JUST ENGAGE

I am aware that there are some things in my life that I cannot prevent from happening.  A few examples include: getting older, wrinkles (although, I really like wrinkles), and perhaps a stroke.  But, in a culture that focuses so much attention on health, I was taught at early ages that exercise would keep me well.  I played tennis in high school and college, I jog at least five times a week, I even lift weights to make sure that my muscles and bones are strong.  In a few words, I have spent a lot of time making sure by body is in good physical condition– now and for the long term.  Sadly, this may have been completely in vein.             

                Last week I went to a viewing of part one of the new PBS documentary called Unnatural Causes: Is inequality making us sick.  What I learned sadden me, but I suppose, it should not have shocked me.  Apparently, the socio-economic class you are a part of is a real determinate of how long you will live.  So, if you are “poor” you will live about three years less then your middle class friends, if you are middle class you will live three years less then your rich friends.  This is after unhealthy behaviors such as smoking are controlled for.  Also important to note here, African Americans, Native Americans, and Pacific Islanders often fare worse then their white counterparts.  As a person who grew up in the lowest 30% of Americans based on wealth, this does not make me happy.  Why did I spend all that time working out, if in the long run my family’s class position will determine how long I live?  Of course this is a much bigger problem than just my health.  America is currently ranked 30^th internationally for child mortality rates and 29^th for life expectancy, yet we spend twice as much annually on health than any other country.  Economic and racial inequality kills more people than cigarettes.  The schools we attend and the income we make are health issues that are just as critical to consider as diet and exercise. 

                Why does this happen?  People who are in the middle and lower parts of the class pyramid are exposed to more health threats ranging from material deprivation to chronic stressors and have less opportunities and resources needed to control their destinies.  For me, this is just one more reason to fight against the inequalities that pelage this nation. 

Needless to say, the documentary is much more informative and interesting than this Blog post.  Therefore, if you want to learn more Unnatural Causes is airing on PBS over the next few weeks.  You can check your local listings for details. 

American Judaism is defined by its extraordinary activism. When Jewish learning and identity needed bolstering, we organized schools, youth groups, JCC’s and Hillels to respond. When “continuity” was a concern, we mobilized to fund funky efforts engaging Jews who hang close to the edge. Whenever Jewish rights and liberties were restricted, we created a network of defense organizations, which helped not only Jews but others who suffered prejudice and exclusion.
In the last decade alone, the leadership of the Jewish community launched such remarkable and successful efforts as Taglit/birthright, designed to confer upon every Jew between the ages of 18 and 26 the right and ability to visit Israel; PEJE – The Partnership for Excellence in Jewish Education designed to increase enrollment in Jewish day schools; and the Foundation for Jewish Camping designed to increase the number of Jewish children “participating in transformative summers at Jewish camp.”

All of these efforts - powerful, valuable and successful - were launched because dynamic Jewish philanthropies and donors organized, studied, led, funded and inspired them. These Jewish leaders did not wait for the right combination of staff, ideas, capacity and programs to come to them. They saw a need, a vacuum in our capacity to respond to that need, and mobilized. They gathered the lay leaders, the professional staff, the thinkers and strategists and social scientists, and they put their money behind their commitment.

It is time we utilize that same formula, employ that same energy, engage that same wisdom and dynamics in the arena of Jewish environmentalism. The vibrancy of the environment and the well-being of the Jewish community need nothing less.

The facts are clear: the environment is being rapidly degraded by business-as-usual. We need to re-imagine and redesign the ways we mine, manufacture, build, power, use and dispose of the stuff of society. If we don’t, we will irrevocably deplete and so exhaust our available resources (both natural and monetary) that we will diminish the security, health, dreams and options we bequeath to our children. Thousands of young Jews see environmentalism as the defining issue of their lives. And they see organized Judaism making little to no significant contributions to the cause. Which means they see Judaism (or at least organized Judaism) as making little to no difference to them.    

