Boston... Kabul... Mogadishu... We’re all people

 I awoke this morning to the tragic news of the Boston Marathon bombings, which so far has killed three people and maimed countless others. My heart breaks for the victims of the bombings, their families and the people of Boston. The anguish at not being in my country at times like this is almost too much to bear, I feel as though I have let her down because I have built a life elsewhere, even if temporary, I have abandoned her in her time of need. But that is another story for another time...

 Immediately after these incidents we feel a surge of fear, concern, and confusion. We ask ourselves ‘How did this happen?’ and ‘How can we prevent this from happening again?’ Over and over we have said never again since 9/11 and have allowed our fears and anger to overtake our good sensibilities and kindness as a nation. We have blocked the building of mosques, attacked Muslims, killed Sikhs, allowed the Patriot Act to spy on us and hold us without charge, while stoking the fires of racism through rhetoric and propaganda.

As soon as I heard about the bombings my first reaction was to get online and go to the New York Times for more information, as if knowing the number of casualties and causes would somehow make it better, easier to digest. As I got to the home page I noticed there at the bottom of the page a headline that read: “Coordinated Blasts Kill at Least 20 in Somalia’s Capital” I quickly bypassed it to get to the article about the Boston bombings, which I read while watching non-stop coverage on ABC 24 before heading off to work. I continued my round the clock information gathering in the car as every radio station in Melbourne was covering the events as they unfolded far away in Boston, MA. Never once did I hear a mention about the bombing in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu.

 Once I arrived at work I started thinking, how are the lives of the Bostonians any more important than those of the 20 people that lost their lives in Somalia today? The simple answer is: they are not.

The longer answer is that we have created a world that is Us vs Them. To be fair I think this existed long before my generation came to be and isn’t an easy thing to remove from the collective consciousness of Americans, Westerners and possibly even those that we classify as “them”.

 However, it appears we have come to a point where terrorism and terrorist attacks are happening on the soil of ‘developed’ nations, like those of the US and the UK, which only makes the need to change the West vs East dynamic all the more urgent. For so many years we have shook our heads and thought, “what a bummer”, when bombings and killings were taking place in countries that are not as economically gifted as “us” and while we send troops to some of these places or foreign aid, these bombings do not dominate the news cycles and the radio waves for hours on end like those that happen to “us”. They are merely a briefing in the “what’s happening around the world” segment of the news and are quickly bypassed to make way for the latest in the political posturing by either side, Republicans and Democrats, Labour or Liberal, because these things matter to us. Somalia is too far away and has too many issues for us to wrap our heads around, so we accept their fate for them.

Yet, I think this is the very foundation of why we are in the trouble we are in. We have allowed the social system of Us vs Them to purvey even though in our hearts we know there is no difference between a child dying in Somalia or Australia, we are all human beings with love for our families and friends. While I am sure there were always divisions even before the beginning of slavery, it truly began, in my opinion, with the social construction of race by the slave traders in order to justify the cruel business they had begun to profit from. And it has continued to this very day, to the point that when three people die in America the whole world weeps, but on the same day 20 people die in Somalia and no one even mentions it.

This idea that their tragedy is separate from ours is what keeps us from moving forward and healing as a world, together, united against violence and terrorism. It is also what keeps us from listening to their voices as the people of Afghanistan ask for us to leave their country and let them choose their own fate and fight for their own rights on their terms, in their country. It is the belligerent ego that says “No, we know what you need...” and sends thousands of American troops to die in Iraq based on a lie. It is this same swagger that pushed a democratically elected socialist out of power in Chile in 1973 to make way for a destructive dictatorship under Pinochet, facilitated by the US. It is in fact half of the reason Afghanistan is the war torn country it is today because the US did not want the USSR getting the better of us.

