In tribute.. rest in peace, Save ji...
Pasting the contents of a word attachment being shared that encapsulates his work
Bhaskar Save, the Gandhi of Natural Farming
Sunday, October 25, 2015
Tribute: Bhaskar Save, the Gandhi of Natural Farming
Did Putin just confirm that the US used the Rod of God weapon on Tianjin, China?
Putin at Valdai Forum 2015 - World between War and Peace
https://youtu.be/-W923PAexwU?t=9m
>> 9 mins in, did he just confirm about the Rod of God weapon?
"We have already seen the appearance of the concept of the so-called disarming first strike, including one with the use of high-precision long-range non-nuclear weapons comparable in their effect to nuclear weapons."
What happened at Tianjin, China? See : http://www.naturalnews.com/050890_Rod_of_God_secret_space_weapon_Tianjin_explosion.html
https://youtu.be/-W923PAexwU?t=9m
>> 9 mins in, did he just confirm about the Rod of God weapon?
"We have already seen the appearance of the concept of the so-called disarming first strike, including one with the use of high-precision long-range non-nuclear weapons comparable in their effect to nuclear weapons."
What happened at Tianjin, China? See : http://www.naturalnews.com/050890_Rod_of_God_secret_space_weapon_Tianjin_explosion.html
Reverse racism, or systemic characteristic endemic to a limited group?
Might this be just a reverse-racist thought, or might there be something more to it :
That the inclnation to abuse one's planet, beyond all limits, doesn't really extend beyond the english-speaking white-skinned male or those seeking to be one of that group?
[Rethinking] Article highlighting what many Athiests might be getting wrong
Article on The Guardian (rapidly emerging to be a class apart other mainstream news organizations)
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/oct/24/atheism-does-not-make-me-superior-to-believers-its-a-leap-of-faith-too
My atheism does not make me superior to believers. It's a leap of faith too - by Ijeoma Oluo
Quoting excerpts, emphasis added by me:http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/oct/24/atheism-does-not-make-me-superior-to-believers-its-a-leap-of-faith-too
My atheism does not make me superior to believers. It's a leap of faith too - by Ijeoma Oluo
It's easy to view religion as the root of society's ills.
But atheism as a faith is quickly catching up in its embrace of divisive and oppressive attitudes. We have websites dedicated to insulting Islam and Christianity. We have famous atheist thought-leaders spouting misogyny and calling for the profiling of Muslims. As a black atheist, I encounter just as much racism amongst other atheists as anywhere else. We have hundreds of thousands of atheists blindly following atheist leaders like Richard Dawkins, hurling insults and even threats at those who dare question them.
Look through new atheist websites and twitter feeds. You'll see the same hatred and bigotry that theists have been spouting against other theists for millennia. But when confronted about this bigotry, we say "But I feel this way about all religion," as if that somehow makes it better. But our belief that we are right while everyone else is wrong; our belief that our atheism is more moral; our belief that others are lost: none of it is original.
...
If we truly want to free ourselves from the racist, sexist, classist, homophobic tendencies of society, we need to go beyond religion. Yes, religion does need to be examined and debated regularly and fervently. But we also need to examine our school systems, our medical systems, our economic systems, our environmental policies.
Faith is not the enemy, and words in a book are not responsible for the atrocities we commit as human beings. We need to constantly examine and expose our nature as pack animals who are constantly trying to define the other in order to feel safe through all of the systems we build in society. Only then will we be as free from dogma as we atheists claim to be.
-----
(emphasis added)
Recruitment Policy
Joke I saw that made me laugh out loud:
Adam: Let's have sex
Eve: I have a boyfriend
Adam: You do realise we are the only 2 people on earth, right?
Eve: Look, you're my best friend
I'd like to know from both sexes what their first reactions to this are, as well as what later thoughts come to mind. Is this in any way not at all humorous to some?
And what sparked me to laugh out loud was a recollection of witnessed irony. There has been a worrying rise in domestic violence, especially in countries like USA which we'd otherwise consider fairly evolved on women's rights front. One American friend I knew had shared this at a deep sharing session once : She found a disturbing trend in herself and could not explain it : In three consecutive relationships the men she was with became routine abusers, had started to beat her up regularly.
At the same time there seems to be a distinct separation between "friend" and "boyfriend" : going back all the way to a possibility that the "recruitment policy" (sorry for the jargon) itself might be flawed. I see a systemic flaw here : shaped by the abusive society we've been brought up in, for some reason women's romantic choices have tended to skip candidates who would n.e.v.e.r indulge in something like beating a love partner, and instead gone in favour of men having abusive tendencies.
And haven't we seen a very similar flaw in recruitment policies of businesses and governments in their leaders, CEOs and managers? Haven't we been talking about the abuse and greed and narcissism and psycopathy of these classes and how they're taking the world down with them? It's an abusive culture manifesting itself on all fronts, macro level and personal level.Adam: Let's have sex
Eve: I have a boyfriend
Adam: You do realise we are the only 2 people on earth, right?
Eve: Look, you're my best friend
I'd like to know from both sexes what their first reactions to this are, as well as what later thoughts come to mind. Is this in any way not at all humorous to some?
And what sparked me to laugh out loud was a recollection of witnessed irony. There has been a worrying rise in domestic violence, especially in countries like USA which we'd otherwise consider fairly evolved on women's rights front. One American friend I knew had shared this at a deep sharing session once : She found a disturbing trend in herself and could not explain it : In three consecutive relationships the men she was with became routine abusers, had started to beat her up regularly.
At the same time there seems to be a distinct separation between "friend" and "boyfriend" : going back all the way to a possibility that the "recruitment policy" (sorry for the jargon) itself might be flawed. I see a systemic flaw here : shaped by the abusive society we've been brought up in, for some reason women's romantic choices have tended to skip candidates who would n.e.v.e.r indulge in something like beating a love partner, and instead gone in favour of men having abusive tendencies.
"Look, you're my best friend"
Would you ever have been best friends with a man who has a tendency to beat up women? Doesn't the process of becoming best friends with a man automatically weed out men with those tendencies? Would you be best friends with a man who considers women as property? Wouldn't you have found something wrong with the guy early on and stopped being friends long back? Unlike romance, friendship happens over a much longer timescale and so is a lot more resilient at detecting and removing the wrong people. Not entirely of course, but dude, people aren't as split-personality-separate as our murder drama movies want us to believe.
I know there are several other factors, but shouldn't clear deal breakers on the negative side, as well as a more generous allowance of possible attractability on the positive side, factor into the equation? What about trustworthiness, the ability to keep a secret, caring and looking out for you? What about being able to talk at length about life? Could it be possible that our culture has downplayed more important characteristics and exaggerated less important ones?
Ladies, I know I'm over-generalizing, but even you know that this IS true for a lot of women and many whom you know and are worried for yourself. Coming back to my side of the world, we're only just starting to get over the very restrictive extremes of only parents/grandparents deciding everything for us. But what we're bringing in its place might turn out to be just as bad in another sense if we're not careful, if we don't take a pause, reflect and analyze like my friend did. After realizing her pattern, she was able to get a much better grip over herself, and has since been in a happy relationship with a longtime friend.
Might it be time to re-evaluate the recruitment policy?
PS: Please do not see this as any kind of escape excuse for the despicable behaviour of many men. Guys, we need to get out of our Man Box (http://www.ted.com/talks/tony_porter_a_call_to_men?language=en) if we want to to give up doing the most cowardly and ridiculous things imaginable to those we love. It's only a temporary aberration that is permitting violent men to get women to take them for partners : it is very quickly going to sel-correct so do not go to the losing side.
Authorities in France just forced a rape victim to get raped again for evidence
http://www.salon.com/2013/11/06/14_year_old_girl_films_fathers_sexual_abuse_with_webcam_partner/
>> Despite the girl having come forward and tell about her father abusing her, they refused to take any action (not even sheltering her!) untill they had "hard evidence". She had to allow the monster to rape her AGAIN for the sake of video-recording it, and only with that submtted did the police take any action. WTF, France?? Imposing the entire burden of collecting evidence on the rape victim?? Isn't that supposed to be the police investigator's job?
