Gaza Relief Convoy team after presentation at OMNI Center on Saturday, March 13, 2010

Please click on image to ENLARGE.

Chicago Radio Host and Friends Present Talk on Gaza Relief Convoy  Saturday, 4:00 pm at OMNI Center, Chicago radio host Thaer Ahmad, and two other members of last summer’s “Gaza Relief Convoy” will tell the story of their caravan to Gaza.  Light refreshments will be available, and opportunity to donate to relief work in Gaza.  More info in the press release below. FAYETTEVILLE, AR, MARCH 4, 2010:  The OMNI Center for Peace, Justice and Ecology will present a talk and discussion of the Gaza Blockade on Saturday,  March 13 at 4:00 p.m. The speakers will be a group of students and others who participated in the July 4th Gaza Relief Convoy that departed from John F. Kennedy International Airport last summer.  The event will take place at the OMNI Center for Peace, Justice and Ecology, 3274 N. Lee St. inFayetteville.   The convoys, which originally began in the U.K. under the leadership of George Galloway, M.P. are designed to call attention to the deplorable condition of the people of Gaza resulting from the prolonged Israeli blockade of food, clean water, medical supplies and equipment, building materials, fuel and consumer goods. Since the massive attack on the densely-populated Gaza Strip in January 2009, the blockade has been tightened to the strangulation point, with only a trickle of surplus Israeli foodstuffs allowed to enter through the modern crossing points that were financed by US and European taxpayers in order to improve Gaza’s economy.  Anything else the population needs must be imported though tunnels dug beneath the sandy soil of the border between Gaza andEgypt, generally hauled by children who are small enough to fit in the narrow tunnels.  Some have been killed when the tunnels collapsed on them, but the work goes on since the unemployment rate in Gaza is well over 80% and the tunnel business supports what remains of Gaza’s economy. Once a thriving center of trade, specialized agriculture and light industry, Gaza has been plunged into severe poverty leading to malnutrition and death from preventable diseases, especially among children.  Because of the deliberate bombing of Gaza’s water treatment and sewage plants (described by the Israelis as “terror infrastructure”), kidney failure is now common among young children who lack access to reliable sources of clean drinking water.   Many other diseases that would be treatable with the right medications and equipment are fatal there because of the blockade restrictions.  Hospitals have not been able to replace dialysis machines, incubators and other life-saving equipment.  Speakers for the March 13th presentation include: Thaer Ahmad, who graduated with a degree in psychology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and is pursuing a medical doctorate degree. He is currently a host of the radio program "Radio Islam" in Chicago. He is very active in the Palestinian cause, and was a main organizer for the past convoy. Mohamed El-Housiny received a Masters in Architecture from the University of Kansas State and is currently completing a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Kansas.  He is devoted to improving his community and active on the Palestinian cause.  He left Gaza when he was four during the first intifada and only returned 20 years later on the 2nd Convoy. Mohamed Soltan is a student of economics at the Ohio State University.  He is currently the president of the Muslim Student Association at OSU, and is completely submerged in community affairs.  He was born in Cairo Egypt but was instilled with the love of Palestine by his father from a young age. Possible Additional Speakers: Omar Bayazid was born in Damascus Syria, and moved to the United States when he was 8.  He is currently finishing a degree in business at LongviewCollege, and balances school life as a business owner in the Kansas City area. Jomana Qaddour recently graduated from the University of Kansas with a law degree.  She is active in the Kansas City community and is active in the affairs of the Muslim American Society Freedom Foundation. Sara Jouhari is currently studying Journalism at the University of Kansas.  She was active on the campus of Johnson Country Community College and hopes to transfer that enthusiasm to the University of Kansas. Gladys Tiffany OMNI Center for Peace, Justice & Ecologywww.omnicenter.org3274 No. Lee Ave, Fayetteville, Arkansas USA 479-935-4422  --  gladystiffany@yahoo.com

