Hundreds of Rohingya refugees were rescued at sea as they were fleeing persecution
This minority group have been denied citizenship in Myanmar, where they are subjected to a heavy crackdown
Many of them have been killed and thousands were forced to flee the country
The refugees were rescued off the coast of Malaysia and Indonesia after the captains of the smugglers abandoned them
They were left to their fate
Burma’s favourite scapegoat is the Rohingya people
They have been used as political pawns by multiple parties ahead of the up and coming elections
Burma may be gaining international approval for its steps towards democracy
However it is becoming clear that the Rohingya people have little to gain as they are used as scapegoats
Humanitarian organisations are now stepping in and asking for outside assistance and intervention
The US are pressuring Burma to take steps towards improving the Rohingya situation
Until the world starts to wake up to the plight of these people, it will be genocide on a massive scale
Burma is doing to the Rohingya population what Hitler did to the Jews
It is high time that a jolt was given to pressurise Burma into taking responsibility for their citizens
They must start to recognise these people as part of their society instead of the constant ethnic cleansing that they have already done
It will serve Burma no good at all to continue with this genocide
There will always be repercussions involved for their criminal actions
One can’t face the world looking for democracy when you have genocide at the heart of what Burma does!
Man cannot live by bread alone and so there is always an “I must have” scenario
We are all greedy in our own right for something, the wanting to have over and above everything else
This is so important to us in order to either survive or to make us feel good about ourselves
Very few of us are just content with what we have or with the view of the world from our standpoint
It is by letting go and not getting too involved that lets us off the hook
Others take a deeper view and feel it is only by getting involved that we can see a positive outcome
So that situations can go our way instead of the way of others
We must all learn to trust and allow situations that might feel unjust to go their way
It is usually by taking our hands off the reins that we find the better outcome transpires without us even lifting a finger
All our needs are supplied and, where there is conflict, an eking out of the bad can bring about a better long term solution
Even if we can’t always see it at the time
Man must learn to exercise patience and caution and to see how situations manifest for our benefit
These happen in ways we would never have thought possible before
We are all in this sea of life together, bobbing about where hardships occur when the sea gets rough
Then tranquillity occurs when the sea becomes calm
All of us have to go through the many ups and downs of life, the torments, the aggressions and then finally the peace and harmony
All our lives are steered to allow for these fluctuations to occur and where, at the time, we are not able always to see the outcome
In time we do and it is always to our own satisfaction
It is usually towards the end of our lives that we feel we have achieved in some small way
We have mastered insecurities, defeat, upsets and then finally victory
Life can be marvellous for so many. It is our expectations that can sometimes cloud our vision
Usually we all make it and are content for our part on this journey, which is our life on this earth
For over a year now the drama of football is being played out in a Hungarian courtroom
It is important for football’s future and crucial for its integrity
This trial is all about match fixing
Over the past few years global investigators & police from several countries have unveiled an intricate international criminal network
It is run from Singapore
For well over a decade prosecutors say the sophisticated syndicate manipulated and rigged football games at all levels around the world
Rigged amateur matches through to professional leagues and international friendlies all the way to the FIFA World Cup
The trial in Budapest is where the syndicate had dealings across Eastern Europe, in Bulgaria, Slovenia and Hungary
Singapore national Tan Seet Eng is the group’s financier and mastermind
He ensures its members invest tens of millions of dollars by gambling on the games that were fixed
He has been in custody in Singapore since October 2013 under the Criminal Law Act, which allows for indefinite detention
It all came to light when the syndicate’s match-fixer-in-chief Wilson Perumal was arrested in Finland in 2011
Perumal agreed to cooperate with prosecutors and gave his account of his associates corrupt global football antics
This sent shockwaves throughout the sport
“The match fixing phenomenon,” say experts, “started as a global online gambling boom in the 1990s”
Asian match-fixers were quick to take advantage of the huge betting volumes
Perumal was able to turn a gamble into a near certainty by bribing key players in a team or referees and linesmen
This was to ensure a result went the syndicate’s way
The syndicate became more ambitious by inviting FIFA Football Associates to play friendly matches in Southeast Asia and elsewhere
Perumal said his offer to the players was all their expenses and would be paid for the entire team
This consisted of food, accommodation, transport plus receiving 50,000 US dollars each per match if they were able to dance to his tune
Zimbabwe’s national team erupted in scandal and others were Lesotho, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Mozambique, Togo and Kenya
To keep generating cash more and more games were rigged to order
Competitions like the Woman’s World Cup, the Olympics in Beijing, the African Cup of Nations and also…
…the AFC Cup in Asia and the Gold Cup in North America
Perumal’s syndicate shows the dark and sinister tale of bribery, greed and corruption in the world’s most popular sport
It is now time that football had a total reorganisation throughout the world and bring back decency into this sport
It owes this at least to the loyal fans throughout the world, whose hard earned money goes into supporting this game!
Sepp Blatter and his cronies should all go and make way for a total overhaul of football
It must bring in a new fresh face that already has integrity and honour at the heart of his approach
The people in this world owe it to football to stand united
They must bring in another person to now take the helm and to finally clean up this sport!
FIFA lacks credibility while Sepp Blatter remains as President
Sepp Blatter fears the emptiness of life if he should lose the Presidency
Therefore he won’t quit while he is still holding on by his fingertips
Blatter, at 79 years old, has no grand plans for the organisation
Therefore it is not credible to claim he needed a fifth four-year term in office to complete a mission of nothing
Blatter is scared for his own future and he identifies himself fully as being FIFA and nothing else
Blatter now has to step aside, put his personal feelings away and do what is right for FIFA over and above his own interests
Prince Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan is the only decent trustworthy opponent
It would be scandalous by the FIFA not to engage him as the only credible President!
FIFA and Blatter have spent the last four years handling fallout and reputational damage
There were scandals involving senior executive committee members
There have also been the controversial choices of Russia and Qatar as World Cup hosts in 2018 and 2022 respectively
While Blatter is allowed to remain in office, his name will forever be associated with scandal and a lack of credibility
It is Blatter’s image that has tarnished FIFA and so it will always lack authority!
If football wishes to have credibility once again then Blatter has to go!
The situation with FIFA will hopefully blow over according to Sepp Blatter, who is in a renewed presidential election
FIFA has been corrupt for decades
It is only now that the situation has come to full light and that action in a dramatic way is being realised
FIFA needs to come clean and to be seen to be doing the right and honourable thing for its industry and that of football in general
It is Sepp Blatter who is at the heart of all this distrust and mayhem
He is a corrupt President and, although mud has not actually stuck to him yet, it will do!
