Post No. 904 – For Sunday evening’s meditation-clearing

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 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 more Aether and Air;

(d)   as a species we have become arrogant with the advent, spread and development of civilisation - many of us (not those suffering profound poverty, etc) now take survival and other issues for granted: we forget that deaths can happen from something as simple as tripping over a garden hose, and we WILFULLY ignore the lessons of history, which show that quality of life can be lost quickly (e.g., World War Part One, which caught many everyday people by surprise, the Great Depression, etc). We need to remember this, so that we may (i) truly appreciate what we have, and (ii) take appropriate, nuanced measures against such risks, WITHOUT redeveloping our problem of being arrogant;

(e)  may people remember and treasure the rights and responsibilities of freedom, including the (spiritual) responsibility to be compassionate and inclusive (especially of those who are out of sight) when considering ANY political matter, whether of democracy, totalitarian regimes, or small clubs and groups / cliques of friends - ESPECIALLY all who are exercising power, which must always be accountable in the mundane world (karma makes sure it is spiritually accountable, but that is so slow it can fail to be seen);

(f)  may all people and groups / organisations of people (including nations) everywhere accept that we have relative strengths and weaknesses, and not try to compensate - or overcompensate - for weaknesses: appreciate, accept or change these relative strengths and weaknesses on their merits;

(g)  remember to consult with the wise / specialists ... and to LISTEN and act appropriately when one does so;

(h)  denial of discrimination must stop, so that those who are incline to do violence or harm can be constrained and taught to have a more appropriate, properly informed, BPM view on such matters;

(i)  there is no place for vigilantism;

(j)  communication must be facilitated in all areas of life;

(k)  we must remember that we live on a small planet, and meeting our many, complex and interactive needs requires careful thought, and an appropriate balance between the mundane and the spiritual;

(l)   peace is powerful, but it is a process requiring patient (not impatient!), persistent and nuanced nurturing, and a blend of conventional spiritual work, clearing nonBPM units, and physical world activism;

