March 8, International Women's Day

Siamo in tante siam più della metà 

lo siamo sempre state in questa umanità.

Today is International Womens' Day.The above words are rhymes chanted during feminist marchs in Italy a few decades ago. My memories from the teenager years recollect this chanting among the debate about difference between women emancipation and liberation. 

Today, March 8 2015, even Google homepage has a composite of vignettes picturing women's achievements. Yet not all women are representative of the female identity and histories.  This day should be especially a celebration of all the unprivileged women, who have been suffering from economical and social injustice.

Uncannily, in New York today  is also the first day of seasonally mild temperature, after months of almost uninterrupted harshly cold weather and snowstorms. Is spring finally coming? 

In the meantime, hoping for a seasonal and metaphorical spring to  finally arrive, I  wish:

Happy Women's Day!

In celebration of our diversity

and recognition

of our individual beauty, creativity, strength, compassion and fairness!

Events | Occupy the Dream

Hundreds of people of any race, faith and age —many as activists of the Occupy Wall Street movement — gathered at the Riverside Church to honor the spirit of Martin Luther King. The gathering started in front of Saint John Divine, to become a candlelight march to the Riverside Church.

Short speeches alternating to music performances made this celebration greatly inspiring, and giving hope for real change. The music included soul, hip-hop, country and chanting from Buddhist Monks. The call for economical justice —enmesh with world peace and respect for the our planet resources— is the common goal for this leaderless non-violence movement, as the world-spread Occupy becomes increasingly representative of the interests of the 99% of people.

For me one the most beautiful moments perhaps was the silent Buddhist meditation initiated by the Buddhist Monk Rev. T.K. Nakagaki; it reminded me of the 1991 sunrise meditation for world peace with  the Dalai Lama, one of the most powerful moments of collective energy.

A gathering which filled my heart with hope and gave energy to continue the daily struggle, making the Martin Luther King dream alive as:

“We believe in a world in which all people are created equally in all nations, of all faiths”