tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7050417085705897922024-02-18T20:33:29.389-08:00World without Wars and without Violence UKEirenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06869652988003360381noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705041708570589792.post-393217477038668962012-12-05T02:49:00.000-08:002012-12-05T02:49:26.609-08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Eirenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06869652988003360381noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705041708570589792.post-66292739869480802372012-10-24T04:58:00.000-07:002012-10-24T04:58:31.202-07:00TAX, WAR and LAW, the New Putney Debates<div class="yj6qo ajU">
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<span><b><i><span style="line-height: 115%;">‘Voting with your taxes’</span></i></b></span></div>
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<span><b><i><span>‘This house holds that the most effective non-violent
democratic way for taxpayers to hold governments to account for their performance
is lawful tax resistance’</span></i></b></span></div>
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<span><b><i><span> </span></i></b><span style="font-family: Calibri; line-height: 115%;">As part of the season
of the <b><i>New Putney Debates</i></b> we are holding a public meeting on October
31<sup>st</sup> at the Indian YMCA in Fitzroy Square London </span><span style="font-family: Calibri; line-height: 115%;">W1T 6AQ between 6.30pm and
9.30pm. </span></span></div>
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WHEN IS IT A CRIME TO PAY TAX?<br />WHEN IS WAR LAWFUL?</div>
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These
and other questions will be part of a quiz to introduce the theme of
Taxes, War and Law, followed by a discussion and proposals.</div>
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<a href="http://www.meetup.com/taxpayers-unite/" target="_blank">http://www.meetup.com/<wbr></wbr>taxpayers-unite/</a></div>
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<u>The New Putney Debates</u><br />
Occupy will be celebrating the 365th year anniversary of the Putney
Debates by holding a series of events inspired by the Levellers’ and
Diggers’ demands for social justice, civil rights and equal access to
the land.<br />
The programme of events is scheduled between 27th October and 11th
November 2012, and the venue for some events will be St. Mary’s Church
in Putney where the Debates started on 28th October 1647.<br />
Contributors include Richard Wilkinson (The Spirit Level), Natalie
Bennett (new Leader of the Green Party), Michael Mansfield QC, George
Monbiot, Polly Higgins, Jeremy Leggett, John McDonnell MP, Halina Ward
and Professor Conor Gearty. <br />
Throughout the New Putney Debates there will be an emphasis on public
participation, in the spirit of 1647, when it was said that England was
“A Nation of Prophets”.<span></span><br /></div>
<a href="http://thenewputneydebates.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">http://thenewputneydebates.<wbr></wbr>wordpress.com/</a><span><span style="color: #888888;"><br /></span></span></div>
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Eirenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06869652988003360381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705041708570589792.post-91147455010737372922012-09-12T05:00:00.000-07:002012-09-12T05:12:00.743-07:00Myths & Surprises in the so-called Recession. Towards a Mixed Economy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Re Economic Violence and its alternatives. Pressenza IPA<br />
http://www.pressenza.com/2012/09/myths-and-surprises-in-the-so-called-recession-towards-a-mixed-economy/<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>The Credit Rating Agencies, the OECD and the World Bank continue
to forecast – and perhaps also induce – worse to come in the World
Economy, prompting further austerity measures, cuts, privatisations and
rounds of QE (not Queen Elizabeth but Quantitative Easing: Printing
Money without printing it but electronically making it available to
banks). The EU demands that high unemployment stricken Greeks work a
longer week (!?) and rescue packages to banks disappear into the black
holes of Tax Havens. Climate Change forecasts disasters but the Chinese
are blamed for “dumping” cheap solar panels on Europe – and for
increasing their carbon footprint as we outsource them industrial
production, whilst expecting they should save the global economy. The –
many and varied – sane economic alternatives are dismissed outright. Not
everything is what it seems.</i><br />
<br />
The culture of today’s global financial ethos is one of consumerism
(“I shop therefore I am”), mass production and economic growth followed
by periods of “recession” during which the most successful companies buy
out or force the weaker ones to close in a process of progressive
concentration never seen before in the history of humanity. Rapid
speculative profit rather than long term investment creates a sense of
uncertainty and instability where only having lots of money (never
enough, in fact) can protect a member of this system’s image of the
future. In this way only money, a meaningless convention, rather than
the creative process of production, acquires any weight in the scale of
society’s values. Human relationships are marked by relentlessly
stressing the advantages of individualism, competition and success.
Existential emptiness is filled by the progressive development of the
entertainment industry. The senses are caressed by visual images, music,
and the opportunity to live vicariously the life of heroes and
heroines, celebrities and victims of atrocities, princesses and
murderers, all from the comfort of our own living room, whilst the
values of the pervading system are absorbed uncritically.<br />
<br />
But sometimes something does not make sense, and it makes us wonder:
“Woman plunges to her death from top restaurant that has become suicide
spot for City (London’s Financial District) workers.” How many? Three,
between 2007 and 2012; all successful members of the Financial Sector
workforce, with different stories but immediately bringing up memories
of stockbrokers’ mass suicides in the 1930’s crash. According to <a href="http://www2.macleans.ca/2009/01/12/market-crash-exacts-a-toll-in-suicides/" target="_blank" title="">Macleans</a>
there were 6 stock market related deaths in Wall Street during 2008.
Different sources put the 1930 death tall at around 23,000. It’s one of
the most deeply ingrained images of Wall Street during the crash: the
distraught stockbroker out on the window ledge. During the bank bailouts
in September, protesters outside the New York Stock Exchange carried
“Jump you f***ers” placards.<br />
<br />
Interestingly enough the American Economist John Kenneth Galbraith
(1) reports in his book The Great Crash, that statistically the suicide
rate didn’t increase at all in New York during the months of the 1930
crash. Nor were there many actual cases of Wall Street types jumping.
Instead, the “suicide myth” grew out of the popular belief that broken
speculators are predisposed to self-destruction. “News coverage of
bankers jumping to their deaths was so intense that sidewalks began to
be seen as unsafe”, according to historian Charles Geisst’s Wall Street:
A History. “But for all the attention the deaths received, the
phenomenon was limited”. In fact, considering that at the time 12,000
workers were being laid off every day the suicide rate may well have
been increased by unemployment. (<a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3102933.stm" target="_blank" title="">BBC</a>)<br />
<br />
Enter QE, inject money into the economy, save the banks, try to
control de inevitable inflation that will ensue and fail again to
kick-start the economy. The reason? The collective wealth of the
Britain’s’ 1,000 richest people rose by 30% in 2010 in the wake of the
economic crisis. In New Zealand the richest 150 increased their wealth
by 20%. Very simply, a system designed to concentrate wealth will
continue doing so unless the rules are changed. More importantly,
“growth” is not synonymous with “well being” and unless human markers
rather than monetary ones take centre stage we will not be able to
address the real suffering created by this system. Suicide is always
difficult to understand, more so if people are not listened to.
Aggression? Riots? Domestic violence? Racism? Substance abuse? Blame the
individual, nothing to do with society.<br />
<br />
<b>Crisis? What Crisis?</b><br />
Big Money, Big Oil, Big Pharma and Big Arms Trade, are all enjoying
record profits. But they are not the only ones navigating through the
crisis without too much trouble. In fact, it is not necessary to sell
your soul to the devil to remain economically viable. There are many
examples of companies and towns that sticking to high human centred
moral principles organise themselves for stability and growth.<br />
<br />
Many people are surprised when told that John Lewis, the swish high
street department store and its subsidiaries, is owned by its workers; a
cooperative, or partnership, where the employees are the shareholders
as profits are distributed amongst all, as bonuses. It was of course
affected by the downturn but the reduction in bonuses (on average 18% of
the salary) was just of 3.5%, (for the first time in 3 years) with no
layoffs and the creation of 4.400 new jobs.<br />
<br />
The Mondragon Corporation is a federation of worker cooperatives
based in the Basque region of Spain. Founded in the town of Mondragón in
1956, currently it is the seventh largest Spanish company in terms of
asset turnover and the leading business group in the Basque Country. At
the end of 2011 it was providing employment for 83,869 people working in
256 companies in four areas of activity: Finance, Industry, Retail and
Knowledge. Scholars such as Richard D. Wolff, American professor of
economics, have hailed the Mondragon set of enterprises, including the
good wages it provides for employees, the empowerment of ordinary
workers in decision making, and the measure of equality for female
workers, as a major success and have cited it as a working model of an
alternative to the capitalist mode of production. Whilst Spain’s
unemployment level is around 22 per cent, the Mondragon co-operatives
have shown impressive resilience that has enabled them to take their
share of economic hits and emerge largely unscathed.<br />
<br />
Juan Manuel Sánchez <a href="http://www.pressenza.com/2012/09/spains-robin-hood-mayor-and-landless-peasants-battle-bankers/">Gordillo</a>,
mayor of Marinaleda in Andalusia, Spain, has become famous for staging
robberies at supermarkets and giving stolen groceries to the poor.
During his 30 years as mayor he has introduced a cooperative farming
system in Marinaleda and has repeatedly tried to take over land for
farming, the latest target being 1,200 hectares of land owned by the
Ministry of Defence. Cooperativism and Commoning in action, in
Marinelada nobody goes hungry.<br />
We have already published in Pressenza UN General Secretary Ban
Ki-Moon’s report/celebration of Cooperative Banks for their resilience
in the crisis.<br />
<br />
<b>Towards a Cooperatives-Only Monolithic System?</b><br />
The Argentinean Economist Guillermo Sulling, in his essay<i> “Mixed Economy: Beyond Capitalism”</i>
points out the importance of establishing a verity of formats in the
context of participatory democracy, the State being a Coordinator rather
than an Administrator dissociated from social needs. Here are some
extracts from his work:<br />
<br />
“A Mixed Economy System would resolve the root of inequality in the
distribution of wealth, through employee participation in profits,
ownership and management of companies… Implementing agricultural reforms
where rational and necessary and inheritance rights would limit the
excesses of economic power that have caused so much damage to humanity. A
Mixed Economy System would end the monopolistic control of strategic
resources and basic services… with commitment to human rights, among
them health care and free public education within set standards of
excellence…ending the irrational exploitation of environmental
resources…A Mixed Economy System, will not depend solely on markets
initiatives for productive investment and employment generation, but
active policies for development, guiding the private sector or
intervening to generate investment… A Mixed Economy System, would do
away with usury/speculation of private banking by creating a state zero
interest bank …as it is necessary to merge social interests and economic
interests in a new system where the state remains in control of
providing for the needs of the people and the direction of the economy,
while the people take over the operation and direction of the state.”<br />
<br />
1. Amongst Galbraith’s famous phrases: “Under capitalism, man exploits man.
Under communism, it’s just the opposite.” “The modern conservative is
engaged in one of man’s oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is,
the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness.” He was a
Keynesian and his BBC series <i>The Age of Uncertainty</i> so
incensed the then leader of the British Conservative Party, Margaret
Thatcher the ultra-neoliberal Milton Friedman was brought over from
Chicago to lecture against Galbraith’s economic viewpoints.Eirenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06869652988003360381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705041708570589792.post-49914496245281246932012-09-12T04:57:00.002-07:002012-09-12T04:57:30.068-07:00Why Democracy needs Assanges<em>From Pressenza IPA: http://www.pressenza.com/2012/08/why-democracy-needs-assanges/</em><br />
<br />
<em>As Ecuador offers asylum to Julian Assange at its London Embassy
with the Foreign Office doing Olympic-size legal somersaults to try to
justify storming it, we hear that both the UK and the US have been
helping the Syrian rebels, secretly, without any consultation with their
parliaments, just to prove the point that we need Wikileaks to know
what our governments are up to.</em><br />
<div title="Reuters">
According to Reuters “Barack Obama has signed a
secret order authorising US support for Syrian rebels seeking to
overthrow the Assad government… Obama’s order, approved earlier this
year and known as an intelligence finding broadly permits the CIA and
other US agencies to provide support that could help the rebels oust
President Bashar al-Assad.” See <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/08/01/us-usa-syria-obama-order-idUSBRE8701OK20120801" target="_blank" title="">Reuters</a></div>
<div title="The Guardian">
<a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/aug/03/hague-uk-help-syria-rebels" target="_blank" title="">The Guardian</a>
reports on an interview in Radio 4 to William Hague, Foreign Minister:
“Britain for its part had been offering support help in terms of
communication. “I do not ever comment on intelligence matters but I can
say that we are helping elements of the Syrian opposition, but in a
practical and non-lethal way,” he said. “We have helped them with
communications and matters of that kind, and we will help them more.”</div>
Nobody other than completely self-deluded megalomaniacs (they are
still kicking about, I’m afraid) would try to pull again the Iraq WMD
trick on Parliament/Congress. The next best thing is to go ahead and
engage people and resources in a new war, without telling the public; a
public whose taxes pay for such engagement, a public that becomes the
target of “the enemy” faction without having any choice in the matter.
The UK Royal Prerogative allows the Prime Minister to declare war
without consulting Parliament, and surreally enough The Prime Minister
is voicing his desire to limit it, whilst using it give help to one side
of the Syrian civil war. He would argue, I imagine, that there is no
war declaration, but this is the new face of war, war by euphemism.
“Giving non-lethal help”, “just communications”, “training”, “stepping
us financial help” (surely the Syrian rebels will not buy sweets with
it!), etc.<br />
As for the US, although the Constitution clearly states that only
Congress has the power to declare war, this has been regularly
circumvented by various administrations with the help of
not-too-keen-on-consulting-elected-bodies secret services, endlessly
depicted by Hollywood as our saviours (disobeying orders, bending rules
and NOT consulting Congress seems to be part of the job description).<br />
Which brings us back to Julian Assange, beans-spiller extraordinaire,
holed up at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London after being granted
political asylum. He is not refusing, he claims, to answer to the (still
to be formally brought) charges of sexual assault in Sweden, but
attempting to avoid extradition from Sweden to the US where he would
most likely be charged with espionage, or treason, and executed.
Alternatively, another old favourite would be getting shot by a “crazy”
who would then be shot by another person, so that Oliver Stone could
make a film about unverifiable conspiracy theories.<br />
Under international law, police are not allowed to enter the embassy
without the express permission of the ambassador. This “rule of
inviolability” was dictated by the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic
Relations and all nations observe it because their own diplomatic
missions would be otherwise at risk. However, the Foreign Office has
threatened Ecuador with revoking the embassy’s diplomatic status under
the Diplomatic and Consular Premises Act 1987, passed to enter the
Libyan embassy after a policewoman was shot dead outside, presumably
from a window. This would certainly establish a dangerous precedent
regarding diplomatic asylum all over the world. In recent days the FO
seems to be backing down from this.<br />
Needless to say that Rafael Correa’s Ecuadorian Government is being
subjected in Britain to a smear campaign only comparable to the one he
suffers in his own country at the hands of the traditional corporate
media, where any attempt to limit its onslaught on the government
(Honduras and Paraguay are examples of success in bringing down popular
governments through relentless media campaigns) leads to accusations of
curtailing the Freedom of the Press.<br />
Democracy may rhyme with secrecy but they do not go well together,
and the fuss surrounding the founder of Wikileaks speaks for itself. How
can parliaments make decisions without information? How can the public
vote without information, just the propaganda of political parties?
