WANTED 100 WOMEN FOR PEACE

What is your pleasure, ladies?

 

My Sisters, My Friends

I've had the honor of getting to know women from different cultures, from all across the globe and I realize that of all the conversations we've had about this world--our place in it and how we can make it better--I don't hear those voices elsewhere. I don't see us represented in newscasts or magazines. True, I live in America where the media is galvanized by reports that a famous person cheated on his wife, hawking the pain of a situation that most of us as woman would find not only embarrassing, but heartbreaking. Still other stories are about how we are abused or worse, abusers (you know the stories of women--saint or sinner?). Which are you?

     I think I'm wanting a different world. I want to hear the other voices. I want to know that I can share the joys of womanhood with my daughter and granddaughter and those of their friends. The other day, one of my daughter's friends called to ask me questions concerning the stories she read on the women of the Bible. She is a Muslim woman, new mother. I relished in being able to offer her hope, hope that will translate and transfer to her daughter, too.

     This gives me an idea! An idea I'd love to help orchestrate and develop.
     Ready?
     I want to gather the other stories. Motherhood. Grandmotherhood. Working for the environment or children's healthcare--where are those stories? This summer I spent time at Haley's Farm at the Samuel Proctor Institute and every day we worked on getting affordable healthcare for children. Every day we went to the phones or emailed our representatives, urging them to do the right thing. But, later--when I looked at the news, when I read reports on the internet from several sources, I saw ONE, just ONE story about it and it was as if "so what?"
     So, here's what I'm gonna do. I'm putting out a call to my sisters across the land and I'm handpicking you. I'm handpicking about 20 or 30 women that I'm asking to find women in their areas to share the stories of our hopes, dreams and aspirations for this world. All of 2010, I want to read the stories from Africa and the Middle East, from Latin America and the Carribbean, from West to East, from North to South--from sisters of all races about what we're doing and how we're doing it--changing the world. It'll be a grassroots movement of teachers, artists, homemakers, politicians, spiritual leaders, and a whole range of women--from black to brown to red to white to yellow--we are going to tell our stories. Some will do it every week. Others will do it once a month. Some will do it several times a week, maybe even daily and we'll do it right here on our SisterIISister blogspot. The first stories will come out January 1, 2010. We're working on adding video and audio blogs, too, linkingn to each other's websites and other blogs, our organizations and groups. The VOICES, however, will be ours!
So, look for an email over the next few days. If you're a woman who isn't sure I have your email, email me at info@pkandcompany.com. We'll add you to the list. In the meantime, you might want to ask why I'm doing this? I'll tell you. See those two young women above? One's my granddaughter. The other is my granddaughter's friend. If I don't do for any other reason--this is for their future. But, I'm doing it for another reason. See that woman with me. She's my aunt. She's more than ninety years old and I want to share her story. It's a good one. You see, one of my goals for 2010 is to build grassroots coalitions with other women around world. The other goal is much bigger. I intend to harness the energy of young people and capture the wisdom of the elders. I can't do it by myself, however. But, I'm a start! So are you!
                                                                                                                    Peace! P.K.