Deinayurveda

www.oasisofpeace.org

www.bsst.org.uk

 http://jfjfp.com

https://interfaith2010.naz.edu/

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Israel (Hebrew: יִשְׂרָאֵל‎, Yisrā’el; Arabic: إِسْرَائِيلُ‎, Isrā’īl), officially the State of Israel (Hebrew: מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל (help·info), Medīnat Yisrā’el; Arabic: دَوْلَةُ إِسْرَائِيلَ‎, Dawlat Isrā’īl), is a parliamentary republic in the Middle East located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Lebanon in the north, Syria in the northeast, Jordan and the West Bank in the east, the Gaza Strip and Egypt on the southwest, and contains geographically diverse features within its relatively small area. Israel is the world’s only predominantly Jewish state, with a population estimated in May 2010 to be 7,602,400 people,of whom 6,051,000 are Jews. Arab citizens of Israel form the country’s second-largest ethnic group, which includes Muslims, Christians, Druze, and Samaritans. According to the May 2010 population estimate these people number 1,551,400, including nearly 300,000 non-Citizens living in East Jerusalem. Read more: >HERE <

Palestine (Greek: Παλαιστίνη, Palaistinē; Latin: Palaestina; the Hebrew name Peleshet (פלשת Pəléshseth); also פלשׂתינה, Palestina; Arabic: فلسطين‎Filasṭīn, Falasṭīn, Filisṭīn) is a conventional name used, among others, to describe a geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands. As a geographic term, Palestine can refer to “ancient Palestine,” an area that today includes Israel and the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories, as well as part of Jordan, and some of both Lebanon and Syria.In classical or contemporary terms, it is also the common name for the area west of the Jordan River. The boundaries of two new states were laid down within the territory of the British Mandate, Palestine and Transjordan.Other terms for the same area include Canaan, Zion, the Land of Israel, and the Holy Land. Read More: > HERE <

The Bedouin (from the Arabic badawī (بدوي), pl. badū) are a part of the predominantly desert-dwelling Arab ethnic group, where Arab Ethnicity is divided into three lifestyles, of the Urban, rural and Nomad people. Bedouins traditionally had strong honor codes, and traditional systems of justice dispensation in Bedouin society typically revolved around such codes. The bisha’a, or ordeal by fire, is a well-known Bedouin practice of lie detection. See also: Honor codes of the Bedouin, Bedouin systems of justice. Bedouins are well known for practicing folk music, folk dance and folk poetry. See also: Bedouin music, Ardha, Ghinnawa. Read More: > HERE <

The British Shalom-Salaam Trust (BSST) is a Jewish grant-giving initiative created in response to the humanitarian crisis in the Middle East. BSST supports projects both within Israel’s 1967 borders (the ‘Green Line’) and the Occupied Territories. We work closely with Palestinians and Israeli Jews committed to a just resolution of the conflict in Israel/Palestine based on equality and mutual respect.

During the financial year 2009-10, BSST gave financial support to 27 very varied organisations, including to the St John’s Eye Hospital in Jerusalem for emergency detached retina surgery for patients injured in the assault on Gaza; Bustan Qaraaqa, a grassroots environmental movement in the Palestinian territories which addresses the problem of water shortage, food insecurity and waste management; Jama’ah Leadership Development and Community Empowerment group; the Jenin Cultural centre; Sadaka-Reut community in Action Programme; and the Villages Group school transportation for children of the South Hebron Area.

The projects and the activists especially the women in health and development work that we support represent a roll call of hope. They remind us that, even in these devastating times, there are still many in Israel and Palestine striving to find ways to build bridges, to live peacefully and productively in a shared humanity.

JNews promotes understanding and stimulates critical debate about Israel and Palestine among British Jews and the broader public as a contribution to promoting peace with justice for all in the region.

• JNews believes that disseminating a range of viewpoints broader than that offered by most Jewish and Israeli organizations will benefit Palestinians and Israelis.
• JNews supports the human rights of both Israelis and Palestinians and believes the two are intertwined.
• JNews believes in the application of the universal principles of social justice and human rights as the path to a just and comprehensive solution to the conflict.

Small but hopeful: Israeli-Palestinian projects in the southern Hebron hills. Israeli and Palestinian volunteers create concrete alternatives for education and energy

The separation barrier and the proximity of settlements to Palestinian villages cause serious disruptions to the daily lives of Palestinians.  The situation is particularly acute for schoolchildren, who have to negotiate long circuitous routes to school as well as suffering settler violence. Many schoolchildren have stopped attending school because of these problems.

The Villages Group, a group of Jewish Israeli volunteers and Palestinian partners, decided to set up a school transportation system for children attending a new elementary school, Al-Massafer, belonging to the Palestinian community of Al-Fakhiet in the southern Hebron hills on the occupied West Bank.

The aim of the volunteers was to enable schoolchildren to reach school and return home safely, while also providing employment for a driver. In January, after a fundraising campaign, the community secured the funds to purchase an improvised school ‘bus’ – only to have it promptly confiscated by Israeli army units in the area, who abandoned it in a neighboring valley where it was found two days later. The community and volunteers didn’t give up: local activist Hamed Qawasmeh appealed worldwide for funds, and a ‘new’ vehicle was put to immediate use.The Villages Group runs several other projects in the southern Hebron hills and in the area of Nablus. Their motto is ‘performing deeds of peace.’

Energy alternatives - In March, another joint grassroots project was completed in the southern Hebron hills. The Comet-ME team, a group of Israeli and Palestinian activists including a physicist, an environmentalist and a software developer, creates energy solutions for communities in the area.

After connecting Palestinian families in the village of Sussiya to electricity by installing solar and wind systems, the founding team, encouraged by their success, moved on to neighboring communities.

These semi-nomadic communities suffer from constant harassment by hardline Jewish settlers in the area, who vandalize their property, disrupt their seasonal agricultural activities, and attempt to drive them from their homes – simple cave-dwellings in the southern Hebron hills.

The team joined forces with a Palestinian volunteer from Hebron and fifteen local Palestinian electronic engineering students (including two from Sussiya) to install wind turbines and solar cells in four cave-dwelling communities – upper Sfai, lower Sfai, Mrier al-Abid and Tuba, as well as among the Bedouin families of Umm al-Kheir, adjacent to the Jewish settlement Carmel.

www.comet-me.org  / INTERVIEW:  www.justvision.org

Installing Solar Cells in Tuba – They were helped by residents of all the Palestinian communities in the area.

“Small but hopeful: Israeli-Palestinian projects in the southern Hebron hills”

A small grant-giving charity founded in 2004, BSST supports mainly community-based, informal projects that involve practical collaboration between communities in Israel and Palestine.

Other initiatives they support include Orthodox Media Watch, a project combating racism in Jewish-Orthodox media; Sindyanna, an Arab women’s fair-trade organization in the Galilee; an educational project on torture run by the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel (PCATI); and direct medical assistance to Gaza provided by Physicians for Human Rights-Israel (PHR-Israel) during and after the war of 2008-9.

The British Shalom-Salaam Trust – One of the supporters of projects in the southern Hebron hills is a British-Jewish charity called the British Shalom-Salaam Trust (BSST).

A small grant-giving charity founded in 2004, BSST supports mainly community-based, informal projects that involve practical collaboration between communities in Israel and Palestine.

Other initiatives they support include Orthodox Media Watch, a project combating racism in Jewish Orthodox media; Sindyanna, an Arab women’s fair-trade organization , in the Galilee www.sindyanna.com ; an educational project on torture run by the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel (PCATI); and direct medical assistance to Gaza provided by Physicians for Human Rights-Israel (PHR-Israel) during and after the war of 2008-9.

• Photos by Ehud Krinis, CPT Hebron and Edoardo Soteras.
• Dr. Gillian Yudkin of BSST contributed to this article.
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www.malc.org.pk

 Int. Website of Mary Ward Schools

www.dahw.de

Dr. Ruth Katherina Martha Pfau (born 1929) is a Pakistani-German nun and a member of the Society of Daughters of the Heart of Mary who has devoted the last 50 years of life to fighting leprosy in Pakistan. In 1996, Pakistan was declared by the World Health Organization to have controlled leprosy, one of the first countries in Asia to achieve this goal. Read More: > HERE <

Pakistan (Urdu: پاکِستان) officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan (Urdu: اسلامی جمہوریہ پاکِستان) (also the Federation of Pakistan), is a country in South Asia. It has a 1,046-kilometre (650 mi) coastline along the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman in the south, is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, and India in the east and China in the far northeast. Tajikistan also lies very close to Pakistan but is separated by the narrow Wakhan Corridor. Thus, it occupies a crossroads position between South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. The region forming modern Pakistan was at the heart of the ancient Indus Valley Civilisation and then later was the recipient of Vedic, Persian, Indo-Greek, Islamic, Turco-Mongol, and Sikh cultures. The area has witnessed invasions and/or settlements by the Indo-Aryans, Persians, Greeks, Arabs, Turks, Afghans, Mongols and the British.

While the Indian independence movement demanded an independent India, the Pakistan Movement (led by Quaid e Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah of the All-India Muslim League) sought independent states for the majority Muslim populations of the eastern and western regions of British India as well.The British granted independence and also the creation of one Muslim majority state of Pakistan that comprised the provinces of Sindh, North-West Frontier Province, West Punjab, Balochistan and East Bengal. With the adoption of its constitution in 1956, Pakistan became an Islamic republic. In 1971, a civil war in East Pakistan resulted in the creation of Bangladesh. Read More: > HERE <

The German Leprosy and Tuberculosis Relief Association (DAHW), founded in 1957, is a non-profit organisation with headquarters in Würzburg, Germany. It has 62 members. The eight-person Board works on a voluntary basis. For 50 years, DAHW has been helping millions of sick and marginalised people in Africa, Asia, Central and South America. It supports more than 300 relief projects in about 40 countries. DAHW is politically and denominationally independent.

The priorities – The core activity of DAHW is to cure people affected by leprosy and tuberculosis. DAHW takes care also of people who have contracted HIV or who are suffering from AIDS. It combats forgotten diseases such as Buruli ulcer (an infectious disease, similar to leprosy, in Africa, that causes disfigurement, mainly in children), Chagas disease (transmitted by  assassin bugs in South and Central America; it causes damage to the nervous system, heart and gut) and leishmaniasis , Kala Azar(carried by phlebotomine sandflies in Asia and Africa; leishmaniasis affects the internal organs, skin or mucous membranes to varying degrees of severity). In places where DAHW has a good infrastructure, it also provides disaster relief, most recently in southern India following the tsunami of 26 December 2004, and in Kashmir, Pakistan, after the earthquake of 8 October 2005.

You Tube Channel DAHW Ruth Pfau  Gesten der Menschlichkeit, nicht politische Belehrungen, sind jetzt besonders gefragt“

MALC is working for Leprosy elimination, TB and Blindness control and Community Development for the last 54 years. It is a non profit, non sectarian organization registered under the Societies Act.

A well-knitted network of 157 control centres nationwide mostly in remote areas is functioning in close collaboration with provincial governments and providing services to the patients and communities free of charge. By the grace of Allah SWT and efforts of the team, Leprosy was controlled in 1996. After controlling Leprosy we are now making efforts for its elimination. MALC is also in the front to provide relief and rehabilitation to the poor and needy people affected by natural and man-made calamities and participates actively in the relief, reconstruction and rehabilitation activities in the earthquake and in various floods and draughts relief projects in the country.

The devastating floods in Pakistan – The already food insecure population where 77 million people go hungry in Pakistan while 36% of the population are afflicted by poverty. The situation in Pakistan has developed into a worse case scenario as the government has already declared it as the worst flood in the country’s history. The ravaging flood has moved towards south leaving behind approx 1,500 dead, 900 missing, and innumerable displaced and devastating damage to agriculture, houses and livestock. 250 houses in Kohistan have also been reported completely destroyed. Getting food supply is getting more and more challenging. In mountains due to broken road links, food supply is being transported on mules back and in some areas boats have come into action. Due to scarcity of potable water another emergency has developed for clean drinking water and relief efforts are also directed towards provision of water in containers.

Please donate generously to

MALC Emergency Relief Fund

Account No. 01-7423462-01

at Standard Chartered Bank

and help the poor families especially women and children. MORE…

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(weiterlesen…)

 www.alankara.com

http://www.myspace.com/hindoldeb

http://swara.at/

www.eastmeetswestmusic.com

www.swarganga.org

The origins of Indian classical music can be found in the oldest of scriptures, part of the Hindu tradition, the Vedas. It has also been significantly influenced by Indian folk music, and Hindustani music has been influenced by Persian music. The Samaveda, one of the four Vedas, describes music at length. The Samaveda was created out of Rigveda so that its hymns could be sung as Samagana; this style evolved into jatis and eventually into ragas. Indian classical music has its origins as a meditation tool for attaining self realization. Bharat’s Natyashastra was the first treatise laying down fundamental principles of dance, music and drama. Read More: > HERE <

One of the upcoming sitar player and composer of his generation, Hindol started learning the Sitar at the age of five from his father, Sri. Panchanan Sardar. Later, he was groomed under the guidance of Pt. Deepak Choudhury, a senior disciple of Pt. Ravi Shankar. He graduated from the Prayag Sangeet Samiti under Allahabad University with a gold medal and is a recipient of the Sahitya Kala Parishad scholarship and the National Scholarship for Hindustani Classical Music in Sitar.

Hindol has been pursuing his dream intensely and is on his way to establish himself as a talented, upcoming young musician, giving several performances at many festivals in India and abroad. He has composed and played his music for various plays and ballets.

One striking quality about Hindol is the sense of maturity in his performance, which is unique at his age. With the deep resonating tone of his instrument, each note makes its presence felt and nothing fades away in ambiguity. His aesthetical understanding is rooted deep in spirituality. Simultaneously, he has also accomplished himself as a composer, exploring the infinite combinations in the crossover of Indian music with various other genres like Western Classical, Jazz, Blues, Electronica, Flamenco and folk music.

Recently, he was invited by the French government, with a residency scholarship, to work with other musicians and experiment with different genres like Jazz, Blues and electronic music, along with Indian classical music and performances. He was also invited by the Swedish government as the representative of India, with the musicians from fourteen different countries, to teach and play each other’s music and to perform at the ETHNO festival in­­­ Sweden. He has also toured Belgium and Greece to take part in many concert festivals.

Apart from being a performer, he is also a dedicated teacher and conducts workshops of Hindustani music, improvisation techniques and Indian Classical music appreciation in India and abroad.

Shri. Hindol Deb Plays Raag Hemant on the Day 1 of SwarGanga Music Festival 2008. The festival spanned for two days 20th and 21st December 2008. For more information visit www.swarganga.org.

SwarGanga Music Foundation, Atlanta, GA and SwarGanga Trust, Thane, India are non-profit organizations started by Adwait Joshi to promote young and upcoming artists in the field of North Indian Classical Music and spread the knowledge of North Indian Classical Music to people all over the world. SwarGanga currently has over 2 million hits from 147 different countries every year. Thanks to you all for making this site so popular.here.events page or to see any classical music events upcoming in your area please visit the event calendar.

To learn about different concepts of classical music such as sur, patti, taal, raags, please go through the series of articles starting . For a list of events organized by SwarGanga please visit www.swarganga.org . Your feedback helps us improve the website. So please respond by sending us an email .

The Energy [R]evolution demonstrates how the world can get from where we are now, to where we need to be in terms of phasing out fossil fuels, cutting CO2 while ensuring energy security. This includes illustrating how the world’s carbon emissions from the energy and transport sectors alone can peak by 2015 and be cut by over 80 percent by 2050. This phase-out of fossil fuels offers substantial other benefits such as independence from world market fossil fuel prices as well as the creation of millions of new green jobs. http://www.greenpeace.org/energyrevolution 

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Arsenic_contamination_of_groundwater

www.bhopal.org

www.sos-arsenic.net

www.deutsch-bengalische.org

www.bhopal.com

The Bhopal disaster or Bhopal Gas Tragedy is the world’s worst industrial catastrophe. It occurred on the night of December 2-3, 1984 at the Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL) pesticide plant in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India. UCIL was the Indian subsidiary of Union Carbide Corporation (UCC). Indian Government controlled banks and the Indian public held a 49.1 percent ownership share. In 1994, the Supreme Court of India allowed UCC to sell its 50.9 percent share. The Bhopal plant was sold to McLeod Russel (India) Ltd. UCC is now a subsidiary of Dow Chemical Company. A leak of methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas and other chemicals from the plant resulted in the exposure of several thousands of people. A leak of methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas and other chemicals from the plant resulted in the exposure of several thousands of people. Estimates vary on the death toll. The official immediate death toll was 2,259 and the government of Madhya Pradesh has confirmed a total of 3,787 deaths related to the gas release. Other government agencies estimate 15,000 deaths. Others estimate that 8,000 died within the first weeks and that another 8,000 have since died from gas-related diseases.

” C L E A N   U P ” : Chemicals (~390 tons) abandoned at the plant continue to leak and pollute the groundwater. Whether the chemicals pose a health hazard is disputed.  Read More: > HERE <

The Sambhavna Trust is a charitable trust run by a group of eminent doctors, scientists, writers and social workers who have been involved with various aspects of the Union Carbide disaster ever since its occurrence in December 1984. The Chairperson of Sambhavna, Dr. PM Bhargava, was awarded the “Padma Bhushan” by the President of India in 1986 and the “Legion d’Honneur” in 1998 by the French government for his scientific and social contributions. Dr. H H Trivedi, former Professor at the Gandhi Medical College and Satinath Sarangi are the two Bhopal based trustees of Sambhavna.

Many are unaware that the disaster in Bhopal continues to this day. An estimated 120,000-150,000 survivors of the disaster are still chronically ill. Over 23,000 have died of exposure-related illnesses and more are dying still. Tens of thousands of children born after the disaster suffer from growth problems and far too many teenaged women suffer from menstrual disorders. TB is several times more prevalent in the gas-affected population and cancers are on the rise.

The Bhopal Medical Appeal was launched in 1994, when a man from Bhopal came to Britain to tell whoever would listen about the calamitous condition of the still suffering victims of the Union Carbide gas disaster. Those who met him learned that after ten years, the survivors had received no meaningful medical help. (Unless one is prepared to accept that aspirin is a cure-all for the dreadful illnesses visited on them.)

The survivors realised that they must help themselves, because nobody else would. They wanted to open their own free clinic for gas victims. They were joined in the UK by a few individuals who put the mechanics of the Appeal together. They were in turn joined in this effort by other like minded people. Our newsletter is called 777. The name arose from an attempt to capture the spirit of the Appeal. Someone suggested, ’saat, saat, saat’, which in Hindi means ‘together, together, together’, but with a slight twist of the tongue could also mean ’seven, seven, seven.’ ‘We’ means all of us, all together.

BhopalMedicalAppeal /Arsen Water Myanmar/Arsen Water Pakistan

Thirty years ago, Bangladeshi villages began pumping arsenic-laced water in a development project gone awry. Why will it take another 30 years to halt the biggest mass poisoning in history?

The story beggars belief. In the 1970s, international agencies headed by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) began pumping millions of dollars of aid money into Bangladesh for tubewells to provide “clean” drinking water. According to the World Health Organization, the direct result has been the biggest outbreak of mass poisoning in history. Up to half the country’s tubewells, now estimated to number 10 million, are poisoned. Tens, perhaps hundreds of thousands will die.

