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Mohamed Ghilan the Saudi Arabia born Canadian Muslim who writes articles relating to Islamic topics, theology, and philosophy of religion and science, has published an article on Aljareera titled ‘To Sharia or not to Sharia: The question of Islamopolitics’ in which he states “The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life recently released their latest results from a survey of Muslims around the world on religion, politics and society. Although there is wide variability, it seems that most Muslims want Sharia (Islamic Law) to be the governing law of their countries and to play an important role in the political process. However, although the majority of Muslims agree on the general principle of applying Sharia, they do not seem to agree on what that term means. Given the diversity of understanding and sources one can be exposed to in the Islamic tradition, this disagreement should not come as a surprise. …The human element must be brought to the forefront of this conversation. The way in which Islam is being considered the driving force behind Islamopolitical movements as if it is an autonomous agent removes accountability from the people within those movements. While their desire for economic and social reform is commendable, their approach is highly questionable. ...The current struggle is between rationalist Muslims who want to bring forth the Islamic tradition in its complete spectrum and dogmatist Muslims who think classical political works written in completely different contextual realities have some divine quality or sanctity to them. More importantly, Muslims need to come to terms with the fact that progress is not going to come from political parties that exploit the population's emotional connection with Islam as a means to gain power.”  Inspired by Mohamed Ghilan, Aljazeera ow.ly/lMHfv Image source Mohamed Ghilan ow.ly/lMH8Z To Sharia or not to Sharia (June 30 2013)

 

Mohamed Ghilan the Saudi Arabia born Canadian Muslim who writes articles relating to Islamic topics, theology, and philosophy of religion and science, has published an article on Aljareera titled ‘To Sharia or not to Sharia: The question of Islamopolitics’ in which he states “The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life recently released their latest results from a survey of Muslims around the world on religion, politics and society. Although there is wide variability, it seems that most Muslims want Sharia (Islamic Law) to be the governing law of their countries and to play an important role in the political process. However, although the majority of Muslims agree on the general principle of applying Sharia, they do not seem to agree on what that term means. Given the diversity of understanding and sources one can be exposed to in the Islamic tradition, this disagreement should not come as a surprise. …The human element must be brought to the forefront of this conversation. The way in which Islam is being considered the driving force behind Islamopolitical movements as if it is an autonomous agent removes accountability from the people within those movements. While their desire for economic and social reform is commendable, their approach is highly questionable. …The current struggle is between rationalist Muslims who want to bring forth the Islamic tradition in its complete spectrum and dogmatist Muslims who think classical political works written in completely different contextual realities have some divine quality or sanctity to them. More importantly, Muslims need to come to terms with the fact that progress is not going to come from political parties that exploit the population’s emotional connection with Islam as a means to gain power.”

 

Inspired by Mohamed Ghilan, Aljazeera ow.ly/lMHfv Image source Mohamed Ghilan ow.ly/lMH8Z

Dave de Leeuw the 31 year old Dutch artist painter and video installations has been interviewed by Homa Nasab for an article published in Blouin Artinfo titled ‘Q&A with Dutch Artist Dave de Leeuw’. During the interview Leeuw states “Birth, life and death are always quite astonishing experiences, but I like to step out of my perishable self and see a slightly bigger picture. When I see both the sun and the moon in the sky I have this natural urge to figure out the true proportion of this phenomenal triangle of celestial bodies. When I manage to do this and I feel the burning heat of the sun on my face I can experience a fraction of the sheer power and greatness of the universe. And then, I can put my existence in a more realistic perspective again for another day or so. Sometimes I wonder if this is real, because if it is not, then it could be art! …[When asked who was the most influential person in his life, Leeuw stated] Andre Franquin (1924-1997), a Belgian comic artist most famous for his Gaston and Spirou series. As a kid I used to read his comics every night before I went sleep. I remember his drawings as the first works of art that fascinated me. I stopped reading the story to watch the amazing lines he used to make his fantasy world come alive. I didn’t undestand properly how this was possible but I knew this was something I wanted to do too. …The best thing about the art world is the stage you get to show your art, to share the thoughts and feelings you put in your work with others and let them experience this in their own way. …The responsibility of artists is to produce an artificial experience of their ideas and/or feelings. Not only for entertainment, but most important to provoke the mind.”  Inspired by Homa Nasab, Blouin Artinfo ow.ly/lMFAE Image source davedeleeuw ow.ly/lMFmS Most important to provoke the mind (June 29 2013)

Dave de Leeuw the 31 year old Dutch artist painter and video installations has been interviewed by Homa Nasab for an article published in Blouin Artinfo titled ‘Q&A with Dutch Artist Dave de Leeuw’. During the interview Leeuw states “Birth, life and death are always quite astonishing experiences, but I like to step out of my perishable self and see a slightly bigger picture. When I see both the sun and the moon in the sky I have this natural urge to figure out the true proportion of this phenomenal triangle of celestial bodies. When I manage to do this and I feel the burning heat of the sun on my face I can experience a fraction of the sheer power and greatness of the universe. And then, I can put my existence in a more realistic perspective again for another day or so. Sometimes I wonder if this is real, because if it is not, then it could be art! …[When asked who was the most influential person in his life, Leeuw stated] Andre Franquin (1924-1997), a Belgian comic artist most famous for his Gaston and Spirou series. As a kid I used to read his comics every night before I went sleep. I remember his drawings as the first works of art that fascinated me. I stopped reading the story to watch the amazing lines he used to make his fantasy world come alive. I didn’t undestand properly how this was possible but I knew this was something I wanted to do too. …The best thing about the art world is the stage you get to show your art, to share the thoughts and feelings you put in your work with others and let them experience this in their own way. …The responsibility of artists is to produce an artificial experience of their ideas and/or feelings. Not only for entertainment, but most important to provoke the mind.”

 

Inspired by Homa Nasab, Blouin Artinfo ow.ly/lMFAE Image source davedeleeuw ow.ly/lMFmS

C Robert O'Dell the American physics and astronomy professor has been featured by Rick Docksai in an article published in the Science Recorder titled ‘Ring Nebula is expanding at 43,000 miles an hour, according to Hubble’. Docksai states “The Ring Nebula apparently has been misnamed: It’s not a ring at all, but a football-shaped jelly doughnut.  …Scientists [had] concluded that this nebula has a hollow middle and ring-shaped—hence came its present-day moniker. But the latest analysis, led by Robert O’Dell, …arrived at a wholly other conclusion. The nebula’s center is quite full, O’Dell and his team state. However, varying patterns of motion may cause the middle to look unlike the rest of the nebula from our vantage point, and hence some of the visual illusion. The entire cloud is expanding by more than 43,000 miles an hour, but the growth is even faster at the center than it is in the outer ring. Consequently, the middle is much lower-density than the rest of the nebula. The Hubble images that O’Dell and his team used are the highest-precision views of the nebula taken yet. While earlier observations had identified the presence of gaseous material in the center, none had gathered all of the detail of this latest Hubble presentation, such as the star that is indeed at the center—though it is now dying. The nebula measures just one light-year across, so it’s compact enough that this one star’s end-of-life expansions and contractions could stand out prominently to observers here on Earth, even if those observers were using eighteenth-century telescopes. In fact, this dying star is probably what brought the nebula into being in the first place. Scientists designate the Ring Nebula a “planetary nebula,” which means that it forms out of the gas and dust that emanates from a star that’s fading out. While this nebula’s star will continue to shine for a fairly long while by human time, scientists say that it is definitively on its way to white-dwarf status.”  Inspired by Rick Docksai, Science Recorder ow.ly/lMDlV Image source Vanderbilt ow.ly/lMBEF A football-shaped jelly doughnut (June 28 2013)

C Robert O’Dell the American physics and astronomy professor has been featured by Rick Docksai in an article published in the Science Recorder titled ‘Ring Nebula is expanding at 43,000 miles an hour, according to Hubble’. Docksai states “The Ring Nebula apparently has been misnamed: It’s not a ring at all, but a football-shaped jelly doughnut.  …Scientists [had] concluded that this nebula has a hollow middle and ring-shaped—hence came its present-day moniker. But the latest analysis, led by Robert O’Dell, …arrived at a wholly other conclusion. The nebula’s center is quite full, O’Dell and his team state. However, varying patterns of motion may cause the middle to look unlike the rest of the nebula from our vantage point, and hence some of the visual illusion. The entire cloud is expanding by more than 43,000 miles an hour, but the growth is even faster at the center than it is in the outer ring. Consequently, the middle is much lower-density than the rest of the nebula. The Hubble images that O’Dell and his team used are the highest-precision views of the nebula taken yet. While earlier observations had identified the presence of gaseous material in the center, none had gathered all of the detail of this latest Hubble presentation, such as the star that is indeed at the center—though it is now dying. The nebula measures just one light-year across, so it’s compact enough that this one star’s end-of-life expansions and contractions could stand out prominently to observers here on Earth, even if those observers were using eighteenth-century telescopes. In fact, this dying star is probably what brought the nebula into being in the first place. Scientists designate the Ring Nebula a “planetary nebula,” which means that it forms out of the gas and dust that emanates from a star that’s fading out. While this nebula’s star will continue to shine for a fairly long while by human time, scientists say that it is definitively on its way to white-dwarf status.”

 

Inspired by Rick Docksai, Science Recorder ow.ly/lMDlV Image source Vanderbilt ow.ly/lMBEF

Daniel Clement Dennett the 71 year old American philosopher, writer and cognitive scientist whose research centers on the philosophy of mind, evolutionary biology and cognitive science has published an extract from his new book in The Guardian titled ‘Daniel Dennett's seven tools for thinking’, revealing some of the lessons life has taught him. “1 USE YOUR MISTAKES - We have all heard the forlorn refrain: "Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time!" This phrase has come to stand for the rueful reflection of an idiot, a sign of stupidity, but in fact we should appreciate it as a pillar of wisdom… 2 RESPECT YOUR OPPONENT - Just how charitable are you supposed to be when criticising the views of an opponent? If there are obvious contradictions in the opponent's case, then you should point them out, forcefully. If there are somewhat hidden contradictions, you should carefully expose them to view – and then dump on them… 3 THE "SURELY" KLAXON - When you're reading or skimming argumentative essays, especially by philosophers, here is a quick trick that may save you much time and effort, especially in this age of simple searching by computer: look for "surely" in the document and check each occurrence. Not always, not even most of the time, but often the word "surely" is as good as a blinking light locating a weak point in the argument… 4 ANSWER RHETORICAL QUESTIONS - Just as you should keep a sharp eye out for "surely", you should develop a sensitivity for rhetorical questions in any argument or polemic. Why? Because, like the use of "surely", they represent an author's eagerness to take a short cut… 5 EMPLOY OCCAM'S RAZOR -  The idea is straightforward: don't concoct a complicated, extravagant theory if you've got a simpler one (containing fewer ingredients, fewer entities) that handles the phenomenon just as well... 6 DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME ON RUBBISH - Sturgeon's law is usually expressed thus: 90% of everything is crap. So 90% of experiments in molecular biology, 90% of poetry, 90% of philosophy books, 90% of peer-reviewed articles in mathematics – and so forth – is crap... 7 BEWARE OF DEEPITIES - A deepity …is a proposition that seems both important and true – and profound – but that achieves this effect by being ambiguous. On one reading, it is manifestly false, but it would be earth-shaking if it were true; on the other reading, it is true but trivial…”  Inspired by Daniel Dennett, The Guardian ow.ly/lMAiz Image source David Orban ow.ly/lMAe3 Revealing lessons life has taught him (June 27 2013)

 

Daniel Clement Dennett the 71 year old American philosopher, writer and cognitive scientist whose research centers on the philosophy of mind, evolutionary biology and cognitive science has published an extract from his new book in The Guardian titled ‘Daniel Dennett’s seven tools for thinking’, revealing some of the lessons life has taught him. “1 USE YOUR MISTAKES – We have all heard the forlorn refrain: “Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time!” This phrase has come to stand for the rueful reflection of an idiot, a sign of stupidity, but in fact we should appreciate it as a pillar of wisdom… 2 RESPECT YOUR OPPONENT – Just how charitable are you supposed to be when criticising the views of an opponent? If there are obvious contradictions in the opponent’s case, then you should point them out, forcefully. If there are somewhat hidden contradictions, you should carefully expose them to view – and then dump on them… 3 THE “SURELY” KLAXON – When you’re reading or skimming argumentative essays, especially by philosophers, here is a quick trick that may save you much time and effort, especially in this age of simple searching by computer: look for “surely” in the document and check each occurrence. Not always, not even most of the time, but often the word “surely” is as good as a blinking light locating a weak point in the argument… 4 ANSWER RHETORICAL QUESTIONS – Just as you should keep a sharp eye out for “surely”, you should develop a sensitivity for rhetorical questions in any argument or polemic. Why? Because, like the use of “surely”, they represent an author’s eagerness to take a short cut… 5 EMPLOY OCCAM’S RAZOR –  The idea is straightforward: don’t concoct a complicated, extravagant theory if you’ve got a simpler one (containing fewer ingredients, fewer entities) that handles the phenomenon just as well… 6 DON’T WASTE YOUR TIME ON RUBBISH – Sturgeon’s law is usually expressed thus: 90% of everything is crap. So 90% of experiments in molecular biology, 90% of poetry, 90% of philosophy books, 90% of peer-reviewed articles in mathematics – and so forth – is crap… 7 BEWARE OF DEEPITIES – A deepity …is a proposition that seems both important and true – and profound – but that achieves this effect by being ambiguous. On one reading, it is manifestly false, but it would be earth-shaking if it were true; on the other reading, it is true but trivial…”

