Zimbabwe: no food for a day (Avaaz)

Dear friends,

When Africa's heads of state meet this Sunday, they will be greeted by a
crowd of hunger strikers, calling for justice and democracy in Zimbabwe.

Desmond Tutu, Graça Machel, and hundreds of others have joined the campaign
and pledged solidarity with the Zimbabwean people-most of whom are now
struggling to survive on a meal a day or less. Their powerful demonstration
of commitment has seized the media's attention, pressuring leaders to refuse
Mugabe in his attempts to cling to power.

The world's support is needed now. Kumi Naidoo, a South African activist in
his eighth day of a 21-day hunger strike, has recorded a video appeal for
Avaaz members worldwide to join the protest by pledging to fast this Sunday,
when he will speak to the African Union summit about Zimbabwe's crisis. If
thousands of us fast, our actions will give power to his words. Click here
to see the video and join the fast:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/fast_for_zimbabwe

Zimbabwe's crisis-cholera, hyperinflation, hunger, and Mugabe's
brutality-keeps worsening. But as the stakes rise, the movement for change
is growing stronger and bolder. The European Union just tightened sanctions
targeting Mugabe's regime. Hunger strikers in Southern Africa, trying to
deliver a petition to leaders Monday, were blasted by riot police shooting
rubber bullets. And Tuesday morning, after all-night talks, Mugabe's latest
attempt retain control collapsed as the opposition refused to join a false
"unity" government that would leave Mugabe's party in power, political
prisoners in jail, and Zimbabweans' urgent needs unmet.

The next five days are critical: as Africa's leaders choose their next
moves, we must demonstrate that the world stands strong with Zimbabwe's
fairly-elected Movement for Democratic Change, and that Mugabe's reign must
end. When the African Union leaders sit down this Sunday in Ethiopia, their
decisions will be shaped by the political conditions that we help create.

Time and again, we have rallied. More than 400,000 of us have signed
petitions, sending virtual "red cards" to Mugabe that were waved by labor
activists in a march this fall. We flew an airplane over the United Nations
headquarters to urge Mbeki to support democracy in Zimbabwe. And this
Christmas, we sent radio ads to tell the people of Zimbabwe they were not
forgotten.

Now, through a concrete act of self-sacrifice, we can take our efforts a
level higher. Our solidarity fast will strengthen the moral force of
Zimbabwean and South African activists who are demanding change. Click here
to join the fast:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/fast_for_zimbabwe

One day, democracy will be restored to Zimbabwe--the refugees will return
home, the fields will burst with food, the hospitals and clinics will be
full of medicine and healing. And all of us will know that in answering the
call of a suffering but defiant people, we played a part in their victory.

With hope,

Ben, Alice, Ricken, Iain, Graziela, Luis, Paula, Paul, Milena, Brett,
Pascal, Veronique, and the entire Avaaz.org team

SOURCES

The Save Zimbabwe Now campaign is coordinating the hunger strike:
http://www.savezimbabwenow.com

"Save Zimbabwe activists begin hunger strike" - The Times, 1/25/09
http://www.thetimes.co.za/PrintEdition/News/Article.aspx?id=924433

"A Growing Chorus In S. Africa Urges Action on Mugabe" - Washington Post,
1/25/09
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/25/AR2009012501896.html
"Police fire rubber bullets to break protest at SADC meeting" - ZimOnline,
1/26/09 http://www.zimonline.co.za/Article.aspx?ArticleId=4158

"Special Report: Crisis in Zimbabwe" - The Times, last update 27 Jan 2009
http://www.thetimes.co.za/specialreports/Zimbabwe/Default.aspx?id=363615

MDC denies Zimbabwe deal claims - BBC - Jan 27, 2009
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7852978.stm

Fwd by
John Willemsens,
Advayavada Foundation.
<http://www.euronet.nl/~advaya/index.htm>

Advayavada Study Plan - week 5

Friends,

This week's ASP subject are again the Fourth Noble Truth: the Noble
Eightfold Path, and the Fourth Sign of Being: Progress.

The Noble Eightfold Path, when it is interpreted dynamically as an ongoing,
autonomous, non-prescriptive, investigative and creative
process of progressive insight reflecting in human terms overall existence
advancing over time, as Advayavada Buddhism does, is (1) that of
our very best (samyak, samma) comprehension or insight followed by (2) our
very best resolution or determination, (3) our very best enunciation or
definition of our purpose or intention, (4) our very best disposition or
frame of mind, (5) our very best implementation or realization of our
purpose, (6) our very best effort or commitment, (7) our very best
observation, reflection or evaluation and self-correction, and (8) our very
best meditation or concentration towards an increasingly real experience of
samadhi, which brings us to (1) a yet better comprehension or insight, and
so forth.

By following the Noble Eightfold Path thus you get in tune with wondrous
overall existence advancing over time; sorrow, doubt and
remorse immediately start disappearing; and your life soon gathers new
impetus.

The purpose of the ASP is that we study and discuss the meaning and
implications of the weekly subject in the context of whatever we ourselves
are presently doing or are concerned with, or about, such as our health,
relationships, work, study, our place in society, etc.

Tip: Write down this week's subject ('path and progress') in your pocket
diary!