>> Despite the girl having come forward and tell about her father abusing her, they refused to take any action (not even sheltering her!) untill they had "hard evidence". She had to allow the monster to rape her AGAIN for the sake of video-recording it, and only with that submtted did the police take any action. WTF, France?? Imposing the entire burden of collecting evidence on the rape victim?? Isn't that supposed to be the police investigator's job?
Friday, October 23, 2015
Unsolicited tips for people who are starting with blogging
To people who are starting with blogging.
2. We actually don't need others giving us feedback SO much. Little was ok, but you're growing up in a time when this stuff has gone depressingly out of balance. So we need to learn to inculcate a slight, healthy disrespect for the opinions of others, to counteract the imbalance that we have today.
3. There is no hierarchy of subjects. A love story or some courage story or something soccer related are as great, as important, as valuable as any social issue commentary. In fact, stories are instrumental in scripting the future : they visualize imagination, bring it to life, and inspire others to act on their imagination. And speaking of stories, check this out : http://nikhilsheth.blogspot.in/2013/01/eklavya-20.html That's ONE story I came up with after being exposed to social commentaries on caste injustices, etc, and it's something that I keep returning to time and again to remind myself of things. It's my personal favorite work. I haven't bothered trying to make stories after that as that kind of stuff just wasn't happening with me. If you have stories flowing out of you then I really envy you!
4. Writing is actually very much like Eklavya's arrow shooting learning. He didn't really need others to tell him that his arrow has not hit the target. Itna toh saaf saaf dikh jaata hai. After writing your stuff, go away for some days, then come back and see the published thing (yes, it is important to see it actually published rather than in draft form) with a new set of eyes. Read your own article from start to finish, and if my guess is right, I think you will feel like this has been written by someone else. That is because : 1. We are constantly changing, and 2. Our thoughts aren't really coming from inside our brains. But that's a topic for more eccentric research later.
5. Carrying on from last lines of previous point, this realization has brought out to me the flaws in our university Literature etc courses where there is so much unnecessary dissection of writers and attempts to make connections and draw conclusions on what the guy's personality was and basicaly judging people in such abstract unrealistic ways. Everybody is ever-changing yaar. No need to fixate.
6. Check out https://storyweaver.org.in
1. Only write what is coming from your heart. Don't care about what others will think, at least at the creation stage and in over the intial couple of years. Then after posting, reading it yourself (explained further in point 4), receiving feedback through comments, your friends telling you personally, will automatically lead to the improvement you wish for. So focus on a post-feedback model instead of a pre-feedback model. ie, put it out there first, take feedback later. At least that's the way I managed.
2. We actually don't need others giving us feedback SO much. Little was ok, but you're growing up in a time when this stuff has gone depressingly out of balance. So we need to learn to inculcate a slight, healthy disrespect for the opinions of others, to counteract the imbalance that we have today.
5. Carrying on from last lines of previous point, this realization has brought out to me the flaws in our university Literature etc courses where there is so much unnecessary dissection of writers and attempts to make connections and draw conclusions on what the guy's personality was and basicaly judging people in such abstract unrealistic ways. Everybody is ever-changing yaar. No need to fixate.
6. Check out https://storyweaver.org.in
7. Now this is a difficult one even for me : Don't delete the posts that you later feel unhappy with. Instead, write it afresh and post it as v2, v3 etc. If possible, cross-link between them. If you feel really embarrased with one work, be open about it and publish that you're not happy with the earlier version. This will give everyone a chance to witness your journey in writing. Kind of like in wikipedia when we go into seeing the page's history and see how it evolved over time. All that said, there will always be stuff that needs to be deleted so proceed and use the deleting power of digital publishing.
8. Technical tip : I always blog by email-posting : it's sooo convenient. And this way I can simply forward excerpts from ongoing email conversations that I want to post to blog, or emails I'm sending. You can configure a secret email address in your blog's settings, save it in your contacts list on gmail (just send to it once). Note: if you're having a phone number or direct email address in the email's signature or content, remember to remove it before sending to blog. (You know what, after I send this to you I'm going to edit and forward this to my blog as well, with name and all redacted of course)
9. Put the link to your blog in your email's signature (ie, don't write it in everytime.. go to your email settings and write out a full fledged signature, so that it automatically comes at the end of all your emails. Got a quote you love? Write that over there as well!). And similarly link to your blog on your social media profile etc.
Paper on Biophilic Design
http://www.terrapinbrightgreen.com/report/14-patterns/
14 Patterns of Biophilic Design
Improving Health and Well-Being in the Built Environment
14 Patterns of Biophilic Design
Improving Health and Well-Being in the Built Environment
Abstract
Biophilic design can reduce stress, enhance creativity and clarity of thought, improve our well-being and expedite healing; as the world population continues to urbanize, these qualities are ever more important. Theorists, research scientists, and design practitioners have been working for decades to define aspects of nature that most impact our satisfaction with the built environment. "14 Patterns of Biophilic Design" articulates the relationships between nature, human biology and the design of the built environment so that we may experience the human benefits of biophilia in our design applications.
Biophilia in Context looks at the evolution of biophilic design in architecture and planning and presents a framework for relating the human biological science and nature. Design Considerations explores a sampling of factors (e.g., scale, climate, user demographics) that may influence biophilic design decisions to bring greater clarity to why some interventions are replicable and why others may not be. The Patterns lays out a series of tools for understanding design opportunities, including the roots of the science behind each pattern, then metrics, strategies and considerations for how to use each pattern. This paper moves from research on biophilic responses to design application as a way to effectively enhance health and well-being for individuals and society.
- See more at: http://www.terrapinbrightgreen.com/report/14-patterns/#sthash.q6DZ83No.dpufThursday, October 22, 2015
[Rethinking] Audio interview: Germs are good for kids? And adults? (from 2014 Evolution of Medicine Summit)
From: James Maskell
|
[Victories] Consumer petitions force world's largest food chain to commit to stop antibiotics meat
It ain't over yet.. they haven't committed to come clean on their outlets outside of USA.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Food Babe
Date: Thu, Oct 22, 2015 at 12:52 AM
Subject: A sudden twist of events. WE DID IT!
From: Food Babe
Date: Thu, Oct 22, 2015 at 12:52 AM
Subject: A sudden twist of events. WE DID IT!
I had my bags packed and ready to go to deliver over 250,000 petition signatures with several consumer advocacy groups to Subway headquarters this week but all my plans came to an abrupt halt.
Subway just announced that they have committed to eliminating the use of antibiotics in ALL of their meat in the U.S. – and they also provided a timeline.
It's never felt so good to cancel my plans!
We did it! This is a huge victory!
None of this could have happened without you and the incredible consumer advocacy groups I've been working with.
Working together we can move mountains and we've just moved the largest fast food chain in the world. This announcement is going to send shock waves through the entire meat industry! It will take time, but major progress is being made.
Read about the juicy details and events that led up to this breaking announcement here.
It's people like you that are willing to take the simple act of signing a petition and sharing it, that is truly changing the food landscape in this country.
Just a few short months ago, Subway was silent on this issue and didn't want to take a stand, and now everything has changed because of you making your voice heard!
No matter who you are – vegan, vegetarian, or organic foodie – you could be infected with antibiotic resistant bacteria, which kills about 23,000 Americans every year.
Getting the overuse of antibiotics off of our farms is a crucial step in preventing thousands of illnesses caused by superbugs.
The power of consumer activism continues to amaze me.
I thank Subway on behalf of many for addressing this very critical public health issue. Can't wait to see the other dominos start to fall. Who do you want to see next? Tell me in the comments of this post!
Sending you all a virtual HIGH FIVE and lots of love!!! Thank you for making history with me, once again!
Xo,
Vani
P.S. If you've got information about the food industry you can't share publicly, we are always open to hearing from you – I want to learn everything I can to project the public interest. Simply reply to this email or use this contact form and select "whistle-blow" as the reason. I thank you for your courage in advance.
Sunday, October 18, 2015
Fwd: Systems to split water using resonance
Water continues to dazzle with its out-of-the-box nature. After seeing
the info on its 4th state, I'm a lot more open to further explorations
(lookup: the 4th state of water, tedx talk). Might the late Arthur C
Clarke turn out to have predicted the use of water as a fuel? (and I'm
sure a lot of otherpeople were predicting the same around that time,
but I happened to read his books mostly)
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Hope Girl and the Fix the World Team
Subject: SYSTEM TO SPLIT WATER FOR FUEL BY USING RESONANCE
SYSTEM TO SPLIT WATER FOR FUEL BY USING RESONANCE
Another variation on the water-fuel theme relies more on vibrations
than on chemistry. At more than 100 per cent efficiency, such a system
produces hydrogen gas and oxygen from ordinary water at normal
temperatures and pressure.
