Posts
Burma is of special interest to me. I support the efforts of human rights activists of the region, and encourage you to explore the various issues regarding Burma. Please visit www.freeburmarangers.org, for the most up to date information and reports on what is happening in Burma
KEY DEVELOPMENTS
• Central Karen State: Burma Army and DKBA troops continue to attack civilians and KNLA troops in central Karen State along the Thai border. Villagers now have fewer and fewer places to hide.
• Northern Karen State: Relief in the Face of Attacks. Over 200 Internally Displaced People (IDPs) fled Burma Army attacks in the area of Takawder village in Kyauk Kyi Township.
• Karenni State: In southern Karenni State the Burma Army is trying to terrorize the population into submission by attacking those in hiding, capturing and forcing villagers to act as guides and porters.
Highlites of oppression and terror:
Over 200 Internally Displaced People (IDPs) fled Burma Army attacks in the area of Takawder village in Kyauk Kyi Township, northern Karen State in late December 2008 and Early January 2009. Troops under Burma Army Military Operations Command (MOC) 1 launched attacks and patrols into the mountains of northern Kyauk Kyi Township in search of hiding villagers. Villagers in this area fled multiple times in 2008, beginning when the Burma Army launched major attacks into the villages of Takawder and Thaw Nge Der in April. Villagers were unable to return home as the Burma Army built new camps close to these villages. The Burma Army is now hunting those in hiding in an attempt to terrorize them and force them into areas under its control or into refugee camps. These photos show glimpses of life for those recently displaced and some of the relief that reaches them.
On 7 January, Burma Army troops laid six landmines between Bu Koh and Gay Loe villages in southern Karenni State. This tactic, an attempt to scare villagers into Burma Army control and cease all support for the Karenni resistance, was part of a coordinated action by LIBs 430, 428, 337 and IB 135 between 31 December, 2008, and 10 January, 2009. Just prior to this action, in early December, Burma Army soldiers from LIB 337 captured the pastor of Pa Hoe village and two boys from Ka Waw Soe village. They forced them to guide the soldiers during an attack and were later released. During these sweeps for displaced communities and resistance soldiers in January, the Burma Army also laid numerous landmines, and forced villagers to provide food for the troops. In one case, on 6 January, every family from Bu Koh village was forced to give 10 cans of rice to the Burma Army soldiers. The Burma Army remains active in this area.
The Free Burma Ranger’s (FBR) mission is to provide hope, help and love to internally displaced people inside Burma, regardless of ethnicity or religion. Using a network of indigenous field teams, FBR reports on human rights abuses, casualties and the humanitarian needs of people who are under the oppression of the Burma Army. FBR provides medical, spiritual and educational resources for IDP communities as they struggle to survive Burmese military attacks.
For more information, please visit www.freeburmarangers.org
Monday, January 19, 2009
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Music as ministry and service
I like to announce to my readers (whomever they may be) that I have acquired my doctorate of divinity and certificate4e in spiritual counseling. I believe that music is one of the most affective spiritual activities of humanity. Through music, we can achieve higher states of consciousness and spiritual awareness. Music can induce an integrated state of being, combined with meditation.
So perhaps music can be considered a pure form of ministry, and as a minister of spiritual humanism, I can say there is no greater tool than music to achieve these higher states of being. Through music I can be in communion with my God and the community I serve.
So if you want to have an alternative vision and life, then visit me at www.cyberbsolutions.net and follow the instructions to become a member. I will not be spamming you with a bunch of newsletter items or even provide you with a series of email messages. Instead, I am availing myself to help you seek your own answers for critical life questions. And you may even share answers which may help someone else. In all though I encourage you to seek within yourself answers to universal questions, rather than accept blindly 'canned' answers and if you want and feel it necessary to share with others, you can email me and share your visions and revelations. So rock and roll forever and keep the beat going.
So perhaps music can be considered a pure form of ministry, and as a minister of spiritual humanism, I can say there is no greater tool than music to achieve these higher states of being. Through music I can be in communion with my God and the community I serve.
