Stéphane Hessel: The rebellious diplomat (1917-2013)

by Jeannette Schneider

The author of the internationally popular pamphlet Indignez-vous! (translated as Time For Outrage), Stephane Hessel spent his life warning of the dangers of "the unbearable dominance of market forces".

Stéphane Hessel, the grand old man of 'the call for social outrage' died on 23 February 2013 at the age of 95. His pamphlet Indignez-vous! (the English title is: "Time for Outrage") was published in 2010 and originally aimed at the French, especially the youth. To his delight and surprise, within a short time, 2 million copies were sold in his own country. By now 4.5 million copies have been sold in 35 countries. In Spain 'Los Indignados' took their name from the title of Hessel's book, and the Occupy movement was inspired by it. Later Hessel published an additional three books all about the need for social and political change. (more…)

The Source Project: really sustainable farming

Interview with Jason Taylor
by Niels Bos

Jason Taylor, filmmaker and photographer for the The Source Project, discusses the ways in which progressive farmers in India demonstrate the sustainable agricultural techniques that can help save our planet.

Jason Taylor is the filmmaker and photographer of the Source Project, a self-funded multimedia venture that documents the methods, stories, and work of progressive farmers in India. He works primarily on agriculture-related issues and is based in Asia. 
In his work he focuses on the everyday lives of Indian farmers and captures their environments, as well as their ideas and visions on agriculture by means of vivid photographs and video footage. Niels Bos interviewed Jason Taylor for Share International.

After ten years of working as a photographer and a filmmaker in the international development sector Jason Taylor came to the realization that much of what he was involved in was little more than what he describes as "managed poverty". For him, the voice of the people he was being sent to document seemed to have far more clarity than the voice of the international development community and the terms of reference he was to work with seemed to have little in common with the reality of the field. So he decided to start a self-funded project called the Source Project and began a journey to meet some of the most progressive and enlightened farmers of India, documenting their stories about agriculture and food production in a series of films and photography. (more…)

Protecting the 'rainforests of the sea'

Interview with Ken Nedimyer
by Jason Francis

Ken Nedimyer, founder of the Coral Restoration Foundation, discusses the ecology of the biologically diverse coral reefs, the ways in which CRF is rebuilding them, and efforts to educate the public as to the human impact on these critical oceanic resources.
The Coral Restoration Foundation (CRF) is a nonprofit conservation group based in Key Largo, Florida, that develops offshore coral nurseries and reef restoration programs for critically endangered coral reefs at local, national and international levels. Tens of thousands of corals are grown and maintained in multiple offshore nurseries. With the help of students, volunteers, scientists, dive operators, public aquariums, and community groups, thousands of corals grown in CRF's nurseries have been replanted on degraded coral reefs. Ken Nedimyer, a commercial fisherman and tropical fish collector, formed CRF in 2007. Jason Francis interviewed Nedimyer for Share International. (more…)

The people and the planet

Interview with Stephen Leahy

by Felicity Eliot

Canadian environmental journalist Stephen Leahy discusses the obstacles to halting climate change and the exploitation of resources in emerging countries.

Stephen Leahy has worked as a freelance Canadian journalist for the past 12 years, including five years writing for Inter Press Service. Leahy specialises in science, the environment and agriculture. He has been published in leading magazines and newspapers in several countries. Based near Toronto, Canada, Leahy is a professional member of the Society of Environmental Journalists. He is also the 2012 co-winner of the Prince Albert/United Nations Global Prize for Climate Change. (more…)

Seeing the Illusion: Fear & Reward

By Dr. Stewart Bitkoff

“O my Lord, if I worship Thee for fear of hell, burn me in hell; and if I worship Thee for hope of Paradise, exclude me thence; but if I worship Thee for Thine own sake, with hold not from me Thine eternal beauty.”
 -Rabia 

For the spiritual traveler, in order to unlock what lies beyond everyday consciousness, a period of preparation is required. For a time everyday thought patterns must be suspended so the traveler can experience what lies beyond ordinary awareness. In order for a society or organization to flourish, people are conditioned into believing specific ideas and much of the day is filled with these thoughts.  Because of the emotions attached to these ‘sacred’ ideas/beliefs, often the traveler is blocked by their external noise from going deeper and experiencing the inner, spiritual reality. (more…)

Listen to Your Heart’s Wisdom

By Dr. Stewart Bitkoff

While we are living in unsettled times, it seems that many periods in human history have been that way. Consider this famous quote from A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, authored in 1859.

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times; it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness; it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity; it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness; it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair; we had everything before us, we had nothing before us; we were all going directly to Heaven, we were all going the other way."  Charles Dickens

Might not this description fit our modern life?  Add to this description an overlay of daily predictions of natural disasters, excessive drug and alcohol use, rampant societal depression, terrorists blowing-up innocents, civil unrest and riots across the globe, the failure of capitalism as a viable way of life and a general fear that the fabric of our daily lives is being destroyed.  (more…)

Prayer for the Weary

By Dr. Stewart Bitkoff

O Lord, help me
Not to be in mind today.
As You Will, please rescue me
And lift me higher.
My thoughts are filled
With worry and wanting
And I am so tired
Of not being satisfied,
And constantly afraid.

Guide me.  Help me to rest
In Your Caress
And bathe tirelessly
In the peace of Your Grace.

O Lord, help me
To fight this battle
That rages in my mind.
Thoughts, one upon another,
That will not let me rest.

Help me to pause and kneel
In the shade of Your Kindness;
Swimming in the gentle water
Of Your Grace and Mercy.
O I am so tired of myself.
I need a vacation
From my endless thoughts.

O Lord, please lead me back
Into the calm
And serenity
Of Your Loving Friends.
Help me to be still again
And surrender
To Your Loving Caress.
-SB

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Past Life Regression

A partial chapter from the book My Trip to the Philippines by Hans Carl Clausen

For several months, following my personal experiences with Dr Brian Weiss and Dr Raymond Moody, I had immersed myself in the study of Past Life Regressions.  Sharing my interests with a pleasant young female who worked at a local florist where I often purchased flowers, she inquired:

"Do you think you can do this?"

I thought for a moment.  "Yes, I believe I can."

"Would you hypnotize me?"

"Ok..."

"How about tonight?"

I reflected on her request and how this nice young girl could come over and perhaps together we might share a unique experience. (more…)

Conversaions with an ET

by Tom T. MOORE ~ Copyright 2013

Excerpt from First Contact: Conversations With An ET

For the past five years I have communicated telepathically with a member of my soul group or “cluster,” who’s having a life on a water planet in the Sirius B Star System.  The majority of people believe in telepathy, and even universities, such as Duke University, have done experiments with two sets of individuals—one to be the sender and one to be the receiver.  What they have not discovered yet is that if both sender and receiver would be in a light Alpha, meditative state, the results would be at the top of the chart, with just a little bit of practice.  And the sender and receiver would not need to be in the same room or across campus.  They could be halfway around the world from each other.  Plus they wouldn’t just be able to send and receive if a shape is square, round or triangle, but whole sentences. (more…)

Filling My Cup

By Dr. Stewart Bitkoff

In the journey, there comes a point when words and desires are no longer important.  That is, there is no emotional attachment to them. All that is important is the Beloved.  Desire for everything else has been removed.

It is at this point, the traveler arrives and the Beloved is within sight. However, for most, this is not a static condition. Because of the demands of daily life, the traveler fluctuates between this state and others. This degree of fluctuation is in proportion to the traveler’s position on the Path and the work he/she is required to do.

-SB (more…)