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BBC impartiality was challenged today by several hundred Pro Palestine protesters who gathered outside the Birmingham studios located in the Mailbox. Several speakers highlighted the disproportionality of coverage and just days after 4 Palestinian children were bombed on a beach in Gaza.
The protesters held an impromptu march to a scheduled Stop the War meeting. When it became clear that the Council House could not accomodate the number of protesters wishing to attend a sound system was hastily put together and a mass public meeting was held in the city's Chamberlain Square.
This project was to create a composition of images, text, and whatever to strongly convey a certain emotion. As soon as the professor announced this project I knew that this photo of Lance Armstrong was what I was going to base my piece around.
The images composing his face are various cycling photos, victories, images of cancer cells and cancer patients. This work is 16x20" at 300dpi so the squares will be clearer up close yet blended as an image from afar. Yellow text is a reference to the Livestrong Foundation, obviously as seen in the lower lefthand corner, but yellow also gives a feeling of strength and is visible in Armstrong's face. The deep red smoke rising from the bottom gives a sense of passion and struggle, representative of the cancer battle by millions (my cousin, grandmother, and neighbor included). I added the lines in the lower right corner last when I was just playing around with the composition seeing how I can improve it. I am somewhat impartial to them but they also appear like they represent the beat and momentum of the movement against cancer, and the strong voices speaking out against it.
The text around the face is supposed to be secondary and almost subliminal. The focal point is the intense glare given by Lance, and the white reflection on his helmet help direct your eyes there. The eyes have trouble breaking away from his and only glance left and right enough to get a glimpse and feeling of the surrounding text. The words are almost arranged in 3d space because of varied opacity and in combination with overlayed lines, appear to be propelled and shattered outwards by the vivacity of the fight against cancer, represented in Lance Armstrong's face.
So there it is, my latest work for class and my run down of it. In the end I am very happy and cannot wait to present it in class this coming Monday (11/9/09).
It's taken me several years to sweep up the mess resulting from the feud that the chapter was embroiled in during Kathy's presidency and run up to those years.
I had drawn my sword to defend the people offended by Kathy's way of handling things. It was a bloody battle that taught me everything I know about leadership and how organizations operate especially when run by women. I now challenge people to defend themselves or help facilitate them doing so.
Those I had so valiantly defended largely disappeared, leaving me to explain "what the f**k happened?" "why are there no old members here?" to newer board members who kept detonating hidden landmines from the old battle ground.
In the car driving up with trusted friends, who had been impartial during the feud (a rare position), I went over those details again and we decided that this battle had really been about nothing at all. It was more a clash between personalities (and leadership styles) that weren't properly handled by those in leadership at the time, until it blew up into a cultural schism that required a professional mentor. We couldn't afford one, but we had a go at it anyway.
Kathy herself was bowled over by the political fallout of the strategies she had chosen to use, as a newcomer, when she tried to affect change in a way that wasn't acceptable to the chapter culture. She didn't have the skills necessary to present her vision to those who might not agree. She thought it was the obvious rational thing to do. But we had other interests at stake like collaboration, plus there were other incidents of out and out stubborness and insensitivity that I won't go into. Kathy did write letters of appologies to key leaders who were affected by her actions including me (and one person wrote her a letter of appology that I know of). She also supported my contributions to the chapter, once she was president, including a special presentation for editing the newsletter for five years. So I owed her for that and for basically leading those whining behind her back to come out and say what-all they had on their minds and that didn't quite resolve anything, either.
Suffice to say that she was moved by my acknowledging her not insignificant contribution of speerheading the creation of an interactive website when no one really understood how necessary one would be. After the presentation, she sought me out to thank me for that acknowledgement. She said that when she heard I was doing the history presentation she had been afraid of what I was going to say. Thus we were able to clean up this last bit with just a few words and laid all that to rest. That was one of my major accomplishment of the evening and I thought it deserved a photo.Taken by flickre contact Seph.
The interesting thing about having a designated enemy is that it brought out the best in me and pushed me to make my best effort. I never wanted Kathy to see me do a sloppy job or act without integrity. Eventually I created a certain standard for myself that I had to live up to. And now its a natural fit. Funny how that works.
BBC impartiality was challenged today by several hundred Pro Palestine protesters who gathered outside the Birmingham studios located in the Mailbox. Several speakers highlighted the disproportionality of coverage and just days after 4 Palestinian children were bombed on a beach in Gaza.
The protesters held an impromptu march to a scheduled Stop the War meeting. When it became clear that the Council House could not accomodate the number of protesters wishing to attend a sound system was hastily put together and a mass public meeting was held in the city's Chamberlain Square.
King's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England. Formally named The King's College of Our Lady and Saint Nicholas in Cambridge, the college lies besides the River Cam and faces out onto King's Parade in the centre of the city.
King's was founded in 1441 by Henry VI, soon after he had founded its sister college in Eton. However, the King's plans for the college were disrupted by the Wars of the Roses and resultant scarcity of funds, and his eventual deposition. Little progress was made on the project until in 1508 Henry VII began to take an interest in the college, most likely as a political move to legitimise his new position. The building of the college's chapel, begun in 1446, was finally finished in 1544 during the reign of Henry VIII.
King's College Chapel is regarded as one of the greatest examples of late Gothic English architecture. It has the world's largest fan-vault, and the chapel's stained-glass windows and wooden chancel screen are considered some of the finest from their era. The building is seen as emblematic of Cambridge. The chapel's choir, composed of male students at King's and choristers from the nearby King's College School, is one of the most accomplished and renowned in the world. Every year on Christmas Eve the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols (a service devised specifically for King's by college dean Eric Milner-White) is broadcast from the chapel to millions of listeners worldwide.
On 12 February 1441 King Henry VI issued letters patent founding a college at Cambridge for a rector and twelve poor scholars. This college was to be named after Saint Nicholas, upon whose saint day Henry had been born. The first stone of the college's Old Court was laid by the King on Passion Sunday, 2 April 1441, on a site which lies directly north of the modern college and which was formerly a garden belonging to Trinity Hall. William Millington, a fellow of Clare College (then called Clare Hall) was installed as the rector.
Old Court
Henry directed the publication of the college's first governing statutes in 1443. His original modest plan for the college was abandoned, and provision was instead made for community of seventy fellows and scholars headed by a provost. Henry had belatedly learned of William of Wykeham's 1379 twin foundation of New College, Oxford and Winchester College, and wanted his own achievements to surpass those of Wykeham. The King had in fact founded Eton College on 11 October 1440, but up until 1443 King's and Eton had been unconnected. However, that year the relationship between the two was remodelled upon Wykeham's successful institutions and the original sizes of the colleges scaled up to surpass Wykeham's. A second royal charter which re-founded the now much larger King's College was issued on 12 July 1443 . On 1 September 1444, the Provosts of King's and Eton, and the Wardens of Winchester and New College formally signed the Amicabilis Concordia ("friendly agreement") in which they bound their colleges to support one another legally and financially.
Members of King's were to be recruited entirely from Eton. Each year, the provost and two fellows travelled to Eton to impartially elect the worthiest boys to fill any vacancies at the college, always maintaining the total number of scholars and fellows at exactly seventy. Membership of King's was a vocation for life. Scholars were eligible for election to the fellowship after three years of probation, irrespective of whether they had achieved a degree or not. In fact, undergraduates at King's – unlike those from other colleges – did not even have to pass university examinations to achieve their BA degree and instead had only to satisfy the college. Every fellow was to study theology, save for two who were to study astronomy, two civil law, four canon law, and two medicine; all fellows save those studying secular subjects were obliged to take Holy Orders and become priests, on pain of expulsion. In 1445 a Papal Bull from Eugenius IV exempted college members from parish duties, and in 1457 an agreement between the provost and chancellor of the university limited the chancellor's authority and gave the college full jurisdiction over internal matters.
I cannot pretend to be impartial about the colors. I rejoice with the brilliant ones, and am genuinely sorry for the poor browns.
- Winston Churchill
Well here is Cinne just doing, well, I don't know what... Checking things out? She must have just eaten as her mouth is still slightly stained from the veggies..
Get Smart and save money.
True blue toddler Thomas Bannister scored a winner at an event to help people in Knowsley save money on their fuel bills.
The three year old pulled the winning raffle ticket at an Energy Smart event in Kirkby and won a football signed by all the players from his beloved, Everton.
Lucky Thomas was with his aunty Alison McNally at the event in St Chad’s Parade, which dealt with how to cut the cost of heating and lighting your home.
There was information on what heating benefits people might be entitled to and how to use energy savings to stay out of debt. There were also give-aways and goodie bags.
“The warmer weather can be a good time to do the sort of work on your house that might help you save heat in the winter,” said Cllr David Lonergan, Knowsley’s cabinet member for regeneration, economy and skills.
