Post No. 990 – For Sunday evening’s meditation-clearing

The need to earn a living through my day job has resulted in this week’s news report not being as comprehensive as I would like, and the same is likely to apply to next week.

Note: 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: these posts are the equivalent of a re-tweeting service, or, at best, a commentary site, and are posted for the purpose of assisting in the clearing of nonBPM (“unbalanced/unbalancing”, or spiritually immature”) energies.

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, as mentioned above, 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: again, 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. (I also urge people to simplify their lives as much as is possible.)

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 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 Air;

(d)   I’ve created a bindrune for this week’s meditation, which is:

(e)   this week, the world is being called to greater (ethical) nuance in the application, use and understanding of all types of power;

(k)   the counter to fear is genuine  EQ and clear thinking, expressed through calm, de-escalating speech;

(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 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:
     very disturbing claims that the current US President’s campaign team “and associates” had repeated contact with senior Russian intelligence and other Russian government officials in the year before the US election;   an interesting talk on YouTube organising nonviolence to be effective (there is a place for street marches, but they often don’t change anything on their own), with a reference to a list of 198 methods of nonviolent action;   a challenge to the “cult of happiness” and the plastic smile corporate culture;   shades of the infamous Nixon administration have been conjured in comparison to the current US government administration;   calls for n international body to protect civilians from state-sponsored hacking;   “politics is now unsustainable for normal people”;
• With regard to democracy (which requires  protection of minorities and the vulnerable – and remember Gandhi’s question about whether one is fighting to change things, or to punish, and the list of 198 methods of nonviolent action), freedom and governance (e.g., here, here, here and here, and see also here):
  Note: I have created a section specifically for the current US President below
     -   analyses this week include:   an article which includes an explanation of the system of checks and balances in the USA;   some interesting geopolitical maps (which I take with a grain of salt: some I dispute);   with apologies for using a social media (LinkedIn) URL, a good review of Obama's administration in response to a supporter of the current US President saying they had suffered under President Obama;   “Many states that claim to be Islamic are actually following a colonial, European model with a few Muslim add-ons”;   an assessment of why Spain and Portugal have been resistant to the right wing populism plaguing Europe;   a call for more critical thinking – particularly by the media - in relation to right wing think tanks and groups to counter the “intellectualisation” cover-up of far right extremism;   the potential impacts and illegalities of US protectionism;
     -   of concern this week:   pharmaceutical companies will now be better able to hide their lobbying of doctors (in Australia);   concerns that the elections in Jakarta, Indonesia this week will be subject to intimidation;   the US government has blocked proposals to do checks on mentally ill people buying guns;   concerns that Algeria’s elections in May have already been rigged;
     -   in the grey area or neutral this week:   Germany has elected a popular centre-left President who has been accused of having a “Realpolitik” attitude on human rights issues;
     -   good news this week includes:   the head of the US Federal Reserve has told a US congress representative to butt out of the Federal Reserve’s independence;   Sri Lanka has implemented a “right to know” law;
     -   and in my home nation this week:   a terrifying proposal to get a notorious prison company involved in public housing;   in one Australian state, the neoliberal party has angered its conservative, rural allies by preferencing a far right party ahead of them – which also shows the neoliberal party values xenophobic extremism ahead of workers’ rights;   “a  diverse alliance of industry, community and environmental groups is calling for a new bipartisan approach to energy policy”;   the Labor party has made some valid comments about the neoliberal party cosying up with right wing extremists (the response to the neoliberals’ Attorney-General is to ask what issues he disagrees with the extremist party on);   Australia’s neoliberal government has tried to pass a bill using welfare cuts to pay for disability insurance, but that appears doomed by independent MPs – to the relief of disability activists;   protests against a new youth prison in my home state – see also here and here;   Australian households are increasingly in desperate financial situations, with no reserve (the comment about power is not just a call to do something about our power industry, it is a reminder that our houses are unbelievably *****y stupid);   the rantings of a far rights extremist candidate who has the preferences of the Australian neoliberal party;   an examination of the issue of forced amalgamations of local councils;   “The man who led the first audit of Centrelink data-matching in 1999 says the government has known for decades that the process was prone to error without human oversight”;
     -   this week’s atrocity alert at R2P lists South Sudan, Syria and Democratic Republic of the Congo;
