Editorial Reflections
Stories of innovation give hope
While it's discouraging to follow the news coverage of war in Iran and ignoring "post war" Gaza, following the political ups and downs of candidates on edge about midterms, seeing the daily disregard for the rule of law, usual protocols and expected morality, it's heartening preparing this issue of The Fig Tree.
The stories remind me that our mid-size city of Spokane and surrounding rural and small towns are places of innovation, not waiting for some dictator to solve our problems.
First, we'll name The Fig Tree because we know of no other publication in the region, nation or world doing anything similar—exemplifying credible communication simply by sharing stories of people who are making a difference because of their faith and values. That alone exposes us and our readers to many ideas being implemented by creative people who are solving problems.
Look at what Maji Rising is doing not only to have a weekend Village of Care providing health care to the community but also in its long-term plan to build Beloved Kijiji that combines affordable housing with affordable, accessible healthcare right in East Central Spokane.
Move a bit north to 2002 E. Mission and Family Promise of Spokane is stretching outside its walls to identify families through high schools before they are homeless, to work with landlords to keep them housed and then to receive those who are homeless and supported by Family Promise back into apartments.
Heading up to Northeast Spokane, the Northeast Community Center tied with The Zone youth programming and the Hillyard Community Campus with a middle school and alternative high schools is tackling socioeconomic issues that often mean students struggle with studies. They're doing it in the context of strengthening their ties with neighbors.
To the west, the Salish School of Spokane just broke ground on their new campus, linked with affordable housing on land that Catholic Charities of Spokane has turned over to them as a step in reparations.
Not far from the Salish School in West Central Spokane, The NATIVE Project is looking for more staff because it is growing, looking for wellness programs director, a health coordinator, a medical assistant, patient services representative, NATIVE Youth Council coordinator, chief medical officer, behavioral health director and building custodian. There's a story.
We'll be checking on more about that as well as what's happening at the West Central Community Center and following plans for the new American Indian Community Center home.
Throughout Central and Eastern Washington and North Idaho, Second Harvest continues receiving food donations, passing them through volunteer sorters and distributing them to hungry people.
Just take a journey to thefigtree.org. Click on "Articles" and go through each year and be heartened by the innovation, ingenuity, insights, instigation, insistence and integrity of the people of this region and the programs they have created or are carrying on: Joya Child and Family Development, MLK Center's extensive programs and energy hub, Gonzaga's efforts to communicate across diversity, the Catholic diocese's ties with Guatemala for 67 years, a Good Friday pilgrimage, rural and small town ecumenism, the Spokane Alliance community organizing, Lidgerwood Presbyterian's community garden, SNAP efforts for 60 years and our Eastern Washington Legislative Conference.
That's just a taste of three Fig Tree issues. If we're feeling down, we can go online and read those stories. As I write this I feel overwhelmed and blessed to be engaged in publishing this newspaper. Our staff share that vision and commitment.
Then, historically and through the years, there's the story of how all the human rights task forces of the region overcame the Aryan Nations white supremacy for which the region has a reputation. Out of that were spawned the Human Rights Education Institute, Gonzaga's Hate Studies Center and the efforts to challenge racial and religious hate. Recently Faith Leaders and Leaders of Conscience stood in solidarity outside the Islamic Center of Spokane during Friday prayers after a shooting at another mosque.
It's hard to keep up! We just keep on keeping on. We persist together and inspire miracles!
Okay, I could have written a downer editorial about the state of the nation on the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, but quite clearly many people have taken that declaration to heart and are not waiting for some magician to solve their problems, so they are dependent on someone else. We know what we need and are creating avenues to thrive.
What a joy to be a bearer of good news supported by the generosity of people articulating their stories and the generosity of our readers and partners who are fed by the stories.
We are what we eat. We are what we do. We are what we read. We are what we support. We offer the nutrition of hope, through information to inspire us to be involved to challenge the systems of power that would disempower us.
Instead of claiming exceptionalism, I assume this is happening across the region, nation and world because people care, have ideas and act on them.
Mary Stamp - Editor
