#Advocate For Justice & Human Rights

[karl-says]

Hello comrades! I just wanted to let you all know that I'll be on vacation for the next week, so I'll be a bit absent from posting. I apologize for my absences.

It's important to take breaks and recharge, yet many Americans don't take vacations due to time or budget constraints; which we also all know many countries offer mandatory days for such things. So let's remember the value of rest and advocate for policies that ensure everyone has the opportunity to take time off to relax and enjoy life. After all work shouldn't be your life.

See you all in a week! Stay strong and keep the conversation alive. In solidarity, Karl.

[farewelln3verland]

TUMBLR RARE DISEASE/DISABLED/CHRONICALLY ILL PEEPS! (or people who advocate)

If you're between 16-26 theres a YA legislative national group!! IF THIS INTERESTS YOU MESSAGE ME WE NEED MORE PEOPLE...but it's a legit thing lol there are 75? of us

[tentacle-therapissed]

The more I get into the mental health field and the more my own mental health has worsened the more it astounds me how many people- who 100% believe themselves to be mental health advocates- would rather have a society in which people who are more likely to harm others as a result of untreated mental illness are tortured and/or killed instead of, yknow, treated. Some of yall are so obsessed with dispelling the stigma that mentally ill people are inherently more dangerous, you wrap back around to straight up ignoring that severe untreated mental illnesses can and sometimes do explain awful and often criminal behaviors. You don’t have to have sympathy or compassion for ANYONE who is mentally ill if they’ve done terrible things but if you’re more interested in supporting systems that punish abusers and perpetrators than systems which support the victims— who in our current society are given very minimal resources in comparison to the resources put into our punital systems— maybe you should re-evaluate what your priorities actually are. When all the evidence shows that rehabilitation, reform, and mental health treatment are most notably and consistently effective at lowering crime and re-offence rates, it genuinely baffles me how anyone could actually be against these systems while continuing to believe they’re truly on the side of bettering society and supporting mental health. I’ve seen so many people say ‘yall support mental health symptoms until they’re not palatable’ and ‘abusers deserve to suffer and die’ in the same breath, like where is the self awareness?? I totally understand such extreme emotional responses on a small, personal scale to those who have wronged you but if you’re allowing your own unhealed wounds to inform your genuine beliefs about society and capital punishment as a whole you seriously should work on that.

[selfvaluemagazine]

Self Value Magazine

[zvaigzdelasas]

A court in Germany has overturned a Europe-wide travel ban imposed by German authorities on Dr. Ghassan Abu Sitta, the British Palestinian surgeon who spent weeks saving lives in Gaza at the beginning of Israel’s ongoing genocide.

In recent weeks, Abu Sitta has been barred from entering France and the Netherlands in order to speak about the Israeli war crimes he witnessed during his 43 days working as a doctor under Israel’s savage and indiscriminate bombardment.[...]

The draconian German ban constituted “a serious breach of freedom of movement and expression in Europe and now a judge has ruled that the travel ban should be overturned,” said the International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP) and European Legal Support Centre (ELSC), which assisted in the case.

“This is a significant victory for freedom of speech and a significant turning point in challenging the chilling environment that many Palestinian human rights advocates have to operate in,” the two civil rights groups added.

The ban on Abu Sitta had also drawn criticism from Human Rights Watch, which asserted that the “attempts to prevent him from sharing his experience treating patients in Gaza risks undermining Germany’s commitment to protect and facilitate freedom of expression and assembly and to nondiscrimination.”

15 May 24

[roach-works]

ok im waffling on about fallout instead of having breakfast but i saw a criticism of how the prisoners were treated that's stuck with me.

spoilers!

so i think the criticism wasn't incorrect, per se: it condemned the way the show portrayed the vault dweller's naive intention to rehabilitate their murderous captives. it found fault with a common, and horrible, message that tv shows like to say, which is that carcerial violence and even the death penalty is the only effective way to deal with criminals, who are a fundamentally Bad category of human. im sick of that message too! but i think that wasn't what was going on here, actually.

so like, the vault dwellers had only ever experienced violent loss the once, and didn't really know how to cope other than denial and repression of the ordeal. but they were all hopeful and enthusiastic that their prisoners, the invaders that came to kill them all and take their stuff, could be eventually welcomed into the community as their comrades. the champions of this cause were nebbishy dorks and painfully out of touch academics. this is pretty normal for how prison reformers are portrayed, if extremely fucking annoying for those of us who ARE in favor of prison reform.

but so of course when the son of the former overseer, Norm, speaks up and suggests killing the prisoners, because why should they share resources with invaders who explicitly wanted to keep hurting them? why should they show mercy to their attackers? everyone is appalled by this suggestion. because they had to reinvent the whole concept of vengeance right then and there, because grudges and cycles of violence are anathema to a bottle society like theirs. they have been raised all their lives to forgive and forget and now, put to the test, they're recommitting to this ethos: get along, let the past go, look towards the future, believe the best of everyone.