The pursuit by the US Department of Justice & The Swiss Federal Office of Justice will find proof on an unprecedented scale of corruption
Sepp Blatter is not innocent. He is a ruthless individual who is power crazy and has only his best interests at heart
To remove those corrupt officials from his side will not render him squeaky clean
It will only help point the finger of his involvement in so many of these scandals
The law will start to dig deeper and see where the connivance between officials was a pattern of systemic corruption, which will unfold
There needs to be a thorough overhaul of this governing body
Retribution to the fans around the world takes precedence over abject greed
There needs to be a new President, one who has integrity and honesty at the very heart of policy making
That person would be Prince Ali Bin al-Hussein, whose integrity is second to none
Prince Ali Bin al-Hussein has the backing of so many
He is able to turn this organisation around and respectability is the nature of the game
It will be the football organisations, who will also sanction this move from the old corrupt way of working
They will get rid of all those corrupt officials, bringing in a new organisation which has pride in what it does
It will hold the respect of other football bodies and especially the fans
The New Zealand Government is to give millions of dollars to protect their kiwi birds
The kiwi is the country’s national bird and could be facing extinction within a generation unless protected
It is New Zealand’s conservationists who have raised their concerns over the kiwi’s decline, which makes up part of the country’s identity
It is due to human-introduced pests, such as stoats, weasels and ferrets that are part of the danger
Dogs are also a main factor, which results in twenty seven deaths by predators every week
The Kiwis for kiwi charity are delighted by the Government’s help in saving these birds
The extra funding will be a part of the battle to save their national bird
There will be around 90 community-led groups to help increase the kiwi numbers by rearing kiwi chicks to a predator-resistant weight
The kiwi chicks will then be sent to isolated populations where they can be allowed to thrive
It was the Maungatautari Ecological Island Trust, which highlighted the plight of the kiwis
Prime Minister John Key heard their cries and so pledged the money to come to their rescue
It was the Trust, which announced that there were fewer than 8,000 western brown kiwis in the wild
The race is now on to save this wonderful bird
Always where there is a will, there is a way
Conservations the world over are doing amazing work to save our wildlife for future generations to enjoy!
We have been asked how to prevent religious people from obeying extremist leaders
Where Islamic people have love in their hearts as the primary function for being alive on this Earth, as ‘God’ created us out of love…
…then they are not then influenced by extremist leaders, as it directly opposes their core beliefs
Where individuals have disturbed values at their core, then they will always be influenced by extremist leaders
In this complex world, with so many issues affecting life, many souls feel disenfranchised and let down
These people feel let down by their families, their Governments and life in general
Many are isolated and have deep-rooted issues within, where they feel frustrated that they are not loved and understood
They all feel that their world has turned against them and that their voice is not heard anymore
They all seek a way out of this frustration of fear and anguish, which always turns to anger and feelings of revenge
They are crying out to be heard. Crying out to let go of their unique pain and suffering
These are all gross negative thoughts, which are to them all consuming
They look to see where their needs for revenge and anger are best dealt with and by whom
They are incapable of finding alternative simple routes to deal with them effectively
Being religious in the sense of being Muslim, they seek to find their answers in their own religion, as you say, “Islam without Hadith”
The religion in its format is about reason and beautiful deeds
For those disturbed by anguish, inner pain and turmoil, the beautiful Islam does not effectively solve their problems for them
This religion is too gentle and cannot curb the isolation they feel so acutely
So their great quest is to find an alternative solution, which they can believe in
It finds them in areas where violence and revenge is at the heart of their core being
They automatically gravitate to those, who also suffer pain and suffering
The cauldron exists for those who wish to join together and put an end to their suffering alone
To legitimise their revengeful angry actions, they exonerate themselves from blame
Because they are not able to take responsibility for their own actions, they will use a Hadith expert, who has their same thinking
So the die is cast and it legitimises their vengeful actions against peace-loving communities
How long it takes for these disturbed souls to release their anger and frustration by violence is always down to the individual
What they get from a violent group is an understanding, a common united front, where they can all relate to their own suffering
It is this hatred that spurs them on at the extermination of love
Until the Muslim world eradicate these Hadith extremist scholars once and for all and…
…introduces the simple Muslim of reason and beautiful deeds, this cauldron of extremist indoctrination will continue to attract…
…those whose pain and suffering is not dealt with by the clerics and families to help heal these people
You have two sets of negative energies…
…the negative painful energies by the subjects and the negative energies by the scholars, who equally suffer
By right action to deal with these suffering people, both the subjects and scholars, then a turnaround becomes possible
Love and the right hands on action is the only way to deal with these suffering people
It is up to the Muslim communities to come together and collectively take their responsibilities seriously
They must deal with those among them who suffer in this way
Left unattended, then those that suffer get out of control and will look to appease their suffering in violent ways
All this is under the so called legitimacy of a vengeful ‘God’, which does not exist but is the illusion in their eyes
By dealing with corruption and wrong governing, which leads to Mankind’s frustration and anger…
…then and only then will there not be a need for extremism, as fairness and justice for all takes over!
Until Mankind starts to think for himself, instead of being led by religion and the ideology of those who should know better…
…then his fall from grace will continue
The wars and upsets that we have today are created by the warmongers and those who have hatred and fear others
Until Mankind learns to seek out what his/her soul is crying out for, there can be no peace within
The soul is part of the Great Creation, the Spirit Intelligence that seeks to guide and to instruct us daily
This instruction is the living love that we all have within
It is about the tangible knowing of what is right and what is wrong
It is to treat our brothers and sisters how we wish to be treated ourselves, both with love, respect and compassion
There is a crying, a yearning to do things right and to help our fellow men, who are lost and unappreciated
It is to help those who are infirmed in any way and to secure their lives as much as our own
The Great Intelligence is all within us shaping & securing us from the ill winds that blow across to unnerve us & to pull us off course
Many of us have turned back, knowing we have embarked on the wrong course of action…
…only to find that tender loving arms steer us back onto the right course
It is there that peace and harmony remain
All of us who feel uncomfortable with our lives should see and understand the reasons why
If there is turmoil in our lives, is it us who is creating this turmoil or others who have no right to do so?
By looking at the problems in the right way and asking for the necessary help and guidance…
…we are all able to tackle these problems for ourselves
Fear and the lack of understanding are our greatest challenges to date
We must continue to seek out the right ways to live
We must come to that conclusion by what feels right to our souls and, provided nobody is hurt by our actions, we can proceed along our way
Churches and religions on various aspects teach about love and helping ones neighbour
We are told to do what is right in God’s eyes
Little in the way of visual practice is ever seen by them to be done!