Information is power and those who are attempting to democratise it are
feeling the full weight of the system’s elites intent on keeping its
monopoly.Eirenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06869652988003360381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705041708570589792.post-4775901005384045422012-06-14T03:38:00.003-07:002012-06-14T03:38:35.080-07:00Parliamentarians against Nuclear Weapons Initiative<div align="center">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=705041708570589792" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=705041708570589792" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=705041708570589792" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=705041708570589792" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=705041708570589792" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=705041708570589792" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=705041708570589792" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=705041708570589792" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=705041708570589792" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span><strong>Parliaments Step up Action for a new approach to achieve <br />
a Nuclear Weapons-Free World:</strong><br />
<em>Initiatives in parliaments of Canada, Mexico, New Zealand and Kazakhstan</em></span> </div>
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National campaigns against smoking in many
Western countries began to make headway when they stopped focusing
primarily on trying to convince smokers to give up their addiction, and
instead focused more on efforts with non-smokers to develop a normative
right to smoke-free environments. This included the establishment of
smoke-free work places, restaurants and other public places.<br />
<br />
Similarly, the global campaign against nuclear weapons has picked up
steam recently through a shift in approach from its previous emphasis on
challenging the nuclear weapon states (NWS) towards a greater focus on
empowering the non-NWS to implement their right to a nuclear
weapons-free world.<br />
This was advanced in the 2010 NPT Review
Conference agreement that ‘All States should make special efforts to
build the framework for a nuclear weapons-free world’. (See
<a href="http://e2ma.net/go/11061617212/208914116/234341363/1407852/goto:http://www.gsinstitute.org/pnnd/updates/28.html%231" target="_blank">NPT supports framework for nuclear disarmament</a>). It has also been advanced by the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movements which adopted a
<a href="http://e2ma.net/go/11061617212/208914116/234341364/1407852/goto:http://www.gsinstitute.org/pnnd/docs/ICRC_26_11_11.pdf" target="_blank">resolution on the irreconcilability of nuclear weapons with international humanitarian law</a> and called for States to negotiate a global ban on nuclear weapons. <br />
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In addition, in December 2011, a Summit of Latin
American and Caribbean States (CELAC) issued a Communiqué calling for
the convening of a high–level conference to identify ways to prohibit
the development, production, acquisition, testing, stockpiling,
transfer, use or threat of use, and to stipulate their destruction (See
<a href="http://e2ma.net/go/11061617212/208914116/234341365/1407852/goto:https://sites.google.com/site/abolitionupdates/december-2011/latin-american-leaders-say-convene-a-summit" target="_blank">Latin American Leaders say Convene A Summit!</a>)
<br />
In April 2012, the Norwegian Foreign Minister announced to Parliament
that Norway would host an inter-governmental conference in spring 2013
on the humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons. And on 1 May 2012,
the Middle Powers Initiative
<a href="http://e2ma.net/go/11061617212/208914116/234341366/1407852/goto:http://www.middlepowers.org/events/Vienna-5-1-12.html" target="_blank">launched the Framework Forum</a>, a series of meetings of governments to explore and develop the framework for a nuclear weapons-free world. <br />
Parliaments are stepping up their actions to
support these initiatives of middle power countries to promote and
develop a global ban on nuclear weapons. <br />
<span>Canadian parliament calls for diplomatic action for a nuclear weapons convention</span><br />
<br />
In 2010, following up on the NPT Review
Conference decision, the Canadian parliament adopted resolutions
<a href="http://e2ma.net/go/11061617212/208914116/234341367/1407852/goto:http://www.gsinstitute.org/pnnd/updates/29.html%235" target="_blank">in the Senate</a> (submitted by Senator Hugh Segal and adopted on June 2) and
<a href="http://e2ma.net/go/11061617212/208914116/234341368/1407852/goto:http://www.gsinstitute.org/pnnd/updates/30.html%234" target="_blank">in the House of Commons</a>
(submitted by Bill Siksay and adopted on December 7) endorsing the UN
Secretary-General’s Five-Point Plan for nuclear disarmament and
encouraging the government of Canada to engage in a global diplomatic
initiative for nuclear disarmament including negotiations for a Nuclear
Weapons Convention. The resolutions were promoted by
<a href="http://e2ma.net/go/11061617212/208914116/234341369/1407852/goto:http://www.nuclearweaponsconvention.ca" target="_blank">Canadians for a Nuclear Weapons Convention</a> – a group of over 500 recipients of the Order of Canada – the country’s highest civil award. <br />
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On 17 May 2012, PNND Special Representative Senator Romeo Dallaire, delivered a
<a href="http://e2ma.net/go/11061617212/208914116/234341370/1407852/goto:http://www.parl.gc.ca/Content/Sen/Chamber/411/Debates/081db_2012-05-17-e.htm%2338" target="_blank">ground-breaking speech in the Senate</a>
on Bill S-9 to amend the Criminal Code to combat nuclear terrorism,
noting that the only security against nuclear terrorism is to move
towards a global ban on nuclear weapons and their verified elimination
as called for in the 2010 Senate and House resolutions on a nuclear
weapons convention. <br />
On May 30, 2012, a rejuvenated PNND Canada,
co-chaired by Scott Armstrong (Conservative, Nova Scotia) and Hélène
Laverdière (Liberal Democratic Party, Quebec) held a cross-party meeting
of parliamentarians to discuss follow-up to the resolutions, including
possibilities for Canada to participate in initiatives by like-minded
countries to commence preparatory work on a nuclear weapons convention
leading to negotiations. <br />
Mexican Senate takes a lead!<br />
In Mexico,
<a href="http://e2ma.net/go/11061617212/208914116/234341371/1407852/goto:http://www.gsinstitute.org/pnnd/docs/Mexico-Resolucion-esp.doc" target="_blank">a resolution submitted</a>
by PNND Co-President Rosario Green to the Senate, and adopted by
consensus on 8 March 2012, supported the CELAC initiative for a global
inter-governmental conference to negotiate a nuclear weapons convention
(or framework of agreements), supported measures to achieve security
without nuclear weapons (including regional nuclear weapon-free zones)
and called on all parliaments to support such initiatives. (Also
<a href="http://e2ma.net/go/11061617212/208914116/234341372/1407852/goto:http://www.gsinstitute.org/pnnd/docs/Mexico-Resolution-eng.doc" target="_blank">available in English</a>.)<br />
New Zealand parliament highlights humanitarian consequences<br />
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</div>
On 31 May 2012, the New Zealand parliament
unanimously adopted a motion submitted by PNND New Zealand Chair Maryan
Street commemorating the 25th anniversary of legislation prohibiting
nuclear weapons, highlighting the catastrophic humanitarian consequences
of any use of nuclear weapons, affirming that all States have a role to
play in creating the framework for a nuclear weapons-free world,
commending Norway for its announcement to hold a high-level conference
on humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons, and calling on New
Zealand government to give its full support for the conference (See
<a href="http://e2ma.net/go/11061617212/208914116/234341373/1407852/goto:http://www.parliament.nz/en-NZ/PB/Debates/Debates/a/6/a/50HansD_20120531_00000008-Motions-Nuclear-Disarmament-Global-Support.htm" target="_blank">Hansard: Motions — Nuclear Disarmament—Global Support and Anniversary of New Zealand Nuclear-free Zone</a>).
The adoption of the motion followed a very successful PNND event in the
Parliament Banquet hall commemorating the 25th anniversary of New
Zealand’s anti-nuclear legislation (See
<a href="http://e2ma.net/go/11061617212/208914116/234341374/1407852/goto:http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10810164" target="_blank">Nuclear-free NZ anniversary celebrated</a>, New Zealand Herald, June 1, 2012). <br />
Kazakhstan parliament to host conference for a nuclear weapons-free world<br />
On 27-30 August 2012,
the Kazakhstan Parliament will host an international conference of
parliamentarians to discuss parliamentary actions to establish a nuclear
weapons-free world. Timed to coincide with the
<a href="http://e2ma.net/go/11061617212/208914116/234341375/1407852/goto:http://www.gsinstitute.org/pnnd/archives/IDANT.html" target="_blank">International Day Against Nuclear Tests</a>
(the anniversary of the closing of the Soviet nuclear test site in
Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan), the conference will highlight the
humanitarian consequences of nuclear tests, the development of regional
security without nuclear weapons, and the phase-out of nuclear
deterrence. It will include a field trip to the former Soviet nuclear
test site and the Kazakhstan Radiation Research Centre. For more
information about the conference, contact
<a href="mailto:alyn@pnnd.org" target="_blank">alyn@pnnd.org</a>. <br />
Other parliamentary actions<br />
PNND will continue to
report on parliamentary actions for the global abolition of nuclear
weapons. Please
<a href="mailto:alyn@pnnd.org" target="_blank">inform us</a> of motions and debates in your parliament.Eirenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06869652988003360381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705041708570589792.post-78113688831774516012012-06-02T03:28:00.000-07:002012-06-02T03:50:51.256-07:00June 2nd. Nuclear Abolition DayJoin ICAN (International Campaign to abolish Nuclear Weapons) Day of Action on: http://www.icanw.org/<br />
<h1>
10 seconds is all it takes</h1>
We are getting ready to celebrate the third year of <a href="http://www.nuclearabolition.org/"><b>Nuclear Abolition Day</b></a>,
June 2, a global day of action which calls for the beginning of
negotiations on a treaty banning nuclear weapons. This year the
international call for action seeks to raise public and political
awareness about the threats and risks of current nuclear weapons
policies, with over 20,000 nuclear warheads in arsenals around the
world. In particular, we are calling on non-nuclear armed countries –
the vast majority of the world’s states – to lead the process of ridding
the world of these lethal weapons of mass extermination. Building upon
the successes of previous days of action, Nuclear Abolition Day 2012 is
focusing on the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of nuclear
weapons. Thousands of campaigners will raise awareness about the
effects of nuclear weapons and organize gatherings, flash mobs and
demonstrations around the world. We aim to replicate the successes of
Nuclear Abolition Day 2011. Last year more than 125 events took place in
25 countries and reinforced the idea that civil society is united
around one clear demand: a ban on nuclear weapons, which is feasible and
urgent. <b>This year different actions are taking place around the world.</b><br />
<ul>
<li>In Norway thousands of people will gather for a free-style competition. </li>
<li>In Sweden a new hub of ICAN will be launched during a big party
organized by the Women’s International League for Peace and
Freedom,Vårsyndromet and International Physicians for the Prevention of
Nuclear War. </li>
<li>In Bahrain the newly established ICAN hub will launch an educational
programme to involve students in the worldwide nuclear abolition
efforts. </li>
<li>In Israel the Israeli Disarmament Movement, will organize a march
demonstrating against nuclear spending and the modernization of nuclear
weapons. </li>
<li>In the Netherlands IKV Pax Christi is organizing lectures, divestment actions and a bike tour. </li>
<li>In Nigeria a forum organized by Churches in Action for Peace and
Development will bring together 25 church leaders who will present a
statement to the House of Assembly and start the active participation of
religious congregations in our campaign. </li>
<li>In Australia a <a href="http://www.bombsnomore.com/"><b>Bombs No More</b></a> art action will take place, involving the transformation of nuclear bomb images into something peaceful </li>
<li>In Mexico, the Czech Republic and Italy social media actions will be organized around the <a href="http://youtu.be/6FcjFD7Tpds"><b>video </b></a>that ICAN produced to raise awareness on the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons.</li>
</ul>
These are just examples of what is going to happen on June 2. ICAN is
grateful for all those committed campaigners who are investing their
time, hopes and energy in creating a global and growing movement that to
date is present in more than 60 countries worldwide. The effects of
nuclear weapons are unacceptable from a moral standpoint and from a
rational point of view. They represent an grave risk that civil society
is not willing to accept. <b>To register your action and join our call for a treaty banning nuclear weapons, go to <a href="http://www.nuclearabolition.org/">www.nuclearabolition.org</a>.</b><br />
<br />
<b>Support the CND campaign to cut Trident: www.cnduk.org/</b><br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfL2dVdz8NzMouFbzbh9JE2MjlDIqITvcovHO4UXpcdm_hxBFmLBb3EDNOJLl2fpqxMcg5qLAP35dQP6SCs1MhLnJpUSrUtizllawhT0tg4C68O4rqqeWfk1l8bnfVtFuD0IyPUkcJOCe6/s1600/tridentCND.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="164" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfL2dVdz8NzMouFbzbh9JE2MjlDIqITvcovHO4UXpcdm_hxBFmLBb3EDNOJLl2fpqxMcg5qLAP35dQP6SCs1MhLnJpUSrUtizllawhT0tg4C68O4rqqeWfk1l8bnfVtFuD0IyPUkcJOCe6/s320/tridentCND.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<b><br /></b><br />
<br />Eirenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06869652988003360381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705041708570589792.post-89193805032967063192012-04-26T17:04:00.001-07:002012-04-26T17:10:33.929-07:00Conflict Resolution/Reconciliation II<br />
<h2>
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=705041708570589792" name="_Toc114828800"><span style="color: black;">Brief history of
non-violence</span></a><span style="color: black;"></span></h2>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">To start off this workshop we will
see a presentation on the history of non-violence, the individuals and groups
who have strongly influenced the world.
In particular we will highlight the way many of the most prominent
actors were inspired by the examples of previous protagonists.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">The presentation is not exhaustive
and many people, lesser known in certain parts of the world than in others have
also made important contributions. As we
carry-out this workshop over time and in different parts of the world we will
expand the list to give a broader perspective to the genealogy of non-violence.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">Each one of us here is potentially
the next branch on the non-violence family tree.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="Section1">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">These are some historical figures
and currents of thought that appear in the family tree of the non-violent
movement. To study their ideas and actions is to come into contact with the
process of choosing non violence as a methodology for action. Some of the
characters may not have existed in the form that reaches us, but whatever their
reality, they are important as part of the chain of inspiration and models.</span></div>
<h3>
<span style="color: black;">Amenhotep IV (Akhenaton), Ancient Egypt</span><span style="color: black;"> </span></h3>
<div style="font-weight: normal;">
<span style="color: black;">In the l4th century B.C. this
Pharaoh led a dramatic revolution, establishing a monotheistic religion and
political changes based on peace and social justice.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black;">“If thou be industrious to procure wealth, be
generous in the disposal of it. Man never is so happy as when he giveth
happiness unto another."</span></i></div>
<h3 class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;"> </span><b><span style="color: black;">Zarathustra. Persia</span></b></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">1200 or 600 AC? in Persia, the
young Zarathustra (said to be born from a virgin) began to preach that there
was only one true God and saviour, Ahura Mazda (Lord of Wisdom). This gave
birth to Zorastrianism as a religion. He opened the road for our present day
monotheistic traditions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Through the Parsis
he also had influence on Hinduism and Buddhism.
His teachings: “Think well, do good, speak the truth”. An ethics of
personal responsibility: “There is only one way to fight evil, by increasing
kindness, and only one way to fight against darkness, by expanding the light.
In the same way, only by broadening love and not fighting and opposing one
another we can eliminate hatred and enmity.”
</span></div>
<h3>
<span style="color: black;">Jainism: Ahinsa. India</span></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">Jainism was born in India about
the same period as Buddhism. It was established by Mahavira (c. 599 - 527 BC)
in about 500 B.C. Mahavira like Buddha belonged to the warrior caste. Mahavira
was called ‘Jina’ meaning the big winner and from this name was derived the
name of the religion. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">In many senses Jainism is similar
to Buddhism. Both developed as a dissension to the Brahmanic philosophy that
was dominant during that period in north-east India. Both share a belief in
reincarnation which eventually leads to liberation. Jainism is different to
Buddhism in its ascetic beliefs. Both these religions emphasize non-violence, but
non-violence is the main core in Jainism. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">Jain scriptures list 108 forms of
violence!</span></div>
<h3>
<span style="color: black;">Gautama Buddha, India</span></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">Born a Prince his father attempted
to keep him in the Palace, away from all suffering and given to unlimited
pleasure. In his youth he walked on the world where he was shocked to see so
much sorrow in the form of old age, illness and death. He attempted to reach
spiritual development through the known ascetic ways of the time but in failing
to do so he developed the “middle path” and communicated it to his disciples.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">He propounded the philosophy of
non-violence, universal love and peace 2,500 years ago. Emperor Ashoka Maurya
from India gave this pacifist philosophy official recognition in the 3rd
century B.C. and sent Buddhist missionaries to the far-east and central Asia.
For this initiative in spreading the message of peace and non-violence, he is
remembered not only by Indians but by pacifists all around the globe.</span></div>
<h3>
<span style="color: black;">King Asoka, India</span></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">His edicts, based on Ahinsa are
mainly concerned with the reforms he instituted and the moral principles he
recommended in his attempt to create a just and humane society. He was born in
India in 304 B.C. Eight years after his coronation, Asoka's armies attacked and
conquered Kalinga. The loss of life caused by battle, reprisals, deportations
and the turmoil that always exists in the aftermath of war so horrified Asoka
that it brought about a complete change in his personality. After the war Asoka dedicated the rest of his
life trying to apply Buddhist principles to the administration of his vast
empire. He had a crucial part to play in
helping Buddhism to spread both throughout India and abroad. Asoka died in 232
B.C. in the thirty-eighth year of his reign. </span></div>
<h3>
<span style="color: black;">Plato. Ancient Greece</span></h3>
<span style="color: black; font-weight: normal;">427
BC. In both the <i>Republic</i> and the <i>Laws</i>, Plato asserts not only
that factionalism and civil war are the greatest dangers to the city, but also
that peace obtained by the victory of one part and the destruction of its
rivals is not to be preferred to social peace obtained through the friendship
and cooperation of all the city’s parts. Peace for Plato is not a status quo
notion, related to the interest of the privileged group, but a value that most
people usually desire. He does not stand for war and the victory of one class,
but for peace in social diversity. </span><br />
<h3>
<span style="color: black;"> </span><b><span style="color: black;">The Talmud (Jewish Sacred text)</span></b></h3>
<span style="color: black;">“Whoever destroys a single life is
as guilty as though he had destroyed the entire world; and whoever rescues a
single life earns as much merit as though he had rescued the entire world.”
(This passage is also in the <b>Koran). </b> </span><br />
<span style="color: black;">“For the sake of peace one may
lie, but peace itself should never be a lie.” </span><span style="color: black;"><b> </b></span><br />
<h3>
<span style="color: black; font-weight: normal;"> </span><span style="color: black;">Jesus Christ, Ancient Judea</span></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">Here are some of the non-violent
teachings attributed to him in the writings of the Apostles</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">“Put your sword in its place, for
all who take the sword will perish by the sword” (Matthew 26:52).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">"You have learnt how it was
said: 'Eye for eye and tooth for tooth.' But I say to you, Offer the wicked man
no resistance. If anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also;
if a man takes you to law and would have your tunic, let him have your cloak as
well. And if anyone orders you to go one mile, go two miles with him." Mt.
5.38-41</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">"If there is one of you who
has not sinned, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." John. 8.7</span></div>
<h3 class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="color: black;">Baha'i Faith</span></b></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">"I
charge you all that each one of you concentrate all the thoughts of your heart
on love and unity. When a thought of war comes, oppose it by a stronger
thought of peace. A thought of hatred must be destroyed by a more
powerful thought of love. Thoughts of war bring destruction to all
harmony, well-being, restfulness and content. Thoughts of love are
constructive of brotherhood, peace, friendship, and happiness. <i>Abdu'l-Baha</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<h3 class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="color: black;">Islam
& Sufism</span></b><span style="color: black;"></span></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">Ibn Arabi’s doctrine is that the entire universe is
His manifestation. This leads to demolition of barriers between people of one
religion and the other. Thus peace, friendship and love have been at the centre
of this school of sufism </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">Mansur Al-Hallaj (martyred in 922). exposed the
psychospiritual doctrine of “two natures”.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">Sufis resist the notion that religious authority
should be based on titles and offices. Rather, Sufi teachers gain acceptance
and support by their insights and capacity for transmission of enlightenment to
their students.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">The history of Sufism is filled with examples of
interfaith co-operation </span><br />
</div>
<h3 class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="color: black;">Toplitzin-Quetzalcóatl.
