The Earth in travail by the Master — The hidden costs of cheap food by Mark Sommer From consumers to caretakers Interview with Vandana Shiva by Jason Francis

Nobel Prize for Peace 2007: Gore’s win a triumph for planet White Paper for a peaceful Middle East Interview with André Azoulay by Andrea Bistrich

Vol.SHARE 26,INTERNATIONAL No. 9 — November 2007 1 VOL. 26, NO. 9 — NOVEMBER 2007 SHARE Contents INTERNATIONAL 2b Benjamin Creme — lectures and tours [ISSN 0169-1341] “Everyone has the right to a standard of living ad- 3 The Earth in travail equate for the health and well-being of himself and his family, including food, clothing, housing, and by the Master — medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sick- ness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of 4 Point of view: livelihood in circumstances beyond their control.” The hidden costs of (Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 25) cheap food Editor: Benjamin Creme (London) by Mark Sommer Editorial staff, contributors, correspondents: Canada: Diana Holland; Germany: Andrea 5 From consumers to caretakers Bistrich; The Netherlands: Felicity Eliot, Erik Hutter; New Zealand: Shirley Nairn; Spain: Carmen Interview with Vandana Shiva Font; United Kingdom: Gill Fry, Janet Lenton, by Jason Francis Patricia Pitchon, Phyllis Power; United States: Monte Leach 17 Maitreya’s priorities: Editorial office (letters/questions to editor): 9 Trends: PO Box 3677, London NW5 1RU, UK Gore calls for Global New UN document on Mailing address Share International: PO Marshall Plan Indigenous Rights Box 41877, 1009 DB Amsterdam, Holland. Production and administration: 19 White Paper for a SI teams in Amsterdam, London and Los Angeles 11 Israeli youth rebel against peaceful Middle East Printed by: army service Interview with André Azoulay www.drukpartners.nl, Diemen, The Netherlands Interview with Lior Volynitz Share International is published monthly, ex- by Andrea Bistrich cept bi-monthly in January/February and July/Au- by Aleš Kustec gust of each year, by SHARE INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION, a non-profit, non-governmental 21 Facts and forecasts: organization. 13 Voice of the people: Gore’s win a triumph for planet Share International also appears in Japanese. Worldwide rallies for Darfur Abridged versions are available monthly in Dutch, 24 Letters to the editor: French, German, Slovenian and Spanish. A Polish 15 Signs of the time: versions is published periodically. Repeat appearance UFO in British Colombia, Articles in SI may contain either British or Amer- ican spelling and punctuation, depending upon the Canada 26 Questions and answers author’s preference. Figures in billions refer to US billions, i.e. 1,000 million. Contributors to this publication and those who have been interviewed or quoted do not necessarily en- dorse Benjamin Creme’s statements about the pres- ence of Maitreya the World Teacher, or the associ- ated esoteric ideas. This month’s authors While we publish articles which we believe will Benjamin Creme is the British chief editor of Andrea Bistrich is a Share International co- interest and enlighten our readers, we do not nec- essarily endorse every idea expressed in them. Share International, an artist and an esotericist worker based in Munich, Germany. for many years. Jason Francis is a Share International co- © Share International. His telepathic contact with a Master of Wisdom worker based in Massachusetts, USA. The reproduction of articles in any form from Share International requires written permission which allows him to receive up-to-date information on Aleš Kustec is a Share International co-worker will not be unreasonably withheld. the Christ’s emergence and to expand on the based in Ljutomer, Slovenia. The picture reproduced on the cover – Flame- Ageless Wisdom Teachings. Mark Sommer, host of the award-winning radio coloured Deva – was painted by Benjamin Creme The Master — is a senior member of the Hier- programme A World of Possibilities between 1976 and 1977. The Deva or Angelic archy of the Masters of Wisdom; His name, (www.aworldofpossibilities.com), is an author evolutions are parallel to that of the human and well-known in esoteric circles, is not yet being and internationally syndicated columnist who di- of infinite variety and colour, from subhuman to superhuman. Many work in a direct healing and revealed for various reasons. Benjamin rects the Mainstream Media Project, a US- protective relation to humanity. Creme is in constant telepathic contact with this based initiative to bring new voices and view- Yearly subscriptions: Master Who dictates His articles to him. points to the broadcast media. US$30, £24.00, or EUR 32.50. 2 SHARE INTERNATIONAL VOL. 26, NO. 9 — NOVEMBER 2007 The Earth in travail by the Master —, through Benjamin Creme, 14 October 2007

It may be said that at last some men are beginning to must see it as a top priority to remedy what he has take seriously the dangers posed by global warming hurt and so restore to health his ailing planet. He and the consequent climate changes that this is must learn to simplify his demands on the planet bringing about. It is true that there is much and learn the beauty of simplicity and the joy of disagreement over the reality and extent of the sharing. dangers, and of the best means of approaching the Man has but little choice: the urgency of the task problems which are agreed to exist. However, there demands immediate action; few indeed realize the is no doubt that some men, at least, are recognizing true scale of damage already done. The question may that men face a formidable task in halting the be asked: can planet Earth be saved and by what progress of destruction and in stabilizing the means? environment. It is also true that even the most aware The answer is a resounding YES! and by means and concerned of men know little of the extent and which involve the transformation of the present complexity of the problems. modes of living by the majority of men. The problem of pollution is such a case. Pollution The paramount ambition of all so-called takes many forms, some obvious and easily dealt ‘developed’ countries is to achieve an ever higher with, if the will to do so exists. Some, however, percentage of growth of their economies to become, require a science and a remedy as yet unknown to thereby, richer; and, in an economic world based on man; they are so toxic and destructive that they must competition, to attain dominance and power, and so be given high priority to overcome. The effect of enjoy a higher standard of life. This being so, the pollution on the quality of air, food, on animals, and pillaging of the Earth, the cavalier waste of on fish, in rivers and the oceans, is known but largely resources, is seen as only natural and necessary. This ignored. The most destructive of all, that caused by irresponsible action has at last brought planet Earth nuclear radiation, awaits discovery by Earth almost to its knees. scientists. The upper levels of nuclear radiation are Urgent beyond the present atomic technology. They are also the most toxic and hazardous to man and the lower Maitreya, you can be sure, will not be long in kingdoms. On all those levels the problems of addressing this urgent problem and in presenting His pollution must be overcome. This can be achieved solutions. The first step, He will advocate, is the only by a complete reconstruction of the present acceptance of the urgency which many today deny. political, economic and social structures. Sharing, He will say, is the beginning of the process Man has ravaged and polluted the Earth, and of change which will provide the answers to our woes severely damaged his own environment. Now man and the rehabilitation of Earth. • SHARE INTERNATIONAL 3 VOL. 26, NO. 9 — NOVEMBER 2007 POINT OF VIEW The hidden costs of cheap food by Mark Sommer

Arcata, California — As a percentage of fallen by 60 per cent in the past 20 years. as ‘’eliminating farmworker poverty by elimi- their personal income, Americans pay less Each year 20,000 farmworkers require medi- nating farmworkers’’. for food than the people of any other nation cal treatment for acute pesticide poisoning Most Americans don’t want to do such on earth. But the costs of that cheap food and many more cases go unreported. Na- backbreaking work but few are aware of the are considerable, not only for their own tionally, 50 per cent of migrants – 80 per working and living conditions of those who health but for the health, safety, wages and cent in Florida – lack legal work papers. do. However, redressing the inequities of working conditions of the largely migrant While Florida farmers are paid US$10 per the current industrial food production sys- labour that plants, harvests, and processes 25-pound box of tomatoes, the tomato pick- tem is not easy. To begin with, it’s hard to that food. ers are paid 45 cents per 32-pound bucket, make sure that extra money spent in the The industrial agriculture system that less than 5 per cent of what the farmer gets. supermarket will filter down the food supplies this cheap food is predicated on To earn $50 a picker must harvest 2.5 tonnes chain to the migrant labourers at the bot- cheap labour, lax enforcement of already in a typical 10-hour day, twice as much as 30 tom. weak labour regulations, often hazardous years ago, just to earn the same minimum The poorest and weakest work longest working conditions, and physical and sexual wage. and hardest and receive the last and least. abuse that in extreme cases has been lik- Yet the farmer is not the big winner in To provide a living wage to those at the ened to modern-day slavery. this system. Fast food chains with enormous bottom will take more than a piecework rate In some respects conditions for migrant buying power exert intense downward pres- hike. It will require a systemic shift, with workers remain little better than those docu- sure on the prices they are willing to pay those of us higher on the food chain pulling mented by journalist Edward R. Murrow a farmers, who in turn squeeze workers to re- it hard in the direction of those at the bot- half century ago in his classic TV special tain their own profit margin. tom. Not only must farmworkers be paid liv- ‘Harvest of Shame’, which revealed the ex- Facing these grim realities, in the early ing wages for their labour and farmers a fair istence of a hitherto hidden underclass of 1990s a small group of workers who called return on their crops, but governmental migrant workers who endured substandard themselves the Coalition of Immokalee Work- regulations must bring farm labour practices housing and sanitation, abysmal working ers (CIW) began organizing in a local up to global human rights standards. conditions, and exploitation of many kinds church. Through work stoppages, general This is not just an American problem. In in the course of harvesting tomatoes in mid- strikes, a month-long hunger strike, and a an increasingly integrated global food sys- 50s Immokalee, Florida. There as elsewhere 230-mile march, in 1998 the Immokalee tem, affluent consumers in North America, in the US, rootless immigrants, largely from farmworkers won industry-wide raises of 13- Europe and elsewhere have come to expect Central America, plant and harvest crops 25 per cent. Meanwhile, CIW began cam- low prices for foods from far away and far they themselves can’t afford to buy. paigning against what it calls ‘’modern-day out of season with great hidden costs in Now the very same region is the scene slavery’’, farm operations in Southeastern fuel and transportation, environmental dev- of an epic struggle by migrant workers for states where workers labour in conditions a astation, worker exploitation, and social decent working and living conditions and a federal prosecutor labelled ‘’involuntary conflict. Much of the food that comes to liveable wage. Immokalee is the state’s larg- servitude’’. our tables is grown and harvested by mar- est farmworker community and the most In a series of highly-publicized cam- ginal farmers in distant places who receive important centre of agricultural production. paigns targeting major fast-food chains that a tiny portion of what we pay for it. Driven Field labourers here pick crops on vast hold- depend in part on Immokalee’s tomato har- from the land by impossibly low commodity ings owned and operated by giant multina- vest, CIW organizers succeeded in persuad- prices, they crowd the cities of the develop- tional corporations. It’s been the same for ing Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, McDonald’s and ing world in search of work. Failing to find decades: long hours of back-bending labour, other corporations to commit to a penny-a- it, their desperation becomes a breeding staying in substandard housing, exposed pound raise for Immokalee labourers. Burger ground for extremist movements. Our to toxic pesticides, isolated by language, King (BK) refused to join the agreement, abundance must not be built on their in- and exploited by labour bosses preying on arguing that farmers are actually paying more digence. their vulnerabilities. than the workers say. BK would like a more Automaker Henry Ford, a self-interested Migrant labour has always been a hard comprehensive settlement that gives work- capitalist, understood this elementary prin- row to hoe. Workers live an average of just ers better working conditions while assur- ciple when he insisted on paying his work- 49 years; the US average is 78. The median ing the company and industry of consist- ers enough for them to buy the cars they annual income of migrant workers is just ent prices and a stable workforce. BK has built. How much are we willing to pay for US$7,500, 6,500 in Florida; the median US offered to employ in its own operations any the food we eat to ensure that those whose household income is US$48,000. Adjusted farmworker who would like to change occu- labour brings it to our tables are paid enough for inflation, migrant labour income has pations, an offer Immokalee workers dismiss to eat it too? (© IPS) • 4 SHARE INTERNATIONAL VOL. 26, NO. 9 — NOVEMBER 2007 From consumers to caretakers