There is a lot of procrastinating and chest beating, not to mention gross pomp and ceremony
This does nothing for the starving millions or those who are in crisis
Religions and the Churches are about the business of numbers
Without their flocks their jobs would be useless and they would become redundant
It is the clergy and the clerics who must propagate their own business to satisfy their needs and agendas
It is not just to hear and do what is intrinsically right and honourable
Mankind must learn to stand on their own two feet and to challenge the rigours of religion and the Churches
They must actually start to think with their own minds
Through the eternal guidance they will see that they don’t need institutions to dictate to them what to do
They will in fact know instinctively that right thoughts begat right action and peace of mind will automatically follow on!
To beat IS it needs a joint Iraqi army, which includes Shia militias, Sunni tribesmen and Kurdish Peshmerga forces
It also requires the US-coalition air strikes to beat IS into submission and so reclaim major cities lost to IS in 2013
When the dust finally settles & IS is beaten then a strategy of inclusion by Sunni Arabs properly into the Iraqi state becomes necessary
Sunni political tribal leaders are already collaborating with the Shia-led Government, together with the Kurds
They must be included in Government policies
There needs to be an avoidance of a relapse of what went on before with the previous Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki
Maliki ignored the Sunnis and the Kurds as separate to the rest of the Shias in Iraq
The disputed area, which included the oil-rich province of Kirkuk, was re-captured by the Kurdish forces from IS
They have done outstanding work for Iraq
There needs to be a viable effective and comprehensive strategy for national healing, peace, reconciliation and state building
This should be encouraged by Iraq’s three main communities and every effort to forge a peaceful way ahead must be found
Groups like IS and other militant groups thrive on chaos, where Government services for the people have broken down
So Iraq needs to re-build to prevent such conditions of failure and corruption occurring
It is by having the right conditions for progress and rebuilding, which can start immediately and where trust has to build up
It is now time for all factions to come together and rebuild with love and mutual respect
They must plan now for long-term stability and security
If these three groups trust each other enough to fight together to eliminate IS…
…then they can live together under a common theme of progressive stability
Where there is a will there is always a way
Bashar al-Assad, is this the beginning of his end?
With the latest defeat and retreat of Assad’s forces from two key cities, is the writing on the wall for Assad?
The triumphant of new coalition of opposition parties in Idlib together with the successes of IS in Palmyra, all is now closing in on him
Assad’s forces have not been able to regroup or recuperate their loses – his army is demoralised and has been for some time
Four years of fighting has taken its toll on the regime’s military – they are all exhausted, dispirited and poorly equipped
Assad has now lost much of his power and influence – he is a tiger running scared
He can no longer put fear into his people to submit – that has long gone
When a regime fails to defeat its enemies and fails again when using terrible illegal violence on its people…
…it is time to surrender and give up!
As with all dictators, force has always been the way to inflict subjugation to their dictate
When that fails they cannot then rely on anything else
Dictators are not used to negotiating any kind of compromise, as they would lose their control
Many in Syria and Damascus now realise it is wiser to sacrifice Assad in order to save the capital, the community and the country
It is interesting to see how Iran & Russia will try and save face, as they have been backing Assad all this time & are failing miserably
Both powers would like to salvage some kind of regional role and influence
An agreement with US Secretary of State John Kerry with Putin and Iran will see a deal struck
There, an active policy to remove Assad will become beneficial finally for all concerned
This needs to happen to secure the Syrian state structure
Otherwise they face uncontrollable chaos and a spill over into neighbouring countries would be catastrophic
How Assad will go will be at the point of a gun, as he will not go quietly
A rescue plan to save Assad will fail and then all those will be held for war crimes
A new coalition will be formed, where negotiations & reconciliations with various military factions need to happen in order to save Syria
It is high time that the Superpowers assisted to put together a strategy for Syria and its people to begin to pave a way forward
They certainly deserve it!
Mr Cameron’s approach towards the re-negotiating the UK’s reasons for staying in the EU will be complex and far reaching
He is confident that he can strike a deal & put together relatively easy proposals of which the entire EU will be able to handle & abide by
Gross reform of the EU is vitally necessary for the entire operation to function in a unilateral way
In its present state it is just about functioning with a very weak capacity for growth and expansion
Growth with regards to trade is already down with major companies suffering from red tape and legal costs to push matters through
These deals should be able to go through much more easily and provide stability, where before there was none
The EU is stagnating on so many levels and needs the fresh air approach that only David Cameron and the UK can deliver
The EU needs David Cameron and the UK to remain an integral part of the EU’s finances and control mechanism
However the EU has its own agenda of being too right wing, too stiff-necked and inflexible on monetary policies
The UK’s refreshing delivery of ideas and policies will come close to forming radical changing ideas of inflexibility and unfairness
Especially when the UK has put in the hard work of cooperation, but has received little in the way of perks and gratuities
Now the time has come for David Cameron to flex his muscles and to see how far the EU is willing to set aside their own bullish ways
They need to become a Union for the people and not just for the privileged few
David Cameron is quite within his rights to leave should the referendum go the other way and the British public wish to opt out
It will be the EU who will suffer this great loss and also the strategic policies that the UK has already brought to the table in the past
The UK does not need the EU, but the EU needs the UK!
David Cameron and the UK will be able to achieve trade and other amenities in the way of treaties from other countries globally
The UK will not suffer any loss in any way, if anything the UK will become more buoyant and productive
It will be able to negotiate its own trade and fiscal policies with other countries and not be held back by EU rulings
There are more reasons for the UK to leave than to remain and where the UK will no longer be strapped by Brussels bureaucracy
Brussels is heavily overloaded by wasted time as opposed to benefits that they do
Germany and the EU need to think very carefully if they do not wish to upset the boat
They won’t be able to very easily find such a useful and supportive ally again
It will be the EUs loss and the UKs gain to leave, unless a different fairer system is delivered
An artist & political activist has gone on trial in Iran for a cartoon criticising draft laws, which would restrict access to birth control
Atena Farghadani’s cartoon shows MPs casting votes on the proposed legislation as animals
Atena Farghadani is accused of spreading propaganda and insulting MPs and insulting the Supreme Leader
Atena is fighting for the rights of women only to regulate their family planning in a safe and honourable way
The new laws would end decades of family planning in Iran, outlawing vasectomies and restricting contraception
This would be a direct attack on family values and the right for parents to determine their own lives over and above the State
Atena, who had been arrested in her home by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, was taken to prison
She was released in December and rearrested after posting a video online
In it she said she had been beaten by prison guards and interrogated for up to nine hours a day
After her arrest Atena went on hunger strike to protest at the conditions at the prison
She was taken to hospital after suffering a heart attack and briefly losing consciousness
Presently she is being held in solitary confinement. Atena has not been put on trial yet, and there is much concern about her health
She is a prisoner of conscience and has been held because of her opinions and for exercising the right to free expression
If convicted she could face up to two years in prison and have lashes given to her
These new laws would outlaw vasectomies for men and voluntary sterilisation for women and restrict women’s rights to birth control
This legislation was widely criticised by Iranians when it was announced in March
Women’s rights groups warned that restricting access to birth control risked forcing women into unsafe abortions
There needs to be a global outrage here
Not only for the treatment of Atena, but for the rights of Iranians to determine the size of their family
It is not the right of the State to determine their rights over the population regarding children
A call to free Atena must be observed and for the rights of all Iranians to decide on their own family numbers
It is always the lone voice in the wilderness that gathers the loudest and Atena’s message will be heard!
