Here's a way for everybody to get involved and assist those who need it most. Just click below and you will find out how.
http://mail.google.com/mail/?shva=1#inbox/11e1b1d3e6dccb35
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Monday, December 8, 2008
Dinosaurs : Discovery Channel
I find this quite interesting and decided to share it with you just in case you are not on to this channel.
Click , enjoy and learn in the process.
Dinosaurs : Discovery Channel
Click , enjoy and learn in the process.
Dinosaurs : Discovery Channel
Thank You For Clicking @ The Hunger Site
Please open and click to assist. Thank you!
http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/home.faces
ad astra per aspera
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Wenn die Börsenkurse Fallen
Wenn die Börsenkurse fallen,
regt sich Kummer fast bei allen,
aber manche blühen auf:
Ihr Rezept heißt Leerverkauf.
Keck verhökern diese Knaben
Dinge, die sie gar nicht haben,
treten selbst den Absturz los,
den sie brauchen - echt famos!
Leichter noch bei solchen Taten
tun sie sich mit Derivaten:
Wenn Papier den Wert frisiert,
wird die Wirkung potenziert.
Wenn in Folge Banken krachen,
haben Sparer nichts zu lachen,
und die Hypothek aufs Haus
heißt, Bewohner müssen raus.
Trifft's hingegen große Banken,
kommt die ganze Welt ins Wanken -
auch die Spekulantenbrut
zittert jetzt um Hab und Gut!
Soll man das System gefährden?
Da muss eingeschritten werden:
Der Gewinn, der bleibt privat,
die Verluste kauft der Staat.
Dazu braucht der Staat Kredite,
und das bringt erneut Profite,
hat man doch in jenem Land
die Regierung in der Hand.
Für die Zechen dieser Frechen
hat der Kleine Mann zu blechen
und - das ist das Feine ja -
nicht nur in Amerika!
Und wenn Kurse wieder steigen,
fängt von vorne an der Reigen -
ist halt Umverteilung pur,
stets in eine Richtung nur.
Aber sollten sich die Massen
das mal nimmer bieten lassen,
ist der Ausweg längst bedacht:
Dann wird bisschen Krieg gemacht.
Kurt Tucholsky, 1930, veröffentlicht in "Die Weltbühne"
regt sich Kummer fast bei allen,
aber manche blühen auf:
Ihr Rezept heißt Leerverkauf.
Keck verhökern diese Knaben
Dinge, die sie gar nicht haben,
treten selbst den Absturz los,
den sie brauchen - echt famos!
Leichter noch bei solchen Taten
tun sie sich mit Derivaten:
Wenn Papier den Wert frisiert,
wird die Wirkung potenziert.
Wenn in Folge Banken krachen,
haben Sparer nichts zu lachen,
und die Hypothek aufs Haus
heißt, Bewohner müssen raus.
Trifft's hingegen große Banken,
kommt die ganze Welt ins Wanken -
auch die Spekulantenbrut
zittert jetzt um Hab und Gut!
Soll man das System gefährden?
Da muss eingeschritten werden:
Der Gewinn, der bleibt privat,
die Verluste kauft der Staat.
Dazu braucht der Staat Kredite,
und das bringt erneut Profite,
hat man doch in jenem Land
die Regierung in der Hand.
Für die Zechen dieser Frechen
hat der Kleine Mann zu blechen
und - das ist das Feine ja -
nicht nur in Amerika!
Und wenn Kurse wieder steigen,
fängt von vorne an der Reigen -
ist halt Umverteilung pur,
stets in eine Richtung nur.
Aber sollten sich die Massen
das mal nimmer bieten lassen,
ist der Ausweg längst bedacht:
Dann wird bisschen Krieg gemacht.
Kurt Tucholsky, 1930, veröffentlicht in "Die Weltbühne"
Sunday, September 7, 2008
For all Women
This came from my yahoogroup. It is so important for women all over the world to remember that women's suffrage was a hard won victory for half of the world's population. Up to now, there are still places where women cannot exercise this right. And yet those who could take this for granted. Please don't!
THIS IS MOVING. HOW QUICKLY WE FORGET.....IF ....WE EVER KNEW......
WHY WOMEN SHOULD VOTE
This is the story of our Grandmothers and Great-grandmothers; they lived only 90 years ago.
Remember, it was not until 1920 that women were granted the right to go to the polls and vote.
The women were innocent and defenseless, but they were jailed nonetheless for picketing the White House, carrying signs asking for the vote.
(Lucy Burns)
And by the end of the night, they were barely alive. Forty prison guards wielding clubs and their warden's blessing went on a rampage against the 33 women wrongly convicted of 'obstructing sidewalk traffic'.
They beat Lucy Burns, chained her hands to the cell bars above her head and left her hanging for the night, bleeding and gasping for air.
(Dora Lewis)
They hurled Dora Lewis into a dark cell, smashed her head against an iron bed and knocked her out cold. Her cellmate, Alice Cosu, thought Lewis was dead and suffered a heart attack. Additional affidavits describe the guards grabbing, dragging, beating, choking, slamming, pinching, twisting and kicking the women.
Thus unfolded the 'Night of Terror' on Nov. 15, 1917, when the warden at the Occoquan Workhouse in Virginia ordered his guards to teach a lesson to the suffragists imprisoned there because they dared to picket Woodrow Wilson's White House for the right to vote. For weeks, the women's only water came from an open pail. Their food--all of it colorless slop--was infested with worms.