Gaza Convoy: Why we are in Fayetteville

Aubrey james | MySpace Video

Gaza Relief Convoy speaker at OMNI Center at 4 p.m. Saturday March 13, 2010

Chicago Radio Host and Friends Present Talk on Gaza Relief Convoy Saturday, 4:00 pm at OMNI Center, Chicago radio host Thaer Ahmad, and two other members of last summer’s “Gaza Relief Convoy” will tell the story of their caravan to Gaza.  Light refreshments will be available, and opportunity to donate to relief work in Gaza.  More info in the press release below. FAYETTEVILLE, AR, MARCH 4, 2010:  The OMNI Center for Peace, Justice and Ecology will present a talk and discussion of the Gaza Blockade on Saturday,  March 13 at 4:00 p.m. The speakers will be a group of students and others who participated in the July 4th Gaza Relief Convoy that departed from John F. Kennedy International Airport last summer.  The event will take place at the OMNI Center for Peace, Justice and Ecology, 3274 N. Lee St. inFayetteville.   The convoys, which originally began in the U.K. under the leadership of George Galloway, M.P. are designed to call attention to the deplorable condition of the people of Gaza resulting from the prolonged Israeli blockade of food, clean water, medical supplies and equipment, building materials, fuel and consumer goods. Since the massive attack on the densely-populated Gaza Strip in January 2009, the blockade has been tightened to the strangulation point, with only a trickle of surplus Israeli foodstuffs allowed to enter through the modern crossing points that were financed by US and European taxpayers in order to improve Gaza’s economy.  Anything else the population needs must be imported though tunnels dug beneath the sandy soil of the border between Gaza andEgypt, generally hauled by children who are small enough to fit in the narrow tunnels.  Some have been killed when the tunnels collapsed on them, but the work goes on since the unemployment rate in Gaza is well over 80% and the tunnel business supports what remains of Gaza’s economy. Once a thriving center of trade, specialized agriculture and light industry, Gaza has been plunged into severe poverty leading to malnutrition and death from preventable diseases, especially among children.  Because of the deliberate bombing of Gaza’s water treatment and sewage plants (described by the Israelis as “terror infrastructure”), kidney failure is now common among young children who lack access to reliable sources of clean drinking water.   Many other diseases that would be treatable with the right medications and equipment are fatal there because of the blockade restrictions.  Hospitals have not been able to replace dialysis machines, incubators and other life-saving equipment.    Speakers for the March 13th presentation include: Thaer Ahmad, who graduated with a degree in psychology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and is pursuing a medical doctorate degree. He is currently a host of the radio program "Radio Islam" in Chicago. He is very active in the Palestinian cause, and was a main organizer for the past convoy. Mohamed El-Housiny received a Masters in Architecture from the University of Kansas State and is currently completing a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Kansas.  He is devoted to improving his community and active on the Palestinian cause.  He left Gaza when he was four during the first intifada and only returned 20 years later on the 2nd Convoy. Mohamed Soltan is a student of economics at the Ohio State University.  He is currently the president of the Muslim Student Association at OSU, and is completely submerged in community affairs.  He was born in Cairo Egypt but was instilled with the love of Palestine by his father from a young age. Possible Additional Speakers: Omar Bayazid was born in Damascus Syria, and moved to the United States when he was 8.  He is currently finishing a degree in business at LongviewCollege, and balances school life as a business owner in the Kansas City area. Jomana Qaddour recently graduated from the University of Kansas with a law degree.  She is active in the Kansas City community and is active in the affairs of the Muslim American Society Freedom Foundation. Sara Jouhari is currently studying Journalism at the University of Kansas.  She was active on the campus of Johnson Country Community College and hopes to transfer that enthusiasm to the University of Kansas. Gladys Tiffany OMNI Center for Peace, Justice & Ecologywww.omnicenter.org3274 No. Lee Ave, Fayetteville, Arkansas USA 479-935-4422  --  gladystiffany@yahoo.com

World Peace Wetland Prairie spider milkweed, false indigo bush, dogbane, blue-eyed grass and cottontail rabbit photographed on May 21, 2009

Please click on individual images to ENLARGE view of a sample of what you won't see on Earthday at World Peace Wetland Prairie but may see again if you visit in May. Native wildflowers and tall grass emerge later than the typical nonnative species found in many gardens in Arkansas.

