Argentina's President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner (C) addresses the
audience during a meeting of the annual Mercosur trade bloc presidential
summit in Mendoza June 29, 2012. (Credit: Reuters/Enrique Marcarian)

Chinese leader woos Latin America with deals

Chinese leader woos Latin America with deals
Chinese President Xi Jinping (4-L, first row) poses with leaders of the CELAC group of Latin American and Caribbean states, in Brasilia, on July 17, 2014 (AFP Photo/Nelson Almeida)
"A Summary" – Apr 2, 2011 (Kryon channelled by Lee Carroll) (Subjects: Religion, Shift of Human Consciousness, 2012, Intelligent/Benevolent Design, EU, South America, 5 Currencies, Water Cycle (Heat up, Mini Ice Ace, Oceans, Fish, Earthquakes ..), Middle East, Internet, Israel, Dictators, Palestine, US, Japan (Quake/Tsunami Disasters , People, Society ...), Nuclear Power Revealed, Hydro Power, Geothermal Power, Moon, Financial Institutes (Recession, Realign integrity values ..) , China, North Korea, Global Unity,..... etc.) -

“ … Here is another one. A change in what Human nature will allow for government. "Careful, Kryon, don't talk about politics. You'll get in trouble." I won't get in trouble. I'm going to tell you to watch for leadership that cares about you. "You mean politics is going to change?" It already has. It's beginning. Watch for it. You're going to see a total phase-out of old energy dictatorships eventually. The potential is that you're going to see that before 2013.

They're going to fall over, you know, because the energy of the population will not sustain an old energy leader ..."

"Update on Current Events" – Jul 23, 2011 (Kryon channelled by Lee Carroll) - (Subjects: The Humanization of God, Gaia, Shift of Human Consciousness, 2012, Benevolent Design, Financial Institutes (Recession, System to Change ...), Water Cycle (Heat up, Mini Ice Ace, Oceans, Fish, Earthquakes ..), Nuclear Power Revealed, Geothermal Power, Hydro Power, Drinking Water from Seawater, No need for Oil as Much, Middle East in Peace, Persia/Iran Uprising, Muhammad, Israel, DNA, Two Dictators to fall soon, Africa, China, (Old) Souls, Species to go, Whales to Humans, Global Unity,..... etc.)
(Subjects: Who/What is Kryon ?, Egypt Uprising, Iran/Persia Uprising, Peace in Middle East without Israel actively involved, Muhammad, "Conceptual" Youth Revolution, "Conceptual" Managed Business, Internet, Social Media, News Media, Google, Bankers, Global Unity,..... etc.)



Map of Latin America showing countries where major protests have occurred in recent months (AFP Photo)
.
A student holds a sign reading "Don't shoot, listen!!!" during a protest
on June 17, 2013 in Brasilia (AFP, Evaristo)

Paraguay police search S. American football HQ

Paraguay police search S. American football HQ
The Conmebol headquarters in Luque, Paraguay, is seen on January 7, 2016, during a raid within the framework of the FIFA corruption scandal (AFP Photo/Norberto Duarte)

'Panama Papers' law firm under the media's lenses

'Panama Papers' law firm under the media's lenses
The Panama Papers: key facts on the huge journalists' investigation into tax evasion (AFP Photo/Thomas Saint-Cricq, Philippe Mouche)

Mossack Fonseca

Mossack Fonseca

.

.
"The Recalibration of Awareness – Apr 20/21, 2012 (Kryon channeled by Lee Carroll) (Subjects: Old Energy, Recalibration Lectures, God / Creator, Religions/Spiritual systems (Catholic Church, Priests/Nun’s, Worship, John Paul Pope, Women in the Church otherwise church will go, Current Pope won’t do it), Middle East, Jews, Governments will change (Internet, Media, Democracies, Dictators, North Korea, Nations voted at once), Integrity (Businesses, Tobacco Companies, Bankers/ Financial Institutes, Pharmaceutical company to collapse), Illuminati (Started in Greece, with Shipping, Financial markets, Stock markets, Pharmaceutical money (fund to build Africa, to develop)), Shift of Human Consciousness, (Old) Souls, Women, Masters to/already come back, Global Unity.... etc.) - (Text version)

… The Shift in Human Nature

You're starting to see integrity change. Awareness recalibrates integrity, and the Human Being who would sit there and take advantage of another Human Being in an old energy would never do it in a new energy. The reason? It will become intuitive, so this is a shift in Human Nature as well, for in the past you have assumed that people take advantage of people first and integrity comes later. That's just ordinary Human nature.

