Post No. 813 – 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. (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 psychic / metaphysical / spiritual 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 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)   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 the Fire of BPM courage, the Air of intelligent thought, and Æther of forbearance;

(d)   addiction to power, and the fear and insecurity that often underlay that, are continuing problems. The cure is balance, patience and resulting forbearance;

(e)   courage should be honoured – especially the courage of those who seek to make the world a more BPM place, and have done so for millennia: long may they be helped to be brave, and given the protection, succour and reward that is their due;

(f)   likewise for intelligent (which is not the same thing as intellectual, or rational, or atheistic) thought;

(g)   truth is a multi-faceted jewel, and communication is inherently emotional, no matter how “rationally” or dispassionately it is presented. On the other hand, denial and cover-ups –as with discrimination in all its many and varied forms - can never be viewed as anything but an affront to all involved, including those perpetrating it. An addiction to systemic rules can likewise be an affront – and a matter to be dealt with as mentioned above;

(h)   valid BPM improvements should be acknowledged and given their due reward;

Specific energy related suggestions are also provided below, in the Section discussing R2P recommendations for South Sudan : From an energetic point of view, the nation of South Sudan needs to call on Yemaya and similar Goddesses to bring perspective to the hearts and minds of all involved in decision making.

I also take this opportunity to repeat that it is absolutely VITAL that this psychic / metaphysical / spiritual 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, and may they have all the BPM opportunities and assistance (so-called “good luck”) for them to be BPM effective at influencing the world’s direction, development and unfoldment, all as is for the Highest Spiritual Good;
• permanent issue: may all humans recognise, irrespective of the appearance of difference, the essential shared humanness of other people, the inherent resilience, the dynamic power, the strength of BPM collaboration, and the opportunities of having a diverse, inclusive and welcoming population, and may all people choose fairness, when such decisions are before them;
• permanent issue: may all humans choose to live modestly – to forgo outdoing others, or trying to have more than they need - for the sake of an easier, more manageable life, if they cannot do it for the sake of the planet;
• with regard to democracy, freedom and governance:   Papua New Guinea’s attempt to buy shares in Bougainville’s copper mining company has raised ethical questions;   Thailand’s anti-corruption commission’s dismissal of malfeasance charges against former senior officials for their role in the violent 2010 crackdown on “Red Shirt” protesters is a serious setback for accountability in that nation, according to Human Rights Watch;   if Britons vote to leave the European Union at a membership referendum due by the end of 2017, the government will have to make it work, Prime Minister David Cameron has said;   Niger has completed changes to its electoral register recommended by the International Organization of the Francophonie, removing a major source of tension ahead of elections next month;   Nigeria's anti-graft agency has arrested a former political associate of President Muhammadu Buhari as part of an ongoing corruption probe into allegedly bogus arms deals;   the United Kingdom, the Democratic Republic of Congo 's second largest development partner, has questioned how the government is spending money - for instance, in 2014, the last year for which there are figures, the government spent almost as much on parliament as it did on the country's entire health sector. The nation does, however, appear to have made progress on justice issues;   Venezuela's Supreme Court has ruled all actions of the opposition-held National Assembly are void until three banned members are removed from office;   a criticism of democracy as it currently is in the USA;   Queensland’s Premier will now earn more than the Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom, Canada and India;   for the first time, the European Commission has threatened to activate the 2014 rule of law mechanism allowing it to monitor and act on “systemic threats” to rule of law in EU member states, because of the new Polish government’s moves to undermine judicial independence and media freedom - but needs to take similarly robust action in the case of Hungary - see also here;   the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Côte d’Ivoire briefed the Security Council and said that the peaceful conclusion of the presidential elections provided the people of Côte d’Ivoire with the opportunity to start a new chapter in their country’s history and consolidate the achievement towards long-term stability;   the UN Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) reports that the final provisional results for the legislative elections were announced yesterday by the Autorité Nationale des Elections (ANE), with 21 candidates, including three women, being elected by an absolute majority during the first round. A second round of the legislative elections will be held in 113 constituencies;   Algeria’s new constitution has made only minor concessions to increased transparency;   after huge anti-corruption demonstrations that