Many to Many
June 2004
Issue 88
I. EDITORIAL – Trust
II. STATE OF THE WORLD’S CHILDREN 2004
III. THE THIRD WORLD WAR IS NOW
IV. FOUNDING OF THE NYC NGO COMMITTEE
ON SPIRITUALITY, VALUES & GLOBAL CONCERNS
V. WORLD SUMMIT ON THE INFORMATION SOCIETY
VI. THE UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY-
GENERAL KOFI ANNAN LOOKING TO THE TASKS AHEAD
VII. BOOKS: "How Much Are You Making On the War, Daddy?"
and "The Human Right to Peace"
VIII. RICE IS LIFE
IX. 2005 – THE INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF MICROCREDIT
X. THE GREAT INVOCATION - in English
I. Trust
The bewildering sight of institutions and people with great influence and
power falling from grace is causing much confusion in today’s world community.
The continuous stream of revelations of human atrocities sends spasms of
pain and disbelief throughout the world. And recent reports tell of
torture, brutality and sadistic mayhem still taking place in the dungeons
of the former government of Iraq, now performed by members of the occupying
forces, who invaded this country in a self-appointed mission to free the
world of such terror.
But if this ugly display of human weaknesses, self-righteousness and misuse
of power and prestige is hard to endure, let us recall the local school bully,
the neighbourhood squabbles, sometimes turning violent, and the times we
all have let the not-so-good parts of ourselves dictate our actions.
Cause and effect is an exacting law of nature. It is also a stern and just
teacher and a provider of hope and direction.
Disillusionment with socalled pillars of society, with people in power and
indeed also with ourselves is setting us free. Free of illusions we can hope
once again to become the agents for thorough and radical change. Challenged
to face, clear-eyed, the products of our creativity we are given the opportunity
to create anew.
At each major shift in consciousness throughout human history, the collapse
of civilizations has been part of the process, laying bare the values and
belief systems that held them in place and preparing the way for reconstruction.
We have now an unprecedented opportunity to take a giant leap into a brighter
future.
Because, when science discovered that the tiny atom, previously believed
to be the building bloc of all material forms, is in fact a sphere of energy,
of life; when we have come to realize that Life is all there is, expressing
Itself through all forms within an inter-dependent, inter-connected whole,
then the time has come for us to take a courageous step forward.
Having the capability to create forms and proven to ourselves that we can
produce both the hideous and the sublime within our own sphere of influence
and power, let us trust and truly believe that we will use this opportunity
for reconstruction wisely.
Hopi Prophesy says that when the kachina of the Blue Star "dances in the
plaza", the war between the material and the spiritual worlds will come to
an end, there will be the creation of one world, under one power – that of
the Creator. The seeds of the new world, according to the Prophesy
of the people of peace, are planted in our hearts, as it is in the sky, as
stars. And as they spring up the new world (the Fifth) will emerge.
Let us fill it with goodness.
II. STATE OF THE WORLD’S CHILDREN 2004
This annual report published by UNICEF, centers around five major concerns
confronting the children of the world: child survival; HIV/AIDS; war; exploitation
and insufficient investment, each of which, according to UNICEF Executive
Director, Carol Bellamy: "poses heartbreaking challenges for hundreds
of millions of children".
In the last ten years more than 2 million children have died in armed conflict;
some 20 million have had to flee from their homes and may have lost or been
separated from their family. To these tragic consequences of war must be
added the use of child soldiers, hundreds of thousand of them, in more than
30 countries.
Education, says the UNICEF report, must be seen as a human right, not as
a privilege or outcome of economic progress: "By making sure that all boys
and girls get a basic education, we will not only give them a chance of growing
into independent adults who can protect their own health and rights, but
we will give the next generation of children a better chance of escaping
a life of poverty and hardship." But many governments fail to recognize
that investing in children’s education and well-being means investing in
a better future for the nation.
The Report tells us that about 246 million children work, 179 million of
these (one of every eight children worldwide) in hazardous conditions, endangering
their physical, mental or moral well-being; 1.2 million children are "trafficked"
every year, and that about 2 million, mostly girls, are being exploited through
the commercial sex trade. Ultimately, insists the Report, children will only
be free from child labour, trafficking and sexual exploitation when:
* Governments make child protection a priority
* Discriminatory attitudes and practices towards children are challenged
and changed by the media and civil society
* Laws are in place and reliably enforced
* Teachers, health workers, parents and all those who interact with
children know how to recognize and respond to child abuse
* Children are given the information and knowledge they need to protect
themselves
* Adequate monitoring systems are in place to document or highlight
the incidence of abuses
* Gender equality and women’s rights are ensured.
