Post No. 720 – For Sunday evening’s meditation-clearing

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 time in the Year 2018), and Pluto in Capricorn contributing to a transformation of power and business (and careers) (until some time in the Year 2024), conditions are ripe for a change for the better in world politics;

(b) I know many people who take a hard-line approach to crime (“send ‘em to jail!”) until they see this up close – and I am thinking of a colleague at work in particular, whose son is getting in to trouble. When people are properly informed, they make better decisions. We, the citizens of this world, need a more nuanced approach to managing violent extremists to be implemented;

(c) along the same sort of vein, less aware people may find themselves inclined to more hardline “solutions” to problems – such as imposing more discipline on unruly children, rather than explaining why their behaviour is unacceptable. In the same way, Jordan and Central Asia (and those in a position to influence the governments there) need to take a more enlightened approach, and commit genuinely to democracy, freedom and human rights to counter the threats from Da’esh. Other nations need to learn this lesson for other reasons, and Lebanon also needs to fill its political vacuum sensibly to help resist this spread;

(d) those on the various sides of conflicts in Yemen, Syria and Libya need to realise that their efforts are achieving nothing but harm, and agree to defer seeking the realisation of their ideals and/or ambitions;

(e) inclusivity is still a requirement for the health and wellbeing of individuals, groups and nations: discrimination can directly cause health problems on the personal scale, and wars on the larger;

(f) the hidden people and influences in conflicts (e.g., the economic aspects of atrocities) need to be revealed: may Peorth / Perthro    make it so;

(g) critical, informed and objective thinking and review is desperately needed on both the personal and social scale;

(h) the needs for provision of the basics of life (food, shelter, clean water, etc) must be met everywhere for social equity and human dignity – to paraphrase the great Dr Martin Luther King Jr., from his “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”, to fail to do so anywhere is a threat to the achievement of these principles everywhere.

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):   Da’esh’s atrocities against LGBTIQ people (see also this);   inconsistencies in responses to ransom demands by violent extremists;   concerns that Jordan’s stability may be at risk as a result of conflicts in neighbouring states;   a critique of the assumptions made about violent extremists, with an insight into the violent extremists ‘s psychology and life cycle;   in the aftermath of the Manipur ambush last week, Indian agencies said on Tuesday that the Army and the Assam Rifles killed over 50 insurgents in two operations along the India-Myanmar border;   seven Pakistani army soldiers and 19 Taliban fighters have been killed in fighting in north west Pakistan, near the Afghanistan border;   Egypt claims to have foiled a suicide attack;   a call for the USA to support anti-torture legislation;   a report that Da’esh is starting to threaten Central Asia;

• with regard to the war in Yemen:   a worrying escalation, with the Houthis firing (last week) a Scud missile at Saudi Arabia;   in a statement issued on 6^th June, the Secretary-General welcomed the readiness of President Abd Rabou Mansour Hadi, as communicated to his Special Envoy for Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, in Riyadh, to send a delegation to participate in UN-facilitated Yemeni-Yemeni consultations in Geneva starting on 14^th June, and he is equally pleased that delegations of Yemeni parties from Sana’a have communicated their commitment to attend the consultations to the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy. He reiterated his urgent call on all parties to engage in these consultations in good faith and without pre-conditions. He also reiterated his call for a renewed humanitarian pause in order to allow humanitarian assistance to reach all Yemeni people in need - he World Health Organization stressed that more than 15 million Yemenis do not have access to basic healthcare, with 53 health facilities closed and malnutrition increasing, and the Office for the Coordination for Humanitarian Affairs has said that there are more than 250,000 metric tonnes of grains in stores in Aden and Hudaydah, but that it cannot be transported due to lack of fuel and insecurity, nor be cooked because of a lack of cooking gas;   Yemen's exiled president has taken a hard line ahead of weekend peace talks in Geneva, ruling out negotiations with the Houthis and denouncing what he said was Tehran's "dangerous" meddling in his country;   unverified allegations about failures in Yemen’s security procedures prior to the war;

• with regard to the conflict in Syria:   the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, reiterated his condemnation of the use of barrel bombs. He added that all evidence shows that the overwhelming majority of the civilian victims in the Syrian conflict have been caused by the use of such indiscriminate aerial weapons and that it is totally unacceptable;   the Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, continues to meet with a broad spectrum of Syrian, regional and international interlocutors within the framework of the Geneva Consultations;   at least twenty Druze have been killed by al-Qaeda-affiliate Al-Nusra Front (JAN) in Syria’s Idlib province, despite reassurances from JAN’s leader last week that religious minorities would not be persecuted by the group;