led to the prosecution of a former president and vice-president, Guatemala has a new President;   the US Congress is attempting to interfere with governance of the other nations (China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and Germany) who made the nuclear deal with Iran;   a Pakistani-born member of the New South Wales parliament has been detained and aggressively questioned at a US airport after immigration officials questioned how she was granted an Australian passport and where she was “originally from”, in an apparent case of racial profiling;   I watched a documentary about some of the convicts shipped to Australia 200 hundred years ago (which, incidentally, include a couple of my forebears, from Ireland, who were transported for stopping English soldiers raping their mother – one of whom was later instrumental in capturing a bushranger), and found some were people fighting for what we would consider freedom, these days, including Chartists. I am also reading ”Archduke Franz Ferdinand Lives! A World Without World War I”, by academic Richard Ned Lebow, which examines the range of possibilities for what the world would have been like if – as I term it – World War Part One had been avoided (which the book makes clear was quite feasible), and, based on what I learned about people such as the aforementioned Chartists, and already knew about the fight for workers’ rights in Australia, and human rights generally (for instance, see here, here, here, and here and here), I think his “negative” outcome is unnecessarily negative about how much more slowly inclusivity and human rights would have been achieved if World War Part One did not occur, although it would possibly have been slower: don't forget that the people who died in and of that war included many talented and capable people, and their potential to contribute to a better world has not been, in my view, properly allowed for (added 30th Jan., 2016). (I also think India would have achieved independence, and that the book also needed to examine population growth – specifically, how this would have impacted the Green Revolution.); 
• 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):   the USA will form a task force to fight the use of social media and online propaganda by violent extremists;  some Ghanaians are afraid of or even outraged at accepting detainees from Camp X-Ray at Guantanamo Bay, but others are not;   the US government will give Nigeria 24 mine-resistant, armour-protected vehicles to assist in its fight against Boko Haram;   a French woman who apparently went to join Da’esh and then escaped when she realised the mistake she had made has published a book on her experiences;   “the best approach to combating terrorism is to not terrorise ourselves”;   US President Obama has direct media attention a comparison of terrorism and gun-related deaths in the USA;   the US State Department has warned of the dangers of “anti-Muslim rhetoric on the US campaign trail”;   a US-led coalition airstrike has destroyed a cash distribution site used by Islamic State militants in Iraq and, it is claimed, “millions” of dollars;   a whistleblower says bulk data collection overwhelms analysts;   a possibility that terrorist groups may unite under the banner of Da’esh in the Philippines (which is to be opposed by the usual (psychic) clearing of nonBPM units and (psychic) strengthening of BPM units);   panic in a town when telephone line repairers were mistaken for terrorists;   British Muslim groups have warned that the British government is jeopardising the country's security by undermining efforts within Muslim communities to address the threat of violent Islamic extremism;   at least 6 people have been killed by grenades and gunfire in Indonesia’s capital – see also here and here, which gives the silver lining;   an assessment of the conflict between Da’esh and al Qaeda (divide and conquer?);   hundreds of extra armed officers are to be trained to help counter the threat of a terrorist attack in London;   the Ugandan based Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) have abducted dozens during two weekend raids in a remote diamond-producing area of Central African Republic;   9 people were injured when terrorists exploded an improvised explosive device (IED) in India's Meghalaya state;   al-Shabaab in Somalia is splintering, but that means some of the terrorists are going to Da’esh;   a Pakistani-born member of the New South Wales parliament has been detained and aggressively questioned at a US airport after immigration officials questioned how she was granted an Australian passport and where she was “originally from”, in an apparent case of racial profiling;
• with regard to refugees:   German Chancellor Angela Merkel will deport migrants who commit crimes, as 9 men have been arrested over the recent mass sexual assaults on women (leaving several hundred to go);   a preliminary report into the mass sexual assaults on women in Cologne has confirmed that most suspects are "of foreign origin", and criticises the police for "serious mistakes" in handling the situation, as women point out that the problem of sexual assault is far more widespread in Germany and women have been ignored on that for too long – see also here and here;   a call for discussion on the shocking events in Cologne (the current “silence is not a conspiracy; it's a collective paralysis in the face of the unspeakable”), as those who want to exploit this story for their preferred agendas won't be so reluctant;   a call for Lebanon to stop forcible returns of refugees to Syria - without even checking their risks;   the UN