Interview with Vandana Shiva by Jason Francis

Vandana Shiva is a physicist, environmen- SI: Could you describe your idea of the nity, a social network. And then the small- tal activist, and author of numerous books. three major economies active in the world, est part actually is the market economy. Right Her most recent book is Earth Democracy: and how they relate to each other and now in the market economy, measured in Justice, Sustainability, and Peace (pub- Earth Democracy? terms of finance alone, there’s a trillion dol- lished by South End Press, 2005). Vandana VS: When we think of economy we think lars of money moving around the globe daily, Shiva is a founding board member of the only of the market and through that the glo- which is 70 times more than all of the goods nongovernmental organization Interna- bal market – this is a supermarket model of produced by humanity. So we have more tional Forum on Globalization based in the economy, based on seeing ourselves as money than the resources and goods that San Francisco, USA, and director of the consumers, not as co-creators with nature. money can command. But this growth in the Research Foundation for Science, Technol- The two bigger economies on which life fictitious financial world is at the cost of the ogy and Ecology based in New Delhi, In- rests are the economy of nature, producing destruction of nature’s economy – one of dia. far more than human production can ever the most dramatic examples being the de- Dr Shiva has led campaigns that sup- produce, whether it is through the pollina- struction of the Amazonian rainforest to port fair and sustainable agricultural prac- tion of insects or the recycling of water, the grow soybeans to fuel our cars. It’s also at tices, biodiversity, ecology and gender hydrological cycle. The second major the cost of destroying the sustenance equality. She was awarded the Right Live- economy is the economy where we produce economy, which is based on self-organiza- lihood Award in 1993 and is a leader in for our basic needs: the water we need, the tion, caring, family and community. And as the Global Justice Movement – an interna- food we need to eat, the shelter we need for the market economy grows, particularly the tional network of organizations and move- protection from too much heat and too much financial market economy, nature’s ments working toward the equitable dis- cold. In this sustenance economy, the peo- economy and the sustenance economy tribution of the world’s resources. She is ple’s economy, children get looked after, the shrink. The shrinkage of nature’s economy based in New Delhi, India. Jason Francis old and ill get looked after; there are no dis- is what we call the ecological crisis. The interviewed Vandana Shiva for Share In- posable people. But in the market economy shrinkage in the people’s economy is what ternational. 97 per cent of humanity is actually dispos- we would call both the poverty crisis as well able. as the human alienation crisis. Share International: What are the princi- In a sustainable system the biggest ples of Earth Democracy? economy is nature; the second biggest is SI: You have written about the revered In- Vandana Shiva: The first principle is the rec- the sustenance economy where humanity dian civil rights leader Mahatma Mohandas ognition that we are, first and foremost, chil- sustains and rejuvenates itself as a commu- Gandhi who practiced the concept of dren of the earth and we share the earth with other species. Our first identity is as an earth community; all other identities are lesser iden- tities, whether they are identities of gender or race, language or reli- gion. With that identity comes a sense of duties and responsibili- ties, and rights which flow from the duties. Earth Democracy can only be founded on recognizing the principle of diversity – that there will be difference in the world – and in recognizing diversity, cre- ating the conditions of peace on earth. If we are a family on the Earth and the Earth can renew it- self forever – to the extent that hu- mans do not intervene and destroy the cycles of renewability through over-exploitation and over-extrac- tion – sharing the limited resources of the earth becomes a key factor in Earth Democracy. The Amazonian rainforest is destroyed to grow soybeans to fuel our cars SHARE INTERNATIONAL 5 VOL. 26, NO. 9 — NOVEMBER 2007 “ahimsa”, or nonviolence. What part does nonviolence have in the three economies? VS: Nature’s economy is based on nonvio- lence. That doesn’t mean there aren’t food chains, it doesn’t mean that tigers won’t be predators, but it does mean that the cycle of life rejuvenates itself. The sustenance economy’s primary principle is to do no harm; it is based on nonviolence. Unfortu- nately, the primary functioning of the mar- ket economy is totally based on violence; it’s based on violence to the earth. But it is also based on violence to people. The rule of the global market economy is based on, for example, uprooting farmers from the land. Indian farmers Ten years of so-called ‘trade liberalization’ protesting has led to 150,000 Indian farmers commit- against the ting suicide because of the dysfunctionality global market of an economy in which it costs more to economy, which produce something on land than you can is uprooting earn from it, which is the very nature of this them from their distorted globalized economy. This violence land also affects human relationships. An exam- ple of this violence is that as we stop being producers and are reduced to being con- sumers, women, who are equal partners in productive economies, are viewed as para- – a sacred tree in India – patented by the US out asking their permission. And it took a sites in consumer economies. In China and government and WR Grace [a global chemi- community in the Indian state of Kerala, a India, violence to the future generations of cals and materials company]. We fought for village called Plachimada, where the women women takes the form of female feticide – 11 years to have that patent revoked be- started to say: “Our water is disappearing. killing the female fetus even before the girl cause it was based on the piracy of our We are walking 10 miles to get clean drink- is born. These levels of violence start build- knowledge. Other cases of biopiracy involve ing water. This is hydropiracy. This is the ing a society in which everything is a com- RiceTec (a Texas company) patenting a very theft of our water.” I was involved in this modity. And when human relations are famous aromatic rice – basmati – that comes movement and a few years ago that particu- commoditized, disposable people are cre- from Doon Valley in the Himalayas, and lar Coca Cola plant was shut down. Another ated. Monsanto patenting an ancient wheat vari- big case of hydropiracy is the case of priva- ety that has very low gluten but because of tization of water in cities where common SI: What are “biopiracy” and rising food allergies has very high value. water from rivers is tapped by companies, “hydropiracy” and could you give an ex- As far as water is concerned, trade put into pipes and sold at very high prices ample of their ecological and social im- agreements as well as the World Bank’s to citizens who before that were getting it pact? What role are trade agreements play- Structural Adjustment Program are forcing as a public good. These are the changes ing in them? the privatization of water. The trade agree- that hydropiracy and biopiracy bring. They VS: In Earth Democracy there is a deep rec- ment that is particularly relevant is the Gen- take what belongs to the public at large, what ognition that the resources of the earth are eral Agreement on Trade and Services lies in the commons, turn it into private prop- gifts to be shared by all for equal suste- [GATS] as well as bilateral agreements that erty and steal from poor communities for nance and not the greed of the few. Unfor- in effect do the same. They treat environ- giant corporations to make even more tunately, the trade agreements are turning mental goods and services like water as a money than they already make. these common resources into privatized tradable commodity to be owned, bought property to be traded for profit by a handful and sold by corporations. The five giant SI: Does this create global monocultures? of corporations. The Trade Related Intel- players in this privatization are Bechtel, And what do you mean by” monocultures lectual Property Rights [TRIPS] agreement Suez, Viola (earlier Vivendi), Thames-RWE of the mind”? of the WTO [World Trade Organization] in and Saur. Since water is a common resource VS: Definitely hydropiracy and biopiracy effect forces countries to create property in and is used and sustained as such, corpo- create a global monoculture. Nature gives life – in seeds, in plants, in animals and mi- rations must steal it from a community to differing water endowments, which result crobes. This in turn leads to, literally, the turn it into their commodity to trade for profit. in different water cultures. The desert of stealing of knowledge and biodiversity from One dramatic example of this was the Rajasthan has a distinct water culture linked countries that are poor financially but rich case of Coca Cola. Whenever it sets up a to the two inches of rainfall that they get – in biodiversity. Examples of this kind of plant it takes up to 1.5 to 2 million liters per beautiful conservation systems that allow biopiracy are the patenting of the neem tree day of ground water from a community, with- people to farm and have drinking water 6 SHARE INTERNATIONAL VOL. 26, NO. 9 — NOVEMBER 2007 throughout the year. It is very different from the future of humanity. food to another monoculture, but a the water culture of Kerala where there are The second aspect of this crisis is the monoculture of impoverished, nutritionally wetlands and people have to relate in a very fact that primary production through farm- deficient and toxic-rich junk food which is a different way to an area where they have to ing is being destroyed. Farmers are being curse for humanity. And for young people live with constant water. These water cul- turned into a threatened species. Small farm- this cultural alienation is showing up in new tures are being destroyed by a monoculture, ers could be extinct in the next few decades types of diseases like anorexia and bulimia, which assumes that water is something that if we do not organize the food system dif- where humanity is now so estranged from comes from Coca Cola or Pepsi Cola in plas- ferently. the act of eating that food is becoming a curse. tic bottles. That monoculture separates us A third food-related crisis is what I call from nature and nature’s hydrological cy- the “health bomb” – which has two dimen- SI: What measures do you believe will be cle; it totally separates us from community sions. On one hand, as food is industrial- needed to resolve the food crisis? because instead of being caretakers for the ized and globalized, food goes away from VS: The first measure we need to take to common good of the earth’s water we become those who produce it. It gets consumed resolve the crisis is to recognize that we can individual consumers of supermarket shares. where there’s purchasing power, which produce more and better food by staying Similarly, every society has had its own leaves a billion people hungry on the planet small in terms of units of production. There’s plants, its own animals that shaped the so- – that’s the malnutrition of the poor. But a huge myth that says we need large-scale, ciety’s food and medicine. Today, as industrial corporate farming to increase biopiracy grows, monocultures also food production. But large-scale farms grow. Biopiracy does not reproduce the aren’t more productive. In 20 years of re- generosity of nature; it shrinks that tre- search I have shown repeatedly that the mendous richness into a handful of smaller the farm the greater its biological crops. We used to eat 8,500 different output. Large-scale farms are concen- crops; in India we use 7,500 various trated in terms of ownership; they’re not plants for medicine. Today there are four more effective in terms of producing nu- crops being grown worldwide for inter- trition and health for people. It has noth- national trade. The growth in crops like ing to do with the quantity that is pro- corn, soybean, canola and cotton is re- duced; it has a lot to do with the power ducing the diversity of the world. and control of land, resources and own- What I have called “monocultures of ership over them. So we have to defend the mind” is basically recognizing that the small farmer vigorously and spread this shrinkage of the world – a very rich, small farming and ecological farming diverse world that we receive from na- around the world. Ecological farming ad- ture – first takes place in the mind, a Car- dresses all forms of these crises. It ad- tesian mechanistic mind that constructs dresses the ecological crisis by reducing the world in an abstract form and then our pressure on resources. It solves the reproduces this monocultural abstraction, problem of disposability of farmers by projects it on the world and destroys the putting farmers back on the land. It solves diversity. the problem of health because small and biodiverse farms produce better and SI: What impact is the globalized food higher quality food. And, finally, by link- system, namely agribusinesses or indus- ing back to the act of cultivating and the trialized agriculture, having in the Vandana Shiva act of eating, we reclaim the culture of world? food. This is the way we need to go but VS: There’s a four-fold crisis emerging from there’s also malnutrition of the rich: two bil- this part is also a critical aspect of building the globalized food system. The first aspect lion people are suffering from diseases be- Earth Democracy. of this crisis is its very heavy and clumsy cause of bad food. Three billion, that’s half ecological footprint. Industrialized agricul- the world’s population, are cursed with de- SI: Are there movements that are attempt- ture uses 10 times more energy than it pro- nial of health, where health itself is the pri- ing to reclaim diversity in the face of cor- duces as food. It uses 10 times more water mary reason we eat – maintaining our bod- porate globalization? than ecological agriculture uses, which ies, nourishing our systems. VS: There are many movements around the means it’s 10 times less efficient in water Finally, the fourth aspect of this crisis is world. But the two movements in which we use. It replaces people and their creativity the crisis of culture. We are what we eat; are deeply involved in India are what I would with fossil fuels, with toxics, with giant ma- food is a very important part of our identity. call movements for “living democracy” and chinery and pollution in the form of CO2 Different cultures have been shaped by the movements for “living economies”. These from those fuels. On the one hand that is different traditional foods available: India movements are also founded on Gandhi’s leading to a toxification of the planet and has very high levels of vegetarianism; in principle of swaraj (self-governance and our food system. But it is also responsible the Mediterranean there is the Mediterra- self-organization) and on swadeshi (self- for greenhouse gas pollution – the issue of nean diet. As our industrialized and glo- production). What we have been doing over climate change – and poses a huge threat to balized food culture takes over, it reduces the last 20 years through Navdanya, the SHARE INTERNATIONAL 7 VOL. 26, NO. 9 — NOVEMBER 2007 movement I have been building, has been source of skills, values and knowledge for change. One way is to look at big problems to create biodiversity republics at the vil- humanity’s future. created by big power and normally, since lage level; republics that are caretakers of the dominant power is violence, you think their biodiversity – their water, their land, SI: In your latest book you refer to “ex- the way to respond to it is to seek the same their forests. In the process they protect the cluding the middle” because of a polariz- levels of violence, of dominating power. On biodiversity that sustains them and they also ing, either-or attitude, placing local deci- the other hand, you can begin to make the enrich their own lives. They become eco- sion-making against globalization. How change by beginning at a small scale. My nomically more productive, their incomes does economic localization interrelate with inspiration for this has come from Gandhi increase, their production increases. At the economic globalization? who, when we were ruled by the British, took level of political freedom these movements, VS: Globalization is part of a continuum of a out a spinning wheel and said: “We will spin which we call “living democracy” move- culture of sharing and a sense of our uni- our way to freedom”. People laughed at him ments (in India we call them jaiv versal being. It connects locally in terms of and said: “A piece of wooden equipment, panchayats) are also practicing genuine our sense of the place where we live, which how can it bring freedom?” He said it is pow- democracy. The kind of representative de- defines the water we drink, the community erful precisely because it is so small. It can mocracy where someone is voted into of- we are part of. But that same continuum be in the hands of the poorest woman in the fice but then turns their back on voters be- gives us not just the planetary community smallest hut in the country, and therefore cause of commercial influences is failing the of the earth; it even gives us the cosmic can be a source of empowerment. And em- earth and failing the people. We have to in- unity of seeing ourselves as part of one powering millions through the smallest of vent new forms of democracy and out of common universe, that we are ultimately actions makes it a more powerful action than these inventions we will be able to secure children of the universe. empowering three people with the same the future of the human species and other kinds of violent bombs, which is the logic species on this earth. of the suicide bomber. “In Earth Democracy there is a I took inspiration from Gandhi’s spin- SI: Could you describe the unique role that deep recognition that the resources ning wheel and turned to the seed as a way women have in the worldwide movement of beginning small but letting it spread. Just seeking justice, sustainability, and peace? of the earth are gifts to be shared today on my table a farmer has left me hun- VS: A movement has been building over time by all for equal sustenance and not dreds of seed varieties that he is distribut- – partly in contrast to the monocultures of the greed of the few.” ing. He undertook this as his life commit- the mind of the dominant system based on ment after we met last year during my jour- greed, domination and exploitation – for ney through the suicide belt where I com- peace, justice, sharing, and sustainability. On the other hand corporate economic mitted myself to stopping suicides among And we call this “diverse women for diver- globalization based on greed leaves no lo- farmers; we are going to stop this violence. sity”. What women are really bringing to cal anchor. There is no “local”, except as a He did a bit of the journey with me, and now the world is what I call the culture of shar- selling place for globally traded commodi- all he’s doing is distributing these seeds. ing and caring. After all, women were left by ties and it is leading to new shrinkage. An The 300,000 farmers who are working with the division of labor to look after children, embedded locality that is also universal re- us in Navanya everyday are sowing seeds. to look after the old, to look after the ill. And duces our ecological footprint while enhanc- The smallness of the action, the smallness in the process, the culture of caring survives ing our consciousness. Globalized of the seed, makes it powerful. more in women, not because they are bio- commodification shrinks our consciousness logically more caring but because economi- while enlarging the pressure that is brought SI: How far along the road are we toward cally they have been left to look after the to bear on the planet, and especially on the manifesting Earth Democracy and what do sustenance economy. Also without sharing poor. you feel needs to be done now? you cannot really look after the household VS: If you look at the dominant expressions economy. The original concept of econom- SI: And where does terrorism come into all of where the human species is – the domi- ics was derived from oikos [Greek for “the of this? nant media, newspapers, government policy household”], but today is estranged from VS: Terrorism for me is a mirror image of the preoccupations – one would think we are the economy of the household. You cannot monoculture that is destroying diversity. I very far from Earth Democracy. But consider run the household without sharing. The call it a mirror image for two reasons: be- that the large majority of the world in Africa, planet as a household has abundance but it cause it uses the instruments of the domi- Asia and Latin America, the peasants and is a limited abundance. If you take too much nant force – the instruments of violence – tribal people in remote villages are actually water from the ground we won’t have water and it rejects the practice of diversity. It ex- practicing Earth Democracy – that’s the prac- in the future. If we take limited amounts of emplifies the practice of the “law of the ex- tice of the majority. And then think of how water from the ground we will forever have cluded middle”. many people are making change quietly, water. That concept of sharing too is being below the radar, in their consciousness, in kept alive by women who are the water pro- SI: How important are small-scale re- their heart – I would conclude that the ma- viders, the food providers, the seed keep- sponses to large-scale problems? Could jority of the people in the world are shifting ers. And that division of labor, which left you give us an example of their effective- to Earth Democracy. women in what was called secondary tasks ness? of care-giving, has become the primary VS: There are two kinds of engagement in Further information: www.navdanya.org • 8 SHARE INTERNATIONAL VOL. 26, NO. 9 — NOVEMBER 2007 TRENDS Gore calls for Global Marshall Plan

