For everyone’s convenience: the
reminders / explanations about Sunday’s meditation-clearing
are here; a simplified blogiography of posts related
to this work is here,
a list of themes I have identified here; my
changing the personality of oppressors and other world leaders post is here;
(see
here for some investigation into evidence of the effectiveness of this type
of work … and also here and here are 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 has excellent,
helpful insights on generational transmission of harm, the cost of war, and
ways to heal our hearts; and this
post reminds us to be patient and persistent, like a “speeding oak” (and I like the comment about a sudden
“shift” being just another form of apocalyptic thinking).
Now, the purpose of posting these news
links (and,
incidentally, these posts are the equivalent of a re-tweeting service, or, at
best, a commentary site: I am NOT a journalist,
and make NO claims to
objectivity or freedom from bias or trying to cover all [there are often more
than two] sides of an issue – see here) 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, so that you can do the clearing / strengthening
that is required. 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.
Further to that, 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.
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.
Finally, remember that many others are very capably 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 see also here
and here), 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 10 AM and 10 PM local time each day, and 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), and there are online groups (e.g. here
and here
– which I’m not members of, and thus do not know the quality of). 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. I also point
out that more than just psychic work is required – activism in the physical
world, even if it is “only” writing letters to politicians / the media will
help, as will a whole range of other stuff. To stimulate some ideas on this
aspect of service, see here
, here
and here,
and, of course, here.
(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.)
If I am ever late getting my Psychic
Weather Report up any week, the default
plan is to build up energy in the “Shield
of Hope” on Sunday, send energy to West Asia / the Middle East on Monday,
and then extend that to include Europe on Tuesday, the USA on Wednesday, East
and South East Asia on Thursday and Africa on Friday.
Now, the themes – short, medium and long term - that come
to mind for my work this week, after I review all this news, are (and no
apologies if this repeats the themes of any previous weeks – in fact, given the
size of this task, that is to be expected):
(a) based on my interpretation of information here and here with Saturn in Sagittarius contributing to finding an authentic balance (until 20th December, 2017), Uranus in Aries contributing to fresh and possibly radical starts (until some date in the Year 2018), and Pluto in Capricorn contributing to a transformation of power and business (and careers) (until some date in the Year 2024), conditions are ripe for a change for the better in world politics;(b) there is an enormous need to clear nonBPM energy – the thought forms, unattached energy and scars of the collective unconscious created by millennia of violence. This need includes rescuing those who have been trapped by that history, and healing the warped views, seemingly “inherent” biases, and other damage done by the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual violence committed on scales large and small in that timeframe;(c) viewing the overall emotional state of the world from an elemental point of view, this week we need more Æther and Air;(d) the bigger picture this week is that we are all the same species, trying to co-exist and have “happy” lives on the same planet;(e) “out of sight, out of mind” continues to be a problem – but not, in wealthier nations, an acceptable excuse, in this era of books, visual and audio media, and the Internet;(f) fear continues to be a problem * ;* There is an interesting passage on fear in Alice Bailey’s book “A Treatise on White Magic” (Lucis Trust), on pp. 297 – 306 (and elsewhere) – a passage which is flawed because of its heteronormative / cisnormative, and thus inherently homophobic / transphobic, and sexist (in ways that have been well described by women’s movement in last 50 years) biases, but one with a warning that it is well to take heed of. Bailey wrote from the point of view of spiritual progress, but the fear that has contaminated the world for millennia, leading to pogroms, sacrifice of BPM spiritual principles, and many other problems, is linked to that – gratefully, gleefully, even, accepted by phobophages. Deal with one, and you contribute to dealing with the other, and one of the best ways for people reading this blog to deal with fear is by doing your shadow work – which removes the fear, and also allows you to become a better Balance Pump. BPM challenging things like xenophobia also helps.