• with regard to the Libyan civil war:   following meetings with representatives of municipalities and political party leaders respectively in Tunis and Algiers last week, the Libyan political dialogue has reconvened in Morocco;   Da’esh is reportedly “closing in” on Libya’s oil crescent;

•  with regard to the conflict in eastern Ukraine:   a review of Russia’s violation of past nuclear non-proliferation treaties involving Ukraine in the current conflict;

• with regard to the conflict in Iraq:   the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Stephen O’Brien, called for greater assistance for millions of people across Iraq following a two-day visit to the country. He said that it is imperative at this critical time that we do more to mitigate the suffering of the Iraqi people – 8 million of whom are in need of assistance, and 3 million of whom have been displaced since January 2014;

• with regard to China:   a review of China’s military growth in the context of Australian policy responses;   a suggestion that China may have hacked US government employee records, which is denied by China;   a history of events over the last few decades in the South China Seas;

• with regard to the natural and other catastrophes :   the number of MERS cases in South Korea is increasing;

• with regard to refugees:   the Australian government is proposing to gag doctors and thus prevent them complying with their ethical requirements in relation to reporting abuse;   the Secretary-General has said that shipping and maritime rescue services are close to being overwhelmed due to the unprecedented increase in people risking their lives at sea, fleeing war, famine, poverty and human rights abuses, and he urged the international community to develop safer and more regular migration pathways as well as to address the factors that force people to risk their lives in this way;   the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has said that, three years since outbreaks of inter-communal violence in Rakhine State, in Myanmar, more than 416,000 people continue to need humanitarian assistance. This includes almost 140,000 displaced people living in dire conditions in camps and many others without citizenship in isolated villages;   UNHCR said it is concerned about increasing risks facing refugees and migrants in the Western Balkans;

• with regard to democracy, freedom and governance:   an example of a situation where politicians are out of touch;   a critique of the Orwellian use of a sense of crisis by politicians;   “democratic renewal and our loss of trust in institutions” – parts one and two, and see also here and here;   the role of government: values, responsibilities and the excellent role;   Turkey’s general election will not allow President Erdogan to achieve his propose, troubling changes to governance;   a criticism of Australia’s so-called “Liberal” party, including a review of some of the changes over the last couple of decades; - an opinion piece arguing that nations around the world are using the term “national security” to justify a clampdown on political dissent;   an opinion piece on the divergence of constitutional law from India’s constitution;   a review of Australia’s proposal to strip citizenship from terrorists against Menzies’ anti-communist law of the 1950s, which was struck down by the High Court;   after weeks of discussion with political parties across the spectrum, the Sri Lankan Cabinet has finalised the broad contours of the proposed 20^th Constitutional Amendment on electoral reforms, leaving many smaller parties “surprised and disappointed”;   the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, in Geneva expressed alarm today at the increasingly violent and threatening actions by a pro-government militia in Burundi;   in her statement to the Security Council on Côte d’Ivoire, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative, Aïchatou Mindaoudou said that stability in the country is being progressively maintained, the economy is growing, and although political disagreements remain, the political dialogue between the Government and the opposition parties is progressing;   more on the appalling spying on an Australian Senator here and here;   the UN Secretary-General has said that the United Nations stands ready to assist Uzbekistan in promoting and protecting fundamental freedoms and providing opportunities for public participation -- including through independent media, democratic institutions, access to justice, a stronger voice for civil society, and safeguards that enable human rights defenders to do their vital work;

• with regard to discrimination:   a review of the use of discrimination against LGBTIQ people for political means (to which I could add more on such politically motivated abuses in Australia);   evidence from facebook of how racist Australia is;   Aceh continues to go backwards;   the Indian government refuses to make marital rape illegal;

• with regard to police and policing:   the Parliament of the World’s Religions has issued a statement on policing, based on events in the USA;   Uzbek police detained a human rights activist on 31^st May, 2015, and subjected her to cruel and degrading treatment during an 18-hour interrogation about her work on forced labour;   South African police officers are twice as lethal as those in the US, but are also six times more likely to die on the job;   a review of the use of the power of arrest;

• with regard to media and freedom of expression:   Uttar Pradesh Minister Ram Murti Singh Verma was on Tuesday booked, along with five others in connection, with the killing of a journalist by setting him on fire in Shahjahanpur district, in India;   a criminal investigation has been opened against a Turkish newspaper and its editor for reporting on a matter of public interest;

• with regard to overcrowding and “modern” lifestyle issues:   the killing effect of overwork;   the toxicity of being in the modern Western work force;

