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 the stability of more BPM Earth;(d) collective responsibility for collective decisions is a difficult thing – but, given the best that our political systems can come up with, is necessary. We do, however, have the RIGHT and, perhaps, the MORAL OBLIGATION to go to better systems if the collective is infested with lunacy – although staying and trying to change the lunacy is also an option;(e) accountability for the use of all forms of power remains important;(f) the problem of out of sight, out of mind continues to infest all levels of society – not only the elites, but blue collar workers who exhibit bad faith on issues such as refugees;(g) systems (including for accountability) can be good or bad – their simple existence in itself is not enough;(h) all things change –and, on that, the future is here, now, in sense, and it is high time we started working out how to make it benefit everyone, not just the elites;(i) being used to something doesn’t make that thing right;(j) communicate, communicate, communicate;(k) we need to get our heads out of the sand – individually, and at various levels of collectively (Israel is a prime example of this need);(l) 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):
a review of the effect of Brexit on globalisation, which includes a statement that “we can have any two of these three things, but never all three: democracy, national sovereignty and global economic integration” – see also here, here, here, here, here (increased hate speech), here and here (adverse impact on privacy and global security), here (for a more optimistic economic outlook), here (the UN urging a stop to xenophobic attacks), here (the failure of our economic and political systems), here (the lessons of Brexit is that people should not be left behind), here (the need for “serious” reforms to prevent further exits), here (that elites will run rampant). It is also true that there was a generational divide – younger voters saw the benefits and wanted to stay, whereas older voters were disillusioned by history or just nasty and xenophobic and wanted to go, but apparently only 36% of eligible under 25s turned up to vote (here, apparently, but I cannot access twitter), which is an appalling indictment on them; Scotland may block the United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union (but see here, for a legalistic assessment), as calls rise for a renewed vote by Scotland on independence –and for a truly independent Australia; an article on informal votes includes a professor calling for something I’ve advocated for in the past: a “none of the above” option – which apparently has been used in some places previously (disused when it got the most votes: that’s why I suggest a re-election if does, but without that option the second time round); an assessment of the incumbent and president-elect in the Philippines, with concerns the president-elect’s overtures to violent extremists in the south may antagonise the military; the search for a form of capitalism that delivers for everybody; a study suggests scare campaigns backfire; the problem of most of the world’s poor being in what the World Bank calls “middle income” nations, and questions over UN data; an assessment of the “sharing economy” (with a political plug – be warned);
violence in Papua-New Guinea has now included murder of a University student, and a commission will investigate;
a United Nations human rights expert has called on the Government of the Republic of Moldova to further promote linguistic rights of minorities, introduce multilingual education, and strengthen the unity between various population groups in the country; the Philippines new president has approved vigilante violence and the “law of the jungle”; Austria's highest court has annulled the result of the presidential election narrowly lost by the candidate of the far-right Freedom Party, over concerns about postal votes;
the UN Secretary-General has welcomed the Liberian Government’s full assumption of its national security responsibilities from the UN Mission (UNMIL) in that nation, and added that the timely conclusion of the security transition is a major benchmark in the peace process and a testament to the hard work of the Liberian people to create a nation built on peace, stability, human rights, democracy and rule of law; on exercising the right to ask politicians questions; twenty-three opposition parties in Ivory Coast have issued a joint declaration against the President’s “authoritarian” plans for a referendum on constitutional reforms;
a call for better protection of whistleblowers; a stupid law has stripped many adopted Australians (like me) of their citizenship (in my case, as I was born in Australia, I’m OK); more than 100 cases of suspected corruption have occurred in border officials in Australia, in part due to the exorbitant focus on refugees arriving by boat – see here for a powerful personal piece by a former immigration officer; scaremongering over finances and health in the Australian election campaign; criticism of Australia’s (inadequate) performance in multilateral development banks; a critique of the two biggest parties on women’s issues which finds both lacking; an examination of where problem alcohol drinkers actually drink; criticism of the hiding of policies in the interest of trying to be a small target politically; incredibly sexist assumptions made by Australia’s neoliberal party when sending electoral material; the