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.
(Also, see here for some
investigation into evidence of the effectiveness of this type of work, which
shows variability [and mentions causes] and cycles in the
energetic/consciousness response … and also here is interesting.) A range of information on emotions is here,
and suggestions on how to work with emotions is here.
The purpose of posting these news links is
not only to inform: it is also to stimulate a connection to nonBPM units that
need to be cleared and BPM 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, it is absolutely VITAL that this work be performed non-violently – which is part of being BPM – on all
levels and in all ways. Always remember (see here): Do
you fight to change things, or to punish? See also here,
here,
here, here,
here,
and my comments about “authentic presence”
in this post.
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.
Finally, remember that many others are
doing this type of work – for instance, the Lucis
Trust's Triangles network (which has been running for many decades), the Correllian
Tradition's 'Spiritual
War for Peace' (begun in 2014, and the website was recently updated
to include many more activities),
the Hope, Peace, Love and Prosperity Spell
(also from the Correllian Tradition, in around 2007 or 2008), the Healing Minute started by the
late, great Harry
Edwards (held at 10Am and 10PM local time each day, and one can pay to
be officially registered. This also has been running for decades); and also
see here
and here,
and even commercial organisations are getting involved (for instance, see here).
No doubt there are many others, so, if you don't like what I am suggesting here, but want to be
of service, there are many other opportunities for you.
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 Saturn in Sagittarius contributing to finding an authentic balance (until 20th 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) there is an enormous need to clear nonBPM energy – the thought forms, unattached energy and scars of the collective unconscious created by millennia of violence. This need includes rescuing those who have been trapped by that history, and healing the warped views, seemingly “inherent” biases, and other damage done by the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual violence committed on scales large and small in that timeframe;(c) viewing the overall emotional state of the world from an elemental point of view, this week we need more Æther;(d) North Korea (the “Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) ) has been rattling its nuclear sabre again. There is a real danger in its actions, but the way to solve them is to bring it “in from the cold”, so to speak, and end its status as a pariah state – much as happened with China in the early 1970s. Isolation is bad for nations and groups of people, as well as individuals. China is the key influence with a chance of achieving this, and those BPM souls there working on this need and deserve as much help and clearing as the leaders of the DPRK, and the DPRK’s long suffering people;(e) Saudi Arabia’s motivations for a mass execution, and the reactions to that, are a complex web of interconnections involving many nations (a bit like this), and have seriously damaged the prospects for true and lasting peace. Irrespective of that, the executions in and of themselves are wrong, and thus the basic act is spiritually condemnable. The flow on effects, including domestic intimidation, are also – from a spiritual perspective – reprehensible. The new Saudi king is showing himself to be a dangerous despot, one in the same spiritual neighbourhood as Saddam Hussein and Syria’s Assad and Turkey’s Erdogan. Be that as it may, the response needed is, as usual, clearing nonBPM units and sending/strengthening BPM units. I will also add King Salman to my list of people in my changing the personality of oppressors post;(f) on changing the personality of oppressors, I have been trying out (on myself – I’m always the first guinea pig, to see personally if there is any harm [that’s part of my standard opening prayer {see the end of this post} ] – and some astral volunteers) a new combination of Eihwaz / Eolh on the crown chakra (for improving mental understanding, insight and thoughtfulness), Fehu / Feoh on the heart chakra (to change cold heartedness to a more generous nature), and Dagaz / Dæg on the solar plexus chakra (to transform addiction to power to something more healthy), and am now working with my BPM Guides to find an oppressor who I can, for the Highest Spiritual Good, apply this to;(g) remember that, in everything you do for this work, you are fighting to change, not punish, but your PRIMARY concern is “everyday people” – those who often suffer at the hands of the powerful;(h) those fleeing atrocities are human beings in need of help. That does not excuse them from the normal requirements which apply to human beings everywhere – and sexual assault, including those by women and Caucasian men, is WRONG everywhere - and it is HYPOCRITICAL of Caucasian men to make a fuss over sexual assaults by non-Caucasian men when so many Caucasian men are responsible for so many sexual assaults themselves. Justice must also be properly administered – to tar a majority for the actions of a few is as wrong as letting perpetrators go unpunished, whether they are new to a place or have lived there all their lives;I also take this opportunity to repeat that it is absolutely VITAL that this work be performed non-violently – which is part of being BPM – on all levels and in all ways. Always remember (see here): Do you fight to change things, or to punish? See also here, here, here, here, here, and my comments about “authentic presence” in this post.