but the prisoners die, anyway. the prisoners are killed with rat poison. and the thing is that Norm who suggested it didn't do it himself. and the prison guard who's blamed for it, even though she privately agreed with Norm that the prisoners are dangerous and unforgiveable, she didn't do it either. it's not a moment of triumphant, cathartic vengeance and it doesn't prove that there's no way to negotiate with terrorists and invaders but kill them like vermin because that's not what the message is meant to be.

the message is that norm stands there in the middle of these inconvenient prisoners, these corpses dressed in his own people's uniforms, and he looks at the new overseer. and he knows that she killed them, and she knows that he knows. she wanted him to know. this is her message and he's reading her loud and clear. and he doesn't look like a guy who's just been backed up by authority, who's just been validated in his desire for the ultimate control over those who have wronged him.

he's scared and pale and the music is ominous as fuck. and he's inside the cell, he's directly in the middle of it.

because what just happened is that he realized his entire society is being held prisoner, and the overseer is the one with the rat poison. and that he doesn't know, anymore, what freedom and safety and justice actually mean, just that he doesn't have them and he doesn't know where to find them.

that's what that scene meant. not that rehabilitative justice is a pathetic delusion of people who have no idea how to make hard choices.

but that before you advocate for killing prisoners, you might want to see how big that prison is, first.

and which side of the bars you're standing on.

[fatehbaz]

Some updates from the past twelve-ish months:

-- Late 2022: Portland and its mayor (Wheeler) started a major push to ban "street camping". Headlines in major media outlets also described "Portland's first sanctioned mass homeless camp" and how "Portland moves forward with $27 million plan to build mass shelters". In December 2022, Portland-area authorities used the so-called "aggressive landscaping" tactic, installing hundreds of hostile architecture boulders to prevent sitting/sleeping. Also in December, homeless advocates and Disability Rights Washington advocates attempted to halt Spokane's (Washington) clearing of a major camp for hundreds of people, and a federal judge sided with advocates to put a temporary restraining order on the sweep.

-- January 2023: Even in the immediate aftermath of historic cold as far south as Miami and Monterrey, sub-freezing temperatures across the Deep South, and sub-zero-Fahrenheit blizzards sweeping North America for a week or longer around Solstice/Christmas 2022, convenience stores "in Texas, California, New York use classical music to shoo homeless".

-- By March 2023: "Portland Mayor Wheeler unveils first location for city-run homeless camp".

-- April 2023: San Francisco and Mayor Brand announce a major "five-year plan" costing over 600 million dollars "to cut the number of unsheltered homeless in half". (Not a plan to put people in homes or find stable housing, but just to technically put them under the roof of shelter, keeping them out of sight, therefore qualifying them for the strange designation of "the sheltered homeless".) At the same time, San Francisco opened a "long-term homeless shelter on Treasure Island", pushing homeless people onto an isolated island mostly composed of concrete and asphalt.

-- Summer 2023: In May, the city of Phoenix (Arizona) began its project to clear and eliminate its largest homeless camp, known as the Zone, a refuge for hundreds of people. During the record-breaking heat of the summer of 2023, Phoenix cleared the camp systematically, block by block. At the beginning of September 2023, as "Phoenix breaks heat record as city hits 110F [110 degrees Fahrenheit] for the 54th consecutive day", the city cleared the block of the camp where most seniors and the elderly lived.

-- January 2024: About one week ahead of winter holidays (Solstice/Christmas), the City of Edmonton pursued plans to sweep 130 homeless encampments as part of what has been described as a "shocking" eviction plan. In January, the city was clearing camps amidst sustained deadly severe weather, during a polar vortex event with temperatures of negative 50 degrees Fahrenheit and daytime highs of negative 25F. When a court case presented by Coalition for Justice and Human Rights tried to slow the sweeps, a judge sided with them and shut down the evictions.

-- March 2024: Florida's governor signs a new law. NPR describes: "law that seeks to move unhoused people off public property altogether and into government-run encampments".

-- April 2024: The U.S. Supreme Court begins hearing a case from Grants Pass (Oregon) with major implications and potential to incite nationwide "banishment race" and "homelessness crackdown". Lower courts have previously said that city policies (like Grants Pass, Boise, and others) were "cruel and unusual" for fining and/or jailing people for sleeping on public land if no adequate accessible shelter is available. But now?

[destielmemenews]

"Kennedy had been hospitalized after suffering a stroke in her sleep on Oct. 3, her family said.

“It is with our hearts full of love that we announce the passing of our amazing grandmother,” Joe Kennedy III posted on X. “She died this morning from complications related to a stroke suffered last week.”