For more information see UNICEF website: www.unicef.org/sowc04)
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has conducted a study through
the ILO International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC),
which argues that child labour can be eliminated and replaced by universal
education by year 2020 at an estimated total cost of US$760 billion.
The study, called Investing in Every Child, An Economic Study of the Costs
and Benefits of Eliminating Child Labour, is comparing costs and benefits
with a view to understanding the economic implications of these international
commitments rather than justifying such action. This ILO/IPEC study applies
a model to developing and transitional economies worldwide and points out
that the economic benefits of the fight against child labour would exceed
costs by a ratio of 6.7 to 1. Although some countries might benefit more
than other, all would experience significant economic as well as social advantages.
Compared to other social costs, the average annual cost of this initiative,
US$95 billion, would amount to about 20 per cent of current military spending
in developing and transitional countries, or 9.5 per cent of developing countries’
US$1 trillion debt service.
Eliminating child labour could be seen both as a wise and ‘generational’
investment and a sustained commitment to the children of today and tomorrow.
As the ILO Director-General, Juan Somavia, has stated: "What’s good social
policy is also good economic policy. Eliminating child labour will yield
an enormous return on investment – and a priceless impact on the lives of
children and families". (website: www.ilo.org)
The UNICEF report on AIDS orphans in Africa, entitled Africa’s Orphaned Generations,
shows that more than 11 million African children have lost their parents
to AIDS, half of these children between 10-14 of age. The largest increase
in the number of orphans are those where the HIV prevalence levels are exceeding
30 per cent – Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland.
The Report is warning that in these three countries and also in Zimbabwe
more than one child in five will have been orphaned by 2010, and more than
80 per cent will have lost one or both parents to AIDS. Adding to this tragic
prognosis the Report estimates that even in countries where HIV prevalence
has stabilized or fallen, the number of orphans will remain high or rise
as infected parents continue to die from the disease.
Although almost 90 per cent of the orphaned children are being cared for
by the extended family, these households are often already poor and struggling
to survive. Moreover the most severely affected sub-African countries have
no national policies to address the needs of orphaned children.
"We need", says UNICEF Director, Carol Bellamy: "to move beyond feeling beleaguered
to feeling outraged by the unacceptable suffering of children. We must keep
parents alive, and ensure that orphans and other vulnerable children stay
in school, and are protected from exploitation and abuse."
Among the pledges made by 189 governments in the Millennium Development Goals
are, by 2015, to halt and begin to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS; and to
ensure that all boys and girls complete a full course of primary schooling.
Reminding our governments of the pledges they made, we must also cooperate
with them in making these and the other Millennium Development Goals come
true.
Contact: Alfred Ironside, UNICEF House, 3 UN Plaza, New York, NY 10017, USA,
e-mail aironside@unicef.org
_______
III. The Third World War is now
From Palestine to Iraq, the region is aflame with conflict.
Yet the need for dialogue is ignored, says Prince EL HASSAN BIN TALAL
By EL HASSAN BIN TALAL
A friend of mine recently visited a family in a
small Palestinian village on the border between Israel and the West Bank.
It was, he said, like walking into a real-life version of Goldilocks and
the Three Bears. The table was laid, the dinner was ready -- but no one was
there to eat it.
He continued through the house, eventually finding
the family on the roof, huddled together, crying as they watched a bulldozer
tear up their orchard. The parents and their children were watching their
land and their livelihood disappear behind Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's
new eight-metre-high security fence, which has been erected throughout the
country.
The driver of the bulldozer, an Israeli, said to
them afterward, "For every tree I pulled out of the ground, it was like killing
a person. It tore at my heart, but I am under orders."
The tragedy is that while they might be on opposite
sides of the conflict, these are ordinary, moderate human beings whose lives
are being ruined by governments, terrorism and the cruel, unilateral nature
of international politics.
It is not only in this deeply troubled country that
such problems occur. Across the Middle East, for every orchard that is ripped
apart, there is an olive branch torn down.
