Black Friday

I woke up this morning devastated.Since then it's all felt weird and out of sync as I seek to understand and contemplate how  a climate of  fear has beaten that of hope , fiction has beaten fact and our country has been catapulted into the unknown and .deeply regretting  that the  people of Britain have been deceived and manipulated into believing that Brexit will bring about relief from the grinding austerity that is destroying lives and communities. This is the wonders of democracy, that before  the gloaters get carried away  voted 51.9% voted for Leave; 48.1% for Remain.But only 37.5% of the electorate secured the result for Leave. We should remember the 62.5% who did not show their support.for Brexit who will also now have to suffer the consequences.A hollow victory for Murdoch and money men hiding in the shadows .
Yep I'm not very happy, had Noman effing Tebbit on the TV earlier  telling us all to  calm down, but how can oh we, when we have woken to such a fractured country and it seems their are many out there gloating in this situation, taken in by the likes of farage and co, time now to heal, but how, .... as Donald Trump arrives happy as a *** of **** this master of division, and the forces of racism and far right nationalism already bleeting... yes tears have been rolling down my cheeks this morning, a feeling of great shame, so Cameron has resigned whoop whoop, are we supposed to thank him now, after all it was him who engineered all this shit,and his mates in the Bullingham Club still happy as larry, and time to make room for Boris, and poor old Jeremy Corbyn will probably be ousted now, the media will seize their chance and any hope of the Labour Party  to become a party that tries to push for progressive radical change will be lost  as the forces of the right sneakily emerge to take advantage as they certainly will.. Unless their membership stays on course, decide to find someone else geared up for the fight ahead, or  bravely carry on regardless, with principle prepared to continue the fight for social justice,fairness, not just for the  privileged few.
In the meantime lets get ourselves ready for loss of wages, loss of jobs, loss of NHS, loss of Rights and Laws that protected us,the many vital rights at work in the UK that were derived from EU law, guaranteeing things like paid leave entitlements, protections from being forced to work excessive hours, discrimination protections and rights for working mums to be that might now be lost.and will see even more loss of services and even more assets sold of to line their own pockets, get yourselves prepared  for more austerity and other brutal changes that are going to come at us  inn a blink of the eye. But it could now see now Scotland pushing for independence, a vote on Northern Ireland leaving the union to form a unified Ireland, a general election in the UK, a Labour Leadership election and a Conservative Leadership election and .then perhaps Wales too,  might take time to reflect . UKIP  will now though need a name change as the idea of a United Kingdom ceases to exist anymore in this fractured divided country.
Rant nearly over,  though a tad bitter I remain forever an optimist  theirs still glimmers of hope among these days of uncertainty, so here's to those that keep trying to build a better world based on equality and humanity. to another future, a  moment of time that feels safer than now, a place that for many that no longer seems to exist. hope too that the trust of  neighbors can be regained  friends ,who can remind us every day that we have more in common than that which divides us and that a better world is possible..
Hey ho iechyd da, pob lwc x

Jo Cox friend of Palestine

The British Labor Party MP Jo Cox, who was brutally  killed last Thursday in broad daylight, on the streets of Birstall, a West Yorkshire village in her constituency on June 16th was a devoted compassionate friend of Palestine, refugees and immigrants,champion for the less fortunate; for the socially ostracised, for women; and for diversity.who dedicated her life to helping lives of people on the other side of the world, for human rights and advocated for the end of the Israeli occupation of Palestine. She often spoke against Israel’s mistreatment of Palestinian children and called on Israel to end its practice of detaining young underage Palestinians. Mrs. Cox - whose 42nd birthday would have been today frequently advocated for the rights of Palestinians' to self determination and for enforcing international human right law to protect the rights of young Palestinian children -both in her charity work and as an MP.She said in February that moves by they that moves by the Conservative government to use legal threats to curtail the boycott of Israel were “a gross attack on democratic freedoms. It is our right to boycott unethical companies.”
Jo was a true humanitarian. Who used her own voice to give the voiceless a strong, powerful voice and used hers  to hold governments to their humanitarian obligations a huge loss, the Palestinian people have lost a true friend and defender of their rights.long may we remember her.
In the following link she speaks on the arrest detention and treatment of children in occupied Palestinian territories :-.

