Loving Truth and Peace--14

What Does it Take to Love Truth and Peace?

Lessons on why LTP takes courage

(TED--National Public Radio program, 12 December 2012)
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'I am deluding myself as a reporter

if I think that what I do can stop a war...
I can only be a witness. My role is to be a voice to the voiceless.' 

Janine Di Giovani (TEDxTalk, below, slightly paraphrased)

What I Saw in War
 (12 minutes, subtitles available in 32 languages)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2hQL9Zrokk

Also:
1. Click the link below to access:
--podcast and the transcript of Janine Di Giovani (11.5 minutes) on the TED Radio Hour, National Public Radio (USA), 12 December 2014
http://www.npr.org/2014/12/12/369675846/what-does-it-take-to-cover-a-war

2. Click here to access the full hour NPR program on "Courage":
http://www.npr.org/player/v2/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=3&islist=true&id=57&d=12-12-2014

3. Transcript excerpt:

"RAZ [moderator]: Janine's probably covered every major war for the past 25 years - so obviously, an incredibly courageous person, right? But the thing is, she'd say that all of that pales in comparison to the kind of courage she's seen in others.

DI GIOVANNI [war correspondent]: And it usually comes down to ordinary people, when confronted with great evil, taking and making choices that would, for me, give the real explanation of courage. I mean, to me, I always thought the most courageous people I knew were people that faced insurmountable challenges in their lives. And that could be someone with cancer who battles it out and gets through the day, or children who walk to school in Africa because they really want to be educated, or someone who survives a genocide by hiding or hiding other people."

4. One more item:
10 December 2014 marks the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr. receiving the Noble peace Prize on behalf of the Civil Rights Movement. Click the link below to watch the video of his acceptance speech (12 minutes).  His voice still rings true today.
http://www.nobelprize.org/mediaplayer/index.php?id=1853

Here is the transcript:
http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1964/king-acceptance_en.html

Pax Dei--Living in Peace 1

The Non-Noble Non-Peace Prize

 

Sarin gas attack near Damascus, August 2013.

Note: the video is graphic and disturbing.

http://www.youtube.com/verify_controversy?next_url=/watch%3Fv%3Dn2GPTqxf8rE

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 We think it would be good to award a Non-Noble Non-Peace Prize. This prize would go to an egregious entity that makes a significant nd destructive contribution to undermining peace in the world and ruining human lives. One possible candidate for the first recipient(s) would be the entity—that is, people—who actually manufactured and sold the chemical products to Syria (and other nations) so that horrific weapons of mass destruction could be created, stockpiled, and utilized. The citation for the prize could read:

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“Congratulations on your corruption
--your intentional cowardice, complicity, and cover-ups-- 

in promoting massive crimes against fellow humans.”

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Yesterday the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) “for its extensive efforts to eliminate chemical weapons.” This Prize has been awarded annually since 1901 to entities that have "done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobel_Peace_Prize)

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The official press release from 11 October 2013 provides some background on the use of chemical weapons and hence the relevance of this year’s prize:

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 “During World War One, chemical weapons were used to a considerable degree. The Geneva Convention of 1925 prohibited the use, but not the production or storage, of chemical weapons. During World War Two, chemical means were employed in Hitler’s mass exterminations. Chemical weapons have subsequently been put to use on numerous occasions by both states and terrorists. In 1992-93 a convention was drawn up prohibiting also the production and storage of such weapons. It came into force in 1997. Since then the OPCW has, through inspections, destruction and by other means, sought the implementation of the convention. 189 states have acceded to the convention to date. The conventions and the work of the OPCW have defined the use of chemical weapons as a taboo under international law. Recent events in Syria, where chemical weapons have again been put to use, have underlined the need to enhance the efforts to do away with such weapons. Some states are still not members of the OPCW. Certain states have not observed the deadline, which was April 2012, for destroying their chemical weapons. This applies especially to the USA and Russia. Disarmament figures prominently in Alfred Nobel’s will. The Norwegian Nobel Committee has through numerous prizes underlined the need to do away with nuclear weapons. By means of the present award to the OPCW, the Committee is seeking to contribute to the elimination of chemical weapons.” (http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/2013/press.html)

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Pax Dei

Come, my children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
 Whoever of you loves life
and desires to see many good days,
 keep your tongue from evil
and your lips from telling lies.
 Turn from evil and do good;
seek peace and pursue it.

Psalm 34: 11-14, NIV