Mesoamerica. </span></b></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">Ce Acatl Topiltzin Quetzalcóatl, king of Tollan
lived between the years 947 and 999 of the Christian era, one of the highest
moments in the Meso-American civilization. He inspired, with his ideas and
practices a culture called "Toltecayotl" or "Tolteca" that
means in Nahuatl: "Learned people". Quetzalcóatl, transmitted his
teachings to his people based in the rejection of human sacrifices and all
forms of violence. During the period that he governed Tollan it reached the
highest moment of Civilization, developing the arts and knowledge. He also
developed a creative school, based on teachings of "How man becomes God" by means of different
practices and disciplines, based on meditation about oneself and the service to
others as well as the relationship between human life and the universe to
overcome darkness and contradictions in the human being. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">He went on pilgrimage to Mayan lands, where he was
known by the name of Kukulkán, spreading his teachings and influence shown
clearly in the main pyramid of Txitxen Itzá dedicated to the "feathered
snake". </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">The Aztecs betrayed his teachings adoring the God
Huitzilopochtli, God of War trying to destroy all vestige of the Tolteca
Culture in the valley of Mexico</span></div>
<h3 class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="color: black;">Laura
Cereta, a Renaissance Feminist. Italy</span></b></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">15th century writer who stressed the emotions in a genre (criticism)
long assumed to be the domain of the rational faculties only attempted to
reconstruct and redefine the concept of gender, proposing mutual support of
women by women and the idea of a community of women, she saw housework as a
barrier to women's literary aspirations and held that “all human beings, women
included, are born with the right to an education” and raised the mainstreaming
of women's writing into genres and venues that were once for men only and
searched for ways to give access to women to public life.</span></div>
<h3 class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="ES-AR" style="color: black;">Bartolomé de Las Casas (1484-1566).
Spain-Mexico</span></b><span lang="ES-AR" style="color: black;"></span></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">Fray Bartolomé de las Casas, dedicated his life to
the defence of indigenous peoples is today seen as one of the precursors of the
theory and practice of Human Rights.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">A Spanish colonist, a priest, founder of a Utopian
community and first Bishop of Chiapas, was a scholar, historian and 16th
century human rights advocate. He has been called the Father of
anti-imperialism and anti-racism</span></div>
<h3 class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="color: black;">George
Fox, founder of</span></b><span style="color: black;"> <b>the
Quakers. UK</b></span></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">1624 –1691. Living in a time of great social
upheaval, he rebelled against the religious and political consensus by
proposing an unusual and uncompromising approach to the Christian faith. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">It was as early as the 1600s that Quakers began
their fight against slavery, and thus the beginning of the abolitionist
movement.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">On Non-Violence: "We utterly deny all outward
wars and strife and fightings with outward weapons, for any end or under any
pretence whatsoever, and this is our testimony to the whole world." Quaker
statement to King Charles II, 1660</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;"> "A good
end cannot sanctify evil means; nor must we ever do evil, that good may come of
it. “ <b>William Penn</b>, 1693 </span></div>
<h3 class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="color: black;">Tom
Paine. UK</span></b><span style="color: black;"></span></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">Poverty, they suggested, is unacceptable and
something that should and could be eliminated. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">Paine 1737-1809 born in England, fought for
American independence. His book <b>The Rights of Man</b> was published in UK in
1792. It was banned for its antiestablishment stance, but became a best seller.
He opposed slavery and was amongst the earliest proponents of social security,
universal free public education and a guaranteed minimum wage.</span></div>
<h3 class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="color: black;">Mary Wollstonecraft.
UK</span></b><span style="color: black;"></span></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">She described the process by which parents brought
their daughters up to be docile and domesticated. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">She maintained that if girls were encouraged from
an early age to develop their minds, it would be seen that they were rational
creatures and there was no reason whatsoever for them not to be given the same
opportunities as boys with regard to education and training. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">Women could enter the professions and have careers
just the same as men. (“A Vindication of the Rights of Woman” published during
the French Revolution)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">She died in childbirth (her daughter Mary Shelly
then wrote Frankenstein)</span></div>
<h3 class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="color: black;">Immanuel
Kant. Germany</span></b><span style="color: black;"></span></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">In 1795 Kant published an essay entitled
"Toward Perpetual Peace: A Philosophical Sketch." In his view the
Treaty of Basel between Prussia and France, was
only "the suspension of hostilities, not a peace.“</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">In the essay, Kant argues that it is humankind's
immediate duty to solve the problem of violence and enter into the cosmopolitan
ideal of a universal community of all peoples governed by the rule of law.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">Kant believed that peace could be gradually
extended. The first step was for States to become Republican. As a second step,
all Republican States would join a federation. One day, this federation would
embrace all States of the earth. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">He is considered to be the inspiration for the
creation of the League of Nations as the way to end all wars.</span><span style="color: black;"></span></div>
<h3>
<span style="color: black;">Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862), US</span></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">US essayist, poet, and practical
philosopher, renowned for having lived the doctrines of Transcendentalism (that
was amongst other things concerned with the end of slavery) as recorded in his
masterwork, Walden (1854), and for having been a vigorous advocate of civil
liberties, as evidenced in the essay “Civil Disobedience” (1849). “One has a
moral obligation to refuse to cooperate with an unjust social system.”</span></div>
<h3>
<span style="color: black;">Leon Tolstoy (1828 –1910), Russia</span></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">He was a Russian novelist,
reformer, pacifist and moral thinker, notable for his ideas on non-violent
resistance. He was born into the aristocracy but renounced its privileges.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">Tolstoy's Christian beliefs were
based on the Sermon on the Mount, and particularly on the comment about turning
your cheek, which he saw as a justification of pacifism. These beliefs came out
of a middle aged crisis that began with a depression so severe that if he saw a
rope it made him think of hanging himself, and he had to hide his guns to stop
himself committing suicide.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">Yet out of this depression came
his radical and very original new ideas about Christianity. He believed that a
Christian should look inside his or her own heart to find inner happiness
rather than looking outward toward the church or state. His belief in non-violence when facing
oppression is another distinct attribute of his philosophy. By directly influencing Mohandas Gandhi with
this idea Tolstoy has had a huge influence on the non-violent resistance
movement to this day. He believed that
the aristocracy was a burden on the poor, and that the only solution to how we
live together is through anarchy. He
also opposed private property and the institution of marriage and valued the
ideals of chastity and sexual abstinence.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">In one of his letters, Tolstoy
noted that Thoreau had about written Civil Disobedience fifty years previously.
He claims to have been influenced by the
Quakers and the anti-slavery movement in the United States.</span></div>
<h3 class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="color: black;">The Moriori. </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black;">Chatham Islands,
New Zealand</span></b><span style="color: black;"></span></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">As a small and precarious
population, Moriori embraced a pacifist culture that rigidly avoided warfare,
substituting it with dispute resolution in the form of ritual fighting and
conciliation. The ban on warfare and cannibalism is attributed to their
ancestor Nunuku-whenua.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">Today, in spite of the
difficulties and genocide that Moriori faced, with unrelenting stoicism and
peaceful resignation, Moriori are enjoying a renaissance, both on Rekohu (their
island) and in mainland New Zealand </span></div>
<h3>
<span style="color: black;">Mohandas K Gandhi (1869 - 1948), India</span></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">In 1889 Gandhi went to England to
study law, and was graduated from the Inner Temple of London. While he was in
England, a number of vegetarian friends who formed his support group persuaded
Gandhi to study Indian religions and literature.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">When he returned to India,
however, he could not find a job; so he accepted an offer to go to South
Africa. He was hired to serve as a lawyer to a rich Indian merchant who had
settled there. While travelling in South Africa to his place of employment,
Gandhi was madly mistreated by the white officials of the railway company
because of his skin colour. As a result of this incident, Gandhi began to think
about the treatment of minorities and what could be done to improve the
situation. In those days, apartheid, or racial segregation, was the law and
policy of the government of South Africa. So after Gandhi settled his
employer's legal matters, he began to organize the Indian community to demand
their civil rights.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">During his 20 years in South
Africa, Gandhi developed his principles of non-violent resistance. He led this
struggle in non-violent confrontations with the government. The rules of
non-violent resistance that he laid down are:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">1. No
hitting back (no retaliation), </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">2. Endure
personal pain and suffering, even death, </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">3. Express
love and forgiveness toward the oppressor, and </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">4. Harbour
no intent to harm or humiliate the oppressor, but rather a desire to settle
(reconcile) differences. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">After gaining many civil rights
reforms, Gandhi left South Africa and returned to India in 1914. At first he
travelled widely in the country to see for himself the conditions in which the
poor lived, and to learn from them the ways in which he could help.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">Then he began to protest the
British government's rule over India. He supported the farmers of the Champaran
district in their fight against the British landlords who were their
oppressors. He won a fair settlement and a good price for the farmer's produce.
He successfully mediated a labour dispute in the textile industry in the city
of Ahmedabad. When the district of Bardoli refused to pay what they considered
unfair taxes, Gandhi encouraged other districts to do the same in support,
believing that this would overthrow the British government. However, when some
of his supporters rioted and killed 22 policemen in Chauri-Chaura, Gandhi
called off the rebellion. He felt personally responsible for the killings, and
he did not want to kill the British to achieve peace and justice for his
people. He believed that killing to get what you want was wrong, and he chose
to fail, rather than achieve independence for India. He continued to stand by
his principles of non-violence, and earned the title of Mahatma - "The Great
Soul."</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">During the second World War, the
Moslem League broke from Gandhi and demanded that India be divided into two
countries - one mostly Moslem and one mostly Hindu. Since every city, town and
village had mixed populations of many religions and sects, Gandhi did not agree
with their position. He felt that this division would lead to war, and in 1947,
when the British divided the country into India and Pakistan, his prediction
came true.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">During this time of civil war,
Gandhi resided in the state of Bengal, in Eastern India. He brought peace to
that part of the country. He then went to Delhi and accomplished the same thing
there, after which he planned to move to the newly created country of Pakistan
and plead for peace. But on January 30, 1948, his peaceful mission ended. He
was assassinated by a fanatic he had helped free from British rule.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black;">“Be the change you want to see in the world”.</span></i></div>
<h3 class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="color: black;">Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan - Pakistan</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black;"></span></b></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">Islam’s great Non-Violent hero. A
deeply pious Muslim, tolerant and liberal, the Frontier Gandhi was a staunch
Congressman and a Gandhian all his life </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">He opposed the India-Pakistan
partition. Badshah Khan, as was also known, was a model of non-violence in a
society dominated by violence; his unswerving faith and obvious bravery led to
immense respect. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">Because of his principles Badshah
Khan was repeatedly imprisoned by both the British and Pakistani governments.
He spent 33 years in prisons. </span></div>
<h3>
<span style="color: black;">The Suffragettes </span></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">In Britain and the United States
they worked for decades to win equality in voting rights, first through calm
persuasion and, when that failed, through civil disobedience, a tactic that
protesters would adopt later. They broke street lamps, cut telephone lines and
slashed museum paintings. One suffragist threw herself under the king’s horse
during a race and was killed.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">In March 1913, 5,000 women staged
a suffrage pageant in Washington, withstanding a mob's attacks until cavalry
troops intervened. "Nothing less than riots," was an associated press
correspondent's description.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">Eight months later in London, a
protest at parliament became "black Friday," which a historian
described as "a battle between the police and not the unemployed, the
homeless or the destitute -- but middle- and upper-class women of all
ages." Not all agreed with the escalation or the Pankhurst style of
leadership and a number of members left the group in 1907 with Despard, Edith
How Martyn, Teresa Hillington-Greig, Octavia Lewin, and Caroline Hodgeson to
form another militant, but this time non-violent, organisation: the Women 's Freedom
League which engaged in acts of civil disobedience.</span></div>
<h3>
<span style="color: black;">Aldo Capitini, Italy </span></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">He was during Mussolini reign very
active in covert, anti-fascism propaganda among the youth of central Italy. He
wrote a book where he stressed the infinite potentialities inherent in any
layman, since a great experience of liberation may start from an interior
process, although oppressed by a negative society; a characteristic statement
of this period is : "God is not truth, God is to choose". Although he
did not belong to any political party, his life became an example among the
Italian anti-fascists, He observed that “the fundamental question is not the
knowledge of the method but to have the will, to be open to the spirit of
non-violence”.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">In 1961 he launched a peace march,
(at the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis) Perugia – Assisi (28 km). For the
first time the march collected together all eminent friends of peace, although
coming from very different ideologies (philosophers as n. Bobbio and a.
Calogero were his close friends). This event started an Italian tradition: the
peace march was reiterated several times (twice in 1999) as the most important
national peace action.</span></div>
<h3>
<span style="color: black;">Albert Einstein, Switzerland/US</span></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">Einstein believed in non-violence
and opposed World War I. As he put it,
"a moral attitude to life, love of justice and knowledge, and a desire for
personal independence influenced me." Thus, he supported Jews and their
desire for a homeland in Palestine, not as a political state, but as a place
where Jews could develop their culture and share the land with their
neighbours.</span></div>
<h3>
<span style="color: black;">Martin Luther King, US</span></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">Martin Luther King, Jr. came from
a hard-working, honest and well-educated middle-class family. He studied the writings of Mahatma Gandhi
during his student days, and realized that Gandhi’s methods of non-violent
resistance were the correct tools to use to gain civil rights for poor
minorities. To those who accused him of
causing trouble, King replied that the downtrodden and mistreated people can
only get justice and peace by agitating non-violently until their grievances
were redressed.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">The Montgomery bus boycott of
1955-1956 gave the Reverend King his first chance to practice non-violent
resistance to unjust laws. Rosa Parks, a
black seamstress, refused to give up her seat in the bus to a white passenger,
which was required by the law in the south at that time. For this she was
arrested and summoned to court. The
black citizens of Montgomery, Alabama decided to boycott the buses for one day.
This boycott proved to be so successful that they continued it. They refused to ride the buses at all until
they were given what they considered to be civil rights under the law. All they asked for was courteous treatment
from the bus drivers, seating in the buses to follow an orderly pattern. That
included white people in the front and blacks in the back of the bus, and jobs
for black drivers, especially on the bus routes populated by minority citizens.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">Dr. King was named the leader of
this boycott. During the 382-day ordeal,
he succeeded in getting his people to walk, ride mules or bikes, and to
car-pool, but never to ride the bus to work, school or play. During this time, Dr. King was harassed,
imprisoned, and humiliated. His home was
even bombed, but he never retaliated physically. He taught his followers to use peace, not
violence, to win their battles. The
highest court in the land, the Supreme Court, finally heard the case, and
decided that the cause was just. The
buses of Montgomery were finally integrated.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">He was awarded the Nobel Prize for
peace in 1964. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black;">“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere”</span></i></div>
<h3 class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="color: black;">Rosa Parks. US</span></b><span style="color: black;"></span></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">Rosa Parks, a black seamstress and
civil rights activist, refused to give up her seat in the bus to a white
passenger, which was required by the law in the south at that time. For this
she was arrested and summoned to court. The black citizens of Montgomery,
Alabama decided to boycott the buses for one day, launching in this way ML
King’s campaign. She was awarded de Congressional Gold Medal.</span></div>
<h3>
<span style="color: black;">Betty Williams and Mairead Corrigan, Northern
Ireland</span></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">The two women led marches in which
Protestants and Catholics walked together in demonstrations for peace and
against violence. Williams and Corrigan
"have shown us what ordinary people can do to promote peace." They had the courage to take the first step. "They did so in the name of humanity and
love of their neighbour; someone had to start forgiving. ... Love of one's
neighbour is one of the foundation stones of the humanism on which our western
civilisation is built." It is
vitally important that it "should shine forth when hatred and revenge
threaten to dominate." Theirs was
"a courageous unselfish act that proved an inspiration to thousands, that
lit a light in the darkness..." Nobel Peace Prize 1967.</span></div>
<h3>
<span style="color: black;">Patrice Lumumba, Congo</span></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">Independence speech: “…We are
going to put an end to suppression of free thought and see to it that all our
citizens enjoy to the full the fundamental liberties foreseen in the Declaration
of the Rights of Man.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">We are going to do away with all
discrimination of every variety and assure for each and all the position to
which human dignity, work, and dedication entitles him.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">We are going to rule not by the
peace of guns and bayonets but by a peace of the heart and the will….”</span></div>
<h3 class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="color: black;">Bertrand Russell. UK</span></b><span style="color: black;"></span></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">1872–1970 Influential British
mathematician, philosopher, and logician. Example of non-religious peace
campaigner. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">Dismissed from Trinity College and
imprisoned for five months as a result of anti-war protests. Appointment at
City College New York revoked following public protests. Dismissed from Barnes
Foundation in Pennsylvania, also due to his anti-war activities. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">Organised the first Pugwash
Conference. Founding President of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">Imprisoned for the last time aged
89 for one week in connection with anti-nuclear protests. </span></div>
<h3>
<span style="color: black;">Aung San Suu Kyi, Burma</span></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">The sources of her inspiration
were Mahatma Gandhi, about whom she had learned when her mother was the
ambassador to India, and her father, Aung San, the leader in Burma's struggle
for liberation. She was only two when he
was assassinated, but she had made his life a centre of her studies. From
Gandhi she drew her commitment to non-violence, from her father the
understanding that leadership was a duty and that one can only lead in humility
and with the confidence and respect of the people to be led. Both were examples for her of independence
and modesty, and Aung San represented what was called "a profound
simplicity" (Nobel Peace Prize speech). At the ceremony for Aung San Suu
Kyi in December 1991, she was still being held in detention by the military
dictatorship in Myanmar (Burma) and could only be represented by her two sons,
her husband and her picture facing the audience.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">The National league for democracy
was formed, with Suu Kyi as general secretary. It promoted a policy of
non-violence and civil disobedience.