http://www.jocox.org.uk/2016/01/07/jo-cox-on-the-arrest-detention-and-treatment-of-children-in-occupied-palestinian-territories/ 

"Parliament held an urgent and thought provoking debate this week about the way in which children are arrested, detained and treated in the occupied Palestinian territories, writes Jo Cox.

Westminster Hall, the overspill venue for backbenchers to hold debates when time pressures on the main Chamber won’t allow, was jammed with MPs keen to contribute and listen to what was a fascinating, deeply troubling discussion.

Israel is the only country in the world that systematically prosecutes children in military court and the differences between how Israeli children and Palestinian children are treated are stark. For example, an Israeli child subject to civil court proceedings has to have access to a lawyer within 48 hours. Yet a Palestinian child can be left without legal guidance for as long as 90 days. This, and many other disparities, underline the existence of a two tier justice system operating in the West Bank. One where Israeli children are subject to the rule of law; Palestinian children are not. This disparity of treatment, along with the estimate that 59,000 Palestinian children detained by the Israeli military since 1967 are likely to have been physically abused in one way or another, is deeply disturbing. It is also a clear and fundamental abuse of basic human rights and international law, including the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

There are a number of very worrying trends that impact upon these Palestinian children and during the debate I raised the issue that 65 per cent of children report being arrested in what are often ‘terrifying’ night raids by the Israeli military.

Night raids cause a huge amount of distress to children and their families. UNICEF have powerfully argued that “all arrests of children should be conducted during daylight, notwithstanding exceptional and grave situations.” A short lived Israeli pilot scheme, unconvincingly implemented, involved issuing summonses in place of night-time arrests. But these were increasingly served after midnight defeating the intended purpose.

Personal accounts provide an insight to what children are subjected to – they are often arrested in the middle of the night by armed soldiers, their hands are bound, they are blindfolded and taken away on the floor of a military vehicle. There are also reports of them being subjected to physical and verbal abuse throughout.

Another worrying trend is that almost three quarters of children detained report not being informed of their right to silence, the fundamental right afforded anyone arrested on suspicion of a crime. This is to stop the risk of self-incrimination, a particular concern for vulnerable children.  One case documented by the organisation Military Court Watch shockingly reported that a Palestinian child was told by one interrogator that he had the right to silence while a second told him he would be raped if he did not confess.

Thirdly, the issue of transferring detainees en masse from occupied territory is a very serious issue, and is, in fact, a war crime. Yet monthly data released by the Israeli Prison Service shows that almost half of the detained Palestinian children from the West Bank are transferred to prisons inside Israel.

This is a breach of the Geneva Convention. The added human impact is that these unlawful transfers mean families struggle to visit their children often over many months.

Estimates put the number of Palestinians detained since 1967 at 850,0000. Of these almost 100,000 are children. Between 500 and 700 children are prosecuted each year, with stone throwing the most common charge. This often brings with it a sentence of between 10 and 20 years.

And worst of all the number of children involved is increasing. As of last month the number of children in detention was up to 470 – over a 200% increase since last September.

These abuses have been going on for nearly 50 years. As my colleague Sarah Champion MP, who sponsored the debate, said – this situation requires decisive action to ensure we meet our international legal obligations."