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

• the Deputy Secretary-General, Jan Eliasson, said, at the 20^th anniversary commemoration of the World Summit for Social Development, that, in 1995, in Copenhagen, participants at the Summit agreed that we must place human beings at the centre of our development efforts. He added that the affirmation that poverty eradication, full employment and social integration are closely linked rings even more relevant and true in today’s world;

• the Secretary-General’s report on Children and Armed Conflict highlights recent global trends regarding the impact of armed conflict on children during the 2014 calendar year which, according to the report, saw unprecedented challenges for the protection of tens of millions of children growing up in countries impacted by conflict;

• the UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Sigrid Kaag, has met with high-level government officials in Iran, including Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, to discuss the present situation in Lebanon, including issues related to peace and security, stability and stabilization. They discussed developments in region, and in particular the impact of the Syria crisis on Lebanon. Ms. Kaag also reiterated the concern of the Security Council and the International Support Group for Lebanon, that the vacuum in the Presidency of the Republic seriously undermines Lebanon’s ability to address its socio-economic and security challenges;

• on Darfur, the Secretary-General welcomed the release of two contractors working for the African Union-UN Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) after 128 days in captivity;

• Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Edmond Mulet, said the security situation remained very serious in Darfur, with continued need for substantial humanitarian assistance and limited progress in the peace process;

• according to a report by the UN Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in Eritrea that was released in Geneva, the Government of Eritrea is responsible for systematic, widespread and gross human rights violations that have created a climate of fear in which dissent is stifled, a large proportion of the population is subjected to forced labour and imprisonment, and that hundreds of thousands of refugees have fled the country (thus leading to the refugee crisis in the Mediterranean Sea);

• the Secretary-General wrapped up his visit to Tajikistan today, where he took part in the opening of the High-Level International Conference on the implementation of the International Decade, “Water for Life”, and told participants that water’s place in the Sustainable Development Goals go well beyond access to water, taking into account critical issues such as integrated water resources management, efficiency of use, water quality, transboundary cooperation, water-related ecosystems, and water-related disasters;

• during a visit to Kazakhstan the Secretary-General said, at the Fifth Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, we must open our eyes, our ears and our hearts to those of different backgrounds or beliefs, and safeguard the rights of all religious communities, in particular minority communities. The Secretary-General also met with President Nursultan Nazarbayev and took part in a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new UN House in Astana, after which he said that Kazakhstan is known for its work within the region and around the world, serving as a global leader in promoting nuclear non-proliferation and peacebuilding, and that Kazakhstan should continue to make progress on human rights, including the development of a comprehensive National Human Rights Action Plan;

• the World Food Programme has warned that, starting next Monday, half a million refugees in Dadaab and Kakuma camps in Kenya will receive 30 per cent less food due to shortage of funds for relief operations;

• Nickolay Mladenov, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, welcomes Egypt’s decision to open the Rafah crossing from 13^th to 15^th June in both directions, following consultations between President Abbas and the Egyptian authorities, and hopes that the security conditions will allow for this decision to be extended and that Rafah can be open on a regular basis. The need for the full lifting of all closures remains. A sustainable solution to address the situation also requires the return of control of the crossings in Gaza to the Palestinian Authority;

• the High Commissioner for Refugees, António Guterres, expressed concern that renewed armed clashes in Colombia could derail the peace process under way and create further risks for the population;

From other sites:

• Human Rights Watch also has:   a report on “years of abuses” under Egyptian President Al-Sisi;   a call for the Democratic Republic of Congo to exhume a mass grave that could contain the bodies of victims of Congolese security forces;   a report on conservative opposition to Canada’s proposed anti-terrorism law;   some good news from the Muslim enclave of Yaloké in the Central African Republic, where the Peuhl are now being allowed to leave;   Cambodia is proposing a ban on trade unions, which is likely to be disastrous for garment workers;   Pakistan is considering executing an alleged child offender;   child labour in Ghana’s gold industry;   a report on the devastating impact of child marriages, and the desperation and fear of natural disasters which is leading to it;   a call for past and current atrocities and abuses in South Sudan to be addressed;   a report on human rights abuses in Kyrgyzstan (see also here);

