Post No. 822 (A) – For Sunday evening’s meditation-clearing - news and commentary

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 and other world leaders post 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. This copy of a speech to one of the Parliament of World Religions also has excellent, helpful insights on generational transmission of harm, the cost of war, and ways to heal our hearts.

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 and as is for the Highest Spiritual Good – 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);   the “Network of Light”  meditations;   and   also see here and here – 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.

(Please note that I now specifically have a role for (absent) healers on Saturdays, as explained in the Psychic Weather Report posts. Anyone who wishes to be protector has a role every day :) , including – perhaps particularly - the first permanent issue I list below. At all times, on all levels and in ways, BOTH must ALWAYS be BPM in the way they perform such roles.)

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 strength of Earth, directed by Æther towards a BPM-only manifestation and usage;

(d)   governance, and politics, has some shining gems, and some ugly lumps of coal – as is the case in much of life. We all have to consider, as with internet trolls, the possibility that we are feeding the ugly lumps of coal, and how to turn that into feeding the gems;

(e)   when considering a course of action, it is not a case of whether short, medium or long term views are better: all are needed, and all must be addressed;

(f)   racism, xenophobia, ignorance and the politics of fear continue to plague the world: a belief in co-existence and genuine communication counters them all;

(g)   actions will reap their effects – it just may take some time … ;

(h)   change is a Universal constant ( :) ), and sometimes that means that things (e.g., organisations) reach the end of their useful life. Other things, such as freedom and democracy, are themselves Universal constants, and thus continue – albeit with change and adaptation to better suit people’s needs;

(i)   diversity is a blessing;

(j)   genuine, deep reflection / meditation / thinking is always good;

(k)   more credit is due to some people’s efforts to help themselves – particularly in Africa;

(l)   power continues to be abused. Whilst that will reap its return, people are suffering, and nonviolent psychic BPM action can and should be undertaken to transform those people and situations – or to BPM restrain them, as with rescuing  uncooperatives;

(m)   Lobsang  Rampa once foretold a time when something like a “low level communism” would sweep the world: I consider the current McCarthyist  xenophobia and security theatre and politics of fear to likely be what he saw.