The Iraqis have watched their constitution being
changed to allow foreign companies to own 100 per cent of Iraqi assets, except
natural resources; the Lebanese live under constant threat of an Israeli
air strike; and two weeks ago, the world witnessed Sheik Ahmed Yassin being
assassinated.
Sheik Yassin was the founder of the terrorist group
Hamas. I abhor suicide bombings; they are an affront to humanity. It must
be remembered, however, that to his many supporters in the Islamic world
he was an important spiritual leader.
Terrorism, violence, the proliferation of weapons,
human-rights abuses and preventable or avoidable conflicts -- all these issues
are debated day and night on Arab television. Across the region, millions
perceive a denial of the inherent dignity that we all share -- equally --
as creatures of God, living under one sun, on a fragile earth upon which
we all depend.
So perhaps it is no surprise that the mood is becoming
ugly. In Jordan, where I live, and in countries throughout the Middle East,
I witness the growing tensions and resentment every day.
Israel and Hezbollah are bombing in Southern Lebanon;
in Syria there are conflicts between Kurds and Arabs; in the Gulf there are
tensions between the Sunnis and the Shiites. Iran, still anchored on the
axis of evil, gains strength, day by day, with Shia and other sympathizers
around the world. The makings of a third world war are taking place in front
of our eyes.
There are more than 40 so-called low-intensity conflicts
in the world today. Maybe it is not the Third World War if you are living
in Manchester or Stockholm, but if I were in Madrid when the bombs at the
station went off, it would look very much like the Third World War to me.
What must it take to move away from the madness
that is sweeping the region? The extremists are engaging more and more moderate
citizens, who are becoming increasingly disillusioned and desperate. The
blame for this cannot simply be laid at the West's door. We must also look
closer to home.
The governments of the Middle East are losing touch
with reality. While they fight to hold on to their position, the power vacuum
is being filled by extremist movements. It is they who provide compensation
for children who are killed in conflict, who provide soup kitchens to feed
the starving and, in so doing, enlist an increasing number of supporters
for their wars.
Make no mistake that this is a world war, albeit
not like any we have seen before. The conflict is not being fought by regimented
armies of men, but by individuals and by small terrorist cells on our streets
and in our homes. The human race has now reached such a point that we are
arguing the merits of killing a half-blind man in a wheelchair on one side,
and the blowing up of 200 innocent Spanish citizens on their way to work
on the other.
Significantly, neither action has brought us any
closer to ending the conflict. Sheik Yassin's assassination has only served
to elevate him to martyrdom, and will undoubtedly incite further violence
in his name. We must remember the real danger of such an act, which could
change the agenda from Palestinian-Israeli confrontation to that between
Arabs, Christians, Muslims and Jews.
Sheik Yassin's killing, like every other killing,
whether it is justified by states or by individual groups, takes us several
steps away from what must be the overall objective: comprehensive peace in
the region.
All initiatives in the Middle East, through NATO,
the G8, the Developing 8 Muslim Countries (the D8), focus on what appears
to be the business of the moment: security, security, security. I'd like
to see them focus on dialogue, dialogue, dialogue.
What we really need is a Treaty of Versailles for
our region, where everyone can sit down together and work towards peace.
Experience has taught me that it is better for all parties to be at the table
for peace talks, so that no one is left off the menu.
In this, the Middle East is at fault. Each nationality
sits behind closed doors. I have sat with them, and all agree with the need
for a multilateral security system. But when they come into the broad light
of day, they are only worried for their own bilateral agreements with the
United States. That attitude must change.
And the West, too, must adopt a different approach.
Its member states need to move from the narrow day-to-day perspective of
politics as usual and policies that deal with hard security -- the use of
the military to control borders and regimes, and too great an emphasis on
economics and profit.
My greatest fear is that if we continue to depend
on the rule of force and on power as a deterrent, eventually we will be unable
to disable violence.
We must become more sensitized to the concept of
consequences: the consequences of poverty, illiteracy, oppression, lack of
opportunity, despair and anger -- all of which can all lead to the contemplation
of violence.
We are standing on the brink and that is something
that binds us all together: the Israeli who thinks he will be killed by a
suicide bomber, the Libyan by an air strike or the Westerner by a random
terrorist attack.
So rather than fight a war on terror, why not wage
a struggle for the rule of peace? The Arabic word hamas means zeal, but flip
it on its head, to samah, and it stands for tolerance. Sometimes you just
have to look at things in a different way.
