Conscious Living - Focus of the Month
Take Your Power Back
September
Newsletter |
|
Live Consciously through
holism! Holism recognises that all life is interdependent and
connected - interconnectedness. The Whole is a sum of its
parts. Holism also recognises that through self-reflection
(understanding the Self) can we truly understand another. The
world is a creation of all the choices of all the people. By
changing your life through small little steps - you inevitably
change the Whole. This is your Power!
Remember, don't
feel pressured to get involved politically - the most
important thing one can do is to live
consciously by making small changes in your own
life as well as raising your awareness of what is occurring in
the greater world - for you are irrevocably connected!
|
| Company Focus - Conscious Living meets The
Grubb Institute! |
|
| Transformative
compassionate group working for Whole
Change
Conscious Living this month met with The Grubb
Institute, an applied research foundation working globally to
mobilise values, faiths and beliefs as a
resource for the transformation, healing and repair of
organisations, people and society.
"Everywhere, every day, we see evidence of damage to
human life and the environment. Our communities, our children,
and the institutions we depend on are all vulnerable. The
critical challenge humanity faces is how we can individually
and corporately take responsibility for the world we have
contributed to creating. The signs are all around us - in 20
years' time, the primary preoccupation of the human race may
be with its own survival and sustainability. Not only
the sustainability of our environment but the sustainability
of the social fabric of all our communities, institutions and
wider societies. The overwhelming evidence suggests that the
current status quo is unsustainable."
We believe humanity needs to transform itself and
that to do this we need to challenge radically and actively
the way we live as human beings.
The
prestigious Grubb's activities include training
religious, corporate and activist leaders around the
world as well as implementing a Whole System Change
via transformative and empowering
philosophies.
-
- WATCH! - Video introduction on Being, Meaning, Engaging
by the Grubb Institute - 38th
Annual International Working Conference
exploring Resistance and Transformation in
Systems
| |
| Join Our List |
 |
|
This October! - 5th year of
protest outside Zimbabwe House, Central
London |
|
|
People mark 5th year of dissent against
oppressive rule outside Zimbabwe Embassy
You may have seen them as you walk past. Often
singing and dancing and full of colour - but one thing
is for sure, their noise goes straight into the heart of
the issue that is crucial to them - Zimbabwe.
Every Saturday for the past FIVE years, outside
Zimbabwe House in Charring Cross, people from all
cultures, faiths have joined together to voice their
dissent of the oppressive Mugabe regime in Zimbabwe.
Many of those who stand outside every Saturday are
victims themselves of the regime - through torture,
rape, murder of loved ones, victims of crime and loss of
homes. However, these people aren't going to be silenced
and for five strong years they have been making their
voices heard in central London, outside the Zimbabwe
Embassy.
This October marks the FIFTH year of protests. Join
them on any Saturday outside the Zimbabwe Embassy
What can I do?
- Join them! Any Saturday afternoon of the month
during October and show them your support
- Simply walk past and sign their petition
- Where is Zimbabwe
House?
|
|
Conscious
Living Contributors
Want to write a review for a book
you've read? Seen a film you think could raise
awareness? Have an issue you'd like
raised?
To contribute please contact
Editor |
| Book of the Month - Soulution: A
Holistic Manifesto |
|
| Holistic Pionner William Bloom portrays
his Global Vision
Holism - the idea
that all life is connected, evolving, and sacred - is
the new spiritual movement sweeping the planet.
Soulution is its voice.
In this vital and visionary
book, William Bloom fully describes how the dynamics of
the modern world have converged to give us this
new and practical philosophy of life, alive
with hope and integrity. In a world filled with
political and religious conflict, holism disarms
fundamentalism yet honors difference. In a
society confused about its direction and morality,
holism demonstrates the dynamic link between personal
fulfillment and global
responsibility.
Soulution is a profound yet
practical book, an oasis of common sense and wisdom,
encouraging you to open your mind and heart to the
healing of self and society that is now
available.
William
Bloom, Ph.D., is considered by many people to
be the UK's leading holistic and spiritual teacher
and author. Through his books, courses, and media
appearances, he's at the forefront of cultural change.
Originally a successful novelist and publisher, he spent
two years living among the Sahareen Berbers in the High
Atlas Mountains of North Africa. Since then, his life
has been dedicated to exploring and explaining the
practical convergence of spirituality, psychology, and
social healing.
|
| |
| Issue Focus -
Burma |
|
|
Why are
we talking about it?
Background to
Burma
-
Brief history:
Burma wins independence from British
rule in 1948, leaving country divided.
Military angered by tolerance of separatism and
advocation of
Buddhism.
-
Military staged coup
d'etat in 1962; regime
stifles almost all dissent and advocates torture in
prisons
-
Economy: One of
Asia's poorest countries; economy
riddled with corruption
-
Military government changes name
from Burma to
Myanmar. US & UK are only
countries refusing to recognise the name change
since it was not made
democratically.
What sparked
Protests?
15 Aug Military
government increases price of fuel.
Petrol and diesel double in price. Cost of compressed
gas, used to power buses, increases five-fold.
· Hikes
hit Burma's people, forcing up price of public transport
and triggering knock-on effect for staples such as rice
and cooking oil.
· 400
Pro-democracy activists lead initial
demonstrations in Burma's main city, Rangoon -
the largest demonstration for several years.
· Authorities
swiftly arrest dozens of activists. Protests
continue.
Why are monks involved?
5 Sep Monks
participate in large numbers after troops use force on
protestors.
· At
least three monks hurt. Next day, monks in Pakokku
briefly take government officials
hostage, giving government until 17 September
to apologise.