“Along with a lifetime’s work in social justice and human rights, our mother leaves behind nine children, 34 grandchildren and 24 great-great grandchildren along with numerous nieces and nephews, all of whom love her dearly,” the family statement said."

"She founded the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights soon after husband’s death and advocated for causes including gun control and human rights."

source 1

source 2

source 3

[djuvlipen]

Hey

I know there are many, many things happening in the world right now and there is only so much time, energy and money people can invest in social justice but with the advance of fascism in Europe - 84 fascists from 12 different countries were elected to the European Parliament this year - and with the news of a 15yo Romani teenager dying during a police confrontation in England last week, I have compiled a list of different human rights organizations dedicated to helping Romani people in Europe.

Please donate if you can!

💙❤️💚🦔💙❤️💚🦔💙❤️💚🦔💙❤️💚🦔💙❤️💚🦔💙❤️

🇪🇺 Roma Education Fund

The Roma Education Fund (REF) is an international foundation established in 2005 and dedicated to closing the gap in educational outcomes between Roma and non-Roma. With an active and growing network of representative offices across Central, Eastern, South Eastern Europe and Turkey, REF provides grants and scholarships to entities and individuals who share its belief in quality, inclusive education and desegregated schools and classrooms. The Roma Education Fund is active in countries such as: Hungary, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Switzerland, Albania, Croatia, North Macedonia, Turkey, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo and Russia.

🇪🇺 European Roma Grassroots Organization (ERGO)

ERGO Network mobilizes and connects grassroots, national and international organisations and individuals who share a set of core values to create the courage, capacity and  opportunities to combat antigypsyism and Roma poverty; strengthen Roma civil society participation in decision-making at grassroots, national and European level and commit governments and European institutions to effective social inclusion and anti-discrimination policies, standards and funds for Roma.

🇪🇺 European Roma Rights Center (ERRC)

The ERRC is the largest transnational Romani rights organization in Europe. They provide judicial and financial help to Romani people facing poverty, police brutality and racist violence all across Europe

🇷🇴 Resource Center for Roma Communities Foundation (RCRC)

The operational activity of RCRC includes training programs, consultancy and comprehensive community development in Roma communities. The grantmaking activity of RCRC has involved managing grants and scholarship programs, including the administration of the European Union’s and EAA grants programs focused on health, vocational training, small infrastructure and income generating activities.

🇨🇿 Cesta Von

Cesta von (This Way Out) organization is based in Slovakia. Their Omama program works with the very youngest Romani children in particular. Their aim is a big and important one – extricating the inhabitants of the segregated settlements from the vicious circle of intergenerational poverty. The program targets the development of the intellect, motor skills and social skills in an attempt to increase the chances of children from socially excluded localities at living better adult lives. One of the main conditions for choosing the Omamas is that they must be Romani women who know the excluded locality well (source).

🇪🇸 La Fundación Secretariado Gitano (FSG)

The FSG develops all kinds of actions that contribute to achieving the full citizenship of Roma persons, improving their living conditions, promoting equal treatment and preventing all forms of discrimination, as well as promoting the recognition of the cultural identity of the Roma community.

🇪🇸 La Asociación Nacional Presencia Gitana

Presencia Gitana is dedicated to confronting and correcting negative opinions about Spanish Romani people. They promote all kinds of initiatives and projects to ensure that Spanish Romani people's basic needs and fundamental rights are met and guaranteed, work to promoting Romani culture and advocate for the providing of historical reparation for Spanish Romani people.

🇫🇷 ANGVC

The ANGVC (association nationale gens du voyage citoyens) is a French Romani-led organization whose goal is to fight anti-Romani racism and to improve the living conditions of French Romani people and travellers. They provide judicial help to Romani people victims of environmental racism and police brutality, organize workshops to raise awareness about anti-Romani racism and are now leading a project dedicated to educate people about the Romani genocide, which still hasn't been recognized by France.

🇬🇧 Roma Support Group

The Roma Support Group offers free advice for Roma communities on financial inclusion, debt, welfare benefits and housing. They promote Romani arts and culture, fight for the improvement of mental health within the Romani community and helps Romani people victims of racism.

🇬🇧 Romano Lav

Romano Lav is a grassroots Roma community organisation based in Govanhill, Glasgow. They organize youth-led events including artistic and cultural performances, workshops, exhibitions and educational events.

🇬🇧 Luton Roma Trust

The Luton Roma Trust provides advice to British Romani people about housing, employment and education, helps them find jobs and accessing healthcare.

💙❤️💚🦔💙❤️💚🦔💙❤️💚🦔💙❤️💚🦔💙❤️💚🦔💙❤️

[ew-selfish-art]

Dp x Dc AU: Tucker gets hired by the JL to work on the Watchtower’s cybersecurity... He might have a few friends visit. 

Batman looked over the application for visitors presented to him by Dr. Foley, who was nervously wringing his hands but seemed excited to talk about his two close associates, and it appeared that everything was in order for the pair to be allotted a short visitation time slot. 

