Saturday, 24 September 2016

Post No. 930 – 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.
There are some notes at the end of this post about other options for those who do not like this way of working, opportunities for healers, and the default plan for any time I am late getting my Psychic Weather Report up.
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 BPM Air;
(d)   ideology – economic, as much as religious, atheistic or political – must NEVER be allowed to compromise freedom, particularly democracy, which is the best expression  of freedom that we currently have. Any argument in favour of reduced participation (e.g., support for monarchies) is a hearkening back to the “good old days” of being immature CHILDREN, and thus also is patronising, harmful and regressive;
(e)   the application of mental ability (“intelligence” in the thinking sense) must be balanced by TRUE emotional intelligence and have the wisdom of being nuanced;
(f)   where we shared in creating problems, we must in fairness share in solving them;
(g)   the prejudgement of bigotry remains a stain on humanity;
(h)   the contagion of violence needs to be addressed as exactly that: a communicable disease – and likewise hatred;
(i)   the overwhelming (e.g. climate change, world poverty / thirst / hunger) must be faced with courage, and manage to the best of one’s ability. On a smaller scale, perhaps, so too must the problems faced by nations, groups and individuals – corruption, tests of ethical integrity, and so on;
(j)   access to credible (which is dependent on good communication), real, good quality information is as vital as protection of our privacy;
(k)   something being familiar or comfortable does NOT make it right (a message for, in particular, those vicious women who are the female genital mutilators of Sierra Leone);
(l)   there is often a compelling case for intervention: when that intervention is stuffed up, the mistakes need to be honestly admitted and addressed, to avoid compounding the original problem (a thought for Libya, in particular). The failure to take a needed intervention creates further problems (a thought for Syria, where a no-fly zone years ago may have been crucial);
(m)   the addiction to personal power remains problematic;
(n)   the counter to fear is genuine  EQ and clear thinking, expressed through calm, de-escalating speech;
(o)   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;
(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 emphasise 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:
       a call for globalisation to be managed to protect democracy;
  • With regard to democracy, freedom and governance (e.g., here and here):
       -   a warning of declining involvement of the public service in policy matters;   an assessment of the cracks in Fiji’s democracy;   the importance of a middle class for good governance – particularly in developing nations;   a call for foreign aid to be based on partnerships;   a criticism of macroeconomics;   a call for inclusive nation building;   the problem of “made up” threats;   an analysis of territorial disputes – which tends to “state the obvious”, in my view, but that might be helpful to someone;   an examination of the role and selection of the UN’s Secretary-General;  the Prime Minister of Norway underlined that effective international cooperation is essential to address poverty, conflicts, climate change, migration and terrorism;   African leaders have urged action on the Global Goals, saying ‘This is no longer a time for promises’;   a warning for those who possess confidential information not to dismiss the views of outsiders;   a critique of Australia’s proposed Foreign Policy White paper, which includes commentary about the possible shift from geo-politics to geo-economics;   the problem of surveillance capitalism;   evidence shows that attempting to extend the “no-jab-no-payment” to school attendance does not work;   a rebuttal of the ideology that privatisation is a “must”;
       -   69 of the world’s 100 biggest economic entities are corporations (the US corporation Walmart is bigger than my nation … );   opposition figures have been in jail in Eritrea for 15 years;   corruption in Morocco;   despite protests and concerns about the chilling effects of special courts to allow companies to sue sovereign nations a trade agreement between Europe and Canada will stand;
       -   West African nations have been urged to protect whistleblowers;
       -   secular candidates and grassroots activism are likely to be significant in Jordan’s coming elections;   a proposal to remove age limits so the existing Ugandan president can stay on has been rejected;   US President Obama has used his farewell UN address to castigate strongmen and populists;   Rome has dropped its bid to host a future olympics, on the grounds of it being financially responsible to host such an expensive event;