(g) our approach to money, on all levels of society, needs to be re-thought: money is of significant in terms of what it constructively provides, including opportunities to help others that we need to take;(h) the cost of violence in all its forms, including but not limited to war and abuse of power, needs to be acknowledged and addressed. Maybe we need to count that better … ;(i) the problem of crime has an increased focus this week;(j) the need to talk constructively remains high;(k) something having existed for what is – or seems to be – a long time does not mean it is good, or right, or even necessarily beneficial. Such aspects are revealed by current and ongoing DEEDS;(l) situations in real life are complex – possibly a complex mixture of principles that are, at their heart, simple, but complex and highly interactive in reality nevertheless;(m) minds can be limited by many things – including simple exhaustion. In all cases, they need to be broadened – and that may require causative / influencing factors to be addressed, such as rest for the exhausted;(n) some people are heroes, and some of their stories made the news this week;(o) bullies, whether they are people, organisations, or nations, need to be stood up to;(p) where problems exist, advocating for BPM responses, and being as BPM as one can be, and constructive solutions - as is clearing nonBPM units;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):
an excellent critique of the disappointment around Australia’s Prime Minister; a review of how nations have responded to the murder of politicians; the IMF has warned the USA over its high poverty rates; an article on rethinking global fiscal policy for financial recovery; a strategy for global preventive diplomacy; evidence that the wealthy are oblivious to the struggles of those less well off (which I’ve known for decades, as have many others - but I suppose it’s good to have evidence to back our knowledge up … ); direct local elections in Indonesia have shown some of the problems of populism, with some communities suffering a disproportionate effect of decisions; an assessment that Britain has split, and that the driving force may well be those who have seen and/or lived the – unacknowledged by the out of touch elites (which I’ve been warning of, on a range of matters, for decades * SIGH * ) - downside of globalisation Personally, I like the social progressiveness of the EU, and I favour us thinking of ourselves as citizens of a small – and, in some ways, shrinking - planet, but globalisation does has problems as well as advantages, and the glib dismissal of these problems has been an issue for decades; a warning on the apparently more acceptable use of xenophobic and racist rhetoric; a call to dump to so-called “Grand Old Party”, as the US conservative/preservationist Republican Party seems to often be called for a “grand New Party”;
I personally consider the decision by the United Kingdom to leave the European Union a backward step for that nation, the EU itself, and peace in the UK and Europe (so, I have just found, do others, including minorities in the UK, and some in Northern Ireland) – and, as some local expats have confirmed, I fear that nation will remain very bitterly divided over this issue; underhanded conduct by a local Council has been criticised by the Ombudsman; leaked tapes appear to show a Spanish Minister attempting to incriminate rivals; Angola is (financially) “broke”; opposition concerns over whether Zambia’s coming elections will be “free and fair”;
a particularly nice and effective example of self-governance, on Norfolk Island, has been brought undone by economic events, and will come to close; the problems facing South Africa;
incoming Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte has held an historic meeting with two rival Islamist violent extremist groups in the nation's south, leading to support for Mr Duterte's planned shift to a federal system of government, with violent extremists saying this would redistribute wealth and effectively address kidnapping on Mindanao island, and also agreeing to work on bridging the divides among the Muslim people of Mindanao, Mr Duterte's home town - but see also here; moves to regulate Uber in my home state, but better consideration needs to be given to disability access (and management of homophobia / transphobia); a real-life “Charlie’s Angels” in Macedonia;
the spectre of abuse of LGBT people in Australia has – finally – been raised with some credibility by a campaigning MP … with that MP’s party then shooting itself in the foot by backing a homophobe; the major parties are ignoring young people; an independent plans to use any influence he may have after the election to drag parties away from extremist views; an examination of the human rights policies of candidates for the Australian Commonwealth election; a (favourable, and perhaps naïve) comparison of the Australian election with the extremist aspects of overseas elections; the neochristian catholic church is attempting to interfere in the election; the undermining of Medicare: see here, here and here; suggestions for a humane and decent Australian policy on refugees here, here (good comment about a future apology) and here; - 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 (see also here), which is actually the Greek name of the Egyptian Goddess Aset – and others (see also here and here) - and actively perpetuates the