(Alice Paul)
When one of the leaders, Alice Paul, embarked on a hunger strike, they tied her to a chair, forced a tube down her throat and poured liquid into her until she vomited. She was tortured like this for weeks until word was smuggled out to the press.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/suffrage/nwp/prisoners.pdf
So, refresh my memory. Some women won't vote this year because--why, xactly? We have carpool duties? We have to get to work? Our vote doesn't matter? It's raining?
Last week, I went to a sparsely attended screening of HBO's new movie 'Iron Jawed Angels'. It is a graphic depiction of the battle these women waged so that I could pull the curtain at the polling booth and have my say. I am ashamed to say I needed the reminder.
All these years later, voter registration is still my passion. But the actual act of voting had become less personal for me, more rote. Frankly, voting often felt more like an obligation than a privilege. Sometimes it was inconvenient.
My friend Wendy, who is my age and studied women's history, saw the HBO movie, too. When she stopped by my desk to talk about it, she looked angry. She was--with herself. 'One thought kept coming back to me as I watched that movie,' she said. 'What would those women think of the way I use, or don't use,
my right to vote? All of us take it for granted now, not just younger women, but those of us who did seek to learn.' The right to vote, she said, had become valuable to her 'all over again.'
HBO released the movie on video and DVD . I wish all history, social studies and government teachers would include the movie in their curriculum I want it shown on Bunco night, too, and anywhere else women gather. I realize this isn't our usual idea of socializing, but we are not voting in the numbers that we should be, and I think a little shock therapy is in order.
It is jarring to watch Woodrow Wilson and his cronies try to persuade a psychiatrist to declare Alice Paul insane so that she could be permanently institutionalized. And it is inspiring to watch the doctor refuse. Alice Paul was strong, he said, and brave. That didn't make her crazy. The doctor admonished the men: 'Courage in women is often mistaken for insanity.'
Please, if you are so inclined, pass this on to all the women you know. We need to get out and vote and use this right that was fought so hard for by these very courageous women. Whether you vote democratic, republican or independent party, remember to vote.
History is being made.
Mary Kay Keenan in SC with
Gotcha AX MXJ
Pistol (baby in training)
At The Bridge:
Jazz RE CDX NAP NJP OA OAJ
CH Extra CD OA AXJ
Soda UD
Pandy CDX
THIS IS MOVING. HOW QUICKLY WE FORGET.....IF ....WE EVER KNEW......
WHY WOMEN SHOULD VOTE
This is the story of our Grandmothers and Great-grandmothers; they lived only 90 years ago.
Remember, it was not until 1920 that women were granted the right to go to the polls and vote.
The women were innocent and defenseless, but they were jailed nonetheless for picketing the White House, carrying signs asking for the vote.
(Lucy Burns)
And by the end of the night, they were barely alive. Forty prison guards wielding clubs and their warden's blessing went on a rampage against the 33 women wrongly convicted of 'obstructing sidewalk traffic'.
They beat Lucy Burns, chained her hands to the cell bars above her head and left her hanging for the night, bleeding and gasping for air.
(Dora Lewis)
They hurled Dora Lewis into a dark cell, smashed her head against an iron bed and knocked her out cold. Her cellmate, Alice Cosu, thought Lewis was dead and suffered a heart attack. Additional affidavits describe the guards grabbing, dragging, beating, choking, slamming, pinching, twisting and kicking the women.
Thus unfolded the 'Night of Terror' on Nov. 15, 1917, when the warden at the Occoquan Workhouse in Virginia ordered his guards to teach a lesson to the suffragists imprisoned there because they dared to picket Woodrow Wilson's White House for the right to vote. For weeks, the women's only water came from an open pail. Their food--all of it colorless slop--was infested with worms.
(Alice Paul)
When one of the leaders, Alice Paul, embarked on a hunger strike, they tied her to a chair, forced a tube down her throat and poured liquid into her until she vomited. She was tortured like this for weeks until word was smuggled out to the press.
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/suffrage/nwp/prisoners.pdf
So, refresh my memory. Some women won't vote this year because--why, xactly? We have carpool duties? We have to get to work? Our vote doesn't matter? It's raining?
Last week, I went to a sparsely attended screening of HBO's new movie 'Iron Jawed Angels'. It is a graphic depiction of the battle these women waged so that I could pull the curtain at the polling booth and have my say. I am ashamed to say I needed the reminder.
All these years later, voter registration is still my passion. But the actual act of voting had become less personal for me, more rote. Frankly, voting often felt more like an obligation than a privilege. Sometimes it was inconvenient.
My friend Wendy, who is my age and studied women's history, saw the HBO movie, too. When she stopped by my desk to talk about it, she looked angry. She was--with herself. 'One thought kept coming back to me as I watched that movie,' she said. 'What would those women think of the way I use, or don't use,
my right to vote? All of us take it for granted now, not just younger women, but those of us who did seek to learn.' The right to vote, she said, had become valuable to her 'all over again.'
HBO released the movie on video and DVD . I wish all history, social studies and government teachers would include the movie in their curriculum I want it shown on Bunco night, too, and anywhere else women gather. I realize this isn't our usual idea of socializing, but we are not voting in the numbers that we should be, and I think a little shock therapy is in order.
It is jarring to watch Woodrow Wilson and his cronies try to persuade a psychiatrist to declare Alice Paul insane so that she could be permanently institutionalized. And it is inspiring to watch the doctor refuse. Alice Paul was strong, he said, and brave. That didn't make her crazy. The doctor admonished the men: 'Courage in women is often mistaken for insanity.'
Please, if you are so inclined, pass this on to all the women you know. We need to get out and vote and use this right that was fought so hard for by these very courageous women. Whether you vote democratic, republican or independent party, remember to vote.
