Stop War!

Show solidarity with Stop The War Coalition! The poster above is a promotional poster from the Coalition to Stop War.

There are plenty of ways to show your support, from making a donation, purchasing merchandise, raising awareness, volunteering with Stop the War, to signing a petition online. Check out STOP THE WAR website for links to organisations around the world, including the U.K., the U.S., Israel and Malaysia all working for peace!

Thursday 1st April: Financial Fools day in London

Financial Fools Day is one of the slogans under which a great protest is forming ahead of the G20 summit where talks are going to be held between 20 of the worlds' country leaders. The protest is against capitalism, portraying the system unfair, unjust and therefore unethical in the model of business that it follows. The windows of the Bank of Scotland were smashed as taxpayers money went into helping the bank remain sustainable, whilst a large packet of money in the form of a pension went into the pocket of the CEO. That is whilst many members of the public are loosing jobs, homes & livelihoods. For this reason, bank employees were advised to wear casual clothes and not stand outside of their work place, and many banks and hotels have boarded their windows.

Police have been boxing in protesters and pushing them together. They will not let protesters leave and people got knocked over. There was a peaceful group of students waging a sit-down protest whom the police charged. Some of the students got hit on the head by sheilds and batons or were stamped on by police, and were helped and bandaged by ITN television crews, whilst an Italian female student was carried off unconcious.

Barrack Obama is said to have brought a security team of 200+ men, but most world leaders are relying on the British police for their security. Police are bracing themselves for a challenging two days. In addition to anti-capatalism protests, similar to those held in the 1990s in Britain, there are also two other main protests, one against Climate Change, being peacefully held in the Bishopsgate, and also Stop the War are holding their protest in London City Centre. It seems there is alot to protest about, in this current world climate, ahead of the G20 summit where world leaders hope to make firm decisions.

Sources: Aljazeera Newshour, 1/4/09, Aljazeera News website G20 Protesters Beseige Londons Bank accessed 2/4/09; Guardian Newswebsite G20 Protests: Riot Police Clash with Demonstrators accessed 2/4/09

Demonstrate at the G20 on 2 April

11 am, the roundabout at end of Tidal Basin Road, E16 1AD.

Nearest working tube/DLR: Canning Town.

Please bring shoes, baby dolls, photos and other symbols of the death and destruction wreaked by the world's leaders.

• Get the troops out of Iraq & Afghanistan
• End the siege of Gaza – free Palestine
• Create jobs not bombs
• Stop arming Israel
• Abolish all nukes

Called by Stop the War, CND, Palestine Solidarity Campaign, British Muslim Initiative

Peacemaking by armed conflict?

With a Sinhalese majority ethnicity whom are people who mostly follow a peace / non- violence philosophy of Buddhism, Sri Lanka would like to be known as a peaceful country. But 30 years of armed conflict have marred the peace. Why? The Tamil ethnic minority - whom feel they are prejudiced against through discrimination and marginalisation - a social injustice which has been fought against using weaponry and violence by the infamous Tamil Tigers.

Image Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamil_Tiger

The Tamil Tigers have instigated a long running civil war against the Sinhalese majority government supported financially by ethnic Tamils living in countries overseas such as Malaysia. There is a Tamil majority in the neighbouring Southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu whom have often demonstrated to the Indian government to raise the profile of the situation of the Tamil minority in Sri Lanka. They use armed violence as their tactic and had previously murdered a former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Ghandi on 21 May 1999.

Now, with the Sinhalese army advancing into areas that were the stronghold of the Tamil Tigers, the Tamil Tigers leaders have been accused using civilians as a human shield meanwhile the Sri Lanka military has been accused of shelling schools and hospitals located in Tamil areas as part of the offensive. During U.N. relief efforts, Tamil Tigers have been accused by the U.N. of disallowing injured civilians, women and children to leave, shooting any that try and recruiting child soldiers.

Will the armed offensive into Tamil Tiger areas end the civil war once and for all? Will this bring peace to Sri Lanka and equal rights for Tamil minority population? Will the armed violence be justified in the future? Can peace in a civil context be achieved by armed conflict?

Sources: Aljazeera News hour broadcast 16/2/09; Aljazeera website Sri Lankas Tigers Deny War Crimes accessed 16/2/09 http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia/2009/02/2009217135117589149.html; WiKI Rajiv Gandhi accessed 16/2/09 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rajiv_Gandhi

Inexplicable Impartiality - the BBC

The BBC has confounded the British public, politicians and Aid Organisations by choosing not to screen an appeal in aid of Gaza, saying it would compromise the impartiality of the BBC and they expressed some doubt that aid could be delivered effectively. During the Israeli military offensive, Israeli government spokeswoman Livni said there is, 'no humanitarian crisis in Gaza', and by invading Gaza, the humanitarian situation was, 'kept exactly as it should be'.

Other channels are broadcasting the appeal on behalf of the DEC. The DEC is an umbrella organisation in the U.K. for aid agencies such as Oxfam and Islamic Relief and Save the Children.

Health minister Ben Bradshaw said the decision by the BBC was, 'inexplicable' and the Stop The War organised a march in protest of the decision attended by at least 5 thousand people at Trafalgar Square, London. The British government is donating £25m to the relief fund.

Aljazeera which has reporters stationed inside Gaza reports that some aid has started to reach into Gaza, however the crisis has left 100 000 displaced from their home and 50 000 people still living in temporary shelters, there is a lot that needs to be done.

