Prairie UU Society, 2010 Whenona Drive, Madison WI 53711–4843 (608) 271-8218 admin@uuprairie.com Located off the south frontage road (West Beltline Hwy Rd.) near the Seminole Hwy exit. PRAIRIE FIRE "As the prairie stretches out until it becomes one with the sky, let us reach out to touch and be one with the natural world and with one another." January 26, 2007 Prairie Fire is the semi-monthly newsletter of Prairie Unitarian Universalist Society. View past issues at www.uuprairie.org. President: Mike Briggs, (608) 835–0914 Editor: Dan Proud, admin@uuprairie.org; 661–0776 PRAIRIE CALENDAR Sunday, January 28 9:00 a.m. Choir rehearsal *10:00 a.m. "Propaganda, Corporations, and the Media,” presented by Lea Zeldin *12:00 p.m. Humanist Union potluck and program Wednesday, January 31 6:30 p.m. Midweek Meal @ Prairie 7:30 p.m. Covenant Group, Left Hand of God Friday, February 2 *4:00 p.m. Memorial gathering for George Calden at Cress Funeral Home Saturday, February 3 *12:00 p.m. Memorial service for George Calden at First Unitarian Society Sunday, February 4 9:00 a.m. Choir rehearsal *10:00 a.m. “Romantic Love Today” presented by Warren Hagstrom Monday, February 5 7:30 p.m. Hospitality & Membership Committee Wednesday, February 7 6:30 p.m. Midweek Meal @ Prairie *7:30 p.m. Dave Zakem Talk & Craft Show (or February 14—see article) Thursday, February 8 6:30 p.m. Covenant Group, Everyday Spiritual Practice Sunday, February 11 9:00 a.m. Choir rehearsal *10:00 a.m. “Valentine's Day Intergenerational Service *11:30 a.m. Book group: A Crack in the Edge of the World *7:00 p.m. ”Articulating Your UU Faith” Adult RE Tuesday, February 13 7:30 p.m. Committee on Ministry Wednesday, February 14 6:30 p.m. Midweek Meal @ Prairie *7:30 p.m. Dave Zakem Talk & Craft Show (or February 7—see article) Saturday, February 24 *Trip to the Art Institute in Chicago to see "Cezanne to Picasso." (* = Details follow in this issue.) NEXT INPUT DEADLINE SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 4 DETAILS OF COMING PROGRAMS Sunday, January 28 “Propaganda, Corporations and the Media” is the second of a series dealing with propaganda and its effect on our lives. This January 28 service will be presented by Lea Zeldin who just recently returned from attending an international media conference in Jordan. Lea asks us the following questions: How do you serve the community on the neighborhood community level?   We know and have much information on issues of national import.   But where do we go for data on the citizen impact when a neighborhood disappears, or a bus changes its route, or a supermarket moves?  Who records the joy of a 4-year-old's birthday party, the lament of no snow for a 12-year-old with a present of snow shoes? Can the corporation culture carry these concerns or must we create new structures? What license does the government hold or give to the private sector to incorporate their and our propaganda? Lea received the Dane County 2007 Martin Luther King Jr. award this month. Lea Zeldin's nomination states: "Dr. King would have been proud to know Lea Zeldin, and would have held her as among the brightest examples of what an ordinary citizen can achieve, if we would lead a life of service, peace, and action, as he called us to do." Lea certainly fits that calling. Lea has been a health care advocate since the 1960s and has been instrumental in starting a free medical clinic on Madison's East Side. She started distributing free food to the poor in Madison and other Dane County municipalities long before there were other organizations doing so. Lea Zeldin followed Dr. King's call for peace activism by joining the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom. It was 25 years ago when Lea began inviting the whole community to dinner in honor of Dr. King and share a meal in the spirit of peace, justice and equality. Lea became a member of the King Coalition 20 years ago and the Dr. Martin Luther King Free Community Dinners have been sponsored by the King Coalition ever since. Lea Zeldin also is active at WORT Radio where she is a food and popular culture critic. She is the host of "A Public Affair" and editor of "Health Writers," a bi-weekly information and call-in show covering health Issues. Lea is involved in starting a low-power, independent radio station in Madison. Sunday, February 4 On February 4 we will celebrate romantic love, mostly with poetry and music, from Shakespeare to Rogers & Hammerstein. Come hear some of Prairie's beautiful voices. I will argue that the myth of romantic love was "functional," helping to induce people to commit themselves