ICRC President, Mirjana Spoljaric, has called on states and parties involved in conflicts to refrain from using powerful explosive weapons in areas with high population density, as it leads to a significant number of civilian casualties. She highlighted several ongoing wars where urban bombing and shelling have had detrimental effects on civilians. Spoljaric urged states to become part of the Political Declaration, which aims to limit the use of explosive weapons in cities and has already been endorsed by 83 countries. She emphasized that implementing this declaration would alleviate civilian suffering and promote compliance with international humanitarian law. Additionally, Spoljaric stressed the importance for all states to minimize civilian harm by assessing their military policies.
Here is her statement:
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, In too many places around the world, the heavy bombing and shelling of cities and other populated areas continue to have an unacceptable toll on civilians. The use of heavy explosive weapons is often the standard choice by belligerents, a choice that has devastating, and frequently illegal, consequences on communities – including children, the elderly, and persons with disabilities. I saw for myself the destruction of Aleppo and other urban centres across Syria. But not only – from Ukraine to Sudan, from Gaza to Yemen, the ICRC sees the tremendous harm that heavy explosive weapons cause, directly and indirectly. These weapons include large bombs and missiles, heavy artillery, inaccurate rockets, and large improvised explosive devices. Today, I call on all States and parties to armed conflict to avoid the use of heavy explosive weapons in populated areas, due to the significant likelihood of indiscriminate effects. The ask is clear: explosive weapons should not be used in populated areas unless sufficient mitigation measures are taken to limit their area effects and the risks of civilian harm. Avoiding the use of explosive weapons in populated areas will significantly decrease civilian suffering. It will also facilitate respect for international humanitarian law, which requires that explosive weapons are used in compliance with the rules of distinction, proportionality and precaution. When heavy explosive weapons are used in populated areas, compliance with international humanitarian law is often very difficult. Reviewing and adapting existing military policy and practice is necessary to make it happen. The Political Declaration on Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas is a groundbreaking achievement and a crucial step forward. It is the first instrument committing States to curb the use of explosive weapons in populated areas. If properly implemented, it can contribute significantly to alleviating civilian suffering and to strengthening respect for international humanitarian law. I commend the 83 States that have already endorsed the declaration and committed to take concrete action to change the unacceptable status quo. I urge all States that have not yet done so to join the declaration without delay. The Political Declaration is an important tool. Provided it is followed by decisive action, its key commitments can improve the fate of hundreds of thousands, if not more, around the world. Last year, ICRC published an indepth report (Explosive weapons with wide areas effects: A deadly choice in populated areas) to provide detailed practical recommendations to political authorities and armed forces on measures to reduce civilian harm. ICRC is today also sharing our new comprehensive report, War in Cities, containing key recommendations to avoid harm to civilians during urban hostilities. All States have a stake in strengthening respect for international humanitarian law – those engaged in urban warfare or directly affected by it; those suffering the impacts of food and energy insecurity from the effects of bombing and shelling; those hosting people who have fled across borders. The tremendous civilian harm we witness today must not be considered a normal by-product of armed conflict. We all have a role to play in changing this narrative and in working towards minimizing the heartbreaking impacts of wars in populated areas on civilians. Thank you.”
Globally, over 250 million people suffered acute hunger in 2022, the highest in recent years, with about 376,000 people facing famine-like conditions in seven countries – all affected by armed conflict or extreme levels of violence. Another 35 million people are on the edge, Reena Ghelani said.
“Armed conflict destroys food systems, shatters livelihoods and drives people from their homes, leaving many extremely vulnerable and hungry. Sometimes these impacts are by-products of war, but all too often they are inflicted deliberately and unlawfully – with hunger utilized as a tactic of war,” she said.
Ms. Ghelani added that food insecurity itself also fuels instability, citing research that shows how food insecurity, when coupled with pre-existing grievances, poverty and inequality, causes people to choose violence over peace.
“It is the straw that breaks the camel’s back, leading to conflict,” she said.
Those helping people and providing assistance to stave off famine are also not spared by the fighting, Ms. Ghelani noted further.
Hundreds of humanitarians are killed, injured and kidnapped in conflict situations every year, and aid facilities and supplies are often attacked, looted or used for military purposes.
“The difficulties the United Nations, NGOs, and its partners are facing in Sudan is a stark example,” Ms. Ghelani said, offering condolences to the families of the 11 humanitarian workers killed there in recent weeks.
Climate change a threat multiplier
Climate change and economic shocks further compound the crisis.
“Climate change is increasingly becoming a threat multiplier,” Ms. Ghelani added, with stress over water and other natural resources leading to competition over dwindling natural resources, displacement, and, ultimately, conflicts and hunger.
