NCRW Blog

Resolutions to the Nation

NEW YEAR'S FORUM: Elizabeth Holtzman Demands We Not Forget About Women

Posted on January 09, 2009 by NCRW NCRW

January 9, 2009 posted by admin New years, new administrations, change itself generally elicits a feeling of optimism in me--and I can’t repress that sense now. Here are my hopes and concerns. I feel glad to see President Bush and his team go: they wreaked such damage on our country and the world--and undermined our deepest values by riding roughshod over the constitution, thumbing their nose at the rule of law and torturing people. I hope that the country will take proper steps to hold them accountable for their actions even after they are out of office. The past Administration was also hostile to women, particularly to our right to birth control and choice, treating us as though we were children incapable of making critical decisions for our lives. Relieved that is over, but am still troubled by the efforts of too many to continue to control what in the end are deeply personal decisions for women, decisions that define our humanity. I hope that these efforts diminish in the years ahead. Americans face a ruined economy, and I am deeply afraid that women and children will be the biggest victims. With the safety net of welfare gone, what will happen to the poorest of the poor? Welfare was a concept that President Roosevelt adopted as one way to deal with the devastation of the Great Depression; while deeply flawed, it still reflected a national commitment to poor women and their children. I hope that in these dire economic times we don’t lose sight of the needs of this vulnerable group.

Tags: economic security, Elizabeth Holtzman, financial crisis, human rights, reproductive rights, violence, welfare

Posted on January 09, 2009 by NCRW NCRW

January 9, 2009 posted by admin May 2009 be a year in which:1. We act from hope and possibility rather than fear.2. We build bridges across our differences through love and compassion.3. Generosity trumps greed and justice triumphs.4. Women and their families are central in the economic recovery package.5. Every woman and girl is supported in her dreams for self-realization, whether through a friend’s loyalty, a parent’s love or a partner’s respect.6. Policy makers and corporate executives choose to act with integrity and courage.7. Every person in the US believes that her actions can make a difference.

Tags: dreams, economic security, fair pay, financial crisis, gender, health insurance, Judy Patrick, Obama, Obama Administration

Posted on January 06, 2009 by NCRW NCRW

January 6, 2009 posted by admin Our New Year's Resolution as a nation is a simple one. We should resolve to be honest with ourselves.

Tags: capitalism, economic security, education, financial crisis, health, Latoya Peterson, libraries, materialism, Obama, Obama Administration, racism

Posted on January 06, 2009 by NCRW NCRW

January 6, 2009 posted by admin Sadly, Osama bin Laden might have won. He launched an attack against the United States based on our gross materialism. Certainly his tactics countered his message (or at least made them untenable), but with the current US structure faltering, our obsession with capitalism is being challenged. It's easy to blame the Madoffs and the investment bankers of the world, but if we believe that change trickles up, problems do, too. I am resolving to want less (which is entirely different from wanting nothing, I am far from a martyr) -- but more so to stop believing that my things are what define me.

Tags: Amy Richards, capitalism, Change, economic crisis, financial crisis, materialism, resolution

NEW YEAR'S FORUM: More Inclusion, Please

Posted on January 06, 2009 by NCRW NCRW

January 6, 2009 posted by admin Next up in our New Year's Resolutions for the Nation--here’s a link to this post by NCRW alums Gwendolyn Beetham and Tonni Brodber. Write Gwen and Tonni, Since the U.S. has proved that anything in politics is possible, it’s time for the rest of the world to showcase its political potential and prowess! It’s more than just quantity its quality. There is a long list of women in politics who we could really do without. Some of us are still waiting for Condi to emerge from the Dark Side…What we need are men and women in politics who will deliver on the promise of gender equality. Read the rest over at Girl with Pen. This post is part of a forum

Tags: Beetham, Brodber, elections, gender, politics, women's leadership

NEW YEAR'S FORUM: A Conversation with Kavita

Posted on January 06, 2009 by NCRW NCRW

January 6, 2009 posted by Linda Basch As we start off with our New Year’s Resolutions for the nation, I begin with an inspiring conversation I recently had with Kavita Ramdas, President and CEO of the Global Fund for Women. We were musing about the future, particularly with regard to women’s human rights at this optimistic moment for the country, with a new administration about to take charge in Washington. But as Kavita pointed out, as we begin to look forward, we also need to be self reflective as a nation. We need to develop a sense of collective responsibility. A number of problems have grown up over the past several years that we can’t sweep away, that we must address as a country and hold ourselves accountable for. I couldn’t agree more. I love conversations that are as wide-ranging as this one was. We covered a lot of ground. Some highlights: As someone who works on global women's rights, Kavita hopes that the new administration will place a high priority on advancing women's rights worldwide. This can only be achieved by the US decreasing its emphasis on militarism and violence as the primary means to resolve conflict and re-focusing its efforts away from the so called "war on terror" towards efforts to eradicate global poverty, inequality, and injustice. Yet, she insisted, that much of the US's ability to achieve such results globally will depend on the choices it makes inside its own borders. So, I asked Kavita what she would like to see in terms of change right here at home….