{"id":2713,"date":"2025-10-14T07:17:35","date_gmt":"2025-10-14T15:17:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.katrinasdream.org\/dreamscape\/?p=2713"},"modified":"2025-10-14T07:20:38","modified_gmt":"2025-10-14T15:20:38","slug":"the-peace-president-the-peace-summit-and-the-power-of-prayer-a-call-for-the-equal-rights-amendment-in-reconciliation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.katrinasdream.org\/dreamscape\/the-peace-president-the-peace-summit-and-the-power-of-prayer-a-call-for-the-equal-rights-amendment-in-reconciliation\/","title":{"rendered":"The Peace President, The Peace Summit, and the Power of Prayer: A Call for the Equal Rights Amendment in Reconciliation"},"content":{"rendered":"

October 14, 2025<\/span><\/p>\n

Dear Friends and Family,<\/span><\/p>\n

Every morning, as dawn’s light filters through my window, I awaken enveloped in what I call the “Bubble of Love.” Born from an ERA pilgrimage inspired by Rev. Kathryn Piccard, this spiritual practice envisions a protective sphere of compassion, atonement, and interfaith unity, resonating with the Islamic concept of <\/span>Rahma<\/span><\/i>\u2014God\u2019s all-encompassing mercy, like a nurturing womb (Quran, Surah Ar-Rahman). Balancing loving-kindness (<\/span>Chesed<\/span><\/i> in Judaism) with strength (<\/span>Gevurah<\/span><\/i>), it echoes the Islamic principle of <\/span>Adl<\/span><\/i> (justice), ensuring equality for all. I begin with the Jesus Prayer, weaving in diverse faiths, and center myself on global fractures: women\u2019s equality, widows\u2019 struggles, labor justice, and peace. From this interfaith sanctuary, I set my intention\u2014chiefly, passing the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). As we mark Yom Kippur 2025 and the 20th anniversary of Katrina\u2019s Dream, this Bubble propels me toward systemic change, where reconciliation starts within.<\/span><\/p>\n

Katrina\u2019s Dream, founded post-Hurricane Katrina to honor Rev. Katrina Swanson\u2014one of the Philadelphia Eleven women priests\u2014champions equality and justice. We\u2019ve walked thousands of miles, lobbied relentlessly, <\/span>sparking a movement that led Nevada to become the first state to ratify the ERA in the 21st century, followed by Illinois and Virginia.<\/span> Yet, the ERA, proposed in 1923 to ensure constitutional equality regardless of sex, remains unratified federally, despite its potential to close pay gaps, enhance protections, and boost the U.S. GDP by $512 billion annually. This aligns with Islamic teachings on gender equity, where the Quran affirms men and women as equal in spiritual worth, created from a single soul (Quran 4:1, 33:35).<\/span><\/p>\n

Prayer, a universal force, fuels this mission. The Feast of Saint Michael the Archangel, recently noted in a presidential message,<\/a> invokes Michael\u2019s triumph over evil, echoing the Prayer to Saint Michael for protection against \u201cthe wickedness and snares of the Devil.\u201d Similarly, Our Lady of Fatima\u2019s 1917 visions called for prayer and repentance to avert global crises, a message tied to the Rosary and First Saturdays, with a \u201cfinal battle\u201d over family and society still relevant today. The town of Fatima, named for a Muslim princess who embraced Christianity, symbolizes interfaith unity, mirrored by Fatimah al-Zahra, the Prophet Muhammad\u2019s daughter, revered for her wisdom and justice advocacy. In Islam, <\/span>Salah<\/span><\/i> and <\/span>Du\u2019a<\/span><\/i>\u2014like Surah Al-Baqarah 2:286\u2019s plea for mercy\u2014empower action, while invoking <\/span>As-Salam<\/span><\/i> (The Source of Peace) aligns with the Bubble\u2019s ethos. The Quran\u2019s call for <\/span>Sulh<\/span><\/i> (reconciliation, 4:128) inspires our interfaith dialogues at Katrina\u2019s Dream, addressing conflicts from Israel-Palestine to labor injustices.<\/span><\/p>\n

