Irish Bishops : Symbolism or Action?

This is a letter I sent out today to Irish and UK Media.

To the Editor,

Regarding the THE CATHOLIC Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin and the Cardinal Archbishop of Boston Seán O’Malley, who washed the feet of a carefully selected group Survivors of clerical child sex abuse in “an act of humble service” at Dublin’s Pro-Cathedral, this Sunday February 20th.

This is nothing less than a Roman Catholic Version of 'green-washing'; only direct action by the Church to hand over to the Public Prosecutor all abuser priests, all files relating to allegations made by Survivors, all files related to the Churches private canonical 'investigations' (redacted as required to protect the interests of Survivors, subject to their approval), all files related to various private agreements between the Church Officials and State, Health and Welfare Officials, and Police Officials, and to offer up their wealth and resources to help Survivors, and finally and importantly to let Survivors speak out, as freely as required, that and nothing else.

Action is required, not symbolism. Once the action has been complete, let the symbols of that action be created to inspire a future where the rights of the child, as enshrined in the United Nations Convention on The Rights of The Child, are, in material terms, at the very heart of our Society.

Kindest regards

Corneilius

Do what you love, it's Your Gift to Universe

Here's a  video of The Silent Protest by Survivors outside the Catherdral in Dublin, after the Mass...

The Letter was published in the Irish Independent on 27th February 2011... 

Kevin Annet, UK speaking tour and The ITCCS

My dear friends, Happy Spring!

May the joys of the season of budding-ness flow freely for you.

This is a time of renewal.

Here's an event I feel happy to support. There will be more like this, I think.

This month February 2011, Kevin Annett, arrives in Europe to speak about his work, and to advocate for those whose voices have need of hearing.

He will be touring, with readings from his new book, screenings, meetings, lectures, radio shows and more, in Britain and in Europe for the next month.

_______________________________

 Weds 23th Feb 7.00 pm

http://www.housmans.com/events.php

'Canada's Genocide: One Man's Journey to Uncover the Truth’

with Rev. Kevin Annett

Housmans Bookshop, 5 Caledonian Road, King’s Cross,

London, N1 9DX

_______________________________

Sat 26th Feb 11.30am - 1.00pm

http://www.bpec.org/

 Brighton Peace & Environment Centre - book signing and demo

 39-41 Surrey Street, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 3PB

_______________________________ 

Sat 26th Feb 2.00-4.00pm

 Earth and Stars (pub) - lecture

26 Windsor Street, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 1RJ

_______________________________

Fri 11th March 7.30pm

 Quaker Meeting House

21 King Street, Hereford HR49BX

_______________________________

Sat 12th March 2.30pm to 6.00pm

 Crown Hotel

 43 Lime Street, Liverpool, L1 1JQ

_______________________________

Wednes 16th March 5.30 - 8.30pm

 Bosworth Independent College

 Queen's Building

Barrack Road

Northampton

NN2 6AF

_______________________________

Fri March 18th 7.00pm-10.00pm

 SOAS (School of Oriental and African Studies), UCL

 Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, London WC1H 0XG

Kevin learned about the Canadian Indian Residential School System whilst he was a start-up Pastor for a small community near Vancouver, Port Alberni.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Indian_residential_school_system

He learned it from the Survivors themselves, and followed that up with a detailed review of all historical documents on the matter, and found that yes, indeed, their harrowing stories were more than common: ubiquitous.

He started to speak out about the matter, in the spirit of true remorse at what his own culture had done to another, in the spirit of empathy and compassion and found there was little support from his Church. The United Church of Canada... or from The Canadian State.

The Church, as an Institution, was deeply implicated in the materialisation of that hidden history, and the hiding of the history itself today. As was the State. This whole system of residential 'care' for the purposes of 'assimilation' of the Indian' was all legislated for, by statute, and funded by State and day to day operations were handed to Orders of Priests, Clergy and Laity,

He turned his research into a book, which he self published. It was removed from Canadian Libraries, and Colleges and is now available on-line.

This following is a document that is partly foundational, in that it lays out the philosophy, the key thinking, the cold rationalisations, the preposterous assumptions, the abject justifications for these systems of 'assimilation'. This Document originated in the USA, though it forms part of a body of work that was a world-wide process.

http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/4929/ 

"Beginning in 1887, the Federal US government attempted to “Americanize” Native Americans, largely through the education of Native youth. By 1900 tens of thousands of Native Americans were studying at almost 150 boarding schools around the United States."  They were sent there under duress.