to enduring relationships. But does that work today? In the past 50 years the proportion of the population unmarried (and uncommitted) has increased, age at marriage has increased, divorce rates have increased, and sex is less linked to marriage. Is this reflected in popular culture? Since my knowledge of pop music ends with the Beatles, I'll ask you to answer. Sunday, February 11 On February 11 there will be an Intergenerational Service with Valentine’s Day songs and readings that explore the meaning of this holiday and how it fits into our UU principles. Rose Smith will treat us to snowflake cookies and a story for all ages. The main activity will be to create artistic and meaningful valentines for strangers who could use an emotional lift, as well as for family and friends. OUR SOCIETY WINTER BOOK CLUB SELECTIONS The Prairie Book Club meets monthly after the Sunday service at Prairie, usually every second Sunday. Bring food to share. Anyone who has read the book or simply wants to listen to the discussion is welcome to attend. Remember that there’s a link to the poster of our book club selections on Prairie’s Web site. See http://uuprairie.org/NovDecBooks.htm or find the page through the Prairie calendar entries for book club meeting. Prices are those current at http://amazon.com as of November 18, 2006. Sunday, February 11. A Crack in the Edge of the World: America and the Great California Earthquake of 1906, by Simon Winchester. Nonfiction, about the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. 480 pages. Sunday, March 11. Until I Find You: A Novel by John Irving. Fiction, “the story of the actor Jack Burns-—his life, loves, celebrity and astonishing search for the truth about his parents.” 848 pages, $1.00 & up. GEORGE CALDEN MEMORIAL SERVICE The service for George will be Saturday, February 3, 12:00 noon at First Unitarian Society. Also to accommodate friends who need another opportunity to greet the family and see photos of George's life, come to Cress Funeral Home, 3610 Speedway Road on Friday, February 2, 4-6 p.m. A full obituary will appear in The Capital Times and the Wisconsin State Journal on January 27 and 28. Ruth Calden writes to the Prairie community,"The outpouring of cards, offerings of help and comfort have been so sustaining to me and our family. Thank you all so much." Newer members may not know that George was one of the most prolific contributors to programs at Prairie over the last 35 years. Prairie's Web site has a list of these programs at http://uuprairie.org/ programs/GeoCaldenprograms.htm. PRAIRIE FILM GROUP MEETS JANUARY 25 The Prairie Movie Group will meet Thursday, February 25, at 7:00 p.m. sharp, to view Bread and Chocolate, a 1974 Italian film directed by Franco Brusati.  It is the story of an Italian immigrant to Switzerland who tries to find work but is only finds degrading jobs and extreme social stratification.  “This bittersweet, Chaplinesque comedy delivers laugh while making a valid statements about class and injustice.” HUMANIST UNION MEETS JANUARY 28 On Sunday, January 28, the Humanist Union will start with a potluck lunch at noon. Then starting about 12:20 p.m., Susan Hagstrom will present The Faith Healers, describing some of the techniques used by faith healers, and how James Randi and his colleagues uncovered their frauds. GUEST AT YOUR TABLE DONATIONS ARE DUE THIS MONTH The annual Guest at Your Table fund-raising program for the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC) will complete at the end of this month. Please return your boxes, envelopes, or just bring in a check (made out to “UUSC”). There is a basket outside the fellowship hall for donations. TAKE A WALK AROUND MY BLOCK IN LAOS Long-time Prairie members will remember Dave Zakem who has been teaching at an international school in Laos for a number of years. Dave is a former Prairie member and lay minister at Prairie. He’ll be back in town in February to give us a presentation about his neighborhood in Laos. He will also have a suitcase full of craft items for sale. Here’s what he says about his program which will be held after the Wednesday potluck on Wednesday, February 7 or 14. (Watch your e-mail for the exact date. He won’t know which date he can come until a few days before the 7th.) “Just walking around my neighborhood block in Laos will provide a lot of insights and discussions about many things. “I will give a PowerPoint photo presentation that will provide a glimpse into people’s lives. There is a blend of the traditional and the modern. It is interesting to see how the two eras are interacting for better