John Willemsens,
Advayavada Foundation.
<http://www.euronet.nl/~advaya/index.htm>

Don Quixote attacks the windmills (BPS)

Just added at the Bureau of Public Secrets website:

DON QUIXOTE ATTACKS THE WINDMILLS
http://www.bopsecrets.org/gateway/passages/don-quixote.htm

Miguel de Cervantes's "Don Quixote" is one of the most wonderful books in
the world. A middle-aged country gentleman, brain addled by reading too many
chivalric adventure stories, adopts the trappings of a medieval knight and
sets out to rescue damsels in distress and otherwise right any wrongs he may
come across. He convinces a naive but commonsensical neighboring peasant,
Sancho Panza, to accompany him as his squire. Their conversations as they
travel along are even more entertaining than their predictably amusing
adventures. The novel may have started out as a mere satire of the already
largely outmoded genre of chivalric romance, but Don Quixote and Sancho soon
took on a life of their own and became two of the best-loved characters in
world literature.

The new webpage presents the famous adventure of the windmills in the
original Spanish along with four modern English translations.

The BPS website also includes Kenneth Rexroth's superb essay on the book
http://www.bopsecrets.org/rexroth/cr/6.htm#Quixote

"Many people, not all of them Spanish, are on record as believing that 'Don
Quixote' is the greatest prose fiction ever produced in the Western world.
Certainly it is one of the few books a genuinely international critic would
dare to group with 'The Dream of the Red Chamber' or 'The Tale of Genji' or
'The Mahabharata'. It epitomizes the spiritual world of European man at
mid-career as 'The Odyssey' and 'The Iliad' do at his beginnings and as 'The
Brothers Karamazov' does in his decline. . . . Don Quixote starts on his
quest with his head full of phantasm. What he finds is his own identity, but
he finds it in communion with others. He discovers what Don Quixote is
really like by discovering that other people are like himself and that he is
like them. The mystery that is slowly unveiled in the course of his
complicated adventures is the mystery of the facts of life. . . . Possibly
all great fictions deal with self-realization, with the integration of the
personality. This is, in a special way, the subject of 'Don Quixote'. Even
more than in the wise reveries of Montaigne, Cervantes in this golden book
gives us the purest expression of humanism -- not just its message, but its
special wisdom that can be found only in adventure in the manifold,
inexhaustibly eventful ways of men." (Rexroth)

BUREAU OF PUBLIC SECRETS
P.O. Box 1044, Berkeley CA 94701, USA
http://www.bopsecrets.org

"Making petrified conditions dance by singing them their own tune."

Fwd by
John Willemsens,
Advayavada Foundation.
<http://www.euronet.nl/~advaya/index.htm>

Not for the lazy and indifferent (Beliefnet)

Subhuti said: "If I understand correctly, one who wishes to reach perfect
wisdom should study the way things are in the world and should practice the
perfections fully and in depth but should not believe them to be ultimately
real, nor should he make concepts and doctrines out of them."

The Buddha replied: "Just so, Subhuti. The one who contemplates existence in
this way knows the nature of the conditioned and of the unconditioned and
makes himself an expert in pointing out the truth to others, both with words
and without words."

Subhuti asked: "But is this just for the wise and the intelligent?"

"No, indeed," replied the Buddha. "This is open to all, even to the dull
witted and to those who can't pay attention. The door is open to anyone who
wants to tread this path -- but not to the person who is lazy and
indifferent."

-Prajnaparamita

Help Obama bring hope to Gaza (Avaaz)

Dear Avaaz friends,

Barack Obama has inspired hope the world over, but the road ahead is
difficult. After over 1400 killed and 5000 wounded in Gaza, Obama knows the
US must become a fair peace mediator in the Middle East. But that is almost
impossible while the US media remains strongly biased on this conflict. Only
4% of related US media stories even mention that Palestinians are under
military occupation, and less than 25% of Americans say they can sympathize
with both sides. Given this, even Obama will find it difficult to be fair.

We urgently need to meet this challenge as Obama makes historic choices on
Israel-Palestine. The winds of change are blowing through American media --
media experts tell us the best way to seize this opportunity is to fund a
small number of highly respected individuals to engage top journalists and
editors on this issue - providing facts, information and opportunities to
hear sensible voices for peace from both Palestinians and Israelis. $40,000
would be enough to hire a respected advocate; $15,000 will pay for an
opinion poll in Gaza and Israel that challenges prejudices and is released
to US media; $50,000 will build a "peace wall" in Gaza, Jerusalem and
Washington DC for citizens in each place to post messages to each other and
the media.

If each one of us who signed the petition gives just $2 (1.50 euro) each,
we'll raise $1 million -- enough to launch a highly effective effort. The
Obama presidency is an opportunity to end this festering conflict, but he
can't do it without us. It's time for all of us to get serious about this,
click below to get started:

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/gaza_media_balance

If we raise more than needed, we can match this effort with compelling
public actions that convey sensible, ordinary voices for peace from both
Palestinians and Israelis to the US media. Far from taking sides, our effort
will show that a pro-peace voice is both pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian,
because it advocates for lasting security and justice for both peoples.
Click above to see a more detailed funding proposal for this project.

For years a balanced perspective has been largely absent from US media.
Palestinian kids throwing rocks were seen as dangerous rioters, rather than
token resistance to an illegal and repressive military occupation. The
crushing nature of the Israeli occupation, the numbers of Palestinians
beaten or killed, the way that Palestinians live in a type of giant prison
with even the smallest movements or actions tightly controlled, are almost
never covered by US media. The same media however often create great empathy
among Americans for innocent Israeli victims of violence, telling their
personal stories in depth. See links below for a number of studies that have
showed the overwhelming bias of American media in this conflict. Until the
American media can tell both heart-rending sides of the story, no US
president will be able to broker a fair peace.

