Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Monday, November 5, 2007
GREAT NEWS IN SPAIN....
Spanish court rules Scientology can be listed as a religion
6 hours ago MADRID (AFP) — A court in Spain has ruled in favour of listing the controversial Church of Scientology among the nation's official register of religions, according to a decision obtained by AFP Thursday.
The administrative tribunal of Madrid's High Court ruled that a 2005 justice ministry decision to scrap the church from the register was "against the law."
Responding to a petition filed by the church, the ruling said that no documents had been presented in court to demonstrate it was anything other than a religious entity.
"As a result it is more correct, and within a liberal interpretation which applies to the matter, to grant the requested inscription (in the list)," the text of the ruling said.
The Los Angeles-based Church of Scientology was founded in the United States in 1954 by science-fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard, who described it as an "applied religious philosophy."
It teaches that technology can expand the mind and help solve problems and counts actors Tom Cruise and John Travolta among its 10 million members.
In 1993, after a long legal battle, the US Internal Revenue Service officially recognised it as a church for tax purposes.
The movement is still viewed with suspicion in many European countries, including Belgium, France, Germany and Greece, where opponents accuse it of manipulating members for financial ends.
It has been active since 1983 in Spain where it operates a large, luxurious head office in central Madrid.
Last April, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Russia had blocked Scientology from registering as a church in Moscow and ordered payment of 10,000 euros (13,000 dollars) in damages.
Copyright © 2007 AFP. All rights reserved
6 hours ago MADRID (AFP) — A court in Spain has ruled in favour of listing the controversial Church of Scientology among the nation's official register of religions, according to a decision obtained by AFP Thursday.
The administrative tribunal of Madrid's High Court ruled that a 2005 justice ministry decision to scrap the church from the register was "against the law."
Responding to a petition filed by the church, the ruling said that no documents had been presented in court to demonstrate it was anything other than a religious entity.
"As a result it is more correct, and within a liberal interpretation which applies to the matter, to grant the requested inscription (in the list)," the text of the ruling said.
The Los Angeles-based Church of Scientology was founded in the United States in 1954 by science-fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard, who described it as an "applied religious philosophy."
It teaches that technology can expand the mind and help solve problems and counts actors Tom Cruise and John Travolta among its 10 million members.
In 1993, after a long legal battle, the US Internal Revenue Service officially recognised it as a church for tax purposes.
The movement is still viewed with suspicion in many European countries, including Belgium, France, Germany and Greece, where opponents accuse it of manipulating members for financial ends.
It has been active since 1983 in Spain where it operates a large, luxurious head office in central Madrid.
Last April, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Russia had blocked Scientology from registering as a church in Moscow and ordered payment of 10,000 euros (13,000 dollars) in damages.
Copyright © 2007 AFP. All rights reserved
Friday, November 2, 2007
This is Australia.
Youth for Human Rights
Hi Everyone,
If you are wondering why you are receiving this email, it is because you are in a position to do something about getting young people to learn something about their Human Rights and the Responsibilities that go with them. Perhaps you do a little or a lot towards this. Over the last few months I have been in the Northern Territory of Australia and it has brought home to me in stunning clarity the simple fact that whatever we are doing, it is simply not enough.
The Northern Territory is a beautiful, moving, confronting place which is matched in magnitude by it’s hidden problems. I have spent the last two months around Alice Springs and Uluru and in Darwin . I have been lucky enough to meet many fine people of different races, professions and backgrounds and have visited and stayed in different areas including a number of Aboriginal communities in Central Australia .
Here are some background facts that will help you get the picture, many you may already know.
1. A huge number of Aboriginal people out here do not speak English.
2. There are more than 400 Aboriginal languages.
3. Many of the Aboriginal people here have little or no knowledge of how the white or mainstream system works.
4. The Aboriginal communities out here have 80% unemployment while Alice Springs has 1,000 job vacancies.
5. The communities around Uluru live in absolute poverty although they own a multi million business venture and nominally receive 25% of the gate receipts from the Uluru National Park .
6. Many, so called, Aboriginal businesses are actually run by white people on good salaries while they return very little to the Aboriginal “owners”.
7. Some Aboriginal people nominated to board positions within these organizations have little or no understanding of the processes that they are taking part in.
8. The Aboriginal civilization or culture is a working system with high principles and moral laws and is the longest surviving civilization on earth. Where it exists, unaberated, it still works that way.
9. In many camps and communities the culture is weak and local customs have been perverted and changed to something else. This is where the problems of criminality, violence and substance abuse appear. These problems are real.
10. The tone level in some of the communities is apathy and there alcoholism is rife. Gambling is a prevalent pastime.
11. The evil that created the Stolen Generation is one group of people imposing their values on a another culture that they did not understand and that neither needed nor wanted that help.
12. The tragedy is that it is still happening, with actions taken on Aboriginal issues without the involvement of the leaders of Aboriginal communities. There are certainly some urgent and unacceptable problems that require immediate solutions and funding such as medical issues and crime against children where it does exist.