One example is U.S. Patent 4,394,230, Method and Apparatus for
Splitting Water Molecules, issued to Dr. Andrija Puharich in 1983. His
method made complex electrical wave forms resonate water molecules and
shatter them, which freed hydrogen and oxygen. By using Tesla's
understanding of electrical resonance, Puharich was able to split the
water molecule much more efficiently than the brute-force electrolysis
that every physics student knows. (Resonance is what shatters a
crystal goblet when an opera singer hits the exact note which vibrates
with the crystal's molecular structure.)
Puharich reportedly drove his mobile home using only water as fuel for
several hundred thousand kilometers in trips across North America. In
a high Mexican mountain pass he had to make do with snow for fuel.
Splitting water molecules as needed in a vehicle is more revolutionary
than the hydrogen-powered systems with which every large auto
manufacturer has dallied. With the on-demand system, you don't need to
carry a tank full of hydrogen fuel which could be a potential bomb.
Another inventor who successfully made fuel out of water on the spot
was the late Francisco Pacheco of New Jersey. The Pacheco Bi-Polar
Auto electric Hydrogen Generator (U.S. Patent No. 5,089,107) separated
hydrogen from seawater as needed.
A pioneer in breaking down water into hydrogen and oxygen without heat
or ordinary electricity, John Worrell Keely reportedly performed feats
which 20th-century science is unable to duplicate. He worked with
sound and other vibrations to set machines into motion. To liberate
energy in molecules of water, Keely poured a quart of water into a
cylinder where tuning forks vibrated at the exact frequency to
liberate the energy. Does this mean he broke apart the water molecules
and liberated hydrogen, or did he free a more primal form of energy?
The records which could answer such questions are lost. However, a
century later, Keely is being vindicated. One scientist recently
discovered that Keely was correct in predicting the exact frequency
which would burst apart a water molecule. Keely understood atoms to be
intricate vibratory phenomena.
the info on its 4th state, I'm a lot more open to further explorations
(lookup: the 4th state of water, tedx talk). Might the late Arthur C
Clarke turn out to have predicted the use of water as a fuel? (and I'm
sure a lot of otherpeople were predicting the same around that time,
but I happened to read his books mostly)
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Hope Girl and the Fix the World Team
Subject: SYSTEM TO SPLIT WATER FOR FUEL BY USING RESONANCE
SYSTEM TO SPLIT WATER FOR FUEL BY USING RESONANCE
Another variation on the water-fuel theme relies more on vibrations
than on chemistry. At more than 100 per cent efficiency, such a system
produces hydrogen gas and oxygen from ordinary water at normal
temperatures and pressure.
One example is U.S. Patent 4,394,230, Method and Apparatus for
Splitting Water Molecules, issued to Dr. Andrija Puharich in 1983. His
method made complex electrical wave forms resonate water molecules and
shatter them, which freed hydrogen and oxygen. By using Tesla's
understanding of electrical resonance, Puharich was able to split the
water molecule much more efficiently than the brute-force electrolysis
that every physics student knows. (Resonance is what shatters a
crystal goblet when an opera singer hits the exact note which vibrates
with the crystal's molecular structure.)
Puharich reportedly drove his mobile home using only water as fuel for
several hundred thousand kilometers in trips across North America. In
a high Mexican mountain pass he had to make do with snow for fuel.
Splitting water molecules as needed in a vehicle is more revolutionary
than the hydrogen-powered systems with which every large auto
manufacturer has dallied. With the on-demand system, you don't need to
carry a tank full of hydrogen fuel which could be a potential bomb.
Another inventor who successfully made fuel out of water on the spot
was the late Francisco Pacheco of New Jersey. The Pacheco Bi-Polar
Auto electric Hydrogen Generator (U.S. Patent No. 5,089,107) separated
hydrogen from seawater as needed.
A pioneer in breaking down water into hydrogen and oxygen without heat
or ordinary electricity, John Worrell Keely reportedly performed feats
which 20th-century science is unable to duplicate. He worked with
sound and other vibrations to set machines into motion. To liberate
energy in molecules of water, Keely poured a quart of water into a
cylinder where tuning forks vibrated at the exact frequency to
liberate the energy. Does this mean he broke apart the water molecules
and liberated hydrogen, or did he free a more primal form of energy?
The records which could answer such questions are lost. However, a
century later, Keely is being vindicated. One scientist recently
discovered that Keely was correct in predicting the exact frequency
which would burst apart a water molecule. Keely understood atoms to be
intricate vibratory phenomena.
Friday, October 16, 2015
Blood of innocents on the hands of the nerds of my generation
https://www.rt.com/usa/318767-obama-drones-papers-leak/
Leaked: 'New Snowden' releases Obama's drone program papers
Data is most often gathered "from phone and computer communications
intercepts," with cell phones and emails being "the primary tools used
by the military to find, fix, and finish its targets." According to
the whistleblower, such methods "require an enormous amount of faith
in the technology that you're using."
Additional documents on drone operations in Afghanistan show that the
US government has categorized unidentified people killed in drone
strikes as enemies, even if they were not the intended targets, thus
masking the true extent of civilian casualties.
The special operations community dehumanizes the people targeted for
drone strikes, making it easier to avoid asking moral questions, the
source says. "They have no rights. They have no dignity. They have no
humanity to themselves. They're just a 'selector' to an analyst."
>> USA's over-reliance on technology taken to most extreme, inhuman levels; there is blood of innocents on the hands of the nerds of my generation
Leaked: 'New Snowden' releases Obama's drone program papers
Data is most often gathered "from phone and computer communications
intercepts," with cell phones and emails being "the primary tools used
by the military to find, fix, and finish its targets." According to
the whistleblower, such methods "require an enormous amount of faith
in the technology that you're using."
Additional documents on drone operations in Afghanistan show that the
US government has categorized unidentified people killed in drone
strikes as enemies, even if they were not the intended targets, thus
masking the true extent of civilian casualties.
The special operations community dehumanizes the people targeted for
drone strikes, making it easier to avoid asking moral questions, the
source says. "They have no rights. They have no dignity. They have no
humanity to themselves. They're just a 'selector' to an analyst."
>> USA's over-reliance on technology taken to most extreme, inhuman levels; there is blood of innocents on the hands of the nerds of my generation
The 80-20 rule on self accuracy
Instead of wanting to be 100% correct all the time, lower your
expectations a little bit, and go for the 80-20 rule.
20% of everything you believe to be true is actually false.
20% of everything you believe to be false is actually true.
Make that the starting point of your exploration, and you'll have a
much happier time!
expectations a little bit, and go for the 80-20 rule.
20% of everything you believe to be true is actually false.
20% of everything you believe to be false is actually true.
Make that the starting point of your exploration, and you'll have a
much happier time!
Wednesday, October 14, 2015
Craziest request to a bank from their customer
This has got to be one of the most out-of-the-box requests any bank
can get.. Am trying to get this through, let's see what happens...
Dear Sir/Madam,
I want you to publicly publish my savings account statement, as and
when any transaction occurs. It should be accessible via a custom URL.
Can be in CSV/JSON format also. Can you make this happen?
can get.. Am trying to get this through, let's see what happens...
Dear Sir/Madam,
I want you to publicly publish my savings account statement, as and
when any transaction occurs. It should be accessible via a custom URL.
Can be in CSV/JSON format also. Can you make this happen?
Tuesday, October 13, 2015
China's vacant homes could accommodate all of India's homeless with plenty left over
part of an email forward...
14. Ghost Towns.
About 65 million homes sit vacant in China. This includes some entire towns that are completely devoid of people and they sit empty. These aren't old houses and towns that died out. They are new cities and houses that were built in expectation of a population boom expanding into them that never happened.
Another source pegs the number of vacant homes in China at 52 million. That's 5.2 crore homes.
Obviously they don't have any ambitions to "take over" any neighboring country. If they ever did, people would rush in!
