i wonder how much longer i can keep getting upset about the idea of war and still feel like there's no way out of it... and sometimes talking to people leaves to feeling like you're really deep in a whole and no one is going to care about your voice:

i was speaking to this guy last night who thinks he is smart because he reads a lot and as far as he's concerned going to war is ok because it preserves the american way of life. he is so wrong and i was really angry with him because he just doesn't see that going to war is addressing the wrong problem. for me, the error is in the global system and with the systems of governance that we use and call democratic. if they can't respond to the real needs of real people then the fears we have or terrorism and weapons won't go away. it will get worse. but we keep hearing of how there must be a war to end terrorism. rubbish. people resort to terror because their interests are not being met and they see no way of getting their concerns heard-even if their concerns are wrong and unjust, if they have no voice and have no part to play in addressing these issues then we'll keep exploding. i can't understand the logic of war. after i think of this and how this war doesn't make sense in terms of fixing terror [which it doesn't] it reconfirms to me that it is obviously not a war against terror but a cover for getting to other things.

i'm home... snowed in! i spent the weekend in NYC with some of you (And i didn't even know it).
After the protests we went home to Brooklyn and as i am sure everyone else was asking themselves: how much of a difference do our protests make? will the whitehouse listen? do those people care that 500 000 in NYC alone took to the streets to be counted? (although the media missed countinr 400 000 of us). i don't know what this all means but i have to say that the whole idea of war in Iraq doesn't sit well with me at all. Saw Condi Rice on TV yesterday pretty much confirming that it is going to happen. the US is going to an illegal war, Bush won't back off. I always say to myself, "imagine being 11 and in Bagdad right now. imagine wanting to go outside and play and your mother won't allow you but you don't understand why. imagine seeing more soldiers than usual-which is quite something. imagine overhearing the adults talking of how bombs will fall on us in the night..."

war does not work. we need to think of so many other options to disarm saddam, and the rest of the world.... and the rest of the world.
perhaps it's going to take this war to make us all realize that the current order of things is not right. what a sad way to learn.

Since i got back from Kenya i've been thinking of home. Nicer weather, more humane pace of life... i'm a little tired of Boston and this unsustainable cycle of life.
When i was in Nairobi i was reminded yet again of just how different things are there...
been jet lagged the past few days, sleeping at all the wrong times e ficando en casa pensando em aquela menina :)

Agora esta cantando Astrud Gilberto de :um cantinho um violao/este amor uma cancao..."

i think i'll do some sunday cleaning and get my mind of a terra minha!

ciao!

Hi All,
Am in Kenya for the Global Youth Retreat and the UNEP Governing Council (GC) Meeting.
Go here to see updates from the Youth Retreat: http://www.unep.org/children_youth/gyr2003/gyr-news-update.htm#4

will place more updates when i get back to the US.
Also, see www.unep.org for more G.C updates!

Peace,

Dumi