I saw on Oremus this morning that William Wilberforce is the saint for the day. I haven't had time to rent Amazing Grace from the DVD store, let alone watch it. But I have been remembering the movie, and the story behind it, in those moments of stillness throughout the day. Slavery remains such an issue in our world. Particularly in some parts of the Pacific and Asia.
Yesterday I bought an amazing product at ALDI. A4 sheets of canvas that you can print on. It was just what I needed to print out our young peoples' questions for their tree of growth - which I left in the Minister's office and didn't photograph :( Anyway the canvas was made in China. And I bought it without questioning how fairly it was made.
WWWD (What would Wilberforce do?) I wonder. And get caught up in the wonder inspired by this week's Oremus prayer. I just love it. I have printed it out on A4 and carry it around with me each day. A real blessing to me:
Blessed are you, O God,
you are our greatest treasure
and the source of our greatest joy:
Your Spirit continues to form us in the likeness of Christ,
that we may know the freedom of your children
and the assurance that nothing in creation
can separate us from your love,
most fully known in Jesus Christ our Lord.
For these and all your mercies, we praise you:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit:
Blessed be God for ever!
Blessed be God forever - AMEN
Showing posts with label ethics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ethics. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
On rules and memes and other things ...
When I got tagged for a meme I did it. And enjoyed it. Up to the part where you have to tag other people.
Then I thought "What is a meme anyway?". According to Wikipedia it is the cultural equivalent of DNA - a cultural unit that spreads and throughout a culture like a virus "So with memes, some ideas will propagate less successfully and become extinct, while others will survive, spread, and, for better or for worse, mutate." I'm not at all sure how this relates to the phenomenon in the blogosphere but clearly change is inherent and allowable.
But all this got me thinking about my own compliance. I am certainly one of those people for whom discerning questions are a skill to be cultivated. My tendency is to accept and to follow directions. I like to think I would stop short of lethally harming someone in those famous Milgram experiments - but I just don't know. In my favour is my active participation in the class of 1978 - the medical students who refused to carry out gynae exams on women without informed consent. With a colleague we presented our case to the Professor - were threatened with failing the year - but stood firm and in the end had our ethical stance supported by the University. It is a shock to realise that the same issue continues to resurface around the world 30 years later.
In a job interview this week I was asked how I would keep to the time assigned to the position. I was candid enough to say I tend to say 'yes' too easily, and insightful enough to say that I seek the discernment to work out whether new tasks will contribute to achieving the goals of my position and if so, how I will negotiate additional hours or reprioritising of existing work to include them.
One year I gave up saying 'yes' for Lent (not at work, but at home and in voluntary activities). It was freeing. "MJD will you undertake ... ?" "Get back to me after Easter and I'll consider it." It's a discipline I keep there and bring out - often after I need to but at least before it is really too late.
So with memes. How do you know who 'does them' and who 'doesn't'? Do you have to do them when you're tagged? Do you have to tag?
You can't tell by just looking at a blog. Guessing isn't always accurate. No and no. But it can be fun if you do.
- Do I have to do this?
- What if they don't want to do it?
- Will they feel obliged to do something they don't want to do just because I tagged them?
- Will they still speak to me after I tag them for a meme?
Then I thought "What is a meme anyway?". According to Wikipedia it is the cultural equivalent of DNA - a cultural unit that spreads and throughout a culture like a virus "So with memes, some ideas will propagate less successfully and become extinct, while others will survive, spread, and, for better or for worse, mutate." I'm not at all sure how this relates to the phenomenon in the blogosphere but clearly change is inherent and allowable.
But all this got me thinking about my own compliance. I am certainly one of those people for whom discerning questions are a skill to be cultivated. My tendency is to accept and to follow directions. I like to think I would stop short of lethally harming someone in those famous Milgram experiments - but I just don't know. In my favour is my active participation in the class of 1978 - the medical students who refused to carry out gynae exams on women without informed consent. With a colleague we presented our case to the Professor - were threatened with failing the year - but stood firm and in the end had our ethical stance supported by the University. It is a shock to realise that the same issue continues to resurface around the world 30 years later.
In a job interview this week I was asked how I would keep to the time assigned to the position. I was candid enough to say I tend to say 'yes' too easily, and insightful enough to say that I seek the discernment to work out whether new tasks will contribute to achieving the goals of my position and if so, how I will negotiate additional hours or reprioritising of existing work to include them.
One year I gave up saying 'yes' for Lent (not at work, but at home and in voluntary activities). It was freeing. "MJD will you undertake ... ?" "Get back to me after Easter and I'll consider it." It's a discipline I keep there and bring out - often after I need to but at least before it is really too late.
So with memes. How do you know who 'does them' and who 'doesn't'? Do you have to do them when you're tagged? Do you have to tag?