“Many people could be entitled to extra cash help to insulate their homes or they might be eligible to go on to a lower tariff for their bills.
“It’s not just people who are retired or on low incomes that struggle with rising fuel bills - it’s a challenge for everyone and that’s why this event was open to all.
“There are simple things that everyone can do to, such as switching off lights and switching down radiator thermostats, but we also wanted to make people aware of how to eat well when the weather changes and what benefits they can get to help with fuel bills.”
Hundreds of people came along to talk to experts from the council’s Housing team and Health and Wellbeing service, Knowsley’s Unemployed Centre, the Citizens Advice Bureau, Age Concern, Merseytravel and pensioners groups.
If you would like to know more about how to reduce your energy bills or to make your finances go further in general call Kate Fisher, the Financial Inclusion Manager in Knowsley’s Financial Inclusion Team on 443 4779.
For specific energy saving advice and helpful hints call Sally Carter in the Energy Team on 443 2216.
You can contact your local Energy Saving Trust advice centre for free and impartial advice on all aspects of saving energy on 0800 512 012.
Radiometrics is an industry leader in providing full service Electro-Magnetic Compatibility (EMC) testing and engineering. From the smallest components to the vehicle level, we have been delivering impartial testing and compliant results since 1983.
Our dedicated and professional staff is here to assist our clients in achieving EMC compliance. With years of experience, Radiometrics provides the testing and engineering necessary for wide variety of industries including: Aerospace, Automotive, European Community, FCC Testing and certification, Medical, Military, and Telecommunications.
(English version below).
“Senhora Presidente,
A Resolução 60/251 da Assembleia Geral determina que o Conselho de Direitos Humanos examine as situações de violações dos direitos humanos, incluindo violações flagrantes e sistemáticas. Igualmente, o trabalho do Conselho deve se guiar pelos princípios da universalidade, imparcialidade, objetividade e não-seletividade, diálogo construtivo e cooperação.
O Brasil reconhece os diversos desafios de agir sob o item 4* da Agenda, especialmente tendo em vista a necessidade de engajar construtivamente os países envolvidos. Nesse contexto, a delegação brasileira tem participado continuamente de debates sobre métodos de trabalho que possam aprimorar a cooperação e os resultados no terreno.
À luz das sensibilidades relacionadas ao item 4, a delegação brasileira manifesta preocupação com o fato de, recentemente, negociações sobre resoluções para países específicos terem sido realizadas de maneira pouco transparente e aberta. Incentivamos todas as delegações a fazerem consultas inclusivas e substantivas para todas as resoluções, em especial aquelas relacionadas ao item 4.
Senhora Presidente,
O Brasil reitera o valor que atribui às cordiais relações com o Bareine. Da mesma forma que concordamos com vários elementos contidos na declaração conjunta feita pela Suíça, preparada de maneira transparente, saudamos o relatório da Comissão Independente de Inquérito sobre o Bareine. Atribuímos grande importância à implementação das recomendações do relatório. É essencial assegurar os direitos à liberdade de expressão, de reunião pacífica e de associação.
O Brasil reconhece a participação positiva do Bareine na Revisão Periódica Universal no mês passado. Com vistas a superar os desafios existentes, incentivamos o Bareine a buscar maior cooperação com os mecanismos do sistema multilateral de direitos humanos.
Finalmente, Senhora Presidente, esperamos que sejam implementadas as recentes medidas anunciadas pelo Governo do Bareine de compensações às famílias das pessoas mortas nos protestos do ano passado.
Muito Obrigada.”
* O item 4 da Agenda refere-se a situações de direitos humanos que requerem a atenção do Conselho de Direitos Humanos.
***
“Madam President,
General Assembly resolution 60/251 determines that the Council should address situations of violations of human rights, including gross and systematic violations. Also, the Council's work must be guided by the principles of universality, impartiality, objectivity and non-selectivity, constructive dialogue and cooperation.
Brazil recognizes the various challenges of acting under item 4 of the Agenda, especially in view of the need to constructively engage the concerned countries. In that context, my delegation has been continuously involved in discussions on methods of work which can improve cooperation and results on the ground.
In light of the sensitivities related to item 4, my delegation is concerned that, in recent occasions, negotiations on country-specific resolutions have been held in a manner that lacks transparency and openness. We encourage all delegations to hold inclusive and meaningful consultations for all resolutions, especially those under item 4.
Madam President,
Brazil reiterates the value we attach to our friendly relations with Bahrain . While we share a number of elements in the joint statement delivered by Switzerland , and prepared in a transparent manner, we commend the report of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry. We consider the implementation of its recommendations of great importance. Ensuring the rights of freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association is crucial.
Brazil recognizes the positive participation of Bahrain in the UPR last month. With a view to overcoming existing challenges, we encourage Bahrain to seek further cooperation with the mechanisms of the multilateral human rights system.
Finally, Madam President, we look forward to the implementation of the recent measures announced, by the Bahraini government, of compensations to the families of persons killed in the protests last year.
Thank you very much.”
************
Genebra, 28 de junho de 2012
BBC impartiality was challenged today by several hundred Pro Palestine protesters who gathered outside the Birmingham studios located in the Mailbox. Several speakers highlighted the disproportionality of coverage and just days after 4 Palestinian children were bombed on a beach in Gaza.
The protesters held an impromptu march to a scheduled Stop the War meeting. When it became clear that the Council House could not accomodate the number of protesters wishing to attend a sound system was hastily put together and a mass public meeting was held in the city's Chamberlain Square.
BBC impartiality was challenged today by several hundred Pro Palestine protesters who gathered outside the Birmingham studios located in the Mailbox. Several speakers highlighted the disproportionality of coverage and just days after 4 Palestinian children were bombed on a beach in Gaza.
The protesters held an impromptu march to a scheduled Stop the War meeting. When it became clear that the Council House could not accomodate the number of protesters wishing to attend a sound system was hastily put together and a mass public meeting was held in the city's Chamberlain Square.
Press conference with Ms. Catherine Marchi-Uhel, Head of International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism, Palais des Nations, Geneva, 05 September 2017. UN Photo / Elma Okic
Yasin Malik is the chairman of the now banned Kashmir Liberation Front and most objective analysts agree that, as Wikipedia itself notes, 'Malik renounced violence in 1994 and adopted peaceful methods to come to a settlement of the Kashmir conflict.'
Despite having renounced violence for many years, he was arrested in 2019 and kept in what a petition presented by Labour MP Debbie Abrahams to the British parliament has described as "inhumane conditions" preceding an unfair trial. Three years later, on 22 May 2022 Malik was sentenced by an Indian court to life imprisonment on what the petition points out was a 'contrived' charge of terror funding.
hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2022-07-20/debates/6348A1D0...
www.globalvillagespace.com/yasin-malik-verdict-another-ep...
www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/5/25/iconic-kashmir-rebel-yas...
On Saturday 5 August, activists gathered in central London to protest the ongoing brutal and illegal occupation of Jammu and Kashmir by India and its use of extrajudicial killings, forced disappearances, intimidation and censorship to maintain its control. Many of those present were also angry at Britain's continued support of India and failure to take action in support of the Kashmiri people's struggle for independence. India has forcibly occupied the region for over 75 years in open defiance of UN resolutions calling for a fair and impartial plebiscite under UN auspices to determine the area's status.
The protest marked four years since the Indian government, on 5 August 2019, revoked the autonomy of Jammu and Kashmir, previously guaranteed by the constitution, and instead imposed direct rule from Delhi. As Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported, "The government action was accompanied by serious rights violations including arbitrary detention of hundreds of people, a total communications blackout and severe restrictions on freedom of movement and peaceful assembly."
www.hrw.org/news/2022/08/02/india-repression-persists-jam...
In their most recent report on Jammu and Kashmir, HRW noted that "the government's repressive policies and failure to investigate and prosecute alleged security force abuses have increased insecurity among Kashmiris," and added that "journalists in Kashmir face increasing harassment by security forces, including raids and arbitrary arrests on terrorism charges. Authorities in India have shut down the internet more often than anywhere else in the world. A majority of those shutdowns have been in Kashmir, where they are used to curb protests and access to information."
www.hrw.org/news/2022/08/02/india-repression-persists-jam...
Enforced disappearances also continue as freelance journalist Mir Aiyaz reported in Fair Planet (23 February 2023). He interviewed Khera Begum about the arrest of her son, Abdul Rashid Dar, by over forty Indian army soldiers, with no police officer attending as is legally required. An officer reportedly told his older brother, Shabir, that the police had been "informed" and that he would be released the next morning. He was not. When the family and other locals went to enquire at the nearest army base, initially they were asked to return later, and then eventually told that he had "escaped from custody." As Aiyaz notes
'Rashid's family and community members do not believe the army's version of events. "How can a man escape in the presence of ever vigilant army men?" rued Shabir. "He was too meek a person to escape, and there was no possibility of running away in the forest where he was taken."
