Australians March in March to Show No Confidence in Government

March In March Australia 2014, three days of peaceful assemblies, non-partisan citizens’ marches and rallies at Federal Parliament and around Australia to protest against government decisions that are against the common good of our nation.

This signifies a ‘people’s vote of no confidence’ in government policies and decisions that go against common principles of humanity, decency, fairness,social justice and equity, democratic governance, responsible global citizenship and conserving our natural heritage.

Many Australians are deeply concerned with the way our country is being governed. Not just at the present moment, but in general. They are concerned over issues which directly affect them, their families, and indeed all Australians. They are concerned about the policies and behaviour of all Australian political parties. They are concerned with the direction in which Australia’s great civil society is heading.

Democracy doesn’t end at the ballot box. It is the right, if not duty, of all Australians to hold our elected representatives to account; to remind them that they are, above all else, public servants. We must inform them regularly, daily if need be, of our concerns with the issues that affect all Australians. We must participate directly in our democracy in order for it to be truly representative.

Read more » http://revolution-news.com/australians-march-march-show-confidence-government/

Chetti Chand, Sindhi Nain Saal Joon Mubarkun Jai Jhulelal

CHETTI CHAND, SINDHI NEW YEAR!

It is a time of Sindhi New Year again when many of us to stop to take time out from our busy life and join in Chetti Chand celebrations. As we reunite with family and friends to honour the traditions of Chetti Chand and the memories, let’s: Remember the diversity of our Sufi secular values and beliefs at the time of Chetti Chand celebration. Let’s pledge to change the world to one that shares opportunities with everyone through fairness and justice. Let’s dare to create the peaceful world we want. Let’s make the world around us practice, access, equality and inclusion for all. This is just a small message of Sindhyat, peace, love, happiness and hope of Chetti Chand. Sindhi Nain Saal Joon Mubarkun/ Wadhayoon and Jai Jhulelal to those who want to make Sindhi Boli ain Sahit Sabha an inclusive reality of our World.

Jesus was a socialist and also the world’s greatest revolutionary

What would Jesus do? – by Mehdi Hasan

Conservatives claim Christ as one of their own. But in word and deed, the son of God was much more left-wing than the religious right likes to believe.

Was Jesus Christ a lefty? Philosophers, politicians, theologians and lay members of the various Christian churches have long been divided on the subject. The former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev once declared: “Jesus was the first socialist, the first to seek a better life for mankind.” The Venezuelan president, Hugo Chávez, went further, describing Christ as “the greatest socialist in history”. But it’s not just Russian ex-communists and Bolivarian socialists who consider Jesus to be a fellow-traveller. Even the Daily Mail sketch-writer Quentin Letts once confessed: “Jesus preached fairness – you could almost call him a lefty.”

That conservatives have succeeded in claiming Christ as one of their own in recent years – especially in the US, where the Christian right is in the ascendancy – is a tragedy for the modern left. Throughout history, Jesus’s teachings have inspired radical social and political movements: Christian pacifism (think the Quakers, Martin Luther King or Bruce Kent in CND), Christian socialism (Keir Hardie or Tony Benn), liberation theology (in South America) and even “Christian communism“. In the words of the 19th-century French utopian philosopher Étienne Cabet, “Communism is Christianity . . . it is pure Christianity, ” …

Read more : Newstatesman

Pakistani-Canadians: On Egypt

– Message of Solidarity by the Committee of Progressive Pakistani-Canadians to The Egyptian National Association for Change (Canada).

by Omar Latif, Committee of Progressive Pakistani-Canadians

The Committee of Progressive Pakistani-Canadians congratulates the Egyptian people on their success in ousting the dictator Hosni Mubarak and salutes their heroic and historic struggle against dictatorship and for freedom, democracy and social justice.

Backed and supported by the US and other western countries the Egyptian regime, like many other Arab regimes – as indeed most of the governments in Pakistan – have served the interests of the rich internally and that of imperialism regionally.