Prince El Hassan bin Talal, brother of the late King Hussein of Jordan, is
the:
Moderator of the World Conference on Religion and Peace -- http://www.wcrp.org/
President of the Club of Rome -- http://www.clubofrome.org/
and President of the Arab Thought Forum -- http://www.multaqa.org/
This article was published by the Globe & Mail, Toronto,
Ontario, Canada, 7th April 2004. OPTU received it through the Universal Alliance
website: universalalliance.orgnet
Perhaps Worth Knowing?
A Report, published by the Northwest Science Environmental Policy
Centre, November 2003, says that GE crops have caused 50 million additional
pounds of pesticides to be used in US agriculture.
The full report is available on the Ag Bio Tech InfoNet website:
www.biotech-info.net/technicalpaper6.html
IV. Founding of the NYC NGO Committee on Spirituality,
Values & Global Concerns
An increasing number of spiritual & values oriented groups have sought
and achieved NGO (Non-Governmental Organization) status within the United
Nations in the past few years. In an effort to coordinate, cooperate,
support and reinforce each other’s efforts, together with those long established
at the UN, the NGO Committee on Spirituality, Values & Global Concerns
(CSVGC) was formed in Geneva in October 2002 with the primary aim of bringing
the spiritual and values dimension into all areas of the United Nations agenda
and public policy.
In February of this year, NGOs were invited by Diane Williams, co-Chair of
CSVGC (Geneva), to meet and discuss the possibility of forming a branch at
UN headquarters in New York. At this first meeting it was apparent
that many shared reservations about the formation of yet another group within
the UN. But coupled with this hesitation was a new energy and hopefulness,
which seemed to exceed expectations and remove many primary reservations.
Contrary to each group trying to put forth and push its own agenda, which
can be the norm in some circles, a sense of openness and cooperation manifested
and over the next few weeks the new group began to grow taking on a life
of its own.
Officially recognized in March of 2004, this NY branch of over 75 founding
members was accepted into the family of CONGO (Conference of Nongovernmental
Organization in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations)--an independent,
international, not-for-profit membership association of about 500 NGOs--and
achieved consultative status, granted through the UN Economic and Social
Council (ECOSOC) provided for in Article 71 of the UN Charter. For
over 50 years, CONGO’s mission has been to facilitate collective efforts
by NGOs to participate in the work of the UN, including the essential role
NGOs played in the discussions leading to the founding of the UN.
At the heart of CSVGS is the common recognition that an emphasis on spirituality
and universal values are key factors in providing common solutions to global
concerns. This is illustrated in an excerpt from CSVGC (NYC)’s Evolving
Vision Statement:
"…Infused with a foundation of spirituality and values which are universal
in nature, transcending the boundaries of religion, ethnicity, gender and
geography, the Committee is resolved to help bring about a culture in which
we, the peoples of the world, can address together our common global concerns
in an holistic, positive and transforming way and ‘live together in peace
with one another’ – thus realizing the core objectives and universal principles
stated in the United Nations Charter."
And in an excerpt from its Evolving Mission Statement:
"…This committee recognizes the importance of connecting with our divine
essence, inner wisdom and the oneness of life. We believe that an increased
awareness and application of the importance of a value, spirit and soul conscious
dimension at all levels of society particularly at the United Nations will
allow for the finest and the highest levels of human potential to flourish
for the benefit of all."
CSVGC (NYC) is now in the process of refining its interim bylaws, is considering
possible projects and by the end of May will have elected its officers.
It’s future website will be: www.csvgc.org . There is the sense that a loving
group entity has formed; it will be interesting to see what effect these
selfless groups working together as a whole will bring about. As one
new member voiced, "Whatever this group sets out to do, I have no doubt it
will be successful."
_________________________________
OPTU is a founding member of the CSVGS (NYC). It is our most
sincere hope that this committee will become a dedicated, courageous, compassionate
and effective instrument for anchoring the vision for which the UN stands.
Iris Spellings, OPTU representative to the UN NGO/DPI and on the
CSVGC(NYC) contributed this article.
V. World Summit on the Information Society
The idea to hold a world summit on how fairly to provide access to new information
and communication technologies worldwide began to take shape already in 1998,
resulting in the UN General Assembly endorsing a resolution (56/183), adopted
December 2001.
