A.Word.A.Daywith Anu Garg
MEANING:
| noun: | 1. A love song sung directly to one’s love interest. |
| 2. A composition for such a performance. | |
| verb tr.: | To sing such a song. |
ETYMOLOGY:
From French sérénade, from Italian serenata, from sereno (serene), from Latin serenus (calm). Earliest documented use: 1649.
Art: Theo Michael
| Gaza ceasefire now: Building hope for a better future for Palestinians and Israelis, with equal rights and mutual security A call on the British Government by the Balfour Project This cannot be allowed to continue: the civilian deaths and mass destruction of homes, hospitals and schools inflicted on Gaza over the last five weeks, with starvation and disease stemming from the bombardment and “complete siege”. There can be no military solution to this conflict. Only a just political solution will last. Any other outcome will only serve to foster radicalisation and violence. The toll in Palestinian civilian life already far outstrips that in Ukraine since the Russian invasion of 2022. Upholding international law – actions not just words Two-thirds of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million have lost their homes and try to survive without the bare essentials of life – food, fuel, water, medicines and shelter. Denying civilians those essentials breaches Israel’s obligations under international humanitarian law. It constitutes collective punishment, and it is happening before our eyes. The British Government needs to call it by its name, and call for it to end, now. Israel does not have the right to take revenge on the entire population of Gaza. Its military objectives do not override its responsibilities under international law. Forced displacement of civilians under occupation is prohibited under the Geneva Conventions. The actions of extremist Jewish settlers to force Palestinians from their homes and lands in the West Bank must therefore also stop and the Government of Israel must be required to end its incitement and enabling of these criminal actions. Palestinians in both Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, who have been forcibly displaced must be guaranteed their right to return home. The acts of terrorism on October 7th committed by Hamas and other Palestinian groups, including the taking of hostages and ongoing rocket attacks on civilian areas, are also war crimes. The British Government is right to condemn them as such. In line with its own international obligations as a permanent member of the UN Security Council and as a High Contracting Party to the Geneva Conventions, our Government should make clear that there must be accountability for all war crimes, irrespective of who commits them and wherever they are committed. The International Criminal Court must be enabled to fulfil its role, investigating all alleged war crimes in Israel and Palestine. Failure to uphold international law in Israel and Palestine now will invite well- founded accusations of double standards. Further, it will help create the conditions for yet more acts of violence and terrorism. Ending the slaughter, bringing the hostages home In response to this man-made catastrophe unfolding in Gaza, the Balfour Project joins the United Nations and many humanitarian organisations in demanding an immediate ceasefire. All human life is equally sacred. A ceasefire will ensure that vital aid can reach all civilians in need throughout the Gaza Strip, as international law demands. It will also allow time for success in negotiations for the release of all the Israeli and foreign hostages kidnapped by Hamas. The treaties and conventions which Britain has signed oblige our Government to exert its influence with Israel, the US and the other permanent UN Security Council members to insist on a cessation in hostilities accompanied by a huge aid operation – not the 4-hour so-called “humanitarian pauses” which force people from one danger area to another while preventing humanitarian aid from reaching all areas that need it. The British Government should join the UN Secretary-General, the President of France and others in pressing for it now. A way forward The Balfour Project calls on our Government now to work with Israel, the PLO, the US, the UN Secretary-General and other partners, especially Israel’s Arab neighbours and the Gulf states, for the day this war ends. Meeting this huge challenge requires resources and years of sustained political commitment. The first, most urgent task is to address Palestinian humanitarian needs, with UNRWA to the fore. The second is to create a Marshall Plan to rebuild shattered homes, schools, hospitals and livelihoods in Gaza and enable those displaced to return. Israel must play its part in this. After all the damage done, it cannot wash its hands of the consequences. No more blockade; no more siege. Mutual security, not military occupation. A temporary international administration is needed in Gaza, under a joint UN Security Council and Arab League mandate, to begin the rebuilding and to support a new international initiative for a political process to bring hope of a better future for all: a future of equality.That initiative must be rooted in international law, reuniting Gaza with the rest of the Occupied Palestinian Territory. It is for Palestinians to decide who should lead them in exercising their right to self- determination, without interference. A key principle must be the affirmation that Palestinians and Israelis have equal rights to self-determination. Britain’s deeds and misdeeds over decades in the region give our Government the responsibility to lead work to end the occupation by negotiation on the basis of international law, freeing Palestinians to exercise their right to self-determination alongside Israelis. The first step along that road is for the British Government to show equal respect for both peoples. It recognised Israel in 1950. It should recognise Palestine in 2023 and encourage others to do so. Twelve years ago, Foreign Secretary William Hague said “We reserve the right to recognise the state of Palestine at a time of our choosing, and when it will best serve the cause of peace”. That time has come. The Balfour Project 14 November 2023 |
Democracy Now! • Nov 13, 2023 • Latest Shows Support our work: https://democracynow.org/give We feature one of the final interviews with Palestinian doctor Hammam Alloh, who died Saturday when an Israeli artillery shell struck his wife’s home, killing him, his father, brother-in-law and father-in-law. On October 31, Democracy Now! spoke to Dr. Alloh about conditions at Al-Shifa Hospital, Gaza’s largest hospital, and his decision to continue working, as he called on people in the United States and the rest of the world to take action against Israel’s indiscriminate assault. When asked about why he refused to leave his patients, Dr. Alloh responded, “You think I went to medical school and for my postgraduate degrees for a total of 14 years so I think only about my life and not my patients?” Democracy Now!