 

Inspired by Daniel Dennett, The Guardian ow.ly/lMAiz Image source David Orban ow.ly/lMAe3

Penn Fraser Jillette the 58 year old American illusionist, comedian, musician, actor known for his advocacy of atheism, scientific skepticism, libertarianism and free-market capitalism has published an article in the New York Times titled ‘Don’t Replace Religion; End It’ in which he states “Religion cannot and should not be replaced by atheism. Religion needs to go away and not be replaced by anything. Atheism is not a religion. It’s the absence of religion, and that’s a wonderful thing. Religion is not morality. Theists ask me, “If there’s no god, what would stop me from raping and killing everyone I want to.” My answer is always: “I, myself, have raped and killed everyone I want to ... and the number for both is zero.” Behaving morally because of a hope of reward or a fear of punishment is not morality. Morality is not bribery or threats. Religion is bribery and threats. Humans have morality. We don’t need religion. Atheism is the absence of religion. We don’t really need atheism. We just need to get rid of religion. Religion is faith. Faith is belief without evidence. Belief without evidence cannot be shared. Faith is a feeling. Love is also a feeling, but love makes no universal claims. Love is pure. The lover reports on his or her feelings and needs nothing more. Faith claims knowledge of a world we share but without evidence we can share. Feeling love is beautiful. Feeling the earth is 6,000 years old is stupid. Religion is often just tribalism: pride in a group one was born into, a group that is often believed to have “God” on its side. We don’t need to replace tribalism with anything other than love for all humanity. Let’s do that, okay? Religion also includes fellowship, joy, compassion, service and great music, and those can be replaced by ... fellowship, joy, compassion, service and great music. Atheism is the absence of religion. We don’t really need atheism. We just need to get rid of religion.”  Inspired by Penn Jillette, New York times ow.ly/lLxST Image source Facebook ow.ly/lLxQN Don’t replace religion, end it (June 26 2013)

 

Penn Fraser Jillette the 58 year old American illusionist, comedian, musician, actor known for his advocacy of atheism, scientific skepticism, libertarianism and free-market capitalism has published an article in the New York Times titled ‘Don’t Replace Religion; End It’ in which he states “Religion cannot and should not be replaced by atheism. Religion needs to go away and not be replaced by anything. Atheism is not a religion. It’s the absence of religion, and that’s a wonderful thing. Religion is not morality. Theists ask me, “If there’s no god, what would stop me from raping and killing everyone I want to.” My answer is always: “I, myself, have raped and killed everyone I want to … and the number for both is zero.” Behaving morally because of a hope of reward or a fear of punishment is not morality. Morality is not bribery or threats. Religion is bribery and threats. Humans have morality. We don’t need religion. Atheism is the absence of religion. We don’t really need atheism. We just need to get rid of religion. Religion is faith. Faith is belief without evidence. Belief without evidence cannot be shared. Faith is a feeling. Love is also a feeling, but love makes no universal claims. Love is pure. The lover reports on his or her feelings and needs nothing more. Faith claims knowledge of a world we share but without evidence we can share. Feeling love is beautiful. Feeling the earth is 6,000 years old is stupid. Religion is often just tribalism: pride in a group one was born into, a group that is often believed to have “God” on its side. We don’t need to replace tribalism with anything other than love for all humanity. Let’s do that, okay? Religion also includes fellowship, joy, compassion, service and great music, and those can be replaced by … fellowship, joy, compassion, service and great music. Atheism is the absence of religion. We don’t really need atheism. We just need to get rid of religion.”

 

Inspired by Penn Jillette, New York times ow.ly/lLxST Image source Facebook ow.ly/lLxQN

Katherine Stewart the American journalist and author who writes about controversies over religious freedom, separation of church and state and climate science has published an article in The Guardian titled ‘The dark side of home schooling: creating soldiers for the culture war’ in which she states “Several decades ago, political activists on the religious right began to put together an "ideology machine". Home schooling was a big part of the plan. The idea was to breed and "train up" an army of culture warriors. We now are faced with the consequences of their actions, some of which are quite disturbing. According to the Department of Education, the home schooling student population doubled in between 1999 and 2007, to 1.5 million students, and there is reason to think the growth has continued. Though families opt to home school for many different reasons, a large part of the growth has come from Christian fundamentalist sects. Children in that first wave are now old enough to talk about their experiences. In many cases, what they have to say is quite alarming. …The fundamentalist home schooling world also advocates an extraordinarily authoritarian view of the parental role. Corporal punishment is frequently encouraged. …In America, we often take for granted that parents have an absolute right to decide how their children will be educated, but this leads us to overlook the fact that children have rights, too, and that we as a modern society are obligated to make sure that they get an education. Families should be allowed to pursue sensible homeschooling options, but current arrangements have allowed some families to replace education with fundamentalist indoctrination. As the appearance of HA reminds us, the damage done by this kind of false education falls not just on our society as a whole, but on the children who are pumped through the ideology machine. They are the traumatized veterans of our culture wars. We should listen to their stories, and support them as they find their way forward.”  Inspired by  Katherine Stewart, The Guardian ow.ly/lEdxF Image source Twitter ow.ly/lEdpq Traumatized veterans of our culture wars (June 25 2013)

 

Katherine Stewart the American journalist and author who writes about controversies over religious freedom, separation of church and state and climate science has published an article in The Guardian titled ‘The dark side of home schooling: creating soldiers for the culture war’ in which she states “Several decades ago, political activists on the religious right began to put together an “ideology machine”. Home schooling was a big part of the plan. The idea was to breed and “train up” an army of culture warriors. We now are faced with the consequences of their actions, some of which are quite disturbing. According to the Department of Education, the home schooling student population doubled in between 1999 and 2007, to 1.5 million students, and there is reason to think the growth has continued. Though families opt to home school for many different reasons, a large part of the growth has come from Christian fundamentalist sects. Children in that first wave are now old enough to talk about their experiences. In many cases, what they have to say is quite alarming. …The fundamentalist home schooling world also advocates an extraordinarily authoritarian view of the parental role. Corporal punishment is frequently encouraged. …In America, we often take for granted that parents have an absolute right to decide how their children will be educated, but this leads us to overlook the fact that children have rights, too, and that we as a modern society are obligated to make sure that they get an education. Families should be allowed to pursue sensible homeschooling options, but current arrangements have allowed some families to replace education with fundamentalist indoctrination. As the appearance of HA reminds us, the damage done by this kind of false education falls not just on our society as a whole, but on the children who are pumped through the ideology machine. They are the traumatized veterans of our culture wars. We should listen to their stories, and support them as they find their way forward.”

 

Inspired by  Katherine Stewart, The Guardian ow.ly/lEdxF Image source Twitter ow.ly/lEdpq

Semyon Grigoriev the Russian head of the Museum of Mammoths of the Institute of Applied Ecology at the North Eastern Federal University has been featured by George Dvorsky in an article published on io9 titled ‘Russians Recover Fresh Flowing Mammoth Blood’. Dvorsky states “About 15,000 years ago, an old female wooly mammoth plunged through the ice as she was being chased by predators. Her remains have now been uncovered by scientists working in Siberia. And remarkably, as they were digging it out, blood began to stream out. Which is weird given that it was 10° below freezing. It's not known if the blood or tissue samples contain living cells required for cloning. And even if such cells are recovered, the DNA repair would require a very complex process that could take years. …Semyon Grigoriev…is calling it "the best preserved mammoth in the history of paleontology." During the excavation, and as the researchers were chipping away at the ice, they noticed splotches of dark blood in the ice cavities below the mammoth’s belly. When they broke through with a poll pick, blood started to flow out. "It can be assumed that the blood of mammoths had some cryo-protective properties,” noted Grigoriev. Mammoth blood, it would appear, contains a kind of anti-freeze. This is consistent with work done by Canadian geneticists who in 2010 showed that mammoth hemoglobin releases its oxygen much more readily at cold temperatures than that of modern elephants. In addition to the blood, the paleontologists also recovered well-preserved muscle tissue. The scientists say it has a natural red color of fresh meat. The blood is currently undergoing a bacteriological analysis, and the results are expected soon. Based on the preliminary evidence, the scientists say the female wooly mammoth was anywhere from 50 to 60 years old and weighed about three tons. They theorize that she was trying to escape from predators when she fell through the ice, or that she got bogged down in a swamp.”  Inspired by George Dvorsky, io9 ow.ly/lEbpp Image source CBC ow.ly/lEbnj Best preserved mammoth in history (June 24 2013)

 

Semyon Grigoriev the Russian head of the Museum of Mammoths of the Institute of Applied Ecology at the North Eastern Federal University has been featured by George Dvorsky in an article published on io9 titled ‘Russians Recover Fresh Flowing Mammoth Blood’. Dvorsky states “About 15,000 years ago, an old female wooly mammoth plunged through the ice as she was being chased by predators. Her remains have now been uncovered by scientists working in Siberia. And remarkably, as they were digging it out, blood began to stream out. Which is weird given that it was 10° below freezing. It’s not known if the blood or tissue samples contain living cells required for cloning. And even if such cells are recovered, the DNA repair would require a very complex process that could take years. …Semyon Grigoriev…is calling it “the best preserved mammoth in the history of paleontology.” During the excavation, and as the researchers were chipping away at the ice, they noticed splotches of dark blood in the ice cavities below the mammoth’s belly. When they broke through with a poll pick, blood started to flow out. “It can be assumed that the blood of mammoths had some cryo-protective properties,” noted Grigoriev. Mammoth blood, it would appear, contains a kind of anti-freeze. This is consistent with work done by Canadian geneticists who in 2010 showed that mammoth hemoglobin releases its oxygen much more readily at cold temperatures than that of modern elephants. In addition to the blood, the paleontologists also recovered well-preserved muscle tissue. The scientists say it has a natural red color of fresh meat. The blood is currently undergoing a bacteriological analysis, and the results are expected soon. Based on the preliminary evidence, the scientists say the female wooly mammoth was anywhere from 50 to 60 years old and weighed about three tons. They theorize that she was trying to escape from predators when she fell through the ice, or that she got bogged down in a swamp.”