The thinking of Us vs Them is archaic at best and one of the biggest threats to peace at worst. Through the profound gloablization that has swept the world over the past few decades we have become a world intertwined by economic needs, welfare rights and political desires. Instead of the Western world marching around barking orders, I think it is time we sat back and listened to what “they” want and what “they” know. Discounting their opinions are just as bad as discounting their deaths. If we want to move forward to a time when terrorism is at a low and peace is at a high, every voice must count, not just Western imperial powers. And this is true even if the Boston bombings are home grown terrorists or middle eastern jihadist, this is an uphill battle that requires all hands on deck.

 Let me be clear that I am horrified by the bombings and killings today in Boston, just as I am by those that are happening in Somalia, Afghanistan, Syria and the world over every day. I am saddened by the fact that “terrorism” is alive and well on our shores and in our world. However, I do not believe that the terrible actions of a few should lead to the mass destruction of the many. I don’t believe the West or even the US knows what is best or how to respond. If you look back through history, we have been calling the shots for some time now and it has only been getting worse, not better. I am not saying that Somalia or any other ‘developing’ country has the answers either, I just think it is time that we stop discounting their losses and their voices and we begin to weep with them and speak with them. Terrorism and violence is a worldwide problem and it is going to take coordinated worldwide action to solve it. I for one would like to see that conversation starting today, not 20 years from now when the planet is almost dead and our countries are war torn and barely breathing.

The beautiful thing about Americans (and Australians too), is that we pull together in times of tragedy. We pitch in and help out. We donate our food and clothes, time and money, just to help those in need. In fact even at the height of the GFC Americans continued to give to charity and those in need, more than any other country at that time. On a personal level I believe we do feel connected to one another and we do care. I think it is time our leaders, both big and small, look to the people for direction on how to solve this issue of Us vs Them and by doing that maybe we can stop the pain and heartache being inflicted on all of us by these terrible acts. I know tonight, my heart bleeds for those in Boston, those in Somalia and those around the world suffering at the hands of violence in any form. I hope yours does too.

Watch: TED Talk

Nina Jablonski

Breaking the Illusion of Skin Color

To Ban the Burqa or Not to Ban? A question of fascism, tyranny and just plain old good manners.

Illustration by Ibrahim Lufty

When I first heard that the French were going to ban the women in France from wearing the burqa (1) the feminist part of me wanted to jump up and down and say “in your face Sahira law!” and do a little happy dance. BUT... the rest of me, the fair minded, equality loving part of me knew this wouldn’t bode well for the French, the “war on terror” and especially Muslim women.

I can understand where the French are coming from in this quest to rid the burqa from France, but I can also see how that is an infringement of basic human rights and that scares me.

The Pro’s of Banning the Burqa:

1. Safety- Yes, safety in many forms. Mostly because whenever someone, anyone, is covered head to toe in bulky fabric we have no idea who they are or what they are doing. How easy it is for a suicide bomber to dress in a burqa and go undetected as they move to their target and complete their mission. It’s not just suicide bombings either, people could partake in all sorts of crime and hide under the burqa so CCTV, bystanders, etc... could not identify them. How to stop a criminal when you cannot identify a criminal is something technology still hasn’t figured out.

2. Stop the Oppression of Women: In the western world it is illegal to force anyone into doing anything they don’t want to do, unless they are under 18 and you are their parents and then you can force them into awkward family photos and household chores without consequence. However, when it comes to  dictating a woman’s clothing, rights and freedoms, the burqa is the ultimate tool of oppression.  In accordance with Sharia law(2) women must cover themselves, especially their hair, because men cannot control themselves and it is the duty of the women to protect the men from themselves. If a woman is raped in accordance to Shari law she is to blame and not the man as he was only acting on his natural impulses and she must have done something to provoke the attack. Taking away the main tool of oppression gives these women the freedom to see clearly that they are not responsible for all the evil that befalls the world, but that they are victims of the myth. It will allow women the chance to be seen as a human instead of a dark passing mysterious figure. I know that in my time traveling through muslim countries every time I pass a woman in a burqa I wonder who she is, what she thinks, how she feels, and does she want to be under there? But I cannot ask her these questions, I can only smile as I pass and hope I am seen as a friendly comrade and not a lecherous infidel.