Arsenic contamination of groundwater is (not always natural!) a natural occurring high concentration of arsenic in deeper levels of groundwater, which became a high-profile problem in recent years due to the use of deep tubewells for water supply in the Ganges Delta, causing serious arsenic poisoning to large numbers of people. A 2007 study found that over 137 million people in more than 70 countries are probably affected by arsenic poisoning of drinking water.

Arsenic contamination of ground water is found in many countries throughout the world, including the USA. Approximately 20 incidents of groundwater arsenic contamination have been reported from all over the world. Of these, four major incidents were in Asia, including locations in Thailand, Taiwan, and Mainland China. South American countries like Argentina and Chile have also been affected. There are also many locations in the United States where the groundwater contains arsenic concentrations in excess of the Environmental Protection Agency standard of 10 parts per billion adopted in 2001.

Arsenic Catastrophe in Bangladesh: Project To Support the Poorest Rural Population in Bangladesh, Enhance Environmental Consciousness, Regain Traditional Wisdom. and Cultural Heritage  . The people will invent more methods and survival strategies, if we really want to survive and refuse vested business interests of many western countries offering inadequate and expensive technologies. We need your help to make this extraordinary project a success. Every step of the project will be accompanied with on-line reports on this page, which will enhance your active participation.

Our goal is to help these people  help themselves escape death. By the people, for the people,  using simple, affordable methods….You can help by donating any amount: One arsenic free well costs less than 100 EUR – just donate 1 EUR. Solidarity for the poor- Also for Recent Cyclone Disastor: www.sos-arsenic.net

www.buddhanet.net/burma.htm

www.thebestfriend.org

www.burmaissues.org

http://burmesemonks.org/

www.ashin-sopaka.online.de

Buddhism in Myanmar (also known as Burma) is predominantly of the Theravada tradition, practised by 89% of the country’s populationIt is the most religious Buddhist country in terms of proportion of monks in the population and proportion of income spent on religion. Adherents are most likely found among the dominant ethnic Bamar (or Burmans), Shan, Rakhine (Arakanese), Mon, Karen, and Chinese who are well integrated into Burmese society. Monks, collectively known as the Sangha, are venerated members of Burmese society. Amongst certain ethnic Bamar communities, Theravada Buddhism is practiced in conjunction with nat worship, although this practice is dying out. Read More: > HERE < 

Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar, is the largest country by geographical area in Indochina (mainland Southeast Asia). The country is bordered by People’s Republic of China on the north-east, Laos on the east, Thailand on the south-east, Bangladesh on the west, India on the north-west and the Bay of Bengal to the south-west with the Andaman Sea defining its southern periphery. One-third of Burma’s total perimeter, 1,930 kilometers (1,199 mi), forms an uninterrupted coastline. The country’s culture, heavily influenced by neighbors, is based on Theravada Buddhism intertwined with local elements. Burma’s diverse population has played a major role in defining its politics, history and demographics in modern times, and the country continues to struggle to mend its ethnic tensions. The military has dominated government since General Ne Win led a coup in 1962 that toppled the civilian government of U Nu. Burma remains under the tight control of the military-led State Peace and Development Council. Read More: > HERE <

The Best Friend was founded in 1999 as The Best Friend Group of Literature, by two concerned monks with the purpose of encouraging people to become more educated, aware and active in the struggle for peace and freedom in Burma. The main belief is that education can open up people’s ears and eyes and is THE way to eradicate poverty.

At one point, The Best Friend operated fifteen libraries inside Burma. The libraries provided both monks and laypersons access to uncensored information and literature. Apart from that, they were meeting places where people could discuss freely. The Best Friend also teaches languages, such as English, French, Japanese and Burmese.

The Burmese military regime has been closely monitoring and controlling the activities of politically active people, especially since the 2007 Saffron Revolution. Many of the members and volunteers of The Best Friend were forced to leave Burma to avoid persecution. Several people, also monks, were arrested and are currently imprisoned. Simply for the crime of providing information and discussing about politics and freedom.

6. – 9. August 2010
Friedensfestival 2010 Berlin

www.worldpeacefestival.org

The Best Friend will take part in the Peace Festival 2010 in Berlin.
Where: Alexanderplatz, Berlin Germany

Today, only three of the fifteen libraries are still in operation. King Zero and Ashin Sopaka, the founders of The Best Friend, moved to the Thai border town Mae Sot and opened the first Best Friend Library in Thailand in 2008.

Apart from Thailand, The Best Friend has spread to many other countries in the world. It is now legally run by Kölner Buddhismus Center e.V. in Germany and is active raising awareness about the situation in Burma and giving information to people who wish to support the organization. From its new base in Thailand, The Best Friend is developing projects supporting the many Burmese refugees in the area. In 2010, the Mobile Health Care Program was launched and the Relocation Project – to help illegal refugee families , move away from the Mae Sot rubbish dump – was set up. The Best Friend also offers many classes, such as English language classes, computer and sewing courses, Dhamma teachings and children’s classes. All teachers work voluntarily and all classes are free of charge.

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UNHCR – The UN Refugee Agency

 www.eyesondarfur.org

http://notonourwatchproject.org/

http://www.fao.org/acacia senegal

www.radiodabanga.org

Darfur (Arabic: دار فور‎ dār fūr, lit. “realm of the Fur“) is a region in Sudan. An independent sultanate for several hundred years, it was incorporated into Sudan by Anglo-Egyptian forces. The region is divided into three federal states: West Darfur, South Darfur, and North Darfur which are coordinated by a Transitional Darfur Regional Authority. Because of the War in Darfur waged by the Sudanese government against the non-Arab indigenous population, the region has been in  state of humanitarian emergency since 2003. Read more: > HERE <

CASH CROP – The term is used to differentiate from subsistence crops, which are those fed to the producer’s own livestock or grown as food for the producer’s family. In earlier times cash crops were usually only a small (but vital) part of a farm’s total yield, while today, especially in the developed countries, almost all crops are mainly grown for cash. In non-developed nations, cash crops are usually crops which attract demand in more developed nations, and hence have some export value. In many tropical and subtropical areas, jute, coffee, cocoa, sugar cane, bananas, oranges and cotton are common cash crops. In cooler areas, grain crops, oil-yielding crops and some vegetables and herbs are predominate; an example of this is the United States, where cannabis, corn, wheat, soybean are the predominant cash crops. Read more: > HERE <

Not since baking soda has there been a natural commodity that has so many different uses. In the days of the Egyptian Pharaohs, gum arabic was essential to mummification, and since Biblical times, it has been used to maintain the integrity of paints.It can also soothe a worried belly, diarrhea, and constipation, and it’s a key ingredient in soft drinks.

Gum arabic is sap from the branches of Acacia Senegal trees. It’s a natural emulsifier, which means that it can keep together substances which normally would not mix well. Pharmaceutical companies use it to keep medicines from separating into their different ingredients, and a dab of gum arabic makes newspaper ink more cohesive and permanent.

Sudan’s Miracle Commodity – The Acacia Senegal tree grows all over Africa and even on the Indian subcontinent. Most of the world’s gum arabic, however, comes from Sudan, where a thick belt of Acacia Senegal trees stretches from one end of Sudan to the other. Hassan Osman Abdel Nour is the general manager of Sudan’s largest exporter of gum arabic, the Gum Arabic Company.

“The botanist who identified Acacia Senegal first saw it in Senegal, but it turned out to be Acacia Senegal is more common in Sudan than anywhere in the belt. . . It’s an endowment from God. We did nothing about it,” Nour says.

But extracting gum arabic from thorn-covered Acacia Senegal trees is not easy. When the amber-colored gum begins bubbling up, farm workers handpick chunks from the trees and sometimes get scratched in the process.

Still, Sudan reportedly exports tens of thousands of tons of raw gum arabic  ( 60 – 70 % of the World Market) each year, feeding the high global demand. The raw sap is sent to Europe for processing and afterward is disseminated to customers worldwide.

An Industry in Decline – These days, however, business is down. Sudan’s output has dropped to nearly half of what the nation produced in its heyday. As the once abundant belt of Acacia Senegal trees across Sudan shrinks, climate change appears to be one of the culprits. Farmer Adil Basheer remembers better harvests. “In the 1990s—’e're talking about hectares—one hectare was equivalent to seven and eight bags every two weeks. But nowadays, a hectare cannot bring a half bag or two and a half b”gs.”

The humanitarian crisis in Darfur, where more than 200,000 people have died and more than two million have been displaced, is also having a negative impact on the global gum arabic industry.

The Bush administration calls the conflict “government-sponsored genocide,” and around the world, the Darfur crisis appears to have sullied Sudan’s reputation to that point that many companies do not want to admit that they buy a Sudanese commodity.

Coca-Cola, which uses gum arabic to keep the sugar from precipitating to the bottom of its sodas, won’t say where it gets the emulsifier. However, company representatives insist they do not buy directly from Sudan. Gum Arabic Company board president Mansour Khalid says otherwise. “They buy processed gum and the processed gum comes from Europe, and Europe buys from Sudan. And you know, the whole thing is silly.” Staying Afloat – Some Sudanese businessmen believe that widening gum arabic’s appeal internationally is the way forward. Isam Siddiq runs the privately-owned Dar Savannah Gum Arabic processing company. He says manufacturers around the world are trying to create manmade emulsifiers as powerful as gum arabic. Siddiq wants to maintain Sudan’s competitive edge by altering the high-fiber, nonfat emulsifier’s identity from an additive to a food, and he’s ready with his sales pitch:

“America is aware of good health and good food. The American people. And they want it—fiber…The people of the world must really complement each other. We have here fiber, and they have their wheat in America. So Sudan and American could be a good partnership for the benefit of the two nation”. > Related NPR Stories <

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_clooney  Not On Our Watch: Official site for charity founded by George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, Jerry Weintraub, David Pressman

ECONOMY – In the last ten years, the Sudanese economy has undergone a drastic change. Instead of been an agriculture-based economy it has turned into an OIL DEPENDEND ECONOMY which in turn has marginalized agriculture. At a time when the world is suffering a food crisis, which is especially afflicting Africa, food production should offer the main productive future for the Sudanese economy.

During the last year, oil revenues represented more than 65% of the Government of National Unity income and more the 90% of the revenue for the Government of South Sudan. In the last four months, oil prices have dropped by around 70%. This is a huge blow. Meanwhile, others sectors of the economy have been weakened by a combination of poor policies followed by the regime in the in the 1990s, and the failure to adapt the non-oil sectors to the impact of the growth in petroleum production. Most of the agricultural sector has been neglected and the economy is now driven by the trading sector and the informal sector, which do not contribute in a major way to creating jobs or generating income in the shape of direct or indirect taxes.

The Sudanese people are still waiting for the peace dividends in shape of economic development which will help in alleviating poverty and raising the standard of living to the majority. At the time when market economy has been tested to the limit in western countries and governments are now nationalizing banks and taking control of key economic sectors, the opposite is happening in Sudan. Instead we have a market dominated by a number of monopolies in most economic sectors, controlled by private individuals who are well-connected to the government. It is not the state that regulates the country’s leading businessmen but a cosy partnership between the two. Read More: > HERE <

The issues of the Darfur war are economical. One of them is due to rice a produce. Farmers fear the construction of dams which are made possible by the strength of the River Nile Waters.

There are places in the world that you can hardly forget like Uganda. This last country is in East Africa and has no opening on the Ocean. So, this makes it a landlocked country that needs to negociate with other countries like Kenya, Tanzania, Somalia and Eritrea to import goods by boat and there is the river Nile on which boats can sail from Cairo. Uganda is a very known country these days because of the conflit in Sudan.

This conflit is known as the Darfur war. Sudan is in the south of Egypte and that is where most of the rice plantation are. Probably thank to the river Nile rice is available in large quantities and it constitutes the major dish of the inhabitants in West Africa. The problem with rice is that it needs to be eaten reasonable other wise you gain weight which is difficult to loose especially if you don’t do a lot of activities.

Rice is a major issue. That is all the question of construction of dams which have said to be destructive for plantation. Rice is sometimes transformed into an alchoolic beverage called sake and it is a produce from Japan. So, one may think that it is important to regulate to make sure that nobody get drunk and is treated in case of fetal alchool syndrom. Actually, the population growth in Japan slowed down in the nineties. Rice grows in water and in the mountains. The well known varieties of rice are from the United States of America and France. Rice is grown in the South of the United States of America in the states of North Carolina and South Carolina. France grows rice on its south west border with Spain a place called Camargue where horses run freely.

Thus, the war in the Darfur is an economical and social problem. Rice is a cereal and can accompany many meals.

If the war continues in the Darfur there will be a food security issue. There is a need to control the cereal markets because they can often be stocked for a long time without preservatives and then some other ingredients can be neglected. This is a tragedy that happened everywhere in the world where populations thought that cereals when in large amount are able to cover all the food intake. It is good to know that there is some for eating and that all is not wasted in alchoolic beverages that can put society in danger because of risk of accidents for example and of wars. Read more in > International Business and Trade <

www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/ The UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues is an advisory body to the Economic and Social Council, with a mandate to discuss indigenous issues related to economic and social development, culture, the environment, education, health and human rights.

www.ethicalconsumer.org  – Ethical consumption stresses the role of the consumer in preventing the exploitation of women and children in sweatshop factories overseas and in the U.S. It also considers the environmental costs of production. These costs include the depletion of natural resources, as well as human costs. For example, when a corporation like Unilever, producer of Dove and Lever soaps, Vaseline Intensive Care lotion, Finesse shanpoo, Surf detergent, and Mentadent toothpaste, employs women in the jungle areas of Bihar, India to collect seeds from the sal tree for use in lipstick, the women are deprived of control over what was formerly a resource for their own use.

Consumption in North America today will eventually destroy the environment and is in general hazardous to human health. According to the 1998 United Nations Development Report, 20% of the world’s population consumes 86% of the world’s resources, while the poorest 20% consume only 1.3%. “Not everyone has been invited to the party,” said U.N. administrator James Gustave. “Expectations have gone global but affluence has not.”

Obviously, consuming less on a personal level in the United States does not directly ensure that people in other parts of the world will immediately be able to meet their basic needs.  Changing social patterns of consumption, however, will eventually make a difference.   Once individuals begin to understand how their purchases are connected within a global framework, they can demand new, sustainable methods of production.  Living with fewer “things” and assuring that all resources, including labor, are used wisely and fairly will help create a more equitable and ecological world.

By consuming consciously and ethically we can realistically create change. Being aware of current issues in labor exploitation, environmental conservation, and human rights is the best way to spend ethically. Before buying anything ask: Who makes it? Who needs it? and Who profits from it?  > Here are some links to informational sites <

• www.radioafrika.net
• www.compassionineconomics.org 
• CLIMATE REFUGEE´s http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_migrant
• GUM ACACIA MARKET REPORT: www.agrigum.com
• NY Times Mail Archive: A Tree that supports Sudan´s War by business leaders <
• GOMME SIRUP (”junk sweets”) www.amountainofcrushedice.com <
• www.newcrops.uq.edu.au/listing/species_pages_A/Acacia_senegal.htm <
• UN www.fao.org/acacia senegal
• Meet Mind & Life, Compassion in Economics, studies, friends, at fb <
• Meet Human Rights Watch, friends, fans at fb <
• Meet Natural News (independent health news) studies, friends at fb <
• Meet Survival International, friends, fans at fb <
• Meet NO MORE OIL RIGS we want ALTERNATIVE ENERGY SOURCES NOW at fb <
• Meet FAIR TRADE, friends, fans at fb <  & www.ethicalconsumer.org
• Meet Peace, Paix, 和平, Salam, Shalom, Pace, Mir, Friede, Paz, Shanti, Heiwa <

The Yangtze Report 

www.conservation.org

www.blueocean.org/blog

www.sourcewatch.org

www.blueocean.org

Conservation International (CI) is a nonprofit organization headquartered in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, that seeks to protect Earth’s biodiversity “hotspots,” high-biodiversity wilderness areas as well as important marine regions around the globe. The group is also known for its partnerships with local non-governmental organizations and indigenous peoples. CI was founded in 1987 by Spencer Beebe and Peter Seligmann and now has a staff of more than 900 employees. Its work occurs in more than 45 countries, primarily in developing nations in Africa, Asia, Oceania, and the Central and South American rainforests. Building upon a strong foundation of science, partnership, and field demonstration, Conservation International empowers societies to responsibly and sustainably care for nature for the well-being of humanity. Read More: > HERE <

Hans Rosling (born July 27, 1948 in Uppsala, Sweden) is Professor of International Health at Karolinska Institute and Director of the Gapminder Foundation, which developed the Trendalyzer software system. From 1967 to 1974 he studied statistics and medicine at Uppsala University, and in 1972 he studied public health at St John’s Medical College, Bangalore. He became a licenced physician in 1976 and from 1979 to 1981 he served as District Medical Officer in Nacala in northern Mozambique. Rosling’s research has also focused on other links between economic development, agriculture, poverty and health in Africa, Asia and Latin America. He has been health adviser to WHO, UNICEF and several aid agencies. In 1993 he was one of the initiators of Médecins sans frontières in Sweden. Read More > Here <

Conservancy Yunnan The alpine ecosystems mountain areas that lie above the treeline – of northwestern Yunnan are some of the most biologically rich systems in the world. Home to such endangered species such as the snow leopard and blue sheep, this unique area provides important ecosystem services such as water storage, medicinal plants, and grazing for livestock. For example the rare snow lotus, which grows in the rocky upper slopes at elevations over 4,000 meters, is used by Tibetans to treat high blood pressure.

Unfortunately, these ecosystems are currently under siege by incompatible land uses and climate change. The Nature Conservancy has joined together with the Center for Biodiversity and Indigenous Knowledge (CBIK) and academic researchers to initiate a project focused on protecting these treasured and threatened ecosystems.

Goals • Gain a clear understanding of northwest Yunnan’s alpine ecosystem and identify immediate threats • Develop and implement climate adaptive conservation strategies based scientific, social, cultural, political, and economic factors • Maintain a healthy alpine ecosystem

What the Conservancy is Doing – During October 2003, the Conservancy and its partners traversed the mountain ranges of northwestern Yunnan collecting mapping data and investigating the ecological, political, and economic status of alpine areas across the project area. We interviewed local villagers, gathered information on ecological health, and set up initial photo monitoring sites to serve as the baseline for annual monitoring of these systems. During the course of 2004, we will work with partners and communities to continue research as well as begin to implement “no-regret” conservation strategies.

http://carlsafina.org , www.gapminder.org

http://www.ted.com The Gulf oil spill dwarfs comprehension, but we know this much: it’s bad. Carl Safina scrapes out the facts in this blood-boiling cross-examination, arguing that the consequences will stretch far beyond the Gulf — and many so-called solutions are making the situation worse.

Blue Ocean Institute -  From Arctic Alaskan fishing villages to Zanzibar’s shores, the staff of Blue Ocean Institute studies and articulates how the ocean is changing and how everything humans do—both on land and at sea—affects the waters, wildlife, and people of our world. But gloomy environmental warnings and predictions don’t move people to make changes that can help our shared ocean. MacArthur Prize-winning scientist/author  Dr. Carl Safina  and Mercédès Lee created Blue Ocean Institute in 2003 as a unique voice of hope, guidance, and encouragement.

Blue Ocean Institute is the only conservation organization that uses science, art, and literature to inspire a closer bond with nature, especially the sea. We translate scientific information into language people can understand and use to make better choices on behalf of the sea. Whether you’re a fisherman, seafood lover, student, faith leader, parent, artist, or chef, our programs help you learn how and why you should protect our planet’s life-giving ocean.