Photo above reveals view northwest with Amorpha fructicosa bush in bloom. Also known as false indigo or indigo bush on May 21, 2009, at World Peace Wetland Prairie. Cottontail rabbit reluctant to leave his grazing area and hoping photographer will back away on May 21, 2009, at World Peace Wetland Prairie.

In photo above, the tiny blue-eyed grass is seen growing near a tall dogbane or Indian Hemp plant.

Above, Asclepias viridis, also known as spider milkweed or antelope horns, is nearing full bloom. Viridis is the earliest of the milkweeds to bloom in Northwest Arkansas. Above is an instance of a tall dogbane or Indian hemp plant with a shorter spider milkweed at right. Dogbane seems always to pop out of the ground before the milkweed and the leaves of the two are similar. Both are plentiful at World Peace Wetland Prairie. For more photos of wildflowers at WPWP, please see WPWP wildflowers

OMNI Center for Peace Justice and Ecology again sponsors Goddess Festival: Double-click this headline to see opening-night photos from festival

OMNI International Women's Day NEWSLETTER, March 8, 2010.   Compiled by Dick Bennett.

 http://www.flickr.com/photos/7295307@N02/sets/72157623559909020/

Since 2005, OMNI has celebrated March 8 and International Women’s Day.  In 2009, OMNI supported  the wonderful month-long “Fayetteville Goddess Festival: Goddesses, Angels, and Amazons,”  organized by Diana Rivers, Vickie Kelley, and other women.   Now again in 2010 OMNI celebrates the SECOND GODDESS FESTIVAL all during the month of March.    You are in for a treat at their perfect venue at the former bank building on the east side of Fayetteville’s Square:  art show, crafts, painting, singing, dancing, healing, open mic, poetry, short plays; and other activities and venues.   www.goddessfestival.com  

Make peace with the earth, be just to all living things and try to understand ecology:

Please click on images individually to ENLARGE view of a couple of good reasons not to remove native plants from gardens and prairie land in fall. The late-migrating pollinators need them and migrating birds will need them after they go to seed.

Americans could be living well if not for war

ARKANSAS' NEEDS VERSUS THE WARS‏
From: Omnicenter Communications (omninews@listserv.uark.edu) on behalf of Dick Bennett (jbennet@uark.edu)
Sent: Sat 2/27/10 4:32 PM
To: OMNINEWS@LISTSERV.UARK.EDU
OMNI NEWSLETTER CONTINUING SERIES ON ARKANSAS’ TRUE NEEDS, 2009, BUILDING A CULTURE OF JUSTICE for PEACE, Compiled by Dick Bennett





Can we afford all of our needs? YES, IF OUR LEADERS HAD NOT INVADED TWO COUNTRIES, AND NOW ATTACKING TWO MORE, AND ARMING FOR MORE.



Your Afghanistan War Bill

$57,077.60. That’s what US public is paying per minute.



As of today the tradeoff calculator page (Trade-Offs Page) estimates:

Taxpayers in Arkansas will pay $9.8 billion for total Iraq and Afghanistan war spending since 2001. For the same amount of money, the following could have been provided:



8,189,196 - Homes with Renewable Electricity for One Year 6,480,823 - People with Health Care for One Year OR

280,718 - Public Safety Officers for One year OR

191,933 - Music and Arts Teachers for One Year OR

1,687,424 - Scholarships for University Students for One Year OR

1,765,867 - Students receiving Pell Grants of $5550 OR

145,659 - Affordable Housing Units OR

5,433,315 - Children with Health Care for One Year OR

1,654,941 - Head Start Places for Children for One Year OR

205,086 - Elementary School Teachers for One Year OR



Here is a shortened link to that estimate for Arkansas.

http://bit.ly/arkansaswardebt

Notes and Sources for the Trade-Offs Page

http://www.nationalpriorities.org/content/notes-and-sources-tradeoffs



The name of the organization is the National Priorities Project.

http://www.nationalpriorities.org



The tradeoff calculator is at the following address.

http://www.nationalpriorities.org/tradeoffs

(thanks to Chris D)



USA COULD BE MADE THE BEST NATION IN THE WORLD BY MONEY SPENT ON IRAQ WAR

Rob Simpson, What We Could Have Done with the Money: 50 Ways to Spend the Trillion Dollars We’ve Spent on Iraq. 2008.



