THIS IS THE YEAR WE SAVE THE WORLD!
Greywolf: Walking home from the village shop I suddenly thought: 'This is the year we save the world.' And then I thought, 'Why not?' And I couldn't think of a single good reason why we shouldn't.
SO, HOW HAVE WE DONE THIS YEAR?
Well, it's been a mixed bag to say the least, but there have been some amazing things going on.
To begin on a BDO note, we've completed and placed online the first of our courses, the bardic. We offer this in the belief that inspiring people to view the world through new eyes and awareness can only be a good thing for individuals and, therefore, for the world at large. We believe that spirituality, while it can be put to use to inspire hatred and division, can also foster tolerance, peaceful cooperation, sanity, health and well-being. To mark the completion of the course, we held a ceremony in which we gave its spirit out into the world. Since the bardic course went online, work has begun in earnest on the ovate and that is shaping up to be quite magical too.
Unfortunately, editing, researching and writing for the courses has taken up so much of my time that I've been unable to contribute as much to other aspects of our 'save the world' agenda as I would have liked. Most notable by its absence is the song I planned to write, record and give away on the Net. In 2012, I really must try harder... But how about the rest of the world?
THE ARAB SPRING
At the start of 2011, and running throughout the year, we've had what the media has dubbed 'the Arab spring.' This has seen unprecedented uprisings of ordinary people who have come together to put an end to oppressive regimes and bring about freedom and justice in their countries. The results acheived have varied from country to country. The 'Arab spring' actually began in Tunisia in December 2010, when a jobless graduate, Mohamed Bouazizi, set fire to himself following harrassment by the police. His suicide brought thousands of protesters out onto the streets. Within a month, similar demonstrations were being seen in Egypt, Algeria and Libya. Less than a month from the start of the protests, the Tunisian president was driven from power and fled the country to Saudi Arabia, followed less than a month later by the resignation of Egyptian president, Hosni Mubarak.
By late February, protests had spread to Yemen, the Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, Iran, Iraq and Bahrain, all demanding an end to corrupt and repressive regimes. March saw protests spread to Syria, Amman and Saudi Arabia. The call for change seemed to be sweeping through every Arab nation. The governments responsible for the oppression that sparked the protests reacted, unsurprisingly, with more repression. The Egyptian government eventually fell when the military refused to take part in furrther attacks on the protesters.
Of all the uprisings across the Arab world, only one attracted significant UN aid for the protesters against their government: Libya. Why Libya? After Muammar Gaddafi came to power there in 1969 in a bloodless coup, he threw American and British military bases and oil companies out, repudiated both capitalism and communism and tried instead to establish an Islamic democrcay in which all people participated from street level upwards. The combination of his radical politics and his hostility towards US and British military and oil interests singled him out as a particular threat to the political and military leaders in those countries, still fearful of political uprisings in their own countries following on from the mass global protests of 1968. Assassination attempts on Gaddaffi began in 1969 with a British plan involving the SAS. Subsequent attempts were also sponsored by Britain and the US, including the notorious air raids of 1986, when his family residence was bombed. Under the circumstances, it is hardly surprising that Gaddaffi became increasingly paranoid. Between assassination attempts, of course, the US and Britain embraced Gaddaffi as a friend and ally because Libya still has lots of oil. Regime change in Libya finally came about in August, 2011, although it was not until October that Gaddaffi himself was captured, savagely beaten, tortured and finally shot.
Meanwhile, in other Arab nations, notably Syria and Yemen, governments responded to the threat to their power from their people by killing hundreds of unarmed demonstrators. November saw thousands of Egyptian demonstrators returning to Tariah Square in Cairo to protest the lack of any significant change since the fall of the Mubarak regime.
THE FREEDOM MOVEMENT SPREADS TO THE NON-ARAB WORLD
With the exception of Libya, European and American politicians did little but cheer from the sidelines as events unfolded across North Africa and the Middle East. Things proved rather different at street level though, with millions of ordinary people being inspired by the 'Arab spring' to take to the streets themselves in protest at the actions or inactions of their own governments. The most obvious outcome was the rapid spread of peaceful, anti-capitalist protests that mushroomed into a global 'take back the streets' movement. Beginning with 'Occupy Wall Street' in new York, protests quickly spread to Madrid, London, Frankfurt, Rome, Sydney and Hong Kong. Perhaps because of their condemnation of repressive police and military crack-downs in several Arab countries, authorities elsewhere were slow to react to the first wave of street protests. However, once they realised that the protesters were not going to go home, riot police were deployed. Protesters have been criticized for being 'unfocused.' Their focus is, however, quite clear: they have had enough of the way political, economic and military elites around the world combine to retain power, money and influence and to prop up global systems that work for the benefit of the few against the interests of the many. Those taking part in the protests want this perpetual elite dominance replaced by a more equal distribution of goods and services based on cooperation not greed and narrow self-interest.