or worse. “There will also be a collection of textile crafts for sale. These will include vests, wall hangings, change purses, shoulder bags, silk pieces and assorted items ranging from classic traditional to current adaptations. All of the crafts are from craft cooperatives or families working for a better life. The prices are all very reasonable. Any money will be contributed back to the community to support self-sufficiency efforts.” ARTICULATING YOUR UU FAITH BEGINS FEBRUARY 11 Please join Rev. Ralph and other Prairie members for his adult RE class, "Articulating Your UU Faith", Sunday evenings beginning February 11. Sign up at Prairie or contact Ralph for more details. ELECTRONIC FUNDS TRANSFER AVAILABLE Forms are available for those who would like to enjoy the convenience of having their pledges automatically transferred (monthly, quarterly, semi-annually) from individual checking accounts to Prairie's checking account. Contact Norma Briggs, KK Anderson, or Robin Proud for details. ART INSTITUTE FUNDRAISING TRIP PLANNED On Saturday, February 24, you are invited to a special viewing of "Cezanne to Picasso: Ambroise Vollard, Patron of the Avant-Garde" at the Chicago Art Institute. This exhibit draws upon a wealth of previously unpublished materials to shed new light upon the legendary career of Vollard (1866-1939), who launched the careers of some of the leaders of the modern art movement. The exhibition includes masterpieces of Cezanne, Gauguin, Van Gogh, Renoir and Picasso, among others, in the context in which they were originally presented. A special feature will be the mini-exhibitions that mirror Vollard's most important shows. In addition, there are experimental artworks which Vollard urged his artists to develop in various media. Also at the Art Institute, you may view "The Silk Road", which includes art of China, the Islamic world, the Buddhist world and the Ottoman Empire. The bus will leave Madison on February 24 at 8:00 a.m. from the rear of the UW Credit Union, 3500 University Avenue, and at 8:15 a.m. from the South Town Mall McDonalds. You will have the option of spending the entire day at the museum or half a day on another pursuit, such as shopping. Return will be approximately 7:45–8:00 p.m., with a rest/snack stop on the return trip. Indicate boarding location on memo line of your check, and include a telephone number. Cost of $62.00 covers transportation and all museum exhibits. Lunch is on your own. Mail checks made out to “Prairie UU Society” to Pat Watkins, 230 N. Meadow Lane, Madison WI 53705-3331, to arrive by or earlier than January 27. Written confirmation and detailed schedule will be sent to you by February 10. Questions? Phone Pat at 233-5795. REV. RALPH'S RUMINATIONS As we go forward into February we share the losses and the grief that comes from loss that some in our congregation have recently been experiencing. I had the privilege of coordinating workshops by Dr. Elizabeth Kubler-Ross, at the University of Chicago in the early 1970’s. Dr. Kubler-Ross helped us all understand that experiencing loss and feeling the grief that can come with loss is like being on a journey. This is an ancient metaphor for dealing with a departed loved one. The ancient Celtic prayer expresses some of what the journey through grief may disclose to us. Do not hurry As you walk with grief It does not help the journey Be not disturbed By memories that come unbidden Let God support you Be gentle with the one who Walks through grief If it is you, Be gentle with yourself. Swiftly forgive Walk slowly Pausing often Take time, be gentle As you walk with grief. Grief is our natural human response to loss. For some our grief will be associated with death, but death is just one of many losses we may experience in our lifetimes. Lots of times, people come to me because they're feeling sad-—they're grieving-—but they can't quite explain why. I usually try to allow them to begin by sharing with me the recent losses that they've experienced in their life. Our lives are full of losses. A young man feels the loss of breaking up with his girl friend. He'll grieve that loss. As an eldering person we struggle as one and then another and then another of our once-sharp faculties begin to become diminished. That's a loss. A woman loses a breast to cancer. I can’t help feel saddened by the loss of life in Iraq and Afghanistan. A soldier loses a limb in an encounter with an IED. These are just a few of the losses that we human beings might be grieving over in these times. Thomas Moore, philosopher and therapist, offers this suggestion for “Growing through