Former US Vice President Al Gore has called Korea, and will join with the North in estab- for a new Marshall Plan that “links the bat- lishing shared fishing waters in areas that In this section, we review tle against the climate crisis to the struggle had previously been the sites of military developments and opinions which against global poverty”. Speaking at the clashes. The North consented to take steps demonstrate that there is an United Nations’ “High Level Event” on the to implement the nuclear disarmament agree- increasingly powerful under- climate change crisis held at UN Headquar- ment reached in February 2007. current sweeping the world in the ters in New York, Gore stressed that noth- Both countries agreed to work towards direction of synthesis, sharing ing less than an initiative similar to the signing a peace agreement that would re- and co-operation, of new relation- Marshall Plan that helped reconstruct Eu- place the ceasefire that ended the Korean ships and new approaches. rope after World War II is needed. War in 1953. The North and South Korean The UN-sponsored meeting was the leaders pledged in the summit declaration crops. Not only can it be planted alongside largest gathering ever of world leaders on “to closely co-operate to end their military regular crops such as millet, peanuts, corn climate change. Some 40 heads of state or hostilities and reduce tensions and secure and beans, but it may actually improve their government and 70 cabinet ministers from peace on the Korean peninsula.” Most ob- output. around the world attended. servers concluded that this agreement, if In Mali, a Dutch entrepreneur, Hugo A report issued three days prior to Gore’s implemented, would open a new chapter in Verkuijl, has started a company to produce speech concluded that the melting North relations between the two countries. biodiesel from jatropha seeds and has in- Pole ice cap could be completely gone in 23 The New York Times, (Source: USA; Asso- cluded local farmers by giving them a stake years. That report, Gore said, demonstrated ciated Press) in the company. Other projects in Mali are the immediacy of the planetary emergency addressing the lack of electricity there by and the need for prompt action. Jatropha plant using jatropha to supply fuel for generators “The old divide between the North and in villages that until now have had no access South, between developed and developing used for biofuel to power. (Source: The New York Times, USA) is now obsolete,” Gore stated. He said that Jatropha, a seemingly worthless weed of- the joining together of developed and de- ten used by farmers in developing coun- veloping nations to reduce carbon emis- tries as a repellant to grazing animals and a Mobile phone banking sions is the key to fighting global poverty. guard against erosion, is being recom- Mobile phone banking is an outstanding It is up to the developed world to show mended as a new source of biofuel that may success in South Africa. Banks in the coun- poorer nations that combating climate solve energy problems and reduce poverty try are few and far between except in urban change will not come at their expense, but in some of the world’s poorest nations. areas, leaving 13 million out of 47 million will in fact support the aims of overcoming Supporters of jatropha cite its promise inhabitants (28 per cent) without easy physi- poverty. The real cost, Gore concluded, by pointing out the ways in which it differs cal access to banks and no bank accounts. would be in not taking action. (Source: UN from other potential biofuels. The plant re- Most South Africans however, do have News; The Financial Times, UK) quires very little water and no pesticides, cell phones, a fact which inspired entre- therefore avoiding environmental risks. It preneur Brian Richardson to set up vir- Korean reconciliation can be grown on virtually barren land and tual banks. His company, called WIZZIT, moves forward so would not need to consume the arable now has “more than 100,000 account hold- land required to grow badly needed food ers” who pay bills and receive their sal- After three days of summit meetings, North Korean leader Kim Jong Il and South Ko- rean President Roh Moo-hyun signed a rec- onciliation agreement that promises to build closer economic and security ties between the two nations. The first summit meeting between the Koreas in seven years was not expected to result in the wide-ranging pact that was finally negotiated. Surprisingly, though, the declaration signed contained many specific projects designed to bring the countries closer together and reflected the modest concessions made by both sides. The South will create an economic zone South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun (left) and North Korean leader Kim Jong in Haeju, a town in southwestern North Il (right) SHARE INTERNATIONAL 9 VOL. 26, NO. 9 — NOVEMBER 2007 TRENDS ary via their mobile phone. and between rich and poor. Sociolo- The WIZZIT model is also prov- gists hope that women can now be ing attractive to other developing the driving force for change in Alge- countries. United Nations research ria. With their increasing presence in showed that migrant workers around the apparatus of government and on the world together send home $232 the streets, women may have a mod- billion per year but lose no less than erating and modernizing influence on 20 per cent due to postage costs or society. (Source: de Volkskrant, the theft. To avoid such loss Brian Netherlands) Richardson would like to expand WIZZIT mobile-banking to India, Support network for other African countries and Eastern Europe. Since only 1 billion out of the Islamic women world’s 6.5 billion inhabitants has a Muslim women are gaining ground in bank account and 3.5 billion own a many parts of the world. In 1993 the mobile phone the chances of success American-Lebanese philosopher and appear very high. (Source: de law professor Dr Azizah al-Hibri set Volkskrant, the Netherlands; Mobile phone banking is an outstanding success in South up Karamah in Virginia, USA. worldchanging.com) Africa Karamah is a network of legally trained Muslim women, which works for the liberation of women within Is- Lethal injection review may jection, and there have been a number of lam, as a means of dealing with radicalization suspend US executions botched executions. The supreme court is and orthodox Islam. due to come to a decision in June 2008. At first Karamah was active only at lo- Anti death penalty campaigners in the US There is in fact a worldwide trend to- cal level, but after 11 September 2001 the were hopeful that there would be a halt in wards abolishing the death penalty, and in activities expanded rapidly. Questions were executions while the Supreme Court reviews September 2007 Gabon became the latest raised about Islam on all sides. Karamah’s the lethal injection, after a rare last-minute country to end the practise, following answer was that true Islam is a liberation for reprieve was granted to a condemned man Rwanda, in July 2007. (Sources: The Guard- women and does not conflict with democ- in Texas in September 2007. The Supreme ian, UK; www.amnesty.org; wikipedia.org) racy and the Western constitutional state. Court offered no explanation for their re- “I have behind me at least 20 years of study prieve to Carlton Turner Jr, who was sched- of Islamic sources and I’ve spoken with uled to be put to death by lethal injection Algerian women judges, women and Imams from more than for killing his adoptive parents. Turner’s law- make headway 15 Islamic countries,” said Dr Al-Hibri. yers had based their appeal on the nature of Equipped with that knowledge she can an- the lethal injection – likening it to a “chemi- A silent revolution is taking place in Alge- swer with authority questions from young- cal straightjacket.” ria. In a part of the world where many coun- sters, Muslim women in search of their iden- Turner’s reprieve came just hours after tries are culturally traditional, if not con- tity and also non-Muslims. The network has a death row inmate in Alabama was granted servative, women in general have had little grown so rapidly that an office with paid a 45-day stay of execution by the state’s power; now, however change is on the way. staff has been opened in Washington. Al- governor, prompting hopes that the US Women’s economic and political influence Hibri also hopes to open an office at the seemed to be moving towards a lull on ex- is on the increase: some 70 per cent of Alge- European Union in Brussels in December ecutions before the Supreme Court decides rian lawyers and 60 per cent of the judges 2007. (Source: de Volkskrant, the Nether- on the legality of the injection. The court is are women. A growing number of women lands; www.karamah.org) expected to meet in January 2008 to discuss are contributing more to the family income whether lethal injection, a cocktail of three than men. In the country’s universities 60 drugs, represents “cruel and unusual pun- per cent of students are women. Latin American women ishment” and is therefore unlawful. While in the past they were relegated to The challenge is on behalf of two men the background, Algerian women are begin- leaders on death row in Kentucky, Ralph Baze and ning to play a greater role in public life. They Madrid has held the third meeting of Ibero- Thomas Clyde Bowling Jr, who argued that have started to drive buses and cabs, and American Woman Leaders, claiming real they would suffer excruciating pain in the to work as petrol station attendants and gender equality and opportunities between moments before death but would be unable waitresses. men and women in Latin America. Beatriz to cry out because of the paralysing effects Though Algeria has left behind it the Paredes, member of the Advisory Commit- of one of the drugs. In recent months 11 dark days of the civil war, the country is still tee for the Latin American Parliament and states have suspended executions because plagued by corruption, bomb attacks, the government official of the Mexican PRI, said of concerns about the cruelty of lethal in- gap between politicians and the population, (continued on page 23) 10 SHARE INTERNATIONAL VOL. 26, NO. 9 — NOVEMBER 2007 Israeli youth rebel against army service