patriarchal and sacrilegious evil that violent extremists 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. As a final point, I am deliberately avoiding
the use of specific names of violent extremist groups as much as possible to
reduce the publicity they get – I’m not a primary news source, and thus
consider I can do so: any names that are needed are in the articles I have
provided links to):
violent extremist attacks have occurred in Turkey, Jordan (leading to closure of that nation’s borders), Nigeria, Nigeria (2nd), Pakistan, Pakistan (2nd), Afghanistan (actually 3 attacks this week), the Philippines, possibly Libya, Syria, Syria (2nd), and 27 times in Iraq; prevention has or may have occurred in Belgium; and actions have occurred against violent extremists in Bangladesh, the USA, Libya, Pakistan; a hostage has been freed in the Philippines,
the families of violent extremist victims are suing Internet companies (e.g., for allowing videos of murders to be posted); more laws to stifle discussion and dissent in Russia, allegedly with the aim of countering violent extremism;
an examination of what is necessary for radicalisation to lead to violence; (specific) recommendations for a national strategy in Tunisia to counter violent extremism; the problem of returning violent extremists in Tunisia; commentary on the failure to deal with the power to kill people, and how that power has spread from Hiroshima to Orlando; - With regard to refugees: the problem of government-appointed mafia running refugee camps in Burma; Indonesia has fired guns to stop Sri Lankan refugees getting off their boat; the UN Refugee agency (UNHCR) has reported that wars and persecution have driven more people (65 million) from their homes than at any time since the aftermath of World War Part Two; a call for the European Union not to send refugees back to the already overburdened Turkey; concerns over a new Swedish (anti-)refugee law; border fences in Europe in response to refugee movements have created calamities for wildlife; a call for Greece to uphold refugee rights; Italy has rescued thousands of refugees in a day; the kindness of strangers has restored one Syrian refugee’s faith in humanity; suggestions for a humane and decent Australian policy on refugees here, here (good comment about a future apology) and here;
- With regard to human rights and discrimination (including
associated violence / crime):
the spectre of abuse of LGBT people in Australia has – finally – been raised with some credibility by a campaigning MP … with that MP’s party then shooting itself in the foot by backing a homophobe, although another (same sex attracted) member of the party has raised the valid fear of what would happen during a plebiscite campaign on equal marriage (with a straight moron demonstrating her point by inferring that his side has also undergone the same level of violence); the broader picture of homophobia in the USA; homophobia in Singapore; a significant step forward in the search for a third and gender neutral set of pronouns; Australia’s neoliberal preservationist party is already manoeuvring to wriggle out of any plebiscite in favour of Equal Marriage; building LGBT-inclusive workplaces;
an assessment of the treaty vs. constitutional recognition debate in Australia; a US court has upheld an affirmative action act;
legal action against online harassment of women; demonstrations in Poland against proposals to ban abortion; a rebuttal of “gender fatigue”, with a call for men to just be “decent blokes” – unlike Eddie McGuire, who may have cost his football club their major sponsor from his failure to learn from past abuses he has committed – see also here, here (I share a similar loss of support for the AFL, which, in my case, also includes disappointment at the cheating that my former club indulged in), here (good on ‘em), here, here, here, here, here, and here – and more on gender bias here, which is about an interesting and revealing experiment about telling / not telling /mis-telling people of a baby’s gender, and women fighting back against online abuse here; the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has urged the new Government in Burma to take concrete steps to put an end to the systemic discrimination and ongoing human rights violations against minorities; lessons for Australia out of the Stanford case; conviction of a Congolese rebel leader is the first time rape as a weapon of war has been focused on; an article and website on asexuality; an elitist men-only club is creaking towards change; Bahrain has cut back funding to women’s and domestic violence groups; advances in the struggle against gender-based violence in Papua-New Guinea;
