Fall 2007 Editorial
From the Middle East to the Balkans; from Rwanda and Burundi to the Sudan and Zimbabwe; from Bolivia to Chiapas; from the Philippines to Tibet; and the list goes on -- the past quarter-century has witnessed and unrelenting series of conflicts around the world precipitated or accentuated by racial, ethnic, or religious difference. The notion of ethnic cleansing has become normalized, with more countries seeking to expel those who are deemed as the Other, and regions within nations seeking to create separate, homogenous political zones. Webster's first definition of the word "pluralism" reads, "A theory that there is more than one basic substance or principle." Some might read the philosophical statement as a simple reflection that diversity is present in our world, but in the political context in which we live today, it more deeply reflects the question of whether we should be forced to embrace a pluralistic world. In fact, it is the interrelationship between such racial/ethnic tensions and the ecology which offers perhaps the most profound challenge to our world today. Wars over natural resources continue with little respite. In Israel/Palestine, access to water is seen as one of the primary methods for exerting power and oppression. Control of oil resources fuels conflicts in Iraq, Central Asia, and countless other regions. Divisions over the use of rainforest land pit indigenous peoples against governments in Brazil, Ecuador, Indonesia, and elsewhere. And in the United States, two decades after a landmark "Toxic Wastes and Race" report was issued, environmental injustice is "as much or more prevalent today," according to researchers at four leading universities. There is cause for hope. The awarding of the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize to Wangari Maathai -- a Kenyan woman who defiantly led a grassroots environmental movement in the face of both her patriarchal government as well as multinational corporations -- signified both new respect for the voice of the global South and recognition of how political conflict is interlinked with the desecration of the earth. An explosion of attention has emerged in recent months to global warming. Yet it seems dubious that this heightened attention will lead to true lifestyle change, and more importantly, that people will finally find common cause between ecological and human justice concerns. While languages disappear almost as quickly as species, we are left to wonder whether the "green" movement will ever cease to be seen as a "white" one. Can we ever hope to build one peace, justice, and environmental movement together? This issue of Fellowship takes a multi-layered look at the thematic connections between pluralism and sustainability. We consider challenges of engaging across racial, ethnic, or religious difference -- in post-Katrina New Orleans, the mountains of Morocco, Israel/Palestine, and war-torn Iraq; between indigenous peoples around the world as well as locally-based activists in rural America -- together with concepts of sustainable development in these different contexts. We hope you will find this a rich, textured invitation to the complex issues facing our world today. For more on this subject and other topics we're discussing at Fellowship, and to join the conversation, please visit our new blog: www.forpeace.net. Ethan Vesely-Flad is editor of Fellowship (editor@forusa.org).
An Important Word to Our Readers: On July 6, 2007, the national headquarters of the Fellowship of Reconciliation (FOR) in Nyack, New York, suffered significant damage to its historic structure. "Shadowcliff," the 1921 mansion in which FOR has maintained its central offices for over a half-century, experienced a sprinkler malfunction, which caused damage to a concentrated region of the structure and also destroyed some equipment and historic records. No one was injured, but for safety reasons, FOR's building was closed by local authorities for close to three weeks. The cost to the organization will be significant, based both on the loss of business in July and the significant work that will need to be done to repair the structure. [Donations to our rebuilding efforts may be made to: FOR, Box 271, Nyack NY 10960, or through our secure online donation page.] Fellowship magazine was also affected, as this incident led to great delays in the publication of this issue. We apologize if this has inconvenienced any of our readers. In part due to this disaster, Fellowship has made an alteration to our publication schedule. This issue (Volume 73, Number 7-9) has been retitled our Fall 2007 issue (rather than Summer). Subscribers will still receive four issues within the calendar year -- the next issue will be Winter 2007-08, and will be released at the beginning of that season rather than late Winter. Thank you for understanding and for your continued support. ©2007 Fellowship of Reconciliation |
