, https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/headlines/eu-affairs/20210420STO02415/
EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement: press conference with leading MEPs | News | European Parliament
, https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20210426IPR02826/
Virtual Tibet Lobby Day urges European Parliament for action on Tibet
A screengrab from the virtual European Tibet Lobby Day event.
On April 19, 2021, a virtual European Tibet Lobby Day was co-organized by the International Campaign for Tibet and the European Parliament’s Tibet Interest Group. Participants from six countries in Europe suggested concrete ways in which the European Parliament could further increase its support for the Tibetan people.
The participants were six Tibetans living in six European countries: Ms. Kunsel Rinchen Dorjee from the Netherlands, Ms. Tenzin Dhazay from Ireland, Ms. Yeshey Paden from Sweden, Mr. Tenzin Khentse from Poland, Mr. Kelsang Gonnot from France and Mr. Lobsang Wangpo from Belgium.
The event started in the morning with a briefing session during which participants were given an update on the human rights situation in Tibet, EU-China relations and the state of Tibetan advocacy and activism, and agreed on the main topics and messages they wanted to share with European parliamentarians.
Participants then reconvened in late afternoon for a special online meeting of the European Parliament’s Tibet Interest Group hosted by its chair MEP Mikuláš Peksa (Czech Republic, Greens/EFA). MEPs Hannes Heide (Austria, S&D), Aušra Maldeikienė (Lithuania, EPP), and Carles Puigdemont, Clara Ponsati and Antoni Comin (Catalonia, NA) also took part or were represented.
After briefly introducing themselves, the 6 lobbyists of the day each gave a brief overview on a specific Tibet-related issue – namely freedom of religion and the succession of the Dalai Lama, access to Tibet, education and language, environmental issues, self-immolations and Chinese influence in Europe. They also suggested concrete ways in which the European Parliament could further increase its support for the Tibetan people- including passing a resolution condemning Chinese interferences in the succession of the Dalai Lama or calling for the release of Tibetan arbitrarily detained for their environmental activism, such as Anya Sengdra. “We talked about the fact that there is no freedom of religion, no freedom to learn your own language, that nomads are not able to have their grassland, that the environment in Tibet is being harmed… In short, the whole lives of Tibetans are affected (…) Tibet is suffering (…) 157 people have put themselves on fire just with this hope that we people who live outside in the free world would do something about it; I think we should not let their hope down and we should do something about it.” Yeshey Paden appealed.
MEPs welcome this opportunity to exchange directly with Tibetans: “Sometimes you read about things, and it’s not the same than listening to you; you are Tibetans, you know what it’s like to fight for your nation, to fight for your culture, to fight for your freedoms, and to do it from abroad”, the parliamentary assistant to the three Catalonian MEPs Aleix Sarri i Camargo noted. “I think it’s very positive that there is a new and young generation of Tibetans in exile dealing passionately with Tibetan issues, and I wish you all your best for your work for the Tibetan cause” Hannes Heide added.
They also positively to the ideas raised; on the issue of the succession of the Dalai Lama for example, Mikuláš Peksa for example said “No state should define who should be the successor of the Dalai Lama (…) how could the EU state anything else?”, Mikuláš Peksa said, adding that the adoption of a European Parliament resolution condemning Chinese interferences in the process was something realistic in the near future.
The meeting was concluded by Tashi Phuntsok, Head of the Office of Tibet in Brussels, who thanked the Tibetans participants for their commitment to continue the Tibetan struggle for justice and freedom in exile.
The Lobby Day was organized entirely online this year, as the ongoing pandemic and sanitary restrictions made it impossible for participants to travel to Brussels for in-person meetings with Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) as is usually the case.
ICT Quote by Vincent Metten, EU Policy Director
“Tibet Lobby days create a unique opportunity for young Tibetans from different European countries to directly share their personal experience and stories with members of the European parliament and to provide concrete recommendations for the EU on Tibet. The motivation and commitment of this young group of Tibetans show that a new generation of Tibetans born in exile is ready to continue the struggle for freedoms and fundamental rights for the six million brothers and sisters that live in Tibet.”
Watch the video recording of the Lobby Day meeting with Members of the European Parliament here.