And, incidentally, December has seen the withdrawal of the final US troops from Iraq, nine years after the Bush-Blair invasion that spawned so many lies and led to so many tens of thousands of deaths. We wish the people of that nation well in their attempts to rebuild from the wreckage.
Personally, I can only recall two previous years that have seen so many signs of optimism and such strong popular movements for change. One was the 1989 'Velvet Revolution' in Czechoslovakia, the other the 1967 summer of love. As I write, the death has been announced of Vaclav Havel, the playwright and bard who was the leading figure in the 'Velvet Revolution.' As there was in 1967 and 1989, so there is now a sense in the air, inspired by those brave souls across the Arab world who have put their lives on the line for freedom, that anything is possible and that not only do we not need politicians to make things happen, but that their self-interest actually represents the main hindrance to the process of change.
THE JAPANESE EARTHQUAKE & TSUNAMI
March of this year also saw the horrific effects of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami, resulting not only in the immediate loss of 16,000 lives and devastation across a wide area, but also in the meltdown of all three operating reactors at the Fukushima nuclear power plant. It was not until December that the last of the reactors was brought back under any kind of control and they are still leaking radiation. This event has caused Japan to rethink its dependence on nuclear power and Germany to begin closing down all its nuclear reactors. The UK, meanwhile, is going ahead with plans for a new generation of nuclear power plants in spite of Energy Secratary, Chris Huhne, having said that "Nuclear policy is a runner to be the most expensive failure of post-war British policy-making."
BLESSINGS TO ALL
Our blessings go out to all who have worked for change over this last year and contniue to do so in so many places around the world. May you find all the strength, courage and inspiration you need to make our world a better place to live.
Our blessings also to all those who have suffered and died throughout this year, both in freedom protests and natural disasters. May their families and friends also find the strength, courage and inspiration they need to continue to work for change.
BUT WHAT CAN WE DO?
Everything we need to solve the energy crisis, global warming, war, hunger and poverty already exists. The answers are, in most cases, blindingly simple. The reasons they are not put into action are inertia, narrow self-interest, short-term thinking and fear. All have these can be combatted by one simple thing: belief. If we believe that global problems can't be solved, that there is nothing we can do about them, and that we are all doomed, then that's exactly what we'll get. If, on the other hand, we believe that solutions already exist, that we can effectively promote them, and that the result will be a better world for ourselves and our children, then that's what we'll get. I know which option I prefer. How about you?
SPREADING THE MESSAGE
The first thing to do is to spread the message that 'This is the year we save the world.' It's a very simple message expressing optimism and calling for action. Put it on your website or Facebook page, add it to your e-mails, tell it to your friends.
MAKING IT HAPPEN
As you spread the message, decide on what specific actions you are going to promote. You'll find several suggestions via the links lower down this page and are welcome to add your own. Tell us about them via the BDO Online Forum, where you'll find a section headed: 'This is the year we save the world.' We'll add the best of them to this page.
THE MUSIC
Never underestimate the power of cheap (or free) music. We plan to create a song called 'This is the year we save the world' which will be given away via this and other websites. We hope it will be strong enough that everyone who hears it will want to give it away via their own websites. We'll also offer a free version of the backing track so that people can record versions in other languages. Watch this space ... As the great bard, George Harrison, said: 'With our love, we can change the world.'
Greywolf: Walking home from the village shop I suddenly thought: 'This is the year we save the world.' And then I thought, 'Why not?' And I couldn't think of a single good reason why we shouldn't.
SO, HOW HAVE WE DONE THIS YEAR?
Well, it's been a mixed bag to say the least, but there have been some amazing things going on.
To begin on a BDO note, we've completed and placed online the first of our courses, the bardic. We offer this in the belief that inspiring people to view the world through new eyes and awareness can only be a good thing for individuals and, therefore, for the world at large. We believe that spirituality, while it can be put to use to inspire hatred and division, can also foster tolerance, peaceful cooperation, sanity, health and well-being. To mark the completion of the course, we held a ceremony in which we gave its spirit out into the world. Since the bardic course went online, work has begun in earnest on the ovate and that is shaping up to be quite magical too.