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 BPM [1] Leaders be kept BPM safe, including keeping them undetectable to the nonBPM 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 democracy, freedom and governance: inappropriate behaviour by politicians, who then committed an appalling attempt at revenge / intimidation - see also here and here; the coming election in Taiwan will be crucial to the nation’s future direction; politicians and media in the USA are capitalising on “white anger”; Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi has declared that the country's peace process will be the first priority of her new government when it takes power later this year, following its landslide victory in last year’s November election; the Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Haiti, Sandra Honoré, and the other members of the international community in Haiti represented in the so-called "Core Group" have acknowledged the efforts aimed at enhancing the credibility and transparency of the ongoing electoral process; an argument that democratic politicians need to learn from China’s approach of a political meritocracy at the top and democracy at the local level (I would suggest a third option: teach voters to think critically throughout their school years …); one of the US Presidential candidates has said the greed and power of Wall Street is destroying the fabric of the USA, and outlined steps to deal with that; the USA is “deeply disappointed” that Rwanda’s President will seek a third term; Senegalese President Macky Sall has unilaterally announced the reduction of his presidential term from seven to five years; Tanzanian public officials have signed an integrity document; Ivory Coast's government resigned on Wednesday after President Alassane Ouattara vowed to bring more "efficiency" to the West African state; a commentators thoughts on the current US Presidential campaigns, and how he would approach such a campaign;
- with regard to Da’esh and violent extremism generally (and I consider ALL people advocating hate or discrimination in response to violent extremism to actively be doing the work of violent extremists. This PARTICULARLY includes those cretins [including in the media, and Amnesty International]who use that acronym ISIS, which is actually the Greek name of the Egyptian Goddess Aset – and others - and actively perpetuates the patriarchal and sacrilegious evil that Da’esh are trying to accomplish in this world – which will be countered, in part, by the sort of approach advocated by “Cure Violence”, and, in part, by addressing real and perceived disempowerment and acknowledging the variety in what provides genuine, BPM fulfilment as a counter to fanaticism as a source of meaning): armed domestic violent extremists have seized a US government building (no doubt these are a perfect example of the “sicko’s” in need of mental health care that Donald Trump recently referred to); a Mauritanian prisoner sentenced to death for terrorism over an al-Qaeda plot to assassinate the president has escaped from prison; a critique - with suggestions - of “counter messaging”, aimed at “countering the narrative” of violent extremists – specifically, Da’esh; an article on the staggering splits between the US military and administration, with the military undermining the admin allegedly in the interests of stable post-war governance (have they actually learned since their invasion of Iraq, or do they only think they have? Or were those problems on the admin side?) but more realistically because they were not prepared to sacrifice their access to military bases in Qatar, Saudi Arabia or Turkey to pressure their Middle Eastern allies, and Saudi Arabia and Turkey funding Da’esh and Al-Qaeda’s al-Nusra – see also here; Indian police are checking for anyone who uses ISIS or other selected tags on social media – which is yet another example of why that acronym was so discriminatory; a 68-year-old Sikh man has been stabbed to death in California, prompting police to launch a hate crime probe; Pakistan has arrested 42 Da’esh supporters; the US government has shut down a drone base in southern Ethiopia that was part of the US anti-terrorism effort in the region; concerns that the closure of a pro-Palestinian lobby group’s bank account – allegedly over “risks of inadvertently funding terrorist groups” - has been an act of political pressure; a review of West Germany’s response to terrorism in the 1970s and 80s which found it gave little return for large investment, and that public education and activist campaigns to bolster rights are important; more abuse of LGBTIQ air travellers by cretins in security – and of children (with interesting statistics on the ineffectiveness of screening); the importance of waging a war of ideas against ideas to defeat Da’esh; Da’esh has established a research centre (this is a major concern, and reemphasises the importance of cutting off funding!); a British-American terror expert believes that al-Qaeda ally Jabhat al-Nusra is more dangerous than Da’esh, and has warned that most Syrian rebel groups will abort the peace process should Bashar Assad remain in power; the importance of patience when taking actions against Da’esh; groups of neo-Nazi thugs have misappropriated Odin and started doing vigilante patrols in Finland; an Al-Shabaab suspect's arrest in Kenya’s Coast province demonstrates their intent to continue attacking Kenya's tourism sector - which may also be continuing in Egypt; Da'esh is apparently trying to make a SAM system using an R-13 air-to-air missile. If they can overcome the technical challenges, the resulting system would still not be a significant threat to coalition aircraft or civilian airliners;