We can respond to both needs in one comprehensive response. Here is what we must do:

Climate change is expensive.  A recent study by the University of Maryland shows unabated warming could impose high costs in every region of the United States: from lost skiing revenue in the Northeast to diminished agricultural productivity in the Great Plains to dramatic losses of forestry production in the northwest.  It will cost billions of dollars to construct sea walls to protect our coastline and millions more to respond to forest fires and hurricanes.  Globally, the costs are mind-boggling.  One frequently cited analysis on the Economics of Climate Change estimates that the international costs of unabated climate change will be at least five percent of global per capita GDP.
Yet, as a climate advocate, I seldom hear about these costs.  Instead, I hear about the costs of responding to climate change.  I suppose that's how the political process works: no politician wants to take the credit for raising our energy bills or gasoline prices.  During one meeting this week, a Senate staffer explained his skepticism about federal climate change legislation, declaring that his boss "doesn't want to drive the US economy over a cliff." 

Frankly, I don't think responding to climate change is what's going to drive our economy over a cliff.  Doing nothing, however, just might.  And on this point, EPA and I seem to be in agreement.  About a week ago, EPA released it's analysis of the Lieberman-Warner bill – and the report confirmed what we knew all along:  we can cut our greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 60% without harming the U.S. economy.  As Senator Warner (the Bills Republican sponsor) says, "You can control greenhouse gas emissions in a manner that leaves the economy whole and is not burdensome on consumers.”

In fact, EPA forecast that U.S. GDP would grow by some 80 percent between 2010 and 2030 under the bill -- only 1 percent below what it would otherwise have been.  In other words, national climate change legislation will only modestly slow a thriving economy.

And that's only half the story.  The EPA analysis assumes the U.S. economy will continue to grow unabated absent climate change legislation.  In other words, the baseline disregards the costs of climate change.  It disregards the rising seas and dying forests and failing agriculture.  It disregards the cost of responding to hurricanes and elevating houses. And yet, in one basic regard, EPA and I agree: responding to climate change will not drive the U.S. economy over a cliff.

[For more on the EPA analysis, check out EDF's blog: "How Much Will It Cost To Save the World."] [If you want to see how an economic analysis of climate change legislation really works (and how it is influenced by changing assumptions), check out this new interactive site from my alma mater.]

On a recent trip to New Orleans for the NBA All Star Game in February, my husband and I were shocked by the continued devastation and destruction, mostly in the Parrishes . Because we had not seen coverage in the media, we thought clean up and rebuilding had been occurring at a reasonable pace. We thought life was returning to this beautiful city and the residents were on their road to recovery. Not so. Supermarket chains were still vacant, Walmarts remained gutted, schools had not reopened, and churches were still shuttered with huge "X"s on their front doors.

We were told that homeowners were not able to renovate their homes because of substantial cost increases . Spiraling insurance rates and newly instituted building codes required all new construction, post Katrina ,to be above sea level - all new homes had to be built on stilts. That explained why so many people were living out of trailers parked in front of vacant homes. Their homes had not even been bulldozed - You could still see yellow lines where the sea water had engulfed the home and windows were still broken. Lawns were overgrown and garbage piled up because one-third of the residents had abandoned their homes - they had no money to rebuild them. Besides without decent grocery stores, schools, health and recreational facilities, what are you coming back to?

There was a different scene in the French Quarter where our hotel was located and where the Mardi Gras had just been. Stores featured expensive antiques and diamond and gem jewelry and the Saks had a larger inventory than my suburban NJ Saks Fifth Avenue. Famous eateries were in full swing and the Acme Oyster Bar was just as busy and wonderful as I had remembered. The Aquarium was back to original magnificence with newly stocked sharks and jellyfish and penquins. Bourbon Street was alive with music and revelers - although the police presence was enormous. There were officers on horse back, on motor cycles, on foot, in cars everywhere patrolling the streets.

I kept thinking of John Edwards and his "Two Americas." This certainly applied to New Orleans where there were varied stories to be told.

