Our Purpose About Us Meditation Newsletters About the Artist Publications Upcoming Events Links Contact Us

A Larger View Applying Trans-Religious Values to Current Events Volume XI Edition 3 May/June 2006 In this issue: Israel and The PA: Actually Working Together Darfur: The Suffering Keeps On Recycling The Oldest Profession: An Inspired Idea Journalists: Participants or Observers? Israel and The PA: Actually Working Together For those who don't already know it, cases of H5N1, otherwise called bird flu, have been found in both the Gaza Strip and in at least 6 farms inside Israel. Considering that this is taking place in an atmosphere where, since Hamas took over the government, relations between the two countries are essentially non-existent, the reported bird flu cases could lead to the beginning of a disaster. But the seriousness of the situation has led to cooperation, which at least until Hamas formally took over the government, was called "strong and tight". How it happened is simple. The Israel foreign minister, Tzipi Livni, called upon Kofi Anan saying that unless there was international involvement, the feared disease was sure to spread. In response, Anan pledged the assistance of the WHO (World Health Organization). Now that the EU has withdrawn financial aid to the Palestinian Authority, the UN is the only world body rendering assistance to Palestinians in the area. It is assumed at the time of this writing that the promised assistance to the agriculture and health officials is therefore able to continue. To make sure the problem would really be solved, Mr. Livni also called the head of the World Bank, Paul Wolfowitz, to convey that without support the Palestinian Authority would not have the resources to do what needed to be done to stop the spread of bird flu. True, self-interest more than the actual need to cooperate motivated Mr. Livni. But if self-interest can take such a form-and it often does-and the experience proves worthwhile-which it ought to be-then maybe, just maybe, a tiny stone has been cast and will ripple through the hardened policies of both sides. Darfur: The Suffering Keeps On By now Darfur is a familiar and sad topic. The unfolding tragedy is 3 years old and still the suffering rages although both individual activists and groups do try to keep the problem in the forefront of our consciousness and on the agenda. A group of UCLA students, for example, began a divestment campaign, which is getting the UC regents to rethink their investments in the Sudan. The university's holding in Sudan may be only 1% of its portfolio but the gesture has become a powerful symbol, one that has influenced other organizations to sell or get rid of their holdings in companies doing business with Sudan. The California State Teachers Retirement System, the nation's second largest public pension fund, is among those who have followed suit. The Janjaweed militia who have been terrorizing people in camps and villages are unofficially at least supported by the Sudanese government. But, Sudan, we ought not to forget, not only has a fragile peace ending decades of a long civil war between Christians and non-Christians, it also has oil. Governments like the U.S. at a time when energy supplies are a problem are quite mindful of Sudanese oil and tread gingerly. Though that is not the kind of argument the administration would make public, it could well be a key reason why the U.S. has not been as forceful as it ought to have been. President Bush has called what is occurring in Darfur a genocide, but has not sponsored nor facilitated the kind of action that would end it. Another reason for the absence of U.S. pressure lies behind the fact that since the war on terror began, Sudan has cooperated with the U.S. and has been declared an ally. Last year the United Nations Security Council referred the issue of Darfur to the ICC, the International Criminal Court in Le Hague, also known as the World Court. Luis Moreno-Ocampo is the chief prosecutor. An Argentine, he has experience with prosecuting the cases of the "disappeared". Still he is finding many door closed. The government of Sudan is not cooperating and not allowing him the access he would need to build his cases. And too, witnesses are often too frightened or intimidated by the situation to come forward. The best hope is the political will of the international community. But that too is not as it ought to be. While the European Union has been the strongest backer of the world court, it fears that were it to intervene in Sudan it may appear colonialist. Sudan was after all a colony. The Sudanese government is very adept at playing the colonialist card as they did a couple of months ago during an anti-UN demonstration. China and France, which are permanent members of the Security Council, predictably also have interests in Sudanese oil. Russia, another permanent member, is treading carefully because of its problem in Chechnya. The African Union was working towards a peace settlement among all affected sides, but even had it been successful, or would de at some future effort, could a negotiated truce work? Would the parties adhere to its terms? Probably not and the international community would need to be involved even if in a different way. Just as the UCLA students were able to start what is now becoming a movement to disinvest, it is up to those of us who care to capitalize on the growing goodwill and the existing concern about the non-ending suffering to bring pressure on our governments and our elected officials to do what is needed to use the resources of the international community to free the many thousands trapped in Darfur. Octopi Getting Their Due: Sharing The Planet Every pet owner already knows that a dog isn't just a dog, anymore than a cat is. Each has its own personality. Scientists are now delving into the notion that animals, even insects, do not have some homogeneous herd-like behavior, but have differentiations which they describe as personality. The idea has long been accepted with primates, but now it is extended to other species. One of the studies involved octopi and characterized them as timid, or sexually aggressive or destructive. The idea that like people animals could fall into "personality types" has also been observed with other fish species and even with fruit flies. Of course the whole field is so new, the questions are not yet fully formulated and neither