- with regard to refugees: an article on diversity, migration and the history of this in Europe; far rights groups in Germany are spreading false rumours about refugees on social media; a mass sexual assault on women has occurred in Germany. Reports indicate some of the perpetrators were refugees, which has led to debate and accusations of a cover up to avoid stoking anti-refugee hatred – see also here, here and here, where JK Rowling supports an African poet urging other men to support women. This will undoubtedly be a major and critical event: the only question is, for what outcome; the United Nations (UN) has appointed a Special Adviser on the Summit on Addressing Large Movements of Refugees and Migrants, to be held in the General Assembly in September 2016; This editorial in The Age of 4th January argues the Australian government has sacrificed the promotion of good governance in Papua New Guinea and Nauru in order to sustain its asylum seeker policy, at a cost to local populations and Australia's international reputation; an extremely disturbing allegation of child abuse on Nauru is being investigated; an opinion piece that the problems of refugees near Calais are solvable; a more nuanced examination asks why people are fleeing Eritrea now; refugee children on Nauru are being abused at schools;
- with regard to human rights and discrimination (including associated violence / crime): despite the European Union (EU) having made clear to Kazakhstan that advancement of relations to an Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement would depend on Kazakhstan making meaningful human rights improvements, the EU went ahead with negotiations despite Kazakhstan not doing so; inappropriate behaviour by politicians, who then committed an appalling attempt at revenge / intimidation - see also here and here; more abuse of women journalists in sport – see also here, here, here, here (which allegation has been strongly denied by the player, and has resulted in legal action by the player concerned against the paper for defamation), and here, and here, for an apt comment on the “non-apology” – which I have received many of in my life; a mass sexual assault on women has occurred in Germany. Reports indicate some of the perpetrators were possibly refugees, which has led to debate and accusations of a cover up to avoid stoking anti-refugee hatred – see also here, here and here, where JK Rowling supports an African poet urging other men to support women. This will undoubtedly be a major and critical event: the only question is, for what outcome; 570,000 Britons signed an online petition calling for Republican presidential candidate Trump to be banned from Britain for hate speech; The Gambia's government has banned its female employees from leaving their hair uncovered at work; more abuse of LGBTIQ air travellers by cretins in security; Germany’s actions to reduce gender inequality in boardrooms has had limited success so far; more illegal discrimination by public servants in the USA against LGBTIQ people; Australia has culpability with regard to wartime rapes by the Japanese; Israeli journalist Gideon Levy and Palestinian pastor Mitri Raheb have been awarded the 2015 Olof Palme human rights prize for their "fight against occupation and violence"; Mexico has welcomed Obama’s actions on gun control as a long overdue and needed measure; a good campaign on dowries in India;
- with regard to crime, judicial matters and policing: President Obama will take further action to address the problem of guns in the USA – see here for a review of gun control policies around the world; research has shown the effect of bias in the attitudes of white people – which is presented in the context of an acquittal of a white police officer who shot a black child; a newly elected mayor, who was one of many politicians backing Governor Graco Ramirez's proposals to remove power from local police, has been murdered by a drug cartel; Indian police are checking for anyone who uses ISIS or other selected tags on social media – which is yet another example of why that acronym was so discriminatory; dozens of top African police officials have met in Algiers to ratify legal documents related to the creation of Afripol, the pan-African law enforcement agency expected to begin operations next year; a call for improved whistleblower laws; a criticism of mandatory sentencing; US successes against slave labour traffickers; Ugandan activists have demanded action against corrupt police officers who have been selling drugs; an Islamic court in Nigeria’s north has sentenced a cleric to death for insulting the Prophet; the USA’s FBI will now specifically monitor animal cruelty cases; Victoria police believe 300 people throughout the state are at high risk of committing arson, and all of them are being tracked to protect the public and prevent devastating bushfires; scanning chairs in prison (whether these are good or bad depends on how they’re used; if the overuse of strip searches is reduced, this could [potentially be good); New York police will now monitor discriminatory surveillance, after settling two law suit;