 

Inspired by George Dvorsky, io9 ow.ly/lEbpp Image source CBC ow.ly/lEbnj

Amanda McGregor the British consultant who works with Directors and Creative professionals in development, creativity and planning has published an article in ArtLyst titled ‘The Energy Frequency Of Creation In Our Relationship To Art’ in which she states “Our dependency on our relationship to art normally starts at a young age. This is prompted through a need to escape to a world of magic and fantasy and be immersed in our creative flow. The ‘flow’ is the energy frequency of ‘creation’ and expression. Through creating moments with ourselves, we allow a freedom of spirit, peace, our truth to be spoken and our true dynamics of experience to be fully expressed, emotionally, in vision and intellectually. With a conceptual focus in the intellectual pursuit of art, we play with the thoughts and perspectives we create, allowing a connection with a larger picture in creation, to play with the logic, sight, experience and the vision of ourselves and others. However this form of play, can be considered a way of muse, a way of entertaining ones inner muse, it’s a form of being a ‘player’. When we grow up, we may find our inner child is still dominating in this playful muse, at the expense of the responsibilities of adult life. We can be a slave to our desires to be creatively free. To be able to live in the space of preferred existence we enter in to a journey in which we hope the ‘art world’ will meet us. The infrastructure of funding, buyers, curators, artist, critic and gallerists is an eco-system of community designed to help protect the sensitive art world of ‘play’. As an adult some artists may be met with a challenge in finding they are beyond a system of understanding, or process, thereby not necessarily supported by ‘art world’ connections…”  Inspired by Amanda McGregor, Artlyst ow.ly/lE7Pj Image source Twitter ow.ly/lE7yl Conceptual focus in the intellectual pursuit of art (June 23 2013)

 

Amanda McGregor the British consultant who works with Directors and Creative professionals in development, creativity and planning has published an article in ArtLyst titled ‘The Energy Frequency Of Creation In Our Relationship To Art’ in which she states “Our dependency on our relationship to art normally starts at a young age. This is prompted through a need to escape to a world of magic and fantasy and be immersed in our creative flow. The ‘flow’ is the energy frequency of ‘creation’ and expression. Through creating moments with ourselves, we allow a freedom of spirit, peace, our truth to be spoken and our true dynamics of experience to be fully expressed, emotionally, in vision and intellectually. With a conceptual focus in the intellectual pursuit of art, we play with the thoughts and perspectives we create, allowing a connection with a larger picture in creation, to play with the logic, sight, experience and the vision of ourselves and others. However this form of play, can be considered a way of muse, a way of entertaining ones inner muse, it’s a form of being a ‘player’. When we grow up, we may find our inner child is still dominating in this playful muse, at the expense of the responsibilities of adult life. We can be a slave to our desires to be creatively free. To be able to live in the space of preferred existence we enter in to a journey in which we hope the ‘art world’ will meet us. The infrastructure of funding, buyers, curators, artist, critic and gallerists is an eco-system of community designed to help protect the sensitive art world of ‘play’. As an adult some artists may be met with a challenge in finding they are beyond a system of understanding, or process, thereby not necessarily supported by ‘art world’ connections…”  Inspired by Amanda McGregor, ArtlystInspired by Amanda McGregor, Artlyst ow.ly/lE7Pj source Twitter ow.ly/lE7yl

 

Wen Stephenson the American independent journalist and climate activist who helped launch the grassroots network 350 Massachusetts has published an article in The Nation magazine titled ‘Thoreau's Radicalism and the Fight Against the Fossil-Fuel Industry’ in which he states “…Fortunately, Thoreau—with his explicit endorsement of violence—didn’t get the last word on civil disobedience. Mahatma Gandhi, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and many others (including some environmentalists) transformed resistance to intolerable injustice in ways Thoreau never imagined—demonstrating the power of a steadfast, principled, radical nonviolence. Gandhi and King were the best kind of radicals. …And yet today we face a human crisis as extreme in its way as the one faced by Thoreau. What is the “sane”—and appropriately radical—response to the urgent human crisis of global warming? Is anyone willing to say, “This people must cease to extract fossil fuels, and to unjustly rob today’s children and future generations of a livable planet, whatever the cost”? It sounds crazy. But just as Thoreau and other radical abolitionists were willing to push the boundaries, so climate activists must be willing to say and do “crazy” and “radical” things—like put their bodies in the way of coal shipments, or demand that universities divest from fossil fuel companies—not because it’s politically expedient, but because it’s morally imperative. When the truly sane courses of action—putting a heavy price on carbon, leaving fossil fuels in the ground, massively scaling up clean energy, urgently seeking the necessary global commitments—lie outside the limits of political “realism” and “reasonable” debate, it’s time to ask who has the firmer grip on reality and reason. And it’s time to take the strongest nonviolent action. As climate radicals, we need to be true to our understanding of the facts, and to our principles, our perception of right, even as conscience compels us to act—to be, crazy as it may sound, revolutionaries.”  Inspired by Wen Stephenson, The Nation ow.ly/lE5Rr Image source Twitter ow.ly/lE5vs Who has the firmer grip on reality and reason (June 22 2013)

 

Wen Stephenson the American independent journalist and climate activist who helped launch the grassroots network 350 Massachusetts has published an article in The Nation magazine titled ‘Thoreau’s Radicalism and the Fight Against the Fossil-Fuel Industry’ in which he states “…Fortunately, Thoreau—with his explicit endorsement of violence—didn’t get the last word on civil disobedience. Mahatma Gandhi, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and many others (including some environmentalists) transformed resistance to intolerable injustice in ways Thoreau never imagined—demonstrating the power of a steadfast, principled, radical nonviolence. Gandhi and King were the best kind of radicals. …And yet today we face a human crisis as extreme in its way as the one faced by Thoreau. What is the “sane”—and appropriately radical—response to the urgent human crisis of global warming? Is anyone willing to say, “This people must cease to extract fossil fuels, and to unjustly rob today’s children and future generations of a livable planet, whatever the cost”? It sounds crazy. But just as Thoreau and other radical abolitionists were willing to push the boundaries, so climate activists must be willing to say and do “crazy” and “radical” things—like put their bodies in the way of coal shipments, or demand that universities divest from fossil fuel companies—not because it’s politically expedient, but because it’s morally imperative. When the truly sane courses of action—putting a heavy price on carbon, leaving fossil fuels in the ground, massively scaling up clean energy, urgently seeking the necessary global commitments—lie outside the limits of political “realism” and “reasonable” debate, it’s time to ask who has the firmer grip on reality and reason. And it’s time to take the strongest nonviolent action. As climate radicals, we need to be true to our understanding of the facts, and to our principles, our perception of right, even as conscience compels us to act—to be, crazy as it may sound, revolutionaries.”

 

Inspired by Wen Stephenson, The Nation ow.ly/lE5Rr Image source Twitter ow.ly/lE5vs

Emma Bonino the 65 year old Italian politician and Minister of Foreign Affairs and a leading member of the Italian Radicals, a political party that supports economic and social libertarianism, and human rights, has published an article on IPS News Service titled ‘A Federation Could Strengthen Europe’s Magnetism’ in which she states “The recent agreement for the normalisation of relations between Serbia and Kosovo has confirmed that the European Union (EU) is still acting as a “magnet”, attracting its external neighbours and transforming and integrating them. Thanks to its prospects for EU membership, the whole Balkan area has become more stable and secure. Unfortunately, this virtuous magnetism no longer exerts the same force of attraction on our own citizens. With every passing day, the founding fathers’ dream of peace and freedom seems to be turning into a nightmare for many. The EU is increasingly being associated with austerity policies that lead to recession, unemployment and social despair. More worryingly, there are signs that the current crisis is not limited to the EU’s economic sphere but also impacts its most fundamental values. Everywhere in Europe we see rising intolerance; growing support for xenophobic and populist parties; discrimination and a weakening of the rule of law; and entire populations of undocumented migrants, virtually without rights, punished for their status rather than their individual behaviour. Our inclusive and open community is threatened by destructive actions pursued by nationalistic and demagogic groups. But they are not the only ones inflicting damage on the Union. …If Europe does not solve its problems of recession and populism, we could lose all that we have achieved since the 1950s, with no estimate of how long it will take to regain the same level of democracy, prosperity and stability as before. But if we adopt a new vision, engage our citizens and unite our governments, we could start a new phase of boosting growth and fostering democratic legitimacy and global influence.”  Inspired by Emma Bonino, IPS News ow.ly/lE457 Image source WEF ow.ly/lE3YP Everywhere in Europe we see rising intolerance (June 21 2013)

 

Emma Bonino the 65 year old Italian politician and Minister of Foreign Affairs and a leading member of the Italian Radicals, a political party that supports economic and social libertarianism, and human rights, has published an article on IPS News Service titled ‘A Federation Could Strengthen Europe’s Magnetism’ in which she states “The recent agreement for the normalisation of relations between Serbia and Kosovo has confirmed that the European Union (EU) is still acting as a “magnet”, attracting its external neighbours and transforming and integrating them. Thanks to its prospects for EU membership, the whole Balkan area has become more stable and secure. Unfortunately, this virtuous magnetism no longer exerts the same force of attraction on our own citizens. With every passing day, the founding fathers’ dream of peace and freedom seems to be turning into a nightmare for many. The EU is increasingly being associated with austerity policies that lead to recession, unemployment and social despair. More worryingly, there are signs that the current crisis is not limited to the EU’s economic sphere but also impacts its most fundamental values. Everywhere in Europe we see rising intolerance; growing support for xenophobic and populist parties; discrimination and a weakening of the rule of law; and entire populations of undocumented migrants, virtually without rights, punished for their status rather than their individual behaviour. Our inclusive and open community is threatened by destructive actions pursued by nationalistic and demagogic groups. But they are not the only ones inflicting damage on the Union. …If Europe does not solve its problems of recession and populism, we could lose all that we have achieved since the 1950s, with no estimate of how long it will take to regain the same level of democracy, prosperity and stability as before. But if we adopt a new vision, engage our citizens and unite our governments, we could start a new phase of boosting growth and fostering democratic legitimacy and global influence.”

 

Inspired by Emma Bonino, IPS News ow.ly/lE457 Image source WEF ow.ly/lE3YP

Mandeep S Tiwana the Indian lawyer who specialises in legislation affecting the core civil society freedoms of expression, association and assembly, has published an article in Global Issues titled ‘Civil Society Under Attack Around the World’ in which he states “In December 2011, 159 governments and major international organisations recognised the central role of civil society in development and promised to create an "enabling" operating environment for the non-profit sector. Despite the tall talk at the Fourth High Level Forum on Aid and Development Effectiveness in Busan, South Korea, today NGOs, trade unions, faith based groups, social movements and community based organisations working to expose rights violations and corruption remain in a state of siege in many parts of the world. …As evidence from CIVICUS' State of Civil Society Report 2013 shows, promises made in Busan about creating an "enabling" environment for CSOs were ignored as soon as the proverbial ink had dried. With discussions on the post 2015 development agenda well underway, influential civil society groups are urging the U.N.'s High Level Panel to explicitly recognise the centrality of an enabling environment for civil society in any new formulation of internationally agreed development goals. While politicians are currently preoccupied with kick-starting or maintaining economic growth, there is a real danger that civil society's right and ability to engage decision makers in various forums will be further limited. If global development goals are to succeed, civil society needs to be able to operate free from fear of reprisals for advancing legitimate if uncomfortable concerns. After all, civil society groups contribute substantially to development strategies and help find innovative solutions to complex developmental challenges. More importantly, they help ensure the representation of a wide range of voices, in particular those of the vulnerable and marginalised in development debates. Perhaps this is why they are being persecuted.”  Inspired by Mandeep S. Tiwana, Global Issues ow.ly/lE1Hc Image source Facebook ow.ly/lE1tY Civil society under attack around the world (June 20 2013)

 

Mandeep S Tiwana the Indian lawyer who specialises in legislation affecting the core civil society freedoms of expression, association and assembly, has published an article in Global Issues titled ‘Civil Society Under Attack Around the World’ in which he states “In December 2011, 159 governments and major international organisations recognised the central role of civil society in development and promised to create an “enabling” operating environment for the non-profit sector. Despite the tall talk at the Fourth High Level Forum on Aid and Development Effectiveness in Busan, South Korea, today NGOs, trade unions, faith based groups, social movements and community based organisations working to expose rights violations and corruption remain in a state of siege in many parts of the world. …As evidence from CIVICUS’ State of Civil Society Report 2013 shows, promises made in Busan about creating an “enabling” environment for CSOs were ignored as soon as the proverbial ink had dried. With discussions on the post 2015 development agenda well underway, influential civil society groups are urging the U.N.’s High Level Panel to explicitly recognise the centrality of an enabling environment for civil society in any new formulation of internationally agreed development goals. While politicians are currently preoccupied with kick-starting or maintaining economic growth, there is a real danger that civil society’s right and ability to engage decision makers in various forums will be further limited. If global development goals are to succeed, civil society needs to be able to operate free from fear of reprisals for advancing legitimate if uncomfortable concerns. After all, civil society groups contribute substantially to development strategies and help find innovative solutions to complex developmental challenges. More importantly, they help ensure the representation of a wide range of voices, in particular those of the vulnerable and marginalised in development debates. Perhaps this is why they are being persecuted.”