I also take this opportunity to repeat that it is absolutely VITAL that this psychic / metaphysical / spiritual work be performed non-violently and as is for the Highest Spiritual Good – 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 (e.g., here and here):
     the UN Secretary-General has welcomed the agreement reached by Haitian stakeholders to preserve the institutional continuity of the country as well as a roadmap for the swift conclusion of the ongoing electoral cycle;   Algeria’s parliament has adopted a package of constitutional reforms – including reinstituting the two term limits on presidents - that authorities say will strengthen democracy, but opponents doubt it will bring real change – and a crackdown is underway on dissent;   as the United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee holds hearing on “good governance” in central Africa (see also here), a call for the USA to urge President Kabila of the Democratic Republic of Congo to stand down at the end of his second term – see also here, here, and Chad and Cameroon may reintroduce term limits;   slow progress towards independence for New Caledonia;   an assessment of how the USA can best to bring about liberal democracies in South East Asia;   now that things have opened up, Cuba is likely to change in major ways over the next decade or so;   Cameroon's ruling party is expected to ask President Paul Biya, who has been in office for 32 years, to stand again for election in 2018, but, owing to the President’s concerns over likely objections, this may become a call for early elections;   protestors, including children, have been killed in Uganda, and death threats made against potential objectors;   re-run elections in Nigeria are showing the problem of corruption, as a resurgent Biafran independence movement puts the nation at risk of unravelling;   concerns over an Indian state’s requirement for prior permission to commence anti-corruption action;   a suggestion that the USA uses its cultural leverage over dictators who are drawn to its lifestyle;   Tanzanian President John Magufuli has backed an election re-run for Zanzibar despite an opposition boycott and international fears that a fresh poll could trigger violence;
      a gravely  concerning article about the growth of politics as entertainment;   a rebuttal of the rubbish about “needing” to constrain government spending;   the problems a current affairs panel show has getting women to appear reflects the broader problems in society in general and politics in particular;   an assessment of corruption in South America which comments that improvements in this area may cause of worsening of perceptions, a comment on the limitations of the Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index, and a prediction that impunity will become a major issues as economies decline (I consider it already has, actually);
     a call for investment in infrastructure;   addressing the Wold Government Summit in Dubai, the Deputy UN Secretary-General has said that innovative reform efforts will be crucial now if we are to live up to the two landmark agreements of 2015 - the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda and the Paris Agreement on climate change;
     an assessment of staying in the European Union as the lesser of two evils for the United Kingdom, and some of the lies and myths being touted;
• With regard to violent extremism (aka, terrorism - e.g., Da’esh) (and, incidentally, 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 the acronym ISIS, which is actually the Greek name of the Egyptian Goddess Aset – and others (see also here) - and actively perpetuates the patriarchal and sacrilegious evil that terrorists 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. I also am inclined, personally, to include here the last two millennia of neochristian and colonialist social engineering, which has led to suppression of women, child abuse, the Crusades, the Inquisition, etc, as violent extremism, but that would take too much explaining.):
     terrorist attacks have occurred in Pakistan, Pakistan (again), Mali, Syria, Afghanistan, Afghanistan (again), Nigeria (a refugee camp), may be being planned in Somalia (using stolen uniforms), and prevention has or may have occurred in Pakistan (see also here);
    an acerbic commentary on the West’s self-proclaimed knowledgeableness and depth of understanding with regard to the subtleties of Muslim thought - and how that is being used to justify new forms of racism and sexism;   one of the good things about the USA is that its openness leads to public availability of things like this assessment of threats around the world by the US intelligence communities. I’ve downloaded this, and will work my way through it whenever I can find the time;   an assessment of action vs. overreaction in the context of responses to terrorism;   an assessment of terrorism in Libya and potential responses;   a call for a more balanced assessment of terrorist risks in Georgia;  terrorism is still a risk for business in Kenya;   the USA may have to stay in Afghanistan and Iraq until the current “age of terrorism” is over;   an assessment that one terrorist group may be regenerating in border regions of Afghanistan and Pakistan while another terrorist group emerges as a competitor;   recommendations for US actions against key terrorist threats, including “alter the popular narrative that the West has abandoned the Syrian Sunni Arabs in favour of Iran, Assad, and Russia. This task will be impossible as long as the West offers the Sunni no meaningful support in the face of the Assad regime’s imminent threat to their survival as individuals and