In the past, Human nature expressed within governments worked like this: If you were stronger than the other one, you simply conquered them. If you were strong, it was an invitation to conquer. If you were weak, it was an invitation to be conquered. No one even thought about it. It was the way of things. The bigger you could have your armies, the better they would do when you sent them out to conquer. That's not how you think today. Did you notice?

Any country that thinks this way today will not survive, for humanity has discovered that the world goes far better by putting things together instead of tearing them apart. The new energy puts the weak and strong together in ways that make sense and that have integrity. Take a look at what happened to some of the businesses in this great land (USA). Up to 30 years ago, when you started realizing some of them didn't have integrity, you eliminated them. What happened to the tobacco companies when you realized they were knowingly addicting your children? Today, they still sell their products to less-aware countries, but that will also change.

What did you do a few years ago when you realized that your bankers were actually selling you homes that they knew you couldn't pay for later? They were walking away, smiling greedily, not thinking about the heartbreak that was to follow when a life's dream would be lost. Dear American, you are in a recession. However, this is like when you prune a tree and cut back the branches. When the tree grows back, you've got control and the branches will grow bigger and stronger than they were before, without the greed factor. Then, if you don't like the way it grows back, you'll prune it again! I tell you this because awareness is now in control of big money. It's right before your eyes, what you're doing. But fear often rules. …

Saturday, March 31, 2012

Wait, Did CNN Just Lose HALF Of Its Viewers?

Business InsiderDavid Seaman, David Seaman Online Mar. 28, 2012

Don't let the door hit your ass on the way out.

As TVNewser's Chris Ariens reported today: "CNN bore the brunt of the downward trend the news networks experienced this month and for much of the first quarter, when compared to the busy first few months of 2011.

For the month of March, CNN was down -50% in total viewers and down -60% in A25-54 viewers (Total Day). The net was down -21% in Total Viewers and down -26% in A25-54 viewers (Primetime) compared to March 2011."

The viewer exodus is not limited to CNN, though. Roger Ailes' aging heavyweight champion FOX News "was not immune to a loss in viewership for the month of March and for the first quarter of 2012. For the month, Fox News is down -17%," according to another post by Ariens.

Perhaps, if I may be so bold, this is what happens to you when you continue to report stories that no longer resemble -- even remotely -- what your own viewers see outside their windows and apartments.

CNN has barely covered the rapidly growing Occupy and Tea Party protests around the country, and as the clip from Current TV's Cenk Uygur below points out, CNN gave zero prime-time coverage to the NDAA's indefinite detention provisions, arguably one of the most devastating rollbacks of Americans' civil rights ever.

Perhaps viewers are sick and tired of the same half-assed recycled stories about Kim Kardashian, the same shiny Piers Morgan celebrity interviews, and perhaps a war weary public is also not so quick to slurp up CNN's incoherent Iran warmongering.

Perhaps viewers are disgusted with CNN's packaging of the 2012 election year -- a critical time regardless of where you stand politically -- into a crass sports event, heavy on special effects and "analysis," and quite thin on actual reporting.

Now, I don't think CNN's viewers have suddenly decided not to consume news any more. I just think they are going online to do it.

They are turning to independent shows, like mine, and like The Young Turks... they are turning to news sites like The Huffington Post and Daily Caller... and they are turning to each other: social sharing services such as Reddit and StumbleUpon now command a massive audience, and can lift an obscure blog post into the mainstream consciousness within a matter of hours.

Maybe your viewers no longer need you.

Cenk Uygur explores CNN's massive failure to cover the NDAA:





Related Articles




"Recalibration of Free Choice"–  Mar 3, 2012 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Caroll) - (Subjects: (Old) SoulsMidpoint on 21-12-2012, Shift of Human Consciousness, Black & White vs. Color, 1 - Spirituality (Religions) shifting, Lose a Pope “soon”, 2 - Humans will change react to drama, 3 - Civilizations/Population on Earth,  4 - Alternate energy sources (Geothermal, Tidal (Pedal wheels), Wind), 5 – Financials Institutes/concepts will change (Integrity – Ethical) , 6 - News/Media/TV to change7 – Big Pharmaceutical company will collapse “soon”, (Keep people sick), (Integrity – Ethical)  8 – Wars will be over on Earth, Global Unity, … etc.)  New ! 

