We must ask a few questions, post a few posers:
Why do we take out insurance? Is it to die, crash da car, lose the house...or just in case we do??
We eat not just to stop hunger (which we must) but to live well, and longer!
We are so good at being wary and dubious about so many things, including investments, living and faith....that we hedge against them. Rightly.
Why do we have vaccines? To hopefully avoid plagues and debilitating health crises. Sensibly.
Why do people of faith pray? To be worthy of the now, and ...the hereafter! Who knows??
As for the environment, especially the huge debacle of GLOBAL WARMING, the Nobel Peace Prize has rightly gone the right way in 2007....
To Al Gore and the UN Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
Hearty CONGRATULATIONS!
For 2008, I suspect, even predict, that Bill Clinton, Bill Gates/Gates Foundation, Bono and Bob Geldof will gain the prize...in a unique Coalition of Non-State Actors for Global Good!
So we can start scoring quality action, valuable wealth and value of giving.
Showing posts with label UN Action. Show all posts
Showing posts with label UN Action. Show all posts
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Monday, October 08, 2007
Myanmar...on my Mind
We must wish Ambassador Ibrahim Gambari, UN envoy to Myanmar, unqualified success this time around. He's been there before! Tough job, alright; but he must NOT fail, again. Period.
The military leadership must be truly sad and sorry for what it has turned a people's peaceful march into: Gory sights and sounds of state-unleashed violence, tears and blood, including that of the revered monks and a Japanese journalist! Sad.
Let's not beat about the bush. Myanmar must move to full democracy NOW. There is no choice and there is no more delay permissible. The seed of such a sensible reality was sown many years ago when Aung San Suu Kyi won the elections reluctantly called by the military. She has been languishing under debilitating house-arrest for two decades. Denying her the dignity of paying her last respects to her late Oxford don husband, who died in England, was a cruel stab. That was in tandem with the military leaders' jitters when they equally refused her passage to receive the Nobel Peace Prize earlier. For both acts, the world was stunned and outraged.
This is no longer about one prisoner of conscience or political icon. It is the case of spiritual and legal convergence, with the diplomatic and moral commitment of all of humanity. ASEAN, the UN and both China and India must front for us, and work for the people of Myanmar. Japan and Russia need to back this new move in very creative ways, right away.
Professor Gambari is absolutely competent and capable of serving. But he should be the real peace-bearer this time, not pall-bearer...again! Enough be enough.
We must thank Thailand for its pain and perseverance in housing and helping refugees and da patriots fleeing Myanmar. Other neighbours need do da same - until da coast be clear, and is fully cleared.
Condolences and commiserations to all. May the departed souls rest in perfect peace.
And may our world leaders make that happen, SOOOON!
The military leadership must be truly sad and sorry for what it has turned a people's peaceful march into: Gory sights and sounds of state-unleashed violence, tears and blood, including that of the revered monks and a Japanese journalist! Sad.
Let's not beat about the bush. Myanmar must move to full democracy NOW. There is no choice and there is no more delay permissible. The seed of such a sensible reality was sown many years ago when Aung San Suu Kyi won the elections reluctantly called by the military. She has been languishing under debilitating house-arrest for two decades. Denying her the dignity of paying her last respects to her late Oxford don husband, who died in England, was a cruel stab. That was in tandem with the military leaders' jitters when they equally refused her passage to receive the Nobel Peace Prize earlier. For both acts, the world was stunned and outraged.
This is no longer about one prisoner of conscience or political icon. It is the case of spiritual and legal convergence, with the diplomatic and moral commitment of all of humanity. ASEAN, the UN and both China and India must front for us, and work for the people of Myanmar. Japan and Russia need to back this new move in very creative ways, right away.
Professor Gambari is absolutely competent and capable of serving. But he should be the real peace-bearer this time, not pall-bearer...again! Enough be enough.
We must thank Thailand for its pain and perseverance in housing and helping refugees and da patriots fleeing Myanmar. Other neighbours need do da same - until da coast be clear, and is fully cleared.
Condolences and commiserations to all. May the departed souls rest in perfect peace.
And may our world leaders make that happen, SOOOON!
Sunday, August 26, 2007
The Weather and Us
How can one "have a great day!" when, no matter where you turn, there are people and places hurting and mourning? The floods, heat, winds, fires, quakes, planes and just about anything on earth and in the firmament are heartlessly wreaking havoc WORLDWIDE!!!
We must sympathise and empathise, condole and commiserate, and we must...reflect very very deeply. Let's move aid and assistance fully and swiftly to all in need.
Then the real and final task: Our answer to this 4-year old girl's golden question: "Where is the government???"
The World Government is the United Nations. Just as we work together on "bird flu" and other plagues, let's tackle the Weather and its Fall-outs jointly....NOW!
