The Pope to speak at the American seat of government: Bernie Sanders on economic disparity as the rich get richer, the middle class disappears and the poor get poorer

Senator Bernie Sanders is a bit of a political institution in the USA where he sits in the Senate. He is an independent but for many practical situations, he counts as a Democrat. 

The speech below begins in relation to the planned visit of Pope Paul to speak from America's seat of government. Please take time to listen to Senator Sanders and the economic statistics he quotes. His statistics relate to the USA but the spirit of them is the same for Australia. The convergence of finance and resources towards the top minuscule per cent away from the bottom majority. 

Bernie Sanders asks:  

What religion condones this type of economic disparity? 

The question we should be asking of ourselves is:

Should we be asking that question of our political leaders who profess to belong to and practice various faiths? 

Tolkien, Jackson, The Hobbit and evil

There are blogs and there are blogs. There is writing and there is writing. Into my mailbox this morning dropped the latest from Jeremy John.  I have been following Jeremy John for some years with the occasional gem dropping into my mailbox.

To-day's is a doozy and I commend it to you.

Firstly, the site itself. Impressive to say the least!  Then the subject matter itself intrigues.  The topic is evil - and it is contrasted with the way J.R.R. Tolkien handled evil in his famous book, The Hobbit and how Peter Jackson handles evil in his movies of The Hobbit.

It is not a lengthy blogpost - but a thoughtful one. It is certainly a must, in my view, for  fans of both Tolkien and Jackson.  And again - the site layout. It is for blogger's to dream about.

Further reading if you wish

J.R.R. Tolkien - Wikipedia

'Sad, but not unhappy': J.R.R. Tolkien's sorrowful vision of joy

The Tolkien Society

The eye of Sauron is the modern surveillance state

Reasons for liking Tolkien - London Review of Books

Ralph Wood - on Tolkien - The Lord of the Rings - A book for our time of terror

This picture reflects the old adage: To have a friend be a friend

Post by Inside the Divine Pattern.

Is it a long time since you heard anyone preach on the gift of helping?  The picture above tells it all, I think.  The friend is not above or below but beside.  Equally, helping should not be taken for granted, should not go unremarked or unthanked.  

Sometimes the helping is in the larger things, sometimes it is in the small, unremarked things. Both can be equally important.  Importantly, helping is a gift from God.  God disperses the gifts in various kinds and various ways.  It is likely that they are dispersed as God sees the need.  It is clear though that friendship almost always goes hand in hand with helping.  As many will testify, the helping testifies to the strong fabric of a friendship.

Cultural flows: the water needs of Aboriginal people go beyond environmental flows

Post by NITV.

"Cultural Flows - Wadi Wadi": A Wadi Wadi film created in collaboration
with Friends of the Earth Melbourne.

To find out more about what Cultural Flows are

please go here.  

Effects of change in water availability on Indigenous people of the Murray-Darling Basin

Recognition of cultural values - extract from the report Of drought and flooding rains
Call for water justice as the Darling dries up

Post by Cultural Flows Films.

FIRST WORLD WAR WOMEN U3A course starting Wednesday, 4th March 2015

Geraldine Robertson​ is like a good and well-aged wine: distinctive character, stable flavour, much to be enjoyed.  Look at what she's doing now! Love the idea of this course - highlighting the realities (not the legends, not the romancing, idealising) of these events.  Asking the question of what we want to carry from these events into the future is a powerful contemplation.



FIRST WORLD WAR WOMEN U3A course starting Wednesday, 4th March 2015

Starting on Wednesday, the 4th March, 1-3.30, I am facilitating 4 weekly sessions at Yarra University of the Third Age – U3A – at the Fitzroy Library.

