OneWorld Progressive Institute, Inc. Blog » Uncategorized

OneWorld Progressive Institute, Inc Seeks to Enrich the Broader Community.

N'Zinga Shäni — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 02:29:04 +0000

Visit our OneWorld’s website @ www.oneworldpi.org
Learn about our flagship TV program “21st Century Conversations” on your PEG Access stations in CT. We are on AT&T U-Verse, Cablevision, Comcast, Cox & MetroCast. If you cannot find us, ask your public access station to get & air “21st CC.

We focus on Health Literacy, Education-at-every-level and on Civic Engagement. We are about enriching our communities on every level. We profile organizations; we engage students positively, and we provide constructive information. Join us in these efforts. Find “21st Century Conversations” on your PEG access station in CT. Watch as retired school principal, Marc Palmieri, discuss team-building with parents and teachers from various school districts. When you visit our site visit each section; browse our very informative and educational video programs. Watch clips from student participants. Join us as we seek to engage residents in positive ways; learn about their issues of concern and the things they want to see changed in this the 21st century. Meet students from Hamden, New Haven, West Haven and North Haven.

Learn what are the educational concerns parents in Bpt, NH, Hamden and WH have; they are the same concerns you have. OneWorld is about building a more positive community from infancy to old age. Let us stand together so we can ALL be stronger. Join us. Please send us an email; go to the Contact Us page. Peace & grace.

REAL DEMOCRACY IS ABOUT CITIZEN PARTICIPATION. Demand Answers

N'Zinga Shäni — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 08:51:49 +0000

It might be a worn out phrase; it is nonetheless true and particularly significant today. A true democracy demands participation by the citizens. We do not have a legitimate complaint about the outcome in our political process, in our justice system, and in the standards practiced in our communities if we sit on the sidelines and complain. We need to actively participate; our political leaders NEED to hear from us and know what it is that we care about. The hypocrisy of the Republican leadership should be challenged. Hold Boehner, Brady & McConnell accountable.

There are those in our communities who have gotten away with carrying out all kinds of atrocities against the less powerful because they could count on the fact that the rest of us would sit by and let it happen. They count on our silent collusion against the oppressed. “ALL IT TAKES FOR EVIL TO THRIVE IS FOR PEOPLE OF GOODWILL TO DO NOTHING.”

Liars get away with telling lies because no one calls them on it. Sometimes, in trying to keep the peace we facilitate the perpetuation of lies and deceit. Democracy is about standing up for what we believe in, and for the principles to which we subscribe as individuals, as communities, and as a society.

A democracy only functions as such when everyone can have a reasonable expectation of fairness, and when there are rules adhered to that ensure that such fairness is practiced.

Some of those given a little power abuse it a little and get away with it; when they abuse it more siginificantly and are not challenged, they go on to becoming despots. There are too many despots in our communities.

Politicians get away with deceptious behavior because they are often not challenged. Interestingly, some of the things the media invest time in (such as what is going on in people’s private lives and that do not affect their public performance) are not the things that voters/ citizens who need help care about. Journalism has become too gossipy. Too much time is being invested in Mel Gibson’s private life. If the tapes being broadcast repeatedly are authentic, Mr. Gibson clearly has a problem; however, whether his career is over or not is not going to affect the price we pay at the pump, or whether the Republicans regain control of the House. Those are the real issues that will affect the pocketbooks and lives of average Americans.

In the 8 years during which president Bush and the Republicans ran the American economy into the ground, I did not see the majority of the media asking detailed questions. Recently we learned that the economy needs 22 mil jobs. Republican leaders are condemning President Obama for not fixing in 18 months what they destroyed in 8 years. These 22 million jobs were not lost in the 18 months since President Obama took office! Where were the media pundits then? It seems that in the second term of the Bush presidency much of the media became their partners rather than the servant of the people providing accurate information.

Republicans held up the unemployment extended benefts for weeks, and they are now concerned about economic issues so that they will be able to use it as a weapon in the mid-term elections! That is shear hypocrisy and blatant lying. Where were John Boehner, Kevin Brady and Mitch Mcconnell when Mr. Bush and his cronies were destroying the economy and while their very rich friends got richer? How many of us were paying attention? Where were the investigative journalists then? What about the tax cuts for the rich? Why did those keep going even when average Americans were in dire economic stress? What did the Republicans do for the average American?

Do not be impressed by the noisy, hysterical politics, media Obama-bashing wagon. Get informed; ask questions of your political representatives and don’t accept the media’s word. Except on PBS, The Nation and a few other outlets with integrity, the news is all about ratings and advertising dollars. Real democracy is about all of us citizens trying to get the facts and holding our representatives accountable. Local, state, and national politicians, and all those who claim positions of leadership are to be held accountable to we the people. Real Democracy Is About Citizen Participation. The politicians are supposed to be working for the people

Remember to VOTE in the primary elections in August and in the mid-term elections this November. Think about who you are voting for and why. Do NOT be influenced by endorsements made by popular leaders or politicians; most such endorsements are about bargains made and deals cut. Invest the time to learn about each person for whom you vote. Look at someone’s track record. The fact that someone was a successful business person does not make him or her a successful political leader.