Grief”: "A big part of soulful living is receiving and holding what appears. If sadness come along, you take it on and own up to it. You let it reveal its timetable rather than subject it to yours. You don’t anxiously look for outside controls or standards. You let life flow through you, making you more and more human. It’s more important to become a real human being than to do the “right” thing." -–Thomas Moore. Spirituality & Health. Jan/Feb 2007 Here at Prairie, may we learn together how to accept our losses and share with each other when we are grieving. May this be a place where we can freely share the journey with one another. May we learn to embrace each other, to accept each other, and to point each other patiently toward love, toward hope, toward renewal. May It Be So, Ralph MEMBERSHIP WELCOME NEW MEMBERS Please welcome our new members: John and Mary Franz 812 22nd Ave., Monroe, WI 53566 (608) 325-3242 Mary.Franz (at) monroe.k12.wi.us UPDATES TO THE DIRECTORY Bob Dopp & Sharon Stein 1925 Fields Pond Glen, Marietta, GA 30068 (770) 649-1083 BobnSharon (at) doppstein.com PRAIRIE WEB SITES Society Home Page: http://uuprairie.org/ News Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/prairienews/ Views: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/prairieviews/ Social Action: http://socialaction.madisonwi.us Humanist Union: http://humanist.madisonwi.us LETTERS GRANT STONE MEMORIAL Thank you to all the Prairie members who contributed generously to my Pa Grant Stone's memorial service and potluck January 21st. In the absence of funeral home staff, many members helped with food preparation and service, moving tables and chairs twice, and sundry other tasks. Special thanks are due to Barb Park and Erin Bosch who labored to clear the tables, manage leftovers and wash a huge stack of dishes so that my relatives, friends and other Prairie members could commune after completion of the service. Many thanks also to Rev. Ralph for his thoughtful synopsis of my Pa's achievements in his 98 years of life and 50 years of medical practice. I'm very glad my UU sister Kathleen from Wichita encouraged me to have the service at Prairie. I think my Pa would have approved as well. Thank you again, KK Anderson AN OPEN LETTER TO THE RELIGIOUS COMMUNITY Many of you have seen hateful emails, blog postings and reports circulating on the Internet and in the media about Senator Barack Obama and his religious upbringing. These outrageous charges began as reports of his potential candidacy for President emerged and, as has become a shameful custom of modern politics, it has swirled through cyberspace with a vengeance and now has been picked up as fact by Fox News and some partisan commentators. We are writing to deplore this despicable tactic and set the record straight. We have had enough of the slash and burn politics calculated to divide us as children of God. We must come together as one nation, and see our stake in each other as Americans. The bitter, destructive politics that have so riven our country in recent years cannot stand. As American leaders of different faiths, we do not offer this statement as an endorsement of any individual candidate. However, certain moral standards should infuse our national dialogue, and the recent attacks on Sen. Obama violate values at the heart of this dialogue. The false and malicious attacks levied at him are anathema to all of our faith traditions, and we condemn them outright.... It is important that we take a stand today against this willful, malicious attempt to mislead and inflame—-and against any further attempts to use political attacks to divide the religious community. We ask that you share this letter widely, and help us beat back these hideous tactics, whatever their source. As people of faith, we cannot allow divisive attacks like these to stand. Sincerely, Rev. Bob Edgar, National Council of Churches Rabbi Jonah Dov Pesner Imam Mahdi Bray, Muslim American Society Freedom Foundation Rev. Stephen J. Thurston, National Baptist Convention of America The Rt. Rev. Preston W. Williams, Global Council of Bishops, African Methodist Episcopal Church Sister Simone Campbell, SSS, NETWORK Rev. John H. Thomas, President, UCC Rev. Dr. C. Welton Gaddy, Interfaith Alliance Rabbi Jill Jacobs, Jewish Funds for Justice RELIGIOUS EDUCATION WILD WINTER FUN Last week we had our annual Wild Wintering overnight. We started the evening with pizza and then moved on to games. Carl Wacker and Paula Pachciarz brought an obstacle course for children of all ages. The course included a floor-level balance beam, stilts, golfing, and