The Egyptian armed services, just like those of Pakistan, receive well over a billion dollars annually from the United States, most of which ends up in the pockets of senior officers. The ties and cooperation between the security agencies of the US with those of Egypt – as with the security forces of Pakistan – are even closer. Along with you, we hope, these relationships will end.

The Saudi monarchy – the most reactionary, despotic and US-dependent of the Arab regimes – has also played a significant role in aiding and abetting undemocratic and unjust regimes in the region – including those of Pakistan.

Jemima Khan on Assange; Don’t shoot the messenger; The Assault on Assange Is an Assault on All Americans

Why did I back Julian Assange? It’s about justice and fairness

by Jemima Khan

Why did I offer to provide surety for an alleged rapist, a man I have never met? That’s the question even my mother asked me after I appeared in court for Julian Assange.

That morning I had sent a spur-of-the-moment message of support by email to Assange’s lawyer, Mark Stephens, when I read of his arrest. He immediately responded and asked if I would be prepared to come to court in the next hour to act as a surety for Assange. I was nervous about the inevitable media circus, but felt that it was the right thing to do after being convinced by Stephens that it could help.

Assange has not even been charged, let alone convicted. Swedish prosecutors do not have to produce any evidence that he committed the alleged sexual offences to justify the warrant. On the basis of the allegations that I heard read out in court, the evidence seems feeble, but I concede that I don’t know the full facts. Neither does Assange. Stockholm’s chief prosecutor, Eva Finne, who heard the evidence against Assange in August, threw the case out of court, saying: “I don’t think there is reason to suspect that he has committed rape.”

Read more : Guardian.co.uk

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To read article of  Naomi Wolf – The Assault on Assange Is an Assault on All Americans –   CLICK HERE

Road to Riches for Sindhis

By: Ali Nawaz Memon

We have been fighting for FAIRNESS IN FEDERATION of Pakistan. It means that we Sindhis have been asking for our share of riches or wealth of Pakistan. Of course no body listens to us. When I raised that question again during a seminar last weekend in Washington, I annoyed many non-Sindhi friends. They saw it as Punjabi and Muhajir bashing.

We must continue our struggle to make Sindh and Sindhis prosperous through political and collective means. However, personal struggle is the key for success. If we want to be rich, we must become familiar with ROAD TO RICHES.

As a practitioner of economic development, when I look around, I see many rich people. Who is rich? From point of view of Sindhis or average Pakistanis, some one who has assets of about one million dollars, is plenty rich. It does not mean that some one has a million dollars in bank account. It means that value of his home, cars, other investments is about one million dollars.

How did average American get rich, that is a long story. Let us focus on relatively rich Sindhis only in USA and Sindh.

Some are born rich. They inherit lands and business from family. Some have become rich through corrupt means of bribery and dishonesty. But let us focus on self made people who have traveled honest and hard road to riches.

I think blessing of Creator has to be there. After that, I see following characteristics of relatively rich friends:

1. They were good students in schools and colleges. If you are not a good student today, you have to start studying harder and become a better student. You can improve yourself any time.

2. They chose professions which had demand in the society– doctor, engineer, accountant, banker, business etc. People must need your expertise and service. They must be willing to pay for your service. You cannot become rich if your education and expertise is not in demand.

3. Not only they got degrees, but they learned and mastered their subjects. Every person with medical degree does not become rich. But if you have studied enough and become a good doctor, you have a good chance of success.

4. They entered professional field. Being competent and good in their field, they got jobs and learned more on jobs.

5. They struggled and got advanced degrees or education in Pakistan or abroad. Foreign education was not essential but helped a lot since they got higher and more specialized education. Many good professionals have become rich enough with pure Pakistani education.

6. They saved some money every month and invested it for purchase of home, land, business etc. The savings and additional income that it generates is very important towards becoming rich. As an example, a deposit of one lakh rupees in a Pakistani bank can get you about one thousand rupees per month for rest of your life.