• With regard to the current US President this week:
     -   a progressive Australian political party has made an effort to get to know supporters of the current US President (what next? How does one take that knowledge and start changing their hearts and minds?);
     -   current US administration officials may be forced to testify as to the motivation behind the recent travel band – which, whilst understandable in terms of the anger at this horrible travel ban, may be questionable legally, I suspect;   a US judge has ruled the USA’s travel ban is unconstitutional;   the “A Day Without Immigrants” protest has been successful;   a nuanced assessment of the people smugglers on the US-Mexican border;   an outrageous – and legally concerning – intrusion by US Federal agents into a domestic violence courtroom to arrest and deport a DV victim;
     -   the intelligence community is reportedly “pushing back” against the current US administration, including things like not presenting sensitive intelligence on the grounds that Russia has ears in the briefing room - see also here;   there is no excuse for this slap dash approach to security;   the limitations on reinstituting clandestine torture sites as a result of having to cooperate with foreign allies;
     -   the current US President’s national security adviser has resigned after reports emerged that he misled administration officials about his contacts with Russia's ambassador to the US – to Russia’s ire. There are claims the current US President knew of the problems weeks ago, and a reminder that Russia has been a controversy for the current US President for some time – see also here;   calls for an advisor in the current US administration to be investigated for her ethical breach (endorsing a product line);   a detailed, objective assessment of the legal and political situation around leaks from the White House, and another on privacy aspects being considered as a result (again, based on US laws);
     -   investors in the USA are now having to give greater weight to political risks associated with the current, unpredictable US administration;
     -   a call for the media to stop feeding the media troll who is the current US President (that is part of why I no longer use the current US President’s name – although that does come with a mild desire to call that person “Voldemort” … :) );
• 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/acts have occurred this week in Pakistan, Iraq, Pakistan (2^nd), Somalia (mortar attack which murdered two children); Turkey, and, according to this Wikipedia page, there have been 6 attacks in Iraq (out of a total 34);   violent extremist threats are or may be developing in Pakistan; and particularly noteworthy actions (there are many others) have occurred this week against violent extremists in Iraq, Nigeria, Algeria, Pakistan;
     -   an assessment of the legal problems facing humanitarian aid groups operating in areas controlled by “non state armed groups” (i.e., violent extremists – and maybe some rebel groups);   a critique of the situation in Kenya around returned and suspected violent extremists, including the historic grievances driving many, the no-win scenarios for returned VEs, and concerns over Kenya’s actions;   the current US President’s backward views on climate change could result in him being a major trigger for future violent extremism;   an article on the UK’s first Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation (shortly to retire; see here and here), including his historical perspective – and a fairly lengthy, well-written critique of the term “terrorism” (it started as a word for a violent government policy against internal opponents) and how usage has changed (notably, in the 1960s and 70s, and quite markedly after the tragedy of 9/11) - and his withering criticism of the notion that non-violent extremism should be included in CVE (which would, I suspect, also include Gandhi’s ahimsa movement);   an evidence-based critique of reporting on terrorism which contradicts the current US President’s claims;   an assessment of the problems in Karachi, Pakistan, how the current heavy handedness is increasing the likelihood of violent extremism, and recommendations to address this;
• With regard to refugees (noting the New York Declaration):
     more refugees are fleeing the USA for Canada;   the difficulties of trying to educate kids in refugee camps;
• With regard to human (and other) rights and discrimination (including associated violence / crime):
     -   on homophobia/transphobia this week:   an examination of the homophobic hate agendas of neochristian groups in the USA;   the Church of England has rejected a homophobic report;   the Governor of a US state is trying to persuade the state’s legislature to repeal transphobic legislation;
     -   on racism this week:   a report is expected to show patchy progress – it did: it showed Australia is not doing enough, although indigenous university graduates do as well as non-indigenous - on improvements to indigenous health, as indigenous leaders issue a statement calling for better work;   a short video on (Australian) indigenous people’s connection to water;   a short video on North American Indians views on what happens after people die;   more research shows – again – that most Australians favour leaving Section 18C untouched;