the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has expressed concern at an intensified crackdown in Bahrain on the freedoms of expression and association and the right to a nationality, and urged the Bahraini authorities to seek to de-escalate the situation – instead of taking such damaging steps in quick succession with a serious risk of escalating the situation (UN daily briefing); a call to release land rights activists in Kazakhstan; the ongoing genocide of the Rohingya in Burma; - With regard to crime, judicial matters and policing: more child abuse from a neochristian sect, one that has been notorious for controlling people for many years, along with a rebuttal of their fanciful claims that they aren’t homophobic; misconceptions and stereotypes are being wrongly applied to a so-called “youth gang”, according to police (see my comments earlier about fear); there appears to have been a surge in violent deaths in my home city; whilst I have the greatest respect for Indonesian President Joko Widodo, what he has done and what he is trying to do (and his predecessor, for that matter), courts making idiotic decisions such as having sex “only” one time a week as being abnormal show how much he has to do; US presidential candidate Trump has called for more racial profiling - more on the damage that racism in justice does here; the sacking of a bus driver who made a threat of violence has been – rightly, in my view – upheld; a child murderer is trying to blame “witchcraft” for her own wrongdoing / mental health; two jurors have been – rightly, in my view - found guilty of contempt of court for doing Internet searches relating to a trial they were serving on; lessons for Australia out of the Stanford case; the Office of Public Prosecutions in my home state has overruled a senior policeman to charge two police officers with perjury in connection to an alleged assault on teenagers; a whistleblower on animal abuse has been sacked; the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse has heard that military recruits were subjected to horrific sex acts and a pattern of intimidation and abuse that allegedly caused one to suicide; a warning that violence against medical staff is inevitable unless security (and mental health services) in hospitals is improved; some US politicians are starting to push more strongly for better gun laws as another report is released which is favourable of Australia’s gun law reform a couple of decades ago – and see here for a comparison of the scale of the problem in the USA; an appalling threat to a member of the CFA; the International Criminal Court (ICC) appears to have learned from its early mistakes; a critique of “ICC complementarity” (between ICC and national court proceedings); a police union is concerned over how members under investigation are treated. Whilst I consider the exceptional powers (of life and death in literal and figurative ways) of police means they MUST be held to greater accountability, I consider they should be able to discuss health issues and, generically, with partners; a police officer in my home state has been charged (not found guilty) with rape; more appalling behaviour by Australia’s Attorney-Genera;
- With regard to press aka the media, 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): Turkey is cracking down yet more on media (and, consequentially, its own waning credibility) and human rights activists;
- With regard to overcrowding and “modern” lifestyle issues (is YOUR smart phone free of conflict minerals and child labour? I was recently pleasantly to find IT manufacturers
now making at least some effort in this regard. Do you suffer from FOMO? Are you being duped by modern mantras? Does your AI use ethics? Does your corporation misuse
mindfulness as a distraction from working conditions? Do you understand
embedded emissions?):
a report claims major flooding events are becoming more frequent in Australia, and says climate change may be one of the causes (our damage to the environment – such as deforestation – may be a cause, as may other factors. I would also like to know how this compares with indigenous knowledge); a 560 km2 cattle station has been bought by government for rehabilitation to cut sediment affecting the Great Barrier Reef; a report on water flows in Tibet, with key rivers to other nations being dammed by the Chinese; border fences in Europe in response to refugee movements have created calamities for wildlife; an interview with a millionaire who is funding efforts to save the Great Barrier Reef; science is finally catching up with an old African practice of using kitchen waste and charcoal to transform barren soil (I also do this with kitchen waste – and lawn clippings);
an Indian school has backed down after replacing textbooks with tablets that many parents could not afford to buy;
graphic illustration of the rich-poor divide; evidence that the wealthy are oblivious to the struggles of those less well off (which I’ve known for decades, as have many others - but I suppose it’s good to have evidence to back our knowledge up … );