So if you want to have an alternative vision and life, then visit me at www.cyberbsolutions.net and follow the instructions to become a member. I will not be spamming you with a bunch of newsletter items or even provide you with a series of email messages. Instead, I am availing myself to help you seek your own answers for critical life questions. And you may even share answers which may help someone else. In all though I encourage you to seek within yourself answers to universal questions, rather than accept blindly 'canned' answers and if you want and feel it necessary to share with others, you can email me and share your visions and revelations. So rock and roll forever and keep the beat going.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
The Human Rights of Migrants and Their Families Protection, Not Violation
On 4 December 2000, the General Assembly, taking into account the large and increasing number of migrants in the world, proclaimed 18 December International Migrants Day (resolution 55/93). On that day, in 1990, the Assembly adopted the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families (resolution 45/158).
Member States, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations are invited to observe International Migrants Day through the dissemination of information on the human rights and fundamental freedoms of migrants, and through the sharing of experiences and the design of actions to ensure their protection.
For Immediate Release
Contact: Janvieve Williams Comrie, 404 610 2807
The Human Rights of Migrants and Their Families
Protection, Not Violation
The problems faced by migrant workers and their families in the United States, both documented and undocumented, have become more acute the past several years. One of the nations most vulnerable populations, migrants have little or no representation in government and are often scapegoated in times of insecurity. The current economic crisis has created conditions that are ripe for exploitation and abuse; hate crimes and discrimination against communities perceived as immigrant are on the rise. On International Migrants Day, the US Human Rights Network calls upon federal, state and local governments and agencies across the U.S. to recognize, uphold and protect the human rights of migrants and their families. Recent studies estimate that about 36 million foreign nationals reside in the U.S., as many as 20 million of whom are undocumented. Though research consistently shows that migrants provide a net economic benefit to their communities, demagogues have pursued a campaign of fear and loathing against them, blaming migrants for a host of social ills. Officials have done their bidding by passing restrictive and punitive policies and laws that often violate international human rights standards.
Migrants and their families have been increasingly denied access to basic human services, including housing, health care and education. Migrant workers who attempt to enforce wage and other employment laws or form unions have been targeted for harassment, including arrest and raids by immigration authorities. The longstanding exploitation of migrant laborers, especially farmworkers, continues unabated. As borders have become militarized, migrant communities have been subject to racial profiling in the form of arbitrary stops and searches. Families have been torn apart by inflexible immigration policies and procedures. There is ample evidence of poor and inhumane conditions in immigrant detention facilities, including overcrowding, lack of legal counsel, and the denial of access to life-saving medical care.
Moreover, laws and policies affecting migrants vary wildly from state to state and community to community, creating an inconsistent and confusing tangle with no moral or philosophical foundation. It is time for a new administration and Congress to to adopt immigration laws, policies and programs that use a human rights perspective. The International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families, adopted by the United Nations in 1990 but not yet ratified by the U.S., offers a roadmap for a new approach, one that federal, state and local officials would do well to employ.
Advocacy groups and migrant communities themselves have been partnering to end these and other human rights abuses, but their voices have been largely ignored in an irrational climate. The observation of International Migrants Day compels everyone involved in the advancement of human rights throughout the world to speak out in support of the rights of migrants and their families in the U.S., and to insist that the fundamental rights guaranteed to all people apply equally to the most marginalized and powerless regardless of their economic or political status. To do anything less is to be complicit in their plight.
Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights on the human rights of migrants, Read Press Release on his visit to the United States
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Congrats to the New Pres.
The following is of two parts. First, an important press release from Human Rights First. If any of you are formally connected to tjhe pres, and have any questions you may Krista Minteer regarding this press release. The second is my own message to President Barack Obama. which can be found at http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/blog/robertmills
For Immediate Release: November 5, 2008
img
Krista Minteer (212) 845-5207
HRF Calls on President Elect Obama to Make Restoring U.S. Commitment to Human Rights a Top Priority
New York, NY - The new administration will have its work cut out to restore the United States to a position of leadership in promoting and defending human rights, said a leading human rights group.