Today marks 80 years since the death of T. E. Lawrence, the wartime hero, renegade diplomat and reputable scholar
Lawrence’s heroics during WWI, when he galvanised a Bedouin army against a dying Ottoman Empire, gave him public adulation back home
Lawrence hoped that full independence would be the prize for Arab loyalty in the war
He lobbied hard in France and the UK to relinquish their grip on the region and to overturn the Sykes-Picot Agreement
For this he was rejected, his friends in arms betrayed him and Lawrence felt it personally
Sadly for Lawrence he was naïve
He saw the Arabs as friends, his bosses in London saw them as tools throughout the war. They did then and they still do to this day
The US’s ploy has been to be seen to be assisting to free people
The people who are resisting subjugation, by arming the minorities or by outside pressure
This noble act is supported by the state media and the public alike
This marketing illusion, which underneath it all, is the US only seeking its own self-interest in its humanitarian rhetoric
The US’s strategy in the Middle East, which has been slowly evolving since the 1980s, has illusions of humanitarian overtures
This is while it focuses primarily on its interest alone
President Carter once said, “Any attempt by outside forces to control the Persian Gulf region…
“…would be a direct assault on the interests of the US. These assaults would be repelled by force if necessary”
In the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the reasons given for the intervention were not on humanitarian grounds of Saddam Hussein being a dictator
Rather it was to prevent Saddam Hussein from savagely attacking global oil prices
Again in recent times on the pretext of humanitarian grounds, where IS is concerned that they must be beaten in order to save the Yazidis
Some 40,000 Yazidis on Mount Sinjar were facing imminent genocide
What the US public were not told was that a rescue mission mounted by Kurdish fighters had already taken place
What was more important was to save the region because nearby are oil refineries & a crucial Kirkuk-Cayhen pipeline were in jeopardy from IS
Oil is the most pressing US concern and they use the humanitarian angle simply as a marketing decoy for their public
Like T. E. Lawrence, many have been deceived
Lawrence was a great man, he came to the Middle East and took to its people and had honest intentions to save them
What he underestimated was the cold, calculating agendas of the colonial establishment
Today it is the same. It is not that the West wants to save the Middle East. It is that the West wants the Middle East!
A Mumbai nurse, who was raped more than 40 years ago and who has been in a coma ever since, has now finally died
Aruna Shanbaug, 68 years old, was sodomised, then strangled with metal chains and left to die. This was done by a KEM hospital cleaner
Aruna survived, but suffered irreversible brain damage following this attack in 1973
She had been force-fed twice a day and has spent the rest of her life in hospital
Her parents had died many years ago and other relatives had not made contact with her
Journalist and author Pinki Virani, who wrote ‘Aruna’s Story’, a book on the nurse’s plight, had filed the case to the Supreme Court
She argued that Aruna was ‘virtually a dead person’ and should be allowed to die
Miss Virani wanted the court to stop force-feeding her and to give her some dignity in dying naturally
Aruna would have no awareness of things happening around her, but this was rejected by the Supreme Court in 2011
Aruna Shanbaug’s attacker was not charged with her rape, as sodomy was not considered rape under Indian laws at the time
He was charged with robbery and attempted murder and freed after seven years
The absence of the right to die in Indian’s legal system had compounded to her misery
To ask any person to be forced to live in a vegetative state for 42 years is in itself inhumane
This should be an offence against the Government and its judicial system
Aruna’s misery should not have lasted for four decades
This case has highlighted the safety of women in the work place in India
There is a widespread culture in India of abuse against women that has got worse
Much needs to be done to change this culture and it is only by the people marching and exercising their voices every day
That will eventually bring changes to the law regarding these abuses
India has failed Aruna in so many ways and the other women, who have been abused in this nation
India has denied Aruna her right to live and her right to die
This shame will continue on you India. You carry on failing your female population and hardly anything gets done
A pole-vaulter has realised her dream by winning a bronze medal at the Texas State High School Championships
This amazing teenager called Charlotte Brown cleared 3.5m and was joined on the podium in Austin, Texas by her pet guide dog Vador
Charlotte Brown developed cataracts at 16 weeks old and had artificial lenses inserted as her vision got worse at the age of 11 years
Charlotte is now blind and has only a ‘jigsaw puzzle’ of light and dark shades
She is an Emory Rains student and has dreamed of a medal for the past two years
She had already finished eight and fourth in the medal’s table
Emory Rains High School’s goals are to Create Adults That Succeed. They certainly did that with Charlotte
It was at the Texas High School Championship that incorporated all the schools in Texas that she was able to achieve her goal
Taking third position was her highest ever achievement
Charlotte wanted to try a sport that was dangerous and exciting
She counts the seven steps of her left foot on her approach to the mat
Then listening for a faint beeper sound she is able to place her pole and push up
It has taken Charlotte three years of dedication to get her on the podium and she finally did it
Charlotte sends out a clear message to everybody. It is not about pole-vaulting or about the race track
It is all about finding something that makes you happy, despite whatever obstacles are in your way
Most people continue to sleepwalk through life. It seems it is the ones who have an impediment that makes them work harder to succeed
They are the ones who do not allow their disabilities to get in the way of personal achievement
Another two special souls are Millie Knight, who is 15 years old. Millie lost her sight at the age of seven
Mick Brennan lost both his legs in Iraq trying to deal with land mines
Both Millie and Mick competed in skiing in the Winter Paralympic Games in Sochi 2014
Like Charlotte Brown, all have demonstrated the triumph of the human spirit to reach the highest level of a competitive sport
They will not stop there and their continued progress serves as an inspiration to us all
Each evening in May, Palestinian mothers and nuns come to the church at the Rosary Sisters Mamilla Convent in Jerusalem
They come to pray to the Virgin Mary
For the first time Palestinian Catholics will also venerate two Saints
They lived in the Holy Land in modern times and were native Arabic speakers
Pope Francis will canonised four 19th Century nuns this Sunday, two of them are Sister Maria Alphosine Ghattas and Mariam Bawardy
At Sister Maria’s house, a Sister Agatha shows round large tours of Christian women from Nazareth
Every week parishioners come here, Sister Agatha says, to visit the house, because they were so proud of Sister Maria
Sister Maria Alphosine Ghattas was a teacher and she worked in Palestine to educate the Arab girls and women
Now the Sisters of the Convent are continuing her mission and are famous because of their students
Today the Congregation of the Rosary Sisters, which was co-founded by Sister Maria, run many kindergartens and schools across the region