Defying a ban, Suu Kyi made a speech-making tour throughout the country
to large audiences.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">Suu kyi continued to campaign
despite harassment, arrests and killings by soldiers. She was prohibited from standing for
election.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">There was a famous incident in
Irawaddy delta when Suu Kyi courageously walked toward soldiers’ rifles aiming
at her. She was placed under house
arrest, without charge or trial. Despite her detention her party won the
elections with 82% of parliamentary seats. The military Junta refused to
recognise the results.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">She was granted 1990 Rafto human
rights prize and was the winner of 1991 Nobel peace prize.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black;">“If you are feeling helpless, help someone”</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">At present she is an elected Member of Parliament but she continues her struggle for Democracy.</span><span style="color: black;"></span><i><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></i></div>
<h3>
<span style="color: black;">Shirin Ebadi, Iran</span></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">“As a lawyer, judge, lecturer,
writer and activist, she has spoken out clearly and strongly in her country,
Iran, and far beyond its borders. She has stood up as a sound professional, a
courageous person, and has never heeded the threats to her own safety.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">Her principal arena is the
struggle for basic human rights, and no society deserves to be labelled civilised
unless the rights of women and children are respected. In an era of violence, she has consistently
supported non-violence. It is fundamental
to her view that the supreme political power in a community must be built on
democratic elections. She favours
enlightenment and dialogue as the best path to changing attitudes and resolving
conflict.” (Nobel Peace Prize speech)</span></div>
<h3 class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="color: black;">Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana</span></b></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">Inspired by Gandhi’s teachings
adopted the philosophy of Positive Action on the principle of non-violence.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">In 1957 he made Ghana the first
nation in sub-Saharan Africa to win independence from European colonial rule. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">He used it as a platform to lead
to the total emancipation of Africa from colonial rule, and also to campaign
for a political union of the newly independent states and the integration of
their economies. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">Although his rule has been
criticised as authoritarian and undemocratic he was aware that his socialist
project had many enemies abroad, (at the peak of the Cold War) and he survived
5 assassination attempts. He is still considered one of the great leaders of
the Pan African Movement</span></div>
<h3>
<span style="color: black;">Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev, Russia</span></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">Leader and president of the USSR
1985–91. He attempted to revive the faltering Soviet economy through economic
reforms (perestroika) and liberalise society and politics through glasnost
(openness) and competition in elections, and to halt the arms race abroad
through arms reduction agreements with the USA. He pulled Soviet troops out of Afghanistan and
allowed the Soviet-bloc states in central Europe greater autonomy, a move which
soon led to the break-up of the USSR and end of the Cold War. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in
1990 for promoting greater openness in the USSR and helping to end the Cold
War. He launched with other Peace Prize
winners the “Decade of Peace and Non Violence for the children of the world”
programme for the first 10 years of the new millennium to be dedicated to
Education for Non Violence, now run by UNESCO.</span></div>
<h3 class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="color: black;">The Mandela conundrum</span></b><span style="color: black;"></span></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">Nelson Mandela is the undisputed
great leader of the African liberation. He abandoned non-violence in the face
of his people’s massacres in favour of a campaign of sabotage and armed
struggle. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">During his prison years he refused
offers of release if he renounced violence on the grounds that only free people
can freely enter into contracts. By doing this he applied the non-violent
principle of passive resistance.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">Not to pay homage to him is to let
one of the greatest struggles of the world go unrecognised. He represents the
conundrum faced by all those who are being violently oppressed. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">Paradoxically his campaign added
International Pressure to the arsenal of the methodology of non-violence</span></div>
<h3>
<span style="color: black;">Rigoberta Menchú, Guatemala</span></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">It was announced in October 1992
that the Nobel Peace prize would go to Rigoberta Menchú, a Mayan Indian of
Guatemala "in recognition of her work for social justice and ethno-cultural
reconciliation based on respect for the rights of indigenous peoples."</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">That Menchú did not turn to
violence, but to political and social work for her people is the reason why she
received the prize. She became an active member of the Committee for Campesino
Unity and then helped found the Revolutionary Christians. Menchú explained that
"we understood revolutionary in the real meaning of the word
'transformation.' If I had chosen the armed struggle, I would be in the
mountains now." Although she has admitted her book contains some events
later proven to be not true, the Nobel committee accepted it as a true
representation of the lives of Guatemalan Indians, if not her real biography.</span></div>
<h3>
<span lang="ES" style="color: black;">Silo: Mario
Rodriguez Cobos, Argentina</span></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">An Argentinean thinker and writer
who, as a response to the violence around the world and especially the military
dictatorships of South America, launched a non-violence movement in his
hometown of Mendoza. Throughout the
sixties his thinking developed to the point where the first public exposition
of his work was made in 1969 in a location called Punta de Vacas in the Andes
mountain range with a speech called “The Healing of Suffering”. His message: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Carry peace in yourself and carry it to others”.</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">This movement has developed since with
expressions in the political, social and cultural fields through the formation
in many countries of: </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">World without Wars and without
Violence: working for the end of wars, nuclear weapons and all other forms of
violence (launched the World March for Peace and nonviolence)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">The Convergence of Cultures,
bringing together different cultures, ethnic groups and lifestyles</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">The Centre of Humanist Studies:
adding academic work about the methodology of Non-violence</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">The Humanist Party working for
real rather than purely formal democracy, human rights, an economic model for
social justice and the environment. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">The Community for human
development dealing with the implementation of educational and cultural
activities</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">Each of these organisms bases
their activities on the principles of non-violence and
anti-discrimination. Today, the
philosophy of this Movement is known by the name New or Universalist Humanism
and can be distilled down to two primary principles:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">1. Solidarity
- Treat others the way you would like to be treated.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">2. Coherence
- Think, feel and act in the same way.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="color: black;">The Humanist Attitude</span></b><span style="color: black;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman";">•<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span><span style="color: black;">Placing the human
being, rather than money or power, as the central value</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman";">•<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span><span style="color: black;">Affirming the equality
of all human beings</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman";">•<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span><span style="color: black;">Recognising personal
and cultural diversity, rejecting any form of discrimination</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman";">•<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span><span style="color: black;">The continuous
development of human knowledge beyond absolute truths and dogmas.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman";">•<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span><span style="color: black;">Sustaining freedom of
ideas and beliefs</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman";">•<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span><span style="color: black;">Rejecting violence in
all its forms. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black;">Silo’s Message</span></b><span style="color: black;"> was
launched in 2003 to express a profound spirituality capable of moving towards
personal and social non-violent transformation, with freedom of interpretation
and association.</span></div>
</div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt;"><br clear="all" style="mso-break-type: section-break; page-break-before: always;" />
</span><br />
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<br /></div>Eirenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06869652988003360381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705041708570589792.post-59325250137719577772012-04-25T05:56:00.000-07:002012-04-25T05:56:17.831-07:00Conflict Resolution/Reconciliation IAn Introduction to Nonviolent Conflict Resolution/Reconciliation<br />
<br />
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">In the first set of workshops we
have seen that violence is complex, that there are no easy or simplistic
remedies and that all the factors need to be considered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You may have found in the previous series
that many people found themselves at a point where there was a need to give a response
to a situation that had already created a lot of distress and desire for
revenge.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">You may have asked yourself; “but
what can we do?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In this series of
workshops we shall delve into tools that will help instructors find responses
for those situations; not magical solutions but rather responses based on
experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All the responses will be
related to organising the social base to look at everything as a whole picture
and make proposals in all fields of action.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We have chosen the workshops in series 2 as a response to the needs
discovered in the first workshops.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">Common elements, found by the
participants of the first series of workshops in the genesis and maintenance of
a situation of violence, were;</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><img alt="*" height="13" src="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CSilvia%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_image001.gif" width="13" /><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black;">Breakdown in
communication</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><img alt="*" height="13" src="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CSilvia%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_image001.gif" width="13" /><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black;">Experiences, cultural
forms and values acquired during our formative years that prepared us for a
world different to the one we have to live in</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><img alt="*" height="13" src="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CSilvia%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_image001.gif" width="13" /><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black;">Rigidity in one’s own
point of view and inability to see others’ points of view.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><img alt="*" height="13" src="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CSilvia%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_image001.gif" width="13" /><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black;">Lack of awareness of
the choices available to oneself and feeling compelled to react in ways that
are not coherent.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><img alt="*" height="13" src="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CSilvia%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_image001.gif" width="13" /><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black;">Frustration when faced
with an oppressive situation and not being able to see a solution.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><img alt="*" height="13" src="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CSilvia%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_image001.gif" width="13" /><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black;">Perception that
somebody else is “getting away” with bad behaviour.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><img alt="*" height="13" src="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CSilvia%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_image001.gif" width="13" /><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black;">Feelings of extreme
injustice.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><img alt="*" height="13" src="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CSilvia%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_image001.gif" width="13" /><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black;">Not being able to move
on because of grief for ones losses</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">This second set of workshops in
the Non-violence Training course has the following aims:</span></div>
<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">To go deeper into the theme of active
non-violence so that the delegates can make it mor</span>e real in their
lives and become more efficient in influencing the direction of this
globalised world.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">To
strengthen the idea that violence is not an appropriate response to deal
with violent situations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not only
is it violent and therefore incoherent but it is counter productive.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">To
prepare the delegates to become leaders of a social movement capable of
giving the type of responses that so many people are crying out for.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: black; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">To
focus on the social aspects of violence with an understanding of
existential issues.</li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">Some of the workshops are based on
a system of conflict resolution that has been specifically designed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are many forms of conflict resolution
that can be employed and some of these workshops will echo such examples as:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><img alt="*" height="13" src="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CSilvia%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_image001.gif" width="13" /><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black;">Truth and
reconciliation (e.g. South Africa)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><img alt="*" height="13" src="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CSilvia%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_image001.gif" width="13" /><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black;">Forgive and forget
(e.g. Christianity)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 36.0pt; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><img alt="*" height="13" src="file:///C:%5CUsers%5CSilvia%5CAppData%5CLocal%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_image001.gif" width="13" /><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black;">Trial and punishment
(e.g. International Criminal Court)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">These forms are generally
prescriptive, that is, the protagonists of the conflict receive external indications
as to the “right” way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In our
phenomenological style of conflict resolution we use a more experiential and
existential process by those involved that leads to discovering the non-violent
perspective and resolution to the problem.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">Our conflict resolution comes from
two Humanist principles that say: “you will resolve your conflicts when you
understand them in their ultimate root, not when you want to resolve them” and
“when you treat others as you would have them treat you, you liberate
yourself”.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">Each workshop can be taken
individually or they can be taken as a suite of workshops.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black;">As we did in the first series of
workshops, it is recommended that each workshop is started with relaxation and
the Experience of Peace as a way to get into the right mental frame for the
work that will be carried out.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--><span style="height: 867px; left: -18px; mso-ignore: vglayout; position: relative; top: 313px; width: 780px; z-index: 1;"></span><span style="color: black;"> </span></div>Eirenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06869652988003360381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705041708570589792.post-76146719752614932442011-10-24T08:08:00.000-07:002011-10-24T08:08:00.637-07:00Active Nonviolence Group at Occupy LondonThe Active Nonviolence Group at OccupyLSX opens on Thursday Oct 27th with its first Workshop on Active Nonviolence Training, from 5 to 6 pm at Tent City University.<br />
This is an experiential workshop. The interest of the ANV Group is to combine training in Nonviolence from different points of view and offer the tools to everybody interested.Eirenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06869652988003360381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705041708570589792.post-84622713235646867282011-10-20T08:10:00.000-07:002011-10-24T07:57:45.307-07:00Where is the #Occupy movement going? Convergence of diversity in London Tent City<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxiAaxQTQYSvyoV67nfzFHXYdqqHpNiWJMrEIFntoauAcTcMjy5NzVUinjG3ConAW8tKYF-fY9H6EIzndAjCw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="MsoNormal">The tents are up, the assemblies are lively and participatory, consensus about what we do not want is strong; the placards denounce the dying System with passion and humour, and occasionally the conversation gets jammed when people smell discord. We are tired of being divided by a System that promotes competition and individualism, and so, we are a bit afraid of upsetting the harmony. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
There seems to be a point where people in the discussion groups that feed the General Assembly of Occupy the London Stock Exchange start to get nervous and express doubts about discussing certain issues. This happens when it is obvious that there are conflicting opinions. There is a kind of fear that the #Occupy movement will fragment. Of course we value consensus, but in my view we should also value the diversity of alternatives that exist to this violent and dehumanising System. If we are going to emerge from this wonderful global occupation with concrete proposals we need to start collecting and discussing the alternatives, because the world many hope for is not monolithic and uniform but decentralised and pluralistic, giving people the choice to organise their communities with the model they like best. <br />
<br />
There may be immediate proposals to start dismantling the economic system: The Tobin, or Robin Hood tax to help curb the excesses of speculation (even if Merkel and Sarkozy like the idea. They think about gathering funds to balance the books, but this tax is also a disincentive to speculation). The taxation raised can be invested in health, education, housing and Green energy research helping to boost production and start to move the wheels of the economy and curb unemployment. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">But this should not be a gift to the system - ‘we solve your problem and then it's back to business as usual’. The tax should go hand in hand with a change in the "money as debt" system. This can only be done by creating a 0% interest national Bank that is also responsible for deciding when to print money, rather than left in the hands of private international, profiteering banks. A merger between the "nationalised" (aka "bailed out") banks and perhaps the Post Office (run by employees as a Co-op is not such a bad idea) could do the trick. And of course, taxing wealth and closing tax havens and loopholes has to be implemented as soon as possible. But these are only immediate measures, not a new System.<br />
<br />
Outrage will mobilise a lot of people, but adding to that a positive image of the future could mobilise many more. Otherwise it runs the risk of becoming another French Revolution, where bloody revenge on the oppressors take people's minds away from the creation of a horizontal system, and vertical power and privilege was recreated with different characters, as happened with the Russian Revolution. If we do not realise that the revolution, or change, or transformation, or whatever word fits into our scheme of things, is personal as well as social we will not be able to create something truly new. The power structure needs to disappear from our minds first.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The violence of the system is in us - because we were born and bred inside this system. We are lucky enough to see that it can be different, but that obscure part is indelibly ingrained in us and has to be cheerfully and lovingly exorcised. Doing nothing means mechanically going back to allowing our leaders and bankers to maintain the status quo and the power imbalance.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">If we manage that we can create a system not for the1%, not even for the 99% but for the 100%. And nobody will be plotting *their* revenge. There are many working groups and commissions emerging from the Occupy/Indignados/Spring movement and they will come up, no doubt, with different proposals for the future. Let us celebrate the richness of this diversity without worries for these models will converge in practice if we are also humanising ourselves internally. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><a name='more'></a> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b>The Hologram of the Elephant </b><br />
