Post No. 721 – For Sunday evening’s meditation-clearing

It's been another busy week - I may have to wait until I retire (probably be able to afford that at some stage in my late 70s ... or possibly my early 80s) before I can do this work the way I want :)

For everyone’s convenience, I’ve shifted the reminders / explanations about Sunday’s meditation-clearing to this post. I have a simplified blogiography of posts related to this work here, a list of themes I have identified here, and my changing the personality of oppressors post, which I am contemplating expanding to include some key people to work on, is here.

The purpose of posting these news links is not only to inform: it is also to stimulate a connection to nonBPLF units that need to be cleared and BPLF units that need to be strengthened. That only works if you don’t let yourself be overwhelmed by this, so take it in small chunks if you need to, but remember to actively clear and heal! … including yourself.

Also, in the same way that activists used to argue that “the personal is political”, the energies we use and manifest in our daily lives contribute to the larger soup of energies that influence world events. If you want to, for example, improve the communication of nations, improve yours. To help stop abuses of power, be always ethical in your conduct. Want peace? Then work in an informed, understanding, intelligent and nuanced way for peace in yourself and your life.

Now, the themes – short, medium and long term - that come to mind for my work this week, after I review all this news, are (and no apologies if this repeats the themes of any previous weeks – in fact, given the size of this task, that is to be expected):

(a) based on my interpretation of information here and here with Jupiter in Leo contributing to an expansion of opinions, beliefs and perceptions (until 11^th August, 2015), Saturn in Sagittarius contributing to finding an authentic balance (until 20^th December, 2017), Uranus in Aries contributing to fresh and possibly radical starts (until some date in the Year 2018), and Pluto in Capricorn contributing to a transformation of power and business (and careers) (until some date in the Year 2024), conditions are ripe for a change for the better in world politics;

(b) the unacknowledged problems of population growth – which is as INHERENTLY unsustainable as economic growth, and for much the same reasons (see here, here and here) - and over-crowding (see here and here) MUST be addressed, if we are to have a future;

(c) the balance of power in Australia’s main opposition party has shifted away from the political right for the first time in 1979, in a move which potentially will do much to create real choice and start shifting the Australian landscape away from a neo-conservative position. May it also happen elsewhere;

(d) the world has come a long way, but it has even longer to go in addressing discrimination;

(e) President Obama’s anger over blocked attempts at gun control is excellent;

(f) Russian leader Mr Putin is playing games again: if you’re genuine, Mr Putin, about pushing Assad, just do it – without an strings attached;

(g) although the world needs evidence to make decisions on issues such as refugees (e.g., that they have been displaced by abuses, and are not driven by economics), it needs compassion to be able to make a proper decision – the head alone is unbalanced, and inhuman;

(h) talking remains the solution to most crises.

News and other matters from this week include the following (opportunities/good news are shown in green; comments are shown in purple; WARNING: some of these links may contain triggers around issues such as violence, sexual assault, discrimination, etc).

• permanent issue: may all actual and potential BPLF [1] Leaders be kept BPLF safe, including keeping them undetectable to the nonBPLF and keeping all their Significant Others inviolable against being used for indirect psychic attack, all as is for the Highest Spiritual Good;

• with regard to Da’esh and violent extremism generally (note: I generally won’t necessarily add links to mainstream stories here, if I consider you, Dear Reader, should be aware of them anyway):   Kurdish forces have cut Da’esh’s main supply lines from Turkey;    a thoughtful review of what drives people to join violent extremist groups generally (genuine grievances, social alienation, etc);   the US State Department says terrorist attacks rose by a third, with 80% more people killed (a total of 33,000) in 2014, compared to the previous year – largely due to Da’esh and Boko Haram; an assessment that most victims of terrorism are probably Muslim;   the USA is hosting a global conference on countering violent extremism;