Remain

This referendum is about the type of country we want to live in. Been pondering about this for awhile but in past week my mind has firmly been made up
I'm objectively against the concept of the EU. The current leadership in Brussels is dominated by political forces that seek to erode the social gains won in the past. Their is the issue of trade deals like TTIP that would hardwire privatisation and deregulation into our political system.Many of the member states remain wedded to austerity economics and have imposed their destructive policies on the people of southern Europe. I was disgusted by the way it imposed oppressive austerity measures  on the people of Greece and Spain, and it is after all another corporate superstate, hugely undemocratic and unrepresentative,decisions affecting every man, woman and child on the continent are being made in ways it is increasingly difficult to understand and some profoundly reactionary interests dominate the EU institutions, aligned with big business and elite interests, the EU is in dire need of reform and more democracy,  it's all a bit of a mess quite frankly. The anti capitalist argument against the EU has a good case  yet at the same time the the EU does an awful lot of protections like workers rights, maternity leave, human rights and environmental safeguards,  health and safety legislation, holidays, regular breaks etc. Things I don't trust the UK to keep up with. Certainly not under Cameron. And do you really trust the likes of Farage and Johnson  when it comes to workplace rights and human rights.In fact, many of the worst EU policies, like TTIP, are precisely the ones that the UK government is most supportive of and would retain, emulate or even expand if Brexit were to occur.
Ideally we wouldn't be at the mercy of the EU or the UK government but whilst they still have such a strong say on the lives of normal people I will always choose the lesser of the evils. At the end of the day whoever we vote for the powerful always seem to get what they want. I will not be voting for the EU, per say but Brexit I don't think is the answer.
What has really consolidated my view is what has been going on recently. The campaign terrain has been marked out by the right wing eurosceptic Tories and by their outriders in UKIP. The British electorate has been told in increasingly strident terms that British “national sovereignty” is at stake.Another, slightly less subtle, message is also being delivered. Unless “Britain” rejects continued membership of the EU, the ethnic and cultural integrity of the nation will be threatened—the argument goes. The UKIP leader, Nigel Farage, has warned us of the dangers of waking up and finding Romanians have moved in next door. The implications, we will be told, are clear: for as long as the country is part of the EU, “the swamping” of the indigenous British population by alien migrants from the other EU countries cannot be halted. The noxiously chauvinist tone that has ­characterised so much of the debate about immigration invariably takes on an openly racist colour particularly when applied to the Roma people from EU states in Central and Eastern Europe.
The Leave campaign have created such a mood of toxicity in the country that resembles the one in Germany when Hitler won his first election. It has increasingly taken on a dangerous edge, warped poisonous and hysterical. It is horrifying to think where Britain will be heading if the Leave win. Every day I thank my lucky stars that I live where I do. I can't imagine how it must feel to be a refugee. To feel rejected and unwanted with no home to go to. I want to live in a country where people truly care about other human beings and who can show compassion. I want us to work together with our neighbours for the good of all people. 
There can be no doubt that if Britain leaves the EU many European regulations restricting working hours and other employment and social reforms will be scrapped. The anti-EU right also demands a rolling back of the powers of both the EU Court of Justice (ECJ) and—more urgently—of the European Court of Human Rights (EHCR). The British Tory establishment has been outraged by some of the rulings of the ECHR in particular,for instance to give prisoners in jail the same voting rights they have elsewhere in the EU. Even more objectionable to the Tories have been ECHR rulings to protect the human rights of immigrants at risk of being deported by the UK. The ECHR is itself outside the remit of the European Union. But the ECJ is bound by the overarching decisions of the ECHR when ruling on matters of specifically EU law. The Tories want a “British” convention on human rights to replace the European convention. Anyone doubting this would deliver a serious blow to civil liberties and human rights in Britain is not living in the real world.
It is possible that the vote on Thursday could produce a democratic fracture in UK politics. It is not the most likely scenario but it is possible. The only thing we know for sure is that after Thursday the winner will have been a member the Bullingdon club. Staying in however we can keep on pushing for change and reform working steadily in solidarity with our European friends as part of a  Europe-wide movement against austerity, racism and xenophobia, not left alone and isolated from our European neighbours.
The above reasons are  why I am voting to remain. We have far to much to lose.
 SHARE this if you believe Britain is at our best when we’re outward-looking, inclusive and we stand together.