This spiritual resolve finds a parallel in the \u201cPeace President,\u201d Donald Trump, whose October 13, 2025, International Peace Summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, co-hosted with President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, revived the \u201cCity of Peace\u201d to address the Gaza war. Following the Israel-Hamas cease-fire, the summit saw over 20 leaders, including Mahmoud Abbas and Qatar\u2019s Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu respectfully chose to honor Shemini Atzeret, a sacred Jewish holiday dedicated to remembering the departed, and was thus unable to attend the peace summit, which coincided with the deeply meaningful return of the deceased hostages from Gaza. Trump\u2019s 20-point Gaza peace plan, signed amid Knesset acclaim, began with prisoner-hostage exchanges and a \u201cboard of peace\u201d for Gaza, with nods to broader conflicts like Russia-Ukraine. Honored with Egypt\u2019s Order of the Nile, Trump declared, \u201cNow the rebuilding begins,\u201d evoking not just physical reconstruction but spiritual aspirations, like those tied to rebuilding the Third Temple\u2014a vision some see as a symbol of ultimate peace and divine unity, though complex in its implications. This summit, in a Muslim-majority nation, underscores that peace abroad demands justice at home, where the ERA would enshrine equality, reflecting the Quran\u2019s call to honor the righteous regardless of sex (49:13).<\/span><\/p>\n

Yet, amid these global strides, a deepening domestic crisis grips our nation: the federal government shutdown, now in its 14th day as of October 14, 2025, with no end in sight. Thousands of federal workers face furloughs, essential services strain under partial operations, and economic ripples threaten billions in losses. Partisan stalemates over spending, Medicaid cuts, and broader fiscal policies have deadlocked Congress, with the Senate’s latest vote failing and another slated for today amid urgent Democratic calls for action. This chaos amplifies the urgency for a bold call\u2014a reconciliation bill that includes S.J. Res. 38,<\/a> Senator Lisa Murkowski\u2019s resolution to validate the ERA\u2019s 38 state ratifications and remove its deadline. Reconciliation requires only a simple majority, bypassing filibusters, and could bundle ERA passage with emergency funding to end the shutdown, prevent further furloughs, and avert a healthcare crisis. Inaction perpetuates inequities: women earning 82 cents on the dollar, unchecked discrimination, and a failure to heed public support from 80% of Americans. Drawing from Islamic principles, where women\u2019s rights to inheritance, education, and participation were advanced centuries ago, passing the ERA honors this legacy of justice, offering a beacon of equity in these turbulent times.<\/span><\/p>\n

From my morning Bubble of Love to global summits, prayer empowers action, peace demands equality, and reconciliation heals. Now is the time to join the flame and ignite lasting change through Katrina\u2019s Dream\u2019s 20 for 20: Igniting Equality and Justice campaign<\/a>. Celebrating our 20th anniversary, this initiative fuels six interconnected efforts\u2014from the Unveiling Valor poetry competition to the Power of One grassroots advocacy, Bubble of Love interfaith healing, Widows\u2019 Walk empowerment, and Advancing Labor Justice against corporate overreach. Words inspire, but your support transforms: pledge $20 a month today<\/a><\/span>\u00a0and become the spark that sustains our mission. One commitment<\/a> sparks a movement\u2014an investment in equality, justice, and a brighter future. Join us: participate in calls to Congress at (202) 224-3121 and the White House Faith Office at (202) 456-1414, submit your poetry, host dialogues, and share with #BubbleOfLove #20for20ERA #UnveilingValor #PowerOfOne #WidowsWalk. <\/span><\/p>\n

Together, let\u2019s fulfill Rev. Katrina\u2019s vision, writing equality into our Constitution, as Barbra Streisand\u2019s <\/span>Yentl<\/span><\/i> asks, \u201cWhere is it written?\u201d\u2014let\u2019s write it now, uniting mercy and justice across faiths.<\/span><\/p>\n

Love and Light in Christ,<\/p>\n

Helene de Boissiere<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

October 14, 2025 Dear Friends and Family, Every morning, as dawn’s light filters through my window, I awaken enveloped in what I call the “Bubble of Love.” Born from an ERA pilgrimage inspired by Rev. Kathryn Piccard, this spiritual practice envisions a protective sphere of compassion, atonement, and interfaith unity, resonating with the Islamic concept…
Read more →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":2716,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[645,77,647,646,24],"class_list":["post-2713","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-donald-trump","tag-equal-rights-amendment","tag-peace-summit","tag-qatar","tag-womens-rights"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.katrinasdream.org\/dreamscape\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2713","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.katrinasdream.org\/dreamscape\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.katrinasdream.org\/dreamscape\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.katrinasdream.org\/dreamscape\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.katrinasdream.org\/dreamscape\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2713"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.katrinasdream.org\/dreamscape\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2713\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2718,"href":"https:\/\/www.katrinasdream.org\/dreamscape\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2713\/revisions\/2718"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.katrinasdream.org\/dreamscape\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2716"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.katrinasdream.org\/dreamscape\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2713"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.katrinasdream.org\/dreamscape\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2713"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.katrinasdream.org\/dreamscape\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2713"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}