Unfortunately, editing, researching and writing for the courses has taken up so much of my time that I've been unable to contribute as much to other aspects of our 'save the world' agenda as I would have liked. Most notable by its absence is the song I planned to write, record and give away on the Net. In 2012, I really must try harder... But how about the rest of the world?
THE ARAB SPRING
At the start of 2011, and running throughout the year, we've had what the media has dubbed 'the Arab spring.' This has seen unprecedented uprisings of ordinary people who have come together to put an end to oppressive regimes and bring about freedom and justice in their countries. The results acheived have varied from country to country. The 'Arab spring' actually began in Tunisia in December 2010, when a jobless graduate, Mohamed Bouazizi, set fire to himself following harrassment by the police. His suicide brought thousands of protesters out onto the streets. Within a month, similar demonstrations were being seen in Egypt, Algeria and Libya. Less than a month from the start of the protests, the Tunisian president was driven from power and fled the country to Saudi Arabia, followed less than a month later by the resignation of Egyptian president, Hosni Mubarak.
By late February, protests had spread to Yemen, the Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, Iran, Iraq and Bahrain, all demanding an end to corrupt and repressive regimes. March saw protests spread to Syria, Amman and Saudi Arabia. The call for change seemed to be sweeping through every Arab nation. The governments responsible for the oppression that sparked the protests reacted, unsurprisingly, with more repression. The Egyptian government eventually fell when the military refused to take part in furrther attacks on the protesters.
Of all the uprisings across the Arab world, only one attracted significant UN aid for the protesters against their government: Libya. Why Libya? After Muammar Gaddafi came to power there in 1969 in a bloodless coup, he threw American and British military bases and oil companies out, repudiated both capitalism and communism and tried instead to establish an Islamic democrcay in which all people participated from street level upwards. The combination of his radical politics and his hostility towards US and British military and oil interests singled him out as a particular threat to the political and military leaders in those countries, still fearful of political uprisings in their own countries following on from the mass global protests of 1968. Assassination attempts on Gaddaffi began in 1969 with a British plan involving the SAS. Subsequent attempts were also sponsored by Britain and the US, including the notorious air raids of 1986, when his family residence was bombed. Under the circumstances, it is hardly surprising that Gaddaffi became increasingly paranoid. Between assassination attempts, of course, the US and Britain embraced Gaddaffi as a friend and ally because Libya still has lots of oil. Regime change in Libya finally came about in August, 2011, although it was not until October that Gaddaffi himself was captured, savagely beaten, tortured and finally shot.
Meanwhile, in other Arab nations, notably Syria and Yemen, governments responded to the threat to their power from their people by killing hundreds of unarmed demonstrators. November saw thousands of Egyptian demonstrators returning to Tariah Square in Cairo to protest the lack of any significant change since the fall of the Mubarak regime.
THE FREEDOM MOVEMENT SPREADS TO THE NON-ARAB WORLD
With the exception of Libya, European and American politicians did little but cheer from the sidelines as events unfolded across North Africa and the Middle East. Things proved rather different at street level though, with millions of ordinary people being inspired by the 'Arab spring' to take to the streets themselves in protest at the actions or inactions of their own governments. The most obvious outcome was the rapid spread of peaceful, anti-capitalist protests that mushroomed into a global 'take back the streets' movement. Beginning with 'Occupy Wall Street' in new York, protests quickly spread to Madrid, London, Frankfurt, Rome, Sydney and Hong Kong. Perhaps because of their condemnation of repressive police and military crack-downs in several Arab countries, authorities elsewhere were slow to react to the first wave of street protests. However, once they realised that the protesters were not going to go home, riot police were deployed. Protesters have been criticized for being 'unfocused.' Their focus is, however, quite clear: they have had enough of the way political, economic and military elites around the world combine to retain power, money and influence and to prop up global systems that work for the benefit of the few against the interests of the many. Those taking part in the protests want this perpetual elite dominance replaced by a more equal distribution of goods and services based on cooperation not greed and narrow self-interest.
And, incidentally, December has seen the withdrawal of the final US troops from Iraq, nine years after the Bush-Blair invasion that spawned so many lies and led to so many tens of thousands of deaths. We wish the people of that nation well in their attempts to rebuild from the wreckage.
