Rev. Danny Fisher

I’ve previously blogged about an astonishing film I saw last year called At the Death House Door by filmmakers Steve James and Peter Gilbert (of Hoop Dreams fame). The documentary is about the life and work of Huntsville prison chaplain Carroll “Bud” Pickett. From 1982 to 1995, Rev. Pickett accompanied 95 prisoners to their executions at Texas’ “Death Capital.” (Texas executes more prisoners than any other state and all of those executions happen in Huntsville.) When he had serious doubts about the guilt of the final prisoner with whom he walked the last mile, he quit his job and became an anti-death penalty crusader.

As part of CINELAN’s Three-Minute Stories series, James has put together a three-minute short about Pickett using footage shot for the film. You can watch it for free at Hulu or below.

Via Aaron Lachowski over at the Tricycle Editors’ Blog: The Clear View Project has begun a new “Adopt a Monk” program to bring international attention to the plights of Buddhist political prisoners in Burma. They write:

Currently there are approximately 220 monks and 8 nuns in prison in Burma, almost all arrested after the 2007 Saffron Revolution. Living under one of the most repressive regimes in the world, these monks and nuns braved death to call attention to the suffering of their people. Chanting the sutra of loving kindness, they walked, one hundred thousand strong, through the streets of cities across the country. The brutal crackdown that followed left untold numbers dead and thousands imprisoned.

Many of the monks have received lengthy prison sentences some totaling up to 68 years. In prison, monks and nuns are forcibly disrobed and are unable to follow the Vinaya, the monastic code of conduct. Most are tortured. Their sentences mean deprivation, humiliation, torture, meager meals, and almost no medical care. To survive in prison, monks and nuns depend on their families to bring them food, medicine, money, and love. However, many are sent to remote prisons or labor camps far from their families.

Clear View Project’s new program invites you to “Adopt a Monk” to help bring attention to the false imprisonment of the monks and nuns in Burma. The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners of Burma (AAPPB), reports that when the international community shines a light of attention on particular prisoners, their lot improves. When one prisoner’s life improves, hope is restored.

Adopt a Monk – How it Works

• Contact Clear View Project to choose a monk or nun.
  
• Send regular letters on his/her behalf to the United Nations, Burmese Generals, & US government.
  
• Send funds to buy more food & medicine for that monk. (details follow)
  
• Hold monthly meditations at your center or public vigils in honor of the monk or all imprisoned monastics.
  
• Send loving kindness to the monks & nuns, their families and the Burmese generals.
  Monks inside & outside of Burma continue to risk their lives by educating & organizing in order to help their people.

  Contact Margaret Howe at Clear View Project:
  margaret@clearviewproject.org / 707-360-8452

Via Tibet Will Be Free:

I’m participating in an interfaith panel at Project Compassion’s 7th Annual Spring Symposium this Saturday, March 28th, at the United Church of Chapel Hill in Chapel Hill, NC. If you’re in the area, I hope you will attend. You can register here, and more information on the event is below.

Project Compassion’s 7th Annual Spring Symposium:

The Unbroken Circle: Exploring Spirituality during Illness and End of Life

Saturday, March 28, 2009, 9:30 am – 12:30 pm

Held at United Church of Chapel Hill, 1321 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Chapel Hill, NC

Serious illness and end of life are important seasons of life that affect us all. These seasons may extend for months or years—sometimes decades—affecting every aspect of life.

One of the challenges individuals, families, faith communities and health care providers face is knowing how to cope with the spiritual changes that can occur during these life passages. People facing illness and end of life often deal with questions of meaning and purpose, faith and beliefs, healing and hope. Illness and end of life can reshape how people understand spirituality.

The Symposium:

The Unbroken Circle: Exploring Spirituality during Illness and End of Life is a half-day workshop on Saturday, March 28, 2009, that will offer participants the opportunity to explore spiritual perspectives around illness and end of life and learn ways that to support themselves and others.

This event includes:

· The launch of a new publication: The Unbroken Circle : A Toolkit for Congregations around Illness, End of Life and Grief, a collaborative effort by the Duke Institute on Care at the End of Life, the Caring Connections program of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization and Project Compassion, written by Project Compassion’s Executive Director, James L. Brooks

· A facilitated panel of spiritual leaders addressing diverse perspectives on spirituality, illness and end of life

· Opportunities for personal reflection and small group interaction on spiritual perspectives related to these important seasons of life

· Tools, materials and resources that individuals, families, faith communities and health care providers can use to support themselves and others around spirituality, illness and end of life

Symposium Information and Registration:

The Unbroken Circle will be held Saturday, March 28, 2009 , 9:30-12:30 , at United Church of Chapel Hill, 1321 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Chapel Hill , NC . Registration includes the half-day symposium, continental breakfast and materials.

The cost is $20 for Participants and $10 for Seniors and Students by March 20th. After March 20th, the cost will be $30 for Participants and $20 for Seniors and Students. Copies of The Unbroken Circle: A Toolkit for Congregations around Illness, End of Life and Grief may be purchased on-site.

Click here to go directly to online registration or call (919) 402-1844.

Symposium Flier:

Please help us spread the word about this event! Click here to a downloadable, printable flier for the event. Please post in key spots in your community!

Symposium Sponsorship:

Individuals may register as event sponsors for $50. Business and organizations that wish to serve as event sponsors may contact James Brooks at james@project-compassion.org or call (919) 402-1844 for a sponsorship packet.

“Former Chinese People’s Liberation Army photographer Lan Zhigui, left, shows his guests one of the photographs in his photo exhibition, Witnessing the Democratic Reform in Tibet from 1950 to 1970, in Beijing on Saturday.” Photo by Goh Chai Hin for AFP/Getty Images.
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