This resolution asks that the International Telecommunications Union (ITU)
takes the lead role in preparing for this summit and asks also that other
international organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), civil
society and the private sector would be actively participating in the process
of negotiating, formulating and drafting the Declaration of Principles and
Plan of Action for the summit.
Great care was taken to see to it that all the many actors which constitute
what is called civil society were included and as fairly as possible represent
at all stages of the preparatory process. This effort was significantly enhanced
through the establishment of the ‘Civil Society Bureau’, considered to be
a real breakthrough in achieving more democratic governance at the global
level.
From 10-12 December 2003, Phase I of the World Summit on the Information
Society (WSIS) subsequently took place in Geneva, bringing together 54 Heads
of Government, 83 ministers, government representatives, UN agencies, NGOs,
civil society and the private sector – all in all 12000 participants from
176 countries.
During this 3-day summit the two documents, the Declaration of Principles
and the Plan of Action, were discussed. The former, entitled "Building the
Information Society: a global challenge in the new Millennium", includes
11 key elements:
- The role of governments and all stakeholders in the promotion of
information and communication technologies (ICTs) for development;
- Information and communication infrastructure: an essential foundation
for an inclusive information society;
- Access to information and knowledge;
- Capacity building;
- Building confidence and security in the use of ICTs;
- Enabling environment;
- ICT applications: benefits in all aspects of life;
- Cultural diversity and identity, linguistic diversity and local content;
- Media;
- Ethical dimension of the Information Society; and
- International and regional cooperation.
The plan of Action aims to translate these guiding principles into "concrete
action lines", such as connecting all villages, schools, hospitals and governments
by 2015 and ensuring that half of the world’s people are within reach of
ICT. It also calls upon developed countries and international financial institutions
to assist developing countries in preparing and implementing national e-strategies,
e-government, e-business, e-learning, e-health, e-employment, e-environment,
e-agriculture and e-science.
Among the most controversial issues, discussed at great length, was the issue
of finance and the need to bridge the ‘digital divide’ i.e. the inequality
in access to computers and the Internet in developing countries compared
with developed countries. Some countries, mainly African, called for the
creation of a special fund by developed countries and technology firms to
help subsidize hardware and software for developing countries and poor nations,
and the feasibility of establishing a Digital Solidarity Fund (an idea, presented
by Senegal’s President Abdoulaye Wade) was discussed.
Among other major issues were the matter of how to manage the Internet’s
addressing and numbering system; Intellectual Property Rights as well as
other rights, like human rights and media rights. The issue of information
security and privacy was also debated.
According to Civil Society organizations two main problem areas became clearly
identifiable during the ongoing governmental negotiations: firstly, how to
correct the existing imbalances, including imbalances in riches, rights,
power, and access to ICTs; and secondly, the struggle over human rights,
as governments were not able to agree on a commitment to basic human rights
standards as the basis for the information society. "Governments are challenged
by the power of new technologies and the way people are using them to network,
to create new forms of partnerships and collaboration, to share experiences
and knowledge locally and globally. This, combined with the fear and security
focus of the past two years, compounds political uncertainty and is also
played out in the WSIS process".
Civil Society organizations presented the Summit with their own declaration,
entitled "Shaping Information Societies for Human Needs". This declaration
was the outcome of two years worldwide consultation between the many actors
making up Civil Society and was adopted as part of the Summit’s official
documents.
The Declaration begins by saying: "At the heart of our vision of information
and communication societies is the human being. The dignity and rights of
all peoples and each person must be promoted, respected, protected and affirmed.
Redressing the inexcusable gulf between levels of development and between
opulence and extreme poverty must therefore be our prime concern."
On 12 December, the final day of the Summit, governments adopted the Declaration
of Principles. Summing up the Summit meeting, ITU Secretary-General, Yoshio
Utsumi, pointed out that this Phase I of the WSIS was an agenda-setting exercise,
where governments outlined the major issues that needed further discussion.
Mr. Utsumi appealed to all stakeholders to keep the spirit of cooperation
alive well beyond the years to Tunis, where Phase II of WSIS will take place
in November 2005, and to back up universally agreed principles with concrete
actions to "spark more peace and prosperity across the planet."
The Declaration of Principles in its last paragraph concludes: "We are firmly
convinced that we are collectively entering a new era of enormous potential…All
individuals can soon, if we take the necessary actions, together build a
new Information Society based on a shared knowledge and founded on global
solidarity and a better mutual understanding between peoples and nations".
