Some days ago I came across the site dotsub.com, where you can add sub-titles to videos. I found there a beautiful animated film, “L’homme qui plantait des arbres” (The man who planted trees), based on the short story of Jean Giono from 1953 and produced by the Société Radio Canada in 1987. It is now a public-domain film and short story. The film is in French with sub-titles in many languages, also in English.

It is the story about a shepherd who planted over many years, between World War 1 and 2 trees in a remote region of France and thus transformed the whole area. I read it about 20 years ago and like it very much. Though it is a fictional story, the message had a great impact. and there are many who feel inspired by it, like the UNEP Campaign to plant a billion trees.

Two days ago I read an interesting report (PDF) from Alertnet, the humanitarian support branch of Reuters Foundation. It is the summary of a workshop from July 24 in London about “Are Aid Agencies ready for the Blogosphere?” Nearly 50 people attended from 30 British-based organisations, plus experts from the media and non-profit sector.

In the blog-post on the workshop they write: “As one blogging true believer has said, blogs should be written while sitting in front of the computer in dirty pyjamas. They’re not the type of thing you write while wearing a suit. Much of aid agency communications is of the wearing-a-suit variety. Open and frank discussion is rare.”

About 2 years ago I tried to get the organisation where I work blogging – and resigned after a while, for there was to much skepticism from the side of the management. (However, I started then this blog.) Now it seems that a new interest of the international department is coming up again. I’ll sketch a conception draft in the next weeks, when I find some time…

Other aid agencies have started in the last times. A friend from the Swiss branch of a big international NGO to whom I sent the link about the Alertnet-workshop told me that it came just in time – they are about to launch a blog and he is just preparing a presentation to the management body.

Blogging can also be dangerous: A Swiss blogger about web security and anti-spam was attacked last weekend by spammers with a diffamation campaign, where in a faked mail he was announcing his suicide (I also got this mail). He got 10’000 reply-mails and a visit from the police in the night who wanted to prevent his suicide – of which he didn’t know. And the Google copyright expert William Patry just closed his blog because he was writing about the dangers of the copyright development and had loyalty problems with his job.

Not from the blogosphere, but from another sphere: artwork at the roof of Zurich Main Station.

I normally don’t do „corporate marketing” in this blog, but today I got a news release announcing a new way of communication to cross language barriers, which sounds very fascinating:

Together with IBM, the phone company Jajah has just started today a real-time free phone translation service called Jajah Babel that allows anyone in China, the U.S., UK and Australia to call a local number, speak in English and immediately hear the message back in Chinese Mandarin. It also works the other way round. So you can simply hand your phone to the other person or put the phone on loudspeaker, so they hear the message.

I wonder how the system manages to understand the ambiguities of language, which automatic translation programs don’t hit (for example: “Bill Gates” as the bill for the doors…), but nevertheless it is a great step ahead in finding a way out of Babylon.

Scientists from 79 countries have just published the first geological map of the world, onegeology.org: “Making Geological Map Data for the Earth Accessible”. (The technology still has some difficulties and the application doesn’t support the latest Firefux 3, only 2 and IE 6 and 7).

The site will officially be presented tomorrow in Oslo at the 33rd International Geological Congress. It is the first online map of this kind, and it is the biggest geological mapping project with data from more than 15’000 geo-scientists. They hope more will join, for the countries involved cover about 70% of earth’s surface, but from many countries the information isn’t easily accessible and of the latest quality.

The information they want to provide isn’t visible from space like those pictures Google Maps shows, but of the different kinds of stones or the shiftings in the crust of the earth. Especially in these times of climate changes a sound knowledge of greater interrelationship is highly needed. So the map should help preventing risks like floods or landslides and easily transfer the knowledge to those who need it.

One Geology shows the earth without any political boundaries, like one earth, for geology doesn’t know boundaries. So it helps gaining an understanding of the greater whole.

It would be very interesting if one day a map could be created  not of the stone structures, but of the major field or levels of consciousness. It could be measured by the kind of content published on the web, for these reflect the mental activites though not of all, but of great groups of human beings. So the map could show how many sites show content belonging to the lower strata of attention (of the physical and emotional realm, like sexual or criminal activities), of the different kinds of entertainment and daydreaming, of the activities driven by possessive instincts of gaining money and power, of humanitarian commitment and of selfless intelligent services for the upliftment of humanity. It would be quite a multi-coloured map of the consciousness of the world.

A view of the world created by NASA photos ©.

A map of central Europe with the major geological formations, by One Geology ©.

