious, such as discrimination in hiring and apartment rentals, or policies that disadvantage members of certain races, whether intentionally or not. Racism exists at three main levels: individual, institutional and cultural. Individual racism takes the form of individual attitudes, beliefs, values and behaviours. Racial prejudice, bigotry, belittling and jealousy are examples of racist attitudes. Examples of racist beliefs are racial stereotypes, the belief that some races are better than others and even the belief that people can be classified according to race in the first place. Violence, name-calling and discrimination in hiring are examples of racist behaviour. Institutional or systemic racism takes the form of the practices, customs, rules and standards of organizations, including governments, that unnecessarily disadvantage people because of their race, color or ethnicity. They do not always involve differences in treatment. Educational requirements that are not related to actual job duties are an example. Cultural racism are the cultural values and standards that disadvantage people because of their race, color or ethnicity. Examples are cultural expectations as to the race of a company president and the cultural standard for what a beautiful, trustworthy or competent person looks like.What can I do to stop racism?First of all, speak out against racism. Otherwise, your silence may be interpreted as tacit approval of discrimination. You have the right, as well as the responsibility, to speak out., you can stop racism in the following ways: In the community:Take part in activities marking the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination every March 21.Join organizations dealing with issues of racism and human rights.Suggest that your local newspaper publish a special section on the racial and cultural diversity of your community.Create a speakers bureau of persons willing to speak about racism and human rights.Explore ways in which community organizations can work together to promote positive race relations.Suggest that your community develop a policy statement against all forms of racial discrimination. In schools:Object to racist jokes and insults.Organize an inter-cultural music or film festival.Invite guests to speak on racism and human rights.Organize a poster or essay contest.Show films on prejudice, stereotyping, discrimination and racism.Examine the contents of television, film, radio and newspapers for stereotypes. Identify and discuss the stereotypes.Find out about human rights organizations in your area and what role they play.Suggest that your class or school develop a policy statement against all forms of racial discrimination. In the workplace:Object to racist jokes and insults.Encourage dialogue on racism and human rights.Organize a lunch time film series.Encourage human rights awareness at union meetings through guest speakers, films or other presentations.Examine hiring practices to ensure equality of opportunity for all.Develop clear policy statements against all forms of racial discrimination and define ways to make them work through cooperation and consensus.

Gender equality

equalists believe that certain feminists have abandoned notions of equality, and instead focus only on females' rights to the point of excluding/promoting the subjugation of the rights of other sexes/genders. Equalists seek to promote the rights of females, males, and everything in between. Most feminists are inherently egalitarian, however. Calling oneself "feminist" or "masculist" is not about marginalizing another group, but offering a perspective on, and solutions for, the issues that disproportionately affect one gender in a sexist society."Gender equity", "gender equality", "sexual equality", or gender egalitarianism is the belief in the equality of the gender or the sexes. Many followers of this philosophy would like to see this term come to replace feminism or masculism, when used to describe a belief in basic equal rights and opportunities for members of both sexes within legal, social, or corporate establishments. They strive for ultimate fairness, and seek cooperative solutions so as to make things better for both males, females and everything in between. They are opposed both to misogyny and misandry, pointing to a gender transformative perspective and the need for a rejection of all forms of gender oppression and stereotypes.While they may share a number of critiques and analyses with self-described feminists and/or masculists, they feel that egalitarianism is the best word to describe a belief in equality without implying a phenomenological focus on any particular gendered experience.

Falun Gong/Falun Dafa

Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, ( is a system of "mind and body cultivation" introduced by Li Hongzhi (whose surname is Li) to the public in 1992. Falun Gong refers to five sets of meditation exercises (four standing, and one sitting meditation), and Falun Dafa refers to a set of religious teachings. Li claims to provide salvation for mankind and his Dafa (great law) is judging all beings in a process called Fa-rectification.Falun Gong has been the focus of international controversy since July 20, 1999, when the government of the People's Republic of China (PRC) began a suppression of the movement nationwide, except in the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau. The PRC government claims to have banned the group for what it considers to be illegal activities. The Falun Gong claims that the ban was the result of personal jealousy of the group’s popularity on the part of Jiang Zemin, a former President of the People's Republic of China. The suppression of Falun Gong is considered a human rights violation by a number of (mostly western) human rights groups and politicians.The exact number of Falun Gong practitioners is not known. A figure of 70 million practitioners was quoted in a New York Times article published April 27, 1999. According to the article, this figure was the estimate of PRC government.[However according to a statement posted on November 1, 1999 the membership estimated by Beijing was 2.1 million.[ A main Falun Gong website states a figure of 100 million practitioners worldwide, including 70 million in mainland China.

http://www.falundafa.org/