Monday, October 12, 2015
[Solutions] Videos on Restorative Circles
Three links on the development and practice of Restorative Circles.
Dominic Barter talks about his work with Restorative Circles in Brazil and worldwide.: https://youtu.be/o-AUwX61-34
Jeff Brown, (NVC trainer, Columbus, Ohio) discusses aspects of restorative circle process: https://youtu.be/xPXLIuhlqEY
NVC Trainer Duke Duchscherer speaks about the origin of Restorative Circles and its unique way of conflict resolution: https://youtu.be/Q7FWjapsJRU
Shared in another email conv by Mona Patrao
Story: the fox and the village
In a small village in India, a little fox told its father of his desire to eat human flesh. Next day father fox managed to get some pig meat (pork) and offered to his son. But the little fox didn't have it. Then the father fox managed to get some cow meat (beef) and offered it. The little fox declined to eat that as well. The stubborn little fox was adamant that he will not settle for anything other than human meat.
That night the father fox left the pork in the front of a masjid and the beef in the front of a temple. By next day morning the entire village was filled with dead human bodies.
The little fox ate human meat for a week and was so happy his father managed to get so much human meat.
The story might be hypothetical, but the Fox is for real.
(Forwarded over whatsapp groups)
A note on the [Rethinking] articles / emails
Sharer's note: My [Rethinking] emails contain matter that might make you really resonate, or might really piss you off, depending on where you're presently standing. It will contain material that questions some or the other aspect of the prevailing status quo, and involves unlearning some long-sacred fundas and examining them from a new perspective (check out NLP). Hence the word "Rethinking". I came across these ideas with an open mind and an attitude of not judging but checking out what's there first, treating it like any other movie or story first, and then imagining and applying. I would advise the same approach to anyone. If you don't really have the leisure to check this out, then you shouldn't have the time to get offended either or even reply to it ;) If you really think there's no point in trying to explain a new thing to other people, then there's simply no point of you replying on the mailing list either.. who are you trying to influence if you don't want others to influence anybody? :P :D. Enjoy the email, and keep in mind that getting offended is a choice, plus something that unsettles us greatly is probably doing so because it's linking to other confusions we already have. On my part, I'm only sharing things that I have found to be true in my experience (why would I otherwise?), but there are many layers to reality and I too never agree with things absolutely all the time.. it's an ongoing journey. I do not have any expectations from your end. But we do have to find the others who also resonate (they mostly reply back privately or tell me when we meet personally, and oh boy we're growing) and make awesome things happen, hence sharing.
[Rethinking] The Truth About Cancer: A Global Quest : 9 part documentary series online screening, 13-21 Oct 2015
Their first 11-part series (The quest for the cure continues) that aired an year ago was amazing and fundamentally changed some things for me.. I have a copy if anybody wants to see. Now a new series is starting as they bring up more insights and findings.
https://go.thetruthaboutcancer.com/?ref=367093d6-c800-4e8f-aa8c-d46e38ac3116
See more details in email belowhttps://go.thetruthaboutcancer.com/?ref=367093d6-c800-4e8f-aa8c-d46e38ac3116
---------- Forwarded message ----------
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Sunday, October 11, 2015
Poem : A Spiritual Conspiracy - by Celia Hales
Spotted this amazing poem in "Bloom Nagpur", a local by-the-people
newspaper in Nagpur, August 2015 issue. I feel like it's speaking my
heart.
Contact: http://www.facebook.com/bloomnagpur
A Spiritual Conspiracy
- Celia Hales
On the surface of the world right now there is,
war and violence and things seem dark.
But calmly and quietly , at the same time,
something else is happening underground.
An inner revolution is taking place,
and certain individuals are being called to a higher light.
It is a silent revolution.
From the inside out. From the ground up.
This is a Global operation.
A Spiritual Conspiracy .
There are sleeper cells in every nation on the planet.
You won't see us on the T . V .
You won't read about us in the newspaper ,
You won't hear about us on the radio,
We don't seek any glory ,
We don't wear any uniform,
We come in all shapes and sizes, colors and styles.
Most of us work anonymously .
We are quietly working behind the scenes,
in every country and culture of the world.
Cities big and small, mountains and valleys,
in farms and villages, tribes and remote islands.
You could pass by one of us on the street,
and not even notice.
We go undercover ,
We remain behind the scenes,
It is of no concern to us who takes the final credit,
But simply that the work gets done.
Occasionally we spot each other in the street,
We give a quiet nod and continue on our way .
During the day many of us pretend we have normal jobs,
But behind the false storefront at night,
is where the real work takes a place.
Some call us the Conscious Army ,
We are slowly creating a new world,
with the power of our minds and hearts,
We follow , with passion and joy .
Our orders come from the Central Spiritual Intelligence,
We are dropping soft, secret love bombs when no one is looking,
Poems ~ Hugs ~ Music ~ Photography ~ Movies ~ Kind words ~
Smiles ~ Meditation and prayer ~ Dance ~ Social activism ~
Websites
Blogs ~ Random acts of kindness...
We each express ourselves in our own unique ways,
with our own unique gifts and talents.
Be the change you want to see in the world,
That is the motto that fills our hearts.
We know it is the only way real transformation takes place,
We know that quietly and humbly we have the power of all the
oceans combined.
Our work is slow and meticulous,
Like the formation of mountains,
It is not even visible at first glance,
And yet with it, entire tectonic plates,
shall be moved in the centuries to come.
Love is the new religion of the 21st century ,
You don't have to be a highly educated person,
Or have any exceptional knowledge to understand it,
It comes from the intelligence of the heart.
Embedded in the timeless evolutionary pulse of all human beings,
Be the change you want to see in the world,
Nobody else can do it for you,
We are now recruiting,
Perhaps you will join us,
Or already have.
All are welcome,
The door is open~
From "Bloom Nagpur", a local by-the-people newspaper in Nagpur, August
2015 issue.
Contact: http://www.facebook.com/bloomnagpur
newspaper in Nagpur, August 2015 issue. I feel like it's speaking my
heart.
Contact: http://www.facebook.com/bloomnagpur
A Spiritual Conspiracy
- Celia Hales
On the surface of the world right now there is,
war and violence and things seem dark.
But calmly and quietly , at the same time,
something else is happening underground.
An inner revolution is taking place,
and certain individuals are being called to a higher light.
It is a silent revolution.
From the inside out. From the ground up.
This is a Global operation.
A Spiritual Conspiracy .
There are sleeper cells in every nation on the planet.
You won't see us on the T . V .
You won't read about us in the newspaper ,
You won't hear about us on the radio,
We don't seek any glory ,
We don't wear any uniform,
We come in all shapes and sizes, colors and styles.
Most of us work anonymously .
We are quietly working behind the scenes,
in every country and culture of the world.
Cities big and small, mountains and valleys,
in farms and villages, tribes and remote islands.
You could pass by one of us on the street,
and not even notice.
We go undercover ,
We remain behind the scenes,
It is of no concern to us who takes the final credit,
But simply that the work gets done.
Occasionally we spot each other in the street,
We give a quiet nod and continue on our way .
During the day many of us pretend we have normal jobs,
But behind the false storefront at night,
is where the real work takes a place.
Some call us the Conscious Army ,
We are slowly creating a new world,
with the power of our minds and hearts,
We follow , with passion and joy .
Our orders come from the Central Spiritual Intelligence,
We are dropping soft, secret love bombs when no one is looking,
Poems ~ Hugs ~ Music ~ Photography ~ Movies ~ Kind words ~
Smiles ~ Meditation and prayer ~ Dance ~ Social activism ~
Websites
Blogs ~ Random acts of kindness...
We each express ourselves in our own unique ways,
with our own unique gifts and talents.
Be the change you want to see in the world,
That is the motto that fills our hearts.
We know it is the only way real transformation takes place,
We know that quietly and humbly we have the power of all the
oceans combined.
Our work is slow and meticulous,
Like the formation of mountains,
It is not even visible at first glance,
And yet with it, entire tectonic plates,
shall be moved in the centuries to come.
Love is the new religion of the 21st century ,
You don't have to be a highly educated person,
Or have any exceptional knowledge to understand it,
It comes from the intelligence of the heart.