At the same time, insecurity in conflict-affected countries hinders climate adaptation efforts.
“This leaves already vulnerable communities even poorer, hungrier and less resilient,” she said.
With key steps, progress is possible
Ms. Ghelani emphasized that despite overwhelming challenges, progress is possible, and outlined key steps that must be taken to address the crisis.
These include ensuring parties to conflicts respect international humanitarian law, especially protecting food and water systems and facilitating unimpeded humanitarian access.
She also urged better use of early warning systems, with effective follow-up; adequate humanitarian funding; and being bold and creative in finding ways to mitigate the impact of war on the most vulnerable.
At the same time, women and girls must be at the centre of our efforts, Ms. Ghelani said.
“Crises and hunger affect them disproportionately, and they also hold the key to lasting solutions. Research shows that involving local women in peacebuilding increases the probability that violence will end by 24 per cent,” she highlighted.
‘Eerie silence is deafening’
In conclusion, Ms. Ghelani recounted a personal experience where she visited communities teetering on the brink of famine.
“I have sat with mothers in too many nutrition wards, in too many displaced camps. And as their small children fought for their lives, they were too weak to cry, even make a sound […] that eerie silence is deafening. It never leaves you,” she said.
Matthew 6:1. Be careful not to do your alms before people so that they can see you: otherwise you will not be rewarded from your Heavenly Father.
The word “look” is the Greek προσέχετε. In the Slavic translation – “listen”. Since there is reason to think that in ancient times this word was used as a signal to warn others from some kind of danger, the word πρόσεχε meant: beware, carefully watch yourself. This is also the main meaning of the corresponding Greek Hebrew word “shamar”, which in the Seventy is transmitted through προσέχειν. Thus, it is more accurate to translate this Greek word in this verse as: beware, beware lest (μή). A further δέ is issued in the Vatican and other manuscripts, but is found in Sinai and others. Some interpreters argue that the presence of this particle in the text is “too little proven.” Chrysostom lowers her. Others say that δέ disappeared only with the passage of time and, moreover, due to a very simple reason, which, if not in discord, then, in any case, in some inconvenience to pronounce the adjacent Greek “te” and “de” (προσέχετε δέ). Some place δέ in brackets, but most of the newest and best commentators defend the presence of this particle either in part or in full. So, Alford, although he himself places δέ in brackets, says that the omission of this particle arose, probably due to the fact that they did not pay attention to the connection of the first verse with the fifth chapter and assumed that a new subject was being discussed here. The importance of the particle is evident from the fact that with the adoption or omission of it, the meaning changes greatly. Christ earlier (Matt. 5) spoke about what true “righteousness” consists of (Matt. 5:6, 10, 20), determined by the true and correct interpretation of the spirit and meaning of the Old Testament law, and that if the “righteousness” of His disciples is not higher than the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, then the disciples will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Now the Savior begins to illuminate the same subject from other and new sides. In a free translation, the meaning of His words could be conveyed as follows. But if you, He says to the disciples, and achieve the ideal that I told you about before, if you acquire true “righteousness” (according to the translation of some German scholars Frömmigkeit – piety), then beware, however, that this righteousness of yours does not become the object of careful observation by other people. In this paraphrase, as the reader sees, the word “righteousness” is replaced by the word “alms” used in Russian and Slavic translations. This substitution has very solid grounds. First of all, we note that the German and English translations (recepta) agree with the Russian and Slavonic (Almosen, alms). But in the Vulgate, a completely different expression is used – justitiam vestram, corresponding to the Greek διακιοσύνην, meaning “righteousness.”