Source: UN Non-Governmental Liaison Service (NGLS). E-mail: ngls@unctad.org
VI. The United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan
looking to the tasks ahead
In the beginning of this year UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, shared in
various statements and addresses his views as to the work that urgently needed
to be done in the time ahead, stating that it was his sincere hope that 2004
would be a year of "kept promises".
The pledges made by all UN member states at the Millennium Summit "should
be engraved on the heart, or at least on the desk, of every political leader
in every country", said Kofi Annan, adding that they should also be known
throughout every society so that people can "hold their leader to account"
In the past years the world's attention and concern has been the threat of
terrorism and how effectively to overcome this enemy. But, to most people
throughout the world, it is not terrorism or weapons of mass destruction
that is feared the most. It is starvation, poverty, unemployment and deadly
diseases, such as HIV/AIDS. And living in societies where law and order have
largely broken down, the weapons most threatening to them, are landmines,
Kalashnikovs and machetes.
If we are concerned to bring peace and security to a world riddled with conflict
and violence, we must realise, insists Kofi Annan, that "there will be no
peace and security, even for the most privileged amongst us, in a world that
remains divided between extremes of wealth and poverty, health and disease,
knowledge and ignorance, freedom and oppression. Surely we should have learnt
that by now."
The UN Charter is very clear on the right of every state to defend itself
- or others - if attacked but it is, says the UN Secretary-General, equally
clear that the United Nations first purpose is "take effective collective
measures for the prevention and removal of threats to the peace". Therefore
it was of utmost importance that the United Nations
showed that it was capable of fulfilling this primary task, so that states
would not feel entitled "to take the law into their own hands".
Kofi Annan highlighted various events in the past years, like the terrorist
attack of 11 September 2001, the war in Iraq and the terrible and tragic
and continuous conflict between Israelis and the Palestinians, that were
pushing the world community "dangerously close to the 'clash of civilisations',
which an American scholar predicted after the end of the cold war". This,
he urged, we must prevent from happening.
Kofi Annan outlined three great tasks for 2004:
- Firstly, the need to re-focus the world's attention on development;
- Secondly, the need to start re-building our system of collective security;
- Thirdly, the need for all of us to focus on re-building trust and confidence
between people of different faiths and cultures.
Said the UN Secretary-General: "Let all of us make it a priority, in 2004,
to discover what we have in common with people of other faiths and cultures.
Let us value, rather than despise or fear, what makes them different from
us".
Source: Go Between no 101. E-mail ngls@unctad.org or ngls@un.org
The Go Between newsletter is available online at the NGLS website:
www.unsystem.org/ngls
VII. BOOKS:
Among the recent books published seeking to explain, discuss or throw some
light on the issues of terrorism, warfare and corruption as well as the main
actors in this poisonous plot and how to bring it to an end, are two publications
that perhaps between them could give the readers a better understanding of
what on earth is going on.
William D. Hartung, Head of the Arms Trade Resource Center at the New School
University in New York, has published a new book entitled: "HOW MUCH ARE
YOU MAKING ON THE WAR, DADDY!", subtitled "A Quick and Dirty Guide to War
Profiteering in the Bush Administration." (Nation Books, 208 pages.
ISBN 1-56025-561-7).
A revue in UNDIPLOMATIC TIMES (2004-1) says that this book tells in terms
that any ‘Joe Schmoe’ would understand the gripping tale of how the arms
industry shapes and profits from militant policies and how grand talk of
strategy and doctrine serves as cover for vast greed. The book makes it clear
that never until now, four decades down the line from the time when President
Dwight Eisenhower warned the world of the combined power of the ever expanding
military industrial complex, has the grab for power and money been so ‘vividly
and unapologetically corrupt’.
While Hartung unveils the hidden and not so hidden agendas and relationships
between interested parties within the United States, the revue points out
that the book does not offer much in terms of a global context to this grave
situation. With a few exceptions, such as mentioning Donald Rumsfeld’s assignment
as supportive Special Envoy to Saddam Hussein when US was one of his major
arms suppliers, the world outside the United States is no more than ‘a flat
screen background’. This, says the article, is a serious deficit: "Unless
the global context is seen in realistic three dimensional perspective, there
can be no effective answer to the cry of ‘Enemy at the Gates!’ which has
been used repeatedly to reduce American debate of international security
issues to an exchange of patriotic platitudes. Unless that is changed, the
military-industrial-complex will continue to rule."