communities”;   a (surprising) suggestion to delist a Kurdish terrorist organisation, in order to force Turkey to enter a political process and enable better focus against larger terrorist threats;   some Cameroonians have asked for permission to use “witchcraft” against a terrorist group there. If their actions are BPM and competent, that could be helpful – if not, it will be either neutral or actively harmful to the situation;   concerns over France’s plans to wind back human rights as part of its fight against terrorism;   a call for Indonesia not to restrict human rights in the name of fighting terrorism (that nation has done too much of that over the last century);   India is risking heading into crushing dissent;   failure to pass the Bangsamoro Basic Law has raised the risk of attacks by terrorists in Mindanao, Philippines;   Canada is moving from bombing to training in its efforts in West Asia / the Middle East;   the need for a regional approach against terrorism in Northern / West Africa;   fears of terrorism in Senegal;   Somalia has invited “moderate” terrorists to negotiations;   a terrorist recruiter has been arrested in Nigeria;   the Australian Privacy Commissioner has challenged a ruling that a journalist cannot access his own phone data;   if the US government forces tech companies to give law enforcement access to encrypted communication, people may start using companies outside the US;   the UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Jeffrey Feltman, spoke this morning at the UN Conference on the Human Rights of Victims of Terrorism, noted that terrorist groups are flouting international human rights and humanitarian law, with some of the activities reported potentially constituting war crimes and crimes against humanity, and emphasized that existing legal frameworks must be strengthened to take into account the specific needs of victims of terrorism and that we need to do better in addressing victims’ needs in criminal justice processes;
     one of two Australians kidnapped in Africa by terrorists has been released;   a survivor of a recent terrorist attack has returned to the scene of the attack to show he is not afraid;   an article on a child who, when she was sent to be a suicide bomber, tore off the bomb vest and fled, and another on the experiences of former child soldiers;
     Taureg in Mali are being blamed for terrorist attacks and subjected to revenge attacks;
• With regard to refugees:   a review of Europe’s declining behaviour with regard to refugees;   the immorality of Australia’s approach to refugees – see also here and here;   fourteen Polish far-right activists have been arrested in Sweden on suspicion of planning to attack asylum seekers with axes, iron pipes and knives;   the European Union has criticised Greece for failing to improve conditions for refugees so that other overstretched member states can send people back there, and other European Union members for dragging their heels on easing the refugee burden for Greece and Italy (consistency much, anyone? This is an amazing combination);   well-deserved criticism of my nation, Australia, on its appalling abuse of refugees;   “the shrillest voices are getting the upper hand”;   medical staff are being the front line heroes of the fight against Australia’s abuse of refugees – again;
• With regard to human rights and discrimination (including associated violence / crime):
     the Australian government’s “Closing the Gap” programme needs more indigenous consultation if it is to succeed – see also here, and, on a positive note, here;   legal action has been launched over living conditions in Australia’s “town camps”;   the release of the Reconciliation Australia’s State of Reconciliation report (I cannot get a functional link – sorry) in Canberra has sparked conversations about treaties with First Nations, although constitutional recognition is still the Government’s focus;   attempts to save a sacred site in NSW;   the architectural legacy of racism in the USA, with buildings that were built with white and black entrances;
     ongoing abuse of LGBT people in Tunisia – contrary to the nation’s laws;   gay conversion therapy will finally be banned in my home state;   a rising tide of public tolerance for gay people in China is beginning to erode official prejudice;   a call to end the travesty of Anwar Ibrahim’s detention – and get rid of the discrimination against LDBTIQ people while that’s being done;   experiences of being lesbian at school;   blatant fantasy-land stupidity from a Catholic – and the moronic newspaper that published his opinion piece. This is the sort of idiocy that kills children. See also here, and another example of stupidity – this time from an Anglican, in the context of sexism, and Indonesia has rushed to join the stupidity;
     a report has shown having more women executives increases profits;   the Indian Supreme Court has noted that women are agents of change, and real development is only possible with their empowerment;   Australia's equal opportunity laws are failing to change a culture of gender inequality because they rely too heavily on the bravery of victims;   criticism of a sexual harasser being appointed to a major position in the same organisation in India;   the Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister has defended his nation’s changes with regard to women: "We went from no schools for women in 1960 to universal education, to where today 55 percent of college students are women. Some of our top doctors and engineers and lawyers and business people are women. The issue is one that is evolving just like it is in other countries." He went on to admit that continuing discrimination was societal, not religious, and that time was needed although not as much as the West had needed on this issue;