Chileans march for gay rights after homophobic killing (Video)

Guardian.co.uk, Saturday 31 March 2012

People took to the streets of Santiago in a march against homophobia, after Daniel Zamudio, a 24-year-old gay man, died from injuries sustained in an apparent homophobic attack. Almost a month ago Zamundio was beaten up and had swastikas carved into his skin by what is believed to be a neo-Nazi gang





Related Articles:

About the Challenges of Being a Gay Man – Oct 23, 2010 (Saint Germain channelled by Alexandra Mahlimay and Dan Bennack)

“ ... You see, your Soul and Creator are not concerned with any perspective you have that contradicts the reality of your Divinity – whether this be your gender, your sexual preference, your nationality – or your race, ethnicity, religious beliefs, or anything else.The only identity that has any fundamental or lasting relevance to your Soul is your Divinity. Any other way you may label or identify yourself is transitory. It changes from one incarnation to the next. ..."

"The Akashic System" – Jul 17, 2011 (Kryon channelled by Lee Carroll) - (Subjects: Religion, GodBenevolent Design, DNA, Akashic Circle, (Old) Souls, Gaia, Indigenous People, Talents, Reincarnation, Genders, Gender Switches, In “between” Gender Change, Gender Confusion, Shift of Human Consciousness, Global Unity,..... etc.)

Cuba declares Good Friday holiday after Pope visit

BBC News, 31 March 2012

Related Stories 

The Catholic church is seeking to revive
 its influence during a period of rapid
change in Cuba
Cuba's Communist government has declared Good Friday next week to be a public holiday following an appeal from Pope Benedict.

The Pope made the request during his recent visit to the island.

Good Friday is the day Catholics commemorate the death of Christ, and is a central part of Easter celebrations.

It is the first time it has been recognised as a public holiday in Cuba since the 1960s, when religious holidays were abolished.

President Raul Castro took the decision in light of the success of the Pope's "transcendental visit", the Cuban government said in a statement.

The holiday will initially be for this year only, but a decision will be taken later on whether to make it permanent, it added.

The Pope's predecessor, John Paul II, made a similar request during the last papal visit to Cuba in 1998, successfully persuading then-leader Fidel Castro to recognise Christmas as a public holiday.

Reports from Cuba say people generally welcomed the news of an extra day off.

"After 50 years of telling us the Church is bad, now they say it is good and we get Good Friday off," office worker Mirta Salgado told the Associated Press.

"I'm not religious, not Catholic, not anything, but at least this Friday I won't be working," she added.

Improving relations

During his three-day visit to Cuba, Pope Benedict called for reconciliation between Cubans and greater rights, saying no-one should be deprived of basic freedoms.

He also criticised the 50-year-old US embargo of the island.

Cuba was officially atheist until the 1990s and fewer than 10% of Cubans are practising Catholics.

But the Church is nonetheless the most influential organisation outside the Communist government.

Relations between Church and state have improved in recent years, and Catholic leaders have successfully mediated in the release of political prisoners.

Friday, March 30, 2012

David Wilcock: March 28, 2012 Interview with Whistleblower “Drake” on Mass Arrests

The 2012 Scenario, by BZ Riger, 2012 MARCH 30 

David Wilcock interviews a top insider, “Drake,” asked by the Pentagon to publicly discuss the mass arrests. “Drake” points us to the website Freedom Reigns for more details.


UPDATE 2:59 PM — INTERVIEW WITH TOP INSIDER ABOUT IMMINENT MASS ARRESTS

I am on the plane to this weekend’s conference in Austin. You are about to hear a stunning interview with Drake, an insider specifically asked by the Pentagon “good guys” to come forward and explain what is going to be done.

I was blown away by the information he was giving. If you didn’t already believe this was really going to happen, this may very well change your mind.

I ran Drake through an extensive validation process with one of my top insiders and he passed with flying colors. He is the real deal.

We have an urgent-status rush transcription order for our Divine Cosmos Transcription Team on this, and will get it posted ASAP.

These are ZIP files. All you have to do is download them, open them and tell them where you want your MP3 to go. It’s that simple — just like our downloadable products. Here they are:




These MP3 files will load into ALL standard MP3 players and also into iTunes. However, iTunes has had some issues with MP3 files lately.

If you try to load these files into iTunes and it crashes, you need to update your iTunes. The current iTunes version 10.6.1 fixes most of these bugs.