• the Middle East Eye also has:
  - an opinion piece on the need for “honest” journalism in the Middle East;
   - an interview with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Prince Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein, in which he says Da’esh will not be beaten by bombs alone and only negotiations can bring stability to Syria and Iraq;
   - a report that Israel has conducted a series of tests in the Negev desert aimed at measuring the impact of a radioactive conventional explosion - a so-called “dirty” bomb (original source here);   the International Criminal Court is making a preliminary visit to Israel, which could see both the Palestinians and the Israelis investigated for war crimes;
   - concerns over Canada’s arms deal with Saudi Arabia;   a critique of Saudi Arabia’s executions and judicial system, which recently upheld a flogging sentence against a blogger;
   - a report that ", a senior UN official has said prospects for a definitive peace in Darfur are a "vain wish in current context;
   - a report that South African lawyers have called for the arrest of Egypt’s President Sis for human rights abuses;   an opinion piece on “the four traits Sisi, Hitler and Mussolini have in common”;   an Egyptian court on Thursday sentenced a police officer to 15 years in jail over the fatal shooting of Shaima al-Sabbagh, but the officer was not charged with murder or manslaughter but with "battery that led to death" and "deliberately" wounding other protesters – this is, however, was the first time a policeman has been referred to trial in connection with the violent death of a protester since then army chief and now President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi ousted his predecessor Mohamed Morsi in 2013;
   - 56 Bahrainis have been stripped of their citizenship, after being convicted of terrorism (this has also been an issue in Australia – see here for an overview);

• Haaretz (I’m not a subscriber/registered user, so am relating this based on heading and first paragraph – incidentally, I did try to subscribe to their email service, but that doesn’t give access to the full texts) has:   a report that peace with the Palestinians could add $120 billion to the Israeli economy, but another intifada would cost $250 billion;   an article suggesting Israel’s actions are not in line with its official policy that Hamas is an enemy, following the rise of the more extremist Salafi faction;   Switzerland is probing alleged cyber-spying on those conducting the nuclear negotiations with Iran;

• 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:   a review which shows that the USA’s alliances rarely (5 incidents in 65 years) involve the USA in wars it would otherwise avoid;   a review of strategic options for the USA in international politics, based on a similar exercise done in the 50s, which supports the discriminate use of power;

• the Justice in Conflict blog has:   a review of options for justice under international law in Syria (foreign courts may be an option, apparently);   a review of the economic aspects of atrocities, which includes “if Prussian general and military theorist Carl von Clausewitz could argue in 1832 that war is merely a continuation of politics by other means, more recent studies seem to suggest that modern conflict is often as much, if not more, a continuation of economics by other means”, and is critical of actions by the IMF and the World Bank;   a review of the history of abuses of indigenous people in Canada, which has disturbing parallels to my nation’s appalling history on that;

• the Political Violence at a Glance blog has:   an article on children as participants in armed conflict, and the harm that is done (warning: this begins with a very disturbing incident);   a critique of the limited evidence for “hearts and minds” policies;

• the Institute for War and Peace Reporting has:   a report on radio debates on paramilitary organisations, held in February and allowing listeners to call in;

• the International Crisis Group has:   a report that the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia have agreed to form a truth commission;

• the “Wronging Rights” blog has:   Time Magazine has reported that Kurdish militia members in northern Syria are using a new smartphone app that tests their knowledge of the laws of war;

and, from other sources:

• The Hindu also has:   a proposal to enable slum dwellers to improve their houses;   an opinion piece that the Modi government is shifting from welfare to paternalism;   an editorial expressing “concerns about the Narendra Modi government’s level of engagement with institutions that form the life breath of Indian democracy”;   a review of the use of the power of arrest;

• the BBC also has:   a report that Indian police have killed 12 suspected Maoist terrorists;

• the (South African) Mail & Guardian also has:   the African Union believes it could fund its own programmes if it was not losing so much money through illicit outflows of capital from the continent;   African leaders have signed a historic agreement to create the continent's largest common market, encompassing 26 countries;   the upcoming AU summit in South Africa will likely see issues such as Boko Haram and the Burundi protests steal attention away from development talks;   a fascinating article on the importance of pronouncing African names properly;   a call for South Africa to take the lead at the African Union’s summit on human rights;

and also:

• a critique of the approaches to national security of two leading conservative Australian politicians;

• a “world record holding” former British sniper’s experience with PTSD and abandonment (by the military);

• a reminder about the long-running (since the 1960s), often forgotten and dangerous war in southern Thailand, in the former Sultanate of Patani, occupied by Thailand since 1785;

• three Buddhist monks from Burma have been awarded “World Harmony Awards” at Norway’s Nobel Institute for their work to help the Rohingyas;

• the Australian Government is again attacking the head of the Human Rights Commission, who is doing an excellent job;

• the importance of NATO and Russia communicating;

• the social harm of rising house prices (I have a saying about this in my extended signature block).

 

[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, 13^th June, 2015

Last edited (excluding fixing typo's and other minor matters): Saturday, 13^th June, 2015