Behind the shiny glass windows at an anonymous Garden City office park, Camille Doughty is pushing discarded wine bottles through a diamond blade wet saw. She removes the skinny tops and passes the bottoms to Lupe (last name withheld), who methodically smoothes and rounds the fresh glass edges, first with 100 grit sand paper.

Lupe smoothes and smoothes until it's fit to drink from.

This small factory is a young nonprofit called Sustainable Futures. It's a spinoff of the Green Foundations Building Center, an environmentally conscious building supplier, with a storefront next door.

Doughty, recently released from the East Boise Community Work Center, and Lupe, the de facto crew boss who remains incarcerated, are some of the first employees at what founder Lisa Scales imagines as a harbinger of the new, green economy.

Read More...

WHAT ARE WE DOING HERE? explores why the charity given to Africa over the last five decades has been largely ineffective and often harmful. The film tells the story of Brandon, Nicholas, Daniel and Tim Klein who travel across Africa in an attempt to understand one of the great problems of our time; the failure to end poverty.

In the film, the Klein family travel 15,000 miles via public transportation from Cairo to Cape Town. They cross war torn and famine-ridden regions where aid workers, politicians, and inspiring individuals tell about the incredibly complex and often misunderstood issues that affect hundreds of millions of people across the continent.

Daring to ask the questions no one else will, the filmmakers invite the world to rethink the fight against poverty in Africa.  Could our good intentions be causing more harm than good?  Have humanitarian interventions prolonged suffering? Who is actually benefiting from our good intentions? These questions and many more are addressed for the first time ever in this groundbreaking feature length film.  If you ever wanted to know what happened to the $10 dollars you donated to charity last year, look no further.  This film will change the way you look at charity in Africa forever.

"More and more, the desire grows in me simply to walk around, greet people, enter their homes, sit on their doorsteps, play ball, throw water, and be known as someone who wants to live with them. It is a privilege to have the time to practice this simple ministry of presence. Still, it is not as simple as it seems. My own desire to be useful, to do something significant, or to be part of some impressive project is so strong that soon my time is taken up by meetings, conferences, study groups, and workshops that prevent me from walking the streets. It is difficult not to have plans, not to organize people around an urgent cause, and not to feel that you are working directly for social progress. But I wonder more and more if the first thing shouldn't be to know people by name, to eat and drink with them, to listen to their stories and tell your own, and to let them know with words, handshakes, and hugs that you do not simply like them, but truly love them."  - Henri Nouwen

"A spirituality that is only private and self-absorbed, one devoid of an authentic political and social consciousness, does little to halt the suicidal juggernaut of history. On the other hand, an activism that is not purified by profound spiritual and psychological self-awareness and rooted in divine truth, wisdom, and compassion will only perpetuate the problem it is trying to solve, however righteous its intentions. When, however, the deepest and most grounded spiritual vision is married to a practical and pragmatic drive to transform all existing political, economic, and social institutions, a holy force - the power of wisdom and love in action - is born. This force I define as Sacred Activism."  -  Andrew Harvey

Free Teleseminars offered by Maestro Conference in July include:

Societal Change: Barbara Marx Hubbard, Lynne McTaggart, Kevin Danaher, Luisah Teish, Gregg Braden, Andrew Harvey, Derrick Ashong, Bruce Lipton, Steve Bhaerman, Sharif Abdullah, Kevin Danaher, Corinne McLaughlin, Gordon Davidson, James O'Dea, Lawrence Ellis, Stephen Dinan

Spirituality: Marianne Williamson, Neale Donald Walsch, David Deida, Shiva Rea, Genpo Roshi, Marcia Wieder, Brian Johnson, Saniel Bonder, Linda Groves-Bonder, Fred Johnson, Arjuna Ardagh, Devaa Haley Mitchell

Health: Deepak Chopra, John Gray, Bernie Siegel, Judith Orloff, Marilyn Schlitz, Enrico Melson, Mary Shomon, Steven & Joy Gurgevich

Personal Growth: Jack Canfield, Debbie & Arielle Ford, Marci Shimoff, Dan Millman, Gay Hendricks, Hale Dwoskin, Mary Manin Morissey, Gary Renard, Dr. Pat Baccili, Terri Levine, Mike Robbins, Paul & Patty Richards