Brics’ move to unseat US dollar as trade currency

City press,Thandeka Gqubule and Andile Ntingi,  2012-03-25    

South Africa will this week take some initial steps to unseat the US dollar as the preferred worldwide currency for trade and investment in emerging economies.

Thus, the nation is expected to become party to endorsing the Chinese currency, the renminbi, as the currency of trade in emerging markets.

This means getting a renminbi-denominated bank account, in addition to a dollar account, could be an advantage for African businesses that seek to do business in the emerging markets.

The move is set to challenge the supremacy of the US dollar. This, experts say, is the latest salvo in the greatest worldwide currency war since the 1930s.

In the 30s, several nations competitively devalued their currencies to give their domestic economies an advantage over others.

And this led to a worldwide decline in overall trade volumes at the time.

The north will be pitted against the entire south in a historic competitive currency battle – whose terrain has moved to the Indian capital New Dehli – where the Brics (Brazil, Russia, India China and South Africa) nations will assemble next week.

China seeks to find new markets for its currency and to lobby to internationalise it throughout the Brics states.

For China this is not a new game. In 2009, senior Chinese banking officials issued a statement that the international monetary system was flawed owing to an unhealthy dependence on the US dollar and called for a “super-sovereign” international reserve currency.

Experts say Beijing’s first step is to internationalise its currency (by expanding its reach beyond China), liberalise it (to allow its value to be determined by the market instead of actively managing it as they currently do) and then make it a reserve currency for many nations in the developing world.

Africa’s largest bank, Standard Bank, says in a research document: “We expect at least $100 billion (about R768 billion) in Sino-African trade – more than the total bilateral trade between China and Africa in 2010 – to be settled in the renminbi by 2015.”

The bank anticipates that the use of the renminbi will lower transaction costs in Africa, thus lowering the barriers to doing business.

It also says that the Chinese will be more successful in transacting in renminbi in Africa than anywhere else because most currencies are weak and somewhat localised.

Not only will the US dollar be challenged, but also the entire international financial regime – led by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund – which has been dominant since the end of World War II.

South Africa’s place in the emerging international financial regime is set to be enhanced.

Zou Lixing, vice-president of the Institute of Research of the China Development Bank, told the Brics preparatory meeting recently that “although the economic aggregate of South Africa is small relative to the Brics, South Africa provides a gate for the Brics to get access to the huge African market”.

The five-member nations have collectively called for an end to the tacit agreement between the US and Europe that ensures that the head of the World Bank is an American citizen, and the International Monetary Fund head is European.

They have proposed that an emerging market candidate be fielded when the term of the current World Bank head, Robert Zoellick, expires in three months.

Fundacao Vargas, a member of the Brazilian delegation, said Brics could confront “existing governance structures”, and seek to strengthen the blocs’ influence in established institutions like the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, while creating alternatives.

The demand for greater political say in international affairs dovetails with China’s expected rise as a financial superpower in the next eight years.

Vargas showed the preparatory meeting projections indicating that China’s economy will have eclipsed that of the US by 2020, hence the promotion of the renminbi as the preferred currency of the south.

The renminbi has traditionally traded at a deliberately lower exchange rate, which gave a huge boost to China’s domestic economic sectors and enabled its booming industrialisation and growth.

The US and other trading partners have long accused China of being a “currency manipulator”.

Last week, Brazil declared its commitment to keep its own currency – the real – low. Its finance minister, Guido Mantega, reiterated his November 2010 declaration that a global currency war has broken out.

He said: “We do not want to lose our manufacturing sector.

We will not sit back and watch while other countries devalue their currencies.”

Brazil and China cried foul last year when, through a slew of initiatives dubbed QE2 – Quantitative Easing Two – the US indirectly devalued its currency by pumping about $600 billion into its economy to protect the economy from sliding back into recession.

South African economists were in two minds about the moves to extend the influence of the renminbi.

Economist and academic Peter Draper told City Press recently that the decision to establish a Brics development bank and to enlarge the renminbi's sphere “is political and related to the current political dynamics within the World Bank” and the established international financial system.

Tom Wheeler of the South African Institute of International Affairs said developments in New Delhi (India) were “giving substance to the previously (and) loosely arranged economic block”.

- City Press

A bank employee counts U.S. dollar notes during a photo
 opportunity at a bank in Seoul on May 4, 2010. Asian countries
 are looking to double their reserves in an effort to rely less
on the International Monetary Fund. (Reuters Photo)
.