The Cons of Banning the Burqa:

1. Fascism- Fascism is defined as “a governmental system led by a dictator having complete power, forcibly suppressing opposition and criticism, regimenting all industry, commerce, etc., and emphasizing an aggressive nationalism and often racism.” (3) Now it might seem a bit harsh for an isolated incident of burqa banning, but in it’s very essence it is exactly that. It is forcibly suppressing the rights of practicing Muslims in France. It is telling the French people and the world that Christianity, Catholicism, and all other religions are accepted, but not the nation of Islam. It is a reaction based in fear and not in intelligent thought of provocative discussion, simply a dictator decreeing his morals and values to be the same for all French people, regardless of their choice.

2. Provocation of Fundamentalists- As currently stated by Osama Bin Laden in a video directed to France(4) “If you want to tyrannize and think that it is your right to ban the free women from wearing the burqa, isn't it our right to expel your occupying forces, your men from our lands by striking them by the neck?", this is a direct attack on the Nation of Islam and only adds fuel to the flames of anger that supply the “terrorists” with the power to grow and fight. The major stance by the recruiters for these terror organizations is that America and the west want to come in a destroy their way of life. Every time we ban a mosque, a burqa, ramadan celebrations, we prove their point. We are in fact attacking the very core of their beliefs. And just because France is the only one to do it, with Italy on it’s tails, they are our ally’s and therefore, we must share the same beliefs. We are all occupying their countries and fighting in their homes, therefore we must all hate the Nation of Islam. That is how they see it. And living in a cave in the middle of nowhere with no information other than what your commanding officer gives you, I can see how they would believe we are hell bent on destroying their world and re-building it into our own.

3. The Hardship Placed on Muslim Women- Imagine you are a Muslim woman living in France. You are married to a strict Muslim man who believes you must wear a burqa at all times while not in your home. You have young children, including a young daughter who you must somehow instill your values and those of France into. Your husband dictates that you must wear the burqa, but now that it is banned whenever you go outside, you are harassed, detained and fined by the police. You are refused service at stores because you are covered in your burqa. So you remove the burqa to get your daily chores done in peace. However, when you get home your husband knows that you have taken off the burqa and he beats you, severely. In front of your children and swears he will kill you if you dishonor him again by going out in the burqa. What do you do? The pressure that this law has put these women under is unbearable and there is no simple way of navigating around. It is the perfect example of a Catch-22. The simple idea that we are somehow liberating these women has now gone into further oppressing them and possibly even getting them killed. At the end of the day the life of these women is far more important than any political posturing by any government leaders. These women are the cure to what ails us in terms of terrorism. By reaching out to these women and making them our friends we can help them help us. Putting them into these positions will only make the divide that much wider, making it that much harder to reach across the aisle.

I do not believe putting a ban on the burqa is safe, effective or fair. I understand the need for safety, especially given the current state of affairs in the world, however there are far more reasonable ways to go about a compromise.

In terms of safety they can decree that NO ONE can wear any sort of head covering, men included, in government buildings, while testifying in court, in schools and other appropriate areas. There must be women guards at all times to do any physical searches on women wearing burqas in these designated areas and those checks should be done in private areas, as any regular person would expect.

There should also be a serious campaign against the oppression of women through any sort of physical violence, familial obligations, or religious pressure. Through all religions, races and beliefs, not just Muslims.

Schools should not be allowed to teach any sort of religion or religious beliefs unless they are teaching them ALL in a religious studies class. These classes cannot promote one religion over the other, just a simple explanation of what they all believe and why. All dedicated religious studies should be done outside of school, after school hours in mosques, temples, churches or halls.