At the Carmel Convent in Bethlehem flags and banners have been put up to celebrate the canonisation of Sister Mariam Bawardy
She was born in Galilee and, as a mystic, carried out many miracles
She also experienced stigmata wounds, which represented the suffering of Jesus on the cross
Sister Mariam was very special, because of her simple and humble ways. That is the way to becoming a Saint
Mariam was known at the ‘Little Arab’ but she always said, “I am the little nothing.” She taught her students to follow her simplicity
Both these nuns lived through tough conditions, overcoming male dominance, poverty & ill health while at the same time always helping others
Both received the apparition of the Virgin Mary and remained in close communication with her
Pope Francis, granting them Sainthood, allows the Church to celebrate their very good works
Pope Francis also shows support for Christians in the birthplace of their religion
There needs to be more open veneration of these wonderful women, who in spite of great hardship were still able to overcome & help humanity
The more love there is in the Palestinian region the more chance for peace to be realised and for hostility to finally be eroded away
Kailash Satyarthi says his heroes are the children whom he saved from slavery
The 60 year old Nobel Prize winner has been credited with helping to free 80,000 children from bonded labour
This is from the start of his advocacy in the 1980s
Kailash Satyarthi has worked to end the chronic practice of child labour for nearly three decades
Satyarthi was an electrical engineer by training and began working for the Rights of Children when he was 26 years old
Satyarthi spearheaded a movement to make free and compulsory education a constitutional right in India in 2009
It is his organisation that rescues child workers and provides them with free education
Satyarthi said he was moved at the start of his education by a boy he witnessed
He was the son of a cobbler, who wasn’t able to go to school because he had to work
Satyarthi’s organisation is called Save Childhood Movement and was formed in 1983
Save Childhood Movement has rescued 80,000 children from illegal and hazardous work across India
Those children were rescued from construction companies, carpet industries and bangle and firecracker production
Brick-kilns, restaurants and child trafficking networks together provide bondage for these children
Satyarthi led the ‘Global March Against Child Labour’ in 1998, when children rescued from illegal work marched through 60 countries
They actually reached Geneva in Switzerland
In the mid-1990s, he raided many carpet looms in eastern India that hired child labourers to work on the exported carpets
Satyarthi developed a self-certification label for South Asian carpets meant for export to signal that they were free from child labour
Back in 1994 it was called Rugmark. Now it is known as Good Weave
Satyarthi has been accused of working against India’s interests and has shown India up in a bad light
Satyarthi and his organisation have played a key role in bringing about the ‘Rights to Education’ law
This law mandates free education to India’s children
Satyarthi has worked tirelessly to bring about stricter laws against child trafficking
Satyarthi has won numerous awards, which include Defenders of Democracy (US 2009)
Satyarthi has won Fredric Ebert International Human Rights Award (Germany) & Robert. F Kennedy International Human Rights Award (US 1995)
Satyarthi is recognised on the list of ‘Heroes Acting to End Modern Day Slavery’ by the US State Department (2007)
Until the likes of Satyarthi are highlighted far more than they are…
…India and other countries will continue to wreck the lives of millions of children
Children are the voices nobody wishes to hear. They are silent in their pain and have nowhere to run or to speak out
Wholesale abuse on children is a worldwide industry and there are not enough advocates to bring this to the media and world attention
We all have a responsibility to alleviate the suffering of the innocent and to try our best to see they are protected at all times
It is now up to Governments to take this forward and to stamp out abuse in all its guises. We pray that they will listen
There is an architect who puts people before trade and who can redefine his own profession
Award winning architect Vo Trong Nghia is on a mission to transform Vietnam’s attitudes towards architecture
This man wishes to produce sustainable buildings in urban spaces
The population explosion is a big problem in all Asian countries, especially those countries that have a tropical climate
People require open spaces
There needs to be a scattering of greenery to be added to the already claustrophobic concrete blocks that dominate the cityscapes
Nghia’s buildings incorporate plants and trees and include design elements, such as natural air flow ventilation
This will replace the costly and environmentally damaging air conditioning
Nghia sees that green architecture helps people to live harmoniously with nature
It elevates human life by embracing the powers of the sun, wind and water into their living spaces
If people do not change their current way of thinking they will all be living in concrete jungles
Nghia is currently working on a prototype for a ‘Low Cost House’ AKA ‘S-House2’
This will provide an affordable solution for low-income families in the Mekong Delta
The project is on a small scale, but construction can be completed in two weeks, transforming those lives that are in greatest need
It is the modern architect, who now can change the mind-set and with Nghia’s important mission to bring green spaces back to the earth
The vision of this man is quite extraordinary in Vietnam these days
Where concrete in Ho Chi Minh City is already choking the people, he is a breath of fresh air
Yemeni tribal forces have been attacking the Saudi border posts as an answer to Saudi brutal aggression
Yemen has voiced how shocked they are at the Saudi troops when faced with their fighters
Thousands of Saudi soldiers have fled and abandoned their posts and left their arms behind
As many as 10,000 soldiers from different Saudi military units have abandoned their army battalions and their National Guard
The illegal air strikes have had little effect on the battle-hardened Houthi groups
The Operation Decisive Storm has led to a humanitarian catastrophe
Rather than putting pressure on a political deal or a power sharing agreement
The Yemeni people did not ask for this Saudi onslaught or air strikes and the invasion into their own country
The dropping off of Saudi leaflets on civilians warning them to leave is a no brainer
These people have nowhere to run or to hide for shelter
Women are sleeping out in the open with just blankets to keep them warm at night, because of Saudi destruction of their own habitat
This is a humanitarian disaster caused by the continuous bombardment of Saudi air fire
The country’s fugitive Saudi puppet President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi is the root of this current crisis
He has systematically failed to handle the country with his weak political control
He has failed to gain the trust in the military institution and of containing terrorism and corruption in the country
Therefore weak Riyadh’s staunch ally has lost the moral high ground to handle complex ground issues
Without constructive understanding between Riyadh and Tehran this situation in Yemen can only escalate
Think wise Saudis and think long term if you want stability in Yemen and safety on your boarders
Then a strong leader is required, not an incompetent Hadi that has already brought trouble to the entire region
The Houthis have a right to live with justice being delivered to them finally and their voices will be heard, whether you like it or not!
