Politics

…”And while she will have little power, the mere fact that she is there means there will be a lot more international attention on parliament itself and the decisions that it makes,” reports Al Jazeera’s Wayne Hay from Yangon on the election results portending success of the National League for Democracy after twenty years on the political backburner.

Yangon – As millions of Burmese go to the polls on 1 April, expectations are high for real change. Across this Southeast Asian nation and abroad there is an unprecedented sense of hope not seen in decades following a wave of political reforms now described by Myanmar’s own government as “irreversible”.

The Global March to Jerusalem to take place on March 30 has been proposed as a peaceful demonstration in many countries around the world to support the Palestinians’ cause in Israel. It is time for all humanists, for all those who aspire to a world of diversity, human rights and equal opportunities to concentrate hearts and minds to achieve a truly nonviolent day of action.

Here we publish the complete text of it.

Stephen Collis: What has your involvement with Occupy Wall Street been, and what is your
background?

Sara Burke: My involvement with OWS began before OWS began. My answer to your question might make more sense if I tell you a little bit first about my
background and then my activism with OWS.

The government of Damascus accepted the plan for a resolution to the crisis proposed by the Arab League and United Nations special envoy for Syria, Kofi Annan. According to the spokesperson for the former UN chief, Annan already responded to President al Bashir, urging the prompt application of the proposals.

There is something quite unique about the Middle East’s “Resistance Axis” which includes Iran, Hezbollah, Syria, Hamas and a smattering of smaller groups opposed to western imperialism and zionism. It is the only major grouping or alliance in the region that includes 1) Arab and Iranian, 2) Sunni and Shia, 3) Islamist and Secularist.

The campaign against a war between Israel and Iran has moved from the social networks to the streets. About a thousand Israelis participated in a peaceful march. Tensions between Tehran and Tel Aviv have been increasing due to disagreements over Iran’s nuclear programme and Israeli society is divided about a possible war with Tehran.

Tomas Hirsch, former presidential candidate for the Chilean Humanist Party was invited by the Truman Institute of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem to talk about the present situation in Latin America. He focussed mainly on Chile as it is best known to him but also because it is a good example of the paradigm of installation of the neoliberal model and the fall of that myth.

Hong Kong chooses a new representative today – a Chief Executive as different from the British titled: Governor of Hong Kong – and the city’s elites will pick from two pro-Beijing candidates for the top job after weeks of campaigning infected by poor taste jibs. The ‘other’, a people’s man, democrat Albert Ho, is reckoned as a ‘no choicer’ and is in it for asemblance of choice.

During our visit to Israel to disseminate Silo’s Message and Universalist Humanism, we met with Councilman Meir Margalit of Jerusalem. Meir is known for his struggle for human rights, the defence of Palestinian people, his campaigns to prevent the demolition of Palestinian homes, and his confrontation with institutions to prevent abuses of power.