- with regard to media and freedom of expression: an article on the journalists of Gaza; a source has claimed that the suspected abductions of five Hong Kong booksellers who specialised in salacious books about China’s Communist party elite are an attempt to stamp out a “smear campaign” against Chinese president Xi Jinping; the Asian College of Journalism has instituted awards for investigative journalism;
- with regard to overcrowding and “modern” lifestyle issues (is YOUR smart phone free of conflict minerals?): family psychologists and researchers have identified an increase in the number of cases of parents being abused by their kids, which they attribute to the sense of entitlement with which children grow up today; some suggestions for more responsible tourism (I would add green offsets for air flights – or better yet, avoid them when you can); an urban farm has had success; constant notifications via smartphones are a source of “toxic” stress; a call to stop being caught up in the judgement guilt trips of the dieting industry by choosing common sense goals;
- with regard to the conflict in Afghanistan (noting that Afghanistan was once a peaceful and modern society, even allowing women in miniskirts, before the Russian invasion – see here): an Indian consulate in northern Afghanistan was attacked; the UN Assistance Mission Afghanistan (UNAMA) has condemned a spate of bombings in civilian areas of Kabul by the Taliban since the beginning of 2016; a call for the Afghan government to include women negotiators in the forthcoming peace talks;
- with regard to China and East and South East Asia: a review of China’s recent military developments - and see also here and here, and this analysis of the limitations of China’s aircraft carriers, which suggest its submarines will be a greater focus; a French shipbuilding company has offered to help improve Indonesia’s submarines; China has escalated South China Seas tensions by landing a plane on one of its new military facilities, and Japan and Vietnam have protested recent Chinese actions; an earthquake has backed North Korea’s claim of having successfully tested a nuclear device of some sort – claimed to be a “miniaturised hydrogen bomb”, although that is doubted - which has raised concerns. The USA is looking to China to take a lead in resolving this, but here are some suggestions on what others can do; President Joko Widodo has confirmed that he will grant an amnesty to a former Aceh rebel commander who had surrendered the previous month, which is likely to reduce attacks against soldiers and plantations; opinion polls leading up to Taiwan's 16th January elections continue to show the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) — the opposition party that favours greater Taiwanese autonomy from China — with a sizable lead, and some in the international media are warning that a DPP victory could upend cross-Strait relations. However, the likely next president of Taiwan has distinguished herself in a field of charismatic competitors by relying on a calm, steady style combined with a methodical, people-focused approach to build the trust and support of the Taiwanese people, and she is unlikely to be the aggressive pro-independence force that many associate with the DPP;
- with regard to the conflict in Iraq (noting that Iraq was once a peaceful and prosperous society, before the USA / CIA backed revolution – see here): Da’esh has killed at least 12 members of the Iraqi security forces when several suicide attackers infiltrated a base near Tikrit; Da’esh has launched a large attack in western Iraq; the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Iraq has condemned the attacks against three Sunni mosques in Babylon Province and other acts of violence, which he said were an attempt to stoke sectarian tensions and recalled the Secretary-General’s appeal for calm and restraint following the execution of Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr;
- with regard to the Libyan civil war: continuing diplomatic efforts by the UN in support of the proposed Unity Government; an attack by Da’esh on a key oil facility in northern Libya was initially repelled, but has subsequently been continued;, and Da’esh now controls about 300 km of the Libyan coast, and has rounded up 150 men from one village, which now fears the commencement of mass executions; a review of the deepening collaboration of terrorists in Libya; the UN’s Libyan representative has spoken in favour of German troops training soldiers in Libya when conditions are more settled; scores have been killed in two bombings;
- with regard to Russia (see also Syria): a review of Russia’s new National Security Strategy;
- with regard to Sudan and South Sudan: South Sudan has deployed surface-to-air missiles;