"The erosion of human rights protections in the United States in the aftermath of September 11th has had a profound impact on human rights standards around the world," said Elisa Massimino, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of Human Rights First. "We urge President-elect Obama promptly to turn the page on the policies of torture and other abuse that have deprived the United States of its ability to lead on human rights for the past seven years."
In the course of his campaign, President-elect Obama called for an end to the Bush administration's policies sanctioning official cruelty, rendition, and prolonged detention without charge or trial. He has committed to closing the Guantanamo detention camp and reviewing the cases of the prisoners held there. During the primary season, President-Elect Obama met with a group of retired senior military leaders, convened by Human Rights First, to discuss the role of the next Commander in Chief in ensuring that interrogation and prisoner treatment policies are consistent with the welfare of the military and with American laws, values and interests.
Human Rights First has issued two blueprints for the next administration to chart a return to the rule of law, each setting forth a detailed, multi-stage strategy for addressing some of the most pressing human issues President-elect Obama will face. The two blueprints, How to Close Guantanamo and How to End Torture and Other Cruelty, are the first in a planned series, which will also take on issues such as private security contractors and Iraqi refugees.
"Vice President Cheney once attempted to justify the Bush administration's blatant disregard for the rule of law as 'the new normal.' The Obama administration must act decisively to prove that prognosis wrong" Massimino said. "The world will be watching what we do."
I want to congratualate you for a job well done. You have inspired people to make a change. It is my hope and prayer that you will be able to fulfill the promise and the trust the voters have made by electing you to be the 44th president of the United States. You were right in your acceptance speech about the nedd for unity and bipartisanship. One more thing though, for when you step up to that podium, you will be raising your hand and making a pact with the people to defend and protect the constitution. I encourage you to think deeply about that pledge and that promise. We need our rights to be restored and the constitution once again needs to be a living document, not some dead weight museum item to be admired by historian and school children. When you take that pledge, among the first thing to do in your agenda is to re-examine akk the changes that have been made in tha last 8 years and find ways to make it possible to live and feel like a free american. You may feel it neccesary to dismiss my writing this, because I did not click on being registered voter. There is reason, why I have not been a registered voter. I have felt most of my life as being excluded as a citizen, and more like a flying Dutchman. I was born of both American and Okinawan parents. Most all of my family live in Okinawa, while both my parents are dead in this country. I have a half brother whom I barely know - as we have been seperated all of our lives. His father was a n American Marine, but because we could not prove that hhis father was an American. So he was forced to live in poverty in Okinawa during it's reconstruction. Many Okinawans feel that Okinawa has been unjustly 'occupied' by the U.S. and desire the U.S. bases be closed. So I want to add in these last days before you decide to close this web site, my own feelings, hopes and desire.
A New Hope and Promise.
By Rev.Robert Mills - Nov 5th, 2008 at 10:59 am EST
So now you are President, the first African American to be elected to office. I just remember not too long ago, so many saying it was not possible for this to happen. So for me, it is a wonderful event and rekinders in me some new renewed hope after such a long period of time, when it seemed we were going going down the dangerosu path of autocracy.
I am still convinced that there is a hidden 'aristocracy' running things and that real change will be extremely difficult and will not come about except through revolution. I am a Gandhist, and belive with my whole being that non-violence is the means to bring about this revolution. The civil rights movement inaugurated by Marin Luther King was a significant part of this revolution. But he was the vopice, and those who boycotted buses, those who sat down in coffee shops and refuse to move, and thosew who demanded the integration of the schools, the many who went on drives through the south and some aqho sacrificed even their liveshave to be counted. This inspired the hispanics, the Asians and many others to fight for civil liberties and to clarify what the Founding Fathers meant in their vision for democracy and freedom.