The opportunity is there. After the trauma of the Bush years there is a
fresh wind blowing through American democracy and media. A new emphasis on
responsible, tough journalism, and a genuine desire among media
professionals to be more balanced. On the other hand, a massive PR
infrastructure established by a few powerful organizations puts tens of
millions of dollars a year into conveying a pro-war perspective to US media.
This is tough competition, but our effort will have a much easier job -
we'll be pushing balance, not bias, helping journalists to do their job, not
shirk it. Obama has promised "fairness" in his approach to this region,
let's help make it politically possible for him to deliver. Click below:

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/gaza_media_balance

With hope,

Ricken, Graziela, Alice, Luis, Paul, Brett, Milena, Paula, Pascal, Iain and
the whole Avaaz team.

PS: For more information about bias in the US media and on coverage of the
recent war in Gaza:

The Blame Game in Gaza - Erasing Israeli actions to fault only Hamas:
http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=3667

Video - Peace, Propaganda and the Promised Land:
http://br.youtube.com/watch?v=eCL6WdnuNp4

Jon Stewart's critique of media bias on Gaza conflict:
http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=213380&title=Strip-Maul

International Law Seldom Newsworthy in Gaza War - Israeli justifications
often cited uncritically:
http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=3672

For a recent US poll which shows the impact of the media bias:
http://www.ipsos-na.com/news/client/act_dsp_pdf.cfm?name=mr090114-2a.pdf&id=4236

Palestine Media Watch report on op-eds:
http://www.pmwatch.org/pmw/mediocrity/displayCall.asp?essayID=336

Newsworthy and unnewsworthy deaths:
http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=3057

Video - Media bias about the Israeli - Palestine conflict exposed:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kiyyp9cZdY0&NR=1

Video - Biased media reports on the Israeli-Palestinian:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOC1RReb6gc

If Americans Knew - A US project helping to convey alternative perspectives
to Americans:
www.ifamericansknew.org

PPS: Please click on this link for an award winning video made by Avaaz
which is the kind of material that we will use to encourage more balanced
understanding of the Middle East: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWyJJQbFago

Fwd by
John Willemsens,
Advayavada Foundation.
<http://www.euronet.nl/~advaya/index.htm>

Front row at Obama inauguration (Avaaz)

Dear friends,

When Barack Obama was elected President, hundreds of thousands of us sent
messages to the global Avaaz Obama wall erected in Washington DC. This time
for the inauguration, Avaaz is creating a virtual wall with our first ever
online global community meeting. Click here to see the extraordinary
coverage we've achieved so far and join the discussion as we view Obama's
inauguration live on Tuesday January 20.

The speech event will occur from 11AM New York, 2PM Rio, 5PM Geneva, 12AM
(Wed) Hong Kong. Click below to see the hub page where we'll be able to make
comments, take polls, send Obama a message while we watch the speech on our
site, live and direct - the discussion has already begun:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/obama_inauguration/?cl=171502220&v=2704

This new president is a chance to put an end to years of failed US
Administration policy - and to celebrate the possibilities of hope. The
expectations for Obama are high and the pressures on him to stop short of
his campaign promises are powerful. But together our push for real change --
as well as inspiring words -- has only just begun. Catch other Avaaz members
online at our global meeting place as together we plan how to work with and
influence the new Obama government.

Some of us might be at work when Obama speaks, some at home in front of the
TV, but either way it will be inspiring to keep the computer open to the
Avaaz hub page and share this moment with Avaaz members around the world.
The Obama hub is already humming with ideas and comments -- we can join the
online conversation now by clicking below:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/obama_inauguration/?cl=171502220&v=2704

Movements are built on moments. And our movement for a better world has
something to celebrate with the election of Obama. He has promised to
reverse President Bush's policies on climate change and human rights, and
work closely with the global community to tackle poverty and injustice. None
of it will be possible without sustained global citizen engagement -- change
won't happen overnight, and it won't happen without great effort. But let's
share this moment together, and talk about how to engage and influence this
new and listening president.

Obama's inauguration is not just important as a symbol of hope -- it signals
the possibilities of a people-powered movement. Left to the bureaucracy of
government and the pressures of conservatives, many of our highest goals
risk failure. At AVAAZ.org, we can avoid the TV station's talking heads,
listen to the next President of the United States set out his statement of
intent and comment purposefully with fellow Avaaz members around the world:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/obama_inauguration/?cl=171502220&v=2704

Looking forward to seeing everyone on Tuesday,

Brett, Pascal, Paula, Ricken, Graziela, Paul, Iain, Alice, Luis, Milena,
Veronique, Ben and the entire Avaaz team.

PS: Tune in to avaaz.org for live event coverage commencing at 11am (EST) on
Tuesday 20th January [2PM Rio, 5PM Geneva, 12AM (Wed) Hong Kong] and check
in now to see the previews.

Fwd by
John Willemsens,
Advayavada Foundation.
<http://www.euronet.nl/~advaya/index.htm>

Advayavada Study Plan - week 4

Friends,

In Advayavada Buddhism, the Noble Eightfold Path is interpreted dynamically
as an ongoing, autonomous, non-prescriptive, investigative and creative
process of progressive insight reflecting in human terms overall existence
advancing over time. By following the Noble Eightfold Path thus you get in
tune with wondrous overall existence advancing over time; sorrow, doubt and
remorse immediately start disappearing; and your life soon gathers new
impetus.

This week's preliminary ASP subject are again the second and the third noble
truths of Buddhism: the cause of suffering, which is craving, grasping,
clinging and attachment (= trishna), and the need and possibility of its
elimination (= nirodha).

The root cause of all ill in Buddhism is, in fact, ignorance (avidya), i.e.
ignorance of the true nature of reality, when the impermanence and
selflessness or finitude of all existents are not fully recognized and
understood, and it is this ignorance which in turn gives rise to craving
(trishna), the direct cause of existential distress. Man is prone to
suffering (duhkha) quite simply because he strives after and tries to hold
on to things and concepts which he believes to be permanent, but are not.