• with regard to the war in Yemen:   at the start of consultations, the UN Secretary-General has warned that Yemen’s existence hangs in the balance;   this report notes pessimism around those talks, and includes the following ”Palestine, Syria, Iraq and Libya have all been subject to external interference and the UN has not provided a solution for those . He added that Yemenis should rely on Houthi fighters, who he says will not accept any resolution that reduces the dignity of the Yemeni people”;   Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, the Special Envoy for Yemen, spoke to the press in Geneva on Tuesday night, and said that the significance of having both delegations to the Yemen consultations in Geneva should not be underestimated. He called it the important start towards the return to a political process;   Houthi mosques in the capital of Yemen have been targeted in bombings that have left dozens dead and injured;   whilst understandable, this violence at the talks do not help anyone, but the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Yemen, said that following the discussions that have taken place with the Yemeni parties in Geneva in recent days, he believes that a ceasefire and withdrawal of forces can be reached following further consultations – but now one of the delegations has walked out;

• with regard to the conflict in Syria:   the UN Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, strongly condemned the shelling by armed opposition forces of the area of Rahman Mosque in Aleppo which reportedly killed and wounded dozens of civilians, including children (later in the week, he condemned attacks by government and opposition);   a Syrian doctor will present evidence of chemical attacks in Syria to the US Congress (this presentation led to call from the Congress for a “no fly” zone over Syria);   Israel is expecting refugees after a rebel attack on a government held Druze village;   an opinion piece on the manipulative use of the suffering of Syrian people;   the US is struggling to find moderate fighters to train to fight against Da’esh;   after four years, refugees in Iraq are trying to make their places of refuge more bearable to be in, but are being resisted by authorities;   Russian head Putin is willing to push Assad on reform, and says a Syrian solution must have no Western military influence other than air strikes on Da’esh;

• with regard to the Libyan civil war:   the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Libya, Bernardino León, continues to engage with the Libyan parties on the agreement he put forward for their consideration on 8^th June. Discussions are continuing, and he is pleased to see that Tripoli has favourably responded to the agreement, and expects the same from the parliament in Tobruk in the coming days (also see here);   allegations of torture by Libya’s internationally recognised government;

• with regard to the conflict in eastern Ukraine:   in possibly the first large protest against Russia's war in a separatist-controlled city, some 500 residents in Donetsk staged a rally to demand an end to the war;   the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says that the number of people fleeing their homes in Ukraine continues to rise. More than 1.3 million people are now internally displaced, making it the ninth largest internally displaced population in the world, and 890,000 people have fled to neighbouring countries;

• with regard to Russia:   many Russians are uncomfortable with the prevailing atmosphere of bellicose nationalism, and some are preparing to leave;   an interview with Russia’s “last independent radio newsman”, who has doubled his bodyguards;   NATO has condemned Russia nuclear sabre rattling;   but there are concerns that “an aggressive Russian stance to the Baltic States could reveal NATO's reluctance to react with force to any attack”;   the government’s response to a decade-long insurgency in Dagestan, a southern Russian republic east of Georgia, has been marked by serious human rights violations;   Russian head Putin is willing to push Assad on reform, and says a Syrian solution must have no Western military influence other than air strikes on Da’esh;   concerns that Putin is “embracing Staling”;

• with regard to the conflict in Iraq:   Sunni and Shia groups are reported to be working together to fight Da’esh;   the USA is questioning Iraq’s commitment to fighting Da’esh;   after four years, refugees in Iraq are trying to make their places of refuge more bearable to be in, but are being resisted by authorities;

• with regard to China:   a review of China’s militarisation of its artificial islands;

• with regard to the natural and other catastrophes :   a volcano has erupted in Indonesia;   flooding in Georgia has killed 15 people;   the Emergency Committee of the World Health Organization has met on the outbreak of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in the Republic of Korea, and concluded that the conditions for a Public Health Emergency of International Concern have not been met, but noted that there are still many gaps in knowledge regarding the transmission of this virus between people, and this outbreak was a wakeup call;   concerns about a drought in North Korea;  the Food and Agriculture Organization has called for $20 million to urgently help to support farmers in earthquake-hit Nepal, where a million people face the risk of prolonged food insecurity;   torrential rains in Mumbai;   a drought on Navajo lands;