So once again, I say to you President Barack Obama... when you stand on tha podium to accept the nomination as President of this great country, think deeply upon the outh of office and especially the part about defending the constitution. Many of our charished freedoms and rights have been seemingly made frivolous by changesi so called security laws instituted by the previousadminsitration. The Constitution and the bill of rights needs to be renewed and restored to being the highest law of the land.
The next thing need to be attended to, is to return our trops, and restore funding to the many innovative community efforts to end homelessness and poverty. This country is the nmost powerful one in the world and has the enough welath to be shared and to help the poor uplift themselves if given the chance, This means we need a better health care infrastructure, a better way to deliver transportation to those who cannot afford having a car, a better way to empower communities to lift themselves out of poverty. This not only means restoring Welfare programs, but also provide more opportunities for the small business and for the housing industry. The war in the middle East has drained many of these resources and have put us in debt for perhaps the next two generation. So the elderly needs to be assured economic security and future genearations should not have to worry about whether they will be secured after working all of their lives.
These are jsut a few of the things that has to be considered in the coming weeks and months. And it is hoped that by your first State of the Union address that you can say confidently that we are now on the right path to strengthen America and to seek an end to poverty and homelessness, and that All Americans can be positive of a secure future.
For Immediate Release: November 5, 2008
img
Krista Minteer (212) 845-5207
HRF Calls on President Elect Obama to Make Restoring U.S. Commitment to Human Rights a Top Priority
New York, NY - The new administration will have its work cut out to restore the United States to a position of leadership in promoting and defending human rights, said a leading human rights group.
"The erosion of human rights protections in the United States in the aftermath of September 11th has had a profound impact on human rights standards around the world," said Elisa Massimino, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of Human Rights First. "We urge President-elect Obama promptly to turn the page on the policies of torture and other abuse that have deprived the United States of its ability to lead on human rights for the past seven years."
In the course of his campaign, President-elect Obama called for an end to the Bush administration's policies sanctioning official cruelty, rendition, and prolonged detention without charge or trial. He has committed to closing the Guantanamo detention camp and reviewing the cases of the prisoners held there. During the primary season, President-Elect Obama met with a group of retired senior military leaders, convened by Human Rights First, to discuss the role of the next Commander in Chief in ensuring that interrogation and prisoner treatment policies are consistent with the welfare of the military and with American laws, values and interests.
Human Rights First has issued two blueprints for the next administration to chart a return to the rule of law, each setting forth a detailed, multi-stage strategy for addressing some of the most pressing human issues President-elect Obama will face. The two blueprints, How to Close Guantanamo and How to End Torture and Other Cruelty, are the first in a planned series, which will also take on issues such as private security contractors and Iraqi refugees.
"Vice President Cheney once attempted to justify the Bush administration's blatant disregard for the rule of law as 'the new normal.' The Obama administration must act decisively to prove that prognosis wrong" Massimino said. "The world will be watching what we do."
I want to congratualate you for a job well done. You have inspired people to make a change. It is my hope and prayer that you will be able to fulfill the promise and the trust the voters have made by electing you to be the 44th president of the United States. You were right in your acceptance speech about the nedd for unity and bipartisanship. One more thing though, for when you step up to that podium, you will be raising your hand and making a pact with the people to defend and protect the constitution. I encourage you to think deeply about that pledge and that promise. We need our rights to be restored and the constitution once again needs to be a living document, not some dead weight museum item to be admired by historian and school children. When you take that pledge, among the first thing to do in your agenda is to re-examine akk the changes that have been made in tha last 8 years and find ways to make it possible to live and feel like a free american. You may feel it neccesary to dismiss my writing this, because I did not click on being registered voter. There is reason, why I have not been a registered voter. I have felt most of my life as being excluded as a citizen, and more like a flying Dutchman. I was born of both American and Okinawan parents. Most all of my family live in Okinawa, while both my parents are dead in this country. I have a half brother whom I barely know - as we have been seperated all of our lives. His father was a n American Marine, but because we could not prove that hhis father was an American. So he was forced to live in poverty in Okinawa during it's reconstruction. Many Okinawans feel that Okinawa has been unjustly 'occupied' by the U.S. and desire the U.S. bases be closed. So I want to add in these last days before you decide to close this web site, my own feelings, hopes and desire.