Ocean Climate Change – This project is dedicated to turning the science of climate change effects on ocean life into stories that are accessible to policy, public, and scientific communities. We seek to identify those areas of research that are lacking attention, or are particularly complicated, and write articles in both academic and popular media formats about these underrepresented or important subjects.

“Climate change” is really “carbon change” and is not just about warming. We currently focus on how climate change alters ocean chemistry, and how that can affect every creature in the sea by forcing them to devote more energy to coping with excess carbon dioxide in the ocean. Since January, this initiative has already produced several articles, ranging from online journals to environmental faith-based magazines. Our published articles call for a wider appreciation and reporting of climate change effects on marine life. Please see our staff publications  page to see articles on this issue.

• www.khoryug.com
• www.umweltberatung.at
• http://www.carbontradewatch.org 
• Traditional Food, Ayurveda, Biodiversity <
• Meet Blue Ocean Institute, studies, friends, fans at fb <
• Meet Hans Rosling, Gap Minder, studies, friends, fans at fb <
• Meet The Nature Conserancy, friends, fans at fb <
• Meet Transparency International, friends, fans at fb <
• Meet Slow Food International, friends, fans at fb <

www.shehjar.com

The Nako Preservation Project

http://athene.geo.univie.ac.at/project/nako

www.archaeologie-online.de

Kinnaur is one of twelve administrative districts of Himachal Pradesh, India. The district is itself divided into three administrative areas – Pooh, Kalpa, and Nichar – and has five Tehsils or counties. The administrative headquarter for Kinnaur district is at Reckong Peo. Due to the network of motorable roads all the essential facilities are available. According to ancient Hindu texts Kinners are halfway between humans and gods. From here Sangla valley, and district headquarters Recong Peo, Kalpa, Kinnaur Kailash, considered to be the abode of Lord Shiva, can be viewed. Read More: > HERE <

While the 10th and 13th centuries, the Western Himalayan region developed a refined and complex artistic culture under Western Tibetan Buddhist patronage. Some of this tradition’s most striking examples are found in the seven temples of Nako village, Upper Kinnaur, in the province of Himachal Pradesh, India. These temples are not only witness to the long history of this region, but also lie at the heart of the communitity’s religious life, in which even today a Tibetan form of Buddhism flourishes.

These temples are now endangered due to the structural fragility of their architecture, and by the infiltration of rain and melt water. For these reasons amongst others, a major preservation program was necessary, which primarily involved large scale stabilization work, as well as cleaning and conservation of the unique wall- and ceiling paintings. Due to the large scope of the project, for the time being this work has been accomplished exclusively for the Lhakhang Gongma (Upper Temple), while work has now also begun on the Lotsawa Lhakhang (Translator’s Temple).

Some of the major objectives of the NRPP have been (a) providing technical expertise and modern technology to the Nako community, (b) examining and analysing indigenous building techniques and traditional artistic handicrafts, which have contributed to the continued existence of these exquisite monuments, and (c) merging these activities with the ongoing preservation work, while taking into account local economic and technological resources. Therefore, the NRPP is to be considered a model for the future conservation and preservation of this region’s rich cultural heritage. The villagers of Nako have greatly supported and contributed to the efforts and aims of the NRPP, and the ongoing process of consultation between the NRPP, the Buddhist Association and the Nako Village Council remains central to the preservation work.

In order to establish the proper methods and priorities of the preservation process, information needs to be gathered and brought together from technical, social, economical, as well as from historical sources and, in the case of Nako, this information is neither readily available nor easily accessible. Therefore, the research conducted by the NRPP team in Vienna over the last 15 years includes scholars of art history, Tibetan language, religious history, Buddhist philosophy and cultural anthropology, in addition to architects and painting experts. Each of these disciplines provides a distinct methodology for understanding the fragmentary evidence, and their findings serve as the outset for an in-depth study and research of this region’s cultural heritage and it’s preservation.

• UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE http://whc.unesco.org
• CONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL, Biodiversity Hotspots <  
• www.conservation.org
• Desecration of Hindu temples in Kashmir <
• Fair Trade Refering to Ethical consumerism <  www.corporatecritic.org
• Meet Fair Trade, (Souvenirs ) friends, fans at fb <
• Meet Forgotten Temples of Kashmir, friends, fans at fb <
• Meet The International Ecotourism Society (TIES)at fb < 

(weiterlesen…)

UNHCR – The UN Refugee Agency

http://koausa.org/koa/

www.coasttocoastam.com

http://kashmirgroup.com

www.shehjar.com

Jammu and Kashmir (Dogri: जम्मू और कश्मीर; Urdu: جموں اور کشمیر) is the northernmost state of India. It is situated mostly in the Himalayan mountains. Jammu and Kashmir shares a border with the states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab to the south and internationally with the People’s Republic of China to the north and east and the Pakistani administered territories of Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, to the west and northwest respectively. Formerly a part of the erstwhile princely state of Kashmir and Jammu, this territory is disputed among China, India and Pakistan. Jammu and Kashmir is referred to in Pakistan as Indian-occupied Kashmir. Jammu and Kashmir consists of three regions: Jammu, the Kashmir valley and Ladakh. Srinagar is the summer capital, and Jammu is the winter capital. While the Kashmir valley, often known as Paradise on Earth, is famous for its beautiful mountainous landscape, Jammu’s numerous shrines attract tens of thousands of Hindu and Muslim pilgrims every year. Ladakh, also known as “Little Tibet”, is renowned for its remote mountain beauty and Buddhist culture. Read More: > HERE <

Kashmiri Pandit (Hindi: कश्मीरी पण्डित) refers to a person who belongs to a sect of Hindu Pandits who originate from the Kashmir region in the Indian subcontinent. Many honest and credible experts are of the opinion that the original home of the Aryan race is the Kashmir Valley and its vicinity. Also the fact that all Hindus of Kashmir are Brahmin Pandits retaining their rich traditions by large since several millennia point to the tradition that in ancient times all Aryan Indian Hindus were of a single Brahmin caste but later split into occupation based several castes.Read More: > HERE <

The KOA organization has its origins in the early meetings of History several Kashmiri Pandit families in the Washington D.C. and Maryland areas. These families soon came to realize the importance of building a community structure which could include other families too in a bond for mutual preservation and growth. As more families and members joined the founding group, the organization evolved to become a national outfit with regional chapters, documented bye-laws, systems and procedures as well as a non-profit status to better seek donations and pursue community actions.

This is the beginning of the process to document and detail the history and origins of KOA. At the present time, this document is a simple chronological representation from materials available in various KOA publications. The eventual document will trace the past 30 years and list important milestones that have brought the organization to the present point. > HERE <

KOA Annual National Camps – KOA organizes two national camps every year, one each in east-coast area and west-coast area. Camps like these serve the members an avenue to mingle, catch up and reminisce with friends, the most cardinal objective is to create a vibrant opportunity and a very conducive environment for our youth (our future pillars) to make new friends and hopefully progress to potential relationships that are everlasting. What better way to preserve our culture, keep our community involved and most significantly contribute towards the survival of our progeny within our cultural milieu? This in any account is huge benefit to the members. Arranging and organizing the camps like these are only possible if the organization has strength and infrastructure and KOA gets its strength from its members. Click on the following links for more details > HERE <

• Articles on Kashmir <
• Eintreten in das göttliche Bewusstsein <
• Meet Kashmiri Overseas Association, friends, fans at fb <
• Meet Roots in Kashmir, friends, fans at fb <
• Meet Coast To Coast AM w/ George Noory, friends, fans at fb <
• Meet The International Ecotourism Society (TIES) at fb <

www.muhammadyunus.org

www.businessweek.com/june 2010

www.grameenfoundation.org

Muhammad Yunus (Bangla: মুহাম্মদ ইউনুস, pronounced Muhammôd Iunus) (born 28 June 1940) is a Bangladeshi banker, economist and Nobel Peace Prize recipient. He previously was a professor of economics where he developed the concepts of microcredit and microfinance. These loans are given to entrepreneurs too poor to qualify for traditional bank loans. Yunus is also the founder of Grameen Bank. In 2006, Yunus and the bank were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, “for their efforts to create economic and social development from below.” Yunus himself has received several other national and international honors. He is the author of Banker to the Poor and a founding board member of Grameen America and Grameen Foundation. Read More: > HERE <

This third book by Professor Yunus, following Banker to the Poor and Creating a World Without Poverty, is dedicated solely towards the concept of social business, its implementation, and its maintenance. Social business is an innovative business model which promotes the idea of doing business in order to address a social problem, and not to maximize profit. As the title suggests, this complement to traditional capitalism truly can serve humanity’s most pressing needs, especially poverty. Each and every social business creates employment, good working conditions, and of course, addresses a specific social ill such as lack of education, healthcare, and good nutrition.

In simple terms, a social business is a non-loss, non-dividend company dedicated entirely to achieve a social goal. In social business, the investor gets his investment money back over time, but never receives dividend beyond that amount. The Grameen Bank is a prime example of social business, with the Grameen borrowers themselves being its shareholders!

Building Social Business consists of case studies, anecdotes, and solid advice from Professor Yunus himself. This “Social Business Manual” is a must read for anyone who wants to use his or her creativity to make a positive impact in their neighborhood, town, country, and world.

The Nobel Peace Prize-winner shows how the social business model can harness the entrepreneurial spirit to address poverty, hunger, and disease

Muhammad Yunus, the practical visionary who pioneered microcredit and, with his Grameen Bank, won the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize, has developed a visionary new dimension for capitalism which he calls “social business.” By harnessing the energy of profit-making to the objective of fulfilling human needs, social business creates self-supporting, viable commercial enterprises that generate economic growth even as they produce goods and services that make the world a better place.

www.amazon.com/Muhammad-Yunus

Company Overview – Grameen Bank provides credit to rural poor in Bangladesh. It offers small loans for women. The company also provides training programs to individuals in the forms of Grameen basics course, exposure programs, international dialogue programs, research, internships, workshops, and media. It offers its services to villages of Bangladesh. Grameen Bank was founded in 1976 and is based in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

• GRAMEEN DANONE FOOD & SHAKTI DOI <
• SRI SWAMI SIVANADA – THE SELFLESS SERVICE <
• www.compassionineconomics.org
• Meet ECOBUDDHISM, studies, friends, fans at fb<
  
• Meet Nobel Women’s Initiative, friends, fans at fb <
• Meet Yunus Centre, friends, fans at fb <
  
• Meet Grameen Foundation, friends, fans at fb <

www.fairtrade.org.uk/sportsballs

FAIR TRADE SPORTS BALLS (UNHEP)

www.select-sport.com

KS3 Citizenship – Fair Trade Video

Sialkot (Urdu: سیالکوٹ) is a city situated in the north-east of the Punjab province in Pakistan at the foothills of the snow-covered peaks of Kashmir near the Chenab river. It is the capital of Sialkot District and, formerly, it has been the winter-capital of the State of Kashmir. The city is about 125 km (78 mi) north-west of Lahore and only a few kilometres from Indian controlled Jammu. The recorded history of Sialkot covers thousands of years. Sialkot has, since its foundation, changed hands from Hindu, Buddhist, Persian, Greek, Afghan, Turk, Sikh and British rule to that of present-day Pakistan. Read More: > HERE <

Fair Trade is an organized social movement and market-based approach that aims to help producers in developing countries obtain better trading conditions and promote sustainability. The movement advocates the payment of a higher price to producers as well as social and environmental standards. It focuses in particular on exports from developing countries to developed countries, most notably handicrafts, coffee, cocoa, sugar, tea, bananas, honey, cotton, wine, fresh fruit, chocolate and flowers. Read More: > HERE <

An innovative company with history – SELECT Sport is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of hand-sewn balls and produces approx. 2 million balls a year. SELECT Sport is recognised as an innovator in quality balls and is represented by its own sales network or distributors in large parts of the world. We export to a total of more than 50 countries.

SELECT’s head office is located in Glostrup near Copenhagen. Our balls are produced in Pakistan by Anwar Khawaja Industries (AKI). We have never used child labour to produce our balls. SELECT’s workers and their families receive free medical assistance and medication through our SAHEP programme. This programme also provides education and schooling for all of the workers’ children.

A short look at how footballs are really made.

FIFA standard balls are hand-stitched in Pakistan for Fair Kick Soccer. In a size 5 ball, there are 690 stitches. As each of the five-sided pieces of polyurethane artificial leather are stitched to the others, the ball’s sphere gradually closes. The last stitches are done ‘blind’. That is, they use a pair of long needle-pullers, threading between stitches that they have already made, because they cannot get their hands inside the ball. At the same time, they have to be careful that they do not puncture the butyl air bladder inside. > http://de.fifa.com/<

• Pakistan – DR. RUTH PFAU, MALC, DAHW <
• Made in Sialkot von Carsten Stormer  <
• Pakistan defend Football Industry < ( Globalisation)
• Globalisation in Pakistan, Football Stichers <
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Globalization
• Meet Fair Trade Certified, Look for this Label! friends, fans at fb <
• Meet Fair Trade, A better Deal, friends,fans at fb <
• Meet Our Agenda – 2010 G8/G20 Summit, studies, friends at fb <
• Meet Pakistan Rising, friends, fans at fb <
• Meet India, Pakistan, South Asia, China- Friends Forever! at fb <

(weiterlesen…)

http://masa.leadearth.org

European Maccabi Games 2011

Jews, Christs & Muslims ~ Intercultural Dialog

Isralestinian Ghandis – Meditation for Peace

Israel (Hebrew: יִשְׂרָאֵל‎, Yisrā’el; Arabic: إِسْرَائِيلُ‎, Isrā’īl), officially the State of Israel (Hebrew: About this sound מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל (help·info), Medīnat Yisrā’el; Arabic: دَوْلَةُ إِسْرَائِيلَ‎, Dawlat Isrā’īl), is a country in Western Asia located on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Lebanon in the north, Syria in the northeast, Jordan and the West Bank in the east, the Gaza Strip and Egypt on the southwest, and contains geographically diverse features within its relatively small area. Israel is the world’s only predominantly Jewish state, with a population of 7.5 million people, of whom 5.7 million are Jewish. Arab citizens of Israel form the country’s second-largest ethnic group, which includes Muslims, Christians, Druze, and Samaritans.

The modern State of Israel has its historical and religious roots in the Biblical Land of Israel, also known as Zion, a concept central to Judaism since ancient times. Political Zionism took shape in the late-19th century and the Balfour Declaration of 1917 formalized British policy preferring the establishment of a Jewish state. Following World War I, the League of Nations granted Great Britain the Mandate for Palestine and the responsibility for establishing “the Jewish national home” within it. Read More: > HERE <

Tamil Nadu (Tamil: தமிழ்நாடு “Country of the Tamils”, pronounced [t̪ɐmɨɻ n̪aːɽɯ]( listen)) is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai (formerly known as Madras). Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the States of Puducherry (Pondicherry), Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. It is bound by the Eastern Ghats in the north, the Nilgiri, the Anamalai Hills, and Palakkad on the west, by the Bay of Bengal in the east, the Gulf of Mannar, the Palk Strait in the south east, and by the Indian Ocean in the south. Read More: > HERE <

Leadearth is an 8 months leadership program of Environmental and Social projects in Israel and India. LeadEarth is an eight-month leadership program for young professionals who wish to gain experience in the fields of social action, community empowerment and environmental and international development.

The LeadEarth program was designed to foster social entrepreneurs in the fields of environmental sustainability and informal education and enable them to acquire the skills, knowledge and hands-on experience to initiate, develop and lead projects in their own communities and in developing countries.

LeadEarth offers professional training, personal growth, self empowerment and a unique opportunity to initiate, develop and lead community projects.

The LeadEarth program includes a five-month training program in Israel followed by three months of field work in India and a closing seminar to prepare participants for further professional work and studies.

During the first five months of the program, participants live on Kibbutz Ein Zivan, where you will study and volunteer. Here you will receive professional training in the fields of sustainable ecological development and project management.

In the second part of the program, volunteers will travel to the Tamil Nadu state of India where you will live in an international volunteer community and work with grassroots NGOs, including the Center for Culture and Development (CCD) and Sadhana Forest. These organizations, together with an Adam LeAdam professional team leader, guide the volunteers in the initiation, development and operation of community projects, while focusing on promoting environmental awareness through informal education.

As LeadEarth graduates, you will receive ongoing support to enable you to sustain social and environmental involvement and activities in India or in your home community.

As a participant of the program you will: Prepare for further studies and professional job opportunities in the fields of environmental studies, ecological sustainability, international development and project management. Gain knowledge of Israel and India through living and working with local communities. Work and train with the next generation of international, young, Jewish, social entrepreneurs. Receive professional training in sustainable living including: clean energy, building planning, composting, chemical-free products and organic farming. Undergo survivor training in order to learn to deal with uncertainty in outdoor conditions. Receive accreditation from leading NGOs in Israel and India.

• Meet Lead Earth friends, fans at fb <
• Meet Isralestinian Gandhis , friends, fans at fb <
• Meet United Israel Peace, friends, fans at fb <
  
• Meet M.K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence, studies, friends at fb <
• Council for a Parliament of the World’s Religions (CPWR)<

(weiterlesen…)

Iyengar Vedic Students 1909

www.bksiyengar.com

www.savegangamovement.org

The World’s First Sage Patanjali temple

www.iyengaryoga.in

“Health is firmness in body, stability in mind, and clarity in thinking. If a mirror is clean, it reflects objects clearly….health is the mirror of man.” – B.K.S. Iyengar

Bellur Krishnamachar Sundararaja Iyengar (Kannada: ಬೆಳ್ಳೂರ್ ಕೃಷ್ಣಮಾಚಾರ್ ಸುಂದರರಾಜ ಐಯಂಗಾರ್, Tamil: பெல்லூர் கிருஷ்ணமாச்சார் சௌந்தரராஜா ஐயங்கார்), (generally known as Yogacharya B. K. S. Iyengar) (Born December 14, 1918 in Bellur, Kolar District, Karnataka, India) is the founder of Iyengar Yoga. He is considered one of the foremost yoga teachers in the world and has been practicing and teaching yoga for more than 75 years. He has written many books on yogic practice and philosophy, and is best known for his books Light on Yoga, Light on Pranayama, and Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. He has also written several definitive yoga texts. Iyengar yoga centers are located throughout the world, and it is believed that millions of students practice Iyengar Yoga.

He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1991, and the Padma Bhushan in 2002. In 2004, Iyengar was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time Magazine. Read More: > HERE <

The Patanjala Yoga Kendra was established in 1993 on the banks of the Holy River Ganges in Rishikesh, the world capital of Yoga. The method of Yoga that is taught is Iyengar Yoga, as developed and taught by Shri Guruji, B.K.S. Iyengar, the world-famous Yoga Teacher. Guruji’s method is firmly based in the ancient Indian tradition of Yoga as defined in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Usha Devi is the resident Yoga Instructor.

Iyengar Yoga teaches strength and stamina, flexibility and balance, concentration and meditation. Iyengar Yoga begins with physical awareness, but goes beyond to embrace emotional and spiritual growth. As students learn to extend consciousness to each part of their bodies, they experience a concentrated focus on the moment. In time, this concentrated focus (Pratyahara) becomes an integral part not just of a yoga practice, but of daily life.

