ladylydialondon May 2015 Twitter

Hundreds of Rohingya refugees were rescued at sea as they were fleeing persecution

This minority group have been denied citizenship in Myanmar, where they are subjected to a heavy crackdown

Many of them have been killed and thousands were forced to flee the country

The refugees were rescued off the coast of Malaysia and Indonesia after the captains of the smugglers abandoned them

They were left to their fate

Burma’s favourite scapegoat is the Rohingya people

They have been used as political pawns by multiple parties ahead of the up and coming elections

Burma may be gaining international approval for its steps towards democracy

However it is becoming clear that the Rohingya people have little to gain as they are used as scapegoats

Humanitarian organisations are now stepping in and asking for outside assistance and intervention

The US are pressuring Burma to take steps towards improving the Rohingya situation

Until the world starts to wake up to the plight of these people, it will be genocide on a massive scale

Burma is doing to the Rohingya population what Hitler did to the Jews

It is high time that a jolt was given to pressurise Burma into taking responsibility for their citizens

They must start to recognise these people as part of their society instead of the constant ethnic cleansing that they have already done

It will serve Burma no good at all to continue with this genocide

There will always be repercussions involved for their criminal actions

One can’t face the world looking for democracy when you have genocide at the heart of what Burma does!

Man cannot live by bread alone and so there is always an “I must have” scenario

We are all greedy in our own right for something, the wanting to have over and above everything else

This is so important to us in order to either survive or to make us feel good about ourselves

Very few of us are just content with what we have or with the view of the world from our standpoint

It is by letting go and not getting too involved that lets us off the hook

Others take a deeper view and feel it is only by getting involved that we can see a positive outcome

So that situations can go our way instead of the way of others

We must all learn to trust and allow situations that might feel unjust to go their way 

It is usually by taking our hands off the reins that we find the better outcome transpires without us even lifting a finger

All our needs are supplied and, where there is conflict, an eking out of the bad can bring about a better long term solution

Even if we can’t always see it at the time

Man must learn to exercise patience and caution and to see how situations manifest for our benefit

These happen in ways we would never have thought possible before

We are all in this sea of life together, bobbing about where hardships occur when the sea gets rough

Then tranquillity occurs when the sea becomes calm

All of us have to go through the many ups and downs of life, the torments, the aggressions and then finally the peace and harmony

All our lives are steered to allow for these fluctuations to occur and where, at the time, we are not able always to see the outcome

In time we do and it is always to our own satisfaction

It is usually towards the end of our lives that we feel we have achieved in some small way

We have mastered insecurities, defeat, upsets and then finally victory

Life can be marvellous for so many. It is our expectations that can sometimes cloud our vision

Usually we all make it and are content for our part on this journey, which is our life on this earth

For over a year now the drama of football is being played out in a Hungarian courtroom

It is important for football’s future and crucial for its integrity

This trial is all about match fixing

Over the past few years global investigators & police from several countries have unveiled an intricate international criminal network

It is run from Singapore

For well over a decade prosecutors say the sophisticated syndicate manipulated and rigged football games at all levels around the world

Rigged amateur matches through to professional leagues and international friendlies all the way to the FIFA World Cup

The trial in Budapest is where the syndicate had dealings across Eastern Europe, in Bulgaria, Slovenia and Hungary

Singapore national Tan Seet Eng is the group’s financier and mastermind

He ensures its members invest tens of millions of dollars by gambling on the games that were fixed

He has been in custody in Singapore since October 2013 under the Criminal Law Act, which allows for indefinite detention

It all came to light when the syndicate’s match-fixer-in-chief Wilson Perumal was arrested in Finland in 2011

Perumal agreed to cooperate with prosecutors and gave his account of his associates corrupt global football antics

This sent shockwaves throughout the sport

“The match fixing phenomenon,” say experts, “started as a global online gambling boom in the 1990s”

Asian match-fixers were quick to take advantage of the huge betting volumes

Perumal was able to turn a gamble into a near certainty by bribing key players in a team or referees and linesmen

This was to ensure a result went the syndicate’s way

The syndicate became more ambitious by inviting FIFA Football Associates to play friendly matches in Southeast Asia and elsewhere

Perumal said his offer to the players was all their expenses and would be paid for the entire team

This consisted of food, accommodation, transport plus receiving 50,000 US dollars each per match if they were able to dance to his tune

Zimbabwe’s national team erupted in scandal and others were Lesotho, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Mozambique, Togo and Kenya

To keep generating cash more and more games were rigged to order

Competitions like the Woman’s World Cup, the Olympics in Beijing, the African Cup of Nations and also…

…the AFC Cup in Asia and the Gold Cup in North America

Perumal’s syndicate shows the dark and sinister tale of bribery, greed and corruption in the world’s most popular sport

It is now time that football had a total reorganisation throughout the world and bring back decency into this sport

It owes this at least to the loyal fans throughout the world, whose hard earned money goes into supporting this game!

Sepp Blatter and his cronies should all go and make way for a total overhaul of football

It must bring in a new fresh face that already has integrity and honour at the heart of his approach

The people in this world owe it to football to stand united

They must bring in another person to now take the helm and to finally clean up this sport!

The Methodist Church has sick minded people in its Church, who prey on innocent children and blatantly destroy their lives forever

The Revd Dr Martyn Atkins said abuse would remain a deep source of grief and shame to the Church

I ask the question to the Church, “Where is the deep source of grief and shame towards these victims?”

Victims were placed in a position of trust by sick minded people in the Methodist establishment

An independent inquiry has found 2,000 reported cases of abuse including 914 cases involving sexual abuse

Is this the tip of the iceberg?

These cases go back to 1950 and these are only the reported cases. What about those who feared coming forwards?

What is so outrageous is that it takes an independent inquiry to expose the systemic abuse, which the Methodist Church has sought to hide

All those perpetrators should be defrocked and named, so that they will not be in a position to abuse again

The Methodist Church needs to take personal responsibility

This Church needs to show the general public it is going forward in some small way to make retribution

The Methodist Church should equally pay for extensive counselling for all its victims, so that they can try to reclaim some of their lives

Nothing short of this will do!

One of the victims has said, “I have learnt that it is impossible to recover from sexual abuse when no one recognises the seriousness of it

“My Church did not want a scandal”

He further added, “I was left to feel worthless and devalued, while the man was left to get on with his life…

“…and, for all I knew, to repeat the crime with someone else”

The Methodist Church is expected to make a public apology at its Annual Conference in June

An apology, public or otherwise, is of no value to the victims – they are scarred for life

Apologies are only a token gesture to make the Church feel good. It goes nowhere towards healing the victims

This is something all the Church hierarchy need to be mindful of as they let society down

Because they let society down, they will have to face the consequences of their failings in the next life

Church authorities cannot get away with it

Neither will the sick perpetrators, who will meet their Maker and stand bare and vulnerable

Their time will come!