Kevin continued to work as a Pastor, and to share what he knew, to build awareness, to remove the veil, expose the lies. He met and continues to meet resistance, and sometimes extreme hostility, not least from the United Church of Canada.

For being truthful and honest.

He made a documentary about the Canadian Indian Residential School System, the reveal and expose, the stories of survivors, the documented proof of those stories.....

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6637396204037343133# - UNREPENTANT

"documentary reveals Canada's darkest secret - the deliberate extermination of indigenous (Native American) peoples and the theft of their land under the guise of religion.

This never before told history as seen through the eyes of this former minister (Kevin Annett) who blew the whistle on his own church, after he learned of thousands of murders in its Indian Residential Schools..."

***Best International documentary - 2006 Los Angeles Independent Film Festival

***Winner: Best Director for and International Documentary - 2006 New York International Film Festival.

Kevin's work is part of a worldwide net-work of Survivors and their Advocates, who are a diverse population, spanning Nation States, creeds, cultures, all with a common story, and a common wisdom, the wisdom of experience, which by being heard, informs and heals.

It matters not which Institutions or which people are those who act in such a clearly mediated and abusive manner, what matters is that where ever it has occurred, it must be addressed, and where it is still occurring, it must end - and it cannot be said to have ended until full restorative justice, with all that that naturally entails, is actively and materially seen to be done.

http://www.restorativejustice.org/

I hope you have time to explore this matter, as a friend to all people .....

May the spring be auspicious, and may a new flowering of honesty and empathy prevail amidst the noise.

Kindest Regards

Corneilius

do what you love, it's your gift to universe

In June, 2010, the The International Tribunal into Crimes of Church and State (ITCCS) was established. Drawing on the work of advocates and Survivors from Canada, the USA, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Australia it will start the process of addressing these matters as a world-wide unified campaign.

The International Tribunal into Crimes of Church and State - http://itccs.org/about/

It's 5 basic principles are:

1. Full reparations for survivors,

2. Full disclosure of the crimes,

3. Repatriation of the dead,

4. Criminal prosecution of those responsible,

5. Preventative measures to ensure that the crimes against children end.

----------------------------

And it's coming to London, this September, 2011.

Kindest regards

Corneilius

Do what you love, it's Your Gift to Universe

Regarding the news media reports on Monday the 14th of February 2011 about the Church's potential collapse in Ireland.

To the editor,

Regarding the news media reports on Monday the 14th of February 2011 about the Church's potential collapse in Ireland.

If the Church had put up it's hands, had opened up and allowed those abuser priests to be brought to justice, and had offered to make Restorative Justice a material reality for all Survivors, the Church would have become a 21st Century Hero Institute.

Instead the Church denied, covered up, blamed others, engaged in crisis management and intimidated those who pursued legal course of justice, Survivors and their advocates alike, employing techniques they KNEW would re-traumatise Survivors just to knock them down, or throw them off balance.

This is a criminal act in and of it self, pouring more salt on the already unspeakable wounds inflicted on Survivors.

For this is deserves to be utterly dis-established, its wealth taken in it's entirety to provide material support for all Survivors. Not as an act of revenge, but as an act of Restorative Justice. No survivor that I know of wishes harm to anyone.

Those State Governments and Institutions that have co-operated with the Church, or denied their own involvement must also shoulder their portion of the responsibility.

Those of Faith can continue to practice their Faith at the grass roots whilst assisting in the processes that will bring true Restorative Justice if they wish for their Faithfulness to be taken seriously.

If they don't, are they in danger of denying the teachings of Jesus?

What would Jesus do?

Kindest regards

Corneilius

Do what you love, it's Your Gift to Universe

Reclaim Love, Egypt and Empathy

Saturday 12th February, London

We gathered, a small group of some 200 or so happy souls, to celebrate Love.

Piccadilly Circus, London, under the statue of Eros. Solar Powered Mobile Sound Systems, Solar Powered Samba Drummers, Solar Power People, colourful, decorated, laughing.

In it’s 10th year, Reclaim Love, is one woman’s vision to bring more Love into the world.

There are Reclaim Love events in many countries, all occurring on the same day, the Saturday closest to St. Valentines Day, February 14th. From one event to many events world-wide, the Reclaim Love Journey has been one of trial and error, success and growth. Thus we discover, we learn, we succeed and we thrive.

They gathered, initially some few hundred thousand, to confront Power.