Welcome to Save Ganga Movement – A Gandhian Non-violent Movement to Save the Ganga, symbolizing all rivers and water bodies and the Giriraj Himalayas, symbolizing all mountains, forests and wildlife. Gandhi symbolizes a culture of Truth and non-violence, i.e. a culture of pursuit of ethical perfection as the ultimate goal of life and pursuit of selfless ethical life of universal love as it’s means. The Surest and Perhaps the Only Solution to Our Impending Catastrophic Global Ecological Crises: Go Through Gandhi the Apostle of Truth and Non-violence of our Age.

• IYENGAR – BELLUR SCHOOL TRUST (BKSSNT)<
• Monasteries Environmental Himalayaprotection <
• SAVE MOTHER EARTH, SAVE GANGA & YAMUNA <
• Meet Iyengar Yoga, studies, friends, fans at fb <
• Meet Save Ganga Movement, friends at fb <
• Meet Save the Ganga (Ganges) River, friends at fb <
• Meet Save Yamuna to save Vrindavan! at fb <
• Meet M.K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence, studies, friends at fb <

(weiterlesen…)

Doctors without Borders/kala azar

Nonprofits Work to Treat Rare Diseases too, -  in Third World

www.peru-amazonico.de

KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE, AND PRACTICES ~ BHU

” India is not a country of the Hindus only. It is a country of the Muslims, the Christians and the Parsees too. The country can gain strength and develop itself only when the people of the different communities in India live in mutual goodwill and harmony .It is my earnest hope and prayer that this centre of life and light which is coming into existence, will produce students who will not only be intellectually equal to the best of their fellow students in other parts of the world, but will also live a noble life, love their country and be loyal to the Supreme ruler. ~ Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya” ( > Information Maha Mana Pandit  Folder < ) .

Leishmaniasis is a disease caused by protozoan parasites that belong to the genus Leishmania and is transmitted by the bite of certain species of sand fly (subfamily Phlebotominae). Although the majority of the literature mentions only one genus transmitting Leishmania to humans (Lutzomyia) in the Americas, a 2003 study by Galati suggested a new classification for the New World sand flies, elevating several subgenera to the genus level. Elsewhere in the world, the genus Phlebotomus is considered the vector of leishmaniasis. Read More: > HERE <

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL), also known as kala-azar, black fever, and Dumdum fever,  is the most severe form of leishmaniasis. Leishmaniasis is a disease caused by protozoan parasites of the Leishmania genus. It is the second-largest parasitic killer in the world (after malaria), responsible for an estimated 500,000 cases each year worldwide. Read More: > HERE <

Largely unknown in the developed world, leishmaniasis is a tropical, parasitic disease caused by one of over 20 varieties of Leishmania and transmitted by bites from certain types of sandflies. The most severe form, visceral leishmaniasis, is also known as kala azar, Hindi for black fever. Over 90 per cent of cases occur in Bangladesh, Brazil, India, Nepal and Sudan. Without treatment, this form of leishmaniasis is fatal in almost 100 per cent of cases.

Kala azar attacks the immune system, causing fever, weight loss, anaemia and an enlarged spleen. There are considerable problems with existing diagnostic tests, which are either invasive or potentially dangerous and require lab facilities and specialists not readily available in resource-poor settings. Treatment requires painful, daily injections of drugs for 30 days.

The drug most widely used to treat kala azar, sodium stibogluconate (SSG) was developed in the 1930s, is relatively expensive and causes a toxic reaction in some patients.

> Blanket Distribution, Food Relief Camp <, www.foodrelief.org

KALA AZAR & AIDS MULTIPLY….. Co-infection of leishmaniasis and HIV is emerging as a growing threat, as both diseases attack and weaken the immune system. Infection with one of these diseases makes a person less resistant to the other and treatment becomes less effective. MSF through its Access to Essential Medicines campaign is urging for more research into suitable diagnostic techniques and affordable drugs to treat this neglected disease. Leishmaniasis (kala azar): > International Activity Report, 2007 <

Bericht zu meiner Perureise, Freundeskreises Peru Amazonico e.V. war dessen Gründungsmitglied Eugen Bruder (ehemaliger DED-Entwicklungshelfer in Peru) im Februar in Peru und besuchte die Projekte. Näheres auch im Internet unter www.peru-amazonico.de

Glucantime/Leishmaniose – Seit etwa 10 Jahren liefern wir das Medikament Glucantime gegen die tropische Krankheit Leishmaniose nach Peru. Damals waren wir von einer befreundeten Peruanerin aus Huanuco (östliches Andengebiet, Richtung Urwald) gebeten worden, dieses Medikament zu besorgen, da es in Peru knapp und teuer sei. Leishmaniose, in Afrika und Asien in seiner viszeralen (= innerkörperlichen) Form als “Kala Azar” (= schwarzer Tod) bekannt, tritt in Mittel- und Südamerika als Erkrankung der Haut und Schleimhäute auf (kutane und mukokutane Form). Gefährlich ist vor allem die mukokutane Form, da dort die Schleimhäute von Nase, Mund und Rachen befallen werden und grässliche Verstümmelungen zur Folge haben können, weshalb die krankheit auch weiße Lepra ( “the white leprosis” ) genannt wird.

Kala Azar: “A Disease of the Poorest of the Poor”

Drugs against Kala Azar costs in developed countries only 1 dollar, in third lands 10 dollars ( people their earn this in one month or year or none) , so found the Peru Rainforest Friends a efficient and cheap legal  Drug Air Port Delievery Help to keep the friends in Peru healthy: - Wir haben eine sehr günstige und effektive Form des Medikamententransports nach Peru gefunden: Reisende, die nach ein paar Kilo “Luft” im Gepäck haben, nehmen es freundlicherweise mit nach Peru. Ich hatte über 20 kg Glucantime dabei. Die 1.900 Ampullen gingen ohne Probleme durch den Zoll (ich hatte “grün” an der Ampel). In Cusco wartete man dringend auf das Glucantime.

Ich hatte 1.400 Ampullen mitgenommen (die restlichen 500 Ampullen gingen nach Huanuco). Gerade als ich das Glucantime im Hospital Antonio Lorena übergeben hatte, kam ein 24-jähriger Mann mit einer offenen Wunde an jedem Arm. Bei ihm war gerade Leishmaniose diagnostiziert worden. Er kam aus dem Distrikt Acomayo und war ein paar Monate als Holzfäller (Wood Logger) im Urwaldgebiet Puerto Maldonado, wo er durch einen Mückenstich infiziert worden war. Zu Hause hat er einen kleinen Bauernhof, aber da das Geld nicht reicht, macht er diesen Holzfällerjob. Während früher die meisten Leishmaniosekranken sich als Goldwäscher infiziert hatten, sind es jetzt zunehmend Holzfäller (Wood Logger) . Die meisten können sich das Medikament nicht leisten. Eine Ampulle kostet in der Apotheke etwa 10 Dollar (während wir es hier für 1 Dollar kaufen – hier sieht man die menschenverachtende Preispolitik der Pharmamultis). Quelle: www.peru-amazonico.de

• www.thlib.org , www.visva-bharati.ac.in ,  www.aeinstein.org
• The International Centre of BHU <
• www.rainforestinfo.org.au
• DR. RUTH PFAU, MALC, DAHW <
• THE TIBETAN AND HIMALAYAN LIBRARY <
• ESTC 2010 Lead. Sustain. Engage. ECOTOURISM CONFERENCE 2010 <
• Bangladesh Top Prize 3rd Annual Photoshare Contest <
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• Meet National Geographic, friends, fans at fb <
• Meet Global Concern, http://www.glcoin.org, studies, friends at fb <
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• Meet 100 Million Voices for a Real Climate Deal in Mexico 2010 at fb <

www.machik.org

www.upaya.org

www.architecturefortibet.org

www.nationalgeographic.com

Kham (Tibetan: ཁམས; Wylie transliteration: Khams; Simplified Chinese: 康巴; Pinyin: Kāngbā), is a region presently divided between the Chinese provinces of the Tibetan Autonomous Region, and Sichuan where Khampas, a subgroup within the Tibetan ethnicity, live. It is also one of the three traditional provinces claimed by the Tibetan government-in-exile. Read More: > HERE <

Education and capacity-building form the core of the Machik mission. Learn how a ground-breaking school is helping revitalize a community in a rural Tibetan township.

Located deep in the heartland of Kham, Chungba was, until a few short years ago, a typical rural Tibetan community. With no electricity, running water, telephone, internal roads and virtually no literacy, this mountain community was unequipped to manage the rapid changes arriving at its door. Today, an investment in a primary school has stimulated a broad-based effort to revitalize the community while setting a new standard for rural Tibetan education across the prefecture.

We are deeply saddened by the recent earthquakes in Tibet. In the first four days after the earthquake we raised and sent $38,000 for relief aid. We hope you will let your family, friends and colleagues know that the Tibetan people of Jyekundo need our continued help.

Thank you and we look forward to staying in touch.

The Chungba School Story – Since it first opened its doors in 2002, the Ruth Walter Chungba Primary School has challenged regional stereotypes about the potential of rural Tibetan children. In its first year of operation, the students of Chungba achieved the highest results on county-wide standardized exams, despite being the first generation in Chungba ever to have access to formal education. Surprised by the results, county officials ran a second round of standardized exams for the Chungba school. And the tests results were even higher.

Today, with a residential community of 340 students and staff, the Chungba Primary School has become a model for rural education throughout the eighteen counties of the Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture – a region of nearly a million Tibetans. New resources and creative programming have played a role in the success of the CPS projects that include an annual Chungba Summer Learning Program, a traditional Tibetan dance program, a library, an organic greenhouse and other green technologies to promote conservation and environmental consciousness. Watch an introductory video clip of the CPS. The Chungba Summer Learning Program in particular has offered the Chungba kids an array of resources to expand their knowledge of their world and to learn about new forms of knowledge production. These include learning about both traditional knowledge, such as Tibetan storytelling, as well as the use of new digital media.

These images of the Chungba Primary School from 2004-5 were edited by Tsering Perlo , documentarian and founder of Rabsal, an association of young Tibetans dedicated to the revitalization of Tibetan culture. // Pilgrimage Through Kham: A Medical Mission in Tibet

Born in a Tibetan refugee camp in India, raised in Canada, holding a Ph.D. from the University of London’s School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), Losang Rabgey has found her life’s work in remote Tibetan villages of farmers, seminomads, and nomads.

An anthropologist specializing in contemporary Tibetan culture and gender relations, Rabgey explains, “I believe that whatever kind of theoretical, research-based work you do, it must be grounded in local knowledge. It’s critical to have a hands-on understanding of what life looks like and feels like to the people you work with.”

• http://johnullman.multiply.com
• www.awamfoundation.org
• Khenchen Lama, AWAM Foundation, Khampas <
• Meet Lobsang Rabgey, friends, studies, fans at fb <
• Meet Survival International, friends, fans at fb <
• Meet Indigenous Peoples Issues and Resources, friends, fans at fb <
• Meet UN International Year of Biodiversity 2010, friends, fans at fb <
• Meet National Geographic, friends, fans at fb <
• Meet 100 Million Voices for a Real Climate Deal in Mexico 2010 at fb <
  

Green Shopping Guide Österreich:   http://bewusstkaufen.at

 FLOWERS FOR HUMAN RIGHTS

 HOW TO GO GREEN

SAVE MOTHER EARTH

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC – GREEN GUIDE

Lotus Flower – Symbol of Purity and Great Beauty!

The modern Mother’s Day is celebrated on various days in many parts of the world, most commonly in May, though also in March, as a day to honor mothers and motherhood. In the United States it was nationally recognized as a holiday in 1914 after a campaign by Anna Jarvis. In some countries, it follows the old traditions of Mothering Sunday. Read More: > HERE <

Mother’s Day (U.S.)  is an annual holiday that recognizes mothers, motherhood and maternal bonds in general, as well the positive contributions that they make to society. In the United States, it is celebrated on the second Sunday in May. Read More: > HERE <

Flowers around the globe - Are you aware that the cut flower you buy in the supermarket or at your florist might have travelled thousands of kilometres to please you at home or in the office? Indeed, an increasing share of flowers which are sold in Europe is grown in countries close to the equator.

Do you wonder why? Around the equator conditions for growing flowers are more favourable than in Europe. Those countries don’t have cold winters, they constantly have 12 hours daylight and they have fertile soil. Labour is cheap and, labour and environmental laws are not as strict as in Europe, or at least, they are not enforced.

Are you concerned about the latter? We, too, are. That’s why we have started a campaign to raise awareness on labour rights, workers’ health, and environmental protection in the flower industry. Join us and be part of the change.

The campaign “Fair Flowers for Human Rights” - Non-governmental organisations from Austria, Belgium, Germany, and Czech Republic have jointly started a campaign to raise awareness on human rights violations and environmental pollution by the global flower industry. The campaign is supported by the Zimbabwean Non-Governmental Organisation Kunzwana and the Uganda Workers’ Education Association.

The campaign targets consumers, flower traders and local authorities and it aims at changing their consumption and purchasing patterns towards ensuring that flowers are produced in socially and environmentally sound conditions.

As means to reach our targets we will produce information material, organise exhibitions and speakers’ tours of flower workers, produce a movie, conduct workshops and lobby politicians. We will be present at various public events. You can read more on the specific actions in each country if you click on the logos of the campaign partners below. http://www.flowers-for-human-dignity.org/09/index.php/the-campaign.html

Fair trade roses for Mother´s Day & Human Rights

Da die heimische Schnittblumenproduktion die Nachfrage am österreichischen Markt nicht befriedigen kann, werden fast zwei Drittel der in Österreich verkauften Blumen aus Ländern des Südens importiert. Jährlich sind das zum Beispiel gut 80 Millionen Rosen. Auf den Blumenfarmen in Kenia, Uganda, Simbabwe, Ecuador und Kolumbien arbeiten zum Großteil Frauen, vielfach unter katastrophalen Arbeitsbedingungen.

Besonders vor dem Muttertag und den Valentinstag leisten sie Überstunden bis spät in die Nacht, oft werden diese nicht oder nicht vollständig bezahlt. Die Frauen berichten von gesundheitlichen Schäden aufgrund der Arbeit mit hoch giftigen Pestiziden und mangelndem Arbeitsschutz, auf manchen Farmen auch von sexueller Belästigung.

„Für die Frauen bedeutet die Arbeit auf den Blumenfarmen ein wichtiges Einkommen. Besonders in Lateinamerika arbeiten viele allein erziehende Mütter auf den Farmen. Sie benötigen dringend einen angemessenen Lohn, um sich und ihre Kinder adäquat ernähren zu können.“, berichtet Sophie Veßel, Koordinatorin der Kampagne „ Fair Flowers – mit Blumen für Menschenrechte “ bei der Menschenrechtsorganisation FIAN Österreich.

FIAN setzt sich seit vielen Jahren für die Rechte der ArbeiterInnen auf Schnittblumenfarmen weltweit ein. In Betrieben, die mit dem Gütesiegel Flower Label Program (FLP) zertifiziert wurden, werden Arbeits- und Menschenrechte eingehalten. Die Arbeitszeiten sind in langfristigen Verträgen geregelt, Überstunden werden angemessen bezahlt. Entsprechende Kleidung schützt die ArbeiterInnen vor den Chemikalien. Hoch giftige Pestizide dürfen überhaupt nicht eingesetzt werden. Für Frauen ist insbesondere wichtig, dass ihnen bezahlter Mutterschutzurlaub gewährt wird, sie während der Schwangerschaft geschont werden und sexuelle Belästigung nicht geduldet wird.

Daher empfehlen FIAN und die Volkshilfe Österreich, beim Blumenkauf  zu Blumen der Gütesiegel Flower Label Program (FLP) und FAIRTRADE zu greifen. „Blumen, die unter fairen Arbeitsbedingungen produziert wurden, sind ein besonders sinnvolles Geschenk. Denn sie unterstützen den Kampf gegen Ausbeutung von ArbeiterInnen.“, meint Josef Weidenholzer, Präsident der Volkshilfe Österreich. „Mit dem Kauf solcher Blumen können Sie doppelte Freude schenken. Der eigenen Mutter und der Blumenarbeiterin.“ Dass die Blumen nicht mit hoch giftigen Pestizid en belastet sind, trägt sicher zusätzlich zur Freude der Beschenkten bei!

FLP-Blumen verschiedener Sorten finden Sie im ausgewählten österreichischen Fachhandel, FAIRTRADE-Rosen in Supermärkten und im Fachhandel.

• AFRICAN TRADITIONAL MEDICINE <
• Weitere Informationen:
• www.fian.at (FLP-HändlerInnenliste)
• www.volkshilfe.at
• www.flowers-for-human-dignity.org
• www.fairflowers.at (FLP-HändlerInnenliste)
• The New 2008 Constitution of Ecuador <
• Meet Human Rights Campain, friends at fb <
• Meet FAIR TRADE certificied, friends at fb <
• Meet Human Rights Watch, friends at fb <
• Meet National Geographic, Green Guide, friends, fans at fb <

http://playingforchange.com

http://playingforchange.ning.com/

www.playingforchange.org

The Inspiration – Playing for Change is a multimedia movement created to inspire, connect, and bring peace to the world through music. The idea for this project arose from a common belief that music has the power to break down boundaries and overcome distances between people. No matter whether people come from different geographic, political, economic, spiritual or ideological backgrounds, music has the universal power to transcend and unite us as one human race. And with this truth firmly fixed in our minds, we set out to share it with the world.

The Production – We built a mobile recording studio, equipped with all the same equipment used in the best studios, and traveled to wherever the music took us. As technology changed, our power demands were downsized from golf cart batteries to car batteries, and finally to laptops. Similarly, the quality with which we were able to film and document the project was gradually upgraded from a variety of formats– each the best we could attain at the time—finally to full HD.

One thing that never changed throughout the process was our commitment to create an environment for the musicians in which they could create freely and that placed no barriers between them and those who would eventually experience their music. By leading with that energy and intent everywhere we traveled, we were freely given access to musicians and locations that are usually inaccessible. In this respect, the inspiration that originally set us on this path became a co-creator of the project along with us!

The Effect – Over the course of this project, we decided it was not enough for our crew just to record and share this music with the world; we wanted to create a way to give back to the musicians and their communities that had shared so much with us. And so in 2007 we created the Playing for Change Foundation, a separate 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation whose mission is to do just that. In early 2008, we established Timeless Media, a for-profit entity that funds and extends the work of Playing for Change. Later that year, Timeless Media entered into a joint venture with the Concord Music Group through the support of label co-owner and entertainment legend Norman Lear and Concord Music Group executive vice president of A&R John Burk. Our goal is to bring PFC’s music, videos and message to the widest possible audience.

Now, musicians from all over the world are brought together to perform benefit concerts that build music and art schools in communities that are in need of inspiration and hope. In addition to benefit concerts, the Playing for Change band also performs shows around the world. When audiences see and hear musicians who have traveled thousands of miles from their homes, united in purpose and chorus on one stage, everyone is touched by music’s unifying power.

And now, everyone can participate in this transformative experience by joining the Playing for Change Movement. People are hosting screenings, musicians are holding benefit concerts of every size, fans are spreading the message of Playing for Change through our media, and this is only the beginning. Together, we will connect the world through music!

> Playing for Change Utube Channel <

Playing for Change Foundation: Several years ago, a small group of filmmakers set out with a dream to make a documentary film about street musicians from around the world. That dream has grown not only into a reality, but into a global sensation called Playing For Change, and has touched the lives of millions of people.

While traveling to around the world to film and record these musicians, the crew became intimately involved with the music and people of each community they visited.

