[Buddha-l] Dissent or Service?

[Joy Vriens]

Bonjour Jon Weaver, 
  
>  However, here in Santa Fe New Mexico, sanghas are engaged with service  through hospice projects, soup kitchens, prison outreach, etc. It is  intimate and immediate service. Does anyone have ideas on how to make  big, distant problems like the Iraq invasion and ideas like peace, more  immediate? How can non-violent dissent "bring the war home?" 

Charity is of course a fine thing, but not entirely unrelated to the building of a positive image. In the near future I foresee that there will be a break out of fighting and bitching between charity groups of various religions, corporates, gay and lesbian right groups, divorced fathers unions, movie stars, pop stars etc. over their rights to service specific hospice projects, soup kitchens, prison outreach, etc.  Whose flag will float on top of the homeless shelter homes ? Who will win the fierce competition of the right to serve them soup?