Culture and Media

On Sunday, the first ever Jewish ceremony confirming a same-sex marriage was held in the synagogue of the Liberale Joodse Gemeente (Liberal Jewish Community) in Amsterdam.
As of this week, Jewish same-sex couples can have their relationships confirmed in one of the community’s ten synagogues in a ceremony called Brit Ahava, a covenant of love.

*Has the target to promote peace and non-violence ‘gone to the dogs’ I was thinking on entering the Sunday-noisy Krispy Creme café situated in up-market Bonifacio High Street at Global City, Taguig, Manila. I was to meet Patricia Carrascoso of Pets for Peace & the Labrador Retriever Owner’s Club. I was in for an awakening!*

Recently Petur Gudjonsson has launched in Island his new book entitled “What Really Matters” and the complete edition was sold out in five days, distributed by Samkaup through supermarkets and shops. A second edition was printed and is also having a very good reception from the readers, while he is preparing the launching of two new books: “Moving on” and “Really?”.

It is a quite cold winter morning in Bihar’s Beur Central Jail, India. The jail inmates – all criminals including murderers, kidnappers and petty thieves – are ready to begin their task for the day: to learn English. The authorities decided that it’s time they brought about a positive change in the lives of the prisoners.

*It could be said that by respecting human diversity we stand together, united in our understanding that the differences in our landscape of formation is what makes life dynamic and interesting. Wouldn’t it be boring to think alike, to want to eat the same foods, go to the same places, to express ideas in the same way?*

In an official ceremony held earlier today, The YMCAs of Québec awarded the 2010 Peace Medals to five recipients during the 24th edition of this prestigious event. The Peace Medal serves as the only honor in the country that celebrates the work of exceptional individuals or groups who promote peace within their community or around the world.

*A gathering of about 30 friends of Silo, connected through activities concerning The Message of Silo, and the Humanist Movement over these past forty years, took place at Parke Banahaw, Philippines, Saturday November 2010. The occasion was marked with the symbolic scattering of Silo’s ashes. Friends from around Asia and Australia also took part.*

The Hungarian-German, French-Italian, Portuguese-English versions of the book were not presented at this time as the Camilo Mori room became overcrowded with an audience almost exclusively Chilean. The project coordinators, G. Tomas Hirsch and Rafael A. Edwards explained the meaning of the book and the difficulties overcome in order to publish it.

The new book of Rebecca Bize Bintrup and Mario Aguilar Arevalo aimed at educating for an active consciousness and providing a new educational paradigm, was presented to a full house at the International Book Fair of Santiago, in the Cultural Center, where the authors were signing books at Stand D 52, of the New Humanist publications.

Here we transcribe the entirety of the presentation given by Javier Tolcachier in the context of the Second International Symposium organised by the World Centre for Humanist Studies in the virtually interconnected Parks of Study and Reflection. Tolcachier gave this presentation in the Punta de Vacas Park of Study and Reflection.