The website for Yarra U3A is http://www.yarracityu3a.org.au/

Experience an utterly different First World War and ANZAC Day. Come to each meeting with an idea of a quote or two from these stories that you would like to address, whether to remember a largely forgotten past or to look at qualities we want to carry on to the future. To view the “First World War Women Working for Peace in Melbourne 1914 – 1919” stories online click on the 1914 – 1919 link at www.womensweb.com.au Session 1 covers pages 1-12 from the website link; session 2 pages 13-24; session 3 pages 25-39; and session 4 pages 40-50. Also see the FIRST WORLD WAR WOMEN travelling exhibition in City of Yarra throughout March 2015. For further information check www.womensweb.com.au or contact Geraldine on 9486 1808. Class held in Meeting Room 2 on 4, 11, 18 and 25 March. Class limit 10

Otherwise I hope to see you 3.30 to 6pm on International Women’s Day, see womensweb.com.au

Let us celebrate! In the gloom of current affairs, it will revitalise us, I think. Geraldine

“Is there a lack of younger people fired with the desire to build a really new world, to become real crusaders to establish a genuine Co-operative Movement which makes service and not profit the foundation motive?" Vida Goldstein, January 1945 when she was 76


Geraldine Robertson
Tel: 03 9486 1808 Mobile: 0412 8653 10
wmnsweb@iprimus.com.au

Women's Web - Women's Stories, Women's Actions
www.womensweb.com.au
Women Working Together suffrage and onwards
www.womenworkingtogether.com.au
Prejudice and Reason
www.prejudiceandreason.com.au

Release of the Report and Recommendations: ASEAN and the Prevention of Violence Against Women

Picture below is from this site

In time for The Responsibility to Protect at 10: Progress, Challenges and Opportunities in the Asia Pacific Conference (26-27 February, Phnom Penh, Cambodia), the Report and Recommendations of the workshop on ASEAN and the Prevention of Violence Against Women in Conflict and Humanitarian Situations has been released. Hosted by Asia Pacific Centre for the Responsibility to Protect with the support of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, on 20 August 2014 in Jakarta, Indonesia, the event was attended by 48 leaders from the government sector, nongovernment organizations and international organizations from Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Brunei, Thailand, Singapore and Viet Nam.

Acting British Ambassador to Indonesia, ASEAN and Timor Leste, Rebecca Razavi, delivered the keynote address on the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative. This report highlights the key themes discussed at the workshop and recommendations put forward by participants to augment regional efforts to prevent violence against women in conflict and humanitarian situations.

Key recommendations:
 

1. Strengthen the case for engagement with UN Security Council 1325 (2000) Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda in the ASEAN Political Security Community.

a. In particular, promote WPS engagement within two ASEAN institutions strongly associated with the Political Security Community – the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) and ASEAN
Institute of Peace and Reconciliation (AIPR).
b. Continue to promote the complementarity of the WPS agenda in meeting the prevention of violence against women agenda in the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting for Women (AMMW) and the ASEAN Commission for Women and Children (ACWC).

2. Further consideration of how to engage the security sector in the prevention of sexual violence in conflict and humanitarian situations.

3. Facilitate peer-to-peer knowledge exchange on the value of WPS National Action Plans (NAPs) in building capacity to prevent violence against women and empowering women in peace and security institutions, particularly gender inclusion and mainstreaming in the judicial and security sectors.

4. Facilitate WPS awareness raising, advocacy and networking as part of R2P exchange in the region.

5. Conduct research, particularly monitoring and evaluation of national level performance, to help inform policy interventions aimed at implementing WPS at national and regional level.

The Report may be read in full here.

The above is from Protection Gateway

Great stuff! Wage equality gets top billing at the #Oscars

Can prominent Australian women please do this at our major events?!

Post by Brandon Weber.

Keep calm and be an Active Bystander

From Kiss Goodbye 2 Apathy ---

A vigil for victims of violence for International Women's Day. #MakeItHappen

8 March is International Women's Day.

This year's theme is #MakeItHappen.

St Paul's is  marking the event -

we want to make things happen for women

in Australia and across the world

who are victims of violence.

Check out the map below displaying the security of women

around the globe 

We want things to change so women, and their families, 

can live in peace.

Please help us to make the vigil a success by taking

the graphic below and using it for posters

and for emailing your friends.

Map above from here

Kiss Goodbye 2 Apathy - a Fb page from Ree Boddee. Resources for dealing with family violence - and particularly for Anglican parishes

Many Australians are sick and tired of apathy towards or disinterest in so many of the social problems besetting modern Australia.  Facebook is a great outlet.  We form relationships, build conversations and communication networks, share ideas, initiate campaigns.  A new site worth joining/friending is Kiss Goodbye 2 Apathy set up by Dr Ree Bodde. 