It seems equally difficult to believe that if the army had openly stated its intention to hold him for just 24 hours, that he would have risked everything on attempting to flee.
Aiyaz observes that 'locals, particularly youths living in Kunan Poshpora have altered their daily habits due to their fear of being abducted,' and he quotes a student who while 'staring at the fenced playground (of a school), which used to be brimming with kids but has recently been mostly desolate,' told him that "boys head home after the maghrib prayers, and time spent in the playground has been slashed down."
www.fairplanet.org/story/whats-behind-the-forced-disappea...
The Indian Army has deployed a huge military force in Jammu and Kashmir which some estimates suggest might be as high as 900,000 troops. One soldier for every eight civilians. According to journalist Munir Akram writing in the Pakistan Observer (6 August 2023), the Indian military has "perpetrated a vicious campaign of repressive actions, including extrajudicial killings of innocent Kashmiris in fake encounters, custodial killings and "cordon-and-search" operations; use of pellet guns to kill, maim and blind peaceful protestors, abduction and enforced disappearances and "collective punishments," with the destruction and burning of entire villages and urban neighborhoods.'
pakobserver.net/whats-going-on-in-kashmir-is-not-normal/
www.eureporter.co/world/pakistan/2023/08/06/seminar-on-hu...
Despite India's ongoing brutal occupation of Jammu and Kashmir and despite the continued tension and risk of war with Pakistan, Britain continues to grant licenses for the export of arms to both Pakistan and India.
On 23 February 2023, Politico reported that in the wake of the Ukraine war, 'Britain's defense and aerospace firms now see an opportunity to chip away at Russia's share (of India's military imports)', adding that 'Rolls-Royce and BAE Systems are part of a delegation to Aero India, Asia's biggest airshow which is taking place this week.'
The same report also seemed to suggest that rather than attempt to limit arms exports to maintain some leverage on the shocking human rights situation in Jammu and Kashmir and limit the arms race between the two regional nuclear powers - India and her neighbour Pakistan, the British government appears instead intent on promoting arms exports to India. According to Politico, "Last year the UK put India on its defense equipment fast-track - the first such move offered to an Indo-Pacific nation - in a shift that will reduce red tape and shorten delivery times for defense procurement."
www.politico.eu/article/india-pursues-russian-military-bu...
It should also be noted that the United Kingdom is already one of India's largest suppliers of weapons. According to the UK House of Commons Library arms exports update in January 2023, on a "10 year rolling basis the UK is Europe's largest and the world's second largest defence exporter' beaten only by the United States (p10) and the report ranks India as the fourth largest importer of arms from the UK after Saudi Arabia, Oman and the United States, based on arms transfers between 2012 and 2021. (p21).
researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-8310/...
James Miller McKim (November 10, 1810 – June 13, 1874) was a Presbyterian minister and abolitionist. He was also the father of the architect Charles Follen McKim.
McKim was born in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and educated at Dickinson College and Princeton. In 1835, he was ordained pastor of a Presbyterian church at Womelsdorf, Pennsylvania. A few years before, the perusal of a copy of Garrison's Thoughts on Colonization had made him an abolitionist. He was a member of the convention that formed the American Anti-slavery Society, and in October 1836 left the pulpit to lecture under its auspices for the cause of emancipation. He delivered addresses throughout Pennsylvania. In 1840, he moved to Philadelphia to worked for the Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society as lecturer, organizer, and corresponding secretary. At times, he served as the editor of the Pennsylvania Freeman.
In 1849, he was on the receiving end of an unusual and historic shipment, when Henry "Box" Brown, an innovative and determined escaped slave from Richmond, Virginia, arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in a small shipping box and emerged into freedom. McKim was depicted in the The Resurrection of Henry Box Brown at Philadelphia, a lithograph by artist Samuel W. Rowse, which was widely published to help raise funds for the Underground Railroad. Brown wrote his autobiography in 1851. McKim's labors frequently brought him in contact with the operations of the underground railroad, and he was often connected with the slave cases that came before the courts, especially after the passage of the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850.
In 1859, Reverend McKim and his wife Sarah Allibone (née Speakman) McKim escorted Mary Brown, the wife of abolitionist John Brown, to Virginia, after his failed raid there at Harper's Ferry. The McKims were accompanied in this effort by Hector Tyndale, another Philadelphia abolitionist. After visiting her husband in jail in Charlestown, Virginia [today Charles Town, West Virginia], Mary Brown, along with the McKims and Tyndale, stayed in Harper's Ferry until after the John Brown's execution on December 2, 1859. The McKims prayed and held hands with Mary Brown until the hour of execution passed. Afterward, they assisted her in claiming Brown's body and escorted her northward, and at least McKim himself continued with her to North Elba, N.Y. (present-day Lake Placid) for the funeral service and interment.
In the winter of 1862, immediately after the capture of Port Royal, South Carolina, he was instrumental in calling a public meeting of the citizens of Philadelphia to consider and provide for the wants of the 10,000 slaves that had been suddenly liberated. One of the results of this meeting was the organization of the Philadelphia Port Royal Relief Committee. He afterward became an earnest advocate of the enlistment of colored troops, and as a member of the Union league aided in the establishment of Camp William Penn, and the recruiting of eleven regiments. In November 1863, the Port Royal Relief Committee was enlarged into the Pennsylvania Freedman's Relief Association, and McKim was made its corresponding secretary.
As the American Civil War dragged on, and, after President Lincoln announced the emancipation of the slaves in the South in 1863, McKim joined the Freedmen's Aid Commission and provided valuable services to that body. He travelled extensively, and labored diligently to establish schools in the South. In 1865, he joined the American Freedman's Union Commission and used every effort to promote general and impartial education in the South. In July 1869, the Commission having accomplished all that seemed possible at the time, it decided unanimously, on McKim's motion, to disband.
His health having meantime become greatly impaired, he soon afterward retired from public life. In 1865 he assisted in founding The Nation of New York. He died in West Orange, New Jersey.
On Dec. 15, 2015, at 6 p.m., the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, Fairfax County constitutional officers, and the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District directors all took their oath of office in the Government Center forum.
Fairfax Circuit Court Judge Penney Azcarate administered the oath of office to 16 elected officials, who each swore to support the Constitution of the United States, and the Constitution of the commonwealth of Virginia, and to faithfully and impartially discharge all the duties incumbent upon them as officials of Fairfax County.
All elected officials will take office on Jan. 1, 2016.
More information:
After returning to the island early this morning, President Rajapaksa received a briefing of the events that took place in Aluthgama, Beruwala and Dharga town and decided to go to Beruwala this afternoon to hold discussions with both Buddhist and Muslim communities, together, at the District Secretariat. President Rajapaksa assured all communities that an “impartial inquiry” will be held to bring to justice anyone responsible for the violence, irrespective of race, religion or ethnicity. The Buddhist and Muslim communities that were present for the discussion told the President that they want to live in peace with each other. President Rajapaksa assured protection for the Buddhist temples as well as the Muslims who were displaced. President Rajapaksa said the Government will rebuild homes and businesses that were destroyed.
බොලිවියාවේ සංචාරයෙන් පසු අද උදැසන දිවයිනට පැමිණි ජනාධිපති මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂ මැතිතුමා, පසුගිය දිනවල අලුත්ගම, බේරුවල සහ ධර්ගා නගරයේ වූ සිද්ධීන් පිළිබඳව තතු විමසීමකින් අනතුරුව, පස්වරුවේ බේරුවල ප්රාදේශීය ලේකම් කාර්යාලයෙදී බෞද්ධ හා මුස්ලිම් ජනයා සමග සාකච්ඡාවකට එක් විය. එම අවස්ථාවේදී රැස්ව සිටි ජනතාව ඇමතු ජනාධිපතිතුමා, තත්වය සම්බන්ධයෙන් අපක්ෂපාතී පරීක්ෂණයක් පවත්වා ජාති ආගම් තරාතිරම් නොබලා වැරදිකරුවන්ට දඬුවම් ලබාදීම අනිවාර්යෙන්ම සිදුකරන බව සහතික විය. තමන් එකිනෙකා සමග සාමයෙන් හා සහජීවනයෙන් ජිවත් වීමට කැමති පිරිසක් බව එහි රැස්ව සිටි බෞද්ධ හා මුස්ලිම් ජනතාව ජනාධිපතිතුමා සමග කියා සිටියහ. බෞද්ධ සිද්ධස්ථානවලට හා අවතැන් වූ මුස්ලිම් ජනතාවට ආරක්ෂාව ලබාදීමට සහතික වූ එතුමා, විනාශ වූ නිවාස සහ ව්යාපාරික ස්ථාන රජයෙන් ප්රතිසංස්කරණය කරන බවද කියා සිටියේය.