     when a tram driver refused to deploy a ramp for a person with Multiple Sclerosis, some other passengers helped;   more abuse of protestors in Burma;  an appalling example of servility by Bangladesh towards China;   the cultural associations which make Russia’s “foreign agency” law repressive;   a call for Uzbekistan to stop harassing a human rights defender;   pay based abuse of workers at Spotless;  a Bahraini human rights group has lodged a complaint with the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) against FIFA over the candidacy of Sheikh Salman al-Khalifa, who is alleged to have committed numerous human rights abuses in his capacity as president of the Bahrain Football Association;
     recommendations for the USA on how best to promote human rights in Iran;
     the Ahmadiyah religious community is still being persecuted in Indonesia;   Perth-based mechanical engineer, writer, and tireless campaigner for diversity and acceptance Yassmin Abdel-Magied, who has a unique way of communicating controversial and often uncomfortable issues and was 2015 Queensland Young Australian of the Year for her work heading up Youth Without Borders, has penned her first memoir. In this interview, she notes that young Muslim women are "often talked about, but never talked to or with";
     a review of the abuses of the junta in Argentina during the so-called “dirty war”, and the morons who claimed they were “just following orders”. Perhaps it isn’t surprising, given that Argentina warmly  welcomed so many Nazis after World War Part Two, but it is an appalling indictment of that nation, nevertheless. The article, ironically, written by a US military person, cites advice to military personnel that “they may assume orders are lawful” – which is b**l****, and contrasts poorly with the Australian military forces’ approach of teaching personnel the rules of war and TO THINK –which is what this article seems to be promoting: thinking;
• With regard to crime, judicial matters and policing:
     South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which could grant amnesty to those who fully confessed to human rights abuses committed during apartheid, recommended that more than 300 cases be prosecuted, but only a few cases have been pursued by prosecutors;
     a 11year old boy has murdered a 8 year old girl neighbour who refused to show him her puppies – this, of course, is in the USA;   raids on military and police arms warehouses in Venezuela have increased the armed capacity of organised crime groups;   in an appalling miscarriage of justice, three Australian men have bought their way out of jail in Croatia after admitting they gang raped a 17 year old;   victims of child abuse fear bullying after an agency implementing a religious body’s redress scheme leaked a private email;
     the problems facing people with cognitive disabilities in the judicial system;   the problem of innocent people confessing to crimes, and the role the Reid technique (outlawed in Australia) plays in this;
     Thailand’s utter stupidity over arresting bridge players has now extended to abuse of human rights, including coercion to sign false declarations;   seven teenagers, some as young as 14 years old, were rescued from forced prostitution in the San Francisco Bay Area during a recent major sporting event there;   Italian police have swooped on a Mafia clan in Sicily, arresting dozens in an international operation to dismember a powerful crime group run by women;
     concerns over mental health of police as stress levels rise and suicides increase;   in a rare event, a New York City police officer has been convicted of manslaughter for fatally shooting an unarmed black man in a darkened stairwell, as another police officer – in a move likely to set back relations between communities and police – is countersuing the family of someone he killed;
• With regard to press and freedom of expression (keeping in mind that claims of presenting “both sides” of a debate can be WRONG if the other side is RUBBISH –as is the case on LGBTIQ issues):   Morocco has charged a journalist with “harming territorial integrity”;   a “press-free” day has been held in Guinea, in honour of a murdered journalist;
• 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. Are you being duped by modern mantras?):   arguments for and against technology, from a personal, human perspective;   an article on examples of excess and inadequate fear in my home city;   the newest incarnation of the “appropriate technology” movement – which I can relate to, because of my work in a range of places;   the great LIE of “do what you want to do” aka “pursue your passion”;   stupid emotional resistance to climate change science;   the UN Secretary-General has welcomed the announcement by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) proposing the first binding limits on emissions from the aviation industry;   facebook’s so-called-charity program in India has been seen for what it is and effectively banned, in favour of net neutrality;   workplaces need to move beyond promoting mental health awareness and start changing the way work is designed to prevent psychological harm – which is part of their obligations;
• 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):   the USA has sent more troops to the south to shore up troops who are under sustained attack;   some improvements for women in Afghanistan;
• With regard to Africa, the Africa Center for Strategic Studies (and other sources) also has:
     a common position by African countries on mass withdrawal from the International Criminal Court will not be reached until June when a committee tasked to engage the UN Security Council reports back - reports that 34 African countries resolved during the 26^th African Union Summit in Addis Ababa in January to withdraw were wrong;
     an assessment that rural youth may be tomorrow’s entrepreneurs;
     violence is continuing in Burundi – see, for instance, here;   the African Union has appointed a high-level delegation of five African presidents to negotiate with factions in Burundi over the possible deployment of an African peacekeeping mission to the East African country – which decision it is now defending;   fears that rain and disease could threaten the lives of 110,000 refugees in Tanzania;   South Africa is being urged to be more vocal about the use of rape as a weapon;   the USA is concerned over Rwanda’s destabilising actions;
     the UN Secretary-General has appointed a Special Coordinator on improving the United Nations’ response to sexual exploitation and abuse as part of a series on ongoing measures derived from the High Level External Independent Review Panel on Sexual Exploitation and Abuse by International Peacekeeping Forces in the Central African Republic;   the UN Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) reports that sensitive and non-sensitive material for the second round of presidential elections and the first round of legislative elections has arrived in Bangui, and deployment to five of the 16 prefectures by has also begun, and the security situation continues to remain generally calm in the country ahead of Sunday's presidential and legislative elections;   UN officials have demanded the Chadian government explain why a Central African rebel leader was able to travel freely to Chad in defiance of Security Council sanctions against him;   the United Nations is trying a new approach to the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (or DDR) of armed groups. The new temporary approach, described as pre-DDR, is being launched in the Central African Republic, where former combatants are being paid to do community work;
     the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) says that Somalia will continue to face large-scale - nearly 4.7 million people or 38 percent of the total population - food insecurity between now and June 2016 as a result of poor rainfall and drought conditions in several areas, trade disruptions, displacement and chronic poverty. Acute malnutrition remains high in many parts of the country;
     the UN Human Rights Office has said it is alarmed by reports of escalating inter-communal violence in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, with at least 21 people killed, 40 wounded and 70 houses burned down see also here;
     criticism that a Malawian policy based on short term aid has exacerbated poverty and hunger problems;
     economic problems in South Africa;   consideration of what to do to continue the reduced levels of piracy off Africa;   US President Barack Obama has signed into law an initiative aimed at bringing electricity to 50 million people in sub-Saharan Africa by 2020;
     a Southern African Development Community (SADC) commission of inquiry into Lesotho has recommended that controversial army commander Tlali Kennedy Kamoli be fired as part of efforts to restore stability in the troubled kingdom;
     the UN Secretary-General has condemned the complex attack perpetrated against the camp of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) in Kidal that claimed the lives of at least five peacekeepers and injured approximately 30, underscored that attacks targeting United Nations peacekeepers constitute war crimes under international law and reiterated that attacks against MINUSMA will not weaken the determination of the United Nations to support the Malian Government, the parties to the peace agreement, and the people of Mali, in their efforts to achieve lasting peace and stability;
     Tunisia has made half a billion from the sale of the former President’s confiscated assets;
     China, India and Japan are courting Africa for access to resources;
     Uganda’s surprisingly effective and proactive management of health problems such as Ebola and Zika.
• With regard to the Colonialist Chinese Empire and East and South East Asia:   the Colonialist Chinese Empire (CCE) called for calm as the USA and local nations prepared before the Democratic People’s Republic of (North) Korea’s claimed launch of a satellite, which it is concerned was actually an excuse to cover another test for an ICBM. Following the launch, the rest of the world is considering its response;   a North Korean patrol boat has entered South Korean waters;   the USA considers North Korea’s behaviour is a slap in the face for the CCE, which it also accuses of having been lax on sanctions;   claims North Korea has restarted one of its reactors;   the USA and India may make joint patrols in the disputed South China Seas – which is consistent with India’s growing presence and activity in the region, but at odds with having closer connections to China;   a call for human rights NOT to be sidelined at the ASEAN conference;
• With regard to the Indian sub-continent, The Hindu and other sources have:
     six days after being buried in an avalanche, one of India’s high altitude soldiers was found alive, but died a few days later - and calls have been made for demilitarisation of the area;
     the Supreme Court has observed that a Chief Minister’s exclusive powers cannot be pre-empted by the Governor, who should use his powers in a fair and limited manner for the sake of survival of democracy;