 

Inspired by Mandeep S. Tiwana, Global Issues ow.ly/lE1Hc Image source Facebook ow.ly/lE1tY

Abdul Ghani the 41 year old Afghanistani detainee currently held in the US Guantanamo Bay detention camp in Cuba, has been featured in an article by Lt Col Barry Wingard published in Close Guantanamo  titled ‘Why Not Release Abdul Ghani?’. Wingard states “…Abdul Ghani, a man by all accounts guilty of nothing more than mistaken identity and kept ten years without trial for having a common name and being in the wrong place at the wrong time? …Before his capture, Abdul farmed and hustled to make ends meet by harvesting pomengranates and collecting metal for resale in the local markets. All of the villagers in Khoshab are anxious for Abdul Ghani’s return. He continues to maintain a good reputation, and the villagers support his release and would support him in becoming reintegrated into his former profession as a farmer. He intends to once again become a valued member of the local village community, and will remain under the supervision of his brothers and village elders. His fiancée, a lady who has patiently waited for him through all these years is even more anxious for the day Abdul Ghani returns and they are able to begin their lives together anew. Abdul Ghani is nothing more than a hard working farmer and active member of his local village. For ten years, that simple lifestyle has been disrupted unnecessarily, and the time has long since passed for his return home. He has patiently waited for his release while maintaining his Afghan honor, and is ready to return to an active life of community involvement and farming his lands. Essentially, he is eager to reclaim the life that has been taken from him during all these years of captivity…his captors may have the money and power, but we have the truth.”  Inspired by Barry Wingard, CloseGuantanamo ow.ly/lDZEc Image source CloseGuantanamo ow.ly/lDZe3 His captors have the money and power (June 19 2013)

Abdul Ghani the 41 year old Afghanistani detainee currently held in the US Guantanamo Bay detention camp in Cuba, has been featured in an article by Lt Col Barry Wingard published in Close Guantanamo  titled ‘Why Not Release Abdul Ghani?’. Wingard states “…Abdul Ghani, a man by all accounts guilty of nothing more than mistaken identity and kept ten years without trial for having a common name and being in the wrong place at the wrong time? …Before his capture, Abdul farmed and hustled to make ends meet by harvesting pomengranates and collecting metal for resale in the local markets. All of the villagers in Khoshab are anxious for Abdul Ghani’s return. He continues to maintain a good reputation, and the villagers support his release and would support him in becoming reintegrated into his former profession as a farmer. He intends to once again become a valued member of the local village community, and will remain under the supervision of his brothers and village elders. His fiancée, a lady who has patiently waited for him through all these years is even more anxious for the day Abdul Ghani returns and they are able to begin their lives together anew. Abdul Ghani is nothing more than a hard working farmer and active member of his local village. For ten years, that simple lifestyle has been disrupted unnecessarily, and the time has long since passed for his return home. He has patiently waited for his release while maintaining his Afghan honor, and is ready to return to an active life of community involvement and farming his lands. Essentially, he is eager to reclaim the life that has been taken from him during all these years of captivity…his captors may have the money and power, but we have the truth.”

 

Inspired by Barry Wingard, CloseGuantanamo ow.ly/lDZEc Image source CloseGuantanamo ow.ly/lDZe3

 

 

Arjun Sethi the American lawyer based in Washington, DC, and a frequent commentator on civil rights and social justice-related issues has published an article on Aljazeera titled ‘The US and enemy prisoners post 9/11’. Sethi states “Fear is a powerful human agent. It can cloud our judgment and dim our conscience. Left unchecked, it can skew the moral compass of a nation, leaving destruction in its wake. A recent bipartisan report by the Constitution project confirms what many have long suspected: US personnel tortured enemy detainees in the months and years following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The report lays bare a nation so paralysed by fear that it jettisoned longstanding human rights protections in the name of national security. …Human rights bodies and humanitarian groups, like the International Committee on the Red Cross, have uniformly condemned these practices, calling many of them torture. So have numerous US judges, who have thrown out an array of detainee statements arguing that evidence obtained through torture is not admissible. The coup de grace comes courtesy of the US government, who previously condemned other countries for engaging in the very same practices. …President Obama has insisted that he wants to look forward, and that culpable US personnel will not be prosecuted. …A commitment to look forward is just another way of saying forget the past. The fact remains that an array of actors - the President, his advisers, lawyers, psychologists and those on the ground - committed a grave human rights violation. Call it a movie script. President Bush produced it; his top advisers directed it; lawyers and psychologists provided the special effects; and personnel played the part. Only through government support, and the power to review classified information and subpoena witnesses, can this tragic story be told.”  Inspired by Arjun Sethi, Aljazeera ow.ly/lCDnx Image source Twitter ow.ly/lCDmR A nation so paralysed by fear (June 18 2013)

 

Arjun Sethi the American lawyer based in Washington, DC, and a frequent commentator on civil rights and social justice-related issues has published an article on Aljazeera titled ‘The US and enemy prisoners post 9/11’. Sethi states “Fear is a powerful human agent. It can cloud our judgment and dim our conscience. Left unchecked, it can skew the moral compass of a nation, leaving destruction in its wake. A recent bipartisan report by the Constitution project confirms what many have long suspected: US personnel tortured enemy detainees in the months and years following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The report lays bare a nation so paralysed by fear that it jettisoned longstanding human rights protections in the name of national security. …Human rights bodies and humanitarian groups, like the International Committee on the Red Cross, have uniformly condemned these practices, calling many of them torture. So have numerous US judges, who have thrown out an array of detainee statements arguing that evidence obtained through torture is not admissible. The coup de grace comes courtesy of the US government, who previously condemned other countries for engaging in the very same practices. …President Obama has insisted that he wants to look forward, and that culpable US personnel will not be prosecuted. …A commitment to look forward is just another way of saying forget the past. The fact remains that an array of actors – the President, his advisers, lawyers, psychologists and those on the ground – committed a grave human rights violation. Call it a movie script. President Bush produced it; his top advisers directed it; lawyers and psychologists provided the special effects; and personnel played the part. Only through government support, and the power to review classified information and subpoena witnesses, can this tragic story be told.”

 

Inspired by Arjun Sethi, Aljazeera ow.ly/lCDnx Image source Twitter ow.ly/lCDmR

Ashoka Mody the Indian visiting Professor in International Economic Policy and former Deputy Director in the International Monetary Fund’s Research and European Departments, has published an article on the Project Syndicate titled ‘Misreading the Global Economy’ in which he states “…Consider India, where growth is now running at an annualized rate of 4.5%, down from 7.7% annual growth in 2011. To be sure, the IMF projects that India’s economy will rebound later in 2013, but the basis for this optimism is unclear, given that all indicators so far suggest another dismal year. The emerging economies’ supposed resilience, which has buoyed economic forecasts in recent years, needs to be reassessed. Like the advanced economies, emerging economies experienced a boom in 2000-2007. But, unlike the advanced economies, they maintained high GDP growth rates and relative stability even at the height of the crisis. This was viewed as powerful evidence of their new economic might. In fact, it was largely a result of massive fiscal stimulus and credit expansion. Indeed, as the effects of stimulus programs wear off, new weaknesses are emerging, such as persistent inflation in India and credit misallocation in China. Given this, the notion that emerging economies will recapture the growth levels of the bubble years seems farfetched. Economic forecasts rest on the assumption that economies ultimately heal themselves. But economies’ powerful self-healing capabilities work slowly. More problematic, a misdiagnosis can lead to treatments that impair the healing process. Overly optimistic economic projections based on mistaken assessments of the global economy’s ailments thus threaten recovery prospects – with potentially far-reaching consequences. In Europe, the banks’ wounds must be closed – weak banks must be shut down or merged with stronger banks – before recovery can begin. This will require an extensive swap of private debts for equity. For the global economy, the malaise reflected in anemic trade growth calls for coordinated fiscal stimulus by the world’s major economies. Otherwise, the risk of another global recession will continue to rise.”  Inspired by Ashoka Mody, Project Syndicate ow.ly/lCCay Image source politicalworld ow.ly/lCC3V Risk of another global recession (June 17 2013)

 

Ashoka Mody the Indian visiting Professor in International Economic Policy and former Deputy Director in the International Monetary Fund’s Research and European Departments, has published an article on the Project Syndicate titled ‘Misreading the Global Economy’ in which he states “…Consider India, where growth is now running at an annualized rate of 4.5%, down from 7.7% annual growth in 2011. To be sure, the IMF projects that India’s economy will rebound later in 2013, but the basis for this optimism is unclear, given that all indicators so far suggest another dismal year. The emerging economies’ supposed resilience, which has buoyed economic forecasts in recent years, needs to be reassessed. Like the advanced economies, emerging economies experienced a boom in 2000-2007. But, unlike the advanced economies, they maintained high GDP growth rates and relative stability even at the height of the crisis. This was viewed as powerful evidence of their new economic might. In fact, it was largely a result of massive fiscal stimulus and credit expansion. Indeed, as the effects of stimulus programs wear off, new weaknesses are emerging, such as persistent inflation in India and credit misallocation in China. Given this, the notion that emerging economies will recapture the growth levels of the bubble years seems farfetched. Economic forecasts rest on the assumption that economies ultimately heal themselves. But economies’ powerful self-healing capabilities work slowly. More problematic, a misdiagnosis can lead to treatments that impair the healing process. Overly optimistic economic projections based on mistaken assessments of the global economy’s ailments thus threaten recovery prospects – with potentially far-reaching consequences. In Europe, the banks’ wounds must be closed – weak banks must be shut down or merged with stronger banks – before recovery can begin. This will require an extensive swap of private debts for equity. For the global economy, the malaise reflected in anemic trade growth calls for coordinated fiscal stimulus by the world’s major economies. Otherwise, the risk of another global recession will continue to rise.”

 

Inspired by Ashoka Mody, Project Syndicate ow.ly/lCCay Image source politicalworld ow.ly/lCC3V

Eugenie Carol Scott the 67 year old American physical anthropologist who has been the executive director of the National Center for Science Education (NCSE) since 1987, and the leading critic of young earth creationism and intelligent design has announced her retirement. Scott has been featured in an article by Jeffrey Mervis in the Science Insider, in which he states “Eugenie Scott has spent 26 years helping teachers do what's right for their students in the name of science. And while the need to defend the teaching of evolution and climate change certainly hasn't disappeared, Scott announced that she is stepping down later this year… "I think all nonprofits hope someday to put themselves out of business," says Scott, now 67. "But I guess I found a sinecure," she adds with a laugh. …Trained as a physical anthropologist, Scott was on the faculty of the University of Kentucky in 1980 when she and other educators opposed attempts to teach creationism in the local schools. NCSE was the product of a national grassroots network that had sprung up to battle similar attempts across the country during that era, and Scott joined the fledgling organization in 1987. Based in Oakland, California, NCSE has grown into a 15-person, $1.2 million a year operation that monitors legislation at all levels and provides advice and resources to educators. A prolific writer, organizer, and strategist, Scott says that her successor will inherit "a more mature organization moving in exciting new directions." In recent years, NCSE has expanded efforts to defend teachers and school districts from attacks by climate change deniers that employ tactics very similar to those used by opponents of evolution. "We've learned from Day 1 that you don't blunt those attacks by simply shoveling science onto the debate," she says. "You need to recognize the political and economic and cultural issues in play. In the end, it comes down to your powers of persuasion."  Inspired by Jeffrey Mervis, Science Insider ow.ly/laUIx Image source Facebook ow.ly/laUD7 Leading critic of young earth creationism (June 16 2013)

Eugenie Carol Scott the 67 year old American physical anthropologist who has been the executive director of the National Center for Science Education (NCSE) since 1987, and the leading critic of young earth creationism and intelligent design has announced her retirement. Scott has been featured in an article by Jeffrey Mervis in the Science Insider, in which he states “Eugenie Scott has spent 26 years helping teachers do what’s right for their students in the name of science. And while the need to defend the teaching of evolution and climate change certainly hasn’t disappeared, Scott announced that she is stepping down later this year… “I think all nonprofits hope someday to put themselves out of business,” says Scott, now 67. “But I guess I found a sinecure,” she adds with a laugh. …Trained as a physical anthropologist, Scott was on the faculty of the University of Kentucky in 1980 when she and other educators opposed attempts to teach creationism in the local schools. NCSE was the product of a national grassroots network that had sprung up to battle similar attempts across the country during that era, and Scott joined the fledgling organization in 1987. Based in Oakland, California, NCSE has grown into a 15-person, $1.2 million a year operation that monitors legislation at all levels and provides advice and resources to educators. A prolific writer, organizer, and strategist, Scott says that her successor will inherit “a more mature organization moving in exciting new directions.” In recent years, NCSE has expanded efforts to defend teachers and school districts from attacks by climate change deniers that employ tactics very similar to those used by opponents of evolution. “We’ve learned from Day 1 that you don’t blunt those attacks by simply shoveling science onto the debate,” she says. “You need to recognize the political and economic and cultural issues in play. In the end, it comes down to your powers of persuasion.”

