!

It was a nice day
I drank my last cup of sorrow
I'll miss its sweet taste....

Don't let Iran follow Iraq's destiny

STOP THE WAR BEFORE IT STARTS!

Millions of people in Iran are anxious and troubled, as Bush threatens to start a new war. The U.S. and her allies are following a path of escalation that notably resembles their preparations prior to the invasion of Iraq. "Weapons of mass destruction" are, however, replaced with "nuclear weapons". The true motives of this aggressive politics are neither concerns regarding "nuclear weapons" nor "democratization", but have to do with the greed for oil and hegemony in the region. Any threat of a military attack will give the Iranian regime the excuse to oppress the struggle for democracy. We support the struggle of Iranian people for freedom: change by the people for the people.

We oppose any form of military intervention against Iran.

* A military attack - also in the form of a “precision bombardment” – will result in thousands of civilian casualties. In Iraq, since the start of the war on March the 20th 2003, more than 100,000 people have been killed.

* Following the wars against Iraq and Afghanistan, a new attack on Iran will further destabilize the already unstable situation in the Middle East.

* Foreign interference and applying a divide and rule policy will lead to ethnic unrest. It results in a vicious circle of violence, insecurity, and ultimately a civil war.

Please take a minute to read (and sign) our petition. Thanks for your support.

Back in business

Ending a relationship is one of the most difficult things one may do in his or her life. This is especially true, when the relationship exceeds a certain length of time, and there has been a fair degree of investment going on from both sides. It’s fascinating how diverse emotions merge with one another to create a complex and intensive experience of the situation. Recently, I had the honor to experience that personally. And what now remains is the fabulous outlook upon the future.

Update

Folks,

I'm having a rough time in my personal life. At the moment, I don't feel inspired to update the blog with new posts. I'll try to be back soon.

Thanks for visiting,

Hydra

Is this 'development'?

"My name is Roy Sesana; I am a Gana Bushman from the Kalahari in what is now called Botswana. In my language, my name is Tobee and our land is 'T//amm'. We have been there longer than any people has been anywhere.

When I was young, I went to work in a mine. I put off my skins and wore clothes. But I went home after a while. Does that make me less Bushman? I don't think so.

I am a leader. When I was a boy we did not need leaders and we lived well. Now we need them because our land is being stolen and we must struggle to survive. It doesn't mean I tell people what to do, it's the other way around: they tell me what I have to do to help them.

I cannot read. You wanted me to write this speech, so my friends helped, but I cannot read words -- I'm sorry! But I do know how to read the land and the animals. All our children could. If they didn't, they would have all died long ago.

I know many who can read words and many, like me, who can only read the land. Both are important. We are not backward or less intelligent: we live in exactly the same up-to-date year as you. I was going to say we all live under the same stars, but no, they're different, and there are many more in the Kalahari. The sun and moon are the same.

I grew up a hunter. All our boys and men were hunters. Hunting is going and talking to the animals. You don't steal. You go and ask. You set a trap or go with bow or spear. It can take days. You track the antelope. He knows you are there, he knows he has to give you his strength. But he runs and you have to run. As you run, you become like him. It can last hours and exhaust you both. You talk to him and look into his eyes. And then he knows he must give you his strength so your children can live.

When I first hunted, I was not allowed to eat. Pieces of the steenbok were burnt with some roots and spread on my body. This is how I learned. It's not the same way you learn, but it works well.

The farmer says he is more advanced than the backward hunter, but I don't believe him. His herds give no more food than ours. The antelope are not our slaves, they do not wear bells on their necks and they can run faster than the lazy cow or the herder. We run through life together.

When I wear the antelope horns, it helps me talk to my ancestors and they help me. The ancestors are so important: we would not be alive without them. Everyone knows this in their heart, but some have forgotten. Would any of us be here without our ancestors? I don't think so.

I was trained as a healer. You have to read the plants and the sand. You have to dig the roots and become fit. You put some of the root back for tomorrow, so one day your grandchildren can find it and eat. You learn what the land tells you.

When the old die, we bury them and they become ancestors. When there is sickness, we dance and we talk to them; they speak through my blood. I touch the sick person and can find the illness and heal it.

