Peace & Human Rights

People I see standing in long lines in the mall with smiles still plastered to their faces, regardless of the fact a hungry baby is wailing in one ear and the unfinished shopping list wails in the other has mastered “harnessing harmony”. And while it might go unnoticed to some people, or even be considered confusing or annoying to others, people like this always catch my attention. But not only during the holiday season, for a patient and peaceful spirit is one that is recognizable all year long…

The new “Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and other People Working in Rural Areas” reflects an important—arguably revolutionary—development in international human rights law. It seeks to protect the rights of rural populations, and also has implications for the fight against climate change and for the protection of biodiversity. #humanrights

A new study shows the “terrible tragedy” in its full scale: 67 percent of Yemen’s population needs “urgent action to save lives and livelihoods.” That means that 20 million Yemenis are vulnerable to death. A quarter of a million of these Yemenis are “on the brink of starvation.” The study points out that “armed conflict remains the main driver of food insecurity in Yemen.” That’s an obvious point, but it needs to be made. The war on Yemen has to end to prevent the near-death of the Yemeni people. #yemencantwait

To obtain inner #peace, you only need to surrender to the higher consciousness within yourself. To do so is something that everyone alive has the ability to do. In a general sense, it is the purpose of all life. All that it takes is some time, consistent effort, and the right leverage in the right places. These 7 principles for attaining inner peace are that leverage.

Caravan participants I met expressed so much faith — both in God and the idea that United States is a place that embraces those fleeing violence and poverty. What else can they do in the face of such an existential threat but hope and pray for a chance for their families to live? In the season when many celebrate the birth of a child whose family had to flee to another country to keep him alive, what does our shared humanity demand from parents making the same difficult choice today? #standwithmigrants

Watch this inspirational video in which Nobel Peace Laureate Kailash Satyarthi is interviewed by Jay Shetty. Satyarthi’s mission is to liberate every child from slavery. His story was captured in this phenomenal new documentary, The Price of Free (see below), which follows Satyarthi and his team of activists around the world on secret raid and rescue missions as they hunt for missing children and work to reunite them with their families.

Follow the thrilling story of Nobel Peace Laureate Kailash Satyarthi’s journey to liberate every child from slavery. THE PRICE OF FREE follows Satyarthi and his team of activists around the world on secret raid and rescue missions as they hunt for missing children and work to reunite them with their families. Winner of the Grand Jury Prize, US Documentary, Sundance 2018.

Imagine your childhood without school, without your family, forced to work in physically demanding jobs… this is the life of a child exploited. But, we believe that every child has a right to live a real childhood. Freeing the millions of children affected by this is a huge task, but one man, Kailash Satyarthi, has dedicated his life to ending child slavery. So far, he and his foundation have helped free 88,000 children from forced labor. We still have a long way to go, but even the smallest amounts of help are crucial. If you would like to be a part of the movement, you can click the blue donate button to contribute. Tune in on November 27 to watch the feature film documentary ‘The Price of Free’, here on SoulPancake.

Speaking at SAND18 Italy, Peter Russell asks the perennial question: How can we be more at peace? He invites us to pause our thinking and doing and notice what is actually present, and reminds us of what has been reported by all the wisdom traditions – that the essence of being is resting in a natural great peace.

Frances Moore Lappé: In today’s America, social scientists’ hard data reveal that there is “near zero” relationship between what most Americans want and public policies Congress enacts. With the bedrock of democracy so violated, what does it take for citizens to step up? Well, here’s my second claim: All it takes for humans to leap into action is that enough of us believe just three things, each based in real evidence.