the problems of modern pathogen paranoia; - With regard to education: in what initially comes across as extremely concerning, a kindergarten is actually trying to teach good rules by issuing toy gun licences. I’m concerned over guns as toys, however … ; some of the anti-psychotic medications given to kids (used for ADHD etc) have been found to have long term effects; Turkish students are protesting against their teachers for failing to stand up for them; Australian Universities are starting to catch up with overseas universities in considering the welfare of their students by using “trigger warnings” – but see also here, for a better description of what this is about (and I particularly like the comment about having seen new ideas in the workplace before – I spent 24 years at my previous employer (only up to 7 at the current), and can relate to that); an Indian school has backed down after replacing textbooks with tablets that many parents could not afford to buy;
- 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 UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has condemned attacks in civilian-populated areas in Kabul and Badakhshan which killed and maimed several people;
- With regard to Africa, the Africa
Center for Strategic Studies (and other sources) also has:
an article on the importance of science (“more science, less politics”) for Africa; science is finally catching up with an old African practice of using kitchen waste and charcoal to transform barren soil (I also do this with kitchen waste – and lawn clippings);
Burundi has arrested high school students for doodles opposing a 3rd term for the current president;
malnutrition is occurring in Nigeria, and nearly 200 people have died so far (UN daily briefing);
violence in the Central African Republic has displaced thousands of people to neighbouring Chad and Cameroon (UN daily briefing), with the UN Mission there condemning the violence – and noting that attacks on peacekeepers may be war crimes;
on the first anniversary of the Agreement on Peace and Reconciliation in Mali, the UN Secretary-General Monday has noted with satisfaction the decision to appoint a Representative to follow-up on the Agreement, and trusts that the signatories will ensure the swift and full implementation of the agreement, bearing in mind the many challenges that lie ahead;
the authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo have arrested 75 suspected militiamen for murder and rape in the province of South Kivu – including of girls, allegedly for supernatural protection; the USA has imposed targeted sanctions on a Congolese police officer for helping supress the opposition; hopes of peace in the eastern Congo as the DRC is urged to hold elections before the end of the year;
a slump in commodities prices has hit Africa following the UK’s decision to leave the EU; African fisheries are being plundered by foreign fishing;
Uganda will withdraw its troops from Somalia, out of frustration with the lack of pace with Somalian troops taking on the lead role in security;
an interesting commentary on the Ethiopian-Eritrean tensions; - With regard to China and East and South East Asia: more Chinese propaganda on the South China Seas – and a rebuttal of some of that; North Korea has conducted more missile tests; a report on water flows in Tibet, with key rivers to other nations being dammed by the Chinese; and in the imperial 12th Century court of China, underperforming employees have been publicly spanked – oh wait, that’s from this week, in the 21st Century … ; reflection, in China, on foreign policy after the sudden death of a former Chinese ambassador and influential foreign policy "dove"; Indonesia is continuing to take a harder stance against Chinese maritime intrusions; claims that US exposure of Chinese cyber-crimes aided anti-corruption efforts in that nation;
- With regard to South Asia aka the Indian
sub-continent, The Hindu and other sources
have:
India is cracking down on dissent and moving closer to Russia; calls for caste-based census data to be made public “to ensure the empowerment of all those lagging behind in development” (not sure it will work that way – or only that way .. ); procedural questions over some state laws; dithering over the timing of a final Naga peace deal;
a review of India-Bangladesh relations, which have improved recently; - 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):
concerns over the future of Sinjar, where terrorists tried to wipe out the Yazidis; the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights is deeply concerned about continuing allegations of serious human rights violations and abuses against civilians fleeing Fallujah by armed groups operating in support of Iraqi security forces (UN daily briefing); refugees are dying in the squalid conditions of refugee camps; growing evidence of impunity in the case of hundreds of Sunnis who have been disappeared by government-aligned Shia militias;
and the Iraq Body Count project reports that, since the 2003 invasions, there have been around (my rounding – they give precise numbers) 160,000 – 180,000 civilian deaths our of a total of around a quarter million, with 944 deaths this month and 62 deaths documented on Wednesday and Thursday of this week alone; - With regard to the Libyan civil war: concerns that the focus on fighting violent extremists in Sirte may be disrupting attempts to unify the nation;
- With regard to the Russia (when is the ordinary, everyday Russian going to get a fair go, and not be crushed by powerful, self-serving idiots?): more laws to stifle discussion and dissent in Russia, allegedly with the aim of countering violent extremism; a governor has been arrested while accepting a bribe;
