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Monday, September 20, 2010

Greece,Cyprus oil,Serbian peacekeepers;Russian troops in Arctic;Mideast talks;Powell on Obama;St Macarius Monastery,Egypt



The UN Secretary-General has encouraged Greece to continue to help sustain the momentum on the peace process in Cyprus. The statement was made by the Secretary-General’s Spokesman after Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou and Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon met on Sunday at the UN Secretariat, on the margins of the 65th UN General Assembly. In his remarks after the meeting, Papandreou offered full support to the efforts made by President of the Republic of Cyprus Demetris Christofias to solve the Cyprus issue. Rejecting the idea artificial deadlines, Papandreou said Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan should realize this. The two men also talked about the 2010 Summit on the Millennium Development Goals, climate change, the Middle East issue, Iran as well as the issue of the issue of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (fYRoM). “I have stressed once again that the I believe that President of the Republic of Cyprus Demetris Christofias is a man who has every will and practically shows it daily, to achieve a solution to the Cyprus issue, to reunify Cyprus, through the UN decisions and acquis communautaire”, Papandreou remarked. Papandreou said that Greece fully supports President Christofias’ initiatives adding that “outside pressure and intervention which are non-productive, do not help to promote a serious and substantive dialogue between the two communities”. “Something that, of course, both the Turkish government and Mr. (Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip) Erdogan must be aware of,'' said Papandreou, adding that the powerful Turkish government and Mr. Erdogan, have many capabilities and one should anticipate that they will distance themselves from old customs and perceptions and substantively contribute towards a solution to the Cyprus issue”. A Spokesman of the UNSG’s office said the Greek PM and Ban “discussed a range of issues, including economic recovery following the financial crisis, climate change, and regional political issues such as the Middle East peace process and Iran”. With regard to Cyprus, he said, “the Secretary-General encouraged Greece to continue to help sustain the momentum on the peace process”. A UN source said that without mentioning deadlines, the UNSG is referring to an intensification of the talks underway. The meeting was attended by Foreign Minister Demetris Droutsas and Greece’s Permanent Representative to the UN Anastasis Mitsialis. Peace talks in Cyprus began in September 2008 between President Christofias and former Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat. Talks continue now with Dervis Eroglu, who succeeded Talat. Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third.


Cyprus said on Monday it would press ahead with hydrocarbons exploration in the east Mediterranean, denying claims it would back down because of friction with Turkey over the ethnically split island. Cyprus has been due to launch a second licensing round for offshore blocks, but perceived delays in an announcement has given rise to speculation the project, which Turkey opposes, has been shelved. Industry minister Antonis Paschalides said Cyprus would move ahead when it was ready, but did not specify when. "There is a procedure to follow. It could be in a few months. It is not important if it is in two months or six months." Cyprus, split in a Turkish invasion in 1974, held its first offshore licencing round in 2007. A new Cypriot licencing round, which is a process where interested companies acquire detailed data from surveys with the option of moving on to exploration and then exploitation, would involve 12 blocks; 10 left from the first round and another two added in the meantime. The process is being run by Cyprus's internationally recognised Greek Cypriot government which represents the island in the EU. Turkey, which supports a breakaway Turkish Cypriot state in north Cyprus, says Greek Cypriots have no authority to search for hydrocarbons as long as the island is divided. The Greek Cypriot Simerini daily reported on Sunday and Monday that the government had suspended its plans because of Turkey's reaction. It also cited goverment concerns at the impact the move could have on reunification talks between estranged Greek and Turkish Cypriots. "This does not correspond to reality," Paschalides told state TV. "..We have the political will and are handling the matter in a responsible manner."


The first group of Serbian Army and MoD members will leave for Cyprus by the end of the month to take part in the UN peacekeeping mission there. The Defense Ministry announced today in Belgrade that members of the Serbian defense system will join the Hungarian part of the Slovak-Hungarian contingent. Members of the defense system are currently engaged independently in UN peacekeeping missions in Congo, Liberia and Ivory Coast, while in Chad they are part of the Norwegian contingent. The Serbian parliament adopted in late June two decisions on participation of up to 134 members of the Defense Ministry, Interior Ministry and Serbian Army in multinational operations this year. Members of the defense system will take part in the United Nations peacekeeping missions in Congo, Liberia, Ivory Cost, Chad, Lebanon and Cyprus, while police members will be engaged in the missions in Liberia and Haiti.


Russia will not create an Arctic military force irrespective of any territorial disputes that may develop in the energy-rich region, said the Russian envoy to the eight-nation Arctic Council. “Forming special Arctic troops is not on the Russian agenda,” Anton Vasilyev told a news conference on Monday. “But we did indeed plan to strengthen the materiel of the forces responsible for security, primarily in ensuring the safety of navigation at sea.” The envoy added that any speculations about militarization of the Arctic region “have nothing to do with reality.” The statement follows last week's breakthrough maritime border deal with Norway. Scientists are also working to provide arguments about the length of the Arctic shelf for an international forum in Moscow. The event will be held on Wednesday and Thursday and focus on balancing interests in the region. As for Russia’s strategic presence in the Antarctic, the issue will be submitted for discussion to the Cabinet on Thursday, said the head of the Federal Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring Service on Monday.


Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Monday that he will not participate "for a single day" in US brokered peace negotiations if Israel does not extended the settlement construction moratorium. "The negotiations will continue as long as the settlement (construction) remains frozen, but I am not prepared to negotiate an agreement for a single day more," Abbas told AFP reporters. Abbas said he is "not opposed to a settlement freeze for a month or two" and that it may be likely "to conclude a peace deal on all final status issues if the settlement freeze is extended," he said as he was on his way to New York. "If Israel stops the settlement and shows goodwill, then we can reach an agreement on borders and security, and agreement on other matters like the status of Jerusalem, water and settlements will follow," Abbas explained. Abbas also restated that the issue of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails should be part of the current peace talks. The Palestinian leader is scheduled to speak at the UN General Assembly meeting in New York this week about "efforts to end the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land since 1967 to create an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital," Palestinian spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeina said.


One of President Obama's highest-profile supporters in the 2008 election -- retired general Colin Powell -- wonders if Obama has lost some of his ability to connect with Americans. "It's not just me picking on the president," Powell said yesterday on NBC's Meet The Press. "It's reflected in the polling." The White House would no doubt disagree, Powell said, but a number of Americans seem to believe Obama is spending too much time on health care, environmental legislation and education, and not enough on the primary issue: jobs. That is the topic of Obama's CNBC town hall today at noon. Powell, secretary of State for President George W. Bush, suggested Obama spend more time on the deficit and deal better with the business community.


Hundreds of Egyptian security forces, backed by a large number of cars and armoured vehicles, attacked the monastery of St Macarius of Alexandria in Wadi Rayan, Fayoum Province, 150 kilometres south of Cairo. The action began at 8 pm on 7 September, but news about it only filtered recently. About 300 agents took part in the assault, using tear gas, batons and stones against monks, three of whom were seriously wounded. According to the AINA news agency, security forces prevented the delivery of limestone bricks for the construction of cells for the monks inside the ancient Monastery. They also tried to seize the bricks already delivered but the monks sat on them, refusing to move. The issue concerns the ownership of the area and its use, with monks and the government holding different positions. The authorities claim that Wadi Rayan is a conservation area that cannot be touched. The monks say they must build cells inside the monastery, which goes back long before it was ever designated as a conservation area. Security forced surrounded the Monastery until 12 AM the following day, but withdrew "after seeing the insistence of monks to assert their rights," said Fr Boulos el-Makkary, one of the 85 monks living in the monastery. "They left with the commander promising to be back soon." “The monks believe that the government wants to prevent any construction on the premises to prevent any increase in the number of monks living there, even though cells for the monks are badly needed," Father Boulos added. At present, cells are shared by five to eight monks even though each should have his own. The Monastery of St Macarius, also known as the "Buried Monastery" since most of its cells are caves in the mountain, has been uninhabited for a long time because of the lack of electricity and water. However, in 1996 monks began living there permanently and obtained permission from the Minister of Environment.