THE HUMAN RIGHT TO PEACE (271 pages, Novalis), written by Douglas Roche,
former Canadian Ambassador to the Geneva-based Disarmament Conference, also
highlights the powerful impact of - what he calls - the "destruction
industry" in the decision-making of governments throughout the world, not
just the United States. A world spotlight should, he says, be put on the
G-8, US, UK, France, Russia, Germany, Japan, Italy and Canada, which together
hold 98 per cent of all nuclear weapons; are responsible for 75 per cent
of the annual world military expenditures; and account for 87 per cent of
the weapons trade. But, says Douglas Roche, the major States - the most ‘profligate’
- are never named because they control the agenda of international meetings
where UN documents are presented, some of which are criticizing the high
military budgets and the misuse and wastefulness of resources.
We are living in a culture of war in which more than one third of all engineers
and scientists in the US are engaged in military-related jobs, says the book.
"The belief that power can be obtained and maintained by violence is so deeply
embedded in our thinking that we refuse to invest either sufficient money
or confidence in non-violent ways to obtain peace".
Douglas Roche sees the United Nations system as the instrument to bring about
a transition from the culture of war to one of peace. He is hopeful that
the growing strength of civil society and the global anti-war mobilization
that the Internet makes possible, points to a turning of the tide.
It might not be till the time of his grandchildren’s grandchildren, he says,
but a culture of peace will come.
Sources: UNDIPLOMATIC TIMES, # 1166, 60 East 42nd St. New York,
NY 10017, (UNDIP@AOL.COM) and
NGO Committee on Disarmament Inc. 777 UN Plaza, New York NY 10017,
(Disarmtimes@igc.org)
VIII. Rice is Life
This year, 2004, is being celebrated around the world, as International Year
of Rice with the theme: ‘Rice is Life’. Thinking about this has led me to
see how much I tend to take for granted. Up till now I have always enjoyed
rice as a food; and I have had the privilege of seeing how beautiful fields
of paddy can be. Sometimes the swathes of brilliant shimmering green, blocks
of energised colour, almost take your breath away.
Yet I had never considered the magic that is in this grain: how, as a seed,
it holds within itself Life with all its mysteries; how the grain is transformed
when it becomes alive, germinates, sends down roots, sprouts leaves and produces
an abundance of new seeds, more life.
The very notion of rice as an embodiment of life leads to reflection on all
that we cannot see in the grain. The vitality lies somewhere within, in its
essence. It cannot be seen through the microscope – yet it is there. What
else is it about the grain, and the plant, I wonder, that we miss when we
just look at its outer form? If we look with the eye of the poet, and draw
on the insights of mythology, the Eastern notions of devas and angelic beings
begin to make sense. Yes, rice is life, it is alive – and there is perhaps
a life, a being, which watches over and truly is the essential rice. What
a Being this would be! For it is not just that rice is life, rice gives such
riches to humanity. As a food it keeps billions of people alive. It is, and
has been down the ages, one of the greatest gifts from the plant kingdom
to human beings.
The United Nations Days & Years Meditation Initiative is encouraging
meditators around the world, together with anyone who values the power of
prayer, to use the opportunity of this special year to foster a spirit of
love and thanks to rice. And we can extend this by seeing the focus on rice
as symbolic of a focus on the plant kingdom as a whole, and of all that plants
contribute to life on the planet.
One way of linking in with the global concentration on the Year of Rice,
is to take a little time to check out the web site for the Year: www.fao.org/rice2004.
It’s worth it just to see what a remarkable contribution this little grain
makes to the human family: providing the main ingredient for the food of
over half of the world’s population (in Asia alone, over 2 billion – two
thousand million – people get 60 to 70 per cent of their calories from rice
and its products); almost a billion households in Asia, Africa and Latin
America depend on rice systems for their source of employment and livelihood;
rice lies at the heart of the culture and traditions of almost 3 billion
people. "Wherever it is grown - in the deltas and valleys of Asia’s major
rivers, on the slopes of the Himalayas, in Africa’s tropical rainforests
or on dry lands in the Middle East - rice enters people's lives as a daily
food, at religious festivals and wedding parties, in paintings and in songs."
