Archive
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela har gjennom sitt liv vist oss hvordan kjærlighet, standhaftighet og visdom kan forandre en verden. Han delte av sin visdom gjennom et langt liv. Her er noen utdrag:
“The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”
– Nelson Mandela
“And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same”
– Nelson Mandela
“Sometimes it falls upon a generation to be great, you can be that generation”
– Nelson Mandela
“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”
– Nelson Mandela
“If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner.”
– Nelson Mandela
“As I have said, the first thing is to be honest with yourself. You can never have an impact on society if you have not changed yourself… Great peacemakers are all people of integrity, of honesty, but humility.”
– Nelson Mandela
“After climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb.”
– Nelson Mandela
“If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.”
– Nelson Mandela
“It is better to lead from behind and to put others in front, especially when you celebrate victory when nice things occur. You take the front line when there is danger. Then people will appreciate your leadership.”
– Nelson Mandela
“As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
– Nelson Mandela
“There is no easy walk to freedom anywhere, and many of us will have to pass through the valley of the shadow of death again and again before we reach the mountaintop of our desires.”
– Nelson Mandela
“There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered.”
– Nelson Mandela
“There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children.”
– Nelson Mandela
“Education is the great engine of personal development. It is through education that the daughter of a peasant can become a doctor, that a son of a mineworker can become the head of the mine, that a child of farm workers can become the president of a”
– Nelson Mandela
“A good head and good heart are always a formidable combination. But when you add to that a literate tongue or pen, then you have something very special.”
– Nelson Mandela
“For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.”
– Nelson Mandela
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”
– Nelson Mandela
“Does anybody really think that they didn’t get what they had because they didn’t have the talent or the strength or the endurance or the commitment?”
– Nelson Mandela
“That was one of the things that worried me – to be raised to the position of a semi-god – because then you are no longer a human being. I wanted to be known as Mandela, a man with weaknesses, some of which are fundamental, and a man who is committed,”
– Nelson Mandela
“Let freedom reign. The sun never set on so glorious a human achievement.”
– Nelson Mandela
“Let there be work, bread, water and salt for all.”
– Nelson Mandela
“I detest racialism, because I regard it as a barbaric thing, whether it comes from a black man or a white man”
– Nelson Mandela
“It always seems impossible until it’s done.”
– Nelson Mandela
“There is no passion to be found playing small – in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.”
– Nelson Mandela
“I have walked that long road to freedom. I have tried not to falter; I have made missteps along the way. But I have discovered the secret that after climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb. I have taken a moment here to rest, to steal a view of the glorious vista that surrounds me, to look back on the distance I have come. But I can only rest for a moment, for with freedom come responsibilities, and I dare not linger, for my long walk is not ended.”
– Nelson Mandela
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn’t serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us: it’s in everyone. And when we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
– Nelson Mandela
“Do not judge me by my successes, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again.”
– Nelson Mandela
“(…) when a man is denied the right to live the life he believes in, he has no choice but to become an outlaw.”
– Nelson Mandela
“One of the things I learned when I was negotiating was that until I changed myself, I could not change others.”
– Nelson Mandela
“Where you stand depends on where you sit.”
– Nelson Mandela
“I am the captain of my soul.”
– Nelson Mandela
“No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.”
– Nelson Mandela
“Nothing is black or white.”
– Nelson Mandela
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.”
– Nelson Mandela
“During my lifetime I have dedicated myself to this struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”
– Nelson Mandela
“Know your enemy — and learn about his favorite sport.”
– Nelson Mandela
“Keep your friends close — and your rivals even closer.”
– Nelson Mandela
“I dream of an Africa which is in peace with itself.”
– Nelson Mandela
“Lead from the front — but don’t leave your base behind.”
– Nelson Mandela
“I dream of the realization of the unity of Africa, whereby its leaders combine in their efforts to solve the problems of this continent. I dream of our vast deserts, of our forests, of all our great wildernesses.”
– Nelson Mandela
“I am fundamentally an optimist. Whether that comes from nature or nurture, I cannot say. Part of being optimistic is keeping one’s head pointed toward the sun, one’s feet moving forward. There were many dark moments when my faith in humanity was sorely tested, but I would not and could not give myself up to despair. That way lays defeat and death.”
– Nelson Mandela
The Revolution: perle for øyet med rom for ettertanker
På Bergen internasjonale film festival vises nå filmen The Revolution. Dette er en film der Rob Stewart viser oss fascinerende og vakre deler av naturen vi sjelden får muligheten til å se – som f.eks. “flamboyant cuttlefish”. Han viser oss også at en del av dette vil vi neppe se igjen dersom vi ikke løser klimautfordringene. Stewart tar oss med på en reise med mål om å løse utfordringene.