History is being made.
Mary Kay Keenan in SC with
Gotcha AX MXJ
Pistol (baby in training)
At The Bridge:
Jazz RE CDX NAP NJP OA OAJ
CH Extra CD OA AXJ
Soda UD
Pandy CDX
Saturday, September 6, 2008
A Beautiful Story
I received this story from an organisational sister of mine. I find it so moving I decided to share it with you.
A very beautiful story, please read... but don't cry!
I was born in a secluded village on a mountain. Day by day, my parents plowed the yellow dry soil with their backs towards the sky.
I have a brother who is 3 years younger than me. I wanted to buy a handkerchief, which all girls around me seemed to have. So, one day I stole 50 cents from my father's drawer. Father had discovered about the stolen money right away. He made me and my younger brother kneel against the wall as he held a bamboo stick in his hand.
"Who stole the money?" he asked.
I was stunned, too afraid to talk. Neither of us admitted to the fault, so he said, "Fine, if nobody wants to admit, you two should be beaten!"
He lifted up the bamboo stick. Suddenly, my younger brother gripped father's hand and said," Dad, I was the one who did it!"
The long stick smacked my brother's back repeatedly. Father was so angry that he kept on whipping my brother until he lost his breath. After that, he sat down on our stone bed and scolded my brother, "You have learned to steal from your own house now. What other embarrassing things will you be possibly doing in the future? You should be beaten to death, you shameless thief!"
That night, my mother and I hugged my brother. His body was full of wounds from the beating but he never shed a single tear.
In the middle of the night, all of sudden, I cried out loudly. My brother covered my mouth with his little hand and said, “Sis, now don't cry anymore. Everything has happened."
I still hate myself for not having enough courage to admit what I did.
Years went by, but the incident still seemed like it just happened yesterday. I will never forget my brother's expression when he protected me.
That year, my brother was 8 years old and I was 11 years old.
When my brother was in his last year of secondary school, he was accepted in an upper secondary school in the central. At the same time, I was accepted into a university in the province. That night, father squatted in the yard, smoking, packet by packet. I could hear him ask my mother, "Both of our children, they have good results? Very good results?"
Mother wiped off her tears and sighed," What is the use? How can we possibly finance both of them?"
At that time, my brother walked out, he stood in front of father and said,"Dad, I don't want to continue my study anymore, I have read enough books."
Father swung his hand and slapped my brother on his face. "Why do you have a spirit so damn weak? Even if it means I have to beg for money on the streets, I will send you two to school until you have both finished your stud ies !"
And then, he started to knock on every house in the village to borrow money.
I stuck out my hand as gently as I can to my brother's swollen face, and told him, "A boy has to continue his study; if not; he will not be able to overcome this poverty we are experiencing. " I, on the other hand, had decided not to further my study at the university.
Nobody knew that on the next day, before dawn, my brother left the house with a few pieces of worn-out clothes and a few dry beans. He sneaked to my side of the bed and left a note on my pillow; "Sis, getting into a university is not easy. I will go find a job and I will send money to you."
I held the note while sitting on my bed, and cried until I lost my voice.
That year, my brother was 17 years old; I was 20 years old.
With the money father borrowed from the whole village, and the money my brother earned from carrying cement on his back at a construction site, finally, I managed to get to the third year of my study in the university.
One day, while I was studying in my room, my roommate came in and told me, "There's a villager waiting for you outside!" Why would there be a villager looking for me? I walked o ut, and I saw my brother from afar. His whole body was covered with dirt, dust, cement and sand. I asked him, "Why did you not tell my roommate that you are my brother?"
He replied with a smile," Look at my appearance. What will they think if they would know that I am your brother? Won't they laugh at you?"
I felt so touched, and tears filled my eyes. I swept away dirt and dust from my brother's body. And told him with a lump in my throat, “I don't care what people would say! You are my brother no matter what your appearance is?"
From his pocket, he took out a butterfly hair clip. He put it on my hair and said, "I saw all the girls in t own are wearing it. So, I think you should also have one."
I could not hold back myself anymore. I pulled my brother into my arms and cried. That year, my brother was 20 years old; I was 23 years old.
I noticed that the broken window was repaired the first time I brought my boyfriend home. The house was scrubbed cleaned.
After my boyfriend left, I danced like a little girl in front of my mother, "Mom, you didn't have to spend so much time cleaning the house!" But she told me with a smile," It was your brother who went home early to clean the house. Didn't you see the wound on his hand? He hurt his hand while he was replacing the window."
I went into my brother’s bedroom. Looking at his thin face, I felt like hundreds of needle s pricked in my heart. I applied some ointment on his wound and pu t a bandag e on it, "Does it hurt?� I asked him.
"No, it doesn't hurt. You know, when at the construction site, stones keep falling on my feet .. . Even that could not stop me from working."
In the middle of the sentence, he stopped. I turned my back on him and tears rolled down my face. That year, my brother was 23 years old; I was 26 years old.
After I got married, I lived in the city. Many times my husband invited my parents to come and live with us, but they didn't want. They said, once they left the village, they wouldn't know what to do.
My brother agreed with them. He said, "Sis, you just take care of your parents-in-law. I will take care of mom and dad here."
My husband became the director of his factory. We asked my brother to accept the offer of being the manager in the maintenance department. But my brother rejected the offer. He insisted on working as a repairman instead for a start.
One day, my brother was on the top of a ladder repairing a cable, when he got electrocuted, and was sent to the hospital.