       -   the extremely concerning Americanisation of Australia’s health system;   concern over Australia’s “drift” from a defensive to an offensive military defence policy;   Australia has a poverty, not a welfare problem – see also here;   last week’s labour force figures produced the best unemployment rate for three years (possibly because of people giving up the search for jobs) but also a record level of underemployment, at around 9%;   a call for the Australian government to make a positive statement about refugees or risk being sidelined from the debate;   a call for a new review of Australia’s intelligence gathering, and opinion piece saying that such a review must, to be credible, tackle anxiety around information-gathering, privacy and security;   the ABS has compounded its lack of credibility by “accidentally” releasing thousands of names linked to businesses;
  • 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 the USA, USA (2nd), Pakistan, India, Somalia, Saudi Arabia, Libya, Somalia, Libya (2nd), Nigeria, DR Congo, Kenya, and, according to this Wikipedia page, 4 attacks in Iraq;   prevention has or may have occurred in Turkey, the USA, Saudi Arabia; and actions have occurred against violent extremists in Niger, Nigeria (see also here), the USA;   allegations that Canada cooperated with Syria in the torture of three Canadians;   an experiment in Germany has found evidence of job discrimination against women with Turkish names - and even more if they wear an Islamic headscarf;
       -   the UK's Liberal Democrat Party has passed a motion at its annual conference demanding that the British government’s Prevent strategy be scrapped, calling for an alternative that is “inclusive” and “community-led”;   Chad’s President has urge a global push against violent extremism;
       -   a criticism of the proposal to allow the families of victims of the 9/11 atrocity to sue Saudi Arabia – including that such a precedent is a double edged sword. The bill has been vetoed by US President Obama, but the veto is likely to be overturned;   a review of a book which gives a wide-ranging and important examination of the law governing the use of force in counter-violent extremism (on that, I’m currently re-reading Geoffrey Robertson’s Crimes Against Humanity – The Struggle for Global Justice [Penguin, ISBN 0-14-025029-8]);   “Russia, Egypt, Turkey and Pakistan among others—hope to have it both ways. They use the presence of terrorists to win sympathy abroad and discredit peaceful foes at home, even while fighting back vigorously enough to look plausible but not forcefully enough to solve the problem”;   Da’esh does not publicise all its executions on social media –and may be experiencing a decline in numbers because of its military losses;   an analysis of why violent extremists in Nigeria are now being defeated;   Iraq’s Prime Minister has called for global cooperation against violent extremism;   the declining rights of the wounded;
  • With regard to refugees (noting the New York Declaration):   a call for genuine refuge for the world’s displaced;   an anti-refugee party in Germany is making political gains;   Slovakia is also taking hard anti-refugee line;   some proposals for fiddling around the edges of refugee resettlement schemes;   the cycles of racism and bigotry towards immigrant and refugee groups in Australia;   Germany’s Chancellor has “admitted” a need to better prepare people for refugees;   discussions on the strengthening of self-reliance in food security and nutrition to support greater dignity and protection of refugees;   world leaders have adopted the New York Declaration, which expresses their political will to protect the rights of refugees and migrants, to save lives and share responsibility for large movements on a global scale;   a rebuttal of the bigoted and hypocritical rubbish which is Australia’s (anti-)refugee policy, and a critique of the survey which – using negatively worded questions – indicated a disturbingly high proportion of Australians apparently do not want Muslim immigration (apart from the immigration issue, don’t these people realise it is ALLOWED for people to change their religion, and that some Australian Muslims are people – born and bred here – who converted? I’ve met at least one such person who was a decent human being!);   the main African nations which are the sources of refugees;   a call for the Australian government to make a positive statement about refugees or risk being sidelined from the debate – and to start promoting a regional approach to the current refugees – see also here;   although pledges of increased refugee intakes have increased, they are a drop in the ocean, compared to the need;   the UN continues to be concerned about retaliation by Australia against those who cooperate with the UN’s special rapporteur on refugees;   hundreds of refugees may have drowned off Egypt;   the President of El Salvador has urged the international community to meet the complex challenges posed by refugees with courage, and to strengthen the activities of regional and global organizations dealing with the issue - especially to ensure the protection of the human rights of all people on the move;   children in refugee gulags are harmed;   more refugees have drowned in the Mediterranean Sea;   the neochristian Catholic Church’s Pope has castigated the media for inciting fear;
  • With regard to human rights and discrimination (including associated violence / crime):