The Revolution får en varm anbefaling. Den vil vise deg nydelig natur og sannsynligvis gi mye inspirasjon til deg også. Du kan se den på Bergen kino ikveld kl 21:50 ikveld eller laste den ned på http://www.therevolutionmovie.com/
“Viktigere enn håp”
Anbefaler på det sterkeste Arne Johan Vetlesen sitt essay “Viktigere enn håp”. “Håp kan bety å bli sittende stille i båten etter at man burde ha forlatt den. I møte med klimakrisen må vi ty til to andre menneskelige kraftkilder.”
Ønsker vi fordømmelse fra våre etterkommere?
Professorene Sigmund Hågvar og Arne Johan Vetlesen stiller et viktig spørsmål i sin kronikk i Aftenposten 21.juni. Spørsmålet er stilt på vegne av kommende generasjoner til oss som lever i dag: «Hvorfor gjorde du ikke mer mens det ennå var tid, gitt kunnskapen som fantes?» Som de fleste av oss nå er klar over, er klimaet i endring og påvirker verden idag. Ser vi framover er klimaendringene varslet å få dramatiske konsekvenser for framtiden – med mindre det gjøres en større kursendring. Mange eksperter anser klimaendringene som den største trusselen mot helse i dette århundret.
Spørsmålet er derfor om vi med åpne øyne vil fortsette i samme kurs som vi gjør idag og forberede oss på de ubehagelige spørsmålene og konsekvensene som vil møte oss i nær framtid, eller om vi heller vil skape et bedre og bærekraftig samfunn. Hva kan vi da gjøre? Skal vi komme i mål er det behov for både personlige og politiske endringer. Hver og en av oss må gjøre en innsats i å forme sin livsstil på en måte som bidrar til å best mulig vare på jorden, medmennesker og medskapninger og framtiden. (Les gjerne mer om dette i tidsskriftet Bærekraftig helse.) Samtidig trengs det politiske endringer for å gjøre det lettere å leve på en slik måte og gjøre at det blir mindre attraktivt å ødelegge livsgrunnlaget. Det er dette som er kjernen i grønn politikk og bakgrunnen for at Miljøpartiet De Grønne nå er i ferd med å innta Stortinget.
Skal vi lykkes i skape kursendringene må vi være mange som står sammen. Vi trenger derfor innsats fra både deg og meg. Da blir det lettere for oss å møte spørsmålene i framtiden og kunne fortelle at vi gjorde hva vi kunne.
Stop potential genocide in Burma
There is now a substantial risk for a tragic genocide of the the Rohingya group in Burma. To stop this, we must all put pressure on the leaders in Burma to prevent such tragedies from happening. Sign the Avaaz petition to send the message to the leaders in Burma to prevent the potential genocide in Burma by clicking here. Read more about this from Avaaz:
Dear friends,
Most people didn’t know who the Rwandans were until it was too late, and 800,000 of them were dead. Right now, the fate of Burma’s Rohingya people is hanging by a thread. Racist thugs have distributed leaflets threatening to wipe out this small Burmese minority. Already children have been hacked to death and unspeakable murders committed. All signs are pointing to a coming horror, unless we act.
Genocides happen because we don’t get concerned enough until the crime is committed. The Rohingya are a peaceful and very poor people. They’re hated because their skin is darker and the majority fear they’re ‘taking jobs away’. There are 800,000 of them, and they could be gone if we don’t act. We’ve failed too many peoples, let’s not fail the Rohingya.
Burmese President Thein Sein has the power, personnel and resources to protect the Rohingya, all he has to do is give the word to make it happen. In days, he’ll arrive in Europe to sell his country’s new openness to trade. If EU leaders greet him with a strong request to protect the Rohingya, he’s likely to do it. Let’s get 1 million voices and plaster images of what’s happening in Burma outside his meetings with key EU heads of state:
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/we_said_never_again_en/?bRuKtbb&v=26526
Torture, gang rape, execution style killings — human rights groups are using the term “ethnic cleansing” to describe the brutality in Burma. Already more than 120,000 Rohingya have been forced to flee, many to makeshift camps near the border, while others have fled in boats only to drown, starve, or be shot at by coastguards from neighboring countries. Reports show that violence is escalating — earlier this year President Thein Sein declared a state of emergency after another round of deadly attacks, and it’s just a matter of time until there is a large scale massacre.