• with regard to refugees:   a report on the refugee crisis sweeping the world;   tensions over Europe’s negotiations over refugees;   myths about refugees;   an emerging crisis over Australia allegedly paying “people smugglers” to return to Indonesia (and also see here);   the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) today called for urgent European support for Greece amid worsening conditions for refugees;   a perceptive editorial on the ‘looming refugee crisis’;   Hungary is planning an anti-refugee fence along its border with Serbia;   protecting refugees in protracted emergencies;   after four years, refugees in Iraq are trying to make their places of refuge more bearable to be in, but are being resisted by authorities;   a refutation of French claims that Eritreans are economic refugees;

• with regard to democracy, freedom and governance:   the UN Secretary-General has noted progress in Central Asia, but remains concerned the shrinking of democratic space there;  pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong have debated  Tiananmen Square; ;   Hong Kong’s government is about to debate a controversial reform package which allows citizens to vote for its chief executive, but requires Chinese approval of candidates (subsequent reports indicate this did not pass);   concerns that Kazakhstan’s (admirable) efforts to improve its human rights record by hiring former politicians from nations with stronger records has not been effective;   a wave of protests against corruption scandals that is sweeping across Latin America has reached Central America, with marches in Guatemala and Honduras;   University students in Burma are engaging in active civil resistance in pursuit of democracy;   protests against the autocratic government in the Maldives are continuing   the ruling AKP party in Turkey is prepared to form a coalition government after losing seats in the recent elections;   “right-wing faction has lost control of Labor's national conference for the first time since 1979, opening the way for a big push on traditionally left-wing issues such as party reform, same-sex marriage, tax, asylum seekers and trade”;   “truth goes overboard” (play on the “children overboard” scandal; see also here); the 800^th anniversary of the signing of the Magna Carta occurred recently: I am pleased to have had an actively supportive role with that, in a previous incarnation, 800 years ago;   anger in Afghanistan at delayed elections;

• with regard to human rights and discrimination:   addressing the opening of the 29^th session of the Human Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva this week, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, stressed that despite considerable achievements in the protection and promotion of human rights in the last 70 years, too many people continue to be denied economic and social rights, and face severe and pervasive discrimination and repression;   the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, said, at a panel discussion on girls’ education at the Human Rights Council (HRC), that, despite considerable progress regarding girls' education in recent years, restrictions, violence and injustices continue to blight the lives of millions of women and girls, and, as we advance towards a new agenda for development world-wide, we must advance education of girls, and the human rights of all women;   a racist hate crime in the USA;   Morocco has jailed two men for kissing;
• with regard to police and policing:    a police whistleblower may be jailed for his courageous and moral act;

• with regard to media and freedom of expression:   another attack has occurred against Afghani journalists;   the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights remains concerned that a number of human rights defenders, journalists and Government critics have been deprived of their liberty in Azerbaijan for exercising their right to freedom of expression, opinion, association and assembly;   an interview with Russia’s “last independent radio newsman”, who has doubled his bodyguards;   in India, the family members of Jagendra Singh, the Shajahanpur-based social media journalist who was set on fire for writing Facebook posts against Ram Murti Verma, a Minister in the Samajwadi Party government in Uttar Pradesh, have threatened self-immolation if the Minister, allegedly behind the murder, is not removed;

• with regard to overcrowding and “modern” lifestyle issues:   the major problem with articles like this is that it ignores the elephant in the room: population growth. As a species, we need to address that if we are ever to be in harmony with our environment. The other big flaw here is that it assumes living in apartments is OK, and it is not –not for many people  (particularly introverts)whose views are ignored, treated with disdain or scoffed at. Other problems include the appalling lack of privacy (inadequate noise insulation), lack of appropriate management of temperature, overcrowding” in some apartments, and the recently identified major fire risks;   misleading comments in an assessment of the health needs of FIFO workers;