 

Inspired by Jeffrey Mervis, Science Insider ow.ly/laUIx Image source Facebook ow.ly/laUD7

 

 

Ashley Bickerton the 54 year old Barbados contemporary mixed media artist living in Bali who combines both photographic and painterly elements with industrial and found object assemblages, associated with the Neo-Geo movement of the 1980s has been featured by Sonia Kolesnikov-Jessop in an article published on Blouin Artinfo titled ‘20 Questions for Bali-based Artist Ashley Bickerton’. Bickerton states “Basically, I had been creating models for the paintings that I was making only to be photographed then left to rot. In irony, half the people who have seen those models have liked them better than the paintings, and have pushed me to realize them as distinct objects. Many estimable folks, including Melissa Chiu and a group visiting from the Asia Society in New York, insisted I needed to realize them as artworks in and of themselves, and not just a prop in the construction of the paintings. I readily agreed, but felt they would be next to impossible to build as they were so detailed with many perishable objects attached including flowers, fruit, cigarettes, insects, and any number of unstable, rusting metals. It was not until Jasdeep Sandhu of Gajah Gallery stopped by and said "I can build these" that the dream became a real possibility. …Jasdeep told me he had recently set up the Yogya Art Lab under the helm of the legendary Richard Hungerford, and with the aid of a deeply talented team of Yogyakarta artists. I knew it would be extremely difficult, but if it was going to be done anywhere on the planet, Yogya was the place. I have to give Jasdeep the credit for great vision and certainly no shortage of guts, he saw it right away and did not hesitate. These new sculptures are quite complex materially. They are primarily in aluminum, with added hair, resin, oil paint, cement, and several other materials. With all their elaborate detailing, they are proving to be exceptionally difficult works, but hopefully with some measure of good luck…”  Inspired by Sonia Kolesnikov-Jessop, Blouin Artinfo ow.ly/laTGN Image source Facebook ow.ly/laTbG Not just a prop in construction of paintings (June 15 2013)

 

Ashley Bickerton the 54 year old Barbados contemporary mixed media artist living in Bali who combines both photographic and painterly elements with industrial and found object assemblages, associated with the Neo-Geo movement of the 1980s has been featured by Sonia Kolesnikov-Jessop in an article published on Blouin Artinfo titled ‘20 Questions for Bali-based Artist Ashley Bickerton’. Bickerton states “Basically, I had been creating models for the paintings that I was making only to be photographed then left to rot. In irony, half the people who have seen those models have liked them better than the paintings, and have pushed me to realize them as distinct objects. Many estimable folks, including Melissa Chiu and a group visiting from the Asia Society in New York, insisted I needed to realize them as artworks in and of themselves, and not just a prop in the construction of the paintings. I readily agreed, but felt they would be next to impossible to build as they were so detailed with many perishable objects attached including flowers, fruit, cigarettes, insects, and any number of unstable, rusting metals. It was not until Jasdeep Sandhu of Gajah Gallery stopped by and said “I can build these” that the dream became a real possibility. …Jasdeep told me he had recently set up the Yogya Art Lab under the helm of the legendary Richard Hungerford, and with the aid of a deeply talented team of Yogyakarta artists. I knew it would be extremely difficult, but if it was going to be done anywhere on the planet, Yogya was the place. I have to give Jasdeep the credit for great vision and certainly no shortage of guts, he saw it right away and did not hesitate. These new sculptures are quite complex materially. They are primarily in aluminum, with added hair, resin, oil paint, cement, and several other materials. With all their elaborate detailing, they are proving to be exceptionally difficult works, but hopefully with some measure of good luck…”

 

Inspired by Sonia Kolesnikov-Jessop, Blouin Artinfo ow.ly/laTGN Image source Facebook ow.ly/laTbG

David Rolfe Graeber the 52 year old American anthropologist, anarchist, and involved in social and political activism. Graeber has been featured in an article by John Kampfner in the Japan Times titled ‘The story of the Occupy movements by one of the leaders’. Kampfner states “I’m torn. I can’t work out whether the Occupy movements were responsible for their own demise; and I can’t work out whether I’ve had enough of reading tomes about the brave new world of revolutionary consensus-building. The case for the defense of the spirit of 2011 should be overwhelming. Groups of activists around the world came together, determinedly but also nonviolently, not just to protest at the criminality of the banks and their backers, but also to put into practice another way. So why did it dissipate? David Graeber was a leading light in the Occupy Wall Street movement. An activist, anarchist and anthropologist (note his useful alliteration), he writes vividly about his experiences. He captures the joys and fears of a movement that believed it was on the cusp of achieving something special. Beyond the default complaints of police brutality and media narrow-mindedness, he struggles, however, to explain why in the end so little was achieved. His observations engender rage and smiles in equal measure. The tie that bound the activists in Zuccotti Park, night after night, was pizza. Local delivery firms thrived, as people from far and wide phoned in orders for pizza to go directly to the camp. …Graeber’s unwillingness to set out credible economic and political alternatives is curious. He confines his analysis to process, arguing that many problems would be solved if the manner of political engagement changed. He goes to great length to explain how democracy by consensus or collective problem-solving works, describing this as “something vaguely like jury duty, except noncompulsory, with some way of screening obsessives, cranks and hollow-earthers, but nonetheless allowing an equal chance of participation in great decisions to all who actually do wish to participate.”  Inspired by John Kampfner, The Japan Times ow.ly/laSvB Image source David Graeber ow.ly/laSlg The tie that bound the activists was pizza (June 14 2013)

 

David Rolfe Graeber the 52 year old American anthropologist, anarchist, and involved in social and political activism. Graeber has been featured in an article by John Kampfner in the Japan Times titled ‘The story of the Occupy movements by one of the leaders’. Kampfner states “I’m torn. I can’t work out whether the Occupy movements were responsible for their own demise; and I can’t work out whether I’ve had enough of reading tomes about the brave new world of revolutionary consensus-building. The case for the defense of the spirit of 2011 should be overwhelming. Groups of activists around the world came together, determinedly but also nonviolently, not just to protest at the criminality of the banks and their backers, but also to put into practice another way. So why did it dissipate? David Graeber was a leading light in the Occupy Wall Street movement. An activist, anarchist and anthropologist (note his useful alliteration), he writes vividly about his experiences. He captures the joys and fears of a movement that believed it was on the cusp of achieving something special. Beyond the default complaints of police brutality and media narrow-mindedness, he struggles, however, to explain why in the end so little was achieved. His observations engender rage and smiles in equal measure. The tie that bound the activists in Zuccotti Park, night after night, was pizza. Local delivery firms thrived, as people from far and wide phoned in orders for pizza to go directly to the camp. …Graeber’s unwillingness to set out credible economic and political alternatives is curious. He confines his analysis to process, arguing that many problems would be solved if the manner of political engagement changed. He goes to great length to explain how democracy by consensus or collective problem-solving works, describing this as “something vaguely like jury duty, except noncompulsory, with some way of screening obsessives, cranks and hollow-earthers, but nonetheless allowing an equal chance of participation in great decisions to all who actually do wish to participate.”

 

Inspired by John Kampfner, The Japan Times ow.ly/laSvB Image source David Graeber ow.ly/laSlg

Jadav Payeng the 47 year old Indian environmental activist and forestry worker from Jorhat Assam has been featured by Stephen Messenger in an article published on the Mother Nature Network titled ‘Indian man single-handedly plants a 1,360-acre forest’. Messenger states “Jadav Payeng turned a barren sandbar in northern India into a lush new forest ecosystem. A little more than 30 years ago, a teenager named Jadav "Molai" Payeng began burying seeds along a barren sandbar near his birthplace in northern India's Assam region to grow a refuge for wildlife. Not long after, he decided to dedicate his life to this endeavor, so he moved to the site where he could work full-time creating a lush new forest ecosystem. Incredibly, the spot today hosts a sprawling 1,360 acres of jungle that Payeng planted — single-handedly. …It all started way back in 1979, when floods washed a large number of snakes ashore on the sandbar. One day, after the waters had receded, Payeng, only 16 then, found the place dotted with the dead reptiles. That was the turning point of his life. "The snakes died in the heat, without any tree cover. I sat down and wept over their lifeless forms. It was carnage. I alerted the forest department and asked them if they could grow trees there. They said nothing would grow there. Instead, they asked me to try growing bamboo. It was painful, but I did it. There was nobody to help me. Nobody was interested," says Payeng. While it's taken years for Payeng's remarkable dedication to planting to receive some well-deserved recognition internationally, it didn't take long for wildlife in the region to benefit from the manufactured forest. Demonstrating a keen understanding of ecological balance, Payeng even transplanted ants to his burgeoning ecosystem to bolster its natural harmony. Soon the shadeless sandbar was transformed into a self-functioning environment where a menagerie of creatures could dwell. The forest, called the Molai woods, now serves as a safe haven for numerous birds, deer, rhinos, tigers and elephants — species increasingly at risk from habitat loss.”  Inspired by Stephen Messenger, Mother Nature Network ow.ly/laCvs Image source Bijit Dutta ow.ly/laCv0 Barren sandbar into a lush new forest ecosystem (June 13 2013)

 

Jadav Payeng the 47 year old Indian environmental activist and forestry worker from Jorhat Assam has been featured by Stephen Messenger in an article published on the Mother Nature Network titled ‘Indian man single-handedly plants a 1,360-acre forest’. Messenger states “Jadav Payeng turned a barren sandbar in northern India into a lush new forest ecosystem. A little more than 30 years ago, a teenager named Jadav “Molai” Payeng began burying seeds along a barren sandbar near his birthplace in northern India’s Assam region to grow a refuge for wildlife. Not long after, he decided to dedicate his life to this endeavor, so he moved to the site where he could work full-time creating a lush new forest ecosystem. Incredibly, the spot today hosts a sprawling 1,360 acres of jungle that Payeng planted — single-handedly. …It all started way back in 1979, when floods washed a large number of snakes ashore on the sandbar. One day, after the waters had receded, Payeng, only 16 then, found the place dotted with the dead reptiles. That was the turning point of his life. “The snakes died in the heat, without any tree cover. I sat down and wept over their lifeless forms. It was carnage. I alerted the forest department and asked them if they could grow trees there. They said nothing would grow there. Instead, they asked me to try growing bamboo. It was painful, but I did it. There was nobody to help me. Nobody was interested,” says Payeng. While it’s taken years for Payeng’s remarkable dedication to planting to receive some well-deserved recognition internationally, it didn’t take long for wildlife in the region to benefit from the manufactured forest. Demonstrating a keen understanding of ecological balance, Payeng even transplanted ants to his burgeoning ecosystem to bolster its natural harmony. Soon the shadeless sandbar was transformed into a self-functioning environment where a menagerie of creatures could dwell. The forest, called the Molai woods, now serves as a safe haven for numerous birds, deer, rhinos, tigers and elephants — species increasingly at risk from habitat loss.”

 

Inspired by Stephen Messenger, Mother Nature Network ow.ly/laCvs Image source Bijit Dutta ow.ly/laCv0

Roberto Francisco Daniel the 47 year old Brazilian Catholic priest has been accused of "heresy" and "schism" by the church hierarchy and excommunicated according to an article title ‘Excommunicated Brazilian priest slams ‘out of touch’ Roman Catholic Church’ published in The Free Thinker magazine by Barry Duke. Duke states “…with unseemly haste, the Roman Catholic Church this week rid itself of a Brazilian priest for, among other things, supporting gay rights. …the rogue Brazilian, Father Roberto Francisco Daniel – known to local parishioners as Padre Beto – was excommunicated before he had the chance to announce his planned resignation from an organisation he described as: A lukewarm and disengaged church that is out of touch with today’s society. In a statement released … the priest’s diocese said Daniel had: In the name of ‘freedom of expression’ betrayed the promise of fealty to the Church. It alleged that Daniel had: Injured the Church with grave statements counter to the dogma of Catholic faith and morality. His actions amounted to ‘heresy and schism’, the statement said. The rare punishment follows what Daniel’s bishop and the priest himself said were repeated rebukes he received over  the videos he had made and other public activities, such as a radio broadcast and local newspaper column, in which he challenged Church doctrine. …On Facebook and Twitter, Daniel posted a brief statement about the excommunication: I feel honored to belong to the long list of people who have been murdered and burned alive for thinking and searching for knowledge. Daniel’s excommunication, which prompted headlines across Brazil and protests in social media, illustrates the rising influence of more moderate social views in Brazil, Latin America’s biggest country, and much of the rest of the region. Progressive stances on sexuality, birth control, scientific research and other delicate topics for the Church are increasingly common in Latin America, home to 42 percent of the world’s Catholics, more than any other region worldwide.”  Inspired by Barry Duke, The Freethinker ow.ly/laBPN Image source Freethinker ow.ly/laBP5 Church out of touch with today’s society (June 12 2013)

 

Roberto Francisco Daniel the 47 year old Brazilian Catholic priest has been accused of “heresy” and “schism” by the church hierarchy and excommunicated according to an article title ‘Excommunicated Brazilian priest slams ‘out of touch’ Roman Catholic Church’ published in The Free Thinker magazine by Barry Duke. Duke states “…with unseemly haste, the Roman Catholic Church this week rid itself of a Brazilian priest for, among other things, supporting gay rights. …the rogue Brazilian, Father Roberto Francisco Daniel – known to local parishioners as Padre Beto – was excommunicated before he had the chance to announce his planned resignation from an organisation he described as: A lukewarm and disengaged church that is out of touch with today’s society. In a statement released … the priest’s diocese said Daniel had: In the name of ‘freedom of expression’ betrayed the promise of fealty to the Church. It alleged that Daniel had: Injured the Church with grave statements counter to the dogma of Catholic faith and morality. His actions amounted to ‘heresy and schism’, the statement said. The rare punishment follows what Daniel’s bishop and the priest himself said were repeated rebukes he received over  the videos he had made and other public activities, such as a radio broadcast and local newspaper column, in which he challenged Church doctrine. …On Facebook and Twitter, Daniel posted a brief statement about the excommunication: I feel honored to belong to the long list of people who have been murdered and burned alive for thinking and searching for knowledge. Daniel’s excommunication, which prompted headlines across Brazil and protests in social media, illustrates the rising influence of more moderate social views in Brazil, Latin America’s biggest country, and much of the rest of the region. Progressive stances on sexuality, birth control, scientific research and other delicate topics for the Church are increasingly common in Latin America, home to 42 percent of the world’s Catholics, more than any other region worldwide.”