My husband and I visited him at the hospital. Looking at the plaster cast on his leg, I grumbled, "Why did you reject the offer of being a manager? Managers won't do something dangerous like that. Now look at you - y ou ar e suffering a serious injury. Why didn't you just listen to us?"
With a serious e xpression on his face, he defended his decision, "Think of brother-in-law. He just became the director, and I being educated, and would become a manager, what kind of rumors would fly around?"
My husband's eyes filled up with tears, and then I said, "But you lack in education only because of me!"
"Why do you talk about the past?" he said and then he held my hand.
That year, he was 26 years old and I was 29 years old.
My brother was 30 years old when he married a farmer girl from the village. During the wedding reception, the master of ceremonies asked him, "Who is the one person you respect and love the most?"
Without even taking a time to think, he answered," My sister." He continued by telling a story I could not even remember. "When I was in primary school , the school was in a different village. Everyday, my sister and I would walk for 2 hours to school and back home. One day, I lost the other pair of my gloves. My sister gave me one of hers. She wore only one glove and she had to walk far. When we got home, her hands were trembling because of the cold weather that she could not even hold her chopsticks. From that day on, I swore that as long as I live, I would take care of my sister and will always be good to her."
Applause filled up the room. All guests turned their attention to me.
I found it hard to speak, "In my whole life, the one I would like to thank most is my brother, "And in this happy occasion, in front of the crowd, tears were rolling down my face again.
Love and care for the one you love every single day of your life. You may think what you did is just a small deed, but to that someone, it may mean a lot.
Monday, September 1, 2008
NGM Widgets
I thought it would be nice if I had an active national geographic widget here to share with all of you.
Monday, August 18, 2008
Am now in Gulu
Since the 25 of July I have been staying here in Gulu. The first thing to be done was really to find a residence. First we stayed at the Cosmo Guesthouse. While there we visited the place of assignment which is Kalongo, Pader District. At that place we did not find any possible house to live in. Then we thought of searching in Gulu and Kitgum. Not easy. Finished houses in both are already occupied considering the many NGO and UN personell plus their offices occupying these. There are several which are still under construction.
At the moment we have transferred to the Comboni Mission Guesthouse at Layibi, Gulu. From here we might eventually search for a house in Lira District, about 70 kilometers to Kalongo.
At the moment we have transferred to the Comboni Mission Guesthouse at Layibi, Gulu. From here we might eventually search for a house in Lira District, about 70 kilometers to Kalongo.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
My New Post
Just arrived in Kampala, Uganda on June 26,2008. Supposed to stay in Kalongo,Pader District for three years as adviser to the Justice and Peace Commission-Kalongo. The JPC is under the Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Gulu.
Right now I am still in Kampala waiting for my special pass from the Department of Immigration. While waiting, I took some photographs of the city.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Monday, February 11, 2008
Monday, February 4, 2008
Nominated by UN as the best Poem of 2006, written by an African Kid
Nominated by UN as the best Poem of 2006, written by an African Kid
Actually this is really an honest poem. what a kid wants the world to know..his inner feeling over racism..
When I Grow Up, I Black
When I grow up, I black
When I go in Sun, I black
When I scared, I black
When I sick, I black
And when I die, I still black
And you white fellow:
When you born, you pink
When you grow up, you white
When you go in sun, you red
When you cold, you blue
When you scared, you yellow
When you sick, you green
And when you die, you grey
And you calling me colored??
Actually this is really an honest poem. what a kid wants the world to know..his inner feeling over racism..
When I Grow Up, I Black
When I grow up, I black
When I go in Sun, I black
When I scared, I black
When I sick, I black
And when I die, I still black
And you white fellow:
When you born, you pink
When you grow up, you white
When you go in sun, you red
When you cold, you blue
When you scared, you yellow
When you sick, you green
And when you die, you grey
And you calling me colored??
Man and Woman
Today being a sunny day, I decided to take photoes of these two statues. I passed by them everytime I go to the Ministry of Labour but never had the opportunity to do so. In the first place I was always in a hurry so that the importance of my appointments took precedence over my desire to capture these two with my camera. Am so happy indeed to finally fulfill this dream.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
The Clock
Taken in the City of Leipzig. This clock is actually a reproduction of the original clock found in Prague, Chech Republic. It is said that the person who made the orginal was made blind afterwards to disable him from making another such clock.
Friday, January 25, 2008
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
EARTH MEANDERS
Economic Collapse and Global Ecology
by: Dr.Glen Barry
Given widespread failure to pursue policies sufficient to
reverse deterioration of the biosphere and avoid ecological
collapse, the best we can hope for may be that the growth-
based economic system crashes sooner rather than later
Humanity and the Earth are faced with an enormous conundrum --
sufficient climate policies enjoy political support only in
times of rapid economic growth. Yet this growth is the primary
factor driving greenhouse gas emissions and other
environmental ills. The growth machine has pushed the planet
well beyond its ecological carrying capacity, and unless
constrained, can only lead to human extinction and an end to
complex life.
With every economic downturn, like the one now looming in the
United States, it becomes more difficult and less likely that
policy sufficient to ensure global ecological sustainability
will be embraced. This essay explores the possibility that
from a biocentric viewpoint of needs for long-term global
ecological, economic and social sustainability; it would be
better for the economic collapse to come now rather than
later.
Economic growth is a deadly disease upon the Earth, with
capitalism as its most virulent strain. Throw-away consumption
and explosive population growth are made possible by using up
fossil fuels and destroying ecosystems. Holiday shopping
numbers are covered by media in the same breath as Arctic ice
melt, ignoring their deep connection. Exponential economic
growth destroys ecosystems and pushes the biosphere closer to
failure.