Embedded in the timeless evolutionary pulse of all human beings,
Be the change you want to see in the world,
Nobody else can do it for you,
We are now recruiting,
Perhaps you will join us,
Or already have.
All are welcome,
The door is open~
From "Bloom Nagpur", a local by-the-people newspaper in Nagpur, August
2015 issue.
Contact: http://www.facebook.com/bloomnagpur
Wednesday, October 7, 2015
Protesting against use of stereotyping words for victims of gang rape
To : The Editor, 'The Hindu' newspaper and news website
Dear Sir / Madam,
I want to protest about the use of words in the headline for this article:
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/bpo-staff-gangraped-on-moving-van/article7728216.ece
"BPO staff gang-raped on moving van"
After reading the article, I found out the victim was a 23 year old young woman.
By boxing her off as "BPO staff" you are inviting insensitivity to the
case. It is possible that people who are against "BPO culture" will
treat this case with a "she deserved it" mentality instead of looking
at the humanity and the real human tragedy of the matter. No human
being, period, should have to go through this kind of soul-destroying
ordeal. This girl needs to be treated as a victim, a human being, a
woman. Whether she worked for a BPO or for the CMO or the PMO even
should not be considered at all. When anyone reads this story, when
they look at the headline, they are supposed to get a feeling that it
could easily have been my daughter, my friend, my sister, my cousin in
her place. Your choice of words must not give anybody the excuse to
avoid empathizing with the victim. In fact, this might even promote
further rapes of women, by dehumanizing people employed by BPOs.
At least in the online edition, please immediately change the headline
to something like:
23 year old gang-raped in moving van in Madivala
Dear Sir / Madam,
I want to protest about the use of words in the headline for this article:
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/bpo-staff-gangraped-on-moving-van/article7728216.ece
"BPO staff gang-raped on moving van"
After reading the article, I found out the victim was a 23 year old young woman.
By boxing her off as "BPO staff" you are inviting insensitivity to the
case. It is possible that people who are against "BPO culture" will
treat this case with a "she deserved it" mentality instead of looking
at the humanity and the real human tragedy of the matter. No human
being, period, should have to go through this kind of soul-destroying
ordeal. This girl needs to be treated as a victim, a human being, a
woman. Whether she worked for a BPO or for the CMO or the PMO even
should not be considered at all. When anyone reads this story, when
they look at the headline, they are supposed to get a feeling that it
could easily have been my daughter, my friend, my sister, my cousin in
her place. Your choice of words must not give anybody the excuse to
avoid empathizing with the victim. In fact, this might even promote
further rapes of women, by dehumanizing people employed by BPOs.
At least in the online edition, please immediately change the headline
to something like:
23 year old gang-raped in moving van in Madivala
Monday, October 5, 2015
How to use Formfuse add-on in Google Forms to automate the form creation process
How to use Formfuse add-on in Google Forms to automate the form creation process.
Create a form
Name if as per needs, delete default first question
If adding Formfuse for first time, click Add-ons > Get add-ons.. then find Formfuse in the marketplace-like thing and install it. Then come back to the Add-ons menu, you'll find Fomfuse entry there. Click Start.
Take first option (create questions from a sheet) and click Next
WAIT for 5 to 10 seconds. Do not follow the first instruction.
During this time, the add-on script creates a new sheet in your responses spreadsheet, and makes it ready. Now, after the first "Ok button greys out, click the "this sheet" link in second instruction.
That will open up your responses spreadsheet in a new tab (if it opens a blank window, go back to the form and click the same link again)
Check out the place. Not that this is another worksheet in your responses spreadsheet. The responses to the form themselves will come in the next "Form Responses 1" worksheet.
Now fill in your questions. I had already copied that format over and written out my questions on a local excel file, so simply copy-pasting from there.
Pasting it in..
Now, switch back to the form. (You can also close off the other tab once your questions are filled in).
Press the "Create" button on Formfuse pane.
Voila! The form starts populating itself!
You're done. You can close off the Formfuse pane now.
Sunday, October 4, 2015
Saturday, October 3, 2015
Vladimir Putin's speech at UN on 28th September 2015
From http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/transcripts/50385
President of Russia Vladimir Putin:
Mr. President,
Mr. Secretary General,
Distinguished heads of state and government,
Ladies and gentlemen,
The 70th anniversary of the United Nations is a good occasion to both
take stock of history and talk about our common future. In 1945, the
countries that defeated Nazism joined their efforts to lay a solid
foundation for the postwar world order. Let me remind you that key
decisions on the principles defining interaction between states, as
well as the decision to establish the UN, were made in our country, at
the Yalta Conference of the leaders of the anti-Hitler coalition.
The Yalta system was truly born in travail. It was born at the cost of
tens of millions of lives and two world wars that swept through the
planet in the 20th century. Let's be fair: it helped humankind pass
through turbulent, and at times dramatic, events of the last seven
decades. It saved the world from large-scale upheavals.
The United Nations is unique in terms of legitimacy, representation
and universality. True, the UN has been criticized lately for being
inefficient or for the fact that decision-making on fundamental issues
stalls due to insurmountable differences, especially among Security
Council members.
However, I'd like to point out that there have always been differences
in the UN throughout the 70 years of its history, and that the veto
right has been regularly used by the United States, the United
Kingdom, France, China and the Soviet Union, and later Russia. It is
only natural for such a diverse and representative organization. When
the UN was first established, nobody expected that there would always
be unanimity. The mission of the organization is to seek and reach
compromises, and its strength comes from taking different views and
opinions into consideration. The decisions debated within the UN are
either taken in the form of resolutions or not. As diplomats say, they
either pass or they don't. Any action taken by circumventing this
procedure is illegitimate and constitutes a violation of the UN
Charter and contemporary international law.
We all know that after the end of the Cold War the world was left with
one center of dominance, and those who found themselves at the top of
the pyramid were tempted to think that, since they are so powerful and
exceptional, they know best what needs to be done and thus they don't
need to reckon with the UN, which, instead of rubber-stamping the
decisions they need, often stands in their way.
70th session of the UN General Assembly.
70th session of the UN General Assembly.
That's why they say that the UN has run its course and is now obsolete
and outdated. Of course, the world changes, and the UN should also
undergo natural transformation. Russia is ready to work together with
its partners to develop the UN further on the basis of a broad
consensus, but we consider any attempts to undermine the legitimacy of
the United Nations as extremely dangerous. They may result in the
collapse of the entire architecture of international relations, and
then indeed there will be no rules left except for the rule of force.
The world will be dominated by selfishness rather than collective
effort, by dictate rather than equality and liberty, and instead of
truly independent states we will have protectorates controlled from
outside.
What is the meaning of state sovereignty, the term which has been
mentioned by our colleagues here? It basically means freedom, every
person and every state being free to choose their future.
By the way, this brings us to the issue of the so-called legitimacy of
state authorities. You shouldn't play with words and manipulate them.
In international law, international affairs, every term has to be
clearly defined, transparent and interpreted the same way by one and
all.
We are all different, and we should respect that. Nations shouldn't be
forced to all conform to the same development model that somebody has
declared the only appropriate one.
We should all remember the lessons of the past. For example, we
remember examples from our Soviet past, when the Soviet Union exported
social experiments, pushing for changes in other countries for
ideological reasons, and this often led to tragic consequences and
caused degradation instead of progress.
It seems, however, that instead of learning from other people's
mistakes, some prefer to repeat them and continue to export
revolutions, only now these are "democratic" revolutions. Just look at
the situation in the Middle East and Northern Africa already mentioned
by the previous speaker. Of course, political and social problems have
been piling up for a long time in this region, and people there wanted
change. But what was the actual outcome? Instead of bringing about
reforms, aggressive intervention rashly destroyed government
institutions and the local way of life. Instead of democracy and
progress, there is now violence, poverty, social disasters and total
disregard for human rights, including even the right to life.
I'm urged to ask those who created this situation: do you at least
realize now what you've done? But I'm afraid that this question will
remain unanswered, because they have never abandoned their policy,
which is based on arrogance, exceptionalism and impunity.