A New Hope and Promise.
By Rev.Robert Mills - Nov 5th, 2008 at 10:59 am EST
So now you are President, the first African American to be elected to office. I just remember not too long ago, so many saying it was not possible for this to happen. So for me, it is a wonderful event and rekinders in me some new renewed hope after such a long period of time, when it seemed we were going going down the dangerosu path of autocracy.
I am still convinced that there is a hidden 'aristocracy' running things and that real change will be extremely difficult and will not come about except through revolution. I am a Gandhist, and belive with my whole being that non-violence is the means to bring about this revolution. The civil rights movement inaugurated by Marin Luther King was a significant part of this revolution. But he was the vopice, and those who boycotted buses, those who sat down in coffee shops and refuse to move, and thosew who demanded the integration of the schools, the many who went on drives through the south and some aqho sacrificed even their liveshave to be counted. This inspired the hispanics, the Asians and many others to fight for civil liberties and to clarify what the Founding Fathers meant in their vision for democracy and freedom.
So once again, I say to you President Barack Obama... when you stand on tha podium to accept the nomination as President of this great country, think deeply upon the outh of office and especially the part about defending the constitution. Many of our charished freedoms and rights have been seemingly made frivolous by changesi so called security laws instituted by the previousadminsitration. The Constitution and the bill of rights needs to be renewed and restored to being the highest law of the land.
The next thing need to be attended to, is to return our trops, and restore funding to the many innovative community efforts to end homelessness and poverty. This country is the nmost powerful one in the world and has the enough welath to be shared and to help the poor uplift themselves if given the chance, This means we need a better health care infrastructure, a better way to deliver transportation to those who cannot afford having a car, a better way to empower communities to lift themselves out of poverty. This not only means restoring Welfare programs, but also provide more opportunities for the small business and for the housing industry. The war in the middle East has drained many of these resources and have put us in debt for perhaps the next two generation. So the elderly needs to be assured economic security and future genearations should not have to worry about whether they will be secured after working all of their lives.
These are jsut a few of the things that has to be considered in the coming weeks and months. And it is hoped that by your first State of the Union address that you can say confidently that we are now on the right path to strengthen America and to seek an end to poverty and homelessness, and that All Americans can be positive of a secure future.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Global crisis equals global revolution
If you cross reference these three articles, and then take in account President Bush making the observation today that we are 'in a serious financial situation' - Is it no wonder then, should a widespread revolt? You cannot create a stop gap solution with a welfare program for the rich.
If you cross reference these three articles, and then take in account President Bush making the observation today that we are 'in a serious financial situation' - Is it no wonder then, should a widespread revolt? You cannot create a stop gap solution with a welfare program for the rich.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/oneworld/20081016/wl_oneworld/world3580301224199480
news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080918/ap_on_re_us/tent_cities [yahoo.com]
hubpages.com/hub/Protests-on-Wall-Street---what-the-news-media-isnt-showing
The right wing, conservative Bush agenda is basically aiming to entrench the rich into an elitist 'boys club' cult who want the entire global community to be dependent upon them. It is the encroachment of fascism, and the masses need to hit the street and show these cronies of Bushites we ain't taking no more.