Interview with Lior Volynitz by Aleš Kustec

Lior Volynitz, 20 years old, is one of many try. We sent the letter not only to our gov- young Israelis who, in recent years, have ernment but also to the media. The response refused military service because of their was shocking because it was published eve- country’s policies towards the Palestinians. rywhere. Even the President of Israel de- In March 2005 he joined 250 other high nounced our letter in the media. It really had school students signing a ‘Shministim’ let- important consequences. Of course, many ter. The letter, explaining why they had re- people reacted against us but we saw that fused military service, was sent to the Is- Lior Volynitz as a good thing, because in the past serv- raeli Prime Minister and other high-rank- ing the army used to be something that peo- ing officials. Lior was, to his knowledge, ple accepted as a matter of a course. Now at the first person in Israel to be spared im- has the jurisdiction to release a person from least we see the first signs of independent prisonment in a military jail because of his military service. And although I cited all my thinking: 17-year-olds can now think for political stance as a refusenik. Ales Kustec reasons, like the Israel occupation of Pales- themselves. So even if the majority of arti- interviewed him for Share International in tine, and although they are only supposed cles were actually against us, we brought Maribor, Slovenia. to release people who are pacifists, rather the issue into the public sphere, which is than political objectors, they still chose to very important. Share International: Why did you refuse release me from service a day before I was the military service in Israel? due to start my prison sentence. I was very SI: How does the Israeli occupation impact Lior Volynitz: I refused to serve in the Israeli lucky. on the lives of Palestinians? army because, first of all, it was forced on LV: Since the occupation of the West Bank me. In Israel all young men are compelled to SI: Are there a lot of young people in Israel and Gaza in 1967 the Palestinians have lived serve in the army for three years, and women refusing military service? there all this time under the control of a for- for two years. I refused to serve because I LV: There were around 250 people who eign army. This means there is no democ- knew if I did I would be doing something chose to join us and make public their re- racy in the West Bank and Gaza or few insti- wrong, and could not live with it. The Israeli fusal to do military service. But there are tutions that Palestinians can trust that can occupation of Palestine and the oppression many other young people who refuse to help them facilitate their lives. Instead, a of our neighbours, like the Israeli war against serve in the army either for political or per- foreign army controls most of their land. The the Lebanese people and other policies of sonal reasons, but this is not reported on army can do whatever it wants with the peo- the Israeli army, are acts I cannot agree with. by media. In 2006 more than 50 per cent of ple: it can take away their land and property I could not join an army whose policies are Israelis who were supposed to join the army without being held to account. These are unjust, and apart from that I don’t believe did not do their military service or did not the basics of the occupation. Beside that, in that violence is the solution and that peace complete their full service and this number recent years the occupation has become could come out of it. I think there are other, is growing every year. worse and worse. better, ways to achieve peace. The first and perhaps the worst tool of SI: How is this issue presented in the Is- oppression against Palestinians is the build- SI: What were the consequences of your raeli media? ing of settlements: the moving of Jewish refusal? LV: I can only talk LV: Anybody publicly refusing to serve in about our case, the Israeli army is supposed to serve time in which happened in military prison. Fortunately, this did not 2005. We wrote a happen to me. I sent a letter to government very convincing let- officials and the Israeli army in which I re- ter, in which we ex- fused military service on the grounds of plained our rea- being a conscientious objector. I also joined sons. We presented 250 young Israelis of the same age and we it as a tool of de- wrote the ‘Shministim’ letter [high-school mocracy, showing seniors’ letter], in which we explained our that we refused not refusal because of the Israeli occupation of because we were Palestinian land. I expected to spend time in against Israeli soci- military prison but, surprisingly, the day ety, but because we before I was supposed to enter military were in favour of prison, the army called me before a special society, in favour of “These checkpoints, which are at the entrance of every city, make it committee, a ‘conscience committee’, which peace in our coun- really difficult for Palestinians to move from one area to another.” SHARE INTERNATIONAL 11 VOL. 26, NO. 9 — NOVEMBER 2007 worked with on occasions such as planting olive trees after the Israeli army had rooted them up. I also helped escort Palestinian children to school and joined demonstra- tions and other activities against the con- “I also joined struction of the apartheid wall and the steal- demonstrations ing of Palestinian land. and other activi- ties against the SI: How do you, as a young person, see the construction of future for Israelis and Palestinians? Will the apartheid wall you be able to live in peace as good neigh- and the stealing of bours one day? Palestinian land.” LV: I am sure that one day we will live in peace together, but for that to happen we must sit down together and reach an agree- Israeli citizens into Palestinian territory to LV: An understanding of what the occupa- ment as two sides that are equal. Unfortu- live on Palestinian land that was taken from tion is actually doing to Palestinians is not nately, Israel acts as if it is an isolated island them by force. That means Israel is building widespread in Israeli society. Although peo- in the region. But if we separate ourselves houses that Palestinians are not allowed to ple know there are Palestinians living not from our neighbours, we build walls not only buy, live in or even visit. There is complete far away from them they never meet or visit in nature but also in our heads. We not only separation between Israelis and Palestinians them. An Israeli can live in Tel Aviv, which exclude them, but we also turn ourselves in the occupied territories. The same goes is 20 minutes away from Palestine by car, into a ghetto. I believe there could be an for the roads. For example, the Israeli army and may never meet a Palestinian except for agreement between Israelis and Palestinians, has built many roads on Palestinian land the time when he is a soldier in the Israeli which is the division of land for both na- which the Palestinians are not allowed to army. The first time they might encounter a tions: Israel and Palestine, two capitals in use. They therefore limit the movement of Palestinian is when they are soldiers and Jerusalem and an agreement about the re- the Palestinians both by building such roads are invading their villages in uniform. That turn of the refugees to some extent or com- and by means of the checkpoints. These means the average Israeli won’t have a clue pensation for others. Actually there are very checkpoints, which are at the entrance of what Palestinian life is like. realistic solutions; many initiatives have al- every city, make it really difficult for Pales- ready been agreed by important Israeli and tinians to move from one area to another. SI: You, on the other hand, have met a lot of Palestinian politicians, but the current lead- Neither people nor cargo are allowed to Palestinians. ership in Israel and the USA does not sup- move through them without the permission LV: My experience was very different. In this port them. It will take time but I am sure there of the Israeli army. That means if you are a way I made contact with Palestinians mostly will be peace between us. In the end peace student and you want to go to school and through humanitarian and political groups I is achieved by people, not by politicians. • pass a checkpoint, the Israeli army must first allow you to do so. If you need to go to Lior Volynitz appeared before an Israeli Army be paid by bereaved families in Israel. And hospital the army must allow you first to ‘conscience committee’ on 17 October 2006 still in a few years Israelis will all pay a price pass the checkpoint. So there is no freedom where he declared that he was refusing mili- when we will wonder, “why do they hate us of movement inside Palestine. tary service. Lior was officially recognized as so much?” Furthermore, any kind of initiative in the a conscientious objector and was released from “During this last war I was old enough to vast area of occupied territories – building military service. Lior wrote the following state- have been a soldier myself. I have a high mili- or extending a house, opening a business ment to explain his decision to refuse military tary profile (97) so they might have sent me or forming a local association even if it is service. off to Lebanon. I might have obeyed orders about, say, football – requires the authori- without thinking twice – easily. But I won’t zation of the Israeli occupying forces – and “With its checkpoints and detentions, raids be a soldier, and while the war was raging I and bombardments, assassinations and abduc- participated in activities against the bloodshed, it is very hard to get that permission. If you tions, the separation wall and discrimination, against policies that assume every political do not get permission to build a house and Israeli policy in itself is enough of a reason for issue can be dealt with through military solu- decide to build it anyway, they can come refusal to serve in an army that commits such tions. and destroy it and even arrest you. So the war crimes. This is not all there is to it, though: “By refusing, I am sending a message to Palestinians live under the occupation of the price for this policy is paid not just by other soldiers and future conscripts. I would the foreign army, and it controls every as- Israel’s neighbours but equally by us, Israelis. like them to know that there is another way. pect of their lives. This situation, I believe, “Politicians will pass the bill for the latest My message is also addressed to all the peo- is the reason there is terrorism: this is the war against Lebanon to the bank account of ple who have suffered from Israel’s policy. I reason for the hatred between the two na- those entitled to social benefits, and the cost would like them to know that there are Israe- of Defense Minister Amir Peretz’s new armored lis who are different. I sincerely hope that in tions, and why we cannot live in peace. vehicles will be shouldered by the laid-off doing this I will contribute, if only in a small workers of the next privatized company. The way, towards making Israeli society more just SI: How do other Israelis view the occupa- price for the murder of Lebanese civilians will and peace-loving.” tion of the Palestinians? 12 SHARE INTERNATIONAL VOL. 26, NO. 9 — NOVEMBER 2007 THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE

In this section Share International focuses on Worldwide rallies for Darfur the rising tide of people power which will continue to swell until, under Maitreya’s wise Rallies and protests calling for peace in mit to take on the “responsibility to pro- guidance, the people will lead their leaders into the creation of a just society in which the Darfur took place throughout the world on tect” people at risk of mass slaughter. rights and needs of all are recognized and 17 September 2007. Hundreds of thousands Amnesty International, Human Rights met. of people took to the streets in over 30 coun- Watch and the Save Darfur Coalition were tries to express support for the people of among the groups who helped organize the Sudan’s Darfur region, and to pressure global effort. (Source: BBC News; Nampa- million Iraqis. Over 5,000 demonstrators lay world governments, in particular the Su- BBC; CCTV.com; www.globefordarfur.org; on the ground in a symbolic ‘die-in’. Peace danese government, to protect civilians www.savedarfur.org; Human Rights First) activist Cindy Sheehan told the crowd it was there. time to be assertive. “It’s time to lay our At least 200,000 people have been killed Americans marching bodies on the line and say we’ve had and 2 million displaced in Darfur since 2003. enough,” she said. The Sudanese government and its Arab mi- for peace Army veteran Justin Cliburn, 25, of litia allies are blamed for the massacres of On 15 September 2007 a peace rally was held Lawton, Oklahoma, said: “We’re occupying Darfur’s black African population. in Washington DC, USA, organized by Vet- a people who do not want us there … We’re “From Cape Town to London, Moscow erans for Peace and the Answer Coalition to here to show that it isn’t just a bunch of old to New York, concerned citizens are asking protest against the war in Iraq. The march hippies from the 60s who are against this why the UN Security Council’s resolutions took place from the White House to the war.” on Darfur have yet to be enforced,” said Capitol and was attended by an estimated Two weeks later, on 29 September 2007, Nobel Peace Prize winner Archbishop 100,000 people who packed the eight-lane- another rally was held in Washington DC Desmond Tutu, who endorsed the global wide Pennsylvania Avenue for more than organized by Troops Out Now Coalition protests. “We are still waiting for a no-fly 10 blocks. with an estimated 5,000 people marching for zone, targeted sanctions against the archi- Protesters surged onto the Capitol’s an end to the war in Iraq. tects of the genocide, and referrals to the south lawn and up the steps where they Peace groups around the USA are pre- International War Crimes Tribunal. No won- were met by a police line. Iraq veterans then paring for another huge demonstration on der the Khartoum regime doubts the resolve conducted a solemn ceremony in memory Saturday 27 October with rallies taking place of the international community, and dares of the US soldiers and Iraqis killed in the in 11 cities – Boston, Chicago, to deny UN peacekeepers access to Darfur.” war – nearly 4,000 US soldiers and over 1 Jonesborough, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Protestors in Rome wore t-shirts with the image of a blood-stained hand, while others in London marched from the Sudanese em- bassy to Downing Street carrying signs with messages such as “Rape, torture, mur- der. How much longer for Darfur?” In San Francisco organizers held a film-screening and interfaith prayer. Protestors in New York gave speeches outside UN headquarters. In Ottawa, Canada, people wearing blind- folds created a human chain outside Cana- da’s parliament. To coincide with the global demonstra- tions, a co-ordinated campaign in the United States among houses of worship and faith- based organizations called for immediate protection of the Darfurian people. During the Weekend of Prayer, local faith commu- nities and organizations were encouraged to dedicate a sermon, observe a moment of silence or pray for those in Darfur. September 17 was chosen as the date for worldwide protests because it marked the start of the UN General Assembly, and was the first anniversary of the commitment “We are still waiting for a no-fly zone, targeted sanctions against the architects of the by 150 governments at the UN World Sum- genocide in Darfur.” — Desmond Tutu SHARE INTERNATIONAL 13 VOL. 26, NO. 9 — NOVEMBER 2007 THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE

New York City, Orlando, Philadelphia, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, and Seattle. The organizers website (www.oct27.org) reads: “On that day, people from all walks of life will gather in 11 cities around the country in a national expression of the breadth and depth of antiwar sentiment in this nation. For many people, it will be their first step in transforming their antiwar feelings into an- tiwar action … On 27 October the people will speak: we want this war to end, and we want it to end now!” (Source: www.oct27.org; CNN; www.answer.pephost.org) Burma: “the world is watching” Following the brutal suppression of the larg- est pro-democracy demonstrations seen in Burma’s ‘saffron revolution’: “May we be free of torture, may there be peace in hearts and Burma since 1988, an international day of minds as our kindness spreads around the world.” action worldwide sent a signal to the Bur- mese military junta that “the world is watch- ing your every move”. mese consulate waving flags of Burma’s Asked whether he thought the pro-de- The protests in September and October elected ruling party, the National League for mocracy movement had been crushed, he 2007 in Rangoon, and reportedly across Democracy. Buddhist monks sat in medita- said: “I think it’s not the end. I think it’s just Burma (Myanmar), saw marchers chanting tion outside the Chinese Consulate in San the beginning of the revolution.” (Source: “May we be free of torture, may there be Francisco, while protesters – many dressed BBC, UK; Washington Post, USA; peace in hearts and minds as our kindness in red – waved banners proclaiming “De- newsdeskspecial.co.uk, burmacampaign.org.uk, spreads around the world.” People across mocracy for Burma” and “Free Burma”. Hol- indymedia.org.uk, cbs5.com) Burma risked their lives to alert the world to lywood celebrities sent a letter to UN Secre- their plight through mobile phone images tary General Ban Ki-moon calling on him to Ecuador: more oil money and web logs. “personally intervene”. Washington pro- In support of Burma’s ‘saffron revolu- testers marched from the Burmese Embassy for the people tion’ a rolling programme of 200 protests to those of China and India (who continue The government of Ecuador has announced took place in 30 countries, including Aus- to support the military regime) and outside that 99 per cent of all ‘extraordinary’ profits tria, Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, In- the Indian embassy two Indian speakers from oil sales should be allocated to the State, dia, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway, South criticized the country for selling arms to since a new policy was formulated to “re- Korea, Spain, Thailand, the UK and the US. Burma – a deal which they said flouted cover sovereignty” in the energy field in Many of the marches were led by Buddhist everything Ghandi, founder of the Indian order to improve Ecuador’s economy. monks, with protesters wearing red head- nation, stood for. Ecuador’s President, Rafael Correa, has bands – the colour of the Burmese national Dissent is growing within the Burmese recently ratified a law which states that 99 flag. Red headbands were also tied around military and administration. A Burmese army per cent of the extra benefits from oil ex- public buildings. officer defected to Thailand rather than carry ports should return to the government to In London, Burmese monks met with UK out his orders to deal with the protests. “I be used for social projects. In the surprise Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who said that knew the plan to beat and shoot the monks decree just issued, Correa nearly doubled “the anger of the world has been expressed and if I stayed on, I would have to follow his government’s share of foreign oil com- about the outrages that have taken place these orders. Because I’m a Buddhist, I did panies’ “extraordinary earnings,” or earn- against the people of Burma”. After scatter- not want to kill the monks,” he told media ings on oil sold above prices fixed in com- ing petals on the River Thames, the monks organizations. pany contracts, boosting state royalties from led some 10,000 marchers through London And Ye Min Tun, a foreign ministry offi- 50 to 99 per cent. to Downing Street where they tied red head- cial for 10 years and second secretary at the Only 1 per cent of the oil revenue will go bands around the gates. Burmese Embassy in London resigned. De- to private companies operating in the coun- Demonstrators in New York rallied out- scribing himself as a “good Buddhist”, he try. side the Burmese mission to the UN, while criticized the Burmese government’s “appall- Correa said that this measure is an at- in Houston, Texas, protesters, including ing” treatment of the protesters and “the tempt to find a “fair” distribution of re- many Burmese, gathered outside the Bur- peaceful monks”. (continued on page 18) 14 SHARE INTERNATIONAL VOL. 26, NO. 9 — NOVEMBER 2007 SIGNS OF THE TIME

In His Message of November 1977, A message from Maitreya Maitreya said: “Those who search for signs will find them”. Ever since, an in- On 27 September 2007 Benjamin Creme was interviewed for a television documen- creasing number of miraculous phe- tary at the Share Nederland Information Centre in Amsterdam, Holland. At the end nomena have flooded the world: ap- of filming, during a Blessing from Maitreya, the following message was given by Him pearances, crosses of light, healing through Benjamin Creme. wells, weeping icons and statues. In May 1988, an associate of Maitreya My dear friends. I am close to you now. stated in Share International: “The signs of Maitreya’s presence in the Many of you have awaited My presence for a long time. I am about to step world will continue to increase. He is forward openly before all men, and to begin my outer mission. going to flood the world with such hap- There is no distance between us. Know this. Understand this. penings that the mind can never com- When you ask Me through the ‘hand’ or directly to Me for help, that help, prehend it.” you should know, is assured. It is possible that you will not recognize that the help has been given, but so it will be. Trust Me to aid you, for it is to do so that I come. I shall exhort you to work with Me for the good of all. This is the opportunity to grow quicker, faster than you have ever done UFO in British before, and so bring you to the Feet of That One Whom we call God. Be not afraid of the many problems which arise now almost daily in the Columbia, world. These events are transient and soon men will come to understand that they have before them a future bathed in light. Canada So will it be. Residents of a small town in British Colum- bia, Canada, saw a bright orange orb in the sky on the night of 9 September 2007. One witness in Sidney, British Columbia, said the object was shaped liked a jellyfish, and moved silently across the sky in a south- erly direction. According to the witness, “It was very bright, brilliant even; it pulsated slightly. The colour was not homogenous or static. It was very much like a glowing orange jellyfish. It continued due south over Sidney at an increasing speed and appeared to move south towards Victoria and then south-west and out of sight dimming from view.” The witness reported the sighting on a website, prompting another person who had also seen the UFO to come forward. The Family photograph taken second witness said: “We were standing in Jyväskylä, Finland, outside in the front of our house and sud- sent by Ulla Jyväkorpi, denly there was a bright light that came over shows a light blessing the trees. I thought it was a plane at first, from the Master Jesus. because it was so low, but there was no sound. It then curved around to the south moving very slowly and seemed to be get- ting higher and much further away … then it just disappeared. We knew it wasn’t a plane, it was moving way too slow. People everywhere were looking up at this thing. I don’t know what I saw, but it was pretty SHARE INTERNATIONAL 15 VOL. 26, NO. 9 — NOVEMBER 2007 SIGNS OF THE TIME

The phenomenon was also reported by po- lice patrolling in Illertissen, a village between Munich and Stuttgart, who could not find an explanation for it. After a while the object and circles disappeared as quickly as they had appeared. (Source: Tageszeitung, Germany) (Benjamin Creme’s Master confirms this sighting to be spaceships from Mars.)