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Brazil's Luis Inacio Lula da Silva cancer treatment 'success'

BBC News, 28 March 2012  

Lula (R) has been without his trademark
beard as a result of his treatment
Former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's treatment for throat cancer has been successful, doctors say.

A hospital statement said tests showed the "absence of a visible tumour".

Lula, 66, was diagnosed with the cancer in October last year and given chemotherapy and later radiotherapy.

The former president stepped down with record approval ratings at the end of 2010, after two terms in office.

"Nuclear magnetic resonance and laryngoscopy exams show the absence of any visible tumor," the hospital statement said.

It added that the former president would continue speech therapy, and that his progress would be monitored further.

AFP quoted Jose Chrispiniano, a spokesman for Lula's foundation, the Citizenry Institute, as saying that the cancer was "in complete remission".

Lula completed three cycles of chemotherapy in December last year, before beginning radiotherapy.

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Iranians and Israelis start a "Bombardment of Love" on social media platforms

Deutsche Welle, 23 Mar 2012


While politicians in both countries continue to step up the rhetoric, ordinary people in Israel and Iran have launched an initiative to express their respect for each other and their mutual rejection of a possible war.

The initiative was triggered by a video shared on the social media platform "YouTube" by Ronny Edry and his wife Michal Tamir, who live in Tel Aviv.

The 41 year old graphic designer explains his motives in the video: "Lately in the news you can hear about the war coming, a big one. Politicians talk about destruction, about self defence, like this war is not about us." He goes on to appeal to YouTube fans to make posters with their photos and express their love of the Iranian people.

Ronny and his wife have made a colourful poster with their photo, holding their little daughter in their arms. Their message was: "Iranians, We love you. We will never bomb your country…No Iranians ever did me harm."

Many people are worried a war between
Israel and Iran could break out
The Israeli, who runs a small preparatory school for graphic design with his wife, argues that Iranians talking about war on Iranian TV are not representative of the Iranian people and what they think about Israel. At the end of the video, he asks everyone who feels the same to share this message and help it to reach Iran.

Reactions in Israel have been extraordinary. A few hours after the video was posted on YouTube, hundreds of Israelis started posting their own photos with expressions of mutual respect and love. A Facebook page was also launched and #israellovesiran became a trend on "Twitter."

"Iran Loves Israel Too"

Since the start of the "Israel Loves Iran" Facebook page, Iranians from all around the world have started expressing their support.

"My Israeli friends! I do not hate you; I do not want war. Love and peace" is typical of many Iranian posts by Iranian Facebook users on a new sister page called "Iran Loves Israel." Some other posters read: "Iranians don’t want a war with any country in the world."

Most of the Iranians who posted messages on the Facebook page from inside the country, did so with their faces partially veiled for fear of Iranian security forces."Espionage for Israel" is a common allegation used against those critical of the regime’s policies.

Some of the Iranian posters challenged the Islamic Republic’s view that nuclear energy is the country’s "inalienable right." One poster caption reads: "Dear Israeli friends and the world! Iranians love peace and we hate hate! And we don’t need any nuclear power to show it!"

Another photo shows a young couple, kissing each other while showing their passports to the camer. The girl is holding an Iranian passport, the boy’s is Israeli. The caption reads: "I believe in Love. Israelis and Iranians love each other. Believe it."

Interestingly some Iranian Facebook users have also made a clip with pictures of Jewish synagogues, schools, shops and old houses all over Iran to give an unusual glimpse of the life led by the 25,000 to 35,000 Jews living in Iran.

Ronny Edry and Michal Tamir
started a 'campaign of love'
"What about Palestine?"

Like many other online initiatives and ideas, satirical responses were also quick to appear. A mock post by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu turned up reading: "Iranians! I love you. I truly love you all. It’s my people I hate."

But some Iranian and Israeli users injected the highly contentious Palestinian issue into the campaign pointing out that the "Love Exchange" was ignoring people living in the Gaza Strip and on the West Bank.

As an Iranian Facebook user puts it: "As much as I am touched by the Iranian-Israeli love affair, I have to say this to the Israeli and Iranian people holding "I love you" signs, I love you too, but love isn’t enough." She then launches into an attack on Israel’s policy against Palestine emphasizing that democracy in Israel is "just a claim.

Unless you (the Israelis) have a say in what your state does, saying "we will never bomb you" is meaningless."