(m)   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;
• Events warranting particular attention, or fitting into too many categories:
     in the USA, following the killings of black men and white police officers, arrests at protests have reached the hundreds, with Dallas’ black police chief making a personally informed call for an end to the violence, and for more black people to change the police “from within”, and a new iconic image of a peaceful woman about to get arrested – see also here;   a call for people to stay focused on Black Lives Matter;   the partner of a man killed by police has called for police powers to be curtailed (this is the essence of this problem, with people being told to do anything the police order, no matter how unreasonable. Great power needs great accountability);   the many ways black people can be killed in the USA (e.g., failing to indicate a lane change, or riding in their girlfriend’s car);   African activists are expressing unity with the Black Lives matter movement;
     under the title of “Australia cannot afford to be smug”: after the great Dr Martin Luther King Jr's nonviolent protest movement led to greater legal equality for America's blacks, he turned his full attention to economic inequality, calling it the "Poor People's Campaign", and wanting an "economic bill of rights". He pointed out that, while black Americans might be poor individually, but that they had a collective purchasing power of over $US30 billion, greater than total US exports, and called for a boycott of Coca-Cola, a big milk company and two bakeries for mistreating black workers. Unfortunately, without Dr King to lead it, the economic campaign collapsed (much as, without Abraham Lincoln, the USA never healed from the Civil War; we could consider this evidence of being in "an Age of the Assassin", but it could equally be called "an Age of Too Few Good Leaders"). Barack Obama two years ago described inequality as "the defining issue of our time";   “anger is a secondary emotion. It is a response. We get angry as a reaction to something, such as feeling hurt, humiliated or afraid. ... After thirty years of neo-liberalism as the dominant political force we are left with an epidemic of anger, fear and bone-shattering fatigue” (I can so relate top this - especially as I have been arguing against neo-liberalism for all of those 30 years, and can well mark its shabby arrival with a psychopathic, bullying manager in a workplace * );   “We are on the brink of a breaking point between the way politics was done in the 20^th Century and the way it will be done in the 21^st. ... The debate is getting louder and more heated. How do we proceed calmly?”;   “The problem confronting political parties is that the people in leadership positions are intellectually and emotionally ill-equipped to grasp the complex transformation in human affairs now under way” (I would add that the same applies to other areas of life .. );
• With regard to democracy, freedom and governance (e.g., here and here):
     an assessment of the recent joint declaration on international law made by Russia and China, and the thinking underlying their claims (which I consider flawed from both a human rights and a spiritual point of view);   two concepts of liberty – negative liberty, the absence of coercion, and positive liberty, the possession of the capacity to act upon one's free will or, as some define it, “self-mastery” – see also here and here;   an assessment that voters don’t like personal smear campaigns;   the UK’s new Prime Minister, who has some surprising elements of compassion;   the reasons (all predictable, and predicted by opponents) why free trade has been losing support, and a similar examination of problems of globalisation;
     the political crisis in Papua New Guinea is growing;   Papua New Guinea also has a jobs problem;   foreign students have been repatriated from PNG;   elections will be delayed in Congo;   the African Union says African nations are undermining the fight against corruption;
     a US Senator is doing a great job of protecting Australia’s health system by blocking the TPP by   questions over how Australian political parties got unlisted phone numbers;   an assessment that Australia’s external debt is a major problem (I always wonder how these sorts of things happen – are the banks borrowing without thought on such issues, or are house buyers responsible because they’re just going for the cheapest loan to buy an overinflated house price?);  some suggestions for improving Australia’s government financial accountability;   “Journalist Margo Kingston ... urged "right-thinking city folks", to learn from the Hanson nightmare decades back. Listen to her: do not lampoon, Kingston says. Welcome Hanson to Parliament; she has a right to be there. Talk to her voters who are "by and large nice people with little money" suffering from the impact of economic rationalism. My instincts tell me Kingston's message is one urban elites need to hear. Critics accused her of white privilege ... When the merits of an argument matter less than the race or ethnicity of the person putting it then the Hansonites have all but won. And these critics of Kingston's proved her point about the lazy class prejudice that stains all her voters as pitch-forked bigots rather than ordinary people with complex and sometimes contradictory motivations. ... That said, Hanson does not deserve a special welcome to Parliament. Nor should city folk feel compelled to hear or understand the concerns of Hansonites above those of other battlers who did not choose representatives peddling odious messages”;
• 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, Somalia (2^nd), France, Yemen, Mali, Mali (2^nd), Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, Libya, Ukraine, the USA, Kenya, the Philippines, and six in Iraq; may be being planned/developing or redeveloping in Afghanistan; prevention has or may have occurred in Australia; and actions have occurred against violent extremists in Iraq;   NATO has agreed to the use of aerial surveillance planes against violent extremists in Iraq and Syria (I would have thought that was already happening!);   a French journalist has infiltrated a violent extremist cell, finding angry men with no understanding or respect for Islam;   there is evidence that people close to Gulf royals have funded violent extremists;   abuses - including torture and overcrowding - of detained people in Cameroon have killed dozens;   use of vehicles in violent extremist attacks;
     criticism of Russia’s attempt to use counter terrorism as an excuse to extend surveillance and curtail human rights of its citizens;   Niger’s President has proposed setting up a multinational west African force to counter violent extremism;   NATO has announced its intention to establish an intelligence “Fusion Centre” in Tunisia, which will provide support to Tunisian Special Operations Forces;   al mosques in Bangladesh have been asked to preach against violent extremism;