     former minister and Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has said policies like ‘Make in India’ and hatred cannot go together as he asserted that “outrageous” statements against minorities by ruling party members only undermine the country’s soft power;   denial around racism;   one of the problems of India’s family planning approach is that it is sexist;
     after decades of delay and inaction, the Hindu minority community in Pakistan will soon have a marriage law;
     the Maldives police have arrested a judge and the former prosecutor-general on Sunday night after an “arrest warrant” issued against President  Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom, who is the subject  of an investigation into embezzlement of state funds, was alleged to be based on falsified information although it was issued in connection to the investigation (see also here, for background information on human rights in that nation);
     the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has urged the Sri Lankan military to accelerate the return of lands to rightful owners and reduce its size in the Northern and Eastern provinces;   the Sri Lankan government’s appointment to parliament of the former army chief whose forces were implicated in widespread abuses contradicts pledges to investigate alleged war crimes;
• With regard to the Libyan civil war:   a warning that military intervention in Libya should wait until there is a credible government, as the USA considers budgetary allowances for that;  an assessment of the situation in Libya, and options for security and unity;   Tunisia is making plans for expected Libyan refugees in the event of a bombing campaign;
• With regard to the New Russian Empire (see also Syria):   the New Russian Empire (NRE) will supply advanced fighters to one of its birder “independent nations”;   an assessment of the political, economic and environmental situation in the Arctic, including the staggering comment that Russia oil wells are leaking at the rate of 14 Exxon Valdez disasters EVERY YEAR;   the NRE has closed another human rights group;
• With regard to Sudan and South Sudan:   the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says that a spike in conflict in the Jebel Marra region of Sudan has triggered the highest levels of civilian displacement seen in the area for several years – 38,000 have fled to North Darfur, and the AU-UN Mission has implemented contingency plans to ensure the protection of civilians;   South Sudan is facing unprecedented levels of food insecurity, as 2.8 million people, or 25 percent of the country’s population, remain in urgent need of food assistance, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Food Programme (WFP) and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), who also say that the dry season which is now beginning could bring additional hardship to people facing the most severe levels of hunger. The agencies are calling for a speedy implementation of the peace agreement signed last year. Sudan is also facing extreme financial problems;  Sudan has asked the USA and Germany to pressure rebels into “serious” talks – see also here;   a South Sudanese general has threatened rebellion if he is sacked;   South Sudanese President Salva Kiir has reappointed bitter rival Riek Machar as vice-president as part of a peace deal aimed at ending more than two years of war;   South Sudan and Uganda are redrawing their border;   the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for South Sudan, Eugene Owusu, is appealing for $220 million in urgent funding before the dry season ends in May;   Sudan is objecting to planned – and well deserved, in my view – new sanctions;   the UN has noted that it is the primary responsibility of the South Sudan Wildlife Service to ensure that no illegal activities related to wildlife, including poaching, take place in South Sudan;
• with regard to the conflict in Syria:   continuing use of cluster munitions by Russia;   mass exterminations of Syrians in government jails;   despair in Aleppo, as Turkey fears another 600,000 refugees from the city and UN fears for those left;   a review of the betrayals and changes of US opinion which have created a Nakba of the oft ignored majority Sunni population of Syria - see also here;   another MSF hospital has been bombed in south Syria;   an assessment of the possibility of a Saudi intervention;   the World Food Programme (WFP) has started distributing urgently needed food to people displaced by the recent surge in violence in northern Aleppo. The food was transported on cross-border convoys from Turkey into the small town of A’zaz, about 30 kilometres northwest of Aleppo city;   Syrian Kurdish separatists have opened a representation office in Moscow amid a push by the Kremlin to have them included in Syria peace talks despite Turkey's objections;   the New Russian Empire has allegedly proposed a ceasefire in March, but US Secretary of State Kerry is saying that 17 nations, including Russia, have agreed to a ceasefire now “on paper”: the real test will be whether it happens in practice – see also here. The ceasefire means the UN hopes to be able to deliver aid;   twenty-four Syrian civil organisations and humanitarian aid groups called on US Secretary John Kerry, UK Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond and the former French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius to undertake more action to protect civilians within Syria as reports emerge that the death toll is nearly half a million;   if Puppet Dictator al-Assad defeats the moderate rebels, foreign powers may have to consider allying themselves with the despot in order to fight terrorists;   Puppet Dictator Assad says “he” will retake the whole of the nation;