Many of these people lived very modestly in communities with limited resources; nevertheless, they were full of generosity, warmth, and above all they were connected to each other by a common thread: music.

In an effort to ensure that anyone with the desire to receive a music education would have the opportunity to do so, the Playing For Change Foundation was born.

The Playing For Change Foundation (PFCF) is dedicated to the fundamental idea that peace and change are possible through the universal language of music. www.playingforchange.org

• Meet Playing for Change, friends, musicians & fans at fb <
• Meet Playing for Change Foundation, friends & fans at fb <

www.motherteresa.org

> CHRIST FELLOWSHIP PAKISTAN <

> Oxford Journal: Trad. Medicine in Pakistan <

> UNANI MEDICINE <   > SIDDHA MEDICINE <

> UNANI Medicine with Reference to Pakistan and India <

Pakistan (Urdu: پاکِستان), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It has a 1,046 kilometres (650 mi) coastline along the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. Tajikistan also lies very close to Pakistan but is separated by the narrow Wakhan Corridor. Thus, it occupies a crossroads position between South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East.

The region forming modern Pakistan was at the heart of the ancient Indus Valley Civilisation and then later was the recipient of Vedic, Persian, Indo-Greek, Turco-Mongol, Islamic and Sikh cultures. The area has witnessed invasions and/or settlements by the Indo-Aryans, Persians, Greeks, Arabs, Turks, Afghans, Mongols and the British. Read More: > HERE <

Dear Friends in Christ, Greetings From Pakistan!

My name is Sabeeha Kiren. I am Finance Secretly and am working for Christian women, girls and widow in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan from the platform of Christ Fellowship Ministries, and am working for the Ministry as a sharing the Word of God with women, girls and widow how to pray and Praise Him, with them. We are Family of God.

Christ Fellowship Ministries is working for the Christian Street Children who do not have support from the family because of poverty and those who are forced to child labor, begging, drugs, gambling and other criminal activities because of not being tended with love and care. The Christian people do not get equal rights as the Muslims possess. God bless you and keep you.

Yours Sister in Christ, Miss Sabeeha Saddique

Christ Fellowship Ministries

•  Meet Miss Sabeeha, Christ Fellowship Ministries and friends at fb <
•  Meet Pakistan Rising, friends and fans at fb <
•  Meet India, Pakistan, South Asia, China- Friends Forever! at fb <

www.khamaid.org

www.khenchenlama.org

> Heart of Enlightment Institute <

www.upaya.org Zen Center Santa Fe, NM

http://khenchenlama.blogspot.com/

www.dharmakirti.org

AWAM is a Sanskrit word for compassion coupled with wisdom. AWAM Foundation is a non-profit organization incorporated in the state of Arizona, established to provide support to an orphanage and elder center initiated by Khenchen Lama Rinpoche in eastern Tibet. The activities of the AWAM Foundation are guided by compassion and wisdom and aim to manifest and propagate these deepest values. The foundation aims to engage in fundraising projects that would provide basic needs, housing, medical care and education for the orphans and elders. Importantly, AWAM Foundation focuses on long-term projects directed towards future self-sufficiency of the orphanage and elder center. In our activities, we respect, encourage, and support the traditional Tibetan values. The foundation is governed by three volunteer board members following the guidance of Khenchen Lama Rinpoche. Please consider supporting the worthy activities of AWAM Foundation.

Kham (Tibetan: ཁམས; Wylie transliteration: Khams; Simplified Chinese: 康巴; Pinyin: Kāngbā), is a region presently divided between the Chinese provinces of the Tibetan Autonomous Region, and Sichuan where Khampas, a subgroup within the Tibetan ethnicity, live. Read More: > HERE <

In 1999, Khenchen Lama Rinpoche established an orphanage and a shelter for older people near Jewo monastery in Tibetan province Kham. At that point there were 30 children and 10 older people who did not have any family or government support to provide for them. Moved by their suffering, Khenchen Rinpoche decided to launch a project that would provide the basic needs of food and shelter for the orphans and elders and help them cultivate wisdom and compassion that would guide them to a better future. Arrangements were made for the children to receive basic general education, training in Tibetan and Chinese languages, as well as meditation. In addition, elders interested in meditation received practice instructions from Rinpoche and were supported in their desire to engage in deep meditation practice. Over the last nine years the orphanage and shelter for older people grew in size. Currently, there are 150 children, seven to eighteen years old, and 30 older people between sixty and eighty years of age. While the progress of children and elders in their study and meditation practice is encouraging, there is increasing need to provide for them. In response to Khenchen Rinpoche’s request and under his spiritual guidance, Rinpoche’s students in Arizona established the AWAM Foundation.

HEALTH CLINIC: Because of the secluded location of the orphanage and the elder center, access to medical care is very difficult. The closest hospital that can provide appropriate care is one-day drive from the orphanage. There is a great need for a small hospital, since swift access to medical care is a necessity for small children in the orphanage as well as the elderly. The health clinic would also serve lay Tibetans who inhabit the surrounding areas in proximity of the orphanage. The clinic is planned to include both treatments in traditional Tibetan medicine and Western medicine.

www.upaya.org Pilgrimage Through Kham: A Medical Mission in Tibet

DHARMA TARA YAK FARM – In an effort to make the orphanage and elder center more sustainable, Rinpoche and his students developed a project aimed at providing long-term food contribution to the orphanage through an orphanage-owned yak farm. The Dharma Tara Yak Farm is managed free of charge by a local businessman in Tibet and is providing the orphans and elders with dairy products – the main part of diet in Tibet. Yaks purchased for the orphanage and elder center will never be killed for meat. Between 50-70 yaks are needed to provide for the 180 orphans and elders. Any excess dairy products will be in the future sold for purchase of other food articles for the orphanage. Khenchen Rinpoche is very hopeful about this project because it will provide for the orphans and elders as well as help sustain the traditional way of care for yaks. With recent changes in Tibet, increasing numbers of yaks are being raised for meat and slaughtered in a cruel way.

To launch the project, one of Khenchen Rinpoche’s students donated funds for the first 15 yaks in May 2008. Funds for additional 5 yaks were donated by Rinpoche’s Chinese students. Most recently, Rinpoche’s students from the Dharmakirti College in the USA made a donation for purchase of additional 5 yaks. The herd has currently 32 yaks because 7 baby yaks have been born since May 2008 and this number will grow every year (see picture below). We are very grateful to those who contributed to this project so far! Thanks to your support the start of the project has been a great success!

EDUCATION – When Khenchen Lama Rinpoche started the orphanage, one of the main priorities was to make sure that orphans receive the best education available in the area. To this aim, arrangements were made to cover the basic educational needs for the orphanage. Currently, there are four teachers: 2 monks from a near monastery and 2 local teachers. The curriculum focuses on reading and writing in Tibetan language, Tibetan history and culture, basic algebra, and Chinese language.

• www.bodhicittasangha.org
• www.upaya.org Zen Center, Santa Fe
• Kham Aid – Lovers of Buddhist Art <
• Meet Khenchen Lama, friends, studies at fb <
• Meet Survival International, friends, fans at fb <
  

www.nobelwomensinitiative.org

> MAE TAO CLINIC <

> KAREN STATE SCHOOL & MUSIC <

> HILFSWERK AUSTRIA / KAREN KIDS <

> BURMESE MIGRANT EDUCATION COMITEE <

www.helpwithoutfrontiers.org

Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar, is the largest country by geographical area in Indochina (mainland Southeast Asia). The country is bordered by China on the north-east, Laos on the east, Thailand on the south-east, Bangladesh on the west, India on the north-west and the Bay of Bengal to the south-west with the Andaman Sea defining its southern periphery. One-third of Burma’s total perimeter, 1,930 kilometres (1,199 mi), forms an uninterrupted coastline. Read More: > HERE <

The Karen Teacher Working Group (KTWG) is a local Karen organization attempting to promote education throughout Karen State, Burma despite almost 60 years of Burma Army oppression.

You can find regularly updated news about Karen communities in refugee camps in Thailand and in internally displaced communities throughout Karen State, Burma – as well as news about schools in those communities. You can also find reports, newsletters, Karen fonts, and other resources on our site. Donations for Karen State schools may also be made online or by contacting us.

For over half a century, civil war in Burma has uprooted many Ethnic/Indigenous communities. The Burmese military regime (SPDC) have focused their military offensives upon Ethnic groups living in the border areas of Burma . Numerous Ethnic Peoples have fled Burma to escape forced labour, re-location, rape, murder, theft and many other human rights abuses.

The Karen are one of the Ethnic groups from Burma . There are over 120,000 Karen living in refugee camps in Thailand . The majority of Karen live in Karen State, Burma where they continue to suffer greatly at the hands of the Burmese military regime (SPDC). There are over 100,000 internally displaced Karen persons living in Karen State, Burma.

AUNG SAN SUU KYI – Only Nobel Peace Prize Winner Imprisoned

Nobel Peace prize winners (Archbishop Desmond Tutu, The Dalai Lama, Shirin Ebadi, Adolfo Pérez Esquivel, Mairead Corrigan, Rigoberta Menchú, Prof. Elie Wiesel, U.S. President Barack Obama, Betty Williams, Jody Williams and former U.S. President Jimmy Carter) have called for the rulers of Burma to release Suu Kyi “create the necessary conditions for a genuine dialogue with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and all concerned parties and ethnic groups in order to achieve an inclusive national reconciliation with the direct support of the United Nations.” Some of the money she received as part of the award helps fund London-based charity Prospect Burma, who provide higher education grants to Burmese students. Read More: > HERE <

The Mae Tao Clinic (MTC), founded and directed by Dr. Cynthia Maung, provides free health care for refugees, migrant workers, and other individuals who cross the border from Burma to Thailand. People of all ethnicities and religions are welcome at the Clinic. Its origins go back to the student pro-democracy movement in Burma in 1988 and the brutal repression by the Burmese regime of that movement. The fleeing students who needed medical attention were attended in a small house in Mae Sot. Located on the border in Mae Sot, people of all ethnicities and religions are welcome at the Clinic.

Since 1989 MTC has grown, from that one small house to a large complex of simple buildings that provide a wide variety of health services to different groups of people. Today it serves a target population of approximately 150,000 on the Thai-Burma border. Exact numbers are hard to calculate because of the fluidity of the population. About 50% of those who come to MTC for medical attention are migrant workers in the Mae Sot area; the other 50% travel cross-border from Burma for care.

• Mae Tao Clinic Objectives:
• To provide health services for displaced Burmese populations along the Thailand-Burma border.
• To provide initial training of health workers and subsequent corollary medical education.
• To strengthen health information systems along the border.
• To improve health, knowledge, attitudes, and practices within local Burmese populations.
• To promote collaboration among local ethnic health organizations.
• To strengthen networking and partnering with international health professionals and institutions.

The Nobel Women’s Initiative was established in 2006 by sister Nobel Peace Laureates Jody Williams, Shirin Ebadi, Wangari Maathai, Rigoberta Menchú Tum, Betty Williams and Mairead Corrigan Maguire. We six women — representing North and South America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa — decided to bring together our extraordinary experiences in a united effort for peace with justice and equality.

Only 12 women in its more than 100 year history have been recognized with the Nobel Peace Prize. The Nobel Peace Prize is a great honor, but it is also a great responsibility. It is this sense of responsibility that compelled us to create the Nobel Women’s Initiative to help strengthen work being done in support of women’s rights around the world – work often carried out in the shadows with little recognition.

We believe peace is much more than the absence of armed conflict. Peace is the commitment to equality and justice; a democratic world free of physical, economic, cultural, political, religious, sexual and environmental violence and the constant threat of these forms of violence against women indeed against all of humanity.

It is the heartfelt mission of the Nobel Women’s Initiative to work together as women Nobel Peace Prize Laureates to use the visibility and prestige of the Nobel prize to promote, spotlight, and amplify the work of women’s rights activists, researchers, and organizations worldwide addressing the root causes of violence, in a way that strengthens and expands the global movement to advance nonviolence, peace, justice and equality. We accomplish this mission through three main strategies: convening, shaping the conversation, and spotlighting and promoting.

The Vision of the Nobel Women’s Initiative is a world transformed, a nonviolent world of security, equality and well-being for all.

(Archbishop Tutu´s Birthday wishes to Aung San Suu Kyi

• INTERNATIONALER FRIEDENSLAUF, BURMA <
• www.myanmar-tourism.com / ( > “Tourism in Burma” <)
• VIDEO: Long Neck Karen Hill Tribe, one of Thailands biggest tourist attractions <
• http://karenpeople.org/
• Non-profit Burmese media organization TV <
• Meet Mae Tao Clinic, friends, fans at facebook <
• Meet Karen Teacher School and Music friends, and fans at fb <
• Meet Balis Institute for Global Renewal, friends and studies at fb<
• Meet Nobel´s Womens Initiative, friends and fans at fb <
• Meet Global Peace Inititiative of Women, friends, fans at fb <
• Meet Int. Ecotourism Society, friends and fans at fb <

  Jabulani (IsiZulu) “Be Happy”

www.jabulani.de.vu

 http://jabulaniafrika.blogspot.com/

The greatest good we do to others is not to give them our own wealth but to show them their own. – ( Kardinal Suenese)

The Origins of Jabulani – Jabulani opened officially on the 4th of January 1988. At that time many people came to Mariannhill Mission for help after becoming homeless in the heavy floods in 1987. However, it was impossible to reach the poorest people. Thus the Sisters of the Precious Blood decided to open a centre for those affected.

Sr. Marco Gneis agreed to establish the project together with Mrs. Audrey. Prior to founding Jabulani the two nurses had been teaching mothers coming to St. Mary’s Hospital how to grow vegetables at home in an attempt to combat malnutrition, visiting different areas within a wide radius of the hospital with a mobile clinic.

> spiritreneuringrid’s Channel <

The Jabulani School Report – In the early days of Jabulani many people had to flee their homes and seek new shelter. This caused many problems, especially for the children involved. The local schools were overcrowded so that some of these children were refused admission. The arguments used revolved around the bad influence these children from allegedly criminal areas would have on the other pupils. The outcome was that a large number of children could not go to school that particular year. So Bhekani Mzobe started to teach the children of different grades at Jabulani.

Who comes to Jabulani every day? – About 140 women and 15 men from the surrounding townships are working at Jabulani. These people cannot find work on the open job market because they lack education or qualifications or because their family situation does not allow it. At Jabulani they have the chance to earn a small salary with which they can feed their families and offer their children a better future. The day starts at 7.30 am and ends around 3.30 pm, teatime and lunchtime included.

Jabulani Projects – Many projects in Jabulani were established within a very short space of time, including the gardening, sewing, embroidery, candle-making, bakery and weaving projects. Unfortunately some of these projects had to be stopped in the course of time due to the economic situation. The sewing project was restarted again later when it was decided to sew clothes for the Jabulani people themselves. Thus school uniforms, cushion covers, children’s clothes were made in addition to products for tourists.

Jabulani and Religion – In Jabulani one finds Catholic symbols alongside Zionist symbols, demonstrating that Jabulani is open for everyone, whether Christian, Zionist or Muslim. In Jabulani the different cultures and religions exist not only alongside one another, but also together with one another. And in the little meditation room all groups can practice their faith.

> Meet Jabulani Friends, Groups at facebook <

www.treesforlife.org

 > www.paxherbals.net <

> WHO – Traditional Medicine <

”Health through cultural heritage”

http://ewumonks.org/

> HERBAL AFRICA <

Traditional medicine (also known as indigenous or folk medicine) comprises medical knowledge systems that developed over generations within various societies before the era of modern medicine. Practices known as traditional medicines include herbal, Ayurveda, Siddha medicine, Unani, ancient Iranian medicine, Islamic medicine, traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture, Muti, Ifá, and other medical knowledge and practices all over the globe. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines traditional medicine as: “the health practices, approaches, knowledge and beliefs incorporating plant, animal and mineral-based medicines, spiritual therapies, manual techniques and exercises, applied singularly or in combination to treat, diagnose and prevent illnesses or maintain well-being.”

In some Asian and African countries, up to 80% of the population relies on traditional medicine for their primary health care needs. When adopted outside of its traditional culture, traditional medicine is often called complementary and alternative medicine. Herbal medicines can be very lucrative, generating billions of dollars in sales, but adulteration or counterfeit herbs can also be a health hazard. Read More: > HERE <

HISTORY OF TRADITIONAL MEDICINE – African Traditional Medicine is a mainstay of primary health care for the majority in Africa. About 80% of the population has relied on resources within their environment to survive since God’s creation.

Plants, minerals and animals constitute the major natural resources ever used by mankind for preventative, curative and rehabilitative health in Africa. Like any other continent, these resources have been used for over ten thousand years by traditional health practitioners (THP’s), who acquired their knowledge and skills through observation, spiritual revelation, personal experience, training and direct information from their predecessors.

THE ROLE OF EMERGED SCIENTIFIC TRADITIONAL MEDICINE SYSTEM: ” ETHNOMEDICINE ” – What is Ethnomedicine Science? Ethnomedicine is a multi-disciplinary field of study that draws on approaches and methods from both the social and biological sciences, culturally based biological and environmental knowledge, cultural perception and cognition of the natural world, associated behaviours and practices, concerned with the cultural interpretations of health, disease and illness, and also addresses the health care seeking process and healing practices.It is a study of cultural concepts of health, disease and illness, and of the nature of healing systems.

Ethnomedicine has turned it’s attention to laboratory research, which has been made possible by the auspices of the World Health Organisation (WHO). In fact, the traditional medicine programme of the WHO was precisely thought of as an answer to renewed interest for population therapies and remedies, in view of possible identification and utilisation within national health services.

African Medicine – the mother of medicines:

“If we accept that Africa is the cradle of mankind and that the use of herbs is as old as mankind itself, it then stands to reason that African medicine is the oldest, most tried and tested form of medicine known to mankind. Further, to call it an alternative is wrong, since it formed the basis for other types of medicine practiced today – conventional, herbal, Chinese, etc.” T/Dr R de Carvalho.

History and Description – Ethnomedicine is a system that applies both art and science to help the human body to restore its health and well-being. It utilises natural remedies to activate the immune system. Herbs are used for cleansing, elimination and detoxification. Some are used to stimulate the body’s self-healing capabilities to counteract physical symptoms, whilst others may be used as a tonic to help the body’s immunity.

• Vision – To manufacture and distribute an effective range of African herbal remedies and medicinal products that not only competes, but surpass its competitors.
• To enhance and preserve the knowledge and wisdom of African herbal medicine.
• To be a leader in the research and development of African herbal remedies and products.

PAXHERBAL, MAGAZINE:  The aim of Pax Herbal Magazine is to re-assimilate, re-understand and re-express ancient African philosophy [indigenous knowledge] in light of modern, scientific knowledge [exogenous knowledge]. African Medicine, that is, the science of life, is at the centre of African philosophy. Life, for the African, is indeed the ultimate value. By exploring the multi-faceted dynamism of healing in Africa, Pax Herbal Magazine is championing a medical revolution that is all-embracing, holistic, African and global.

The Science – After years of repudiating ancient wisdom, science is now validating the wisdom of the ancients.  Discoveries in quantum physics, radiology and electromagnetic force have changed the way scientists look at the world.

Pax Herbal products are currently a high-flying brand because they are efficacious, affordable and available. Recently, though, the monks of St. Benedict Monastery, Ewu, Esan, Edo State, the custodians of Africa’s most sophisticated, scientific and full-blown herbal pharmaceutical industry and their dedicated staff have been bending over backwards to meet a snowballing demand for their products.

