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Ottawa mayor forwarding request to its Street Committee for naming a major street after Gandhi
Special to Earthpages.org
Mayor of Canada’s capital Ottawa is forwarding to City’s Street Naming Committee the request of Gandhi Monument Council to name one of Ottawa’s major streets after peace icon Mahatma Gandhi.
Right Reverend Gene Savoy Jr. and Rajan Zed, coordinators of Gandhi Monument Council (GMC) headquartered in USA, who made this request in a communiqué to the City of Ottawa, said that they would prefer the name of this proposed street to be “Mahatma Gandhi Marg” (marg means path). While Savoy is Head Bishop of International Community of Christ, Zed is the president of Universal Society of Hinduism.
Mayor Larry O’Brien, in his reply to GMC’s request, also informed that Ottawa City Council just passed a resolution that he fully supported, to raise a statue of Gandhi in a downtown park near Ottawa River. Zed and Savoy have applauded Mayor O’Brien, Ottawa City Council and citizens of Ottawa for honoring the Mahatma.
The Gandhi Monument Council is formed of Christian (various denominations), Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish, Baha’i, Native American, etc., clergy. According to Zed and Savoy, the purpose of this Council is to commemorate Gandhi’s philosophy of non-violence, his commitment to world peace, and his work for the upliftment of the downtrodden.
Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948) was one of the few men in history to fight simultaneously on moral, religious, political, social, economic, and cultural fronts. His life and thought had an enormous impact on the world, and he continues to be widely revered as one of the greatest moral, political, and peace leaders of the twentieth century.
Vibrant city of Ottawa, dominated by neo-Gothic Parliament Buildings, is one of the world’s top five sites for R&D and is home to Rideau Canal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Transcendent warfare: Human consciousness the key?
Transcendent warfare: Human consciousness the key?
The term “transcendent warfare” was used by a U.S. Navy SEAL officer several years ago to describe the use of leading-edge knowledge and methods that could be helpful in achieving many important objectives.
The SEAL officer, L.R. Bremseth, indicated in a graduate-level research paper for the Marine Corps War College that transcendent warfare includes not only the deployment of certain methods, but also the understanding of underlying concepts.
He noted a significant range of opportunities for the utilization of leading-edge transcendent activities in U.S. national defense efforts.
People sometimes ask, “Is transcendent warfare a way to conduct war more successfully, or is it a way to transcend actual warfare and accomplish objectives in other ways?”
Transcendent warfare may be both … and more.
Transcendent concepts may help average people around the world understand ways to improve their lives and develop constructive solutions to the challenges they may face. In other words, transcendent understanding may enhance human development and change human consciousness.
NATIONAL SECURITY ACTIVITIES
In his paper, Bremseth summarized activities related to facilitating robust psychological and perceptual functioning of U.S. military and intelligence personnel.
He noted that research into human behavior and thinking processes is ever-expanding and that these developments can provide very useful insight and significant assets.
One aspect of transcendent warfare is establishing a perspective from which transcendent concepts can be understood. This is the formation of a certain perspective, viewpoint and understanding.
Another element is translating this understanding into activities can be deployed to accomplish worthwhile missions and tasks.
These may include “hard power” methods as well as “soft power” efforts. They may be applied to special operations missions and humanitarian activities. They may assist “public diplomacy” and constructive psychological operations. They may involve open source intelligence (OSINT) platforms and educational/sociological outreach.
Transcendent concepts and activities can provide additional resources and tools for many kinds of situations … situations that are of importance to us now.
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
When we hear a term like transcendent warfare, the ideas of improving the state of the human race and solving the myriad of problems facing humanity might not immediately come to mind.
However, a study of the theories and activities on which the idea of transcendent warfare is based clearly indicates a potential for far-reaching positive changes for the human race and our planet.
Why? At the heart of transcendent concepts is human psychology and human consciousness. Most problems facing the human race are based on these fundamental elements. Many solutions lie in those same basic platforms too.
Enhancing human perception and understanding are keys to the transcendent perspective. Some of the research and activities conducted regarding discoveries in the area of human consciousness clearly indicate great potential for short-term and long-term human development.
How will these discoveries in consciousness and transcendent perspectives help us? It may not be completely clear. Important progress has already been made in integrating some of these leading-edge discoveries into the mass media and our everyday lives.
Social, educational, cultural, spiritual, medical, public safety, governmental, defense and other components of human societies can make greater use of transcendent viewpoints.
As they do, we may see a new paradigm, tipping point or breakthrough in the ways the human race solves problems and makes progress.
Famous American band produces groundbreaking album on Vedas and presents to Hindu leader Zed
The only Sanskrit rock band of the world, “Shanti Shanti”, has come up with a groundbreaking new album on the oldest scripture of the world Vedas, and they presented the first copy to the acclaimed Hindu leader Rajan Zed in Nevada (USA) today.