Humanity has proven itself unwilling and unable to address
climate change and other environmental threats with necessary
haste and ambition. Action on coal, forests, population,
renewable energy and emission reductions could be taken now at
net benefit to the economy. Yet, the losers -- primarily
fossil fuel industries and their bought oligarchy --
successfully resist futures not dependent upon their deadly
products.
Perpetual economic growth, and necessary climate and other
ecological policies, are fundamentally incompatible. Global
ecological sustainability depends critically upon establishing
a steady state economy, whereby production is right-sized to
not diminish natural capital. Whole industries like coal and
natural forest logging will be eliminated even as new
opportunities emerge in solar energy and environmental
restoration.
This critical transition to both economic and ecological
sustainability is simply not happening on any scale. The
challenge is how to carry out necessary environmental policies
even as economic growth ends and consumption plunges. The
natural response is going to be liquidation of even more life-
giving ecosystems, and jettisoning of climate policies, to
vainly try to maintain high growth and personal consumption.
We know that humanity must reduce greenhouse gas emissions by
at least 80% over coming decades. How will this and other
necessary climate mitigation strategies be maintained during
years of economic downturns, resource wars, reasonable demands
for equitable consumption, and frankly, the weather being more
pleasant in some places? If efforts to reduce emissions and
move to a steady state economy fail; the collapse of
ecological, economic and social systems is assured.
Bright greens take the continued existence of a habitable
Earth with viable, sustainable populations of all species
including humans as the ultimate truth and the meaning of
life. Whether this is possible in a time of economic collapse
is crucially dependent upon whether enough ecosystems and
resources remain post collapse to allow humanity to recover
and reconstitute sustainable, relocalized societies.
It may be better for the Earth and humanity's future that
economic collapse comes sooner rather than later, while more
ecosystems and opportunities to return to nature's fold exist.
Economic collapse will be deeply wrenching -- part Great
Depression, part African famine. There will be starvation and
civil strife, and a long period of suffering and turmoil.
Many will be killed as balance returns to the Earth. Most
people have forgotten how to grow food and that their identity
is more than what they own. Yet there is some justice, in that
those who have lived most lightly upon the land will have an
easier time of it, even as those super-consumers living in
massive cities finally learn where their food comes from and
that ecology is the meaning of life. Economic collapse now
means humanity and the Earth ultimately survive to prosper
again.
Human suffering -- already the norm for many, but hitting the
currently materially affluent -- is inevitable given the
degree to which the planet's carrying capacity has been
exceeded. We are a couple decades at most away from societal
strife of a much greater magnitude as the Earth's biosphere
fails. Humanity can take the bitter medicine now, and recover
while emerging better for it; or our total collapse can be a
final, fatal death swoon.
A successful revolutionary response to imminent global
ecosystem collapse would focus upon bringing down the Earth's
industrial economy now. As society continues to fail miserably
to implement necessary changes to allow creation to continue,
maybe the best strategy to achieve global ecological
sustainability is economic sabotage to hasten the day. It is
more fragile than it looks.
Humanity is a marvelous creation. Yet her current dilemma is
unprecedented. It is not yet known whether she is able to
adapt, at some expense to her comfort and short-term well-
being, to ensure survival. If she can, all futures of
economic, social and ecological collapse can be avoided. If
not it is better from a long-term biocentric viewpoint that
the economic growth machine collapse now, bringing forth the
necessary change, and offering hope for a planetary and human
revival.
I wish no harm to anyone, and want desperately to avoid these
prophesies foretold by ecological science. I speak for the
Earth, for despite being the giver of life, her natural voice
remains largely unheard over the tumult of the end of being.
January 12, 2008
by: Dr.Glen Barry
Given widespread failure to pursue policies sufficient to
reverse deterioration of the biosphere and avoid ecological
collapse, the best we can hope for may be that the growth-
based economic system crashes sooner rather than later
Humanity and the Earth are faced with an enormous conundrum --
sufficient climate policies enjoy political support only in
times of rapid economic growth. Yet this growth is the primary
factor driving greenhouse gas emissions and other
environmental ills. The growth machine has pushed the planet
well beyond its ecological carrying capacity, and unless
constrained, can only lead to human extinction and an end to
complex life.
With every economic downturn, like the one now looming in the
United States, it becomes more difficult and less likely that
policy sufficient to ensure global ecological sustainability
will be embraced. This essay explores the possibility that
from a biocentric viewpoint of needs for long-term global
ecological, economic and social sustainability; it would be
better for the economic collapse to come now rather than
later.
Economic growth is a deadly disease upon the Earth, with
capitalism as its most virulent strain. Throw-away consumption
and explosive population growth are made possible by using up
fossil fuels and destroying ecosystems. Holiday shopping
numbers are covered by media in the same breath as Arctic ice
melt, ignoring their deep connection. Exponential economic
growth destroys ecosystems and pushes the biosphere closer to
failure.
Humanity has proven itself unwilling and unable to address
climate change and other environmental threats with necessary
haste and ambition. Action on coal, forests, population,
renewable energy and emission reductions could be taken now at
net benefit to the economy. Yet, the losers -- primarily
fossil fuel industries and their bought oligarchy --
successfully resist futures not dependent upon their deadly
products.
Perpetual economic growth, and necessary climate and other
ecological policies, are fundamentally incompatible. Global
ecological sustainability depends critically upon establishing
a steady state economy, whereby production is right-sized to
not diminish natural capital. Whole industries like coal and
natural forest logging will be eliminated even as new
opportunities emerge in solar energy and environmental
restoration.