Under Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator has allocated US$31 million from the UN’s Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to provide urgent food, drinking water, shelter, health care, protection and education for about 1.7 million people, among the 2.7 million people affected by Boko Haram-related violence in the Lake Chad Basin region;   Malawi is receiving hundreds of refugees from violence in Mozambique;   because refugee camps are lasting for longer than intended, the need for autonomy and some local integration;   an article on integration of refugees;   a call for the Greek government to take formal steps to limit overly broad police stop-and-search powers;   Turkey will fallow Syrian refugees to work;   welfare workers deported from Nauru are demanding an apology from the Government following another official report finding there was no basis for their removal from the island;
• with regard to human rights and discrimination (including associated violence / crime):   a disability advocate has demanded an end to 'slacktivism' and 'inspiration porn' (I’m not on facebook, so I was staggered by parts of this article –are people really claiming things like one prayer per click??!What’s wrong with contacting your local MP?);   9 men have been arrested over the recent mass sexual assaults on women (leaving several hundred to go);   a preliminary report into the mass sexual assaults on women in Cologne has confirmed that most suspects are "of foreign origin", and criticises the police for "serious mistakes" in handling the situation, as women point out that the problem of sexual assault is far more widespread in Germany and women have been ignored on that for too long – see also here and here;   a call for discussion on the shocking events in Cologne (the current “silence is not a conspiracy; it's a collective paralysis in the face of the unspeakable”), as those who want to exploit this story for their preferred agendas won't be so reluctant;   the Court of Appeal has slashed the sentence of a man who set fire to his pregnant partner;   a man has been charged after critically injuring a woman in a one punch assault;   a TV presenter has forced himself into the personal space of a female colleague;   a review of the actions of the suffragettes;   Latin America is the deadliest region for those defending land rights, the environment and the rights of LGBTI and Indigenous people;   the Philippine government has cut services for poorer women;   more women are joining rural firefighters;   a call for the Thai government to immediately act to end enforced disappearances, including making enforced disappearance a criminal offense and taking serious steps to bring those responsible for this human rights violation to justice;   Russia is indulging in more anti-LGBT abuse - which will inevitably harm children;   30,000 Australians have signed a petition to save a toddler from the evil, barbaric torture of female genital mutilation (I used to work for a [white male] psychopath who once tried to claim such abuse was culturally acceptable) – see also here;   further evidence of the presence of rape culture is blaming the parents of victims of sexual assault;   a response to a ***head asking an activist not to be political;   commencement of operations at Brazil’s giant Belo Monte dam could be held up following a court judgement that operators have yet to provide adequate support to indigenous groups affected by the dam;   banning it does not stop abortion: it just makes it more dangerous. In fact, abortion rates are lower when women have more reproductive choice, which shifts the blame to the religious right;
• with regard to crime, judicial matters and policing:   Guinea-Bissau is seeking to end its role in the illegal drugs industry – with some success, thanks to US and UN counter-narcotic policies - but the nation still bears the scars and remains dogged by the same poverty and institutional weaknesses that allowed the drugs industry to take hold in the first place;   a review of which legal measures best reduce public violence associated with alcohol - see also here;   the situation of African-Americans in US police forces;   criticism of Thai police by a family member – who has received death threats - of a recently murdered tourist;   a former national police chief in China has been jailed for 15 years for corruption;   a senior police officer in Papua New Guinea has used social media to combat sorcery-related violence by appearing with an alleged victim to demonstrate that he is alive and well;   a growing number of Australian teenage girls are risking serious injury by getting involved in public brawls – organised using social media;   an article on the motivations of arsonists;   a former Qatari Prime Minister has claimed that he has diplomatic immunity and should not face prosecution over allegations he had a rival imprisoned and tortured;   a call for the Greek government to take formal steps to limit overly broad police stop-and-search powers;   even as political parties continue to blame one another over the violence in West Bengal’s Malda district, the district administration has begun a drive to destroy the extensive poppy cultivation in the district;   an article on mafia in Australia;   an (interesting) article on the mafia hunting police of Sicily (I have an uncle who used to be in the water police in Queensland [he left after a corruption enquiry failed to get the bent coppers], and these sorts of stories, showing the good side of police – as he could do – interest me; police are abusing their powers, on the other hand, anger me, and I consider those people, in addition to the