Connexion

Growing Grassroots Religious Movements Last night the Unitarian Universalist Association President Peter Morales addressed the Unitarian Universalist Ministers Association, meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina. Over and over, President Morales repeated the importance of deep and true spiritual life, the necessity of crossing borders, and of growing grassroots religious movements. Living in southeast Florida, where turf grasses require outrageous maintenance – the opposite of what growing grassroots means to other peoples – allow me to rephrase: we need to be growing religious movements as part of strengthening and growing healthy local communities. Here in south Florida, we might prefer the metaphor of growing mangrove religious movements – thick, resilient, multi-branched and trunked, storm-protective, coastally healthy, and indigenous to where we live. But what does that mean?

Libya (and Beyond) LiveBlog: Standoffs 2205 GMT: Al Jazeera English has posted video of wounded men being treated in Az Zawiyah, where fierce battles took place between regime forces and the opposition today. 2155 GMT: The first edition of the newspaper in "free" Benghazi has been published 2150 GMT: Text messages to Libyans declare that a local cleric has issued a fatwa against watching television channels "like Al Jazeera" that incite bloodshed. 2145 GMT: Libya's Deputy Ambassador to the United Nations, who broke with the regime earlier this week, has appealed to key Brigadier Generals Mahdi Al Arabi and Mohamed Al Esawi to turn against Muammar Qaddafi. 2055 GMT: Reports circulate that Qaddafi supporters are trying to raid the Qatar Embassy in Tripoli.

Body Language Basics - Syncrat Publishing Throughout history it has been an advantage if an individual can read body language. Body language helps in everyday life from closing a business deal or trusting someone with your life, to recognising when someone is upset. Body language is the art of making an educated guess at a person’s feelings or intentions based on their posture, movement and positioning. To understand a person’s body language you need to take into account more than one aspect of their body language. Take tears for example. Marlo Thomas: You Know It's Good When the Boys Want in Don't get me wrong, I love men. I even married one. And I love the boys in my life -- my four stepsons, my adorable nephews and godsons, and all those great guy friends who help make my life fun and funny.

Clashes Erupt in Yemen's Capital Fierce clashes Saturday between Yemeni forces loyal to embattled President Ali Abdullah Saleh and opposition fighters in the capital Sana'a killed at least 12 people, including five civilians. Medical officials said several loyalists of Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar, a Yemeni general who broke with the government and joined the opposition, were also among the dead in fighting in the northern part of the city. In another part of Sana'a, witnesses said security forces raided neighborhoods that are home to family members of an opposition tribal leader, Sheik Sadeq al-Ahmar.

Crossing Borders Tuesday evening this week Unitarian Universalist President Peter Morales also spoke to the Unitarian Universalist Ministers Association (UUMA) about the need to cross borders. The UUMA is working on a new educational program and leadership training in intercultural competencies with the amazing Beth Zemsky & One Ummah Consulting. There are programs and signs that the Unitarian Universalist Association in seeking to equip local communities in crossing outside their known and comfy borders and be with and of the larger world community, making a way for merciful justice and for love to flourish. That’s good news, and strengthening the capacity of individuals and congregations to cross borders when many of those individuals only rarely have to do so is going to be the challenge.

A UN First! Both Israel and Palestine Co-Sponsor Resolution Condemning Libya Violence Leave it to Muammar Qaddafi to bring together the Israelis and Palestinians at the United Nations. I have just obtained the copy of a draft resolution from the Human Rights Council that strongly condemns the violence in Libya. The resolution is as strongly worded as they come. But what is more significant than the substance of the resolution is the broad support that it has attracted by a diverse set of members. Check this out:

The Most Hilariously Effective Signs Supporing Gay Marriage Political protests are always a little more fun when the protesters are a little more fabulous. With the legalization of gay marriage in New York, the writing appears to be on the wall for opponents of marriage equality. That's a little bittersweet, since the writing on these pro-gay marriage protest signs is entertaining enough that we're definitely going to miss them when the battle is finally over nationwide. Posted 7/14/11:

Helping Women Worldwide - WorldWise The following is a guest post by Jane McAuliffe, president of Bryn Mawr College, about a new education project aimed at helping women around the world. ———————————————————————– At a meeting in Washington Thursday, the U.S. Yemeni Socialist Party - Wiki The Yemeni Socialist Party (YSP) (الحزب الاشتراكي اليمني, Al-Hizb Al-Ishtiraki Al-Yamani) is a political party in Yemen. It was the ruling party in South Yemen before unification in 1990. Now it is an democratic socialist opposition party in the unified Yemen.[1][2] General secretaries[edit]