       -   a 12 year old boy attempted to stop the (homophobic) hate of thousands of people;   the experience of a non-binary 10 year old;   a gambler has been homophobic;   “rights ‘cannot be referred to a referendum, in which a majority view would prevail over the wishes of any minority.’ Doing so would defeat the political purpose of ‘rights’. ”;   most Australian voters support a free vote if a plebiscite is not held for Equal Marriage;   a teacher has made homophobic remarks (and should be removed while the investigation is carried out);   a call for continued efforts for LGBT rights;   significant numbers of heterosexual couples are finding ways to protest against the legal warning that celebrants are obliged to state;   the hypocrisy, repression and anti-pluralism behind Indonesia’s Anti-LGBT push;   blatant lies in homophobic brochures in Australia;
       -   the successes of a trial “Justice Reinvestment” programme;   some US military and ex-military personnel are supporting protests during the US national anthem as being patriotic;   a Queensland restaurant has been indulging in racism;   European embassies in Britain have logged dozens of incidents of suspected hate crime and abuse against their citizens since the vote to leave the European Union;   the cycles of racism and bigotry towards immigrant and refugee groups in Australia;   Australia’s Indigenous Affairs Minister has held a workshop with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders leaders on the Redfern Statement, which called for urgent action to reverse half a billion dollars in federal funding cuts, a review of the way federal funding is distributed, inclusion of a specific Closing the Gap target for reducing Indigenous imprisonment and reestablishment of the Department of Indigenous Affairs with it "managed and run by senior Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander public servants";   the rich diversity of Australia’s indigenous population;   a US court has found black people may be justified in fleeing from a police stop and frisk;
       -   women have participated for the first time in an Indian festival;   the successes of a trial “Justice Reinvestment” programme;   Indians have reacted with outrage after passers-by watched a woman being stabbed more than 20 times on a busy street in the capital, Delhi;   a group of female genital mutilators has pressured Sierra Leone into releasing a suspect;   a matrilineal society in Indonesia;   the continuing struggle against child marriage;   a national women’s sports coach has been stood down for allegedly exposing himself;   a Nigerian has become head of a city;   cyberbullying and sexting by a boy led a girl to commit suicide;   Saudi women are pushing for basic human rights;
       -   a statement by the UN Commissioner on nations refusing to allow access;   a call for Vietnamese authorities to drop all charges and unconditionally release a prominent land rights activist facing trial for peacefully exercising her rights;   Human Rights Watch and the International Commission of Jurists have reported that Indian authorities have detained a Kashmiri human rights activist after stopping him from traveling to the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva;   Azerbaijan is acting brazenly to silence dissent;   the Paralympics are changing the way the differently abled are viewed - see also here;   a rebuttal of the myth that most child abusers were themselves abused as children – however, as the article itself states, there is very great need to take care with data;   the International Criminal Court has announced that it would start considering environmental destruction, misuse of land, and land grabs as crimes against humanity;   a call for Pakistan to not execute a man with a mental disability;   the diversion of fish for animal food in the West has left millions of Africans food insecure;   a labour rights activist has been made a scapegoat in Thailand for that nation’s poor work practices;   young carers are alarmed by the Australian Government's recent welfare announcement, and fear they are being depicted as a burden on society;   a South African Paralympic shot-putter has hit out at South African Airways for refusing to allow him to board with his prosthetic leg;   the Paralympics have brought the problem of too few wheelchairs in Ghana into focus;   the ICC has reported Kenya for noncooperation;   the problem of declining job opportunities;   African leaders have urged action on the Global Goals, saying ‘This is no longer a time for promises’;   the need for land rights reform in India;   an examination of the caste-base desire for impunity leading to a push back against laws aimed at protecting Dalits;
    A play has been written about the notorious miscarriage of justice against Lindy and Michael Chamberlain over the killing of their daughter by a dingo. Apart from the notoriously incompetent investigation, this case showed massive public bigotry against the Chamberlains because – in my opinion - they were members of a minority religion, and because Lindy Chamberlain didn’t display her grief publicly.