Others believe such comments are counterproductive. An Israeli Facebook writes "I fear that starting to involve the Palestine issue will decrease the power of this campaign and a lot fewer people will sign and join the initiative. Let’s stay narrow and focused."

The initiative aims at promoting peace
Despite these differences more than 14,000 people have "liked" the Facebook page of the campaign since it went online a week ago.

Iran and Israel have not had diplomatic relations since the 1979 Islamic revolution. In the Shah’s day the two countries were viewed as allies in the Middle East.

Iranians are not allowed to travel to Israel on an Iranian passport. No Israelis have visited Iran for thirty years.

Author: Farnaz Seifi
Editor: Grahame Lucas


An image from a poster on the
'Israel Loves Iran' Facebook
page.Pushpin Mehina
 

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Banners, more protests against Monsanto

STL TodayBy Georgina Gustin, March 20, 2012 

Protestors gather Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012, at Monsanto headquarters
in Creve Coeur. Photo by Erik M. Lunsford

Related Stories

Protesters who are part of a movement calling itself Occupy Monsanto hung banners throughout the region early Tuesday, a day after holding a march through downtown St. Louis and days after protests against the company were held in some 30 cities across the country.

Some of the signs read "FDA is Genetically Contaminated by Monsanto" and "Genetic Biohazard: Defend Yourself."

By mid-day Tuesday, roughly half of the 13 banners, which were hung mostly on highway overpasses, had been removed by law enforcement, according to an Occupy Monsanto organizer.

Over the weekend the Creve Couer-based biotechnology giant told employees at a research facility in Davis, Calif., that they did not need to come to work, out of concern for their safety amid protests there.

A Monsanto spokesperson said 60 people work at the facility, but did not comment further.

The movement, an offshoot of Occupy Wall Street, is trying to urge people to take part in a one-day international protest on September 17, the one-year anniversary of the Occupy Wall Street movement.

The group is calling on federal regulators to require mandatory labeling of foods containing transgenic ingredients, and is pushing to stop approval of new crops that would be genetically engineered to withstand applications of old-generation herbicides.

The company said it respects the rights of the protesters to voice their opinions, but did not comment beyond that.


Related Articles:

Monsanto and Genetically Modified Crops - Is there a cover-up?

Scientists warn EPA on Monsanto corn rootworm

French beekeepers demonstrate to protest the use of genetically-modified
 organisms in front of French Monsanto headquarters in Bron, near Lyon,
 January 20, 2012. Sign reads, ''GMO = Death of Bees'' and banner in
background says, ''Monsanto get out''. (Credit: Reuters/Robert Pratta)

Court finds Monsanto guilty of poisoning

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Time for the truth about Catholic sex abuse in the Netherlands

RNW, 19 March 2012, by Robert Chesal

  (Photo: Branants Historisch Informatie Centrum) 
             
The revelation that a number of minors abused in Dutch Roman Catholic institutions were forcibly castrated has shocked the Netherlands. It casts grave doubt upon the recent findings of a commission of inquiry. RNW's Robert Chesal, who first brought the sex abuse scandal to light, argues that only parliament can be trusted to investigate further. 

Journalists of the Year 2010

RNW's Robert Chesal and Joep Dohmen
of NRC Handelsblad were named journalists 
of the year in 2010 for their work in exposing
sexual abuse in the Roman Catholic church
in the Netherlands.

Dohmen also published the book "Vrome 
Zondaars" (Pious Sinners) on the
same subject.

We now know that former Dutch cabinet minister Wim Deetman did not meet the expectations he raised when he chaired the commission of inquiry into sexual abuse in the Roman Catholic church. He did not get to the bottom of the abuse scandal or reveal all he could find about the horrors that took place behind church doors in the Netherlands.

Whistle blowers punished

We know this thanks to investigative journalist Joep Dohmen of the newspaper NRC Handelsblad. Dohmen wrote about a boarding school student who had been sexually abused by a Dutch monk. When the former student reported the abuse to the police, he was brought to a Roman Catholic psychiatric ward, declared a homosexual and then castrated. The same surgery was probably performed on at least ten other schoolmates of his who tried to blow the whistle on abuse.

The main abuser in this case was ‘Gregorius,’ the brother superior of the Roman Catholic Harreveld boarding school in the east of the Netherlands.

We cannot yet say for sure why the Deetman Commission left all this information out of its voluminous report on sexual abuse in the church that was published just three months ago. The commission received a clear complaint detailing the castrations in 2010, which it now says it did not investigate “for lack of sufficient leads.”