<b>Convergence of Diversity is Nonviolence</b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.0pt;">Violence in the human being acquires characteristics different from the violence we see in the animal world. In fact when we see a lion kill a zebra we do not call it violence, we call it survival, instinct, nature, the cycle of life. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.0pt;">Human violence does not usually respond to such parameters. The violence of viciousness, vengeance, discrimination, self-affirmation and fear feature prominently. It is in the human being that violence acquires sophistication and expansion that goes well beyond what is necessary for individual survival or that of the species. Human beings are endowed with intentionality that can lead to the most amazing feats of creativity, compassion and solidarity but at times it expresses itself as physical, economic, racial, sexual, ecological, religious or psychological violence, from which we will have to emerge to reach our true human potential. We are also able to feel guilt for our own violence well beyond its value as a signal of the damage that we have inflicted on others. From there violence produces its self-destructive capacity - chaining and killing the spirit before it can fly toward the meaning it glimpses., </div><div class="MsoNormal"> </div><div class="MsoNormal">In order to emerge from pre-history into truly human history the human being of the future will experience physical revulsion in front of violence. Will we see then violence as a vestigial organ, like the appendix? However, where the appendix atrophied as a consequence of changes in diet, humans have the possibility of atrophying violence intentionally. When we manage to bypass hatred and resentment, it will be possible to look at others with compassion, and react to conflict and offense without seeking vengeance or one-upmanship. What is needed is an answer that leaves both ‘victim’ and ‘perpetrator’ in a state of freedom. This would include an injunction that prevents future offences or acts of violence –something which retributive justice has not been able to achieve in its long history since the Hammurabi Code in 1760 BCE. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> </div><div class="MsoNormal">Hatred is not the only (or the worst) enemy of compassion. Fear is also a great enemy of compassion. It is very difficult to feel compassion for those we see as a threat, either to our physical security or to our psychological well-being, our social position, our family or friends and our way of thinking or lifestyle. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Fear is an obsessed and mistaken guide that justifies itself and therefore rationalises and elevates its options to the range of objective reality. But fear is a point of view, which is subjective and intentional in a state of mind that registers (the possibility of) oppression. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">In the Neo-liberal dogma, competition and individualism are seen as the ideal forms of interpersonal, inter-business and even inter-NHS hospitals relationships. What are they but fear? What do they produce but paranoia in the workplace, at home, in the neighbourhood, and in international relations? What else could we expect today in the relations between cultures and ethnic groups but lack of trust, fear, discrimination, power struggles, and violence? </div><div class="MsoNormal"> </div><div class="MsoNormal">We have several tools to work on the theme of compassion, the theme of how to put oneself in other people’s shoes, of empathy and of tolerance. Tolerance is better than discrimination but it implies a distance with other points of view. It means “I do not of agree with them but I respect their subjectivity". It is a way of maintaining our own consciousness isolated and cut off, but with a polite and civilised smile towards our neighbours, without inviting them to our house. It is different from embracing diversity. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">There are ways of training our empathy. We can remember moments when we treated other people badly and then remember moments when we treated others very well. I imagine myself in the others’ place in those situations and I see how I would feel if somebody treated me the way I did others. This is not theory, it is practice. Doing it at least once a day is very revealing. The interesting thing is that in general empathy is taught mainly about some form of ill-treatment: “how would you feel if someone did that to you?” But it also works for positive actions, and realising that others feel great about them, even if they are too shy to say “thank you”, is very nice. It makes us want to do more of it.</div><div class="MsoNormal"> </div><div class="MsoNormal">There are more advanced exercises. Getting to know others, delving into their personal experiences, also let us feel what others feel. But, why is it important to go beyond simple tolerance? Let us go to the old story about subjectivity shared by Hindu, Jain, Buddhist, Sufi and other traditions: </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Four (or six) blind men (women not included) are asked to describe an elephant. The one that touches the side of the elephant describes it as a wall, the one that touches the leg says that it is like a column, the one that touches the trunk says that it is like a snake and the one that touches the tail says that it is like a piece of rope.</i> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">If they decide to act in competition and individualism they will fight to demonstrate that each one of theirs is the true description of the elephant. If they opt for tolerance they will live perhaps in peace, but also believing that their perception is the one that comes closest to reality. If they decide to cooperate, to exchange notes and descriptions they will arrive to something that approaches the image of the elephant but extremely coarse since many more descriptions would be needed to get closer to the true form. Perhaps they would also think of calling somebody else, a sighted person, to speak of the colours. In any event approaching reality would be a process of progressive cooperation in time and the enrichment of their points of view with those of the others. Here we see that embracing diversity is not really a social or political nicety but a life-changing choice, absolutely essential if we want to enlarge our comprehension. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> </div><div class="MsoNormal">This puts us in front of the following question: is the point of view of people who have done a lot of harm to humanity also to be included in this attempt at a multi-focal vision? Perhaps. How would we know otherwise of the negative effects of fear, lack of self-esteem and resentment if we didn't try to understand their consequences in action? </div><div class="MsoNormal"> </div><div class="MsoNormal">Another analogy about the need of all the points of view was proposed by Arthur Koestler based on the principles of holography. In the holographic screen each point contains part of the image but somehow undefined and slightly different from the point next to it. When all the points are projected at the same time the characteristic clear three-dimensional image appears. This is nother example of combining all the human points of view to conform something that comes closer to reality. Reality escapes our daily vision, as Emmanuel Kant had already emphasised in Transcendental Idealism and Husserl in Phenomenology. But it is in Universalist Humanism where we find the possibility of emerging from individualism to arrive to the Universal Human Nation, from "tolerance" to a convergent diversity. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> </div><div class="MsoNormal">At this time of serious economic crisis, difficult intercultural relationships, wild competition for food and energy resources, suicidal militarisation of land, sea and outer space, proposals for “external” change, re-organisation and revolution will multiply. However they will probably fail, unless they are accompanied by an active search for internal changes that eradicate violence from the bottom of our consciousness, the one we drunk uncritically from the system, education and TV during our formative years. Denying that we are not only victims but also agents of the violence of the present dehumanising system may leave us guilt-free, but it will not help end the violence.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Deeper still, we have seen that the experience that takes us out of self-absorption, of daily pettiness, of vengeful competition, is the experience that humanity's sages have left for us with the consensus that it cannot described with words. No religion, no philosophy, no spiritual or quietly passionate search is alien to this experience, whichever form takes the formless. However we need to create the conditions with words, with images, with technology, anyway we can, so that such experience that inspires and connects us with humanity as a whole and beyond can be put at the service of humanity as a whole. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> </div><div class="MsoNormal">The drive for the convergence we seek is not an idea, an ideology, a narrative and it cannot be made compulsory by law. It is an experience that unexpectedly or in humble search transforms us. It is a poem that brings us near another reality. It is a conversation with a friend in which we realise that something has changed in me and in the other. It is a moment of communication with nature in which something softens up inside and expands like when we fall in love. It is to recognise in a stranger, or in a teacher, or in a relative the great coherence and clarity of purpose that inspires and motivates us. These are transforming experiences that connect us with others in mutual recognition. From where do they transform us? Something in them resonates in the depth of our consciousness inhabited by a very quiet and subtle space, very silent and soft which does not respond to definitions but has a special tone, for some, between sacred and reverential, for others simply a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">hello, what’s this, so alien to my everyday world</i>!?</div><div class="MsoNormal"> </div><div class="MsoNormal">This experience of the Profound can only be sensed when we silence the great noise of the realm of the secondary allegorised by "trying to straighten the wall pictures during an earthquake", or, "rearranging the deckchairs in the sinking Titanic." It also helps us in the path towards nonviolence simply because once I recognise the potential for this experience in the depths of another person’s consciousness, I connect with the other as a part of myself. “You go deeper into yourself and I go deeper into myself, and there we shall meet!” <span class="MsoFootnoteReference">(</span>Silo).</div><div class="MsoNormal"> </div><div class="MsoNormal">Wars, poverty, injustice, the fierce concentration of resources, environmental disaster, nuclear accidents or terrorism and discrimination: nothing of this will end just with an idea, a leader, or even with an organisation. It is necessary a historical moment of great inspiration that puts us in touch with the Profound (or whatever you choose to call it) in the depths of each human being's consciousness. There is no need to pick an option between the multiple and the common. We are already equipped for this convergence of diversity, if only we cared to set it in motion.</div><div class="MsoNormal"> </div>Eirenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06869652988003360381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705041708570589792.post-4731334920104397432011-10-19T04:23:00.000-07:002011-10-19T04:23:45.989-07:00Occupy the London Stock Exchange<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhigM4AaVXvbjgMxh5Perqz2brG_MFUWebXVVoaO_wAUn1Jpqj0IXAr-GSDoGovjDAIuEsliUjd9_r4DnjfUCV53vzoZ2nUGcLF4G89LPw0xBPOYzZW-OOH74lQ9SOnXLJTqpcRwzA0Ypwq/s1600/DSCF2638.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhigM4AaVXvbjgMxh5Perqz2brG_MFUWebXVVoaO_wAUn1Jpqj0IXAr-GSDoGovjDAIuEsliUjd9_r4DnjfUCV53vzoZ2nUGcLF4G89LPw0xBPOYzZW-OOH74lQ9SOnXLJTqpcRwzA0Ypwq/s640/DSCF2638.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6a2rCiCIwm14FMNEN_GsCPfaEFVUjo44oHb5yjpt-rmcdZBjE-QHbJnPhxPbIgSkzkWy4L1NYu_cIHGZwxzu0HG5iFhIxf0x8uLcGezHBwp0lAOsp4ANGR5OEeuxk09_PzT39b_EGanf5/s1600/DSCF2641.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6a2rCiCIwm14FMNEN_GsCPfaEFVUjo44oHb5yjpt-rmcdZBjE-QHbJnPhxPbIgSkzkWy4L1NYu_cIHGZwxzu0HG5iFhIxf0x8uLcGezHBwp0lAOsp4ANGR5OEeuxk09_PzT39b_EGanf5/s640/DSCF2641.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOKXvy2Q-iyPIcQZNNb0ittaXcJ5w7Lj5GuS-oZn2mPbee0kdcwvxogCzzbTKVOuH4PtBaGEMIKZRxFZ-JNwOJYnrcNt1wEcZgMBIjlMAxDSpKaYMEWAg_tpBNT3E07KnLKgW7V-PeKlZy/s1600/DSCF2567.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOKXvy2Q-iyPIcQZNNb0ittaXcJ5w7Lj5GuS-oZn2mPbee0kdcwvxogCzzbTKVOuH4PtBaGEMIKZRxFZ-JNwOJYnrcNt1wEcZgMBIjlMAxDSpKaYMEWAg_tpBNT3E07KnLKgW7V-PeKlZy/s640/DSCF2567.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdZJdPEbOe5yRlL_gZ6cYaa_RQkkZ0iH2d5O4wh-X4xTg0Pv5mOrx9aavlajPAcRWiyRzB9Bw5k3M8HXZ78JxXM6BqXgnaw6TX3lcyghy7lGVkZg9hKPx6vlKWNeW_MdqP6giPIjY2S8sG/s1600/DSCF2574.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdZJdPEbOe5yRlL_gZ6cYaa_RQkkZ0iH2d5O4wh-X4xTg0Pv5mOrx9aavlajPAcRWiyRzB9Bw5k3M8HXZ78JxXM6BqXgnaw6TX3lcyghy7lGVkZg9hKPx6vlKWNeW_MdqP6giPIjY2S8sG/s640/DSCF2574.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Demands to end the violent, unfair and dehumanising system that has taken humanity to the brink of disaster are being heard in 950 cities. In London St Paul's cathedral's yard is being set up as a tent city with its own restaurant, media office, first aid point, info tent, open university, recycling centre and more services appearing every day. Small groups discussions and general assemblies allow everybody to have a say. "This is what real democracy looks like" is the slogan, and it works. In the heart of London's financial district, hardly 100 yards from the London Stock Exchange, a dialogue is taking place between demonstrators and City workers, an exercise in nonviolence we are all learning from.Eirenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06869652988003360381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705041708570589792.post-611998509565827302011-10-11T07:46:00.000-07:002011-10-11T07:46:37.390-07:00London is getting ready to #Occupy the Stock Exchange on Oct15<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYt636dMjT5PojyVxKIBwVa0AUPVzHTOwsXZCgdx0KFEGbkE4TVSEebu5U6JtyLd2EeIZIabpcyfJUO_GBpzSn12XeaUPssPTzNE4rETu9rUC8RdHZcW-pvYzQ4OBt3QqWHbftOedY2LkJ/s1600/amateurs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYt636dMjT5PojyVxKIBwVa0AUPVzHTOwsXZCgdx0KFEGbkE4TVSEebu5U6JtyLd2EeIZIabpcyfJUO_GBpzSn12XeaUPssPTzNE4rETu9rUC8RdHZcW-pvYzQ4OBt3QqWHbftOedY2LkJ/s400/amateurs.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIA16_R6MF_MPkSbk0cjjlh_GpJPzM_sBI3R0t5zMMNDtLZp4AmWJHSofakaFRoAF9uMSGcq5Dkm4n1X1YB4jtXMV6P-C9TQfH3N2xhC3HSdb6AAoseTZeU5flNxId0UiyR_tgNDjTh_J2/s1600/condom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIA16_R6MF_MPkSbk0cjjlh_GpJPzM_sBI3R0t5zMMNDtLZp4AmWJHSofakaFRoAF9uMSGcq5Dkm4n1X1YB4jtXMV6P-C9TQfH3N2xhC3HSdb6AAoseTZeU5flNxId0UiyR_tgNDjTh_J2/s400/condom.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDVGbsnJaj4E0M-pxf4sf8M-Bf3EK6ykgF501Xp3FvblE2Tp-zPI0NTI7WCxV8A9CDrhZ7zdKh33LIdHgtcm7SVeAsrl1lOucPICDukhRauIeaTbddmASbrtunJvoQT5ScSg9zBkQVqYA_/s1600/lennon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDVGbsnJaj4E0M-pxf4sf8M-Bf3EK6ykgF501Xp3FvblE2Tp-zPI0NTI7WCxV8A9CDrhZ7zdKh33LIdHgtcm7SVeAsrl1lOucPICDukhRauIeaTbddmASbrtunJvoQT5ScSg9zBkQVqYA_/s400/lennon.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoWDmvcgNwiGzOKb-wxUXGLQwmxCMcLr7_USWvuxF5M3hn9YlirA0uDn_M6D7zxQKpO5ENrMpIToJyHrCn6Vwu7AQ-0NPB56CG5cq1Vu9HnxzGSA0bHS9NEbRLb6TjDxcdn3JK08DTVf4N/s1600/sheep.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoWDmvcgNwiGzOKb-wxUXGLQwmxCMcLr7_USWvuxF5M3hn9YlirA0uDn_M6D7zxQKpO5ENrMpIToJyHrCn6Vwu7AQ-0NPB56CG5cq1Vu9HnxzGSA0bHS9NEbRLb6TjDxcdn3JK08DTVf4N/s400/sheep.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPTb95jcrHvUSIvv8PuKocnIUhlxcrDtfHefZ5ynOhXPk343QRXx6YP3IEIAaDCdk9SoXkU-Fn56gVUX6nEFraWNLvuLQVGgj3h_tvE2lRU-2NvuL0dmsMpPDyZcUAN9oMEoigRhMdVEBg/s1600/right%2526left.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPTb95jcrHvUSIvv8PuKocnIUhlxcrDtfHefZ5ynOhXPk343QRXx6YP3IEIAaDCdk9SoXkU-Fn56gVUX6nEFraWNLvuLQVGgj3h_tvE2lRU-2NvuL0dmsMpPDyZcUAN9oMEoigRhMdVEBg/s400/right%2526left.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaFaF442gj1KJWC6i6vRX7orNmlwlC3oy3q78LqC72ifpHBhgss4DDnXi5bKlNstK4KKzdzy1Q_AMTDmEzb6pukLAzJpwpuxG-jq0ZSqV3qNtosRbyUda6Xmhl5mJsaH7rykIO2xy4IXQP/s1600/jump.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaFaF442gj1KJWC6i6vRX7orNmlwlC3oy3q78LqC72ifpHBhgss4DDnXi5bKlNstK4KKzdzy1Q_AMTDmEzb6pukLAzJpwpuxG-jq0ZSqV3qNtosRbyUda6Xmhl5mJsaH7rykIO2xy4IXQP/s400/jump.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTXpltCFNR3Lh0vVpt8YZsiAYMyS2IZH90nUnndL6y65lEJs67J2wASu78sxDHci7x01-J9-PQyCzbv7_EnWXozP2NzAwaVLUNYbJGK3mdvU7a-JasoEEm-yUfjDtF522WGIKcgciwUGkj/s1600/bankgivemethecah.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTXpltCFNR3Lh0vVpt8YZsiAYMyS2IZH90nUnndL6y65lEJs67J2wASu78sxDHci7x01-J9-PQyCzbv7_EnWXozP2NzAwaVLUNYbJGK3mdvU7a-JasoEEm-yUfjDtF522WGIKcgciwUGkj/s400/bankgivemethecah.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>A small selection of the best cartoon circulating to prepare the mood.Eirenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06869652988003360381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705041708570589792.post-44192284205913569192011-10-07T08:02:00.000-07:002011-10-07T08:12:06.461-07:00ANVT 12 - Organisation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB0-GUVc5WicRijzXC34bdFMXO3wlNR0kgEEKh1bn4B34Fb4YqWkupvltfFxv049ccnzyVzJGPnbmNzP81DCS5Vf5grGPaSCMUlMDrZbzF30zjM_voIwm-H6R4rw-bKjds-jeL-msdAeFV/s1600/Blog3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB0-GUVc5WicRijzXC34bdFMXO3wlNR0kgEEKh1bn4B34Fb4YqWkupvltfFxv049ccnzyVzJGPnbmNzP81DCS5Vf5grGPaSCMUlMDrZbzF30zjM_voIwm-H6R4rw-bKjds-jeL-msdAeFV/s400/Blog3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieVR2CUQIRRkAyFWJkot46cF-eHjVpP1jhQxCRXwjy5xDpHVWjdBm46HJpjkSypqKddjdBHM96zZTXbr24U9-z511LsHjDm6USSx1YRkRsDez6GvbJUx6aAxHZ6yFX5twzI12qe2jmoIJO/s1600/EstatualibertadoyPolicia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span id="goog_391572270"></span><span id="goog_391572271"></span> </a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">We live in a system that creates pain and suffering in millions of people who feel isolated because competition and individualism are promoted as the desirable models of personal interaction. This is presented as "freedom" but the register in people is of growing oppression. The system promotes divisions (“divide and conquer”) to prevent a change in its direction. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKtn7Z6o9Q75ET_WzdR7QRsmsHFigMKTm1ptePHh4-HSImmXzHdL0WYWgDbL7Q_DHax0s3mu6-miKfqpwAIgFfjNs8rDYUSIlsNlSylB1mLLlLin-gn-S-soGty1wauULUoZtoaFTD9MWl/s1600/AlPajaroEng.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKtn7Z6o9Q75ET_WzdR7QRsmsHFigMKTm1ptePHh4-HSImmXzHdL0WYWgDbL7Q_DHax0s3mu6-miKfqpwAIgFfjNs8rDYUSIlsNlSylB1mLLlLin-gn-S-soGty1wauULUoZtoaFTD9MWl/s640/AlPajaroEng.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"></span></div><a name='more'></a>Only people who manage to work in cooperation, in networks that nevertheless maintain a sense of individuality and personal growth can develop alternatives that will change the direction of the system and their own lives. Since violence is the sign and methodology of this system we need to show that the methodology of non-violence can lead to radical transformations in ourselves and our environment.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Given the dangerously irresponsible and irrational behaviour that is observed in some of today’s world leaders, it is important to create a movement of people who become leaders themselves rather than masses following the most charismatic, the richest or the maddest leader of the time. This is the point of Active NonViolence Training</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Based on your personal experiences.<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> <br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> </span></div><table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none; mso-border-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; mso-border-insideh: .5pt solid #99CCFF; mso-border-insidev: .5pt solid #99CCFF; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;"><tbody>
<tr style="height: 53.4pt; mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;"> <td style="border: solid #99CCFF 1.0pt; height: 53.4pt; mso-border-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 246.35pt;" valign="top" width="328"><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">What are the characteristics of organisations that make me feel dehumanised:</span></b></div></td> <td style="border-left: none; border: solid #99CCFF 1.0pt; height: 53.4pt; mso-border-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 246.35pt;" valign="top" width="328"><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div></td> </tr>
<tr style="height: 45.15pt; mso-yfti-irow: 1; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;"> <td style="border-top: none; border: solid #99CCFF 1.0pt; height: 45.15pt; mso-border-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 246.35pt;" valign="top" width="328"><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">What are the characteristics of organisations that help me grow and develop:</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div></td> <td style="border-bottom: solid #99CCFF 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid #99CCFF 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 45.15pt; mso-border-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 246.35pt;" valign="top" width="328"><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div></td> </tr>