Ree is the spouse of Hugh Kempster of St Peter's Eastern Hill. She is prominent in Anglican circles in regard to family violence.

Violence is learned. It can be unlearned
Taking the lid off a violent can of worms
Nudging Anglican parishes to prevent violence against women
Parishes urged to welcome men as anti-violence advocates
Preventing violence against women: what works and what doesn't in Anglican communities (this document is published below - it can be read on the post by scrolling down or by clicking the print symbol, it can be printed out)
'Sexist' competition draws Anglican ire
On Google+
On Twitter 
On Facebook 
On Facebook - Anglicans helping to prevent violence against women

BP is dragging its feet on payment to clean up the mess in the Gulf of Mexico

BP caused the largest offshore oil spill in U.S. history, but it only wants to pay a tiny fraction of the price.

In 2014, the oil giant was ordered to pay $18 billion for the devastating Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. This January, its executives appealed the figure claiming it “can’t afford” to pay.

But not having enough money is the least of BP’s problems. Last year alone, BP made a profit of $23 billion, making it one of the 10 most profitable companies in the world. It’s also distributed a whopping $19 billion in dividends to investors since the spill.

If it can share its huge profits amongst its shareholders, it can afford to pay to clean up this devastating environmental disaster.

Sign the petition asking BP to pay full compensation 
for the Deepwater Horizon spill!

On April 20, 2010, the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon rig led to 11 deaths and injured and killed hundreds of marine animals, making it the worst oil spill in U.S. history.

The long-term effects of the reckless oil spill have been even worse. Just recently, a new scientific study from Florida State University showed that sediments settling on the ocean floor from the spill will contaminate the entire food supply for years to come.

This isn't the first time BP has tried to avoid responsibility for this tragedy. Back in 2010, a BP executive blatantly lied: he told the US government that just 5,000 barrels of oil a day were being released, even though he knew that number was much higher.

Now, it has lost an appeal to the U.S. Supreme court asking to pay less than what is required to. It's clear, BP is doing everything and anything to wiggle out of this responsibility.

Tell BP it can’t get away with destroying the Gulf of Mexico -- 
pay to clean up the mess!

Time and time again the SumOfUs community has stood up to Big Oil's destruction of the environment. Hundreds of thousands of us joined forces to stop Shell from drilling in the Arctic and almost 200,000 of us came together to demand that Chevron pay for its crimes in the Ecuadorian Amazon. And together with allies, we’re holding back climate-destroying fossil fuel projects like the Keystone XL pipeline.

Let's come together one more time to show Big Oil that it can’t recklessly destroy our environment without paying the price.

Tell BP to pay the $14 billion it owes 
for the Deepwater Horizon spill!

NGOs in #Cambodia who get DFAT funding are in an awkward position ...

From the Facebook site: If you don't free the refugees we will

Francesca Agosti

20 February at 19:03

NGOS IN CAMBODIA COMPLICIT IN THE AUSTRALIA-CAMBODIA REFUGEE DEAL

With the collapse of Australia’s oversees aid program into the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), Australian aid has become much more strongly aligned to the logic of security and in particular, propping up the detention industry. In Cambodia, this means orientating the aid program towards the controversial ‘Australia-Cambodia refugee deal‘ – whereby DFAT will provide the government of Cambodia with $35 mill in exchange for providing Cambodia as a dumping ground for asylum seekers.

This places NGOs in Cambodia who receive funding from DFAT in an awkward position – in that they now receive their funding from the same agency that is helping to secure the Australia-refugee deal.

NGOs working in the field of governance/corruption/gender are now complicit in Australia’s refugee/human trafficking operations – providing DFAT with an alibi in the form of small highly visible projects that give the impression that Australian aid is fighting human rights abuses, ‘corruption’ and ‘gender inequality’.

In an aid dependent country such as Cambodia, most NGOs have become complacent with the donor funding structure, putting their own short term survival ahead of meaningful political work. For instance NGOs have been eerily silent on the Cambodian government hunting down highland Vietnamese asylum seekers with dogs in the northeastern province of Ratanakiri – an action that appeared to receive tacit support from the Australian embassy.