 

Inspired by Barry Duke, The Freethinker ow.ly/laBPN Image source Freethinker ow.ly/laBP5

Jason Palmer the British Science and technology reporter for the BBC News has published an article titled ‘Antigravity gets first test at Cern's Alpha experiment’, in which he states “Researchers at Cern in Switzerland have tested a novel way to find out if antimatter is the source of a force termed "antigravity". Antimatter particles are the "mirror image" of normal matter, but with opposite electric charge. How antimatter responds to gravity remains a mystery, however; it may "fall up" rather than down. Now researchers reporting in Nature Communications have made strides toward finally resolving that notion. Antimatter presents one of the biggest mysteries in physics, in that equal amounts of matter and antimatter should have been created at the Universe's beginning. Yet when the two meet, they destroy each other in what is called annihilation, turning into pure light. Why the Universe we see today is made overwhelmingly of matter, with only tiny amounts of antimatter, has prompted a number of studies to try to find some difference between the two. Tests at Cern's LHCb experiment and elsewhere, for example, have been looking for evidence that exotic particles decay more often into matter than antimatter. …the LHCb team reported a slight difference in the decay of particles called Bs mesons - but still not nearly enough to explain the matter mystery. One significant difference between the two may be the way they interact with gravity - antimatter may be repelled by matter, rather than attracted to it. But it is a difference that no one has been able to test - until the advent of Cern's Alpha experiment. Alpha is an acronym for Antihydrogen Laser Physics Apparatus - an experiment designed to build and trap antimatter "atoms". Just as hydrogen is made of a proton and an electron, antihydrogen is an atom made of their antimatter counterparts antiprotons and positrons. The trick is not just in making it, but in making it hang around long enough to study it - before it bumps into any matter and annihilates…”  Inspired by Jason Palmer, BBC ow.ly/laBDO Image source LinkedIn ow.ly/laBo8 Bumps into any matter and annihilates (June 11 2013)

 

Jason Palmer the British Science and technology reporter for the BBC News has published an article titled ‘Antigravity gets first test at Cern’s Alpha experiment’, in which he states “Researchers at Cern in Switzerland have tested a novel way to find out if antimatter is the source of a force termed “antigravity”. Antimatter particles are the “mirror image” of normal matter, but with opposite electric charge. How antimatter responds to gravity remains a mystery, however; it may “fall up” rather than down. Now researchers reporting in Nature Communications have made strides toward finally resolving that notion. Antimatter presents one of the biggest mysteries in physics, in that equal amounts of matter and antimatter should have been created at the Universe’s beginning. Yet when the two meet, they destroy each other in what is called annihilation, turning into pure light. Why the Universe we see today is made overwhelmingly of matter, with only tiny amounts of antimatter, has prompted a number of studies to try to find some difference between the two. Tests at Cern’s LHCb experiment and elsewhere, for example, have been looking for evidence that exotic particles decay more often into matter than antimatter. …the LHCb team reported a slight difference in the decay of particles called Bs mesons – but still not nearly enough to explain the matter mystery. One significant difference between the two may be the way they interact with gravity – antimatter may be repelled by matter, rather than attracted to it. But it is a difference that no one has been able to test – until the advent of Cern’s Alpha experiment. Alpha is an acronym for Antihydrogen Laser Physics Apparatus – an experiment designed to build and trap antimatter “atoms”. Just as hydrogen is made of a proton and an electron, antihydrogen is an atom made of their antimatter counterparts antiprotons and positrons. The trick is not just in making it, but in making it hang around long enough to study it – before it bumps into any matter and annihilates…”

 

Inspired by Jason Palmer, BBC ow.ly/laBDO Image source LinkedIn ow.ly/laBo8

Annalee Newitz the 43 year old American Journalist who reports on the cultural impact of science and technology has published an article in io9 titled ‘Ancient Maya discovery sheds new light on the origins of civilization’, in which she states “Over 3,000 years ago, in the warm, fertile lands that are now Mexico, Belize, and Guatemala, the great Maya civilization arose — its vast pyramid temples appearing to come out of nowhere. But new evidence suggests a fascinating origin for this ancient, advanced culture. Just as the Inca once dominated South America, the Maya dominated large parts of Central America and Mexico. …after seven years of careful excavation at the famous Maya cultural center of Ceibal in Guatemala, University of Arizona anthropologists … have settled one of the greatest debates in their field: where the Maya came from. …For almost half a century, anthropologists studying the origins of the Maya have been divided into two camps. Some believe that the Maya civilization developed in Guatemala and Belize, without any contact from other groups in the region. But others believed the Maya were an outgrowth of the advanced Olmec civilization on the Gulf Coast. …something a lot more complicated happened than either of the previous two scenarios would allow. The Olmec did not "create" the Maya culture, nor did it evolve by itself in Guatemala. Most likely, it was the product of a very rapid social transformation that was taking place all over the region — caused, in part, by cultural exchanges between different groups, including the Olmec and the peoples who eventually became the Maya. …They are the result of hybridization. The Maya came to dominate Mexico, Guatemala and Belize because they were able to incorporate the innovations of the Olmec along with the discoveries and beliefs of many peoples in the area whose lives we are just now beginning to learn about. The ancient Maya were, in other words, a multiculture.”  Inspired by Annalee Newitz, io9 ow.ly/l5zrB Image source Twitter ow.ly/l5zp7 New light on the origins of civilization (June 10 2013)

 

Annalee Newitz the 43 year old American Journalist who reports on the cultural impact of science and technology has published an article in io9 titled ‘Ancient Maya discovery sheds new light on the origins of civilization’, in which she states “Over 3,000 years ago, in the warm, fertile lands that are now Mexico, Belize, and Guatemala, the great Maya civilization arose — its vast pyramid temples appearing to come out of nowhere. But new evidence suggests a fascinating origin for this ancient, advanced culture. Just as the Inca once dominated South America, the Maya dominated large parts of Central America and Mexico. …after seven years of careful excavation at the famous Maya cultural center of Ceibal in Guatemala, University of Arizona anthropologists … have settled one of the greatest debates in their field: where the Maya came from. …For almost half a century, anthropologists studying the origins of the Maya have been divided into two camps. Some believe that the Maya civilization developed in Guatemala and Belize, without any contact from other groups in the region. But others believed the Maya were an outgrowth of the advanced Olmec civilization on the Gulf Coast. …something a lot more complicated happened than either of the previous two scenarios would allow. The Olmec did not “create” the Maya culture, nor did it evolve by itself in Guatemala. Most likely, it was the product of a very rapid social transformation that was taking place all over the region — caused, in part, by cultural exchanges between different groups, including the Olmec and the peoples who eventually became the Maya. …They are the result of hybridization. The Maya came to dominate Mexico, Guatemala and Belize because they were able to incorporate the innovations of the Olmec along with the discoveries and beliefs of many peoples in the area whose lives we are just now beginning to learn about. The ancient Maya were, in other words, a multiculture.”

 

Inspired by Annalee Newitz, io9 ow.ly/l5zrB Image source Twitter ow.ly/l5zp7

 

Greg Miller the American news correspondent on Science with a focus on neuroscience and other areas of biological, behavioral, and social science has published an article on Wired titled ‘Open Your Mind to the New Psychedelic Science’ in which he states “Timothy Leary really screwed things up for science. By abandoning the scientific method for a mystical embrace of hallucinogenic drugs, the Harvard-professor-turned-LSD-evangelist became a symbol of ’60s-era drug-fueled degeneracy. Worse, the ensuing backlash pushed these drugs underground and caused an enormously promising field of research to go dormant for nearly half a century. …But the times they are a-changin’. In recent years, a small cadre of scientists has cautiously rekindled the scientific study of psychedelics. …they reported new findings on how these drugs scramble brain activity in ways that might help explain their mind-bending effects. They’re also slowly building a case that these drugs might help people with depression, anxiety and other disorders. Roughly a dozen small clinical trials are now underway worldwide. But the idea isn’t “take two tabs of acid and call me in the morning.” Instead, these trials are testing the idea that psychedelics taken in a therapist’s office as part of a series of psychotherapy sessions can make talk therapy more effective. …The classic psychedelics, including psilocybin and LSD, stimulate receptors for serotonin, a neurotransmitter that’s also targeted, albeit in different ways, by approved antidepressant and anti-anxiety drugs like Prozac and Zoloft. …People in the grips of depression, the thinking goes, are trapped in an endless cycle of critical self-examination, and a little neural desynchronization might help them reboot. …Psychedelic scientists still face obstacles at every step of the process, from getting research funding, to getting the compounds themselves, to publishing the findings…”  Inspired by Greg Miller, Wired ow.ly/l5yba Image source Facebook ow.ly/l5xiZ Open your mind to Psychedelic Science (June 9 2013)

Greg Miller the American news correspondent on Science with a focus on neuroscience and other areas of biological, behavioral, and social science has published an article on Wired titled ‘Open Your Mind to the New Psychedelic Science’ in which he states “Timothy Leary really screwed things up for science. By abandoning the scientific method for a mystical embrace of hallucinogenic drugs, the Harvard-professor-turned-LSD-evangelist became a symbol of ’60s-era drug-fueled degeneracy. Worse, the ensuing backlash pushed these drugs underground and caused an enormously promising field of research to go dormant for nearly half a century. …But the times they are a-changin’. In recent years, a small cadre of scientists has cautiously rekindled the scientific study of psychedelics. …they reported new findings on how these drugs scramble brain activity in ways that might help explain their mind-bending effects. They’re also slowly building a case that these drugs might help people with depression, anxiety and other disorders. Roughly a dozen small clinical trials are now underway worldwide. But the idea isn’t “take two tabs of acid and call me in the morning.” Instead, these trials are testing the idea that psychedelics taken in a therapist’s office as part of a series of psychotherapy sessions can make talk therapy more effective. …The classic psychedelics, including psilocybin and LSD, stimulate receptors for serotonin, a neurotransmitter that’s also targeted, albeit in different ways, by approved antidepressant and anti-anxiety drugs like Prozac and Zoloft. …People in the grips of depression, the thinking goes, are trapped in an endless cycle of critical self-examination, and a little neural desynchronization might help them reboot. …Psychedelic scientists still face obstacles at every step of the process, from getting research funding, to getting the compounds themselves, to publishing the findings…”

 

Inspired by Greg Miller, Wired ow.ly/l5yba Image source Facebook ow.ly/l5xiZ

Imran Qureshi the 41 year old Pakistani Artist considered one of the leading figures in developing a contemporary aesthetic that integrates the motifs and rigorous techniques of traditional miniature painting has been profiled by Artdaily in an article titled ‘Roof Garden installation by Pakistani artist Imran Qureshi opens at Metropolitan Museum’. Artdaily states “A large-scale site-specific work of art by Imran Qureshi an artist known for his unique style of combining the motifs, symbolism, and ornamental techniques of Islamic art with modern conceptual approaches—is the 2013 installation on The Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Roof Garden … represents the artist’s emotional response to violence occurring across the globe in recent decades and his earnest hope for regeneration and lasting peace in the aftermath of man-made disasters. Using the nearly 8,000-square-foot open-air space as his canvas, Qureshi has worked areas of his spilled and splattered red acrylic paint into patterns of lush ornamental leaves that evoke the luxuriant walled gardens that are ubiquitous in miniatures of the Mughal court; they also echo the spectacular verdant foliage of Central Park surrounding the Roof Garden today. Qureshi is the first artist to create a work that has been painted directly onto the Roof’s surface, and visitors are encouraged to walk on it as they view it. …Imran Qureshi said, “The dialogue between life and death is an important element in my work. Leaves and nature, for example, represent the idea of life. And the particular color of red that I have been using in recent years can look so real, like blood. The red reminds me of the situation today in my country, Pakistan, and in the world around us, where violence is almost a daily occurrence. But somehow, people still have hope. The flowers that seem to emerge from the red paint in my work represent the hope that—despite everything—the people sustain somehow, their hope for a better future.”  Inspired by ArtDaily ow.ly/l5w7N Image source Bill Swersey ow.ly/l5w4g The dialogue between life and death (June 8 2013)