lack of affordable housing in Australia; bigotry in my electorate; a final call for Aussie voters to think long term and big, and “leave the hate at home”; the Attorney-General has stopped anyone else accessing the Solicitor-General; - 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 Somalia, Madagascar, Lebanon, Libya, Yemen, Lebanon (2nd), Turkey (Istanbul airport) - see also here, Afghanistan, Israel, Bangladesh, Bangladesh (2nd) - see also here, claiming this was the predictable response to not acting earlier; Kenya, Cameroon, Somalia (2nd), Bahrain (allegedly), Saudi Arabia, and others including 20 in Iraq; may be being planned/developing in Nigeria (with the ending of a programme), Kenya, Mali; and actions have occurred against violent extremists in Nigeria (rescue of 5,000 hostages), Nigeria (2nd also hostage release), Nigeria (3rd), Algeria, Iraq (allegedly), Iraq (2nd), Libya; a security breach has occurred affecting French police; Islamophobia in Perth, Australia;
more left wing-right wing violence in my home city, despite police taking pre-emptive measures, and in the USA; fears of a Muslim if Trump is elected, including past experience of simple-minded abuse (on that, see the last section of this); Iranians have been praying for the defeat of violent extremists; the USA is still considering asking some visitors for their social media profiles; what appears to be blatant Islamophobia by Israel and Monarch Airlines and their passengers led to the removal and detention without explanation of four people; grave concerns over Europe’s facilitation of Israeli abuses and torture; the UN has adopted a counter violent extremism strategy; calls for Republicans to repudiate US presidential candidate Trump’s endorsement of torture;
a generally well informed article (although utterly clueless on homophobia and Orlando) arguing for an update to how the USA approaches its security; a call to differentiate between crimes “directed by” and “inspired by” violent extremism, and discard the later; the stupidity of violent counter-protests; concerns that violent extremists win when the USA “loses its mind”; calls to adopt a policy of dialogue and “coexistence of cultures” instead of thinking with the mentality of the “clash of civilisations”; claims many Turkish people see their President as more responsible than violent extremists for recent violence; - With regard to refugees: more than 100 cases of suspected corruption have occurred in border officials in Australia, in part due to the exorbitant focus on refugees arriving by boat – see here for a powerful personal piece by a former immigration officer; Jordan is blocking aid to refugees; the UN Secretary-General has urged European leaders meeting in Brussels to act with “compassion and foresight”, and find humane solutions for refugees; a UN expert has urged the world body’s Human Rights Council to address xenophobia and its conceptualization, trends and manifestations in the context of an acute migration crisis, and with an action plan “carefully adapted to domestic realities”; the USA has called on Australia to also increase its refugee intake; a Syrian refugee has been hailed a "hero" in Germany after handing in 50,000 euros and bank books he discovered hidden inside a second-hand wardrobe; a call for the Pakistani government to reduce rights violations against Afghan refugees by extending their legal residency status; two Icelandic police officers have dragged asylum seekers from a church that offered them sanctuary;
- With regard to human rights and discrimination (including
associated violence / crime):
as a religious bigot is jailed for life for a series of murders of same LGBT people, homophobia in Turkey leads to more violence against LGBT people and allies; three gay police, marching in uniform in London Pride, have become engaged during the event, a series of gay pride events have been held in the USA and the Pope has said the Catholic Church owes same sex attracted people an apology; a critique of the Irish referendum on equal marriage which finds it gives homophobia an excuse to become rampant; Australia’s homophobic and transphobic former prime minister has said politicians should accept the outcome of any plebiscite; some US schools are choosing decency when it comes to trans kids; a religious fatwa declaring transgender marriage to be legal has been cautiously welcomed in Pakistan, but activists say attitudes still need to change; a call to reject the religious exemptions in anti-discrimination law – which a US court has done; the US military has lifted its ban on trans members; India’s Supreme Court has refused to consider allowing the nation to move into the late 20th Century on same sex attracted rights; the UN will appoint an expert for protection of LGBT people and rights – see also here;
Aboriginal people of the New South Wales southern Snowy Mountains will be formally involved in the conservation of Kosciuszko National Park, after reaching an agreement years in the making; indigenous suicide rates in the Kimberley are 7 times the national average; the international community must increase its commitment to fighting Afrophobia and discrimination against people of African descent, United Nations Children’s Fund Goodwill Ambassador and actor Danny Glover has said, speaking during the International Decade for People of African Descent; a speech on ethical leadership; profound concerns over changes to one state’s definition of aboriginal; the need for more work to address racism in police;