Spain’s answer to corruption scandals, that have dogged both sides of the political divide, is to oust them out

The Spanish people will engage with minor political parties to form a Government

It is hoped they will actually listen to the concerns of the people

The Spanish people have gone through hard times of austerity and recession

Many couldn’t see a way out of their dilemma and killed themselves, such were their debts

Entire governing states, like many institutions, are not fit for purpose and need to see an end to their days

No longer can they enjoy carte blanche to do exactly as they please at the expense of the general public, who voted them in!

There has been a paradigm shift by the Spanish people, where the politicians finally have to look to the people whom they purport to serve

They must finally remove their smug complacent looks on their faces when facing their public

Even Spain’s Royal Family, the Princess Cristina, faces trial for corruption and tax fraud

Further investigations into her affairs by an investigating judge, who has a 227 page order

This is detailing the many purchases the princess made with suspected funds

There is a constant barrage of leaks, now piled high, of scandal on the already suffering Royal Family

References to Cristina and her husband are now scrubbed from the Royal Family’s website

Princess Cristina has tried to avoid standing trial by the interception of her father, King Juan Carlos

However she will now stand trial for money laundering and tax fraud

The entire system in Spain is rotten from the top down

It is the opportunity for the Spanish people to see that justice is being done

No one, no politician or royalty, is above the law even if they may think they are

Sooner or later they will all be found out and their fall from a great height will be severe indeed!

The New Zealand Government is to give millions of dollars to protect their kiwi birds

The kiwi is the country’s national bird and could be facing extinction within a generation unless protected

It is New Zealand’s conservationists who have raised their concerns over the kiwi’s decline, which makes up part of the country’s identity

It is due to human-introduced pests, such as stoats, weasels and ferrets that are part of the danger

Dogs are also a main factor, which results in twenty seven deaths by predators every week

The Kiwis for kiwi charity are delighted by the Government’s help in saving these birds

The extra funding will be a part of the battle to save their national bird

There will be around 90 community-led groups to help increase the kiwi numbers by rearing kiwi chicks to a predator-resistant weight

The kiwi chicks will then be sent to isolated populations where they can be allowed to thrive

It was the Maungatautari Ecological Island Trust, which highlighted the plight of the kiwis

Prime Minister John Key heard their cries and so pledged the money to come to their rescue

It was the Trust, which announced that there were fewer than 8,000 western brown kiwis in the wild

The race is now on to save this wonderful bird

Always where there is a will, there is a way

Conservations the world over are doing amazing work to save our wildlife for future generations to enjoy!

I have been asked how to prevent religious people from obeying extremist leaders

Where Islamic people have love in their hearts as the primary function for being alive on this Earth, as ‘God’ created us out of love…

…then they are not then influenced by extremist leaders, as it directly opposes their core beliefs

Where individuals have disturbed values at their core, then they will always be influenced by extremist leaders

In this complex world, with so many issues affecting life, many souls feel disenfranchised and let down

These people feel let down by their families, their Governments and life in general

Many are isolated and have deep-rooted issues within, where they feel frustrated that they are not loved and understood

They all feel that their world has turned against them and that their voice is not heard anymore

They all seek a way out of this frustration of fear and anguish, which always turns to anger and feelings of revenge

They are crying out to be heard. Crying out to let go of their unique pain and suffering

These are all gross negative thoughts, which are to them all consuming

They look to see where their needs for revenge and anger are best dealt with and by whom

They are incapable of finding alternative simple routes to deal with them effectively

Being religious in the sense of being Muslim, they seek to find their answers in their own religion, as you say, “Islam without Hadith”

The religion in its format is about reason and beautiful deeds

For those disturbed by anguish, inner pain and turmoil, the beautiful Islam does not effectively solve their problems for them

This religion is too gentle and cannot curb the isolation they feel so acutely

So their great quest is to find an alternative solution, which they can believe in

It finds them in areas where violence and revenge is at the heart of their core being

They automatically gravitate to those, who also suffer pain and suffering

The cauldron exists for those who wish to join together and put an end to their suffering alone

To legitimise their revengeful angry actions, they exonerate themselves from blame

Because they are not able to take responsibility for their own actions, they will use a Hadith expert, who has their same thinking

So the die is cast and it legitimises their vengeful actions against peace-loving communities

How long it takes for these disturbed souls to release their anger and frustration by violence is always down to the individual

What they get from a violent group is an understanding, a common united front, where they can all relate to their own suffering

It is this hatred that spurs them on at the extermination of love

Until the Muslim world eradicate these Hadith extremist scholars once and for all and…

…introduces the simple Muslim of reason and beautiful deeds, this cauldron of extremist indoctrination will continue to attract…

…those whose pain and suffering is not dealt with by the clerics and families to help heal these people

You have two sets of negative energies…

…the negative painful energies by the subjects and the negative energies by the scholars, who equally suffer

By right action to deal with these suffering people, both the subjects and scholars, then a turnaround becomes possible

Love and the right hands on action is the only way to deal with these suffering people

It is up to the Muslim communities to come together and collectively take their responsibilities seriously

They must deal with those among them who suffer in this way

Left unattended, then those that suffer get out of control and will look to appease their suffering in violent ways

All this is under the so called legitimacy of a vengeful ‘God’, which does not exist but is the illusion in their eyes

By dealing with corruption and wrong governing, which leads to Mankind’s frustration and anger…

…then and only then will there not be a need for extremism, as fairness and justice for all takes over!

Until Mankind starts to think for himself, instead of being led by religion and the ideology of those who should know better…

…then his fall from grace will continue

The wars and upsets that we have today are created by the warmongers and those who have hatred and fear others

Until Mankind learns to seek out what his/her soul is crying out for, there can be no peace within

The soul is part of the Great Creation, the Spirit Intelligence that seeks to guide and to instruct us daily

This instruction is the living love that we all have within

It is about the tangible knowing of what is right and what is wrong

It is to treat our brothers and sisters how we wish to be treated ourselves, both with love, respect and compassion

There is a crying, a yearning to do things right and to help our fellow men, who are lost and unappreciated

It is to help those who are infirmed in any way and to secure their lives as much as our own

The Great Intelligence is all within us shaping & securing us from the ill winds that blow across to unnerve us & to pull us off course

Many of us have turned back, knowing we have embarked on the wrong course of action…

…only to find that tender loving arms steer us back onto the right course

It is there that peace and harmony remain

All of us who feel uncomfortable with our lives should see and understand the reasons why

If there is turmoil in our lives, is it us who is creating this turmoil or others who have no right to do so?