- With regard to South and Central America: the Colombian government and the FARC rebels say they have agreed to lay down arms as they approach the end of historic peace talks in Havana, and a final peace deal could be only a month away - but see also here; an examination of the crisis in Venezuela, with recommendations that the government declare a humanitarian emergency and allow NGOs to function, allowing the elected legislature to function, and permit a peaceful electoral solution, free all political prisoners, and for the MUD and National Assembly leadership to prioritise national interest over partisan objectives, and for the regional community to insist on declaration of an emergency, examine the crisis in the framework of the Inter-American Democratic , and support efforts for a solution; the problems of crime in Brazil; concerns over a potential crisis in Nicaragua;
- With regard to Sudan and South Sudan:
the UN Secretary-General has welcomed the announcement by the Government of Sudan of a four-month unilateral cessation of hostilities, beginning on 18th June 2016, in the Blue Nile and South Kordofan states; violence has displaced 17,000 people, with attempts soon to determine their humanitarian needs (UN daily briefing);
the work of a Special Investigation and a UN Headquarters Board of Inquiry that had been convened to review the circumstances of the violence that erupted in the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) Protection of Civilians (PoC) site in Malakal in February, has been completed. The Investigation determined that the immediate trigger for the attacks was an attempt by two Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) soldiers to smuggle ammunition into the site and requested that the Transitional Government of National Unity hold the individuals responsible accountable for the violence. The team also provided a number of recommendations aimed at preventing such attacks in the future, including the reviewing of the concept of Protection of Civilians sites and the performance of troop and police contributing countries, which are currently under consideration (UN daily briefing). A later report says peacekeepers will be sent home for their failure to act; - 21 with regard to the conflict in Syria: news has emerged of scores of US diplomats having urged more active intervention against Assad through internal channels, as the US gains evidence that Russia has cluster-bombed forces it supports; aid is continuing to be delivered (UN daily briefing), having reached 8 out of 18 besieged areas, and hopes to reach another 7 (UN daily briefing); talks are also apparently continuing, with “technical” talks (no, I don’t know what that means either) said to “have been very useful, being calm, quiet and discreet while providing substantive points that can be useful when the next round of intra-Syrian talks take place” (UN daily briefing); Lebanon’s Hezbollah will send more fighters to Aleppo, in Syria; advances against violent extremists;
- with regard to Turkey: Turkey is cracking down yet more on media (and, consequentially, its own waning credibility) and human rights activists; a critique of Turkey’s changes in its attitudes towards Syria; Turkish students are protesting against their teachers for failing to stand up for them; micro-projects such as making traditional jewellery for Syrian women refugees are helping in a number of ways – see also here; the Turkish President has met the leader of the Palestinian political faction Hamas for unscheduled talks following reports Turkey is close to agreeing a deal on normalising ties with Israel;
- with regard to the conflicts in Ukraine, particularly in the east: homophobia in Ukraine; the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is concerned by the Government of Ukraine's decision to relocate two key checkpoints in Donetsk closer to the 'contact line', as this puts civilians (nearly half a million crossed in May alone) at further risk of mortar shelling and sniper fire, and the UN again called on the de facto authorities of Donetsk and Luhansk to provide the UN and INGOs immediate and unimpeded to people in need (UN daily briefing); Ukraine’s campaign against corruption;
- With regard to West Asia / the Middle East,
the Middle
East Eye and other sources have:
the head of Iran's Revolutionary Guards has suggested there could be armed resistance in Bahrain after the Sunni Muslim-ruled kingdom's top Shia cleric was stripped of his citizenship; the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has expressed concern at an intensified crackdown in Bahrain on the freedoms of expression and association and the right to a nationality, and urged the Bahraini authorities to seek to de-escalate the situation – instead of taking such damaging steps in quick succession with a serious risk of escalating the situation (UN daily briefing); Bahrain has cut back funding to women’s and domestic violence groups; Bahrain’s abuses are being facilitated by Iran and other allies;