We are the ancestors of our grandchildren's children. We look after them, just as our ancestors look after us. We aren't here for ourselves. We are here for each other and for the children of our grandchildren.

Why am I here? Because my people love their land, and without it we are dying. Many years ago, the president of Botswana said we could live on our ancestral land forever. We never needed anyone to tell us that. Of course we can live where God created us! But the next president said we must move and began forcing us away.

They said we had to go because of diamonds. Then they said we were killing too many animals: but that's not true. They say many things which aren't true. They said we had to move so the government could develop us. The president says unless we change we will perish like the dodo. I didn't know what a dodo was. But I found out: it was a bird which was wiped out by settlers. The president was right. They are killing us by forcing us off our land. We have been tortured and shot at. They arrested me and beat me.

Thank you for the Right Livelihood Award. It is global recognition of our struggle and will raise our voice throughout the world. When I heard I had won I had just been let out of prison. They say I am a criminal, as I stand here today.

I say what kind of development is it when the people live shorter lives than before? They catch HIV/AIDS. Our children are beaten in school and won't go there. Some become prostitutes. They are not allowed to hunt. They fight because they are bored and get drunk. They are starting to commit suicide. We never saw that before. It hurts to say this. Is this ‘development'?

We are not primitive. We live differently to you, but we do not live exactly like our grandparents did, nor do you. Were your ancestors ‘primitive'? I don't think so. We respect our ancestors. We love our children. This is the same for all people.

We now have to stop the government stealing our land: without it we will die.

If anyone has read a lot of books and thinks I am primitive because I have not read even one, then he should throw away those books and get one which says we are all brothers and sisters under God and we too have a right to live.

That is all. Thank you."


Roy Sesana
First People of the Kalahari, Botswana


On 9 December 2005, Roy Sesana has been granted the Right Livelihood Award, a.k.a. ‘the Alternative Nobel Prize’, “... for resolute resistance against eviction from their ancestral lands, and for upholding the right to their traditional way of life.” Click here for more information on the Gana struggle to survive.

The illusion of reality and the reality of illusions

Why is it so easy to hate and so hard to love? Is it because my world has been giving me nothing but hatred? Is it because I don't see anything but harm, aggression and abuse in this world, acted and experienced by others?

Are people, who deny what I just wrote, ignorant? Are they delusional? Do they want to live in illusions?

Am I crazy? Can’t I just see that human beings are generally loving and compassionate beings? Am I?

Is there any truth to say about all these questions? Does anyone know the answers?

I’m running out of question marks, not out of questions.

What’s been happening recently?

Well, for starters, Dr. Rice has assured the world community that the U.S. does not torture political detainees. It’s not really clear to me what she meant by “political detainees”. I thought “political detainees” only existed in countries where the human rights and freedom of speech are systematically violated. But the U.S.? Come one! Was the “home of the free” not the oldest democracy in the world? If Rice was talking about the Guantanamo prisoners, that’s even worse. First of all, it has been well-documented by independent observers that indeed torture methods are being applied in Guantanamo and similar places. Second, the Guantanamo detainees are not not officially political prisoners, nor are they classified by the U.S. government as “prisoners of war”. We all know why. The recognition of those people as “prisoners”, according to an existing legal definition, would automatically give them certain rights that prevent the U.S. to treat them they way it is doing now.

Another news: participating countries at the world conference on climate change agreed to negotiate a new treaty regarding the global warming. Of course, the U.S., being the asshole as usual, apposed the negotiations in advance.

I was watching MTV, and I learned that some celebrities buy diamond necklaces worth of 50,000 dollars……. for their dogs. When I was living in Tanzania, I could manage to live with two or three dollars a day, something the majority of Tanzanians cannot.

Ahmadinejad has, once again, created a commotion by his latest remarks about Israel. He has said that if Europe is so supportive of the state of Israel, why don’t Germany or Austria donate a few provinces to Israel so the Jewish state can “move” to Europe, instead of occupying Palestinian land. Although I found Ahmadinejad’s point extremely amusing, I seriously started to doubt whether this guy is not a total moron. Regardless of the truth about Israel, I don’t think a head of state should say things like this, without considering their consequences. He’s damaging his country and his statements do no good for the Iranian people.

I'm having a serious relationship problem. I don't know what to do, and feel like shit....