Idle No More: Hints of a Global Super-Movement – important info

Idle No More: Hints of a Global Super-Movement – important info . . . ~J




Posted on January 3, 2013 by Jean


Published on Thursday, January 3, 2013 by Huffington Post
Source: Common Dreams (via email)


Idle No More: Hints of a Global Super-Movement



by Jacob Devaney


What started as a murmur in early October from First Nations People
in Canada in response to Bill C45 has become a movement that echoes the
sentiments of people all over the world, a battle cry of love for the
planet, “Idle No More.” At first glance it might appear that this
movement is isolated and doesn’t effect you if you are not native or if
you don’t live in Canada, yet it does. It may appear that this
resistance is not related to The Occupy Movement, The Arab Spring, The
Unify Movement, Anonymous, or any of the other popular uprisings sparked
by social unrest, but it is.
(Image by Andy Everson)

At its very core, all of these movements have very common threads and
are born from common issues facing people everywhere. Those who
represent financial interests that value money over life itself, that
are devoid of basic respect for human decency, and for nature have
dictated the future for too long and people everywhere are standing up
to say, “No more.” This non-violent social uprising is viral in the
minds and hearts of everyone across the planet determined to bring
healing to our troubled communities, our planet, and the corruption that
is eroding the highest places of governments around the world.

Flashmobs with dancing and drumming at a malls in Olympia, Wash.
Tempe, Ariz., Denver, Colo., a giant circle dance blocking a large
intersection in Winnipeg, rail blockades in Quebec, this movement is
using cultural expression combined with modern activism to get
attention, and it is working. From their website, “Idle No More calls
on all people to join in a revolution which honors and fulfills
Indigenous sovereignty which protects the land and water. Colonization
continues through attacks to Indigenous rights and damage to the land
and water.”

Idle No More was started in October by four ladies; Nina Wilson,
Sylvia McAdam, Jessica Gordon & Sheelah McLean who felt it was
“urgent to act on current and upcoming legislation that not only affects
First Nations people but the rest of Canada’s citizens, lands and
waters.” On December 11 Attawapiskat Chief Theresa Spence launched a
hunger strike requesting a face-to-face meeting with Canadian Prime
Minister Stephen Harper to discuss broken treaties and protection of
natural resources. Spence is staying in a teepee on the frozen Ottawa
River facing Parliament Hill and has gained the support from many
natives and non-natives who are in solidarity with this movement.

Chief Arvol Lookinghorse from South Dakota recently expressed his
support in a letter posted on Facebook that states, “As Keeper of our
Sacred White Buffalo Calf Pipe, I would like to send out support for the
efforts of Chief Theresa Spence of the Attawapiskat First Nation, for
giving of herself through fasting with prayers for the protection of
Mother Earth.” He goes on to say,

This effort to protect Mother Earth is all Humanity’s
responsibility, not just Aboriginal People. Every human being has had
Ancestors in their lineage that understood their umbilical cord to the
Earth, understanding the need to always protect and thank her.
Therefore, all Humanity has to re-connect to their own Indigenous Roots
of their lineage — to heal their connection and responsibility with
Mother Earth and become a united voice… All Nations, All Faiths, One
Prayer.

Society and nature work in similar ways to our own body’s immune
system. We are given a symptom that causes us to be aware that there is
an illness that needs to be addressed. We can try to suppress the
symptom, but that does not heal the illness. Popular uprisings with very
core commonalities are spreading all over the planet. Exploitation of
our environment, as well as the exploitation of people and cultures for
the sake of financial gain is immoral and must be stopped at the highest
levels of our governments. It is possible to have a thriving economy
and environmental ethics.

It is a simple choice: continue to be part of the cancer that slowly
destroys our water, our air and the resources that are the fabric of
life by staying unconscious, or become the conscious antidote that
slowly kills the cancerous disease which threatens the existence of life
on the planet.

Here in America, the response to Occupy is tucked into NDAA as
Washington prepares ways to suppress the symptoms of social discord.
Without addressing the illness at its root nothing will change. It is
like the mythical Many-Headed Hydra, if you cut one head off, two more
will grow back. Popular uprisings will continue here and all over the
world until leaders understand that people want real fundamental change
in policy. Governments should lead by example if they want to be
respected.

With Twitter, Facebook and the internet, these separate movements are
finding solidarity with each other and converging as a global
super-movement for the planet and all people. The quote used at Unifyis, “Everyone, Everywhere, Together” and it is beginning to resonate more than ever.

Each of these movements share a commitment to non-violent revolution
in their call to end the exploitation of people and the exploitation of
natural resources. Sustainability can be applied to all aspects of
social rights, economics and the environment. Social, economic,
cultural, and environmental movements, resistance, civil disobedience,
flash mobs and more will continue until this is addressed at home and
abroad. Whether it is Anonymous and Wikileaks exposing the corruption of
governments, or Indians with drums dancing and chanting in a local
mall, people everywhere are awakening, speaking up, and acting for the
needed changes. It’s time for politicians and religious leaders to get
the message everywhere.

It is a simple choice: continue to be part of the cancer that slowly
destroys our water, our air and the resources that are the fabric of
life by staying unconscious, or become the conscious antidote that
slowly kills the cancerous disease which threatens the existence of life
on the planet. Is the disease capitalism, corruption, ignorance, greed,
The Illuminati, or some combination of all of these things spiralling
out of control? It doesn’t matter because it is becoming obvious that
there are people from all nationalities, religions, and cultural
backgrounds who are determined to resist the progression of imminent
destruction. A factory producing monkey wrenches for the gears of the
machine which is at the center of our collective demise.

Will the leaders wake up to this in order to play the roles they have
sworn to uphold or will they further discredit their position, their
institutions, and help to destroy the very systems that they have been
entrusted to maintain? Every time Congress represents the will of a few
wealthy people over the interests and the well-being of the planet and
the people, they do more to subvert and destroy the state than ten
thousand people protesting in the streets. When leaders fail, they
destroy the trust that holds society together.

Is Harper cold and callous enough to ignore a constituent on hunger
strike a short distance from his office? Can he afford to ignore these
issues? Can any of us afford to ignore this call to be idle no more?

Take a moment and listen to the eloquent words of an 11-year-old girl
in the video below. If a child can understand this, how come world
leaders are still silent on making real changes to address these urgent
issues?

Please support Idle No More, learn more about the movement, how it effects all of us and get involved. All of our futures depend on it.


Thanks to: http://jhaines6.wordpress.com