warding off cynicism - the worldview and actions of Paul Farmer

These days we are surrounded on all sides by rampant cynicism. Many people distrust institutions, community, the academy, business, and government. But this distrust often leaks over into a general attitude that says nothing can turn out well, everyone is out for him-or-herself, and humans default to generally selfish behavior. But I'd like to share some information about a man who punctures all of those stereotypes of selfishness by the gift of his work and life, measured out day after day, year after year, aiming to make things better. He has not always succeeded, but he never stops trying - and he has a long list of stunning successes;  he is Dr. Paul Farmer, physician and medical anthropologist. Read especially the first article, and if you only have a few minutes, scroll down to near the end of the page and watch the 7-minute-plus video of Tracy Kidder talking about Paul Farmer. When next you are faced with cynicism, remember this story. There are several links below, each with different parts of the story, some going back quite a few years, and some from 2016.

http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/far1bio-1

http://www.pih.org/blog/dr.-paul-farmer-takes-questions-on-reddits-ask-me-anything

http://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/2001/jan/28/life1.lifemagazine10

http://harvardmagazine.com/harvard-in-the-news/haiti-rwanda-farmer

Seafood: where does yours come from? Is it illegal, unsustainable, or does it violate human rights?

This is a topic that is of huge importance for me.

Consuming seafood that comes from a sustainable source is an issue of growing importance, but there are many aspects to the larger issue of sustainable food from the ocean.

For one example - perhaps you may not know that shrimp has often been caught and processed by slave laborers - but sold in supermarkets here in North America without the knowledge of consumers.

Read more at http://www.ap.org/explore/seafood-from-slaves/

And learn about the seafood you eat, that is often caught, processed and very far away from you at the beginning of the chain of supply that brings it to you, indeed thousands of miles from your home or the restaurant where you buy it, and part of a system based on inhumane and illegal practices, often completely unknown to you:

 http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/conservation-and-science/our-programs/seafood-watch

http://www.centralmaine.com/2016/04/12/our-opinion-maine-seafood-would-benefit-from-traceability/

http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Walmart-Thai-Union-Canned-Tuna-Briefing.pdf?f3025c

https://www.nrdc.org/onearth/demand-sustainable-seafood-gone-overboard

http://www.sustainableseafoodcoalition.org/commercial-fishing-potential-environmental-issues/

voting with faith and conscience in 2016

An excellent guide to voting can be found at: http://interfaithpowerandlight.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Faith-Voter-Reflection-Guide.pdf