inherent evil they are doing, are letting every other police officer down);   two police have been charged with assault, and there is a suggestion they may have tampered with evidence;   increasing transparency over handling of police infractions and alleged infractions in the USA;   a good examination of police numbers and crime rates;   a former boxer has been charged (he is not guilty, at this stage, mind you: guilt is ONLY determined in court) with intimidating police;   cyber bullying of government workers has become extreme and vendetta like;   I consider the action of the sporting bodies concerned here raises questions about their fairness;   a good article on the issues around a court case where victims of terrorists are taking legal action against Twitter;   Swedish prosecutors will be allowed to question the WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange, at the Ecuadorean embassy in London “as long as the sovereignty of the Ecuadoran state and the laws in the constitution are respected”;   two former gang members, who have adopted Cure Violence’s principles, have stopped a long running gang violence problem in North Bronx;
• with regard to media and freedom of expression:   two prominent Syrian media activists were abducted and held for 12 hours by “militants” from al-Qaeda's Syrian affiliate al-Nusra, and their offices ransacked;   Finland’s need to continue to maintain press freedom, despite its recent good record (apparently Sweden abolished censorship and guaranteed freedom of the press in 1766);   Ugandan government and ruling party officials are intimidating and threatening journalists and activists in an effort to limit criticism of the government, raising concerns about the fairness of the coming elections;   Saudi Arabia’s sustained assaults on freedom of expression;   a Burundian journalist has won a French journalism prize;   the raid by a Pakistani paramilitary force on a journalist’s house is just the latest attempt by Pakistan’s security agencies to intimidate journalists who criticize the government and military;
• with regard to overcrowding and “modern” lifestyle issues (is YOUR smart phone free of conflict  minerals? I was recently pleasantly to find IT manufacturers now making at least some effort in this regard):   an article on the e-waste graveyards in India where the West’s e-waste winds up;   some health warnings on lead in Australia are incorrect - see this article, on the risks of lead shot for indigenous hunters;   hundreds of children have been left in hot cars – at risk of injury or death;   a Thai group is giving freed slaves money to give them a chance to make their own choices again;   interesting comments about “minding the gap”;   over the last 7 years Intel has been actively seeking to eliminate its use of conflict minerals;   there has been an unusually extreme mass death of Alaskan birds from starvation, which may be due to climate change;   this article shows why I keep my cats indoors;   a road rage attack;   the dangers of relying on modelling (which is an issue that cropped up in my day job just this week);   an innovative energy project in Chile will combine a pumped-storage hydroelectric plant operating on seawater and a solar plant to provide a steady supply of clean energy to a fishing village in the Atacama Desert, the world’s driest;
• with regard to education:   an article on how to retain teachers;   the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has said that in 22 countries affected by conflict in the world, nearly 24 million children – one in four children in conflict zones – are not receiving an education;
• 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):   delegates from Afghanistan, Pakistan, China and the United States have held talks to resurrect a stalled Afghan peace process - see also here;   a call for the Afghan government to quickly remedy its missed deadline to produce a plan to include women in the peace process;   an article on chaos and confusion in Helmand province, in Afghanistan;   terrorist attacks have occurred in Afghanistan (I am considering NOT identifying the organisations responsible in news reports, to cut down on their publicity: those who need to know who did this already do: most times, what is significant in terms of this blog is that an act of appalling violence occurred at location X, where the people will need help and the perpetrators – whoever they claim to be – need restraining and help to change. If I do adopt this, in some cases, I will continue to identify organisations, where there is a need to do so);
• with regard to China and East and South East Asia:   claims that South Korea’s loudspeaker broadcasts into North Korea are pushing it to the brink of war (note that the last such incident resulted in artillery fire across the border, but not war), as the USA flies a B-52 bomber over South Korea and considers sending more strategic weapons there, experts say existing sanctions against North Korea are not being enforced – see also here, and a former US negotiator warns not to have a “comic book” image of North Koreans (I can vouch for that, as some of my colleagues have worked on sewerage projects there, and the local people do know their stuff, which is something I found when working on infrastructure projects in China in the 1990s);   an opinion piece arguing that North Korea’s bluster (including the nuclear tests) is about controlling – or, at the very least, distracting – the North Korean populace – see also here;   claims that North Korea’s nuclear test was “expected”, and is consistent with their actions to stress survival as a nation (security) - see also here;   South Korea on Wednesday fired 20 machine gun warning shots after a North Korean drone briefly crossed the rivals’ border;   China has formally charged at least five human rights lawyers and colleagues held in secret for six months after a sweeping crackdown on legal activism;   a former national police chief in China has been jailed for 15 years for corruption;   China has escalated persecution of workers rights activists;