By looking at the problems in the right way and asking for the necessary help and guidance…

…we are all able to tackle these problems for ourselves

Fear and the lack of understanding are our greatest challenges to date

We must continue to seek out the right ways to live

We must come to that conclusion by what feels right to our souls and, provided nobody is hurt by our actions, we can proceed along our way

Churches and religions on various aspects teach about love and helping ones neighbour

We are told to do what is right in God’s eyes

Little in the way of visual practice is ever seen by them to be done!

There is a lot of procrastinating and chest beating, not to mention gross pomp and ceremony

This does nothing for the starving millions or those who are in crisis

Religions and the Churches are about the business of numbers

Without their flocks their jobs would be useless and they would become redundant

It is the clergy and the clerics who must propagate their own business to satisfy their needs and agendas

It is not just to hear and do what is intrinsically right and honourable

Mankind must learn to stand on their own two feet and to challenge the rigours of religion and the Churches

They must actually start to think with their own minds

Through the eternal guidance they will see that they don’t need institutions to dictate to them what to do

They will in fact know instinctively that right thoughts begat right action and peace of mind will automatically follow on!

To beat IS it needs a joint Iraqi army, which includes Shia militias, Sunni tribesmen and Kurdish Peshmerga forces

It also requires the US-coalition air strikes to beat IS into submission and so reclaim major cities lost to IS in 2013

When the dust finally settles & IS is beaten then a strategy of inclusion by Sunni Arabs properly into the Iraqi state becomes necessary

Sunni political tribal leaders are already collaborating with the Shia-led Government, together with the Kurds

They must be included in Government policies

There needs to be an avoidance of a relapse of what went on before with the previous Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki

Maliki ignored the Sunnis and the Kurds as separate to the rest of the Shias in Iraq

The disputed area, which included the oil-rich province of Kirkuk, was re-captured by the Kurdish forces from IS

They have done outstanding work for Iraq

There needs to be a viable effective and comprehensive strategy for national healing, peace, reconciliation and state building

This should be encouraged by Iraq’s three main communities and every effort to forge a peaceful way ahead must be found

Groups like IS and other militant groups thrive on chaos, where Government services for the people have broken down

So Iraq needs to re-build to prevent such conditions of failure and corruption occurring

It is by having the right conditions for progress and rebuilding, which can start immediately and where trust has to build up

It is now time for all factions to come together and rebuild with love and mutual respect

They must plan now for long-term stability and security

If these three groups trust each other enough to fight together to eliminate IS…

…then they can live together under a common theme of progressive stability

Where there is a will there is always a way

Bashar al-Assad, is this the beginning of his end?

With the latest defeat and retreat of Assad’s forces from two key cities, is the writing on the wall for Assad? 

The triumphant of new coalition of opposition parties in Idlib together with the successes of IS in Palmyra, all is now closing in on him

Assad’s forces have not been able to regroup or recuperate their loses – his army is demoralised and has been for some time

Four years of fighting has taken its toll on the regime’s military – they are all exhausted, dispirited and poorly equipped

Assad has now lost much of his power and influence – he is a tiger running scared

He can no longer put fear into his people to submit – that has long gone

When a regime fails to defeat its enemies and fails again when using terrible illegal violence on its people…

…it is time to surrender and give up!

As with all dictators, force has always been the way to inflict subjugation to their dictate

When that fails they cannot then rely on anything else

Dictators are not used to negotiating any kind of compromise, as they would lose their control

Many in Syria and Damascus now realise it is wiser to sacrifice Assad in order to save the capital, the community and the country

It is interesting to see how Iran & Russia will try and save face, as they have been backing Assad all this time & are failing miserably

Both powers would like to salvage some kind of regional role and influence

An agreement with US Secretary of State John Kerry with Putin and Iran will see a deal struck

There, an active policy to remove Assad will become beneficial finally for all concerned

This needs to happen to secure the Syrian state structure

Otherwise they face uncontrollable chaos and a spill over into neighbouring countries would be catastrophic

How Assad will go will be at the point of a gun, as he will not go quietly

A rescue plan to save Assad will fail and then all those will be held for war crimes

A new coalition will be formed, where negotiations & reconciliations with various military factions need to happen in order to save Syria

It is high time that the Superpowers assisted to put together a strategy for Syria and its people to begin to pave a way forward

They certainly deserve it!

Mr Cameron’s approach towards the re-negotiating the UK’s reasons for staying in the EU will be complex and far reaching

He is confident that he can strike a deal & put together relatively easy proposals of which the entire EU will be able to handle & abide by

Gross reform of the EU is vitally necessary for the entire operation to function in a unilateral way

In its present state it is just about functioning with a very weak capacity for growth and expansion

Growth with regards to trade is already down with major companies suffering from red tape and legal costs to push matters through

These deals should be able to go through much more easily and provide stability, where before there was none

The EU is stagnating on so many levels and needs the fresh air approach that only David Cameron and the UK can deliver

The EU needs David Cameron and the UK to remain an integral part of the EU’s finances and control mechanism

However the EU has its own agenda of being too right wing, too stiff-necked and inflexible on monetary policies

The UK’s refreshing delivery of ideas and policies will come close to forming radical changing ideas of inflexibility and unfairness

Especially when the UK has put in the hard work of cooperation, but has received little in the way of perks and gratuities

Now the time has come for David Cameron to flex his muscles and to see how far the EU is willing to set aside their own bullish ways

They need to become a Union for the people and not just for the privileged few

David Cameron is quite within his rights to leave should the referendum go the other way and the British public wish to opt out

It will be the EU who will suffer this great loss and also the strategic policies that the UK has already brought to the table in the past

The UK does not need the EU, but the EU needs the UK!