And I’m expect you are familiar with Stiglitz and Bilmes’ The Three Trillion Dollar War, the title of which is an understatement of what the costs will eventually be for these two unjustified and illegal wars.



ADG = Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

NAT = Northwest Arkansas Times

TMN = The Morning News



(Of course, the following list offers only a sampling.)



CHILD OBESITY

“State Plans Child Obesity Figh” by Carolyn Park ADG (1-17-10)



ANIMAL WELL BEING

“Animal Shelter Needs Our Help” Editorial by Jennifer Shreve NAT 10-17-09



CRIME

“Too Many Arkansas Women are Losing Their Lives: Arkansas ranks fourth in the rate of women murdered by men.

Guest Editorial in Benton County Daily Record (10-9-09)



DEBT RELIEF

“Mortgages In Arrears up; State Ranks 26th” by Democrat Gazette Staff ADG 8-21-09



DISABLED

“State Needs Money for Disabled” by Scott F. Davis NAT {11-24-09}



ECOLOGY

“Leave Something for Tomorrow’s Bounty” John Brummett TMN (1-4-09)



FAMILY

“Prison Numbers Evidence Of Broken Society” Editorial by Tom McMahon TMN 4-7-09 “Our most important Support System—the family, is much weaker than it was decades ago.”



HEALTH CARE

“Arkansas 14th Highest Uninsured Rate” From Gallup. 20.1 percent of the state's population is uninsured, 14th highest rate in America. And you still want to listen to the insurance companies' lies?



HEALTH CARE QUALITY

“U.S. Care Rankings Put Arkansas at 48” By Matthew S.L. Cate ADG (10-8-10)



BABY HEALTH

“Infant Mortality Still Too High” Editorial by Meredith Oakly ADG (8-5-09)





CHILDREN’S HEALTH

“State Director Warns of Medicaid Crunch: ARkids Growth Under Review” Seth Bromeley ADG (1-15-10)



WOMEN’S HEALTH

“Breast Screening Funding Gap Hurts” By Seth Blomeley ADG 1-7-10



HUNGER

“Number of Hungry Rising In Arkansas” By Noel E. Oman (ADG 2-15-10)



PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION

“Jonesboro Bus Service Puts Brakes on Spending” by Kenneth Heard ADG 2-22-10



QUALITY OF LIFE

“Arkansas Ranks 46th In The Nation Overall In a New Survey on Well-Being.” ADG



RURAL AREAS

“Rural Hospitals in State Losing Ground: Funding Sources Can’t Keep Up With Rising Cost, Bad Debt” By Toby Manthey ADG (1-26-09)



SCHOOLS

“Beebe Oversees Cuts for Health, Schools” by Seth Blomely ADG 1-18-10



SUBSTANCE ABUSE SOLUTIONS

“Substance-abuse Program Falls Prey to Budget Trims” by Amy Upshaw ADG (2-14-10)



UNEMPLOYMENT

“Prolonged Aid to Unemployed is Drying Up” by Erik Eckholm

ADG (8-2-09)



YOUTH

“System for Troubled Youth Needs Complete Overhaul” by Amy Upshaw ADG (1-10-09)



--
Dick Bennett
jbennet

Hidden cost of hydraulic fracturing featured on CAT channel, Cox Cable 18 in Fayetteville, Arkansas

The morning of February 23, 2010, on Democracy Now (every weekday morning 7am CAT Ch. 18) Amy interviewed Josh Fox, the director of the new film, "Gasland."
He traveled about 10 states and discovered widespread pollution of groundwater by hydraulic fracturing. The or a connection to CCTF is the harm caused by the reckless search for additional fossil fuels. There are hidden costs in fracturing; the public needs to know the true costs in this and all energy sources. Also the corruption involved (another cost):

The 2005 Energy Bill exempted the natural-gas industry from the Safe Drinking Water Act especially to give free rein to fracking. Imagine the amount of money spent on campaign contributions and lobbying to produce that special corporate-interest legislature.

--
Dick Bennett
jbennet@uark.edu