</tbody></table>Eirenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06869652988003360381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705041708570589792.post-16532090398815474782011-09-30T04:22:00.000-07:002011-09-30T04:26:02.767-07:00ANVT 11: Virtues<div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">This Workshop can be carried out by any group and it not only improves self-esteem but also interpersonal relationships at work, study, home, political activism or any other environment. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">It is common for human relationships to be based on criticism, since the prevailing system is based on competition. It is not only common but even expected that people will put each other down in order not to be left behind. In this way we all fear what others think of us and our positive qualities go unrecognised. This contributes to the sense of dehumanisation and isolation created by our environment. It lowers our self-esteem, and we have already seen how important this is to improve our activities. If there is no trust between people, working together or living together in communities becomes a rather unpleasant experience.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">In this exercise we will learn to focus on our and other people’s positive characteristics in order to improve our communication and sense of solidarity towards others.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=705041708570589792&postID=1653209039881547478" name="_Toc53207708"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Exercise – One’s virtues</span></b></a><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 18.0pt; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">1.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Each participant writes down a list of their own best qualities </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 18.0pt; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">2.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Write down the list of the positive qualities that the other members of the group tell you about, (the group takes each participant one by one and gives them a number of virtues they see in each person, never criticism)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 18.0pt; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">3.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">or, if people do not know one another, write down what family and friends have told you are your positive qualities whether you believe them or not.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 18.0pt; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">4.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Each person compares the list they wrote about themselves with the qualities that others see in them and makes comments to the group. Try to remember how you feel when you are treated by others on the basis of criticism or on the basis of your virtues and compare registers.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 18.0pt; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">5.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Write down a list of people you know in the table, according to the headings and list their virtues. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 18.0pt; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">6.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Write down a couple of projects you are interested in focusing on your virtues. Choose which of your virtues you can support yourself with to develop these projects. (Break into groups to interchange).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 18.0pt; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">7.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Plan for the week to pay attention to and acknowledge the positive qualities of those you meet in your daily activities and family, friends, etc.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18pt; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"></span></div><a name='more'></a><br />
<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none; mso-border-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; mso-border-insideh: .5pt solid #99CCFF; mso-border-insidev: .5pt solid #99CCFF; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;"><tbody>
<tr style="mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;"> <td style="border: solid #99CCFF 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 140.4pt;" valign="top" width="187"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;"><br clear="all" style="mso-special-character: line-break; page-break-before: always;" /> </span> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div></td> <td style="border-left: none; border: solid #99CCFF 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 352.3pt;" valign="top" width="470"><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">List of virtues in people around me</span></b></div></td> </tr>
<tr style="height: 33.55pt; mso-yfti-irow: 1;"> <td style="border-top: none; border: solid #99CCFF 1.0pt; height: 33.55pt; mso-border-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 140.4pt;" valign="top" width="187"><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Family. (each member)</span></b></div></td> <td style="border-bottom: solid #99CCFF 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid #99CCFF 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 33.55pt; mso-border-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 352.3pt;" valign="top" width="470"><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div></td> </tr>
<tr style="height: 28.25pt; mso-yfti-irow: 2;"> <td style="border-top: none; border: solid #99CCFF 1.0pt; height: 28.25pt; mso-border-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 140.4pt;" valign="top" width="187"><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Work/Study. (each)</span></b></div></td> <td style="border-bottom: solid #99CCFF 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid #99CCFF 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 28.25pt; mso-border-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 352.3pt;" valign="top" width="470"><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div></td> </tr>
<tr style="height: 31.9pt; mso-yfti-irow: 3;"> <td style="border-top: none; border: solid #99CCFF 1.0pt; height: 31.9pt; mso-border-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 140.4pt;" valign="top" width="187"><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Friends. (each)</span></b></div></td> <td style="border-bottom: solid #99CCFF 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid #99CCFF 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 31.9pt; mso-border-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 352.3pt;" valign="top" width="470"><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div></td> </tr>
<tr style="height: 35.4pt; mso-yfti-irow: 4; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;"> <td style="border-top: none; border: solid #99CCFF 1.0pt; height: 35.4pt; mso-border-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 140.4pt;" valign="top" width="187"><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Partner/others</span></b></div></td> <td style="border-bottom: solid #99CCFF 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid #99CCFF 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 35.4pt; mso-border-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 352.3pt;" valign="top" width="470"><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div></td> </tr>
</tbody></table>Eirenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06869652988003360381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705041708570589792.post-33882104731216430012011-09-27T05:54:00.000-07:002011-09-27T05:54:23.800-07:00United for Global Change UK #15octOn <span style="background-color: yellow;">October 15th</span> people from all over the world will take to the streets
and squares. From America to Asia, from Africa to Europe, people are
rising up to claim their rights and demand a true democracy. Now it is
time for all of us to join in a <span style="background-color: yellow;">global non violent protest</span>. The ruling
powers work for the benefit of just a few, ignoring the will of the
vast majority and the human and environmental price we all have to pay.
This intolerable situation must end. United in one voice, we will let
politicians, and the financial elites they serve, know it is up to us,
the people, to decide our future. We are not goods in the hands of
politicians and bankers who do not represent us. <span style="background-color: yellow;">On October 15th, we
will meet on the streets to initiate the global change we want</span>. We will
peacefully demonstrate, talk and organize until we make it happen. It’s
time for us to unite. It’s time for them to listen. <span style="background-color: yellow;">Real Democracy Now!</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhtWT7nFREpOI2M8fbO8cpb8V37p0nzlyZEZCixamXQsiP4fRERwQhCPq2pRk6BYPAuEu2SOXKGCw9QvaUKCcDnx5lzo7Hr8Pc9bFVz_GPX_gIOndl07SJFe-pvaouBvJ4o__9WFPu0D9-/s1600/DSCF1916.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhtWT7nFREpOI2M8fbO8cpb8V37p0nzlyZEZCixamXQsiP4fRERwQhCPq2pRk6BYPAuEu2SOXKGCw9QvaUKCcDnx5lzo7Hr8Pc9bFVz_GPX_gIOndl07SJFe-pvaouBvJ4o__9WFPu0D9-/s640/DSCF1916.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
https://www.facebook.com/pages/United-for-Global-Change-UK-15oct/117840458320975?sk=wallEirenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06869652988003360381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705041708570589792.post-60851931238006885352011-09-08T14:26:00.000-07:002011-09-08T14:26:39.723-07:00ANVT 10 - Discrimination<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">This work is designed as a seminar to be carried out by a group of people. However its elements can be applied informally during any kind of conversation in which we can all become more aware of issues related to discrimination. Two of the exercises appeared in earlier postings but their inclusion here is due to their direct relevance to the issue at hand.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><b>Introduction</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Jane Elliot, a teacher in the
USA, the day after Martin Luther King’s assassination decided to continue his
work by creating an experience of discrimination in her class. She started by
telling children with brown eyes that they were better than the children with
blue eyes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The blue-eyed were excluded
from games and eating together with the brown-eyed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the second day she reversed the roles and
sure enough it was the brown-eyed children who were excluded.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the third day she explained that there
were no differences and that she had done this as an experiment to give them an
experience of what it is like to be discriminated against.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Twenty years later the now
grown-up subjects were filmed stating how important that experience had been
for them, to learn about how not to discriminate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the most important conclusions was
that Jane proved that children performed at their worst on the day that they
were discriminated against, dispelling in this way the myths created by
so-called “scientific research” about differences in IQ in various ethnic
groups. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">- Consider the following riddle:</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">A man and his son are run
over in a car accident.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The father dies
at the scene and the son is rushed to hospital for life-saving surgery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The surgeon arrives at the operating theatre
and says “I cannot operate on this child, he is my son”.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">How can this be? (See i)<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=705041708570589792#_edn1" name="_ednref1" style="mso-endnote-id: edn1;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"></span></span></span></span></a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">- From whose book does this extract come?</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">“We put down briefly in
Khartoum, where we changed to an Ethiopian Airways flight to Addis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here I experienced a rather strange
sensation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I was boarding the plane I
saw that the pilot was black.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had
never seen a black pilot before, and the instant I did I had to quell my
panic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How could a black man fly a
plane?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But a moment later I caught
myself: I had fallen into the…. mind-set, thinking Africans were inferior and
that flying was a white man’s job.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I sat
back in my seat, and chided myself for such thoughts……” (See ii)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=705041708570589792#_edn2" name="_ednref2" style="mso-endnote-id: edn2;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"></span></span></span></span></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="" name="_Toc53207706"><b><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Exercise – Personal experience of discrimination</span></b></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="" name="_Toc53207706"><b><span style="font-size: 11pt;"></span></b></a></div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="" name="_Toc53207706"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"></span></b></a><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 18.0pt; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Write a list of
characteristics that you have which you sometimes feel are the source of
discrimination:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 18.0pt; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">With internal
honesty, write a list of characteristics that others have which you are
prejudiced against. (reading is optional!)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 18.0pt; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Write down a
short list of events in which you were either the victim or the agent in any
form of discrimination</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 18.0pt; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Group discussion,
interchange of experiences and words of advice from the group to each member based
on positive experiences of how others have managed to overcome situations of
discrimination.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 18.0pt; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Meditation on the
principle (From Humanise the Earth, by Silo):</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">“It does not matter in which faction
events have placed you what matters is for you to comprehend that you have not
chosen any faction”.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 18.0pt; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">6.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Plan for the week
with the aim of being more pro-active when realising that someone else is being
discriminated against.</span></div>
<div style="mso-element: endnote-list;">
</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
i. <a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=705041708570589792#_ednref1" name="_edn1" style="mso-endnote-id: edn1;" title=""><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoEndnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"></span></span></span></span></a>The surgeon is the mother </div>
<div>
ii. Nelson Mandela’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Long Walk to Freedom</i><div id="edn2" style="mso-element: endnote;">
</div>
</div>
Eirenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06869652988003360381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705041708570589792.post-33079729687375822002011-08-28T03:28:00.000-07:002011-08-28T03:28:22.286-07:00London prepares to resist the Arms Fair 2011<h2> <strong> "Arming repressive regimes. <br />
Boosting arms companies' profits. <br />
All the latest killing technology. <br />
It's an event you don't want to miss. </strong></h2>The arms fair DSEi (Defence & Security Equipment International) brings arms buyers and sellers from across the world to London. From 13-16 September, acres of weaponry, from fighter jets and battleships to drones and tear gas, will be on display to thousands of visitors in an immense arms dealing extravaganza. <br />
The arms fair takes place on our doorstep, and with <a href="http://www.caat.org.uk/issues/armsfairs/dsei/costs/index.php">our money,</a> so we need to be there to stop it. <strong>Join us on 13th September for a day of mass action against the arms fair." </strong><a href="http://www.caat.org.uk/campaigns/this-is-not-ok/take-action-dsei.php">See the CAAT website</a>Eirenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06869652988003360381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705041708570589792.post-32759131841111596412011-08-26T08:06:00.000-07:002011-08-26T08:06:50.932-07:00ANVT 9 - Valid Action<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
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<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Is it the same to do one thing or another? <span style="background-color: blue; color: white;">Are all actions the same?</span><span style="color: white;"> </span>Or if we ask in another way: Do all the actions we do have the same value? If this is not true, how can we know what action has more value, <span style="background-color: blue; color: white;">what is better and what is worse or what is “good” and what is “bad”?</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">In our experience, not everything is equal. There are neutral actions that make us neither better nor worse – they are more or less habitual or pleasant. There are others that harm us, which are contradictory. And finally, there are other actions which are very positive and which we call “valid actions”.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">In New Humanist thinking, the foundation of valid action is neither given by ideology, nor by religious commandments, beliefs or social legislation, even when these things may be very important. The basis of valid action is not given by any of these things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is given by the internal register<a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=705041708570589792#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"></span></span></span></span></a> of the action. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="background-color: blue; color: white;">And what is the register of a valid action? The register is one that we experience as unitive.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We feel good and in agreement with ourselves because we are <span style="background-color: blue; color: white;">thinking, feeling and acting in the same direction and we are treating others, as we would like to be treated.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">The register also gives us the sensation of internal growth: the sensation that something has improved in us when we acted that way.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">And it is also something that we want to repeat, something that we would do a thousand times over if we could. It extends into the future and gives us a project for the future in the sense that if we could repeat this action something would continue to grow and improve inside of us.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: lime;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">To summarise, valid action is characterised by:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: lime; margin-left: 18pt; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Thinking, feeling and acting in the same direction.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: lime; margin-left: 18pt; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Treating others, as we would like to be treated.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: lime; margin-left: 18pt; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">A desire to repeat the action.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: lime; margin-left: 18pt; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">A feeling of personal growth.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18pt; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"></span></div><a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><a href="" name="_Toc53207702"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Exercise 1 – Coherence</span></b></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">If my thoughts, my feelings, and my actions are in agreement, if they all go in the same direction, if my actions do not create contradiction with what I feel, then I can say that my life has coherence. But though I am true to myself, this does not necessarily mean I am being true to those in my immediate environment. I still need to achieve this same coherence in my relationships with others, treating them the way I would like to be treated. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Of course there can also be a destructive type of coherence, which can be seen in those who are racists or fanatics or in those who are violent or exploit others. It is clear, however, that their relationships with others are incoherent, because they treat others very differently from the way they desire to be treated themselves.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">When we experience differences between thinking, feeling and acting many different emotions arise some of which are described in the following table:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none; mso-border-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; mso-border-insideh: .5pt solid #99CCFF; mso-border-insidev: .5pt solid #99CCFF; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-table-layout-alt: fixed;"><tbody>
<tr style="height: 26.4pt; mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;"> <td style="border: solid #99CCFF 1.0pt; height: 26.4pt; mso-border-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 77.4pt;" valign="top" width="103"> <div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Thinking</span></b></div></td> <td style="border-left: none; border: solid #99CCFF 1.0pt; height: 26.4pt; mso-border-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 72.0pt;" valign="top" width="96"> <div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Feeling</span></b></div></td> <td style="border-left: none; border: solid #99CCFF 1.0pt; height: 26.4pt; mso-border-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 81.0pt;" valign="top" width="108"> <div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Acting</span></b></div></td> <td style="border-left: none; border: solid #99CCFF 1.0pt; height: 26.4pt; mso-border-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 108.0pt;" valign="top" width="144"> <div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Internal register</span></b></div></td> <td style="border-left: none; border: solid #99CCFF 1.0pt; height: 26.4pt; mso-border-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 153.0pt;" valign="top" width="204"> <div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Examples</span></b></div></td> </tr>
<tr style="height: 29.95pt; mso-yfti-irow: 1;"> <td style="border-top: none; border: solid #99CCFF 1.0pt; height: 29.95pt; mso-border-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 77.4pt;" valign="top" width="103"> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">True</span></div></td> <td style="border-bottom: solid #99CCFF 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid #99CCFF 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 29.95pt; mso-border-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 72.0pt;" valign="top" width="96"> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">False</span></div></td> <td style="border-bottom: solid #99CCFF 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid #99CCFF 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 29.95pt; mso-border-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 81.0pt;" valign="top" width="108"> <div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div></td> <td style="border-bottom: solid #99CCFF 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid #99CCFF 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 29.95pt; mso-border-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 108.0pt;" valign="top" width="144"> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Hypocrisy</span></div></td> <td style="border-color: -moz-use-text-color rgb(153, 204, 255) rgb(153, 204, 255) -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; height: 29.95pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 153pt;" valign="top" width="204"> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span>Employees realise their company pollutes the water but pretend not to see it in order not to lose their job, needed to feed their family.</span></span></div></td> </tr>