Multiple UFO sightings in the Netherlands Enschede, 15 July: “On Sunday evening around 10.40pm I looked out of my attic win- dow. I saw two orange balls of light go from the south in an easterly direction, both at a different speed. The two balls appeared also to change colour all the time.” (Benjamin Creme’s Master confirms they were space- craft from Venus.) Eindhoven, 15 July: “I first saw a strong beam of light between two stars. I was lucky to see that light beam because it made me look at the sky and then a few seconds later the most beautiful thing happened: for about 10 seconds I could enjoy two ‘ships’ flying Light patterns on a building in the centre of Split, Croatia, sent by Goran Bosnic. in formation. As to their size they were Manifested by the Space Brothers in collaboration with Maitreya. smaller than a one-person fighter jet, there were no lights and no sound. exciting.” (Source: Peninsula News Review, these lights at seven places. We have shown “So, I really saw solid matter fly and not Canada) this phenomenon to several experts includ- a beam or a ball of light or something like (Benjamin Creme’s Master confirms that ing well-known American ornithologist Bill that. They were triangular in shape. I esti- this was an authentic sighting of space- Clark. He was amazed and had no explana- mate the height they were flying at to be craft from Mars.) tion.” about 3 kilometres. The speed was difficult Tiwari said that the lights can only be to estimate, but to give an idea: they flew seen after 8pm on dark nights, and are vis- from left to right in about 10 seconds. If it “Ghost lights” seen in ible between 2 and 10 feet above the ground. had been an airplane I could certainly have Indian grasslands He said the lights almost seem to have a seen it for five minutes.” (Benjamin Creme’s mind of their own. “It’s like the lights play- Master confirms they were spaceships from Visitors to the Banni grasslands in India’s ing hide and seek. Even if you decide not to Mars.) Gujarat province say they have seen strange follow them, they can creep up on you. It’s Helmond, 14 July: “I live in an apartment light phenomena on dark nights. The local something like the light following you. This building, of which there are three in a row, people, who have reportedly seen these is not only mine but has been everybody and that night I could not sleep because of lights for centuries, call them Chhir Batti, else’s experience here.” (Source: http:// the heat. So I went to my living room again meaning “ghost lights”. Indian ornitholo- cities.ExpressIndia.com) and when I looked outside I saw to my sur- gist Jugal Kishor Tiwari has seen the unu- (Benjamin Creme’s Master confirms that prise an illuminated cloud. The funny thing sual lights several times during visits to these are devices used by space vehicles was that it looked as if it was scanning the Banni to study the area’s varied bird spe- from Mars and Venus gathering local in- middle apartment-building. It flew con- cies. “I first came to know about these dur- formation about the quality of the air and stantly back and forth. After half an hour it ing the study of birds in Banni in 1990,” soil.) disappeared suddenly but after about five said Tiwari. “We were there to trap some minutes there it was again. It flew back and birds … and were distracted by these lights. forth above that one apartment building and The light, which is as bright as a mercury UFOs in Bavaria that lasted again about half an hour. Now lamp, changes its colour to blue and some- On 25 April 2007 people in the federal state and then it turned over and then you saw a times red. It is like a moving ball of fire, which of Bavaria, Germany, noticed a remarkable blue-green glow.” (Benjamin Creme’s Mas- sometimes stops or moves as fast as an ar- object in the sky. It was a clear bright dot ter confirms it was a spaceship from Mars.) row. On 5 November 2005 my team found with several black circles rotating around it. (Source: www.Niburu.nl) • 16 SHARE INTERNATIONAL VOL. 26, NO. 9 — NOVEMBER 2007 MAITREYA’S PRIORITIES New UN document on Indigenous Rights

The UN General Assembly has just adopted Gakelebone of First People of the Kalahari, a resolution calling for the recognition of who works with the independent advocacy “To aid men in their task, the Christ the rights of indigenous peoples around the group Survival International, expressed his has formulated certain priorities. They world to self-determination. While the Uni- delight and hope: “It recognizes that gov- cover the essential needs of every man, versal Declaration on the Rights of Indig- ernments can no longer treat us as second- woman and child. The first priority is enous Peoples was endorsed by 143 mem- class citizens, and it gives protection to tribal an adequate supply of the right food. bers, four members voted against the reso- peoples so that they will not be thrown off Secondly, adequate housing and lution – the United States, Canada, Australia, their lands like we were.” shelter for all. Thirdly, health-care and and New Zealand. Survival International’s director Stephen education as a universal right.” The resolution states that the world’s Corry said that the new resolution “sets a Benjamin Creme’s Master, January 1989. 370 million indigenous people have the right benchmark by which the treatment of tribal In this section, Share International not only to self-determination but also to and indigenous peoples can be judged, and addresses problems in the areas of control over their lands and their resources. we hope it will usher in an era in which abuse Maitreya’s priorities, and also identifies This latter clause seems to be the sticking of their rights is no longer tolerated.” He related plans, solutions and projects. point for those powers who exercised their compared the Universal Declaration on the veto. Rights of Indigenous Peoples to the Uni- UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon versal Declaration of Human Rights created than 50 countries show an overall drop in called it “a triumph for indigenous peoples nearly 60 years ago. (Source: OneWorld.net, deaths among under-fives to 9.7 million, from around the world,” noting that this was a Star Tribune, Minneapolis, USA) 13 million in 1990. “This is an historic mo- moment of reconciliation between member ment,” said UNICEF Executive Director Ann states and indigenous peoples. M. Veneman. “More children are surviving The Declaration emphasizes the rights Child survival milestone today than ever before.” However, she of indigenous peoples to maintain and The number of children dying before the warned against complacency: “The loss of strengthen their institutions, cultures, and age of five has dropped below 10 million per 9.7 million young lives each year is unac- traditions and pursue their development in annum for the first time since such records ceptable. Most of these deaths are prevent- keeping with their own needs and aspira- began, according to the United Nations able and, as recent progress shows, the so- tions. Children’s Fund (UNICEF). lutions are tried and tested.” Botswana Bushman Jumanda Surveys conducted in 2005-2006 in more The September 2007 report echoes find- ings released earlier in the year which showed a 60 per cent fall in measles deaths since 1999 – and 75 per cent in sub-Saharan Africa. Since the previous surveys, in 1999-2000, under-five mortality has dropped sharply in Latin America and the Caribbean, in Central and Eastern Europe, East Asia and the Pacific. Particularly dramatic progress has occurred in Morocco, Vietnam and the Dominican Repub- lic (under-five mortality reduced by more than one-third); Madagascar (41 per cent drop); and Sao Tome and Principe (48 per cent drop). Much of the progress, says UNICEF, is the result of the wide- spread adoption of basic health interventions, such as early and exclusive breast feeding, measles immunization, Vitamin A supple- mentation and the use of insecti- The number of children dying before the age of five has dropped below 10 million per annum for cide-treated bed nets to prevent the first time since such records began (continued on page 18) SHARE INTERNATIONAL 17 VOL. 26, NO. 9 — NOVEMBER 2007 Voice of the people However, ancient houses are being de- biggest delegations since the pre-war march continued from page 14 molished and locals relocated to a “New on 15 February 2003. “Had there been only Rosia Montana”. If the mining goes ahead a few dozen there, the ban would probably the four peaks which surround the village have remained in force and the demo would sources between “the people and the pri- would disappear, replaced by gaping holes have been confined to Trafalgar Square,” vate sector.” He added that “citizens in this leaving scenery irreparably changed and said one protestor. (Source: stopwar.org.uk; country think it insufficient that the state altering the local ecosystem. Yorkshire Post, UK) • keeps only 50 per cent of these benefits”, Cyanide pollution is what the core group while another government official, Alexis of protestors fear most. The activist group Mera, said that “this measure is triggering a Romania Without Cyanide says Gold Cor- Maitreya’s priorities real revolution in Ecuador, since now our poration plans to use 10 to 13 million kilo- main asset is going to benefit real people, grams of sodium cyanide a year. With the continued from page 17 not just companies. This is true justice and highly toxic chemical kept in protected a coming back of real politics by and for pools, it could easily percolate into the soil malaria. Other factors included appropriate people”, said Mera. and groundwater. In addition, toxic hydro- treatment of pneumonia, diarrhoeal diseases If oil prices remain at current levels, cyanic acid would be released into the air, and severe malnutrition, treatment of paedi- Correa’s move will boost government in- claims a report by Romania Without Cya- atric HIV/AIDS, and hygiene promotion and € come by US$69 million ( 49 million) per nide. access to safe drinking water and sanita- month starting in November 2007, and by The mining company’s presence has tion. € US$828 million ( 588 million) a year. (Source: split the community with some people poor Of the 9.7 million child deaths reported La Hora, Ecuador; El País, Spain; Interna- enough to need to take the Corporation’s in the survey, 3.1 million are from South Asia, tional Herald Tribune, USA) offers. Locals who have refused to move or and 4.8 million from Sub-Saharan Africa, give up their properties talk of intimidation. where many countries managed to reduce Romanian villagers Despite such poor odds, there may be rates by more than 20 per cent. The highest resist big business reason for optimism: the Social-Democratic rates, however, were found in West and Party, the largest opposition force in the Central African countries, and the spread of In the mountains of a Transylvanian county country, announced recently that it would HIV/AIDS had undermined successes in in Romania is the small community of Rosia support a law to prohibit use of cyanide, southern Africa. Montana – the unlikely setting for a battle and Romania’s Environment Ministry has But with the current unprecedented lev- between big foreign business and villagers. just announced that it has decided to sus- els of support for global health, UNICEF The business is literally dirty and polluting, pend the authorization process of the Rosia believes that the Millennium Development which is why many of the 3,500 inhabitants Montana gold mine project for an unlimited Goal of reducing child deaths by two-thirds are resisting a Canadian gold mining corpo- period, reports Romanian news. (Source: by 2015 could be met by Latin America and ration’s efforts to start exploiting local re- NewsIn, Romania; Hotnews.ro; the Caribbean. “The new figures show that sources. earthworksaction.org; Inter Press Service) progress is possible if we act with renewed Rosia Montana, about 600km northwest urgency to scale-up interventions that have of the capital Bucharest, is the site of an- proven successful,” said Veneman. (Source: cient mining activity because of its very London marchers defy ban UNICEF; BBC, UK) large gold deposits, but Gold Corporation The peace demonstration in London of Canada is not welcomed by all, for a planned for 8 October 2007, organized by Empowering underprivileged number of reasons. The area is very valu- the Stop the War Coalition, took place suc- able archaeologically; it has a rich historical cessfully, in spite of a police ban on pro- children and cultural heritage. The methods Gold tests within one mile of Westminster while Funds raised from a concert in honour of Corporation plans to use could cause seri- Parliament is sitting. Defying the police warn- the late singer-songwriter John Lennon will ous pollution; it proposes to extract the gold ing, veteran campaigner Tony Benn in- all go to empowering underprivileged chil- by open quarry exploitation and to use cya- formed the government in advance that he dren in Asia and Africa. Lennon’s widow, nide for metal separation. intended to march to Westminster anyway. Yoko Ono, said that the money raised from A large core group of Rosia Montana The march coincided with Prime Minister similar events since her husband’s death has villagers has resisted the blandishments and Gordon Brown’s speech to the House of helped build 50 schools – the original tar- promises of Gold Corporation for the past Commons about the Iraq war. get. Now proceeds from the “John Lennon: 11 years, despite the fact that the region’s Protestors gathered in Trafalgar Square Super Live” concerts will be dedicated to population is generally poor with unemploy- and, thanks to a large turnout and high pro- building another 50 schools. Lennon was ment standing at 70 per cent. “It is not about file leaders, the ban was lifted an hour be- always a great believer in the importance of money”, say some of the locals. fore the march was scheduled to begin. education. Ono herself is convinced that The Canadian company plans to start According to the organizers, at least education is the best means of helping chil- extracting gold in Rosia in 2009 and they 5,000 people attended, “a hugely impressive dren improve their lives. She is determined would exhaust the gold deposits within turnout for a weekday.” They claimed the to raise awareness of social problems about 15 years. The mining company says attempt to stop it had swelled the number of through art and music. (Source: Nikkei it will create 6,000 jobs in the area. supporters. Many colleges brought their Weekly, Japan) • 18 SHARE INTERNATIONAL VOL. 26, NO. 9 — NOVEMBER 2007 White Paper for a peaceful Middle East