In areas where rice is traditionally grown, the demands of planting and caring
for the crop have had a huge affect on village culture. About 80% of the
world’s rice comes from small-scale, village based farms. It is a labour-intensive
crop. The need to create and maintain terrace systems and to protect the
fields against soil erosion, landslides and flooding, in addition to the
sudden surges of demand for labour in the planting and harvesting seasons
has, in certain areas, encouraged a culture of co-operation between villagers.
The goal of the Year is to improve sustainable production of rice as a contribution
to the overall reduction of hunger and poverty. There has already been a
Global Rice Conference for policy makers, agriculturists and representatives
of the rice industry, and in November there will be a World Rice Research
Conference in Japan.
The focus on rice draws attention to a number of the big issues that dominate
human affairs during this transition period. Gender issues, for example.
In many societies, much of the back-breaking work that is done in the fields
to produce the rice crop has traditionally been done by women, yet women
come off second-best when economic rewards following increased production
are divided up. And genetic modification is a big issue in the rice world.
About 3 billion people get most of their nutrients from the grain, but white
rice (which most people eat) does not provide a balanced nutrition, leading
especially to illnesses caused by Vitamin A deficiency. As a counter to this
researchers have transferred genes from the daffodil to the rice plant, producing
a ‘golden rice’ that naturally makes beta-carotene. The International Rice
Research Institute has offered to distribute the new strain free of charge,
but the proposal for widespread planting of genetically modified rice is
hotly debated in Asia and elsewhere.
Of all the staple crops in the world, rice is unique in that its cultivation
can go hand in hand with a range of other foods. Fish may be bred and farmed
in paddy fields, as well as frogs, various insects and snails. In addition
to providing extra protein, these other foods provide a valuable supplement
to the farmer’s income. One of the goals of this years focus is to encourage
the development of these complementary foods – adding to the impact that
rice production can have in alleviating hunger and poverty.
The International Year gives us an opportunity to think about rice and all
that it gives to humanity. We can imagine how the stimulus of the Year might
result in a wealth of initiatives to increase the sustainable production
of rice, and thereby contribute to the overall goal of reducing the number
of people who are undernourished and hungry. Next time you cook rice, or
sit down to eat a meal that includes rice, be grateful to all that this grain
gives us – and to all that it can contribute to humanity in the future. Rice
is Life; let us value it.
Steve Nation, United Nations Days & Years Meditation Initiative,
PO Box 58, Paekakariki
New Zealand, info@Unmeditation.org www.Unmeditation.org
IX. 2005 - THE UN INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF MICROCREDIT
The UN General Assembly passed a resolution, December 2003, in support of
the Programme of Action for the International Year of Microcredit 2005. It
is hoped that this
will help raise public awareness of the essential role microcredit and microfinance
plays in the eradication of poverty - one of the Millennium Development Goals.
The United Nationals Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) and the United Nations
Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) have been designated the
task of coordinating the activities of the UN system, the preparations for
as well as the observance of this international year.
Recent studies show that the number of poor people worldwide who benefited
from microcredit more than quadrupled between 1997 and 2001. With the increasing
need and rapidly growing demand for financial services the Year of Microcredit
will highlight ways to help expand the reach of financial services on a sustainable
basis.
Sustainable access to microfinance will, in the words of UN Secretary-General,
Kofi Annan, assist in alleviating poverty by "generating income, creating
jobs, allowing children to go to school, enabling families to obtain health
care, and empowering people tomake the choices that best serve their needs".
The International Year of Microcredit will also offer a unique opportunity
for the international community to participate in a shared commitment to
help people improve their lives.
Contact: Emily Krasnor, Year Of Microcredit 2005, UNCDF, Two UN
Plaza, 26th Floor, New York NY 10017, USA
e-mail: Emily.krasnor@undp.org website: www.uncdf.org/english/microfinance
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X. THE GREAT INVOCATION
From the point of Light within the Mind of God
Let light stream forth into the minds of men.
Let Light descend on Earth.
From the point of Love within the Heart of God
Let love stream forth into the hearts of men
May Christ return to Earth.
From the centre where the Will of God is known
Let purpose guide the little wills of men –
The purpose which the Masters know and serve.
From the centre which we call the race of men
Let the Plan of Love and Light work out
And may it seal the door where evil dwells.
Let Light and Love and Power restore the plan on Earth.