are the implications for Darwinian theories. On the surface it would seem that survival of the fittest would have done away with the timid, for example. But it is also possible, some theorize, that those who were timid survived more easily by hiding or not being noticed by an aggressor. What's exciting about the new research is not the studies themselves, which to the uninitiated may seem a bit tedious, but the whole idea that animals are getting their due. For centuries, we have assumed that all of creation was there at our disposal, to be used as we saw fit. We are increasingly challenging our dominion and becoming conscious that the planet is filled with living creatures who have as much rights as we do. Recycling The Oldest Profession: An Inspired Idea At first glance, it seems improbable. Going from prostitute to health care worker for the elderly does not seem to add up. And yet that's exactly what a program in Germany's industrial Ruhr Valley is doing, and doing successfully. The reason is that some see the move as logical. Prostitutes, they say, have good people skills. They can adjust to different temperaments and recognize people's needs. Not only are they not easily disgusted by what they may see, they have zero fear of contact. That of course makes them very desirable caregivers for the elderly. Rita Kuhn, who runs nursing homes across the country, is quite convinced. She is organizing a project offering 30 women the chance to undergo a 2-year training program and a new career, a retraining financed by a million euros in state and EU money. Taking care of the elderly is of course not as lucrative a profession. But with the influx of women from Eastern Europe, the sex trade has become very competitive. It is estimated that in the Ruhr Valley region alone there are about 50,000 sex workers, including some housewives and single mothers needing to make a living or students needing extra money. This drives prices down, and men looking for sex can now have whatever they want for very little. Former sex workers who have already made the switch are quite satisfied, although they acknowledge that in instances where they used to be able to spend a good half hour listening to someone, they now only have very few minutes. Part of their success hinges on being discreet about their past, lest elderly patients ask for special sexual favors. In fact the idea of making the switch is so popular, the prostitute help center is unusually busy. That looks like a good thing because despite a 12% unemployment rate in Germany, there are 6400 vacancies in the health care sector, and since the German population is aging fast, the need is slated to grow. Journalists: Participants or Observers? In research one is traditionally an observer and there is a clear line drawn between being an observer and being a participant. The rationale is simple, to mix these two roles would compromise the integrity of whatever experiment. More recently this line in the sand has been imported to journalism saying that a reporter needs to be strictly an observer and not a participant. This has meant that if a journalist covers a story involving suffering he or she does nothing but report the facts. In no way are they to get involved. The rationale in this case being that not only would objectivity be lost, but also subjects being interviewed might feel the need to say something to please the interviewer thus skewing the facts as they saw them. The participant-observer divide may work well when reporting the goings-on in Washington, or those in a courthouse, but increasingly journalists are questioning the appropriateness of this division when covering disasters, genocides or extreme poverty. Is it being a participant to pay a child's school fees, or making sure someone has access to HIV drugs? Some editors say yes. But journalists are people with a conscience and face the same dilemmas as aid workers. When is helping someone so necessary that it ought to trump office or official protocol? The question is far from answered and several journalists who have felt prompted to exercise their conscience have had to be discreet, sometimes not mentioning it to their editors until after the fact. When confronted with human need and with the suffering that goes along with it, can one stand by rules? Would it not be an affront to the very object of reporting on a story or of being an aid worker on whatever project? Would it not be more humane, more courageous, more right, more ethical to say to one's editor, look I am going to help so and so and in turn I need your help to make sure I can still be objective. It is after all, part of their job descriptions. Whether through editors or some other person or means, both journalistic integrity and human need can, not only be served but also coexist. Website of Interest: www.or-live.com Witness To Surgery If you've ever wondered what happens when you're anesthetized and the surgical team takes over, this web site will be informative and reassuring. It features a number of surgeries, such as heart or cancer, and since it was mainly created for educational purposes is more in the form of a lecture for medical students. As a result of course it contains much that is useful for any patient about to undergo one of the procedures featured or wanting to know about them. The screen may not be as large as what one would prefer, but large enough to understand and see and appreciate the complexities and intricacies of modern surgeries. The only drawback is that since the surgeries are used as teaching tools, they end up being much longer than an average person will want to watch or needs-but then there's always the forward button. To Ponder On More Than His Press Image While talking about being happy, actor Tom Cruise, defined happiness this way: "It's being able to confront and overcome problems. It's not running away but trying to see life in its full glory." A Larger View is published by the Inner\Outer Partnership, a tax-exempt educational organization probing how trans-religious spiritual principles can be agents of individual and societal change. We are funded through donations. Please send any - as well as any comments - to P.O.Box 1293, Pac. Pal. CA 90272-1293. Also contact us by email at alargerview@earthlink.net or call 310-836-7710 or visit our web site at www.innerouterpartnership.org To un-subscribe, send an email to alargerview@earthlink.net