பொலிவிய பயணத்தை அடுத்து இன்று காலை நாடு திரும்பிய ஜனாதிபதி மஹிந்த ராஜபக்ஷ அவர்கள், பேருவளை பிரதேச செயலகத்தில் இன்று மாலை மதத்தலைவர்கள் மற்றும் பொது மக்களுடன் கலந்துரையாடளில் ஈடுபட்டார். அளுத்கம, தர்கா நகர் மற்றும் பேருவளை சம்பவங்கள் தொடர்பில் பக்கச்சார்பற்ற விசாரணை மேற்கொள்ளப்பட்டு குற்றவாளிகளுக்கு மதவேறுபாடின்றி நிச்சியம் தண்டனை வழங்கப்படும் என உறுதியளித்தார். தாம் சமாதானமாக வாழ விரும்புவதாக அங்கு குடியிருந்த பௌத்த, முஸ்லிம் மக்கள் ஜனாதிபதியிடம் தெரிவித்தனர். சம்பவத்தால் சேதமடைந்த உடமைகள் அரசாங்கத்தினால் மீள திருத்தியமைக்கப்படும் என ஜனாதிபதி உறுதியளித்தார்.
(Photos by: Sudath Silva)
I was really excited to get this phone and when I opened it I was delighted to see what all it came with. The box included a manual, the phone, a battery (already inside the phone but with insulation tape across the prongs), a USB charger and a set of headphones. I got it in black, because I figured I did not really want anything to flashy and I love the way it looks. The back of the phone is made up of little small squares that look a lot like little pixels. It's adorable.
I turned it on without the SIM card in it the first time and it booted up pretty fast, faster than my Nokia Lumia 521. I played around with it and looked at the Installed Apps. There are certain questionable apps on the phone, but I plan on rooting it so I can get those off the device. I dislike most pre-installed applications and this is something I do with almost all phones that come into my possession.
When I finally went to insert the SIM card, me being the "brilliant" person I am was not paying to much attention to what I was doing. This phone has dual SIM card slots and one (SIM 1) is for a normal, standard SIM card and it appears that (SIM 2) is for a NANO SIM card, which is what I have. I stuck my SIM up in the (SIM 1) slot and got it stuck. Yay me! Please be careful and pay attention to wear you are sticking your SIM, ensure it goes into the right slot. It is pretty obvious. I am not honestly sure why or how I missed it. Totally a user error. After I got the SIM card up I rebooted it and I called my mom. We had a very nice one hour phone call with no issues. I then ended the call and put it on charge and it became my daily use phone after that and it did not let me down! I did NOT root this phone before testing it. This review is of an un-rooted phone.
The call quality remained amazing and it never had any issues with dropping calls unexpectedly. I did manage to hang up a few times using my cheek, but I have that issue with almost every touch screen I use. It was able to send and receive messages no problem, including multimedia messages. The one issue I had with it was the adware. Every time I opened the browser it would try to get me to download something or try to convince me that I had won something. It was rather annoying. The phone had only enough room for one app, I used it for my Fitness Tracker, but it worked amazingly with the phone. I did not insert an external micro-SD card, but there was a slot for it and when you went to Settings - Apps there was an option for you to move certain apps to your Micro-SD card, if you had one inserted. I will be buying a micro-SD card and testing this out in a few weeks. (I will update this review).
Another thing I really liked about this phone was the location of the charging port. With most of my devices, I have had to replace the charging ports because they were located on bottom. I have a bad habit of using my device while it charges and it puts strain on the port itself due to the location. With this phone, it is on top and it makes it super easy to use the device without placing strain on the port itself and the charging cable. The design on the back of the phone is pretty awesome itself. It looks like a collection of little pixels to me. I love it!
This device is good and handy for any one who needs a good working phone. It is fast, responsive and light weight and it is able to do everything that my Samsung Galaxy could do. It could do with an upgrade of the camera (0.3 MP front facing and rear facing both), but it is still capable of taking pictures. I am probably going to end up ordering another of these for my husband. I don't want to share my new phone!
I received this product at a discounted price in exchange for my honest and unbiased review. All opinions expressed are genuine, truthful and impartial.
It is sold by IPRO & FACTORY on Amazon and you can find their store here: www.amazon.com/s?marketplaceID=ATVPDKIKX0DER&me=A34VJ...
Source: The attempt to divorce the Princess of Wales, impartially considered: more particularly with reference to the probability of its success (2nd ed.; London: Printed for J. Ridgway and Sons, Piccadilly, 1816); 23 cm. Call # TrialsB C22 pam24.
BBC impartiality was challenged today by several hundred Pro Palestine protesters who gathered outside the Birmingham studios located in the Mailbox. Several speakers highlighted the disproportionality of coverage and just days after 4 Palestinian children were bombed on a beach in Gaza.
The protesters held an impromptu march to a scheduled Stop the War meeting. When it became clear that the Council House could not accomodate the number of protesters wishing to attend a sound system was hastily put together and a mass public meeting was held in the city's Chamberlain Square.
The public weighbridge was once a common feature of Irish towns. Most goods were traded in bulk and by weight so both the seller and the buyer needed to have accurate measurements. Since the public weighbridge was owned and operated by the local authority, it could be relied upon to give an accurate and impartial measurement.
I cannot pretend to feel impartial about colours. I rejoice with the brilliant ones and am genuinely sorry for the poor browns.
Sir Winston Churchill
www.dado.fr/dado-peintre-liens.php
Un article de l'Impartial, le 18 septembre 2008
www.dado.fr/dado-peintre-fou.php
Quand la journaliste lui demande de pouvoir aller voir son travail récent, Dado répond, avec une troublante humilité : " N'y allez pas ! Quand je serais mort, je serais un vrai artiste ! Mais aujourd'hui, je ne suis rien..."
A voir avec émotion, sur le site officiel du peintre, ( www.dado.fr ) un film de Gisèle et Luc Meichler. Les peintures murales réalisées par Dado à la chapelle Saint-Luc de la maladrerie Saint-Lazare (Gisors)
Texte de Claude Louis-Combet.
After returning to the island early this morning, President Rajapaksa received a briefing of the events that took place in Aluthgama, Beruwala and Dharga town and decided to go to Beruwala this afternoon to hold discussions with both Buddhist and Muslim communities, together, at the District Secretariat. President Rajapaksa assured all communities that an “impartial inquiry” will be held to bring to justice anyone responsible for the violence, irrespective of race, religion or ethnicity. The Buddhist and Muslim communities that were present for the discussion told the President that they want to live in peace with each other. President Rajapaksa assured protection for the Buddhist temples as well as the Muslims who were displaced. President Rajapaksa said the Government will rebuild homes and businesses that were destroyed.
බොලිවියාවේ සංචාරයෙන් පසු අද උදැසන දිවයිනට පැමිණි ජනාධිපති මහින්ද රාජපක්ෂ මැතිතුමා, පසුගිය දිනවල අලුත්ගම, බේරුවල සහ ධර්ගා නගරයේ වූ සිද්ධීන් පිළිබඳව තතු විමසීමකින් අනතුරුව, පස්වරුවේ බේරුවල ප්රාදේශීය ලේකම් කාර්යාලයෙදී බෞද්ධ හා මුස්ලිම් ජනයා සමග සාකච්ඡාවකට එක් විය. එම අවස්ථාවේදී රැස්ව සිටි ජනතාව ඇමතු ජනාධිපතිතුමා, තත්වය සම්බන්ධයෙන් අපක්ෂපාතී පරීක්ෂණයක් පවත්වා ජාති ආගම් තරාතිරම් නොබලා වැරදිකරුවන්ට දඬුවම් ලබාදීම අනිවාර්යෙන්ම සිදුකරන බව සහතික විය. තමන් එකිනෙකා සමග සාමයෙන් හා සහජීවනයෙන් ජිවත් වීමට කැමති පිරිසක් බව එහි රැස්ව සිටි බෞද්ධ හා මුස්ලිම් ජනතාව ජනාධිපතිතුමා සමග කියා සිටියහ. බෞද්ධ සිද්ධස්ථානවලට හා අවතැන් වූ මුස්ලිම් ජනතාවට ආරක්ෂාව ලබාදීමට සහතික වූ එතුමා, විනාශ වූ නිවාස සහ ව්යාපාරික ස්ථාන රජයෙන් ප්රතිසංස්කරණය කරන බවද කියා සිටියේය.
