Pakistan

Pakistan Has just fallen into a State of Emergency after the President decleared military control and the shutting down of the judicial system, media and alike. This is apparently to do with rising opposition and terror movements, however this is extreme action by the president. Its crazy to think we live in such a peaceful country, i doubt we will ever deal with such measures, it makes note about power and how much power we allow those in charge of our resources to have. We get really upset and our captitlst system and perhaps question democracy but is spose the beauty of our system here is that we are able to keep at bay situations sucha s the one in Pakistan. There is a petition abalible to sign, this will urge countries to take action, it is our voice to those who have the power (resource wise) to do something. I also propose we pray. Strage? maybe yes, especially if youre not familar with a higher power. In situations such as this were i feel helpless and things seem hopeless it is possibly another dimension of us that may have to kick in- maybe our spiritual dimension. So we can pray that Leaders of pakistan can unite and resolve this in a peaceful way, that the people of Pakistan make wise choices in protest and that they hold hope for the future. And that leaders and people of the world can contribute to this issue for the betterment of the people of Pakistan. Do you ahve any suggestions or comments? feel free to share.

What kind of Christmas?

Christmas is upon us, well its definatly looming and we are faced with a christmas so consumed by consumerism! I wish we could look at chirstmas differently. like never buys stuff and just focus on each other, on community, on others needs perhaps, and on the real meaning of it all. We would probably find chirstmas a time of revelation and transformation in our lives and others if we really understood and spent time in knowing what chirstmas means! Christmas is a special time on the christian calander, and i believe the meaning is far greater than just a bible story. Christmas is relevant for us today because of the birth of Jesus (and the fullness of what that means) but also celebrates life and what life is about. Perhaps it is about community, each other, quality time, enjoying eachother, supporting eachother, standing along side those who are broken. So alothough gifts of the shopping mall nature are symbolic, we maybe need to shift our focus a bit, to include more of other things. The Salvation army have just put out their gifts of hope(link to brochure), these are alterntive gifts you can buy this christmas, they make a difference for those who dont have a lot (not only at christmas but at all times of the year). This is one way of curving our focus on gift & stuff buying!

Monks on the march again for democracy in Burma

Several weeks after a brutal crackdown on thousands of democracy protesters across Burma, over a hundred Buddhist monks have taken part in the first public demonstration in northern Burma since the government's wave of repression.

In Pakokku the monks marched silently, in a way described by observers as "highly dignified", and issued no slogans.

One protester told the Democratic Voice of Burma, a Norway-based short-wave radio station and website run by dissident journalists, that the walk was intended as a continuation of the protests last month.

Analysts say that the march is a sign that the depths of popular dissent and unrest are still present in the country, in spite of the military crackdown.

The monk told the radio station: "We walked around the town and chanted ... we are continuing our protest from last month as we have not yet achieved any of the demands we asked for."

He continued: "Our demands are for lower commodity prices, national reconciliation and immediate release of (opposition leader) Aung San Suu Kyi and all the political prisoners."

Democracy protesters and monks are saying that there will be more demonstrations soon, with the emphasis on quiet, sparodic, nonviolent manifestations. The internet and radio are being used to inform the media about what is going on.

The Burmese government has made a concerted attempt to clamp down on the flow of information via the web and other means, but there are still gaps and opportunities, dissidents say.

Around 200,000 people took part in demonstrations in Rangoon several weeks ago. Thousands were arrested and beaten, and some 200 killed, say activists, though the official figures record just ten deaths.

(taken from ekklesia.com)

Linkin Park- What Ive Done

Whats in a song? A lot

Thanks to a Lieutenant I picked up on the very moving and deep words and meanings in the song by Linkin park- What Ive done. Incredible. THe video also gives real context- He seems to be talkign about our world, the state of it, environmental damage, war, injustice... and then reflecting on whose responsibility it all is... What IVE done.

In this farewell,
There?s no blood,
There?s no alibi.
?Cause I?ve drawn regret,
From the truth,
Of a thousand lies.

So let mercy come,
And wash away

I?ll face myself,
To cross out what I?ve become.
Erase myself,
And let go of what I?ve done.

Put to rest,
What you thought of me.
While I clean this slate,
With the hands,
Of uncertainty.

So let mercy come,
And wash away?

What I?ve Done.
I?ll face myself,
To cross out what I?ve become.
Erase myself,
And let go of what I?ve done.

For What I?ve Done

I'll start again,
And whatever pain may come.
Today this ends,
I?m forgiving what I?ve done.

I?ll face myself,
To cross out what I?ve become.
Erase myself,
And let go of what I?ve done.
What I?ve done.

Doing it together

Ripper website.. on to it eh? here is a climate change website for New Zealand... my challenge to you, jump on and choose one thing you can change in your lifestyle.

Prevention is cheaper than the cure. Taking no action to address climate change will be much more expensive than the costs of any actions we might be considering. Taking action now is like taking out an insurance policy for the future." - Hon David Parker, Minister Responsible for Climate Change Issues.

now thats wisdom. what do you guys think about our role in climate change...? go for it or rubbish the claims?

check it out

Making AIDS history

The fight to make poverty history continues. With the buy in from celebrities and President Bush, Uganda are making huge dents in the statistics of AIDS amoung adults. 10 years ago as much as 15% of the adult population had AIDS, today the percentage is down to 5.

This is great news and credit is due to Citizens of Uganda, volunteers and campaigners like Bono.

Read about this here

ALSO! its world day to overcome extreme poverty on the 17th October. You can sign a peition, use the info and resources to shout it out in your school, workplace, home, flat, youth group etc. You can raise money, choose to sacrifice something in order to live more simply and give more to those who need it. There is heaps of ways we can OVERCOME EXPREME POVERTY. Be a part of the change... this world needs you.

Find out more here
We've still got a long way to go.