jumping rope among other challenges. Prairie kid winners of the competition were third-place winner Madeline Arnold, Toby Wacker and first-place winner was Emma Swartz. Congratulations! After the games Maya Urbanski and her friend Gracie Parker performed a violin and viola concert. Both girls also performed their own solo acts. Thank you for the lovely performance. After the concert Caleb Swartz initiated the Indian game Kabbadi, which is the Hindi word for "holding of breath". RE kids were divided into teams and took turns sending over a player. That player then had to run over to the other side, tag a player and run back, all while saying the words “Kabbadi" without losing their breath. As always the night ended with a lively game of Wink, a game, which gets its origins from the Young Quakers of the 1800's. Wink has been modernized over the years and involves mainly high school boys and girls. Last night, however, our 5th graders got involved and proved to be able to hold their own against the "older" kids. Standout players were Toby Wacker for being able to hold down Reuben Arnold and Miko Jobst for being the most energetic. Guests Judy Wacker and Rachel Herr-Hoyman attended the evening games. It was nice to see the return of familiar faces. I would like to thank all who were involved in making this a fun night. Paula and Carl as well as Erin Bosch for preparing and supervising games, Anne Urbanski and John Eligenti for staying overnight and Patty Stockdale for preparing breakfast the following morning. Coming up is the first service project of the year. RE children will bake cookies and sell them upstairs to give to a worthy cause. The charity will be voted on next week. They also will be preparing for our March 25th Sunday service project, so look out for posters advertising the event. Be warm and be safe! Rebecca Malke-Eligenti youthcoordinator (at) uuprairie.org or 695-3435 UNITARIAN-UNIVERSALIST NEWS UU'S TO JOIN IRAQ WAR PROTEST ON JANUARY 27 On Saturday, January 27, United for Peace and Justice (see http://www.unitedforpeace.org) is organizing a Rally and March on Washington against the war in Iraq. The March has been endorsed by the Win Without War Coalition (http://www.winwithoutwarus.org), of which the UUA is an active member. UUA staff are encouraging interested Unitarian Universalists to participate in the March, local events around the country, and lobbying activities the following week. For more information on the march and rally, including the interfaith service beforehand (in which Rev. Robert Hardies, Senior Minister of All Souls Church, Unitarian, in Washington, DC will participate), the Unitarian Universalist gathering place, current advocacy opportunities, and ways for you and your congregation to participate without coming to Washington, visit the UUA Washington Office Web site at http://www.uua.org/uuawo/ new/article.php?list=type&type=18. A complete history of UUA statements and actions on the Iraq war can be found at http://www.uua.org/news/iraq/. GENERAL ASSEMBLY VIDEO NIGHTS AT FUS Prairie members are welcome to enjoy Monday video nights at First Unitarian Society (FUS) at 7:00 p.m. The FUS Denominational Affairs Committee is showing the following DVDs from the 2006 GA in the next few weeks. Monday, January 29: Starr King President’s Lecture with the Rev. Rebecca Parker, Starr King President, and the Rev. Rob Hardies, minister of All Soul’s Church, Washington D.C. An exploration of the themes from Dr. Parker’s latest book, edited by the Rev. Hardies, including how Unitarian Universalism can respond to the realities of evil and suffering by reclaiming our theological voice in the public sphere. Monday, February 5: The State of Paganism Today. Margot Adler leads a discussion of the state of Paganism today. Monday, February 12: Cakes for the Queen of Heaven-–She Changes with NPR Correspondent Margot Adler, author Rev. Shirley Rank, and editor Rev. Leslie Westbrook. The 20th anniversary of the feminist theology curriculum, Cakes for the Queen of Heaven. What’s changed? Where do we go from here in the ongoing process of liberation? We also honor the elders with ritual and song. Monday, February 19: Large Congregations: Ideas, Experiences and Reflections with Rev. Dr. Gilbert Rendle. “The book” is still being written about large congregations, which are fundamentally a phenomenon of the last generation. What’s clear is that size matters-–and one size doesn’t fit all. The Alban Institute has studied the unique characteristics and needs of large congregations. What has been learned to date? GENERAL ASSEMBLY VIDEO NIGHTS