This critical transition to both economic and ecological
sustainability is simply not happening on any scale. The
challenge is how to carry out necessary environmental policies
even as economic growth ends and consumption plunges. The
natural response is going to be liquidation of even more life-
giving ecosystems, and jettisoning of climate policies, to
vainly try to maintain high growth and personal consumption.
We know that humanity must reduce greenhouse gas emissions by
at least 80% over coming decades. How will this and other
necessary climate mitigation strategies be maintained during
years of economic downturns, resource wars, reasonable demands
for equitable consumption, and frankly, the weather being more
pleasant in some places? If efforts to reduce emissions and
move to a steady state economy fail; the collapse of
ecological, economic and social systems is assured.
Bright greens take the continued existence of a habitable
Earth with viable, sustainable populations of all species
including humans as the ultimate truth and the meaning of
life. Whether this is possible in a time of economic collapse
is crucially dependent upon whether enough ecosystems and
resources remain post collapse to allow humanity to recover
and reconstitute sustainable, relocalized societies.
It may be better for the Earth and humanity's future that
economic collapse comes sooner rather than later, while more
ecosystems and opportunities to return to nature's fold exist.
Economic collapse will be deeply wrenching -- part Great
Depression, part African famine. There will be starvation and
civil strife, and a long period of suffering and turmoil.
Many will be killed as balance returns to the Earth. Most
people have forgotten how to grow food and that their identity
is more than what they own. Yet there is some justice, in that
those who have lived most lightly upon the land will have an
easier time of it, even as those super-consumers living in
massive cities finally learn where their food comes from and
that ecology is the meaning of life. Economic collapse now
means humanity and the Earth ultimately survive to prosper
again.
Human suffering -- already the norm for many, but hitting the
currently materially affluent -- is inevitable given the
degree to which the planet's carrying capacity has been
exceeded. We are a couple decades at most away from societal
strife of a much greater magnitude as the Earth's biosphere
fails. Humanity can take the bitter medicine now, and recover
while emerging better for it; or our total collapse can be a
final, fatal death swoon.
A successful revolutionary response to imminent global
ecosystem collapse would focus upon bringing down the Earth's
industrial economy now. As society continues to fail miserably
to implement necessary changes to allow creation to continue,
maybe the best strategy to achieve global ecological
sustainability is economic sabotage to hasten the day. It is
more fragile than it looks.
Humanity is a marvelous creation. Yet her current dilemma is
unprecedented. It is not yet known whether she is able to
adapt, at some expense to her comfort and short-term well-
being, to ensure survival. If she can, all futures of
economic, social and ecological collapse can be avoided. If
not it is better from a long-term biocentric viewpoint that
the economic growth machine collapse now, bringing forth the
necessary change, and offering hope for a planetary and human
revival.
I wish no harm to anyone, and want desperately to avoid these
prophesies foretold by ecological science. I speak for the
Earth, for despite being the giver of life, her natural voice
remains largely unheard over the tumult of the end of being.
January 12, 2008
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Sunday, January 6, 2008
A CREED TO LIVE BY
Don't undermine your worth
by comparing yourself with others
It is because we are different
that each of us is special.
Don’t set your goals by what
other people deem important.
Only you know what is best for you,
as you heed God’s leading and guidance
and the counsel of the wise.
Don’t take for granted the things
closest to your heart.
Cling to them as you would your life,
for without them life is meaningless.
Don’t let your life slip through your fingers
by living in the past or the future.
By living your life one day at a time,
you live all the days of your life.
Don’t give up when you still have
something to give
Nothing is really over…
Until the moment you stop trying.
Don’t be afraid to admit that
you are less than perfect,
it is this fragile thread
that bind us to each other.
Don’t be afraid to encounter risks.
It is by taking chances that
We learn how to be brave.
Don’t shut love out of your life
by saying it is impossible to find.
The quickiest way to receive love
is to give love;
the fastest way to lose love
is to hold it too tightly;
and the best way to keep love
is to give it wings.
Don’t dismiss your dreams.
To be without dreams is to be without hope
to be without hope is without purpose.
Don’t run through your life so fast
that you forget not only where you’ve been
but also where you’re going.
Life is not a race,
but a journey to be savored
each step of the way.
by comparing yourself with others
It is because we are different
that each of us is special.
Don’t set your goals by what
other people deem important.
Only you know what is best for you,
as you heed God’s leading and guidance
and the counsel of the wise.
Don’t take for granted the things
closest to your heart.
Cling to them as you would your life,
for without them life is meaningless.
Don’t let your life slip through your fingers
by living in the past or the future.
By living your life one day at a time,
you live all the days of your life.
Don’t give up when you still have
something to give
Nothing is really over…
Until the moment you stop trying.
Don’t be afraid to admit that
you are less than perfect,
it is this fragile thread
that bind us to each other.
Don’t be afraid to encounter risks.
It is by taking chances that
We learn how to be brave.
Don’t shut love out of your life
by saying it is impossible to find.
The quickiest way to receive love
is to give love;
the fastest way to lose love
is to hold it too tightly;
and the best way to keep love
is to give it wings.
Don’t dismiss your dreams.
To be without dreams is to be without hope
to be without hope is without purpose.
Don’t run through your life so fast
that you forget not only where you’ve been
but also where you’re going.
Life is not a race,
but a journey to be savored
each step of the way.