The purpose of the ASP is that we study and discuss the meaning and
implications of the weekly subject in the context of whatever we ourselves
are presently doing or are concerned with, or about, such as our health,
relationships, work, study, our place in society, etc.

Tip: Write down this week's subject (craving and its elimination) in your
pocket diary!

John Willemsens,
Advayavada Foundation.
<http://www.euronet.nl/~advaya/index.htm>

There are many, many people in the world (Beliefnet)

Now, there are many, many people in the world, but relatively few with whom
we interact, and even fewer who cause us problems. So, when you come across
such a chance for practicing patience and tolerance, you should treat it
with gratitude. It is rare. Just as having unexpectedly found a treasure in
your own house, you should be happy and grateful to your enemy for providing
that precious opportunity. (HH the Dalai Lama)

Fw: A Fond Farewell from Lori Lipman Brown (SCA)

Dear John,

In 2005, I had the honor of leading the effort to lobby Congress on behalf
of nontheistic Americans. While my love for policy and the work of the
Secular Coalition for America has grown, so has the organization. In fact,
what was expected to remain a lobbying organization with a staff consisting
solely of one lobbyist (me), has also grown. This growth is exciting and it
is growth that I have pushed for. The Secular Coalition for America now has
a staff of six individuals, is involved in many larger coalition efforts,
takes the lead on issues of special interest, and is recognized by members
of Congress and consulted by the media and legislative personnel regularly.

In short, the Secular Coalition for America has grown to be a powerful and
complex organization in fewer than four years. With that growth come new
needs. The Secular Coalition for America now needs an executive director,
an individual whose expertise is running a major national organization.
While I am extremely proud of having birthed this baby, it is time for both
me and the Secular Coalition for America to continue to grow. For the
organization, this means finding an exceptional leader whose passion is
continuing to grow the nontheist movement. For me personally, that growth
includes reconnecting to my skill sets in the legal and policy realms, and
stepping down as director of this wonderful national organization.

As I embark on a search for my next exciting venture, my wish is that the
many wonderful individuals who have supported the Secular Coalition for
America will not only continue that support, but increase it as the movement
grows. I am forever grateful to this organization for the tremendous
experiences it has allowed me to enjoy. I continue to support the Secular
Coalition for America and the nontheist movement in the broader sense.

I have thoroughly enjoyed working for the Secular Coalition for America.
And I look forward to the future - for me outside the organization, and for
the continued success of the organization I helped develop.

Best wishes,

Lori Lipman Brown

Director, Secular Coalition for America

www.secular.org

Fwd by
John Willemsens,
Advayavada Foundation.
<http://www.euronet.nl/~advaya/index.htm>

Gaza is dying (Avaaz)

Dear friends,

Gaza is dying -- the battle is moving into its cities, jam-packed with 1 .5
million civilians lacking food, medicine or water. President Bush undermined
Thursday's United Nations ceasefire resolution, and almost 1000 people are
now dead. The borders remain closed -- journalists can't get in, and
desperate civilians can't get out.

But the global movement to end this war is building -- our petition is at
430,000 signatures and rising, it has been delivered to top leaders at the
EU, UN and Arab League, our US members are flooding their representatives
with phone calls, and Avaaz members worldwide have donated over $120,000 to
an ad campaign in key newspapers.

The pressure is working -- so we're ratcheting it up with hard-hitting US
ads pressing Barack Obama personally for an immediate change of tack,
face-to-face petition deliveries to European leaders this week to get them
to act, and working with Palestinians and Israelis to plan bold actions on
the ground. But every one of these actions becomes stronger as more of us
join the campaign. We need to reach 1 million signatures this week -- sign
the petition now and let's forward this email to all our friends and family:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/gaza_time_for_peace

Voices for a ceasefire are finally being heard in the Israeli cabinet and
media, Hamas is signalling it could accept a deal including Turkish forces
and EU monitors, but the sides are too far apart to end this themselves.[3]
That's why action by world powers is critical to break the deadlock -- and
global citizens' voices can make all the difference if we raise an
unstoppable voice calling on incoming President Obama, the EU and Arab and
Muslim states to guarantee a fair and lasting ceasefire.

This week we are lobbying European and Muslim states for a more effective
international initiative to end the violence, protect civilians on all sides
and make normal life possible again in Gaza, while reaching out to UN
Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon who is in the Middle East working for a deal
(we met him last year to deliver our food crisis campaign). Meanwhile we're
challenging contacts on both sides to think creatively and accept a fair,
internationally-overseen agreement.

We've already run member-funded ads in the influential Washington Post and
Roll Call, the US Congress newspaper -- on the day of his inauguration this
coming Tuesday, we will press Barack Obama to abandon Bush's failed policies
and act immediately to end this war, using his own words alongside hard
facts to make the case in ads, US media debates and directly lobbying his
team.