Halfway there ( a poem for the summer solstice)

      

                  
                        ( in time of rising hate, fear and division, a moment of contemplation)
                                                          happy summer solstice   

Surging through veils,
to enhance, to heal,
recharge, renew, reveal,
time to celebrate,
through spirit, mind, and heart,
the turning of the seasonal wheel,
under the influence,
of a full strawberry moon,
swirl in peace for awhile,
solitary or in company,
kiss goodbye to the last shades of spring,
pay homage to forces of nature we trust,
as earth's darkness returns to light,
and summertime is reborn.

World Refugee Day

 
Today the world commemorates the strength, courage and resilence of millions of refugees. World Refugee Day was first marked in 2001.Tens of thousands of people around the world take time to recognize and applaud the contribution of those forced to flee.The annual commemoration is marked by a variety of events in over 100 countries, involving government officials, aid workers, celebrities, civilians and the forcibly displaced themselves.Never before have the immediate needs of vulnerable children and their families been so great. Some 20 million refugees half of whom are children, have been forced to flee violence, poverty and persecution from places such as Syria, Somalia, South Sudan and Central African Republic taking perilous sea voyages over the Mediterranean. According to the International Organisation for Migration, over 20,000 migrants have died in their attempts to reach or stay in Europe since 2000, and according to the United Nations, only one per cent have been resettled. It is imperative that they should be given help, protection and long term solutions.
Together, we should be creating an outpouring of compassion and show individual refugees that they are welcome here.but the persecution of refiugees continues, whipped up by forces of racism spreading fear and misinformation about security and terrorism.The EU Referendum campaign has sadly contributed to this unleashing some of the most heinious manifestations of racism we have seen in generations. Those on the far right across Europe are eager to use the crisis to further scapegoat immigrants.Last week UKIP leader Nigel Farage had the audacity to stand in front of a poster chillingly reminiscent of nazi propoganda depicting long queues of refugees heading for Europe. Earlier he stated that violence would be the 'next step ' when people felt that nothing could be done about immigration through democratic means.
It should be pointed out that despite whatever one thinks of the European Union it is a leading global donor of aid. It gives more than one billion euros a year for humanitarian assistance to support those forced to flee their homes. This funding is vital, providing access to shelter, food, healthcare, sanitation, education and other essential services. A necessary humanitarian response to one of the worst crisis's since the Second World War. In the circumstances, it could be argued and more than justified that they contribute even more. The EU is morally, and indeed legally, obliged to share some of the refugee burden
In light of this as continuing tragedy unfolds, some of the countries most able to help are shutting their gates to people seeking asylum. Borders are closing, pushbacks are increasing, and hostility is rising. Avenues for legitimate escape are fading away.Since the beginnings of civilization, we have treated refugees as deserving of our protection. Whatever our differences, we have to recognise our fundamental human obligation to shelter those fleeing from war and persecution. It is time to stop hiding behind misleading words. Richer nations must acknowledge refugees for the victims they are, fleeing from wars they were unable to prevent or stop.History has shown that doing the right thing for victims of war and persecution engenders goodwill and prosperity for generations. And it fosters stability in the long run.
The world needs to renew its commitment now to the 1951 Refugee Convention and its principles that made us strong.To offer safe harbor, both in our own countries and in the epicentres of the crises, and to help refugees restore their lives.In this context it is sad to report  that on Saturday 18 June 2016, the Convoy to Calais was refused entry to France. Over 250 vehicles carrying many tonnes of much needed aid for refugees in the 'Jungle Camp' stuffed full of desperately needed aid; food, sleeping bags, tents, clothes; love were turned away at the border by the French authorities. The reasons given for refusing the convoy entry were spurious, including the 'State of Emergency', football hooliganism and the threat of terrorist attack. None of these had any connection with this humanitarian mission.While two lorries and a handful of cars and vans managed to get through, less than half of the aid collected was delivered.
The organisers of the Convoy to Calais made it clear to the French authorities that there was no intention to cause any disruption or hold any kind of demonstration or protest, when in France.This was a convoy delivering aid and solidarity to some of the poorest and most vulnerable people on the planet who governments across Europe are trying to forget. A truly shameful state of affairs, a dangerous reaction, short-sighted and morally wrong.
Today and tomorrow we must continue to stand up for refugees.We must remember that arms trade helps exacerbate the crisis,plus poverty and inequality, war and conflict, we need to build bridges not more obstacles and borders.
In the meantime please consider signing the following petition :-