Mostly, there needs to be calm, rational public discussions where people are allowed to share their views, their wishes and desires. All people must be heard, not just the ruling elite. All sides should be considered before making any sort of ruling or law that will impact the people so intensely.

These are just some of the pros and cons of this new law, but there are many more. There are many obstacles we must over come in order to create a more peaceful and respectful world.

What do you think about the banning of the burqa? Do you think it is fair? Is it fascism? How do you think we, as a world, should proceed with these issues?

Other reading on the subject:

- The Sydney Morning Herlad: The burqa is a war on women

- The Islamic Standard 

The point of view from those in the Nation of Islam, a very interesting blog, at times hard to read, but important to see what is being said on all sides, not just my own.

- Cory Bernardi: Ban the Burqa

- All Voices: Ban the Burqa

We, the others...

In the past month teen suicide has finally legitimately become an issue on the forefront of the worlds agenda. Sadly, this is coming too late for some and not anywhere near soon enough for others.


There has been an outpouring of videos from actors, musicians and talk show hosts all around the world sharing their stories and the pain. The videos all bear the same message “It gets better” And it does. Trust me.


However, I am not a teenage bully nor am I being bullied, but I have felt the deep, sharp impact of suicide on my heart and I know the horrific pain that comes from loosing someone you love in a way you can never make right.


This post is addressed at those of us who are not the perpetrator or the victim, we are the others, we are the difference.


We hold the power to make a positive change in this scenario. We are the deviation between a suicide and getting help. We are the wings of the butterfly flapping in our little corner of the world. We are heros, we are saviors, we are angels.


It is our responsibility to stand up for those who cannot and step in when something isn’t right.


When we see someone being bullied, attacked, harassed, fucked with, antagonized, bothered or pushed around WE must stand up and say enough. We must take the power back and change the balance of power between the aggressor and the casualty because we can.


A bully will only pick on someone they deem to be weaker than them, someone they know they can abuse, someone who cannot or will not fight back. In most cases it is because the bully has been or is being abused themselves and they don’t know how to deal with it. When someone, ANYONE, steps in and says “STOP” the bully no longer has the control or the false bravado to continue.


The victim can CLEARLY see that SOMEONE cares, anyone. The difference this makes is more than any of us others can begin to realize. To stand up for them is to make them visible, to make them real, to make them feel protected.


In the case of Tyler Clementi there should have been outrage and open support, not whispering in the halls and behind his back sorrow. Who was looking out for Seth Walsh or Asher Brown? Where were their friends and family? Someone at school must have seen these things happening, why didn’t ANYONE do anything? Why do we run away from our opportunities to so much good?


It’s not my problem. I don’t want to be a victim too. I thought I would get in trouble. What if they got mad? These are all excuses you can use to sit back and watch people being abused and attacked. And you’ll be fine because they are just names and faces on a TV set or in the newspaper. They aren’t real, they aren’t anyone you love or care for.


Until one day they are. And your friend from school takes a bottle of pills because he felt like he didn’t matter anymore. Or your best friend gets killed by the boys who brought guns to school because they couldn’t take the torture anymore. Or your own daughter jumps off a bridge because she never felt like she had a place in this world.


We, the others, hold the power. We have the clarity to see what is right and what is wrong with that clarity we have a responsibility to help those in need. It is not about defending gay rights or being chivalrous, this is about being a decent human being, this is about doing what is right.


I implore you all to stand up for something you believe in. I beg you to intervene when you see someone being treated unfairly. I ask you to please, join me in the desire to be a good person and make the world a better place. You never know who’s life you will save.

Who's afraid of the big bad truth?

They came first for the Communists,

and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist.

Then they came for the trade unionists,

and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews,

and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew.

Then they came for me

and by that time no one was left to speak up.

- Pastor Martin Niemöller

The amount of fear flying through the US these days is at an all time high. For centuries politicians and people in power have used fear as a weapon in the fight for control. They distort facts and blatantly lie in order to get people in line with their plans.