Genocides don’t happen when governments oppose them, but the Burmese regime has been leaning the wrong way. Recently, a government spokesperson admitted that authorities were enforcing a rule that limits the Rohingya population to having only two children and forces couples seeking to get married to obtain special permission. And experts report that government authorities have stood by or even participated in acts of “ethnic cleansing.” President Sein has finally been forced to acknowledge what’s happening to the Rohingya, but he has so far refused to implement plans to stop the violence and protect those at risk.
Until he does, the risk of genocide hovers like a dark cloud over not just Burma, but the world. Through their trade relations, UK PM Cameron and French President Hollande have massive leverage with Sein — if they press him to act when he meets with them this month, it could save lives. Let’s make sure they do. We’ve failed too many peoples, let’s not fail the Rohingya. Join the call now and share this with everyone:
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/we_said_never_again_en/?bRuKtbb&v=26526
Time and again, the Avaaz community has stood with the people of Burma in their fight for democracy. When the regime brutally cracked down on Buddhist monks in 2007, Avaazers donated hundreds of thousands of dollars/euros/pounds to provide technical support and training to activists to fight a communications blackout. In 2008, when a devastating cyclone killed at least 100,000 Burmese, but the venal military regime stopped all official international aid from coming in, our community donated millions directly to monks on the front line of the aid effort.
Our community didn’t exist when genocide was committed in Rwanda, 20 years ago. Would we have done enough to stop it? Let’s show the Rohingya our answer to that question.
With hope and determination,
Luis, Jeremy, Aldine, Oliver, Marie, Jooyea and the whole Avaaz team
PS – Many Avaaz campaigns are started by members of our community! Start yours now and win on any issue – local, national or global: http://www.avaaz.org/en/petition/start_a_petition/?bgMYedb&v=23917
MORE INFORMATION
Burma riots: Video shows police failing to stop attack (BBC)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-22243676
Burma: End ‘Ethnic Cleansing’ of Rohingya Muslims (Human Rights Watch)
http://www.hrw.org/news/2013/04/22/burma-end-ethnic-cleansing-rohingya-muslims
Video shows Burmese police standing by as Buddhists attack Muslims (The Guardian)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/apr/22/burmese-police-buddhists-attack-muslims
The unending plight of Burma’s unwanted Rohingyas (BBC)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-23077537
Dalai Lama Pleads for Myanmar Monks to End Violence Amid Damning Rights Report (ABC News)
http://abcnews.go.com/International/dalai-lama-pleads-myanmar-monks-end-violence-amid/story?id=19013148#.UXV3vCt4a5w
Thein Sein to visit Britain, France in July (AFP)
http://www.dvb.no/news/thein-sein-to-visit-britain-france-in-july/28815
Stopp folkemord i Burma
Det er nå en stor risiko for et tragisk folkemord av folkegruppen Rohingya i Burma. For å unngå dette, må vi alle sette press på lederne i Burma for å hindre at en tragedie lignende til det som skjedde i Rwanda igjen skjer i Burma. Dette kan du gjøre ved å signere Avaaz sin underskriftsaksjon som sender beskjed til lederne i Burma om at de må beskytte folkegruppen som trues av folkemord. Les mer om dette fra Avaaz:
Dear friends,
Most people didn’t know who the Rwandans were until it was too late, and 800,000 of them were dead. Right now, the fate of Burma’s Rohingya people is hanging by a thread. Racist thugs have distributed leaflets threatening to wipe out this small Burmese minority. Already children have been hacked to death and unspeakable murders committed. All signs are pointing to a coming horror, unless we act.
Genocides happen because we don’t get concerned enough until the crime is committed. The Rohingya are a peaceful and very poor people. They’re hated because their skin is darker and the majority fear they’re ‘taking jobs away’. There are 800,000 of them, and they could be gone if we don’t act. We’ve failed too many peoples, let’s not fail the Rohingya.
Burmese President Thein Sein has the power, personnel and resources to protect the Rohingya, all he has to do is give the word to make it happen. In days, he’ll arrive in Europe to sell his country’s new openness to trade. If EU leaders greet him with a strong request to protect the Rohingya, he’s likely to do it. Let’s get 1 million voices and plaster images of what’s happening in Burma outside his meetings with key EU heads of state:
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/we_said_never_again_en/?bRuKtbb&v=26526
Torture, gang rape, execution style killings — human rights groups are using the term “ethnic cleansing” to describe the brutality in Burma. Already more than 120,000 Rohingya have been forced to flee, many to makeshift camps near the border, while others have fled in boats only to drown, starve, or be shot at by coastguards from neighboring countries. Reports show that violence is escalating — earlier this year President Thein Sein declared a state of emergency after another round of deadly attacks, and it’s just a matter of time until there is a large scale massacre.