- with regard to the conflict in Syria: chemical weapons are continuing to be used; after a two and a half year siege which reduced its population by 90%, the survivors still in the refugee camp of Yarmouk are eating stray animals and animal food to survive – but the UN has declared it no longer under siege: will they finally get adequate aid, then?; The besieged town of Madaya is heading towards a similarly dire situation, at the expense of Hezbollah’s standing, although the Syrian Government has now said it will now allow humanitarian aid in; Saudi Arabia’s recent mass executions have probably also killed the negotiations for peace in Syria and Yemen; the UN Special Envoy for Syria has met in Riyadh with the Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia and the High Negotiation Commission of the Revolutionary Forces and the Syrian Opposition; the Obama administration sees Assad being in power until March, 2017;
- with regard to Turkey: a review of Turkey’s “lengthy history of conducting covert and clandestine operations in neighbouring countries”; a Turkish court has sentenced a co-mayor of a major city in the Kurdish-majority southeast to 15 years in jail on charges of membership of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK); the PKK’s war lacks support amongst the Kurdish population;
- with regard to the conflicts in Ukraine, particularly in the east: some suggestions on actions to assist in managing and possibly resolving this war;
- with regard to the war in Yemen: Al-Qaeda has stoned a woman to death for adultery; Saudi Arabia’s recent mass executions have probably also killed the negotiations for peace in Syria and Yemen; many Yemenis have sold any weapons they have to militias for high prices; the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said that the ongoing armed conflict in Yemen continues to take a terrible toll on civilians, with at least 81 civilians reportedly killed and 109 injured in December; pro-Government forces have captured a key port being used to rearm / resupply the Houthis;
- with regard to natural and other catastrophes: at least 9 people have been killed and 120 injured by an earthquake in northeast India; a malaria outbreak in South Sudan; the flooding that recently has affected four South American countries has underscored the need for an integrated approach to addressing the causes and effects of climate change; a bushfire in Western Australia may have destroyed a town; fires and floods in my home state of Victoria, and the ephemeral Lake Eyre now has some water;
- the High Commissioner for Human Rights has urged the Thai Government to take decisive and sustained efforts to investigate the whereabouts of at least 82 people listed as disappeared, and called on the Government to criminalise enforced disappearance in its legislation, in line with international standards;
From other sites (note that
articles from these sites may have already been provided):
- 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 … :) ) also has:
- the Political Violence at a Glance blog has: a thoughtful critique on the (in)adequacy of winning ground combat;
- the Middle East Eye also has:
the Israeli violent extremist group responsible for the murder of a Palestinian family (two of the extremists have been charged) want a king, rather than democracy – which exactly the sort of stupidity that has plagued Thailand in recent years; more violence in the region – see here, and here; an interesting article by the former UN Special Rapporteur for Occupied Palestine on who should represent the Palestinians; the UN’s Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in the Palestinian Territories has resigned as Israeli authorities had failed to grant him access to Palestinian areas for years; the homes of Palestinians suspected of committing stabbing attacks have been destroyed; the Israeli army has launched an attack on south Lebanon in response to an explosive device planted by Hezbollah; a flight was delayed because Israeli passengers arbitrarily declared some Palestinian passengers a security risk – which is disputed by security personnel; concerns about Israel’s investigations of the Duma killers; Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been accused of exploiting a shooting attack in Tel Aviv on New Year’s Day to intensify a campaign of incitement against the country’s large minority of Palestinian citizens;
the rise of solo activists in Egypt;
a review of the vexed issues of increasing sanctions against Iran; the nuclear deal between Iran and the “5 powers” is days away from implementation - once the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has verified that Iran has shipped its nuclear materials to Russia, the US will begin lifting sanctions;
Saudi Arabia's execution of a prominent Shiite cleric and 46 other men has prompted outrage in parts of West Asia / the Middle East – see also here, here, here, here, here, here, here, which gives a chilling insight to the extension of the Saudi Arabian definition of terrorism to include those who commit “thoughtcrimes” against the ruling family, and here, which shows that Saudi Arabia anticipated the backlash to its actions, here, for a call for Saudi Arabia to be removed as chair of the UN’s Human Rights Council and here, which examines the USA’s response and an allegation that the nuclear deal with Iran started this crisis – and here, and here and here, here, here, here (which has some good comments on the history between the two nations), here (Iraq has offered to mediate), and here, which points that Iran executes more people (and more brutally – by slow asphyxiation), and here, for the fallout from this rift in Africa; Saudi Arabia’s recent mass executions have probably also killed the negotiations for peace in Syria and Yemen; other Arab states are appearing to act as puppet states and join Saudi Arabia’s actions against Iran; a report by the Campaign Against Arms Trade says the United Kingdom has sold arms to 24 of the 27 states that it considers to be “countries of humanitarian concern”;