It's amazing what we can do when hundreds of thousands of us come together
arond the world -- and if we raise our efforts to another level this week,
we could help to finally end the Gaza horror. Follow the link below to take
the first step by signing the petition, then spread the word so others can
do the same:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/gaza_time_for_peace

With hope and determination,

Paul, Graziela, Alice, Ricken, Luis, Brett, Ben, Iain, Paula, Veronique,
Milena and the whole Avaaz team

P.S. For a report on some of Avaaz's other campaigns so far, see:
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/report_back_2

Sources:

1. "White House behind US volte-face on ceasefire call":
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jan/09/gaza-us-security-council-abstention

"Israeli PM Ehud Olmert claims to be able to order Bush around":
http://www.juancole.com/2009/01/israeli-pm-ehud-olmert-claims-to-be.html

2. Washington Post: Israelis Push to Edge of Gaza City:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/11/AR2009011100616.html

3. Haaretz, "Olmert ignoring calls from Barak, Livni for immediate Gaza
truce":
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1055214.html

Other Voice - Sderot and Gaza residents calling for a ceasefire:
http://www.othervoice.org/welcome-eng.htm

On Hamas acceptance of a Turkish force, first reported in the Arabic
Al-Hayat newspaper, see:
http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/english/domestic/10771766.asp?scr=1

"Gaza bloodshed continues despite UN calls for ceasefire", 9 January 2009:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jan/09/gaza-fighting-un-ceasefire

"Reigniting Violence: How Do Ceasefires End?" (6 January 2009) is a
statistical analysis by an MIT professor, based on Israel's own data for
rocket fire (which it shows stopped for four months) and on which side
struck first. It provides useful factual background for how the Israel-Hamas
truce effectively collapsed in November well before it expired (facts poorly
reflected in some news reporting):
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nancy-kanwisher/reigniting-violence-how-d_b_155611.html

International Crisis Group's Ending the War in Gaza report (5 January 2009):
http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?id=5838&l=1

This Rasmussen Reports poll from the US is of interest: Only 31% of
Democrats support offensive, most prefer a diplomatic solution:
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/general_politics/americans_closely_divided_over_israel_s_gaza_attacks

"Gaza: outlines of an endgame", Ghassan Khatib (6 January 2009)
http://www.opendemocracy.net/article/gaza-outlines-of-an-endgame

Jerusalem Post: "Israel must get out of Gaza now", 8 January 2009:
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1231167305710&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull

Reuters: "Hamas seeks truce but says lifting siege a must" (5 January 2009)
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L5111105.htm

The US Army War College has just released a substantial report supporting
the view that Hamas can and must be brought into negotiations and is capable
of sustaining a long-term truce, or even peace with Israel. Linked via:
http://ricks.foreignpolicy.com/node/10703

The inside story of the civil strife between Fatah and Hamas and the Bush
administration's involvement in this debacle is best-told in The Gaza
Bombshell, an investigative article published in the leading US magazine
Vanity Fair in April 2008:
http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2008/04/gaza200804

Fwd by
John Willemsens,
Advayavada Foundation.
<http://www.euronet.nl/~advaya/index.htm>

Advayavada Study Plan - week 3

Friends,

In Advayavada Buddhism, the Noble Eightfold Path is interpreted dynamically
as an autonomous, non-prescriptive, investigative and creative process of
progressive insight reflecting in human terms overall existence advancing
over time. By following the Noble Eightfold Path thus you get in tune with
wondrous overall existence advancing over time, sorrow, doubt and remorse
immediately start disappearing, and your life soon gathers new impetus.

This week's preliminary ASP subject is again the ubiquity of suffering
(duhkha) in the world, which is simultaneously the third sign of being (fact
of life) and the first noble truth of Buddhism.

According to Advayavada Buddhism, it is indisputable that the Buddha did not
believe in Brahman (God, transcendent Absolute) or in the atman or atta
(soul, immortal self) and taught that man suffers because he does not
understand and accept that all things in life are instead utterly changeable
and transitory. Man is prone to suffering (duhkha) quite simply because he
strives after and tries to hold on to things and concepts which he believes
to be permanent, but are not.

In Advayavada Buddhism, the concept of duhkha does not include emotional
grief nor physical pain. It refers solely to the existential suffering,
angst and regret non-enlightened human beings are prone to - the enlightened
person accepts with understanding and compassion the grief and pain which
are part and parcel of human existence; equanimity does not mean
insensitivity to our own feelings and those of others.

The purpose of the ASP is that we study and discuss the meaning and
implications of the weekly subject particularly in the context of whatever
we ourselves are presently doing or are concerned with, or about, such as
our health, relationships, work, study, our place in society, etc.

Tip: Write down this week's subject (e.g. 'what is duhkha?') in your pocket
diary!

John Willemsens,
Advayavada Foundation.
<http://www.euronet.nl/~advaya/index.htm>

Gaza: Enough is Enough (Avaaz)

Dear friends,

The awful bloodshed in Gaza is escalating as diplomats argue -- over 700 are
now killed, almost half of them civilians, and well over 100 children
dead.[1] As Israeli tanks, airplanes and artillery bombard targets in
thickly populated urban areas, thousands more have been injured and 1.5
million terrified civilians have no escape from this prison-like enclave --
the borders are sealed. Hamas too continues to fight and fire rockets at
Israel, killing 5 Israeli civilians.

We can make a difference -- even Israel's own foreign minister admits that
intense international pressure could force a ceasefire. To that end, we've
delivered our 300,000-strong petition to top officials of the UN, EU and
Arab League. But at the UN, US President Bush is outrageously blocking a
serious international resolution -- trying instead to impose a skewed
alternative that would legitimize the suffocating blockade of Gaza, which
Hamas cite as reason for their rocket attacks.[2] With leaders deadlocked
and issuing toothless statements, the violence only worsens.