Power vacuum in some countries in the Middle East and Northern Africa
obviously resulted in the emergence of areas of anarchy, which were
quickly filled with extremists and terrorists. The so-called Islamic
State has tens of thousands of militants fighting for it, including
former Iraqi soldiers who were left on the street after the 2003
invasion. Many recruits come from Libya whose statehood was destroyed
as a result of a gross violation of UN Security Council Resolution
1973. And now radical groups are joined by members of the so-called
"moderate" Syrian opposition backed by the West. They get weapons and
training, and then they defect and join the so-called Islamic State.
In fact, the Islamic State itself did not come out of nowhere. It was
initially developed as a weapon against undesirable secular regimes.
Having established control over parts of Syria and Iraq, Islamic State
now aggressively expands into other regions. It seeks dominance in the
Muslim world and beyond. Their plans go further.
70th session of the UN General Assembly.
70th session of the UN General Assembly.
The situation is extremely dangerous. In these circumstances, it is
hypocritical and irresponsible to make declarations about the threat
of terrorism and at the same time turn a blind eye to the channels
used to finance and support terrorists, including revenues from drug
trafficking, the illegal oil trade and the arms trade.
It is equally irresponsible to manipulate extremist groups and use
them to achieve your political goals, hoping that later you'll find a
way to get rid of them or somehow eliminate them.
I'd like to tell those who engage in this: Gentlemen, the people you
are dealing with are cruel but they are not dumb. They are as smart as
you are. So, it's a big question: who's playing who here? The recent
incident where the most "moderate" opposition group handed over their
weapons to terrorists is a vivid example of that.
We consider that any attempts to flirt with terrorists, let alone arm
them, are short-sighted and extremely dangerous. This may make the
global terrorist threat much worse, spreading it to new regions around
the globe, especially since there are fighters from many different
countries, including European ones, gaining combat experience with
Islamic State. Unfortunately, Russia is no exception.
Now that those thugs have tasted blood, we can't allow them to return
home and continue with their criminal activities. Nobody wants that,
right?
Russia has consistently opposed terrorism in all its forms. Today, we
provide military-technical assistance to Iraq, Syria and other
regional countries fighting terrorist groups. We think it's a big
mistake to refuse to cooperate with the Syrian authorities and
government forces who valiantly fight terrorists on the ground.
We should finally admit that President Assad's government forces and
the Kurdish militia are the only forces really fighting terrorists in
Syria. Yes, we are aware of all the problems and conflicts in the
region, but we definitely have to consider the actual situation on the
ground.
Dear colleagues, I must note that such an honest and frank approach on
Russia's part has been recently used as a pretext for accusing it of
its growing ambitions — as if those who say that have no ambitions at
all. However, it is not about Russia's ambitions, dear colleagues, but
about the recognition of the fact that we can no longer tolerate the
current state of affairs in the world.
What we actually propose is to be guided by common values and common
interests rather than by ambitions. Relying on international law, we
must join efforts to address the problems that all of us are facing,
and create a genuinely broad international coalition against
terrorism. Similar to the anti-Hitler coalition, it could unite a
broad range of parties willing to stand firm against those who, just
like the Nazis, sow evil and hatred of humankind. And of course,
Muslim nations should play a key role in such a coalition, since
Islamic State not only poses a direct threat to them, but also
tarnishes one of the greatest world religions with its atrocities. The
ideologues of these extremists make a mockery of Islam and subvert its
true humanist values.
I would also like to address Muslim spiritual leaders: Your authority
and your guidance are of great importance right now. It is essential
to prevent people targeted for recruitment by extremists from making
hasty decisions, and those who have already been deceived and, due to
various circumstances, found themselves among terrorists, must be
assisted in finding a way back to normal life, laying down arms and
putting an end to fratricide.
70th session of the UN General Assembly.
70th session of the UN General Assembly.
In the days to come, Russia, as the current President of the UN
Security Council, will convene a ministerial meeting to carry out a
comprehensive analysis of the threats in the Middle East. First of
all, we propose exploring opportunities for adopting a resolution that
would serve to coordinate the efforts of all parties that oppose
Islamic State and other terrorist groups. Once again, such
coordination should be based upon the principles of the UN Charter.
We hope that the international community will be able to develop a
comprehensive strategy of political stabilization, as well as social
and economic recovery in the Middle East. Then, dear friends, there
would be no need for setting up more refugee camps. Today, the flow of
people forced to leave their native land has literally engulfed,
first, the neighbouring countries, and then Europe. There are hundreds
of thousands of them now, and before long, there might be millions. It
is, essentially, a new, tragic Migration Period, and a harsh lesson
for all of us, including Europe.
I would like to stress that refugees undoubtedly need our compassion
and support. However, the only way to solve this problem for good is
to restore statehood where it has been destroyed, to strengthen
government institutions where they still exist, or are being
re-established, to provide comprehensive military, economic and
material assistance to countries in a difficult situation, and
certainly to people who, despite all their ordeals, did not abandon
their homes. Of course, any assistance to sovereign nations can, and
should, be offered rather than imposed, in strict compliance with the
UN Charter. In other words, our Organisation should support any
measures that have been, or will be, taken in this regard in
accordance with international law, and reject any actions that are in
breach of the UN Charter. Above all, I believe it is of utmost
importance to help restore government institutions in Libya, support
the new government of Iraq, and provide comprehensive assistance to
the legitimate government of Syria.
Dear colleagues, ensuring peace and global and regional stability
remains a key task for the international community guided by the
United Nations. We believe this means creating an equal and
indivisible security environment that would not serve a privileged
few, but everyone. Indeed, it is a challenging, complicated and
time-consuming task, but there is simply no alternative.
Sadly, some of our counterparts are still dominated by their Cold
War-era bloc mentality and the ambition to conquer new geopolitical
areas. First, they continued their policy of expanding NATO – one
should wonder why, considering that the Warsaw Pact had ceased to
exist and the Soviet Union had disintegrated.
Nevertheless, NATO has kept on expanding, together with its military
infrastructure. Next, the post-Soviet states were forced to face a
false choice between joining the West and carrying on with the East.
Sooner or later, this logic of confrontation was bound to spark off a
major geopolitical crisis. And that is exactly what happened in
Ukraine, where the people's widespread frustration with the government
was used for instigating a coup d'état from abroad. This has triggered
a civil war. We are convinced that the only way out of this dead end
lies through comprehensive and diligent implementation of the Minsk
agreements of February 12th, 2015. Ukraine's territorial integrity
cannot be secured through the use of threats or military force, but it
must be secured. The people of Donbas should have their rights and
interests genuinely considered, and their choice respected; they
should be engaged in devising the key elements of the country's
political system, in line with the provisions of the Minsk agreements.
Such steps would guarantee that Ukraine will develop as a civilized
state, and a vital link in creating a common space of security and
economic cooperation, both in Europe and in Eurasia.
Ladies and gentlemen, I have deliberately mentioned a common space for
economic cooperation. Until quite recently, it seemed that we would
learn to do without dividing lines in the area of the economy with its
objective market laws, and act based on transparent and jointly
formulated rules, including the WTO principles, which embrace free
trade and investment and fair competition. However, unilaterally
imposed sanctions circumventing the UN Charter have all but become
commonplace today. They not only serve political objectives, but are
also used for eliminating market competition.
70th session of the UN General Assembly
70th session of the UN General Assembly
I would like to note one more sign of rising economic selfishness. A
number of nations have chosen to create exclusive economic
associations, with their establishment being negotiated behind closed
doors, secretly from those very nations' own public and business
communities, as well as from the rest of the world. Other states,
whose interests may be affected, have not been informed of anything,
either. It seems that someone would like to impose upon us some new
game rules, deliberately tailored to accommodate the interests of a
privileged few, with the WTO having no say in it. This is fraught with
utterly unbalancing global trade and splitting up the global economic
space.
These issues affect the interests of all nations and influence the
future of the entire global economy. That is why we propose discussing
those issues within the framework of the United Nations, the WTO and
the G20. Contrary to the policy of exclusion, Russia advocates
harmonizing regional economic projects. I am referring to the
so-called "integration of integrations" based on the universal and
transparent rules of international trade. As an example, I would like
to cite our plans to interconnect the Eurasian Economic Union with
China's initiative for creating a Silk Road economic belt. We continue
to see great promise in harmonizing the integration vehicles between
the Eurasian Economic Union and the European Union.
