Have you Ever been Swept Off Your Feet?

In both cases – whether the bubble was inflated with positive or negative energy – the participants in the bubble are being swept away further and further away from actual physical reality and start to see everything either ‘extremely negatively’ or ‘extremely positively’ – neither experience is grounded in reality – because the physical is neither positive or negative – it just is what it is.

And Then You Crash – Meconomics

In this little series, we’ve been investigating the phenomenon of inflation, how we in our daily lives participate in ‘inflating our reality’ and so, how we are on a personal level participating in the same principles/dynamics that we see playing out on a bigger scale when it comes to inflation, speculative bubbles and financial market crashes.

Welcoming New Life with Living Income Guaranteed

Comfort, security and nurturing are all things we wish are present when a baby comes into this world. Yet, these conditions are not a reality for many babies, as parents themselves like these things in their lives. In Pietermaritzburg, the capital of KwaZulu Natal province in South Africa, 3 to 5 babies are…

Humanity Washed Ashore

This was an excerpt of just one of the stories about the boy. Over the last few days, dozens have been written and published on various major news sites. What is more striking than the content of the posts, is the comments that are left on these articles. What is humanity’s response to such images, to such news?

Voting Fun – What does it Feel Like to Have a Say?

Now – before such increased direct political participation is a reality – let’s do a little test to see what it feels like. So – here are some mock-questions where you’re asked to give your input. Imagine that this relates to your direct reality (eg. your town) – and your answer has a weight that influences the outcome of the decision. Of course, in reality…

Showing posts with label Congo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Congo. Show all posts

22 November 2012

Day 140: Congo - Children Torn from Families as we Speak to Fight as Soldiers in Civil War

After being a Belgian colony for over 5 decades, Congo gained independence in 1960. Elections were held and Patrice Lumumba was democratically elected president. He had the interests of his people at heart and was set on pursuing economic and political policies that would empower the population after years of subjugation, suffering and poverty - instead of being a puppet for the US and other major capitalistic powers to keep providing them with Congo's resources. This wasn't to the liking of the international community and if it weren't for the then chief of staff of the new Congo army - Joseph Mobutu - who, with the aid of the Belgian government organised a military coup and had Lumumba killed - the CIA would have poisoned him. From that moment onwards, the situation in Congo only became worse. Mobutu became a dictator and after him Laurent Kabila and his son Joseph Kabila didn't do any better. The country has experienced extreme violence and a 6-year civil war.

Today, a civil war is breaking out again. Robert Musinguzi, security manager of 'WorldVision1' says: "Like most of my Congolese, I feel humiliated by everything that we are forced to go through. I feel disgusted to leave everything behind and flee ... We had a normal life; we could face poverty and many other difficulties, we could manage all with the hope that everything will be fine one day. But now we must flee. Parents and children have to hide under the bed, in the bushes or wherever they would feel safe. Now thousands of parents can’t even protect their children ... this makes me very sad."

In their struggle for power, armed groups are recruiting children to fight as soldiers in their army. Children are abducted from their families and forced to join. Here's some of the horrors that's awaiting them:
"In some countries, like Nepal, Sri Lanka and Uganda, a third or more of the child soldiers were reported to be girls. In some conflicts, girls may be raped, or given to military commanders as "wives."
Once recruited, child soldiers may serve as porters or cooks, guards, messengers or spies. Many are pressed into combat, where they may be forced to the front lines or sent into minefields ahead of older troops. Some children have been used for suicide missions.
Children are sometimes forced to commit atrocities against their own family or neighbors. Such practices help ensure that the child is "stigmatized" and unable to return to his or her home community."

While you sit in your warm home, imagine the terror of your child having such a faith - with at any moment the possibility existing that armed men enter your home and pull your child from your arms - probably the last time you'll ever see them.

There are parents experiencing this agony RIGHT NOW. And the reason for these atrocities lies within greed and the lust for power. I mean - that's where it all started. It all could have been prevented if they'd left Lumumba to take care of his people and set the country on a path of recovery, healing and peace - but instead, the 'big guys' decided this was irrelevant and that only THEIR interests were important enough to be protected.

The only way to prevent the abuse by the strong over the weak is to make everyone equally strong through equal economic power in an Equal Money system. It is fascinating how much people object to the principle of equality, considering that this is what all parents initially teach their children. The only reason the lessons don't 'stick' is because they don't see their parents practice what they preach. And eventually, instead of following the spoken word - they'll follow the living word as the living example of who the parents are. Still, we all have an understanding that it is unacceptable to treat another in a way you wouldn't want to be treated - yet, we simply ignore it because we feel we can. To stop war and prevent the possibility of any child to experience it once and for all - we have to make changes on two fronts: to change the economic system so that all have equal power - and to change ourselves so that we practice what we preach to our children - becoming the living word of equality instead of abuse. And to say - "yes, the world is fucked up", then sigh and resume your life as usual is NOT OKAY! and DOES NOT make you a better person. It makes you the evil of this world as you are in your inaction directly allowing gunned men to abduct young children from their homes, directly allowing them to be used as an instrument in war, directly allowing them to rape children, directly allowing them to maim and scar children for life, directly allowing a child to go through the worst hell imaginable, directly allowing a child to live out your worst nightmare.