How many of us remember and voted for Lowell Weicker? Thanks to him, we have a state income tax in CT. What do we have to show for it? How many of us believed that Lowell Weicker was a different kind of Republican politician? Real Democracy Is About Citizen Participation. Please remember to VOTE during the primaries and at the mid-term.

Justice Subverted, Judge Reverses Murder Convictions! Justice Now on Hold!

N'Zinga Shäni — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 05:51:30 +0000

Outraged Judge Reverses Murder Convictions

by Melissa Bailey | Mar 18, 2010 12:48 pm | Comments (23) Posted to: Legal Writes

The article listed above is in the New Haven Independent and was posted there on March 18. It would be helpful to read that post to better understand this BLOG.

There is a COST to all of us as a society when justice is subverted. “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” Martin Luther King

“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.” Bishop Desmond Tutu

“There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest.” Elie Wiesel

Some of us just cannot help ourselves when it comes to issues of injustice. Yes, there are far too many of our citizens who engage in criminal behavior. As a society we are better off without them, but the reality is—they are a part of us, and too often some of their behavior is a consequence of their societal imposed or facilitated circumstance.

Unfortunately, there are those who benefit greatly from an expanding prison industrial complex and who have a vested interest in growing the criminal population. There is also ample evidence that certain groups have been targeted to feed the prison industrial complex, and that serves the financial and political ambitions of many; sadly it might also serve some even more twisted interests.

Additionally, in far too many aspects of our society we are very short-sighted. Too many politicians, and some who have taken on the mantle of community leadership do not see or appreciate the benefits of early investments in education, positive image and skill building, and self-improvement strategies for our young, and in particular those who are born into deprived circumstances. We need to look at the BIG picture from day one. As a society we are only as strong as our weakest links.

It is a great investment to educate all, and to create circumstances that encourage and make it possible for all capable citizens to be the best that they can be. If they cannot realize their potential, at least make it possible for them to acquire skills that make them fully functional. It is possible and it might cost us less than prison costs us now.

On the issue of criminal justice, the question is: when the police and prosecutors maliciously put someone away for 16 years, and then refuse to correct their mistake just because they are too arrogant to do so, what are the benefits to society? Isn’t crime and punishment supposed to benefit the larger society? Or is it? How does society benefit when we wrongly imprison people?

When the behaviors of law enforcement only serve to further the animosity which already exists in our society, who exactly benefits? What is gained? How often do we see white men, or those with adequate financial resources locked away for decades for crimes they did not commit, but also for being sentenced without any real evidence? How long after the “error/s?” have been discovered does it usually take to remedy those errors? And yes, we know that sincere errors do occur without anyone deliberately creating them. Given the reported evidence in this case, and what the “convicting witness said, can anyone say what happened here was an error?

Like most law-abiding citizens, I detest criminal behavior. However, my greatest scorn is reserved for those in our judiciary system who are supposed to uphold the law, and who seem to consciously and deliberately subvert justice either out of shear malice and bigotry, or only to further their careers. The American system of justice is not served, and as a society we are all damaged by it. How can we teach our children to be respectful of the law when those who are charged with upholding it and setting positive examples are so flagrant in their disregard for justice?

Every day that these men remain in prison the law is being further subverted.

We NEED Health Care that Works for ALL Women

N'Zinga Shäni — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 19:54:36 +0000

Byllye Avery is an African-American woman born in 1937; she knows what it is like to be forced to go without some of the essentials, and she KNOWS how important it is for everyone to have access to affordable health care. She will be in New Haven at the First & Summerfield Methodist Church, 425 College Street (College & Elm), Tues. Jan 26, 2010, 6-8PM to Speak OUT that we NEED HEALTH CARE THAT WORKS FOR ALL WOMEN! Women are dying for a lack of access to afforable care.

Byllye Y. Avery.pdf Here is a page of information. Please copy and share it with everyone you can reach. This is important. President Obama had great difficulty getting a public option in the bill he worked so HARD to pass in Congress. That was with a 60 count “supposed to be majority.” He could not get what he wanted from some Democrats, and the Republicans are more committed to him failing as our president than to what is best for Americans who are in need. There are those Democrats and Republicans who wanted to hold the National Budget hostage to get what they want rather than to do what is best for the majority of the people; those who elected the president. Today that 60 count “socalled” majority no longer exists. A Republican has taken over Senator Ted Kennedy’s seat in MA!!!! We- the people- need to let Congress hear our voices. We NEED to let Governor Rell hear from us. We NEED Health Care that works for ALL people, and certainly for ALL WOMEN. Don’t allow Republicans & ultra-conservative Democrats to sabotage the lives of millions.

Come to First & Summerfield Methodist Church on Jan. 26, at 6PM. Get information from someone who has been on the ground advocating for health care that works for women before we heard of Roe Vs Wade. Byllye Avery is the founder of the National Black Women’s Project. She was also the co-founder (in 1974) of the Gainsville Women’s Health Center in Florida.

