Invisible Children: From A Documentary to a Movement.

The Oprah Winfrey Show writes:

Creators of Invisible Children Inc- Jason, Bobby and Laren“Many children grow up being afraid of the dark. In Uganda, fear of the dark isn’t about fictitious monsters under the bed or in the closet–it’s the fear of losing their lives. That’s because nighttime in northern Uganda is when the rebel soldiers of the Lord’s Resistance Army, labeled a terrorist group by the United States, storm small villages and rip children from their homes, forcing them to join the rebel army. Those who resist are brutally beaten into submission, tortured or killed in front of their families. Some are also forced to beat their own parents and commit unspeakable acts of violence. Many of the soldiers are just children themselves. To avoid these nighttime horrors, thousands of Ugandan children leave their parents and their homes every evening and trek in the darkness in packs to larger nearby towns where they sleep for the night. They sleep, stacked body-to-body, at bus parks and in empty hospital basements–yet, space is limited and sometimes they must scramble to find a spot. In the morning, the children walk back to their homes and to school, only to repeat the ritual walk each time the sun goes down. This is what Jason Russell, Bobby Bailey and Laren Poole saw when they traveled to Uganda in 2003. The “nightwalkers,” as they called them, were young, innocent and desperate for help. Child after child told their heartbreaking stories. The three young men–just college students at the time–recorded everything they saw and turned it into a haunting documentary called Invisible Children.”

The history of the war is heart-breaking and gruesome. According to www.invisiblechildren.com :

Photo: Invisible Children, Inc“In the last two years, an estimated 900,000 of the 1.8 million displaced have returned to their homes. But that leaves one million people currently living in the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps. While the majority desires to return home, the issues surrounding their return are complex. Some have been displaced for more than a decade, and their former way of life is all but gone. Access to clean water, economic opportunities, health centers, and education are a pressing concern for all…

Since September 2008, hostility in the Orientale province in DR Congo and Western Equatoria in South Sudan has reached a feverish pitch. LRA attacks have become more frequent and hostile, provoking military action against the rebel group. In an unprecedented joint military operation, the governments of Uganda, DR Congo, South Sudan and the Central African Republic launched an attack on LRA strongholds within DR Congo. “Operation Lightning Thunder”, the name designated for the counteroffensive, was largely unsuccessful in light of both the failure to reach top LRA leadership and the onslaught of violence that followed.

One month later on December 24th, 2008, the LRA launched a retaliatory attack against the people of DR Congo. In apparent desperation and a renewed will to spread terror to DR Congo, the LRA murdered over six hundred and abducted more than one hundred and sixty children to fight amongst its ranks. More than 104,000 Congolese have been displaced since Christmas in attempts to escape the LRA forces.

Photo: Invisible Children, Inc. - click here to get involvedAs the motives of the LRA become more ambiguous and their crimes more horrific, Invisible Children remains committed to seeking sustainable solutions to foster an environment that encourages peace. We are supporting and equipping a generation ravaged by war so that they can finally know peace. Invisible Children addresses the need for access to education and economic development through innovative programs on the ground. To learn more about these programs and how you can contribute to lasting peace and development click here.”

For more information, please visit www2.invisiblechildren.com/about


What Is Feng Shui? by Wyming P. Sun

| by Wyming P. Sun

‘It would be reasonable to ask how old Feng Shui is. According to archaeology, it is four thousand eight hundred years.’

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Maetreum of Cybele: The Catskill (NY) Phrygianum by Cathryn Platine

| by gallae.com/Cathryn Platine

Cathryn Platine, the principle founder of the Cybeline Revival writes, “Our theology starts from the simplest basis: That the Divine Feminine principle is the basis of the universe. That all of us, all that we encounter is Her in the aggregate. We are all the Great Mother learning about Herself. From this simple beginning springs our organizational models, our rituals, the principles of what we call Wholistic Feminism, our mission of charitable outreach and indeed the way we, as Cybelines, live our lives. We are sometimes called the “scholarly Cybelines” because we have invested many years of strict historical research in order to embrace the essence of what proved to be literally the oldest surviving religion in the world. The world centre of our Religion is in the Catskill Mountains of upstate New York at the foot of the Kaaterskill Clove.The Maetreum is currently being targeted by the town in a religious discrimination case. Please check out the links below the article.