a surprisingly positive effect of Disney princesses on boys; sexism in the movie making world may be shooting itself in the foot; the US Supreme Court has struck down a Texas law placing a raft of restrictions on abortion clinics, handing a major victory to the pro-choice camp in the country's most important ruling on the divisive issue in a generation; the problem of confirmation bias and limited thinking in biologists’ work on gender and sexuality; incredibly sexist assumptions made by Australia’s neoliberal party when sending electoral material; a very well deserved backlash after a high school textbook took a classic sexist neochristian approach to pre-marital sex; Chinese women are increasingly taking to social media to speak out against sexual harassment; the ongoing domestic murders of women, and the mixed bag of political responses; the Pakistan Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights has sought the dissolution of the constitutionally crafted Council of Islamic Ideology (CCI) on the grounds that several of its actions were inimical to the interests of women; calls for feminism to stop excluding women through secularism –which I can relate to, including because Australian LGBT activists often equate all spirituality / religiosity with neochristianity, one of the many reasons I helped organise the Victorian Queer Spirituality Conference and attended the National Queer Spirituality Conference which inspired it;
more on bigotry and violence in Burma here and here; a media initiative on homelessness in the USA city San Francisco has been commended; modern slavery; a call for the UN to immediately suspend Saudi Arabia’s membership rights on the UN Human Rights Council; - With regard to crime, judicial matters and policing: a Mafia criminal has been caught after 20 years on the run; the UN’s cultural agency and International Criminal Court (ICC) are working together in the struggle against impunity for deliberate destruction of cultural heritage, which could constitute a war crime; the problem of illegal drug crops in Burma; appallingly, the parents of children killed in the Sandy Hook massacre are being plagued by conspiracy nuts; Indonesia is rewarding police honesty; a military officer has been found guilty of murder during the Chilean coup in 1973; more testimony about abuse and bulling in military institutions – including the need for inclusion of sexual abuse specialists in sexual abuse investigations; two Indian police officers have been suspended after fighting over a bribe; scores of innocent women have been illegally arrested, raped (to the point of miscarrying in one case) and tortured by Mexican security services looking to boost arrest figures to justify the war on drugs; shots have been fired at a police building with staff; the Victorian Government is being urged to introduce new laws to change the way it handles post traumatic stress disorder claims by emergency service workers; a court in Singapore has sentenced a man to eight months in jail for publishing anti-foreigner material on his website; it is tempting to reply to crime with a hard-nosed approach for many people, but often that is counterproductive. In this instance, provided judges have room to move, this might be a good move; an indigenous art programme aims at reducing reoffending; a defence of key people in the ICC’s first decade; tensions between Kenya and a US newspaper over the ICC – here, here and here; the USA has decided to remove Thailand from its list of worst human trafficking offenders (is this justified, or is it just for political gain?); the US found human trafficking continues to be an inadequately addressed problem in Africa; the Philippines new president has approved vigilante violence and the “law of the jungle”; concerns after three Kenya police were charged with abduction and murder of a lawyer, his client and their taxi driver; the need for more work to address racism in police; two Icelandic police officers have dragged asylum seekers from a church that offered them sanctuary;
- 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): the head of the UN agency tasked with defending press freedom has called for an investigation into the killing of journalist Zamira Esther Bautista in Mexico; the head of the United Nations agency tasked with defending the freedom of the media has denounced the death of Syrian photojournalist, Khalid Al Issa, who was killed after a homemade bomb detonated in his building, and reminded all parties in a conflict to observe the civilian status of journalists and to respect their rights as prescribed by the Geneva Conventions; journalists continue to be jailed in Egypt;
- 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?):