It has reached a critical point of destruction. This illogical fear based on ignorance is tearing our country apart one person at a time. The anti-non-white propaganda is streaming out and into the ears of the susceptible making it virtually impossible to implant any truth in there. It is clearly demonstrated in this video by New Left Media at Glen Back's "Restoring Honor Rally"


Love him or hate him, as President Obama said in his speech commemorating 9/11 "it was not ISLAM that attacked America 9 years ago, it was Al-Queda." Just as it was not EVERY Catholic priest molesting children, it was a specific portion of them. 

What the people in the NLM video and those protesting the building of an Islamic Cultural Center near ground zero  don't understand is that they are becoming fundamentalist in their own right. The anger that is flowing through their veins is only matched by those that terrorize the world with their bombs and killings. Their hatred and anger is driving the hatred and anger of those so infuriated with the US and it's foreign policy. Radical leaders of any nation, culture or religion only need to show a portion of the hatred that is spilling into the streets of America to it's followers to insight a rage that burns deep enough to kill themselves in an attempt to thwart the US.

However, when we take a step back and we allow one another the right to speak, to share all of our thoughts and ideas, when we accept one another for our differences, not because of our similarities, we will being to see the rage begin to die. The flames of hatred will be extinguished by our flood of respect.


If we, as America, could say "yes, it is difficult for us to see this mosque here so close to ground zero because we are afraid. Afraid of how 9/11 changed us, afraid because our future is uncertain at this time and mostly we are afraid because we do not know moderate Islam, we only know fanaticism. Please, open your doors, let us in and show us who you are. Let us learn from you and allow you to learn from us. Together we can heal, apart we will remain fractured." That would make a bigger impact than any foreign policy Hillary Clinton will announce.


Freedom is freedom for all, not just some. When we begin to restrict a human beings right to be a human we restrict ourselves. Today we are afraid of the Muslims and their cultural center at ground zero, we are building 100 million feet high fences to keep the Mexicans out, we are refusing the gays and lesbians the right to free and equal love. So I ask, who is next?


Once these perceived "enemies" are vanquished, where will we turn next? Will it be the Jews? The Buddhists? The Chinese? Who will be the next to be destroyed? And how long will it be until you are one of them?

As Ayaan Hiris Ali said, when we are born and raised in the land of freedom, we are blind to the greatness of it because we take it for granted. We fail to see how people are dying to achieve it and we are blind to the power it has and ignore the respect it deserves.


Critical thinking is the most valuable weapon we have in this fight. Don't let your brain be controlled by those in power, go out and find out for yourself. Make the trek to a mosque, or a temple or a church and see what they do. Sit down and talk to the immigrants hear their stories, learn their truths.

Make your own decisions and stand up for them before someone comes and takes that right away from you forever.

A Killer Deal on Electronics

Photo: Nicholas D. Kristof/The New York Times

For many of us the term "blood diamond" is a term reserved for Naomi Campbell and her model cohorts. Most of us do not buy many diamonds, if we buy any at all. But how would you feel if I was to say you had a "Blood iPhone" or "This caused millions of women and children to be raped laptop" then would you feel those relate to you? Because they do.

The minerals tin, tantalum, and tungsten are metals used to manufacture electronics found in our homes, such as laptops, cell phones, iPods and digital cameras. These minerals are in abundance in the Democratic Republic of Congo and there is an all out war for their proceeds. There are no rules or regulations as to how these minerals are mined or sold. There are no corporations in the US or China or Europe who require that there be "cruelty free" minerals, they buy from the cheapest supplier without regard to the horrific acts that brought these minerals from deep inside their tombs to the doorstep of their processing plants.

But we MUST pay attention to these issues and we MUST do something about it. The lives of the women and children on the Democratic Republic of Congo depend on us doing so.