(Photo from Facebook.com)
Today I am taking sides.
I am taking the side of Peace.
Peace, which I will not abandon
even when its voice is drowned out
by hurt and hatred,
bitterness of loss,
cries of right and wrong.
I am taking the side of Peace
whose name has barely been spoken
in this winnerless war.
I will hold Peace in my arms,
and share my body’s breath,
lest Peace be added
to the body count.
I will call for de-escalation
even when I want nothing more
than to get even.
I will do it
in the service of Peace.
I will make a clearing
in the overgrown
thicket of cause and effect
so Peace can breathe
for a minute
and reach for the sky.
I will do what I must
to save the life of Peace.
I will breathe through tears.
I will swallow pride.
I will bite my tongue.
I will offer love
without testing for deservingness.
So don’t ask me to wave a flag today
unless it is the flag of Peace.
Don’t ask me to sing an anthem
unless it is a song of Peace.
Don’t ask me to take sides
unless it is the side of Peace.
—Rabbi Irwin Keller, Oct. 17, 2023
(info@coyotenetworknews.com)
The Lord of Swiftness is a bright active card which comes up to mark periods of rapid, clear communication. This card will often represent the type of cathartic discussion which resolves misunderstanding and ends confusion. When passing through an event which is sign-posted by the 8 of Wands, there’s often a feeling of quick-moving energy, and a sense that obstacles are being swept out of your path.
There’s an important aspect of this card that is often overlooked – its spiritual interpretation. It can indicate the kind of direct divine instructions that causes a complete transformation – like a bolt of celestial power striking and infusing you. It provokes a sudden opening of the ways, a new level of understanding and spiritual expansion. Look for cards like the Star, The Priestess or the Hierophant close by in order to identify this not-to-be-missed effect!
The 8 of Wands always brings a new surge of energy and freshness when it appears. And it often signals entry into a new phase or project, which stands a good chance of success. Confirm with good Disk cards nearby, or Fortune. This is a happy and generous card, promising a progressive phase which may herald success and satisfaction.
The nicest aspect of the Lord of Swiftness is the part which indicates rewarding communication where old enmities can be resolved, where we can blow away the cobwebs from our pain, and heal old wounds. Those thorny situations where somebody gets hold of the wrong end of the stick and takes offence will often yield to the clarity this card brings in.
There’s just one warning – well didn’t there have to be? This is big bursting energy. It’s as well to keep your balance firmly in the centre of your being. That way you won’t get swept away by it!
(via angelpaths.com and Alan Blackman)
Gopal D. Patel | TED Countdown Summit
• July 2023
Environmental activist Gopal D. Patel thinks the climate movement could learn a lot from one of the longest-standing social initiatives in human history: religion. Exploring three areas where frameworks from faith traditions could benefit the climate movement, Patel offers a playbook for discovering your big idea to build momentum towards powerful social change.
Environmental activist, campaignerSee speaker profile
Gopal D. Patel believes in the power of engaged religion and spirituality to transform our approaches to today’s biggest challenges.
“If a problem cannot be solved, enlarge it.”
Dwight David Eisenhower, nicknamed Ike (October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) , was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, he served as Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force in Europe and achieved the five-star rank as General of the Army. Wikipedia