The question of which word should be used here, “righteousness” or “charity” (διακιοσύνη or ἐλεημοσύνη), has been the subject of painstaking research. Authoritative publishers and interpreters of the New Testament lean in favor of “righteousness.” Such reading has been approved almost unanimously by all eminent publishers and critics. This word is found in the Vatican Code, in Beza, in ancient Latin translations, as well as in Origen, Hilary, Augustine, Jerome and many others, but in Chrysostom, Theophylact and many others – “alms”. Western critics and interpreters have taken the trouble to trace where and why such a replacement came about. Omitting the first “but” or “but” in the first verse, the scribes, as mentioned above, did not pay attention to the connection of the 6th chapter with the previous one and thought that in the 6th chapter a new subject was being discussed. About what? This was shown to them in verse 2, which speaks of “almsgiving.” Since the first verse (with the omission of δέ) serves as an introduction to the second, they thought that the first should also contain a speech about alms, and replaced the word “righteousness” with it. This replacement could have taken place all the more easily and more conveniently because there were certain circumstances that justified it. If the reader takes the trouble to look through the Russian and Slavic Bibles the following passages: Deut. 6:25, 24:13; Ps.23:5, 32:5, 102:6; Isaiah 1:27, 28:17, 59:16; Dan.4:24, 9:16, he will find that in the Slavic text mercy, almsgiving, mercy, pardon are found everywhere, and in Russian – righteousness, truth, justice, and only in one place the Russian text almost agrees with the Slavic, namely, in Ps.23:5 (almsgiving is mercy). Thus, the same texts in Slavic and Russian translations sometimes have completely different meanings. So, for example, in Dan. 4:24 we read in the Slavic text: “atone for your sins with alms,” and in Russian: “atone for your sins with righteousness.” This difference came from the fact that our Slavonic translation was made from the translation of the Seventy, where in the above cases (which we have not indicated all for the sake of brevity) the word ἐλεημοσύνη – almsgiving is used, and Russian – from Hebrew, where the word “tsedaka” is found – righteousness. Question, therefore, arises why the Seventy found it possible to translate the Hebrew “tsedaka” through ἐλεημοσύνη – “almsgiving”, and whether “tsedaka”, meaning “righteousness” proper, in some, at least, cases, also served to express the concept of almsgiving. The answer must be in the affirmative. Righteousness is a tricky word, especially for a simple, undeveloped person it is difficult to understand what it means; it is much easier to understand this word if righteousness takes a more concrete form – mercy, mercy, alms. From here, very early, even before R.X., the word “tsedaka” began to denote alms, which, as was said, probably facilitated the replacement of “righteousness” by alms in the verse of the Gospel of Matthew under consideration (see, for example, Gesenius W. Hebräisches und aramäisches Handwörterbuch über das neue Testament. 17. Auflage, Berlin-Göttingen-Heidelberg, 19 62. S.675, left column – Ed.).
However, this replacement was unsuccessful, and this can be shown on the basis of “internal considerations” (context) when analyzing our place. The meaning of the instruction of this verse is that the disciples do not work their righteousness before people, for show, in order for people to glorify them. From further instructions it is clear that alms should not be given for display, but not only that, and prayer (verse 5 et seq.) and fasting (verse 16 et seq.) should not be ostentatious. If “righteousness” in the verse under consideration is replaced by “almsgiving”, then one might think that it is only one done for show and that Christ rebukes only showy alms, because verse 1 will then be put in closest relation only to verses 2–4. It follows from what has been said that, accepting “righteousness” in verse 1, we must take the word for the designation of a “generic” or general concept that embraces almsgiving, prayer, and fasting. In other words, according to Christ, almsgiving, prayer and fasting serve as an expression of human righteousness. A person distinguished by these virtues can be considered righteous if this righteousness is based on love for God and neighbor. It is necessary that all the virtues that make up righteousness should in no case be used for show. The Greek word used for the latter concept (θεαθῆναι) means staring, prolonged, intense and attentive looking at something, as, for example, is done in the theater, indicates contemplation, in contrast to βλέπειν, which means simply to see, to look, to have the ability to do so. Hence the instruction of the Savior is clear: He teaches His disciples that their “righteousness” should not be the subject of careful observation, scrutiny by other people. Instead of “so that they see you” in Greek “to be seen” (or “to be seen by them, αὐτοῖς, i.e. ἀνθρώποις, to people”, cf. Matt. 23:5). Thus, the first half of this verse would be better translated as: but beware (take care not to do =) to do your righteousness before people for the purpose that it be visible to them (striking to their eyes, subject to their close, long observation).
The further “otherwise” (in the Russian Bible) seems to refer to the words: “there will be no reward for you” and so on. In the original, the meaning is somewhat different: beware … but if you do not beware, then you will not be rewarded, and so on. Those. here, for brevity, a omission is made in the Gospel (cf. Mt. 9:17; 2 Cor. 11:16). Christ does not specify what the reward should be. It is not known whether He means earthly or heavenly reward, or both. Nothing prevents us from understanding here both earthly and heavenly rewards. But instead of the Russian “you will not have”, it should be translated simply “you do not have” (οὐκ ἔχετε), so that the whole expression is this: if you do not beware, then you have no reward from your Heavenly Father.
Matthew 6:2. Therefore, when you do almsgiving, do not blow your trumpets before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that people may glorify them. I tell you truly, they already receive their reward.
The translation is accurate, and the somewhat ambiguous “they” in the last sentence should, of course, refer not to people in general, but to hypocrites. In the original, ambiguity is avoided by the usual omission of the pronoun before the verbs and by putting the verbs (ποιοῦσιν – ἀπέχουσιν) in the same voices, tenses and moods.