<tr style="height: 29.95pt;"> <td style="-moz-border-bottom-colors: none; -moz-border-image: none; -moz-border-left-colors: none; -moz-border-right-colors: none; -moz-border-top-colors: none; border-color: -moz-use-text-color rgb(153, 204, 255) rgb(153, 204, 255); border-right: 1pt solid rgb(153, 204, 255); border-style: none solid solid; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt; height: 29.95pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 77.4pt;" valign="top" width="103"> <div class="MsoNormal"><span>False</span></div></td> <td style="border-color: -moz-use-text-color rgb(153, 204, 255) rgb(153, 204, 255) -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; height: 29.95pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 72pt;" valign="top" width="96"> <div class="MsoNormal"><span>True</span></div></td> <td style="border-color: -moz-use-text-color rgb(153, 204, 255) rgb(153, 204, 255) -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; height: 29.95pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 81pt;" valign="top" width="108"> <div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div></td> <td style="border-color: -moz-use-text-color rgb(153, 204, 255) rgb(153, 204, 255) -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; height: 29.95pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 108pt;" valign="top" width="144"> <div class="MsoNormal"><span>Stupidity</span></div></td> <td style="border-color: -moz-use-text-color rgb(153, 204, 255) rgb(153, 204, 255) -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; height: 29.95pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 153pt;" valign="top" width="204"> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span>Liking a leader to the point of following him/her without applying a critical enough perspective to the proposed policies.</span></span></div></td> </tr>
<tr style="height: 29.95pt;"> <td style="-moz-border-bottom-colors: none; -moz-border-image: none; -moz-border-left-colors: none; -moz-border-right-colors: none; -moz-border-top-colors: none; border-color: -moz-use-text-color rgb(153, 204, 255) rgb(153, 204, 255); border-right: 1pt solid rgb(153, 204, 255); border-style: none solid solid; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt; height: 29.95pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 77.4pt;" valign="top" width="103"> <div class="MsoNormal"><span>False</span></div></td> <td style="border-color: -moz-use-text-color rgb(153, 204, 255) rgb(153, 204, 255) -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; height: 29.95pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 72pt;" valign="top" width="96"> <div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div></td> <td style="border-color: -moz-use-text-color rgb(153, 204, 255) rgb(153, 204, 255) -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; height: 29.95pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 81pt;" valign="top" width="108"> <div class="MsoNormal"><span>True</span></div></td> <td style="border-color: -moz-use-text-color rgb(153, 204, 255) rgb(153, 204, 255) -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; height: 29.95pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 108pt;" valign="top" width="144"> <div class="MsoNormal"><span>Regression of the action</span></div></td> <td style="border-color: -moz-use-text-color rgb(153, 204, 255) rgb(153, 204, 255) -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; height: 29.95pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 153pt;" valign="top" width="204"> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span>Doing the right thing for the wrong reason, e.g., participation in an NGO to meet famous people who promote it.</span></span></div></td> </tr>
<tr style="height: 29.95pt;"> <td style="-moz-border-bottom-colors: none; -moz-border-image: none; -moz-border-left-colors: none; -moz-border-right-colors: none; -moz-border-top-colors: none; border-color: -moz-use-text-color rgb(153, 204, 255) rgb(153, 204, 255); border-right: 1pt solid rgb(153, 204, 255); border-style: none solid solid; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt; height: 29.95pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 77.4pt;" valign="top" width="103"> <div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div></td> <td style="border-color: -moz-use-text-color rgb(153, 204, 255) rgb(153, 204, 255) -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; height: 29.95pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 72pt;" valign="top" width="96"> <div class="MsoNormal"><span>False</span></div></td> <td style="border-color: -moz-use-text-color rgb(153, 204, 255) rgb(153, 204, 255) -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; height: 29.95pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 81pt;" valign="top" width="108"> <div class="MsoNormal"><span>True</span></div></td> <td style="border-color: -moz-use-text-color rgb(153, 204, 255) rgb(153, 204, 255) -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; height: 29.95pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 108pt;" valign="top" width="144"> <div class="MsoNormal"><span>Humiliation</span></div></td> <td style="border-color: -moz-use-text-color rgb(153, 204, 255) rgb(153, 204, 255) -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; height: 29.95pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 153pt;" valign="top" width="204"> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span>Accepting charity from those who violate one’s rights or create poverty, disadvantage, inequality and dependency.</span></span></div></td> </tr>
<tr style="height: 30.9pt;"> <td style="-moz-border-bottom-colors: none; -moz-border-image: none; -moz-border-left-colors: none; -moz-border-right-colors: none; -moz-border-top-colors: none; border-color: -moz-use-text-color rgb(153, 204, 255) rgb(153, 204, 255); border-right: 1pt solid rgb(153, 204, 255); border-style: none solid solid; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt; height: 30.9pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 77.4pt;" valign="top" width="103"> <div class="MsoNormal"><span>True</span></div></td> <td style="border-color: -moz-use-text-color rgb(153, 204, 255) rgb(153, 204, 255) -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; height: 30.9pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 72pt;" valign="top" width="96"> <div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div></td> <td style="border-color: -moz-use-text-color rgb(153, 204, 255) rgb(153, 204, 255) -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; height: 30.9pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 81pt;" valign="top" width="108"> <div class="MsoNormal"><span>False</span></div></td> <td style="border-color: -moz-use-text-color rgb(153, 204, 255) rgb(153, 204, 255) -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; height: 30.9pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 108pt;" valign="top" width="144"> <div class="MsoNormal"><span>Emptiness</span></div></td> <td style="border-color: -moz-use-text-color rgb(153, 204, 255) rgb(153, 204, 255) -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; height: 30.9pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 153pt;" valign="top" width="204"> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span>Being aware of the need for profound transformations in an unjust and violent system but feeling too busy or tired to do anything.</span></span></div></td> </tr>
<tr style="height: 54.65pt;"> <td style="-moz-border-bottom-colors: none; -moz-border-image: none; -moz-border-left-colors: none; -moz-border-right-colors: none; -moz-border-top-colors: none; border-color: -moz-use-text-color rgb(153, 204, 255) rgb(153, 204, 255); border-right: 1pt solid rgb(153, 204, 255); border-style: none solid solid; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt; height: 54.65pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 77.4pt;" valign="top" width="103"> <div class="MsoNormal"><span>False</span></div></td> <td style="border-color: -moz-use-text-color rgb(153, 204, 255) rgb(153, 204, 255) -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; height: 54.65pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 72pt;" valign="top" width="96"> <div class="MsoNormal"><span>False</span></div></td> <td style="border-color: -moz-use-text-color rgb(153, 204, 255) rgb(153, 204, 255) -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; height: 54.65pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 81pt;" valign="top" width="108"> <div class="MsoNormal"><span>False</span></div></td> <td style="border-color: -moz-use-text-color rgb(153, 204, 255) rgb(153, 204, 255) -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; height: 54.65pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 108pt;" valign="top" width="144"> <div class="MsoNormal"><span>Vengeance, Envy, Disheartenment, Boredom, Nihilism</span></div></td> <td style="border-color: -moz-use-text-color rgb(153, 204, 255) rgb(153, 204, 255) -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; height: 54.65pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 153pt;" valign="top" width="204"> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span>Allowing negative mechanical tendencies like cynicism to dominate all aspect of one’s life and making others responsible for all our difficulties.</span></span></div></td> </tr>
<tr style="height: 40.25pt; mso-yfti-irow: 7; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;"> <td style="-moz-border-bottom-colors: none; -moz-border-image: none; -moz-border-left-colors: none; -moz-border-right-colors: none; -moz-border-top-colors: none; border-color: -moz-use-text-color rgb(153, 204, 255) rgb(153, 204, 255); border-right: 1pt solid rgb(153, 204, 255); border-style: none solid solid; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt; height: 40.25pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 77.4pt;" valign="top" width="103"> <div class="MsoNormal"><span>True</span></div></td> <td style="border-color: -moz-use-text-color rgb(153, 204, 255) rgb(153, 204, 255) -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; height: 40.25pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 72pt;" valign="top" width="96"> <div class="MsoNormal"><span>True</span></div></td> <td style="border-color: -moz-use-text-color rgb(153, 204, 255) rgb(153, 204, 255) -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; height: 40.25pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 81pt;" valign="top" width="108"> <div class="MsoNormal"><span>True</span></div></td> <td style="border-color: -moz-use-text-color rgb(153, 204, 255) rgb(153, 204, 255) -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; height: 40.25pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 108pt;" valign="top" width="144"> <div class="MsoNormal"><span>Coherence and a sense of Meaning </span></div></td> <td style="border-color: -moz-use-text-color rgb(153, 204, 255) rgb(153, 204, 255) -moz-use-text-color; border-style: none solid solid none; border-width: medium 1pt 1pt medium; height: 40.25pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt; width: 153pt;" valign="top" width="204"> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span>Making intentional positive choices that can open the future in any situations we happen to find ourselves in, always trying to find the most positive aspects in others.</span></span></div></td> </tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Use the table below to chart the level of coherence/contradiction present in various aspects of your life. (This should not be taken as self-criticism but in order to pay attention to aspects of one’s life where change is needed).</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none; mso-border-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; mso-border-insideh: .5pt solid #99CCFF; mso-border-insidev: .5pt solid #99CCFF; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-table-layout-alt: fixed;"><tbody>
<tr style="mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;"> <td style="border: solid #99CCFF 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 77.4pt;" valign="top" width="103"> <div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div></td> <td style="border-left: none; border: solid #99CCFF 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 141.0pt;" valign="top" width="188"> <div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">What I think</span></b></div></td> <td style="border-left: none; border: solid #99CCFF 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 141.0pt;" valign="top" width="188"> <div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">What I feel</span></b></div></td> <td style="border-left: none; border: solid #99CCFF 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 141.0pt;" valign="top" width="188"> <div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">What I do</span></b></div></td> </tr>
<tr style="height: 44.8pt; mso-yfti-irow: 1;"> <td style="border-top: none; border: solid #99CCFF 1.0pt; height: 44.8pt; mso-border-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 77.4pt;" valign="top" width="103"> <div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Home</span></b></div></td> <td style="border-bottom: solid #99CCFF 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid #99CCFF 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 44.8pt; mso-border-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 141.0pt;" valign="top" width="188"> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"></span></div></td> <td style="border-bottom: solid #99CCFF 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid #99CCFF 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 44.8pt; mso-border-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 141.0pt;" valign="top" width="188"> <div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div></td> <td style="border-bottom: solid #99CCFF 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid #99CCFF 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 44.8pt; mso-border-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 141.0pt;" valign="top" width="188"> <div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div></td> </tr>
<tr style="height: 44.3pt; mso-yfti-irow: 2;"> <td style="border-top: none; border: solid #99CCFF 1.0pt; height: 44.3pt; mso-border-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 77.4pt;" valign="top" width="103"> <div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Partner</span></b></div></td> <td style="border-bottom: solid #99CCFF 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid #99CCFF 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 44.3pt; mso-border-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 141.0pt;" valign="top" width="188"> <div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div></td> <td style="border-bottom: solid #99CCFF 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid #99CCFF 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 44.3pt; mso-border-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 141.0pt;" valign="top" width="188"> <div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div></td> <td style="border-bottom: solid #99CCFF 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid #99CCFF 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 44.3pt; mso-border-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 141.0pt;" valign="top" width="188"> <div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div></td> </tr>
<tr style="height: 44.55pt; mso-yfti-irow: 3;"> <td style="border-top: none; border: solid #99CCFF 1.0pt; height: 44.55pt; mso-border-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 77.4pt;" valign="top" width="103"> <div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Work/<br />
Study</span></b></div></td> <td style="border-bottom: solid #99CCFF 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid #99CCFF 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 44.55pt; mso-border-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 141.0pt;" valign="top" width="188"> <div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div></td> <td style="border-bottom: solid #99CCFF 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid #99CCFF 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 44.55pt; mso-border-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 141.0pt;" valign="top" width="188"> <div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div></td> <td style="border-bottom: solid #99CCFF 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid #99CCFF 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 44.55pt; mso-border-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 141.0pt;" valign="top" width="188"> <div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div></td> </tr>
<tr style="height: 41.2pt; mso-yfti-irow: 4;"> <td style="border-top: none; border: solid #99CCFF 1.0pt; height: 41.2pt; mso-border-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 77.4pt;" valign="top" width="103"> <div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Friends</span></b></div></td> <td style="border-bottom: solid #99CCFF 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid #99CCFF 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 41.2pt; mso-border-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 141.0pt;" valign="top" width="188"> <div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div></td> <td style="border-bottom: solid #99CCFF 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid #99CCFF 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 41.2pt; mso-border-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 141.0pt;" valign="top" width="188"> <div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div></td> <td style="border-bottom: solid #99CCFF 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid #99CCFF 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 41.2pt; mso-border-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 141.0pt;" valign="top" width="188"> <div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div></td> </tr>
<tr style="height: 44.25pt; mso-yfti-irow: 5; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;"> <td style="border-top: none; border: solid #99CCFF 1.0pt; height: 44.25pt; mso-border-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 77.4pt;" valign="top" width="103"> <div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Society</span></b></div></td> <td style="border-bottom: solid #99CCFF 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid #99CCFF 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 44.25pt; mso-border-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 141.0pt;" valign="top" width="188"> <div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div></td> <td style="border-bottom: solid #99CCFF 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid #99CCFF 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 44.25pt; mso-border-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 141.0pt;" valign="top" width="188"> <div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div></td> <td style="border-bottom: solid #99CCFF 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid #99CCFF 1.0pt; border-top: none; height: 44.25pt; mso-border-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid #99CCFF .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 141.0pt;" valign="top" width="188"> <div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div></td> </tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark: _Toc53207703;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Exercise 2 – Solidarity</span></b></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">The universal principle to “treat others the way you would like to be treated” appears today to be totally ignored as competition and individualism promotes social fragmentation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This principle exists in all cultures and religions in their most humanist moments and it has been known as “The Golden Rule”.</span></div><div style="mso-element: footnote-list;"></div><div><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-small;">On XIV century BCE Akhenaton was already pointing out that “If thou be industrious to procure wealth, be generous in the disposal of it. Man never is so happy as when he giveth happiness unto another.” This was followed by Confucius: "Never impose on others what you would not choose for yourself", a number of Greek philosophers including Socrates, Plato and Pythagoras’ disciples, Buddha: “Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful”, Judaism: “You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against your kinsfolk. Love your neighbour as yourself” and Christianity: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you". Similar precepts appear in the Bahá'í Faith, Hinduism, Jainism, Islam, Quakerism and the Native Americans’ tradition: "Before you judge a man, you must walk a mile in his shoes." Silo introduces a further reinforcement to the Golden Rule in his “when you treat others as you would have them treat you, you liberate yourself”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
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</style> <![endif]--> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">- List moments when you treated other people in a negative way</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">- List moments when you treated other people in a positive way</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">- Imagine yourself at the receiving end of both positive and negative actions described above</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">- Compare registers</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">(Note that it is very common to teach children not to do to others what they would not like done to them, but it is not so common to teach the positive, i.e. to realise how much they like to be treated well and to do this to others)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><a href="" name="_Toc53207704"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Exercise 3 – Valid action</span></a></b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">- Make a short list of actions you regret.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">- Make a short list of actions that fulfilled the 4 qualities of valid action.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">- Compare register</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
