Gandhi sign at his ashram in Ahmedabad, a Creative Commons Attribution (2.0) image from Ben Sutherland’s photostream

October 2 is the day of Mahatma Gandhi‘s birth. It is also the day that the United Nations General Assembly declared to be the International Day of Non-Violence to honor this pre-eminent leader of the Indian independence movement who achieved his goal through a strategy of non-violence. Gandhi inspired the world — in the political, philosophical and spiritual realms — through his pioneering use of “satyagraha” which he defined as follows:

Truth (satya) implies love, and firmness (agraha) engenders and therefore serves as a synonym for force. I thus began to call the Indian movement Satyagraha, that is to say, the Force which is born of Truth and Love or non-violence, and gave up the use of the phrase “passive resistance”, in connection with it, so much so that even in English writing we often avoided it and used instead the word “satyagraha” itself or some other equivalent English phrase

The Asian Studies Center at the University of Pittsburgh will celebrate Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday and his teachings this Sunday with cultural performances, inter-faith presentations, and more. The day will also include a lecture by Dr. Uma Majmudar, Gandhian researcher and published author. “Gandhi’s Legacy of ‘Satyagraha’ in the Modern World” will explore the meaning of that philosophy both as used by Gandhi and how it pertains to our modern times.

Along with The Asian Studies Center, sponors for this event include Sri Venkateswara Temple, Alliance for Humanitarian Initiatives Non-violence and Spiritual Advancement, Hindu Jain Temple, Sunday Morning Forum of the First Unitarian Church of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon Multicultural & Diversity Initiatives, Gujarati Samaj of Greater Pittsburgh, Chinmaya Sanjeevani Ashram, Rotary Club of Monroeville, the Pittsburgh Chapter of the Association for India’s Development (AID), and Silk Screen.

CELEBRATING GANDHI: THE MAN AND HIS TEACHINGS
WHAT: Annual Mahatma Gandhi Birthday Celebration
WHEN: Sunday, October 2, 2011, 3:00 – 5:00 PM
WHERE: Frick Fine Arts Auditorium, University of Pittsburgh

Sky hand, a Creative Commons Attribution (2.0)image from Mattia75′s photostream

“Empowership” is empowerment combined with leadership. Helping high school and college students achieve those goals is the purpose of the Student Empowership 2011 one-day conference. Global Solutions Pittsburgh, Baker Leadership and Carlow Universityare the hosts of the event. Students will receive skills-based training along with a chance to network. Keynote speakers include Penny Semaia, Assistant Athletic Director for Student Life at the University of Pittsburgh and Chaz Kellum, Manager of Diversity Initiatives for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Workshops from which students can choose to attend include Organizing with Social Media, Event Planning, Marketing & Promotion, Activist Toolkit, and much more.

Attendance is free. The only requirement to participate in Student Empowership 2011 is that you must be a high-school or college student and you must pre-register by 4:30 PM on September 30th. Please click here to register.

WHAT: Student Empowership 2011 Conference
WHEN: Saturday, October 1, 2011
9 AM – 4:30 PM (complimentary breakfast and lunch included)
WHERE: Carlow University in A.J. Palumbo Hall

Satellite dishes on the Isle of Dogs, a Creative Commons Attribution (2.0) image from Steve Bowbrick’s photostream

As required by Congress, every four years the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) reviews its rules about media ownership. The Commission is expected to complete their 2010 review this fall. In the last review, the FCC set aside an all-out ban on newspaper/broadcast cross-ownership — allowing mergers to be made on a case-by-case basis. Media consolidation — whereby a larger share of the mass media is owned by progressively fewer people — is the opposite of diversity. While it’s often said that the public owns the airwaves, real ownership of what is broadcast is in the hands of less and less people. This is, of course, especially concerning when it comes to protecting the public interest in terms of in-depth investigative reporting and quality local news. Add to that the attempts by Congress to end funding for PBS stations (including, now, a “super committee” charged with trimming the federal budget who will weigh cuts to public media) and you have a citizenry who should be rightly concerned about who really owns the airwaves.

If you share these concerns, you’re invited to attend a public forum on Monday, September 26. Free Press and SaveTheNews.org is holding the “Owning Our Airwaves: A Community Dialogue with Media Policymakers” community meeting that evening. You can speak about the state of the media with Rep. Mike Doyle, Federal Communications Commissioner Michael Copps and others. Event co-sponsors include Carnegie Mellon University, Common Cause, Pittsburgh Black Media Federation, SLB Radio Productions, Inc., Tube City Community Media, Inc., and Urban Green Growth Collaborative.