David Cameron and the UK will be able to achieve trade and other amenities in the way of treaties from other countries globally

The UK will not suffer any loss in any way, if anything the UK will become more buoyant and productive

It will be able to negotiate its own trade and fiscal policies with other countries and not be held back by EU rulings

There are more reasons for the UK to leave than to remain and where the UK will no longer be strapped by Brussels bureaucracy

Brussels is heavily overloaded by wasted time as opposed to benefits that they do

Germany and the EU need to think very carefully if they do not wish to upset the boat

They won’t be able to very easily find such a useful and supportive ally again

It will be the EUs loss and the UKs gain to leave, unless a different fairer system is delivered

An artist & political activist has gone on trial in Iran for a cartoon criticising draft laws, which would restrict access to birth control

Atena Farghadani’s cartoon shows MPs casting votes on the proposed legislation as animals

Atena Farghadani is accused of spreading propaganda and insulting MPs and insulting the Supreme Leader

Atena is fighting for the rights of women only to regulate their family planning in a safe and honourable way

The new laws would end decades of family planning in Iran, outlawing vasectomies and restricting contraception

This would be a direct attack on family values and the right for parents to determine their own lives over and above the State

Atena, who had been arrested in her home by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, was taken to prison

She was released in December and rearrested after posting a video online

In it she said she had been beaten by prison guards and interrogated for up to nine hours a day

After her arrest Atena went on hunger strike to protest at the conditions at the prison

She was taken to hospital after suffering a heart attack and briefly losing consciousness

Presently she is being held in solitary confinement. Atena has not been put on trial yet, and there is much concern about her health

She is a prisoner of conscience and has been held because of her opinions and for exercising the right to free expression

If convicted she could face up to two years in prison and have lashes given to her

These new laws would outlaw vasectomies for men and voluntary sterilisation for women and restrict women’s rights to birth control

This legislation was widely criticised by Iranians when it was announced in March

Women’s rights groups warned that restricting access to birth control risked forcing women into unsafe abortions

There needs to be a global outrage here

Not only for the treatment of Atena, but for the rights of Iranians to determine the size of their family

It is not the right of the State to determine their rights over the population regarding children

A call to free Atena must be observed and for the rights of all Iranians to decide on their own family numbers

It is always the lone voice in the wilderness that gathers the loudest and Atena’s message will be heard!

Today marks 80 years since the death of T. E. Lawrence, the wartime hero, renegade diplomat and reputable scholar

Lawrence’s heroics during WWI, when he galvanised a Bedouin army against a dying Ottoman Empire, gave him public adulation back home

Lawrence hoped that full independence would be the prize for Arab loyalty in the war

He lobbied hard in France and the UK to relinquish their grip on the region and to overturn the Sykes-Picot Agreement

For this he was rejected, his friends in arms betrayed him and Lawrence felt it personally

Sadly for Lawrence he was naïve

He saw the Arabs as friends, his bosses in London saw them as tools throughout the war. They did then and they still do to this day

The US’s ploy has been to be seen to be assisting to free people

The people who are resisting subjugation, by arming the minorities or by outside pressure

This noble act is supported by the state media and the public alike

This marketing illusion, which underneath it all, is the US only seeking its own self-interest in its humanitarian rhetoric

The US’s strategy in the Middle East, which has been slowly evolving since the 1980s, has illusions of humanitarian overtures

This is while it focuses primarily on its interest alone

President Carter once said, “Any attempt by outside forces to control the Persian Gulf region…

“…would be a direct assault on the interests of the US. These assaults would be repelled by force if necessary”

In the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the reasons given for the intervention were not on humanitarian grounds of Saddam Hussein being a dictator

Rather it was to prevent Saddam Hussein from savagely attacking global oil prices

Again in recent times on the pretext of humanitarian grounds, where IS is concerned that they must be beaten in order to save the Yazidis

Some 40,000 Yazidis on Mount Sinjar were facing imminent genocide

What the US public were not told was that a rescue mission mounted by Kurdish fighters had already taken place

What was more important was to save the region because nearby are oil refineries & a crucial Kirkuk-Cayhen pipeline were in jeopardy from IS

Oil is the most pressing US concern and they use the humanitarian angle simply as a marketing decoy for their public

Like T. E. Lawrence, many have been deceived

Lawrence was a great man, he came to the Middle East and took to its people and had honest intentions to save them

What he underestimated was the cold, calculating agendas of the colonial establishment

Today it is the same. It is not that the West wants to save the Middle East. It is that the West wants the Middle East!

A Mumbai nurse, who was raped more than 40 years ago and who has been in a coma ever since, has now finally died

Aruna Shanbaug, 68 years old, was sodomised, then strangled with metal chains and left to die. This was done by a KEM hospital cleaner

Aruna survived, but suffered irreversible brain damage following this attack in 1973

She had been force-fed twice a day and has spent the rest of her life in hospital

Her parents had died many years ago and other relatives had not made contact with her

Journalist and author Pinki Virani, who wrote ‘Aruna’s Story’, a book on the nurse’s plight, had filed the case to the Supreme Court

She argued that Aruna was ‘virtually a dead person’ and should be allowed to die

Miss Virani wanted the court to stop force-feeding her and to give her some dignity in dying naturally

Aruna would have no awareness of things happening around her, but this was rejected by the Supreme Court in 2011

Aruna Shanbaug’s attacker was not charged with her rape, as sodomy was not considered rape under Indian laws at the time

He was charged with robbery and attempted murder and freed after seven years

The absence of the right to die in Indian’s legal system had compounded to her misery

To ask any person to be forced to live in a vegetative state for 42 years is in itself inhumane

This should be an offence against the Government and its judicial system

Aruna’s misery should not have lasted for four decades

This case has highlighted the safety of women in the work place in India

There is a widespread culture in India of abuse against women that has got worse

Much needs to be done to change this culture and it is only by the people marching and exercising their voices every day

That will eventually bring changes to the law regarding these abuses

India has failed Aruna in so many ways and the other women, who have been abused in this nation

India has denied Aruna her right to live and her right to die

This shame will continue on you India. You carry on failing your female population and hardly anything gets done

A pole-vaulter has realised her dream by winning a bronze medal at the Texas State High School Championships

This amazing teenager called Charlotte Brown cleared 3.5m and was joined on the podium in Austin, Texas by her pet guide dog Vador

Charlotte Brown developed cataracts at 16 weeks old and had artificial lenses inserted as her vision got worse at the age of 11 years

Charlotte is now blind and has only a ‘jigsaw puzzle’ of light and dark shades

She is an Emory Rains student and has dreamed of a medal for the past two years

She had already finished eight and fourth in the medal’s table

Emory Rains High School’s goals are to Create Adults That Succeed. They certainly did that with Charlotte

It was at the Texas High School Championship that incorporated all the schools in Texas that she was able to achieve her goal

Taking third position was her highest ever achievement

Charlotte wanted to try a sport that was dangerous and exciting

She counts the seven steps of her left foot on her approach to the mat

Then listening for a faint beeper sound she is able to place her pole and push up

It has taken Charlotte three years of dedication to get her on the podium and she finally did it

Charlotte sends out a clear message to everybody. It is not about pole-vaulting or about the race track

It is all about finding something that makes you happy, despite whatever obstacles are in your way

Most people continue to sleepwalk through life. It seems it is the ones who have an impediment that makes them work harder to succeed

They are the ones who do not allow their disabilities to get in the way of personal achievement