பொலிவிய பயணத்தை அடுத்து இன்று காலை நாடு திரும்பிய ஜனாதிபதி மஹிந்த ராஜபக்ஷ அவர்கள், பேருவளை பிரதேச செயலகத்தில் இன்று மாலை மதத்தலைவர்கள் மற்றும் பொது மக்களுடன் கலந்துரையாடளில் ஈடுபட்டார். அளுத்கம, தர்கா நகர் மற்றும் பேருவளை சம்பவங்கள் தொடர்பில் பக்கச்சார்பற்ற விசாரணை மேற்கொள்ளப்பட்டு குற்றவாளிகளுக்கு மதவேறுபாடின்றி நிச்சியம் தண்டனை வழங்கப்படும் என உறுதியளித்தார். தாம் சமாதானமாக வாழ விரும்புவதாக அங்கு குடியிருந்த பௌத்த, முஸ்லிம் மக்கள் ஜனாதிபதியிடம் தெரிவித்தனர். சம்பவத்தால் சேதமடைந்த உடமைகள் அரசாங்கத்தினால் மீள திருத்தியமைக்கப்படும் என ஜனாதிபதி உறுதியளித்தார்.
(Photos by: Sudath Silva)
On Sunday, a nail-biting evening of quarter-final games in the Rugby World Cup. First up were the Wallabies (Australia) v the Springboks (South Africa).
Next game, the Pumas (Argentina) v the All Blacks (New Zealand). It was heart-attack inducing till the final whistle. (New Zealand won)
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McGuigan Black Label from Australia
Obikwa from South Africa
Two of my favourite reds
Lien Internet l'Impartial : actu.fr/normandie/gisors_27284/a-guerny-dans-leure-street...
Publié le 2 Juil 18 à 17:56
|Modifié le 3 Juil 18 à 7:23
À Guerny dans l’Eure, du street art à la campagne avec les hérissons de Pierre-Marcel Schmidt
Le talentueux et original Pierre-Marcel Schmidt, de Saint Clair-sur-Epte, expose sa nouvelle création au hameau de Gisancourt à Guerny, en bordure de la voie verte.
Il suffit de peu à l’artiste pour égayer les paysages ruraux et donne libre cours à son imagination.
C’est dans son atelier de Saint Clair-sur-Epte que Pierre-Marcel Schmidt a créé ces œuvres pour le moins originales.
Déjà lors de Boutiqu’art
On notera d’ailleurs au passage que ce n’est pas la première fois que l’artiste se distingue par les œuvres décalées.
Originaire de Strasbourg, celui qui a grandi à Gisors nous avait déjà surpris l’an dernier à l’occasion de l’exposition Boutiqu’art de Gisors, avec une représentation personnelle et exceptionnelle du Vexin normand.
Pierre-Marcel Schmidt nous avait déjà épaté lors de Boutiqu’art à Gisors avec cette étonnante carte du Vexin normand.
New Beginnings Fundraiser 2017
I was on hand for the BEGINNINGS Auction this year on behalf of board member Crash Gregg and The Triangle Downtowner Magazine.
Date: Wednesday, April 5, 2017
Time: 6:00-8:30pm
Place: The Umstead Hotel, 100 Woodland Pond Drive, Cary, NC
The BEGINNINGS organization is for parents of children who are at the very least Hard of Hearing is non-profit helping parents and families. Their impartial support helps families make informed decisions by empowering advocacy for their child’s needs.
New Beginnings also supports deaf parents who have hearing children.
I'm on tap next to photograph Governor Cooper again this Saturday.
On Dec. 13, 2011 at 6 p.m., the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, Fairfax County constitutional officers, and the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District directors all took their oath of office in the Government Center forum.
Fairfax Circuit Court Judge Jan L. Brodie administered the oath of office to 15 elected officials, who each swore to support the Constitution of the United States, and the Constitution of the commonwealth of Virginia, and to faithfully and impartially discharge all the duties incumbent upon them as officials of Fairfax County.
All elected officials will take office on Jan. 1, 2012.
More information:
Justic, Fairplay and Impartiality: Three things the entire Pakistani nation has waited for since 1947 when India was divided. Proud owners of a glorious past and Islamic heritage of virtuous lifestyles all this society has been given was the opposite of any justice, no sense of fairplay and partiality everywhere. Disillusioned society has slowly decayed to the level of primates without tolerance or civic society.
The world breaks everyone and afterward many are strong in the broken places. But those that will not break it kills. It kills the very good and the very gentle and the very brave impartially. If you are none of these you can be sure it will kill you too but there will be no special hurry.
Ernest Hemingway
L'atelier du Pommier de Pierre Marcel à Saint-Clair-sur-Epte accueille en ce moment les paraboles en trompe-l'oeil peintes par l’artiste et par ses élèves. Une poignée de paraboles dont les graphismes, plus vrais que nature, se fondent avec malice dans le paysage. L'artiste, fidèle à son inspiration néo-rurale a utilisé le support contemporain de la parabole, " qui défigure notre Vexin" explique-t-il, pour transfigurer ce paysage urbain. Les paraboles clin d’œil ont été présentées à la fête annuelle du Parc naturel régional du Vexin français au château de Villarceaux le 3 juin dernier. Elles sont maintenant devant l'atelier... et valent le coup d'oeil !
BBC impartiality was challenged today by several hundred Pro Palestine protesters who gathered outside the Birmingham studios located in the Mailbox. Several speakers highlighted the disproportionality of coverage and just days after 4 Palestinian children were bombed on a beach in Gaza.
The protesters held an impromptu march to a scheduled Stop the War meeting. When it became clear that the Council House could not accomodate the number of protesters wishing to attend a sound system was hastily put together and a mass public meeting was held in the city's Chamberlain Square.
After accusations of discrimination in the 1992 Directors’ hiring process prompted a University inquiry, a new interview process coupled with a $10,000 budget cut made for a dramatic year. The station emerged with a more impartial hiring process and a well-trimmed budget. DJs kept busy on their own, wagering on the Iowa-Iowa State basketball game that year.
This is the place where guilt and innocence are determined, by those who are pledged to be impartial. (This is the courtroom in the McNairy Co. courthouse.)
To the memory of
JAMES BURKIN BURROUGHES ESQR
A Justice of the Peace, a Deputy Lieutenant
of this County, and Captain of the Blofield
and South Walsham Troop of Yeomanry Cavalry:
He died November 30, 1803, aged 43 years,
and left to the care of his afflicted Widow CHRISTABEL,
only surviving issue and heiress of HENRY NEGUS of Hoveton Esqr,
the education of Seven Sons, and one Daughter.
As a Magistrate He was firm, discriminating and impartial.
The exemplary discipline of his Troop, and their affectionate
Attachment to their Commander, honourably distinguished
his military Character. In private Life, as a Husband,
a Parent, a Landlord, a Master, and a Friend, few have
equalled, none could exceed him. Endeared to All by
his unaffected Piety, by his liberal and unobstentatious
Charity, and by his social Virtues.
He died beloved, respected,
lamented.
The memorial was probably originally in the church of St Peter, Burlingham, which became derelict in the early 20th Century. For more on the family see comments below.
A wedding in Perivolos beach Santorini and Grace Hotel featured on Grace Ormonde www.weddingstylemagazine.com/real-weddings/impartial-and-.... Photographer Vasilis Pasioudis
BBC impartiality was challenged today by several hundred Pro Palestine protesters who gathered outside the Birmingham studios located in the Mailbox. Several speakers highlighted the disproportionality of coverage and just days after 4 Palestinian children were bombed on a beach in Gaza.
The protesters held an impromptu march to a scheduled Stop the War meeting. When it became clear that the Council House could not accomodate the number of protesters wishing to attend a sound system was hastily put together and a mass public meeting was held in the city's Chamberlain Square.
Gaza London demonstration and march Saturday 9th August 2014. 150,000 marched through London to Hyde Park.
48 – JEUDI 22 AVRIL 2010 – L’IMPARTIAL
Oise
SAINT-CLAIR-SUR-EPTE > ASSOCIATION PLEIN PH’ART
Un final musical et ensoleillé
L’exposition de l’association gisorsienne Plein Ph’art, baptisée EXPianO s’est achevée dimanche, sur une note ensoleillée.
Alléchante sur le papier, l’idée maîtresse – transformer des pianos, tout ou partie, en œuvre d’art – s’est effectivement révélée source de surprises créatives.
Les artistes participants ont modelé à leurs goûts et selon leur inspiration les instruments morts.
Vieux de 150 ans pour la plupart, non restaurables, ils ont été donnés par le facteur de piano Nicolas Dumas, à Montagny-en-vexin. Au final, ils ont repris vie sous formes diverses.
Après une ouverture d’exposition en musique, avec le Gee jazz band, la clôture a également été musicale, un récital de piano venant logiquement terminer le cycle artistique. Des pièces de Chopin ont notamment été exécutées avec le bonheur par le trio de pianistes Marie Bénédicte Lavoine, Hugues Delaunay et Vincent Vidal.
Légendes des photos :
Les pianos ont repris vie sous formes diverses
L’exposition s’est en toute logique achevée par un concert de piano.