 https://t.co/8emWi22DWc


Aziza Brahim performs refugee Blues

Amnestea

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Please Come for tea and Cake! this Sunday 19th June 2016 2.00–5.00pm  
Raise some money for Amnesty International's human rights work.

Merlin’s Lair, 
Capel Iwan, 
Newcastle Emlyn 
SA38 9LS                   

Everyone welcome - Croeso i  Pawb

*Relax to Live Music by L’Attitude  *Bookstall  *Plant Sale *Jewellery Sale 
Come whatever the weather, always a lovely event, friendly and hospitable.

Amnesty is non-political and does not accept money from Government, however the Government will double any money we raise (from the International Aid Budget).

We are raising money for an Amnesty project in Burkina Faso and Sierra Leone where Amnesty is working to help local communities to organise themselves to stop child marriage (girls as young as 10 forced to marry old men) and FGM, 

32 years anniversary of the battle of Orgreave

On this day in 1984, the battle of Orgreave took place when striking miners faced off against thousands of police under the jurisdiction of Margaret Thatcher as they attempted to blockade the Orgreave coking plant. The police showed the lengths they would go to break the strike with violent attacks, mass arrests and deliberate but fortunately unsuccessful attempts to fabricate evidence and frame miners. The insult was added to by the BBC reversing footage of miners defending themselves from police attacks to try and make out that the police were attacked first. 
It was one of the most brutal attacks by the state on its own citizens of the last 20th Century.It saw the police  going berserk under state orders, repeatedly  attacking  individuals  wherever they sought refuge,  as they fled into a nearby Wheatfield and into the community of Orgreave, where the police  carried on their pursuit through the streets. A scene of ugliness, fear and menace, as  all concepts of Law and order that  the constabulary  were supposed to withhold abandoned all its basic principles.
 At the end  the day  over 100 people were arrested, for no crime whatever, with many  more being injured along with  the Miners leader Arthur Scargill. Following Orgreave, the police  conducted a deliberate  and co-ordinated  attempt to frame arrested miners  for one of the most serious events  on the statute book - the offence of Riot. No police officer has ever been prosecuted or even disciplined for their role in the terrible events that occurred.

 The  miners strike of 1984 was one of the longest and most brutal in British labour history. A community fighting for jobs and survival was wholly denigrated and depicted as violent by the majority of the media. 32 years later  many still seek some form of justice.Today all the victims  of this bloody confrontation,are simply asking for an apology for the actions taken out against them. We should never forget, today the Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign (OTJC) are calling on supporters to join them in a march and rally for truth and justice  at 5pm at The Old Bridge, Orgreave Lane, Sheffield S13 9NE. Supporters are encouraged to commemorate the day when 95 miners were arrested and wrongfully charged and many others were violently assaulted and wounded by a police force charging on horseback and wielding truncheons.
The huge demand for a public inquiry  since  the Hillborough  verdict  should help  to expose the real truth of what happened on that day, achieve justice and make it easier for both the mining community and the police to move on

For  further details of the Orgreave Peace and Justice Campaign

I refer you to this excellent site

http://otjc.org.uk/

An earlier post on the 30th anniversary of the Miners Strike can be found here

http://teifidancer-teifidancer.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/30th-anniversary-of-miners-strike-their.html

The following is a pamphlet by a striking anarchist miner :-

https://libcom.org/history/tell-us-lies-about-miners-dave-douglass