Interview with André Azoulay by Andrea Bistrich

André Azoulay is the Advisor to the SI: In what way could Morocco be King of Morocco, first to King an example to the communities in Hassan II, and today to King Mo- Israel/Palestine, to show that Jews hammed VI. In addition to his pro- and Muslims can indeed co-exist fessional responsibilities, he has peacefully side by side? fought for over 30 years for peace AA: The political situation in Mo- and dialogue between the Arab rocco is, as we know, different from Muslim world and the Jewish com- that in Palestine or Israel, and can- munities in Europe, the United not be compared. Also, we should States and Morocco as well as the not forget that the conflict between Arab and Jewish diasporas world- Israel and Palestine is not cultur- wide. In this context Mr Azoulay ally or religiously based, but politi- was one of the initiators of the cal. We should not take the differ- Casablanca Conference and re- ences in culture and religion as a cipient of the prestigious Légion pretext for the conflict, but work d’Honneur of France. He founded towards a political solution. the “Identity and Dialogue” As- Nevertheless, we Jewish com- sociation, which strives to nurture munities especially do have a mes- and preserve the cultural identity sage for the people in Israel and of Jews from North Africa and pro- Palestine, and that says: in order to mote ongoing dialogue between make a viable approach possible it Jews and Arabs. He is co-chairman is necessary to move away from the of the Shimon Peres Center for accustomed dogmatic and ideologi- Peace and a member of the Board cal methods that have had so little of the Euro-Mediterranean Forum, success, and to try new ways. the Foundation for the Protection In this context we created the of Judeo-Moroccan Heritage, the “Identité et Dialogue” group in C-100 (Davos Forum) for the Dia- 1974 in Paris. It was the first non- logue of Civilizations and Reli- governmental organization (NGO) gions, and the Three Cultures and at that time to be formed consisting Religions Foundation, based in André Azoulay of Jewish intellectuals calling for a Seville, Spain. Palestinian State living in peace In 2005, he, with 19 other prominent our modern identity, although this also alongside Israel. leaders in their fields, was nominated a means responsibility: the responsibility to member of the highly prestigious Alliance send a different signal to the rest of the Arab SI: You are member of the High-Level of Civilizations, set up by the General Sec- and Jewish communities to show them that Group of the Alliance of Civilizations retary of the United Nations, which ad- Jews and Muslims can live in peace together. (AOC), an initiative by former UN Secre- dresses the issue of the relations between We belong to the same family. We share the tary-General Kofi Annan. How would you Islam and the Western World. Andrea same memories, and we are confronted by describe the AOC’s potential? Bistrich interviewed him for Share Inter- the same challenge. AA: Our world today is alarmingly out of national. My Rabbi once said: “There is no balance. Therefore, the aim of the Alliance meaning in being Jewish if you do not is to support projects that promote under- Share International: Mr Azoulay, you come look after your neighbour first, and if your standing and reconciliation among cultures from a Jewish community and yet your func- neighbour does not enjoy the same val- globally. tion and position as Senior Advisor to ues, the same respect as you. My neigh- In fact we were addressing the issue of Mohammed VI of Morocco is deeply an- bour today in my mind is Palestinian. Until relations between Islam and the rest of the chored in the Muslim world. What does it the Palestinian people recover their dig- world. For instance why 9/11 happened; mean to you being Jewish in a Muslim coun- nity, their freedom, I feel my Judaism is why were there the London bombings [7 try? weaker and hurt.” For this reason it is vi- July 2005] and why Casablanca [16 May André Azoulay: As an Arab Jew I’m part of tal to build bridges between Muslim and 2003]? Why are we confronted with such a this larger regional, geographical, philo- Jewish communities – wherever there are regressive situation? In trying to understand sophical and culturally diverse community. conflicts – and to pave the way for dia- the global situation we have also tried to Its richness of traditions plays a key role in logue and peace. propose a way out. Really to try to put an SHARE INTERNATIONAL 19 VOL. 26, NO. 9 — NOVEMBER 2007 “Poverty leads to a sense of despair, injustice and alienation”

end to this atmosphere of suspicion, of pact on contributing to the discord. Could ommend the development of a White Paper fears, to all those clichés and stereotypes you specify in what ways? analysing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that are spoiling the vision, the understand- AA: It is true that poverty and an unbal- objectively. This means in particular: allow- ing and the knowledge of what it means to anced economic situation is fuelling resent- ing expression of the opposing views by be an Arab or Muslim. ment. In fact, the increasing gap between analysing the successes and failures of past One of the main findings of the Alliance rich and poor is eroding global solidarity. peace initiatives, and by drawing up clear is that the chief causes of the growing rift in Poverty leads to a sense of despair, injus- criteria and guidelines that must be met if a our world are not religion or history, but re- tice and alienation, and out of that can solution to the crisis is to be attained. A cent political developments, notably the Is- emerge extremism when combined with po- document of this kind would be of tremen- rael-Palestine conflict. Problems arise from litical grievances. The overcoming of pov- dous impact by providing a clear founda- intolerant minorities on both sides – rather erty must thus be made a priority. tion to all who are involved in the effort to than from cultures as a whole. Nevertheless, poverty is not the cause resolve this conflict and is a basic neces- for the growing divide. When you look at, sity. SI: What practical suggestions does the for instance, who the fundamentalists on The Palestinian people need full ac- Alliance give? both sides are, you will see that they are knowledgment of their struggle, their stig- AA: There is no simple answer and we do often quite well situated. At the same time, matization, and the price they have paid by not have miracle solutions. Nevertheless, we find very poor and weak people drawn the occupation of their land for decades and the AOC has analysed and presented rec- into the kamikaze role; they are weak enough for the many disappointments that they ommendations in four thematic areas: edu- to be instrumentalized by the fundamental- have had to endure. At the same time, the cation, youth, migration, and the media. The ists to act as human bombs. Israeli fears must be confronted and dis- Alliance released an implementation plan In the Alliance’s High-level report we persed. This is of utmost importance: that which sets out a range of educational gave recommendations with regard to how both sides mutually recognize the differ- projects and initiatives over the next two to fight poverty and economic imbalance. ences in viewpoint. For most Jews and Is- years, including a media fund to promote But we can only be truly successful if our raelis, for example, the building of the state productions developed across cultural, re- actions are included within an international of Israel was an aspiration of many to es- ligious and/or national lines, a Youth Em- community of nations working jointly to tablish their own homeland, but it was soon ployment Centre aimed at increasing work implement the Millennium Development attacked by neighbouring Arab countries. opportunities for young people in the Mid- Goals. For the Palestinians on the other side, the dle East, a project aimed at expanding inter- establishment of this new state of Israel was national student exchange programmes, etc. SI: The Alliance has called for renewed ef- experienced as an act of aggression and This has been presented to the public by fort from the international community to hundreds of thousands were driven from the High Level Group representative, former resolve the Middle East crisis. What are their land which was then illegally occupied. president of Portugal, Jorge Sampaio, who your recommendations to the political lead- was appointed recently. ers of the world in this regard? SI: What does the word “justice” in the AA: Together with Mr Hubert Védrine I was Middle East really mean? SI: The report of the AOC argues that pov- able to add a separate chapter on this issue AA: For me it starts with having a viable erty as well as globalization have an im- to the AOC’s general report, wherein we rec- (continued on page 23) 20 SHARE INTERNATIONAL VOL. 26, NO. 9 — NOVEMBER 2007 FACTS AND FORECASTS Gore’s win a triumph for planet

Step by step, men will set in motion the re- probably the single individual who has done quirements of the future. These must respect most to create greater worldwide under- Over the years, Share International has the destiny and free will of all. The right to standing of the measures that need to be printed articles outlining Maitreya’s the essentials of life: food, shelter, adopted.” expectations concerning political, healthcare and education, must condition “We face a true planetary emergency,” social, environmental and spiritual the direction of all governments’ actions. Mr Gore warned. “It is a moral and spiritual changes in the world, as presented to us The safeguarding of the environment — challenge to all of humanity.” Asked what by one of Maitreya’s associates in the with all that that entails — must become a he intended to do with his share of the prize London community in which He lives. sacred duty which will allow men, in time, money (in total $1.5m) Gore said that he is From time to time, both Benjamin Creme to nurse this planet back to health. (A donating it to the Alliance for Climate Pro- and his Master have shared their Master Speaks ) tection. prognosis of future developments. In Worldwatch, the global environmental moni- The IPCC report stated that with global this section, “Facts and forecasts”, our toring agency, welcomed the awarding of warming will come storms, droughts, floods staff monitors recent news, events and the Nobel Peace Prize to Al Gore and to the and increased natural disasters and so tax comments bearing on these insights. UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate the world’s food and water systems. These Change (IPCC) as a “triumph for the planet in their turn can be cause for conflicts over and its inhabitants”. Worldwatch issued a territory and resources. The world’s poor, SOS for world’s oceans press release headlined “Planet Wins Nobel who already suffer from a lack of clean wa- The Worldwatch Institute, the environmen- Prize”. ter, sanitation and food security, will be most tal monitoring agency, has just issued a “It is with extreme satisfaction that we directly affected. press release entitled “SOS for Fading Ocean receive the news that Gore and the IPCC “Climate change is the greatest long- Life”. have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize,” term threat to peace and security the world The Institute’s most recent and very said Oystein Dahle, Chairman of the Board has ever known,” says Christopher Flavin, comprehensive report Oceans in Peril: Pro- of Worldwatch Institute and a leading Nor- Worldwatch Institute President. “This prize tecting Marine Biodiversity contains an wegian environmentalist. Speaking from his marks another turning point for the climate urgent appeal for the creation of “national home in Oslo where the Prize was an- issue – the question now is whether law- parks of the sea”, in other words, marine nounced, Dahle said: “With their decision, makers around the world will rise to the chal- reserves. According to Worldwatch such the Nobel Committee has for the second lenge of implementing new treaties and laws reserves “may be the only effective way to time signalled that peace with the environ- that reduce the world’s dangerous addic- reverse trends that have left 76 per cent of ment is an essential requirement if we are to tion to fossil fuels.” (Source: Worldwatch world fish stocks fully- or over-exploited and have peace between human beings.” Press Release; BBC Online; Nobelprize.org) marine biodiversity at severe risk.” Asked for his reaction former US Vice President Gore, whose documentary film An Inconvenient Truth won an Oscar at the 2007 Academy Awards, said he hoped the award would bring a “greater awareness and a sense of urgency” to the fight against glo- bal warming. The Norwegian Nobel Committee said that the impact of the prize winners’ work has helped to “lay the foundations for the measures that are needed to counteract [cli- mate] change”. The Committee praised the contribution made by the IPCC with its more than two decades of scientific reports comprising the expertise of more than 2,000 leading climate change scientists and experts. It was such reports, said the Nobel Committee, which gradually built a broader and better informed “consensus about the connection between human activities and global warming”. The awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to Al Gore and to the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Of Al Gore, the Committee said: “He is Climate Change (IPCC) is a triumph for the planet and its inhabitants SHARE INTERNATIONAL 21 VOL. 26, NO. 9 — NOVEMBER 2007 FACTS AND FORECASTS