Researchers from Harvard University examined more than 4,000 cases of sexual assault from 2004 to 2008 and discovered that the number of rapes carried out by civilians had increased seventeen-fold. The study revealed that more than half of the victims were "raped by gangs of armed men and more than half of the aggressions took place inside homes". (1)

These women are not being raped by rebels hiding in the bushes waiting to ambush vulnerable women. These "women (are) raped by members of various armed groups, including the Congolese army. The degree of the brutality and humiliation involved -- women being gang-raped in front of crowds including their husbands, for instance... It's the use of it as a weapon of terror. It's the way it's done publicly, for maximum humiliation. It's hard to understand."(2)

There is a severe struggle for money and power with the minerals at the center of the conflict. To understand exactly how a country and it's people can plunge so far into darkness one needs to know the history of the place.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO (3)

•     DRC is a nation in Central Africa.
•  It is the 3rd largest country in Africa
•  It is the 4th most populated country in Africa with over 71 million inhabitants
•  It is the 18th most populated country in the world
• The people are some of the poorest in the world, having the second lowest income per person.

• From the 1870's to the 1920's the DRC was under control of King Leopold II of Belgium. 

• Leopold began production of rubber. He insisted on a "quota" of rubber from the indigenous population, to enforce this quota the army, known as the Force Publique (FP), went around cutting off the limbs of the workers to scare them into producing the required amount of rubber needed.

• In 1960 a nationalist party won the parliamentary elections and chose Patrice Lumumba as Prime Minister.

• Between 1960 and 1965 there was dramatic instability with fighting between the parties of the government, Lumumba was assassinated, and a coup. 

• In 1965 the US backed Joseph-Désiré Mobutu won control through a coup and created a one party system. Random elections would be held with Mobutu as the only candidate.

• Mobutu required that his picture be on every bank note, in every government building, and on most public billboards.

• His corruption was so prevalent that at one time it is said he put US $4 billion into a Swiss bank account, while his country starved. 

• In 1971 he renamed the country to Republic of Zaire and changed his name to: " Mobutu Sese Seko Kuku Ngbendu Wa Za Banga (roughly translated as The Great Unstoppable Warrior who goes from Victory to Victory, Leaving Fire in his Trail)"

• In 1997 opponents declared the need for reform in the country and Mobutu fled the country.


• In 1996 the Rwandan genocide had pushed into the DRC and a struggle for power and control over the natural resources began, and still exists today.

 

This struggle for control has caused almost 45,000 people to die every month according to some reports and makes this the world's deadliest conflict since World War II, killing 5.4 million people. (4)  



The systematic use of rape has destroyed the lives and souls of so many women and children. Many times women are gang raped repeatedly through out their lives. Many of these women bear children that are the product of these rapes and contract STD's, including HIV from their attackers.



Not only that, once a woman is raped, her family will shun her. She is no longer pure and is of no value to her family. In many cases men, if they survive the attack, will kick the woman out of the house because she is at fault for being raped. Because of this many women do not report their rapes and keep it to themselves because they do not want to lose their family.

 In some cases that is not a choice.

Chance Tombola, 9, and her aunt, Jeanne Birengenyi, 34, both among the innumerable rape survivors in the war in eastern Congo. Chance's parents were killed in the war, as was Jeanne's husband. Given the stigma surrounding rape in Congo, they showed tremendous courage in speaking about their experiences.

Photo: Nicholas D. Kristof/The New York Times

In many instances groups of men break into the homes and kill or maim the men present. Gang rape the women in front of the families that survive the attack and take the teenage daughters to be their "slaves/wives". In some cases babies as young as 2 years old are being raped by up to 10 men at a time. Read the story of Chance and Jeanne
       
These attacks are also being aided by women who have joined these armies. While most do not have a choice and face certain death if they do not comply, some have gone on record to say they enjoy the process. These women assisting these "armies" will go into a village begging for help and saying that they have been attacked. The women of the village will tend to her and try to help her, only to be ambushed by the militia a few moments later. At times these women will actually help hold the villagers down as the men rape them. FOUR CORNERS "Heart of Darkness" is a very powerful documentary of one girls struggle to understand her homeland. 