13. Some communities are dysfunctional, others are not.
14. Some problems are still being denied and hidden.
15. One major communication problem between Aboriginal and white people is misunderstood words from different usage. Aboriginal people use some key English words subtly, but significantly differently.
16. Another problem is the denial of real Australian history by many Australians.
a) The country was not empty or vacant when the British claimed it. “Terra Nullius Incognita” did not apply and has become a justification built on a lie.
b) The relationship between Aboriginal people settlers has included violence, massacres and death by disease in large numbers since the first 12 months of settlement when half the aboriginal population around Sydney was eradicated by the introduced disease, small pox.
c) The Aboriginal people did not agree to losing there land. They were then killed themselves for trespassing on what was suddenly not theirs after 40,000 years of access to get food from their traditional sources.
d) White men then mated with Aboriginal women; missionaries, station owners and staff, visiting sealers which created half caste children. These, the government thought at the time (1910 – 1970), might be better brought up as white while the Aboriginal culture was expected to die with their Mothers and families. There being no recognition of indigenous culture and Aboriginal people classified as wildlife until 1967. 50,000 children were taken or 10% of the current Aboriginal population.
What is the basis for a solution?
Commissioner Tom Calma saw the solution being human rights based where the rights are applied to all people. Good statement.
So what do we do?
We have initiated a program of Forums for Australian Youth (and adults) in co operation with indigenous groups and individuals.
These will involve education for all Australian kids in the UN Declaration of Human Rights and a workshop on it in the morning.
(Check out the Youth for Human Rights public service announcements of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on www.youthforhumanrights.org.au )
In the afternoon the film “Kanyini” will be shown. This is a beautiful and powerful explanation of Aboriginal philosophy that can impinge on and be understood by anyone. This will then be work shopped and attendees will be encouraged to plan a project that they can make real in their area. Go to www.kanyini. com and get a copy of the movie and watch it.
Here is why - Human Rights in the desert today.
We are all born equal in dignity and rights – unless you are Aboriginal in Central Australia, walk down a street in Central Australia and watch the difference.
Right to life – Aboriginal life expectancy 43 years
Right to a Nationality (Sovereignty)– The Government stance on no treaty with the Aboriginal people rests on the doctrine of “Terra Nullius”, no one was here before us, as a moral OK to take the land. Who is trying to kid who?
Marriage and Family – Between 1910 and 1972 50,000 Aboriginal kids were forcibly removed from their families to learn to be white.( I have seen the documentation and met the people)
The Right to your own things – Whose land?
The Right to Education – the majority are illiterate as teachers cannot speak their languages and the system is not working (there are 400)
Culture and Copyright – The culture and their system of civilization and laws have been weakened by successive Governments with policies of assimilation.
A Free and Fair World – Where no really effective education equals no understanding of basic human rights and leaves Communities open for exploitation. ?
Responsibility – The Aboriginal system of civilization depends on the responsibility of the individual to the community and all things connected to it. We have and are continuing to take this away by determining for the Aboriginal people with welfare dependency.
How are we doing? That is 9 rights out of 30 that I have seen over the last two months in our own country. To top it off Australia was one of the few countries to reject the UN Universal Declaration of Indigenous Human Rights last month in the General Assembly of the United Nations.
Human Rights must be made a reality, not just an idealistic dream, to do this we must educate all Australians in the truth and help us all find a way out together from our national shame. The truth shall set us free.
This is where our Human Rights and Indigenous Culture Education forums are vital to the future of our nation. Whether we run them or provide materials for you to run them does not matter. Our children are our future and human rights do begin with us.
Then perhaps acknowledgement of the past and an agreement to go forward together at last, as One Mob – Australia ,
Cheers,
Nigel
Nigel Mannock
Director
Youth for Human Rights – Asia Pacific
Hi Everyone,
If you are wondering why you are receiving this email, it is because you are in a position to do something about getting young people to learn something about their Human Rights and the Responsibilities that go with them. Perhaps you do a little or a lot towards this. Over the last few months I have been in the Northern Territory of Australia and it has brought home to me in stunning clarity the simple fact that whatever we are doing, it is simply not enough.
The Northern Territory is a beautiful, moving, confronting place which is matched in magnitude by it’s hidden problems. I have spent the last two months around Alice Springs and Uluru and in Darwin . I have been lucky enough to meet many fine people of different races, professions and backgrounds and have visited and stayed in different areas including a number of Aboriginal communities in Central Australia .
Here are some background facts that will help you get the picture, many you may already know.
1. A huge number of Aboriginal people out here do not speak English.
2. There are more than 400 Aboriginal languages.
3. Many of the Aboriginal people here have little or no knowledge of how the white or mainstream system works.
4. The Aboriginal communities out here have 80% unemployment while Alice Springs has 1,000 job vacancies.
5. The communities around Uluru live in absolute poverty although they own a multi million business venture and nominally receive 25% of the gate receipts from the Uluru National Park .