Thursday, January 3, 2008
World and Indigenous Culture
Reviewed by David Redman
Holding Yawulyu:
White Culture and
Black Women’s Law
Zohl De Ishtar(Spinifex Press, 2005)
This book looks at cross-cultural
interactions, and the complicated
and continuing effects the Kaytiya
(the white Euro-Australian)
have had on Aboriginal culture,
specifically in the remote
Wirrimanu area of Western
Australia. Looking at the mission
era (1939 to 1983) through to the present, “it is a story of White
religious, political and economic dominance characterised
by cultural ineptitude and political mismanagement” (p76).
Drawing on her own experience of living with Wirrimanu
women, the author looks at the struggle of the elders to
maintain their culture and their sacred Yawulya (women’s law).
One way in which the women did this was by forming
Kapululangu (women’s groups). Starting with a meeting in
1983, where 350 women from 30 communities came together
in ceremonial dancing and song, the Kapululangu initiative
was formed in the hope of strengthening cultural identity.
De Ishtar first became involved with the project in 1993,
permanently relocating in 1999 to help form the Kapululangu
tjiliami (woman’s camp). In a situation of administrative
chaos, limited or no funding and a male cultural dominance,
Kapululangu went from strength to strength. It was able
to run more meetings and ceremonies for people from all
over Australia, participate in international tours and provide
shelter for women in danger. Through a variety of techniques
such as dance, song, painting, hunting trips, and story telling,
Kapululango encouraged the transference of wisdom and
knowledge to the next generation.
Because of De Ishtar’s intimate relationship with the project,
this book gives insight into the misunderstanding and
undervaluation of indigenous knowledge, and the bureaucratic
incompetence, competition for resources and underhand
management techniques that communities put up with across
Australia.
De Ishtar also gives an understanding of what the loss of
cultural identity can lead to.
The problems of Wirrimanu, such as alcoholism, spousal abuse,
petrol sniffing and increased violence, are traced to a lack of
pride and sense of identity. Cultural erosion results in people
feeling they have no role within the community, a loss of
connection with the land, a loss of understanding of Tjukurrpa
(cosmology) – in other words a loss of respect for their Yawulyu.
Central to the book is the importance of being aware of the
cultural implications of even the most well intentioned plans,
and the importance of maintaining culture. A great book not
only for those interested in Aboriginal people but for anyone
working or dealing with other cultures as it allows us to review
our perceptions, how these perceptions may have been formed
and the effect these perceptions can have.
David Redman has a degree in Psychology from
Canterbury University and is currently studying towards
a Masters of Development at Massey University.
Holding Yawulyu:
White Culture and
Black Women’s Law
Zohl De Ishtar(Spinifex Press, 2005)
This book looks at cross-cultural
interactions, and the complicated
and continuing effects the Kaytiya
(the white Euro-Australian)
have had on Aboriginal culture,
specifically in the remote
Wirrimanu area of Western
Australia. Looking at the mission
era (1939 to 1983) through to the present, “it is a story of White
religious, political and economic dominance characterised
by cultural ineptitude and political mismanagement” (p76).
Drawing on her own experience of living with Wirrimanu
women, the author looks at the struggle of the elders to
maintain their culture and their sacred Yawulya (women’s law).
One way in which the women did this was by forming
Kapululangu (women’s groups). Starting with a meeting in
1983, where 350 women from 30 communities came together
in ceremonial dancing and song, the Kapululangu initiative
was formed in the hope of strengthening cultural identity.
De Ishtar first became involved with the project in 1993,
permanently relocating in 1999 to help form the Kapululangu
tjiliami (woman’s camp). In a situation of administrative
chaos, limited or no funding and a male cultural dominance,
Kapululangu went from strength to strength. It was able
to run more meetings and ceremonies for people from all
over Australia, participate in international tours and provide
shelter for women in danger. Through a variety of techniques
such as dance, song, painting, hunting trips, and story telling,
Kapululango encouraged the transference of wisdom and
knowledge to the next generation.
Because of De Ishtar’s intimate relationship with the project,
this book gives insight into the misunderstanding and
undervaluation of indigenous knowledge, and the bureaucratic
incompetence, competition for resources and underhand
management techniques that communities put up with across
Australia.
De Ishtar also gives an understanding of what the loss of
cultural identity can lead to.
The problems of Wirrimanu, such as alcoholism, spousal abuse,
petrol sniffing and increased violence, are traced to a lack of
pride and sense of identity. Cultural erosion results in people
feeling they have no role within the community, a loss of
connection with the land, a loss of understanding of Tjukurrpa
(cosmology) – in other words a loss of respect for their Yawulyu.
Central to the book is the importance of being aware of the
cultural implications of even the most well intentioned plans,
and the importance of maintaining culture. A great book not
only for those interested in Aboriginal people but for anyone
working or dealing with other cultures as it allows us to review
our perceptions, how these perceptions may have been formed
and the effect these perceptions can have.
David Redman has a degree in Psychology from
Canterbury University and is currently studying towards
a Masters of Development at Massey University.
The World and Indigenous Culture
Reviewed by NINA SPRINGLE
Is the Sacred for Sale?
Tourism and
Indigenous peoplesAlison M. Johnston
(Earthscan Publications, 2005)
It would be all too easy to write this
book off as just another far fetched
conspiracy theory, spouting an albeit
unusual mix of development theory
and new age spiritualism, but the
deeper you go, the more merit Alison
Johnston’s argument has. ‘Is the Sacred
for Sale’ is a self declared call to fellow
citizens of the world to think very carefully about the choices we will
inevitably have to make about how we treat the earth and how we
perceive our spiritual connection to it.