Ladies and gentlemen, one more issue that shall affect the future of
the entire humankind is climate change. It is in our interest to
ensure that the coming UN Climate Change Conference that will take
place in Paris in December this year should deliver some feasible
results. As part of our national contribution, we plan to limit
greenhouse gas emissions to 70–75 percent of the 1990 levels by the
year 2030.
However, I suggest that we take a broader look at the issue.
Admittedly, we may be able to defuse it for a while by introducing
emission quotas and using other tactical measures, but we certainly
will not solve it for good that way. What we need is an essentially
different approach, one that would involve introducing new,
groundbreaking, nature-like technologies that would not damage the
environment, but rather work in harmony with it, enabling us to
restore the balance between the biosphere and technology upset by
human activities.
It is indeed a challenge of global proportions. And I am confident
that humanity does have the necessary intellectual capacity to respond
to it. We need to join our efforts, primarily engaging countries that
possess strong research and development capabilities, and have made
significant advances in fundamental research. We propose convening a
special forum under the auspices of the UN to comprehensively address
issues related to the depletion of natural resources, habitat
destruction, and climate change. Russia is willing to co-sponsor such
a forum.
Ladies and gentlemen, dear colleagues. On January 10th, 1946, the UN
General Assembly convened for its first meeting in London. Chairman of
the Preparatory Commission Dr. Zuleta Angel, a Colombian diplomat,
opened the session by offering what I see as a very concise definition
of the principles that the United Nations should be based upon, which
are good will, disdain for scheming and trickery, and a spirit of
cooperation. Today, his words sound like guidance for all of us.
Russia is confident of the United Nations' enormous potential, which
should help us avoid a new confrontation and embrace a strategy of
cooperation. Hand in hand with other nations, we will consistently
work to strengthen the UN's central, coordinating role. I am convinced
that by working together, we will make the world stable and safe, and
provide an enabling environment for the development of all nations and
peoples.
Thank you.
Update: Also check out this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQuceU3x2Ww
Russian President Vladimir Putin answering questions regarding ISIS from a US journalist at the Valdai International Discussion Club in late 2014. Very clear, unescapable points made
President of Russia Vladimir Putin:
Mr. President,
Mr. Secretary General,
Distinguished heads of state and government,
Ladies and gentlemen,
The 70th anniversary of the United Nations is a good occasion to both
take stock of history and talk about our common future. In 1945, the
countries that defeated Nazism joined their efforts to lay a solid
foundation for the postwar world order. Let me remind you that key
decisions on the principles defining interaction between states, as
well as the decision to establish the UN, were made in our country, at
the Yalta Conference of the leaders of the anti-Hitler coalition.
The Yalta system was truly born in travail. It was born at the cost of
tens of millions of lives and two world wars that swept through the
planet in the 20th century. Let's be fair: it helped humankind pass
through turbulent, and at times dramatic, events of the last seven
decades. It saved the world from large-scale upheavals.
The United Nations is unique in terms of legitimacy, representation
and universality. True, the UN has been criticized lately for being
inefficient or for the fact that decision-making on fundamental issues
stalls due to insurmountable differences, especially among Security
Council members.
However, I'd like to point out that there have always been differences
in the UN throughout the 70 years of its history, and that the veto
right has been regularly used by the United States, the United
Kingdom, France, China and the Soviet Union, and later Russia. It is
only natural for such a diverse and representative organization. When
the UN was first established, nobody expected that there would always
be unanimity. The mission of the organization is to seek and reach
compromises, and its strength comes from taking different views and
opinions into consideration. The decisions debated within the UN are
either taken in the form of resolutions or not. As diplomats say, they
either pass or they don't. Any action taken by circumventing this
procedure is illegitimate and constitutes a violation of the UN
Charter and contemporary international law.
We all know that after the end of the Cold War the world was left with
one center of dominance, and those who found themselves at the top of
the pyramid were tempted to think that, since they are so powerful and
exceptional, they know best what needs to be done and thus they don't
need to reckon with the UN, which, instead of rubber-stamping the
decisions they need, often stands in their way.
70th session of the UN General Assembly.
70th session of the UN General Assembly.
That's why they say that the UN has run its course and is now obsolete
and outdated. Of course, the world changes, and the UN should also
undergo natural transformation. Russia is ready to work together with
its partners to develop the UN further on the basis of a broad
consensus, but we consider any attempts to undermine the legitimacy of
the United Nations as extremely dangerous. They may result in the
collapse of the entire architecture of international relations, and
then indeed there will be no rules left except for the rule of force.
The world will be dominated by selfishness rather than collective
effort, by dictate rather than equality and liberty, and instead of
truly independent states we will have protectorates controlled from
outside.
What is the meaning of state sovereignty, the term which has been
mentioned by our colleagues here? It basically means freedom, every
person and every state being free to choose their future.
By the way, this brings us to the issue of the so-called legitimacy of
state authorities. You shouldn't play with words and manipulate them.
In international law, international affairs, every term has to be
clearly defined, transparent and interpreted the same way by one and
all.
We are all different, and we should respect that. Nations shouldn't be
forced to all conform to the same development model that somebody has
declared the only appropriate one.
We should all remember the lessons of the past. For example, we
remember examples from our Soviet past, when the Soviet Union exported
social experiments, pushing for changes in other countries for
ideological reasons, and this often led to tragic consequences and
caused degradation instead of progress.
It seems, however, that instead of learning from other people's
mistakes, some prefer to repeat them and continue to export
revolutions, only now these are "democratic" revolutions. Just look at
the situation in the Middle East and Northern Africa already mentioned
by the previous speaker. Of course, political and social problems have
been piling up for a long time in this region, and people there wanted
change. But what was the actual outcome? Instead of bringing about
reforms, aggressive intervention rashly destroyed government
institutions and the local way of life. Instead of democracy and
progress, there is now violence, poverty, social disasters and total
disregard for human rights, including even the right to life.
I'm urged to ask those who created this situation: do you at least
realize now what you've done? But I'm afraid that this question will
remain unanswered, because they have never abandoned their policy,
which is based on arrogance, exceptionalism and impunity.
Power vacuum in some countries in the Middle East and Northern Africa
obviously resulted in the emergence of areas of anarchy, which were
quickly filled with extremists and terrorists. The so-called Islamic
State has tens of thousands of militants fighting for it, including
former Iraqi soldiers who were left on the street after the 2003
invasion. Many recruits come from Libya whose statehood was destroyed
as a result of a gross violation of UN Security Council Resolution
1973. And now radical groups are joined by members of the so-called
"moderate" Syrian opposition backed by the West. They get weapons and
training, and then they defect and join the so-called Islamic State.
In fact, the Islamic State itself did not come out of nowhere. It was
initially developed as a weapon against undesirable secular regimes.
Having established control over parts of Syria and Iraq, Islamic State
now aggressively expands into other regions. It seeks dominance in the
Muslim world and beyond. Their plans go further.
70th session of the UN General Assembly.
70th session of the UN General Assembly.
The situation is extremely dangerous. In these circumstances, it is
hypocritical and irresponsible to make declarations about the threat
of terrorism and at the same time turn a blind eye to the channels
used to finance and support terrorists, including revenues from drug
trafficking, the illegal oil trade and the arms trade.
It is equally irresponsible to manipulate extremist groups and use
them to achieve your political goals, hoping that later you'll find a
way to get rid of them or somehow eliminate them.
I'd like to tell those who engage in this: Gentlemen, the people you
are dealing with are cruel but they are not dumb. They are as smart as
you are. So, it's a big question: who's playing who here? The recent
incident where the most "moderate" opposition group handed over their
weapons to terrorists is a vivid example of that.
We consider that any attempts to flirt with terrorists, let alone arm
them, are short-sighted and extremely dangerous. This may make the
global terrorist threat much worse, spreading it to new regions around
the globe, especially since there are fighters from many different
countries, including European ones, gaining combat experience with
Islamic State. Unfortunately, Russia is no exception.
Now that those thugs have tasted blood, we can't allow them to return
home and continue with their criminal activities. Nobody wants that,
right?
Russia has consistently opposed terrorism in all its forms. Today, we
provide military-technical assistance to Iraq, Syria and other
regional countries fighting terrorist groups. We think it's a big
mistake to refuse to cooperate with the Syrian authorities and
government forces who valiantly fight terrorists on the ground.