Personally, I can only recall two previous years that have seen so many signs of optimism and such strong popular movements for change. One was the 1989 'Velvet Revolution' in Czechoslovakia, the other the 1967 summer of love. As I write, the death has been announced of Vaclav Havel, the playwright and bard who was the leading figure in the 'Velvet Revolution.' As there was in 1967 and 1989, so there is now a sense in the air, inspired by those brave souls across the Arab world who have put their lives on the line for freedom, that anything is possible and that not only do we not need politicians to make things happen, but that their self-interest actually represents the main hindrance to the process of change.
THE JAPANESE EARTHQUAKE & TSUNAMI
March of this year also saw the horrific effects of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami, resulting not only in the immediate loss of 16,000 lives and devastation across a wide area, but also in the meltdown of all three operating reactors at the Fukushima nuclear power plant. It was not until December that the last of the reactors was brought back under any kind of control and they are still leaking radiation. This event has caused Japan to rethink its dependence on nuclear power and Germany to begin closing down all its nuclear reactors. The UK, meanwhile, is going ahead with plans for a new generation of nuclear power plants in spite of Energy Secratary, Chris Huhne, having said that "Nuclear policy is a runner to be the most expensive failure of post-war British policy-making."
BLESSINGS TO ALL
Our blessings go out to all who have worked for change over this last year and contniue to do so in so many places around the world. May you find all the strength, courage and inspiration you need to make our world a better place to live.
Our blessings also to all those who have suffered and died throughout this year, both in freedom protests and natural disasters. May their families and friends also find the strength, courage and inspiration they need to continue to work for change.
BUT WHAT CAN WE DO?
Everything we need to solve the energy crisis, global warming, war, hunger and poverty already exists. The answers are, in most cases, blindingly simple. The reasons they are not put into action are inertia, narrow self-interest, short-term thinking and fear. All have these can be combatted by one simple thing: belief. If we believe that global problems can't be solved, that there is nothing we can do about them, and that we are all doomed, then that's exactly what we'll get. If, on the other hand, we believe that solutions already exist, that we can effectively promote them, and that the result will be a better world for ourselves and our children, then that's what we'll get. I know which option I prefer. How about you?
SPREADING THE MESSAGE
The first thing to do is to spread the message that 'This is the year we save the world.' It's a very simple message expressing optimism and calling for action. Put it on your website or Facebook page, add it to your e-mails, tell it to your friends.
MAKING IT HAPPEN
As you spread the message, decide on what specific actions you are going to promote. You'll find several suggestions via the links lower down this page and are welcome to add your own. Tell us about them via the BDO Online Forum, where you'll find a section headed: 'This is the year we save the world.' We'll add the best of them to this page.
THE MUSIC
Never underestimate the power of cheap (or free) music. We plan to create a song called 'This is the year we save the world' which will be given away via this and other websites. We hope it will be strong enough that everyone who hears it will want to give it away via their own websites. We'll also offer a free version of the backing track so that people can record versions in other languages. Watch this space ... As the great bard, George Harrison, said: 'With our love, we can change the world.'
LINKS TO SAVE THE WORLD
THE EQUALITY TRUST
The Equality Trust promotes a simple truth that could, and should, revolutionise global politics, as well as providing simple ways in which we can all help make it happen. The essence of their message is that societies that promote equality do better in terms of health, prosperity, happiness, creativity and every other measure of well-being. Together, we can make a difference. Click on the image for more information.
THE EQUALITY TRUST
The Equality Trust promotes a simple truth that could, and should, revolutionise global politics, as well as providing simple ways in which we can all help make it happen. The essence of their message is that societies that promote equality do better in terms of health, prosperity, happiness, creativity and every other measure of well-being. Together, we can make a difference. Click on the image for more information.
Made by Greywolf
Copyright
British Druid Order 2011
Copyright
British Druid Order 2011
SALTER'S DUCK: CLEAN WAVE POWER
Invented by Professor Stephen Salter of Edinburgh University in the 1970s, Salter's Duck is an elegant, brilliantly simple method of harnessing wave power with an efficiency that puts other electricity generating technologies to shame. It has the capability to produce 85 percent of our electricity needs, reducing the use of fossil fuels and making nuclear power redundant. Click on the image for more information.