the World Food Programme (WFP) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the launch of a three month emergency operation to support Egyptian returnees from Libya with much needed food assistance;
the ethical challenges facing construction firms in West Asia / the “Middle East”;
the Turkish President has met the leader of the Palestinian political faction Hamas for unscheduled talks following reports Turkey is close to agreeing a deal on normalising ties with Israel;
protests over extended water outages in the West Bank;
a storyteller in Jordan; the political wing of Jordan’s Muslim Brotherhood will take part in coming elections; - With regard to the war in Yemen: the Special Envoy for Yemen, has briefed the Security Council from Kuwait, where he continues to hold talks with the Yemeni parties, saying that the talks have been characterized by a positive spirit at times, and also by a certain apprehension. Progress has been made in some cases and further efforts are still needed in others (UN daily briefing);
- With regard to natural and other catastrophes: scores have been killed by lightning strikes in India (although terrible, I understand hundreds die each year from lightning strikes during the monsoon, as they keep working – or have to keep working – outside to take advantage of the monsoon, or to minimise damage: this number so close together, however, is” newsworthy” … ); malnutrition is occurring in Nigeria, and nearly 200 people have died so far (UN daily briefing); massive storms have killed scores in China; bushfires in the USA; floods in the USA;
- With regard to peace and/or spirituality generally, and the occasional nice story: at the third annual session of the Peacebuilding Commission, the Deputy UN Secretary-General urged Member States, including the Security Council, to make full use of the potential of the Commission and its advisory role in preventing violent conflict, added that Member States need to re-think the scope of peacebuilding and consider ways in which they, too, can bring a greater level of coherence to efforts to sustain peace and, highlighting the importance of the Peacebuilding Fund, which was created to provide quick funding for critical peacebuilding initiatives, he said that its resources are currently insufficient to ensure necessary longer-term and larger scale support; at a meeting of a committee that is reviewing Security Council Resolution 1540, which requires states to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), the UN Secretary-General urged UN Member States to take steps to ensure that non-state entities do not acquire WMDs; an interview with a “death researcher” who considers fear of mortality leads to problems; at the joint meeting of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and the Peacebuilding Commission, the UN Deputy Secretary-General said that peacebuilding and sustainable development are connected (UN daily briefing);
- the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has said, in its annual report, that the impact of drug use in terms of health consequences continues to be devastating, with heroin continuing to be the drug responsible for most deaths, and drug trafficking and organized criminal networks undermine institutions and the rule of law by fuelling violence and feeding corruption. The report recommends exploring alternative measures to conviction or punishment; promoting international cooperation; chasing down the financial proceeds of drug related crime; strengthening criminal justice systems, focusing on drug prevention and treatment, and upholding fundamental human rights – see also here;
- on International Widows’ Day, the Secretary-General said widows are often stigmatised by their families and communities, may suffer abuse and discrimination, and have few assets. He called for efforts to make widows more visible, and for support;
- at the UN High-Level Task Force (HLTF) meeting on Global Food and Nutrition Security, UN Principals agreed to align the HLTF work on food and nutrition security in support of the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The meeting also focused on responding to the impact of El Niño and climate change, and the Task Force concluded that a systematic transformation of agricultural and food policies is required, so they are people-centred and climate-compatible, and deliver both on the development goals and the Paris Climate Agreement;
and from a range of other sites:
- one of the major reasons I started in the work was because of the book “Briefing for the Landing on Planet Earth”, by Stuart Holroyd (my copy pub. Corgi, 1979; ISBN 10: 0552109975, ISBN 13: 9780552109970). I’ve now come across what could be independent verification for an event described in that book: see here and here;
- criticism of the olympics, beginning with the financial burden it imposes;
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” (a very US-focused site
which also has articles I have concerns about, but also a surprising number of
ems), 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), the Lowy
“Interpreter” blog (which
occasionally has good links about what is happening in the Pacific), and
others.
No signature block for these posts.
