Wake Up

• Oil reserves in the world 2017 – Iran 4th largest 157.8 billion barrels; Iraq 5th largest 144.2 billion barrels.
• At the end of the war of invasion 2003 the US formerly ended the occupation of Iraq. Exxon Mobil, BP, Shell remain.
• Biwater Wood Hybrid scheme for Basra, Southern Iraq includes delivery of potable water for local population and the oil industry. Funded from U.K. by JP Morgan and U.K. Overseas Development investment Fund . §1.45 billion  – SEE HERE 
• Iranian economy shrunk by 1.5% 2019 …by 3% 2020. Before President Trump extended trade sanctions, IMF predicted 4%.current growth .
• Brain drain from Iran estimated by IMF to 91 developed & developing countries of educated individuals- 150,000 to 180,000,every year.
• Iraqi emigres to UK include: Jim Al-Khalili,Professor Theoretic Physics, Charles and Maurice Saatchi, Alan Yentob formerly BBC, architect Zaha Hamid.

May 2019

Being outdoors has huge benefits for children, both physically and mentally, and the growing network of Forest Schools aims to tap into those benefits by educating children in the fresh air.  Forest School and nature based learning has now become very established in the UK with more than 12,00 trained leaders.

Forest School offers children and young adults:

The inspiration to be curious, fascinated, interested and inventive.

The freedom to explore different ways of ‘being’, feeling, behaving and interacting.

The opportunity to:

Experience beauty and wonder in the woodland and become ‘lost in the experience’

Gain confidence through learning new skills

Develop imagination and creativity

Meet challenges and learn to handle risk in safety

Feel relief from stress and anxiety

Develop their spirituality through a sense of awe at the natural environment.

Increase their autonomy and independence

Take responsibility for own learning and building self confidence

Stroud Forest School

Wild Roots Forest School

Forest School: 9 ways children benefit from learning and playing outside

March 2019

• The forecast worldwide is that that owning a house is the prerequisite of the wealthy
• In London 1,137 people sleep rough on average, every night
• Sleeping rough shortens lives to average 47 as opposed to the national norm of 77 years.
• Every year, year on year, failure to tackle the supply system ratchets up the pressure on English housing. Many more families will suffer from over- crowding, more families will struggle with rising rents and larger mortgages, fewer young people under 30 will be able to leave the parental home. Shelter.
• Truth about property developers: how they are exploiting the planning process and ruining our cities –  HERE 
• ‘No (Mrs May) -the housing crisis will not be solved by building more houses.The Crisis is the result of banking failure’ –  HERE
•  Grenfell Tower – HERE
• Global figures: likely be 1.3 billion without Houses. UN Sustainable Development goals at best over- ambitious, at worst DELUSIONAL.
• Medellin, Colombia: remaking the world’s most dangerous city. The remarkable example of change happening because of radical leadership – HERE
• AND AT THE FRONT OF OUR MINDS..MIGRANT data – dead / missing crossing the Mediterranean 2016: 5,143. 2017: 3,139. 2018: 2,297.
• AND INSECT loss, internationally …up to 85% . Primarily because of destruction of their habitat by the human species

In the struggle to oppose hate, and to replace it with fierce love and compassion, it’s necessary ─ though often or usually stressful ─ to remain awake, watchful, hopeful.

One way to remain awake and hopeful is through the arts. Below there are links to six pieces of artistic creativity. All contain music, and all contain elements of drama and theatrical performance.

The countries of origin include France, Germany, Ireland, United Kingdom and United States.

Transformative power

An illustrated talk (about 20 minutes) about the power of music to transform lives, yours, mine, everyone’s – HERE 

Light in dark times

A sermon in December 2018 beginning and ending with affirmations of Bono’s song There is a Light, written after the Manchester Arena bombing in 2017 –  HERE

Happiness – and watch out !

Animated film (about four minutes) that takes a wry look at doomed searches for well-being, fulfilment and bliss somewhere apart from where we actually live – HERE 

Strictly inclusive

TV celebration of inclusive choreography, everyone but everyone special, November 2018 – HERE 

Joy in the public square

That famous dream of shared humanity and world community, adopted as the anthem of the European Union – HERE

I didn’t die, says he

‘What they forgot to kill went on to organise’, the unending a luta continua onwards and upwards to justice , and to positive peace – HERE 

Hold On

If there is a light
We can’t always see
If there is a world
We can’t always be
If there is a dark
Now we shouldn’t doubt
And there is a light
Don’t let it go out

Hold on, Hold on.

Bono 2017

The size of the THIRD SECTOR globally and its relationship with UK GOVERNMENT –

• Global Civil Society has mushroomed into global workforce of 350 million professionals and volunteers. If this workforce were a country, it would be the third most populous …. following China & India.
• World Economic Forum :- ”Closing space for civil society reduces the chances that these challenges will be effectively addressed’’ – HERE
• World Economic Forum – “5 challenges for Civil Society in the 4th Industrial Revolution “ –  HERE 
• UK HMG Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport published first Civil Society Strategy for fifteen years. Proposes Third Sector be increasingly involved in design of public services: view NOT supported by general public –  HERE 
• Charities Aid Foundation notes the SPACE between Government and the charitable sector is being shrunk, with implications for the latter’s reduced critical and championing role. The Third Sector role is predominantly “speaking ON BEHALF of the disadvantaged’’ – HERE 
• UN special Rapporteur MAINA KIANI ( 2011- 2017), UN Human Rights Council visited UK 2013 and 2016. Noted that businesses received markedly more favourable responses from HMG than the Third Sector, particularly application procedures.