This explanation looks shaky at best, seeing as Joep Dohmen was able, in just a few months’ time, to find irrefutable evidence of one such illegal castration and strong indications of ten more.

Senior politician involved

But Dohmen found something even more important. He discovered that the Deetman Report failed to mention a certain political figure who tried to secure a royal pardon for Gregorius and other convicted Catholic brothers from Harreveld. That was Victor Marijnen, a former Dutch prime minister and leading member of the Catholic People's Party (KVP). The KVP later merged with Protestant parties to form the Christian Democrats (CDA) - the party of inquiry commission chairman Wim Deetman.

Victor Marijnen was in an extraordinary position in the 1950s. Not only was he a rising star in his political party, he was also vice-chairman of the Dutch Catholic child protection agency, and –most pertinently– director of Harreveld boarding school. The Deetman Commission was aware of these connections and the potential conflicts of interest they represent. The commission was aware of Marijnen’s letter to the Queen on behalf of sexual abusers, too, but omitted these facts in its report.

Reacting to Dohmen's revelations, the Deetman Commission explains that it did not mention Marijnen because it did not detail any cases that could be traced back to an individual, for the sake of protecting privacy. However, elsewhere in the same report we see numerous mentions of cases that can be traced back to individuals as long as they are highly-placed figures: particularly bishops such as Ad Simonis and Philippe Bär. The commission did not shy away from slapping these men on the wrist.

It's not unreasonable to conclude that the Deetman Commission refrained from investigating the castration because it knew this would inevitably lead to closer scrutiny of the Harreveld situation, exposing the role of Victor Marijnen and showing Mr Deetman’s own political party in a very negative light indeed.

The big picture

But this may be too narrow a view. The big picture is this: Victor Marijnen was just one member of a wider elite of Catholic notables who weilded vast power in the 1950s. They were captains of industry, chairmen of commissions, judges, high-ranking civil servants and politicians. And it was through this old boys network that abuse at Harreveld and other Roman Catholic institutions was covered up.

In short, the Harreveld castration story reveals collusion between institutions, bishops, politicians, the police and the justice system that enabled sexual abuse in the church to continue unpunished for decades on end.

Questions to answer

It's now clear that the critics were right when they complained that a church-installed commission of inquiry could not, or would not, get to the bottom of the abuse scandal. There must now be an impartial inquiry whose integrity is beyond doubt. Only parliament can fulfil this role. And perhaps the first witness called to testify under oath should be Wim Deetman himself.

Forced castrations reportedly found in Roman Catholic care

(SaLuSa channeled by Mike Quinsey, March 16, 2012)

“…. Each project is underway and that will result in a sudden wealth of information reaching you. Events are such that the facts can no longer be kept hidden, and with that there will be an explosion of people coming forward to tell what they know. It may take longer where the Vatican is concerned, as it is akin to a secret society that has kept its dark secrets hidden well away. However, nothing will remain concealed for too long, as you are entitled to know the truth and the extent to which you have been deceived….”   - New !

Sunday, March 18, 2012

No Dutch trial for Princess Máxima’s father

RNW, 18 March 2012

The Dutch Public Prosecutor's Office has announced it will not try Princess Máxima’s father, Jorge Zorreguieta. Princess Máxima is the wife of Crown Prince Willem-Alexander.

Jorge Zorreguieta 
Relatives of Samuel Leonardo Slutzky, who disappeared in Argentina in 1977, pressed charges against Mr Zorreguieta in September 2011. They accuse him of involvement in the disappearance and murder of thousands of people during the military rule of General Jorge Videla between 1976 and 1981. General Videla appointed Mr Zorreguieta Deputy Minister of Agriculture after the 1976 coup that brought him to power. Between 1979 and 1981 Mr Zorreguieta served as Minister of Agriculture. Agriculture is one of Argentina’s key economic sectors.

The Public Prosecutor's Office argues there is insufficient evidence that Mr Zorreguieta was personally involved in any murders. Estimates of the number of people murdered during Argentina’s dictatorship range between 8,000 and 30,000. Many of them were thrown out of planes over the sea.




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Egypt's Coptic Christian Pope Shenouda III dies

BBCNews, 17 March 2012 

Related Stories 

Pope Shenouda III led Egypt's Coptic
 Christian church for more than three
decades
 
Egypt's Coptic Christian Pope Shenouda III has died at the age of 88, state television has announced.