     -   on sexism this week:   Iran is choosing to humiliate and disrespect Western women, including politicians;   concerning delays in India on court cases against men charged with rape several years ago;   a new guide for the protection and recognition of women human rights defenders;   indigenous mothers in jails have been talking about the endemic nature of violence in their lives;   a notorious van hire company which uses offensive slogans will have its vehicles deregistered in one Australian state – leading to calls for the same action in other Australian states;   a domestic violence offender has praised a new police unit in an Australian state that is working with DV perpetrators;   one woman who refuses to watch violence against women on TV and in movies now feels safer;   “Lack of laws, capacity and professional experience to effectively investigate and prosecute conflict-related sexual violence in Ukraine is not only resulting in widespread impunity, it is causing survivors of sexual violence to be "victimised twice" “;   an outrageous – and legally concerning – intrusion by US Federal agents into a domestic violence courtroom to arrest and deport a DV victim;
     -   on other forms of human (and other) rights this week:   the anti-slavery organisation “Walk free” is changing its name to “Freedom United”;   an assessment of the legal problems facing humanitarian aid groups operating in areas controlled by “non state armed groups” (i.e., violent extremists – and maybe some rebel groups);   another call to eliminate slave labour from the textile industry;   more details of the appalling abuse some call centre workers have faced;   a call for better work against child slavery and trafficking;   the CEO of a company that underpaid thousands of workers has whinged and whined about having been found out;   a warning that Australia’s residential care system is “failing kids” – partly because of the stupidity of some people trying to show that things under their personal purview are OK;   lawyers are being traumatised by representing the survivors of child abuse – which is further evidence of how severe those experiences have been;   on the tenth anniversary of an historic treaty to keep people from suffering enforced disappearance or secret detentions, the United Nations urged all Governments that have not done so to ratify it;
• With regard to crime, judicial matters and policing:
     a new prison will be built in my home state for prisoners who are deemed unsuitable for release – of late, this has received most attention in relation to violent extremists who remain radicalised, but it has also been an issue for decades (centuries?) for mentally ill people, and has been abused as a result of social biases (i.e., bigotry) and judicial flaws. There is an argument that some sexual offenders (child abusers and persistent rapists) also should be detained, and the issue is really conflating, in my view, two separate issues: judicial punishment, and public safety – I consider we will get a lot further if we discuss these separately, including the unacknowledged problems such as potential for abuse of power. See also here, here, here, here, here, and here, and then don’t be too quick to jump on the “never let ‘em out” bandwagon … ;   praise for the youth of an Australian state where crime has decreased (“efforts to work with young people at risk also appeared to be paying off”);   bragging on social media led to several men being charged (remember: innocent until proven guilty) with theft of gold;   a neo-Nazi imitating Hitler has been arrested;   my home state has rejected a report recommending compulsory drug and mental health treatment for children in the justice system (“The report acknowledged that there was little solid research on whether compelling people to undergo therapy was effective”);   concerning revelations that police in my home state are being discouraged from using resources for a new night court, which was set up in response to problems shown by a recent mass murder;   an outrageous – and legally concerning – intrusion by US Federal agents into a domestic violence courtroom to arrest and deport a DV victim;
• 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: having an “equal say”, or a “right to respond” MUST be assessed in the context of what is happening overall in society – NOT solely in one limited incident):
     a questioning of how objective journalists can be;   two journalists have been murdered in the Dominican Republic;   the current US President is avoiding media scrutiny;   a call for more critical thinking – particularly by the media - in relation to right wing think tanks and groups to counter the “intellectualisation” cover-up of far right extremism;   a critique of the spread of fake news stories;   a call for the media to stop feeding the media troll who is the current US President;
• 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? Is your social media making you miserable or envious? 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? Do you want a bigger, flashier home/car than people had 50 years ago – which means you are actively abusing the environment and society’s cohesion?):
     -   “a  diverse alliance of industry, community and environmental groups is calling for a new bipartisan approach to energy policy”;   a warning that the recent heatwave will increase Australian power prices (the solution, it is reported, is to convert to renewables);   solar battery sales have increased as the prices have come down (the cheapest is still $1,200 – why? Deep cycle marine batteries are a lot cheaper), and farmers are leading the turn to solar;   a warning that Australia’s energy policy is heading for failure;   a “sea janitor” is working at cleaning the seabed;   “coal has no future in Australia” (referring to power generation);   a freedom of Information request for the dates and locations of a Board deciding on funding for a controversial coal mine has been refused (so change your tactics – e.g., more publicity where Adani shareholders live);   deep ocean trenches are severely polluted;   Australia is facing a massive mine rehabilitation problem;   climate change has been identified as a key factor in recent extreme weather;   a wastewater treatment organisation in Queensland will re-establish some wetlands;   Pope Francis has backed native Americans on a disputed oil pipeline that the current US administration has reinstituted;   polar ice is at record lows;   farmers in part of India are collecting autumnal leaves for use as fertiliser;   Egypt’s widened Suez Canal is resulting in environmental problems in the Mediterranean Sea;   Australia is trailing in the back pack of wealthy nations on sustainable energy;   old cars in Mexico are being changed to electric vehicles by a couple of innovators;