The Jews, more than all other nations, were distinguished by charity. According to Tolyuk, the famous teacher Pestalozzi used to say that the Mosaic religion encourages charity even more than the Christian one. Julian set the Jews to pagans and Christians as an example of charity. While reading the long and tedious Talmudic treatise on charity On the Remnants for the Poor at Harvest (translated by Pereferkovich, vol. I), we come across many petty regulations aimed at ensuring that the poor collect the remnants after the harvest. It was even said that “almsgiving and gratuitous services are equivalent to all the commandments of the Torah.” Questions arose as to whether it is not the same thing not to give alms and to worship idols, and how to prove that alms and gratuitous services protect Israel and promote harmony between him and the Father who is in heaven. Therefore, there is no doubt that the Jews developed charity even at the time of Christ, as evidenced by the mention by Christ himself of the poor and their obvious presence, especially in Jerusalem. There is no doubt that in this charity and the distribution of alms to the poor, the “hypocrites”, whom Christ denounces here, also took part. But the question, “whether they trumpeted before them,” gave much difficulty to both ancient and modern exegetes.
Chrysostom understood the expression: “Do not blow your trumpet” in an improper sense. The Savior “in this metaphorical expression does not want to say that the hypocrites had trumpets, but that they had a great passion for ostentation, ridiculing (κωμωδῶν) it and condemning them … The Savior requires not only that we give alms, but also that we give it as it should be given”. Theophylactus expresses himself in a similar vein: “The hypocrites had no trumpets, but the Lord mocks (διαγελᾷ.) their thoughts, because they wanted to trumpet their almsgiving. Hypocrites are those who appear to be different from what they really are. It is not at all surprising that many of the latest interpreters, in their remarks about these “trumpets”, follow the paternal interpretations just given. “There is nothing left but to understand this expression in an improper sense,” says Tolyuk.
Such opinions are confirmed by the fact that so far, among the Jewish customs, not a single case has been found when “hypocrites”, distributing alms, literally “trumpeted” before themselves.
The English scientist Lightfoot spent a lot of time and effort searching for such or a similar case, but “although he searched a lot and seriously, he did not find even the slightest mention of a pipe when giving alms.” On Lightfoot’s remark, another English commentator, Morison, says that there was no need for Lightfoot “to search so diligently, because it is well known that, at least in the synagogues, when private individuals wished to give alms, trumpets literally could not be used.” This is not enough. It was said that if the “hypocrites” blew their trumpets, then such “boasting” of them (καύχημα) before people would be incomprehensible, and that if they wanted to, they would be able to better hide their bad motives. There are even cases that are opposite to what Christ is talking about. So, for example, about one rabbi, whose charitable work was considered exemplary, it is told in the Talmud that, not wanting to shame the poor, he hung an open bag of alms on his back, and the poor could take from there what they could, inconspicuously.
All this, of course, does not serve as an objection to the gospel text, and is usually not put forward as an objection. However, the concreteness and liveliness of the expression “do not blow your trumpet” and its obvious connection with the subsequent denunciations of the hypocrites, confirmed in fact in the information that has come down to us about their customs (verses 5 and 16), forced us to look for some real, factual confirmation for him. It was found that such customs really existed among the pagans, among whom the servants of Isis and Cybele, begging for alms, beat tambourines. The same, according to the description of travelers, was done by Persian and Indian monks. Thus, among the pagans, the noise was made by the poor themselves, asking for alms. If these facts are applied to the case under consideration, then the expression “do not blow” will have to be interpreted in the sense that hypocrites do not allow the poor to make noise when demanding alms for themselves. But the author who pointed out these facts, the German scientist Iken, according to Tolyuk, himself “honestly” admitted that he could not prove such a custom either among Jews or Christians. Even less likely is the explanation that the words “do not blow”… “are borrowed from thirteen tubular boxes or mugs placed in the temple to collect donations (γαζοφυλάκια, or in Hebrew “chaferot”). Objecting to this opinion, Tolyuk says that the money that fell into these pipes (tubae) had nothing to do with charity, but was collected for the temple; mugs for donations to the poor were called not “chaferot”, but “kufa”, and nothing is known about their shape. But if only in the Gospel of Matthew we meet with the indication that trumpets were used in the deed of doing good, then this does not at all exclude the possibility that this was actually the case. The trumpets were used by the priests in the temple and synagogues, there were “trumpet-shaped” boxes, and therefore the expression “do not trumpet”, having become metaphorical, could have some basis as a metaphor in reality. In the rabbinical treatises of Rosh Hashanah and Taanit, there are many decrees about “trumpeting”, so if the expression of Christ could not be understood in the sense: do not blow before you when giving alms, then it could well be understood as follows: when you give alms, do not blow before you, as hypocrites do on various other occasions. The meaning of the expression – to draw public attention to one’s charity – is completely understandable and does not change at all, whether we consider the expression to be true or only metaphorical. And how can one demand that the Talmud reflect, despite the pettiness of the Jews, all the then Jewish customs with all their numerous interweavings?