“The oceans cannot save themselves,” Pacific, the economic return from access fees Canada to try to discover the extent of the says Christopher Flavin, president of the and licenses paid by foreign fleets is at most imbalance in Inuit communities of the north. Worldwatch Institute. “Collective commit- 5 per cent of the $2 billion the fish is worth. In some communities of Greenland and east- ments to thriving ecosystems are needed to Fairer deals would allow coastal states to ern Russia the ratio has been found to be save overfished species from being system- manage resources on a more sustainable two girls to one boy, but in one village in atically depleted from compromised habi- basis and ensure continued livelihoods for Greenland only girls have been born. tats.” communities. (Source: Worldwatch Institute Lars-Otto Reierson, executive secretary The decline in fish stocks and the in- Press Release) for AMAP, said: “We knew that the levels crease of marine pollution is blamed on fish- of man-made chemicals were accumulating ing policies, indiscriminate and harmful Chemicals threatening in the food chain, and that seals, whales methods of fishing, the rise in sea tempera- and particularly polar bears were getting a tures due to human-induced global warm- human reproduction dose a million times higher than that exist- ing as well as chemical and oil spills. On 11 September 2007, in Greenland’s capi- ing in plankton, and that this could be toxic “Pollution from chemical, radioactive, tal Nuuk, a symposium of religious, scien- to humans who ate these higher animals. and nutrient sources; oil spills; and marine tific and environmental leaders gathered to What was shocking was that they were also debris can contaminate the marine environ- look into the effects of environmental pol- able to change the sex of children before ment, kill organisms, and undermine ecosys- lution in the Arctic. Scientists from the Arc- birth.” tem integrity. Of particular concern is the tic Monitoring and Assessment Programme Scientists believe a number of man-made effect on marine wildlife of persistent or- (AMAP) presented their initial alarming find- chemicals used in electrical equipment from ganic pollutants (POPs), especially those ings: that twice as many girls as boys are generators, televisions and computers that chemicals not yet regulated under the 2001 being born in some Arctic villages because mimic human hormones are implicated. Stockholm Convention, such as brominated of high levels of man-made chemicals in the These are carried by rivers and wind to the flame retardants. Marine debris, including blood of pregnant women. Arctic where they accumulate in the food plastics and derelict fishing gear, is respon- The scientists measured the man-made chain and in the bloodstreams of the largely sible for causing death and injury to many chemicals in women’s blood that mimic hu- meat and fish-eating Inuit communities. marine species, among them seabirds, tur- man hormones and concluded that they Aqqaluk Lynge, from Greenland, the tles, and marine mammals. Large oxygen- were capable of triggering changes in the former chairman of the Inuit Circumpolar depleted ‘dead zones’, made worse by ex- sex of unborn children in the first three Conference, said: “This is a disaster, espe- cessive nitrogen runoff from fertilizers, sew- weeks of gestation. The chemicals, carried cially for some 1,500 people who make up age discharges, and other sources, are fur- in the mother’s bloodstream through the the Inuit nations in the far north east of ther signs that the oceans are under severe placenta to the foetus, can switch hormones Russia. Here in the north of Greenland, in stress.” to create girl children. the villages near the Thule American base, Further investigations are taking place only girl babies are being born to Inuit fami- Solutions in communities in Russia, Greenland and lies. The problem is acute in the north and
The Worldwatch Institute put forward a number of proposals in its media release which, if implemented, might help to stabi- lize and eventually revive the world’s oceans. The report also cited a number of examples of marine revival, one of which was at the Soufriere Marine Management Area in St Lucia in the Caribbean, where “three years of protection tripled the biomass of com- mercial fish species within the closed re- serves. After five years, in areas outside the reserves, biomass doubled and average catches per trip increased 46 to 90 per cent depending on the size of trap used”. The Report’s authors also recommend that negotiations on fish and fish products should be removed from the World Trade Organization and into other multilateral fo- rums which are not dominated by commer- cial and trade interests. They call for an end to agreements that allow industrial coun- tries to fish liberally in developing-country Twice as many girls as boys are being born in some Arctic villages because of high levels waters: in the case of tuna fishing in the of man-made chemicals in the blood of pregnant women 22 SHARE INTERNATIONAL VOL. 26, NO. 9 — NOVEMBER 2007
east of Greenland where people still have Two-State Solution. There is no alternative and influence public opinion, have a spe- the traditional diet. This has become a criti- to that. The people seem to understand his- cial responsibility in uniting peoples and cal question of people’s survival but few tory better than their leaders. They know differing beliefs, by creating a climate of governments want to talk about the prob- that Israel’s security is tied to the Palestin- mutual respect and understanding. Having lem of hormone mimickers because it means ians’ wellbeing. The leadership is becoming such a strong influence, both of these thinking about the chemicals you use. I think weaker and more and more confused now. groups must be most careful in their use of they need to be tested much more stringently On both sides, Israel and Palestine, the prob- language so as to avoid insulting and de- before they are allowed on the market.” lem is the lack of leadership which does not grading other people’s belief systems and The gender balance of the human race, seem to be able to face the challenge to make sacred symbols. which up to now has been a slight excess of peace. (Further information: unaoc.org) • boys over girls, has recently changed. A paper published in 2007 in the US National SI: The Arabs have a saying that goes: “War Institute of Environmental Health Sciences starts with words”. Both Arab and Western Trends said that in Japan and the US there were media have responsibility in that regard. 250,000 fewer boys than would have been Is the media leading the world to more un- continued from page 10 expected, had the sex ratio existing in 1970 derstanding or new strife? that “we want to integrate, now as a prior- remained unchanged. The paper was unable AA: Indeed, the media plays a basic, vital ity, policies of equality for the empowerment to confirm the cause for the new excess of role in this respect. You cannot deal with and the actual freedom for women, promot- girls over boys. (Source: The Guardian, UK) • such dossiers, if you don’t have the correct ing parity in the three powers of the state: intermediation with public opinion. Every- executive, legislative, and legal.” thing is dependent on communication: in- She added that Latin American govern- A peaceful Middle East formation, education and knowledge is con- ments should take advantage of the “new veyed through the media. Unfortunately times to work together for eradicating any continued from page 20 some media have inflamed the minds of mil- form of exclusion of women in society”, es- and sovereign Palestinian State living side lions of people – just by manipulating real- pecially in the field of education, health, and by side with Israel. It starts at that point and ity. This is especially the case when West- access to paid work. In this regard, Paredes it will end at that point. Failure to solve it ern media largely give voice to extreme reli- reminded the audience that the “Quito Con- would be disastrous for the world. Further- gious Islamic groups and also the most anti- sensus” had been passed – a document more, true justice means mutual respect, Muslim ideologues in the West. This one- drawn up in August 2007 in Ecuador in mutual confidence and trust. I hope that one sided media coverage leads to polarization which representatives of 33 countries called day the Israelis as a people will consider the and mutual hostility. A clear example of this together by the Latin America Economic Palestinian freedom as their own freedom is the distortion of the true meaning of the Commission asked for a full acknowledge- and as a value for their children and fami- word ‘jihad’. It has gained a negative con- ment of women’s participation in the work lies. We can no longer have different treat- notation whereas in its true connotation it sector, as well as their participation in poli- ment or consideration when we speak about has a positive meaning, being either an in- tics. (Source: El País, Spain) dignity, justice, freedom; it must be the same ner struggle against weaknesses and evil for both. You cannot have a double-stand- that dwells within each individual (greater Sustainable banking – ard culture, it’s over. We all have paid the ‘jihad’) or the defence of one’s community price. (lesser ‘jihad’). In the way the word is used a new trend So, in order to overcome the current situ- by Western media it has lost its positive Just one week after the Netherlands ation, we need a clear vision of future pos- connotations and instead is related with vio- branches of Friends of the Earth and Oxfam sibilities for this region, along with true cour- lence and extremism. announced that the four biggest Dutch age on the part of both Israelis and Pales- banks are failing seriously in socially respon- tinians, and also on the part of influential SI: How could the media be brought sible policies such as sustainability, thou- countries involved – especially America and around to contributing to the defusing of sands of clients changed to two other banks the permanent members of the Security the tensions, and not to see it merely as an [ASN Bank and Triodos] known for their Council. infringement of their press freedom? active policy with regard to sustainability AA: I don’t see it as such. Like anyone else and socially responsible investment. A SI: According to opinion polls, even most journalists are not free of obligations and number of organizations also withdrew from Israelis want to see an end to the occupa- sanctions. They have ethics and rules to dubious investments revealed by the en- tion, but they do not think the current gen- respect. quiry. The Queen Wilhelmina Fund against eration of politicians can deliver a solu- Many of the problems today arise at the Cancer ended its investment in the tobacco tion. When discussing the war in 1967 to- meeting between politics and religion. One industry, while the Dutch Society for the gether with the fact that Israel missed the of the main influences, in view of the present Protection of Animals disposed of invest- chance for a peaceful solution in those days, climate of fear and suspicion, is the deroga- ments in pesticides as well as investments a former Israeli Cabinet Minister recently tory and violent use of language which can in companies which are active in Burma said: “Today we can make peace and we have a very destructive effect, especially which is being boycotted by the United aren’t trying.” when disseminated by the press. It is here Nations. (Source: de Volkskrant, the Neth- AA: The majority of Israelis support the that politicians and the media, who mould erlands) • SHARE INTERNATIONAL 23 VOL. 26, NO. 9 — NOVEMBER 2007 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Repeat appearance Dear Editor, children. I’d left myself a very short while to things came back to me so clearly after- On Sunday 2 September 2007 my son and I get to the school and find a parking place. I wards, but at the time I could only feel con- were viewing a production of Jane Austen’s had about a final mile to drive, when the scious of time running out, and worry. One Emma on television. Quite unexpectedly, unthinkable happened. thing struck me, though, forcibly: he didn’t reception of the transmission was sus- Firstly, I am not that confident a driver, share my panic at all, and loped his way pended and was replaced by a large head and am also extremely impractical, and sec- among the traffic, and spoke as though it and shoulder image of an Afro-American ondly, the car I drove at that time was a were an everyday occurrence, and time no man seemingly in the same guise that Renault Five, rather on its last legs, and problem at all. He seemed in a bubble of Maitreya used as a homeless New York flute given to letting me down. And let me down total unconcern for what was happening player. (He was wearing the same green jer- it did, just as I was negotiating the trickiest around us. The car radiator was the prob- sey and black cap.) part of the journey, hemmed in as part of lem. No water at all. And the man in the yel- The image stayed on screen for about three-lane traffic which did not keep, ever, low car said: “Don’t worry – I’ve just bought 10 seconds and then disappeared. My son to rightful lanes but wove in and out of some water.” Disbelievingly, I followed in James, disappointed at the brevity of the whoever afforded a careless inch of space his wake of calm to his car, and there, on the event, remarked: “Come on Maitreya, you’ll between bumper and boot. The point was back seat, were four or five one-litre bottles have to do better than that!” to keep moving, and as I anxiously did so, I of mineral water, unopened. Waiting for me. Well, remarkably he did, because the noticed masses of smoke billowing from the I think I must have looked at him. How? Afro-American reappeared during an epi- car engine. Other cars roared past, drivers Why? Unperturbed, he took a couple of sode of Coronation Street a few nights later, helpfully yelling “Switch off the engine!” bottles, and very gradually poured water into again just for a few seconds but this time as they overtook me. Fortunately I was in the radiator. looking more directly at us. the inside lane and so pulled up and I’d told him about picking up the kids – I have heard of no other person who switched off, but by doing so I obstructed a was doubtless hopping from foot to foot as witnessed these events, which were per- whole line of traffic behind me. I could have he worked – and once or twice he said: sonally very reassuring. Can you confirm died from fear. I wouldn’t be able to pick up “Don’t worry. You’ll get there in time.” Even- their authenticity? the children; I’d left my mobile at home; I tually, he asked me to start the engine. It Davina Darby, Christchurch, New Zea- thought the car might well blow up, and had was fine. I got out of the car and suddenly land. no idea of what to do or where to find help didn’t know how to thank him. He seemed (Benjamin Creme’s Master confirms that or how to get a message to the children or to have not only come with the immediacy Maitreya did indeed manifest this sign, to my husband. of light to my aid but also seemed to have appearing on television in the guise of an Just as I was about to burst into tears, I stopped the world for a while whilst he Afro-American man.) noticed a very strange thing. A bright-yel- helped me. I was speechless with gratitude. low car had pulled up behind me. I won- But I looked into his face and said, impul- Two letters from the same person: dered how it had done that, as the traffic sively: “You’re an Angel.” He just smiled. had condensed all around me and there lit- He said: “Oh, I always pass by here at this Cool rescue erally, was no place behind me to park. A time.” But I never saw him or his yellow car Dear Editor, tall, dark, Sicilian-looking man got out of the again. We live in a small village in Sicily and around car and moved in a very fluid, casual way One more thing: looking into his car in- six years ago, together with other parents towards me. As I was about to burst into terior when he extracted the water bottles, it from the same village, used to take it in turns flames myself from panic, I unconsciously seemed absolutely devoid of any object, any to collect our children from the school in noted his calm, and also the fact that he was personal possession – it contained: water. the nearest town, some five kilometres dis- smoking a cigarette and that his first words Somehow I’m convinced he was divine, and tant. One day it was my turn to pick up the were calmly and quietly spoken; all of these was intrigued and also somehow reassured,

Over a number of years, some of the Masters, or teach, often to heal and uplift. Very often, cases the ‘familiar’ is an entirely new in particular Maitreya and the Master Jesus, too, they draw attention to, or comment on, in creation. The following letters are examples have appeared at Benjamin Creme’s lectures an amusing way, some fixed intolerance to, for of this means of communication by the and Transmission Meditations. They also ap- example, smoking or drinking. Many times the Masters. pear, in different guises, to large numbers of Masters act as saving ‘angels’ in accidents, during Please note: In the absence of any indica- people around the world. Some of these re- wartime, earthquakes and other disasters. tion to the contrary, the editors will as- count their experiences to Share International They use a ‘familiar’, a thoughtform, who seems sume that your name may be printed. magazine. If the experiences are authenticated totally real, and through whom the Master’s Unless requested otherwise, some of these by Benjamin Creme’s Master, the letters are thoughts can be expressed: They can appear as a letters may be reproduced on the Share- published. man, a woman, a child, at will. Occasionally They International.org website. Only initials, These experiences are given to inspire, to guide use the ‘blueprint’ of a real person, but in most town and country will be used.