     -   the mainstream medical profession is still failing to listen to its customers, failing to communicate, and failing to personalise medicine (despite having the capacity to do so): that, plus the fact that some people get a benefit and others feel better (often from a sense of having some control – which, again, the mainstream medical profession ignores) is why people continue to use alternative medicines, much to the ire of the mainstream medical profession – see here (and, for the record, I consider some of the alternatives she chose were poor)and here;   experts are concerned over Dubai’s plans for passenger drones (for safety reasons);   with profound apologies for using a social media (LinkedIn) URL, a warning from “Silicon Valley” that jobs are already disappearing;   an idea to use LED lights to warm “smartphone zombies” at road crossings has been criticised as rewarding bad behaviour;   Germany has joined the fight back against fake news;   using smartphones, laptops and other technology to telework can be a benefit – it does away with commuting, for example – but it also diminishes personal space, contact with colleagues, and causes work-life problems;   a young Syrian has won an award for software which allows the transmission of messages between users without an internet connection, and is intended to allow those cut off from each other by war to communicate;
     -   a small sub-bank has finally caught up with others and will no longer allow inclusion of negative gearing when considering housing loan applications;   an assessment of options for making housing more affordable – which missed out on allowing tiny homes!!!!;   some car manufacturing factories, closed by car manufacturers, are going to continue, thus keeping people employed, by making low emission buses;   taxi drivers have been calling for fair compensation;   insiders are warning that cuts to air traffic control are putting safety at risk;   an examination of proposals for “Work Councils”, where employers and employees “collaborate” as an option to replace declining unions (the issue of how this benefits workers is not well described);
     -   drunken violence has temporarily shut down a major highway;   concerns over ads for gambling at sports events;   Australian households are increasingly in desperate financial situations, with no reserve (the comment about power is not just a call to do something about our power industry, it is a reminder that our houses are unbelievably *****y stupid) - and see here on similar problems in the USA;   the problems of renting in Australia: see here, here, here, and here (on the culture of fear);   an interesting suggestion that renters be allowed to buy houses without a deposit (I have some caution about this, given problems that have happened overseas, but it is worth considering);   my home city’s buses will be revamped - see also here;   a call for a sugar tax, with a prediction that it would lengthen lives by 2 years;
• With regard to education:
     concerns that education may be killing creativity – see also here, on the failure of education to prepare children for our likely future;   the difficulties of trying to educate kids in refugee camps;
• 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):
     “22 civilians, mostly women and children [being used as human shields], were killed during a joint operation carried out by US and Afghan forces last week”;
• With regard to Africa, the Africa Center for Strategic Studies (and other sources) also has:
     -   more on the “fall armyworm” problem affecting African crops;
     -   the UN has called on Cameroon to restore internet access;
     -   The Gambia will rejoin the British Commonwealth (why?), and will no longer pursue withdrawal from the ICC;   relatives of those who disappeared under the previous Gambian regime are seeking answers;
     -   the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) has been urged to resume talks;   11 people have been killed in fighting in the DR Congo (see also here, on “conflict cows”), as comments are made that suck killings could be human rights violations;
     -   the UN has reinforced its presence in the Central African Republic’s capital – see also here - as rebels kill 32 people;
     -   a humanitarian catastrophe is looming in Somalia;
     -   a call for “faithful” implementation of a regionally-brokered road-map to give Guinea-Bissau the political stability necessary to sustain economic growth;
     -   Burundi, which recently reached an agreement with the AU on payment of peacekeepers, has refused to take part in peace talks with the opposition;
     -   a warning of mass protests if Kenyan elections in August are “rigged”;   a critique of the situation in Kenya around returned and suspected violent extremists, including the historic grievances driving many, the no-win scenarios for returned VEs, and concerns over Kenya’s actions;
     -   concerns over Lesotho’s stability;
     -   some South Africans have been compared to the current US President for their attitudes and actions against immigrants;
     -   Uganda will train Equatorial Guinea’s military;
     -   Angola’s Vice-President will be charged with corruption offences in Portugal;