The paperwork was established by Batman himself after all, needing a way to permit non-members (His Children) to visit him at his office in the watchtower. Looking over Dr. Foley’s application, the invites to Dr. D. Fenton and Dr. S. Manson seemed to be somewhat warranted.

Dr. Fenton is a well known astrophysicist and Dr. Foley had been upping the security to reflect more complex physics models as the ‘lock’ mechanism for access to Watchtower servers. Dr. Manson was a more controversial figure in social justice but a biochemist to rival Dr. Pamela Isley, not to mention she was someone Bruce Wayne had met a number of times and not completely hated (though he was sure she hated him and everyone else in the gala). She was a fan favorite guest by his children and a great advocate for animal and human rights. 

Batman approves the application, allowing their visitation for a few hours at a time once a week until the completion of Dr. Foley’s project. 

He doesn’t hear much from it, nor from Dr. Foley, but things start to come down the rumor grapevine that the two guests were more than they seemed. Red Robin was the first to comment on it to him, and as practical and efficient Tim could be, there was a look of chaos in his smile as he discussed the two additional PhDs. He was stingy on details and that always meant something bad for Bruce’s mental health. A few others asked a few questions as to who exactly the pair were visiting, and Cyborg commented that they weren’t really doing too much to assist Dr. Foley. 

Batman decides to intervene and meet these two for himself when he hears Constantine complain (not that the man wasn’t always complaining about something) about the two new magic users being way too OP for normal humans. 

This is how the JL gets to become allied with Ghost King Phantom and Thorn (not Poison Ivy pt.2 as Robin insisted). Turns out they weren’t sure if the JL could be trusted with interdimensional politics, so Tucker spent the last two years gaining their trust to let Danny and Sam up here to ‘check the place out’ before they committed to becoming members. 

Batman doesn’t even get to raise alarms at the espionage of it all because Red Robin has already programed their new badges and welcomed them on with open arms and a project to take down the LOA’s Lazarus Pits “safely”.

[hilacopter]

y'all have no fucking right to whine about how israeli leftists and pro-peace activists DoN'T aCtuALLy cARe AbOUt PaLEsTine because we don't spread fucking antisemitc misinfo and don't want our country bombed. perhaps we'd be willing to work with you if you haven't made it abundantly clear you don't want our support, you don't want our work and effort. in fact don't want us to exist at all. our existence infuriates you, it contradicts the black and white narrative you've made up for comfort in which all israelis are genocidal bigoted colonizers who's deaths are justified and welcome in the name of resistance. in which the big brave westerners get to play white savior and cleanse the evil israeli hivemind. you aren't willing to acknowledge us or ally with us because we refuse to work on your terms in which we have to disregard our own history in favor of your own false antisemitc narrative, we have to loathe our existence and grovel for repentance over the sin of being born, or we have to actively cheer for our own deaths. if you want help from the people who can make the most of an actual difference, who can protest the israeli government and military directly, then you're going to have to listen, you're going to have to apologise and you're going to have to compromise. you're going to have to hear stuff you might not like hearing and you'll have to make drastic changes to your movement of terrorist stans. but you've made it abundantly clear you don't actually want that. you only make us more reactionary and bitter by spitting in our faces. I've talked to fellow peaceniks who have lost the motivation to protest or donate out of spite for the western pro-palestine movement. I myself have become much more wary of it all. you're causing us to be resentful and then you complain like we were the problem all along when guess what, human beings (surprise, we are ones despite how much you want to think otherwise) don't have that kind of mental tolerance and you can't expect us to keep advocating for your cause while simultaneously having to tolerate your bullshit. in the end I think you're the ones who don't actually care about palestine, when you're actively rejecting movements and protests that are actually helpful as soon as they don't align with your worldview or your ego or your fantasies of a glorious violent revolution. your standards for what's considered pro-palestine and not "both-sidesing" are absurd, hostile and only harm everyone in the long run. peace is the ideal solution for all but you have made it clear you don't want that, you want "justice" based on your own misconceptions about a 2000 year old conflict you knew nothing about before and know nothing about now. you're in this to feel good about yourselves. I said what I said.

[airokunomega]

@spliffyfuckingmcjingles666

Did you know that Trump tried to ban transgender people from serving in the military? Because he did.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-40729996

Did you know that Trump revoked protections for transgender students, allowing schools to force them to use bathrooms matching their sex assigned at birth? Because he did.

Source: https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/02/22/516290661/trump-administration-rolls-back-protections-for-transgender-students

Did you know that Trump’s administration argued that businesses should be allowed to fire LGBTQ employees simply for being LGBTQ? Because they did.