Friday, September 17, 2010

Dueling DC rallies;Fenty-GOP;Armenia-Cyprus-Bryza;IOCC-Pakistan;Kosovo-NATO-Russia;R.Catholic,Orthodox Pilgrimage



Let the march madness begin. Comedy Central cohorts Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert will rally their respective troops on Oct. 30 in a battle of the marches in Washington. Stewart's Rally to Restore Sanity (whose message is: Take it down a notch, America) will meet Colbert's March to Keep Fear Alive on the National Mall. “It is happening, people,” Stewart said during his show Thursday. “A million moderate march where we take to the streets to send a message to our leaders and our national media that says, ‘We are here … we’re only here, though, until 6 because we have a sitter!’ ” And, hey, Stewart already has signs made! Stewart admitted that it was a twist of fate, since he would already be in Washington, with “The Daily Show” taping there Oct. 25-28. Not to be outdone, Colbert followed up with an announcement on his own show, urging his viewers to also assemble “because now is not the time to take it down a notch. Now is the time for all good men to freak out for freedom."


We realize that rematch is unlikely in the Washington, D.C., race for mayor, after voters ousted the young incumbent, Adrian Fenty, in Tuesday’s Democratic primary. But if the outgoing mayor were to accept the write-in nomination of 822 Republican voters who want him on the ballot in November… could he win? Yes, he could — under the following scenario. Start with the 54,424 Democrats who voted for Fenty in the primary against Vincent Gray, the city council chairman. Assume Fenty’s supporters would stick with him and vote for him again. Then, give Fenty a healthy portion of votes from the city’s 29,728 registered Republicans, who don’t have another candidate on the November ballot. Then, note that 73,178 voters in D.C. are not affiliated with any political party. Plenty of them are federal government and media types who are interested in politics but don’t think it’s appropriate to register themselves as a member of either political party. All of these voters would be up for grabs in a second contest between Fenty and Gray. Gray got 66,526 votes in the Democratic primary, giving him a margin over Fenty of 12,102. Fenty might find enough voters among Republicans and non-affiliated votes to overcome Gray’s lead. That scenario assumes that the Democrats who voted for Fenty wouldn’t turn on him for switching parties, and that Fenty and Gray would evenly split the 213,669 registered Democrats in the city who didn’t vote on Tuesday but who might show up in November.


In the hottest diplomatic dispute facing Congress as it convenes next week, Armenian-Americans are stepping up their campaign to prevent Matthew J. Bryzafrom serving as U.S. ambassador to Azerbaijan. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee is scheduled to consider his nomination on Tuesday. They have picked up support from Cypriot-Americans, who complain that Mr. Bryza, whose wife was born in Turkey, is biased toward Turkish positions on Cyprus. "Mr. Bryza, with every new dodge, digs himself a deeper and deeper hole, demonstrating why he is so clearly the wrong choice to be U.S. ambassador to Azerbaijan," saidAram Hamparian, executive director of the Armenian National Committee of America. "Our nation's interests in Baku [the Azeri capital] and throughout the Caucasus would be best served by a fresh start with a nominee that doesn't bring such baggage and bias to this important diplomatic posting." The Cyprus Action Network of America on Monday registered its opposition to Mr. Bryza. "Matt Bryza's troubling diplomatic record and his conflict of interest issues in regard to his bias toward Turkey's cycle of impunity and denial of Turkey's crime of genocide and Turkey's illegal invasion and occupation of Cyprus makes him an unsuitable representative in any post," it said in a statement. Mr. Bryza has been unable to defend himself against the criticism because of diplomatic protocol that prohibits career Foreign Service officers from discussing their nomination in public. The State Department also declines to discuss diplomatic appointments awaiting Senate confirmation. He tried to respond to some of the attack in his July hearing before the Foreign Relations Committee, but his answers failed to satisfy his Senate critics. Sens. Barbara Boxer, California Democrat, and Robert Menendez, New Jersey Democrat, peppered Mr. Bryza with pointed questions at the hearing and sent him detailed follow-up questions. Mrs. Boxer blocked a vote on his nomination before the congressional summer recess. Armenian-Americans claim Mr. Bryza is too friendly with Azeri officials in negotiations over the future of Nagorno-Karabakh, an Armenian enclave inside Azerbaijan that declared independence in 1988, sparking a civil war with Azerbaijan until a cease-fire in 1994. Cypriot-Americans complain that Mr. Bryza refused to condemn the presence of Turkish troops in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, which only Turkey recognizes. They also criticize Mr. Bryza for refusing to use the word "genocide" to describe the killing of Armenians by Turks in World War I.


International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) has expanded its distribution of emergency supplies to flood-ravaged areas of Pakistan. While water is receding in many areas of the country, the devastation caused to homes, infrastructure and farm land has left many people without adequate access to clean water, food and medical assistance. Aid provided by IOCC has focused on the medical needs, especially the threat of water-borne diseases, and immediate provision of food supplies through the Orthodox Mission in Pakistan. In partnership with Medical Teams International, IOCC is providing two cholera kits to areas in the north of Pakistan. The kits will provide medical camps established in four of the hardest hit regions of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region. Each cholera kit contains basic pharmaceuticals and supplies to treat up to 700 severe and moderate cases of cholera, including those affected by dysentery. The shipment, valued at $265,000, has been made possible through support from the Greek Orthodox Ladies Philoptochos Society. IOCC is also assisting the Orthodox Mission in Pakistan to provide immediate food assistance to over 2,200 people in the flood-affected areas of Wazirabad, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Pannu Aqil, Nawabshaw and Larkana in River Chenab, Sindh, and Nowshera provinces. A new effort in the hard-hit Nowshera province is targeting families that have not received aid by providing 175 quilts, 50 four-person tents, and school assistance to 25 vulnerable children. In addition to the food aid and cholera medicines, ten "Ready Relief Boxes" provided from partner Heart to Heart International arrived to Pakistan on September 14. The boxes, with a total value of $75,000, contain essential medications such as pain relievers, antibiotics, vitamins, and rehydration packets which can serve up to 4,000 patients. These will be distributed through the Orthodox Church in Pakistan and longtime ecumenical partner Church World Service. The medicines will be used to assist patients at a hospital in Balakot and to stock mobile health clinics serving the areas of Swat, Kohistan and Mansehra. You can help the victims of disasters around the world, like the floods in Pakistan, by making a financial gift to the IOCC International Emergency Response Fund, which will provide immediate relief as well as long-term support through the provision of emergency aid, recovery assistance and other support to help those in need. To make a gift, please visit IOCC's website. IOCC, founded in 1992 as the official humanitarian aid agency of the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA), has implemented over $330 million in relief and development programs in 33 countries around the world.


NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has called on the member states of NATO not to withdraw their troops from Kosovo unilaterally. He spoke in favor of a joint decision on the troop reduction. Some NATO countries, primarily the Czech Republic and France are considering a complete or partial withdrawal of their troops from Kosovo due to the additional engagement in the international troops in Afghanistan and reduction of military budget due to the economic crisis. Rasmussen appealed in Brussels on Thursday not to make such moves unilaterally but to wait until an agreement is reached and a joint decision made, radio Deutsche Welle reported. Rasmussen underscored that there will be no withdrawal from Kosovo that would jeopardize the security situation. The number of KFOR troops in Kosovo and Metohija was reduced from 15,000 to 10,000 this year. According to some plans, their number should be reduced down to 5,700 troops in the next phase.


Russia believes that Moscow and NATO properly assess missile risks before starting on a missile defense plan for Europe, Russia's envoy to the military alliance said on Friday. "We continue to insist that, before discussing what may be meaningful in the framework of the possible European missile shield project and other serious projects, we need to carry out a serious analysis of missile threats," Dmitry Rogozin told RIA Novosti. "To settle on guilty parties in this issue means to dodge a discussion of more serious issues," Rogozin said. "It is not only Iran that possesses missiles in Europe's southern 'underbelly,' but other countries as well, so if we are to start this analysis, we should analyze all those who possess this kind of technology." Iran still poses a threat to Russia and NATO, the alliance's Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said earlier on Friday. He reiterated calls for the creation of missile defenses in Europe, saying they would bring NATO and Russia closer.


Local Catholics and Greek Orthodox joined their leaders Wednesday on a pilgrimage that is a first – but a continuation of history. Bishop McManus and Metropolitan Methodios, of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Boston, are leading 25 other pilgrims on a Sept. 15-26 trip to Rome, for an audience with Pope Benedict XVI, and to Constantinople, for Divine Liturgy celebrated by Patriarch Bartholomew. Patriarch Bartholomew is the Orthodox patriarch of Constantinople, in modern day Istanbul, Turkey. Worcester is believed to be the site of the first official dialog between Catholic and Greek Orthodox leaders in the United States. They met Sept. 9, 1965 at St. Spyridon Church, now St. Spyridon Cathedral, in Worcester. But this is the first time the Bishop of Worcester has led a pilgrimage with the Metropolitan of Boston to the seats of both of their churches, organizers said. (The metropolitan and Boston archbishops led such pilgrimages in 1996 and 2007.) Bishop McManus said this month’s pilgrimage is significant for the diocese because of the continuity it fosters, given Bishop Flanagan’s great rapport with the Orthodox and the ongoing friendly relationship, especially through St. Spyridon’s. In 1054 the first major division in Christianity occurred when the patriarch of Constantinople and a papal delegation from Rome excommunicated each other in a dispute over papal primacy. Orthodox churches, generally defined by their region of origin, give special honor to the patriarch of Constantinople. He is considered the “first among equals” among Orthodox patriarchs; his primacy does not entail ultimate jurisdiction over other Orthodox churches. Over the centuries the schism hardened, but in recent decades both sides have made efforts toward reconciliation. “This is the first time I’ve led an ecumenical pilgrimage,” Bishop McManus said. “I would hope it would set an example to the Catholic community of how important this ecumenical dialogue is, particularly with the Orthodox.” He said he’s never been to Turkey and is eager to go. “I think it’ll be a great privilege to attend the Divine Liturgy,” he said of the Orthodox service Sunday in the Patriarchal Church of St. George in the Phanar, where the patriarch resides. Vespers are to be held there Saturday. Orthodox and Catholic pilgrims can participate in each other’s celebrations, just not receive Communion at the other’s liturgies, Bishop McManus explained. Wednesday pilgrims are scheduled to attend the audience with Pope Benedict XVI in St. Peter’s Square. Traditionally the pope greets bishops individually after the Wednesday audience and may greet the leaders of other churches, including the metropolitan, Bishop McManus said. He said he has a gift for the patriarch and the metropolitan has a gift for the pope. Bishop McManus said he is scheduled to celebrate three special Masses, two Saturday vigil Masses, and, he hopes, daily Masses on the pilgrimage. Msgr. Beaulieu is to concelebrate. Today, Friday, in Ephesus, modern day Izmir, in Turkey, Bishop McManus is to celebrate Mass at the house of the Virgin Mary, where it is believed she spent the last years of her life. “The Virgin Mary plays a significant role in the life of Roman Catholics and in the life of Greek Orthodox,” the bishop said, noting that the Orthodox give her the title Theotokos, Greek for God-bearer. The Council of Ephesus in 431 stated that she is the Mother of God. Thursday the bishop is to celebrate Mass in the Clementine Chapel, near St. Peter’s bones, in the lower level of St. Peter’s Basilica. Next Friday he is to celebrate Mass in the Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi. Bishop McManus’ Saturday vigil Masses are tomorrow in the Basilica of St. Anthony of Padua in Constantinople, where Blessed John XXIII preached as papal nuncio to Turkey before being elected pope, and Sept. 25 at Casa Santa Maria, the Pontifical North American College’s graduate House of Studies in Rome. Worcester Diocesan priest Msgr. Francis D. Kelly is superior of the house. Other sites pilgrims are to visit are as follows. In Ephesus, where St. Paul began the Christian community to whom his letter to the Ephesians is addressed, pilgrims are to visit the tomb of St. Luke the Evangelist, the bishop said, noting that Catholics and Orthodox share the same Scriptures. Other stops in Ephesus include the Basilica of St. John the Baptist, believed to be his final resting place; Hadrian’s Temple, the Celsus Library, the Marble Road, the Great Theater, the Ephesus Museum, terrace houses and the ancient ruins of the Harbor Baths, Msgr. Beaulieu said. In Constantinople, pilgrims are to visit Orthodox churches: Hagia Sophia, St. Mary of Blachernae, St. Savior and St. Eirene, he said. Other stops include the Blue Mosque, the Basilica Cistern, the Byzantine Hippodrome, the Topkapi Palance Museum, the Grand Bazaar and Istiklal Caddesi, a boulevard of restaurants, boutiques and galleries. In Rome at Casa Santa Maria, the Orthodox are to lead vespers, Msgr. Beaulieu said. Pilgrims are to visit the Basilicas of St. Peter, St. Mary Major, St. John Lateran and St. Paul Outside-the-Walls, the Sistine Chapel, the Vatican Museums and the Catacombs. In Assisi they are to visit the Basilicas of St. Francis and St. Clare, the Church of St. Mary of the Angels, the Convent of San Damiano and St. Francis’ home.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

DC Elections,Schoolchildren;Russia-US ties;Greece-Russia Olympics;IOCC,Pakistan relief;Roma treatment;Cyprus water;Greek KFOR,St. Uros



Schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee made it increasingly clear Wednesday evening that she has no long-term interest in serving as Vincent C. Gray's schools leader. Speaking at the Newseum to an auditorium studded with Washington A-listers gathered for the red carpet premiere of the edu-documentary "Waiting for Superman," Rhee said she would not "mince words" about Tuesday's Democratic primary defeat of Mayor Adrian M. Fenty. "Yesterday's election results were devastating, devastating," Rhee said. "Not for me, because I'll be fine, and not even for Fenty because he'll be fine, but devastating for the schoolchildren of Washington, D.C." "I would say that the biggest tragedy that could come from yesterday's [Tuesday's] election results is if the lesson people take from this is that we should pull back. That is not the lesson," Rhee said. "That is not doing right by what Adrian Fenty has put into this effort for the last three and half years, that is not the right lesson for this reform movement. We cannot retreat now. If anything, what the reform community needs to take out of yesterday's election is now is the time to lean forward and be more aggressive and more adamant." "Waiting for Superman," a new documentary by Davis Guggenheim, the director of "An Inconvenient Truth," explores the failures of public education through the stories of several schoolchildren and reform figures such as Rhee. The film, completed way before the election, treats Rhee as a heroic figure. But her scenes, which include her surprise 2007 introduction by Fenty on the steps of the Wilson Building and footage of her marching down school hallways with laptop open, have a poignant tone given this week's election. Rhee said she "absolutely" felt guilt over Fenty's loss and said her original prediction to the mayor when they first met -- that hiring her as chancellor could be his political undoing -- turned out to be accurate. "I think part of the problem in public education to date has been that we all have to feel good, let's not ruffle too many feathers," she said, noting that when she arrived in 2007, eight percent of the District's eighth graders were doing math at grade level. "I am not going to sugarcoat that," she said. "I am not going to make you feel better about that. That is an outcome that is absolutely criminal."


Heads of the Russian and US defense ministries have signed two important agreements in Washington, resuming cooperation suspended in 2008. Anatoly Serdyukov has become the first Russian minister of defense to visit the Pentagon since January 2005. The main issues of his talks with US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates on Wednesday were the reform of the armed forces and cooperation in the military sphere. Serdyukov and Gates signed a joint statement and memorandum of understanding that replaced the previous document agreed in 1993. They also discussed the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty and missile defense. The meeting is considered as part of resetting Russian-US relations. Military cooperation between Moscow and Washington hit its low point in 2008 after the events in Caucasus. US Department of Defense officials said Serdyukov and Gates “opened the door to military-to-military relations between their countries that have been mostly closed for the past two years.” The agreements signed in Washington will encourage the two parties “to have more joint activities, exercises, and programs to be undertaken on several fronts,” Gates noted. The memorandum envisages the creation of working groups that will meet at least once a year. According to Gates, the document “provides a forum through which to execute orders given to defense ministers by Presidents Obama and Medvedev.” A plan of military cooperation will now be developed every year and additional groups could be created to determine joint positions on any aspects of military cooperation. The heads of Russian and US defense ministers will also meet at least once a year. Serdyukov has already invited his US counterpart to visit Moscow.


Greece wants to boost cooperation with Russia in organizing the 2012 Winter Olympics to be held in the Russian Black Sea resort city of Sochi, the country's deputy foreign minister has said. "We should revive our cooperation with Russia... not only with Russia's political authorities, but also with the chairman of the Sochi Olympics Organizing Committee, Mr. [Dmitry] Chernyshenko," Spyros Kouvelis told reporters on Wednesday. The Greek authorities are planning to hold a conference in Athens in cooperation with the Sochi Olympics' organizers in order to help Greek companies join preparations for the Games, he said. Greece hosted the Summer Olympic Games in 2004. Greek officials earlier expressed their readiness to help Russia hold the Games. Greek businessmen are interested in organizing cruises off the Sochi coast and investing in infrastructure projects in the city ahead of the Olympics. The 22nd Winter Olympic Games will open in Sochi on February 7, 2014. Later on Thursday, a new terminal with a capacity of 1,600 passengers per hour and a special international sector will open at Sochi Airport. The opening ceremony will take place on the first day of the Sochi-2010 investment forum, which will run until September 19.


The lives of millions of children are at stake in Pakistan. Threatened by the current flooding – they require clean water, food and medicines to be able to survive the largest disaster their country has ever faced. IOCC is reaching out to the people of Pakistan through direct food assistance provided by the Orthodox Church. We are also reaching out through partners to provide medicine to treat people afflicted with cholera and other diseases caused by the lack of safe drinking water. Please join us in providing this life-saving aid by making a contribution today to the IOCC International Emergency Response Fund. We hope that you will also visit the IOCC website to read the reflections of Sigurd Hanson, IOCC's country representative for Ethiopia, who spent more than a decade in Pakistan. During his years in Pakistan diarrheal diseases were already killing over 250,000 Pakistani children every year. And now with the floods, so many wells, streams, springs and ground water sources have been contaminated by human waste and dead animals. "These are painful scenes," writes Hanson, "But I also know that God can use such painful scenes and events in our world to enlighten our hearts and minds. The current Pakistan flood is no exception. Each one of us is called to show Christ's love in action ... in whatever way we can." Please join with us to show Christ's love to our neighbor in this time of need and click here.


Rarely has a leak done more valuable work. A memo from France's interior ministry this week confirmed that President Nicolas Sarkozy's war on Traveller camps had an explicit racial dimension, with Roma people being deliberately targeted. By doing so, it has jolted the European commission out of indulging the Sarkozy stunt, and into a full-throated attack on Paris. It has stirred overdue introspection in France about how minorities are treated, even while its politicians stampede to use the law to persecute those few Muslim women who wear a face veil. And it has highlighted how Europe's largest minority, the 10 million-plus Roma people, suffer right across the continent's boundaries. For France is not alone. The systematic discrimination against Roma in eastern Europe – where Gypsy children have often been routinely packed off to schools for the "mentally deficient" – is an acknowledged if underreported reality. But with the EU's eastward expansion and the migration that followed, eastern attitudes have been spreading west. While the Danes have been seeking to expel some Roma, Swedish police have been caught illegally forcing others out of the country. As Germany has repatriated Gypsy children to Kosovo, the Belgians have driven a camp out of Flanders and the Italians have used the presence of Roma as reason to declare a state of emergency. The same facets of Roma life, however, make it easy to paint them as an underclass whose ambitions are irreconcilable with the wider community's, and easy as well to get away with rounding them into camps. After his pre-presidency crackdowns in the banlieues, and after trying and failing to revive his flagging poll ratings by banning the burqa, Mr Sarkozy is once again after a scapegoat. If his motives were different he might instead note that the great majority of Europe's Roma are not in fact vagrant, and pause to consider whether it might be possible to engage with Roma people through meaningful targeted policies on housing and jobs. Instead, the French establishment retains its peculiar historic insistence to being perfectly colour-blind. Even as the racialised language of the leaked memo emerged, the immigration minister claimed: "The concept of ethnic minorities is a concept that does not exist among the government." Diversity has undermined French hopes that ethnic differences can somehow be washed away through a process of assimilation. There was always an imperialist undertone to that stance, but it is simply not tenable in a frequent-flyer world where some immigrants do not stay long enough to put down roots. But the Roma – who are discriminated against in the south-eastern European "home" that angry westerners demand they return to – will also continue to represent a wider problem right across a continent for as long as that continents continues to treat them so badly. It would be a bitter irony if Europeans as a whole cannot find a way to reconcile their cherished right to free movement with a community of their fellow citizens whose one great sin is a tendency to move freely.