anti-nuclear protesters have confronted South Australia’s Premier as he went into a citizens' jury – a public relations exercise organised by the government - which is meeting to consider a controversial proposal to build a nuclear waste dump in the state; at the 40th Annual Conference of the Centre for Oceans Law and Policy, the UN Deputy Secretary-General stressed that healthy oceans are critical to sustaining life on our planet, and said the decisions we make now on the sustainable use of ocean resources stand to benefit millions of people, for generations to come - our impact is taking a toll, with many marine species at serious risk: he urged the international community to renew its efforts to protect the oceans and use their resources peacefully, equitably and sustainably (UN daily briefing); the dominance of solar photovoltaics (PV) and wind energy technologies is preventing other clean energy technologies from growing much; concerns over the Australian state of Queensland rubber-stamping applicants for “environmental activity” despite problems; air pollution causes over 6 million deaths every year; a call for Nature and wildlife to have their own seats at the UN; the hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica is finally healing; a steel company has finally admitted responsibility for massive fish kills in Viêt Nám; 445 new species found in India, mostly in the Himalayas; conflict over cities at a conference aimed at sustainable urban development; the need for sustainable infrastructure development; deforestation in the Amazon;
the importance of scientists making sure their citations have relevant evidence; science – in another catch up exercise – has shown that stress can spread cancer; a woman has apparently committed suicide over a morphed image of herself on facebook; a Dutch court has approved the extradition of a Dutchman to Canada over the cyber-bullying of a girl who later took her own life; something to protect private property against real estate agents, as well as protecting celebrities against paparazzi;
abuses and misuse of behavioural knowledge – in other words, abuse of power - by a credit agency; as most economic growth is at the expense of the environment (and thus the survival of the human species), slowing down growth post-Brexit is not necessarily a bad thing;
a surprisingly positive effect of Disney princesses on boys; a critique of codes of conduct in relation to TV reality shows which finds them lacking; a new low in stupidity: drunkorexia … : some companies are paying their staff to get enough sleep; - With regard to education: efforts to get children to play outdoors; independent learning centres; the need for quiet teachers; the stupidity of excessive, almost nationalistic support of schools has led to a $10 million payout for a brain injury;
- With regard to Africa, the Africa
Center for Strategic Studies (and other sources) also has:
the UN Mission in the Central African Republic, (MINUSCA) has condemned the killing of a peacekeeper in Bangui, but welcomed the release of six Central African policemen who were held hostages by armed men, applauded the perseverance of the negotiating team that contributed to their release without the use of force;
the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) has allocated US$13 million to provide life-saving assistance to people in north-eastern Nigeria who have been affected by violent extremists and who have just become accessible to humanitarian responders;
the opposition Presidential candidate in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been sentenced to jail in absentia;
Rwanda is under review for failing to implement human rights recommendations in a timely manner;
a meeting aims to improve funding of African peacekeeping;
a large helium field has been discovered in Tanzania;
the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has announced the allocation of US$10 million dollars from the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to address the pressing humanitarian needs in the Lake Chad region and food insecurity and malnutrition in Chad’s Sahel belt;
Nigeria has signed an $80 billion infrastructure deal with China;
the US found human trafficking continues to be an inadequately addressed problem in Africa – and Ghana must act or lose US aid;
Zimbabwe is trying to resolve its financial problems, while Guinea-Bissau has found itself in more money trouble; - With regard to China and East and South East Asia: China has stopped talking to the free nation of Taiwan - see also here, and this does not help; the Chinese social media response to a pop star meeting with the Dalai Lama shows ignorance of reality, and a febrile patriotism that is both immature and threatening; Chinese women are increasingly taking to social media to speak out against sexual harassment; a very well deserved backlash after a high school textbook took a classic sexist neochristian approach to pre-marital sex; abuses of power in the Chinese business and judicial systems; China is stepping up its propaganda war; recommendations for preventing clashes in the East China Sea escalating, including instructing front-line personnel to adhere to protocols in the Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea, discussions and exchanges and forums, China delinking Diaoyu/Senkaku sovereignty from negotiations, Japan refraining from comments or actions which suggest revisionist views of history, hold front line personnel who violate the rules accountable and incorporate guidelines for behaviour, agreeing to address violations first bilaterally, including in defence authority meetings, so as to maximise space for resolution, rather than arguing them in the media, and multilateral naval exercises involving both China and Japan … which has been followed by another naval near-miss;
- With regard to South Asia (aka the Indian
sub-continent), The Hindu and other sources
have:
India’s Supreme Court has refused to consider allowing the nation to move into the late 20th Century on same sex attracted rights; the monsoon, as well as bringing much needed water, has also brought landslides and flash floods that have killed at least 11 people; 445 new species found in India, mostly in the Himalayas; the Indian Supreme Court has criticised the government for failing to implement welfare schemes meant for construction workers; a critique of changes in Indian society; a call to “tap the potential of youth”;