Horizon Europe: how the EU invests in science (infographics) | News | European Parliament
, https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/headlines/economy/20210422STO02652/
Former Presidents lead the Class of 2021 I Change Nations Global Civility Icons
<div class="eh-ribbon">
Trusted News Since 1995
<span class="prof not-if-mobile-w820">A service for publishing professionals</span>
<span class="not-if-mobile-w820">·</span>
<span class="date">Monday, April 26, 2021</span>
<span class="not-if-mobile-w430">
·
<a class="article_live_counter" href="/live_feed">539,434,893</a>
Articles
</span>
<span class="not-if-mobile-w550">
·
3+ Million Readers
</span>
</div>
</header>
<footer>
<div class="sitemap">
<h2 class="subheading-osc g_roboto">News Monitoring and Press Release Distribution Tools</h2>
<div class="row-fluid">
<div class="span3">
<section>
<h3>News Topics</h3>
</section>
<section>
<h3>Newsletters</h3>
</section>
</div>
<div class="span3">
<section>
<h3>Press Releases</h3>
</section>
<section>
<h3>Events & Conferences</h3>
</section>
</div>
<div class="span3">
<section>
<h3>RSS Feeds</h3>
</section>
<section>
<h3>Other Services</h3>
</section>
</div>
<div class="span3">
<section>
<h3>Questions?</h3>
</section>
<br/><section>
</section>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</footer>
<!--[if lt IE 9]>
<script src="/js/excanvas.min.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
<![endif]-->
<!-- Start Alexa Certify Javascript -->
<noscript/>
<!-- End Alexa Certify Javascript -->
<!--[if IE 7]>
<script type="text/javascript" src="/js/json2.js"></script>
<![endif]-->
Scientology Volunteer Ministers of South Africa: Helping Essential Workers Take Care of the Country
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES, April 25, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ — One of the new terms that entered into the vernacular over the past year of pandemic is “essential workers.” These are the people who see to the health, transportation, food and safety of their towns and cities. Often taken for granted before, they have become recognized as heroes, especially by those who depend on their services when their country goes into lockdown. But while the essential workers take care of the rest of us, who takes care of them?
In South Africa, the Scientology Volunteer Ministers took on that job, volunteering their services for the past 13 months to help those we depend on. Their work is featured in a series of videos on the new interactive timeline on the Scientology website: 20/21: A Look Back & A Look Ahead.
“You guys came in here to help us,” says the SAPS (South African Police Service) colonel in charge of a Johannesburg precinct in one of the videos. “You guys take care of our foot soldiers by sterilizing our vehicles. This is what we call police-community partnership. It sends a message to everyone.”
They also help stem the spread of the virus through educational materials. The Church of Scientology created a series of booklets and videos that are all available free of charge in 21 languages through the How to Stay Well Prevention Resource Center on the Scientology website. They have been translated into Zulu, Sotha and Xhosa—the languages spoken by nearly half the nation. Volunteer Ministers have handed out more than a million copies of Stay Well booklets in South Africa in the course of their work.
For one police training officer, it is the information provided by the Volunteer Ministers that he values most. He says most people didn’t understand the risk of the pandemic much less how to protect themselves and their families. These booklets have made all the difference.
The commander of a fire station in Gauteng Province recalls his concern over his staff being exposed to COVID-19 when responding to incidents. “If I’m not safe, then I’ll be a hazard to the community,” he says. By sanitizing his station and vehicles and training his staff it puts them in control.
The fire chief of another station describes the Church of Scientology as “coming to our rescue.” He thanks them for “committing themselves to enter these high-risk areas, stabilizing, putting their lives at risk,” and describes their continued support as “a blessing.”
The volunteers also clean and sanitize orphanages and homes for the elderly and train the caregivers on how to protect themselves and those under their charge. One caregiver describes his dilemma: although it puts him at risk to come to work, he sets his concerns aside because those in his facility need his help. He is grateful that the Volunteer Ministers disinfect the home and make sure the staff and their beneficiaries learned how to take care of themselves. “It puts us at ease,” he says.
An executive of another emergency service in Tshwane finds it “very heartwarming to know that when you are on the frontlines, there are other people making sure you are safe,” and says, “thank you to the Church of Scientology for having emergency service workers and the preservation of life and the livelihoods of people in mind.”
For more information, visit the Scientology.org interactive timeline, 20/21: A Look Back & A Look Ahead, at scientology.org.za/20-21.
The Volunteer Ministers program was created in the mid-1970s by Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard. It is a religious social service sponsored by the Church of Scientology.
The Scientology Volunteer Ministers of South Africa are headquartered at Kyalami Castle in Midrand, South Africa, which was dedicated on New Year’s Day 2019 by Scientology ecclesiastical leader Mr. David Miscavige.
William B. Orenic students given opportunity to review newly-released books
… new kids’ online book review program they are pioneering … platform sends her class new books – some even before their … who is participating, read the book, “Kid Innovators: True … fascinating, she added. The book tells the childhood backgrounds of …
Revealing Joe Biden’s hatred of humanity and religion
ANALYSIS/OPINION:
On Tuesday, April 20, 2021, President <a href="/topics/biden/">Biden</a> and his administration filed an appeal in federal court seeking to force all doctors and hospitals in the United States, regardless of religious conviction, to provide transgender surgeries to all patients who request such services.