This CD titled “Veda”, produced by Ganesha Publishing BMI, contains shlokas (hymns) from all four Vedas-Rig-veda, Sama-veda, Atharva-veda, and Yajur-veda, some as old as 1,500 BCE. With extensive research and selection process, it took one year to complete this CD, which is their sixth album.
“Shanti Shanti” consists of American sisters Andrea Devi Forman and Sara Anjuli Forman, their younger brother Micah Mahdev Forman and father Robert Henry Forman. The Formans have never been to India, never had a Sanskrit teacher, and still Andrea and Sara can spontaneously chant, read, write, and translate Sanskrit since they were nine and seven years old respectively.
Devoted Catholics, Andrea and Sara have also translated and chanted Ave Maria, a traditional Christian prayer, in Sanskrit. They have toured various countries and various states of USA giving packed Sanskrit musical performances. They have been in various television shows, mentioned in various publications, and extensively written about.
“We fell in love with the overwhelming stillness, exuberance, clarity and amplified sensory awareness of Sanskrit poetry which we have attempted to share with you in this record,” Andrea and Sara stress.
Youth, specially of India and those living in foreign countries coming from India background, need to learn from the example of Forman sisters who have mastered ancient language Sanskrit (also known as “the language of the gods”) and are promoting it in a big way on their own inspiration, living in a non-Sanskrit environment and coming from a heritage with no Sanskrit background, Zed points out.
Andrea and Sara thanked Rajan Zed, who is president of Universal Society of Hinduism, for blessings, encouragement and guidance, while presenting him with the first copy of the new album.
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Details of the picture attached: Andrea (left) and Sara Forman (right), lead singers of Shanti Shanti rock band, presenting the first copy of their new album “Veda” to acclaimed Hindu leader Rajan Zed (center) in Nevada (USA).
Picture by: Roger Bowen Weld
Unique Gandhi festival in America
“Ahimsa (non violence) — means infinite
love, which again means infinite capacity
for suffering.” ~ Mahatma Gandhi,
February 1940
Originally uploaded by Haeretik
Special to Earthpages.org
A unique first of its kind eco-friendly festival celebrating Mahatma Gandhi’s life and message will be held in Nevada (USA) on Jul 26.
According to Tom Stille and Doug Keeney, coordinators of this Gandhi Fest; drummers, fire spinners, artists, healthy and organic food chefs, yoga teachers, DJs, and sustainable living advocates will join hands to celebrate peace, love, freedom, non-violence, self-power and conscious living as promoted by Gandhi.
Rajan Zed, acclaimed Indo-American leader, will be the keynote speaker who will talk about Gandhi’s life, philosophy, and experiments, and answer questions of the participants during this festival.
To be held at River School Reno, this festival will continue till two am, and will include folk dancing, musical performances, sustainable goods displays, nature tours, fire spinning, kite flying, yoga shows, organic food demonstrations, etc. Each festival participant will artistically contribute to a “Gandhi collage”, to be created on the occasion. A competition will be held to make Gandhi sketches. Plans are being formed to make this Gandhi Fest an annual feature.
There is a renewed interest world over in Mahatma Gandhi and his ideas, who is universally venerated as one of the paramount moral, political, and social leaders of the recent history, Rajan Zed adds.
Catholics to have serious dialogue with Hindus and others
by paulbence photography (CCL) |
Special to Earthpages.org
Catholics will have a serious dialogue with Hindus and other religions during the Annual Diocesan Conference of Reno (Nevada, USA) Catholic Diocese in January next.
According to Father Charles T. Durante, Pastor of Saint Teresa of Avila Catholic Church of Carson City, it will include dialogue among leaders of Muslim, Protestant, Hindu, and Jewish faiths besides Catholic. The Conference will be held on January ninth and tenth.
Invited religious figures include acclaimed Hindu leader Rajan Zed, Reverend V. James Jeffrey, Rabbi Myra Soifer and Imam Abdul Rahim Barghouthi, besides Durante.
Catholic Diocese of Reno, established in 1931, covers 70,852 square miles spread in eleven Nevada counties in addition to Carson City. Before 1840, this area was under the Diocese of Sonora in Mexico, when it came under the jurisdiction of Bishop Moreno of California. Current Bishop is Most Reverend Randolph R. Calvo.
Rajan Zed has congratulated the Catholic Diocese efforts in reaching out to other religions for a dialogue. “Religion is a complex component of human life. Dialogue helps us to see interconnections and interdependencies between religions and even similarities in doctrines,” Zed adds.
Demand of public apology by Paramount and Viacom gathering storm
Hindu Leader Rajan Zed
Special to Earthpages.org
Calls for public apology by Paramount Pictures and its parent Viacom on issues surrounding “The Love Guru” movie, started by acclaimed Hindu leader Rajan Zed, are gathering strength.
Now Nevada Clergy Association (NCA); which is composed of Christian (various denominations), Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish, Bahai, Native American, etc., clergy; has joined others in asking for Paramount/Viacom apology.
