Sacramento Homeless blog

During  an interview by Oprah , published in the March issue of O Magazine, Thich Nhat Hanh, the well-known and very well-regarded Vietnamese Buddhist monk said this: Nhat Hanh: Yes. We should be able to say this: "Dear friends, dear people, I know that you suffer. I have not understood enough of your difficulties and suffering. It's not our intention to make you suffer more. It is the opposite. We don't want you to suffer. But we don't know what to do and we might do the wrong thing if you don't help us to understand. So please tell us about your difficulties. I'm eager to learn, to understand." We have to have loving speech. And if we are honest, if we are true, they will open their hearts. Then we practice compassionate listening, and we can learn so much about our own perception and their perception. Only after that can we help remove wrong perception. Yes, it is vital that we try to be mature ― that is, speak from a stance of maturity of character ― ...

My friend Bill, in his blog Integral Options Cafe, posted re The Eight Laws of Social Change , which I see as perhaps wise -- and very worth looking at here, with respect to efforts to improve conditions for homeless people. The Safe Ground folks with their Campaign and Movement might consider these laws, and I should, too, with my effort, hoping to get homeless Sacramentans better service from homeless-help agencies in our city and county. The Eight Laws come from Stephan A. Schwartz who, apparently, looked at the success the Quakers have had in delivering social change, and took from them factors that were causal for their success in the areas of abolition, public education, penal reform, women's sufferage, civil rights and environmental protection. The "laws" are simple, and not expounded upon in Schwartz's powerpoint presentation , but ARE expounded upon at Spiritual Wiki , which I don't have access to.  Anyway.  For what it's worth: Social Chang...