· No
apology given. Following deadline, tens of
thousands of monks join in and withdraw their
religious services from military and their families.
21 Sep Group called the
Alliance of All Burmese Buddhist Monks
emerges to co-ordinate protests, issuing statement
describing military government as "enemy of the
people", calling on the people across
Burma to join them.
24 Sep Thousands
of public respond to call and join a
massive protest in Rangoon.
25 Sep Troops
and riot police arrive in Rangoon, and a
dawn-to-dusk curfew introduced.
26 Sep
Violence breaks out at the
Shwedagon Pagoda, Rangoon's holiest shrine, police used
baton charges and tear gas to try to stop monks
embarking on a ninth day of protests. Five monks
are killed, hundreds injured.
· Key
members of the opposition party, the National
League for Democracy (NLD) are now said to be
joining the protests, after initially distancing
themselves from action.
27 Sep State media claim
nine people killed when police intervene in protests.
Organisers estimate as much as 200
killed.
28 Sep US bans
dozens of Burmese government from obtaining US
visas for travel
29 Sep Junta
government axe internet
connections across country, preventing
blogging
· Last
time Burma saw anything on this scale was during the
popular uprising of August 1988.
Government sends troops to brutally suppress the
protests. At least 3,000 people believed to have died.
30 Sep UN envoy to
Burma, Ibrahim Gambari meets detained opposition leader
Aung San Suu Kyi.
What Can I Do?
Be aware of what is
occurring. Your awareness means that these monks and
protestors are not speaking into the wind. Want to do
more?
|
|
Civil Rights - Prime Minister bans
UK protest |
|
|
Gordon Brown bans protest near Parliament
despite backing democracy protests in
Burma
The Stop the War Coalition's (STWC)
"Bring All the troops home
now" protest, calling to withdraw all
troops from Iraq immediately - which was planned to go
ahead on 8 October - has now been
banned by the government.
The move comes despite promises by
Gordon Brown when he became prime minister to liberalise
the laws on protest, saying that one of his principles
would be,"civil liberties safeguarded and enhanced". It
also contradicts Gordon Brown's stance on Burma, calling
on the military regime "to allow the democratic
protests"
Lindsey German, convenor of STWC,
said she was told by police that they had been given a
"steer" from Parliament that demonstrations could not be
held while the Commons was in session.
"This is a new, worrying development from what has
been custom and practice for years. We intend to
go ahead with our march and we hope
they will back down. This threatens our
democratic rights" she said.
The group is expecting thousands of people to join
the march.
|
|
Corporate Issue - S&N FINED
for bribing doctors! |
|
|
Smith
& Nephew fined by US regulators for medical
kickbacks!
The US government has
fined British group
Smith & Nephew 14.9 million
pounds (28.9 million dollars) and has been
ordered to undergo five years of ethics monitoring
for paying kickbacks to surgeons to get them to
use its products. S&N, Zimmer, Biomet and
Johnson & Johnson paid out a combined 311 million
dollars to settle an investigation carried out by the US
Attorney for the District of New Jersey. The
four groups were accused of paying large sums of
money to surgeons as well as pandering them with
expensive perks to exclusively use their
products.
Right now the pharmaceutical industry is in the
middle of its biggest challenge in history.
Whistleblowers have exposed and continue to
expose fraudulent practices ranging from
pricing issues to sales and marketing practices at a
rate never anticipated by either the pharmaceutical
industry or the Department of Justice. Settlements and
jury verdicts have been headline grabbing and large,
attracting the attention of pharma, regulators, Congress
and taxpayers. The qui tam
pharmaceutical fraud cases settled since 2000 alone have
amounted to over 3.5 billion dollars,
representing various patterns of fraud.
Pharmaceutical fraud is still
abundant and the blog below is intended to keep
readers up to date with all pharmaceutical fraud related
news and to provide commentary when warranted. This blog
also contains an array of laws and regulations
concerning the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act set
out in an easy to read format.
|
| Film of the Month - AIDS
Inc. |
|
|
Insight into Multi-Billion
Dollar AIDS Industry
 AIDS, Inc. is a film
about the multi-billion dollar AIDS
industry, and how it profits from continuing
fears and misconceptions about the disease. While AIDS
grabs the headlines and raises billions of dollars with
celebrity endorsements and billionaire endowments, we
are no closer to finding a cure than when the scourge
first appeared 30 years ago.
Could it be that after so
many years of research, and so much money being spent,
that the entire orthodox medical establishment has been
wrong about AIDS, or even worse, has sought to profit on
a system that it knew was flawed from the beginning?
Doctor Robert
Gallo who discovered the HIV virus said that
there is no legitimate dissent when it comes to AIDS.
But there are more than 5,000 physicians,
microbiologists, journalists and activists who disagree
and say that we have been misled about the real causes
of AIDS and the nature of its treatment.
The mainstream
media has chosen not to provide an outlet for
their opinions. In this important film, documentary
filmmaker and health expert Gary Null, traveled to more
than 30 countries over an eight year period to seek them
out and get their interviews. This is the first film on
AIDS that brings the most compelling of their arguments
together in one place.
Dr. Null blows the lid
off the wealthy AIDS industry and shows how
greed and corruption
have prevented any real progress in fighting the
epidemic or its underlying causes. The film challenges
the entrenched notion that AIDS or HIV is an African
monkey virus that is spread sexually and can be
"treated" with harmful drugs. Instead, the film
considers the common underlying conditions of the
epidemic, such as malnutrition, unclean water,
poverty, illness, and poor lifestyle choices.
The evidence is
damning, and a clarion call to the public that
the AIDS Industrial Complex is on the wrong track and
has become a spending juggernaut completely out of
control.
| |
| | |