• www.epasa.co.za/ - Ethnomedicine Practicioners Ass. Africa
• www.ethnobiomed.com
• ZAYA Project Uganda <
• www.light-for-the-world.org
• DRAFT POLICY TRADITIONAL MEDICINE FOR SOUTH AFRICA <
• WHO – CODEX ALIMENTARUS <
• http://paxherbalmagazine.com/
• Dein Ayurveda Net – Africa´s Medicine <
• Meet African Herbal Doctor Magazin at facebook <
• Meet Pax Herbal Clinic and Research Laboratories at fb <

 www.treesforlife.org    cradle to cradle design 

www.smileafrica.com

www.computerrecyclingsociety.org

> E-WASTE GUIDE <

www.afrigeneas.com

Electronic waste, e-waste, e-scrap, or Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) describes loosely discarded, surplus, obsolete, broken, electrical or electronic devices. The processing of electronic waste in developing countries causes serious health and pollution problems because electronic equipment contains some very serious contaminants such as lead, cadmium, beryllium and brominated flame retardants. Even in developed countries recycling and disposal of e-waste involves significant risk to workers and communities and great care must be taken to avoid unsafe exposure in recycling operations and leaching of material such as heavy metals from landfills and incinerator ashes. Read More: > HERE <

About CRSC – What is the Computer Recycling Society of Canada? – CRSC is a non-profit, community minded organization whose vision is to promote computer literacy for all people with emphasis on helping other charitable and non-profit groups. We provide affordable, refurbished computers and training programs to needful individuals and organizations locally and worldwide. Our main project focus is our work with the “Smile Africa Foundation” to provide computer labs to schools throughout Africa. www.smileafrica.org

Who is involved? - Corporations, government and individuals all donate used computer equipment to our Society. Experienced computer technicians and educators in computer fundamentals, with the generous assistance of community volunteers, operate our facilities and run our programs.

Why is the Computer Recycling Society Necessary? – To fill a gap in computer education and to make computers available to people of all ages, across all income groups, through the auspices of other established, non-profit community organizations in your community and in developing countries.

WHERE can you make a difference? – If you have any computers or parts no longer useful to you or your company, we will refurbish and redistribute them to local and international communities through charitable organizations.

How can you Help? – We are always looking for people willing to volunteer their time and talents; repairing and teaching; picking up and delivering. All that’s required is enthusiasm and a desire to learn and help others.

SMILE AFRICA’s vision is based on three core principles: Literacy, Learning and Leadership; enabling partner communities (in Africa) to improve their human factor capacity for change, and to build a world fashioned more equitably.

2009 -2015 priorities include providing books, libraries and resources to foster quality education and help children and families refine and unfold their potential as leaders, thinkers and contributors of society.

beCAUSE™ 2015 Campaign - SMILE AFRICA’s beCAUSE™ campaign focuses on three achievable goals of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). If each one of us can play a small role along with leading organizations and world governments, we can combat illiteracy and poverty, and bring change to a significant portion of the human family.

Achievable Goals:

• Our MDGs Priorities by 2015:
• Provide one million books to help school children achieve literacy, and build libraries and schools in partnership with their communities.
• Improve the living conditions of vulnerable populations, e.g., via training and access to clean water and basic sanitation.
• Empower women via leadership and economic development; giving them resources to prevent poverty-related risks such as: hunger, infant illnesses and mortality. Read more…www.smileafrica.com

” e-waste boy in africa “

• UNODC – electronic waste (”e-waste”) posing in West Africa <
• SAVE NATURAL CLIMATE <
• AfriGeneas ~ African Ancestored Genealogy, friends, studies at fb <
• SAN DAMIANO FOUNDATION , VILLAGE TO VILLAGE <
• South Africa – H.H. the XIV Dalai Lama, friends, fans at fb <
• TREE´s FOR LIFE: Computers to Empower People, gifts from the heart <
• Balis Institute for Global Renewal, friends, studies at fb <

> What is authentic Judaism ? <

www.rzlp.org

www.naropa.edu

http://migdalohr.org/

www.yesodfoundation.org

The Reb Zalman Legacy Project is a collaborative effort of the Yesod Foundation and Naropa University to preserve, develop and disseminate the teachings of Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, better known as “Reb Zalman,” an innovative leader in ecumenical dialogue and founder of the Jewish Renewal and Spiritual Eldering movements.

To this end, we hope to develop a unique on-line educational tool, giving users access to a virtual library of profound dimensions; a physical archival collection housed at Naropa University, providing a beautiful space for study, contemplation, and spiritual fellowship; a Contemplative Judaism M.A. program based on Reb Zalman’s teachings at Naropa University; ecumenical, spiritual direction, and eldering workshops; and new books, booklets, CDs, and DVDs, developed from the wealth of Reb Zalman’s material archive.

Important areas of intellectual and spiritual development to us are Deep Ecumenism (inter-religious dialogue), Paradigm Shift, Contemplative Practices, Ecology and Gaian Awareness, Spiritual Eldering, Psychology of Religion, Transpersonal Sociology, Jewish Mysticism, Hasidism, Jewish Renewal, Storytelling, and Sacred Music.

The Reb Zalman Legacy Project is a container that supports the evolving understanding of all of these ideas with the teachings of Reb Zalman as its core and foundation. We intend to preserve not only Reb Zalman’s body of work, but also his process of renewal, so that his teachings will not become calcified and exist with meaning primarily for our generation alone. Therefore, with an eye to the future, we are building open access-pathways to primary texts, inviting new commentary, and providing new possibilities for spiritual fellowship. “To Preserve, Develop, and Disseminate”

Reb Zalman Schachter-Shalomi: Healing the Planet, Rabbi Grossman for underprivilged children

Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, better known as “Reb Zalman,” was born in Zholkiew, Poland, in 1924. Raised largely in Vienna, his family was forced to flee the Nazi oppression in 1938. After almost three years without roots, they finally landed in New York City in 1941, settling in Brooklyn, where young Zalman enrolled in the yeshiva of the Lubavitcher Hasidim. He was ordained by Lubavitch in 1947. He later received his Master of Arts degree in the Psychology of Religion in 1956 from Boston University and a Doctor of Hebrew Letters degree from Hebrew Union College in 1968.

He taught at the University of Manitoba, Canada, from 1956 to 1975 and was Professor of Jewish Mysticism and Psychology of Religion at Temple University until his early retirement in 1987, when he was named professor emeritus. In 1995, he accepted the World Wisdom Chair at Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado, officially retiring from that post in 2004.

Throughout his long career, Reb Zalman has been an unending resource for the world religious community. He is the father of the Jewish Renewal and Spiritual Eldering movements, an active teacher of Hasidism and Jewish Mysticism, and a participant in ecumenical dialogues throughout the world, including the widely influential dialogue with the Dalai Lama, documented in the book, The Jew in the Lotus.

One of the world’s foremost authorities on Hasidism, he is the author of the new book, A Heart Afire: Stories and Teachings of the Early Hasidic Masters (co-authored by Netanel Miles-Yepez), and on Jewish law, he has written, Integral Halachah: Transcending and Including (with Daniel Siegel). Reb Zalman currently lives in Boulder, Colorado, and continues to be active in mentoring his many students the world over.

For a complete biography and chronology of Reb Zalman’s life, please visit our “Life” page. To see a complete list of Reb Zalman’s published works, see our “Works” page.

Rabbi Yitzchak Dovid Grossman is a sixth generation Jerusalemite, born in 1946. A dramatic turning point in his life occurred in 1968 when he decided to move to the Lower Galilee town of Migdal Ha’Emek to provide the socio-humanitarian aid sorely needed there.

Migdal Ha’Emek had been established in 1953 as a development town designed to accommodate part of the great influx of Jewish immigrants from the North African countries. The town’s population grew in size much faster than the evolving socio-economic and educational infrastructure. The resulting shortage of jobs and lack of sufficient school facilities and teachers had a devastating effect on the inhabitants. Migdal Ha’Emek quickly became known as one of the prime centers of criminal activity in Israel.

Rabbi Grossman’s arrival on the scene was without fanfare. He had no welcoming committee and no mandate from the people or from the administration. Furthermore, he had no budget nor staff or even an office. He joined in the conversations of idle youth hanging out on the street corners and, after gaining their confidence, began organizing private classes for them. But he knew that to get to the core of the problem, he would have to tackle it at it’s roots.

Rabbi Grossman became a steady and frequent visitor at the town’s discotheques and pubs, engaging the young clientele in dialogues. Slowly but surely the tough exteriors began to peel away and there began to surface the gentle side of the members of the new generation searching for their true identity.

Migdal Ohr (Hebrew for “Tower of Light”) was established in 1972 for the express purpose of providing education and social guidance to the children from underprivileged and troubled homes ifrom across Israel. Overcrowded apartments, one-parent families, homes with drug problems, impoverished, crime-ridden families–these are the target populations from which Migdal Ohr draws its over 6,000 pupils at all levels of the educational spectrum. Its goal – to transform these students into proud and productive citizens of Israel.

www.migdahlorg.at

Migdal Ohr, Israel’s largest youth village, provides a nurturing home and outstanding education to over 6,500 orphaned, impoverished, underprivileged and new immigrant children. At Migdal Ohr, the children’s individual needs are met with love, warmth and tremendous sensitivity.

The Young Leadership Committee is dedicated to upholding the values and promoting the mission of Migdal Ohr. By developing creative programming, the Committee attracts young Jewish professionals, educates them about our mission, and encourages increased involvement.

The Young Leadership Committee is open to everyone interested in generating awareness for Migdal Ohr and affecting change in the lives of others. Our dynamic members come from varied backgrounds, and offer a broad range of perspectives and experiences. Together we plan and attend fundraisers and social events, meet hundreds of young adults in the New York area, and, best of all, help save children in Israel.

MIGDAL OHR EDUCATIONAL CENTER – The following is a brief description of some of the educational and social facilities provided by Migdal Ohr:

• (a) Day Care Centers which provide tender, loving care to infants aged three months to three years old. These facilities offer the mothers of large families the opportunity to work and help their husbands support their children.
• (b) Kindergartens, where pre-school age children get a proper start on the educational path.
• (c) Primary and Secondary school systems, for boys and for girls, with full dormitory facilities, laboratories, computer centers, libraries, and youth centers, where emphasis is placed on individual attention to the child’s needs.
• (d) Teachers’ Seminary for single and married men, to develop the rabbis, educators, school administrators and rabbinical court judges required by Israeli society.
• (e) Prisoner rehabilitation programs in Israel’s prisons. The recidivism rate among the “graduates” of Migdal Ohr’s rehabilitation activities stands at about 10%, a sharp contrast to the 90% in the general prison population.
• (f) Occupational Training Center offering adult education courses responsive to the requirements of government and industry for off-campus residents of northern Israel. Courses fall into three categories:
• (I) OCCUPATIONAL DIPLOMA COURSES
• (II) EDUCATION EXTENSION COURSES
• (III) COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES

• Meet Reb Zalman Legacy Project, friends, fans, studies at fb <
• Meet Migdahl Ohr, friends, fans, studies at fb <

idealrealnet’s Channel

www.act4tibet.com

Tours and Retreats

Yogi Tsoru Dechen Foundation, Florida

The Yogi Tsoru Dechen Rinpoche Foundation was created to provide Westerners access to the Buddha Dharma (Path of Awakening), and to supply Compassion and Wisdom to all human beings. The founder and spiritual leader of YTDR Foundation is Tulku Karma Gyurme Sonam Rinpoche, who is recognized as a Lama – a term reserved for senior members of the Tibetan Order.

ACT is a branch of the Yogi Tsoru Dechen Rinpoche foundation that is dedicated to helping the young Tibetan refugees and monks at Lama Tulku Karma’s camp in Mainpat, India.

Acupuncturists from Sedona treat Tibetans living in exile in a Tibetan refugee camp in India, called Mainpat. Invited by buddhist lama Tulku Karma Rinpoche, the experience so moved them that they formed the Tibetans in Exile Health Project, a not for profit tax exempt organization committed to meeting the health care needs of Tibetans living in exile.

YTDR manages several charitable programs which directly benefit the people of Tibet and help ensure the survival of their culture. The Foundation’s ultimate vision is to have Dharma Centers established throughout the world devoted to cultivating wisdom and compassion for all beings.

With Dharma Centers already established in Nepal and the US, these additional centers will sustain the teachings and unique lineage of Tibetan Buddhism that was nearly extinguished in the political upheavals of the 20th century, and which have been re-established while still in exile.

YTDR Foundation is a volunteer based organization, and is a registered Florida Charitable Entity EIN 30-0458849 that has applied for Federal Non-Profit Status.

Meet YTDR Sedona Dharma Center, friends, fans at fb <

Meet Act4Tibet, friends, fans at fb <

The PRESIDENT and Dalai Lama coming out after the Investiture Ceremony at> Rashtrapati Bavan<

> MANUSHREE VIDYAPITH ORPHANAGE <

> ARCHITECTURE FOR TIBET´s BLOG <

> KLIMA, ENERGIE, WOHNEN MIT UMWELTBERATUNG WIEN <

> ARCHITECTURE FOR TIBET <

Architecture in Tibet contains Chinese and Indian influences, and reflects a deeply Buddhist approach. The Buddhist Prayer wheel, along with two deer or dragons, can be seen on nearly every Gompa in Tibet. The design of the Tibetan Chörtens can vary, from roundish walls in Kham to squarish, four-sided walls in Ladakh.

The most unusual feature of Tibetan architecture is that many of the houses and monasteries are built on elevated, sunny sites facing the south, and are often made out a mixture of rocks, wood, cement and earth. Little fuel is available for heat or lighting, so flat roofs are built to conserve heat, and multiple windows are constructed to let in sunlight. Walls are usually sloped inwards at 10 degrees as a precaution against frequent earthquakes in the mountainous area. Read More: >HERE <

INTRODUCTION – The Manjushree Orphanage free Education is one of the major projects in Arunachal Pradesh, Eastern part of Himalayan region. Whose purpose is to promote love, kindness, compassion and peace for the benefit of individuals, families, communities and the world? It will contribute to this endeavour by inspiring young people to act with a ‘good heart’, to become leaders in their communities and to help bring peace into the world.

The name of the orphanage is called Manjushree Vidyapith, Orphanage. This orphanage was commence on 30th, October 1998 with an obvious and distinct intention of serving the deprived and disadvantaged children of the society irrespective of religion, caste, community, tribe, gender etc.

We started with 17 orphans with three teaching staffs from far-flung villages of this area in the year 1998. It is the first orphanage of its kind in whole area.

> Architecture for Tibet utube Channel <

In the beginning, one building was constructed to accommodate 17 orphans and 3 teaching staff. Army authority of the area had come forward to help the orphanage. Since then the number of orphans and destitute grow in geometric progression and the income of the orphanage in arithmetic progression. As a result, we are unable to admit many helpless orphans and neglected children.

The children who have lost their parents, the children who are destitute and dependent, and the children who have been born disabled or become disabled due to accident make up the family members of this orphanage.

Where they are provided with all the necessities of lives along with proper education and appropriate guidance to make them competent for facing various confrontations of lives.

At present, the orphanage is home to 108 children 80 orphans, 18 destitute and 10 physical disabled children from different social background. However, most of the children hail from this remote region. After coming here, they have started to relive their lives leaving their horrifying and disappointing past behind and they have begun to learn to tread forward with confidence and dignity. They live here as a different member of a single family, where every one is treated on equal terms.

We run a school inside our orphanage up to 5th grades. In the school, students are taught different subjects such as English, Math, Hindi, Tibetan, Science, Social Studies etc. 8 qualified teachers are engaged in imparting education to the orphans. Those who pass the 5th grade go to other school as day scholars but stay in the orphanage. Right now 25 students go to other school from our orphanage.

Besides, the residents are provided modern education, and equipped with moral values to help them become a better human being. The mental and physical growths of the residents and to help them possess a kind heart are given paramount importance. The orphanage has left no stone unturned to return back the smile they had lost.

So in all, the orphanage in itself has learnt to exist as very well knit family enriched with love, peace and knowledge and tranquility despite of many ups and downs. But in a way Manjushree family and I are indeed very thankful to all those great people who have been supporting us in one way or other without whose contributions we would not have reached this far. Read More: > HERE <

Our Project: Architecture for Tibet’s current project is an Academic Center for the Manjushree Orphanage in Tawang, Arucnachal Pradesh, in the high Himalaya of Northeast India. The new, light-filled Academic Center will replace the present schoolhouse, which is falling apart and not large enough to accommodate the number of children.

The proposed two-story building will contain not only classrooms, but a library, a multi-purpose space, a computer and language lab, and a large Nursery Environment, for the youngest children to learn, play and be cared for in. Within this place, the children can cultivate a true sense of friendship while gaining the knowledge they need to overcome their difficult circumstances.

The building is “green”: Temperature is regulated through a combination of geothermal and solar-based technologies, creating a warm environment during the harsh winters and a dry, airy place in summer, when the region receives heavy rains. This will enable the children to be comfortable, healthy, and active within their learning environment throughout all the seasons.

Our Organization: Architecture for Tibet has been founded by the Architectural Designer John Ullman of NYC and is composed of concerned professionals from the fields of architecture, engineering and education from around the world who are bound together by the common will to improve the built learning environ in Tawang, Arucnachal Pradesh.

• GREEN IDEAS DEIN IN DEIN AYURVEDA NET ARTICLE <
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> Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam & Khwaja Farooq Renzu Shah <

www.kashmirsufism.org

> Kashmir: Sufis, Saints and Shrines <

> Kashmiri Overseas Association, Inc. <

> POETSEERS – SUFI POETRY <

Kashmir Sufism-History and Background

Kashmir-The Valley of Divinity – In the heart of the great Himalayas is a beautiful valley, which has been described by poets and emperors as paradise. Over the centuries, the verdant vale of Kashmir has seen the blossoming of many exquisite flowers of the philosophy of humankind. With the bountiful beauty of nature constantly around them, the people of Kashmir have always been filled by thoughts of the divinity of creation.

With the first rays of the sun, the melodious Azaan – call for the morning prayers, resonates through the mountains, a new day of life ushers into hope and joy with fresh fragrance of the Himalayan blooms and lotuses, of fir and pine trees. The purity of the mesmerizing beauty of Kashmir transforms any seeking soul into a humble being. The enchanting natural beauty of the valley with lakes and waterfalls, mountains and dales, rivers and springs, birds and butterflies and the peace loving folks all together in harmony magnify the Oneness of Allah in totality. The mystic atmosphere of Kashmir made this a suitable place for Rishis, Saints and Sages for time immemorial.

The philosophers of the valley have had a joyous belief in the manifestation of the beauty of God, in the world that we see around us. It is a deep belief that every aspect of creation is a part of the supreme consciousness. This philosophy of love and the recognition of divine beauty were the essence of the Buddhist and Hindu philosophies of the early period in Kashmir. Islam in the valley inherited these traditions and Kashmiris developed a rich Sufi culture, which continued the tradition of a deep personal love of God.

In Kashmir, visions of the lord’s glory are constantly in front of us. Kashmir Valley is an ideal refuge for a contemplative mind that gives you space to cultivate virtues towards leading a meaningful and content life. Long walks into the forests and boat cruising in the backwaters of Dal Lake during the day and quite evenings observing the stars awakens ones senses to understand the mystery of the universe .