If you cross reference these three articles, and then take in account President Bush making the observation today that we are 'in a serious financial situation' - Is it no wonder then, should a widespread revolt? You cannot create a stop gap solution with a welfare program for the rich.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/oneworld/20081016/wl_oneworld/world3580301224199480
news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080918/ap_on_re_us/tent_cities [yahoo.com]
hubpages.com/hub/Protests-on-Wall-Street---what-the-news-media-isnt-showing
The right wing, conservative Bush agenda is basically aiming to entrench the rich into an elitist 'boys club' cult who want the entire global community to be dependent upon them. It is the encroachment of fascism, and the masses need to hit the street and show these cronies of Bushites we ain't taking no more.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Full Moon Festival in Okinawa
Haisai Gusuyo...Greetings Everyone,
Every year, community organizers in Okinawa hold at least one Mangetsu
Matsuri (Full-Moon Festival) that consists of a mixed arts festival all
centered around the theme of peace and demilitarization.
This year they will be hosting another festival on the beach at Henoko
Bay- the site of the highly contested military port construction on
pristine reef and breeding grounds of endangered species, as community
proclamation of their wishes for peace and disarmament. In the past,
some festivals have been held simultaneously in conjunction with peace
organizers in Korea, rallying around similar themes of peace,
demilitarization and celebration of life through the expression of the
arts. The time is now for peacemakers in Hawai`i to join in this
collective humanity aspiration for world peace and the demilitarization
of our various social systems.
Some peaceseeking local Uchinanchu (Okinawans) will be gathering this
Sunday, October 12 around 7pm in Manoa at a private residence to be
filmed sharing messages of solidarity between Hawai`i and Okinawa, and
our collective aspirations for peace and demilitarization. It is our
hope to organize a joint Full-Moon festival in O`ahu in the near
future. However this year, due to a lack of immediate time and
resources, we will be sending a "video postcard" to be shown at next
month's Mangetsu Matsuri in Henoko, Okinawa. If you would like to take
part in this effort and share a short message of solidarity with the
people of Okinawa, you are welcome to share in this impromtu filming.
Please respond to this email (dok@riseup.net) or call: pete @782-0023.
Yuimaaru/Laulima/ Solidarity,
pete
For some background, full-moon watching is an old tradition in Okinawa,
when people would gather to socialize and admire the beauty of the
full-moon during complimentary seasons. These festivals are founded on
tradition, but extended to the humbling awareness that we human beings
regardless of geography live under the same moon, a metaphor for our
interdependence and the primacy of our relations- and collective
survival. The spirit of the festival is building international
solidarity towards our collective humanity and needs for social justice
to achieve peace and true human security.
Every year, community organizers in Okinawa hold at least one Mangetsu
Matsuri (Full-Moon Festival) that consists of a mixed arts festival all
centered around the theme of peace and demilitarization.
This year they will be hosting another festival on the beach at Henoko
Bay- the site of the highly contested military port construction on
pristine reef and breeding grounds of endangered species, as community
proclamation of their wishes for peace and disarmament. In the past,
some festivals have been held simultaneously in conjunction with peace
organizers in Korea, rallying around similar themes of peace,
demilitarization and celebration of life through the expression of the
arts. The time is now for peacemakers in Hawai`i to join in this
collective humanity aspiration for world peace and the demilitarization
of our various social systems.
Some peaceseeking local Uchinanchu (Okinawans) will be gathering this
Sunday, October 12 around 7pm in Manoa at a private residence to be
filmed sharing messages of solidarity between Hawai`i and Okinawa, and
our collective aspirations for peace and demilitarization. It is our
hope to organize a joint Full-Moon festival in O`ahu in the near
future. However this year, due to a lack of immediate time and
resources, we will be sending a "video postcard" to be shown at next
month's Mangetsu Matsuri in Henoko, Okinawa. If you would like to take
part in this effort and share a short message of solidarity with the
people of Okinawa, you are welcome to share in this impromtu filming.
Please respond to this email (dok@riseup.net) or call: pete @782-0023.
Yuimaaru/Laulima/ Solidarity,
pete
For some background, full-moon watching is an old tradition in Okinawa,
when people would gather to socialize and admire the beauty of the
full-moon during complimentary seasons. These festivals are founded on
tradition, but extended to the humbling awareness that we human beings
regardless of geography live under the same moon, a metaphor for our
interdependence and the primacy of our relations- and collective
survival. The spirit of the festival is building international
solidarity towards our collective humanity and needs for social justice
to achieve peace and true human security.