 While at a camp for former child soldiers she meets a woman who was previously one of these women in the army. She tells the young girl that she misses that life, is bored in the camp and would like to return to her army life.

So... what can be done?

Well, the US has created a new law that requires companies to prove they are getting their minerals from conflict free zones. Which is nice that the government is at least acknowledging that there is an issue here. The problem is... this will do nothing. Why? People lie. Especially in war torn, poor countries where people are fighting for power. People lie and with ease. Do you really believe the same people responsible for going around and massacring millions of people will suddenly sit down and fly right because they are to "document" these minerals are from conflict free zones?

As far as I can tell there will be no one on the ground ensuing theses declarations are true. This is like giving a machete attack victim a paper towel and calling it good. It is not going to make one bit of difference.  

The only way to actually make a change is to go in there and do it. I realize, this being a conflict zone, it will not be easy, but with the millions of dollars these corporations have, it will be much more manageable. First, we need to make these companies and corporations know that we DO NOT want our products made with these minerals. We only want minerals that come from a source that puts human lives before profit. We need to write our leaders in government, the owners of these companies and tell our friends. These companies need to regulate their sources themselves and not rely on the word of oppressive dictators. 

I believe these companies should form a union of sorts, where they all pay into and are held to the same degree of accountability for this region and the sourcing of these minerals. With the help of the UN and other Western countries they negotiate a deal to build the appropriate infrastructure at these mining sites. They will create REAL jobs where people are PAID to mine these minerals in a safe and effective way. They will create real stability in the actual mining process. They will then continue to form partnerships for movement and distribution with DRC companies. Not corrupt government companies, but actual companies owned by the people of the DRC. 

In addition to creating safe and sustainable work environments these corporations must create centers for the children and women of these areas. These will include education for both the mothers and the children. As well as support groups and education about STD's and other important diseases. They will create hospitals that are for women and children only that protect them from the militias and armies, who actually enter the hospitals now and attack women and children. They will create a safe haven for women who have been raped. They will create jobs and opportunities for these women to help support themselves after they have been pushed out by their families. They will, with the help of the UN and other aid organizations, create safe passage to and from work and school for all employees, students and families. This will help the people of the DRC to grow into a more stable and self respecting country.

Although it will not happen instantly, the people will gain more control over their daily lives and be able to in turn, have more control over their country and what happens in their country. Over time these positive changes hold the potential to create a chain reaction of better educated people and less violent attackers. The people will slowly grow into a stronger nation founded on respect for one another and create a more stable government. And this is a process we need to support.

Here are some of the ways you can get involved and make a difference:

• Email the worlds biggest electronics manufactures: RAISE Hope for Congo 

• Donate to WomenforWomen an NGO dedicated to helping women of conflict

• Get Involved with Population Services International which helps prevent communicable diseases and helps people deal with them once they've gotten them

• Get involved with the International Rescue Committee

• Watch the movie Blood in the Mobile

Most of all: GET INFORMED and STAY INFORMED! Speak to your friends and family about what is happening and why. Think about these people before you buy your next iPod or laptop and remember WE ALL HAVE THE POWER TO DO SOMETHING! 

Equal Love = Equal Rights

Equal Love Rally, Melbourne VIC

Gay Rights For All!


Seeing as it is 2010 and Iran has enriched uranium and Pakistan is flooding beyond belief, proving, without a doubt that climate change is real and is now, I fail to see how gay marriage is of any REAL consequence to the  people of the world.


However, the debate is raging and there are a great many out there who are feeding the flames of hatred based on their illogical and irrational fears. Fear of what... I honestly do not know, although in some cases I believe it is fear of their own homosexuality, but in other cases i think it is pure ignorance.


Homophobia is exactly the same as racism. There is no difference between the two.