• 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):   hundreds of families are fleeing hunger and Da’esh’s rule in the Iraqi city of Hawijah and surrounding areas;   3 major attacks kill 43 as Da’esh digs in (which is not entirely surprising, given the group’s founders’ connections to Iraq);   there has been a violent backlash to the latest suicide bombings;   the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Iraq has condemned the bombing of six mosques in Muqdadiya in Diyala Province, appealing to all sides to refrain from being drawn into a cycle of reprisals by these outrageous acts which aim to drive a wedge between the various components of Iraqi society, and he attacks on the Baghdad shopping mall and a car bombing, which claimed a number of lives and left many injured;   Kurdish and Shia Turkmen armed groups have repeatedly killed, wounded, and abducted civilians and destroyed scores, if not hundreds, of homes and shops, in clashes in Iraq’s Tuz Khurmatu district, in Salah al-Din province, since October 2015;
• with regard to the Libyan civil war:   Da’esh’s use of propaganda (but see also here);   a power station in Benghazi has been shelled;
• with regard to Russia (see also Syria):   NATO’s supreme allied commander has said that for too long, the United States has “hugged the bear” of Russia, but now needs to get tough with more US troops to Europe and more “high end” training to prepare American forces for a potential battle against the former cold war foe;
• with regard to Sudan and South Sudan:   South Sudanese parties to the recently signed peace agreement have successfully concluded selection of ministries without disagreement on key ministries, dispelling fears and speculations that the parties may not reach consensus;   a transitional government will be formed on 22^nd January;   the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) reports that a fire has destroyed the shelters of about 1,000 people and killed one and injured 8 at a protection-of-civilians site in Malakal in Upper Nile State. The cause of the fire is currently being investigated;   the African Union-United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) says it is concerned about the continued tension in El Geneina town and around Mouli village, which developed after an unidentified armed group attacked Mouli village, displacing a large number of inhabitants to El Geneina, with continuous unrest and sporadic firing in both towns leading to an undetermined number of casualties. UNAMID called on the government authorities to exert the utmost efforts to contain the situation and investigate the incidents;
• with regard to the conflict in Syria:   a recently formed secular Kurdish-Arab alliance has demanded that the United Nations give it a seat at the table in upcoming Syria peace talks in Geneva;   two prominent Syrian media activists were abducted and held for 12 hours by “militants” from al-Qaeda's Syrian affiliate al-Nusra, and their offices ransacked;   Russian air strikes on an Al-Qaeda run prison in Syria have killed nearly 60 people, including detainees;   the UN says the suffering in Madaya is the worst seen in Syria during the civil war;   growing religious tensions in Syria;
• with regard to Turkey:   12 youths have been killed following a raid on a house in the eastern Turkish city of Van, which a local politician has described as a “mass execution” – see also here;   at least 10people have been killed by a terrorist bomb in Istanbul – see here for an analysis of this in terms of its contribution to the international pressure on Turkey;   Turkey's anti-terror police have raided the district offices of the main opposition pro-Kurdish party in Istanbul;   a suggestion that Turkey is struggling in its multi-front fight against terror;   Turkey will allow Syrian refugees to work;   Turkish security services have launched an investigation into more than 1,000 academics who signed a petition condemning the state's actions in the southeast of the country;
• with regard to the conflicts in Ukraine, particularly in the east:   suggestions that the war may be ended this year;
• with regard to the war in Yemen:   a report on Houthi abuses in Sana’a, the nation’s capital;   a missile has hit a hospital, killing 3 and wounding 10;   one of the consequences of the civil war in Yemen is that courts are often closed by a new occupier, leading to vigilante violence;   Yemen’s Houthis unlawfully endangered a school for blind students in Sanaa by basing militia forces in the facility’s compound;   the Saudi-led coalition has dropped humanitarian supplies to besieged Taizz;   Saudi Arabia has denied using cluster bombs in Yemen’s capital;   the West has been accused of hypocrisy over the sale of arms to Saudi Arabia;
• with regard to natural and other catastrophes:   an article on the starvation in East Africa – and see for a criticism of aid to Ethiopia that ignored human rights abuses;   hay bales have been delivered to drought affected farmers in Queensland;   a massive underground faultline that ruptured last year, causing a killer earthquake in Nepal, is still under tremendous strain underneath Kathmandu, which means another massive earthquake could occur;