     an assessment of violent extremism in Indonesia, and what may happen next there; an assessment of the new leader of an Afghani violent extremist group;   Da’esh is preparing for (adapting to) to possible fall of its so-called “caliphate”;   concerns that the sort of freedoms that are built on trust and confidence may not be sustainable following the violent extremist attack in France;   the brutality of the French-backed regime in Mali is claimed to be the reason for violent extremist attacks in France;
     an Israeli rights group is taking legal actions against facebook on behalf of families of victims of Palestinian attacks;   an assessment of the legal situation with respect to action against social media in the USA (other nations have different laws, so this won’t apply) for supporting violent extremists;
• With regard to refugees:   two refugees have been threatened by criminals in Papua New Guinea (the Australian government knew these risks and the problems that PNG had with crime when it chose to set up its refugee gulag in that nation: we cannot duck shove responsibility for this onto PNG, as WE CREATED the situation where refugees would be exposed to risk!);   the refugee crisis in Mali;   the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has expressed concern over further restrictions by Hungary leading to push-backs of people seeking asylum as well as reports of the use of violence and abuse against them;   pro-refugee advocates in Hungary;
• With regard to human rights and discrimination (including associated violence / crime):
     a direct rejection of trite requests for forgiveness by childhood bullies (I agree with the rejection: the messages are not genuine, do not show understanding of what happened, and attempt to evade responsibility by using the “all kids are bad” LIE);   appalling violence (including torture, mutilation and murder) against LGBT people in Lebanon;   gay and trans farmers in regional Victoria are receiving surprising – I’ve lived and been in such areas, and NOT received such support -  support;   some US schools (those in California) will now include LGBT history;
     the Bahamas has issued a rare travel advisory for its citizens visiting the US, recommending particular care be taken by young men in cities affected by tensions over recent police shootings;   an admonishment to be genuine and physically engaged, as well as spiritually (to which I would add: also, clear nonBPM  units * );    ethnic violence in Ethiopia has killed tend people;
     a meme has developed in response to a notorious bigot’s utterly absurd allegations of hysteria to a co-panellist – see also here and here;   on World Population Day, the UN Secretary-General urged all Governments, businesses and civil society to support and invest in teenage girls, who, despite strides the world has made towards gender equality, remain extremely vulnerable – for example, in developing countries, one in every three girls is married before she reaches 18 years of age. the Secretary-General urged all Governments to work together to ensure a life of security, dignity and opportunity for all;   new data from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reveals that about two-thirds of men, women, boys and girls in countries where female genital mutilation is common say they want the practice to end;   the outrage over “motherhood regret” distracts from the real problem: that women are still expected to shoulder the bulk of caring work;
     the discrimination experienced by people with acquired brain injuries;   an excellent idea to house homeless people in vacant office buildings – particularly commendable given the sub-zero apparent temperatures we are currently having;   at a UN General Assembly debate on human rights, the UN Secretary-General said that international human rights and humanitarian law are being eroded and called on Governments to meet their responsibilities and their shared best interest in promoting individual and collective human rights, noting that repressive policies against violent extremism and terrorism make nobody safe, and human rights are the most powerful driver of peace and development. He also referred to the UN Human Rights Up Front initiative, saying it is shifting the UN's to on prevention rather than reaction. A group of UN experts has also stressed that ALL the development goals need to be treated equally, including human rights;   a call to ban homophobic / transphobic forced anal examinations, which have occurred in Cameroon, Egypt, Kenya, Lebanon, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Uganda, and Zambia;   the Turkish government is blocking access for independent investigations into alleged mass abuses against civilians across southeast Turkey;   Thai authorities have arrested four pro-democracy activists campaigning against the military junta’s draft constitution and a journalist reporting on the campaign;   Israel is targeting leftist groups that oppose the government;
• With regard to crime, judicial matters and policing:   the killings without any due (legal) process have started in the Philippines;  over 100 police have been injured in protests in Germany, a prisoner has killed two police officers in court, a policeman in Kashmir has been drowned by a mob, and the family of a police officer who committed suicide are taking legal action;   the partner of a man killed by police has called for police powers to be curtailed (this is the essence of the problem in the USA, with people being told to do anything the police order, no matter how unreasonable. Great power needs great accountability);   although there has been progress, more is needed to address the problem of rape and sexual assault in the Cote d’Ivoire;   criticism of the UK police for inadequate consideration of human rights before training Saudi Arabian police;   a very concerning leak about children to an abusive parent is being investigated;
• 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 Syrian regime deliberately murdered renowned war correspondent Marie Colvin in 2012;   a call for common sense in assessing risks associated with a mobile phone game;   Guinea-Bissau has exemplified media framing and given a particular image of failure and criminality to that nation;
• 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?):
     massive die back of mangroves in northern Australia – which play an essential part of the ecosystem, and coral bleaching;   illegal forest clearing by its neighbour is threatening Senegal;
