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

good fortune to find this book

Go to this website to read about this amazing book: http://resistingstructuralevil.com/

"....the future of the earth is not simply a matter of protecting species and habitats but of rethinking the very meaning of Christian ethics. The earth crisis cannot be understood apart from the larger human crisis—economic equity, social values, and human purpose are bound up with the planet's survival. In a sense, Dr. Moe-Lobeda says, the whole earth is a moral community.  ------- Reorienting Christian ethics from its usual anthropocentrism to an ecocentrism entails a new framework that Moe-Lobeda lays out in her first chapters, culminating in a creative rethinking of how it is that we understand morally. With this "moral epistemology" in place, she unfolds her notion of "moral vision" and applies it to the present situation in a full-fledged earth-honoring, justice-seeking Christian ethical stance.

A masterful expression that demonstrates "that eco-justice, economic justice, and racial justice are linked", it "rethinks Christian ethics in light of the ecological and economic crises" (from the publisher's website for the book).

 Recommendations:

"Cynthia Moe-Lobeda’s book is one of the strongest statements yet to be made on the intricate connections between ecology and justice. The powerful stories and persuasive arguments lay the groundwork for the necessary transformations ahead. it will be a catalyst for change!"

- Mary Evelyn Tucker, Director, Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology


"Cynthia Moe-Lobeda’s Resisting Structural Evil: Love as Ecological and Economic Vocation takes the form of a powerful contribution to Christian ethics, but in fact it is also a major contribution to anyone in any religious or spiritual tradition who seeks to maintain both a commitment to God and to global healing and transformation. Easily accessible and charming in presentation, deep in its ability to confront difficult issues squarely and in a nuanced way, courageous in insisting that we see reality not only as it is but as it could be if we were willing to be “unrealistic” for a few moments, manifesting daring of thought combined with a pervasive humility..."
- Rabbi Michael Lerner, editor, Tikkun

Finding hope amid despair

Finding a path through despair, to hope... a great writer's gift to accomplish that journey:
https://www.brainpickings.org/2015/12/30/rebecca-solnit-hope-in-the-dark/

From the article by Maria Popova:  "We lose hope, Solnit suggests, because we lose perspective — we lose sight of the “accretion of incremental, imperceptible changes” which constitute progress and which render our era dramatically different from the past, a contrast obscured by the undramatic nature of gradual transformation punctuated by occasional tumult."