Also from the Daily Briefings of the United Nations (UN) (and other sources):

• the Secretary-General has received the report of the High-Level Independent Panel on Peace Operations, and promised that he would study their recommendations carefully and transmit the report to the General Assembly and the Security Council;

• the Secretary-General and his Special Representative on Children and Armed Conflict, Leila Zerrougui, spoke at the Security Council’s open debate this week, and the Secretary-General told the Council that grave violations against children have been an affront to our common humanity in the Central African Republic, Iraq, Nigeria, South Sudan and the Syrian Arab Republic. He added that he was also deeply alarmed at the suffering of so many children as a result of Israeli military operations in Gaza last year;

• on Tuesday, the global humanitarian overview status report was released, revealing record-high financial requirements to respond to increasing numbers of people in need - in six months, the required funds have increased by $2.4 billion to a record $18.8 billion to assist 78.9 million vulnerable people across 37 countries;
• worldwide displacement from wars, conflict, and persecution is at the highest levels ever recorded, and it is accelerating quickly, according to the new annual Global Trends report of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), which shows a sharp escalation in the number of people forced to flee their homes, with 59.5 million people forcibly displaced at the end of 2014 - one in every 122 humans - compared to 51.2 million a year earlier and 37.5 million a decade ago;
• the Secretary-General said, at the Global Insurance Forum, that, as a major source of long-term investment, the insurance industry can and must play a strong role in shaping a more sustainable future;
• a new book, "Climate Change and Food Systems", has been published by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on what climate change implies for global food security;

• the UN Refugee Agency has reported that some 14,000 more South Sudanese, mainly women and children, fled into Sudan over the weekend - bringing the total to around 160,000, and described the situation as an emergency within an emergency: rapid scaling up of water, sanitation and hygiene interventions is critical as rains will also heighten the risk of water-borne diseases such as dysentery and cholera. So far only 10 per cent of the US$152 million requested to assist South Sudanese refugees in Sudan has been contributed;
• the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Stephen O'Brien, has called for urgent support for the humanitarian response in South Sudan, and the region, at a high-level event co-organized by the European Commission and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Geneva;

• the Secretary-General has strongly condemned the bombings in N’Djamena, Chad that killed more than 25 people, and commended Chad for its courageous role in the fight against Boko Haram, and stressed the importance of enhanced collaboration in this combat;

• the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Mali, Mongi Hamdi, congratulated the Platform coalition of armed groups for their decision to disengage from the town of Menaka, in line with the security arrangements signed in Algiers on 5^th June. He said this development, along with the announced intention to sign the peace agreement by the Coordination coalition of armed groups tomorrow in Bamako, were "clear and reassuring signals" for the Malian population and the international community that the peace process is on the right track;

• the Secretary-General’s Special Adviser for Cyprus, Espen Barth Eide, has commended the work of negotiating teams from the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities, and the commitment of leaders from both sides to reaching a settlement as soon as possible;

• in his message for the World Day to Combat Desertification, the Secretary-General said that land degradation and desertification undercut human rights, starting with the right to food. Adding that nearly 1 billion people lack adequate nutrition today, he warns that this situation could worsen if land degradation, as projected, reduces global food production by 12 per cent by 2035;

• the UN General Assembly has declared 19^th June as International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict;

From other sites:

• Human Rights Watch also has:   a report  alleging that the heinous attacks on civilians in Lamu and Tana River area of Kenya’s coast in mid-2014 were followed by abusive security force operations;   a call for Congolese authorities to immediately and unconditionally release two activists who were arrested three months ago, during a pro-democracy youth workshop in the Democratic Republic of Congo;   concerns over South Africa allowing Sudanese President Bashir, wanted for war crimes, to leave the country;   the problem of abuse of domestic workers in the Gulf states;   Dominicans are at risk of expulsion to Haiti;   religious extremism is rising in Burma;   a US judge has censored the overuse of solitary confinement in US jails;   a call to stop “dragging the foot” on Assange;