Another two special souls are Millie Knight, who is 15 years old. Millie lost her sight at the age of seven

Mick Brennan lost both his legs in Iraq trying to deal with land mines

Both Millie and Mick competed in skiing in the Winter Paralympic Games in Sochi 2014

Like Charlotte Brown, all have demonstrated the triumph of the human spirit to reach the highest level of a competitive sport

They will not stop there and their continued progress serves as an inspiration to us all

On the 13th May 2014 a fire broke out in a local coal mine in Soma

It was one of Turkey’s worst ever industrial accidents

One of the pits was engulfed with carbon monoxide, which caused 301 miners to die. Some were burnt alive and others suffocated

Among them were Sevim Cata’s sons

Consumed with grief, still Sevim told reporters how her sons had done everything together

They married on the same day, lived together and their bodies were found embracing each other

It is a year on and the village of the disaster is still in shock. They may never truly recover

It is bad enough that this industrial accident was waiting to happen due to neglect in the mine

But nothing has been forthcoming by the Government

The Turkish Government has not even visited the families. They have been ignored

Devastation has now turned to rage against both the mine executives and the Government, a tragedy that should have been prevented

Safety standards were compromised. There was poor ventilation and gas masks were defunct

Key necessary equipment was no longer imported, but bought locally, such as transformers, one of which exploded causing the fire

This mine was formerly state-run and was later leased to a private company in 2005

Soma Holdings was still owned by a Government conglomerate

There has been a cosy relationship between Government officials and mine executives, which meant that problems were ignored

Two weeks before this disaster happened there was a call for an investigation into an accident at the mine

But the governing body rejected it

There is a ruling here for culpable homicide

All the mining executives and the Government overseeing this mine have to answer before the courts

They must take responsibility for their neglectful actions

A year on and Soma is still seething. Huge rallies broke out last weekend

Some of the demonstrators were dressed as miners and others carried photographs of their dead loved ones

Chants have rung out of ‘Erdogan, thief, murderer’ and ‘The coal of Soma will burn down the Government’

It is now time for the momentum of this offence to be channelled by the people

This injustice on so many levels needs to be heard, so that grief and justice can be satisfied

Until the voices of the people are heard, nothing will change and other mines could well be affected

Governments do nothing until the voice of the people is heard. Only then will justice be started

Kailash Satyarthi says his heroes are the children whom he saved from slavery

The 60 year old Nobel Prize winner has been credited with helping to free 80,000 children from bonded labour

This is from the start of his advocacy in the 1980s

Kailash Satyarthi has worked to end the chronic practice of child labour for nearly three decades

Satyarthi was an electrical engineer by training and began working for the Rights of Children when he was 26 years old

Satyarthi spearheaded a movement to make free and compulsory education a constitutional right in India in 2009

It is his organisation that rescues child workers and provides them with free education

Satyarthi said he was moved at the start of his education by a boy he witnessed

He was the son of a cobbler, who wasn’t able to go to school because he had to work

Satyarthi’s organisation is called Save Childhood Movement and was formed in 1983

Save Childhood Movement has rescued 80,000 children from illegal and hazardous work across India

Those children were rescued from construction companies, carpet industries and bangle and firecracker production

Brick-kilns, restaurants and child trafficking networks together provide bondage for these children

Satyarthi led the ‘Global March Against Child Labour’ in 1998, when children rescued from illegal work marched through 60 countries

They actually reached Geneva in Switzerland

In the mid-1990s, he raided many carpet looms in eastern India that hired child labourers to work on the exported carpets

Satyarthi developed a self-certification label for South Asian carpets meant for export to signal that they were free from child labour

Back in 1994 it was called Rugmark. Now it is known as Good Weave

Satyarthi has been accused of working against India’s interests and has shown India up in a bad light

Satyarthi and his organisation have played a key role in bringing about the ‘Rights to Education’ law

This law mandates free education to India’s children

Satyarthi has worked tirelessly to bring about stricter laws against child trafficking

Satyarthi has won numerous awards, which include Defenders of Democracy (US 2009)

Satyarthi has won Fredric Ebert International Human Rights Award (Germany) & Robert. F Kennedy International Human Rights Award (US 1995)

Satyarthi is recognised on the list of ‘Heroes Acting to End Modern Day Slavery’ by the US State Department (2007)

Until the likes of Satyarthi are highlighted far more than they are…

…India and other countries will continue to wreck the lives of millions of children

Children are the voices nobody wishes to hear. They are silent in their pain and have nowhere to run or to speak out

Wholesale abuse on children is a worldwide industry and there are not enough advocates to bring this to the media and world attention

We all have a responsibility to alleviate the suffering of the innocent and to try our best to see they are protected at all times

It is now up to Governments to take this forward and to stamp out abuse in all its guises. We pray that they will listen

There is an architect who puts people before trade and who can redefine his own profession

Award winning architect Vo Trong Nghia is on a mission to transform Vietnam’s attitudes towards architecture

This man wishes to produce sustainable buildings in urban spaces

The population explosion is a big problem in all Asian countries, especially those countries that have a tropical climate

People require open spaces

There needs to be a scattering of greenery to be added to the already claustrophobic concrete blocks that dominate the cityscapes

Nghia’s buildings incorporate plants and trees and include design elements, such as natural air flow ventilation

This will replace the costly and environmentally damaging air conditioning

Nghia sees that green architecture helps people to live harmoniously with nature

It elevates human life by embracing the powers of the sun, wind and water into their living spaces

If people do not change their current way of thinking they will all be living in concrete jungles

Nghia is currently working on a prototype for a ‘Low Cost House’ AKA ‘S-House2’

This will provide an affordable solution for low-income families in the Mekong Delta

The project is on a small scale, but construction can be completed in two weeks, transforming those lives that are in greatest need

It is the modern architect, who now can change the mind-set and with Nghia’s important mission to bring green spaces back to the earth

The vision of this man is quite extraordinary in Vietnam these days

Where concrete in Ho Chi Minh City is already choking the people, he is a breath of fresh air

Yemeni tribal forces have been attacking the Saudi border posts as an answer to Saudi brutal aggression

Yemen has voiced how shocked they are at the Saudi troops when faced with their fighters

Thousands of Saudi soldiers have fled and abandoned their posts and left their arms behind

As many as 10,000 soldiers from different Saudi military units have abandoned their army battalions and their National Guard

The illegal air strikes have had little effect on the battle-hardened Houthi groups

The Operation Decisive Storm has led to a humanitarian catastrophe

Rather than putting pressure on a political deal or a power sharing agreement

The Yemeni people did not ask for this Saudi onslaught or air strikes and the invasion into their own country

The dropping off of Saudi leaflets on civilians warning them to leave is a no brainer

These people have nowhere to run or to hide for shelter

Women are sleeping out in the open with just blankets to keep them warm at night, because of Saudi destruction of their own habitat

This is a humanitarian disaster caused by the continuous bombardment of Saudi air fire

The country’s fugitive Saudi puppet President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi is the root of this current crisis

He has systematically failed to handle the country with his weak political control

He has failed to gain the trust in the military institution and of containing terrorism and corruption in the country

Therefore weak Riyadh’s staunch ally has lost the moral high ground to handle complex ground issues

Without constructive understanding between Riyadh and Tehran this situation in Yemen can only escalate

Think wise Saudis and think long term if you want stability in Yemen and safety on your boarders

Then a strong leader is required, not an incompetent Hadi that has already brought trouble to the entire region

The Houthis have a right to live with justice being delivered to them finally and their voices will be heard, whether you like it or not!

