A blog of her own

What does this mean?

 

Tuesday was a day full of meaning.

The electorate of this country voted in our first black President.  Red states turned blue.  Young voters and black voters--the historically disenfranchized--came out in record numbers.

All of these things mean something.  But what?

Much has already been said about what all of this means and the opinions span the length of the social and political spectrum.

Some have said that we just have to wait and see what all of this means.

But I think we need to do just the opposite.

Deepak Bhargava, executive director of the Center for Community Change, has stated that "the people engaged in this election will need to stay engaged to realize the promise of this moment."

I agree.  The meaning of Tuesday hasn't fully been realized.  And it won't automatically carry into today or tomorrow unless we bring it there with us.  And by we, I mean all of us.  Some of us voted for Obama.  Some of us voted for McCain.  Some of us voted for the other parties on the ticket, and some of us didn't vote at all.

But we find ourselves standing together at the same crossroads, and we have to determine whether we walk together and determine the destination of our journey, or whether we scatter away in fear and distrust.

John McCain delivered a beautiful speech Tuesday night in which he stated that he deeply admires and commends Obama for having won this election "by inspiring the hopes of so many millions of Americans who had once wrongly believed that they had little at stake or little influence in the election of an American president."

Let's continue hoping and believing that we not only have an influence in choosing our president, but also in bringing the full meaning of the promise of this moment into being.

VOTE!

Exercise your right and responsibility to vote today.

Don't know where to go or what to do?  Visit Vote 411 to find your polling place. 

Hanged effigies of both Senator Obama and Governor Palin have turned up in several different areas of the country in recent weeks.

And while many in a position to condemn such acts have chosen to remain silent, I am proud to share that the stated clerk of the the Presbyterian Church (USA), the Rev. Gradye Parsons, has released a statement condemning the hanging of such effigies.

Here is what his statement says:

"We share with countless others a particular sadness that effigies of Barack Obama and Sarah Palin have been found with nooses around their necks. A threatening symbolic attack on any candidate stands out as a grotesque throwback to a time when such brutality could be threatened with impunity. We appreciate the efforts of others to denounce this offense and reaffirm the effective ideals which govern our civil society.

"On the eve of a popular 'scary' holiday, however, we also encourage all citizens to 'take the noose out of Halloween,' as the display of hung figures can engender a moral numbness to actual tragedy and dishonor. While for some the noose is a painful reminder of the contemporary incidence of suicide, its associations with racial injustice and vigilante mobs remain too strong to ignore.

"One of our Church’s statements of faith, the Confession of 1967, affirms that God 'breaks down every form of discrimination based on racial or ethnic difference, real or imaginary. … Therefore the church labors for the abolition of all racial discrimination and ministers to
those injured by it.' Whichever way our national presidential election may go, we encourage all citizens to respond to the 'better angels of our nature' in repudiating
such threatening gestures."

The Power of Being Present

by Alexandra Buck, NNPCW member-at-large

I was in Colombia for 2 weeks in August on a delegation and had an amazing experience.

The way the people serving the Presbyterian Church of Colombia are standing as Christians against injustice, violence, and for peace, non-violence, justice, and reconciliation is absolutely the most incredibly faithful testimony I've ever seen. I am so impressed by the courage, stamina, and joy of this community, and I think it only appropriate that we, especially those of us who are US Christians, recognize their struggle, our complicity in the US policy which affects the country so gravely, and do the little we can to be in support.

A few years back, the Presbyterian Church of Colombia requested that the Presbyterian Church (USA) send 2 people down each month to "accompany" them. Due to threats, many people in the church who were working for human rights, victims of the violence, and displaced people feared for their lives. US citizens from the North American church being present with the Colombian church community protects them from harm to an extent because of the incredibly close relationship of the Colombian and US governments. It also is an act of solidarity with our sisters and brothers who are literally risking their lives to stand as witness against the human rights violations in their country.

In the past 2 years, the Peace Fellowship has been able to fulfill this commitment nearly without a break by sending trained accompaniers to "be present" with the Presbyterian Church of Colombia. Now, recruit levels are low and we are unsure how we will fill every month.  I will jump at the chance to serve as an accompanier if I find I have the time to give starting in January.