In a statement issued in Nevada (USA) today, Right Reverend Gene Savoy Jr., NCA President, said, “We urge Paramount and Viacom to issue a general public apology over this issue, which will help heal the wounds of seemingly perturbed one-billion-strong Hindu community”.
Rev. Savoy, who is himself a well-respected Head Bishop of International Community of Christ, said in this statement, “We are dismayed at Paramount Pictures, presenter of this movie, for backtracking on their promise to protesting Hindu brothers-sisters, which we consider an unethical business practice. We are also appalled at Paramount and its parent Viacom for utter disregard of the protesters and making no efforts to have an open civilized dialogue with protesters and arrive at a mutually acceptable solution, who have been stressing that this movie denigrates Hinduism and Hindu concepts.”
He congratulated Rajan Zed “for his successful campaign” against the Hollywood movie “The Love Guru” and thanked him for “effectively creating this debate and awakening the future filmmakers to be more sensitive to the feelings of devotees when dealing with faith related issues”.
Rev. Savoy further said, “We at NCA are for free speech as much as anybody else if not more. But faith is something sacred and attempts at debasing it hurt the adherents. Hollywood should be more conscious while handling faith related subjects, as cinema is a very mighty medium and it can create stereotypes in the minds of some audiences. We are concerned that today it is Hinduism; tomorrow Hollywood might attempt to mock another denomination/religion, which can be very painful to the faithful.”
Sometime back, Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, and Hindu religious leaders, in a joint signed statement, described Paramount’s backtracking on their promise to protesting Hindus as “un-Christian, un-Hindu, un-Buddhist, un-Jewish, etc., besides being unethical.”
Meanwhile, various other organizations, including Universal Society of Hinduism, Hindu Janajagruti Samiti, Hindu Alliance of India, Shri Ramayan Pracharini Sabha, Sanatan Sanstha, India Heritage Panel, have also demanded public apology from Paramount and Viacom.
Rajan Zed launched the protest movement against “The Love Guru” in March, saying that it appeared to be lampooning Hinduism and Hindus and using Hindu terms frivolously.
In the news
Earthpages.org has no affiliation with these stories, their authors nor the websites they appear on
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Wikipedia’s financial future scrutinized by users http://www.usatoday.com/tech/webguide/2008-03-20-wikipedia-finances_N.htm?csp=34
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Facebook ‘cheater’ won’t be expelled from college http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/03/19/facebook.cheating.ap/index.html?eref=rss_tech
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Clarke brought science fiction down to earth http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/03/20/DD3EVMLS1.DTL
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Health Canada recalls a brand of blood thinner http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2008/03/21/herapin-health.html?ref=rss
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Psychiatrist merges faith and medicine http://www.ocregister.com/articles/kheriaty-allen-says-2002942-psychiatry-religious
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Jamie Lee Curtis takes shirt off for magazine http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/Movies/03/21/people.jamie.lee.curtis.ap/index.html?eref=rss_latest
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‘Vagina Monologues’ don’t belong on Catholic campus http://thericatholic.com/stories/995.htm
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St. Louis Archbishop Excommunicates Catholic Women Priests http://www.huffingtonpost.com/angela-bonavoglia/st-louis-archbishop-exco_b_92181.html
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Catholic leader attacks ‘monstrous’ human embryo Bill http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article3597851.ece
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Early Americans Arrived Thousands of Years Earlier Than Previously Believed http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080320120714.htm
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Evolution does not hold up to true science http://www.postbulletin.com/newsmanager/templates/localnews_story.asp?a=333499&z=23
Halo Award
We’ve decided that our annual award will be called the Halo Award!
Main Entry: 1ha·lo
Pronunciation: \ˈhā-(ˌ)lō\
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural halos or haloes
Etymology: Latin halos, from Greek halōs threshing floor, disk, halo
Date: 1603
1: a circle of light appearing to surround the sun or moon and resulting from refraction or reflection of light by ice particles in the atmosphere
2: something resembling a halo: as a: nimbus b: a region of space surrounding a galaxy that is sparsely populated with luminous objects (as globular clusters) but is believed to contain a great deal of dark matter c: a differentiated zone surrounding a central zone or object d: an orthopedic device used to immobilize the head and neck (as to treat fracture of neck vertebrae) that consists of a metal band placed around the head and fastened to the skull usually with metal pins and that is attached by extensions to an inflexible vest —called also halo brace
3: the aura of glory, veneration, or sentiment surrounding an idealized person or thing
Source » http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/halo
See also » http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/halo.
We considered very seriously the “Polaris” Award. Polaris is the North Star that sailors used for navigation because all the other stars seem to revolve around it. It’s with great reluctance that we don’t use Polaris but Halo seems to be a notch above in that it refers to both observable and spiritual light. And it’s an idea found all around the globe. So Halo it is!