The Cashmere industry is Mongolia’s second highest money earner when it comes to exports
The most sought after clothes made from the soft warm wool is considered a luxury item by much of the world
Pure Cashmere pieces can be sold of thousands of dollars
Cashmere starts out as soft downy wool that Mongolian herders collect during May and June and sell to processing plants in Ulaanbaatar
Prices have now fallen & many herders have joined into collectives in order to get a better price & now get $5 per 100 grams of Cashmere
There is a rapid increase in the number of goats being herded. This is up by 300% since the 1990s
This causes an additional strain on Mongolia’s land, which is already struggling because of Climate Change and unchecked mining
For many herders it is one of the few regular sources of income that they can rely on to see them through the winter
Eighty percent of their income is from Cashmere. It is the money they earn in the spring for their entire year
It allows the Mongolians to send their children to school, to stock food and repair things
Goats comprise of almost half of Mongolian’s total livestock population
It has been the population explosion that caused environmental stress
There is now evidence of overgrazing, pastureland degradation and desertification
It is the volatile international Cashmere prices, which have pushed many herders to keep larger flocks as a hedge against falling prices
The United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) declared that the annual average temperature in Mongolia has risen by 2.1ºC
There is also a 30% decline in surface water over the past 15 years, which means that Mongolia is at risk of becoming a desert
The UNEP are calling for efforts to balance the number of livestock with pasture capacity
To allow for this to happen it is suggested that herders increase the quality of their animals and decrease the quantity
It is the responsibility of the trade markets to make the decision to give herders a decent livelihood
This way they can start thinking about saving their environment
All this makes sense. In order to save the environment all must cooperate to take on these responsibilities
Voters in the General Election in the UK have now secured a Conservative Government with a small majority
One could say that other parties, Labour, Liberal Democrats and UKIP did not work hard enough…
…to establish enough seats to bring about a different result
The main criteria here are that in the world standing Great Britain needs to show a presidential performance
This is needed to establish a better footing on the world stage
Policies are all very well and they have meanings for the electorate, but what is really needed is a face that shows leadership
There needs to be a willingness to negotiate strong objectives in world politics today
David Cameron has already showed he is willing and able to be decisive
Cameron is not afraid to tackle the important issues both at home and abroad
David Cameron is a statesman in waiting and so will be able to safeguard Great Britain’s interests abroad
This is something the other party’s leaders do not have the ware for all to do
They lack the leadership needed to get the countries that make up the UK to join together to form a united front for the common cause
That cause is for Great Britain to make its mark once again in the world
Many things have been decided in foreign policies because Great Britain was at the table
They are at the heart of policy making and so it is imperative that Great Britain remains there with its powerful voice
The economy of course is important and that is already recovering
The people of Great Britain will start to feel an impetus growing that Great Britain can hold its head up in the world
It will be here where its voice will count
The European Union is in freefall and their leadership cannot sustain the rising dissent amongst its fellow collaborators
Now new policies, which will upset the applecart in so many ways, become possible
Great Britain will have its Referendum and outline its requests for new firmer policies of fairness
Where trade and its rulings have to be governed more equally
Where those who give the lion’s share of money should expect greater concessions for their contribution
This has not happened and that is why there is discontent and inconsistencies at the heart of making this work
The European Union has to be re-established, redefined with Great Britain in a better position to hold talks
Great Britain will strengthen new policies to help all in a better way, which can be orchestrated
Every year about one third of the food that we grow worldwide never makes the dinner table
That is 1.3bn tonnes of perfectly edible produce that is being discarded
It is not just the food, but the energy, the land and the resources to grow it in the first place that is also wasted
Adam Smith’s ‘Real Junk Food Project’ in the UK intercepts this food and serves it up to his ‘pay-as-you-feel’ customers
His Leeds based café is located in the deprived area of Armley. There he serves everything from spicy lentil soup to beef goulash
Some of his customers couldn’t afford to eat
Last year one million people in the UK relied on food banks just to get by and this is nearly three times as many as the year before
It is no surprise that Adam’s idea is spreading
One year since opening, Adam has forged relationships with major restaurants and businesses
His project has grown from one café to 70 franchises now opening worldwide
Adam is waging a campaign against the laws and the companies, where colossal amounts of food are wasted in the first place!
In Kenya, a country where three million people are dependent on food aid, a farmer in Nairobi wastes 40 tonnes of edible green beans
Other green vegetables, such as broccoli, sugar snaps and runner beans are also wasted every week
The primary excuse given by the supermarkets is that they are the wrong shape or size or colour
This waste is enough to feed over 250,000 people and equates to 40% of his entire crop
It is an unfair and unnecessary practice by the European supermarkets
They are forcing Kenyan farmers to waste colossal amounts of food while millions go hungry
Sometimes a whole consignment will be rejected, because they contain produce which has slight cosmetic defects
Huge skips and crates full of rejected whole beans, half beans, baby corn and mange tout lying out in the sun to rot
All without exception are edible
Growers do what they can to find local markets for the rejected vegetables, but it is not always possible
Not everyone in Kenya eats baby corn and the market is not big enough to soak up the good food they are producing
Green beans have to be cut to a certain length to fit into the straight supermarket trays and the ends become wastage
In Kenya, where so many people go hungry, the wasted food should be fed to the people
According to the Kenyan Government, 30% of Kenyan children are undernourished
10 million people suffer from food shortages and poor nutrition
The problem of food waste is not confined to Kenya. Globally one third of all food produced, 1.3billion tonnes, is wasted every year
It is now being argued that consumers, besides supermarkets, have an important role in tackling this criminal wastage
As consumers, we can all eat different sizes of beans, courgettes etc.