     an Israeli rights group is taking legal actions against facebook on behalf of families of victims of Palestinian attacks;   an assessment of the legal situation with respect to action against social media in the USA (other nations have different laws, so this won’t apply) for supporting violent extremists;   questions over how Australian political parties got unlisted phone numbers;   a questioning of our attitudes towards nuclear radiation (to which I reply that the events at Fukushima show the problems of having decision makers too focused on what they consider rational, rather than being aware of things such as the risks of adverse events affecting public attitudes. I’m thinking about adding a saying to my quotations age to the effect that “the USSR is what happens when engineers run a nation” – although technically, I should qualify that as “bottom-up” focused engineers, b[meaning those who think everything can be predicted by looking at the smallest details and working their way up, without doing some “top-down” checks – i.e., checking the predictions against reality along the way);   a critique of artificial intelligence which doubts it will take over the world;   a call for common sense in assessing risks associated with a mobile phone game;
     a call to take time for calmness and meditation in our too-busy lives;   for those with mobile phones, a Damh the Bard post included “Insight Timer”;
• With regard to education:   some US schools (those in California) will now include LGBT history;
• With regard to the conflict in Afghanistan (noting that Afghanistan was once a peaceful and modern society, even allowing women in miniskirts, before the Russian invasion – see here):   an assessment of the new leader of an Afghani violent extremist group;
• With regard to Africa, the Africa Center for Strategic Studies (and other sources) also has:
     the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for West Africa and the Sahel has said that 4.5 million people are displaced and six million people are in need of emergency food assistance in the Sahel alone, and urged the international community to work collectively to help improve conflict prevention efforts before crises escalate beyond control (UN daily briefing) – see also here;
     Morocco is trying to rejoin the African Union, which it left three decades ago over Western Sahara;
     the refugee crisis in Mali;   the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) has condemned the violence that erupted in Gao this week and urged calm. The mission notes that, before and during the demonstrations, it tried to promote dialogue, and it continues to do so;   the World Heritage Committee has added the Old Towns of Djenné, in Mali, to the List of World Heritage in Danger (UN daily briefing);   the brutality of the French-backed regime in Mali is claimed to be the reason for violent extremist attacks in France;
     the US Agency for International Development’s Famine Early Warning Systems Network has released a food security alert indicating that a famine could be imminent in north-eastern Nigeria, and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has stressed that urgent funding (over US$200 million) is needed (UN daily briefing);   violence between farmers and herdsmen in Nigeria has killed more than 20 people;   calls for Nigeria’s anti-corruption campaign to dig deeper;
     a review of what should be prioritised by leaders at the forthcoming African Union summit;
     Kenya’s clampdown on civil society over the last three years is against its interests;
     Guinea-Bissau has exemplified media framing and given a particular image of failure and criminality to that nation;
     the UN Secretary-General has condemned the assassination of Hafsa Mossi, former Burundian Minister for East African Community Affairs and Member of the East African Legislative Assembly;
     elections will be delayed in Congo;
     abuses - including torture and overcrowding - of detained people in Cameroon have killed dozens;
     the African Union says African nations are undermining the fight against corruption;
     ethnic violence in Ethiopia has killed tend people;
     hundreds of Zimbabwean citizens living in South Africa have marched to the Zimbabwean embassy in Pretoria to highlight their concerns with the current economic and political situation in Zimbabwe and the arrest of Pastor Evan Mawarire;   savage police abuses as the anti-Mugabe movement gains power;
     illegal forest clearing by its neighbour is threatening Senegal;
• With regard to China and East and South East Asia:   a critic of the Cambodian government has been murdered;   North Korea is threatening a “physical response” to a defensive measure announced by South Korea and the USA;   an article on Philippine activists who are supporting their territorial integrity against Chinese actions;   China has been found to have NO historical basis for its claim to the South China Seas - see here for an assessment of the probable reactions, including China’s likely continued denial of the facts and continued (discriminatory) contempt for so-called “lesser” nations, here, and here for the stand that India, which has been getting more closely allied to China, has taken in support of the decision;   Vietnam has accused China of sinking a fishing boat near a disputed island chain;   a call for European Union leaders to publicly call for an end to the Chinese government’s crackdown on peaceful dissent and urge the release of all those wrongfully detained;   a review of a little known Malaysian organisation that has been quietly working towards all ASEAN countries making their laws and practices conform with international rights standards;   hawkish comments by an Australian MP over the South China Seas (one needs to stand up to bullies, and one needs to improve compliance with international law, but there are BPM and nonBPM ways of doing so … );   Indonesia has been standing up to both China and the Philippines over maritime issues;
• 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):
     NATO has agreed to the use of aerial surveillance planes against violent extremists in Iraq and Syria (I would have thought that was already happening!);   soccer is being used to fight back against violent extremism in a small Iraqi town;   the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Iraq has urged more support (UN daily briefing) – see also here;   the rise (on promises of Sunni empowerment) and fall (on the basis of brutality) of violent extremists in Fallujah;   thousands of Iraqis have rallied in the heart of Baghdad, defying warnings from authorities to stay home, to demand an end to sectarianism and corruption in government;
     and the Iraq Body Count project reports 135 deaths from Sunday to Thursday;