Business: Michael Port, Roxanne Emmerich, Chris Widener, Willie Jolley, Jim Bunch, Hazel Henderson, Mari Smith, Ken Foster, Dave Buck, Stacey Lawson, Tim Kelley, Mark Bowser, Brian Burt

Campaign Sponsors: Gaia Soulmates, Made for Success, Sounds True, Philosopher's Notes, Illumination University, Institute of Noetic Sciences, The Dr. Pat Show, Bella Sparks Conferences, Personal Life Media

The folks at Maestro are sponsoring this extraordinary event so you can be one of the first people to experience the beta version of their learning platform. If you find it valuable, they're betting you'll spread the word about their service. There is thus no "catch," just free learning for a full month from inspiring Maestros.

Register at MaestroConferences (teleseminars are filling up fast!)

Read below for information and a call to action for TODAY, June 30th on Death Penalty Legislation in CA. (email comments can be sent until 5 pm - PDT - on June 30). Also, please take a moment to read Sister Helen Prejean's letter (Dead Man Walking): http://www.sisterhelen.org/?p=89

A public hearing will be held to receive comments about the proposed regulations concerning the lethal injection process in California. After the hearing, we will proceed to the Capitol to share our view with elected officials.

Tuesday, June 30th
Tentative Schedule of Events

Public Hearing on Lethal Injection: 9am to 3pm
Department of Health Services
The Auditorium
1500 Capitol Ave.
Sacramento, CA 95814

March to the Capitol: 3pm to 3:30pm

Visit with Legislators: 3:30pm to 5pm


BUS PICK-UP LOCATIONS:

1. 7am - San Francisco
Civic Center BART (Meet in front of the SF Main Library on Fulton St.)

2. 7am - Oakland
MacArthur BART (Meet on 40th St.)

Buses will leave Sacramento at approximately 5pm. Return trip will take 1.5-2 hours. Please reserve your place on the buses by emailing information@deathpenalty.org.

DIRECTIONS AND PARKING INFO:
For directions to the hearing from the SF Bay Area, take I-80 East toward Sacramento. In Sacramento, continue on I-80 Business Route East. Take the exit onto I-5 N toward Redding. Take the J Street exit, make a slight right at J Street, turn right at 15th Street/CA-160 and end at 1500 Capitol Ave.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

1. SIGN-UP TO ATTEND HERE

2. Support the Day of Action by donating $5 towards bus rentals: Donate Now!

3. Make your voice heard by submitting a comment!

Please consider submitting a comment expressing your concern about the proposed lethal injection procedures in California. This is VERY important.

How to Submit a Written Public Comment on CDCR's Proposed Lethal Injection Procedures:

1. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) has released proposed regulations on the lethal injection process for public comment. Any member of the public may comment on any aspect of the proposed regulations.

2. The CDCR is required by law to read and consider to every relevant comment. The summary below is provided to assist interested members of the public in understanding how the proposed regulations impact individuals and the state, and in drafting relevant public comments.

3. You are encouraged to make your letter as long as you want, and to include as much information as you want about yourself and your perspective on the death penalty. (Please feel free to visit DPF's website www.deathpenalty.org/facts for the latest facts and statistics.) Please make sure to include at least one comment that is specific to the proposed regulations (examples below).

4. Written comments may be submitted by mail, fax, or email. They must be received by June 30, 2009 at 5:00 pm PDT. If possible, please consider submitting your comment between June 20th and June 30th. If you send your comment by mail, please also consider sending a copy by email to ensure it arrives by June 30th.

5. Comments should be directed to:

Mr. Timothy Lockwood
Chief, Regulation and Policy Management Branch
California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
P.O. Box 942883
Sacramento, CA 94283-0001
Email : rpmb@cdcr.ca.gov
Fax : (916) 255 5601

6. Comments should note that they are regarding the proposed Amendments to Title 15, Article 7.5, Sections 3349.

7. Please include your name and address in your letter.

8. Please consider looking at our Sample Letter (MS Word) for ideas on how to set-up and structure your letter.

9. For more detail on any of these sections, please read the 10-page analysis.

10. CDCR's proposed regulations (43 pages) and supporting material are available at: http://www.cdcr.ca.gov/Regulations/Adult_Operations/Pending_Rules_Page.html#LIP