Full Moon Festival in Okinawa
Haisai Gusuyo...Greetings Everyone,
Every year, community organizers in Okinawa hold at least one Mangetsu
Matsuri (Full-Moon Festival) that consists of a mixed arts festival all
centered around the theme of peace and demilitarization.
This year they will be hosting another festival on the beach at Henoko
Bay- the site of the highly contested military port construction on
pristine reef and breeding grounds of endangered species, as community
proclamation of their wishes for peace and disarmament. In the past,
some festivals have been held simultaneously in conjunction with peace
organizers in Korea, rallying around similar themes of peace,
demilitarization and celebration of life through the expression of the
arts. The time is now for peacemakers in Hawai`i to join in this
collective humanity aspiration for world peace and the demilitarization
of our various social systems.
Some peaceseeking local Uchinanchu (Okinawans) will be gathering this
Sunday, October 12 around 7pm in Manoa at a private residence to be
filmed sharing messages of solidarity between Hawai`i and Okinawa, and
our collective aspirations for peace and demilitarization. It is our
hope to organize a joint Full-Moon festival in O`ahu in the near
future. However this year, due to a lack of immediate time and
resources, we will be sending a "video postcard" to be shown at next
month's Mangetsu Matsuri in Henoko, Okinawa. If you would like to take
part in this effort and share a short message of solidarity with the
people of Okinawa, you are welcome to share in this impromtu filming.
Please respond to this email (dok@riseup.net) or call: pete @782-0023.
Yuimaaru/Laulima/ Solidarity,
pete
For some background, full-moon watching is an old tradition in Okinawa,
when people would gather to socialize and admire the beauty of the
full-moon during complimentary seasons. These festivals are founded on
tradition, but extended to the humbling awareness that we human beings
regardless of geography live under the same moon, a metaphor for our
interdependence and the primacy of our relations- and collective
survival. The spirit of the festival is building international
solidarity towards our collective humanity and needs for social justice
to achieve peace and true human security.
Every year, community organizers in Okinawa hold at least one Mangetsu
Matsuri (Full-Moon Festival) that consists of a mixed arts festival all
centered around the theme of peace and demilitarization.
This year they will be hosting another festival on the beach at Henoko
Bay- the site of the highly contested military port construction on
pristine reef and breeding grounds of endangered species, as community
proclamation of their wishes for peace and disarmament. In the past,
some festivals have been held simultaneously in conjunction with peace
organizers in Korea, rallying around similar themes of peace,
demilitarization and celebration of life through the expression of the
arts. The time is now for peacemakers in Hawai`i to join in this
collective humanity aspiration for world peace and the demilitarization
of our various social systems.
Some peaceseeking local Uchinanchu (Okinawans) will be gathering this
Sunday, October 12 around 7pm in Manoa at a private residence to be
filmed sharing messages of solidarity between Hawai`i and Okinawa, and
our collective aspirations for peace and demilitarization. It is our
hope to organize a joint Full-Moon festival in O`ahu in the near
future. However this year, due to a lack of immediate time and
resources, we will be sending a "video postcard" to be shown at next
month's Mangetsu Matsuri in Henoko, Okinawa. If you would like to take
part in this effort and share a short message of solidarity with the
people of Okinawa, you are welcome to share in this impromtu filming.
Please respond to this email (dok@riseup.net) or call: pete @782-0023.
Yuimaaru/Laulima/ Solidarity,
pete
For some background, full-moon watching is an old tradition in Okinawa,
when people would gather to socialize and admire the beauty of the
full-moon during complimentary seasons. These festivals are founded on
tradition, but extended to the humbling awareness that we human beings
regardless of geography live under the same moon, a metaphor for our
interdependence and the primacy of our relations- and collective
survival. The spirit of the festival is building international
solidarity towards our collective humanity and needs for social justice
to achieve peace and true human security.
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