We do not need cosmetic standards, nature is not uniform – beans grow bent as do bananas and it’s natural
Collectively we owe it to the starving people of the world to make a stand and not to be swayed by supermarket idiotic uniformity
Food wastage needs to be stopped
The forests of this world cover 31% of the planets landmass, but 13 million hectares are being destroyed annually, the size of Portugal
South America and Africa lose forests at a faster rate than anywhere in the world
Mozambique is rich in natural resources, which are now in danger due to illegal logging, organised crime and unsympathetic investors
After years of civil war, Mozambique is trying to rebuild itself from the ruins
However development comes at a great cost to their natural resources. Mozambique’s rich hardwood forests are under threat
Their trees are being chopped down and burnt into charcoal, which supplies 80% of Mozambicans with fuel as well as a steady income
Destruction of their precious resources is unsustainable and threatens people’s livelihoods. It has serious Climate Change implications
A costal town in Mozambique is challenging this trend by putting forest conservation at the centre of community development
The Mezimbite Forest Centre’s entrepreneurial activities include a nursery division that grows and plants thousands of trees
They have a design and production division that uses sustainable natural resources to create high-end products for sale
These markets are both locally and internationally
This Centre creates multipurpose education programmes to nurture specialised skills required for bespoke design production and agroforestry
The Centre supplies education for the children in the local community
It’s the Mezimbite Forest Centre, which is working with the local community to break the cycle of poverty by growing trees, skills & futures
It only takes a person with foresight, which is for the Greater Good. All win, not only the planet for us all, but the people as well
Instead of man constantly blowing up everything and where wars solve no purpose…
…we should all be building for a better life for ourselves and our children
It is mainly men, who are the warmongers
There are only a few who have the intelligence to see a wider picture and who are wise enough to implement it!
Testimonies are provided by Israeli soldiers, who fought in the last Gaza War
They have raised serious questions over Israeli tactics and how it breached its obligations under International Law to protect civilians
These claims, collected by human rights group “Breaking the Silence”, contain interviews of Israeli combatants in dozens of interviews
Of these soldiers, who served in command centres and attack rooms, a quarter of the officers are ranked up to major
Israeli ground troops were briefed ‘not to spare any ammo’
Their tanks fired randomly or for revenge on buildings not knowing whether they were legitimate military targets or contained civilians
A Sergeant in an infantry unit recalled that armoured bulldozers didn’t rest for a second
It was non-stop back and forth razing another house, another street – they were playing in a sandbox
These rules meant life and death in Gaza during the 50 day war, a conflict in which 2,200 Palestinians were killed, but were not engaged
The interviews shed light on what soldiers were told, but also the doctrine informing operation
“The rules of engagement meant that anything inside the Gaza strip was a threat,” said a sergeant
The area had to be sterilised, emptied of people
If any person was seen, who did not have a white flag waving, were a threat and the authorisation was to open fire
Soldiers were told to open fire everywhere and if anyone dared show their face they were a terrorist and were to be fired upon
There was an incident described by soldiers when two women were seen, one had a mobile phone, both were killed
These two women over the age of 30 were unarmed, but were listed as terrorists
“The main thread in these testimonies,” says Michael Sfard, an Israeli human rights lawyer and legal advisor to “Breaking the Silence”…
“…is that Israeli’s presumption to wage war in an urban area, which is already the most densely populated in the world”
“There would be no civilians in these areas?”
These civilians are trapped in an open air concentration camp of which there is no escape and nowhere to run
They are already trapped in the Gaza Strip by Israeli policies
“The motto guiding the soldiers,” recalls a Lieutenant, who served in the Givati Brigade in Rafah, “that they did not pity Palestinians”
“You could see the hate in the soldier’s eyes, they really hate Arabs”
One Sergeant, who served in a tank in the centre of the Gaza Strip said, “We were firing a lot where there was no need to”
“It was just for the sake of firing”
“In the debriefing things were viewed as accomplishments,” said a Combat Intelligence Corps Sergeant
“They spoke about the 2,000 dead, 11,000 wounded & half a million refugees, decade’s worth of destruction. These were all accomplishments”
There is no compassion by the Israeli Government as their total objective is the annihilation of the Palestinian people
After all, the Palestinians are vermin in Israeli eyes
Change will only happen when the International Criminal Courts bring about sentences for war crimes
When will the UN have the clout for a change to put an end to over 60 years of conflict and misery with no end in sight?
When will the Israeli people stop listening to their own Government’s propaganda and start to see what the world sees as the truth?
It is high time that the Israeli opposition parties stand up for what is right and no longer hide behind a dictatorial Government
Their voices are silent in this world
The world is sick and tired of hearing about the holocaust of the Jews by the Nazis
Israel is no better by doing their extermination of the Palestinians
All Jews who do not stand up and renounce this oppression will have to come before a Higher Intelligence, who will judge them!