Source: 6https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/10/09/trump-administration-wants-legalize-lgbtq-discrimination-just-call-it-religious-freedom/

Did you know that Trump appointed anti-LGBTQ judges to the federal courts, many of whom have a history of opposing same-sex marriage and LGBTQ rights? Because he did.

Source: https://www.hrc.org/press-releases/human-rights-campaign-on-trumps-dangerous-anti-lgbtq-judicial-appointments

Did you know that Trump’s administration eliminated LGBTQ health care protections, allowing discrimination in medical treatment? Because they did.

Source: https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/trump-administration-ends-lgbtq-health-care-protections-n1231018

Did you know that Trump refused to recognize Pride Month while in office, breaking a long-standing tradition set by previous presidents? Because he did.

Source: https://www.npr.org/2019/06/07/730707866/president-trump-not-officially-recognizing-pride-month-advocates-say-that-speaks

Did you know that Trump supported “religious freedom” policies that allow businesses to deny services to LGBTQ people? Because he did.

Source: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/07/08/supreme-court-expands-religious-schools-hiring-rights/5395015002/

Did you know that Trump’s Department of Justice stopped advocating for LGBTQ rights in court cases? Because they did.

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/26/us/politics/justice-department-gays-workplace.html

Did you know that Trump’s administration cut funding for HIV/AIDS prevention programs and dismissed an entire panel of HIV/AIDS advisors? Because they did.

Source: https://www.cnn.com/2017/12/29/health/hiv-council-trump/index.html

Did you know that Trump stopped U.S. embassies from flying Pride flags during Pride Month? Because he did.

Source: https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/state-department-tells-u-s-embassies-they-can-t-fly-n1014501

don't tell me that I don't have sources, or that trump loves LGBTQ people. You are being misled. If this doesn't change your view, regardless of everything else I have said, you are obviously too self righteous and dense to understand and recognise that there are possibly facts that are true and opinions that aren't yours that are also valid. Please see that trump is not running for you, he is tricking you into thinking he is for his own personal gain. I'm not saying I love Kamala either, because I don't and the 2 party system sucks and all politicians are garbage people. However, I would rather vote for someone who might not make good on a few good promises, rather than someone who has promised to make ny life hell on his next term.

[wealmostaneckbeard]

The politics in Lancer the mech pilot TTRPG seems center left to me. A good way to explain what's going on in that game's universe is with this overly long metaphor:

Imagine an alternate history where Nixon somehow beat JFK Jr to the white house, and once in office he lets Kissinger go nuts setting fascists up on an accelerated schedule. That's what Union's Second Committee was like. Then Tricky Dick procedes to nuke Vietnam a couple times. That's the Hercynia Crisis and that FTL Piston weapon launch. JFK and company ride the shock and horror of approaching nuclear war into office on the promise of de-escalation and enforcing civil rights, and they deliver. That's the coup that formed Union's Third Committee. Kissinger, Nixon, and the entire pentagon/raytheon corp take over NASA in Cape Canaveral, Florida where they form a tolerated corporatocracy in exile. That's basically Harrison Armory on the planet Ras Shamra. Now a United liberal-leftist front of America is actively trying to tear down dictatorships around the world that Kissinger set up (he got assassinated at some point in this time line) and replace them with socialist democracies. That is Union's Justice/Human-Rights Department and a few other government branches. So far they've had some success although people are pointing out that it's a bit hypocritical that the liberators are using weapons from corporate conservative states where civil rights are discretely curtailed. That's what's driving political discourse in 5016u in Union's legislative body, the Central Committee and it's myriad political parties.

So yeah Lancer's political intergalactic landscape is a bit like modern day? Except also cthulhu is giving out reality-breaking tech to militant civil rights advocates and random civilians? That's what HORUS basically is, btw.

Now that I've written this out, it would make for a good american alt-history with mechs campaign in Lancer...

[zvaigzdelasas]

[Dawn is Pakistani Private Media]

The heinous killing of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh risks tipping the Middle East into “wider conflict”, the chair of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) told a meeting on Wednesday.

The comments from Gambian Foreign Minister Mamadou Tangara came as a senior Iranian official said during the meeting that the Islamic republic would need to defend itself from Israel, which it blames for Haniyeh’s death last week in Tehran.

Iranian and Palestinian officials called for Wed­nesday’s gathering of the 57-member OIC in the Saudi coastal city of Jeddah, saying the body needed to respond to the killing of the Hamas leader.[...]

Haniyeh’s killing “will not quell the Palestinian cause but rather it amplifies it, underscoring the urgency for justice and human rights for the Pales­tinian people”, [Tangara] said. “The sovereignty and territorial integrity of nation states are fundamental principles underpinning the international order.

“Respecting these principles has profound implications and their violation equally carries significant consequences.”[...]

“Currently, in the absence of any appropriate action by the (UN) Security Council against the aggressions and violations of the Israeli regime, the Islamic Republic of Iran has no choice but to use its inherent right to legitimate defence against the aggressions of this regime,” Ali Bagheri, Iran’s acting foreign minister, told the OIC.