The definition of racism is: "a belief or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human races determinecultural or individual achievement, usually involving the idea that one's own race is superior and has theright to rule others."


Change the word race with the word sexuality and there you have it.

Equal Love Rally, Melbourne VIC

So, why are we okay with walking around being racist homophobes? Those that rely on the bible say that it is not the way of God, as he said the famous Sodom and Gomorrah chapter of the bible. Do they also believe that daughters should have sex with their fathers in order to have children if there aren't any other suitable men around to do it, like Lot and his daughters? Or do they believe that we should stone to death women who are not virgins on the night of their marriage, which is said in Deuteronomy? 


The bible also says that man should not masturbate, are we going to make a proposition and go to the polls for that too?


However, when you choose to invoke the passages of the bible that state marriage is between a man and women, it does not take long to see that in the not so distant past the church didn't want ANYONE to marry because they were afraid to lose their base of supporters, and I assume, their cash. In the end, people wanted to get married and so they did. Many of them were married for business purposes and some were married for love, whatever the reason, people made the choice and the church realized the people had spoken.


After the church had decided to put their weight behind marriage, they figured a way to continue to own it.  The church simply stated that marriage is all well and good, as long as someone from the church came and performed the ceremony in the name of god. If this special man from the church did not arrive and conduct the ceremony, your love and your marriage was doomed to eternal hellfire and damnation.


And bearing children you say? Well, like any great dynasty, you need followers and you need a continual influx of followers in order to keep your power. By banning birth control and saying that "God will decide when you've had enough children" they have been able to create a virtual army of followers. For the children of these families it becomes a normal accepted familial thing to do on Sundays, go to church. When your parents are preaching the world of God at the dinner table every night, it is hard to ignore and it becomes a part of your DNA. As all weird family habits tend to become... like how your parents sunbathe nude when your friends are over... you just learn to accept it.

Equal Love Rally, Melbourne VIC

The most interesting aspect of this is not that it is specific to one religion or sect, but the world over. In the world of terrorism, this is how they build a militia.


The young boys from the poorest villages are taken to madrassas where they are preached at from dawn until dusk in the name of Islam. These boys are not taught how to read or write, they are only taught the word of the koran. They never read the words for themselves or are allowed to interpret it or think about it, only to memorize what they are told it says and use it to justify their actions in the name of jihad.


After these boys have gone through their training and have reached the benchmark approved by their masters, they are sent home. Their pockets are packed with cash and they are told to go fourth, take many wives and make many babies. Thereby, building their continual army.


Where is the difference between them and the churches of America? They might not be teaching people to kill, but they are teaching them to hate based on fear. There is very little difference.


So, why would you choose to follow something that isn't based on actual fact or reason, something that is based on fear and control? Why would base all of your values on another persons thoughts? What makes you think you are better than anyone else?


Gay or straight, African or American, who a person is has nothing to do with what the color of their skin is or who they fall in love with. People are not good or bad based on superficial information such as this. A persons value is based on what they choose to do with their own power. The way that they love the world and how they love themselves.


All of us are born with significant power whether we want to believe it or not. What we choose to do with that power will decide the fate of the world. Living in fear and reacting on conditioned thinking will only add to the destruction and decay.


If we allow ourselves the freedom to use our critical thinking skills we can easily see that a world where gay people or dark skinned people or even religious people are discriminated against is not a world we want to be a part of this issue ceases to exist. When we stop fearing that which is different from us and begin to embrace it the world stops being hostile and begins to become a place filled with hope and opportunity.


Religion itself is not the enemy, it is the people who abuse it's power and the faith others have in it.


If you want to make the world a better place, take a step back and really look at what is being said and why. Don't just accept what you are told, investigate, communicate and find out for yourself.


Once you do, you will see that giving the freedom of love, marriage and babies to the homosexuals of the world won't destroy, but instead it will repair it.

Equal Love Rally, Melbourne VIC