The reality regarding trips within the Dominican Republic. Hotels as well as hotels arrange several actions for everyone every day. The actual reps from the journey companies offer numerous trips. Keep in mind, journeys reserved online or even through nearby visit providers away from vacation resort tend to be as much as 50% less expensive than within the vacation resort (the actual journey companies need 35-50% fee!). Should you book straight using the supplier from the visit, it may be less expensive and you'll have much more option. There are many impartial trip providers accessible plus they provide exceptional trips. www.dominicanrepublic24.com/excursions.html
Voici une petite FC réalisé, une belle petite Minifée Woosoo jamais je ne pensais autant aimer ce modèle!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Bref gagatise devant ma petite!! Manque encore le gloss et le msc et aussi une wig approprié du coup mais bo je ne pouvais pas ne pas me dépêcher de la prendre en photos!!
Connu dans certaines parties du monde comme Margravine la Maudite.
Viens durant les nuits sombre, avec ses ailes silentieuse elle enroule sa victime dans un manteau mortelle. Elle est impartial comme la mort et inflexible comme la pierre.
BBC impartiality was challenged today by several hundred Pro Palestine protesters who gathered outside the Birmingham studios located in the Mailbox. Several speakers highlighted the disproportionality of coverage and just days after 4 Palestinian children were bombed on a beach in Gaza.
The protesters held an impromptu march to a scheduled Stop the War meeting. When it became clear that the Council House could not accomodate the number of protesters wishing to attend a sound system was hastily put together and a mass public meeting was held in the city's Chamberlain Square.
A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism, a monotheistic religion which originated during the 15th century in the Punjab region. The term "Sikh" has its origin in the Sanskrit words शिष्य (śiṣya; disciple, student) or शिक्ष (śikṣa; instruction). A Sikh is a disciple of a guru. According to Article I of the Sikh Rehat Maryada (the Sikh code of conduct), a Sikh is "any human being who faithfully believes in One Immortal Being; ten Gurus, from Guru Nanak to Guru Gobind Singh; Guru Granth Sahib; the teachings of the ten Gurus and the baptism bequeathed by the tenth Guru". "Sikh" properly refers to adherents of Sikhism as a religion, not an ethnic group. However, because Sikhs often share strong ethno-religious ties, many countries, such as the U.K., recognize Sikh as a designated ethnicity on their censuses. The American non-profit organization United Sikhs has fought to have Sikh included on the U.S. census as well, arguing that Sikhs "self-identify as an 'ethnic minority'" and believe "that they are more than just a religion".
Male Sikhs usually have "Singh" (Lion), and female Sikhs have "Kaur" (Princess) as their middle or last name. Sikhs who have undergone the khanḍe-kī-pahul (the Sikh initiation ceremony) may also be recognized by the five Ks: uncut hair (kesh); an iron or steel bracelet (kara); a kirpan (a sword tucked into a gatra strap); kachehra, a cotton undergarment, and kanga, a small wooden comb. Baptized male Sikhs must cover their hair with a turban, which is optional for baptized female Sikhs. The greater Punjab region is the historic homeland of the Sikhs, although significant communities exist around the world.
HISTORY
Sikh political history may be said to begin with the death of the fifth Sikh guru, Guru Arjan Dev, in 1606. Guru Nanak was a religious leader and social reformer in the 15th-century Punjab. Religious practices were formalized by Guru Gobind Singh on 30 March 1699. Singh baptized five people from a variety of social backgrounds, known as the Panj Piare (the five beloved ones) to form the Khalsa, or collective body of initiated Sikhs. Sikhism has generally had amicable relations with other religions, except for the period of Mughal rule in India (1556–1707). Several Sikh gurus were killed by the Mughals for opposing their persecution of minority religious communities including Sikhs. Sikhs subsequently militarized to oppose Mughal rule. The emergence of the Sikh Confederacy under Ranjit Singh was characterized by religious tolerance and pluralism, with Christians, Muslims and Hindus in positions of power. The confederacy is considered the zenith of political Sikhism, encompassing Kashmir, Ladakh and Peshawar. Hari Singh Nalwa, the commander-in-chief of the Sikh army in the North West Frontier, expanded the confederacy to the Khyber Pass. Its secular administration implemented military, economic and governmental reforms. The months leading up to the partition of India in 1947 were marked by conflict in the Punjab between Sikhs and Muslims. This caused the religious migration of Punjabi Sikhs and Hindus from West Punjab, mirroring a similar religious migration of Punjabi Muslims from East Punjab.
The 1960s saw growing animosity between Sikhs and Hindus in India, with the Sikhs demanding the creation of a Punjab state on a linguistic basis similar to other states in India. This was promised to Sikh leader Master Tara Singh by Jawaharlal Nehru, in return for Sikh political support during negotiations for Indian independence. Although the Sikhs obtained the Punjab, they lost Hindi-speaking areas to Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan. Chandigarh was made a union territory and the capital of Haryana and Punjab on 1 November 1966.
Tensions arose again during the late 1970s, fueled by Sikh claims of discrimination and marginalisation by the Hindu-dominated Indian National Congress party and tactics adopted by the Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
According to Katherine Frank, Indira Gandhi's assumption of emergency powers in 1975 resulted in the weakening of the "legitimate and impartial machinery of government", and her increasing "paranoia" about opposing political groups led her to institute a "despotic policy of playing castes, religions and political groups against each other for political advantage". Sikh leader Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale articulated Sikh demands for justice, and this triggered violence in the Punjab. The prime minister's 1984 defeat of Bhindranwale led to an attack on the Golden Temple in Operation Blue Star and to her assassination by her Sikh bodyguards. Gandhi's assassination resulted in an explosion of violence against Sikh communities and the killing of thousands of Sikhs throughout India. Khushwant Singh described the riots as a Sikh pogrom; he "felt like a refugee in my country. In fact, I felt like a Jew in Nazi Germany". Since 1984, relations between Sikhs and Hindus have moved toward a rapprochement aided by economic prosperity. However, a 2002 claim by the Hindu right-wing Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) that "Sikhs are Hindus" disturbed Sikh sensibilities. The Khalistan movement campaigns for justice for the victims of the violence, and for the political and economic needs of the Punjab.
In 1996, United Nations Commission on Human Rights Freedom of Religion or Belief Special Rapporteur Abdelfattah Amor (Tunisia, 1993–2004) visited India to report on religious discrimination. The following year Amor concluded, "In India it appears that the situation of the Sikhs in the religious field is satisfactory, but that difficulties are arising in the political (foreign interference, terrorism, etc.), economic (in particular with regard to sharing of water supplies) and even occupational fields. Information received from nongovernment (sic) sources indicates that discrimination does exist in certain sectors of the public administration; examples include the decline in the number of Sikhs in the police force and the military, and the absence of Sikhs in personal bodyguard units since the murder of Indira Gandhi".
Although Sikhs comprise 10 to 15 percent of all ranks of the Indian Army and 20 percent of its officers, they make up 1.87 percent of the Indian population.
During the 1999 Vaisakhi, Sikhs worldwide celebrated the 300th anniversary of the creation of the Khalsa. Canada Post honoured Sikh Canadians with a commemorative stamp in conjunction with the 300th anniversary of Vaisakhi. On April 9, 1999, Indian president K.R. Narayanan issued a stamp commemorating the 300th anniversary of the Khalsa.
DEFINITION
According to Guru Granth Sahib:
One who calls himself a Sikh of the Guru, the True Guru, shall rise in the early morning hours and meditate on the Lord's Name. Upon arising early in the morning, the Sikh is to bathe, and cleanse himself in the pool of nectar. Following the Instructions of the Guru, the Sikh is to chant the Name of the Lord, Har. All sins, misdeeds and negativity shall be erased. Then, at the rising of the sun, the Sikh is to sing Gurbani; whether sitting down or standing up, the Sikh is to meditate on the Lord's Name. One who meditates on my Lord, Har, with every breath and every morsel of food – that Gursikh becomes pleasing to the Guru's Mind. That person, unto whom my Lord and Master is kind and compassionate – upon that Gursikh, the Guru's Teachings are bestowed. Servant Nanak begs for the dust of the feet of that Gursikh, who himself chants the Naam, and inspires others to chant it.
Simran of the Lord's name is a recurring theme of Guru Granth Sahib, and Sukhmani Sahib were composed to allow a devotee to recite Nam throughout the day. Rising at Amrit Velā (before sunrise) is a common Sikh practice. Sikhism considers the spiritual and secular lives to be intertwined: "In the Sikh Weltanschauung ... the temporal world is part of the Infinite and partakes of its characteristics." According to Guru Nanak, living an "active, creative, and practical life" of "truthfulness, fidelity, self-control and purity" is superior to a purely contemplative life.