6. Many, so called, Aboriginal businesses are actually run by white people on good salaries while they return very little to the Aboriginal “owners”.
7. Some Aboriginal people nominated to board positions within these organizations have little or no understanding of the processes that they are taking part in.
8. The Aboriginal civilization or culture is a working system with high principles and moral laws and is the longest surviving civilization on earth. Where it exists, unaberated, it still works that way.
9. In many camps and communities the culture is weak and local customs have been perverted and changed to something else. This is where the problems of criminality, violence and substance abuse appear. These problems are real.
10. The tone level in some of the communities is apathy and there alcoholism is rife. Gambling is a prevalent pastime.
11. The evil that created the Stolen Generation is one group of people imposing their values on a another culture that they did not understand and that neither needed nor wanted that help.
12. The tragedy is that it is still happening, with actions taken on Aboriginal issues without the involvement of the leaders of Aboriginal communities. There are certainly some urgent and unacceptable problems that require immediate solutions and funding such as medical issues and crime against children where it does exist.
13. Some communities are dysfunctional, others are not.
14. Some problems are still being denied and hidden.
15. One major communication problem between Aboriginal and white people is misunderstood words from different usage. Aboriginal people use some key English words subtly, but significantly differently.
16. Another problem is the denial of real Australian history by many Australians.
a) The country was not empty or vacant when the British claimed it. “Terra Nullius Incognita” did not apply and has become a justification built on a lie.
b) The relationship between Aboriginal people settlers has included violence, massacres and death by disease in large numbers since the first 12 months of settlement when half the aboriginal population around Sydney was eradicated by the introduced disease, small pox.
c) The Aboriginal people did not agree to losing there land. They were then killed themselves for trespassing on what was suddenly not theirs after 40,000 years of access to get food from their traditional sources.
d) White men then mated with Aboriginal women; missionaries, station owners and staff, visiting sealers which created half caste children. These, the government thought at the time (1910 – 1970), might be better brought up as white while the Aboriginal culture was expected to die with their Mothers and families. There being no recognition of indigenous culture and Aboriginal people classified as wildlife until 1967. 50,000 children were taken or 10% of the current Aboriginal population.
What is the basis for a solution?
Commissioner Tom Calma saw the solution being human rights based where the rights are applied to all people. Good statement.
So what do we do?
We have initiated a program of Forums for Australian Youth (and adults) in co operation with indigenous groups and individuals.
These will involve education for all Australian kids in the UN Declaration of Human Rights and a workshop on it in the morning.
(Check out the Youth for Human Rights public service announcements of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on www.youthforhumanrights.org.au )
In the afternoon the film “Kanyini” will be shown. This is a beautiful and powerful explanation of Aboriginal philosophy that can impinge on and be understood by anyone. This will then be work shopped and attendees will be encouraged to plan a project that they can make real in their area. Go to www.kanyini. com and get a copy of the movie and watch it.
Here is why - Human Rights in the desert today.
We are all born equal in dignity and rights – unless you are Aboriginal in Central Australia, walk down a street in Central Australia and watch the difference.
Right to life – Aboriginal life expectancy 43 years
Right to a Nationality (Sovereignty)– The Government stance on no treaty with the Aboriginal people rests on the doctrine of “Terra Nullius”, no one was here before us, as a moral OK to take the land. Who is trying to kid who?
Marriage and Family – Between 1910 and 1972 50,000 Aboriginal kids were forcibly removed from their families to learn to be white.( I have seen the documentation and met the people)
The Right to your own things – Whose land?
The Right to Education – the majority are illiterate as teachers cannot speak their languages and the system is not working (there are 400)
Culture and Copyright – The culture and their system of civilization and laws have been weakened by successive Governments with policies of assimilation.
A Free and Fair World – Where no really effective education equals no understanding of basic human rights and leaves Communities open for exploitation. ?
Responsibility – The Aboriginal system of civilization depends on the responsibility of the individual to the community and all things connected to it. We have and are continuing to take this away by determining for the Aboriginal people with welfare dependency.
How are we doing? That is 9 rights out of 30 that I have seen over the last two months in our own country. To top it off Australia was one of the few countries to reject the UN Universal Declaration of Indigenous Human Rights last month in the General Assembly of the United Nations.
Human Rights must be made a reality, not just an idealistic dream, to do this we must educate all Australians in the truth and help us all find a way out together from our national shame. The truth shall set us free.
This is where our Human Rights and Indigenous Culture Education forums are vital to the future of our nation. Whether we run them or provide materials for you to run them does not matter. Our children are our future and human rights do begin with us.
Then perhaps acknowledgement of the past and an agreement to go forward together at last, as One Mob – Australia ,
Cheers,
Nigel
Nigel Mannock
Director
Youth for Human Rights – Asia Pacific
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