abuses in Bahrain are continuing;
claims that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) threatened to pull out of lucrative arms and energy deals with the UK unless it clamped down on the Muslim Brotherhood, “according to internal briefing documents” – this would be consistent with the thuggish approach the UAE has been taking elsewhere;
Tunisia’s Prime Minister has made major changes to the Cabinet; - Also on West Asia / the Middle East:
the Secretary-General condemned an attack against two vehicles of the Israel Defense Forces in southern Lebanon, expressed concern at the retaliatory strikes and called on all parties to maintain the cessation of hostilities and to ensure full respect for Security Council resolution 1701; - The Hindu also has:
a call for a National Security Doctrine, anchored in the Constitution; an analysis of India’s foreign policy shift from non-alignment to multi-alignment; an ethics investigation has been launched into an Indian MP’s compliance with citizenship rules; the Supreme Court is pushing for protection of whistleblowers; a call for better use of infrastructure budgets;
controversy over a paper on Lord Shiva as an environmentalist – which I find strange, as my Paganism is a key part of my environmentalism;
a review of the divisions in Nepal over the Constitution;
the Sri Lankan government claims to be taking initial steps towards “ensuring human rights and freedom” for all Sri Lankans, and have announced that consultations will commence next week on the design of a domestic mechanism to investigate allegations of human rights violations; an opinion piece states that Sri Lanka must recover a Westminster-style parliamentary system and have safeguards for minorities; Sri Lanka and Pakistan have extended their free trade agreement;
Pakistan has arrested 42 Da’esh supporters; - Also on the Indian sub-continent:
at least seven people are dead after gunmen launched an attack on an Indian air force base near the Pakistan border, which stretched into a second and then a third night, with Pakistan now helping to follow up leads. There has been criticism over the failure to use local resources in the fight – and see also here. See here for a critique of Pakistan’s history of failure to act against terrorists, including the perpetrators of this attack, and some suggestions for the USA on this problem; the need to reform India’s archaic anti-LGBT laws and cultures; - the Africa Center for Strategic Studies also has:
a call for increased use of mediation;
Johnnie Carson, former assistant secretary of state for Africa, has proposed actions on Africa in 2016 for US President Obama;
Ivory Coast's government resigned on Wednesday after President Alassane Ouattara vowed to bring more "efficiency" to the West African state;
Ugandan opposition parties have dismissed claims by the government that some presidential elections candidates had created militia groups ahead of the forthcoming polls as propaganda – see also here;
the African Union (AU) is considering sanctions after the Burundi government refused to allow the deployment of 5,000 peacekeeping troops, leading to doubts over the continuance of the intra-Burundi dialogue and the possibility of Burundi being suspended from the AU; Burundian refugees prefer the squalor of a camp in Tanzania to returning home; more violence has occurred in Burundi; an assessment of what could happen next in the quest for peace in Burundi – and fears of civil war as a general pleads guilty to a coup attempt; somewhat confusingly, the Burundian ruling party has called for close cooperation between the Ugandan facilitation in the Burundian peace talks and the National Inter-Burundian dialogue Commission (CNDI);
the Democratic Republic of Congo’s president has granted an amnesty for prisoners convicted of belonging to a banned movement and over age 70, with some exceptions, and reiterated his call for a national political dialogue; the DR Congo’s main opposition parties may boycott the coming elections;
concerns about Boko Haram, which has killed 7 people in an attack, remain high in Nigeria;, and detention conditions in Cameroon's prisons are worsening as thousands of people suspected to have links with Boko Haram are thrown in jail; the IMF wants to help Nigeria deal with corruption, as a call is made to diversify its economy away from oil and the problems of a wealth gap become apparent; Sharia courts in northern Nigeria have sentenced 10 people to hanging;
al-Shabaab has captured a village in southern Somalia;
at least 150 people have been killed in an ongoing deadly crackdown against protests in Ethiopia;
a more nuanced examination asks why people are fleeing Eritrea now;
an article suggesting that Algeria, which has ordered a dozen Russian jet fighter-bombers, is considered to be a “symbolic” target for Da’esh;
the UN may further reduce peacekeeping troops in the Democratic Republic of Congo, as Germany approves more troops for Mali; - Also on Africa:
the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Cote d’Ivoire has welcomed the presidential pardon granted to more than 3,000 people detained since the 2010-2011 Civil War, and encouraged all political actors to continue working for the strengthening of social cohesion and national reconciliation; the World Food Programme (WFP) has reported that humanitarian needs in Ethiopia have tripled since the beginning of 2015 – 10 million people now need humanitarian assistance - as severe drought in some regions, exacerbated by the strongest El Niño in decades, caused successive harvest failures and widespread livestock deaths, but less than 5% of the resources required are available; South African president Jacob Zuma has received the final report of a commission created to investigate claims of impropriety (bribes) surrounding a 1998 series of deals to purchase a wide range of military equipment; refugees in Algeria are struggling for acceptance; the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) is investigating new allegations concerning sexual exploitation and abuse and other misconduct by UN Peacekeepers in Bangui. MINUSCA has also reported that the Special Representative of the Secretary-General has met with 28 of the 30 presidential candidates to stress the need for the electoral process to continue, and the candidates committed themselves to channelling election-related complaints through the Constitutional Court, as provided for in the Electoral Code as well as the Code of Good Conduct; racism appears to be resurging in South Africa; Uganda’s rail service may be improving; the AU has organised a conference of the Pan-African Network of the Wise (PanWise) under the theme of “Silencing Guns by 2020”; - Spiegel International also has: the UK is considering leaving the European Union;
and from a range of other sites:
- an opinion piece claiming an adjustment to the “stolen wealth theory”, which is that the West got rich at the expense of colonised nations: whilst massive damage certainly was done, the author claims that some European nations got rich without building Empires, and thus the wealth from the invaded nations was not key – which I consider a simplification, as the effect of the capital injection and boost to economic activity at key times from empire building and aggressive overseas forays may have been crucial;
- according to a scientific study, being wealthy is bad for one’s character (as currently being exemplified by Donald Trump?);
- a long-lasting outcome – collateral damage, perhaps - from one war;
- the first land-based element of the NATO's ballistic missile defence (BMD) system in Europe was officially inaugurated in Romania in mid-December;
- the views of homeless people on a recent order by the Governor of a US State to compel homeless people to go to shelters, and other approaches;
- a Brazilian highway which the military wanted to use to colonise the Amazon has been revived by soy exporters at the expense of problems such as deforestation and land tenure problems, and is fuelling new social conflicts. Also, members of one of Brazil’s most persecuted tribes have been kidnapped by the ranchers who occupy their land, who have also attacked their community and forced women and children to flee;
- development can kill tribal people – letting them keep land and autonomy is the most important thing for their well-being;
- for 91% of the time since gaining independence the USA has been at war – although the 1.2 million deaths during those wars in the last 239 years are outweighed by the 1.4 million deaths in murders, suicides and other gun-related incidents in just the past 47 years;
Regular sources include the Daily Briefings
of the United
Nations, Human Rights Watch, the Global Centre
for the Responsibility to Protect, “War
on the Rocks”, the Early
Warning Project blog, the Justice in Conflict blog, the Political Violence at a Glance blog, the Institute for War and Peace Reporting, the International Crisis Group, the Middle East Eye, The Hindu, the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, the BBC, Spiegel International, The Conversation, John Menadue’s blog, Wikipedia’s current events portal,
Wendell Williams’ blog, George Monbiot’s website, the Campaign Against Arms Trade, the “Cure
Violence” blog, and others.
[1] BPM = Balanced Positive (spiritually) Mature. See here and here for more on this.
[2] Please see here, 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
(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.
The real dividing line is not between
Christianity and Islam, Sunni and Shia, East and West. It is between people who
believe in coexistence, and those who don’t.
- If your “gut” (your instinct/intuition) is telling you something is wrong, but logic and the available evidence is saying otherwise, the proper conclusion to draw is that you need better, more personally credible evidence. Your “gut” could be wrong, right, or missing the nuances / “shades of grey” . So could the available evidence.
- All of the above - and this blog - could be wrong, or subject to context, perspective, or state of spiritual evolution ...
Tags: activism, discrimination, energy work, magick, meditation,
nonviolence, peace, society, violence, war,
First published: Laugardagr, 9th January, 2016
Last edited (excluding fixing typo's
and other minor matters): Saturday, 9th January, 2016