Tahrir Square in Cairo, under the gaze on the Military Dictator, Mubarak. Christian, Orthodox, Jew, Atheist, Secular, old, young, men and women.

Mubarak in his 30th year of Rule. A rule enforced by violence, supported by Western Governments, that has cost many Egyptians their lives, has kept many Egyptians in Poverty, that has made some few Egyptians incredibly rich, that has taken money from tourists who gaze in awe and wonder at the pyramids, which were built by slaves, on the command of divine rulers, whose mythology today spawns countless insanities, new gods to frighten and fascinate the minds of all too easily manipulated people.

Mubarak, who has betrayed many, amongst them the long suffering people of Palestine, for a few baubles, for narcissism.

Mubarak, who sent in his Police and thugs, who shot 300 people in an attempt to break this demonstration, this confrontation of Power.

People who, under duress and the fog of water cannon, of tear gas, continued to pray, to offer prayer. Christian and Muslim protecting each other. People who refused to break.

There we saw the real Power of Love. The bridge of empathy.

And over the past few weeks we have watched as these Egyptian people of all sectors, of all creeds, of all ages have held the streets.

They have held the streets because they have looked after each other, cared for each other, even as Mubarak and the State shut down the internet, shut down mobile phone communications and land lines, even as many thousands were being arrested off-screeb, some tortured, many beaten.

Love in action.

A people cannot resist unless they are committed to looking after each other. When we look after each other, when we cover each other’s back, we are free from the worry, that draining paranoia which comes from knowing one’s back is not covered.

This is Love.

Self-Governance is the action of love, expressed by looking after each other, by covering each others backs, by protecting each other from potential attack. By tending each others wounds. When everyone is keyed to this, then all can face forward and focus on the task in hand. Together. Such is solidarity.

This is the real meaning of the Tribe – it is not a collective of ideology, or of religion, nor is it a fashion statement. It is a living  expression, the material expression of how we care for one another, how we cover each others backs.

And love cannot thrive unless there is empathy. For it is empathy that builds the bridges between faiths, between people’s whose beliefs are diverse, between generations, yet whose flesh and blood remains the same, hurts the same, loves the same.

We in the UK have a long, long way to go to be able to do our part.

Because our Governments and Corporations and Bankers have supported and continue to support the most cruel and tyrannical rulers, of all kinds, in many countries. This is our history. This is our present. That support has cost many, many people their lives. That support has resulted in many people living in poverty, in fear, in terror.

All for the purpose of protecting ‘strategic interests’.

Profit and power.

And they will continue that support.

We are the only people who can watch the backs of the Egyptian people, by confronting our Governments, Corporations and Bankers, by demanding that they cease their support for venal, cruel, authoritarian rulers, Miltary forces or installed puppet Governments who pay lip service to ‘democracy’ whilst lining their pockets and toeing the Empire’s line.

That would be an act of love. An expression of material support, and sing of genuine empathy.

Whilst the Egyptian people can take and hold the streets, whilst they can hope that the Military will act with honour and integrity, whilst they face the massive ISI and Police Institutional Power and work rid it of the corrupt, the bullies, the torturers, whilst they organise and hold elections and work towards a constitution that demolishes centralised executive Power, rest assured that those who supported Mubarak for so long will not desist from their intent to dominate, to control, and be aware that the only people who can break that support from the outside are the people’s of the USA and UK and Europe.

We have a moral duty, and an empathic obligation to act with Love.

We abandoned the Afghani people in the winter of 2001.

We abandoned the Iraqi people in the spring of 2003.

The Irish, American, Australian and Canadian peoples have all but abandoned the Survivors of Church and State Residential School Systems.

We must not repeat those mistakes. We must not abandon the people of Egypt.

We must adress these problems directly.

And this must be a step in the long journey towards an empathic society, one that justifies the description ‘decent’ and 'humane’.

Kindest regards

Corneilius

Do what you love, it's Your Gift to Universe

A Survivors Manifesto

An alarming number of adults in the so-called 'civilised' world have little or no empathy for themselves as infants and small children - most have no recall of those times, which is why that empathy seems rare.... and so this also explains why most parents are at a loss with babies and small infants and therefore tend to try to control them, because they have no empathy, they cannot sense the childs needs... and so controlling the baby feels safer and so they look for INSTRUCTIONS.... and are vulnerable to those who give instructions - yet the body knows and if trusted the adult can learn empathy again and recover....