Her fundamental contention lies in the idea that tourism is the new
means by which corporations and governments of the industrialised
world maintain their colonial monopoly over the developing world.
That in reality, tourism is a means of converting the developing and
consolidating the commitment of the developed to the new ‘religion’
of consumerism, all at the expense of indigenous cultures and spiritual
beliefs which she terms sacred knowledge. By paying lip service to the
politically correct jargon of sustainability, biodiversity and community
participation, the ‘industrial Man’ (including some UN agencies,
WHO , WTO , IMF etc…all the usual suspects) is able to abuse and
exploit indigenous land rights and sabotage the self determination
of indigenous peoples who more often than not ‘find it impossible
to effectively challenge industry practices or government approval
processes that threaten their ancestral territory and culture.’
Her contempt never shines as brightly as it does in her exploration
of the supposedly virtuous and ecologically sustainable spin off,
‘Ecotourism’. A simple but overwhelmingly effective marketing
strategy, ecotourism dupes affluent people into believing that they
are participating in a venture that is based on equal partnership,
community consultation and sustainable practises all designed
to benefit indigenous peoples. When in actual fact, it is simply a
devious means of getting them to spend their money gawking at
the very cultural and environmental diversity they are destroying
with their consumerist lifestyles.
This is an important book, even if simply to counterbalance the hype
of the tourism industry, but be prepared for some heavy claims.
For example, that compensation given to indigenous peoples for
government/corporate initiated land swaps/buyouts equates to
‘calculated genocide’. Or that the profit formulas for ecotourism
industry perpetuate colonial patterns and the classic trickle down
effect, creating oppressive relationships in target communities,
which experience loss of culture, identity and self esteem. This
can include post traumatic stress syndrome, which results in the
acting out of grief through substance abuse, domestic violence,
prostitution, corruption and crime.
Johnson is scathing in her critical analysis, and decidedly evangelical
about possible solutions to such a pronounced imbalance of power.
However, like so many anti establishment theorists, Johnston tends to
reiterate the same or similar ideas over and over again at full voice,
just in slightly different guises. Other critics may point out her hazy
definition of the word ‘indigenous’.
But perhaps this is nit picking. Perhaps Johnston’s intention for
a book like this is less an academic exercise and more a wellreferenced
proclamation of consciousness or humanitarian
manifesto, a wake up call to humanity. Either way, it is clear why
she is so passionate and committed to this cause – it’s one we all
should be committed to.
reviews
Nina Springle is a writer and community development
worker currently undertaking a Masters of International and
Community Development at Deakin University, Australia.
Is the Sacred for Sale?
Tourism and
Indigenous peoplesAlison M. Johnston
(Earthscan Publications, 2005)
It would be all too easy to write this
book off as just another far fetched
conspiracy theory, spouting an albeit
unusual mix of development theory
and new age spiritualism, but the
deeper you go, the more merit Alison
Johnston’s argument has. ‘Is the Sacred
for Sale’ is a self declared call to fellow
citizens of the world to think very carefully about the choices we will
inevitably have to make about how we treat the earth and how we
perceive our spiritual connection to it.
Her fundamental contention lies in the idea that tourism is the new
means by which corporations and governments of the industrialised
world maintain their colonial monopoly over the developing world.
That in reality, tourism is a means of converting the developing and
consolidating the commitment of the developed to the new ‘religion’
of consumerism, all at the expense of indigenous cultures and spiritual
beliefs which she terms sacred knowledge. By paying lip service to the
politically correct jargon of sustainability, biodiversity and community
participation, the ‘industrial Man’ (including some UN agencies,
WHO , WTO , IMF etc…all the usual suspects) is able to abuse and
exploit indigenous land rights and sabotage the self determination
of indigenous peoples who more often than not ‘find it impossible
to effectively challenge industry practices or government approval
processes that threaten their ancestral territory and culture.’
Her contempt never shines as brightly as it does in her exploration
of the supposedly virtuous and ecologically sustainable spin off,
‘Ecotourism’. A simple but overwhelmingly effective marketing
strategy, ecotourism dupes affluent people into believing that they
are participating in a venture that is based on equal partnership,
community consultation and sustainable practises all designed
to benefit indigenous peoples. When in actual fact, it is simply a
devious means of getting them to spend their money gawking at
the very cultural and environmental diversity they are destroying
with their consumerist lifestyles.
This is an important book, even if simply to counterbalance the hype
of the tourism industry, but be prepared for some heavy claims.
For example, that compensation given to indigenous peoples for
government/corporate initiated land swaps/buyouts equates to
‘calculated genocide’. Or that the profit formulas for ecotourism
industry perpetuate colonial patterns and the classic trickle down
effect, creating oppressive relationships in target communities,
which experience loss of culture, identity and self esteem. This
can include post traumatic stress syndrome, which results in the
acting out of grief through substance abuse, domestic violence,
prostitution, corruption and crime.
Johnson is scathing in her critical analysis, and decidedly evangelical
about possible solutions to such a pronounced imbalance of power.
However, like so many anti establishment theorists, Johnston tends to
reiterate the same or similar ideas over and over again at full voice,
just in slightly different guises. Other critics may point out her hazy
definition of the word ‘indigenous’.
But perhaps this is nit picking. Perhaps Johnston’s intention for
a book like this is less an academic exercise and more a wellreferenced
proclamation of consciousness or humanitarian
manifesto, a wake up call to humanity. Either way, it is clear why
she is so passionate and committed to this cause – it’s one we all
should be committed to.
reviews
Nina Springle is a writer and community development
worker currently undertaking a Masters of International and
Community Development at Deakin University, Australia.
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