24 SHARE INTERNATIONAL VOL. 26, NO. 9 — NOVEMBER 2007 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR that the Divine, in relation to us, is so hu- formation material, he laughed and said with len stockings and long boots. She wore a man and kind and ordinary. Who was this a naughty look in his eyes: “Oh, it is about golden bracelet across her hand, tied to a ordinary, extraordinary man? Maitreya isn’t it, that man who always ap- ring. (Benjamin Creme’s Master confirms that her pears as a different person and suddenly Looking over our table she asked: “Do I rescuer was the Master Jesus.) disappears?” I agreed and told him that have everything about Maitreya?” after Maitreya will be working very soon openly putting some information in her bag. She Instant comfort for the benefit of the world, but works in the pointed at her heart, saying: “But in the end, (2) In August 2007 I was in England, at my background at the moment. He scarcely lis- it all comes down to ourselves, doesn’t it?” parents’ house. Two years ago my mother tened to me but said very decidedly while Because she seemed to talk quickly, we suffered a stroke and I feel it part of my lov- he pointed to a photo of Maitreya in Nai- found it difficult to remember afterwards ing duty on earth to help both her and my robi: “He was once in Kenya and he lives in exactly what she said, but it was something father, who is 81 and a marvellous carer and London.” Then he pointed to our informa- like: “The body is nothing, nothing at all. man, as much as I can. But of course the tion and books and said: “The people are The eyes do not see by themselves: there is pain of their changed existence transmits expecting the Christ or the Buddha or who- someone or something who looks through itself to me, and if I want or need to cry from ever, but they only offer us an entrance, an them. The brain cannot think by itself: there tiredness or the helplessness of it all, I go opening, in order to reach our innermost self, is someone or something who thinks outside to my chair in the garage, and with our source, and there at the source we are through it.” Pointing to her ajna chakra, and the door open, observe the garden and the able to meet each other.” then upwards, she said: “The ‘other’ is a row of fir trees. It is a very peaceful garden. He said something else about the Bud- thought, a mere thought.” She added: “Oth- One day, sitting there, my attention was dha but I don’t remember exactly what be- ers do not really exist for us, do they? Ex- caught by a shape on one of the fir trees cause I was fascinated by his eyes (they cept as a thought. There is only energy – that moved in the breeze – I thought it might were very intense) and he spoke so fast. everything, everyone is energy. It does not be a dragonfly, which are my favourite in- But I felt it was really true and to the point. help to go and sit on a mountain, does it? It sects – hoped it was, but on closer inspec- He wanted us to understand that the most is better to go through it all than to sit on a tion it was a leaf, masquerading as a drag- important thing for everyone to do is to go mountain.” A little later I saw her standing onfly. I was momentarily disappointed. Then, inside to the source, the source we all share, nearby, as she was surveying the hall. to my amazement, still sitting thinking about because there we can really meet one an- While driving to the fair that morning dragonflies, a real one came into vision and other. And it is not important who leads you we had been exchanging thoughts on unity hovered about for a while at exactly the same to the source. (I think he meant the various of consciousness – that in our minds we spot where I’d seen the leaf. I found it such religions, prophets, etc.) Then he walked on understood it, but in day-to-day living it is a beautiful coincidence, as though I’d some- and said, laughing, but in a very resolute not so easy to experience – so these words how manifested it myself – conjured it up. way: “That is how I do it”. therefore made sense to us. But did I? I don’t think so. It was a small A little further away he stood still, a Could you please tell me if she was a miracle, but somehow it reminded me of the young woman with long blond hair joined Master? gifts of life, of hope and possibilities. Still him, and they both walked away. We were Rita-M. Linnenkamp, Lelystad, the Nether- there, in the smallest of things. impressed and I still think of him. Could you lands. Should either of these events have been tell me please who he was? (Benjamin Creme’s Master confirms that the gifted by a Master could you tell me please, Betty Grossman, Den Haag, the Nether- ‘woman’ was the Master Jesus.) anyway, just how they tune into everyone lands. and everywhere at once? (Benjamin Creme’s Master confirms that the Hand-sign Gill Raciti-Brown, Catania, Sicily, Italy. man was Maitreya. The fair-haired ‘woman’ Dear Editor, (Benjamin Creme’s Master confirms that the was the Master Jesus.) On Friday 28 September 2007 I attended our dragonfly was manifested by the Master morning Transmission Meditation in Madi- Jesus. The Masters are omniscient.) Something to think about son. Then driving back to my office at mid- Dear Editor, day, while changing lanes to make a turn, I Heart of the matter On Saturday 22 September 2007, a co-worker got behind a workman’s van. On the right Dear Editor, and I had a table with free literature at a side back door of the van was an imprint of On 14 September 2007 during a paranormal Body-Mind-Spirit fair in an old church in a hand. It was grey. I didn’t think too much fair a man came up to our information stand the centre of Zwolle. We were surprised to of it except to wonder why they imprinted and looked at the flyers for Benjamin see so many people come to our table and one hand on the back of their van. Later on Creme’s upcoming lecture in Amsterdam. He when I returned from a moment of absence, I wondered if it was a manifestation of was about 45 years old, grey-brown hair a co-worker was in conversation with an Maitreya? with a light-brown complexion, laughing American-Indian lady. She had a very warm Ellen Turgasen, Madison, Wisconsin, USA. brown eyes, a gap between the teeth in the personality – 100 per cent alive, being com- (Benjamin Creme’s Master confirms that the lower jaw, colourfully clothed with a big crys- pletely ‘present’. Something was very mov- handprint was manifested by Maitreya. It tal heart pinned on the middle of his shirt. ing about her. Her black hair was quite long is one of many which Maitreya is manifest- When we encouraged him to take more in- and she wore a short, black skirt, black wool- ing in different parts of the world.) • SHARE INTERNATIONAL 25 VOL. 26, NO. 9 — NOVEMBER 2007 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Q. We have questions to the Hierarchy about adoption of chil- dren. ‘Adoption’ in the following questions means: a) the adop- tion of children by a married childless couple; b) adoption of children by a married couple with their own children; c) adopt- ing the partner’s child from a former relationship. What does the hierarchy think about adoption of children in general? A. Hierarchy is very much in favour of the adoption of parentless Benjamin Creme does children. They are not in favour of the adoption by relatively rich not seek to set himself people in the West of poor children who are not parentless, from up as an arbiter of the other, mainly Eastern countries. authenticity of other groups’ activities and Q. Is there a difference between the three different above men- communications. tioned forms of adoption (a to c)? Please refrain from posing such questions. A. Basically not, although each situation could be different.

Q. On which conditions is adoption all right? A. If the child is without parents and the adopting couple are ready to give their love and protection to the child as if it were their own. A. Hierarchy knows that adoption by gay couples and single peo- Q. Is it better for a child to grow up in an institution-home for ple often results in a perfectly happy outcome for both child and children in its country of origin or in a family as an adopted child? parents. However from the point of view of Hierarchy only a stable A. In a family. heterosexual couple can provide ideal role models for the growing child. Q. Is adoption a helpful process to give a child a better chance to grow up in an intact family? Q. On 17 April 1981 a Japanese freighter, the Taki Kyoto Maru, A. Yes. was sailing off the coast of Japan in an area of the ocean known as ‘The Dragon’s Triangle’ when the crew felt something equiva- Q. Is adoption an inadmissible intervention in the life of a child lent to shockwaves course through the ship. A bright, saucer- with disadvantageous consequences for the child? shaped USO (Underwater Submerged Object, or a UFO under the A. Not usually. water) about 50 feet in diameter arose from the ocean. The ship’s dials, compass and engine ‘blurred’. The USO circled the ship for Q. If a couple adopt a child, should the parents have the same about 15 minutes and plunged into the sea causing massive waves country of origin as the child that they want to adopt? that nearly capsized the Japanese freighter. The time on the radio A. Not important. in comparison to the time on the crew’s watches showed that the crew lost 15 minutes. Q. Is it alright that the parents and the child that they want to (1) Why did the equipment ‘blur’ when the UFO came near? (2) adopt, have different nationalities of origin? Why did the crew experience a loss of 15 minutes of time? (3) Is A. Yes. there anything in that area such as an underwater UFO base that could cause electromagnetic disturbance and distortions in time, Q. What does the Hierarchy think about adoption of children or was it perhaps old Lemurian technology still operating under with other races than the parents? the sea etc? A. It is acceptable if the other requirements of adoption are met. A. (1) This is usual in such encounters. The effect of electromag- netic ‘swamping’. (2) Same reason. (3) Yes, UFO base (not Lemurian Q. What is the best age of the child for adoption? technology). A. As young as possible. Q. I may be going out on a limb here, but I read about the connec- Q. From which age upwards should the child not be adopted? tion between the Space Brothers and the Hierarchy. I’ve always A. Above 14 it is usually too late for the child to bond fully, but this thought there was a connection there somewhere. My question is need not rule out adoption. (1) will there be a day when the existence of our Space Brothers is finally declared to all of us? (2) Will it be in my lifetime, I’m 51 Q. Which requirements should parents meet for an adoption of a years old? child? A. (1) Yes. (2) Yes. A. If they can give love and protection to the child as if s/he were their own. Q. (1) Maitreya talks of salvation: could you please explain sal- vation? (2) From what is it that we need to be saved? (3) I thought Q. What is the attitude of Hierarchy to adoption by gay couples that Maitreya was not coming as a Saviour but as a Teacher and and single people? Guide. 26 SHARE INTERNATIONAL VOL. 26, NO. 9 — NOVEMBER 2007 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

A. (1) Maitreya does not present Himself as a saviour. Salvation is to “sit quietly and experience what you are going through”, to the process of coming into the likeness of the soul and only we “observe and be detached.” Implied in these statements is a rather ourselves can do it. (2) From our ignorance and illusion. We do not flip attitude about depression. I have struggled with depression see reality as it is. (3) That is truly the case. We can save ourselves for years and take medication for it. It seems like he is putting me by correct response to the teachings of Maitreya. These teachings down for taking medication. You cannot just “detach” your way awaken us to the reality of our own soul and so enable us, eventu- out of it. It is a debilitating disease. I could not function when ally, to demonstrate the divine nature of the soul. depressed, I need medicine so I can work and support myself. When the whirlwind of negative thoughts swirl in your brain you Q. (1) Is it true that some people are not related by karma to their can’t detach. It is impossible. He doesn’t say whether detaching immediate families? (2) If so, why does this happen? (3) If we are will cure you of it. Even so, regardless, trying to stay detached all not related by karma to our direct relatives (parents and sib- the time is simply too difficult to do when you are depressed. lings) does that make family life more difficult? Would there be Again, Maitreya asks too much of us and me. less mutual understanding in such circumstances? (4) Are we not A. I am sure that many people would agree with you but neverthe- generally born in groups? (5) The notion seems strange since less I suggest you try to do what Maitreya advises and I think you you would share genetic material but have no ‘past’ in common. will be surprised how relatively quickly things will begin to change A. (1) Yes, it is rare but it occurs. (2) It is the action of the life which within you. Maitreya does not suggest you have to serve all day has many mysteries. It brings into an incarnating group a new and every day but a word or an act of kindness is also service and can different energy or stimulus and prepares the way for some soul- take only a few moments. Begin to serve and it will have a blossom- envisaged purpose. (3) Not necessarily. (4) Yes, but a group is a ing effect within you. You will want to serve and be able to more dynamic process. (5) Life is very inventive and creative. and more.You have to begin the process step by step and through using the photograph of His hand ask for Maitreya’s help. • Q. Is the Holy Shroud in Turin Cathedral a garment worn by Jesus or by the Madonna? How has that shroud and other sacred textile relics been so well preserved since fabric is pretty fragile and susceptible to decay? People and their rays A. The Holy Shroud in Turin is the authentic burial shroud of A ray is, according to the Master DK, “but a name for a particular force Jesus. The figure of Jesus (crucified), is a photograph (a negative or type of energy, with the emphasis upon the quality which that force photograph) imparted to the shroud by Maitreya Who overshad- exhibits.” Rays thus qualify all creation, including the human constitu- owed Jesus for the last three years of His life. The shroud has tion. Soul, personality, mental body, emotional body, physical body, all are coloured by one or other of the seven rays. survived a fire which destroyed parts of the fabric but the figure of In order to facilitate study and comprehension of the rays, Jesus is well preserved as is the majority of the 1st Century fabric. Benjamin Creme’s Master, over the years, has kindly provided re- quested information on the ray structure (and point of evolution) of Q. Please can you tell me what Maitreya says regarding patients well-known individuals, but for reasons of privacy, never of living who are being denied medication for Cancer and Alzheimer’s people. The figures in the given order represent: (S) Soul ray; (P) per- disease, when drugs are already available for them. The govern- sonality, major and (sub) ray; (M) mental body, major and (sub) ray; ment says it is not cost effective, but how can they say that when (A) astral/emotional body, major and (sub) ray; (Ph) physical body, people’s lives are at stake and their quality of life can be im- major and (sub) ray; (PoE) point of evolution. proved. What can we do to try to persuade the government that For more detailed information we refer you to the Alice Bailey teachings (Lucis Trust), books by Benjamin Creme and back issues of this is totally wrong, and unacceptable? They don’t seem to lis- Share International. ten to ordinary people. A. Maitreya does not address such questions directly but He talks Recently given structures: about the need for world change, and it is precisely these daily problems of people that should be addressed in any sane society. Jane Tomlinson (1964-2007) English athlete and campaigner for cancer charities When we accept the principle of sharing and reconstruct our world, S: 2; P: 4 (3); M: 6 (6); A: 6 (2); Ph: 3 (7). PoE: 1.2 then the allocation of funds for such purposes can be achieved without difficulty. Ulrich Mühe (1953-2007) German actor S: 2; P: 4 (4); M: 3 (4); A: 2 (6); Ph: 7 (3). PoE: 1.35 Q. In message number 13 Maitreya says: “Begin by dedicating yourself and all that you are and have been to the service of the Leonard George Cramp (1919-2006) British aerospace engineer, world. Make sure not one day passes without some act of true scientist and author service and be assured that My help will be yours.” S: 2; P: 4 (6); M: 3 (7); A: 4 (6); Ph: 7 (3). PoE: 1.45 If Maitreya expects me to commit to serving the world, He asks Marcel Marceau (1923-2007), French mime artist too much. I have to survive too and make a living. I cannot serve S: 3; P: 4 (4); M: 3 (7); A: 6 (2); Ph: 3 (7). PoE: 1.0 each day and work too. I can serve every once in a while, like once a week but “every day” is asking too much. Also, in Maitreya’s Anita Roddick (1942-2007), British founder of The Body Shop Teachings – The Laws of Life, Maitreya says when a person is S: 2; P: 6 (6); M: 2 (4); A: 6 (2); Ph: 7 (3). PoE: 0.9 depressed he gets drugs to avoid experiencing it and He tells us SHARE INTERNATIONAL 27 VOL. 26, NO. 9 — NOVEMBER 2007 Help is needed – and offered

It will soon become clear that without help men have but little time to rectify the problems, ecological, political and economic which cause chaos, danger and heartache to the majority of Earth’s people. It is a situation unique in Earth’s history. Much depends on men realizing that they have, as custodians, the responsibility to tend carefully the well-being of the planet and all its kingdoms, and to pass on a vibrant, healthy planetary home to future generations. So unhealthy has the planet become from man’s predatory action and cavalier neglect, that, were it human, grave doubts of its recovery would be in order. The home of man and the lower kingdoms must be nursed back to health to fulfil its role in the evolving Plan. Chaos reigns, likewise, in the political sphere. The nations are led by groups dedicated to the past, unable to see that their methods apply no longer to the needs of today and tomorrow. Blindfolded and arrogant, they strut the stage of life like out-of-date actors, unsure of their direction or their lines. The door marked EXIT looms large for these destructive usurpers of power. Saddest The economic and social spheres are the saddest of all. While the world’s wealth flows into fewer and fewer hands, countless millions beg for the minimum to survive. Millions are too weak to beg, and die, forlorn, before they have tasted life. What can men do to rectify these sad and dangerous conditions? To whom can they turn for help in their agony? There is but one source of help for men in their extreme need. That help is theirs for the asking. We, your Elder Brothers, seek only your welfare and happiness, and are ready to aid you and to point the way to a better future for all. We see all men as One, brothers and sisters of one great family. Men need, likewise, to banish from their hearts the sense of separation, and to rediscover the reality of brotherhood which lies at the heart of the human condition. Men, all men, are potential Gods and needs must create the conditions in which they all can flourish. We will help you to do this, gladly, when you take the first small step in that direction. That first step is not difficult nor fraught with risk. You have nothing to lose and your divinity to gain: that first step is called Sharing.

The Master —, through Benjamin Creme, Share International, September 2006

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