(to be continued)
Source: Explanatory Bible, or Commentaries on all the books of the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament: in 7 volumes / ed. A. P. Lopukhin. – Fourth edition, Moscow: Dar, 2009 (in Russian).
FAO said 20.3 million individuals in Sudan face severe hunger, a figure that has nearly doubled since last year.
Projections show that 42% of the population is experiencing high levels of immediate food shortage. This is made worse by disruptions in the market and rapidly increasing food prices, which make it difficult to obtain necessary goods and services.
According to the most recent analysis by the Integrated Food Security Phases, a commonly used classification for determining the severity of food shortage, the situation is critical. Around 14 million people are currently facing a “crisis” level of food shortage, and over six million people, roughly 13% of the population, are now just one step away from experiencing famine.
The regions most severely impacted include Khartoum, South and West Kordofan, as well as Central, East, South and West Darfur.
Abdulhakim Elwaer, FAO’s Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for the Near East and North Africa, expressed concern about the severe impact of the conflict on the food and nutrition security of millions of people. He stated that families are experiencing unimaginable suffering.
Additionally, the ongoing fighting has led to the displacement of over four million people and caused significant damage to critical infrastructure. This has further worsened the issue of food insecurity and malnutrition.
FAO emphasized that the lack of adequate resources is hindering humanitarian efforts to address the situation.
Funding shortfall
The UN agency has requested an immediate increase in funding by $65 million to help more than six million people and assist farmers in getting ready for the upcoming planting season.
The UN food agency is worried about the estimates for the period from October 2023 to February 2024, as approximately 15 million individuals are expected to experience a food crisis.
“It is vital that FAO is stepping in to support more than one million farmers this season to produce enough food for Sudanese people,” said Mr Elwaer.
Since mid-April, the conflict between the armed forces of Sudan and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has resulted in displacement, death, injury, and a developing humanitarian crisis. This week, UN agencies have verified that more than four million people have been displaced as a result of the conflict, with the majority being within Sudan itself.
The UN humanitarian affairs office, OCHA, on Wednesday, warned that hunger and displacement due to the war are spiralling out of control.
‘Heinous acts’ in Darfur
Meanwhile, fighting in Darfur between the RSF, backed by Arab militias and the Sudanese Army is having a severe impact on civilians, the UN Mission in Sudan, UNITAMS, said in a statement on Thursday.
The mission strongly condemned the indiscriminate targeting of civilians and public facilities by the RSF and allied militias, particularly in the locality of Sirba in West Darfur, from 24 to 26 July.
UNITMAS also expressed concern over similar incidents in Nyala, South Darfur, and Zalingei, Central Darfur.
“I am alarmed by reports indicating that civilians are being prevented from leaving for safer areas, resulting in numerous casualties. These reports are reminiscent of the violations committed in El Geneina, West Darfur, last June”, said Volker Perthes, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of UNITAMS.
He said the Mission is documenting all violations, adding that “these heinous acts are serious violations of the human rights of civilians and may constitute war crimes under international law.”
Mr. Perthes reminded everyone involved in the conflict to prioritize the safety and protection of civilians.
UNITAMS urged all military forces to stop their operations immediately and resume talks in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The Mission also reiterated its dedication to support and help with efforts for a peaceful resolution of the conflict.
“We stand in solidarity with the people of Darfur and remain dedicated to achieving lasting peace and stability in the region”, Mr. Perthes said.
Buddhism is often considered a universal philosophy or spirituality, as it offers teachings and practices that can be adopted by people from different cultures, ethnic backgrounds and religious beliefs. Buddhism is not restricted to any one region or group of people, making it accessible to all who wish to explore its principles and teachings.
The main teaching of Buddhism is based on the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path, which emphasize understanding suffering, seeking the cessation of suffering and developing an ethical and meditative path to enlightenment.
The key concepts of Buddhism, such as compassion, benevolence, non-violence, mindfulness and the impermanent nature of all things, can be applied universally in everyday life, regardless of culture or social background.
Buddhism therefore has a global reach and continues to attract followers and seekers from all over the world, who find in its teachings answers to their existential questions and tools for cultivating inner peace and mental well-being.
Buddhism and its relationship with other religions and beliefs
Buddhism generally maintains a respectful and open relationship with other religions and beliefs. As a philosophy rather than dogma, Buddhism does not seek to establish its superiority over other beliefs, but rather to offer teachings that can be adapted to different cultural and religious contexts.