What proactive steps have you taken this year to let your Congressional Rep. know what it is that you want? Our elected officials are supposed to work for us- we the people- who elected them to office. They are NOT hearing enough from us, so they are listening to the lobbyists who are paid by the insurance and big business conglomerates, and by the drug companies. These big companies want to protect their 700% + mark-ups; this means profits. This means BIG bonuses to the wealthiest in our nation! Right here in America people are dying for lack of access to health care! This is an outrage. Poor women are the worst off!

There are many of us who have NO HEALTH CARE coverage at all. Some are faced with the decision of paying the mortgage or paying for COBRA. Since we do not want to become homeless, we pay the mortgage and go without health care. The State of CT will put a lien on your property if you do not have money to pay taxes they claim you owe. The poor and near poor are caught between a ROCK and a HARD place. Many who have jobs and health care coverage believe that those of us who don’t are irresponsible people. That is totally FALSE. When you have very limited resources and the choice is between feeding your children or paying for health coverage, every good parent feeds the children.

Come and get the real facts from Byllye Avery on Tues. Jan. 26, 6-8PM at First & Summerfield United Methodist Church, 425 College Street, NH

The church is located on the corner near Elm & College Streets. Form a car pool; save on gas. Be there; bring a note pad. Watch “21st Century Conversations” on your local access TV station to learn more about health literacy. Visit our web site at: www.oneworldpi.org Become positively involved in your community. A healthy community is a stronger community. An informed community is a more powerful community. GET INFORMED! BECOME EMPOWERED!

The politicians and pundits get away with too much because they know that we are too busy trying to stay afloat, so they say and do things that are detrimental to the most vulnerable. PLEASE do not let it continue to happen. STAND UP & SPEAK OUT. DEMAND SENSIBLE HEALTH CARE REFORM THAT BENEFITS ALL. WOMEN NEED ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE AND APPLICABLE CARE.

A Lot More Than Health Care

N'Zinga Shäni — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:37:17 +0000

I PERSONALLY DO NOT KNOW WHY IT IS SO DIFFICULT TO GET HEALTH CARE FOR ALL AMERICANS, IN AMERICA. OTHER COUNTRIES, EVEN THIRD WORLD COUNTRIES, HAVE MANAGED TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR SICK AND SUFFERING.

WHY DON’T SOME HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS AND INSURANCE COMPANIES WANT THE GOVT. TO REGULATE OR AUDIT THEM? THEY HAVE BEEN GETTING AWAY WITH EXPLOITING THE CONSUMER LONG ENOUGH. WHY CAN’T THEY UNDERSTAND THAT THE COST OF HEALTHCARE IN AMERICA HAS REACHED CATASTROPHIC LEVELS AND WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT OTHERWISE IT IS THE ONE THING THAT CAN TRULY BANKRUPT THE COUNTRY? THAT, AND THE WARS THAT WERE STARTED BY THE BUSH GOV’T THAT HAVE US BOGGED DOWN.

WE CANNOT AFFORD TO STAY IN THESE WARS, AND WE ALMOST CANNOT AFFORD TO LEAVE. GOD KNOWS WE HAVE SPENT BILLIONS IN THESE WARS AND I DO NOT HEAR ANYONE COMPLAINING. AS A MATTER OF FACT, THE SAME PEOPLE CRYING NO HEALTH CARE FOR THE MASSES ARE THE SAME ONES SAYING ‘SEND MORE TROOPS TO WAR AT THE EXPENSE OF OUR ECONOMY.’

THE ONES WHO SAY WE ARE KILLING UNBORN BABIES AT HOME, ARE THE SAME ONES SAYING SEND OUR BABIES TO GIVE THEIR LIVES IN A WAR BASED ON LIES. (NOT TO MENTION THE UNTOLD INNOCENT PEOPLE OF IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN.) WE ARE IN A VERY DIFFICULT SITUATION, BUT IF AMERICANS DO NOT DIE IN WARS THEY WILL CERTAINLY DIE, AND ARE CERTAINLY DYING AT HOME FROM SICKNESS AND TOO MANY DRUGS BEING PUMPED INTO THEIR BODIES AND FROM LACK OF CARE. COME ON!!!! DO NOT THINK OF YOUR POCKETS ONLY, HAVE A HEART FOR HUMANITY.

WRITE TOB YOUR SENATOR AND EVERY ELECTED OFFICIAL IN YOUR STATE. URGE THEM TO PASS HEALTH CARE REFORM. DO NOT ALLOW THE FILTHY RICH TO DICTATE WHAT HAPPENS TO THE POOR. VETERANS RETURNING FROM IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN ARE BEING DENIED HEALTH CARE DUE TO BUREAUCRATIC FOUL UPS. PLEASE DO NOT ALLOW THE OPPRESSORS TO WIN.

CAROLE G.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA

(This post was submitted to OneWorld Nov. 9, 2009 by Carole G. from Atlanta, Georgia)