2008 corresponds to 5768 in the Jewish calendar, a shmittah year (sabbatical year) and a leap year (Adar Bet, or Adar Sheni). The coincidence of these two special “re-setting” years with one of the biggest elections in recent history provides the Jewish community with a unique opportunity to recalibrate our thinking. The verb recalibrate is defined as:“To check, adjust, or determine by comparison with a standard.” In 2008, we have a chance to check and adjust the state of our country’s politics and policies against the standard of our Jewish values.

Jewish leap year: This year, the Jewish calendar includes not one, but two months of Adar, Adar Rishon (First Adar, last month) and Adar Sheni (Second Adar, the leap month, this month). The purpose of Adar Sheni is to ensure that the Jewish calendar (which has twelve lunar months and is approximately 354.3 days in length) and the festival calendar (which follows the solar calendar and is approximately 365.5 days in length) do not stray too far from one another. For example, Jews are mandated to celebrate the festival of Sukkot during the harvest season in the fall and the festival of Passover during the spring season. If we did not “re-set” the calendar seven times in the 19 year lunar cycle with Adar Sheni, events would not unfold in their mandated season and we could not fulfill our Jewish obligations.

Similarly, our democratic system allows us to “re-set” our thinking every election cycle, fulfilling our American obligations by truly reflecting on the status of our country and its most vulnerable members. Without Adar Sheni, the lunar and solar years would bypass each other until our lives were completely out of sync with our Jewish obligations. Without elections the will of the people and the will of the political leadership would bypass each other, taking us further and further off course. The upcoming 2008 elections will allow citizens to “recalibrate” holding our leaders accountable to the politics and policies that reflect the values of the American people. 

Shmittah year: In Leviticus (25:3-4), we are commanded, “Six years thou shalt sow thy field, and six years thou shalt prune thy vineyard, and gather in the fruit thereof; but in the seventh year (there) shall be a Sabbath of rest unto the land, a Sabbath for the Lord: Thou shalt neither sow thy field nor prune thy vineyard" (Leviticus 25:3-4).

During this year farmland attained communal status, crops and food were available to all, and all debts were to be forgiven. Traditionally, it was also during this time that farmers were able to take a break from physical labor and focus mental energy on contemplation and reflection, a year-long Sabbath observance.

Although only a small percentage of Jews are farmers today, we can take the lessons of the shmittah year and apply them to our obligations during an election year. Every four years Americans are given the opportunity to re-focus our mental energy on our nation’s leadership and the status of our country. It was commanded during the shmittah year that debts be forgiven and that the fruits of the field be readily available to the poor. What does this commandment mean today when sub-prime mortgages have pushed families to foreclosure, predatory lending practices have pushed economically vulnerable families to the brink of poverty and 35 million Americans still go to bed hungry?  Just as farmers take a sabbatical during the shmittah year, all Jews can use this election cycle to contemplate our country’s priorities and leadership and engage in the process to elevate poverty and social justice in the national discourse. Just as the Shmitta year commands us to share our food with the hungry and forgive all debts, all Jews can use this election year to communicate with our leaders about the need to end predatory lending practices and make sure that every person has access to adequate nutrition.

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The confluence of the shmittah and leap years gives Jews a unique opportunity to pause, reflect and act. What are we doing to affirm our Jewish values of “leaving the corners of our fields for the poor” or to fulfill the mandate, “There Shall Be No Needy Among You”?

When you superimpose a seminal election year on this framework, as Jewish Americans we are obliged to ask the same questions of our leadership and of our country. As a community, what are we doing to help our most vulnerable populations? As more and more Americans face home foreclosures and lose their jobs, what can we do together as a country to “re-calibrate”, so as not to veer too far off course?

Neither political party holds the answers to these questions. This year, let us pledge to engage with all candidates of all parties, on the local, state and national level to pose these questions and elevate the national dialogue on questions of poverty and opportunity in America.

"[The Jewish people] were to observe [the 14^th and 15^th days of Adar] as days of feasting and merrymaking, and as an occasion for sending mishloach manot - gifts to one another - and matanot l’evyonim - presents to the poor." - Megilat Esther 9:22

With Purim beginning tonight, Jews around the world are gathering items of food, drink and fun to share with friends as mishloach manot. Ideally, two parties benefit: The recipient enjoys receiving, and the giver enjoys giving.