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

• Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson addressed a side event this morning at the General Assembly on Ethics for Development, and said that the fundamental principles that underpin the Sustainable Development Goals are interdependence, universality and solidarity, and should be implemented by all segments of society working together - no one must be left behind and people who are hardest to reach should be given priority;

From other sites (note that articles from these sites may have already been provided):

• Human Rights Watch also has:   a call for Armenia to release an opposition activist;   “generally peaceful” protects in Ethiopia over a fear that expansion of the capital will displace farmers have been met with violence that has killed 140, and now a senior and respected opposition politician has been arrested;
• the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) also has:
   - an occasional report, aiming to give background, offer analysis, track international response and suggest necessary action, for five nations in immediate crisis (“mass atrocities are occurring and urgent action is needed”: Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Sudan, Lake Chad Basin, and Burma), one nation at imminent risk (“the situation is reaching a critical threshold and the risk of mass atrocity crimes occurring in the immediate future is very high if effective preventive action is not taken”: Burundi, South Sudan and the Central African Republic), and five nations for which there is serious concern (“significant risk of occurrence, or recurrence, of mass atrocity crimes within the foreseeable future if effective action is not taken”: Democratic Republic of Congo, Libya);
     Recommended actions from the occasional report for the nation of South Sudan, where, despite a recent peace deal, civilians in South Sudan remain at imminent risk of mass atrocity crimes and the ongoing fighting reveals a lack of commitment to a political solution (I will work through other nations from the report in coming weeks) are:
      - after almost two years of civil war, the government and rebels must end armed hostilities and fully implement all provisions of the peace agreement. The United Nations (UN) Security Council and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) should immediately impose targeted sanctions against all political and military leaders deemed responsible for violating the agreement;
      - the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) must robustly implement its civilian protection mandate. The international community should continue to enhance UNMISS' capabilities through the provision of additional aviation assets, including tactical military helicopters and unarmed unmanned aerial systems. The government must ensure that UNMISS has the ability to move freely to all parts of the nation without threats to its personnel;
      - the African Union (AU) should expeditiously establish the Hybrid Court for South Sudan (HCSS), and ensure it has the resources necessary to investigate and prosecute individuals responsible for mass atrocities committed since December 2013. UNMISS' Human Rights Division must continue its investigations into violations of international humanitarian law, and international human rights law, and publish its findings;
      - the government must hold all perpetrators of atrocities accountable, regardless of affiliation or position, and initiate a comprehensive strategy aimed at ethnic and political reconciliation and strengthening the peace process;
      - From an energetic point of view, the nation of South Sudan needs to call on Yemaya and similar Goddesses to bring perspective to the hearts and minds of all involved in 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 … :) ) also has:   living with the fallacy of information superiority;   a call for better transparency and counter-messaging around campaigns to kill terrorist propagandists;
• the Early Warning Project blog has:   an assessment of the likelihood of mass killings in particular nations during 2016;
• the Justice in Conflict blog has:   an article on the case for a permanent tribunal on mass killings (I actually consider this to be fairly self-evident);
• the Political Violence at a Glance blog has:   a thoughtful critique on the (in)adequacy of winning ground combat;   an article on the fear someone who experienced Hitler’s Germany has at the prospect of Trump being elected;
• the International Crisis Group has:   to help Tajikistan deal with its problems, which include violence, lack of accountability, corruption, mass migration, crime and discrimination, a call for Russia, the European Union (EU) and the USA to support efforts to increase regional border security, the EU and USA to highlight the strong link between political oppression and human rights abuses and longer-term instability, and Russia, the UN, the USA, Iran and others who helped engineer the 1997 agreement, to urge Tajikistan's leader to honour its principles in the interest of sustainable stability;
• the Middle East Eye also has:
     an analysis of the impact of tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran on the region, particularly Lebanon – including an assessment that the Saudi government is unlikely to fall from current events;   an opinion piece that the dispute between Saudi Arabia and Iran disputes that it is not as sectarian as made out – disputes over oil pricing and the need to distract domestic populations are also key;   the balance of influence may be shifting away from Saudi Arabia towards Iran;   an intelligence building in eastern Saudi Arabia has been firebombed;   human rights activist Samar Badawi has joined her husband and brother in prison after being arrested for managing her husband's Twitter account;