The government has made the necessary steps to solve the problem of water shortage, an issue which has been affecting Cyprus for decades, President of the Republic of Cyprus Demetris Christofias has stressed. The President, who inaugurated Tuesday the Waste Processing Plant of Vathia Gonia, in the Nicosia district, said in his speech that the government has addressed the water problem in a responsible manner. “We are now in a position to tell the people of Cyprus that one more problem, which has been affecting our country for decades, is heading towards solution”, he stressed. The President said that by the end of next year, Cyprus will be fully independent from rainfall to cover its water needs. ''Based on the government’s action plan and the measures we are taking, we will not experience again water cuts and we will not be importing water from abroad, as we had to do in 2008”, he said. Meanwhile, Minister of Agriculture, Natural Resources and the Environment Demetris Eliades, told a press conference that three desalination units are under construction, two of which will fully operate by the end of 2011. He said that the total water reserves reach now 158 million cubic meters, “which will cover Cyprus’ needs until the end of 2011”. The Minister explained that by the end of 2011, two of the three new desalination units will start operating, “meaning that Cyprus will no longer be dependent on rain”.


St. Uros Cathedral in Urosevac was one the religious sites affected by the fury of protestors who caused severe damage during the violent events of March 2004. A few days ago the bells of the Cathedral sounded again, thanks to the generous efforts for the reopening of the Church by the Greek Kosovo Force. As it was stated to ANA – MPA by the Commander of the Greek Kosovo Force Colonel George Chatzitheofanous, recently on September 11th, the Metropolitan of Montenegro and the Littoral Amphilochios (Amfilohije), officiated Divine Liturgy with other Serbian Priests and Father Parthenios of Thessaloniki. The Divine Liturgy was attended by 150 Serbians and old residents of Urosevac who left during the war and returned a few days ago from their permanent residences in Serbia. As noted by the Greek Colonel who was present at the Divine Liturgy along with other officials of the Greek Kosovo Force and Greek policemen of EULEX, the atmosphere was very overwhelming. The construction of the Cathedral of St. Uros was completed in 1933 by architect Joseph Mihajlovic. It was the largest church in the city of Urosevac. The Cathedral was built in honor of the patron saint of the city; an old Serbian king who became a saint. During the serious events of March 2004 the church was taken over by Albanian demonstrators and suffered severe damage. The Greek Kosovo Force which guarded the Church had to withdraw under extremely difficult circumstances as it could not control the civilians. Since then the cathedral of St. Uros remained closed with barbed wire, piles of trash dirt, rubble, as well as plant growth. This image of abandonment was exactly what the Greek Force wanted to change and in this effort it earned many allies and helpers. Regional bodies, the Mayor, the Imam, the Catholic Bishop and others assisted Colonel Chatzitheofanous. Additionally KFOR military priests which included an American Colonel, an Ukranian Colonel, and a German Lieutenant Colone responded to this appeal, along EULEX representatives and the OSCE.

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Texas takes on Islam;Al-Qaida,jihad;Tea Party poll;Cyprus at Smithsonian;Greek FP;NATO-Russia;St.Spyridon's relics



A resolution before the Texas State Board of Education says some world history textbooks push a pro-Muslim, anti-Christian view. The board plans to vote on the issue next week, The Dallas Morning News reported. Texas recently went through a bruising debate about the teaching of U.S. history. While social conservatives on the board won most of what they wanted, two of them lost in the Republican primary and will be off the board next year, the newspaper said. "Diverse reviewers have repeatedly documented gross pro-Islamic, anti-Christian distortions in social studies texts," the draft resolution says. The resolution also charges some texts present "sanitized definitions of 'jihad' that exclude religious intolerance or military aggression." It says textbooks devote more space to Islam and emphasize Christian violence against Muslims during the Crusades while downplaying or omitting similar actions by Muslims, the newspaper said. Some board members charge that "Middle Easterners" are investing in U.S. textbook companies to push their views.


Al-Qaida's second-in-command released an audio recording on Wednesday blaming the United States for what he claimed was a poor aid response to the recent floods in Pakistan. Ayman al-Zawahri also said the Pakistani government, which he alleged was loyal to Washington, was to blame for the ongoing devastation and deaths caused by massive floods which have uprooted millions. "The primary concern of the ruling class in the government and army of Pakistan is filling their domestic and foreign bank accounts with dollars, and as far as they are concerned, Pakistan and its people can go to hell," the voice in the recording said. Washington, he said, was preventing al-Qaida and its allies from getting aid to those in need, and warned Pakistanis to be careful about receiving assistance from NATO soldiers helping in the country. The al-Qaida leader then said soldiers from the Western military alliance had disgraced the Koran and insulted the Islamic prophet Mohammed, in places like Guantanamo Bay. He also mocked his own country's upcoming parliamentary election, saying Egypt's vote was a "game." He called for a jihad, or holy war, against the governments of Pakistan and Egypt in specific. He also urged Muslims, in general, to overthrow their secular governments. Al-Zawahri, born in Cairo, is wanted by the U.S. government for his involvement in global terrorism, including the September 11, 2001, attacks in New York and Washington.


Despite the movement's rallies and some victories in primary races this year, many Americans remain unfamiliar with the Tea Party, a new CBS News/ New York Times poll shows. As many as 47 percent of registered voters nationwide say they are undecided or haven't heard enough about the Tea Party movement to have an opinion about it, according to the poll, conducted Sept. 10-14. Late last month, Tea Party supporters pulled off a surprising upset in Alaska, where their preferred candidate, Joe Miller, defeated Incumbent Sen. Lisa Murkowski in the Republican primary. Even more surprising, however, were the Tea Party's victories in yesterday's primaries. Tea Party-backed Christine O'Donnell bested Rep. Mike Castle for the Republican Senate nomination in Delaware, Carl Paladino won the GOP gubernatorial nomination in New York, and an upstart conservative in New Hampshire is running neck-and-neck with the establishment candidate for the state's GOP Senate nomination. Nationally, however, the CBS/ New York Times poll shows that among those with an opinion, more view the Tea Party unfavorably (29 percent) than favorably (23 percent). Just 19 percent of Americans in this poll say they support the Tea Party movement, while 63 percent say they do not. However, this small group of supporters is politically active. As many as 84 percent of them say they are registered to vote, and 88 percent say they will definitely vote this November. Most (73 percent) are conservative. Fifty-four percent of Tea Party supporters identify themselves as Republicans, and 38 percent say they are independents. Less than one in 10 says they are Democrats.


Cyprus, the eastern-most island in the Mediterranean Sea, situated at the crossroads of Europe, Asia and Africa, has been a meeting point for many of the world's great civilizations. From its 11,000-year history, Cyprus has woven its own distinctive history and culture."Cyprus: Crossroads of Civilizations" will be on view at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History from Sept. 29 through May 1, 2011. The exhibition is presented on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the independence of the Republic of Cyprus. The exhibition will feature more than 200 artifacts—covering nearly 11,000 years of history—which range from items from the earliest villages to masterpieces of medieval religious art, and give an overview of the island's unique culture. Among the objects on display will be for the first time in this country: A pygmy hippopotamus skull (10,000 to 8,500 B.C.). Gold jewelry and sphinx sculptures from the Cypro-Archaic period (750 to 480 B.C.). Vases, bowls and sculptures, including an Aphrodite marble, from the Hellenistic (325 to 50 B.C.). and Roman (50 B.C. to A.D. 330) periods Bronze and copper items, including lamps and jugs, from the Byzantine period (330 to 1191). Religious icons, paintings and vases from the medieval period (13th to 16th century). The exhibition also will feature nearly 100 coins from different eras in Cypriot history, starting from the Hellenistic period through the Venetian period. "Cyprus: Crossroads of Civilizations" was made possible by the Cyprus Department of Antiquities, the Cultural Foundation of the Bank of Cyprus, the Byzantine Museum of the Archbishop Makarios III Foundation, the Holy Bishopric of Morfou, the Pierides Marfin Bank Museum, the Thalassa Museum of the Municipality of Agia Napa and the National Museum of Natural History. To read more about the Smithsonian National Museum, click here and to read more about Cyprus, please click here.

