9 posts tagged “peace”

Barack Obama is offering the most sweeping liberal foreign-policy critique we've heard from a serious presidential contender in decades.......

"I don't want to just end the war," he said, "but I want to end the mind-set that got us into war in the first place."......

In his focus on the importance of dignity in our policy toward the developing world, Obama sounds quite a bit like John F. Kennedy, who knitted together an argument for engagement with the "non-aligned" world and began the tradition of development assistance as a foreign-policy goal.....

"He goes back to Roosevelt," Power says. "Freedom from fear and freedom from want. What if we actually offered that? What if we delivered that in the developing world? That would be a transformative agenda for us." The end of the Iraq War mind-set, it turns out, may be the beginning of America's reacquaintance with its best traditions.

Read all this article. Obama's understanding of causes and conditions (as well as his inclusive stance) make it easy for me, as a Buddhist, to feel enthused and optimistic about a possible future with him as President

Oh, I'd have been there! But knitting quietly and mindfully, of course ;-)

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Grannies holding a knit-in to protest the war in Iraq clashed in a shouting match with pro-war activists in Times Square on Wednesday, the fifth anniversary of the start of the conflict.

About 30 member of the Granny Peace Brigade, some sitting in rocking chairs and wheelchairs, were knitting stump socks for veteran amputees and baby clothes for Iraqi families.......

"It is the beginning of the sixth year of the war. We are trying to draw attention to the uselessness, the horror of the war, and the fact that we wise old babes know that it is a terrible thing," said Joan Wile, one of the founders of the group.

Booties in the barrels of guns in place of the flowers that were placed there during the Vietnam war demos?

Burmese man chanting words of peace in Central London

International Day of Non-violence

The idea for a day devoted to non-violence came from the conference of “Peace, Non-Violence and Empowerment—Gandhian Philosophy in the 21st Century” held in January 2007. India's Minister of State for External Relations introduced the resolution to observe an International Day of Non-Violence on October 2nd, the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi. On June 15th 2007, the United Nations General Assembly unanimously voted to officially recognize this day.

The UN resolution for the International Day of Non-Violence “stresses that non-violence, tolerance, full respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms for democracy, development, mutual understanding and respect for diversity are interlinked and reinforcing.” It is hoped that this day will serve as another catalyst to help all people to become peacemakers and models of active non-violence.

Mahatma Gandhi is often recognized as the father of non-violence since he helped end the British occupation of India using only nonviolent strategies. Gandhi is an inspiration to many peacemakers such as Martin Luther King, Jr. and Dorothy Day.

Vishvapani, a member of a Buddhist Order in the West, argues that the monks' protests in Burma show the principle of loving kindness in action, in this think-piece broadcast by BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

I spent last week on retreat, practising a traditional Buddhist meditation called the development of loving kindness.

Its aim is to foster intense friendliness for all beings, starting with oneself, then including a friend or teacher, someone for whom your feelings are neutral, an enemy and then everyone.

Doing this again and again and especially focussing in a kindly way on people to whom you feel hostile, stirs memories, regrets and resentments - and that has a transforming, purifying effect

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There is a demonstration outside the Burmese Embassy in London every day from 12-1pm

Embassy of the Union of Myanmar
19 A CHARLES STREET
LONDON W1J 5DX

Nearest tube Green Park

For campaigns in other countries, check here:
<http://www.burmacampaign.org.uk/links.html>

Brighton -
There will be peaceful Dharma Yatra walk on 30th
September then 7th and 14th of October to show support
for the monks and nuns who are peacefully
demonstrating in Burma.
The walk leaves the Palace Pier at 12.00 am and ends
at Hove Peace Statue.

Members of the Free Burma Coalition will attend the
walk.

Parliament Square Peace Protestor supporters gather to mark historic
achievement

Thursday 23 November 2006, Parliament Square, 5.30-7.30pm

Supporters of Brian Haw will gather to mark the 2000th day of
his continuous peace vigil opposite the Houses of Parliament.
::read more