Imran Qureshi the 41 year old Pakistani Artist considered one of the leading figures in developing a contemporary aesthetic that integrates the motifs and rigorous techniques of traditional miniature painting has been profiled by Artdaily in an article titled ‘Roof Garden installation by Pakistani artist Imran Qureshi opens at Metropolitan Museum’. Artdaily states “A large-scale site-specific work of art by Imran Qureshi an artist known for his unique style of combining the motifs, symbolism, and ornamental techniques of Islamic art with modern conceptual approaches—is the 2013 installation on The Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Roof Garden … represents the artist’s emotional response to violence occurring across the globe in recent decades and his earnest hope for regeneration and lasting peace in the aftermath of man-made disasters. Using the nearly 8,000-square-foot open-air space as his canvas, Qureshi has worked areas of his spilled and splattered red acrylic paint into patterns of lush ornamental leaves that evoke the luxuriant walled gardens that are ubiquitous in miniatures of the Mughal court; they also echo the spectacular verdant foliage of Central Park surrounding the Roof Garden today. Qureshi is the first artist to create a work that has been painted directly onto the Roof’s surface, and visitors are encouraged to walk on it as they view it. …Imran Qureshi said, “The dialogue between life and death is an important element in my work. Leaves and nature, for example, represent the idea of life. And the particular color of red that I have been using in recent years can look so real, like blood. The red reminds me of the situation today in my country, Pakistan, and in the world around us, where violence is almost a daily occurrence. But somehow, people still have hope. The flowers that seem to emerge from the red paint in my work represent the hope that—despite everything—the people sustain somehow, their hope for a better future.”

 

Inspired by ArtDaily ow.ly/l5w7N Image source Bill Swersey ow.ly/l5w4g

 

 

Philip Cary Plait the 48 year old American Astronomer known as ‘The Bad Astronomer’ skeptic, writer and popular science blogger has published an article on Slate titled ‘Why is Our Government Attacking Science?’. In the article Plait states “What the hell is going on with my government? I’m used to attacks on science; they’ve been endemic for years now. Antivaxxers, global warming deniers, creationists, what have you. And I’ve even gotten used to, at some level, egregiously antiscience rhetoric and machinations from government officials. But over the past few days and weeks things seem to have gone to 11. I’m reeling from the absolute unfettered nonsense and sheer manipulation going on by our elected officials, and I’ll be honest: It’s scary. To start, Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas), who is a global warming denier, by the way, is the head of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. He has recently decided that the National Science Foundation—a globally respected agency of scientific research and investigation—should no longer use peer review to fund grants. Instead it should essentially get political permission for which research to fund. This is not a joke. Smith wants politics to trump science at the National Science Foundation. This prompted a brilliantly indignant letter from Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Texas), who calls this idea “destructive” to science. She’s right. What Smith is doing strongly reminds me of Lysenkoism, when the Soviet government suppressed science on genetics and evolution that didn’t toe the party line. In these attacks on the NSF, a few lines of research have been highlighted that sound silly out of context. We’ve seen this before from those on the far right who attack science… Those government officials may be the ones doing all these awful things, but we’re the ones who, in the end, decide if they can even be in the position to make these attacks. And we need to do something about it.”  Inspired by Phil Plait, Slate ow.ly/l5tWE Image source Facebook ow.ly/l5u49 Why is our government attacking science? (June 7 2013)

 

Philip Cary Plait the 48 year old American Astronomer known as ‘The Bad Astronomer’ skeptic, writer and popular science blogger has published an article on Slate titled ‘Why is Our Government Attacking Science?’. In the article Plait states “What the hell is going on with my government? I’m used to attacks on science; they’ve been endemic for years now. Antivaxxers, global warming deniers, creationists, what have you. And I’ve even gotten used to, at some level, egregiously antiscience rhetoric and machinations from government officials. But over the past few days and weeks things seem to have gone to 11. I’m reeling from the absolute unfettered nonsense and sheer manipulation going on by our elected officials, and I’ll be honest: It’s scary. To start, Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas), who is a global warming denier, by the way, is the head of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. He has recently decided that the National Science Foundation—a globally respected agency of scientific research and investigation—should no longer use peer review to fund grants. Instead it should essentially get political permission for which research to fund. This is not a joke. Smith wants politics to trump science at the National Science Foundation. This prompted a brilliantly indignant letter from Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Texas), who calls this idea “destructive” to science. She’s right. What Smith is doing strongly reminds me of Lysenkoism, when the Soviet government suppressed science on genetics and evolution that didn’t toe the party line. In these attacks on the NSF, a few lines of research have been highlighted that sound silly out of context. We’ve seen this before from those on the far right who attack science… Those government officials may be the ones doing all these awful things, but we’re the ones who, in the end, decide if they can even be in the position to make these attacks. And we need to do something about it.”

 

Inspired by Phil Plait, Slate ow.ly/l5tWE Image source Facebook ow.ly/l5u49

Jose Parla the 39 year old American contemporary artist painter who assumes several roles in order to create his work; acting as a historical transcriber, and a visual raconteur. Parla has been interviewed by Sara Roffino for Blouin Artinfo in an article titled ‘28 Questions for Narrative Painter Jose Parla’ in which he states in reference to The Wrinkles of the City project in Havana Cuba “is a unique collaboration project [with JR] that involves many components such as location scouting, photography, and painting. Together we created 20 murals throughout the city of Havana. Each mural is dedicated to an elderly woman or man. The project as a whole pays homage to the years or experience and physical appearance of the wrinkles of people’s faces in comparison with the deteriorated walls of Havana that show their own wrinkles representative of the struggle in life, the joy and smiling, all of the layers of the memories in their lives. JR and I both randomly met people in Havana by walking the neighborhoods and asking them to participate in our art project... We collaborated on the composition of the pictures on the murals and later pasted them the size of buildings through Havana while I later painted them by layering transparencies of color on the pictures as well as incorporated my calligraphic style, the stories of each person into the composition of each painting. This project began interacting with the public as soon as we started to work in front of everyone. Many people wanted to talk and ask questions and to be involved in the project. In Cuba there is no advertisement and in the 54 years since the revolution, most of the images you see in the city are of political icons…. For us to make 20 murals of random people was a big deal for people there…”  Inspired by Sara Roffino, Blouin Artinfo ow.ly/l5rQb Image source Nuart ow.ly/l5rFQ Wrinkles of the City project in Cuba (June 6 2013)

Jose Parla the 39 year old American contemporary artist painter who assumes several roles in order to create his work; acting as a historical transcriber, and a visual raconteur. Parla has been interviewed by Sara Roffino for Blouin Artinfo in an article titled ‘28 Questions for Narrative Painter Jose Parla’ in which he states in reference to The Wrinkles of the City project in Havana Cuba “is a unique collaboration project [with JR] that involves many components such as location scouting, photography, and painting. Together we created 20 murals throughout the city of Havana. Each mural is dedicated to an elderly woman or man. The project as a whole pays homage to the years or experience and physical appearance of the wrinkles of people’s faces in comparison with the deteriorated walls of Havana that show their own wrinkles representative of the struggle in life, the joy and smiling, all of the layers of the memories in their lives. JR and I both randomly met people in Havana by walking the neighborhoods and asking them to participate in our art project… We collaborated on the composition of the pictures on the murals and later pasted them the size of buildings through Havana while I later painted them by layering transparencies of color on the pictures as well as incorporated my calligraphic style, the stories of each person into the composition of each painting. This project began interacting with the public as soon as we started to work in front of everyone. Many people wanted to talk and ask questions and to be involved in the project. In Cuba there is no advertisement and in the 54 years since the revolution, most of the images you see in the city are of political icons…. For us to make 20 murals of random people was a big deal for people there…”

 

Inspired by Sara Roffino, Blouin Artinfo ow.ly/l5rQb Image source Nuart ow.ly/l5rFQ

Pedro Almodovar Caballero the 63 year old Spanish film director, screenwriter and producer, one of the most successful and internationally known Spanish filmmaker of his generation, has been featured by Giles Tremlett in an article published in The Guardian titled ‘Pedro Almodovar backs wave of Spanish protests over family evictions’. Tremlett states in the article “Pedro Almodovar, the celebrated Spanish film-maker, has warned of an increasingly violent mood in his recession-hit country as he throws his weight behind a popular movement determined to stop banks evicting vulnerable people who can no longer pay their mortgages. "I think the country as a whole is worried about social unrest breaking out. I certainly am," he said as Spanish unemployment hit a national record of 27% last week. "Every day that goes by, I get the impression that there is further provocation to make it explode. That doesn't mean I am inciting anyone to violence. It is quite the opposite. I would invite everyone to react, but in the most peaceful way possible," he added. Almodovar said be backed a controversial, if peaceful, campaign of protests outside ministers' houses that prime minister Mariano Rajoy's conservative People's party (PP) government has likened to the behaviour of the Nazis. "The people being thrown out of their homes have children too," said Almodovar, whose friend, the former Socialist prime minister Felipe Gonzalez, had called on protesters to respect the family homes of fellow politicians. "And those children see their parents or brothers and sisters dragged down the street by the police." Almodovar, who has a new comedy, I'm So Excited!, coming out in Britain this week, says he, like many other Spaniards, is frustrated with a double-dip recession that started four years ago. The crisis has hit young people hard, with unemployment for those aged under 25 running at 57%...”  Inspired by Giles Tremlett, The Guardian ow.ly/l5p8J Image source Roberto Gordo Saez ow.ly/l5oHW Worried about social unrest breaking out (June 5 2013)

 

Pedro Almodovar Caballero the 63 year old Spanish film director, screenwriter and producer, one of the most successful and internationally known Spanish filmmaker of his generation, has been featured by Giles Tremlett in an article published in The Guardian titled ‘Pedro Almodovar backs wave of Spanish protests over family evictions’. Tremlett states in the article “Pedro Almodovar, the celebrated Spanish film-maker, has warned of an increasingly violent mood in his recession-hit country as he throws his weight behind a popular movement determined to stop banks evicting vulnerable people who can no longer pay their mortgages. “I think the country as a whole is worried about social unrest breaking out. I certainly am,” he said as Spanish unemployment hit a national record of 27% last week. “Every day that goes by, I get the impression that there is further provocation to make it explode. That doesn’t mean I am inciting anyone to violence. It is quite the opposite. I would invite everyone to react, but in the most peaceful way possible,” he added. Almodovar said be backed a controversial, if peaceful, campaign of protests outside ministers’ houses that prime minister Mariano Rajoy’s conservative People’s party (PP) government has likened to the behaviour of the Nazis. “The people being thrown out of their homes have children too,” said Almodovar, whose friend, the former Socialist prime minister Felipe Gonzalez, had called on protesters to respect the family homes of fellow politicians. “And those children see their parents or brothers and sisters dragged down the street by the police.” Almodovar, who has a new comedy, I’m So Excited!, coming out in Britain this week, says he, like many other Spaniards, is frustrated with a double-dip recession that started four years ago. The crisis has hit young people hard, with unemployment for those aged under 25 running at 57%…”

 

Inspired by Giles Tremlett, The Guardian ow.ly/l5p8J Image source Roberto Gordo Saez ow.ly/l5oHW

Divina Frau-Meigs the 53 year old Moroccan professor in information science and communication and language has been interviewed by Clarinha Glock for the IPS News Service titled ‘Schools need Transliteracy’ in which she states “It [transliteracy] is knowing how to read, write, calculate and compute. But “compute” includes understanding these three categories of information: code, document and current events/press. Students and teachers must be trained. The role of school is to clarify and help people understand all kinds of contents, modify them, and comment on them. …Students think they know everything, from their perspective of dealing with computers and tablets. And professors say that if students have good knowledge to read and write, it is enough. It is necessary to break down this resistance to awareness-raising, in hands-on practical classrooms. For example: I ask students to look for the information they need for their projects. They respond: “There are millions of pieces of information, I don’t know where to start.” Teaching students to eliminate, evaluate, assess, change – that is the role of schools. It’s a way of learning to learn, which is what we must put again at the centre of the curriculum. …Transliteracy doesn’t only occur in schools. School rhythms are changing, because students can now connect at night, outside the school premises. The role of teachers will also be different. Their salaries must be enhanced, but knowing what they need in terms of training, and the new conditions of schedules, rhythms and resources. The decision must be assumed by teaching staff, government ministries, trade unions, companies and students – as a new social contract. …Since the 19th century, the social contract has been free, public – even though many schools are private – and secular education. And another characteristic has to be incorporated: “open” – through informatics, which gives access to many contents from other countries and cultures. With informatics, ideas can be developed to the maximum. And if we use it well, it can empower everyone…”  Inspired by Clarinha Glock, IPS News ow.ly/l33Ri Image source Frau-Meigs ow.ly/l34fd Schools need Transliteracy (June 4 2013)

