September 11, 2001
WE REMEMBER
As we continue our work for peace, today we also remember and reflect on the events 21 years ago. President Biden, in his address last year stated, “We learned that unity is the one thing that must never break. Unity is what makes us who we are, America at its best. To me, that’s the central lesson of September 11th. It’s that at our most vulneralbe, in the push and pull of all that makes us human and the battle for the soul of America, unity is our greatest strength.”
September 22, 2022
The Interfaith Peace Project will observe this year’s International Day of Peace by sending out a reflection each day from September 10 through September 21. We will then continue our ongoing observance of the International Day by sending out a reflection on the twenty-first of every month. We invite you to share in this effort by sending any articles or information that you would like to share to:
Thomas P. Bonacci, C.P
[email protected]
925-787-9279
CELEBRATING THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE
SEPTEMBER 10 – 21, 2022
Maria Angelita Ressa
Nobel Peace Prize Laureate 2021
Philippines
Profile
Maria Angelya Ressa is a Filipino-American journalist and author, the co-founder and CEO of Rappler, a Philippine online news website, and the first Filipino recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. Ressa was included in Time’s Person of the Year 2018 issue featuring a collection of journalists from around the world actively combating the phenomena of “fake news.”
On February 13, 2019, she was arrested by Philippine authorities, accused of cyber libel for publishing a false news story concerning businessman Wilfredo Keng. On June 15, 2020, a court in Manilla found her guilty of cyber libel under the controversial Anti-Cybercrime law, a move condemned by human rights groups and journalists as an attack on press freedom. Many saw her arrest and conviction as a politically motivated act by Duterte’s government as she has been a prominent critic of Dutarte and his regime.
Ressa is one of the twenty-five leading figures on the Information and Democracy Commission launched by Reporters Without Borders. She was awarded the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize jointly with Dmitry Muratov for “their efforts to safeguard freedom of expression, a precondition for democracy and lasting peace.”
Ressa’s Words of Wisdom
“Without facts, you can’t have truth. Without truth, you can’t have trust. Without trust, we have no shared reality, no democracy, and it becomes impossible to deal with our world’s existential problems: climate, pandemics, the battle for truth.”
To view: “Hold the Line”: Maria Ressa’s Nobel PrizeAcceptance Speech,
click here or go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QjLUP7Sdz4
(Begins at about the 2 minute mark)
Reflection
Peace and Truth are beloved sisters. They create the possibility for justice and understanding. I will seek the truth in my life. I will honor the truth of myself as I seek the wisdom of others. I will commit to the pursuit of truth in all the affairs of my life. I will listen to the news with a discerning heart. I will take time to research and study, if only for a few moments each day.
Sources
Randy Thomas
Wikipedia
Off