A friend of our group today sent me the link to the site of the campaign: “Candle4Tibet“. The initiative says:

“August 7th 2008 is the day before the opening ceremony of The Olympic Games in Beijing. On this day we aim to create the world’s greatest LIGHT PROTEST, when at least 100 million people from all over the world will light a candle and say YES to freedom in Tibet!

All you are asked to do is to light a simple candle
on August 7th at 9 pm in your own time zone.

Light the Candle at your home, workplace or in a public place. Put the candle in your Window, or on your desk, or anywhere else where other people will see it and hopefully do the same.

Our light protest will be seen by billions on TV screens all over the world on the day the Beijing Olympics open. We are not against the Olymipcs or anything else for that matter, we stand for Freedom. Period.

On the following day we will issue letters to every head of state in the world to tell him exactly how many people from his country wish Tibet to be free. We will also demand that each one of them will act for the freedom of Tibet.

We will also issue letters to the general secretary of UN, the government in Beijing and to other global organizations with data on global participation”

They also plan to flare mountain tops and sky scrapers with red smoke. A peaceful way of protesting for freedom. May it strengthen global solidarity.

From the site Candle4Tibet

In the evening of August 1st there was a firework on the meadow just in front of our house. I took a series of photos which captured some fiery flowers. The beautiful forms created an uplifting inspiration and reminded me of the sparks of the fiery worlds which the Agni Yoga Series describe. So you read in the book on Infinity, Vol 2/184:

“The cosmic energies are strained into blending by the driving Fire. Each life pulsation carries in itself sparks of Fire. Each striving life pulsation is marked by the Cosmic Magnet. So also, thought is strained into pulsation by Fire. So many errant thoughts fill the space! Space vibrates with thoughts.”

Enjoy the dance of the Devas of Fire.

I just got an e-mail from a Canadian friend with the following poem of Brian Piergrossi, called “The New Religion of the 21st Century”. The poem is from the book “The Big Glow“. There is a 2-part interview with him (in the Red Rocks) on Youtube (part 1, part 2), and quite some things on Google:

On the surface of the world right now there is war and violence and things seem dark
But calmly and quietly, at the same time, something else is happening underground
An inner revolution is taking place and certain individuals are being called to a higher light
It is a silent revolution
From the inside out
From the ground up

We are now recruiting
Perhaps you will join us
Or already have….
All are welcome…
The door is open.

-Brian Piergrossi
(From the book ‘The Big Glow’)

The Medpedia Project is planning to create the world’s best and most comprehensive resource about medicine, health, and the body and to make it freely available to the world. It will be launched at the end of 2008. A preview site is now available at www.medpedia.com.

Their goal is “to transform how both medical professionals and the general public acquire and understand information about health. Contributing to Medpedia gives health professionals the chance to become known around the world for their areas of expertise.”

Medpedia is created in association with Harvard Medical School, the Stanford School of Medicine, The University of Michigan Medical School, the UC Berkeley School of Public Health, and health organizations around the world.

Medpedia is intended for anyone with an interest in health, medicine and the body: For medical professionals and organizations, it’s a platform to share the most up-to-date medical knowledge. For the general public, it’s a comprehensive educational resource that provides information related to their bodies, medical questions and health needs.

Anyone who is medically knowledgeable is welcome to become a member of Medpedia’s community. The content is copyright-free or in the public domain and freely editable. Medpedia offers no monetary compensation to any organization for participation.

However, to qualify to edit or contribute to the main content, you must have an M.D. or Ph.D. in a biomedical field. So there is no room for healing practitioners or other non-academic knowers of medicineH however,  I read in an article recently that more  people are willing to pay more money for alternative medicine than for the classical academic kind – will the academicians cedem them their due rights?

When applying to become an editor of Medpedia to contribute content he/she has to disclose if he/she receives any beneficial contribution for expressing his views – probably to prevent the lobbying of the pharma industry, which certainly is highly interested in such a platform.

The difference to Wikipedia is that Medpedia is focused 100% on health, medicine and the body, whereas less than 2% of Wikipedia’s content is related to health and medicine.

Today Switzerland is celebrating its national holiday, at the date supposed to be its establishment in 1291 – though historians doubt it…

What to take pride in as a nation? This topic is stimulating the minds on such occasions, and it is a fertile field of patriotic moods. I yesterday read articles in some newspapers on this theme, discussing the situation of freedom in a time of excessive administrative regulations (NZZ) or if there are really good Swiss jokes (not really, says the Tages-Anzeiger). Other countries seem to celebrate with less intellectual embarrassment, as I saw in India last January: “I love my India”.