[NewStraitsTimes is Malaysian Private Media]

Malaysia has proposed four key measures to support the Palestinian cause, including the establishment of a group of eminent persons tasked with assessing and identifying measures to implement the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) Advisory Opinion.[...]

He said the measures emphasised the need to expand global support for Palestine, leveraging the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) rulings and the unity achieved by Palestinian factions through the Beijing Declaration.

"Such measures should focus on universal jurisdiction and ensure the consistent application of international law," he stated during the meeting in Jeddah, yesterday.

Second, Malaysia called for the reinstatement of the United Nations Special Committee Against Apartheid.

The primary task of this committee would be to halt the illegal occupation of Palestinian Territories (OPT) by Israel and to address the apartheid policies imposed on Palestinians, he added.

Third, Malaysia proposed that the OIC, in collaboration with like-minded countries, request a resumed session of the 10th Emergency Special Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on the Issue of Palestine.

"This suggestion is to discuss the means and ways to implement or "give effect" to the ICJ's Advisory Opinion.

"Finally, we should extend our undivided support and fully assist, in the rebuilding of the Palestinian economy and livelihood post-conflict. This is a key step that would ease their return to normalcy," Mohamad said.

Following the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, who also led Hamas' political bureau, Malaysia called for a concerted effort to counter Israeli propaganda and misinformation.

"Malaysia has always been a strong advocate for peace and stability. As much as we condemn the assassination, we urge all parties to restraint, to avoid escalating the situation into a regional and global crisis.

"The attack in Tehran could well be an attempt to derail the ongoing peace negotiations in the Middle East.

"We should not fall into their trap. Cool heads must prevail. We should support the continuation of the peace process to be resolved at the negotiating table. Diplomacy is the way to go," he noted.[...]

According to [Turkish State Media] Anadolu Agency (AA), the world body also urged the UN Security Council (UNSC) to impose an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire on Israeli aggression and "ensure adequate and sustainable access to humanitarian aid throughout Gaza Strip."

7 Aug 24

[venussaidso]

Rahu Dominant Themes — 𝐍𝐚𝐤𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐚 𝐎𝐛𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 (part 2 of) 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝟕

warning ⚠️: suicide, death, movie spoilers!

All the Rahu nakshatras are ruled by deities related to the weather. Rudra (Ardra), being god of roaring storms. Vayu (Swati), being god of wind. Varuna (Shatabhisha), being god of the seas & sky. This validating the volatile nature of these nakshatras, explaining why they get a reputation of being unstable and emotional in tropical astrology being cast as water signs.

The story of Vayu's son being struck by Indra's weapon and Vayu wishing to cause harm to all his subjects shows the intensity of Swati. Lord Vayu lives inside all creatures. So when his son was severely injured, his rage grew as no one batted an eye, his fury making all worlds start to feel like hell. Creating unhappiness in all lives. Even the gods were miserable, constantly hoping for some sliver of contentment back. Swati is where desire is born from a state of misery and lack. Vayu's rage translated in everybody's affliction. Their punishment being in a cycle of desiring and suffering. Being that Rahu is constantly dissatisfied, chasing things he might never attain, or attaining desired things which never fulfill the heart, we see how it's perfectly expressed with Vayu through Swati. And Vayu himself, representing the rage of injustice in the world and causing obstruction through Swati as I briefly touched on in the first post.

About justice and morality, which I see in the other nakshatras. In relation to Rudra's story: Lord Brahma, the Creator of all creations, was harassing his own daughter (who he created directly from his semen), Saraswati, continuously pushing his sexual advances on her even as she ran away. He sprouted five heads in search for her when she disappeared from his sight. And immediately, Lord Rudra cut off the root of his heads. He condemned him for his incestuous actions and decided that there will be no proper way for anyone to worship him as he is unholy. Brahma was ostracized. Ever since that incident, Brahma has been reciting the four Vedas as a way to repent. Rudra being righteous in the story, cutting what is so clearly wrong and sinful. From that, we can see how this manifests through Ardra as I touched on in the first post.

Then Lord Varuna, ruling over Shatabhisha, is the guardian of moral law. He punishes sinners by binding them with his famous noose which is in the form of a snake. His name can be derived from the Sanskrit root which means 'to surround' or 'to bind'. This referencing the rivers and ocean surrounding the world which are ruled by him and him binding sinners in justice. Varuna plays a crucial role in framing your principles, values and beliefs & religiously operating from them.

Despite these deities literally being deities and natives with these nakshatras just being human, we can still see how there can be righteousness expressed through them in many ways. And fighting/advocating for what's right in a sinful society. A lot of advocates I found have other recurring nakshatras such as Uttara/Purva Ashada, Uttara/Purva Bhadrapada, Revati, Hasta, and Ketu nakshatras. And among the list are also Rahu nakshatras or Rahu influence.