Divina Frau-Meigs the 53 year old Moroccan professor in information science and communication and language has been interviewed by Clarinha Glock for the IPS News Service titled ‘Schools need Transliteracy’ in which she states “It [transliteracy] is knowing how to read, write, calculate and compute. But “compute” includes understanding these three categories of information: code, document and current events/press. Students and teachers must be trained. The role of school is to clarify and help people understand all kinds of contents, modify them, and comment on them. …Students think they know everything, from their perspective of dealing with computers and tablets. And professors say that if students have good knowledge to read and write, it is enough. It is necessary to break down this resistance to awareness-raising, in hands-on practical classrooms. For example: I ask students to look for the information they need for their projects. They respond: “There are millions of pieces of information, I don’t know where to start.” Teaching students to eliminate, evaluate, assess, change – that is the role of schools. It’s a way of learning to learn, which is what we must put again at the centre of the curriculum. …Transliteracy doesn’t only occur in schools. School rhythms are changing, because students can now connect at night, outside the school premises. The role of teachers will also be different. Their salaries must be enhanced, but knowing what they need in terms of training, and the new conditions of schedules, rhythms and resources. The decision must be assumed by teaching staff, government ministries, trade unions, companies and students – as a new social contract. …Since the 19th century, the social contract has been free, public – even though many schools are private – and secular education. And another characteristic has to be incorporated: “open” – through informatics, which gives access to many contents from other countries and cultures. With informatics, ideas can be developed to the maximum. And if we use it well, it can empower everyone…”  Inspired by Clarinha Glock, IPS News ow.ly/l33Ri Image source Frau-Meigs ow.ly/l34fd

Sarah Maslin Nir the American Journalist and staff reporter for The New York Times has published an article titled ‘Storm Effort Causes a Rift in a Shifting Occupy Movement’ in which she states “Not long ago, the Occupy Wall Street movement seemed poised to largely fade from the national conversation with few concrete accomplishments beyond introducing its hallmark phrase, “We are the 99 percent.” Then Hurricane Sandy struck. In its aftermath, Occupy Wall Street protesters rushed to apply their rabble-rousing hustle to cleaning out houses, clearing debris and raising more than $1.5 million for relief efforts. In some minds, Occupy members had become less a collection of disaffected class warriors than a group of efficient community volunteers. Occupy Sandy, as the effort came to be known, became one of the most widely praised groups working on the storm recovery. As Occupy members around the country plan the movement’s annual May Day protests, a central question has emerged: whether Occupy Sandy represents a betrayal of the Occupy movement, or its future. …So far Occupy Sandy has spent $670,000, according to information the group makes public online, disbursed for essentials like medical supplies ($5,000) and tools for mold remediation ($93,454). But as immediate needs for relief have died down, the group has begun programs reflective of a shift in tactics and a broad interpretation of “rebuilding,” like “Wildfire,” a series of political action classes in the Rockaways, which so far has received $10,600. That shift, toward what one storm volunteer called “indoctrination,” has caused some discomfort among donors and recipients alike. Some Occupiers say that they are simply seeking to stay true to the movement’s goals, which drove them to the storm-ravaged region in the first place. “No one was being tricked into donating to Occupy Sandy,” said Daniele Kohn, who is part of the team managing Occupy Sandy’s finances. “ ‘Occupy’ is part of the name.”  Inspired by Sarah Maslin Nir, New York Times ow.ly/l32bf Image source Facebook ow.ly/l32Ie Rift in a Shifting Occupy Movement (June 3 2013)

 

Sarah Maslin Nir the American Journalist and staff reporter for The New York Times has published an article titled ‘Storm Effort Causes a Rift in a Shifting Occupy Movement’ in which she states “Not long ago, the Occupy Wall Street movement seemed poised to largely fade from the national conversation with few concrete accomplishments beyond introducing its hallmark phrase, “We are the 99 percent.” Then Hurricane Sandy struck. In its aftermath, Occupy Wall Street protesters rushed to apply their rabble-rousing hustle to cleaning out houses, clearing debris and raising more than $1.5 million for relief efforts. In some minds, Occupy members had become less a collection of disaffected class warriors than a group of efficient community volunteers. Occupy Sandy, as the effort came to be known, became one of the most widely praised groups working on the storm recovery. As Occupy members around the country plan the movement’s annual May Day protests, a central question has emerged: whether Occupy Sandy represents a betrayal of the Occupy movement, or its future. …So far Occupy Sandy has spent $670,000, according to information the group makes public online, disbursed for essentials like medical supplies ($5,000) and tools for mold remediation ($93,454). But as immediate needs for relief have died down, the group has begun programs reflective of a shift in tactics and a broad interpretation of “rebuilding,” like “Wildfire,” a series of political action classes in the Rockaways, which so far has received $10,600. That shift, toward what one storm volunteer called “indoctrination,” has caused some discomfort among donors and recipients alike. Some Occupiers say that they are simply seeking to stay true to the movement’s goals, which drove them to the storm-ravaged region in the first place. “No one was being tricked into donating to Occupy Sandy,” said Daniele Kohn, who is part of the team managing Occupy Sandy’s finances. “ ‘Occupy’ is part of the name.”

 

Inspired by Sarah Maslin Nir, New York Times ow.ly/l32bf Image source Facebook ow.ly/l32Ie

Yianice Hernandez the American Deputy Director of Green Communities overseeing comprehensive research and evaluation of the economic, environmental and health benefits of green affordable housing has published an article on Aljazeera titled ‘Making green housing affordable’. Hernandez states “What comes to mind when you think about green communities? I find many people think about technology - solar panels, wind turbines, or rapid public transit. Another important pillar of green communities is action: the actions people take related to the buildings in which they live. Green communities must incorporate technology and action. As an uncertain housing market continues to plague the economy, obesity rates escalate, and the number of children and adults living in poverty reaches an all-time high, green housing and sustainable community development have never been more critical. Implementing a holistic vision of sustainable development in the residential sector would help the US address three of its biggest challenges: an economy in the doldrums, climate change, and rising long-term health care costs. The benefits of sustainable development are vast: healthier air to breathe, reduced carbon emissions, water and energy cost savings, improved health from fewer triggers for asthma, and opportunities for people to live active lifestyles. The list goes on. Less well known are the benefits from the actions we take every day in our homes. …In an era when more than one-third of all Americans spend more than 50 percent of their income on rent, green affordable housing technology helps keep rents affordable by reducing energy and water usage. We have seen that educating tenants on the green features where they live and about the health, economic and environmental benefits of green living results in further savings through action.”  Inspired by Yianice Hernandez, Aljazeera ow.ly/l30gL Image source Twitter ow.ly/l30eg Making green housing affordable (June 2 2013)

 

Yianice Hernandez the American Deputy Director of Green Communities overseeing comprehensive research and evaluation of the economic, environmental and health benefits of green affordable housing has published an article on Aljazeera titled ‘Making green housing affordable’. Hernandez states “What comes to mind when you think about green communities? I find many people think about technology – solar panels, wind turbines, or rapid public transit. Another important pillar of green communities is action: the actions people take related to the buildings in which they live. Green communities must incorporate technology and action. As an uncertain housing market continues to plague the economy, obesity rates escalate, and the number of children and adults living in poverty reaches an all-time high, green housing and sustainable community development have never been more critical. Implementing a holistic vision of sustainable development in the residential sector would help the US address three of its biggest challenges: an economy in the doldrums, climate change, and rising long-term health care costs. The benefits of sustainable development are vast: healthier air to breathe, reduced carbon emissions, water and energy cost savings, improved health from fewer triggers for asthma, and opportunities for people to live active lifestyles. The list goes on. Less well known are the benefits from the actions we take every day in our homes. …In an era when more than one-third of all Americans spend more than 50 percent of their income on rent, green affordable housing technology helps keep rents affordable by reducing energy and water usage. We have seen that educating tenants on the green features where they live and about the health, economic and environmental benefits of green living results in further savings through action.”

 

Inspired by Yianice Hernandez, Aljazeera ow.ly/l30gL Image source Twitter ow.ly/l30eg

May 2013 ISSUE now from Amazon. May 2013 ISSUE now from Amazon.

May 2013 ISSUE now from Amazon.

Spinning Pop is an artistic and conceptual exploration of specific people and events of our contemporary time and culture.
The digital photo manipulated work is premised on the belief that Pop Art in its beginnings, freeze-framed what consumers of popular culture experienced into iconic visual abstractions. Visual information now circulates in such quantities, so rapidly and exponentially, that to comprehend a fraction of it all becomes a kind of production process in itself.
The use of video production for exhibiting the work enables the individual images to become fragmented elements of the global popular culture over a time line.
Adapting Pop Art’s notion of mass media imagery into a context of the contemporary digital age, the work draws on a myriad points of reference. Utilizing fractured images to provide an allusion to the digital noise pounding away daily into our sub consciousness.
Diverging from the traditional Pop Art notion of a pronounced repetition of a consumer icon, instead this work focuses on the deluge of contemporary digital content.

Paul De Grauwe the 66 year old Belgian Economist and Professor emeritus in European Political Economy, and former member of the Belgian Federal Parliament, has published an article on the Project Syndicate titled ‘Debt Without Drowning’. De Grauwe states “Since the 1970’s, economists have warned that a monetary union could not be sustained without a fiscal union. But the eurozone’s leaders have not heeded their advice – and the consequences are becoming increasingly apparent. Europe now faces a difficult choice: either fix this fundamental design flaw and move toward fiscal union, or abandon the common currency. Choosing the latter option would have devastating consequences. Indeed, while the desirability of establishing a monetary union may have been open to question in the 1990’s, dismantling the eurozone now would trigger profound economic, social, and political upheaval throughout Europe. To avoid this outcome, Europe’s leaders must begin designing and implementing strategies aimed at bringing the eurozone closer to a fiscal union. To be sure, a fiscal union such as that in the United States is a distant prospect that eurozone leaders should not expect to achieve any time soon – or even in their lifetimes. But that does not mean that establishing a fiscal union is a chimera. Small steps in the right direction now can make a significant difference. …the eurozone is gripped by an existential crisis that is slowly, but inexorably, destroying the monetary union’s very foundations. The only way to stem the erosion is to take determined action that convinces financial markets that the eurozone is here to stay. A debt-pooling scheme that satisfies the requirements outlined here would signal that the eurozone member countries are serious about sticking together. Without this gesture, further market turmoil is inevitable – and the eurozone’s collapse will become only a matter of time.”  Inspired by Paul De Grauwe, Project Syndicate ow.ly/l2YzK Image source kuleuven ow.ly/l2YmE Debt Without Drowning (June 1 2013)

 

Paul De Grauwe the 66 year old Belgian Economist and Professor emeritus in European Political Economy, and former member of the Belgian Federal Parliament, has published an article on the Project Syndicate titled ‘Debt Without Drowning’. De Grauwe states “Since the 1970’s, economists have warned that a monetary union could not be sustained without a fiscal union. But the eurozone’s leaders have not heeded their advice – and the consequences are becoming increasingly apparent. Europe now faces a difficult choice: either fix this fundamental design flaw and move toward fiscal union, or abandon the common currency. Choosing the latter option would have devastating consequences. Indeed, while the desirability of establishing a monetary union may have been open to question in the 1990’s, dismantling the eurozone now would trigger profound economic, social, and political upheaval throughout Europe. To avoid this outcome, Europe’s leaders must begin designing and implementing strategies aimed at bringing the eurozone closer to a fiscal union. To be sure, a fiscal union such as that in the United States is a distant prospect that eurozone leaders should not expect to achieve any time soon – or even in their lifetimes. But that does not mean that establishing a fiscal union is a chimera. Small steps in the right direction now can make a significant difference. …the eurozone is gripped by an existential crisis that is slowly, but inexorably, destroying the monetary union’s very foundations. The only way to stem the erosion is to take determined action that convinces financial markets that the eurozone is here to stay. A debt-pooling scheme that satisfies the requirements outlined here would signal that the eurozone member countries are serious about sticking together. Without this gesture, further market turmoil is inevitable – and the eurozone’s collapse will become only a matter of time.”

 

Inspired by Paul De Grauwe, Project Syndicate ow.ly/l2YzK Image source kuleuven ow.ly/l2YmE

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