We should finally admit that President Assad's government forces and
the Kurdish militia are the only forces really fighting terrorists in
Syria. Yes, we are aware of all the problems and conflicts in the
region, but we definitely have to consider the actual situation on the
ground.
Dear colleagues, I must note that such an honest and frank approach on
Russia's part has been recently used as a pretext for accusing it of
its growing ambitions — as if those who say that have no ambitions at
all. However, it is not about Russia's ambitions, dear colleagues, but
about the recognition of the fact that we can no longer tolerate the
current state of affairs in the world.
What we actually propose is to be guided by common values and common
interests rather than by ambitions. Relying on international law, we
must join efforts to address the problems that all of us are facing,
and create a genuinely broad international coalition against
terrorism. Similar to the anti-Hitler coalition, it could unite a
broad range of parties willing to stand firm against those who, just
like the Nazis, sow evil and hatred of humankind. And of course,
Muslim nations should play a key role in such a coalition, since
Islamic State not only poses a direct threat to them, but also
tarnishes one of the greatest world religions with its atrocities. The
ideologues of these extremists make a mockery of Islam and subvert its
true humanist values.
I would also like to address Muslim spiritual leaders: Your authority
and your guidance are of great importance right now. It is essential
to prevent people targeted for recruitment by extremists from making
hasty decisions, and those who have already been deceived and, due to
various circumstances, found themselves among terrorists, must be
assisted in finding a way back to normal life, laying down arms and
putting an end to fratricide.
70th session of the UN General Assembly.
70th session of the UN General Assembly.
In the days to come, Russia, as the current President of the UN
Security Council, will convene a ministerial meeting to carry out a
comprehensive analysis of the threats in the Middle East. First of
all, we propose exploring opportunities for adopting a resolution that
would serve to coordinate the efforts of all parties that oppose
Islamic State and other terrorist groups. Once again, such
coordination should be based upon the principles of the UN Charter.
We hope that the international community will be able to develop a
comprehensive strategy of political stabilization, as well as social
and economic recovery in the Middle East. Then, dear friends, there
would be no need for setting up more refugee camps. Today, the flow of
people forced to leave their native land has literally engulfed,
first, the neighbouring countries, and then Europe. There are hundreds
of thousands of them now, and before long, there might be millions. It
is, essentially, a new, tragic Migration Period, and a harsh lesson
for all of us, including Europe.
I would like to stress that refugees undoubtedly need our compassion
and support. However, the only way to solve this problem for good is
to restore statehood where it has been destroyed, to strengthen
government institutions where they still exist, or are being
re-established, to provide comprehensive military, economic and
material assistance to countries in a difficult situation, and
certainly to people who, despite all their ordeals, did not abandon
their homes. Of course, any assistance to sovereign nations can, and
should, be offered rather than imposed, in strict compliance with the
UN Charter. In other words, our Organisation should support any
measures that have been, or will be, taken in this regard in
accordance with international law, and reject any actions that are in
breach of the UN Charter. Above all, I believe it is of utmost
importance to help restore government institutions in Libya, support
the new government of Iraq, and provide comprehensive assistance to
the legitimate government of Syria.
Dear colleagues, ensuring peace and global and regional stability
remains a key task for the international community guided by the
United Nations. We believe this means creating an equal and
indivisible security environment that would not serve a privileged
few, but everyone. Indeed, it is a challenging, complicated and
time-consuming task, but there is simply no alternative.
Sadly, some of our counterparts are still dominated by their Cold
War-era bloc mentality and the ambition to conquer new geopolitical
areas. First, they continued their policy of expanding NATO – one
should wonder why, considering that the Warsaw Pact had ceased to
exist and the Soviet Union had disintegrated.
Nevertheless, NATO has kept on expanding, together with its military
infrastructure. Next, the post-Soviet states were forced to face a
false choice between joining the West and carrying on with the East.
Sooner or later, this logic of confrontation was bound to spark off a
major geopolitical crisis. And that is exactly what happened in
Ukraine, where the people's widespread frustration with the government
was used for instigating a coup d'état from abroad. This has triggered
a civil war. We are convinced that the only way out of this dead end
lies through comprehensive and diligent implementation of the Minsk
agreements of February 12th, 2015. Ukraine's territorial integrity
cannot be secured through the use of threats or military force, but it
must be secured. The people of Donbas should have their rights and
interests genuinely considered, and their choice respected; they
should be engaged in devising the key elements of the country's
political system, in line with the provisions of the Minsk agreements.
Such steps would guarantee that Ukraine will develop as a civilized
state, and a vital link in creating a common space of security and
economic cooperation, both in Europe and in Eurasia.
Ladies and gentlemen, I have deliberately mentioned a common space for
economic cooperation. Until quite recently, it seemed that we would
learn to do without dividing lines in the area of the economy with its
objective market laws, and act based on transparent and jointly
formulated rules, including the WTO principles, which embrace free
trade and investment and fair competition. However, unilaterally
imposed sanctions circumventing the UN Charter have all but become
commonplace today. They not only serve political objectives, but are
also used for eliminating market competition.
70th session of the UN General Assembly
70th session of the UN General Assembly
I would like to note one more sign of rising economic selfishness. A
number of nations have chosen to create exclusive economic
associations, with their establishment being negotiated behind closed
doors, secretly from those very nations' own public and business
communities, as well as from the rest of the world. Other states,
whose interests may be affected, have not been informed of anything,
either. It seems that someone would like to impose upon us some new
game rules, deliberately tailored to accommodate the interests of a
privileged few, with the WTO having no say in it. This is fraught with
utterly unbalancing global trade and splitting up the global economic
space.
These issues affect the interests of all nations and influence the
future of the entire global economy. That is why we propose discussing
those issues within the framework of the United Nations, the WTO and
the G20. Contrary to the policy of exclusion, Russia advocates
harmonizing regional economic projects. I am referring to the
so-called "integration of integrations" based on the universal and
transparent rules of international trade. As an example, I would like
to cite our plans to interconnect the Eurasian Economic Union with
China's initiative for creating a Silk Road economic belt. We continue
to see great promise in harmonizing the integration vehicles between
the Eurasian Economic Union and the European Union.
Ladies and gentlemen, one more issue that shall affect the future of
the entire humankind is climate change. It is in our interest to
ensure that the coming UN Climate Change Conference that will take
place in Paris in December this year should deliver some feasible
results. As part of our national contribution, we plan to limit
greenhouse gas emissions to 70–75 percent of the 1990 levels by the
year 2030.
However, I suggest that we take a broader look at the issue.
Admittedly, we may be able to defuse it for a while by introducing
emission quotas and using other tactical measures, but we certainly
will not solve it for good that way. What we need is an essentially
different approach, one that would involve introducing new,
groundbreaking, nature-like technologies that would not damage the
environment, but rather work in harmony with it, enabling us to
restore the balance between the biosphere and technology upset by
human activities.
It is indeed a challenge of global proportions. And I am confident
that humanity does have the necessary intellectual capacity to respond
to it. We need to join our efforts, primarily engaging countries that
possess strong research and development capabilities, and have made
significant advances in fundamental research. We propose convening a
special forum under the auspices of the UN to comprehensively address
issues related to the depletion of natural resources, habitat
destruction, and climate change. Russia is willing to co-sponsor such
a forum.
Ladies and gentlemen, dear colleagues. On January 10th, 1946, the UN
General Assembly convened for its first meeting in London. Chairman of
the Preparatory Commission Dr. Zuleta Angel, a Colombian diplomat,
opened the session by offering what I see as a very concise definition
of the principles that the United Nations should be based upon, which
are good will, disdain for scheming and trickery, and a spirit of
cooperation. Today, his words sound like guidance for all of us.
Russia is confident of the United Nations' enormous potential, which
should help us avoid a new confrontation and embrace a strategy of
cooperation. Hand in hand with other nations, we will consistently
work to strengthen the UN's central, coordinating role. I am convinced
that by working together, we will make the world stable and safe, and
provide an enabling environment for the development of all nations and
peoples.
Thank you.
Update: Also check out this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQuceU3x2Ww
Russian President Vladimir Putin answering questions regarding ISIS from a US journalist at the Valdai International Discussion Club in late 2014. Very clear, unescapable points made
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