     -   a businessman’s long struggle to improve Senegal’s dairy industry;
• With regard to China (may her growing middle class bring a love of peace and freedom) and East and South East Asia:
     -   China is upset that Japan will continue to get US backing in the East China Sea;
     -   North Korea has tested a MRBM (medium range missile) – see also here for technical details, here for condemnation by the UN, and here for an assessment of the problems this creates for the current US President;   the brother of North Korea’s current leader has died at an airport: given North Korea’s record of assassinations, this is considered suspicious, and is being investigated, with suspects arrested;
     -   concerns that the elections in Jakarta, Indonesia this week will be subject to intimidation;
     -   the Philippines extremist leader now wants to kill children as part of his so-called war of drugs;
     -   after a long standoff, hundreds of police are now searching a controversial Buddhist temple in Thailand;
• With regard to Europe:
     -   Germany has elected a popular centre-left President who has been accused of having a “Realpolitik” attitude on human rights issues;   Germany is improving military ties with other European nations;
     -   Greece staying in the Euro zone has been supported by Germany;
     -   the UK has rejected a petition calling for a stop of the forthcoming state visit by the current US President;
     -   a French Presidential candidate has admitted that France’s actions in Algeria “genuinely barbaric, and constitute a part of our past that we have to confront by apologising”;
• 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):
     -   a power struggle in Iraq has resumed;   violent extremists have been found to have devastated recently liberated farming land in Iraq;   medical aid has reached the liberated areas of Mosul;   an article on Nineveh’s controversial former Sunni governor;
     -   and the Iraq Body Count project reports 267 people killed in the last week;
• With regard to the Libyan civil war:
     Tunisia, Algeria and Egypt are discussing ways to end the Libyan crisis;
• With regard to Russia (which is currently supporting an – in my opinion, based on R2P principles - illegitimate regime in Syria), Russian influenced nations and eastern Europe, and responses:
     -   Russia will build a health clinic solely for senior officials;   Russia may have deployed a new cruise missile – in violation of an existing treaty (did the change of President, including his now gone national security advisor, encourage them to do this?);   multiple Russian aircraft came close to a US navy ship (so the provocations continue … or is it because they don’t like seeing the current US President’s national security advisor go?);   the USA has rejected military cooperation with Russia;   the current US President is still determined to “reset” the relationship with Russia;
• With regard to South and Central America:
     -   Peru’s fugitive former President will not be allowed into Israel;
     -   the USA has imposed sanctions on the new vice-president of Venezuela, accusing him of involvement in international drug trafficking;
     -   old cars in Mexico are being changed to electric vehicles by a couple of innovators;   the impact of the construction of renewable energy projects in Mexico;
     -   an article on a huge corruption web in Brazil that has been slowly falling;
• With regard to South Asia (aka the Indian sub-continent), The Hindu and other sources have:;
     -   concerning delays in India on court cases against men charged with rape several years ago;   contaminated groundwater;   an article on India’s “medical diplomacy”;   an assessment of options for affordable housing in Indian slums (giving tenure may be simplest and best);   farmers in part of India are collecting autumnal leaves for use as fertiliser;   water shortages in part of India;   energy access has been building inclusive communities and resilient communities in India;
     India has modified its plans for a partial barrier along part of its border with Pakistan, in the disputed area of Jammu, to a “high tech fence” type approach;   accusations of academic censorship on Kashmir;
     -   Australia has been helping Pakistan improve its water management for agricultural irrigation;   an assessment of the problems in Karachi, Pakistan, how the current heavy handedness is increasing the likelihood of violent extremism, and recommendations to address this;
     -   Sri Lanka has implemented a “right to know” law;
• With regard to Sudan and South Sudan:
     -   the effect that sanctions have had on Sudan;
     -   concerns over the “deplorable” lack of information on 20,000 people displaced in the South Sudanese state of Upper Nile;   atrocities will end, according to UN personnel, in South Sudan only when the perpetrators face “consequences”;   more mass rapes by South Sudanese soldiers;   yet more South Sudanese soldiers have been deployed to the oil fields;
• With regard to the conflict in Syria, where Assad’s regime has, in my opinion, lost all claims to legitimacy, and it is time to consider partition (see here, here, here and here):
     -   confirmation that Russia and the Assad dictatorship bombed hospitals in the final stage of the campaign to take Aleppo (that Russia has denied this shows a sensitivity on the issue);   a warning that obstacles to the delivery of humanitarian aid is still a matter of life and death for those Syrians who are still besieged;   the UN appears to have caved in to Dictator Assad by not using the term “political transition”;
• With regard to Turkey:
     the impact that mass sackings are having on Turkey’s academics;   divisions have emerged in Turkey’s right wing movement as it officially allies with the ruling party, particularly over proposed changes to the constitution;   construction of a controversial mosque in Istanbul's central Taksim Square – the subject of violently repressed protests a few years ago – has begun;