There is no hiding place or proclamation of their innocence
Like all the Germans, who bear the scars of what Hitler did and will continue to bear that shame…
…so it will be for the Jews with their actions against a suppressed people
Children never cease to amaze us as they have enormous generosity of heart
A 12 year old boy from India has broken his piggy bank to donate to the victims of Nepal’s earthquake
Akash Mukherjee of Calcutta had saved 3,500 rupees (£36) for buying a gift for his parents and getting a new football for himself
He changed his mind after he watched the plight of survivors on TV. More than 7,000 have died in the earthquake
Akash said, “When I watched the pictures on the television of children my age starving and staying out in the open, it really hurt me”
Akash said he had been saving in his clay piggy bank for over two years, but he decided to give the money to them
He went with his parents to the Nepalese Consulate in the city, where Akash handed the money over to the officials
He was hugged by the Consul, who said, “It was not how much that Akash had saved that was important…
“…but that a boy of his age would even think of doing it, was really great”
The Consul requested that Akash deposited the money in a bank
It was almost closing time at the bank, but when the officer heard the purpose of the visit he was more than eager to cooperate
Mr Mukherjee said, “This is not the first time that Akash has donated for a cause”
“Akash has acted in a film and handed all his earnings to Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity”
“Akash has been donating since he was five years old”
“As a family we have tried to instil a habit of giving to the needy since his childhood”
His mother Manisha Mukherjee said, “Now that Akash’s savings are gone his desire to buy a present for his parents & a new football can wait”
It will take him some time to fill up a new piggy bank
Someone has already gifted him a new clay piggy bank, so Akash can start saving again
It is in the teaching of children by parents to instil in them the act of giving to those less fortunate than themselves
This is so important
It is also those children, who have generosity of heart within that will find it easier to do so
Children are a great leveller and we can learn from them if we chose to accept their grace and compassion
Actress Tippi Hedren is famous for her role in the Alfred Hitchcock’s film ‘The Birds’
Hedren has helped numerous ladies from Vietnam find jobs in California
Tippi Hedren visited a Vietnamese refugee camp in California 40 years ago
The Hollywood star’s long polished fingernails dazzled the women there
These people had lost everything in the American led war against Communism
They lost their entire families, their homes, jobs, and friends – everything was gone including their own country
Tippi Hedren wanted to give them something in the way of self-respect and a way of earning a living for themselves in the US
Taking about 20 women, mainly the wives of high-ranking military officers, she introduced them to her personal manicurist
They were taught the art of manicures
These women went on to transform an industry that is now worth $8bn and is dominated by Vietnamese Americans
“We were trying to find a vocation for them,” says Hedren
She also brought in seamstresses and typists in any way for them to learn something, but they just loved her fingernails
The refugee camp is called ‘Hope Village’ in the north of California and Hedren revolutionised the way they are and think
Hedren had also recruited a local beauty school to help these women to learn and graduate
She has helped them to get jobs all over California
Tippi Hedren, who has a wildcat sanctuary at her home in Southern California, is building a museum to house Hollywood memorabilia
She has photos of the women at Camp Hope together with awards won from the Nail Care industry
What is wonderful is that the Vietnamese women have given the nail salon business a radical makeover
In the 1970s, manicures and pedicures cost around $50, which was fine for Hollywood starlets, but was out of reach for most American women
Today a basic ‘mani-pedi’ can cost around $20, largely due to Vietnamese American salons, who typically under charge by 30-50%
Forty years after the fall of Saigon, 51% of nail technicians in the US and approximately 80% in California are of Vietnamese descent
Many are the direct descendants of Tippi Hedren’s new class of manicurist, whom she first inspired to take up the craft and run with it
It only takes one person’s efforts and foresight to revolutionise hundreds of people and an industry is born
Tippi Hedren works from the heart and that is why she always gets results. Everyone will benefit by those who act and give with love
Good Samaritans are always thin on the ground, which makes their presence all the more special and sacred
Nairobi’s Good Samaritan is a Kenyan primary school teacher, who takes his love of children to extraordinary lengths
Kenyan’s forgotten children are some 250-300,000, who are homeless. Many of them live on the streets of Nairobi
The children call out Odijo, Odijo, which means slang for teacher
Mr Clifford Oluoch is a primary school teacher in Nairobi by day
He has been spending his evenings for the last 3 months feeding street children
He said, “I was walking home one night and came across boys haggling for a cob of corn”
“I offered to buy them a cob each then more children came”
“By the end of the evening I had bought corn for 25 children”
“They asked me if I would come back tomorrow and do the same and I said I would”
The UNICEF report estimates that there are approximately 300,000 homeless children in Kenya, most of them are in the big cities
According to the Nairobi-based charity Kenya Children for Hope, 63% of the cities have homeless children
These children have been on the streets on a part or full time basis for up to five years
In the city centres, where human wastes flow nearby, there above the stench is a thick cloud of industrial glue, which the children snort
For them a few sniffs of glue can last for several hours and blanks out their continuous misery
The children see the teacher as a living “Messiah”
Many of the children are as a result of abusive homes and others have left alcoholic parents behind
The streets are a hard life and boys get beaten up by older homeless boys
Clifford Oluoch, his wife Benedette and their 13 year old daughter butter 30 loaves of bread, a cost of £14 a day
For months now Clifford has been splitting his salary between his wife and family and 60 street children, he is starting to feel the pinch
Word is now getting about and so a bread donor has been found to give the bread
That saving has allowed Clifford to use the money to take a child to hospital or help homeless women set up fruit stalls
All these are expensive undertakings on a mere teacher’s salary. He is also away from home up to three hours every evening
Clifford and his wife Benedette are committed to helping people
They know what it is like to grow up having nothing. “We know how difficult life is when you have no one”
“What we do makes a difference and it is this that makes it all worth it”!
It takes the unselfish heart of one man to show up the Kenyan nation
It is their responsibility to do more and to rescue these depraved children
Clifford Oluoch, who champions the plight of homeless children, will start the ball rolling
These forgotten children are not forgotten any longer
Bless this man for his divine inspiration to rescue those whose lives were lost
Now they are found and help will be given to all!
The Church of England is adopting a new climate change policy and will cut their investments in fossil fuel companies
They will sell investments worth £12m in firms where more than 10% of revenue comes from extracting thermal coal
The Church said it had a moral responsibility to act on environmental issues to protect the poor
“It is the poor who are the most vulnerable to climate change,” says the Church
The Church of England’s investments are wide-ranging and complex
They range from pieces of woodland used for timber to investment strategies run by some of the world’s biggest hedge funds
The Church also has stakes in big oil companies
Around £5.2bn of investments are managed by the Church Commissioners to produce money to support its work
More than £3.25bn is invested in securities bonds and shares, both in the UK and abroad
The Church also invests £1.71bn in property, £96m in woodland and £125m in loans for clergy’s spouses
Their stock market shares are with major companies like Shell, HSBC (what a joke that is!) and GlaxoSmithKline
The Church wants to be seen to be doing the right thing, as it is their moral obligation to protect the poor with climate change
By reducing their investments in these companies that are heavily involved in fossil fuels, they feel they are doing their bit
We all know that the Church is a business
One has to ask, “When do they actually have time for God or for the poor and suffering in this world?”
The Church indirectly was involved when they staked £75,000 in Wonga through their investment fund
Wonga loan money to those who have little at high interest rates
The message from Jesus Christ was to follow him and to give to the poor and suffering
He taught us to help those who are not in a position to help themselves
Where is the Churches’ investment in the poor and suffering, where families have little to eat and are in constant poverty?
Where is it seen that the Church reaches out to them?
Jesus Christ needed nothing. He went out to those who needed his help, love and guidance
The Church of England is a money making dinosaur
The C of E does not follow the teachings of Christ, but continues to feather its own nest and lavish lifestyle
The shame on the C of E is not to reduce its investments in fossil fuel companies, but to openly help the poor and suffering in this world
This is what the Church was founded on in the first place
In order for Church of England hierarchy to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, they have to act as Jesus did without pomp and ceremony
They need to follow Christ with humbleness & a vision to eradicate pain & suffering for all their flock
This is where the Church should be actively involved
Remember Almighty God sees all and all will be judged who have not been seen to be doing the right thing, which is their charge to do
Jesus Christ never said money had to be made or invested. If one truly believes in God then one knows all is provided for anyway
It is the Church’s greed and where money is the criteria over and above helping the poor and suffering!