Colombia stole my heart with the beauty of the country, culture, and people. I can talk to you forever about my experience in Colombia, so would be happy to answer any questions you have about this program. Please, please consider making the commitment to spend a month in Colombia. Your life will never be the same -- I guarantee you will be energized in your activism, spirit, and faith. People of all ages and backgrounds have taken part in this, and whatever your concerns, please leave a comment and I will reply.

Alexandra is a recent graduate of Macalester College in St. Paul, MN.  She served as the Young Adult Intern with the Presbyterian UN Office from 2007-2008. 

To learn more, visit the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship website.

Photo by Alexandra Buck.  (Traditional Colombian dancers at a talent show held at the Colegio Americano en Barranquilla, where the accompaniment program is based.) 

Oh, the Places we've been...!!

Hi! My name is Noha Khoury (pronounced Noo-ha Cory) and I am the Young Adult Intern for Young Women’s Ministries: Racial Ethnic Young Women Together (REYWT) and the National Network of Presbyterian College Women (NNPCW)! I am super excited for the year that I will be working with you all!! I just thought I would take this time to share a little about myself!

I was born and raised in Allentown, Pennsylvania where I attend First Presbyterian Church of Allentown. I come from a Middle Eastern household: my Father was born and raised in Tripoli, Lebanon and my mother Homs, Syria. My siblings and I are first generation American. I have 2 older sisters and 2 younger brothers, making me the 3 third of 5 children, aka right smack in the middle (if anybody is ever interested, I find birth order fascinating!)!

Before coming to Louisville, I was active in my church and youth group both as a participant and a volunteer. I attended Catholic School for elementary, middle and high school, which was definitely interesting and hard at times!  I wouldn’t change my experience for the world, though! I graduated from Allentown Central Catholic High School in 2001. The summer between graduating high school and starting college was a special jam-packed one that I will never forget. I attended my church’s annual Workcamp that year in Hooksett, New Hampshire building a church, was invited to the 2 week Institute at Union Theological Seminary and Presbyterian School of Christian Education with the inaugural class of Project Burning Bush, worshiped at Montreat Youth Conference week 5, and then attended a different conference, one I had never been to or heard of before.

My sister had gotten involved with the National Network of Presbyterian College Women and thought it would be a good idea for me to attend their leadership event in Portland, Oregon. It would be my last real retreat before attending school in Staunton, VA. I was a very apprehensive about being around women who were already in college but I went, and I’m glad I did. This experience impacted me in ways I never expected

Looking back, I am so happy I attended that particular conference when I did. Before NNPCW, my idea of feminism was man-bashing hatred towards the other sex and I never wanted to identify myself as that type of woman, dare I say Christian. During the Leadership event, feminism was explained to me in a different light: Feminism is not the idea of putting down the other sex but rather raising our status as women through education, social justice and advocacy, to be as equals all around. I am much more comfortable with this definition and through this, proudly consider myself a Feminist. I felt equipped to enter Mary Baldwin College, a Women’s college, with the information I gained from the Leadership Event and subconsciously adopted and adapted the ideals of the NNPCW, seeking out WomanSpace through various organizations on campus, even among my friends and trying to stay faithful to the church during my college career. Unfortunately, my relationship with NNPCW became more distant than I had hoped but I always knew it was there to support me when I needed, almost like a big sister.

A lot has changed in the 7 years since my last real interaction with NNPCW.  I feel I have grown as well as the organization, maturing for the better. As the church is ever changing, so are we, whether we like it or not or know it or not. Seven years has given me time to realize where I’ve been and where I would like to go, almost the same as NNPCW. I am excited to be part of this ministry in enabling strong women to stay educated and continue to uphold our status as women, however young we may be.

Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me if you have any questions or concerns! Be sure to keep checking the blog to stay up-to-date. If you are on Facebook, be sure to find the NNPCW group as another way to stay in the know!

Noha T. Khoury
NNPCW/ REYWT Intern
502.569.5774
noha.khoury@pcusa.org

www.pcusa.org/nnpcw
www.pccusa.org/reywt

Stay tuned for our future posts to really see Oh, the places you'll go,... we'll go, together!