Hope 4 America: March 2009

Water for Life

photo by Raymond Clement

excerpt from the United Nations Water for Life website:

This year on World Water Day, we call attention to the waters that cross our borders and link us together.

The world’s 263 transboundary lake and river basins include the territory of 145 countries and cover nearly half of the Earth’s land surface. Great reservoirs of freshwater also move silently below our borders in underground aquifers.
With every country seeking to satisfy its water needs from limited water resources, some foresee a future filled with conflict. But history shows that cooperation, not conflict, is the most common response to transboundary water management issues.
Over the last 60 years there have been more than 200 international water agreements and only 37 cases of reported violence between states over water. We need to continue to nurture the opportunities for cooperation that transboundary water management can provide.
We share the responsibility for managing the world’s transboundary waters for current and future generations.
(click on Headline to go to the United Nations Water for Life website)

Everything Grows With Love

photos by Craig Smith

Think of no one as an enemy. The best thing that could happen for the worst person is a miracle that will make them a better person. So, why not pray for miracles for everyone, love for everyone, so that all may find happiness? ~ Amy Nelson

Women's History Month

"The United States is filled with great hope that our daughters, and the daughters of all nations, will continue to serve as leaders in the pursuit of our collective well-being and have the opportunity to achieve their full potential."~ President Barack Obama

On Wednesday March 11, 2009, President Obama created a "White House Council on Women and Girls" that will be headed by one of his senior advisors and close friend, Valerie Jarrett. The President's executive order came a week after he issued a proclamation declaring March as Women's History Month, a celebration that began with the first "Women's History Week" in 1978 initiated by the Education Task Force of the Sonoma County (California) Commission that was expanded with a 1987 National Women's History Month Resolution passed by Congress.
"The Council will provide a coordinated federal response to the challenges confronted by women and girls and to ensure that all Cabinet and Cabinet-level agencies consider how their policies and programs impact women and families," a statement from the White House said.