Khwaja Farooq Renzu Shah has written eleven books and his Sufi Mankabat on Bulbul Shah has received national and international awards. Nusrat Fatheh Ali Khan and his disciple Rufi Fateh Ali have achieved fame through Bul bul Shah Mankabat on Sufism. His association with Sufi shrines of Kashmir , particularly shrine of Sheikh-ul-Alam at Chrar Sharief Budgam district, Sufi shrine of Muqam, Waterhail Budgam, Khansahib Budgam, Makhdoom Sahib Srinagar, Rahbab sahib, Drayigam shrine, Naqashband Sahib Srinagar, BulBul Shah Sahib Nawakadal Srinagar, Khankah Moula KhanKah, Fateh kadal Srinagar are very strong . After the tragic burning of Chrar Sharief shrine including Khankah Faiz, Khawaja Farooq had honour to rebuild Khankah Faiz. His Sufi seminars are attended by thousands of shrine believers. He organized international conference of Sheikh-Ul-Alam, Bul Bul Shah and Amir-I-Kabir. Khwaja Farooq Renzu was awarded Col.Qadafi award at Tripoli for his distinguished contribution on Sufism in 1988. He was awarded by the President of India, Prime minister, Governor and chief minister of J&K for his contribution to Sufism.

Kashmir: Where Sufis are Rishis and Rishis are Sufis!

By Sultan Shaheen

The most dominant influence on the Kashmiri Muslims, in terms of their Kashmiriyat, is that of the Rishi order of Sufis. While the Sufi orders like the Suharwardi, Kubravi, Naqshbandi and Quadri, arrived in Kashmir from Persia, Central Asia, and Central and North India, the Rishi order evolved in the valley itself indigenously in the beginning of the fifteenth century. The Kashmir valley was already permeated with the traditions of Hindu ascetism and Buddhist renunciation.

The term >“RISHI”< itself is clearly a derivation from Sanskrit and Indian traditions, though some Medieval Muslim scholars have tried to show that it is derived from the Persian word raish or rish meaning the feathers or wings of a bird. Baba Dawood Mishkati, for instance, gives a rather tortuous explanation. A bird whose feathers have been removed has no control over its own movements and depends entirely on the wind. And this is also the case with a Rishi; he is alienated from the world and lives alone, buffeted by fate. This and similar explanations, have, however, failed to impress the average Kashmiri Muslim and he, by and large, accepts its Sanskrit derivation and uses it loosely like his Hindus brethren as synonymous for a sage. In fact many Kashmiris do not even associate the word with any particular order of sufis, but use the word to denote any and every sufi saint.

The indigenous Rishi order of Sufis, however, does differ not only from the establishmentarian and fundamentalist Muslims but also from other Sufi orders in its philosophy and way of life. Many writers who have chronicled the life and times of Kashmiris of this period have been attracted to the unique way of life and philosophy of the Rishi order of Sufis. An important chronicler of this period, Abul Fazl, for instance, is all praise for them. He writes: “The most respected class of people in this country (Kashmir) are the Rishis. Although they have not abandoned the traditional and customary forms of worship (taqlid), but they are true in their worship. They do not denounce men belonging to different faiths. They do not have the tongue of desire, and do not seek to obtain worldly objects. They plant fruit-bearing trees in order that people may obtain benefit from these. They abstain from meat and do not marry.”

This account is corroborated by Emperor Jahangir. He writes: “Although they have not acquired learning and marifa, they live a frank and unostentatious life. They criticise nobody and ask for nothing from anyone. They neither eat meat nor marry. They always plant fruit-bearing trees in uninhabited parts, so that people may be benefited by them. But they themselves do not hope to reap any advantages from these trees.”

The Kashmiri Muslim Rishi’s ascetic and unworldly life thus bears a close resemblance to the lifestyle of the Hindu Rishis and Munis as well as Buddhist and Jain monks.

Baba Dawood Khaki describes a Rishi as one who is an ascetic and leads a disciplined life different from those of other saints. He is free from all worldly pleasures. Baba Nasib calls them gracious to the pious and describes them as men of pure heart. Their presence has turned Kashmir into heaven, he says. Cutting themselves away from all worldly relationships, they neither marry nor bother themselves with a family life. Piety is their apparel(khirqa); their nights are devoted to worship and during the day they worship incessantly. Having abandoned all worldly desires, they have succeeded in controlling their carnal lusts. Read Full Article: > HERE <

> Kashmir News Network <

Lal Ded: The Great Kashmiri Saint-Poetess

Edited by: Dr. S. S. Toshkhani

> PROYOGA.DE <

Streifzug durch die Welt der indischen Mystiker und Dichterheiligen

- ihre Gedichte u. Gesänge -

This book represents the proceedings of a National Seminar on “Remembering Lal Ded in Modern Times” conducted by Kashmir Education, Culture and Science Society in New Delhi on 12 November, 2000. Lalleshwari or Lal Ded, according to late Prof. Jayalal Kaul, has been the greatest genius of Kashmir of all times. This book has many eminent writers of modern period who have recollected the genius of Lal Ded for the modern world. Lal Ded was living in the 14th century in Kashmir. In spite of long interval of history, Lal Ded is remembered in every home even in modern period. Her Vaaks, or sayings, represent the best teachings for human kind today to seek unity and harmony between people of all religion and races. Her poetry is all inspiring. Her philosophy of life represents the high­est science of life. She can be the leader to combine science and humanism world over, and once again establish a peaceful and melodious world of joy and happiness. Kashmiris in general and Indians and the people of the world are inspired by Lalleshwari’s teachings. This book and the seminar by KECSS cannot possibly touch all aspects of life and times of Lal Ded. However, a laudable attempt is made to recall Lal Ded for creating a joyful and harmonious world in Kashmir and the rest of India and the world. Hindus, Muslims and people of all faith remember Lal Ded with great reverence. This book should be of world-wide interest.

About Kashmir Sufism Society: Khwaja Farooq Renzu Shah believes in “Love as Revolution” which can engulf our power on all forms of terror, hate, communalism and regionalism. He is making efforts to restore the highest position of Sufism in Kashmir and make the world aware of its importance. He has practiced so far one lakh times Darood Khawani and attended Sufism Mehfils throughout the state. Read More: > Here <

• Founder Chairman of Kashmir Sufism Society
• Distinguished personality of Kashmir
• Founder of Kashmir Sufism society – Direct decedent of 1st Muslim king of Kashmir Renzu shah who was also known as Rinchen Shah (Foundation of Sufism under direct patronage of Hazrat Sharaf-u-din Bul bul Shah was laid by him in 1318 AD.)
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> Global Peace Initiative of Women <

> Kashmir Oversea USA <

www.srianandamayima.org

  www.unifem.org www.sufism.org

Global Peace Initiative of Women (GPIW) is an international network of women and men spiritual and community leaders. The group was founded on the belief that women today have a unique contribution to make in finding alternatives to violence. GPIW also places a special emphasis on building interfaith understanding and developing leadership in young community leaders worldwide.

GPIW is located in New York and was founded in 2002 at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. Dena Merriam is the founder and convener. The co-chair is Joan Chittister, a dissident Roman Catholic nun. Read More: > HERE <

The Global Peace Initiative of Women (GPIW) was founded by a group of women religious and spiritual leaders to provide a global platform through which women and men, working in partnership, can foster the spiritual values of global unity, peacebuilding and the development of all the peoples of the world.

GPIW is an international network of women and men who come together to tap our collective spiritual wisdom to stimulate reconciliation and healing in areas of conflict and post-conflict, and to deepen understanding of oneness, compassion and the principles of ahimsa (non-harm) as central tenets of life. We believe that a shift in consciousness is needed, a change in heart and mind, if we are as a global community to meet the challenges of climate change, environmental degradation, poverty and hunger, violence and conflict.

Central to our work is the belief that the feminine qualities of wholeness, inclusion, and integration have a vital role to play in facilitating this shift and bringing greater balance to our world. Thus we make great effort to draw upon the resources of women spiritual leaders as we seek to empower these vital qualities.

www.globalonenessproject.org

Our work aims to foster respect for all peoples on Earth and for the Earth’s natural environment. We highlight humanity’s shared values, even as we profoundly appreciate the diversity of human culture and belief. We realize the importance of transmitting such values to the next generation. Thus, in our sacred work, we place special emphasis on tapping inter-spiritual wisdom and developing leadership in young adults around the world, listening to the perspectives of all as we seek together to create a more caring and compassionate world community.

Our Beginning – The Global Peace Initiative of Women has its beginnings in the process that led up to the first summit of religious leaders held at the United Nations in New York in 2000, the Millennium World Peace Summit of Religious and Spiritual Leaders. During the planning for that summit, it became clear that very few of the religious leaders invited to speak at the UN would be women. And indeed this was the case. During the Summit, the political and institutional issues surrounding religion came into play. In frustration, the women came together and called for a followup meeting to focus on what they had come to the UN to do – to explore how they could contribute to reconciliation and healing in areas of conflict and tension.

This meeting took place two years later at the Palais des Nations in Geneva with over 600 women from over 70 countries, and from this summit the Global Peace Initiative of Women was formed.

Welcome to the Newsletter from www.SriAnandamayiMa.org :

The festival of Maha Shivaratri (the great night of the worship of Lord Shiva) was celebrated in the Omkareshwar Ashram with great joy. Many devotees came from Indore and with our ashram visitors and school children, the celebration and worship went on into the night before the presence of Baba. Wonderful peace and blessing were experienced by all.

The ashram received an invitation to a conference sponsored by the Global Peace Initiative for Women (> see www.GPIW.org <) to promote a dialog between Sufis and Yogis.

Swami Mangalananda was sent as a delegate and speaker. There were prominent Sufis from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran and India present, and many Yogis and Swamis from India.

In the proceeding discussions, many common practices and beliefs were discovered between the two groups which promoted a deep feeling of unity and brotherhood. The final day many practical talks were held on what the two groups can practically do to help the uplift of world consciousness, and spread the unity discovered to their respective groups. It was a highly successful and unifying event and all present vowed to meet yearly to continue the dialog.

As always, we end with Ma’s comforting words: “Your sorrow, your pain, your agony is indeed my sorrow. This body understands everything.”

• DEIN AYURVEDA NET: Articles about Islam, Medicine, Sufi Arts and Culture:
  
• Yoga, Bhakti Movement, Sufism, Islamic Arts and Culture
• Islamic Plant Medicine and History
• Die Kashmir Shivaiten im Himalaya, Zentrum Interkulturell
• Omkareswhar, Schulprojekt, Bhajans, Kirtan Lieder der Freude und Liebe
• Omkareshwar, Shiva PURANAS, 12 Seats of the Lord
  
• Kashmir Overseas USA, Save A Smile Project,  Hospital Research Center
• UNESCO, Shiva Puranas, Maha Puranas, World Digital Library

• BYO – Österr. Yoga Verband, Austrian Yoga Alliance: www.yoga.at – ” Eintreten in das Göttliche Bewusstsein” – Die Spiritualität des kashmirischen Shivaismus.
• SHAMBALA SUN – GPIW at UN at Climate Change
•  GPIW – Charter For Compassion
• Kashmir: Sufis, Saints and Shrines
• Hazrat Nasir Mohammed Fakir Soofi Alquadri
• Mowlana Jalaluddin Rumi
• SUFI POETRY – The appeal of Sufi poetry is universal, great Sufi Poets such as Rumi, Hafiz and Omar Khayyam are appreciated by both Sufi’s and non Sufi’s alike. This is because their poetry expresses the universal aspirations of spiritual seekers .
• Music of Kashmir
• Dhwani Kathak Dance, Music Academy
  
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• Meet Swami Mangalananda, friends at fb <
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> ESTC Ecotourism 2010 Conference <

www.mystictrails.com

> SUNFLOWER PROJECT <

> TRAIL CLEAN UP PROJECT <

> PULI TIBETAN SCHOOL <

Yunnan (simplified Chinese: 云南; traditional Chinese: 雲南; pinyin: Yúnnán, IPA: [y̌nnǎn] ( listen); literally “South of the Clouds”) is a province of the People’s Republic of China, located in the far southwest of the country spanning approximately 394,000 square kilometers (152,000 square miles). The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders Myanmar (Burma), Laos, and Vietnam.Yunnan became part of the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD) during 2nd century BC. It became the seat of a Tibeto-Burman speaking kingdom known as Nanzhao in the 8th century. Nanzhao was multi-ethnic, but the elite most likely spoke a language close to Yi and modern Burmese.nd modern Burmese

Yunnan is rich in natural resources and has the largest diversity of plant life in China. Of the approximately 30,000 species of higher plants in China, Yunnan has over 17,000.. Read More: > HERE <

Introduction – Puli Tibetan school is located in Dechin County in Northwest Yunnan Province of China. This area is primarily inhabited by Kham Tibetan people. A villager named Aniu built this school through sheer determination to save his own culture from the fate of extinction. (Read the story here.)

Besides a small fraction of support from the government, the school has entirely relied on outside donation and the teachers’ wit to operate on a shoe-string budget. During its seven years of existence, Puli School has not only managed to feed and shelter dozens of children who otherwise have no financial means to get any education, but also played a pivotal role in passing down the wisdom and art from an ancient tradition to the next generation.

In Dechin County and its neighboring area, this is one of the few schools that teach Tibetan language, Tibetan herbal medicine, and other culture-related subjects in their curriculum. Children there also learn traditional arts including wood carving, pottery, painting, and traditional dancing forms.

As a non-profit organization, We strive to serve as a bridge between the east and the west. We promote understanding of the diverse cultures in western China and ethnic Tibet. We provide people experience to gain insights about their life and cultivate a holistic view of our relationship with the planet earth.

We offer > travel programs < that integrate education, cultural exchange, community service and fun! We also provide free consultation to help organize your own trip. Contact us for details. We offer > community service < opportunities for people who have the desire to serve, either through our travel program or through participation of local events in Seattle.

How to donate – To support Puli Tibetan School, you can donate through > “Tibetan Children’s Education Fund” < operated by our non-profit partner Crooked Trails. Your donation will be eligible for tax deduction. You may also ask for matching funds from your employer.

TRAVEL PROGRAM:

Mystic Trails and its partner Crooked Trails represent Puli School to exhib and sell art works made by students and teachers. The proceeds of the sale will go back to support the school.

Artist Priscilla Moore is working with Mystic Trails to produce greeting cards using Puli students’ painting. We wish to help Puli to establish a long-term product line that can provide continuous funding for the school. On our Mount Kawa Karpo trekking tour, we will visit the school and take part in some school activities.

Past projects: > 2006 Hamilton-Puli Gift Exchange Program <

INSIDE THE HIDDEN KINGDOM OF SHANGRI LA – Trekking the Mt. Kawa Karpo Inner Pilgrimage Circle and Culture Exchange with Tibetans of Northwest Yunnan.

Etymology of Shangri-La – The phrase “Shangri-La” most probably comes from the Tibetan ཞང་,”Shang – a district of Tsang, north of Tashilhunpo” + རི, pronounced “ri”, “Mountain” = “Shang Mountain” + ལ, Mountain Pass, which suggests that the area is accessed to, or is named by, “Shang Mountain Pass”. Several places in the Buddhist Himalaya between northern India and Tibet have claimed to be the location for Hilton’s fictional Shangri-La, largely to attract tourism.

In China, Tao Qian of the Jin Dynasty described a Shangri-La in his work Story of the Peach Blossom Valley (Chinese: 桃花源記, pinyin: Táohuā Yuán Jì). In modern China, the Zhongdian county was renamed to 香格里拉 (Xiānggélǐlā, Shangri-La in Chinese) in 2001, to attract tourists. The legendary Kun Lun Mountains in Tibet offer other possible Shangri-La valleys. Read More > HERE <

Highlight – This journey takes you to the eastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau, one of the earth’s most remote and pristine places inhabited by humans. By bus you will travel through rugged terrain on a road that is an engineering marvel. Where the road ends, you will trek either on foot or horseback to explore a world that remains hidden to the less-determined traveler.The trip culminates in the Mount Kawa Karpo pilgrimage circle near a Tibetan village called Yubeng. You are not only rewarded with the enchanting beauty of the natural landscape, but also with a colorful tapestry of multi-ethnic culture and art.

As you move through this magical land, encountering people who live by maintaining a deep bond with their natural surroundings, you will have the opportunity to discover life in its simplest, yet most luminous form.

THE CENTRAL FIELD OF CHINA – From Forbidden City to the Terra Cotta Warriors

Highlight This 10-day trip will take you to the two of the most ancient cities in the heartland of the central China, Beijing and Xi’an. For thousands of years, these two cities have witnessed the rise and fall of numerous Emperors. Among them is the Qin Shi Huang who initiated the building of the Great Wall hoping to forever guard his kingdom from outside invasion. He also left us with the Terra Cotta Army forever guarding his mausoleum. Today the emperors and their dreams vanished away, leaving behind a legacy that awaits your exploration. This trip will not only sample the major historic sites, but also take you into ordinary people’s homes where you will learn how to make a traditional Chinese cuisine from our host family while getting a taste of the sweet and bitter reality of their lives.

Chinese cuisine is a term for styles of food originating in the regions of China, many of which have become widespread and popular in other parts of the world — from Asia to the Americas, Australia, Western Europe and Southern Africa.

Where there are historical immigrant Chinese populations, the style of food has evolved – for example, American Chinese cuisine and Indian Chinese cuisine are prominent examples of Chinese cuisine that has been adapted to suit local palates. In recent years, connoisseurs of Chinese cuisine have also sprouted in Eastern Europe and South Asia.

Chinese Cuisine – Contemporary health trends

• According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization estimates for 2001–2003, 12% of the population of the People’s Republic of China was undernourished.The number of undernourished people in the country has fallen from 386.6 million in 1969–1971 to 150.0 million in 2001–2003.
• Undernourishment is a problem mainly in the central and western part of the country, while “unbalanced nutrition” has made chronic diseases more prevalent. As of 2008, 22.8 percent of the population were overweight and 18.8 percent had high blood pressure. The number of diabetes cases in China is the highest in the world. In 1959, the incidence of high blood pressure was only 5.9 percent.
• A typical Chinese peasant before Mao Zedong would have eaten meat rarely and most meals would have consisted of rice accompanied with green vegetables, with protein coming from foods like peanuts and soy products. Fats and sugar were luxuries not eaten on a regular basis by most of the population. With increasing wealth, Chinese diets have become richer over time, consuming more meats, fats, and sugar.
• Health advocates put some of the blame on the increased popularity of US foods, especially fast food, and other culinary products and habits. Many US fast food chains have appeared in China, and are highly successful economically. These include McDonald’s, Pizza Hut, and Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC).
• An extensive epidemiological study called the China Project is being conducted to observe the relationship of disease patterns to diet, particularly the move from the traditional Chinese diet to one which incorporates more rich US-style foods.
• Controversially, Professor T. Colin Campbell, an “outspoken vegan”, has implicated the increased consumption of animal protein in particular as having a strong correlation with cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and other diseases that, while common in Western countries, were once considered rare in China. He suggests that even a small increase in the consumption of animal protein can dramatically raise the risk of the aforementioned diseases.
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*SHAKTI DOI *

BSEP – SOCIAL ENTERPRISES

GRAMEEN DANONE FOOD

THE GRAMEEN FOUNDATION

PHULKI CARE EDUCATION

* Shoktidoi means energy in Bengali. One cup of yogurt provides 30 per cent of the recommended daily intake of nutrition. Mothers are keen to buy the yogurt for their children.- Bogra, Bangladesh. June 20, 2007.