What: Owning Our Airwaves: A Community Dialogue with Media Policymakers
When: Monday, Sept. 26 at 7 p.m. Doors open at 6:30.
Where: McConomy Auditorium, Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Ave., Pittsburgh
Who: Rep. Mike Doyle (D-Pa.), FCC Commissioner Michael Copps, Free Press Policy Director Matt Wood, President and CEO of WQED Multimedia Deborah Acklin, Khari Mosley of the Urban Green Growth Collaborative , Chris Ramirez of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, Jon Peha, Carnegie Mellon University and Marge Krueger, Communications Workers of America. 

 You can find out more information about this event and R.S.V.P. here.

Tucson High Takes to the Streets: 3 of 6, a Creative Commons Attribution (2.0)image from cobalt123′s photostream

Luminari, Inc.is a Pittsburgh-based nonprofit founded to “foster original activities that broaden minds, inspire innovations and promote community engagement.” Councilman Bill Peduto has worked with Luminari founding member Hilda Pang Fu to help mentor young Pittsburghers to become civic-minded individuals. One of Luminari’s projects is the I Want to be an Ambassador! camp. It’s a seven-day program designed to teach the vital art of diplomacy to 8th to 12th grade students. The teens participate in activities which concentrate on communication skills — especially those which involve negotiating and conflict resolution. It also features cultural field trips, media literacy, introduction to foreign languages and a two-day Washington, D.C. excursion to experience how ambassadors work together to improve our world. I Want to be an Ambassador! camp takes place from Jun 19 – Jun 27, 2012 at the Senator John Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh, PA and in Washington, D.C.

The cost to attend the camp is $1,200.00, but Luminari announced this month that they will provide a merit-based scholarship to attend the camp for Pittsburgh area students who will be in grades 7 through 11 during the 2011-2012 academic school year: The Luminari Award. Luminari will select up to eight area schools to participate in the award competition. Award winners from each school will receive a scholarship for an all-expenses-paid admission to Luminari’s I Want to be an Ambassador!From Luminari:

“We have two goals for the Luminari Award. One is to reward students for their noteworthy personal and academic qualities,” said Luminari founder and President Hilda Pang Fu. “The second goal is to honor the dynamic schools and inspiring teachers who support these students.”

To qualify, schools must commit to opening the competition to all eligible students; and gather at least six successfully completed applications from students in their district. Luminari Award winners will be announced in mid-February 2012.

Ms. Pang Fu said, “We are looking for students who are motivated, open-minded, and willing to learn and be inspired by ‘out-of-the-box’ activities. Winners will attend the I Want to be an Ambassador! camp in June 2012. The camp is committed to young people coming together to discover ways to collaborate, build sustainable working relationships and become agents for positive change in our world.”

For more information on how your school can participate,interested public and private schools should contact Luminari no later than September 30, 2011.Contact Jacqueline McWilliams at 412-877-1888 or at jaq.mcw@gmail.com. Visit Luminari on the web at http://www.luminari.org/.

Pittsburgh Skyline, a Creative Commons Attribution (2.0) image from Lagged2Death’s photostream

Pedal, Paddle, Peduto returns in 2011 with the City Lights Paddle on Wednesday, September 21 from 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. The Pedal, Paddle, Peduto Hike and Learn Series consists of three educational, outdoor adventures. Pedal, Paddle, Peduto is hosted by Venture Outdoors — Pittsburgh’s premier outdoor experiences organization. During each outing, you’ll learn about our city’s history and the vision for its future with Councilman Bill Peduto and special guests.

Participants in the City Lights Paddle will join Councilman Peduto, architect Rob Pfaffmann, Tom Baxter from Friends of the Riverfront and Sean Brady from Riverlife for an evening paddle in Downtown Pittsburgh. It’s a five mile, round-trip paddle with stops for discussions of future city development from the perspective of the waterfront, riverfront trails and rivers. Imagine watching the sun setting over the beautiful Pittsburgh skyline from the unique vantage point of a kayak on the river! It will truly be an unforgettable experience for anyone who loves Pittsburgh.

City Lights Paddle
Date: Wednesday, September 21
Location: Kayak Pittsburgh – Downtown (near PNC Park)
Difficulty: Moderate
Time: 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Cost: $33.00 non-member / $25.00 member

You can register online here or call call 412-255-0564, ext. 0.

You can find out more about the other events in the Pedal, Paddle, Peduto Hike and Learn Series here.

Earth Day, a Creative Commons Attribution (2.0) image from AlicePopkorn’s photostream

Earlier this year, Pittsburgh City Council declared April 22nd — Earth Day — to be “Greener Pittsburgh Day” in the City of Pittsburgh. GreenerPittsburgh.com connects people and businesses with greener products and services. This first-of-its-kind platform is made possible by the creation of key alliances with the City of Pittsburgh, community nonprofit partners and corporate sponsors. Pittsburgh-based Greener Expressions is the company behind Greener Pittsburgh. Greener Pittsburgh launches on September 15th with a party at Phipps Conservatory.

