Europe

Dr Rowan Williams said the levy would be one way of advancing the “moral agenda” of the protesters outside St Paul’s. The Cathedral has cancelled attempts to evict the campsite. The City of London Corporation has put on hold proceedings and expressed an intention to open negotiations. Will the G20 listen to the voices of common sense?

While European politicians are spending millions of euro on never-ending summits to seek the best way how to further fund their banks through new re-capitalisation plans, cooperatives silently gather over 800 million people in 100 countries, employing more than 100 million persons worldwide—that’s 20% more than the multinationals, without due attention from politicians.

Yet, a different kind of protest. ‘Compassion is Revolutionary’. Flash mob Meditation and Multifaith Service at St Paul’s stairs. Active Nonviolence, humour, global democratic links and leaderless consensus seeking Assemblies. Three priests resign from high posts at St Paul’s over divided views. The City of London Corporation begins eviction moves, it may take months.

It sounds like utopia. But it is a “concrete utopia”, very much in the spirit of Ernst Bloch’s philosophy and also with Nichiren Buddhism.
Whereas the former visualises elimination of all forms of oppression and exploitation, the latter envisions transformation of the human spirit – which would enable culture of peace to prevail over culture of violence.

Here we publish the speech delivered by Dr. Edine von Herold Duarte to the General Assembly of PNND (Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament), in Bern, Switzerland.
The next day, Dra. Edine von Herold Duarte, former Parliamentary from Costa Rica, was reelected in her condition of PNND board member.

Richard Wilkinson, Professor Emeritus of social epidemiology at the University of Nottingham, explains in a TED session how inequality harms society, not just the poor but also the rich. Not a moment too soon, in order to add to the discussion taking place globally by the Occupy/Indignados/ArabSpring movement about setting the basis of a new society.

As Occupy London Stock Exchange celebrated a week of protest thousands gathered for a public assembly in the heart of London’s financial centre. The General Secretary of Britain’s largest trade union added his support. A second occupation was born in nearby Finsbury Sq. St Paul’s Cathedral closed its doors claiming health and safety issues and asking the camp to leave.

We interviewed Yordos, a young Greek who came in these days to Madrid to participate in the 15O, and to strengthen ties with the Spanish indignant. He sayd to us: “…We don’t have to wait for others to decide for our lives and how those should be. The squares are waiting for us and I am sure that we people, through debate and dialogue, can find the ways to improve our lives.”

What follows is a statement agreed by the Occupy the London Stock Exchange General Assembly based on the discussions carried out by small groups. “At today’s assembly of over 500 people on the steps of St Paul’s, #occupylsx collectively agreed the initial statement below. Please note, like all forms of direct democracy, the statement will always be a work in progress”.

The day started with the heartening news from Japan that Tokyo had just joined the ‘global day of mobilization’ adding its strength and uniqueness to over 1000 cities in 85 countries, working to mediate a fundamental change in the world economic and democratic systems. Around 4 PM, we walked toward Sol with a group of friendsto participate in a Radio show on the “Movement 15M”.