The cause of his death was not reported, but the leader of the Middle East's largest Christian minority had suffered from health problems.

Coptic Christians make up 10% of Egypt's 80 million population.

After attacks on Coptic Christians in recent years, Pope Shenouda urged officials to do more to address the community's concerns.

Pope Shenouda led the church, one of the oldest Christian communities in the world, for four decades.

His political adviser Hany Aziz told Reuters news agency that Shenouda "died from complications in health and from old age".

He had returned recently to Egypt after seeking treatment abroad.

Pope Shenouda was born Nazeer Gayed into a devout Christian family on 3 August 1923 in Asyut, Upper Egypt, and became a monk in 1954, taking the name Shenouda.

After Pope Cyril died in 1971, Shenouda was enthroned as Pope of Alexandria.






"Recalibration of Free Choice"–  Mar 3, 2012 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Caroll) - (Subjects: (Old) SoulsMidpoint on 21-12-2012, Shift of Human Consciousness, Black & White vs. Color, 1 - Spirituality (Religions) shifting, Lose a Pope “soon”2 - Humans will change react to drama, 3 - Civilizations/Population on Earth,  4 - Alternate energy sources (Geothermal, Tidal (Pedal wheels), Wind), 5 – Financials Institutes/concepts will change (Integrity – Ethical) , 6 - News/Media/TV to change, 7 – Big Pharmaceutical company will collapse “soon”, (Keep people sick), (Integrity – Ethical)  8 – Wars will be over on Earth, Global Unity, … etc.)  New !    

Brazil bars Chevron execs from leaving over spill

CNN News, by Marilia Brocchetto and Maria P. White, March 18, 2012

STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • Among those asked to surrender their passports is an American
  • "We will defend the company," a Chevron spokesman says
  • The spill occurred in November off the coast of Rio de Janeiro
  • A thin sheen is spotted in the area

(CNN) -- A federal court in Brazil has issued an order barring 17 executives from U.S. oil giant Chevron and Transocean Ltd. from leaving the country while it mulls criminal charges against them for an oil spill last year.

Among the 17 who were ordered Saturday by a federal judge in Rio de Janeiro to give up their passports is an American: George Buck, the chief operating officer of Chevron's Brazil division.

Kurt Glaubitz, a Chevron spokeman, said the company has not received a formal notification of the order.

"Any legal decision will be abided by the company and its employees," he said. "We will defend the company and its employees."

The oil spill occurred in deep water off the coast of Rio de Janeiro in November.

The next month, Brazilian federal prosecutors filed a suit against Chevron and oil rig operator Transocean for 20 billion reais, about $11 billion.

The civil suit also seeks to halt the operations in Brazil of the oil giant and its rig operator, according to federal prosecutors in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

"Chevron and Transocean were not able to control the damages caused by the spilling of almost 3,000 barrels of oil, which shows a lack of environmental planning and management by the companies," the prosecutors office said in a statement at the time.

The damages would be by far the largest sought so far by Brazilian officials for the November leak. However, experts on the Brazilian legal system are saying the suit is not likely to be won.

The spill was tiny when compared to the Deepwater Horizon disaster in 2010 when some 4 million barrels of oil leaked into the Gulf of Mexico off the U.S. coast.

But it drew attention to environmental risks as Brazil develops its so-called "subsalt region" in extreme depths off the coast of Rio.

It also heightened tensions with Chevron and other foreign companies operating in the country's oil sector.

On Friday, the Brazilian navy and Chevron officials spotted a thin sheen of oil in the same area where the spill occurred. The sheen extended about 1 kilometers (0.6 mile), Chevron said.

As a result, Chevron suspended production at the Frade offshore field -- about 60,000 barrels a day -- and was using special containment devices to capture the seep.

The company was studying the new seep and trying to determine the geological features in the area that would have caused it, Glaubitz said.

"Once we determine that we will re-start production," he said.

Brazil aims to be the world's largest fifth largest oil producer by 2020.

"By some estimates, the oil you recently discovered off the shores of Brazil could amount to twice the reserves we have in the United States," U.S. President Barack Obama said during a trip to Brasilia in March 2011.

Saying that the United States wants to help Brazil with technology and support to develop such oil reserves, Obama added America "could not be happier with the potential for a new, stable source of energy."

"And when you're ready to start selling, we want to be one of your best customers," he said.