The key-points of the Greek foreign policy were outlined on Wednesday by Foreign Minister Dimitris Droutsas, who also announced that a committee will undertake to process a new political doctrine for Greece's foreign policy in response to whatever changes on the international scene. Speaking in a press conference in the presence of Alternate Foreign Minister Mariliza Xenogiannakopoulou, and Deputy Foreign Ministers Spyros Kouvelis and Dimitris Dollis, Droutsas clarified that the committee will be comprised of foreign ministry officials and academics, while a special role will be played by the National Council on Foreign Policy (ESEP). In beginning with regional issues, Droutsas referred to the "Agenda 2014" initiative concerning the European prospects of the Balkan countries and his recent visits to Belgrade and Pristina, while in regards to the fYRoM "name issue", he underlined that Greece has proved that it has the necessary political will to find a solution. As regards the all-important field of Greek-Turkish relations, the FM reiterated that Athens seeks close cooperation with Turkey under the precondition that International Law, Greece's territorial integrity and sovereign rights are fully observed. "Within this framework, we are ready, we support Turkey's European prospect and its goal for EU accession," he stressed, pointing out that the promotion of a different EU-Turkey "relationship" is not in Greece's interests. He added that the outcome of a recent referendum in Turkey allows Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to proceed with more decisive reforms in the area of human rights, International Law and the rules of good-neighbourly relations as well as in a solution of the long-standing Cyprus problem. He also clarified that no EU partner has supported Turkey's "unconditional accession" into the EU, adding that certain partners maintained that "Turkey should not be cut off from Europe" and that "somehow Turkey should be integrated into the EU policies." Droutsas underlined that the only way for Turkey is to "fully meet its obligations for EU accession."


The leaders of 28 NATO countries should invite Russia to take part in a project to create a missile defense system in Europe, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said Wednesday. Rasmussen told journalists in Brussels that the invitation should be made at November's NATO summit in Lisbon. The secretary general also said he hopes next week's meeting of the NATO-Russia Council in New York will give new impetus to practical cooperation on Afghanistan, including the fight against drug trafficking, piracy, terrorism and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. He said work on a joint analysis of threats to Russia and NATO in the 21st century would be completed by the end of the year.


The relics of Saint Spyridon are to be delivered to the Cathedral of Christ the Savor in Moscow from the Greek island of Corfu today. Spyridon was born in Cyprus in 270 and was known for his great piety. He eventually became Bishop of Tremithous and went down in history after he proved the essence of the Trinity at the First Ecumenical Council. He was honored for the rare gift of clairvoyance and for the rare ability to cure the sick by prayer, exorcize demons and resurrect the dead. In Russia Saint Spyridon is worshipped for his assistance in softening the heart, settling conflicts and acquiring Christian love. The relics will stay in Moscow till October 6th. They will then be transferred to St.Petersburg. To read more about St. Spyridon, please click here.

Monday, September 13, 2010

ICJ,Russia-Georgia;Danish terrorist attack;EU-NATO links;Turkish reforms?;IAEA-Iran;9/11;Exaltation of the Holy Cross



The International Court of Justice (ICJ), the main judicial body of the United Nations, will hold public hearings in Georgia's lawsuit against Russia. Georgia attacked South Ossetia in an attempt to bring it back under central control on August 8, 2008. Russia repelled Georgia's attack in a five-day war with the South Caucasus country, and then recognized South Ossetia and another former Georgian republic of Abkhazia as independent states. Since then, Russia has deployed thousands of troops and border guards to the two regions, which Georgia considers part of its sovereign territory. On August 12, 2008, Georgia filed its lawsuit with the ICJ, accusing Russia of discriminating against the Georgian population since 1990. The public hearings of the case, concerning the Application of the 1965 Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, will be held on September 13-17. The Russian Foreign Ministry told RIA Novosti that the Georgian lawsuit aims to distract the public's attention from Georgia's own gross violation of international law that occurred when it started the war against South Ossetia in 2008. Nicaragua, Venezuela and the tiny island nation of Nauru are the only other countries besides Russia to have recognized Abkhazia and South Ossetia.


The identity of the suspect arrested shortly after the failed Copenhagen attack last Friday is still unknown, and any information about his identity or whereabouts are very welcomed, said the Danish National Police Sunday morning. According to police, the suspect is 25-35, about 5'11", athletic looking and has a “central to southern European appearance." He speaks fluent English and French with a German accent. He has a scar on the right of his face and his nose appears to have been broken several times. The Belgium police have been alerted to the case because the suspect also has a false Belgium passport and had bought a bus ticket to Brussels. Meanwhile, the local media speculate that the planned attack may have been targeting the office of Danish daily Jyllands-Posten that published the controversial caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed in 2005, which outraged Muslims around the world. However, the managing director of the daily, Lars Munch and the Danish police denied knowledge of any specific threats to Jullands-Posten.


European leaders are taking steps to develop deeper ties between the EU and Nato as the union seeks to boost its influence in global affairs. At a summit next Thursday, the leaders of the 27 member states will ask EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton to explore ways of strengthening the union’s links with the military alliance. The move is politically sensitive for Taoiseach Brian Cowen, given Ireland’s policy of neutrality and claims by opponents of the Lisbon Treaty that the Lisbon reforms would deepen “militarisation” in the EU. It comes as the US and Nato push to intensify Europe’s security co-operation with the alliance and as the EU tries to give new momentum to its external relations. The summit was specifically convened to discuss the EU’s strategic relations, although the leaders will also debate the economic crisis. They are expected to hand down a six-week deadline to European Council president Herman Van Rompuy to resolve significant differences between member states on new measures to fortify the union’s system of economic governance. The draft conclusions, seen by The Irish Times , present closer relations with Nato as a way of exploiting Europe’s bonds with Washington more fully. They say the EU-US partnership should concentrate on economic links as well as “working more closely on major international issues”. They also say the EU and US should confront global challenges in a concerted manner. “In this connection, the high representative is invited to develop ideas on how EU-Nato co-operation in crisis management could be further strengthened.” The request comes amid debate within the EU on its military role and separate discussions on a new strategic policy for Nato, whose military campaign in Afghanistan will soon enter its 10th year. In a speech last Friday in Madrid, Nato secretary general Anders Fogh Rasmussen called for increased “mutual support” between the EU and the alliance as part of a comprehensive approach to security. He spoke of “talking together, planning together and acting together” whenever that made sense. “The days when Nato and the European Union eyed each other a bit warily are behind us,” he said. “Nato has its strengths. So do the EU and the UN, and for that matter non-governmental organisations as well. We need to do our utmost to ensure that those strengths are mutually reinforcing.” Such remarks echo a push for closer EU-Nato co-operation from Washington, where diplomats believe the Lisbon Treaty provides a platform for deeper ties. In Paris last January, secretary of state Hillary Clinton said the complexity of today’s world was such that the development of common policies would serve both Nato and the EU. “They are no longer separated. It’s hard to say that security is only about what it was when Nato was formed and the EU has no role to play in security issues,” she told the French military academy. Cyprus is also understood to have significant worries over closer EU- Nato ties, given unresolved questions over the refusal of Nato member Turkey to recognise its government. Finland, which like Ireland is neutral, is also said to have concerns.