    That latter point is one I find particularly grating – and, at that time I knew someone, no longer a friend for many reasons including this, who was a hypocrite who said she would have, in those circumstances, cried in front of the cameras, and yet at many other times had specifically said she would never show emotions in front of news cameras. I’m tempted to write “you can’t have it both ways”, but it’s more complex than that: how people behave under extreme stress – and being hunted by a media pack constitutes extreme stress - is complex and difficult to predict (as another example, the rictus caused by fear of dying can cause some people to look as if they are smiling).
    There is another aspect to this as well: the racism shown towards the indigenous trackers who had identified dingo tracks – racism shown by police and prosecutors in Australia’s still notorious north, which equates in many ways to the notoriety of the USA’s south – and, on that, last night I re-watched the film     “Mississippi Burning”, and again thought how the USA never healed after its civil war, probably largely because the only man who could have done that, Abraham Lincoln, was murdered at the time he could have done that healing – leading to, so far, a century and a half of racist hate. (I’m going to spend some time thinking about other civil wars, and try to identify what it is that leads to one nation to heal [e.g., England, after its civil and many succession wars], and others to not.)
    In the case of the Chamberlains, the fact that attitudes changed after more     evidence emerged of dingo attacks showed that there was disbelief of the original trackers, and that I hold largely to racism, based on my knowledge of living in the north of Australia at that time, and the violent racism which was still present then – and still is, although in the equally odious and deadly nonphysical forms. (I also know of other dingo attacks at that time, such as a friend who cooked on bus tours and wound up bailed up on tables physically fighting off a pack of dingoes a year or two before this attack.)
    In all these cases, a key question is: what causes the hate? As one character in the film says, people aren’t born hating – well, I would qualify that as most people aren’t born hating (some are contaminated by past life experiences, including being executed, tortured, abused, etc), but the point remains that it is mostly taught – and that reflects the view that violence is a     contagious disease. That obviously raises the point of how to treat that disease (see here for one excellent, informed and credible example), but it also raises the points that (a) hate is also contagious, and (b) good things can also be contagious.
    As an example of the latter, I’ve often noticed that if I drive courteously, others will often start to do the same.
    So, we have the basics of this blog (    clearing nonBPM units, and strengthening/creating BPM units), “being the example oneself” (including advocating for BPM behaviour/options), and at least one other model based specifically on this notion. What else? Hiding or suppressing things (as was done in the notorious old days of the 1950s and the white picket fence mentality) is harmful, but, in terms of active possibilities, look again at this link, and ponder … and please let me know if you come up with any other ideas :)
  • With regard to crime, judicial matters and policing:   the problem of underfunding “public defenders”, and the damage that does to the USA’s justice system;   the successes of a trial “Justice Reinvestment” programme;   Chicago police have begun de-escalation training;   the International Criminal Court has announced that it would start considering environmental destruction, misuse of land, and land grabs as crimes against humanity;   the US police officer associated with the “zero tolerance” policies has retired (which is good, as his policies led to minorities distrusting police and, quite possibly, increased death rates for black men);    Victorian police have been warned against shooting at moving cars despite an increase in the number of offenders driving at officers while trying to flee;   some police officers in my home state have been suspended for allegedly giving information to criminals;   cyber criminals have attacked a security blogger who exposed their cash based activities;   yet another police shooting death of a black man in the USA has led to protests, and debates about police procedures and the management of body camera footage, whereas another police killing where the footage was released quickly and the officer charged has not seen protests;   a US court has found black people may be justified in fleeing from a police stop and frisk;   questions about whether the neochristian Catholic Church sees itself as above the law;