If this doesn’t disturb you, then your heart is black and your soul is cold.
This is not just a story about the Democratic Party’s undeniable disdain for religion and its ongoing war against Judeo-Christian morality. It is not just another sad tale of the progressive left’s relentless attack on our Constitution and its enumerated First Amendment rights. No, this is not just another chapter in the ongoing saga of cultural elites presuming to push their moral nihilism on all of American society. There is another common theme here that is even more disturbing and sinister.
In case you missed it, here it is: Our nation’s political class, whose poster child at the moment is a man who thinks the word Psalms is a reference to a tropical tree, has a palpable disregard for people and for what it means to be a human being.
At its core, Mr. <a href="/topics/biden/">Biden</a>’s attack on Christian doctors and Catholic hospitals is a story about the left’s hatred of people. It is a story about misogynists who deny women are real. It is a story about misandrists who declare all men to be toxic. It is a story about misopedists who seek to disavow children of their innocence and even take their lives. At rock bottom, this is a story about misanthropy: the general hatred, dislike and contempt of the human species, so much so, that you will deny the very definition of what it means to be a human being.
It is now an irrefutable fact. The Democrats and their socialist Squad hate humanity. They hate boys so much that they teach them it’s better to be a girl, and a little nip and tuck can make it so. They hate girls so much that they tell them they can no longer have their own showers, toilets and sports. They hate women so much that they deny the female is even a fact. They hate men so much that they declare masculinity to be a social disease.
In what world can anyone argue with a straight face that any of this is moral, right or humane?
How can you possibly believe in the dignity of children while at the same time applauding drag queen story hours?
How can anyone pretend to respect the value of every man when your default position on all that is wrong with the entire history of the world can be summed up in two words: “male toxicity”?
<a name="pagebreak"/>
How in the world can you claim to believe that Black lives matter when you kill more Black babies in New York each year by aborting them than you celebrate Black babies by letting them be born?
We need to stop for a moment. Take a deep breath and ask a couple of questions.
If Mr. <a href="/topics/biden/">Biden</a> and his political party support the humanity of women, then why do they tell us that women aren’t objectively human, that they are make-believe; social constructs rather than biological facts?
If Democrats actually believe in all men’s rights, then why do they parrot Critical Theorists who angrily teach that some men — particularly White ones — are irredeemably wrong?
If they are so worried about the future of humanity because of global warming, then why do they support policies aimed at reducing humanity (by as much as 90%!) in order to save humanity from global warming?
And if they are so heartbroken for children at our borders, why do they then support Planned Parenthood’s sale of a child’s heart for profit?
Do you see the disconnect? As rational beings, we are smarter than this. But our national brain trust seems to be brain-dead. We will never be a people of common sense if we persist in doubling down on this nonsense.
If the <a href="/topics/biden/">Biden</a> cabal truly believes in human dignity, then maybe they should stop deconstructing human identity.
If they are really fighting for human rights, then maybe they should stop forcing doctors to dismember the human body.
Maybe these champions of science should stop denying science, and maybe in their march against hate, they should admit it’s nothing short of hateful to force Christian physicians to castrate little boys and Catholic hospitals to sexually mutilate adolescent girls.
But, hey, at least we don’t have to deal with all those mean tweets.
<em>• Everett Piper (dreverettpiper.com, @dreverettpiper), a columnist for The Washington Times, is a former university president and radio host. He is the author of “Not a Daycare: The Devastating Consequences of Abandoning Truth” (Regnery) and, most recently, “Grow Up: Life Isn’t Safe, But It’s Good” (Regnery, 2021).</em>
<div id="newsletter-form-story">
<div class="block-content" id="opinion-signup-block">
<h3 class="block-title">Sign up for Daily Opinion Newsletter</h3>
</div>
</div>
EU ‘needs London’ and will sign post-Brexit City deal, PwC predicts
The European Union will climb down and agree … come a point when the EU realises a deal is in … , said last week that the EU isn’t under any pressure … gave companies full access to EU markets, and financial services was …
EU to send aid to India as it struggles with coronavirus
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The European Commission has activated its EU Civil Protection Mechanism and is seeking to send oxygen and medicine to virus-hit India after receiving a request from Delhi.
India has seen a massive surge in COVID-19 cases in recent days, with hospitals in the capital and across the country turning away patients after running out of medical oxygen and beds.
“Alarmed by the epidemiological situation in India. We are ready to support,” Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote on Twitter on Sunday.
“The EU executive is already coordinating with EU countries that are ready to provide urgently needed oxygen & medicine rapidly,” European Commission for humanitarian aid Janez Lenarcic wrote on Twitter.
(Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