The European Union has urged Turkey to implement reforms and to draft a new constitution that would usher in more freedoms after Turks approved sweeping changes to the constitution. About 58 percent voted in favor of government-proposed amendments to the constitution crafted after a 1980 military coup in a referendum Sunday. EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fuele said Monday the changes address "long-standing priorities" for Turkey's membership. He says Turkey needs to enact laws to implement the reforms as well as a new constitution that would bring its democracy more in line with European standards.


International Atomic Energy Agency chief Yukiya Amano on Monday warned that he cannot confirm that all of Iran's nuclear activities are peaceful because Teheran is not fully cooperating with his inspectors. Amano also chided Iran for barring some of those inspectors and for stonewalling his agency's attempt to probe allegations that Teheran is interested in developing atomic arms. Amano spoke at the start of a 35-nation board meeting of the IAEA. Iran insists that its nuclear activities are meant only to generate energy but is under UN sanctions for refusing to stop uranium enrichment, which can be used both to make fuel and fissile nuclear warhead material. Last week, the IAEA released a report expressing concern over Iran's increased uranium stockpile and the Islamic Republic's refusal to fully cooperate with UN inspectors. Iran recently decided to strip two experienced inspectors of the right to monitor Teheran's nuclear activities after they reported undeclared nuclear experiments conducted by the Islamic Republic. Iran said the reporting by the two was inaccurate but the IAEA stands by their findings. Iran's nuclear chief Ali Akbar Salehi responded to the IAEA report, stating that Teheran has the right to bar some UN inspectors from monitoring its disputed nuclear program.


On the second weekend of September 2010, Orthodox Christian faithful across North America and beyond offered special prayers in remembrance of those who lost their lives in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. In New York, His Eminence, Archbishop Demetrios of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, celebrated a Memorial Service at the site of the former World Trade Center. Representing His Grace, Bishop Michael of the OCA Diocese of New York and New Jersey at the service was Igumen Christopher [Calin], dean of Holy Virgin Protection Cathedral on New York's lower east side. In his comments after the Memorial Service, Archbishop Demetrios emphasized that this is a day on which we remember the innocent victims who died, and that we should not allow the significance of the day to be overshadowed by any other issues or interests. He read from the Wisdom of Solomon, 3: 1-7. Also present at the service were His Grace, Bishop Savvas; Father John Romas, pastor of Saint Nicholas Church, which was destroyed when World Trade Center Tower Two collapsed [see related story here]; five priests of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, and numerous laypersons, some of whom had lost family members in the attack. Members of the police and fire departments, as well as representatives from the embassies of Greece and Cyprus, also were in attendance. In Moscow, the annual Memorial for the Innocent Victims of Terrorism was celebrated at the OCA's Representation Church of the Great Martyr Catherine. Archimandrite Zacchaeus invited His Excellency, Mr. John Beyrle, Ambassador of the USA to the Russian Federation, to address the gathering at the conclusion of the service. Also invited to address the faithful was Alexander P. Torshin, First Deputy of the Chairman of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation, and Senator Sergei E. Sheblygin, President of the Saint Andrew the First Called Foundation and the Center for the National Glory of Russia, who attended in the absence of Vladimir I. Yakunin, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, who annually attends the service. Following the service, Archimandrite Zacchaeus led everyone in ringing the bell that hangs in the memorial bell tower erected in honor of the 9/11 terrorism victims. A photo gallery of the service may be foundhere, while a video is posted on youtube.


The liturgical color today is red. It is red not because we are celebrating a memorial of a martyr, but because we celebrate today the glorious and saving sacrifice of Jesus on the cross on Good Friday. In the fourth century, Queen Helena, the mother of Constantine, emperor of Rome, proceeded to Jerusalem in search of the holy places in the life of Jesus Christ. She ordered the destruction of the Temple of Aphrodite, which, according to ancient tradition, was built over the tomb of Jesus Christ, and her son built the Basilica of the Holy Sepulcher over the tomb. During the excavation, the laborers found three crosses. According to a legend, the true cross of Jesus was identified when a dying woman was healed when the cross was touched to her body. The basilica was dedicated nine years later, with a portion of the cross enshrined inside it. The discovery of the cross happened on September 14, 326. Today’s liturgy focuses on God’s love for humanity. The Gospel reminds us of the astounding reality that ours is a God who truly loves His people. God loves us so much that He sent His beloved Son to redeem us and to bring us the good news of salvation. Out of obedience to the will of the Father, Jesus proclaimed the Gospel of love to all even unto death. Before Jesus’ death, the cross was a symbol of punishment and persecution. But with Christ’s suffering and sacrifice on the cross, it became a life-giving symbol for all Christians. We exhalt the cross as a symbol of our freedom from sin and death. Our adoration of the cross is an adoration of Jesus Christ who suffered for us. Because of this, the cross has become the most potent and universal symbol for Christianity. As we celebrate today’s feast, let us recall the words of Jesus, “He who does not take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake shall find it.” (Mt 10:38,39) If we take up our own crosses, we unite ourselves more closely to Christ who offered His very self for our salvation. May we who take up our crosses likewise be exalted one day in the glory of eternal life with God.

Friday, September 10, 2010

Serbia-Kosovo-Greece,Cyprus solution;Pirate captives;ISS unmanned cargo;Sec Solis,Farmworkers;Ground Zero Church



Serbia is dropping a challenge to Kosovo's independence at the United Nations: Belgrade has removed the section of a UN resolution that called Kosovo's secession "unacceptable". The move is being seen as a compromise that boosts the Balkan nation's hopes of joining the European Union. However, political writer Diana Johnstone says the new version of the resolution sounds more like Serbia’s complete surrender to the European Union’s wishes, than like compromise. Anti-war.com columnist Nebojsa Malic believes that the move will fatally undermine the credibility of the Serbian government in the eyes of fellow Serbs. For Serbia, Johnstone explained, this is not a question of gaining something, but a question of being afraid to lose even more than it has already lost. “There are secessionist movements that are easy to stimulate from outside – in Vojvodina, in Raska – which can be stimulated by an agent, and Serbia is just swarming with agents… I think they were more afraid of losing something… In fact they didn’t gain anything. The European Union gave nothing in exchange for this, as usual, and now they’re asking for more,” she said. Still, the issue is far from the end, Johnstone said; Serbia is in a difficult position. It is not exactly occupied, but it is surrounded and sort of occupied, and any leader that would openly take into consideration Serbia’s interests is condemned as nationalist by the Western media. “So it’s essentially very difficult for the Serbian voters to have any other policy other than the policy that is essential dictated by the United States and the European Union,” she concluded. The Kosovo parliament declared the region’s independence in 2008. Serbia still has not recognized it, nor has Russia, China, Cyprus and Greece. However, 69 countries did recognize Kosovo as a para-state, and the West has been mildly pressuring Serbia to surrender their efforts to regain control over the territory.