  • 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):   Azerbaijan is acting brazenly to silence dissent;   the Washington Post has called for the prosecution of whistleblower Edward Snowden despite using him as a source for their Pulitzer Prize-winning reporting on the National Security Agency (NSA), arguing that only one of Snowden's leaks (that the NSA was collecting domestic telephone metadata) was justifiable - and noting that reforms on that were owed to Snowdon, but condemned him for leaking information about "defensive" international intelligence operations and the NSA's internet-monitoring program PRISM, stating "That [program] was both clearly legal and not clearly threatening to privacy" … this is the first paper in US media history to call for the criminal prosecution of its own source – see also here, for an excellent assessment of the broad issues, and here;   increasing control of the internet, including social media, to shut down dissent;   Bahrain is censoring the internet;   the neochristian Catholic Church’s Pope has castigated the media for inciting fear;
  • With regard to overcrowding and “modern” lifestyle issues (is YOUR smart phone free of conflict  minerals, environmental harm 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?):
       -   natural noises are disappearing from the oceans;   the International Criminal Court has announced that it would start considering environmental destruction, misuse of land, and land grabs as crimes against humanity;   smog from forest clearing fires in south east Asia is estimated to have killed 100,000 people last year; protests against a new mine in Turkey have been banned;   Sweden is trying to move society back from the throwaway mentality to the old idea of repairing things;   the first of two thresholds has been crossed towards making the Paris agreement binding;   underground vacuum pipe collection of municipal refuse from city areas;   the difficulty of meeting goals for managing climate change;
       -   a review of a new set of cyber-regulations for banks (in the USA);  a Tesla car has been found to be vulnerable to hacking;   driverless buses may go into service in Finland;  malware infected USBs have been delivered to households;   playlists are now superceding albums (this is OK by me, as I have wanted a way to make my own lists of songs for decades);   an assessment of the pros and cons of online management of medical data;   shock after a teenager murdered her mother because the teenager had been sent to an internet addiction centre;   the problem of surveillance capitalism;   Amazon has been found guilty of repeatedly trying to airmail dangerous goods;
       -   the harm to health of some jobs and of unemployment (which has a particularly bad impact on mental health – more so if in a nation which has harsh policies around unemployment);   practical support to dairy farmers in my home state;   the problem of declining job opportunities;
       -   the successes of a trial “Justice Reinvestment” programme;   an article on better housing to improve density which fails to mention the psychological problems associated with living closer, not to mention the option of controlling population growth … ;   the diversion of fish for animal food in the West has left millions of Africans food insecure;   the celebration of the lack of isolation associated with this job is an illustration of one of our MAJOR problems: the inability to cope with solitude;   some evidence that turmeric in food is beneficial;   public transport in my home city is getting more overcrowded;   the distribution of population growth;
  • With regard to education:   the education department in my home state is being sued by survivors of child abuse committed by a former teacher;   a teacher has made homophobic remarks (and should be removed while the investigation is carried out);   concerns that testing is ruining the joy of reading;   lower inflation may give bonus funds for education in my nation;
  • 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 US government undermined its own efforts to tackle abuses and corruption in Afghanistan by allying with abusive warlords as part of its counterinsurgency policy, according to a US government oversight agency;   a US air strike has killed 8 Afghan police personnel;   the experience of Afghani’s fleeing the fighting;
  • With regard to Africa, the Africa Center for Strategic Studies (and other sources) also has:
       -   at least 20 people have been killed in fighting between rival rebel groups in the Central African Republic – see also here;
       -   a warning that the Democratic Republic of Congo government’s decisions about its next presidential election will be critical for the country’s future;   violent protests in the DRC about the current president’s attempts to hold on to power have resulted in at least 50  deaths, leading to UN criticism of the response and Europe considering sanctions;
       -   “In the past 10 months, Ethiopian security forces have killed at least 500 protesters and detained tens of thousands of people during largely peaceful anti-government demonstrations. In one August weekend alone, security forces gunned down at least 100 protesters”;
       -   opposition figures have been in jail in Eritrea for 15 years;