Enough is enough. We're launching a targeted ad campaign in influential US
political papers, including Roll Call, the paper of the US Congress, and The
Washington Post -- the Post ad costs $32,057, so if just 1000 of us donate
$32 (Euro 24) each, we can fund it together and if we raise more, we can
expand these efforts. It's amazing how some of the most sensible arguments
and basic facts about this crisis are not carried by US media. Follow the
link below now to view the ad, and let's chip in together to get a decent
voice for peace into the US debate:

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/gaza_peace_ads

Proposals for an immediate ceasefire are now coming from many states in
Europe and the Middle East. But blocking a UN resolution, Bush's
behind-the-scenes "ceasefire" proposals reportedly seek to exclude Hamas
from any ceasefire deal and leave Israel a free hand, a disastrous approach
that would fan the flames of hatred and guarantee that the violence
continues.[3] Bush faces relatively little opposition to his outrageous
position at home, mainly because US voices for peace have not been active
enough. In a poll, a majority of US Democrats opposed this war at its
outset -- but even if Barack Obama does want to change America's approach,
it will be difficult unless peace advocates speak up loudly and clearly
first. Such voices are emerging, including new progressive groups within the
American Jewish community. Our ad campaign will strengthen their call for a
sane approach to this conflict that ensures the security of civilians in
both Israel and Palestine.[4]

To be lasting, a ceasefire must protect civilians and end all attacks --
Israeli bombings and incursions as well as the rockets Palestinian factions
fire into southern Israel. International supervision is desperately needed
at the borders, to reopen Gaza's borders and crossings for food, fuel,
medicine and goods, to prevent weapons-smuggling (which has only grown under
the blockade), and to monitor and enforce the ceasefire on both sides.[5]

Sources say Israel could agree to such a ceasefire, and Hamas, which won
elections in 2006 and now runs Gaza, has suggested it could do so too.[6]
Both should be challenged to abide by a fair deal. There is no military
solution for either side -- it's time for world powers to step up and broker
a ceasefire to protect civilians on all sides and let them live their lives
in peace and security, and it's time for the world to engage with the US in
a real dialogue about what it means to be part of the solution in the Middle
East, instead of part of the problem. Follow the link to see our first ad
for the Washington Post, donate to the campaign, and together let's raise an
unstoppable worldwide voice for peace:

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/gaza_peace_ads

With hope and determination,

Paul, Graziela, Alice, Ricken, Luis, Brett, Ben, Iain, Paula, Veronique,
Milena and the whole Avaaz team

P.S. We wrote to European, US and Arab leaders last week about our campaign,
and received responses -- now we need to escalate the pressure. For a report
on many of Avaaz's other campaigns so far, see:
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/report_back_2

Sources:

1. Daily Telegraph (UK): "Gaza medics describe horror of strike which killed
70":
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/israel/4162193/Gaza-medics-describe-horror-of-strike-which-killed-70.html

Associated Press: "Israel Shells Near UN School, killing at least 30" (5
January 2009)
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ioi_0jtO9RjMwPNRoXNCndRPRq3gD95HTJE00

Yediot Aharonot, "Cabinet: Gaza op to continue, Israel has not yet accepted
the Egyptian-French ceasefire initiative", 7 January 2009:
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3652371,00.html

2. The Guardian: "Gaza diplomatic efforts near deadlock" (8 January 2009):
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jan/08/gaza-israel-hamas

Reuters: "US haggles with Arabs over UN action in Gaza" (8 January 2009):
http://www.reuters.com/article/middleeastCrisis/idUSN08482098

Yediot Aharonot: "Israel examining international treaty to isolate Hamas" (5
January 2009)
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3650522,00.html

3. E.g. see Yediot Aharonot article above, and this from the Israeli site
DEBKA:
http://www.debka.com/headline.php?hid=5830

4. Rasmussen Reports poll, 31 December 2008: Only 31% of Democrats support
offensive, most prefer a diplomatic solution:
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/general_politics/americans_closely_divided_over_israel_s_gaza_attacks

Major Jewish lobby groups such as the Israel Policy Forum and JStreet are
supporting a pro-peace line -- e.g. see this JStreet action for a ceasefire
and end to the blockade:
http://action.jstreet.org/t/3251/petition.jsp?petition_KEY=508

5. These parameters are advocated by a broad range of experts and
policymakers. See for example International Crisis Group's Ending the War in
Gaza report (5 January 2009):
http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?id=5838&l=1

6. "Gaza: outlines of an endgame", Ghassan Khatib (6 January 2009)
http://www.opendemocracy.net/article/gaza-outlines-of-an-endgame

Jerusalem Post: "Israel must get out of Gaza now", 8 January 2009:
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1231167305710&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull

Reuters: "Hamas seeks truce but says lifting siege a must" (5 January 2009)
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L5111105.htm

Strikingly, the US Army War College has just released a substantial report
supporting the view that Hamas can and must be brought into negotiations and
is capable of sustaining a long-term truce, or even peace with Israel.
Linked via:
http://ricks.foreignpolicy.com/node/10703

The inside story of the civil strife between Fatah and Hamas and the Bush
administration's involvement in this debacle is best-told in The Gaza
Bombshell, an investigative article published in the leading US magazine
Vanity Fair in April 2008:
http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2008/04/gaza200804

"Reigniting Violence: How Do Ceasefires End?" (6 January 2009) is a
statistical analysis by an MIT professor, based on Israel's own data for
rocket fire and on which side struck first. It provides useful factual
background for how the Israel-Hamas truce collapsed, poorly reflected in
some news reporting:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nancy-kanwisher/reigniting-violence-how-d_b_155611.html

Fwd by
John Willemsens,
Advayavada Foundation.
<http://www.euronet.nl/~advaya/index.htm>

See everyone as Buddha (Beliefnet)

See everyone as Buddha. This purifies the mind of ignorance and arrogance.
(Master Baek, in 'Polishing The Diamond')

IHEU January 2009 update (abridged)

This is a monthly update of news from International Humanist and
Ethical Union (IHEU). You can find the full versions of these news
stories on our web site <http://www.iheu.org>