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What Truth Reality Are You Plugged-In To?: Our Beliefs, Values, and Attitudes Don’t Come To Us Randomly by Triza Schultz

| by Triza Schultz

As an intuitive empath, it’s my nature to experience the true feelings, thoughts, or attitudes of others. Doing more than sympathizing or identifying with someone or something, I merge with it as if I were plugged in under its skin. Being empathic is one aspect of heightened psychic inner resources. Experiencing these external energies can’t be controlled, but they can be re-directed through awareness. Without knowing this gift and learning how to work with it a good part of my life, I was easily swept away by other people’s feelings, personalities, and attitudes, thinking they must be my own because after all, I was feeling and thinking them.”

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Relationship by Jocelyn Graef: Part 5 in Great Awakening

| by Jocelyn Graef

“You were never intended to be alone in this world, for you cannot be alone through any aspect of life in body or beyond. In truth you are not now or ever alone. You carry God deeply within you. It is the source within you that gives you life. This source is also within all there is. Cannot be otherwise. This is your heritage. If you are wishing to understand your deepest beliefs about your relationship with Godself, look outward to your relationships with all others and you will find your answer. The people immediately around you are your mirror to self and God. It is in your interacting with them that you will find the answer of where your fundamental relationship quality is lying.”

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April 2011 Merlian Newsletter

| by Merlian News & Team

Merlian News is now translated into over 50 languages! Just go to www.merliannews.com , upper right hand corner to Google Translate and use the drop down menu! Please don’t forget to check us out on Facebook & Twitter ! Also, take a look at the website of the month!

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Earth Day Events In NYC with EarthDayNY.org

| by EarthDayNY.org

“For the past seven years Earth Day New York has hosted EarthFair at Grand Central, a two-day festival of art, music and the environment on Vanderbilt Avenue and inside the majestic Beaux-Arts Terminal…Earth Day is more than a one-day event or annual environmental wake-up call. It is a catalyst for ongoing education, action and change. It simultaneously broadens the base of support and rekindles old commitments through highly participatory strategies.”

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Ask Elizabeth: Real Answers to Everything You Secretly Wanted to Ask About Love, Friends, Your Body… and Life in General by Elizabeth Berkley

“Much like a private diary, the book will be a personal resource that girls can turn to when they seek answers to teen life’s toughest questions. The content contains real and practical advice, anecdotes and wisdom in answer to the most asked questions from girls who participate in Elizabeth’s workshops such as: what do you do when you look in the mirror and don’t like what you see? or How do you get over a broken heart? Elizabeth, along with a panel of experts, and teen girls themselves advise readers in matters of body image, personal relationships, dating, and much more.”

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The Dark Night of the Soul by Stephen Thomson

| by Stephen Thomson

One of the steps we can take when we find ourselves in the Dark Night is to focus on an objective review of our lives. This is the process of taking a step back from ourselves and observing our lives without our emotional filters creating any kind of illusion. This is one way of satisfying some of our emotional needs about making progress and for gaining a new awareness…There are times, our emotions work against us and create angst that makes it hard to focus. If we are on the journey because we think being spiritual will eliminate all of the challenges that life brings, then we will surely be disappointed. In fact, stepping on to the spiritual path with all of our heart can speed up the unfolding and resolution of the karmic conditions of our lifetime.”

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The Transcendental Meditation® Program of Westchester County, NY

| by www.tm.org

“The Transcendental Meditation technique is a simple, natural, effortless process practiced 15-20 minutes twice daily while sitting comfortably with eyes closed. It is unique among techniques of meditation, distinguished by its effortlessness, naturalness and profound effectiveness. The Transcendental Meditation® Program regularly holds FREE introductory talks on the Transcendental Meditation program in Westchester County and other nearby areas. Their main office located in Katonah, NY.”

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