Of course, national identity is an important factor for a sound and stable social system, and celebrating the accomplishments of a nation certainly contributes to form a meaningful national identity. Like an individual, nations also have their personality and soul qualities. The personality traits, in their gross forms for example chauvinism, racism or xenophobia, are often supported by economic egotism, which always has an eye to one’s own interests (money, money…), and also the feeling of social or cultural superiority (we are the champions…).

The soul qualities of a nation show in its power of integration, of humanitarianism, of a responsible and committed attitude towards the welfare of the environment without the egotistic eye. In spirituality crises and conflicts are seen as times of growth towards a large scope of consciousness, and this is also true for nations. If they don’t learn to share, crises will teach them.

Many people are feeling the need to celebrate global festivals like the earth day, celebrating the global village or festivals of good will in order to rise the awareness of the oneness of life. They are good ways to install the feeling of unity and inter-connectedness.

So the love for one’s country can expand towards a love of the greater global whole and the readiness to take the related responsibilities of exchanging and sharing. Like Michael Jackson and his crew once sung: “We are the world, we are the children”. Maybe it’s the hymn of a future celebration of global unity. As the refrain says: “We are the world, we are the children. We are the ones who make a  brighter day, so let’s start giving.”

Flags of the Swiss cantons and the national flag in front of the Swiss Federal Building, for today’s celebration

A friend from the States sent me links to a number of sites related with spirituality – feminine, ecological, indigenous, some about film projects. I had a glance through them, some of the topics might be of interest for you.

In March 08 there had been a summit in Jaipur, India, entitled: “Making Way for the Feminine – For the Benefit of the World Community. A Global Reflection with Leaders from Religion, Government, and Civil Society”. Their goal was to explore six themes as avenues for vital, life-giving transformation to create a balance honoring the feminine energy: Visionary Leadership (leadership that can help shift thought and behavior), Oneness (the force that unifies all creation), Ahimsa & Satyagraha (Sanskrit words for “nonviolence” and “holding to Truth”), Self-Evolution, or Education of the Complete Person (to develop in young people more than material and intellectual skills), Creating an Economy of Care (Redefining Progress and Development), and Listening to the Earth (Honoring Earth’s Life Systems to understand the life force that sustains our planet and its inhabitants).

The site “Wiser Earth” wants to serve the people who are transforming the world. The site is a community directory and networking forum that maps and connects non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and individuals addressing the central issues of our day: climate change, poverty, the environment, peace, water, hunger, social justice, conservation, human rights and more. Content is created and edited by the users. There is a database about more than 100,000 organizations.

“Time of the Sixth Sun” is a film in the making, about the shift in global awareness and transformation of consciousness, which many expect for the year 2012. They write: “From the Americas to Africa, from Tibet to Australasia, these times are seen as pivotal in the evolution of mankind. Ancient prophecies speak of massive earth changes and of a huge shift in Planetary Consciousness. According to the Mayan Long Count Calendar, the last date recorded is the winter solstice – 21st December 2012. They call this the time of the Sixth Sun – each sun marking the evolutionary steps of human consciousness. They also refer to this time as the “end days” or the end of time – as we know it. There is a trailer from the film and a call for generous donations needed to fund fund the complete filming / editing.

Another film project is also about 2012: “The Shift of the Ages – The Call of Our Ancestors“, a “look through the indigenous lens to focus on what is transpiring in the world today. It is a shamanic rite of passage and grassroots effort to raise awareness for Mother Earth in her time of need.” You find some short trailers under the link above.

A third film with the same focus is already finished: “The White Road. Visions of the Indigenous People of the Americas“. They write: “For the first time people from other cultures were invited to the reunion of elders, indigenous priests and shamans from North and South America. The film is a documentation of this gathering that took place in Merida on the Mexican pensinsula of Yucatán in spring of 2003. In this film we immerse into the Mayan world with their fascinating temple grounds, their unique calendar system und their mysterious crystal skulls. Together with the indigenous people we follow the White Road, the spiritual path of the Mayas, in ceremonies and rituals such as the unification of the condor and the eagle in Mayapan, and the ceremony of the equinox in Chichen Itza.
The documentary shows the messages and wisdom of the ancient precolumbian cultures. In contrast to Western philosophy of life that draws ego limits, these cultures have the gift of confiding in themselves and in the entire creation. They greet each other with „In lak’ech, a lak’en“ meaning „I am in you, and you are in me.“

Iguazu, Brazil, May 08