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</style> <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026"/> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:shapelayout v:ext="edit"> <o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1"/> </o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">- Group Discussion</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">- Plan for the week: intentionally plan actions towards others that contain these points and observe your registers. Make notes about social contradictions and their effect on you and people around you.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" /><div id="ftn1" style="mso-element: footnote;"> <div class="MsoFootnoteText"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=705041708570589792#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"></span></span></span></span></a></div></div></div>Eirenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06869652988003360381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705041708570589792.post-75829397987967891222011-08-23T04:17:00.000-07:002011-08-23T04:54:16.148-07:00ANVT 8: The Experience of Peace<div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 11pt;"></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: 11pt;">"Carry peace in yourself and carry it to others" </span></b><span style="font-size: 11pt;">were<b> </b>the closing words of the first public address by Mario Rodriguez Cobos, aka Silo<b> </b>on May 4th 1969. But how can we find peace in a world that is so full of violence? As Eirene writes this posting the blame game rages after the London riots, the world economy titters on the verge of another Banks and speculation induced recession, Nato has succeeded in producing regime change in Libya and London is preparing for one of the largest Arms Fairs in the world. Enough to disquiet anybody; but if we really want to bring about non-violent change we need to plan our actions without internal violence. This is what ANVT (Active Nonviolence Training) is all about. Here is an exercise to help us on this road, and to start to get in touch with the little spark that dwells deep inside every human being’s consciousness. When we recognise it in ourselves, we recognise it in others and humanity becomes one, a wonderfully diverse and multicoloured one.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsyp2rBqcPni6cLKAEv940IpeIZh8pQ5GTjPGpoMyJKQXLqduYsM8uWBcnKdH7_8vt3M_SpNVNiRybOFDfc9DxBG4_sTg9keqyOJQVAkfn7JB3hMbWCmq2OWCyeefmV74pknV0FuQ4S3la/s1600/ExpPeace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsyp2rBqcPni6cLKAEv940IpeIZh8pQ5GTjPGpoMyJKQXLqduYsM8uWBcnKdH7_8vt3M_SpNVNiRybOFDfc9DxBG4_sTg9keqyOJQVAkfn7JB3hMbWCmq2OWCyeefmV74pknV0FuQ4S3la/s640/ExpPeace.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">The Experience of Peace</span></b></div><b><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span></b><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Our previous posting was all about working basically with muscles and internal sensations. In this exercise, you will begin a different type of work. You will learn to train your mental images.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Images are what mobilize tensions, and similarly, they generate relaxations. For example, imagine a fire, and imagine you are there at the fire. Notice how your muscles become tense. Conversely, imagine that you "put out" the fire and observe how your external muscles relax and you register a relaxation in your internal sensations.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">In this exercise we will begin to manage a particularly useful image for the rest of the work in what we call the Experience of Peace. To begin, relax externally, internally and mentally, and then imagine a brightly shining transparent sphere up above you. Let it descend from above, enter your head, and lower it until it is inside your chest at the level of your heart. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">When first trying this practice, some people cannot imagine the sphere very well. But this is not a real obstacle because what is important is that they experience a pleasant sensation in their chest, even if they do not have the supporting visual image of a sphere. And with practice they will eventually be able to correctly visualize a sphere that descends and rests in the centre of their chest.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">When this image is resting in your chest, begin to slowly expand it or "let" it expand so it gradually grows until it fills your whole body. When this sensation that starts in the centre of your chest has expanded throughout your whole body, a warm sensation of peace and internal unity will appear which you should let operate by itself.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">It is important that this sensation extend to the limits of your whole body, that is, that it radiate from the centre of your chest, increasingly filling your body, until you achieve a sort of internal illumination. When the sensation reaches the limits of your body, the relaxation will be complete.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Sometimes your breathing will become deeper and positive emotions will appear pleasant and inspiring emotions. However, pay no attention to your breathing; simply let it accompany your positive emotions and keep your attention on the expanding sensation.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">On other occasions, memories and very vivid images may arise, but you should always have greater interest in your growing register of peace and calm.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">When this register has diffused throughout your body, you have mastered the most important part of this exercise, and the Experience of Peace will arise. Remain in this interesting state for a few minutes, and then slowly contract the sensation and the image back towards your chest to your heart. Then, raise it to your head, and gradually let this "sphere" you have been using move outside and disappear. This completes the Experience of Peace.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Remember, if you have not relaxed correctly as explained in the previous exercises, you will be unable to carry out this important experience.</span></div>Eirenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06869652988003360381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705041708570589792.post-28130711935093273062011-08-08T07:08:00.000-07:002011-08-08T07:10:26.409-07:00ANVT 7 - Relaxation<br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">These are techniques we can practice in order to be capable of giving different responses to situations of violence as well as developing better control and a more intentional relationship with our environment.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Of course the techniques here described can be used to help us sleep, or "relax", getting away from it all, but they have been specifically designed to be able to relax in the middle of daily life, in the middle of tense situations when we want to give a response that is intentional, that opens the future for ourselves and for others and that can build around us a culture of nonviolence.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcGbM7JEOhSbhHQZ_pSqP1PgLyRCtSzrT3OMiGpQECQpi3bFN8RuKpgheXIcYKVEa1RSCXuLPc3dNlIjyGu4WmgKejdtcneRLu4whdMdZHH3WMnLmRay9JiaDeo_uSKQ76hg-6WIfNv7C0/s1600/Relax.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcGbM7JEOhSbhHQZ_pSqP1PgLyRCtSzrT3OMiGpQECQpi3bFN8RuKpgheXIcYKVEa1RSCXuLPc3dNlIjyGu4WmgKejdtcneRLu4whdMdZHH3WMnLmRay9JiaDeo_uSKQ76hg-6WIfNv7C0/s640/Relax.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"></span></div><br />
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<h4><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Relaxation</span></h4><h2><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=705041708570589792&postID=2813071193509327306" name="_Toc53207694"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Exercise 1 – External physical relaxation</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt;"></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">In this exercise we will study the ways to relax our bodies. But before beginning this basic practice, you need to learn to recognize the most tense areas of your body.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Which areas of your body are tense right now? Pay careful attention to your body and discover those tense areas. Perhaps the back of your neck or your shoulders are tense? Or perhaps the muscles in your chest or your stomach?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">To relax these points of permanent tension, you must first begin to observe them. Observe your chest, your stomach, the back of your neck and your shoulders, and your face.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Then, wherever you find the most tension, strongly increase this tension. Hold this tension for a few seconds until the muscles become tired. Then, abruptly release the excess tension. Repeat this process three times. Tighten the tense areas, hold the tension for a little while, and then abruptly release the tension.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">You have learned how to relax your most tense muscles by doing something opposite to what you might expect; you have tensed your muscles even more in order to relax them.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Once you master this technique, proceed to mentally feel the external muscles of your body in a symmetrical way. That is, always feel both sides of your body, for example, both eyes, both shoulders, both hands, etc. at the same time. Begin by feeling your head, your scalp, your facial muscles and your jaw. Feel both eyes at the same time. Then attend to both sides of your nose, the corners of your lips and your cheeks. Next, mentally move down both sides of your neck at the same time and focus your attention on both your shoulders. Now, gradually move down your arms, forearms, and hands until each of these areas is completely loosened up and relaxed.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Now, return to your head and repeat the relaxation of your face. But this time when you finish your face, instead of going down your arms, go down the front of your body. Move symmetrically down the front of your body as though you were following two imaginary lines. Move down the front of your neck, your chest, your stomach. Continue until you reach your lower stomach and the bottom of your trunk. Feel the whole front of your body completely relaxed.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Next, return to your head, and go down the back of your body. Start with your scalp, with the top of your head and follow two symmetrical lines down the back of your head and neck through your shoulder blades and out onto your back. Continue to follow the two lines down each side of your back until you reach your lower back and the bottom of your trunk. Continue to move down both legs until you reach the tips of your toes, leaving the whole body very well relaxed.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">When you finish and have a command of this exercise, you should experience a good external muscular dis-tension. See Figure 1.</span></div><h2><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=705041708570589792&postID=2813071193509327306" name="_Toc53207695"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Exercise 2 – Internal physical relaxation</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt;"></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Review Exercise 1, and repeat it until you master the technique. Try to do the relaxation faster each time without losing the quality of your dis-tension.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">In order of importance you should first master the relaxation of the facial muscles, the neck muscles, and those of the trunk in general. The relaxation of the arms and legs is secondary. People often believe the reverse, and thus waste a great deal of time working on secondary areas such as their arms or legs. Remember that your head, neck (especially the back of your neck) and trunk in general are the most important areas to relax.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Now let's go on to the internal relaxation. First, relax externally, and then feel your head. Feel your eyes, and try to feel your eyeballs and the muscles that surround both eyes very well. Now feel the inside of both of your eyes at the same time. Experience an internal and symmetrical sensation of both your eyes, and then move your attention toward the inside of your head, relaxing your eyes completely.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Continue to move toward the inside of your head, letting yourself slip toward the inside while relaxing completely. Continue as though you are slowly "falling" down your throat toward your lungs. Symmetrically feel the inside of both lungs and relax them. Then, continue to descend inside your stomach, relaxing all your internal tensions as you go. Keep moving downward, relaxing the inside of your lower abdomen until you reach the bottom of your trunk. Finish with the whole inside of your body perfectly relaxed.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">We have not covered the arms and legs at all in this second type of relaxation. You go from the eyes back toward the inside, and move as if falling towards the bottom of your trunk. Practice this exercise several times. When you finish, check to see whether any external muscles are still tense.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">All the external muscles should now be perfectly relaxed, and of course, you should also have achieved a good internal relaxation. This will allow you to advance to the next exercises, which are somewhat more complex. See Figure 2.</span></div><h2><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=705041708570589792&postID=2813071193509327306" name="_Toc53207696"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Exercise 3 – Mental relaxation</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt;"></span></h2><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Practice Exercise 2 again, and try to go at an even, constant pace, not spending more time in one area than in any other. Repeat the exercise and speed up your internal movements without losing the sensation of depth. When you have a command of the exercise above, continue with this exercise.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">In this exercise we will work with mental relaxation. Begin in a state of external and internal relaxation, that is, go through the external and internal practices in Exercises 1 and 2. Then, <a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=705041708570589792&postID=2813071193509327306" name="OLE_LINK3">feel your head again, feel your scalp, and below it your skull. Begin to feel your brain inside your scalp.</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Feel your brain as if it were "tense." Then, let that tension loosen up and "flow" inwards and down, towards the centre of your head. Concentrate on this and move inward one layer at a time. Continue lowering the tension with a sensation of "falling" as the top of your brain begins to feel very soft and pleasant. Always move down, down towards the centre of your head, down below the centre, lower and lower. Feel a soft, warm, and fluffy sensation.</span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Repeat this exercise several times until you become proficient at it. See Figure 3.</span></div>Eirenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06869652988003360381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705041708570589792.post-30981750758526112212011-06-20T06:12:00.000-07:002011-06-20T06:12:04.121-07:0019J in London<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object width="320" height="266" class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://3.gvt0.com/vi/f4_Z-ghppuM/0.jpg"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/f4_Z-ghppuM&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/f4_Z-ghppuM&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object></div>Real Democracy, 15M, 19J, Trafalgar Square on June 19th. Creativity is the key to Active NonviolenceEirenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06869652988003360381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705041708570589792.post-41010519139899154842011-06-18T07:50:00.000-07:002011-06-18T07:50:16.802-07:00June 19th, Real Democracy Now<div style="background-color: #6fa8dc;">International Day of Action ~ <span style="background-color: #6fa8dc;">Trafalgar Square, London, 6 pm</span> </div><div style="background-color: #6fa8dc; text-align: right;">Active Nonviolence, the force that will change the world!</div><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="background-color: #6fa8dc;"></span> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIQTN1e5F1P3CzHWLMdAaz8P1C0X0DkHKpW_LOJkCTZKamVAIx_Cj3Bku8lGujtUK5Qj25FsRRLoMGw7FtZtIV1TOk9nXDMes8t99o8w0vg4p2UbbeMA6bZNGO7L5lBl8SWQ7N29Frhxve/s1600/excluidosEng.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" height="351" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIQTN1e5F1P3CzHWLMdAaz8P1C0X0DkHKpW_LOJkCTZKamVAIx_Cj3Bku8lGujtUK5Qj25FsRRLoMGw7FtZtIV1TOk9nXDMes8t99o8w0vg4p2UbbeMA6bZNGO7L5lBl8SWQ7N29Frhxve/s400/excluidosEng.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Eirenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06869652988003360381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705041708570589792.post-27998281594755754972011-06-16T09:00:00.000-07:002011-06-16T09:00:24.756-07:00ANVT 6 - Personal Experience of Violence<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This workshop can be done as a personal reflection but it is richer in experience if shared with friend, or used in preparation of nonviolent campaigns. </div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><h2 style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Personal experience of violence</h2><ol start="1" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-top: 0cm;" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">What is violence <i>from an experiential point of view.</i></li>
<li class="MsoNormal">What is <b>your own experience</b> of violence, whether as <i>victim</i> or as <i>perpetrator</i>. Classify the experience according to the <b>type</b> of violence: Physical, Economic, Psychological, Racial, Religious, Ecological, Sexual, Age-related, etc </li>
</ol><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggoPNJFmsCSGh4e3HstR3LO5q0EIJSIB-RCZGv8EMlrYQec4mhz9V1xtBDX4b75sJU2uiHY7vIzKAKEHc6pC0-sXNT5AFeKRjG4usHVgMb2IXCBaPHXUs07wvFxr2OW_aX_-jpF9q0Uw1D/s1600/BurnMoney.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe60uQnASfn1l9wNxVxSd_-KykDbsjmbHZDjbxayo_KySZawHJnlK_fQ-GXqnGYIVrbj3Hx-5tieDsAjLc0yq30tkVWabiCa9AbXAQRW2nmAOjy9Sqv7iHOweP-nbxYc5P9axZmqKpdr4H/s1600/ViolenceTypes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe60uQnASfn1l9wNxVxSd_-KykDbsjmbHZDjbxayo_KySZawHJnlK_fQ-GXqnGYIVrbj3Hx-5tieDsAjLc0yq30tkVWabiCa9AbXAQRW2nmAOjy9Sqv7iHOweP-nbxYc5P9axZmqKpdr4H/s640/ViolenceTypes.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGUAtJElitBwg6999JenYp6CYutNLPk25So5K8Rm3BUsj8_UfurFsUtEpRsexbW1eItpU3sUFjSHy0G4Q2THoP2kIYm5vKecOIHV9eWCrbzLz4eWsnc-q2BfNLCJa6TTAZ32Yi-xAmERAG/s1600/kibera_6_600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuijC1VRciKduup3JTAkhg5N5hm4E-JldAi84VAU_tSfpukCWWnPhTQTBctRz4QP_kCXrt4ntLPO-iUVhoeI8gEed2iZcQLyV_OFSX_OkLOq2b0RZfkUtpanMP4CCK1Ec0ogkm2UrI-Qw9/s1600/chaplin_6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDTGmJeLt8F6p8gXXbQx0GwidW9_l9mnHZo9JVUI3456mxp0GInYsO5toav2BMLW1nDo5DQikEWDvoS24sTKXevecqopZTk27Ivhn7yODgUnpdI8NwHEJSLc6k3JhMOSyfsA9AHJ0IJBgQ/s1600/exclude+copy.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOW9NyIB46IAjQG0QtJFJ46YeGPsmDe5ARE9iv9qfZnfY-c2Y-zYzIUFSsZ_QraTDV48_ISSVwhvhPSoTroqfpOSRDHmK4to8co4hy3qyX76FWpbMB5BjBa1bxRZvgbfubbt_-oWNtnulu/s1600/greenhouseeffect.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5aVggHLv3DIHmpIGx09gaAzZ_qDXa4YzbjC_6dihZ18ZBr3Fximn_o8FD7kWowSV2fKRvyQhpHiXDWM-_CzU6-6q5UtYBcbk3sN25txmzdsNzvYxMyZ5VDoB0LmSWIGIPZe4DW7Z_CPW9/s1600/InvisiblesBrussels.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><ol start="3" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-top: 0cm;" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal">Describe the types of violence that worry you the most, whether you are directly involved or not. Describe how this affects your image of the future.<a name='more'></a></li>
</ol><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><ol start="4" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; margin-top: 0cm;" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Discuss with others alternative ways to respond to situations of violence. Think how people you admire for their non-violent position would deal with such situations.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">Conclusions. What are the common elements that make violence an important issue in people’s lives? What are the common elements that make violence recede?<span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">Plan for the week. Make a plan to start to affect, positively, a situation of violence that is troubling you at the moment. </span></li>
</ol>Eirenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06869652988003360381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705041708570589792.post-73307622048356725762011-06-10T07:40:00.000-07:002011-06-10T08:12:05.202-07:00ANVT 5 - Detecting our own discrimination<div style="background-color: yellow; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Being an ancient goddess Eirene is a little weary of technology, and a nervous flyer. She was moreover surprised by her own reaction the first time she flew with a <span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% lime;">female</span> pilot in a Jumbo Jet, and realised then how much the stereotypes fed to us by the prevailing culture can affect even those dedicated to eradicate discrimination. She probably would have kept this episode as a shameful secret had it not been for the following paragraph:</span></div><br />
<div class="Quote" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">“We put down briefly in Khartoum, where we changed to an Ethiopian Airways flight to Addis. Here I experienced a rather strange sensation. As I was boarding the plane I saw that the pilot was <span style="background-color: lime;">black</span>. I had never seen a black pilot before, and the instant I did I had to quell my panic. How could a black man fly a plane? But a moment later I caught myself: I had fallen into the…. mind-set, thinking Africans were inferior and that flying was a white man’s job. I sat back in my seat, and chided myself for such thoughts……”<br />
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<span style="background-color: yellow;">Can you guess who the author is? </span></div><div class="Quote" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><a name='more'></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaMS8BIMlfHai4NO_G1cHlnJON9EPrGCU3GGedD3GJlvj6Wg5S17iVzAmVQtnLoo9_IgMgTDz2pjMRgN3ki74BTR-sZ-7EXwdzCpHv39kzRUiCx2j3AYRrsRI63NSPjsbRlL9d2x0uhJEM/s1600/Nelson_MandelaWiki.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaMS8BIMlfHai4NO_G1cHlnJON9EPrGCU3GGedD3GJlvj6Wg5S17iVzAmVQtnLoo9_IgMgTDz2pjMRgN3ki74BTR-sZ-7EXwdzCpHv39kzRUiCx2j3AYRrsRI63NSPjsbRlL9d2x0uhJEM/s1600/Nelson_MandelaWiki.jpg" /></a></div><div style="background-color: yellow; text-align: center;">Nelson Mandela in his autobiography<i> "Long Walk to Freedom" </i></div><div style="background-color: yellow; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Eirenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06869652988003360381noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-705041708570589792.post-66037703863351777562011-05-30T08:12:00.000-07:002011-06-10T07:55:47.418-07:00ANVT 4 Pasive Resistance Video<span style="background-color: yellow;">I am sharing here a video from 1938, done by Disney, of all people, a rather uncharacteristic piece of work different from most other cartoons by him or others. Cartoon violence is so well satirised in the Simpson's Itchy and Scratchy. Instead this is a masterclass in Passive Resistance, great for the young and the not so young. Some may find it too hippy, but this is 1938, well before flower power! </span><br />
<span style="background-color: yellow;">It can be watched in Youtube with better definition.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/CGTVRbpAuRo?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Eirenehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06869652988003360381noreply@blogger.com0