• the Middle East Eye also has:
   - despite attempts (including legislation) to curtail the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement that is putting pressure on Israel, grassroots efforts including those by US churches are gaining momentum;   innovation in Gaza in response to the Israeli siege;   the Palestinian Authority will dissolve itself as it is unable to effect change in Gaza, and be ‘reconfigured’;
   - at least 163 Egyptians have disappeared since April, according to a report released by a Cairo-based rights group;   Egypt’s ‘farcical’ mass trails have been criticised;
   - the US Senate has voted to ban torture during interrogation, but this now needs to pass the US House of Representatives;
   - an opinion piece posing the question: sectarianism is a weapon exploited by the extremists so why are the ruling families in the Gulf using it so recklessly?;
   - Ramadan has commenced, amongst hardship from conflict;

• the Nonviolent Conflict site has links to:   an article suggesting that recent high profile executions in North Korea may be leading to discontent;   a report suggesting that Matariyya Square may be taking the lace of Tahrir Square in Egypt;   a report that, six months on, the murder of indigenous activist against Chinese-backed mine reverberates in Ecuador;   allegations that the Moroccan government intercepted United Nations communications and used “unethical tactics” designed to get the organisation to turn a blind eye to the humanitarian situation in Western Sahara;   opponents of the 278-kilometer inter-oceanic canal say that the government has created an atmosphere of intimidation to stifle dissent and has pressured the media to downplay the concerns of environmentalists and landholders who face expropriation of their land;   although civic initiatives in Armenia address very specific issues (e.g. saving a public park), their emergence is informed by broader concerns such as corruption, the absence of rule of law, lack of democracy, and the failure of elites to address concerns of ordinary citizens, and rely on street-based demonstrations, occupations, and creative forms of direct action such as flash mobs, concerts, and art exhibitions, and consensus-based decision-making;

• the US-based and -centric “War on the Rocks” blog (which I have found may also have other articles that I have concerns with - and thus do not provide links to, unless I want you to think … :) ) has:   an article explaining the “false equivalency” of assuming that India’s incursion into Burma may lead to  similar event on the Pakistani border;   an article on the issues involved in developing an effective strategy against Da’esh;   an article on the military learning about resilience, change and adaptability from business;   a review of cyber-warfare;   a review of US University Yale historian Paul Kennedy’s study, 30 years ago, The Rise and Fall of Great Powers: Economic Change and Military Conflict from 1500 to 2000, which argued that, based on a broad historical pattern, great powers, in order to remain great powers, had to balance wealth and their economic base with their military power and strategic commitments, and examined the USA of that era against that task;   a review of the influences which can lead to war (including democracy and balance of power), and the resultant need for the USA to work with its allies to address China’s increasing aggression;   a review of the situation in the Arctic;

• the Justice in Conflict blog has:   a review of the debacle of Sudanese President Bashir, wanted for war crimes, being able to leave South Africa;

• the Political Violence at a Glance blog has:   a report on a symposium in Pakistan on nonviolent action against violence;

• the Institute for War and Peace Reporting also has:   a report on a women’s rights radio in Sudan;   a report on continuing tensions between Kyrgyz and Uzbeks in Kyrgyzstan;

• the International Crisis Group has:   an assessment of the prospects for a denuclearised Korean peninsula;

and, from other sources:

