Shomrei Adamah ~Remembering Vivian Silver, Climate Crisis & Healing
23/11/2023 01:39:44 PM
Remembering Winnipeg-born, Vivian Silver z”l, member of Women Wage Peace.
Matt Galloway of CBC radio’s The Current, talked with peace activists who knew Vivian Silver z”l, Yael Braudo-Bahat and Ninvine Sandouka. Yael Braudo-Bahat is the CEO of Women Wage Peace, and Ninvine Sandouka,is a Palestinian living in East Jerusalem, regional chair of regional chief of staff with the Alliance for Middle East Peace.
They say they will keep fighting for the path to peace paved by Vivian.
You can hear or read the complete conversation. Scroll down to Nov 15 for the pod cast’s link, https://www.cbc.ca/radio/thecurrent, The transcript can be read at https://www.cbc.ca/radio/thecurrent/wednesday-november-15-2023-full-transcript-1.7029761
Here are some quotes excerpted from Ninvine Sandouka and Yael Braudo-Behar replies.
Ninvine
“I was always looking for role models. And Vivienne was one of those role models, a woman that basically was calling for peace and building bridges between even people in Gaza, people in the West Bank. And she had a vision, she had a dream
Yael,
“We want to raise our children on both sides with peace and security, because otherwise we won't be able to live here in this region. And we know that there are enough forces, moderate forces in the region, on both sides and in the world that can support and endorse and accommodate and negotiations and resolve the conflict. The numbers are horrifying. And when you think about, as Nivine said very smartly, if you think about them, not as numbers, but as people. It's devastating, really.
“And we cannot wait until the end of the war to begin thinking about the day after, because when the war ends and it will end, sometimes, eventually it will end and then it will it won't be interesting anymore. And then we will wait for the next one. And we cannot wait anymore. So things that we need to think now, how to promote and what what should be done on the day after the war. This needs to be planned right now.”
Ninvine
Maybe the devil is in the details, but we do understand right now that this situation cannot go on. This time, it was the 7th of October, 1400 Israelis, already 11,000 Palestinians. The next round, if the situation is not going to be solved, is going to going to be much higher in numbers.
Addressing the Climate Crisis
Can we do better? With current commitments, we are still on track to 2.5C increase above pre-industrial levels
The good news is that there has been progress since the Paris Agreement of 2015. Greenhouse gas emissions in 2030, based on policies in place, were projected to increase by 16 per cent at the time of the agreement’s adoption. Today, the projected increase is 3 per cent. However, predicted 2030 greenhouse gas emissions still must fall by 28 per cent for the Paris Agreement’s 2°C pathway and 42 per cent for the 1.5°C pathway.
Unfortunately, the production of fossil fuels and their use is rising in the world to meet energy demands. As fossil fuel output and use increases, so does the rise in global temperature. According to the UN Emissions Gap Report, we are on track to reach almost 3C above the level pre-industrial revolution. An accelerated, transformation to a low carbon economy by all nations is being called for to save humanity and the earth.
Keep the pressure on governments of all levels to become serious about addressing climate change by accelerating the switch to renewable energy, increasing energy efficiency and the renaturalization and expansion of green spaces.
https://www.unep.org/resources/emissions-gap-report-2023
https://ieefa.org/resources/us-track-close-half-coal-capacity-2026
The Healing power of Nature
More than ever, as our fear deepens and loss of life spreads and mounts, we are in need of relief in order to think clearly and act rationally.
This is inspired by Rabbi Ryan Leszner’s drash and is a follow-up to Scholar-in-Residence, David Lepofsky’s devar torah. Thank you to both.
Rabbi Ryan spoke about his favourite Biblical character, Isaac, and his disappearance from the story after his near death experience at the hands of his father, Abraham. His story picks up with Isaac in the fields and the arrival of Rebecca, his intended. Rabbi Ryan sees his disappearance as a time when Isaac needed solitude to process his father’s act and his trauma. He had inner work to do to find his true self and resume living.
In all cases of trauma, anxiety, or fear, we need solitude in a quiet space alone, to understand the events triggering our reactions, do our inner work of healing, examine our possibilities and decide what our story is moving forward.
The experience of being in nature, whether by a body of water, in a meadow, or in a wooded area is a healing experience physically and emotionally. Shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing, is a common practice in Japan. In Canada, BC health care workers in partnership with BC Parks Foundation are prescribing forest bathing, PaRx, as treatment for its health benefits.
Forest bathing, being alone with nature provides a quiet oasis without urban hustle and bustle and its bombardment on multiple sensors. We have a respite from fear of being accosted or being hit by a vehicle. Stress hormones are reduced and healing chemicals in the fragrance of spruce and pine trees are released.
https://www.japan.travel/en/guide/forest-bathing/ Shinrin-yoku and how to experience Forest Bathing.
https://www.ontarioparks.com/parksblog/guide-forest-bathing/ Ontario’s guide to forest bathing.
https://natureforesttherapycanada.org/partner/ Forest bathing as medical treatment in Canada.
David Lepofsky, Social Justice Scholar-in-Residence
David addressed the needs of those with handicaps in times of emergency and particularly in Israel.
Beit Issie Shapiro
David mentioned two organizations that are below the radar that he supports and asked us to consider. One of them is Beit Issie, https://en.beitissie.org.il/ . It is sheltering families with disability members from Southern and Northern Israel.
Nature Israel
There is another organization sheltering families evacuated from Southern Israel, Nature Israel. Under the name, the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel, it is Israel’s oldest and largest environmental NGO. Nature Israel runs field schools through Israel. https://natureisrael.org/ It is housing families who “don’t have government funded shelter because they live further than 4 kilometers from Gaza, like S’derot. SPNI is housing these families in its field schools in various safe locations across Israel. The sheltering is free of charge to the families, and includes full board and an astounding array of educational and recreational activities and services, including laundry.
“…the Education Department of SPNI is working to create and provide educational and emotional respites for these families. SPNI’s belief is, that in this period, when most means of communication are broadcasting the horrors of war, without filters, and the discourse everywhere is difficult, the exposure of children to inappropriate content, is a real danger. So SPNI is producing alternative activities and content with the tools at our disposal.”
They are appealing for donations because, “SPNI’s income from hikes, field schools and activities (ordinarily the majority of our income) has plummeted to zero.”
With Nature Israel’s field schools in natural settings, it is a healing place.
Next week: The Healing Power of Music
Our hopes and dreams
May we reach the point where world leaders see a path to peace is the only alternative they have. Be well and be safe. Shomrei Adamah members
Thu, 9 May 2024
1 Iyar 5784
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