Prompt from FCNL Witness Wednesday Silent Worship
“One of the factors that averted annihilation in 1962 was the moral intervention of Pope John the XXIII. He appealed to each of the superpower leaders for restraint. Mr. Khrushchev said at the time that that appeal had considerable weight on his thinking. In fact, he said it was the first ray of light in the fast -developing darkness.
The political realists had failed. Why, then, did Pope John succeed? The shell of political determinism is, after all, supposedly impenetrable. Some decision-makers saw an obstructive evil. Some saw evil personified in Mr. Khrushchev. The Pope, however, refused to concede that there is any evil that cannot be pierced, and that there is any human being who cannot be touched. The most important cause on earth to Pope John was to make the planet fit for sacred humanity. In pursuit of this purpose he refused to believe that any door were closed to him.
Admittedly, none of us has the stature and influence of this great religious leader. Yet we underestimate the weight we do have and the effect of our continued moral appeals through correspondence and especially through personal visits with members of Congress and their aides.”
By Marian Franz, Spring 1984, in the article, “A Ray of Light in the Darkness,” from the book, A Persistent Voice, Bassett, Ratzlaff, and Godshall, Eds.
Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters Statement
The Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters (CCHI) firmly stands with the people of Ukraine. We recognize that this unprovoked and unjustified war is impacting not only the people of Ukraine, but also their neighbors, and to greater or lesser extent the rest of the world. We all are bearing witness to the atrocities inflicted on innocent people and cannot remain silent and continue business as usual. We are deeply concerned for the safety and wellbeing of interpreters, translators, linguists, their families and friends in Ukraine, and anyone anywhere whose life is threatened by military aggression.
As Elie Wiesel, a Holocaust survivor, said in his acceptance speech for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986: “Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. Sometimes we must interfere. When human lives are endangered, when human dignity is in jeopardy, national borders and sensitivities become irrelevant. Wherever men or women are persecuted because of their race, religion, or political views, that place must – at that moment – become the center of the universe.”
We understand that in the weeks and months to come, Ukrainian and Russian interpreters and their families may experience unprecedented pressure. Together with other healthcare professionals, here, in the U.S., interpreters will have to redouble their efforts to remain neutral while working. We support healthcare interpreters in serving patients and providers who have varying perspectives regarding the tragic situation in Ukraine. We commend all interpreters who perform their professional duties no matter the cost and without prejudice.
We encourage the CCHI community to do all that it can to help the people of Ukraine in practical ways, including through volunteer interpreting or translation services.
Our profession is about facilitating understanding between people who speak different languages and hold diverse worldviews. We hope that together we can stop the bloodshed: May the practice of peace and peaceful diplomacy replace bullets and missiles.
Our hearts are with Ukraine and with all people around the world who oppose war.
Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters
Washington, DC
Snarky blog post with thinking outside the box policy recommendation
Why this war needs a good tank buyback program
Also contemplating vision of peaceful transfer of power with Pres. Putin retired to his yacht or one of his palaces.
And a Twitter typo
An academic in RantWoman's Twitter feed writes of a syllabus unintentionally offering a course in "the cod war."
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