       -   Mugabe has unleashed thugs on protestors;   there is a possibility that Zimbabwe is heading towards civil war (this obviously requires the usual clearing of nonBPM and strengthening of BPM units to reduce fracturing of the military and Mugabe’s addiction to power, but such work also needs to include getting Zimbabwe’s neighbouring nations prepared for intervention – possibly military – for humanitarian / R2P reasons);
       -   corruption in Morocco;
       -   a proposal to remove age limits so the existing Ugandan president can stay on has been rejected;
       -   the diversion of fish for animal food in the West has left millions of Africans food insecure;
       -   drought has left millions of Malawians starving;
       -   the Paralympics have brought the problem of too few wheelchairs in Ghana into focus;
       -   a group of female genital mutilators has pressured Sierra Leone into releasing a suspect;
       -   a Nigerian has become head of a city;   continuing disputes over the killing by the Nigerian army of hundreds of people;
       -   a group of African nongovernmental organizations and international groups with a presence in Africa have called on the African Union to stop considering leaving the ICC;
       -   increasing control of the internet, including social media, to shut down dissent;
       -   West African nations have been urged to protect whistleblowers;
  • With regard to China and East and South East Asia:
       -   risks of a banking crisis in China are growing;   Japan has increased its military activity in the South China Sea;   declining interest in marriage in China;   China has jailed a prominent human rights lawyer for 12 years;   a military opinion piece on China’s actions in the South China which ends by summing “China plays Go (a game of position), while America tends to be a poker player — daring its opponents to call its bets”;   shock after a teenager murdered her mother because the teenager had been sent to an internet addiction centre;
      -   for almost four months Cambodia's acting Opposition leader has chosen to stay within the relative safety of his party's headquarters in Phnom Penh, rather than risk arrest outside on charges many consider politically-motivated;
       -   smog from forest clearing fires in south east Asia is estimated to have killed 100,000 people last year;
       -   an assessment that North Korea is close to mass production of nuclear weapons;
       -   questions are being asked over why so few women are involved in Burma’s peace talks;
       -   a matrilineal society in Indonesia;   the hypocrisy, repression and anti-pluralism behind Indonesia’s Anti-LGBT push;
       -   a labour rights activist has been made a scapegoat in Thailand for that nation’s poor work practices – see also here, on the problems caused by the imbalance in power between governments (and organisations?) and workers;
       -   Papua New Guinea's diversity has been celebrated at the 60th Goroka Show;
    What does one do about the mass killings of Philippines President Duterte?
    Well, firstly, remember that the Philippines is a sovereign nation and a democracy which has elections and elected him; and also that it is a nation facing quite a few challenges – some of them the legacy of the violent invasion and occupation by former imperial powers (Spain, the USA and Japan). In the lives of the voters of that nation, crime – particularly violent crime – associated with the drug problem is an extreme problem: under such circumstances, people tend to focus on the obvious symptom – as happens elsewhere as well (for instance, the racist-based xenophobia of my nation) – and want that symptom suppressed. It’s a little like the fight against bigotry: the struggle has focused on racism, then sexism, then homophobia and transphobia, then disabilities, and so on – and at some stage people will start to realise that this is dancing around the issue, stamping on the flame of the current focus point rather than addressing the underlying fire of bigotry.
    In the case of the Philippines, the underlying problems despair, poverty and social disconnection: the drug problem will ALWAYS be there, until the causes, not the symptoms, are addressed – and that is difficult, much bigger than killing thousands, tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of drug addicts (the lack of increased funding, incidentally, for rehabilitation strongly suggests that rehabilitation is not perceived as a viable solution).
    In the meantime, what can other nations do? Share their evidence which led to that knowledge – not just the expert opinions, because to do that smacks of past colonialism: share the evidence, and let the Philippine people draw their own conclusions. Duterte is an opportunistic political-power-addict who is creating a massive amount of negative karma for himself, but he is not the real issue – that is the voters of the Philippines who are living with the outcomes of the drug problem every day.
    Oh, and once that’s done, do the same in the other nations that also need that education, albeit less urgently needed than the Philippines: the USA, Australia, etc.