• with regard to Turkey:   an assessment of Turkey’s growing problems in Syria, including the cross-border threats which the New Russian Empire’s escalation (air escorts for bombers, air defence missiles, etc) has created;   the growing tensions between Turkey and the USA over Kurds;   Turkey is trying Syrian people smugglers – and also the father of the small boy who was tragically drowned;
• with regard to the conflicts in Ukraine, particularly in the east:   four civilians have been killed by a landmine;
• With regard to West Asia / the Middle East, the Middle East Eye and other sources have:
     with regard to the Palestinian- Colonising Greater Israeli State (CGIS) conflict, the violence continues – see, for instance, here;   the UN Secretary-General has condemned the recent arson attack against a synagogue in the occupied West Bank and called for a thorough investigation to quickly bring the perpetrators to justice, and for all sides to respect the sanctity of all holy sites, refrain from any inflammatory actions or statements and reject the extremist elements that are pursuing a political agenda seeking to transform the current situation into a religious conflict;   a review of the growing anger in the CGIS occupied West Bank;   three Palestinian members of the CGIS Knesset were suspended (although they will still be able to vote) on Monday after they met with the families of Palestinian attackers who were killed by Israeli forces to help arrange return of the bodies;   the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process has welcomed the ongoing Palestinian unity talks hosted by Qatar. The United Nations supports all efforts undertaken to advance genuine Palestinian reconciliation on the basis of non-violence, democracy and PLO principles;   an interesting opinion piece on Jewish “birthright” views. I was surprised to learn that the CGIS insists on Palestine recognising it as a Jewish state: that is inappropriate in Westphalian diplomacy, and wrong – as the article points out. The recognition needs to be of the modern nation of Israel;   CGIS Prime Minister Netanyahu has described Palestinians as “wild beasts” as he talked about his latest build a wall plan;   the UN human rights investigator for Gaza and the West Bank has called on Israel to investigate what he called excessive force used by Israeli security against Palestinians (one soldier has been jailed for seven months for abusing a Palestinian prisoner);   the death of the two state solution;
     rare public criticism of Pharaoh al-Sisi for use of a literal red carpet for his motorcade;   Egypt has pulled out of the grand East African regional power pool until its concerns over the use of the Nile waters have been addressed;   Egyptian doctors have protested against police brutality;
     the United Arab Emirates are, in an act of staggering hypocrisy, appointing a “happiness minister”;
     Shia protestors in the east of Saudi Arabia have marked the passage of 40 days since a noted cleric’s execution, with plans for a three day vigil and calls for the government’s downfall;
    in an event with parallels to the event which set off the Arab Spring five years ago, a door-to-door salesman has immolated himself in a public prosecutor's office in southern Morocco to protest at the judiciary's inaction on a complaint he filed;
     a call for the eroding Western world to show some humility;
     Iran’s re-emergence in the oil / energy market is changing the status quo (could this be a counter to the New Russian Empire’s influence? If so, perhaps Obama is a master of geopolitics, as a recent link suggested);
• With regard to the war in Yemen:   civilians are being deliberately targeted in a systematic and widespread manner;   fighting is continuing against terrorists in Aden;   a Scud missile fired from Yemen has been intercepted over Saudi Arabia;   following months of blocked access to Taiz City, Yemen, and in response to mounting emergency health needs, the World Health Organization (WHO) has successfully delivered more than 20 tonnes of life-saving medicines and medical supplies;   an assessment of the possibility of peace in Yemen – which is bleak, in the short term, owing to international influences;   Saudi Arabia has asked the UN to move aid workers in Yemen away from rebel-held areas: the UN flatly rejected the request – good! - and reminded Saudi Arabia of its obligations to allow humanitarian access;
• With regard to natural and other catastrophes:   an earthquake has caused damage, deaths and injuries in Taiwan;   people are starving in Zimbabwe as a result of drought, despite being surrounded by diamond mining (at least the farm grabs are over … );   South Africa has refused to declare a drought in hope that rain will come … ;   the World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that a third consecutive year of drought in Haiti, exacerbated by the global El Niño weather phenomenon, has driven people deeper into poverty and hunger, and doubled the severely food-insecure population;   Zimbabwe has appealed for aid against the growing risk of starvation;   the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) has said that the hottest year on record, 2015, has confirmed that weather and climate-related disasters now dominate disaster trends linked to natural hazards;   alarmed by an outbreak of deadly Lassa Fever, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and World Health Organization (WHO) in Benin are scaling up an emergency response to help prevent further spread of the disease;