FIVE Ks
The five Ks (panj kakaar) are five articles of faith which all baptized Sikhs (Amritdhari Sikhs) are obliged to wear. The symbols represent the ideals of Sikhism: honesty, equality, fidelity, meditating on God and never bowing to tyranny. The five symbols are:
- Kesh: Uncut hair, usually tied and wrapped in a Dastar
- Kanga: A wooden comb, usually worn under a Dastar
- Katchera: Cotton undergarments, historically appropriate in battle due to increased mobility when compared to a dhoti. Worn by both sexes, the katchera is a symbol of chastity.
- Kara: An iron bracelet, a weapon and a symbol of eternity
- Kirpan: An iron dagger in different sizes. In the UK Sikhs can wear a small dagger, but in the Punjab they might wear a traditional curved sword from one to three feet in length.
MUSIC & INSTRUMENTS
The Sikhs have a number of musical instruments: the rebab, dilruba, taus, jori and sarinda. Playing the sarangi was encouraged in Guru Har Gobind. The rubab was first played by Bhai Mardana as he accompanied Guru Nanak on his journeys. The jori and sarinda were designed by Guru Arjan. The taus was made by Guru Hargobind, who supposedly heard a peacock singing and wanted to create an instrument mimicking its sounds (taus is the Persian word for peacock). The dilruba was made by Guru Gobind Singh at the request of his followers, who wanted a smaller instrument than the taus. After Japji Sahib, all of the shabda in the Guru Granth Sahib were composed as ragas. This type of singing is known as Gurmat Sangeet.
When they marched into battle, the Sikhs would play a Ranjit Nagara (victory drum) to boost morale. Nagaras (usually two to three feet in diameter, although some were up to five feet in diameter) are played with two sticks. The beat of the large drums, and the raising of the Nishan Sahib, meant that the singhs were on their way.
DISTRIBUTION
Numbering about 27 million worldwide, Sikhs make up 0.39 percent of the world population; approximately 83 percent live in India. About 76 percent of all Sikhs live in the north Indian State of Punjab, where they form a majority (about two-thirds) of the population. Substantial communities of Sikhs (more than 200,000) live in the Indian states or union territories of Haryana (more than 1.1 million), Rajasthan, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh Assam and Jammu and Kashmir.
Sikh migration from British India began in earnest during the second half of the 19th century, when the British completed their annexation of the Punjab. The British Raj recruited Sikhs for the Indian Civil Service (particularly the British Indian Army), which led to Sikh migration throughout India and the British Empire. During the Raj, semiskilled Sikh artisans were transported from the Punjab to British East Africa to help build railroads. Sikhs emigrated from India and Pakistan after World War II, most going to the United Kingdom but many to North America. Some Sikhs who had settled in eastern Africa were expelled by Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in 1972. Economics is a major factor in Sikh migration, and significant communities exist in the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States, Malaysia, East Africa, Australia and Thailand.
Although the rate of Sikh migration from the Punjab has remained high, traditional patterns of Sikh migration favouring English-speaking countries (particularly the United Kingdom) have changed during the past decade due to stricter immigration laws. Moliner (2006) wrote that as a consequence of Sikh migration to the UK "becom[ing] virtually impossible since the late 1970s", migration patterns evolved to continental Europe. Italy is a rapidly growing destination for Sikh migration, with Reggio Emilia and Vicenza having significant Sikh population clusters. Italian Sikhs are generally involved in agriculture, agricultural processing, the manufacture of machine tools and horticulture.
Primarily for socio-economic reasons, Indian Sikhs have the lowest adjusted growth rate of any major religious group in India, at 16.9 percent per decade (estimated from 1991 to 2001). Johnson and Barrett (2004) estimate that the global Sikh population increases annually by 392,633 (1.7 percent per year, based on 2004 figures); this percentage includes births, deaths and conversions.
REPRESENTATION
Sikhs have been represented in Indian politics by former Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh and the deputy chairman of the Indian Planning Commission, Montek Singh Ahluwalia. Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal is also a Sikh. Past Sikh politicians in India include former president Giani Zail Singh, Sardar Swaran Singh (India's first foreign minister), Speaker of Parliament Gurdial Singh Dhillon and former Chief Minister of Punjab Pratap Singh Kairon.
Politicians from the Sikh diaspora include the first Asian American member of the United States Congress, Dalip Singh Saund, British MPs Piara Khabra, Parmjit Dhanda and Paul Uppal, the first couple to sit together in a Commonwealth parliament (Gurmant Grewal and Nina Grewal, who requested a Canadian government apology for the Komagata Maru incident), former Canadian Shadow Social Development Minister Ruby Dhalla, Canadian Minister of State for Sport Baljit Singh Gosal and Legislative Assembly of Ontario members Vic Dhillon and Jagmeet Singh. Ujjal Dosanjh was the New Democratic Party Premier of British Columbia from July 2004 to February 2005, and was later a Liberal frontbench MP in Ottawa. In Malaysia, two Sikhs were elected MPs in the 2008 general elections: Karpal Singh (Bukit Gelugor) and his son, Gobind Singh Deo (Puchong). Two Sikhs were elected assemblymen: Jagdeep Singh Deo (Datuk Keramat) and Keshvinder Singh (Malim Nawar).
Sikhs comprise 10 to 15 percent of all ranks in the Indian Army and 20 percent of its officers, while making up 1.87 percent of the Indian population. The Sikh Regiment is one of the most-decorated regiments in the army, with 73 Battle Honours, 14 Victoria Crosses, 21 first-class Indian Orders of Merit (equivalent to the Victoria Cross), 15 Theatre Honours, five COAS Unit Citations, two Param Vir Chakras, 14 Maha Vir Chakras, five Kirti Chakras, 67 Vir Chakras and 1,596 other awards. The highest-ranking general in the history of the Indian Air Force is a Punjabi Sikh, Marshal of the Air Force Arjan Singh. Plans by the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence for a Sikh infantry regiment were scrapped in June 2007.
Historically, most Indians have been farmers and 66 percent of the Indian population are engaged in agriculture. Indian Sikhs are employed in agriculture to a lesser extent; India's 2001 census found 39 percent of the working population of the Punjab employed in this sector. The success of the 1960s Green Revolution, in which India went from "famine to plenty, from humiliation to dignity", was based in the Punjab (which became known as "the breadbasket of India"). The Punjab is the wealthiest Indian state per capita, with the average Punjabi income three times the national average. The Green Revolution centred on Indian farmers adopting more intensive and mechanised agricultural methods, aided by the electrification of the Punjab, cooperative credit, consolidation of small holdings and the existing, British Raj-developed canal system. According to Swedish political scientist Ishtiaq Ahmad, a factor in the success of the Indian green revolution was the "Sikh cultivator, often the Jat, whose courage, perseverance, spirit of enterprise and muscle prowess proved crucial". However, not all aspects of the green revolution were beneficial. Indian physicist Vandana Shiva wrote that the green revolution made the "negative and destructive impacts of science [i.e. the green revolution] on nature and society" invisible, and was a catalyst for Punjabi Sikh and Hindu tensions despite a growth in material wealth.
Punjabi Sikhs are engaged in a number of professions which include science, engineering and medicine. Notable examples are nuclear scientist Piara Singh Gill (who worked on the Manhattan Project), fibre-optics pioneer Narinder Singh Kapany and physicist, science writer and broadcaster Simon Singh.
In business, the UK-based clothing retailers New Look and the Thai-based Jaspal were founded by Sikhs. India's largest pharmaceutical company, Ranbaxy Laboratories, is headed by Sikhs. UK Sikhs have the highest percentage of home ownership (82 percent) of any religious community. UK Sikhs are the second-wealthiest (after the Jewish community) religious group in the UK, with a median total household wealth of £229,000. In Singapore Kartar Singh Thakral expanded his family's trading business, Thakral Holdings, into total assets of almost $1.4 billion and is Singapore's 25th-richest person. Sikh Bob Singh Dhillon is the first Indo-Canadian billionaire. The Sikh diaspora has been most successful in North America, especially in California’s fertile Central Valley. American Sikh farmers such as Harbhajan Singh Samra and Didar Singh Bains dominate California agriculture, with Samra specialising in okra and Bains in peaches.
Sikh intellectuals, sportsmen and artists include writer Khushwant Singh, England cricketer Monty Panesar, former 400m runner Milkha Singh, Indian wrestler and actor Dara Singh, former Indian hockey team captains Ajitpal Singh and Balbir Singh Sr., former Indian cricket captain Bishen Singh Bedi, Harbhajan Singh (India's most successful off spin cricket bowler), Bollywood actress Neetu Singh, Sunny Leone, actors Parminder Nagra, Neha Dhupia, Gul Panag, Mona Singh, Namrata Singh Gujral, Archie Panjabi and director Gurinder Chadha.