AT FUS Prairie members are welcome to enjoy Monday video nights at First Unitarian Society (FUS) at 7:00 p.m. The FUS Denominational Affairs Committee is showing the following DVDs from the 2006 GA in the next few weeks. Monday, January 15: Bridging Ceremony. The annual Bridging Ceremony worship service honors the voices of youth and young adults and celebrates those youth who are becoming adults. Monday, January 22: Plenary V. Recognition of Green Sanctuaries; Unitarian Universalist Women’s Federation; Journey Toward Wholeness Transformation Committee Report; Breakthrough Congregation: Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of San Luis Obispo County; Ministerial Fellowship Committee Report; Committee on Socially Responsible Investing; President’s Report; Executive Vice-President’s Report. Monday, January 29: Starr King President’s Lecture with the Rev. Rebecca Parker, Starr King President, and the Rev. Rob Hardies, minister of All Soul’s Church, Washington D.C. An exploration of the themes from Dr. Parker’s latest book, edited by the Rev. Hardies, including how Unitarian Universalism can respond to the realities of evil and suffering by reclaiming our theological voice in the public sphere. SOCIAL JUSTICE FILM SERIES 2006-2007 January 19: You Wake Me Up (Women and AIDS in Africa) February 16: A Force More Powerful (South Africa: Freedom in Our Lifetime) March 16: An Inconvenient Truth April 20: A Force More Powerful (Poland: We've Caught God by the Arm) May 18: Paperclips NATIONAL COUNCIL OF CHURCHES IN THE USA STATEMENT ON IRAQ TROOP BUILDUP From the NCC USA Web site www.councilofchurches.org President George W. Bush has ordered a “surge” in troops in Iraq, ostensibly to help quell sectarian violence and stabilize Baghdad. This escalation of troop presence is likely only to result in an escalation in American and Iraqi deaths. Thus the call for more troops is morally unsupportable. Particularly in the wake of the barbaric execution of Saddam Hussein-—an act that reflects not the ideals of democracy and justice, but rather mocks them-—and an act that promises only to breed more violence, as only a violent act can-—one would think that the United States would immediately seek to bring about a change of policy. Sending more troops is not a change in policy, nor is it even a change in strategy; it is more of the same. Certainly a change in policy was what the November election results were all about. And certainly a change in policy was the bottom-line recommendation of the Iraq Study Group (ISG), a collection of men and women chosen for their collective expertise and wisdom. Instead, the president has chosen to ignore both the electorate and the ISG. Given a chance to build broad consensus on a change of policy under the cover of the ISG Report, we have the makings of yet another divisive debate on whether or not the U.S. should put more lives in harm’s way. It seems that we are fated never to learn an important lesson of the Vietnam era-—that U.S. leadership in the world does not depend on the continuation of failed policies-—a lesson that became crystal clear during our recent funeral recollections of President Gerald Ford and his leadership. It is time for moral strength, not military power, to take precedence in the U.S. plan for Iraq. It is time to recognize the failure of a military policy that is not promoting freedom, not ending terrorism, not building up the Iraqi nation, not bringing security to the region, and not making the world safer. It is time—-and here we agree with the president-—to insist on political benchmarks for the Iraqi government, and to provide reconstruction aid to the Iraqi people, if it is not already too late. But the benchmarks must be achievable, and this time the disbursement of aid must be transparent. It is time to enter into respectful negotiations with those countries in the region that can exert influence on Iraq; to attend to the central issue of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; and to lead the United Nations Security Council in enforcing restrictions on arms proliferation in the region. And above all, it is time, not to send more troops, but to start bringing our troops home. The “surge” as recommended by the president is immoral. What we do not need is an assertion of more military strength. What we need is the strength of basic moral conviction. We make this statement in the spirit of the message last November from our member churches meeting in their annual General Assembly whose theme was, “...for the healing of the nations.” (Revelation 22:2). TUTU ON TERROR-POVERTY