August 22, 2011
As a co-founder and 30+ years on staff of the Thomas Merton Center, I welcome fair-minded and accurate criticisms of the Center, a grassroots organization funded mostly by our members.
This coming year marks our 40th anniversary as a peace and justice center. I suggest you go to our website for more information, www.thomasmertoncenter.org. Our newspaper, the New People, covers the many peace, justice and ecology movements active in the region and beyond.
On Nov. 3d we are honoring Vandana Shiva, internationally known leader in the struggle for food security, economic and environmental justice and women.
This coming year marks our 40th anniversary as a peace and justice center. I suggest you go to our website for more information, www.thomasmertoncenter.org. Our newspaper, the New People, covers the many peace, justice and ecology movements active in the region and beyond.
On Nov. 3d we are honoring Vandana Shiva, internationally known leader in the struggle for food security, economic and environmental justice and women.
The Great!
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
its role as supporter and promoter of a wide range of peace and justice campaigns.
Ways to make it better...
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
help to build membership and financial support to allow the Center to hire more organizers to work with and build stronger coalitions to fight the politics of greed, environmental destruction and economic and racial disparities..
MY ROLE:
Board Member & Most recently I work with Health Care for All PA, one of dozens of groups the Center has helped to initiate.
December 6, 2010
As a member of the Board, former staff member of 30+ years and co-founder of the Thomas Merton Center, I am very sorry that this person has chosen to make unfounded attacks on the Center and individual board members.
Members have received five-page single-spaced letters from the same person.
As with most non-profits, the Center has to struggle economically in these hard times. This has required cutbacks in administrative expenses. Despite this, due to the work of an amazing group of volunteers and board members, the Center has increased its membership by 30% over the past year.
Hundreds came together in the spring for our Annual New Person Award honoring the three attorneys who are strong advocates for civil liberties for many years and who served as the legal team for peace and justice groups during and after the G-20 meeting.
In November over 700 attended the annual Thomas Merton Award dinner honoring Noam Chomsky, which was a sellout.
I suggest that people check our website, www.thomasmertoncenter.org and read our publication, The New People for a fuller understanding of the work of the Center.
Members have received five-page single-spaced letters from the same person.
As with most non-profits, the Center has to struggle economically in these hard times. This has required cutbacks in administrative expenses. Despite this, due to the work of an amazing group of volunteers and board members, the Center has increased its membership by 30% over the past year.
Hundreds came together in the spring for our Annual New Person Award honoring the three attorneys who are strong advocates for civil liberties for many years and who served as the legal team for peace and justice groups during and after the G-20 meeting.
In November over 700 attended the annual Thomas Merton Award dinner honoring Noam Chomsky, which was a sellout.
I suggest that people check our website, www.thomasmertoncenter.org and read our publication, The New People for a fuller understanding of the work of the Center.
The Great!
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
its work as organizer for peace and justice programs and activities and as a clearing house for dozens of groups working for a more humane and just community and world.
Ways to make it better...
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
make its work better known to the hundreds of thousands in Western PA who support at least one of our four key goals of economic and environmental justice, an end to war and militarism, and reform of the justice system.
MY ROLE:
Board Member & I work with Health Care for All PA, a statewide coalition that works with 37 states to implement single payer health care.