 

But what if the joys of mishloach manot could go beyond giving and receiving? What if the money we use to buy our gifts – both this Purim and in general – can also fulfill the obligation of matanot l’evyonim?

Today, a growing number of companies are producing environmentally and socially responsible goods that allow us to treat our friends and ourselves while doing good for the world and the people in it. With a bit of research and a willingness to spend a little extra, we can ensure that coffee production doesn’t lead to deforestation and chocolate growers earn a living wage. And the options do not end with food products; flowers, handmade carpets, bamboo bowls, energy efficient products and even wedding presents from department stores can be purchased in ways that give back.

In a holiday that we associate with merry-making and frivolity, it’s nice to remember that we don’t have to put our social responsibilities aside. Few actions speak louder than where we spend our money. Sometimes a gift can be more than a gift.

List of links:
Fair Trade Foundation
Ten Thousan Villages, a Fair Trade store
Earth Aid Kits
I Do Foundation

The Global Rose as Social Tool, New York Times, March 13

Recently, I was at an event for a women’s organization, of which I belong. Besides two other young women, both who were in their early thirties I was the youngest in attendance by easily twenty years. This is not something new to me, I’m usually the youngest person in the room. I’m often even the only female and youngest person in the room –luckily this was a women’s event

 

At one point I found myself speaking in a group with another minority in the room, a fifty-something man! The group began chitchatting and we began talking about advocacy. This man then questioned how a 23-year old dressed in a black suit and heals and hobnobbing with this older group is really an activist. As he said, when I was your age I wore jeans and was “running against the wall.” Now, I am still not sure what running against the wall means…please enlighten me! But, I pointed out to him that I knew many of the women in the room could tell him how passionate I was and that I didn’t find “running against the wall” entirely effective. But, the whole conversation made me think and actually a week later I’m still bothered that this man’s comments got to me.

Most people who know me would attest that there is no doubt I am an effective advocate. I’m the Campus and Programs Coordinator of the Israel ADVOCACY Initiative, where I train others to be effective ADVOCATES. So what is the issue here?

I think it is how other generations classify the Millennial Generation. We are known to be generation of do-ers, we celebrate diversity, we are optimistic/realistic, re-write the rules, and multitask. Unlike the Baby Boomer generation we don’t have a problem with institutional life or government, but feel our involvement in politics and advocacy organizations can cause real change. My answer than to me preferring my business suit and being part of a progressive organization, even if I stand out a bit as the youngest one there is that if I don’t show up my voice is not heard. My generation’s voice is not heard. Young people have showed this and continue to show this in this years primary elections—that Young people have power to swing the vote and are going to demand to be at the table, whether it be wearing a suit or jeans. The answer is simple don’t measure us against what you were doing when you were our age and don’t judge us by the way we look or dress, there is always more to what meets the eye.

   

Hello!  My name is JoEllen Pederson, and I am the newest member of the JCPA Washington office.  I would just like to take this opportunity to introduce myself, the program I am apart of, and what I am working on at JCPA.

First things first, I am a Virginia native who recently graduated from Berea College (which is located in Kentucky) with a degree in Sociology.  I am now 7 months into a year long program called the Bill Emerson Congressional Hunger Fellows Program. The Bill Emerson National Hunger Fellowship, a project of the Congressional Hunger Center, is a unique leadership development opportunity for individuals seeking to make a difference in the struggle to eliminate hunger and poverty.

Each year 20 participants are selected for this twelve-month program. Fellows are placed for six months with urban and rural community-based organizations all over the country involved in fighting hunger at the local level, such as food banks, economic development agencies, local advocacy groups and faith-based organizations. They then move to Washington, DC to complete the year with six months of work at national organizations involved in the anti-hunger and poverty movement, including national advocacy organizations, think tanks, and federal agencies. Through this unique program, the Bill Emerson National Hunger Fellows Program develops effective leaders with a deep understanding of hunger and poverty at both the local and national level that enables them to find innovative solutions and create the political will to end hunger.