A special session of world leaders should be convoked right away. And its only agenda is Action, Action, ACTION!
We must sympathise and empathise, condole and commiserate, and we must...reflect very very deeply. Let's move aid and assistance fully and swiftly to all in need.
Then the real and final task: Our answer to this 4-year old girl's golden question: "Where is the government???"
The World Government is the United Nations. Just as we work together on "bird flu" and other plagues, let's tackle the Weather and its Fall-outs jointly....NOW!
A special session of world leaders should be convoked right away. And its only agenda is Action, Action, ACTION!
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Gingerly Forward: The White House Is Shifting!
It is a cautious good news that the US will be joining a regional meeting of Iraq's neighbours, including Syria and Iran, along with the permanent members of the UN Security Council, to try sort out the Iraqi Question.
Following the earlier report of an impending rare visit by the DPRK nuclear negotiator to the US, there is clearly some shift in White House policies towards both countries now! Very welcome.
While awaiting more details, we must encourage all concerned to bite the bullet and seize the moment. The UN must not slip up on these openings, and may the Washington hawks find it in their capacity to buy in or stay grudgingly off. We will thank for either stance.
Let's give diplomacy, multilateralism and real peace a chance!
Following the earlier report of an impending rare visit by the DPRK nuclear negotiator to the US, there is clearly some shift in White House policies towards both countries now! Very welcome.
While awaiting more details, we must encourage all concerned to bite the bullet and seize the moment. The UN must not slip up on these openings, and may the Washington hawks find it in their capacity to buy in or stay grudgingly off. We will thank for either stance.
Let's give diplomacy, multilateralism and real peace a chance!
Friday, November 24, 2006
Lebanon
Litany of wobbles
Literary and literal absurdity
Tempting and tasking self and all
Lebanon
Litany of struggles
Complex and conscious construct
Draining and damping self and all
Lebanon
Mirrors and marrows, hate and fate
Tears tearing a nation's fabric
Blood bleeding a people's bond
A glorious land...
Cascading in compounding crises
A precious place defying peace
Oh Lebanon, where be thy beauty of old!?
Pray Lebanon
When will thy soul sing again?!
(Lows of Lebanon 2006)
We join the world to mourn the bereavement in Lebanon, and salute the choice and call for calm in this moment of dark contemplation. Let moderation prevail, not angst. Let it be known that the nation can heal self, heal all....in the fullness of time. And it will.
Friends of Lebanon should toe the chosen line of peace proclaimed by its leaders. We must all join them to rebuild trust so they can rebuild the nation. Not exacerbate. Not complicate.
Investigations? Yes. Leave that to the United Nations for now. But I have a strange and bitter pill for us: Kofi Annan should head for Lebanon and accompany the president, prime minister and parliamentary leader (Hariri!) to Damascus for a face-to-face dialogue with President Assad and his topmost brass. Ice-breaking, tough, brotherly and bitterly. Next week, whatever it takes! After that, Tehran! The following week, whatever it takes!! The third week, with the Hezbollah leadership! Whatever it takes!!!
If the US is dealing with Russia, China and Pakistan, and worst cases of former foes be now resolved and those nations bonded in the EU, nothing must stand in the way of this proposition.
Litany of wobbles
Literary and literal absurdity
Tempting and tasking self and all
Lebanon
Litany of struggles
Complex and conscious construct
Draining and damping self and all
Lebanon
Mirrors and marrows, hate and fate
Tears tearing a nation's fabric
Blood bleeding a people's bond
A glorious land...
Cascading in compounding crises
A precious place defying peace
Oh Lebanon, where be thy beauty of old!?
Pray Lebanon
When will thy soul sing again?!
(Lows of Lebanon 2006)
We join the world to mourn the bereavement in Lebanon, and salute the choice and call for calm in this moment of dark contemplation. Let moderation prevail, not angst. Let it be known that the nation can heal self, heal all....in the fullness of time. And it will.
Friends of Lebanon should toe the chosen line of peace proclaimed by its leaders. We must all join them to rebuild trust so they can rebuild the nation. Not exacerbate. Not complicate.
Investigations? Yes. Leave that to the United Nations for now. But I have a strange and bitter pill for us: Kofi Annan should head for Lebanon and accompany the president, prime minister and parliamentary leader (Hariri!) to Damascus for a face-to-face dialogue with President Assad and his topmost brass. Ice-breaking, tough, brotherly and bitterly. Next week, whatever it takes! After that, Tehran! The following week, whatever it takes!! The third week, with the Hezbollah leadership! Whatever it takes!!!
If the US is dealing with Russia, China and Pakistan, and worst cases of former foes be now resolved and those nations bonded in the EU, nothing must stand in the way of this proposition.
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