WorldSave

Today’s blog is to tell readers about the website http://www.tearitdown.org/.  The site is from Amnesty International, and its about gaining support to stop Guantanamo Bay.

From their site, “Why Should I Care?”

“Because lasting security and real justice for the victims of terrorism cannot be achieved without real justice and respect for human rights.

Because those illegally detained in US custody at Guantánamo and elsewhere must be released unless they are to be charged with recognized crimes.

Because those held at Guantánamo and elsewhere, including in secret detention centres, are human beings who haven’t seen their homes or families for years and have faced torture and other ill-treatment.

Because indefinite and secret detentions are a blight on human rights and are against international law.

Because each day that illegal detention at Guantánamo and elsewhere continues is a day too long. ”

I agree with TearItDown.org.  We should not have ultimatums.  Just because we think someone has wronged us doesn’t suddenly make it okay for us to violate their human rights.  And yes, they do have rights.  You don’t need to be a citizen of the United States to have rights.  Each human being should be treated equally, and whenever they aren’t it is a step backwards for civilization.  The excuses that “they harmed us first” or “they’re doing it to our POW” aren’t excuses at all.  There is no excuse to behave in such a way against a human being.  There is not excuse for holding someone without trial, for (possibly) torturing them, for keeping them from their families and loved ones if they haven’t been convicted of anything (and possibly never will be).

This goes back to a recent current event seen at http://world-save.com/boards/index.php?topic=14.0.  President George W. Bush vetoed a ban on torture.  Why would the president of a country who’s foundation is strongly rooted in the protection of human rights want to allow torture?  It seems like a move he is making in his own interest, not his country’s.  The United States, and all countries, should not allow the torture of any human being.  I would like to extend that to animals as well, but unfortunately our world takes small steps.  Part of me believes that these two things go hand in hand.  That if one stops producing and consuming tortured food then the urge to torture would be lessened.  I have found that those of us on diets predominated by fruits and vegetables (especially those who omit animal products and processed foods entirely) are healthiest, happiest, and least likely to harm either intentionally or unintentionally.  Of course, a lot more goes into it than that (economic situation, living quarters, spirituality, relationships, possibility for a future, etc.), but I do think that altering the general human diet towards one predominated by fruits and vegetables is a step in the right direction for lessening hatred against our fellow human beings.  It may not make sense to you unless you’ve tried it, so don’t take my word for it.  Try consuming more raw fruits and raw leafy greens.  Just pack up on them.  Try a day or two with just those.  See how you feel… not how you’re focusing on food, but on how clean you feel.  If you keep going, you’ll notice that your mood improves too.  Your head clears from all those toxins.  When your head and heart are clear, they cannot harbor hatred quite as easily.

Of course, TearItDown.org mentions none of this.  Most people don’t believe, understand, or even know it.  But its true.  I’ve known one woman who swears vegetables saved her marriage.  And why?  Because she ate more and became calmer, more clear headed, and saw her husband in a whole new light.  I have the same experience in my relationships.  Cleaner diet = more loving interactions.  Poor diet = bad interactions.  Very simple.

Give it a try… for World Peace.

Lia Cross 

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This may seem like a silly question to you. Clearly, change happens through change. It describes itself. Yet, more specifically how may stump you. Some would think that to initiate change you need to make someone else believe in a different idea, paradigm, whathaveyou. Then, we think “The world will change!” But it isn’t about shared belief. In fact, that’s entirely irrelevant. A world where everyone believes the exact same thing would be rather dull.

If change isn’t about belief, what is it? It is about action. Okay. So you change your answer to: Change is making someone else do something differently. In this case, something that benefits the world. Unfortunately, you would still be wrong. We cannot make anyone else do anything differently. Only an individual controls their own actions. In fact, we are only responsible for ourselves. Okay. So how can we possibly expect change?

I read somewhere once, forgive me that I do not know who said it, that we should be the change we want to see in the world. And that is specifically how change happens. You change, and only you. Your habits change. Your ideas may change, but they don’t have to. Typically, your beliefs will either change, or will at least now match your habits.

It is very typically for people to rally, to believe in something, to want change, and then to do nothing about it. They sort of expect the world to change and they’ll do it when the time is right. But they do not understand that the world will not change if they do not change. The world is made up of many, many people. If they all thought “I’ll wait for the world to change” then guess what, the world never changes. What needs to happen is, each individual thinks “I want to world to change, and I want it to be as I am acting now” and then they act in accordance with that change, change will happen. Why? Because it is happening.

Now, clearly one people changing isn’t a whole lot. Its not going to create a lot of fuss (at least, not usually). So then what? That’s where WorldSave comes in. A place for people who are initiating change by changing themselves. A place where we can interact and think of ways to better ourselves, and ways that we can find out what is wrong with the world and change our lives so we no longer support those problems. Furthermore, you will find that leading by example is the best way to change someone’s mind.

Although change isn’t about changing others, you will still find that they do change when they see something they like, or that makes sense to them. If they see a glowing, happy individual, healthy and satisfied with life, they are going to want to know what you’re doing right that they seem to be missing. Curiosity initiates conversation. Conversation initiates an idea. An idea initiates a belief. A belief initiates action.

Unfortunately, this cycle can get caught up between idea:belief and, more frequently, belief:action. That is where is rests upon each individual to change themselves. Nobody can give anyone else that push to action. Only you can push yourself.

I said before that shared belief isn’t a component of change. It isn’t, but belief is a component. Shared belief is dull, and will create a stagnant world. However, belief around a central idea “making the world a better place”, or any similar idea about change, is useful and is a component of change. This does not mean that each belief must be identical. It just means that each belief needs to lead to an action that initiates that idea and turns it into reality.

So think long and hard about it. What can you change about yourself that turns an idea into reality? That matches a little better with your beliefs? Do you love animals but eat meat? Do you love nature but pollute? Do you want to end human starvation but you consume processed food? You want peace but promote violence? Pick one thing you want to do differently and just do it. Then you will have made change.

Lia Cross

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