Genocides don’t happen when governments oppose them, but the Burmese regime has been leaning the wrong way. Recently, a government spokesperson admitted that authorities were enforcing a rule that limits the Rohingya population to having only two children and forces couples seeking to get married to obtain special permission. And experts report that government authorities have stood by or even participated in acts of “ethnic cleansing.” President Sein has finally been forced to acknowledge what’s happening to the Rohingya, but he has so far refused to implement plans to stop the violence and protect those at risk.
Until he does, the risk of genocide hovers like a dark cloud over not just Burma, but the world. Through their trade relations, UK PM Cameron and French President Hollande have massive leverage with Sein — if they press him to act when he meets with them this month, it could save lives. Let’s make sure they do. We’ve failed too many peoples, let’s not fail the Rohingya. Join the call now and share this with everyone:
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/we_said_never_again_en/?bRuKtbb&v=26526
Time and again, the Avaaz community has stood with the people of Burma in their fight for democracy. When the regime brutally cracked down on Buddhist monks in 2007, Avaazers donated hundreds of thousands of dollars/euros/pounds to provide technical support and training to activists to fight a communications blackout. In 2008, when a devastating cyclone killed at least 100,000 Burmese, but the venal military regime stopped all official international aid from coming in, our community donated millions directly to monks on the front line of the aid effort.
Our community didn’t exist when genocide was committed in Rwanda, 20 years ago. Would we have done enough to stop it? Let’s show the Rohingya our answer to that question.
With hope and determination,
Luis, Jeremy, Aldine, Oliver, Marie, Jooyea and the whole Avaaz team
PS – Many Avaaz campaigns are started by members of our community! Start yours now and win on any issue – local, national or global: http://www.avaaz.org/en/petition/start_a_petition/?bgMYedb&v=23917
MORE INFORMATION
Burma riots: Video shows police failing to stop attack (BBC)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-22243676
Burma: End ‘Ethnic Cleansing’ of Rohingya Muslims (Human Rights Watch)
http://www.hrw.org/news/2013/04/22/burma-end-ethnic-cleansing-rohingya-muslims
Video shows Burmese police standing by as Buddhists attack Muslims (The Guardian)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/apr/22/burmese-police-buddhists-attack-muslims
The unending plight of Burma’s unwanted Rohingyas (BBC)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-23077537
Dalai Lama Pleads for Myanmar Monks to End Violence Amid Damning Rights Report (ABC News)
http://abcnews.go.com/International/dalai-lama-pleads-myanmar-monks-end-violence-amid/story?id=19013148#.UXV3vCt4a5w
Thein Sein to visit Britain, France in July (AFP)
http://www.dvb.no/news/thein-sein-to-visit-britain-france-in-july/28815
Time to re-discover the importance of the soil
The soil and its resources is often taken for granted. If used unresponsibly our soil can be diminished substantially. It is time to learn a bit more about our soil and how to preserve it well. Use 5 minutes of your time to see the excellent animation below:
This animated film tells the reality of soil resources around the world, covering the issues of degradation, urbanization, land grabbing and overexploitation; the film offers options to make the way we manage our soils more sustainable.
For more information visit globalsoilweek.org
By: Uli Henrik Streckenbach, Ronny Schmidt, Maik Lochmann, Andrea Abendroth, Marcus Illgenstein, Robin Merrill, Martin Langenbach and Christoph Wieczorek. IASS Potsdam.
History of climate change negotiations in 83 seconds
Cicero has published a short video summary of the climate change negotiations illustrating some of the challenges that has been evident during the last years. Most nations agree that action must be taken, but most nations want the other nations to initiate the process. See The History of Climate Change Negotiations in 83 seconds:
Published by Cicero under a Creative Commons licence 19. Nov. 2012.
Klimakravet: stiller krav til en ansvarlig klimapolitikk
Det nye initiativet Klimakravet er ment å skape et ekstra incentiv for politiske partier til å strekke seg mot en ansvarlig klimapolitikk. Dette innebærer blant annet at å forplikte seg på togradersmålet, ha en konkret og tydelig plan for hvordan Norge skal nå sine klimamål og vise i praksis at man står for denne politikken. Tanken bak er at når mange nok setter ansvarlig klimapolitikk som et kriterium for å stemme på et parti, vil partier strekke seg i denne retning. Vi er nå kommet til et kritisk punkt der det står om framtida til kommende generasjoner. Hvis vi gjør noe nå, kan det være mulig snu den farlige utviklingen, men gjøres det ikke ser framtiden skummel ut.