Buddhism encourages respect for all forms of life and promotes compassion for all beings, whether they share the same beliefs or not. Buddhists are often encouraged to cultivate tolerance and acceptance of others, even those with different points of view.
In societies where Buddhism coexists with other religions, it’s common to see religious practices and beliefs blending harmoniously. For example, in some parts of Asia, Buddhism can be associated with Confucianism, Taoism, or local animist beliefs, without there being any major conflicts.
However, it’s important to note that as with all religions and beliefs, there can be variations in individual attitudes and local interpretations of Buddhism. Some people may be more open to inter-religious coexistence, while others may be more conservative or exclusive in their beliefs.
On the whole, Buddhism promotes harmony, mutual respect and the search for inner truth, whatever the other religions and beliefs present in society.
THE SPIRITUAL BENEFITS OF BUDDHISM
On a spiritual level, Buddhism can bring many benefits to the practitioner. Here are some of the key aspects that Buddhism can offer:
Understanding suffering: Buddhism teaches the Four Noble Truths, the first of which is the reality of suffering in human life. By understanding the nature of suffering, a person can begin to develop ways to transcend it and find inner peace.
Path to enlightenment: Buddhism proposes a spiritual path, the Noble Eightfold Path, which guides practitioners towards enlightenment. This path includes right understanding, right thought, right action, right speech, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration and right livelihood.
Meditation practices: Meditation is an essential aspect of Buddhist practice. It helps develop mindfulness, concentration and wisdom, while cultivating a calm and balanced mind.
Cultivation of compassion and benevolence: Buddhism encourages the cultivation of compassion for all beings and benevolence towards oneself and others. These qualities foster positive relationships and an altruistic attitude towards the world.
Acceptance of impermanence: Buddhism teaches the impermanent nature of all things. This understanding can help a person develop a detached and serene attitude to life’s changes and challenges.
Liberation from the cycle of suffering (Samsara): The ultimate goal of Buddhism is to achieve liberation from the cycle of suffering, called Nirvana. This means the cessation of attachments and desires that cause suffering, and the attainment of deep, lasting peace.
These aspects of Buddhism can be profoundly transformative on a spiritual level, helping practitioners to develop greater self-understanding, increased wisdom, broader compassion and a more balanced perspective on life and its challenges. Everyone can adapt their Buddhist practice to suit their needs and personal spiritual path.
BUDDHISM IS LIVING TOGETHER
Buddhism can play an important role in promoting living together in a society as diverse as Belgium, where many nationalities coexist. Buddhism advocates values such as tolerance, compassion, non-violence and acceptance of diversity, which are essential for promoting harmony and peaceful coexistence between people from different cultures and backgrounds.
Here are just a few ways in which Buddhism can contribute to living together in Belgium:
Encouraging tolerance: Buddhism teaches respect for all forms of life and the understanding that everyone has the right to their own convictions and beliefs. This can help promote tolerance and reduce prejudice between different communities.
Cultivating compassion: The practice of compassion towards all beings, whether similar to or different from ourselves, can foster a climate of empathy and solidarity in Belgian society.
Promoting inner peace: The meditative practices of Buddhism can help individuals cultivate inner peace and manage stress, which can contribute to more peaceful and harmonious interactions between people.
Encouraging intercultural dialogue: Buddhism encourages attentive listening and mutual understanding, which can facilitate intercultural dialogue and help overcome cultural differences.
Encouraging altruism: Buddhist values of altruism and benevolence can inspire individuals to engage in actions that benefit society as a whole, seeking collective well-being.
Supporting social and humanitarian actions: Many Buddhist groups are involved in social and humanitarian actions, helping to build a more caring and equitable society.
By putting these Buddhist principles into practice, followers of Buddhism and those inspired by its teachings can help strengthen the social fabric in Belgium, and foster a society that is inclusive and respectful of cultural diversity. Buddhism can be a catalyst for creating links between different communities and promoting harmonious, fulfilling living together.
In addition, the study of a subject called “Essentials of National Security and Defense” is being introduced in schools.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law requiring schoolchildren to perform community service, DPA reported on 5th of August.
Schoolchildren will be required to participate in activities appropriate to their age and their psychophysical characteristics.
The head of the parliamentary committee behind the bill, Olga Kazakova, proposed the idea in May. She wants students to be required to carry out such activities as planting trees or beautifying school premises.
In addition, the study of a subject called “Essentials of National Security and Defense” is introduced in schools. It will be studied from September 1 against the background of the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine. During the classes, schoolchildren will be introduced to military service and civil defense in theory and practice, and girls will also be trained in first aid.