RELATIONSHIP From the NCC USA Web site www.councilofchurches.org The war on terror will "never" be won "as long as there are conditions in the world that make people desperate," like dehumanizing poverty, disease and ignorance, Nobel laureate and former Archbishop Desmond Tutu told ecumenical participants at the start of the 2007 World Social Forum (WSF) in Nairobi. "God is weeping," Tutu told the ecumenical gathering at Nairobi's Holy Family Roman Catholic Basilica, at the sight of the awful things happening in the world today. "God weeps and says: 'Who will help me so we can have a different kind of world, one in which the rich know they have been given much so they can share and help others?'" A creation that was very good has "turned into a nightmare". Presiding at the event along with Tutu were His Holiness Abune Paulos, patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, and Archbishop Zaccheaus Okoth, president of the East Region of Caritas Africa. Kenyan Nobel Peace laureate Wangari Maathai also participated in the 20 January ceremony. Tutu emphasized that the "fundamental law of our being" is that "we are bound to one another". Because of that, "the only way we can make it is together, all of us". Only together can we be free, safe and secure. According to Tutu, this rule applies also to politics. "Not even the only superpower can be totally self- sufficient; it needs other nations." PEACE BENEFIT CONCERT AT FUS Bernstein Concert to Benefit Peace Council Leonard Bernstein said, "This will be our reply to violence: to make music more intensely, more beautifully, more devotedly than ever before." In keeping with Bernstein’s stand for peace, the Friends of the Peace Council are sponsoring an all Bernstein “Concert for Peace” on February 23, 7:30 p.m., at the Unitarian Meeting House, 900 University Bay Dr., Madison. The program will be performed by well-known pianists Martha Fisher and Bill Lutes, cellist Parry Karp, and vocalists Paul and Cheryl Rowe. Songs by Bernstein from the musicals West Side Story, Candide, On the Town and Peter Pan will be included. Also performed will be Symphonic Suite from West Side Story, arranged for two pianos by John Musto, and selections from one of Bernstein's last compositions "Arias and Barcarolles" for two singers and two pianists, as well as selections from Mass and Songfest. All proceeds from the Concert for Peace will benefit the work of the International Committee for the Peace Council, a Madison-based organization. The Peace Council is composed of major religious leaders from around the world with recognizable names such as the Dalai Lama, Rev. Desmond Tutu, Fr. Thomas Keating, and Sr. Joan Chittister. Committed to finding practical ways to promote peace and to relieve suffering, the Peace Councilors show by example that diverse faiths can work together "for the common needs of the whole community of life." Their mission is to demonstrate that peace is possible, and that effective inter-religious collaboration to make peace also is possible. Tickets for this event are $25 and are available at Spruce Tree Music, A Room of One’s Own, Orange Tree Imports and online at www.peacecouncil.org. Call 608-831-0021 for further information about the concert. Learn more at www.peacecouncil.org. ******************************************************** INTERFAITH HOSPITALITY NETWORK (IHN) BULLETIN ******************************************************** Did you know? The budget for the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has dropped 65% since 1978, from over $83 billion to just $29 billion in 2006. During the last ten years, HUD has spent $0 on public housing, while over 100,000 public housing units have been lost to demolition, sale or other removal. Small wonder that many families across the nation have been left without housing. One such family, a mom on disability and her teenaged son, stayed at IHN last year. Unable to access any affordable housing, this family lived for a year in an abandoned building with no heat and then came to Madison to double up with her adult daughter and four children in a small apartment where they could not stay for long. From there they came to IHN’s shelter, and with help from our case managers, were accepted into housing, paying 60% of her income in rent and barely getting by. Finally, this month, through additional IHN advocacy efforts, the family has moved into subsidized housing. This mom is very responsible, and manages her small income well. Her son is bright and successful both academically and socially. Affordable housing is all they needed.