This is the first of two postings about Ethical Humanism’s direct engagement in events following the failure of the American justice system to indict the police officers who killed Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and Eric Garner in Staten Island, New York.

I attended the annual meeting of NC WARN this morning, held at the historic  Murphy School Building in Durham.  This meeting brought my focus back to social justice concerns. I left with the feeling what we do can make a difference.  This got me thinking about what I recently read about what some activist Ethical Humanist Leaders are doing in St. Louis and New York.

NC WARN is a fantastic organization who has spoken at our meeting in the past.  Perhaps it is time to hear from them again in the near future.

Their Mission Statement reads:

NC WARN is a member-based nonprofit tackling the accelerating crisis posed by climate change – along with the various risks of nuclear power – by watch-dogging Duke Energy practices and working for a swift North Carolina transition to energy efficiency and clean power generation. In partnership with other citizen groups, NC WARN uses sound scientific research to inform and involve the public in key decisions regarding their well-being.

You can find more about them on their website at:

Home

I was inspired by NC WARN’s presentation and their commitment to combining environmental and social justice concerns. The annual meeting presented great challenges but it also included a group exercise on cultivating “Active Hope”.

I left the meeting with my social activist batteries recharged – a state that I had not experienced in a while.

I wrote down a quote from one of the slides at today’s meeting:

The most radical thing that any of us can do at this time is to be fully present to what is happening in the world.

– Joanne Macy, Eco-Philosopher and Author

James Croft is an Ethical Culture Leader-in-taining at the St. Louis Ethical Society.  He actively participates in the protests in St. Louis seeking greater racial justice.

James recently wrote a guest column on Hemant Mehta’s The Friendly Atheist blog titled:

There Are Humanists in Ferguson: The Humanist Social Justice Tradition

This article is worth a thorough read:

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2014/12/05/there-are-humanists-in-ferguson-the-humanist-social-justice-tradition/#ixzz3LAtdDIco

I am impressed in James Croft’s experience in being fully present in his part of the world.

Comments are welcome.

Randy Best

Leader, Ethical Humanist Society of the Triangle