Via Eco News Network:

“There’s nothing else like Greener Pittsburgh in the marketplace,” said Greg DiMedio, CEO of Greener Expressions. “It’s a location-based platform that connects people and businesses throughout our region to greener products and services. The fact is that the majority of businesses today are already taking steps toward sustainability and this green business directory helps to promote these companies on common ground with supportive users and content.”

As we’ve reported on this blog — Councilman Bill Peduto has been a covener and advisor to Greener Pittsburgh. He helped announce the initiative last year and providing funding. He also introduced the founders of the company, Greg DiMedio and Bob McNeice. Also from Eco News Network:

“I’m proud to have played a role in helping to make Greener Pittsburgh a reality,” said Pittsburgh City Councilman Bill Peduto. “I firmly believe it will revolutionize the way consumers search for sustainable products, services and companies. More than a listings website, it’s the combination of grassroots community development strategies, social networking, and a strong commitment to principles of sustainability that makes Greener Pittsburgh so special.”

To be part of this green marketplace and online community, go to GreenerPittsburgh.com. You can join as an individual. You can list your business or organization. And, you can tell your favorite business to join now. The more people and businesses who join in, the better and more vibrant the marketplace will be.

Swann Fountain Trio 3, a Creative Commons Attribution (2.0) image from michaelwm25′s photostream

We’ve been talking a lot about our city’s watersheds and water management on this blog lately — both the problems and the progress. Yesterday, some 300 residents of the East End turned out for a meeting initiated by Councilman Bill Peduto on the the problem of chronic flooding in the East End of Pittsburgh. As we all know, an August flash flood also led to the tragic deaths of two women and two girls on Washington Boulevard in Highland Park. What you may not know is that most major cities have departments specifically charged with stormwater management. Pittsburgh does not. Urbanization presents specific challenges to managing stormwater as concrete and steel do not soak up water. Moreover, older cities like Pittsburgh have a patchwork of infrastructure systems including a combined sewer system (one that combines stormwater and sewage). As 3 Rivers Wet Weather notes:

Over time, a network of 83 municipal combined and separate sanitary systems, which flow into each other before reaching the ALCOSAN sewage treatment plant, has evolved in the region surrounding Pittsburgh. Much of the system today is deteriorated and overloaded during wet weather, which results in frequent and illegal sewage overflows into our waterways, streets and homes.

Furthermore, an EPA evaluation of Pennsylvania’s draft Watershed Implementation Plan found serious deficiencies. As regards urban areas, they described the strategies for strong stormwater as having “questionable enforceability and accountability.” Pittsburgh City Council has addressed the issue of the combined sewer system, but there is much more that can be done and must be done to better manage stormwater and we don’t have to look very far. From The Dirt:

Now, Philadelphia Water Department’s Office of Watersheds may be leading the next generation of innovation in water infrastructure with its plans to roll-out an ambitious $1.6 billion green infrastructure plan, which would use rain gardens, green roofs, pervious pavements, and trees to recycle and reuse rainwater. According to one study, “one inch of rain water hitting one acre of asphalt means 27,000 gallons of water” is going into the sewer. For a city like Philadelphia, that means billions of gallons are flooding its now aged water management system.

The green infrastructure proposal would turn 1/3 of the city’s impervious asphalt surface, or 4,000 acres, into absorptive green spaces. The goal is to move from grey to green infrastructure. Grey infrastructure includes “man-made single purpose systems.” Green infrastructure is defined as “man-made structures that mimic natural systems.” As an example, networks of man-made wetlands, restored flood plains, or infiltration basins would all qualify as green infrastructure. The benefits of such systems include: evaporation, transpiration, enhanced water quality, reduced erosion / sedimentation, and restoration. Some grey / green infrastructure feature integrated systems that create hybrid detention ponds or holding tanks, which are designed to slow water’s release into stormwater management systems.

You can view a video about Philadelphia’s “Green City, Clean Waters” program below (see the plan here):

As Councilman Peduto has remarked:

It is imperative that Pittsburgh develops comprehensive planning, rather than try to rely on spot fixes. We live in a complex watershed and we must look at it as a whole system, not focus on a few streets in a few neighborhoods. The lack of a comprehensive plan means we are unintentionally creating new problems down the road as we try to “fix” old ones.

With determination and leadership, a smart, comprehensive stormwater management plan is not out of reach. The Nine Mile Run Watershed Restoration is a great example of what is possible. It’s a partnership between federal government, city, community, and nonprofits which uses principles of natural systems to inform man-made systems. We need a plan like this for the entire region, starting with the City of Pittsburgh.