As a child I was beaten, humiliated, punished, or neglected in one way or another, almost daily, and I HAD to believe that I was wrong and deserved the beating, just to maintain my psyche,  even if I did not understand WHY I was being beaten (or their reasons for it). 

I also had to believe the FAITH they hammered into me and that brought me great fear, for I feared I was sinful, nasty, ugly,

It took a long, long time to lose those beliefs about myself.... to find my true heart, my natural integrity.

I consider myself VERY lucky to have made that journey, and whilst it IS infuriating that so many of my brothers and sisters are still stuck in the beliefs and denial, my REAL anger is directed at all those who ensure that the conditioning continues; for the rest, patience and empathy.....

My story is not at all rare, and comparitively speaking, I was lucky..... the stories I read of other childrens lives make that very clear : my point here to make it clear that many, many people have been conditioned by circumstance and Society, rather than truly loved... and only those who are truly loved, not least by themselves, can resist that conditioning in meaningful ways....

I know what it is like to be conditioned and fearful.

I deeply appreciate all the love and support I have received and continue to receive...

I never urge survivors to speak out, in public, unless they themselves feel ready to do so.... just as I would never push a child to do anything. It's always be...st to wait until the child feels eady.

I do urge survivors to find someone they can confide in, to break the silence for themselves - and I do understand that finding that empathic person can be difficult even frightening.

I tell my story to encourage a deeper understanding of what it is to be a Survivor, for there are so many in this society.

Even though I detest war, and think soldeiry a fools game, I FEEL for those troops who return from active combat duty, the many thousands who can just about cope, the many thousands who don't and who 'fall through the cracks' because those around them do not understand what violent trauma does to a persons soul - the movies do not tell the truth about violence and it's effects, neither will the media -and neither wil the NHS, the Health Service nor Social Services....

So it has to be Survivors who do this, and it has to be those strong enough and in a position to do it, because ALL survivors need to be heard, we need to be held, to be allowed to cry, to scream, to vent for this is an essential part of the healing, no matter how uncomfortable it might be for others....

The wounded experience lies trapped beneath those unexpressed cries and wails, is walled in in an attempt to keep it alltogether, to 'fit in' and that keeps us permanently wounded, closed down, shuit off from the full vitality of life.

That is something that no-one deserves.

The stiff upper lip approach has it's merits in a traumatic situation, with limitations, yet beyond that it becomes a trap, a form of denial and assures that trauma patterns are repeated, in one form or another.

And then there are those who adapt to that societal trauma, whose abuse becomes thier identity, and who inflict abuse without conscience or remorse and become part of the System of Power that drives war, neglect, inequality, abuse.. who often 'succeed' and run banks, corporations and countries.... dangerous people, damaged people, charismatic people..... what of them?

Tony Blair, George Bush, Hosni Mubarak, Saddam Hussein, Myra Hindly, Ian Brady, Fred West, David Cameron, the various CEOs of Rapacious Corporations, The Pope, the Abuser Priests, Nuns, Men and Women, children even, the torturers, the bullies and beaters and killers amongst us ...... how are we to deal with these people and how are we to avoid the creation of such damaged people in the future?

How are we to deal with the Institutions that are founded in old patterns of abusive Power?

http://www.restorativejustice.org/

How can we build Institutions that are empathic, and responsive to the needs of us vulnerable human beings, that responds to the needs of the habitat and all that dwell therein?

For it is the case that such people are rarely born, they are the outcomes of Society and Institutional Power as it is.

These are the questions that I muse on, for my childrens sake, for their childrens sake, for yours and all.

I do not have to be perfect to engage thus. I do not have to wait until I have it all sorted out.

I certainly do not have all the answers and I am so glad that there are many good men and women working on these same problems, doing so honestly, with integrity and empathy, and with diligence, day in, day out for entire lifetimes.

I am encouraged that so much is now know and understood of the dyamics of abuse, of the biology of empathy, knowledge that is practical, that replaces belief with action that makes a difference.

What better legacy for our children could there possibly be, better than all the fine buildings, the great works of art, the exploration of space (where no-one human lives...)?

"Of all the preposterous assumptions of humanity over humanity, nothing exceeds most of the criticisms made on the habits of the poor by the well-housed, well-warmed, and well-fed". -Herman Melville, novelist and poet (1819-1891)

http://www.alicemiller.com

http://www.birthpsychology.com

http://www.violence.de/prescott/bulletin/article.html

Kindest regards

Corneilius

Do what you love, it's Your Gift to Universe