Invented by Professor Stephen Salter of Edinburgh University in the 1970s, Salter's Duck is an elegant, brilliantly simple method of harnessing wave power with an efficiency that puts other electricity generating technologies to shame. It has the capability to produce 85 percent of our electricity needs, reducing the use of fossil fuels and making nuclear power redundant. Click on the image for more information.
SPIRITUAL ECOLOGY
Here you'll find a whole bunch of links to indigenous, Pagan and global organisations dedicated to promoting eco-spirituality, caring for our Mother Earth, protecting her creatures and bringing together indigenous peoples. Most of them offer practical ways you can get involved in saving the planet and her inhabitants, human and non-human. Click on the spinning globe. Go. Do it. Now!
Here you'll find a whole bunch of links to indigenous, Pagan and global organisations dedicated to promoting eco-spirituality, caring for our Mother Earth, protecting her creatures and bringing together indigenous peoples. Most of them offer practical ways you can get involved in saving the planet and her inhabitants, human and non-human. Click on the spinning globe. Go. Do it. Now!
NUCLEAR POWER
In the wake of the triple meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan, concerns about the safety of nuclear power generation have increased. Here in the UK, our government is trying to persuade us that nuclear energy is a safe alternative to fossil fuels and even a part of a cure for global warming. The problem with nuclear power is that the design of power plants is driven by the way nuclear fission works within a reactor, and that hasn't changed since the first generation of power stations were built in the 1950s. If you look at what happened in each of the major nuclear accidents - Windscale (1957), Three Mile Island (1979), Chernobyl (1986), Fukushima (2011) - although the initial causes differed, the accidents progressed in the same way. The core overheats, cooling mechanisms fail, fire breaks out, water is poured in, super-heated water causes hydrogen explosions, concrete outer shells are breached, radiation is released. The fact that accidents spanning more than 50 years have been so alike suggests that the problem lies with the fundamental technology of nuclear fission.
A related problem is that the nuclear industry has a terrible record of lying about safety and costs. In the UK, we were assured in the 1950s that nuclear power would be so cheap that it would hardly be worthwhile metering it. It wasn't until the Thatcher government decided to sell off nuclear power stations that the true costs were revealed. And, lo and behold, nuclear power turned out to be the most expensive method of generating electricity by a very long way.
I used to live close to a nuclear power station and knew people who worked on maintainence crews in it. They mentioned accidental releases of radiation to me that were never reported in the press, and those releases that were reported were played down, always by lying about the levels of radiation released.
When so many technologies for generating clean energy from wind, wave and sun now exist, it's legitimate to ask why governments continue to push nuclear power ahead of the green alternatives. The only answer I can find is that the nuclear industry has a lot more money to throw around. Am I suggesting bribery and corruption between politicians and the nuclear industry? Yes, I am.
In the wake of the triple meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan, concerns about the safety of nuclear power generation have increased. Here in the UK, our government is trying to persuade us that nuclear energy is a safe alternative to fossil fuels and even a part of a cure for global warming. The problem with nuclear power is that the design of power plants is driven by the way nuclear fission works within a reactor, and that hasn't changed since the first generation of power stations were built in the 1950s. If you look at what happened in each of the major nuclear accidents - Windscale (1957), Three Mile Island (1979), Chernobyl (1986), Fukushima (2011) - although the initial causes differed, the accidents progressed in the same way. The core overheats, cooling mechanisms fail, fire breaks out, water is poured in, super-heated water causes hydrogen explosions, concrete outer shells are breached, radiation is released. The fact that accidents spanning more than 50 years have been so alike suggests that the problem lies with the fundamental technology of nuclear fission.
A related problem is that the nuclear industry has a terrible record of lying about safety and costs. In the UK, we were assured in the 1950s that nuclear power would be so cheap that it would hardly be worthwhile metering it. It wasn't until the Thatcher government decided to sell off nuclear power stations that the true costs were revealed. And, lo and behold, nuclear power turned out to be the most expensive method of generating electricity by a very long way.
I used to live close to a nuclear power station and knew people who worked on maintainence crews in it. They mentioned accidental releases of radiation to me that were never reported in the press, and those releases that were reported were played down, always by lying about the levels of radiation released.
When so many technologies for generating clean energy from wind, wave and sun now exist, it's legitimate to ask why governments continue to push nuclear power ahead of the green alternatives. The only answer I can find is that the nuclear industry has a lot more money to throw around. Am I suggesting bribery and corruption between politicians and the nuclear industry? Yes, I am.