  • With regard to the conflict in Iraq (noting that Iraq was once a peaceful and prosperous society, before the UK / USA / CIA backed revolution – see here, and that it needs an emphasis on a secular society and citizenship – but also here, although based in Syria and here):
       -   Iraq’s Prime Minister has called for global cooperation against violent extremism;
       -   and the Iraq Body Count project reports 16 people killed in the last week;
  • With regard to the Libyan civil war:   more protests against the UN-backed “Government of National Accord”;
  • With regard to Russia:   the “Fancy Bears” group responsible for leaking the World Anti Doping Agency's (WADA) private medical records is claimed to have has strong links to the Russian secret service that leads all the way to the Russian presidency;   one politician in Russia is standing up to Putin, whose SSR Russia party appears to have won recent elections – which had a very low turnout - easily;   Russia is continuing to suppress human rights;
    In my work travels this week, I wound up too tired to drive safely one day, and stayed overnight in a motel. I’d grabbed my “go pack” (adapted from the “go bag” on boats, with stuff you’ll need if the boat is sinking and you need to get off in a hurry), as usual, but nothing to read (my work lap top won’t take DVDs), and I wound up watching … TV. Briefly. In the course of cruising through the channels, I came across a programme on extremists in Russia, one of whom made an admission about wanting to go back to the days of the USSR (explained as being because of the economic advantages of most people having jobs), and it brought to mind something I’d realised recently: there is no going back for some things …
    I used to live on a small boat (24’ – 8 metres, a bit too small, really), and have regretted moving off for many reasons. However, my life has moved on as a result of that decision, and the option of moving back onto a boat is no longer a viable option for me – I may get back into sailing in some way, but it is unlikely I will live aboard again. I have to move – appreciate and enjoy what I had, and focus in the here and now on managing change.
    The same principle applies also for other individuals, groups, nations, and the world.
    One of the criticisms of the evil     John Howard, former Australian Prime Minister responsible for the growth and subsequent domination of the politics of fear, is that he wanted to go back to the 50s – the era of white picket fences when there didn’t seem to be problems (because they were hidden): that won’t happen. We also can’t, in this timeline, undo World War Part One, the counter cultural revolution of the 60s, outlawing of some forms of bigotry (notice I am listing some good things as well – change isn’t all bad :) ), or the invention of the PC, Internet and automation.
    The latter three are likely to cause dramatic changes – such as     erosion of employment – unless the changes are managed constructively.
    That is something I would like to say to the people on that programme about Russia last night: there are some changes you can’t fight (some you can – DDT and thalidomide show that), and it will be healthier and more constructive for them to focus on trying to make this new world a better world, than focusing on convenient targets of hatred.
  • With regard to South and Central America:   following the peace deal, Columbia is now looking to boost its food productivity;
  • With regard to South Asia (aka the Indian sub-continent), The Hindu and other sources have:
       -   Human Rights Watch and the International Commission of Jurists have reported that Indian authorities have detained a Kashmiri human rights activist after stopping him from traveling to the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva;   a side effect of the curfew in Kashmir is that Indian intelligence cannot reach its informers;   women have participated for the first time in an Indian festival;   an editorial on India’s outreach to its neighbours;   India may be moving towards a harder response to violent extremism;   an opinion piece calling for equality in preference to developing a uniform civil (law) code;   Indians have reacted with outrage after passers-by watched a woman being stabbed more than 20 times on a busy street in the capital, Delhi;   the need for land rights reform in India;   cyberbullying and sexting by a boy led a girl to commit suicide;   calls for restoration of a check dam to prevent seawater ingress (this also shows the need to manage population growth and other increasing pressures on/demands for water);   an examination of the caste-base desire for impunity leading to a push back against laws aimed at protecting Dalits;
       -   growing tensions between India and Pakistan over a recent violent extremist attack – see also here, here, here, here, and here;
       -   in a rare move of support for transgender people, Pakistan’s National Commission for Human Rights has issued a forceful call for an investigation after an unidentified assailant violently attacked a transgender woman;
       -   nuns in Nepal who have studied Kung Fu;
  • With regard to Sudan and South Sudan:
       -   Sudanese authorities have yet to provide justice to victims of a violent crackdown on anti-austerity protesters in Khartoum in September 2013, according to the African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies (ACJPS), Amnesty International, and Human Rights Watch;   a US court has ruled victims of the bombing of the USS Cole can get Sudanese assets;