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

• at an informal stakeholder meeting of the General Assembly’s special session on the World Drug Problem, the UN Secretary-General stressed that only shared responsibility can ensure the delivery of balanced and comprehensive drug policies with a renewed focus on human rights and public health, including prevention, treatment and care;
• the UN Secretary-General has launched his One Humanity: Shared Responsibility report ahead of the World Humanitarian Summit (WHS), which will take place in May in Turkey, and stressed that the Summit is the moment for us to come together to renew our commitment to humanity, to the unity and cooperation required to prevent and end crises, and reduce people’s suffering and vulnerability. He added that no-one in conflict, no-one in chronic poverty, and no-one living with the risk of natural hazards and rising sea levels must be left behind. The report provides some core responsibilities for action;
• the United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) and the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) have this week finalised a statement of collaboration, providing for both networks to work together in mobilizing universities and other knowledge institutions to promote teaching, applied research, and problem solving around the Sustainable Development Goals;

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

• the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) also has:
     a brilliant essay on the range of non-violent ways that R2P can be implemented (e.g., cutting of the flow of weapons, munitions and supplies, as I have consistently suggested), and that the UN exists to protect people, not states who are committing abuses against their people;
• the BBC also has:   unrest in Hong Kong;
• Spiegel International also has:   an article on a new extremist party in Germany;

and from a range of other sites:

• amazing progress in reducing global poverty, child deaths and disease rates, and increases in girls going to school and improvements in sanitation in the past 20 years – despite the gloom and doom headlines;
• Australia’s Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has asked for legal advice on the implications of a United Nations report that found Julian Assange had been "arbitrarily detained". I understand Assange’s fear of being deported to the USA once in Sweden, but there is also a charge of rape he is alleged to have committed in Sweden to answer – which appears, according to the link, to have started because of a need for Assange to be tested for STIs, and to have had a strange history of start-stops (is someone applying pressure, or is this from normal reviews? If the latter, are there examples which can be made public?). It seems to me that the sensible solution would be Swedish police to be given permission – and be willing - to ask their questions of Mr Assange in the Ecuadorean Embassy, which is, as I understand it, all they want to do, and is apparently being organised – and for Mr Assange to be tested for STIs, as is normal, responsible behaviour of consenting adults before a new sexual relationship;
• a woman blames exposure to pornography when she was too young - six years old - for problems, and says current violent porn is giving a message that violence towards women is OK. This is being investigated – in part – by an Australian Senate enquiry, and a US Senator has proposed a ban on porn. The issues of not promoting violence and age appropriate access are important issues, worthy of valid consideration, but so too does our society’s need to become sex positive – assessing these issues from a sex-negative worldview is likely to actually exacerbate the problems;
• some common sense around kids foods, and endometriosis;
• an Argentine forensic team has rebutted the official explanation of what happened to the missing 43 students;
• grossly flawed thinking around a study led to a false conclusion that the book religions promote cooperation. It actually showed that it can lead to shutting out of people of different religions. Very sloppy thinking, and I have the real life experience to rebut it;
• a map of undernourishment in the world has been prepared;
• the problem of undermining of the middle class in Eastern Europe and Central Asia;
• a surge of activism in US college students;
• this copy of a speech to one of the Parliament of World Religions has excellent, helpful insights on generational transmission of harm, the cost of war (including nearly 400 million dead in the last two and a bit millennia from wars, massacres and genocides), and ways to heal our hearts;
• the wonderful T. Thorn Coyle has released on her excellent blog a (“Mature” or perhaps “Mature Accompanied”  classification rating)  short story on a rescue which involves what I term uncooperatives and a “Sending” (I cannot find a definition of this term to refer to; it is reasonably clear in the short story, and is also mentioned in the Dresden series novel “Storm Front” (pp. 172 – 175 in my copy);
• a German forest ranger has written a book about the social networks of trees. This actually makes sense to me – not only in terms of what I have personally experienced, but a report I read years ago of trees sharing a chemical response to drive off inset predators. The insight is important in terms of countering our modern, rapacious lifestyles.

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.)