The perks of being relocated in a slum eviction

300 families that lived in a slum in cambodia were forcibly evicted last week by a multinational corporation (7NG).  To get them to leave their houses, they were tear-gassed, and given no time to get their belonging out before their houses were bulldozed.  

The irony was that they were in negotiations THE DAY BEFORE with 7NG who was working out a compensation settlement.  You can see the video of the eviction/demolition here [http://blip.tv/file/1703016/].  I know about this because InnerCHANGE was trying to stop this from happening along with others in Cambodia.  The writing below is from Chris Baker-Evens who has worked for the past 6 months to stop this from happening.  

Whoever thought being evicted from their homes of 20 years or so was
hard luck should think again. The privatisation of the eviction
industry has taken the next step by offering a multi-layered
compensation package for the privileged few.

Those lucky enough to be evicted by 7NG will find themselves happily
housed in the privately owned 7NG village a mere 20 kilometers, or 40
minute, drive from central Phnom Penh.

This location is highly sought after by clientele hankering for a
simpler age, devoid of unnecessary mod-cons such as fresh running
water, electricity, sanitation, health care, education facilities and
work opportunities.

Did I say work opportunities? I speak amiss. For 7NG will kindly let
you rent a spacious market stall at the privately owned 7NG market.
And if you don't want to work there you can pay for the luxurious bus
service now in operation, and privately owned by, 7NG to Phnom Penh.

For those eager to know what promotional opportunities there are
within the 7NG philanthropic enterprise, a lucky few (hundred) may
well be chosen for the next community eviction as demolition experts,
recieving a generous daily stipend and all travel expenses paid.

If anyone thought that being evicted by 7NG was a dead-end they can be
sure that 7NG has their long-term future well taken care of.

That no community has ever asked to be evicted - nor even agree to
sell their land - be dislocated from family, friends, work, and school
should not matter. Nor even the mob-ish identity, or lack there of, of
7NG and company officers. Nor even that there is no street address to
send correspondence to, or protest in front of. We should not be
concerned that no reasonable attempt was made by the company or city
officials to sit down and listen to residents concern, nor accept
reasonable compensation demands. Any mediation and negotiations
efforts were top-down one-way affairs. And the rash of arrests,
intimidations, threats, court cases against residents. Not one case
brought by residents against 7NG has ever been heard.

Even Famous Musicians are ignored in Subways!

This came via a friend of mine, and I wanted to pass it on... I love this kind of experiment!

A Quick Story
Washington DC Metro Station on a cold January morning in 2007.
He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time approx 2 thousand people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.
After 3 minutes a middle-aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried to meet his schedule.
4 minutes later the violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in the till and, without stopping, continued to walk.
6 minutes, a young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.
10 minutes, a 3year old boy stopped but his mother tugged him along hurriedly as the kid stopped to look at the violinist. Finally the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. Every parent, without exception, forced them to move on.
45 minutes, the musician played. Only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money but continued to walk their normal pace. He collected $32.
1 hour, he finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.
No one knew this but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the best musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before Joshua Bell sold out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100.
This is a real story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people's priorities. 

Here's the link to the post article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/04/AR2007040401721.html

Something to read on MLK Day (well maybe a bit late)

Hi Friends,

Jenny's aunt is a historian and sent me this letter after a
conversation she and I had about economics and slavery. It's such an
interesting piece of history that I wanted to send it to you on Martin
Luther King day as a way to remember the past. So, it's a bit late,
but since it was written in 1865, a few days won't matter. The letter
is both humorous and haunting, and it seems even more appropriate
given Obama's inauguration.

Jourdan's is the former slave that asks his old master to pay he and
his wife for 52 combined years of unpaid labor before he would
consider working for his former master again. His line "If you fail
to pay us for faithful labors in the past we can have little faith in
your promises in the future" is a statement that speaks to the cost
we're still paying. I'm open to hearing any reactions you have from
it, by the way.

Peace,
tim

Rocketeering with John David

When I was a kid I loved to make model rockets! I wasn't the nerdy
NASA kid that could name all the stars in the Orion nebula, but I
loved seeing something I made lift-off several hundred feet into the
sky. So, I'm passing that tradition on, and am headed out later today
to shoot off some rockets with John David and Alexina.

Apprenticeship Orientation 2008

New apprentices In InnerCHANGE come to our orientation in San Francisco. Usually this happens in September, but this year, due to circumstances we hosted it in January (which is why it's Orientation 2008 even though it took place in 2009). This years group is older than past groups and are such a great group! Every time we host orientation I realize just how amazing the people I work with are.

Both those coming into InnerCHANGE, and the team that hosts these events. I worked on this event with Dorcas, Darren, and Ester (see picture with group of 4). Ester was an apprentice last year in Los Angeles, but this year she's living in Omaha and flying out a few times just to play event coordinator for us! Darren flew in from London, and Dorcas lives in LA.

The apprentices this year are:

• Top: Beth, Marth, and Joel
• Bottom: Mike, Grace and Kevin

Part of what makes InnerCHANGE a community is the
attention it pays to symbol and tradition. This is taken during the celebration and commissioning service for new apprentices. On the table is a team symbol for all the different teams in InnerCHANGE.

Epiphany!

Our church celebrates epiphany together. One of the highlights is the
reading of the clam, a story written and read by mike Creeger who
assembles candy to accompany the story. (yeah, sounds strange, but a
great yrasitipm nonetheless!)