The 3 primary suggestions for action on their site are choosing to:
*Reward businesses that focus on sustainable, local products and services, not on buying influence.
*Reward politicians who are accountable to me, not to corporations.
*Reward countries that promote and defend freedom of expression.
For more info about RePeace:
http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=162532667143416
From the founder of RePeace, Andrea Tosi:
"Repeace is not trying to push down anyones throat a new symbol of peace, but quite the opposite, wants to create synergy with the old movement, whose focus is to fight against wars and nuclear armaments, while Repeace fights agaist greed and corruption.
I was never an activist... they made it sound like you're a radical or something. I care for others and I feel responsible towards all life forms I interact with. I realize peace. But I was also tired to sign petitions, and give money to non profits. I had it. I gave enough.... But...I didn't want to give up and become a cynic.
I wanted to believe in something. I didn't want to shut down the news about people, animal or environments being abused or exploited. Everybody gets to the point when that becomes necessary, shutting down the rest of the world, and surround him/herself with better news, good people, and love. For almost 3 years I have sifted through the U.S. news, and, while I lived in San Francisco, I saw the nation go down the toilet, thanks to private interests and corrupted politicians selling off democracy.
But now the whole political environment is polluted, and only people can fix it, if it's not too late. Repeace is not here to do the work for you, nor to tell you what to do. Like we need another non profit asking for money, or another political party, right? I came to the conclusion that all the efforts of the world should go towards getting money out of Washington and I believe that all it needs is the right message to bring people together, and use the power of the purse to lure businesses away from buying politicians. That is not just my belief, but apparently it has become an irrefutable fact! Just remember, don't expect politicians to change that!
Hope is yours if you take it back from politics. Change happens if you change.
Is it a good time for accountability? If the 70s were a good time to Peace, is 2011 a good time to Repeace?The RePeace site recommends this book (which I will be reading next! It is available on amazon and kindle):
I am a Repeacer. I hold accountable. I realize peace."
"The Leaderless Revolution" by Carne Ross explains why our government institutions are inadequate to the task of solving major problems and offers a set of steps we can take to create lasting and workable solutions ourselves. In taking these steps, we can not only reclaim the control we have lost, but also a sense of meaning and community so elusive in the current circumstance. In a day and age when things feel bleak and beyond our control, this powerful and personal book will revive one's sense of hope that a better, more just and equitable order lies within our reach-if only we are willing to grasp it.
[description from RePeace site]
Highlights from an article (by Deena Stryker) about Iceland illustrating these ideas in action:
No news from Iceland?… why?
…
In Iceland, the people have made the government resign, the primary banks have been nationalized, it was decided to not pay the debt that these created with Great Britain and Holland due to their bad financial politics and a public assembly has been created to rewrite the constitution.
And all of this in a peaceful way. A whole revolution against the powers that have created the current global crisis. This is why there hasn't been any publicity during the last two years: What would happen if the rest of the EU citizens took this as an example? What would happen if the US citizens took this as an example.
This is a summary of the facts:
2008. The main bank of the country is nationalized.
The Krona, the currency of Iceland devaluates and the stock market stops. The country is in bankruptcy.
2008. The citizens protest in front of parliament and manage to get new elections that make the resignation of the prime minister and his whole government. The country is in bad economic situation.
A law proposes paying back the debt to Great Britain and Holland through the payment of 3,500 million euros, which will be paid by the people of Iceland monthly during the next 15 years, with a 5.5% interest.
2010. The people go out in the streets and demand a referendum. In January 2010 the president denies the approval and announces a popular meeting. In March the referendum and the denial of payment is voted in by 93%. Meanwhile the government has initiated an investigation to bring to justice those responsible for the crisis, and many high level executives and bankers are arrested. The Interpol dictates an order that make all the implicated parties leave the country.
In this crisis an assembly is elected to rewrite a new Constitution which can include the lessons learned from this, and which will substitute the current one (a copy of the Danish Constitution). 25 citizens are chosen, with no political affiliation, out of the 522 candidates. For candidacy all that was needed was to be an adult and have the support of 30 people. The constitutional assembly starts in February of 2011 to present the `carta magna' from the recommendations given by the different assemblies happening throughout the country. It must be approved by the current Parliament and by the one constituted through the next legislative elections.
So in summary of the Icelandic revolution:
-resignation of the whole government
-nationalization of the bank.
-referendum so that the people can decide over the economic decisions.
-incarcerating the responsible parties
-rewriting of the constitution by its people
The Icelandic people have been able to show that there is a way to beat the system and have given a democracy lesson to the world.
(end article)
I hope we will be seeing more and more stories like this and see the changes necessary to THRIVE!
The website www.thrivemovement.com also has a section for suggested solutions.
Check-out the "what can I do" link: http://www.thrivemovement.com/solutions-what_can_i_do
Top 10 Actions listed on that page:
1. Get Informed, Speak Up & Connect with Others
2. Bank Locally
3. Buy and Invest Responsibly
4. End the Federal Reserve
5. Keep the Internet Fair & Open
6. Support Independent Media
7. Support Organic, Non-GMO Farming
8. Require Election & Campaign Finance Reform
9. Advocate for Renewable and "Free" Energy
10. Take Part in Critical Mass Actions
My family will personally be making changes regarding our banking as a result of learning more from the Thrive movie and suggestions on RePeace site. We already support organic, non-gmo farming and have started trying to buy local as much as possible and grow some of our own. When searching for non-gmo corn seeds, I was shocked how difficult it is to find them now (due to
contamination/cross-pollination from gmo corn). We need to be encouraging open pollinated seeds (which actually reproduce from saved seed, unlike gmo seed that will not). Many other countries have banned GMO's due to the threat to food supply.
Especially, we need to end the Federal Reserve and return the control of the nation's money to the public (government) versus the private banks! I don't understand why any U.S. citizen would oppose this, regardless of political affiliation, if we truly understand the current situation (most people I have discussed this with did not realize who actually controls the Fed Reserve and still thought it was the public representatives in government, myself included until I read Ron Paul's book several years ago and my husband read Creature from Jekyll Island book). If you have additional thoughts to shed a different light on this, I welcome them.
We also need to call our senators and request they vote NO on the CISPA bill to control the internet (http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/technology/223067-cispa-is-the-new-sopa).
What are you willing to do to defend freedom and seek peace?!?Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.
- Nelson Mandela
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