Category Archives: Social Issues

Social causes, activism, and projects

Around the world, Authors R-Z, Of Women, Social Issues

Growing Up Female in Hong Kong – by Belinda Wong

Life is never easy in Hong Kong. When I was a kid, the percentage of girls receiving proper education was low.  Girls having higher education was much rarer. Boys were expected to do good at school and then at work.  No such expectations for girls. Luck was always on my side. I passed all the examinations which I needed to pass to move on to the next level.  My formal education ended being a graduate of the Chinese University of Hong Kong with a major in Sociology.  I was having a free time at school and then free choice in my career.

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Authors I-Q, Social Issues

Stable Money, Fair Credit, Stronger Communities – by Julie Morris

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 Why the “Boring” Stuff Matters

When we talk about equity and inclusion, we often picture classrooms, workplaces, and voting booths. But equity is also built (or blocked) at the checkout counter, in the loan office, and at the kitchen table when a family is trying to plan next month’s bills. Access to stable financial resources and fair lending opportunities shapes who can take a risk, recover from a setback, and invest in the future—across every kind of community.

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Advisors, Authors R-Z, Politics, Social Issues

Pope Leo XIV is a Change Agent – by Mauricio Velásquez

A courageous voice in a wilderness of quiet conflict avoidance is refreshing, Pope Leo XIV’s regular critical comments of Trump’s policies are honorable and most important, necessary in today’s theater of hate and division.  Pope Leo XIV has been a “moral check” on our present administration, challenging them as not being even humanitarian.  He speaks  for so many – representing Catholics from all over the world.  

Most important to note is how Pope Leo XIV critizes policy, the administration’s actions and not Trump personally.  Donald J. Trump spews hate and suspicion every day and is a serial liar and it is Pope Leo XIV who cannot look the other way and “calls out Trump” constantly, regularly.  Pope Leo XIV has criticized Trump’s policies on immigrants (“inhuman”), Iran War (“atrocious”) and calls out Trump’s action as not Christian.  It is the right approach – separate the person from their actions and focus on their actions and consequences of their actions.

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Authors R-Z, Social Issues

Fall of the Spiral Curtain – Part 1 – by Regina Sën

The fall of the iron curtain can never precede the fall of the spiral curtain. We are witnessing, in real time, the dangers of allowing citizens to rise in power before transcending the human spiral, in a land barren of emotional and energy hygiene, under fire, under pressure. In communities of old, regardless of faith or tradition, we encounter “the human spiral”: cycles of fear, judgment, shame, and misunderstanding that wound us—and others—in invisible ways. The following story explores the luxury of being sheltered, and patterns of reactivity that pass silently through generations, even when we are “raised with love.” Through the wisdom of a trusted elder (*do you have one?*)—a Guru, an ‘Aunty’, an ‘Old Soul’, whoever *your* people recognize as wise—we learn to bear witness to this spiral, to sit with another’s pain and misunderstanding, ultimately finding liberation: transcending through unconditional love, finding the hope of safety to grow in.

Continue reading Fall of the Spiral Curtain – Part 1 – by Regina Sën →

Authors A-H, Politics, Race & Ethnicity, Social Issues

Bombing innocent children – Terry Howard

Okay, I’ll take my licks and apologize if anyone finds my headline repulsive; Sorry… Lo siento …Je suis désolé(e) …Es tut mir leid …or Entschuldigung …. 对不起 . …..Now if I missed a sorry in another language, well here’s my blanket apology; I’m sorry about that too.

So, with that said and out of the way, how about we consider our “repulsiveness” in a historical context. Let’s talk about the lingering power of images that are burnt into our subconscious and remain buried there sometimes for a lifetime. 

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Advisors, Authors A-H, Race & Ethnicity, Social Issues

Introducing Professor Bill (“Paul Revere”) Willis – by Terry Howard

Like millions, I was riveted to the breaking news about the passing of Civil Rights advocate Jesse Jackson and at 5:30 pm, during a commercial, I called Bill Willis to follow up on a conversation we’d had two days before. 

“Will I see you at this evening’s Board of Commissioners meeting (Douglas County, Georgia)  during which I will accept their African American History Month proclamation?  It starts at six and will be preceded by an art exhibition on the third floor.” I thanked him for the heads up and promised to get there as soon as I could.

 Well as it typically is it is for Bill Willis, not only was he there with one of paintings, but the impeccably dressed Willis was there to accept the Commissioners proclamation.

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Authors I-Q, Commerce, Social Issues

The Blue Economy: Sailing Through Youth, Oceans, and Leadership – by Ayse Oge

In an era defined by environmental urgency and economic transformation, a new tide is rising—one that aligns the ocean’s vast potential with global innovation, sustainable development, and the unstoppable force of youth—the Blue Economy: A Sea of Opportunity.

The blue economy is more than maritime trade and tourism. It envisions an ocean-driven future that is renewable, inclusive, and regenerative. From offshore wind farms to seaweed cultivation, sustainable fisheries to marine biotechnology, this trillion-dollar frontier invites bold thinkers to reimagine the future. 

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Advisors, Authors A-H, Social Issues

Domestic Violence and the man in the mirror – by Terry Howard

Hey fellas, it’s me, your humble columnist.

I decided to send you a letter and gift you with a mirror to gaze at as you read this narrative. You see, the gift of self-reflection (and mirrors) are the greatest gifts you can give yourself if, taken together, they lead to positive change on your part and on that of others.

But first, I’ll ask you how’s everything in the bar, the locker room or on the golf course while you’re “shooting the breeze” with the boys? Lots of talk about sports, national politics, your trip to Europe and, eh, I’m guessing, the opposite sex, huh? 

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Advisors, Authors A-H, Social Issues

“Toni,” what else could I have done? – by Terry Howard

Today’s story is about “Toni” and the point her story makes as we look back on October, National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. 

ME: Good morning, Toni. How was your weekend?

TONI: (Subdued) Okay, I guess.

ME: Wait, are you okay? Is that a bruise on your forehead. Did you take a fall? 

TONI: No, my husband beat me up again. Yesterday he hit me upside my head with the Holy Bible. Can you believe it?

ME: Oh my! I, uh, I’m so sorry, and…

TONI: Thanks for asking. I’ll be okay. This is my second marriage, and like my ex-husband, this husband beats me up too. The story of my life is that I seem to attract abusive men. 

Continue reading “Toni,” what else could I have done? – by Terry Howard →