• The Hindu also has:   an article on poverty as a ‘cognitive tax’;   a review of the Naga peace process;   an article on the problem of rape in marriage;   a report that the Indian army was using taxis, without paying, for counter-insurgency operations;   criticism by the Bar Association of the judicial appointment system, which it blames for a fall of judicial standards;    a scheme to build 20 million homes for the poor;   a report on a study which found that improving air quality could prevent up to 1.4 million premature deaths per year in polluted countries such as China and India;   Tamils who have fled Sri Lanka as part of a diaspora now want to return;   US President Obama is angered by the failure of attempts at gun control, and the consequent recurrence of mass shootings;   see also here, for a review of concerns that the Indian Army is performing extrajudicial killings/violence;   an editorial on the scourge of racism;   a review of the south Asian concept of communalism (not the same as in the West), and recent and older rioting;

• the BBC also has:   an emergency summit has been called to discuss the Greek debt crisis;   a group of eight Brazilian senators on a visit to Venezuela to meet a jailed opposition leader had to flee after their bus was attacked;   in a much needed move, a clinic will open for men who have been raped (and women are also capable of committing rape - of children, other women, and men);   China may rent Russian land for agriculture;   Russia is angered by Belgium seizing assets;

• the (South African) Mail & Guardian also has:   concerns that the economy is harming young South Africans (and see here for a review of the situation of young South Africans);   a questioning of a presumed “fatherhood” crisis;   South Africa would still have to cooperate with the International Criminal Court even if it leaves; -including events such as the recent escape by Sudanese President Bashir, wanted for war crimes, on which it is alleged President Jacob Zuma and key ministers were aware of the plot to get the Sudanese president out of the country;   Russia may provide a nuclear power plant in South Africa;

and also:

• the Abbott government's anti-terrorism pitch is tapping into and feeding a deep vein of national security fear in the Australian population, the moral panic behind the fear, and the damage being caused by the anti-Muslim rhetoric;

• India and Bangladesh have signed an agreement to “simplify” their borders, which may result in stateless people having a nation, after four decades;

• the lack of support from the European Union is causing some Georgians to consider returning to Russia’s sphere of influence;

• a study suggests that 9/11 and its aftermath left Millennials 'deeply sceptical' of US military intervention abroad, but supportive of humanitarian action;

• a US appeals court has reinstated a claim against former attorney general John Ashcroft and other justice department officials, stemming from the abuse of Arab and Muslim men and others detained for months in New York and New Jersey after the September 11 attacks;

• how Bangladesh has become a model for reducing hunger;

• the unacknowledged problem of class in Australian society;

•    the Pope forgot about overpopulation;

[1] BPLF = Balanced Positive (spiritual) Light Forces. See here and here for more on this. 

[2] Please see here, here and my post "The Death of Wikipedia" for the reasons I now recommend caution when using Wikipedia. I'm also exploring use of h2g2, although that doesn't appear to be as extensive (h2g2 is intended - rather engagingly - to be the Earth edition of "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy").

[3] I apologise for the formatting: it seems Blogger is no longer as WYSIWYG as it used to be, and there are a lot of unwanted changes to layout made upon publishing, so I often have to edit it immediately after publishing to get the format as close to what I want as possible.

Love, light, hugs and blessings

Gnwmythr, Wéofodthegn

(pronounced "new-MYTH-ear"; ... aka Bellatrix Lux … aka Morinehtar … would-be drýicgan or maga ... )

My "blogiography" (list of all posts and guide as to how to best use this site) is here, and my glossary/index is here.

I started this blog to cover karmic regression-rescue (see here and here), and it grew ... See here for my group mind project, here and here for my "Pagans for Peace" project (and join me for a few minutes at some time between 8 and 11 PM on Sunday, wherever you are, to meditate-clear for peace), and here for my bindrune kit-bag. I also strongly recommend learning how to flame, ground and shield, do alternate nostril breathing, work with colour, and see also here and be flexible.

Tags: activism, discrimination, energy work, magick, meditation, nonviolence, peace,  society, violence, war,

First published: Laugardagr, 20^th June, 2015

Last edited (excluding fixing typo's and other minor matters): Saturday, 20^th June, 2015