     Iran has seized two small US Navy ships after they strayed into Iranian waters, but has returned the soldiers – see also here; and this article on the maturing diplomacy between the two nations;
     Egypt has sworn in its first Parliament in 3 years – although it is seen as a paper tiger;
     allegations that Israel has adopted a “shoot to kill” policy;   Israeli forces have ransacked a University;
     the violence continues in Israel and Palestine;
     Kuwait's Shia MPs boycotted parliament on Wednesday, a day after the nation's judicial authorities sentenced more than 20 citizens of its minority Shia sect to prison or death for belonging to an Iran-linked cell;
• Also on West Asia / the Middle East:
  more attacks on tourists and police in Egypt;   Egyptian security forces have arrested the administrators of 47 facebook pages that the Interior Ministry says are run by the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, intensifying a crackdown on dissent as the fifth anniversary of the 2011 uprising approaches;   Saudi Arabia is giving $22 billion to Morocco to boost the latter’s military capabilities;   Saudi Arabia’s sustained assaults on freedom of expression;   Lebanon is manipulating residency rules to create pretexts to send refugees back to Syria – see here;   Iran has removed the core of its Arak nuclear reactor and UN inspectors will visit the site to verify this move, which is crucial to the implementation of Tehran's nuclear agreement;
• The Hindu also has:
     a call for patience with regard to Pakistan’s actions against terrorists;   an article questioning whether the Modi government has a consistent policy in relation to Pakistan;
     the National Food Security Act is finally making headway in the poorest States. Amplified by reforms in the Public Distribution System, a modicum of nutritional support and economic security to all vulnerable households is now a real possibility;   India is on track to register its entire 1.25 billion population using its Aadhaar digital ID, the World Bank has said, which it said would help the government to promote the inclusion of disadvantaged groups in its welfare schemes;   Sikkim has implemented organic practices on around 75,000 hectares of agricultural land – around 10% of the state’s total land area;
     former US diplomats have said that sustained and intensified pressure on Pakistan is the only viable option to make it act against terror networks and cooperate on the fragile Afghan peace process;
     hope and opportunity in Sri Lanka over a new Constitution;
     Aung San Suu Kyi has, for the first time, participated in official peace talks with the nation’s ethnic minorities;
• the Africa Center for Strategic Studies also has:
     peace talks in Burundi may restart soon, as the Burundian government is criticised for failing to act on violence and concerns grow over the risk of genocide;   a Burundian journalist has won a French journalism prize;
     Uganda, under strain from South Sudanese refugees, may reach breaking point as a result of Burundian refugees;   a call for Uganda to end what is, effectively, an official vigilante programme;
     14 people have been killed in the east of Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) by suspected Rwandan rebels;   the Simba militia are continuing to wreak  havoc in north eastern DRC;   youth groups are becoming increasingly active in the DRC;
     the Central African Republic is seeking lessons from Rwanda on post-genocide recovery;
     the US Supreme Court has rejected a bid by Nestle SA, the world's largest food maker, and two other companies to throw out a lawsuit seeking to hold them liable for the use of child slaves to harvest cocoa in Ivory Coast;
     Malawi is receiving hundreds of refugees from violence in Mozambique;
     according to Kenya’s chief justice, the nation is at war with mafia-style cartels run by corrupt politicians and business people;
     the nations along the Nile are putting it at risk;
     an assessment of possible trends and changes in Africa in 2016.
• Also on Africa:
     Zimbabwe’s poverty is stunting the minds and growth of children;   claims that many farmers have already learned how to adapt to climate change because of major droughts in the 1970s and 1980s, and governments could allow such adaptation simply and less expensively than taking a development approach;   Ugandan government and ruling party officials are intimidating and threatening journalists and activists in an effort to limit criticism of the government, raising concerns about the fairness of the coming elections;   the ongoing effects of Nigeria’s first coup, in 1966;

and from a range of other sites:

• a review of Australia’s growing militarisation of its celebrations, particularly over the last 15 years;
• Victoria's Ombudsman will investigate the fairness of the state's public transport fines regime after a rise in complaints from commuters;
• whilst the recent lengthy drought in the Dominican Republic caused serious losses in agriculture and prompted national water rationing, it has also led to the government taking science more seriously;
• a former South Sudanese child soldier confronted with incredible trauma in Africa has become a refugee lawyer in Australia;
• a review of the causes of death across the world in 2015;

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, the Inter Press Service Agency (IPS), and others.

No signature block this week owing to the length of the post.)