The Cashmere industry is Mongolia’s second highest money earner when it comes to exports

The most sought after clothes made from the soft warm wool is considered a luxury item by much of the world

Pure Cashmere pieces can be sold of thousands of dollars

Cashmere starts out as soft downy wool that Mongolian herders collect during May and June and sell to processing plants in Ulaanbaatar

Prices have now fallen & many herders have joined into collectives in order to get a better price & now get $5 per 100 grams of Cashmere

There is a rapid increase in the number of goats being herded. This is up by 300% since the 1990s

This causes an additional strain on Mongolia’s land, which is already struggling because of Climate Change and unchecked mining

For many herders it is one of the few regular sources of income that they can rely on to see them through the winter

Eighty percent of their income is from Cashmere. It is the money they earn in the spring for their entire year

It allows the Mongolians to send their children to school, to stock food and repair things

Goats comprise of almost half of Mongolian’s total livestock population

It has been the population explosion that caused environmental stress

There is now evidence of overgrazing, pastureland degradation and desertification

It is the volatile international Cashmere prices, which have pushed many herders to keep larger flocks as a hedge against falling prices

The United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) declared that the annual average temperature in Mongolia has risen by 2.1ºC

There is also a 30% decline in surface water over the past 15 years, which means that Mongolia is at risk of becoming a desert

The UNEP are calling for efforts to balance the number of livestock with pasture capacity

To allow for this to happen it is suggested that herders increase the quality of their animals and decrease the quantity

It is the responsibility of the trade markets to make the decision to give herders a decent livelihood

This way they can start thinking about saving their environment

All this makes sense. In order to save the environment all must cooperate to take on these responsibilities

Voters in the General Election in the UK have now secured a Conservative Government with a small majority

One could say that other parties, Labour, Liberal Democrats and UKIP did not work hard enough…

…to establish enough seats to bring about a different result

The main criteria here are that in the world standing Great Britain needs to show a presidential performance

This is needed to establish a better footing on the world stage

Policies are all very well and they have meanings for the electorate, but what is really needed is a face that shows leadership

There needs to be a willingness to negotiate strong objectives in world politics today

David Cameron has already showed he is willing and able to be decisive

Cameron is not afraid to tackle the important issues both at home and abroad

David Cameron is a statesman in waiting and so will be able to safeguard Great Britain’s interests abroad

This is something the other party’s leaders do not have the ware for all to do

They lack the leadership needed to get the countries that make up the UK to join together to form a united front for the common cause

That cause is for Great Britain to make its mark once again in the world

Many things have been decided in foreign policies because Great Britain was at the table

They are at the heart of policy making and so it is imperative that Great Britain remains there with its powerful voice

The economy of course is important and that is already recovering

The people of Great Britain will start to feel an impetus growing that Great Britain can hold its head up in the world

It will be here where its voice will count

The European Union is in freefall and their leadership cannot sustain the rising dissent amongst its fellow collaborators

Now new policies, which will upset the applecart in so many ways, become possible

Great Britain will have its Referendum and outline its requests for new firmer policies of fairness

Where trade and its rulings have to be governed more equally

Where those who give the lion’s share of money should expect greater concessions for their contribution

This has not happened and that is why there is discontent and inconsistencies at the heart of making this work

The European Union has to be re-established, redefined with Great Britain in a better position to hold talks

Great Britain will strengthen new policies to help all in a better way, which can be orchestrated

Every year about one third of the food that we grow worldwide never makes the dinner table

That is 1.3bn tonnes of perfectly edible produce that is being discarded

It is not just the food, but the energy, the land and the resources to grow it in the first place that is also wasted

Adam Smith’s ‘Real Junk Food Project’ in the UK intercepts this food and serves it up to his ‘pay-as-you-feel’ customers

His Leeds based café is located in the deprived area of Armley. There he serves everything from spicy lentil soup to beef goulash

Some of his customers couldn’t afford to eat

Last year one million people in the UK relied on food banks just to get by and this is nearly three times as many as the year before

It is no surprise that Adam’s idea is spreading

One year since opening, Adam has forged relationships with major restaurants and businesses

His project has grown from one café to 70 franchises now opening worldwide

Adam is waging a campaign against the laws and the companies, where colossal amounts of food are wasted in the first place!

In Kenya, a country where three million people are dependent on food aid, a farmer in Nairobi wastes 40 tonnes of edible green beans

Other green vegetables, such as broccoli, sugar snaps and runner beans are also wasted every week

The primary excuse given by the supermarkets is that they are the wrong shape or size or colour

This waste is enough to feed over 250,000 people and equates to 40% of his entire crop

It is an unfair and unnecessary practice by the European supermarkets

They are forcing Kenyan farmers to waste colossal amounts of food while millions go hungry

Sometimes a whole consignment will be rejected, because they contain produce which has slight cosmetic defects

Huge skips and crates full of rejected whole beans, half beans, baby corn and mange tout lying out in the sun to rot

All without exception are edible

Growers do what they can to find local markets for the rejected vegetables, but it is not always possible

Not everyone in Kenya eats baby corn and the market is not big enough to soak up the good food they are producing

Green beans have to be cut to a certain length to fit into the straight supermarket trays and the ends become wastage

In Kenya, where so many people go hungry, the wasted food should be fed to the people

According to the Kenyan Government, 30% of Kenyan children are undernourished

10 million people suffer from food shortages and poor nutrition

The problem of food waste is not confined to Kenya. Globally one third of all food produced, 1.3billion tonnes, is wasted every year

It is now being argued that consumers, besides supermarkets, have an important role in tackling this criminal wastage

As consumers, we can all eat different sizes of beans, courgettes etc.