Some examples above of important activist figures who fought societal inequities and inhuman laws in history with Rahu nakshatra/prominent Rahu influence.

Endless desire being birthed from dissatisfaction is a theme also found in Ardra. And that is because of Rudra. Rudra was created from between Brahma's eyebrows as a result of his anger which was triggered by his ignorant passion. The Bhagavad-gītā scriptures describe the essence of Rudra in such a way: Krodha (fury/rage) is the product of kāma (desire/lust), which is the result of ignorant and egocentric passion. It is when the desiring is unsatisfied that rage is born. This causes one to become enslaved by their senses, the material world, and their desires. Such themes manifest through Ardra, which forms a powerful axis with Mula. Mula which kills all desire and ego as it recognizes it as the root of all evil. Mula, who is ruled by the deity Nirrti, who is also known as the ferocious Goddess Kali - slayer of men! Kali grants liberation by removing the illusion of the ego. Emphasizing that we are the eternal I AM and not the body. Goddess Kali is a manifestation of Rudra/Shiva. Though, they oppose one another. Both being ferocious, they are still at two opposite ends of the spectrum. Rudra's rage being driven by desire and the ignorant ego, Kali's rage destroying desire and ego. The two deities ruling the two nakshatras which are at opposite axis of each other, being perfectly paired with the representative shadow planets Rahu and Ketu, which is so fitting.

The most perfect media story that represent these respective energies is the Turkish drama called Aşk-ı Memnu. In which the female lead is played by a Mula Moon and the male lead is played by an Ardra Moon (with a Swati Sun). And the Latin telenovela version of it, Pasión Prohibida, in which the female lead is also played by Mula Moon and the male lead is played by an Ardra Moon again!

The male character in this forbidden love story starts to lust after his uncle's newly wife and eventually she ends up desiring him as well. They both give into their desire and start to have a secret affair which leads to them falling for each other. Their sinful/lustful relationship leads them to misery. The male character, being Ardra, ends up feeling wrongful and rejects her when she proposes them to run away together. She even plans on divorcing his uncle in order to be with him, but now he's choosing to run on a false/illusory moral compass "doing the right thing" (yet he's still hiding the truth from his uncle). Her, being Mula, acknowledges they're in love and is willing to expose everything for them to be together (Ketu being unrealistic and irrational). She realizes her attempts at convincing him are futile, and she ends up killing herself on the day of his wedding to another woman and their affair gets exposed to everyone. She did this knowing it will bring him his very own death. He dies too, figuratively. On the finale, both soap operas show how he is left with absolutely nothing in the world. This being the works of Kali through Mula, killing him and draining him of everything. Because it all started with the Ardra character, he initiated the affair and pushed his lustful advances on her. Rudra, desiring and lusting, only creating his own downfall. So perfectly shown in these soap operas.

Now, Rudra can be the destroyer of desires as well. As he creates misery, he can destroy it. He is the Destroyer, and he acts as a healer. Rudra literally means "one who destroys all problems from their roots", which emphasizes the power of self-liberation. Emphasizing the self-power Rudra holds! And just like Vayu was the bringer of unhappiness, he is also the ones who breathes life and happiness into all living things as well. This shows the dualistic nature in Swati and Ardra, and the power these nakshatras holds.

There seems to be an understanding in self-creation and manifestation in all three of the nakshatras. Vayu is the breather of life and happiness, but also the bringer of misery and death. Rudra is the creator and destroyer of illusions. Varuna being the king of the universe. It's very interesting to find manifestation themes in films that have some Rahu and Rahu nakshatras roles playing around them. Such as the film 13 Going On 30.

13-year-old Jenna, played by Christa B. Allen who has Moon conjunct Rahu, wishes on her birthday to be a successful, beautiful, charismatic 30-year-old version of herself.

And her wish comes true as she wakes up as her desired version, played by Ardra Ascendent Jennifer Garner.

And the film 16 Wishes directed by Swati Sun, Peter DeLuise. A teenage girl has created a list of things she wishes to happen on her 16th birthday and everything manifests exactly the way she wanted.

Both stories show the dissatisfaction experienced by the main characters with their manifested desires, which perfectly shows the nature of Rahu. After getting everything they wished for, they still want to go back to the way things used to be before.

Interestingly, the theme of 'trapped in a movie' is something that I found related with Rahu influence. For example, the film The Final Girls is about a young girl, who just lost her mom, getting teleported into a movie starring her mother. The actress playing the young girl is Taissa Farmiga, who has her Moon Rashi Lord in Swati and her Atmakaraka planet in Shatabhisha. And the film is made by Todd Strauss-Schulson who is an Ardra Sun and Swati Moon.