Wake up each day to the benefits of KINDNESS …which will empower you to offer random acts  of kindness to people unknown and known to yourself,  as you go about your daily life.

The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation. We believe that kindness starts with one: One compliment, one smile, one kind act, one person.

https://www.randomactsofkindness.org/kindness-stories

Mac Macartney, international speaker, leader, and founder of the community at Embercombe. We were enormously privileged to have him speak at Festival of the Dark, and moved by how he – a secular speaker reflecting on Darkness – was welcomed in to St James Roman Catholic church by Father John. All Father John needed as reassurance was that it was a positive invocation to live mindfully, with care for our Earth. That then put it in line with Pope Francis’ encyclical on the environment; the Pope had asked parish priests and parishes to spread the message of care, and so we were welcomed in. And thus Mac was able to weave his stories of love for the Earth, and our responsibility as spiritual beings to live with care for ourselves, within care for our community, within care for all of our connected environment.

Excerpt from Mac’s talk

Head of Compassion in World Farming, Philip Lymbery states :

“There is a desperate need for joined-up action on Industrial Farming if we are to avoid a catastrophic impact on Earth”  – READ HIS ARTICLE HERE

IN ORDER FOR HUMANS TO BE ABLE TO BUY LOW COST MEAT – Interrelated conditions exist :-

• In UK there are 1,674 intensive factory farms. Average space per. chicken 25cm x 25 cm. 94% chickens raised for meat in these conditions.
• About 1/2 European antibiotics are given to livestock to combat infection & to enhance rapid animal growth. Infection spreads rapidly in factory farms.
• Dutch scientists estimate 1/3 to 1/2 of antibiotic resistance in humans is due to infections originating in agriculture.
• Poor working conditions for Farm Workers in factory farms: bacterial infections, cross contamination, excessive lines’ speed, exploitation, low wages
• 5 privately owned firms control the new MEGA FARMS:- Faccenda, Moy Park, Cargill, 2 Sisters, Banham Poultry .They supply cheap meat to Tesco, Sainsbury, Morrison, Asda, Macdonalds, Nando,

Refs:-

• Tracey Worcester  – Farms not Factories. HERE
• Compassion in World Farming  – HERE
• The Bureau of Investigative Journalism – HERE
• Andrew Wasley Guardian -Sustainable Business 22.12.15  – READ ALL ANDREW’S ARTICLES HERE
• TED TALKS . San Antonio. Dr Karl Klose. Rise of the Super bug – SEE THE TED TALK HERE
• Dr Danielle van Daler – ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE
• 10 Alarming facts about factory farms
• The Rise of the Mega Farm

( and loadsa other concerns !)

Organisations who hold power ARE responding to the pollution crisis :- e.g.

• Plastic indispensable part of daily life; not an environment problem..an opportunity to maintain the circular economy . UK Plastics Pact : Aim,together create a sustainable system for plastics at the forefront of the circular economy.
• “ EU declared war on plastic waste” Plan includes 350 mill. euros funding research to modernise plastic production and collection…..Each piece of packaging on the continent to be reusable /recyclable by 2030.
• EU “Priority to clamp down on single-use plastic: 5 seconds to produce,5 minutes to use, 50 year’s to break- down”.
• George Monbiot:” Oil companies will invest £130bn.globally in new plastic facilities in next 7 years…..UK Government’s praiseworthy “clean growth” policy, in practice entails more growth, more resources, more consumption.
• Encouraging : proliferation in mass- circulation newspapers of articles photographs & campaigns plus social media petitions calling for government, commerce & consumer action to control useage & wastage & pollution.

AND it all RASPS AGAINST FACTS… AND THE FACT that the present crisis has been known and “hidden”, for decades..MYOPIA : near- sightedness.

• 8 mill.tonnes of Plastic reach the sea every year.
• By 2050 there will be more Plastic in oceans than fish.
• 99% of seabirds will have eaten plastic.
• average sea-food eater will have ingested 11,000 pieces of micro plastic,yearly.
• Orb media reports billions of people in 12 countries drinking water contaminated by Plastic particles.
• Plastic debris in oceans a growing hazard as toxins climb the food chain.
• See list references at end of TALES SECTION of this website
• 
• I’m Mad As Hell Speech From Network (1976) 
• WATCH YOU TUBE

WAKE UP trumpets Self Employment whilst unearthing limitations within the sector requiring serious UK Government overhaul action.

Self employed 4.6 million, represent 15% UK workforce. Increase of 800,000 since 2008.

Self Employed at lower end of market – take home pay considerably less than Employed.

1/3 families have no savings: issue of nil pension provision

Government policy / practice intervention urgently required e.g. cut Red Tape, incentivise savings, taxation administration clarified/ simplified, flexible systems in general, legal definition of Self Employment.

Accessible ongoing support plus education for young people to better prepare them for Self Employment

LINKS:

Who are the Self Employed ? -New Policy Institute (npi)  SEE HERE

Who are the Self Employed ?  – CAB ( Citizens Advice Bureau)   SEE HERE and  SEE HERE

Self Employment Review – an independent report by Julie Deane OBE .

“The labour market has changed, and continues to change. The opportunities have never been greater”  SEE HERE

Enterprise for All – Review 2010-15 by Lord Young of Graffam   SEE HERE

Make it Work – Gingerbread   SEE HERE