We do not need cosmetic standards, nature is not uniform – beans grow bent as do bananas and it’s natural

Collectively we owe it to the starving people of the world to make a stand and not to be swayed by supermarket idiotic uniformity

Food wastage needs to be stopped

The forests of this world cover 31% of the planets landmass, but 13 million hectares are being destroyed annually, the size of Portugal

South America and Africa lose forests at a faster rate than anywhere in the world

Mozambique is rich in natural resources, which are now in danger due to illegal logging, organised crime and unsympathetic investors

After years of civil war, Mozambique is trying to rebuild itself from the ruins

However development comes at a great cost to their natural resources. Mozambique’s rich hardwood forests are under threat

Their trees are being chopped down and burnt into charcoal, which supplies 80% of Mozambicans with fuel as well as a steady income

Destruction of their precious resources is unsustainable and threatens people’s livelihoods. It has serious Climate Change implications

A costal town in Mozambique is challenging this trend by putting forest conservation at the centre of community development

The Mezimbite Forest Centre’s entrepreneurial activities include a nursery division that grows and plants thousands of trees

They have a design and production division that uses sustainable natural resources to create high-end products for sale

These markets are both locally and internationally

This Centre creates multipurpose education programmes to nurture specialised skills required for bespoke design production and agroforestry

The Centre supplies education for the children in the local community

It’s the Mezimbite Forest Centre, which is working with the local community to break the cycle of poverty by growing trees, skills & futures

It only takes a person with foresight, which is for the Greater Good. All win, not only the planet for us all, but the people as well

Instead of man constantly blowing up everything and where wars solve no purpose…

…we should all be building for a better life for ourselves and our children

It is mainly men, who are the warmongers

There are only a few who have the intelligence to see a wider picture and who are wise enough to implement it!

Testimonies are provided by Israeli soldiers, who fought in the last Gaza War

They have raised serious questions over Israeli tactics and how it breached its obligations under International Law to protect civilians

These claims, collected by human rights group “Breaking the Silence”, contain interviews of Israeli combatants in dozens of interviews

Of these soldiers, who served in command centres and attack rooms, a quarter of the officers are ranked up to major

Israeli ground troops were briefed ‘not to spare any ammo’

Their tanks fired randomly or for revenge on buildings not knowing whether they were legitimate military targets or contained civilians

A Sergeant in an infantry unit recalled that armoured bulldozers didn’t rest for a second

It was non-stop back and forth razing another house, another street – they were playing in a sandbox

These rules meant life and death in Gaza during the 50 day war, a conflict in which 2,200 Palestinians were killed, but were not engaged

The interviews shed light on what soldiers were told, but also the doctrine informing operation

“The rules of engagement meant that anything inside the Gaza strip was a threat,” said a sergeant

The area had to be sterilised, emptied of people

If any person was seen, who did not have a white flag waving, were a threat and the authorisation was to open fire

Soldiers were told to open fire everywhere and if anyone dared show their face they were a terrorist and were to be fired upon

There was an incident described by soldiers when two women were seen, one had a mobile phone, both were killed

These two women over the age of 30 were unarmed, but were listed as terrorists

“The main thread in these testimonies,” says Michael Sfard, an Israeli human rights lawyer and legal advisor to “Breaking the Silence”…

“…is that Israeli’s presumption to wage war in an urban area, which is already the most densely populated in the world”

“There would be no civilians in these areas?”

These civilians are trapped in an open air concentration camp of which there is no escape and nowhere to run

They are already trapped in the Gaza Strip by Israeli policies

“The motto guiding the soldiers,” recalls a Lieutenant, who served in the Givati Brigade in Rafah, “that they did not pity Palestinians”

“You could see the hate in the soldier’s eyes, they really hate Arabs”

One Sergeant, who served in a tank in the centre of the Gaza Strip said, “We were firing a lot where there was no need to”

“It was just for the sake of firing”

“In the debriefing things were viewed as accomplishments,” said a Combat Intelligence Corps Sergeant

“They spoke about the 2,000 dead, 11,000 wounded & half a million refugees, decade’s worth of destruction. These were all accomplishments”

There is no compassion by the Israeli Government as their total objective is the annihilation of the Palestinian people

After all, the Palestinians are vermin in Israeli eyes

Change will only happen when the International Criminal Courts bring about sentences for war crimes

When will the UN have the clout for a change to put an end to over 60 years of conflict and misery with no end in sight?

When will the Israeli people stop listening to their own Government’s propaganda and start to see what the world sees as the truth?

It is high time that the Israeli opposition parties stand up for what is right and no longer hide behind a dictatorial Government

Their voices are silent in this world

The world is sick and tired of hearing about the holocaust of the Jews by the Nazis

Israel is no better by doing their extermination of the Palestinians

All Jews who do not stand up and renounce this oppression will have to come before a Higher Intelligence, who will judge them!

There is no hiding place or proclamation of their innocence

Like all the Germans, who bear the scars of what Hitler did and will continue to bear that shame…

…so it will be for the Jews with their actions against a suppressed people

In an Indian desert town, a group of remarkable students assemble in their class rooms

A question was given to the class, “Put your hands up if you are the first woman in your family to attend college?”

Out of a class of 18 students, 12 put their hands up

Their Professor is the first female to teach at the College

This is the first women’s College in Jaisalmer, which opened in 1998

Some of the girls have even defied tradition to become the first women to drive in the neighbourhood

They come to College on their scooters

Their tutor is called Rama Arora, better known in the town as Madam Ji

Rama has already transformed her life through education

Like her students, she was the first woman in her family to make it to College and then to pursue her doctorate

All this she did in secret after her arranged marriage at the age of 20

Her in-laws did not want her to study after her marriage

Rama said she had to make all the meals for all the family, do washing, housecleaning and take care of her two young children

In short she was their slave

Never losing her will to learn, she studied at night when all were asleep

This she did from 10pm to 6am in the morning for six years, getting only one and half hours sleep

It was at night that she did her PhD written work

Finally she became a Sociology Professor, which she has worked at for the last 25 years in her hometown

This all girl’s College is called the MLS Government Girl’s College

Rama Arora comes from five hours away by road to teach her students, such is her dedication

The College is already full of prizes, showing how successful these girls are at everything, even housework

Education has liberated them in ways they never thought possible

All wish to give something back to the community with their careers

Many wish to become police officers, some want to join the army

It is with the prevalence of crimes against women, which has prompted these students to become the police officers of the future

All want to do something with their lives and none are in any hurry to get married

They all know that a first-hand education can and does improve women’s lives

Where the determination is there to succeed and become educated, they free themselves of arrange marriages

This prevents early slavery to the families they marry into

Women need education as their life blood to remove themselves from the shackles and become somebody that does make a society greater