• With regard to the Libyan civil war:   the World Heritage Committee has placed five World Heritage sites of Libya on the List of World Heritage in Danger because of damage and the threat of further damage caused by the conflict;   Libya’s new Defence Minister has survived an assassination attempt;
• With regard to the Russia:   the history of changes, perceptions and broken promises in relation to NATO and its quest for meaning / enlargement (this article presents the first positive aspect of Yeltsin that I’ve come across in a long while: he was drunken, power hungry fool, most of the time – in my opinion);   an assessment of the risks associated with NATO bolstering its presence in the Baltic states (although this is valid, Russia could end the threat of NATO expansion, incidentally, by backing off … );
• With regard to South and Central America:   people have been going from crisis-struck Venezuela to Colombia to do their shopping;   the frustration and anger of teachers who were not consulted about reform;
• With regard to South Asia (aka the Indian sub-continent), The Hindu and other sources have:
     India’s female story tellers;   “a Uniform Civil Code, if brought in now, will be perceived as an apology for hegemony of Hindu laws over the personal laws applicable to Muslims and Christians — and justifiably so”;   flooding has killed ten people and rain is threatening some crops;   the need for better regulation of air quality in India;   the World Health Organization (WHO) has officially declared the elimination of yaws as well as maternal and neonatal tetanus in India;   an economic gain for farmers in one Indian state;   actions from the campaign for toilets;
     violence in Kashmir – and see here, and a call for peace as comments are made of the disconnection between India’s government and the Kashmiri people and the Indian Prime Minister asks security forces to exercise restraint;   US concerns over the violence;
     there is growing potential for a major earthquake in the Ganges-Brahmaputra delta;
• With regard to Sudan and South Sudan:
     the 2016 Sudan Humanitarian Response Plan has been launched, requesting US$ 952 million to support 4.6 million people in urgent need of humanitarian assistance;
     over 100 have been killed in violent conflict which began between bodyguards, leading to a brief claim of being “back to war”, before the two key leaders came to their senses and called for calm, with the UN calling for safe passage for civilians and more peacekeepers;   the UN Secretary-General has condemned the violence, which included killing peacekeepers, and called for an arms embargo;   critiques here and here of the shakiness of peace in South Sudan (I content that peace is powerful, but it is a process requiring patient, not impatient, persistent and nuanced nurturing);   the number of refugees could exceed one million this year (UN daily briefing);   the UN has called for an investigation into attacks on UN and NGO personnel (UN daily briefing);
• with regard to the conflict in Syria:   NATO has agreed to the use of aerial surveillance planes against violent extremists in Iraq and Syria (I would have thought that was already happening!);   the Syrian regime deliberately murdered renowned war correspondent Marie Colvin in 2012;   continued humanitarian concerns for Aleppo (UN daily briefing);   France has rejected as "unfair" Russia's criticism of the UN envoy on Syria, calling for a ceasefire and lifting the Aleppo siege to allow the peace process to resume;   Russia has bombed Palmyra;
• with regard to Turkey:   the Turkish government is blocking access for independent investigations into alleged mass abuses against civilians across southeast Turkey;   a split in a far right party in Turkey could affect the future of the nation;   there has been an apparent military coup in Turkey, with tens of thousands protesting against it;
• with regard to the conflicts in Ukraine, particularly in the east:   a report released by the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine has documented widespread killings that have taken place in the nation since January 2014, and highlights the very limited accountability that has taken place;
• With regard to West Asia / the Middle East, the Middle East Eye and other sources have:
     Egypt's foreign minister has paid a rare visit to Israel, offering his country's help to revive peace talks with the Palestinians;   an assessment of Israel’s preparations for an assumed certain future war against Hezbollah, which has become much stronger in the decade since the last war;   an Israeli rights group is suing facebook on behalf of families of victims of Palestinian attacks;   Israel is targeting leftist groups that oppose the government;
     police have assaulted an MP;
     an assessment of Russia’s potential for closer relations with Gulf nations (Iran is the sticking point);
     historical revisionism has been erasing Arabs from history (which is very wrong – they were an intellectual force during Europe’s Dark Ages, in particular);
     after alleged mismanagement, Saudi Arabia faces a water crisis in the next couple of decades (that surprises me, given the history of things like multi-stage flash distillation – but the current situation is unsustainable);
• With regard to the war in Yemen:   the Yemen peace talks are about to resume (UN daily briefing);   claims that the Houthis are using (civilian) human shields, which is contributing to the death toll from air strikes by the Saudi-led coalition;
• With regard to natural and other catastrophes:   the human face of drought in southern Africa;   the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has said that countries across West and Central Africa are on alert as the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus H5N1continues to spread across the region, with Cameroon becoming the latest African country to detect the disease (the violence and effects of the violence are likely to be weakening resistance to illness, which further emphasises the importance of peace);
• With regard to peace and/or spirituality generally, and the occasional nice story:   from here: "forgiveness does not subvert justice ... is not forgetting ... is not quick ... but I have forgiven and so I am not chained - I am free";   a ritual for reducing anger;   ubuntu;   a call to take time for calmness and meditation in our too-busy lives;

and from a range of other sites:

• the importance of a sense of meaning in life;
• a call for better provisions for animal welfare;
• a better approach to birth;

 * personal digression: I feel somewhat vindicated by what I have been trying to do by a few of this week’s posts – the ones with an asterisk. It is wonderful that others also have – independently – come up with similar view points, as that means these ideas are spreading :)

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 gems),  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.