NGOs such as The Asia Foundation, Transparency International, International Bridges to Justice, Legal Aid Cambodia, Social Services Cambodia, CARE, Cambodia Children’s Fund and Save the Children, now need to urgently ween themselves off Australian aid.

Source: https://xborderoperationalmatters.wordpress.com/…/ngos-in-…/

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Let the nonviolent Jesus form us ...

Ross Parry shared John Dear's post.

Post by John Dear.

Violence - a choice not an instinct - Podcast #1

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Download the first in a series of podcasts, ‘Violence - a choice not an instinct’. 

Church leaders can take affirmative action 

in preventing gender violence, presented by Dr Ree Boddé.

Preventing violence: it's in your hands, it's in the community's hands.

Post by Anglicans Helping To Prevent Violence Against Women.

Taking it to the streets! Ash Wednesday ritual comes to busy Parliament Station, Morning Peak Hour, #Melbourne

Post by Ree Bodde.

Father Hugh Kempster, Vicar of St Peter's Eastern Hill, distributes ashes
at Parliament Station, Melbourne
during peak hour this morning.

Ash Wednesday
Lent

Ashes to Go!
Rail commuters offered ashes on Ash Wednesday
Drive-thru Ashes
Understanding Ash Wednesday: churches take message to the streets

Closing the Gap Report 2015 - a mixture of success and failure with some backward steps.

It seems it might be about time for Australians to tell their political representatives, both at State and Federal levels, to get serious about the Australian Government's flagship Aboriginal policy, Closing the Gap. The graph below shows the lack of success - in spite of the Howard Government sending in the troops!

Coalition MPs stage walkout after 

Bill Shorten raises Budget in Closing the Gap Speech

Closing the Gap: Two decades to address Indigenous disadvantage

Tony Abbott's 2015 Statement on Closing the Gap

Bill Shorten's 2015 Speech on Closing the Gap

Below is the 2015 Closing the Gap Report

#LoveMakesAWay protesters are in Court next week. Please support. #Bendigo

Advocacy has posted previously on the protest actions of the #LoveMakesAWay movement.

Next week the #Bendigo protesters who did a sit-in in the office of Senator Bridget McKenzie will appear in court in Bendigo.  Please come and show your support for #LoveMakesAWay and the protesters.  Details are below.  You will find Dave's Facebook site here. Advocacy @ St Paul's will be there.

Below: Dave Fagg of the Seeds community is arrested. More pictures here.

Some good tips - no, not for Flemington. Tips for life!

Post by Tilaka De-zilva.

#BALLARAT VIGIL FOR HOPE TO STOP THE INDONESIAN DEATH PENALTY - TO-NIGHT - DETAILS BELOW

Dear Advocates,

Apologies for the short notice of to-nights's event.

Have only received notification this morning.

Details are in the re-published email below.

Please do your best to support this event.

Remember the mercy you give is the mercy you get! 

 The Ballarat group is part of the worldwide Amnesty International movement that opposes the death penalty in any circumstance, for any person.  Residents are invited to the

Spiritual Centre, 

Ballarat Base Hospital

7.00p.m.-8.00p.m. 

To-night 

Sunday 8th.February 

(entry from Sturt Street) 

to light the flame of justice, and send a public message that Australians oppose state-sanctioned executions.

The event is a response to comments by Indonesian President Joko Widodo that he would not grant clemency to at least 64 individuals who have been sentenced to death for drug-related crimes and that there were plans to execute all of them.

These include Australians Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran in the next batch of 11 whose claims for clemency have been rejected.

Amnesty International is asking Australians 

to use the hashtag #KeepHopeAlive

 and sign

Amnesty International’s petition

calling for the executions to be stopped. 

The death penalty has been proven not to work in deterring crime. It is a cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment and it has no place in today’s justice system.

Amnesty International has been campaigning against the death penalty for the last 30 years, and most countries in the world have recognised the justice in this stance. When Amnesty International first pledged to abolish executions in the ‘70s, only a handful of countries had stopped killing people as a form of punishment; now 140 countries have abolished the practice.

Vigil for Hope ("Stop the Executions") 

 7.00-8.00p.m. 

Sunday 8th. February 

 Spiritual Centre, Ballarat Base Hospital. 

 Media Contact: Max White 5331 2502