Det er ennå ikke mange partier som har fått sendt inn sine svar til til Klimakravet, men dette bør komme snart. Hvorfor ikke bli med på Klimakravet du også? http://klimakravet.no/
Vær med å hindre store ødeleggelser i Ecuador
Det utkjempes nå en drakamp i Ecuador mellom oljeselskaper som ønsker storstilt oljeutbygging i sårbare naturområder i et stort naturreservat og sårbare befolkninger som også bor i og nær området. Naturødeleggelser vil være en enorm trussel for både mennesker, planter og dyr.
Ønsker du også å være med å hindre ødeleggelse av Ecuador, kan du støtte denne underskriftsaksjonen på Avaaz.
Se mer om dette på engelsk nedenfor:
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Dear friends,
Ecuador’s Sani Isla Kichwa people have asked for our help to stop the government turning their forest home into an oil field. A massive scandal in the global media challenging President Correa to act on his environmental principles could persuade him to pull back and stop the Amazon oil rush. Sign the petition now:
There is one area of the Ecuadorian Amazon that is so pristine that the whole ecosystem has been preserved and even jaguars roam free! But the government is now threatening to go in and drill for oil.
The local indigenous people have been resisting, but they are afraid that oil companies will break up the community with bribes. When they heard that people across the world might stand with them and make a stink to save their land, they were thrilled. The president of Ecuador claims to stand for indigenous rights and the environment, but he has just come up with a new plan to bring oil speculators in to 4 million hectares of jungle. If we can say ‘wait a minute, you’re supposed to be the green president who says no one can buy Ecuador’, we could expose him for turning his back on his commitments just as he is fighting for re-election.
He doesn’t want a PR nightmare right now. If we get a million of us to help this one community defend their ancestral land and challenge the president openly to keep to his word, we could start a media storm that would make him reconsider the whole plan. Sign the petition now and tell everyone — let’s help save this beautiful forest:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/oil_in_the_amazon_8/?bRyKtbb&v=21318
After Texaco and other oil companies polluted Ecuadorian waters and irreversibly devastated precious ecosystems, Correa led his country to be the world’s first nation to recognize the rights of “Mother Earth” in its constitution. He announced Ecuador was not for sale, and in Yasuni National Park promoted an innovative initiative where other governments pay Ecuador to keep oil in the ground to protect the rainforest rather than destroy it. But now he’s on the verge of selling out.
Shockingly, the Sani Isla Kichwa land is partly in Yasuni National Park. But even more shocking is Correa’s bigger plan — in days government officials begin a world tour to offer foreign investors the right to drill across 4 million hectares of forest (an area larger than the Netherlands!) Ecuador, as any country, may argue it has the right to profit from its natural resources, but the constitution itself says it must respect indigenous rights and its amazing forests, which bring millions in tourist dollars every year.
Right now, Correa is in a tough fight to win a second term as president. It’s the perfect time to make him honour his environmental promises and make this green constitution come to life. Sign now to stand with the Kichwa people and save their forest:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/oil_in_the_amazon_8/?bRyKtbb&v=21318
Our community has fought year after year to protect the Amazon in Brazil and Bolivia, and won many victories standing in solidarity with indigenous communities. Now it’s Ecuador’s turn — let’s respond to this urgent call for action and save their forest.
With hope and determination,
Alex, Pedro, Alice, Laura, Marie, Ricken, Taylor, Morgan and all the Avaaz team
More Information:
Ecuadorian tribe gets reprieve from oil intrusion (The Guardian)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2013/jan/17/indigenous-ecuadorian-tribe-oil-intrusion
Ecuador adopts rights of nature in constitution (Rights of Nature)
http://therightsofnature.org/ecuador-rights/
How oil extraction impacts the rainforest (Amazon Watch)
http://amazonwatch.org/news/2013/0107-oil-extraction-how-oil-production-impacts-the-rainforest
Drilling for oil in Eden: initiative to save Amazon rainforest in Ecuador is uncertain (Scientific American)
http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/2012/03/17/drilling-for-oil-in-eden-initiative-to-save-amazon-rainforest-in-ecuador-is-uncertain/
Ecuador’s indigenous leaders oppose new oil exploration plans in Amazon region (Earth Island Journal)
http://www.earthisland.org/journal/index.php/elist/eListRead/ecuadors_indigenous_leaders_oppose_new_oil_exploration/
“As concerned citizens, we call on you to take urgent steps to immediately stop officials pushing for oil exploitation in Sani Isla. We urge you to protect the Amazon from the devastation of oil exploitation. It is a serious threat to this pristine habitat and the survival of Ecuador’s indigenous people, who are struggling to resist the oil companies and hold onto their lands. We call on you to uphold Ecuador’s inspiring Constitution.”