You can't tell by just looking at a blog. Guessing isn't always accurate. No and no. But it can be fun if you do.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Mulesing
A new word I learnt last night when I was visiting Knitty and found this cute pattern but also noted the designer took account of knitters who might want to avoid wool because of the mulesing controversy. I was quite shocked to read of sheep being mutilated without anaesthetic. And the clear message seemed to be not to buy AUSTRALIAN merino wool.
So today I went into Tapestry Craft which is the most wonderful and amazing wool shop I know in Sydney. I had had a very full day and I just needed to touch some fibre and be in a creative place. AND it was a good opportunity to see if they stocked 'cruelty free' wool.
While the staff had no knowledge of the issue I met a wonderful knitting woman from Armidale - a merino producing area - who explained the producers side of the story. Fly strike is a horrible condition that affects merino sheep in Australia because of our hot wet climate. Basically flies lay eggs in thick wool around the backside of the sheep and maggots burrow into the flesh (not nice I know - that's all I'll say and leave the rest to your imagination). So basically the backside is bared to prevent this horrible and life-threatening condition. According to this informant the procedure is ALWAYS performed with local anaesthetic, and is performed only once for each sheep. It is only a problem for Merino sheep who have wrinkly skin in their nether regions. BUT New Zealand does not use this procedure, possibly because of the different climate and also long term investment in genetic and other ways to prevent fly strike.
PINK withdrew her call to boycott Australian wool when she heard the full story.
As in so much of our lives there are two sides to every story. In this case I am pleased that I took the time to investigate. I am evolving into a questioner - asking at cafes how their coffee is produced and how the grower is compensated. And now thinking of animal welfare not only when I buy eggs (barn laid is my minimum acceptable level - free range whenever I can afford it) but also when I buy wool.
This does seem to link in with Brian McLaren's prosperity hypothesis that we as humans take more from earth than earth itself can bear. Questions about whether it is appropriate to seek to raise sheep in environments that are unsuitable, how much we can intervene to adapt nature to our requirements, what respect we owe to our fellow mammals and to what extent it is appropriate to use them for our ends, how we can shift our Western investments in furthering our own comfort to actually saving lives of children internationally etc etc remain unanswered.
But for the moment I will knit up my merino from NZ with a clear conscience. I will seek to tread lightly on this planet. I will not use ethanol in the car, recognising that this has contributed to the massive increase in staple food costs internationally. I will seek to reduce emissions not by burning people's food in my vehicle, but by using the car less and walking more. I will boycott grain fed meat and eat more grains myself.
And I will cast on some stitches and make some winter warmers
So today I went into Tapestry Craft which is the most wonderful and amazing wool shop I know in Sydney. I had had a very full day and I just needed to touch some fibre and be in a creative place. AND it was a good opportunity to see if they stocked 'cruelty free' wool.
While the staff had no knowledge of the issue I met a wonderful knitting woman from Armidale - a merino producing area - who explained the producers side of the story. Fly strike is a horrible condition that affects merino sheep in Australia because of our hot wet climate. Basically flies lay eggs in thick wool around the backside of the sheep and maggots burrow into the flesh (not nice I know - that's all I'll say and leave the rest to your imagination). So basically the backside is bared to prevent this horrible and life-threatening condition. According to this informant the procedure is ALWAYS performed with local anaesthetic, and is performed only once for each sheep. It is only a problem for Merino sheep who have wrinkly skin in their nether regions. BUT New Zealand does not use this procedure, possibly because of the different climate and also long term investment in genetic and other ways to prevent fly strike.
PINK withdrew her call to boycott Australian wool when she heard the full story.
As in so much of our lives there are two sides to every story. In this case I am pleased that I took the time to investigate. I am evolving into a questioner - asking at cafes how their coffee is produced and how the grower is compensated. And now thinking of animal welfare not only when I buy eggs (barn laid is my minimum acceptable level - free range whenever I can afford it) but also when I buy wool.
This does seem to link in with Brian McLaren's prosperity hypothesis that we as humans take more from earth than earth itself can bear. Questions about whether it is appropriate to seek to raise sheep in environments that are unsuitable, how much we can intervene to adapt nature to our requirements, what respect we owe to our fellow mammals and to what extent it is appropriate to use them for our ends, how we can shift our Western investments in furthering our own comfort to actually saving lives of children internationally etc etc remain unanswered.
But for the moment I will knit up my merino from NZ with a clear conscience. I will seek to tread lightly on this planet. I will not use ethanol in the car, recognising that this has contributed to the massive increase in staple food costs internationally. I will seek to reduce emissions not by burning people's food in my vehicle, but by using the car less and walking more. I will boycott grain fed meat and eat more grains myself.
And I will cast on some stitches and make some winter warmers
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