Illustrative Photo by RDNE Stock project: https://www.pexels.com/photo/man-love-people-woman-6647177/
56% of people aged 18-34 said they had at least one climate dream in their lifetime, compared to 14% of over-55s
Martha Crawford started having dreams about climate change about 11-12 years ago, the story with that headline in Time began.
Unlike many of her previous remembered dreams, these weren’t fragmentary or meaningless—they were “very clear,” she recalls. “They didn’t require much interpretation.” In one, she reads a textbook on climate change, then throws it behind the back of her couch, pretending it doesn’t exist. In another, she sits in on a lecture given by a climate scientist. But the professor starts yelling at her for not paying attention, and she fails the course. The point is pretty clear, says Crawford, a licensed clinical social worker: “You’re not careful, and you should be careful.”
The dreams eventually inspired her to start the Climate Dreams Project in 2019, and since then she’s been creating a space where people can share anecdotes about climate dreams, mostly anonymously.
One of the dreams submitted in the collection is of people digging holes in the desert so that the rising seas would have a place to go. Another dream tells of a “Flood” soccer match in which the players float on inner tubes in the second half.
Another person who shared four climate dreams told of one in which billions of people poured into a giant room that looked like a video game sports arena, but was big enough to hold the world’s population. “At the end of the dream, the whole face of the Earth was different,” they wrote. “It was completely frozen and the only habitable part was a giant plateau with a city on it.”
Climate change seems to have woven itself into the “fabric of dreams,” as Crawford puts it.
Studying dreams can be slippery. We don’t always remember them, and their interpretation is highly subjective. But according to a survey of 1,009 people conducted by The Harris Poll in June on behalf of the media, more than a third of people in the US have dreamed about climate change at least once in their lives.
According to the study, the images and sensations evoked by these dreams vary widely. Most people’s climate dreams are associated with extreme weather or natural disasters; fewer are those about mosquitoes and grasshoppers or about political leaders and laws. The most commonly reported emotions are fear and stress, with the exception of millennials, who seem to have more hopeful dreams.
The prevalence of climate dreams decreases with age: 56% of people between the ages of 18 and 34 said they had at least one climate dream in their lifetime, compared to 14% of people over the age of 55. Men seem to dream more about climate change than women. And people of color dream about it a lot more than white people.
Taken together, the data gives us a new perspective on how the country may be feeling about climate change.
Illustrative Photo by Kampus Production: https://www.pexels.com/photo/beautiful-woman-sleeping-on-bed-5990954/
Ted Chaiban of the UN children’s agency, UNICEF, and Edem Wosornu with the UN humanitarian affairs office, OCHA, briefed journalists on their recent mission to the country and Chad, one of several neighbouring nations hosting some 900,000 people who fled the violence.
Fighting between the Sudanese Army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) recently passed the 100-day mark. Overall, 24 million people across the country require aid.
Mr. Chaiban, UNICEF’s Deputy Executive Director for Humanitarian Action and Supply Operations, expressed hope that ongoing talks in Saudi Arabia will lead to a cessation of hostilities. He said the conflict is threatening the lives and futures of children and young people, who make up over 70 per cent of Sudan’s population.
“I saw the total of the atrocities committed against children and women during the darkest days of the Darfur conflict 18 years ago. Both Edem and I were there. And I think we’re deeply concerned that we could be looking at a repetition of these terrible days,” he warned.
In Sudan, children are being killed, injured, abducted, and even recruited into armed groups. They have fallen victim to ethnic- and gender-based violence, while the schools and hospitals they depend on are being damaged, destroyed and looted.
Mr. Chaiban said nearly 14 million children desperately need humanitarian relief – a number that is equivalent to all the boys and girls in Colombia, France, Germany or Thailand. Some 1.7 million have been driven from their homes, adding to the nearly two million who were already uprooted before the crisis.
Ted Chaiban, UNICEF Deputy Executive Director speaks to staff on the ground in Atbara in northeastern Sudan.
Impossible choices
“Parents are making the impossible choice of deciding whether to stay or leave, and leave everything behind they have known,” he said. “And those children who are on the move, both within Sudan and neighbouring countries, are vulnerable to hunger, disease, violence and separation from their families.”
Furthermore, three million under-fives in Sudan are malnourished, with 700,000 at risk of severe acute malnutrition and mortality. Some 1.7 million children could miss out on critical vaccinations, raising the risk of disease outbreaks.
“In White Nile State we currently have what is usually a lethal combination, which is acute watery diarrhea, measles and malnutrition in the same place, and that needs to absolutely be contained because otherwise the consequences are severe,” he said.