       -   South Sudan is shopping around for troops from other nations to deploy;   the USA will help South Sudanese who reportedly want to return home to help rebuild their nation;
  • with regard to the conflict in Syria:   Australian aircraft were involved in a US-led coalition operation which, in a terrible “friendly fire” incident, killed dozens of Syrian soldiers who were apparently mistaken for violent extremists, and has put the ceasefire at risk … and the ceasefire has subsequently been ended;   aid trucks have been hit by air attacks, leading to a cessation of all aid and condemnation of the Syrian government. There is a dispute over who did the attack, which shows that Russia is sensitive to this issue;   Syria (and Russia?) has attacked rebel areas, in defiance of the USA;   Syria may be trying to flex its military muscle against Israel – see also here;   the experiences of one rebel in Syria, which show why the hate is escalating – and usually does;   a critique of Turkey’s occupation of northern Syria from the point of view of international law – which requires return to civilian governance;   the USA has called for planes to be grounded … a few years too late for it to be effective – the time for this would have been as part of the response to the use of chemical weapons, as soon as the use of barrel bombs was discovered, if not at the time of the initial response. Had this been done, the situation would still have been terrible, but the forces opposing Assad would be in better shape, and it is possible Russia would not have been involved – and all without the US dirtying its hands … much;   more attacks in Aleppo - see also here;   the UAE will take in a few of the many Syrian refugees;
  • with regard to Turkey:   protests against a new mine in Turkey have been banned;   45 students who protested 4 years ago have been jailed;   the current purge is causing a “brain drain”;   a critique of Turkey’s occupation of northern Syria from the point of view of international law – which requires return to civilian governance;
  • with regard to the conflicts in Ukraine, particularly in the east:   Ukrainian hackers have stolen online data from an Australian company;
  • With regard to West Asia / the Middle East, the Middle East Eye and other sources have:
       -   claims Israel is trying to silence Arab voices in Israel;   the challenges faced by a Palestinian Paralympian – including losing all his family in a Israeli military assault;   criticism of the US-Israeli military aid deal;   Palestinians still long for peace, but will never accept ‘temporary solutions,’ according to President Abbas;   the “Quartet” has said Israel’s ongoing settlement building to eroding the chances of a two state solution;   an English church has been smeared for a display about life for Palestinians;
       -   human rights non-government organisations (NGOs) in Egypt have been accused of receiving foreign funding to 'sow chaos', with their assets frozen and their directors possibly now facing life sentences;
       -   secular candidates and grassroots activism are likely to be significant in Jordan’s coming elections;
       -   Saudi hospital staff have gone on strike over months of unpaid work;   Saudi women are pushing for basic human rights;
       -   a Baloch (a people in Iran) politician will seek asylum in India;   a Lebanese-born US citizen was lured to Iran and jailed;   women in Iran are courageously defying a bigoted fatwa by publicly riding bicycles;
       -   hundreds of migrant workers in Qatar have been unpaid for months;
       -   Bahrain is censoring the internet;
  • With regard to the war in Yemen:   claims one third of Saudi-led air strikes have hit civilians;
  • With regard to natural and other catastrophes:   the diversion of fish for animal food in the West has left millions of Africans food insecure;   drought has left millions of Malawians starving;
  • With regard to peace and/or spirituality generally, and the occasional nice story:   broad cooperation, such as that shown by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, is also the key to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals;   the United Nations has launched a mobile application to provide a global forum for industry, governments and individual citizens to collectively realise the Sustainable Development Goals;
and from a range of other sites:
  • in a backward step for alleged evolution, renowned primatologist Jane Goodall has noted the parallels between the physical gestures of US presidential candidate Trump and alpha male chimps. If this is in fact why people are voting for Trump, we, as a species, need to rethink our education systems and how allegedly “special” or “superior” over animals our species is;
  • one of my favourite TV shows – back when I used to watch them – was “Outback Café”: others are also now promoting the advantages of indigenous foods and flavours;
  • a resurgence of the Jewish community in Portugal.
(Dear Reader, did you note and reject any use by me of pejorative terms? If not, please re-read this and do so – remember, I expect you to think)
Now, some relocated notes and other comments/information.
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), there are online groups (e.g. here and here – which I’m not members of, and thus do not know the quality of) and even an app. 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.
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.
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