Grameen Foundation, founded as Grameen Foundation USA, is a global 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in Washington DC that works to replicate the Grameen Bank microfinance model around the world through a global network of partner microfinance institutions. Its CEO is Alex Counts. It is separate from organizations called Grameen Foundation in different countries, such as Grameen Foundation Australia. The Foundation was founded in 1997 as a vehicle to replicate the model of Grameen Bank beyond the borders of Bangladesh and increase the access of poor people to microfinance by millions worldwide. Muhammad Yunus, the founder and managing director of Grameen Bank, sits on the Board of Directors. Current chair of the board is Paul Maritz, CEO of VMWare and formerly a senior executive at Microsoft. Read More > HERE <.

Muhammad Yunus (Bangla: মুহাম্মদ ইউনুস, pronounced Muhammôd Iunus) (born 28 June 1940) is a Bangladeshi banker and economist. He previously was a professor of economics where he developed the concept of microcredit. These loans are given to entrepreneurs too poor to qualify for traditional bank loans. Yunus is also the founder of Grameen Bank. In 2006, Yunus and the bank were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, “for their efforts to create economic and social development from below.”

Yunus himself has received several other national and international honors. He is the author of Banker to the Poor and a founding board member of Grameen America and Grameen Foundation. In early 2007 Yunus showed interest in launching a political party in Bangladesh named Nagorik Shakti (Citizen Power), but later discarded the plan. He is one of the founding members of Global Elders. Yunus also serves on the board of directors of the United Nations Foundation, a public charity created in 1998 with entrepreneur and philanthropist Ted Turner’s historic $1 billion gift to support United Nations causes. The UN Foundation builds and implements public-private partnerships to address the world’s most pressing problems, and broadens support for the UN. Read More: > HERE <

The Bangladesh Enterprise Institute (BEI), an independent non-profit research centre, in association with The Foundation for Development Cooperation (FDC) based in Australia and Libra Advisory Group based in UK has initiated the Bangladesh Social Enterprise Project (BSEP), supported by the British Government’s Department for International Development (DFID).

This project aims to utilize key strengths of the private sector to address some of the poverty related issues of our country.

The project purpose is ‘to identify and build innovative partnerships within the private sector to undertake projects and programmes which are commercially viable and directly benefit the poor in alleviating poverty and at the same time, meet the development objectives of Bangladesh.’

Grameen Danone Foods, popularly known as “Grameen Danone” is a social business initiative, launched in 2006. Grameen Danone Foods Ltd is a joint venture between four Grameen companies; Grameen Byabosa Bikash, Grameen Kalyan, Grameen Shakti and Grameen Telecom — and Groupe Danone, a Francebased global leader for nutritional food products.

The main objective of Grameen Danone is to bring daily health nutrition to the nutritionally deprived population of the country, especially children and as a result alleviate poverty through the implementation of a unique proximity based business model.

Grameen Danone Foods Ltd. produces a special yogurt called Shakti Doi from pure full cream milk that contains protein, vitamins, iron, calcium, zinc and other micronutrients needed to fulfill the nutritional requirements of children of Bangladesh, thus contributing to improving their health.

While ‘Shakti Doi’ (which means ‘power yogurt’) is primarily intended for children, it is also appropriate for adults. The price of each 80 gram cup of yogurt is kept at an affordable.

Phulki endeavors to spark the development of the socioeconomic conditions of disadvantaged people particularly by promoting the rights of women and children.

“Phulki” meaning “spark” in Bengali is a non-profit organization that brings a flicker of light to the lives of disadvantaged communities. We spread the light of hope into the lives of working women who, due to their circumstances, are forced to leave their children at home, often in hazardous conditions, to earn a living. From its beginnings in 1991, Phulki recognized the link between children’s rights and women’s empowerment and the need to ensure a secure future for children while their mothers are working to earn a living. These goals are the pillars for all of Phulki’s activities. It strives for the rights of women and children to be universally recognized and achieved. Through devoting all its resources and energy into working with disadvantaged women and children, Phulki is helping them to see that they both deserve and can achieve a secure, healthy and happy life.

Initially, Phulki focused on the plight of female workers who have migrated to Dhaka city from rural areas, in search of a livelihood. The city does not have the requisite infrastructure and support systems to sustain this large influx of migrant workers. In Bangladesh export oriented garment industry has grown rapidly over the last 20 years to become the primary source of foreign exchange for the country. Over 1.5 million workers are employed in garment factories, out of which, approximately 80% are women. Phulki’s early activities ensured the well-being of the migrant workers and their children who suffered due to poverty and lack of care.

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www.indiadivine.org

www.foodrelief.org

> WHY AN UMBRELLA ? <

> WORLD FOOD PROGRAMME <

www.umbrellaproject.org

In 1990, when Hilda Brown lost her favorite brown umbrella, she was inspired to found THE UMBRELLA PROJECT, Inc. an all-volunteer 501(c)3 Not-For-Profit organization that uses the common language of art to empower young people.

Envisioning everyone in the world carrying colorful canopies whenever life’s storms threaten, Hilda encourages school-age children to paint in small groups on over-sized white-nylon umbrellas with non-toxic fabric markers. With these tools, healthy, ill, and challenged children share their artistic images with each other and the world.

Believing in the creative spirit as a healing power on the planet, Hilda continues to gather our youngest World Citizens under her umbrella of protection. Through The Umbrella Project, she encourages them to artistically express their hearts and in the process recover hope and peace while helping other children in need.

Bhaktivedanta International Charities Inc. is a tax exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization registered in the United States of America dedicated to carrying out relief activities to help the poor and needy in India.

Every month the Bhaktivedanta International Charities feeds over 6,000 needy children in the drought and flood afflicted areas of Orissa, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, which comprise some of the poorest regions of India. Below you can find some recent reports of our activities, or if you click the picture above you can be taken to our picture gallery.

Bhaktivedanta International Charities was founded for the following purposes:

• To provide humanitarian need to the poor and needy in India in the form of free food, medicines, and clothes.
• To start and run educational institutions and to provide all necessary facilities for the education of the poor irrespective of caste, community, creed or religion.
• To afford medical relief to the sick and the suffering without any restriction as to religion, caste, community, or creed by construction and or maintaining hospitals, clinics, dispensaries, maternity and childrens homes, etc.
• To construct and or maintain libraries for the educational benefit of the public.
• To grant scholarships or subsidies to poor and needy students.

www.wfp.org

> FOOD & AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION <

> INT. AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT <

Fighting hunger worldwide – The World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide.

In emergencies, we get food to where it is needed, saving the lives of victims of war, civil conflict and natural disasters. After the cause of an emergency has passed, we use food to help communities rebuild their shattered lives.

WFP is part of the United Nations system and is voluntarily funded.

A video explaining the type of food World Food Programme distributes in an emergency like Haiti, and why…

Born in 1962, WFP pursues a vision of the world in which every man, woman and child has access at all times to the food needed for an active and healthy life. We work towards that vision with our sister UN agencies in Rome — the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) — as well as other government, UN and NGO partners.

In 2010 we aim to reach more than 90 million people with food assistance in 73 countries. Around 10,000 people work for the organization, most of them in remote areas, directly serving the hungry poor. Download Annual Report

To learn more, watch the video outlining our mission, read our Mission Statement or browse our Policy Resources section.

WFP’s five objectives:

1. Save lives and protect livelihoods in emergencies

2. Prepare for emergencies

3. Restore and rebuild lives after emergencies

4. Reduce chronic hunger and undernutrition everywhere

5. Strengthen the capacity of countries to reducehunger

> Meet WPF World Food Programme at facebook <

> Meet Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) at fb <

> Meet I LOVE INDIAN FOOD, friends, fans at facebook <

> Meet Natural News, friends, studies at facebook <

NaturalNews.com is an independent news resource that covers the natural health and wellness topics that empower individuals to make positive changes in their personal health. NaturalNews offers uncensored news that allows for healthier choice.

www.ravishankar.org

http://eastmeetswestmusic.com/

> Ali Akhbar College of Music, LAYA Project <

> GHARANA – Benares Music Academy <

www.anoushkashankar.com

“There is something beautiful about the stage. There is a performer and there is an audience. Nothing is in the way. The sound remains pure and unburdened by things like marketing and distribution. My hope is for this label to be more like a stage and less like the music business as I have experienced it.”

–Ravi Shankar

Ravi Shankar (Bengali: রবি শংকর; born 7 April 1920), often referred to by the title Pandit, is an Indian sitarist and composer. He has been described as the most well known contemporary Indian musician by Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart.Shankar was born in Varanasi and spent his youth touring Europe and India with the dance group of his brother Uday Shankar. He gave up dancing in 1938 to study sitar playing under court musician Allauddin Khan. After finishing his studies in 1944, Shankar worked as a composer, creating the music for the Apu Trilogy by Satyajit Ray, and was music director of All India Radio, New Delhi, from 1949 to 1956. Read more:  > HERE <

WELCOME – The Ravi Shankar Foundation proudly announces the launch of East Meets West Music. EMW Music is a listener’s passport to the sitar master’s personal archive of thousands of hours of live performance audio, film footage, interviews, and studio masters. By making personally selected source material from this collection available, Ravi Shankar hopes to bridge any divide between his recorded music and his audience. EMWMusic also provides a vibrant space for new artists, projects, and collaborations. We are thrilled to begin this journey with our long time supporters and new fans alike.

The aim of the Benares Academy is to:

• Establish a school for the teaching of Indian Classical music in the traditional Benaras Gharana style;
• Provide scholarships to children to assist them in their learning of this musical style;
• Create opportunities for students and young artists to develop their potential through study and performance;
• Provide right livelihood for qualified and dedicated teachers.

For this purpose, the Mishra family purchased land in Benares on which to build a residential music school. The construction of the building took around three years to be completed and now the Academy is a well-structured place to receive students from all over the world.

For foreign students, who are committed to studying seriously, the Academy opens its doors providing them with all facilities needed such as a proper music hall, nice rooms with or without toilet attached, spacious kitchen, mineral water filter and dining room, apart from a safe and peaceful atmosphere. Moreover, it is located five minutes walk from the Ganga River.

The mission of the Ali Akbar College of Music is to teach, perform and preserve the classical music of North India, specifically the Seni Baba Allauddin Gharana (tradition), and to offer this great musical legacy to all who wish to learn. The Ali Akbar College of Music offers education in the classical music of North India at the highest professional level. Our primary instructors are the internationally recognized sarode Maestro Ali Akbar Khan and the master of percussion Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri, from whom our students learn the necessary musical skills, knowledge and understanding to contribute significantly to musical life.

At a dargah (Islamic shrine) situated in the south-east part of India, the singers sing devotional songs in the Qawwali style, with percussion accompaniment. The lyrics are a mix of the local south Indian language, Tamil and Arabic, while the music style is that of northwestern India.

These artists are featured in the award-winning music documentary LAYA PROJECT (www.layaproject.com), and have also released a full album called NAGORE SESSIONS, available at www.earthsync.com

A tribute to the resilience of the human spirit, LAYA PROJECT is a documentary about the lives and music culture of coastal and surrounding communities inthe 2004 tsunami-affected regions. Some of these performances are rare, and documented for the first time.

Sree Debasish Dass (Pintoo) Born in a very tradtional musical familly on May day, Sree Debasish Dass has carved a special niche for himself in the world of Tabla, the king of Indian percussion instruments. He was initiated into Tabla at the tender age of five by his beloved father Late Dilip Kumar Pandit a highly acclaimed Tabla player of Farukkabad Gharana.

True to his date of birth, which symbolises sincere labour, > Debasish < (popularly known as Pintoo) put in years of relentless effort and unfailing dedication to master the art of playing Tabla. He completed his graduation from the world famous Visva-Bharati University founded by the great > Rabindra Nath Tagore < . Thereafter he plunged fully into the subtle complexities Tabla and completed his Diploma in music, Bachelor and Master degree in Tabla.

www.layaproject.com

Sree Debasish Dass (Pintoo)

Benares Music Academy

http://swara.at/ (Plattform f. Indische Musik und Tanz in Österreich)

http://www.alankara.com/ (Ver. z. Förd. d. Ind. Musik ,Kunst in Wien)

http://www.indigenouspeople.net/taino.htm (Ind. Friends, Haiti)

www.iskcon.com

www.barsanaeyecamp.com

vaisnavascare.com/index.htm

www.bhaktivedantahospital.com

Bhaktivedanta Hospital, Mira Road, Mumbai is once again conducting a free cataract surgery camp at Barsana village, Mathura Dist, U.P. Barsana Eye Camp is an annual feature since 1992. Every year we screen more than 2000 patients and deserving cases are operated for cataract. Barsana is surrounded by a cluster of 120 villages. The villagers here are extremely poor and could barely afford one square meal a day. There are no medical facilities in this cluster. Due to their extreme poverty and lack of medical facilities they prefer to lead a life of blindness due to cataract. Bhaktivedanta Hospital takes lot of efforts to provide them modern and quality services. This year the Bhaktivedanta Hospital will conduct the camp from 31st January to 7 February 2008. All the required equipments, medicines, lenses, surgical items, Operating microscopes etc are transported from Mumbai to Barsana.

The team of volunteers from Bhaktivedanta Hospital and congregation devotees from ISKCON, Chowpatty put their efforts together to build a fully equipped, modern and sterile operation theatre in the primary health center at Barsana. This year the team consists of 12 qualified and well known Ophthalmologists from Mumbai, more than 30 MBBS doctors, 5 Nurses and around 150 volunteers from various fields who all take a break from there respective engagements and make themselves fully available for the camp working for more than 10hrs a day without expecting anything in return.

BARSANA EYE CAMP 2010

 Special featurees of the camp:

• Detailed preoperative examination of the eye.
• Advanced imported German Zeis operating microscopes are used.
• Sterilization standards and the protocols involved are of very high standards.
• Suture less surgery for cataract removal with implantation of intra occular lense in each patient.
• 24 hrs. post-operative care before discharge.
• Immediate post operative follow up camp after 4 days of discharge.
• Final follow up after 40days of discharge.
• Patients receive post-operative medicines for 40 days along with 1 blanket and black goggles totally free of cost.
• Wholesome lacto-vegetarian food for the patient and 1 relative till the patient is discharged completely free of cost.
• All the patients and relatives are treated with great love irrespective of their cast, creed and financial backgrounds.
• Children, One-eyed patients and patients requiring specialized care, who cannot be operated in the camp setup are brought to Bhaktivedanta Hospital in Mumbai, are admitted, operated and sent back to Barsana, free of cost. Over 30,000 screened & 3000 plus operated Yet millions remain to be reached. Due to the overwhelming response and dire need of the villagers we also conduct dental camp during the same period at Barsana.
• Meet SHARE YOUR CARE, friends, fans at facebook <

 www.cmswr.org 

> FREE DOWNLOADS <

> FREE PRAYERS OF PEACE <

www.motherteresa.org

Mother Teresa (26 August 1910 – 5 September 1997), born Agnesë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu (pronounced [aɡˈnɛs ˈɡɔndʒe bɔjaˈdʒiu]), was an Albanian Catholic nun with Indian citizenship who founded the Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata (Calcutta), India in 1950. For over 45 years she ministered to the poor, sick, orphaned, and dying, while guiding the Missionaries of Charity’s expansion, first throughout India and then in other countries. Following her death she was beatified by Pope John Paul II and given the title Blessed Teresa of Calcutta. Read more: >HERE <

Daya Dan was set up in 1998, a year after the death of Mother Teresa, who adopted Calcutta as the centre of her global charitable order that now runs more than 750 centres across the world.

The Missionaries of Charity, famous for working among the sick, destitute and dying, said it was committed to serving the ideals of Mother Teresa and improving the quality of care in Daya Dan.

Nobel Peace Prize winner Mother Teresa, who founded the order in 1950 in Calcutta, died in 1997 at the age of 87.

Daya Dan is a Temple of Joy in wich the children of Blessed Mother Teresa can live their life sorrounded by the Love of many people.

The volounteers, from all over the world, granted a big help in the daily works and a lot’s of Love for this children.

To be a volounteer it’s very easy: you just need to go to kolkata and present yourself in Mother House (54/A A.J.C. Bose Road), or in monday or in fryday, at 3 pm for registration and ask to serve in Daya Dan.

 > www.worldprayers.org from all traditions < 

Where there is hatred, I may bring love, where there is wrong, I may bring the spirit of forgiveness, where there is Discord, I may bring Harmony, where there is Error, I may bring truth. – Mother Theresa

You will work with this children and will happen to you what’s happened to us: you will enter in a Love wich have no exit.

Peace and Joy will take your life and your whole being. You will understand that what is inside you is inside everybody and you will experience to be one with all.

All the volounteers says “We are one”, because we show each other to be ready to help everybody, to take care of everybody.

Each volounteer is a treasure for umanity and a real friend.

Are you ready to be volounteer?

> Meet Daya Dan Volounteers Worldwide Group and Fans at fb <

> Meet all Mother Theresa friends, groups at fb <

> Meet Mother Theresa School at fb <

www.sbmh.org

 > SAVE A SMILE, Sponsor a Child < 

> KASHMIR SHIVAITEN IM HIMALAYA <

> Kashmiri Overseas Association USA <

The KOA organization has its origins in the early meetings of several Kashmiri > Pandit  < families in the Washington D.C. and Maryland areas. These families soon came to realize the importance of building a community structure which could include other families too in a bond for mutual preservation and growth. As more families and members joined the founding group, the organization evolved to become a national outfit with regional chapters, documented bye-laws, systems and procedures as well as a non-profit status to better seek donations and pursue community actions.

The KOA Community: > * H E R E *<

Shriya Bhat Mission Hospital and Research Center: Since then the hospital is working as a multi-disciplinary clinic. Over the years some amenities have been added like an air conditioner, refrigerator, ECG machines, glucometers, nebulizers, traction apparatus etc. A medical van has been kept at the disposal of the sick patients. The Center is open to every body irrespective of cast or creed, region or religion.

There is a work force of consultants in internal medicine, neurology, general surgery, urology, orthopedics and dermatology in regular attendance. Patients are registered for examination and treatment round the week. The mission hospital has so far rendered its services to more than 35 thousand patients. All the patients receive a free 3-4 week supply of available medicines. A mini laboratory helps with some basic investigations, again conducted free on the patients.

Sharda Peeth Rishi Model School, Udhampur, J&K: In 1990, terrorism and sectarian violence caused nearly 500,000 Kashmiri Hindus to flee the land of their ancestors, the fabled valley of Kashmir in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. These victims of terrorism, refugees in their own country, left behind virtually all of their worldly possessions as they had to flee under threat to life and honor.

As in most situations, the worst sufferers of this violence were the children of this displaced people. With their parents consumed with, yet often unable to, provide the basics of living to their families these unfortunate children were often left without the only hope for a better life – a healthy education.

The Rishi Memorial School was started in the mid-1990s with contributions from a group of US-based Indian-Americans concerned for the future of these indigent children. This remarkable experiment in social self-service began with only about a dozen students and one teacher.

Save a Smile – Sponsor a Child: The refugee camps in Jammu and Kashmir house hundreds of thousands of Kashmiri Pandits displaced from their homes as a direct result of the Islamic militancy in the valley. This tragedy has resulted in children being denied the opportunities that we take for granted. Since 1995, the Kashmiri Overseas Association, USA has implemented the Sponsor-A-Child Program for the age group 5 year olds to 17 year olds. This program aims to provide educational opportunities to the children directly affected by the tragedy. While individuals worldwide have contributed to these programs more children are in need of our financial support than currently available funds can support,