‘The world needs to wake up’
This week, UN agencies reported that more than 20 million people across Sudan now face severe hunger and six million are on the brink of famine. Nearly four million people alone have fled their homes to seek safety, including across the border into Chad, South Sudan, the Central African Republic, Ethiopia and Egypt.
Of those who remain, scores have been flocking to Port Sudan, the city on the Red Sea where the UN established a hub shortly after the fighting broke out. The arrivals are being hosted by family and friends who can barely meet their own needs as rents skyrocket and civil servants go unpaid, said Ms. Wosornu, Director of OCHA’s Operations and Advocacy Division.
She met with women in Port Sudan and the nearby town of Sinkat, “and their stories keep me awake at night.” These women spoke about seeing their homes “obliterated in one minute”, or difficulties in accessing lifesaving medicine such as insulin.
“We are receiving credible reports of all sorts of horrors and the world needs to wake up and hear this,” she said.
Delivering aid to millions
Ms. Wosornu pointed to “the good news amidst all this gloom”, as the UN and 93 humanitarian partners have been delivering aid wherever they can.
“We have been able to get to hard-to-reach areas,” she said. “We’re able to move trucks from Port Sudan to Darfur, and this is through de-confliction, talking to the parties to the conflict, allowing us to move goods as we could.”
OCHA has facilitated the movement of some 780 trucks carrying 35,000 metric tons of relief supplies since fighting broke out in mid-April. “Each of these movements requires extensive painstaking negotiations to ensure that we don’t get more deaths of civilians or the 18 aid workers that have been killed so far,” she said.
People just want peace
Between April and June, humanitarians reached at least 2.5 million people. However, their target is 18 million, underscoring the need for greater financial support and fewer bureaucratic impediments. A $2.6 billion appeal for Sudan is just a quarter funded, or $625 million. UNICEF alone urgently needs $400 million to continue operations over the next 100 days.
“Overall, I think the message is that we can’t accept the toll that this war is taking on Sudan’s children, their families and the future,” said Mr. Chaiban.
He added that their message to the warring parties is also clear: stop fighting and commit to a durable cessation of hostilities, protect civilians, prevent grave violations against children, and ensure humanitarians can safely reach people in need.
“There are talks in Jeddah underway; there are other negotiating processes that we hope and urge can make urgent progress in this regard,” he said.
Ms. Wosornu underlined the need for unhindered and unconditional humanitarian access. “Everyone I spoke to, some people said ‘I don’t want food. I don’t want water. I just want peace. I want to go home.’ So, this is the message to parties to the conflict as well.”
In this episode of RUSI Reflects, Genevieve Kotarska, Research Fellow, Organised Crime and Policing, examines the implications of new oil and gas licences for the UK’s future energy security.
The potential moral and legal responsibility of all those people for the crimes in Ukraine is a crucial, yet largely overlooked, issue. Historically, these are not altogether uncharted waters. As explored in an excellent book edited by Nina H B Jørgensen, funding international crimes, as well as providing material supplies such as weapons in support of them, can be a form of complicity under international criminal law. As some of the book’s chapters discuss, demonstrating that the funder knew their actions would assist the commission of a crime is likely to be the crucial hurdle, albeit one that can no doubt be satisfied in some circumstances. Conversely, ‘merely’ profiting from international crimes does not, in and of itself, trigger international criminal responsibility.
Way Forward
There may, therefore, be a disconnect between the moral and political assessment of war profiteers’ and, in some cases, funders’ role in Russia’s war in Ukraine and their legal responsibility. Some of them will no doubt be caught by existing rules, such as those who directly run private military companies that commit war crimes under their command. Others, such as those involved downstream in the theft and transfer of Ukrainian grain, may be left out.
For a complete legal assessment, one would need to study potential international crimes committed in Ukraine one by one – from murder to pillage, and beyond – and consider how financial involvement in them interacts with existing complicity rules. It would seem the need for such analysis is urgent, which is a task that governments and academics alike could usefully undertake.
If a bespoke Ukraine war crimes tribunal was established, particularly complex issues would arise. On the one hand, its statute could in principle provide for dedicated rules covering the funding of, or profiting from, international crimes committed in Ukraine. This would be consistent with the tribunal’s overarching objective to bring to accountability those with the greatest power over, and responsibility for, the war. On the other hand, in doing so, one would need to be careful to respect the fundamental legal principle that one cannot be liable for conduct that did not constitute a crime at the time it was committed. Overall, this is a matter that merits far greater prominence in the development of the emerging plans for bringing those responsible for Russia’s crimes to account.
The views expressed in this Commentary are the author’s, and do not represent those of RUSI or any other institution.
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