For the first 6 months of the program I worked at Connecticut Food Bank.  There, I completed an independent research project with the goal of using their resources more efficiently.  Now, I am very excited to be working with Melissa on the poverty campaign at JCPA. 

I will be primarily working on two projects at JCPA.  First, I will be working on the issue clusters that will consist of conference calls to local JCRCs on healthcare, hunger, affordable housing, and education.  I will also be working with Melissa on planning a mission to New Orleans with a focus on race, poverty, and climate change. 

I know I am very fortunate to be working at JCPA and I look forward to meeting many of you all throughout the next few months.  Also, if anyone knows of a recent or upcoming college graduate who they think would be interested in becoming an Emerson Hunger Fellow, please let me know.  We are always looking for people join the program. 

On February 26^th, 2008, the Jewish Council for Public Affairs passed consensus policy on the need for Comprehensive Sexuality Education in Public Schools. Implementing this resolution could not be more urgent.

A study released this week showed that at least one in four teenage American girls (over 3 million) has a sexually transmitted disease. That is shocking.

The study, conducted by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, was released yesterday, March 11^th, at an STD prevention conference in Chicago. Remarking upon the numbers, many doctors attributed the high rates of STDs to a combination of abstinence-only education and teens’ perception of themselves as invulnerable.

Just as shocking as the percentage of teens that have STDs is the way the numbers break down. The study found that only half of the girls in the study acknowledged having had sex, and that 40 percent of those teens had an STD.  Other girls in the study who had STDs were engaged in other types of intimate behavior (including oral sex) that can spread sexually transmitted disease, but did not consider themselves “sexually active.” There were also racial disparities in the data. Nearly one half of African-American teenagers had at least one STD, while 20 percent of Caucasian and Mexican-Americans were infected.

The teenagers in the study were not tested for all forms of sexually transmitted diseases (for example HIV/AIDS was not tested for) and so the problem may be even more severe than indicated in the study. Of the four diseases that the girls were tested for (human papillomavirus also known as HPV, chlamydia, trichomoniasis, and genital herpes), HPV was by far the most prevalent, affecting 18 percent of the girls studied.  Many of these diseases can cause later infertility and cancer, leading US health officials to call for better screening, vaccination and prevention.

One of the best prevention measures that we can take is ensuring that teenagers have access to comprehensive sexual education that:

 

• is age-appropriate and medically accurate;
• does not teach or promote religion;
• teaches that abstinence is the only sure way to avoid pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases STDs;
• provides comprehensive information about the health benefits and side effects of all contraceptive methods as they relate to both pregnancy and risk reduction for STDs and HIV/AIDS;
• encourages family communication about sexuality;
• teaches interpersonal negotiation skills for young people; and
• teaches young people how alcohol and drug use can affect decision-making.

The resolution recently passed at JCPA’s 2008 Plenum states outlines these criteria and states, “In order to make responsible, healthy decisions, young people need sexuality education that is proven to be effective and will provide the public health information that will keep them safe. Comprehensive sexuality education programs have been found to be effective in delaying the onset of sexual intercourse, reducing the number of sexual partners, and increasing contraception and condom use.”   

 Abstinence-only education without the option for comprehensive sexuality education in public schools has proved a failure. In fact, a recent congressionally commissioned study found that these programs had no measurable impact on delaying sexual initiation or increasing abstinence.

The federal government has already provided more than $1 billion in abstinence-only-until-marriage programs in public schools, with no money earmarked for comprehensive sexual education. Unfortunately, the costs of paying for the future health problems (i.e. cervical cancer, infertility) suffered by 26 percent of today’s teenage girls will require significantly more investment. The real tragedy is the burden borne by a generation of teenagers who were not given the necessary information to protect themselves.

