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Following the death of Mario Luis Rodríguez Cobos (better known as Silo), the humanist organization Convergence of Cultures will pay tribute to its source of inspiration on October 2nd next, coinciding with the International Day of Non-Violence. They will participate along with other organizations inspired by his ideas, in ceremonies that will take place in different countries.

Silo’s spiritual dimension is inexhaustible and his death leaves us with a teaching whose scope, both unpredictable and vast, is difficult to measure. This phrase, uttered in these very complex and clichéd times, seems to speak of someone with an opinion on anything and everything; but Silo did not have anything to do with what is in the media, nor was he a stage act.

Silversmith Mr Chung Wei-wen is a Taiwanese working independently in the foothills above Taipei, producing silver accessories and teapots. Highly skilled and with strong demand for his artifacts, with his teapots he tries to reach into the mind of his clients with his more humanistic philosophy that pits itself against today’s profligacy and materialism.

*I got the emailed news from Santiago, Chile, about noon simply saying: “Mario leave this world this night. A big and warm hug. Luis Felipe”. This is my long time pal in the Humanist Movement and I was to hear that over forty of our friends were gathered in his apartment at the time of the emailing. I had not seen Silo personally since the Spain meeting around the year 2000.*

Mario Rodriguez Cobos – more commonly known as Silo – the prolific Argentinean author and founder of the Humanist Movement which has activists in over 100 countries around the world passed away today in his home town of Mendoza, Argentina surrounded by family members after battling with Kidney failure for many months.

*Those who know something about Grameen Bank will know it is a Bangladesh outfit and idea so where was that country in Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post’s Business Section September 16, 2010, article “Grameen in mainland microfinance venture”? Not even a passing reference to the originator nor the proud originating country!*

The Obama administration has reportedly finalized a $60 billion deal to sell advanced military aircraft to Saudi Arabia. It would be the largest-ever single arms deal in US history. State Department spokesperson P.J. Crowley declined to confirm the plans until the White House submits the deal for congressional approval.

The following are the notes of the open talk by Fernando Alberto García at the meeting place of Humanist Rebellion base team of The Community for Human Development (Frías 262, Buenos Aires, Argentina), on Saturday August 28, 2010.
It is based on talks Fernando had with our friends in India during July of the same year.

*Words are not enough to describe the miseries and suffering of helpless and homeless people from Gilgat to Karachi. The flood has affected more than 2 crore people in Pakistan, causing huge loss of life, loss of livestock, breaking the infrastructure, and decimating property, all due to heavy monsoon rains – Pritam Rohila, Association for Communal Harmony in Asia.*

*“It is good you make this appeal – your countrymen are in dire need. However, you have to understand that our way is not humanitarian it is new humanist – we address the individual to change in a radical yet non-violent way his or her attitude to others and to our self – that’s our main aim.” Tony Henderson, chairman, Humanist Association of Hong Kong.*