a call for Sri Lanka to continue positive progress on human rights;
the Pakistan Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights has sought the dissolution of the constitutionally crafted Council of Islamic Ideology (CCI) on the grounds that several of its actions were inimical to the interests of women; a call for the Pakistani government to reduce rights violations against Afghan refugees by extending their legal residency status; - 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):
the UN and its partners are helping to look after the needs of some 85,000 displaced persons from Falluja, and the UN Secretary-General has welcomed advances against violent extremists, but expressed concerns over reports of serious human rights abuses against civilians displaced from that city;
and the Iraq Body Count project reports 23 dead on Thursday, and 1,157 for the month of June; - With regard to the Libyan civil war: resignations have hit Libya’s unity government; there have been an estimated 49 civilian casualties, including 18 deaths and 31 injuries, because of hostilities across Libya;
- 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?): harassment of US diplomats by Russian agents is increasing, and has become concerning enough to be raised directly with Putin; more dangerous stunts between US and Russian ships; suggestions for better diplomacy between Russia and NATO;
- With regard to South and Central America: although there has been progress with regard to cholera, calls have been made for better support of health measures in Haiti;
- With regard to Sudan and South Sudan:
the UN Security Council has extended the mandate of an international peacekeeping force in Darfur for a year over fierce opposition from the Sudanese government;
Sudan has completed the pull out of troops from its border with South Sudan;
following an outbreak of violence in Wau, the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has created an active patrolled security cordon around an area adjacent to the UN base for approximately 10,000 civilians, and will consider additional measures in line with its mandate should the security situation deteriorate further (UN daily briefing). Meanwhile, the UN Secretary-General has called on all fighting forces to immediately suspend the hostilities, agree to dialogue to resolve their political disputes, provide access to UNMISS and cooperate with humanitarian partners to facilitate the delivery of assistance; unrest over unpaid salaries in South Sudan; three United Nations agencies have warned that South Sudan is experiencing an unprecedented level of food insecurity, with more than a third of the population in urgent need of assistance; - with regard to the conflict in Syria: an inter-agency convoy has delivered food, nutrition, health, water and sanitation and education supplies for some 30,000 people to the hard-to-reach town of Qudsaya in Rural Damascus, the second convoy there this year (UN daily briefing) and elsewhere in rural Damascus (UN daily briefing), but a convoy has been shot at and a driver injured (UN daily briefing); the United Nations envoy mediating a resolution to the crisis in Syria has said that the next round of the intra-Syrian talks must be well prepared to ensure the possibility of moving forward with the decisive outcome of a political transition in August; a town recently freed from the harshness of violent extremist rule now has a young female co-mayor; the UN and its partners continue to call for the immediate provision of life-saving assistance, including water, food and basic health care, to more than 85,000 Syrians estimated to be stranded along the Syrian and Jordanian border area in makeshift tented settlements (UN daily briefing); the legacy of Russian cluster munitions in Syria;
- with regard to Turkey: homophobia in Turkey has led to more violence against LGBT people and allies; Israel and Turkey have reached an agreement to normalise diplomatic ties – which the UN Secretary-General has welcomed, calling it an important and hopeful signal for the stability of the region; whilst I can understand the Turkish desire to end Russian sanctions, I question the benefits of giving in to a bully – especially as other aircraft had been shot down in similar circumstances … although it has led to some lifting of Russian sanctions;
- With regard to West Asia / the Middle East,
the Middle
East Eye and other sources have:
Israel and Turkey have reached an agreement to normalise diplomatic ties – which the UN Secretary-General has welcomed, calling it an important and hopeful signal for the stability of the region; the UN Secretary-General has urged a two state solution, pointing out that 50 years of occupying land has not brought peace for Israel; Israeli police have banned non-Muslims from a contentious Jerusalem holy site until the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan following repeated clashes; a possible new stage in the quest for a Palestinian nation; Israel accused of cruel and inhuman treatment of Palestinians at border crossings; the UN Secretary-General has said that he stands with the people of Gaza and that the UN will always be with them, and told reporters that until Gaza and the West Bank are united under a single, democratic and legitimate Palestinian government, based on