 *In order to address this problem, JCPA is supporting the Responsible Education About Life Act (REAL Act), along with our partners at the National Council of Jewish Women. You can find more information about the bill here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last week, I saw the Oscar award winning film, Taxi to the Dark Side. It was chilling. The film traces the story of Diliwar, an Afghan taxi driver who was accused of aiding militants rocketing U.S. bases. Dilawar was captured by an Afghan militia and turned over to U.S. forces where he was held at Bagram Air Base. After several interrogations, that included techniques such as kneeing the detainee in the thigh, Diliwar was found dead in his cell. The military medical examiner ruled his death a homicide.

This is just one example of brutal treatment of detainees in U.S. custody. Taxi to the Dark Side continues by discussing the connection between the treatment of prisoners in Bagram, Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib.

When I first decided to watch this film, I knew the subject matter would be difficult. I have seen several documentaries on this subject. I have worked extensively on this issue, advocating for an explicit legislative prohibition of this type of treatment. I already knew about many of these stories and the accusations of cruelty at the hands of U.S. personnel. However, I wasn't prepared for the full force of this picture.

The entire practice of torture is absolutely reprehensible. Not only does this violate our ethics, compromise our morals, and undermine our national standing in the world, it is an anathema to democracy and a free society. Our government seems prepared to head down that road, or at least protect the option of heading down that road, for methods that do not even work. Seasoned interrogators and investigators have reported that intelligence gained through cruelty and torture is unreliable.

While watching Taxi to the Dark Side, I found one scene particularly disturbing. Afghan detainees are being processed by U.S. troops as they enter U.S. custody. The detainees stand in a line; their sleeves, rolled up. A U.S. solider, with Sharpie indelible marker in hand, begins to write the prisoner's ID number on his right inner forearm. (The picture to the right is taken from the film.) Even writing this post I am having a horrible visceral reaction to this image. Marking prisoners in this way harkens back directly to the number tattoos that mark Holocaust victims. The symbolism is disgusting. The United States military was marking its prisoners in a way similar to that of the Nazis. This policy needed to start somewhere. It seems unlikely to me that this was a one-time occurrence or the idea of a random young solider assigned to a Military Police unit. An expectation of brutality is seeded in this policy.

In the seminal Prison Experiment, lead by Stanford social psychologist Philip Zimbardo, we learned about the power of context and how easy it is to manipulate ordinary people to do extraordinarily heinous acts. In this experiment, Dr. Zimbardo and his colleagues transformed the basement of the psychology building at Stanford University into a mock prison. Some participants were assigned to be prisoners and others prison guards. Palo Alto Police arrested the "prisoners" and brought them to the "jail". The experiment continued as abusive "guards" quelled a rebellion, imposed solitary confinement on the prisoners, forced the prisoners to be naked and wear bags on their heads. Over the course a few days, the prisoners and guards (college students from Palo Alto, California) began to slip into their roles. The prisoners introduced themselves by their numbers, and the guards were intent on preventing prison outbreaks and rebellions. Several prisoners suffered emotional distress and were released early. The experiment was abruptly halted as the brutality continued.

Many experts, including Dr. Zimbardo, have drawn the connection between the Stanford Prison Experiment and the treatment of detainees at Abu Ghraib. However, it is often hard to determine the specific procedures or expectations that lead to a culture of permissiveness and brutality. I was deeply disturbed as I watched several of these procedures, such as the marking of the detainees, unfold in Taxi to the Dark Side.

Great legal scholars have argued that there are certain practices that are fundamentally inconsistent with democracy. For example, a democracy cannot exist without some form of independent arbiter to evaluate imprisonment by the executive (habeas corpus in our system). This argument has been extended to torture. Can a government that uses torture be a true democracy? Does that level of coercion fundamentally compromise the integrity of the justice system and undermine the basic elements of the rule of law, rending the democratic process impotent? History teaches us that some of the most brutal regimes are also some of the most autocratic. The United States is, should be, and must be the leading democratic nation in the world. Our moral fortitude, ethical foundation, and pluralistic fabric can only be sustained and expressed by an enlightened democratic government. By establishing policies that so closely resemble those of the most heinous of regimes, our nation is harmed and weakened. Nowhere is this clearer than in Taxi to the Dark Side and the policies that lead to the abuses at Bagram Airbase, Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib.