Summer Institute
Stony Point CenterJuly 2014
In This Issue
Climate Change Call to Action
Summer Institute Update & the Hamada Initiative
Farm Update
Arts Center Update
Upcoming Events
Recipe from our kitchen
Featured Dish

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This morning we celebrated the first morning of Eid, the festive 3-day holiday that marks the end of Ramadan for our Muslim Summer Institute students and Community of Living Traditions members. As I respectfully observed the prayers and then partook of the joyous breakfast afterwards, I thought about Eid being celebrated all over the world today, and I wondered how it was being celebrated in all the places, especially in the Middle East, that are experiencing such violence, disruption and despair. Celebrations do help lift our spirits, but taking concrete actions to respond to violence can lighten our heavy hearts long after the celebrations are over.  This Enews contains at least two possibilities for actions--actions that involve soccer balls, marches, and the MOM & POP movement.  Curious? Read on, and join us as we seek to find concrete ways together to care for our brothers and sisters around the world, and our beloved planet that gives us life.

 

Sincerely,
Kitty Ufford-Chase
Stony Point Center

 

Climate Change Action and Stony Point Center
A reflection and call to action from a visit by Rabbi Arthur Waskow
Earlier this month, the Stony Point Center was honored to host long-time eco-social activist Rabbi Arthur Waskow, director of the Shalom Center in Philadelphia. Rabbi Waskow came to speak to our Summer Institute students and local activists about his current work organizing with IMAC (Interfaith Moral Action on Climate Change), a movement that aims to mobilize communities of faith to join together to awaken our nation's leaders to their moral obligation of taking urgent action with regard to climate change.

Rabbi Waskow and other faith leaders are spreading the word about what is guaranteed to be a massive day of Climate Action at the People's Climate March on September 21, 2014 in Manhattan. The march with be held just days before a convened United Nations Climate Summit in New York City, where UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon is urging governments to support an ambitious global agreement to dramatically reduce global warming pollution. At the conference, the world's governments and leaders will have an opportunity to build momentum toward an international climate treaty. The day of Climate Action and the People's Climate March will send a clear signal to our leaders that we demand immediate strong action.

Summer Institute Update
Our 5th Annual Multifaith Young Adult Summer Institute, "Farm the Land, Grow the Spirit" has been doing just that as the students garden in the mornings and learn about faith-rooted responses to violence and injustice in the afternoons. Over these 10 weeks, each student has also been developing a social justice project of his/her choosing. Below is just one of a great diversity of projects that the students are working on. This one invites your participation:

The Hamada Initiative (& an action you can take)
My name is Fouad and I am a student at the Stony Point Summer Institute. I would like to tell you a small story. This story is one of thousands of the children who end up in refugee camps. In 2005, two years after the US invaded Iraq, a 16 year old boy was having his daily argument with his father. The father was yelling at the boy, trying to make him stay at home. The boy however, was relentless. He won the argument and left for school, because he wanted to make his dream of being an engineer come true. That September morning though, something happened that would change his life forever.
Farm Update
Greetings from the warm and sunny Stony Point Center Farm! Here we are in the middle of summer, and, as expected, the farm is buzzing with activity. Just like the bees that are making their way from flower to flower in our gardens, the farm crew has been zigzagging across campus from field to field to harvest and tend to all of our crops.
Read the entire article here.
Arts Center
arts center
There's still lots to do on the Arts Center. We're happy to report that drywall is starting though! Would you like to help us build this exciting space? Click here to learn more
Upcoming Events
We are starting to gather lots of upcoming events for the months to come. We also have an ongoing planning meeting for the Climate March (spoken of above). Visit our upcoming events page for more information.
We would also like to especially draw your attention to the following event:
Mothers Against Youth Genocide, National Coalition and Partnership: First Annual Healing Retreat and Summit
Friday, August 22-Sunday, August 24
Mothers Against Youth Genocide National Coalition and Partnership extends a personal invitation to grieving and non-grieving mothers to spend a weekend away with community leaders, clergy and other mothers who face the threat of family and systemic violence and who are seeking an opportunity to create a platform of healing, preservation, intervention and restoration for communities facing youth genocide of African descent.  For more information and to register, visit our website.


17 Cricketown Rd
Stony Point, NY
10980
845-786-5674

Stony Point Center is a national conference center of the Presbyterian Church (USA).
 
Recipe
from
the
SPC
Kitchen 
Tis the season for fresh veggies. While we enjoy them as they are, they are also quite nice with this dressing or dip. Make and enjoy the harvest!

Ingredients
3 Tbsp tahini
3 Tbsp water (use only if making dressing, omit for dip)
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard (also good with � yellow and � spicy brown)
2 tsp maple syrup (or sugar)
juice of � lemon
pinch of fresh crushed pepper

Directions
Put all ingredients in a bowl and whisk together. Taste and add what's needed. If you're making dressing, just add water until desired consistency is reached.
Tahini Dijon Dip/Dressing