the rule of law and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) principles, Gaza’s prospects for full recovery will be limited. He followed this by saying, in Israel, that no solution can come through violence but must be based on mutual respect and the recognition of the legitimate aspirations of both peoples, and stressed the need to ease restrictions on the movement of Palestinian people and goods, as well as to review the dual-use list; continuing violence, terrorism and incitement, settlement expansion, and the Palestinian Authority’s lack of control of Gaza are hurting the Middle East peace process; an assessment of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as being in a “cold war” state; Israel has closed off Hebron in response to increased violence; grave concerns over Europe’s facilitation of Israeli abuses and torture; the UN Secretary-General has said that he is pleased that, in collaboration with his counterparts from the Russian Federation, the United States and the European Union, the Quartet has today released its report highlighting the major threats to the two-state solution and providing recommendations on how to preserve and advance this goal, and underscored the report’s finding that there is a strong need for affirmative steps to reverse negative trends on the ground; an Israeli critique of changing circumstances for that nation;
Egyptian students have clashed with police in protests over education; journalists continue to be jailed in Egypt;
concerns over the state of Jordan;
attempts to save public spaces in Beirut, Lebanon from development; the UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon has met with the Lebanese Prime Minister and discussed the importance of national unity, and vigilance to secure and stabilize Lebanon in this very volatile and challenging period;
claims the United Arab Emirates is trying to influence who is king in Saudi Arabia; - With regard to the war in Yemen: over 25 people have been killed by a Saudi air strike; the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Yemen has announced that the Yemeni peace talks would embark on a new phase for the next two weeks, with the two delegations meeting their respective leaderships will then returning with practical recommendations on how to implement the necessary mechanisms that will enable them to sign a peace accord, as the main principles have been established, based on the working papers submitted by the two delegations and the recommendations of the specialised committees. The Special Envoy will use this period to meet with key Yemeni and regional political stakeholders to press for a comprehensive solution that will address the mechanisms discussed in the talks, which will ensure the security and stability of Yemen (UN daily briefing);
- With regard to natural and other catastrophes: a disaster has been declared in a state of the USA affected by floods which have killed over a score of people; one of the strongest El Niño events ever recorded has placed the lives of 26.5 million children at risk of malnutrition, water shortages and disease in ten countries in Eastern and Southern Africa; the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) said it will convene a high-level meeting in Rome on 30th June, along with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the World Food Programme (WFP), “to focus on the urgent need for long-term action to address the impact of El Niño, including building resilience for food security and nutrition for the most vulnerable populations in the affected countries” – see also here; in a message on the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, the UN Secretary-General underscored that torture must never be used under any circumstances, including during conflict or when national security is under threat; the Global Humanitarian Overview mid-year report has been released, and shows rising humanitarian needs and inadequate funding - $20 billion is required; the UN Secretary-General Ban has announced the membership of the Global Health Crises Task Force, which was established to support and monitor implementation of recommendations developed by his High-level Panel on the Global Response to Health Crises;
- With regard to peace and/or spirituality generally, and the occasional nice story: the UN humanitarian chief has stressed the need to transcend the divide between relief aid and development work, urging action on global commitments made at last month’s World Humanitarian Summit (WHS); a critique of the death of courage as part of “manliness” on the Somme battle, a century ago; an academic exercise in the obvious: leaders make a difference with regard to peace / war; a call for the USA to require foreign governments receiving United States military aid to immediately end their use of child soldiers; France has destroyed its cluster munitions; ongoing problems in Bougainville;
and from a range of other sites:
- an interesting interactive site on emotions (look beyond the display and the involvement of famous personages: are these the continents / inputs / actions / etc that feel right FOR YOU? One of the greatest advantages of this sort of thing, in my opinion, is that it is a prompt to start thinking);
- mental health and suicide prevention;
- a vaccine against the Zika virus is closer;
- the fluidity of sexuality, which includes a pointed statement that gay rights does not have to hang off a “gay gene”;
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.