Actress Tippi Hedren is famous for her role in the Alfred Hitchcock’s film ‘The Birds’

Hedren has helped numerous ladies from Vietnam find jobs in California

Tippi Hedren visited a Vietnamese refugee camp in California 40 years ago

The Hollywood star’s long polished fingernails dazzled the women there

These people had lost everything in the American led war against Communism

They lost their entire families, their homes, jobs, and friends – everything was gone including their own country

Tippi Hedren wanted to give them something in the way of self-respect and a way of earning a living for themselves in the US

Taking about 20 women, mainly the wives of high-ranking military officers, she introduced them to her personal manicurist

They were taught the art of manicures

These women went on to transform an industry that is now worth $8bn and is dominated by Vietnamese Americans

“We were trying to find a vocation for them,” says Hedren

She also brought in seamstresses and typists in any way for them to learn something, but they just loved her fingernails

The refugee camp is called ‘Hope Village’ in the north of California and Hedren revolutionised the way they are and think

Hedren had also recruited a local beauty school to help these women to learn and graduate

She has helped them to get jobs all over California

Tippi Hedren, who has a wildcat sanctuary at her home in Southern California, is building a museum to house Hollywood memorabilia

She has photos of the women at Camp Hope together with awards won from the Nail Care industry

What is wonderful is that the Vietnamese women have given the nail salon business a radical makeover

In the 1970s, manicures and pedicures cost around $50, which was fine for Hollywood starlets, but was out of reach for most American women

Today a basic ‘mani-pedi’ can cost around $20, largely due to Vietnamese American salons, who typically under charge by 30-50%

Forty years after the fall of Saigon, 51% of nail technicians in the US and approximately 80% in California are of Vietnamese descent

Many are the direct descendants of Tippi Hedren’s new class of manicurist, whom she first inspired to take up the craft and run with it

It only takes one person’s efforts and foresight to revolutionise hundreds of people and an industry is born

Tippi Hedren works from the heart and that is why she always gets results. Everyone will benefit by those who act and give with love

Good Samaritans are always thin on the ground, which makes their presence all the more special and sacred

Nairobi’s Good Samaritan is a Kenyan primary school teacher, who takes his love of children to extraordinary lengths

Kenyan’s forgotten children are some 250-300,000, who are homeless. Many of them live on the streets of Nairobi

The children call out Odijo, Odijo, which means slang for teacher

Mr Clifford Oluoch is a primary school teacher in Nairobi by day

He has been spending his evenings for the last 3 months feeding street children

He said, “I was walking home one night and came across boys haggling for a cob of corn”

“I offered to buy them a cob each then more children came”

“By the end of the evening I had bought corn for 25 children”

“They asked me if I would come back tomorrow and do the same and I said I would”

The UNICEF report estimates that there are approximately 300,000 homeless children in Kenya, most of them are in the big cities

According to the Nairobi-based charity Kenya Children for Hope, 63% of the cities have homeless children

These children have been on the streets on a part or full time basis for up to five years

In the city centres, where human wastes flow nearby, there above the stench is a thick cloud of industrial glue, which the children snort

For them a few sniffs of glue can last for several hours and blanks out their continuous misery

The children see the teacher as a living “Messiah”

Many of the children are as a result of abusive homes and others have left alcoholic parents behind

The streets are a hard life and boys get beaten up by older homeless boys

Clifford Oluoch, his wife Benedette and their 13 year old daughter butter 30 loaves of bread, a cost of £14 a day

For months now Clifford has been splitting his salary between his wife and family and 60 street children, he is starting to feel the pinch

Word is now getting about and so a bread donor has been found to give the bread

That saving has allowed Clifford to use the money to take a child to hospital or help homeless women set up fruit stalls

All these are expensive undertakings on a mere teacher’s salary. He is also away from home up to three hours every evening

Clifford and his wife Benedette are committed to helping people

They know what it is like to grow up having nothing. “We know how difficult life is when you have no one”

“What we do makes a difference and it is this that makes it all worth it”!

It takes the unselfish heart of one man to show up the Kenyan nation

It is their responsibility to do more and to rescue these depraved children

Clifford Oluoch, who champions the plight of homeless children, will start the ball rolling

These forgotten children are not forgotten any longer

Bless this man for his divine inspiration to rescue those whose lives were lost

Now they are found and help will be given to all!

The Church of England is adopting a new climate change policy and will cut their investments in fossil fuel companies

They will sell investments worth £12m in firms where more than 10% of revenue comes from extracting thermal coal

The Church said it had a moral responsibility to act on environmental issues to protect the poor

“It is the poor who are the most vulnerable to climate change,” says the Church

The Church of England’s investments are wide-ranging and complex

They range from pieces of woodland used for timber to investment strategies run by some of the world’s biggest hedge funds

The Church also has stakes in big oil companies

Around £5.2bn of investments are managed by the Church Commissioners to produce money to support its work

More than £3.25bn is invested in securities bonds and shares, both in the UK and abroad

The Church also invests £1.71bn in property, £96m in woodland and £125m in loans for clergy’s spouses

Their stock market shares are with major companies like Shell, HSBC (what a joke that is!) and GlaxoSmithKline

The Church wants to be seen to be doing the right thing, as it is their moral obligation to protect the poor with climate change

By reducing their investments in these companies that are heavily involved in fossil fuels, they feel they are doing their bit

We all know that the Church is a business

One has to ask, “When do they actually have time for God or for the poor and suffering in this world?”

The Church indirectly was involved when they staked £75,000 in Wonga through their investment fund

Wonga loan money to those who have little at high interest rates

The message from Jesus Christ was to follow him and to give to the poor and suffering

He taught us to help those who are not in a position to help themselves

Where is the Churches’ investment in the poor and suffering, where families have little to eat and are in constant poverty?

Where is it seen that the Church reaches out to them?

Jesus Christ needed nothing. He went out to those who needed his help, love and guidance

The Church of England is a money making dinosaur

The C of E does not follow the teachings of Christ, but continues to feather its own nest and lavish lifestyle

The shame on the C of E is not to reduce its investments in fossil fuel companies, but to openly help the poor and suffering in this world

This is what the Church was founded on in the first place

In order for Church of England hierarchy to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, they have to act as Jesus did without pomp and ceremony

They need to follow Christ with humbleness & a vision to eradicate pain & suffering for all their flock

This is where the Church should be actively involved

Remember Almighty God sees all and all will be judged who have not been seen to be doing the right thing, which is their charge to do

Jesus Christ never said money had to be made or invested.  If one truly believes in God then one knows all is provided for anyway

It is the Church’s greed and where money is the criteria over and above helping the poor and suffering!