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News archives (pdf)

News 2009 (76KB)

December, 2008 (122KB)

2003-2008 (32KB)

 


  

News

June 2010

Tenpa TK. We were saddened at the sudden passing of Tenpa TK in South India in late May. He was an old friend and colleague whom we met in the early 1990s at a Tibetan settlement in South India. He did a wonderful job during his time as BODHI's India Field Representative, performing his duties with integrity and a rare insight. We remember him as dedicated to his people, for whom he worked tirelessly. All his work was made more remarkable by his labouring through his ill health. We are proud to have been associated with him. Our deepest condolences to the family.

Minutes (PDF 98KB) are now available of the BODHI Australia Annual General Meeting, which was held in Canberra on 13 June 2010.

Australian Religious Response to Climate Change (ARRCC) Eco-Award dinner. Colin and Kabita attended a multi-faith Eco-Awards Dinner on June 5 in Sydney, Australia to recognise achievements in and take up the challenges of climate change within faith communities. The 5 award categories are for churches, communities (2), children and young people and individuals. The ARRCC, founded in 2008, works to raise awarensss about climate change and empower practical action.

 

May 2010

26 May

 

Susan, Jeannie Chapman (below) and Piya Chakma (left) attended the Australian Observance of the United Nations Day of Vesak at Parliament House, Canberra, Australia. Members of Australia’s three main political parties (Laurie Ferguson and Stephen Conroy — Labour; Phillip Ruddock — Liberal and Scott Ludlam — Greens) were present in addition to diplomats, the Sri Lankan High Commissioner, religious representatives and members of the public.

The theme for the year, ‘Global recovery: the Buddhist perspective’, was addressed in a message sent by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. He talked about the displays of solidarity essential in today’s increasingly interdependent world and said, ‘Only by showing regards for others can we succeed in tackling the great challenges of our era: reducing poverty and hunger, reversing environmental decline, voiding catastrophic climate change and creating a world of freedom, peace and justice for all.’

The event was organised by the Buddhist Federation of Australia, whose goal is to enable the development of Buddhist groups and communities of all traditions.

 

May 25

Colin's in Thailand at the 7th Conference of the United Nations Day of Vesak. He is chairing the seminar on Ecology and Buddhism, at which he spoke on 'The Middle Path to a greener future'.

On behalf of the panel, moderators and audience, Colin and William Yaryan presented the panel's findings in 'Ecology summary: Global recovery through Buddhist ecology'.

Watch this space for more.

BODHI Community Adviser Mr Kulottam Chakma has submitted a report of his recent trip to Mizoram, NE India, An account of a Chakma village in Mizoram, March 2010 (PDF 1.9MB).

April 2010

New in Post Graduate Medical Journal: an article by Colin and David Harley called 'Primary, secondary and tertiary effects of eco-climate change: the medical response'. Actions to reduce individual emissions, to promote active transport (with its ‘co-benefit’ of preventing chronic disease), and involvement in group action to protect the environment and to prevent war, informed by understanding of the health of individual patients and populations, will be central to the practice of ecomedicine (emerging discipline that includes climate change, ecology and global health). See also Medical Director's Desk.

Abstract (PDF 40KB)
Full text (PDF 105KB)

Colin has been appointed as co-editor of EcoHealth, journal of the International Association for Ecology & Health.

 


March 2010

Social reformer and journalist Irom Sharmila Chanu (b.March 14, 1972), the Iron Lady of Manipur, continues a hunger strike (satyaghraha) begun in 2000 (she’s kept alive by a nasogastric drip) to protest the misuse of military power in NE India.

She was nominated for the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize for using non-violence to address issues of human rights, peace and women’s empowerment.

Her goal is for the state of Manipur’s Armed Forces Special Powers Act, 1058 (AFSPA), to be repealed. Amnesty International has formally adopted Sharmila as a prisoner of conscience, and argues that the AFSPA grants ‘impunity for perpetrators of serious human rights violations, including extrajudicial executions, enforced disappearances, rape and torture.’ Please visit https://bangla.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/ASA20/003/2010/en for more information.

Irom Sharmilia Chanu's friend Les Coutinho adds from Kerala, ‘More than just female literacy, there is a long tradition in Manipur stretching back to the days of British rule of militant political women activists. They celebrate two wars won by women against rulers of the day (using their weaving staves as weapons). The women are attributed with tackling domestic violence issues, and ending rampart alcoholism.’

'Keep Wings from Pigs to Curb Reston ebolavirus'

News from Mobile Medical Clinics, CHT, Bangladesh.

Is the ritual slaughter of a bull morally acceptable? Here is one philosopher's view.

Does development aid alleviate poverty? Here's one view.

One of the late Sir John Crofton's last interviews and letter to BODHI

February 2010

Is ritual bull slaughter morally acceptable? Professor David Benatar examines a Zulu rite of passage from a Western perspective in "Cultural value cannot justify cruel slaughter," reprinted with permission from Cape Times. See also The Pig Page and Mailbag.

Does development aid alleviate poverty? Is development aid based upon flawed assumptions? Prof Solomon Benatar, BODHI's Ethical Adviser, reflects upon these and other questions in "Why development aid hasn't eased poverty," reprinted with permission from Cape Times.

BODHI has responded to a plea for help from Susanta Chakma by providing a one-off INR- 50,000 for the salary of a teacher at Bijoypur School, Changlang District, Arunachal Pradesh, Northeast India.

From WHO Bulletin: In one of his last interviews, the late Sir John Crofton talks about his seminal research into multidrug therapy for tuberculosis patients in the 1950s that laid the groundwork for the WHO-recommended tuberculosis treatment today.

January 2010

Happy New Year, everyone!

Start the decade off right by becoming one of the "Global Voices for Peace in the CHT" (Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bangladesh). This campaign began during the week of the International Human Rights Day (10th December 2009). It aims to encourage the Prime Minister of Bangladesh to implement the CHT Peace Accord which her government signed 12 years ago with the indigenous peoples of the CHT. For more please visit our Human Rights page.

Health education progress at SNEHA School in AP, India

Last year BODHI added a health-education component to our support for this SNEHA school. Mr Susanta Chakma writes, 'With the support of BODHI, we started health education programme and provided de-worming medicines to the students. For safety and security of SNEHA, medicines were given to the students in front of the parents.

'Health education in sanitation for instance washing of hands after defecation, causes and prevention of water-borne diseases, malaria, nutrition, etc is provided to the children regularly during assembly, in classrooms, in moral science period and during school weeks. Students prepare different charts and diagrams on different health issues during school week, etc. Different health issues are also part of the syllabus of Science.'

Check out the new BODHI Times (1023 KB)

 

 

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