UN Celebrates 60 years of Human Rights: a personal view

Roy Brown writes: I attended the celebration to mark the 60th
anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights at the Palais
des Nations in Geneva expecting to be appalled in equal measure by the
extravagance of the surroundings and the hypocrisy of the speeches,
but I left both moved and inspired. Read more
<http://www.iheu.org/node/3359>

Pope paranoid about homosexuality says gay Humanist charity

The UK-based gay Humanist charity the Pink Triangle Trust has
described the Pope's latest homophobic outburst as clear evidence of
paranoia. The PTT was reacting to the Pope's Christmas message, in
which he declared that saving humanity from homosexual behaviour was
as important as saving the rainforest from destruction. Read more
<http://www.iheu.org/node/3368>

One Law for All petition launched

The One Law for All campaign, which is seeking legislation to curb
the influence of sharia law in Britain, has launched a petition and is
seeking as many signatures as possible in favour of its campaign. Over
2,000 signatures have already been registered. Read more
<http://www.iheu.org/node/3365>

Web site technical updates completed

We have made some technical changes to the IHEU web site. If you
notice any problems with the site, we would appreciate your telling us
via email . You can now add comments to most pages and there is a new
"Send to a friend" feature at the foot of each page. Read more
<http://www.iheu.org/node/3364>

IHEU welcomes international support for Freedom of Expression

On Human Rights Day, 10 December 2008, four of the world's leading
experts on freedom of expression issued a joint declaration on the
dangers posed to that freedom by UN resolutions combating defamation
of religion, and by national anti-terrorism and anti-extremism
legislation. Read more <http://www.iheu.org/node/3361>

IHEU: representing Humanism at UNESCO

Since September 2007, a new IHEU delegation has been in place to
represent Humanism at UNESCO in Paris. In a new report, Sam Ayache,
head of IHEU's delegation to UNESCO, reports on their progress
against the odds. Read more <http://www.iheu.org/node/3360>

Humanists unravel a crime in rural India

Babu Gogineni writes: Burnt houses. Abandoned homes. Dead cattle.
Terrified villagers. Ruined lives. Perplexed administration.
Opportunistic politicians. This was what our team of six Humanists and
Rationalists encountered in Morampally village in Chittoor district in
Andhra Pradesh state in South India. Read more
<http://www.iheu.org/node/3367>

IHEU joins urgent appeal to UN on plight of Iraqi Christians

On Human Rights Day, 10 December 2008, in collaboration with two
other NGOs, IHEU issued an urgent appeal to the High Commissioner for
Human Rights, Navi Pillay on behalf of Iraq's rapidly-disappearing
Christian population. Read more <http://www.iheu.org/node/3358>

Nobel laureates condemn non-democratic countries for human rights
abuses

An audience of nearly 1000 - diplomats, NGO representatives,
academics and students - descended on the General Assembly Hall at the
Palais des Nations in Geneva on Wednesday to celebrate Human Rights
Day, the 60th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration
of Human Rights. Highlight of the afternoon were two presentations by
Nobel laureates: Shirin Ebadi, Iranian Human Rights Lawyer and winner
of the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize, and Wole Soyinka, winner of the Nobel
Prize for Literature. Read more <http://www.iheu.org/node/3357>

IHEYO Youthspeak - December 2008

In its December issue, IHEYO's Youthspeak has features on Human
Rights Day, Kofi Annan, Human Rights violations, the Carl von
Ossietzky Medal, Youth Action Nepal, the UDHR at 60 and Taslima
Nasrin. Read more <http://www.iheu.org/node/3346>

Launch of "One Law for All" Campaign against Sharia law in Britain

The One Law for All campaign, which is seeking legislation to curb
the influence of sharia law in Britain, was launched at the House of
Lords on International Human Rights Day, December 10, 2008. Read more
<http://www.iheu.org/node/3355>

IHEU reports on HUMAN, Nepal

The Executive Committee regrets to report that its routine reporting
process on grants made to member organizations and others has led to
concerns relating to funding given by IHEU to its member organization
Humanist Association of Nepal (HUMAN). Read more
<http://www.iheu.org/node/3371>

Organization of the Islamic Conference calls on media to suppress the
truth

On 2 December 2008, the General Secretariat of the OIC released a
statement that is utterly breathtaking in its duplicity. The statement
is entitled "Islam, the Religion of peace, tolerance and compassion.
It begins: "With the multiplicity of terrorist attacks perpetrated
recently by deviant and fanatic individuals, the General Secretariat
of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) has noticed a
tendency of a section of the media, to interpose the word 'Islam' in
reporting these incidences." Read more <http://www.iheu.org/node/3363>

Human rights victory for Ugandan LGBTs

"Justice has come in Uganda! The shouts of excitement and tears of
joy from African transgender, lesbian, and gay Human Rights Defenders
can still be felt from the court room and all around the continent. On
22 December 2008, the High Court of Uganda ruled on Victor Mukasa and
Oyoo's case, declaring that Ugandan constitutional rights apply to
lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT/Kuchu) people regardless
of whether they are homosexual or transgender. Read more
<http://www.iheu.org/node/3369>

New Report: 'Human Rights in Crisis' on 60th Anniversary of Universal
Declaration

UN Watch has released a damning report on the Human Rights Council,
"Human Rights in Crisis". The report gives a factual analysis of the
activities of the Human Rights Council since it was created in 2006 to
replace the Human Rights Commission, which was routinely criticized
for its selectivity and politicisation. Regrettably, with few
exceptions, the Council's performance has been even worse. Read more
<http://www.iheu.org/node/3356>