Also, The Truman Show, starring Swati ASC Jim Carrey, who plays a insurance salesman who is oblivious to the fact that his entire life is a TV show watched by the entire world, that everybody around him is an actor — everything around him is a fake simulation.

Then, there these two kdramas, titled "W" and "Extraordinary You". In W, a young woman teleports into a famous web comicbook which was written by her father and meets the main character whom she falls in love with, later realizing that she was the one who created him from a childhood drawing (which her father took inspiration from). He comes to the truth of his nature as a 2D-character and decides to take control of his own destiny from the writer. He is played by Lee Jong-Suk, who is a Shatabhisha Moon. And his love interest who indirectly created him is played by Han Hyo-Joo who is a Shatabhisha Sun.

Then, in Extraordinary You, a high school student realizes on her own that her reality is not real. And she then discovers that she is not only in a comicbook, but she is a background character in which her doomed destiny is decided by the writer. She attempts to change that, wanting to fulfill her desires (Rahu) and dreams of love. She is played by Kim Hye-yoon, who is a Swati Moon. And another character who comes to the realization of the unreality of things (and that he never had a choice in his identity) is played by Lee Jae-wook, who is also a Swati Moon.

Rahu is very much material-world-based, as everything that drives it is purely based on ego and all things of the five senses. It's outwardly chasing, engaging with the world purely on changing it, and attaining desires. Rahu represents the modern-world. Hustle culture, hook-up culture, productivity, transactional relationships, to-do lists, politics, activism etc. All these things that are a part of the human ego's world. It feels real because it's all happening to your ego. But Ketu kills the ego, thus killing the illusions (the world surrounding the ego), and Rahu drives the ego, thus upholding the illusion around it. I mention this very obvious observation as a way to connect all the mentioned films above.

Although it'd be very fitting for Ketu to be the one who awakens you first from the illusions, it is actually Rahu. The films 13 Going On 30 and 16 Wishes showcasing one's attainment of their desires being very unfulfilling and even wanting things to go back to normal - thus appreciating the things you took for granted. It could even go so far as to deciding to walk a spiritual path from all the resulted emptiness from material things. Then that's where Ketu 'welcomes' you.

The very unreality of the world we live in is incredibly Rahuvian, especially the discovery that you were 'never really human' but merely a character. This theme, from a Ketu perspective, suggests that you are Consciousness, and you fooled yourself into believing you were a mere human because of how the world (Rahu) appeared to be so real to your human mind. So "you got lost in the sauce". And the identity you think you are is as unreal as the world, it's all an illusion. Ketu challenges, "If not the body, if not the thoughts, if not the story you've been told, if not the emotions, who am I?" Rahu cannot answer. Rahu can only showcase the unreality of things, such as the Rahu-influenced kdramas I mentioned above; "W" and "Extraordinary You". It is Rahu that causes illusions, and waits for you to break the illusions.

One theme I found interesting and noteworthy which has Rahu/Ketu influence is body swapping. Popular films I found carrying this concept of people's 'souls' switching bodies have an underlying message of understanding someone else by literally walking in their shoes. And also valuing the life you had before, being grateful for what you took for granted, and having a better understanding of other people. The understanding that no one's life, no matter how flashy and stunning it seems, is really perfect or worthy to put on a pedestal. This understanding being mostly showcased in films such as 'The Change-Up' and 'Freaky Friday'.

In Change-Up, two best friends have polarizing lifestyles. One is a busy lawyer who is a responsible father and husband. And the other is an actor who is still a free, bachelor playboy. Both desire each other's lives and a body swap happens, which has them realizing how challenging it is to be each other. Now they want to revert back to their original lives, now valuing what they took for granted. It stars Ryan Reynolds, Swati Moon, and Jason Bateman who has Mars in Swati. In Freaky Friday, a mother and daughter who don't understand each other at all end up body swapping and they learn things they never knew from experiencing each other's lives, which heals their relationship. The film stars Lindsey Lohan who is an Ardra Sun and Jamie Lee Curtis who is Mula ASC.

Then the two films you see on the left are about two pretty teenage girls swapping bodies with unattractive looking, greasy criminals (one a robber, another a murderer). Comedies showing how ludicrous it is for greasy looking, middle-aged, white men to have the soul of a teenage girl, though the movies do show the beautiful bond between friends who can recognize each other even if they were in another body. This likely playing into 7th house and 11th house themes as Hot Chick stars Swati/Libra natives, Rob Schneider & Rachel McAdams. And Freaky starring Shatabhisha/Aquarius natives, Vince Vaughen and Kathryn Newton. (As shown in the visual)

Here are more examples of body swapping movies/tv shows shown above: "Alchemy of Souls (season one)", "Mr Queen", "It's A Boy Girl Thing", "Dating The Enemy", "Secret Garden".

Thank you so much for ending here! Now, onto preparing the next post like this about ketu 🫠 byeeeee.