I wonder, if the BBC is worried about impartiality, why not screen the appeal and let people make up their own minds about the existence of the humanitarian crisis? - This would be more impartial than not presenting the appeal at all.

Source: Yahoo News website accessed 25/1/09 http://uk.news.yahoo.com/5/20090124/tuk-protest-march-over-bbc-gaza-move-45dbed5.htm, Aljazeera news website accessed 25/1/09 http://english.aljazeera.net/news/europe/2009/01/2009123194844488755.html

Lull in Fighting - Fear Gives Way to Despair

For many, the lull in the fighting and the fear that goes with it gives way to a sense of despair. One man tells how he saw an Israeli tank and then an Israeli soldier came out at the top with a gun and shot his wife and children. He does not know why the Israeli soldier spared him. His home is destroyed and he has not even a picture to remember his children by.

News footage showed the walls inside some families' houses that have been marked with graffiti by Israeli soldiers that read, "Hammas - bad, IDF [Israeli Defense Force] = good". One family whom used to work in Israel have come back to their homes to such graffiti and symbols of Israel (the Israeli 'star' that can be seen on the country's flag) drawn on walls inside their house and even inside their cupboards.

Whilst Israel continues to blame Hammas for keeping their military installations in close proximity to civilian areas, the Arab Peace Summit in Kuwait held yesterday concluded that the Israeli military wants to 'smash' around and the Israeli politicians don't have a commitment to peace. Israel has destroyed the peace process and that what the politicians really want is the 'enemy' defeated.

Source: Aljazeera News Hour (broadcast by Triangle T.V.)

Israeli military to withdraw before Obama takes office

,The Israeli army declared a ceasefire and a 'victory' likewise the Hammas. It seems the whole thing is back to square one, because the crossings into Gaza are still closed and rockets can still be fired. People are still held in Gaza under siege without proper access to outside world.

Despite Hammas declaring victory that they can withstand such intensive 22 day operations, the death toll came up past 1300 people with more than 5000 injured. Today the ceasefire has meant it was safe for people to go outside, they have gone back to their houses in Gaza, many found rubble with neighbourhoods totally destroyed.

There were reports from Israeli military radio that the Israeli troops will withdraw before Obama takes office on Tuesday.

Source: http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2009/01/200911915726719317.html

Physician working in Israel grieving for his 3 daughters

Shown on the news this morning, a doctor whom was reporting daily from GAZA ON TELEVISION is a Palestinian physician whom has worked for years at an Israeli hospital. The Israeli military have now just killed his 3 children. His children were involved in Peacemaking efforts, the doctor said, there is no difference between Israeli and Palestinian [people], 'we are the same'.

This physician has helped so many Israeli people............
A huge reaction has been prompted in Israel pouring into Israel's TV Channel 10.

Source: Aljazeera News Hour (broadcast by Triangle T.V.)

Ceasefire Coming

There is likely to be a ceasefire affirmed today by Israeli politicians as Israel is 'close to achieving it's aims' and has signed a MOU (memorandum of understanding) with America before changing presidents that was politically very significant and is good for their national security. It has also shown off its military might which warns neighbour states not to attack on Israel as they will attack back hard.

However at what price long term has this 'success' come?

Source: Aljazeera News Hour (broadcast by Triangle T.V.)

Livni & Rice - Friends

Today there was a press conference where Israel and U.S. decided to be 'friends' and they signed a Memorandum of Understanding to this effect. Condaleeza Rice says how much she and President Bush enjoyed working with Livni whom thanked her 'friend and colleague Conda' for her help in the 'important work' that has been done for peace for Israel, the region and the 'people of the world'.

Eh? I'm not sure what important work has been done but it looks like it's ended in a war (am I missing something)?

Well, it seems like President Bush had some important 'friendships' to make certain before he steps down. It's really clear that American politicians were not acting as peacemakers in a neutral, fair or just manner.

Meanwhile Arab nation politicians also had a press conference and condemned aggression by Israel.

The Irony of the War on Gaza

The land targetted by the Hammas rockets was land that used to belong to the Palestinian people - before they were displaced from their land at the time Israel was created.

The great irony, that Hammas are firing missiles onto the land that used to be theirs.

Source: the indepentent newspaper editior (UK) on Aljazeera News Hour (UK).

WMD

What does Bush say about his presidency?

'Not finding weapons of mass destruction (WMD) was ................... a ................... 'significant disappintment'.......!!

Source: Aljazeera News Hour (TV) 13/1/09

"Peacemaking is a Long Term Endeavour with a Great Deal of Disappointment"

The latest from Aljazeera News .....

Protests against the violence in Gaza are taking place all over the world, in London protests are being staged non-stop 24-7, children are marching in protest in the West Bank, and in Paris, where violence has marred the march of 30 000 people against the Israeli military effort. Check out Yahoo News http://uk.news.yahoo.com/18/20090111/twl-israel-presses-on-with-gaza-war-as-d-3cd7efd.html

Whilst there have been 850 deaths so far, there comes reports of the suspected use of white phosphorous in civilian areas that causes severe burning to the skin. Israeli military threatens to escalate the conflict whilst 600 rockets have been fired from Gaza since military action began, some penetrating deeper than ever into Israel.

Journalists are locked-out of Gaza, with the only international journalists are those whom were resident inside Gaza before the military action are now targeted by Israeli troops. This is contributing to the international concern regarding what is happening inside Gaza.

"Peacemaking is a Long Term Endeavour, however there are small moments of incredible moments of extreme happiness and satisfaction". Sources: Aljazeera AJ One on One (TV) 11/1/2009