Sikhs have migrated worldwide, with a variety of occupations. The Sikh Gurus preached ethnic and social harmony, and Sikhs comprise a number of ethnic groups. Those with over 1,000 members include the Ahluwalia, Arain, Arora, Bhatra, Bairagi, Bania, Basith, Bawaria, Bazigar, Bhabra, Chamar, Chhimba, Darzi, Dhobi, Gujar, Jatt, Jhinwar, Kahar, Kalal, Kamboj, Khatri, Kumhar, Labana, Lohar, Mahtam, Mazhabi, Megh, Mirasi, Mochi, Nai, Rajput, Ramgarhia, Saini, Sarera, Sikligar, Sunar, Sudh, Tarkhan and Zargar.
An order of Punjabi Sikhs, the Nihang or the Akalis, was formed during Ranjit Singh's time. Under their leader, Akali Phula Singh, they won many battles for the Sikh Confederacy during the early 19th century.
IN THE INDIAN & BRITISH ARMIES
Sikhs supported the British during the Indian Rebellion of 1857. By the beginning of World War I, Sikhs in the British Indian Army totaled over 100,000 (20 percent of the force). Until 1945 fourteen Victoria Crosses were awarded to Sikhs, a per-capita regimental record. In 2002 the names of all Sikh VC and George Cross recipients were inscribed on the monument of the Memorial Gates on Constitution Hill, next to Buckingham Palace. Chanan Singh Dhillon was instrumental in campaigning for the memorial.
During World War I, Sikh battalions fought in Egypt, Palestine, Mesopotamia, Gallipoli and France. Six battalions of the Sikh Regiment were raised during World War II, serving in the Second Battle of El Alamein, the Burma and Italian campaigns and in Iraq and receiving 27 battle honours. Around the world, Sikhs are commemorated in Commonwealth cemeteries.
In the last two world wars 83,005 turban wearing Sikh soldiers were killed and 109,045 were wounded. They all died or were wounded for the freedom of Britain and the world, and during shell fire, with no other protection but the turban, the symbol of their faith.
—General Sir Frank Messervy
British people are highly indebted and obliged to Sikhs for a long time. I know that within this century we needed their help twice [in two world wars] and they did help us very well. As a result of their timely help, we are today able to live with honour, dignity, and independence. In the war, they fought and died for us, wearing the turbans.
—Sir Winston Churchill
IN THE WEST
During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Sikhs began to emigrate to East Africa, the Far East, Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom. In 1907 the Khalsa Diwan Society was established in Vancouver, and four years later the first gurdwara was established in London. In 1912 the first gurdwara in the United States was founded in Stockton, California.
Since Sikhs (like Middle Eastern men) wear turbans, some in Western countries have been mistaken for Muslim or Arabic men since the September 11 attacks and the Iraq War. Several days after the 9/11 attacks Sikh Balbir Singh Sodhi was murdered by Frank Roque, who thought Sodhi was connected with al-Qaeda. CNN suggested an increase in hate crimes against Sikh men in the United States and the UK after the 9/11 attacks.
Since Sikhism has never actively sought converts, the Sikhs have remained a relatively homogeneous ethnic group. The Kundalini Yoga-based activities of Harbhajan Singh Yogi in his 3HO (Happy, Healthy, Holy) organisation claim to have inspired a moderate growth in non-Indian adherents of Sikhism. In 1998 an estimated 7,800 3HO Sikhs, known colloquially as ‘gora’ (ਗੋਰਾ) or ‘white’ Sikhs, were mainly centred around Española, New Mexico and Los Angeles, California. Sikhs and the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund overturned a 1925 Oregon law banning the wearing of turbans by teachers and government officials.
In an attempt to foster Sikh leaders in the Western world, youth initiatives by a number of organisations have begun. The Sikh Youth Alliance of North America sponsors an annual Sikh Youth Symposium, a public-speaking and debate competition held in gurdwaras throughout the U.S. and Canada.
ART & CULTURE
Sikh art and culture are nearly synonymous with that of the Punjab, and Sikhs are easily recognised by their distinctive turban (Dastar). The Punjab has been called India’s melting pot, due to the confluence of invading cultures (Greek, Mughal and Persian) from the rivers from which the region gets its name. Sikh culture is therefore a synthesis of cultures. Sikhism has forged a unique architecture, which S. S. Bhatti described as "inspired by Guru Nanak’s creative mysticism" and "is a mute harbinger of holistic humanism based on pragmatic spirituality".
During the Mughal and Afghan persecution of the Sikhs during the 17th and 18th centuries, the latter were concerned with preserving their religion and gave little thought to art and culture. With the rise of Ranjit Singh and the Sikh Raj in Lahore and Delhi, there was a change in the landscape of art and culture in the Punjab; Hindus and Sikhs could build decorated shrines without the fear of destruction or looting.
The Sikh Confederacy was the catalyst for a uniquely Sikh form of expression, with Ranjit Singh commissioning forts, palaces, bungas (residential places) and colleges in a Sikh style. Sikh architecture is characterised by gilded fluted domes, cupolas, kiosks, stone lanterns, ornate balusters and square roofs. A pinnacle of Sikh style is Harmandir Sahib (also known as the Golden Temple) in Amritsar.
Sikh culture is influenced by militaristic motifs (with the Khanda the most obvious), and most Sikh artifacts - except for the relics of the Gurus - have a military theme. This theme is evident in the Sikh festivals of Hola Mohalla and Vaisakhi, which feature marching and displays of valor.
Although the art and culture of the Sikh diaspora have merged with that of other Indo-immigrant groups into categories like "British Asian", "Indo-Canadian" and "Desi-Culture", a minor cultural phenomenon which can be described as "political Sikh" has arisen. The art of diaspora Sikhs like Amarjeet Kaur Nandhra and Amrit and Rabindra Kaur Singh (the "Singh Twins") is influenced by their Sikhism and current affairs in the Punjab.
Bhangra and Giddha are two forms of Punjabi folk dancing which have been adapted and pioneered by Sikhs. Punjabi Sikhs have championed these forms of expression worldwide, resulting in Sikh culture becoming linked to Bhangra (although "Bhangra is not a Sikh institution but a Punjabi one").
PAINTING
Sikh painting is a direct offshoot of the Kangra school of painting. In 1810, Ranjeet Singh (1780–1839) occupied Kangra Fort and appointed Sardar Desa Singh Majithia his governor of the Punjab hills. In 1813 the Sikh army occupied Guler State, and Raja Bhup Singh became a vassal of the Sikhs. With the Sikh kingdom of Lahore becoming the paramount power, some of the Pahari painters from Guler migrated to Lahore for the patronage of Maharaja Ranjeet Singh and his Sardars.
The Sikh school adapted Kangra painting to Sikh needs and ideals. Its main subjects are the ten Sikh gurus and stories from Guru Nanak's Janamsakhis. The tenth Guru, Gobind Singh, left a deep impression on the followers of the new faith because of his courage and sacrifices. Hunting scenes and portraits are also common in Sikh painting.
WIKIPEDIA
BBC impartiality was challenged today by several hundred Pro Palestine protesters who gathered outside the Birmingham studios located in the Mailbox. Several speakers highlighted the disproportionality of coverage and just days after 4 Palestinian children were bombed on a beach in Gaza.
The protesters held an impromptu march to a scheduled Stop the War meeting. When it became clear that the Council House could not accomodate the number of protesters wishing to attend a sound system was hastily put together and a mass public meeting was held in the city's Chamberlain Square.
On Dec. 15, 2015, at 6 p.m., the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, Fairfax County constitutional officers, and the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District directors all took their oath of office in the Government Center forum.
Fairfax Circuit Court Judge Penney Azcarate administered the oath of office to 16 elected officials, who each swore to support the Constitution of the United States, and the Constitution of the commonwealth of Virginia, and to faithfully and impartially discharge all the duties incumbent upon them as officials of Fairfax County.
All elected officials will take office on Jan. 1, 2016.
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The 29th Conference of the Parties (COP29), hosted by Azerbaijan in Baku, took place from 18 to 20 November 2024. With Azerbaijan, ITF Vice-President, serving as this year’s Presidency, COP29 was held at the iconic Baku Stadium. The event focused on fostering transparency, impartiality, and inclusivity through a framework built on two mutually reinforcing pillars: enhancing ambition and enabling action.
BBC impartiality was challenged today by several hundred Pro Palestine protesters who gathered outside the Birmingham studios located in the Mailbox. Several speakers highlighted the disproportionality of coverage and just days after 4 Palestinian children were bombed on a beach in Gaza.
The protesters held an impromptu march to a scheduled Stop the War meeting. When it became clear that the Council House could not accomodate the number of protesters wishing to attend a sound system was hastily put together and a mass public meeting was held in the city's Chamberlain Square.