• With regard to the conflicts in Ukraine, particularly in the east:
     Russia has told the USA it will not return the Crimea to Ukraine;   “Lack of laws, capacity and professional experience to effectively investigate and prosecute conflict-related sexual violence in Ukraine is not only resulting in widespread impunity, it is causing survivors of sexual violence to be "victimised twice" “;   the number of Ukrainian children needing aid has doubled to a million over the last year;
• With regard to West Asia / the Middle East and North Africa, the Middle East Eye and other sources have:
     -   Peru’s fugitive former President will not be allowed into Israel;   Israel’s prime Minister is being evasive on the issue of Palestinian statehood as he heads to the USA;   the current US President has dodged making a commitment to a two state solution, which has caused concern;   a senior UN envoy has told the UN Security Council that extremism, bloodshed and displacement continue to plague West Asia (“the path to peace is riddled with hazards”), warning that these phenomena are feeding intolerance, violence, and religious radicalism far beyond the region, and noting that “Palestinians, Israelis and the international community have a duty to act responsibly, avoid escalating tensions, refrain from unilateral actions and work together to uphold peace”;   Israel’s Prime will stand down from his additional role as communication minister after police questioned him over allegations he negotiated a deal for good coverage with a newspaper owner;   “The proliferation of online images that sexualise Israeli soldiers and the army, help normalise military violence and occupation”;
     -   an assessment that Saudi Arabia – which has held its first Comic-Con - is on the cusp of major change;
     -   Iran is choosing to humiliate and disrespect Western women, including politicians;  an assessment of how the current US President’s actions on Iran could backfire;   growing protests – some violent – over power and water shortages in Iran's Khuzestan province are being described by some MPs as a “national threat”;
     -   an assessment that Jordan is in a dire situation, partly because of deferred resolution of problems, and partly because of the current refugee crisis;
     -   concerns that Algeria’s elections in May have already been rigged;
     -   Lebanon’s elderly are protesting proposed rent increases;
     -   Egypt’s widened Suez Canal is resulting in environmental problems in the Mediterranean Sea;
• With regard to the war in Yemen (unlike Iraq and Syria, I cannot find a source of regular information on casualties in Yemen, but the hardship and deaths from food, water and medical shortages that concerns me just as much – if not more, and I don’t know if such sites would report that; it is also important to remember that there are multiple sides in this dispute – and opponents to the government are not necessarily Houthi or violent extremist):
     the UN is appalled by airstrikes killing women and children;
• With regard to natural and other catastrophes:
     an earthquake has occurred in the southern Philippines;   massive and largely unprecedented rain across the South Pacific is causing flooding;   a bushfire has wiped out one small community and caused other losses, including animal deaths;   a Greek city was partially evacuated after a World War Part Two bomb was found;   an avalanche in France;   a bus crash in Taiwan;   61% of cases in the West African Ebola outbreak a few years ago were caused by only 3% of infected people;   a bushfire has led to the evacuation of hundreds, and a state of emergency in New Zealand;   a humanitarian catastrophe is looming in Somalia;   a tropical storm in Mozambique;
• With regard to peace and/or spirituality generally, and the occasional nice story:
     a nice story involving Google’s CEO and a young girl;   a young Syrian has won an award for software which allows the transmission of messages between users without an internet connection, and is intended to allow those cut off from each other by war to communicate;   “The proliferation of online images that sexualise Israeli soldiers and the army, help normalise military violence and occupation”.

and from a range of other sites:

• in my nation, we have had compulsory inspections and monitoring of dams – including for a range of potential failure mechanisms for decades now: is it time for the USA to make sure it is doing the same adequately? This crisis at a dam has caused massive problems (e.g., homeless people being told to walk on to somewhere else), and I wouldn’t be surprised if there are, in addition to financial costs, personal injuries and possibly even deaths (e.g., from traffic accidents and stress) – see also here;
• senior cardinals from around the world have defended Pope Francis, who was last week attacked by neochristians.

(Dear Reader, please remember, I expect you to think when reading this blog, and reserve the right to occasionally sneak in something to test that)

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, 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. On more physical level, there is the United Nations Online Volunteering page.

(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.

I apologise for publishing these posts twice, but Blogger keeps changing my formatting. I can either publish it and then correct the altered formatting and re-publish it, or save and close the post and correct it when I reopen it prior to publishing it, but that leaves an extra copy in my "drafts" folder which I then have to clean up ...

No signature block for these posts.