IHEU Bylaws revision

As agreed at the 2008 General Assembly, draft new IHEU Bylaws are now
available for IHEU Member Organizations to evaluate. Read more
<http://www.iheu.org/node/3353>

Fwd by
John Willemsens,
Advayavada Foundation.
<http://www.euronet.nl/~advaya/index.htm>

New book: Mourning the Unborn Dead (OUP)

Mourning the Unborn Dead: A Buddhist Ritual Comes to America, by Jeff
Wilson, 260 pp., Oxford University Press, 2009, ISBN 978-0-19-537193-2

Many Western visitors to Japan have been struck by the ceremonies for
aborted fetuses, which are often characterized by throngs of images of
the bodhisattva Jizo, usually dressed in red bibs or other baby
garments, and each dedicated to an individual fetus. Abortion is
common and accepted in Japan, and as a consequence, one of the
frequently performed rituals in Japanese Buddhism is mizuko kuyo, a
ceremony for aborted and miscarried fetuses. Over the past forty
years, mizuko kuyo has gradually come to America, where it has been
appropriated by non-Buddhists as well as Buddhist practitioners.

In this book, Jeff Wilson examines how and why Americans of different
backgrounds have brought knowledge and performance of this Japanese
ceremony to the United States. Drawing on his own fieldwork in the
United States and Japan, as well as English and Japanese literature
concerning mizuko kuyo, Wilson shows that the meaning and purpose of
the ritual have changed greatly in the American context. In Japan,
mizuko kuyo is often performed to placate the potentially dangerous
spirit of the angry fetus. In America, however, it has come to be
seen primarily as a way for the mother to mourn and experience solace
for her loss. Many American women who learn about mizuko kuyo are
struck by the lack of such a ceremony in their own culture and see it
as satisfying a crucial need. Ceremonies are now performed even for
losses that took place many years ago. At the same time, culture
warriors on both sides of the abortion divide have appropriated mizuko
kuyo as ammunition in their ongoing battles.

Wilson's study not only contributes to the growing literature on
American Buddhism, but sheds light on a range of significant issues in
Buddhist studies, interreligious contact, women's studies, and even
bioethics. This book provides indispensable insight into a unique and
little-known, but growing, movement in American culture.

Jeff Wilson is Assistant Professor of Religious Studies and East Asian
Studies at Renison College, University of Waterloo, in Waterloo,
Canada.

Fwd by
John Willemsens,
Advayavada Foundation.
<http://www.euronet.nl/~advaya/index.htm>

Gaza: Call Congress now! (Avaaz)

Dear friends,

The newly-elected Congress has been sworn in-and has a chance to urge a
comprehensive ceasefire in Gaza that would end the violence, including
Israel's shelling and ground attack and Hamas's rockets; end weapons
smuggling, and open Gaza's border crossings to ease the humanitarian crisis.

Follow the link below, enter your information, and we'll connect your phone
directly to the offices of your Senators and Representative. It's incredibly
easy, and won't cost you any more than an incoming call:

http://www.avaaz.org/avaaz_gaza_congress_action

The bloodshed in Gaza is escalating. Israeli tanks, airplanes and artillery
bombard suspected Hamas sites in the midst of thickly populated urban areas,
and Hamas continues to fight and fire rockets deep into Israel. More than
600 lay dead in Palestine, including more than 100 children, and eleven
Israelis have lost their lives.[1]

Amidst the violence, more than 250,000 Avaaz members worldwide have signed
the emergency petition calling for an immediate ceasefire to protect
civilians on all sides.[2] The idea is winning the support of leaders in
Europe, the Middle East and beyond. But Bush continues to block such a step,
insisting he will only support an imposed ceasefire on Israel's terms rather
than one based on negotiations with all parties. Without a fair agreement,
the violence will only continue.[3]

This week, your Senators and Representative will almost certainly consider
statements and resolutions related to Gaza. Most in Congress feel that they
can't do anything more than offer support and sympathy to Israel and
reaffirm its right to defend itself.

Congress needs to know that it can and must do more-that many Americans are
horrified by the current violence, and want an immediate fair ceasefire to
make sure civilians on both sides are protected. Click now to call your
Senators and Representative using our easy-to-use new call-in tool to urge
statements of support for a ceasefire:

http://www.avaaz.org/avaaz_gaza_congress_action

Thanks for everything you've done so far to advocate for an end to this
round of violence.

With hope,

Ricken, Iain, Graziela, Ben, Alice, Pascal, Milena, Paul, Veronique, Luis,
Paula, Brett -- and the rest of the Avaaz team

SOURCES:

1. Associated Press: "Israel Shells Near UN School, killing at least 30" (5
January 2009)
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ioi_0jtO9RjMwPNRoXNCndRPRq3gD95HTJE00

2. See the "Gaza: Stop the Bloodshed" petition at Avaaz.org:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/gaza_time_for_peace/22.php

3. "Gaza: outlines of an endgame", Ghassan Khatib (6 January 2009):
http://www.opendemocracy.net/article/gaza-outlines-of-an-endgame

Al-Jazeera: "Arab ministers hold UN ceasefire talks" (6 January 2009):
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2009/01/20091522052418539.html

Associated Press: "Diplomats seek truce as civilian toll rises" (5 January
2009):
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ioi_0jtO9RjMwPNRoXNCndRPRq3gD95HCD4G3

International Crisis Group's Ending the War in Gaza report (5 January 2009):
http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?id=5838&l=1

Verbal Communication in Early Buddhism (Dissanayake)

An interesting article on the above:

http://www.chinamediaresearch.net/vol4no2/8.pdf

John.