It's time to stand up and take a stand. This has gone on for far too long. As the developments in Europe show: capitalism is not the answer and the ideal of democracy is currently just that - an ideal, a distant dream. We are here and we have a responsibility. Do you really want to die knowing that you did nothing to stop the suffering of the children of the world?

Visit: www.equalmoney.org and cast your vote for a better world - make a comment, join the forum - get involved. Sign up for the Free Desteni Lite course to re-educate yourself into a principled human being that can be trusted with the responsibility to protect and nurture Life. It's not a hard thing to do - just make two simple steps in the right direction.


http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-884685?hpt=hp_c4 
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11 October 2012

Day 114: The World is Our Legacy

I commit myself to refute the idea and perception that controlling/ruling/dominating another/others is a sign of power, prestige and superiority and something to be proud of.

I commit myself to stop limiting responsibility to stop my involvement/participation within a certain situation at a point where I feel satisfied, without considering all participants of the situation and whether or not I have taken complete responsibility as a participation of the creation of this situation.

I commit myself to take a good look at our countries, our world, ourselves to see what we have created, where it has become acceptable to fuck people up and then toss them to the side under the guise of empowering them to be independent - and I commit myself to work towards the correction of human behaviour so that such acts are no longer tolerated and categorised under 'normality' - but seen as what they as crimes against life - so that we no longer require to live in fear of one another of how another may disadvantage me and therefore, have to do it unto them first.

I commit myself to rid myself of all taboos - where no topic is off limits and all cards are on the table - so that, in our words, we can see ourselves and address ourselves - not allowing any points of dishonesty to be hidden in silence/forgetfulness/ignorant bliss - so that we may learn what it means to be responsible beings who are accountable for their thoughts, words and deeds.

I commit myself to stop all forms of abuse for personal gain - whether it be through direct or indirect, economic, political or military means - as it is unacceptable to treat another in a way we wouldn't want to be treated and if such tendencies come up - it is a flagpoint that there exists a perception that 'this is the only way' and therefore, I commit myself in that moment to pursue an approach of working out a solution that benefits everyone involved.

I commit myself to be open about the mistakes I have made - both towards myself and others, so that both myself and others can learn from my mistakes and I commit myself to educate future generations on the mistakes of the current and previous generations so that responsibility can be taken to stop the sins of the fathers of perpetuating the same mistakes over and over again - but instead stand up for what needs to be done to create a better world for everyone.

I commit myself to take full responsibility for my thoughts, words and deeds so that I can be certain that my change is real and not a mere pretense towards bettering myself and thus, bettering the world.

I commit myself to take full responsibility for the world so that when I have children I can look them in the eye without regret, without shame - because I have done all I can to correct the mistakes of this and previous generations and lowered the burden on the next one - so that, over time, as each generation stands in openness and responsibility of their mistakes - we can take them on one by one - and so, generation after generation, slowly but surely create a better world for all equally as one.
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08 October 2012

Day 112: Shame for Colonialist Past


I grew up in Belgium and was taught in school how King Leopold II of Belgium had colonised Congo during his rule. I remember that during the lesson they explained what colonising means and they were summing up which country had which colonies during that time. They first went through all the other countries and eventually said: "And Belgium also had one colony: Congo". And it was said as though it was something to be proud of - like 'we also owned another country'.

Other than that we were taught that in 1960 Congo became independent and stopped being a Belgian colony - and that was apparently all there was to say about it.

Now - while doing research on African politics, I've become aware of the absolute absolute chaos ruling Congo after independence.

When my sister was taught about Congo as Belgium's colony in school, she asked her teacher to tell her more about it and the teacher just stood there, not responding. She's not sure if this is because she simply didn't know or if she was just too ashamed to tell an inquiring child of Belgium's heritage.

The shame of abdicating responsibility within the problems that were created in Congo as a consequence of colonialism has led to the concealing of information in relation to it, where children in school are not informed of what Belgium had done and what it hadn't done in relaiton to Congo and what role it played in Congo's downfall.

This is the world we live in today - where we are so ashamed of who we are as a society, as a people, as a nation - that we cannot look a child in the eye and openly share about the country's history.

The topic of Congo is like a taboo, something we don't speak of, something we don't even think of - it is like it has been erased from our history books and as though, therefore, it never happened - yet, the Congolese are still suffering the bitter aftertaste to this day, hoping that Belgium will come and assist in sorting out the mess it left behind - not knowing that the current Belgian generations live in ignorant bliss of what is going on in its former colony and, really, couldn't care less.

It is easy to go and fuck up a country and then, once it is declared independent, wipe our hands clean as though 'our job is done now, we did the right thing' - but no responsibility was taken for the harm that had already been done.

How can rich nations like Belgium claim to be working towards creating a better world, when they are too ashamed of who they are and what they have done as a people, as a nation, to educate the next generations about it so that the young generations can learn from past mistakes?

How can rich nations like Belgium claim to be working towards creating a better world when they deliberately abdicate responsibility for the harm they have done unto other people - as though we can create a better world without the requirement of taking responsibility for our thoughts, words and deeds?

How can rich nations like Belgium claim to be working towards a better world when they are too ashamed to admit to their own mistakes - placing their own shame above what is best for all - an absolute act of self-interest?

How can rich nations like Belgium claim to be working towards creating a better world if they cannot look their children in the eye and speak straightforwardly about the world that they have created for them, the legacy they are leaving their children to sort out?

To be continued.
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