Greece has stated that its position on Kosovo is well known and that it remains stable, Greek media have reported. “We will continue to invest efforts, together with our European Union partners, aiming at the European integration of the region,” spokesman of the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs Grigoris Delavekouras told a press conference. He said earlier that the draft resolution agreed on by Serbia and the EU is an important development of events that confirms the stance and efforts that Greece has invested in finding a solution for Kosovo that would be based on a consensus. Serbia's European path was confirmed once again, and that is a key element of the solution for Kosovo, Serbia and the region as a whole, said Delavekouras.


The proposal of Cyprus Republic President Demetris Christofias concerning the future of Varosha (a quarter in the occupied Cypriot city of Famagusta) and the seaport of Famagusta can provide considerable momentum to the negotiating process and create the preconditions that will boost Turkey's European prospect by opening new chapters, foreign ministry spokesman Grigoris Delavekouras said on Thursday. Referring to the visit to Cyprus by Foreign Minister Dimitris Droutsas, he said that it was "very important", bearing a "strong symbolism", and added that its goal was substantive in a crucial conjuncture when good coordination is necessary before making the next steps. "President Christofias' initiatives show the way to a solution for the Cyprus issue," he said. "Any progress in the EU accession course for the neighbouring country (Turkey) is unthinkable if no progress is made in the Cyprus issue. If Turkey wants, according to official statements, to see a progress being made in the Cyprus issue now is the chance to prove it by responding to the proposal," he added. Delavekouras pointed out that the messages (by Turkey) received so far are negative, adding that there is a "distance between rhetoric and deeds." He also reminded that Turkey has occupation troops on the island, stressing that the Cyprus problem is a problem of invasion and occupation.


Giorgos Skalimis, the 63-year-old Greek captain of a Saudi Arabian-flagged ship taken hostage by Somali pirates in March off the Gulf of Aden, is being detained in dire conditions by his captors and has been refused the medicine he requires for his high blood pressure and sugar levels, the captain’s wife has told Kathimerini. “The pirates have taken his phone and only allow us to speak to him for one minute every 20 days,” Maria Skalimi said. She added that the 63-year-old, and the 13-strong crew, who are all Sri Lankans, have been living in unsanitary conditions, sleeping on the deck of the vessel even amid storms and not being allowed to wash. According to her most recent conversation with the captain, some of the crew members are near comatose due to malnutrition. Mrs Skalimi said she believed the ransom for the release of the vessel has been collected but has yet to be disbursed due to administrative obstacles.


Russia's Mission Control says an unmanned cargo ship has blasted off successfully on a mission to deliver supplies for the international space station crew. It said that the Progress M-07M spacecraft lifted off Friday from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. It's set to dock at the station Sunday. The Progress is carrying more than 2.5 metric tons of food, water, oxygen fuel and other supplies for the station's crew. It will also deliver letters from home and some new movies for the crew of six. The space outpost is manned by U.S. astronauts Shannon Walker, Tracy Caldwell Dyson and Douglas Wheelock and Russians Alexander Skvortsov, Mikhail Kornienko and Fyodor Yurchikhin.


One woman continued to pick tomatoes as she finished high school and college before earning a master's degree. Another woman who told of her arms aching from helping harvest watermelons as a 7-year-old now helps farm workers get education and job training. Another was able to trade the fields for a 30-year career at a community college. U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis heard those tales Thursday as examples of what the National Farmworker Jobs Program can accomplish. "I had no idea this program would have this effect of my life. It changed my life," said Shelia Dixon, who has had a variety of administrative and teaching jobs at Seminole State College of Florida. Solis was in Melbourne as the first recipient of the Farmworker Fighter award for her support of programs for farm workers. "I think you all deserve the Farmworker Fighter award," Solis said to audience members, who work for agencies that serve farm workers. "I'd like to give you a round of applause." The award was presented by the National Farmworkers Jobs Program of Florida and Florida's Association to Link Advocacy and Support for Farmworkers. The groups offer a variety of educational, vocational training and other services to farm workers in the state. They were in Melbourne for an annual meeting and staff development training. "This job is so rewarding," said Carol Heard, the jobs program coordinator for Orange and Lake counties and herself the child of farm workers. "I am thankful every day for the opportunity to work with this program."


CNN’s Mary Snow is filing a story tonight on the Situation Room about St. Nicholas Church, the only church destroyed at ground zero on 9/11. She filed this report from New York. You can watch Mary’s piece on the Situation Room today on CNN between 5pm-7pm EST and tell us what you think. Here in New York City, there’s been much focus on the Cordoba House that’s near ground zero, but did you know there was a church destroyed on 9/11 that has yet to be rebuilt? St Nicholas is a Greek Orthodox Church. It was a tiny three-story church that sat on a lot 22 feet by 50 feet in the shadow of the south tower at the World Trade Center site. When the tower fell it crushed the church building. Rebuilding efforts have gone nowhere. The church has been negotiating with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey for years, but both sides accuse the other of walking away from negotiations. The Port Authority says, in essence, that a window has passed for the church to rebuild at a nearby location with tens of millions of dollars of public money because construction at a security center at ground zero couldn’t wait. Now, if the church wants to rebuild at its original location, it’ll have to wait until 2013, when construction is complete. What do you think? Should a third party get involved to find a solution? To read more about St. Nicholas Orthodox Church, please visit StNicholasNYC.com.

Wednesday, September 08, 2010

States vs Obamacare;09/11 Memorial,St.Nicholas;Greece,FYROM;Cyprus Talks;Serbia-Kosovo-UN;Russia military;Digital Highway



Opposition to the new health reform law is continuing to grow in the states - just as Congress prepares for its final pre-election legislative session. Colorado, for instance, just placed an initiative on the ballot that would, if passed, block many aspects of Obamacare - including the requirement that individuals purchase health insurance. A similar measure was overwhelmingly approved by voters in Missouri last month. And several states recently announced that they don't believe they have the authority to enforce the new law. With actions like these, the message to Washington is clear: If Congress doesn't repeal Obamacare, the states just might do it themselves. The health reform law remains unpopular. The August Kaiser Health Tracking poll found that 45 percent of Americans disapprove of the new law. Among likely voters, the numbers are even worse. The most recent Rasmussen Reports survey found that 56 percent favor repealing health care reform. State officials across the country have heard their constituents - and acted accordingly. This fall, voters in Arizona and Oklahoma will consider ballot initiatives similar to the ones in Colorado and Missouri. Lawmakers in Florida tried to put a measure invalidating the individual mandate on the ballot, but their effort was struck down by the state Supreme Court. These measures have an excellent chance of passing. In Colorado, for instance, 61 percent of likely voters want to repeal health reform; 48 percent strongly so. Individual governors have challenged Obamacare as well. The states are pushing back against the feds for two primary reasons. First, Obamacare will saddle public and private payers alike with huge new costs at a time when most are still struggling to recover from the recession - which may not even be over yet. Second, the health reform law will dramatically curtail individual freedom and force people to comply with Washington's dictates on what constitutes "acceptable" health insurance. Obamacare is like an iceberg. The federal government's tab is merely the observable tip. The bulk of the costs - to individuals, businesses and the states - are hidden. Less quantifiable - but no less important - is the hit to Americans' individual liberty. Most Americans will lose their current health plans once they come up for renewal, despite President Obama's promises to the contrary. And in 2011, they'll face a barrage of new taxes and fees needed to fund all the programs created by the law. By fighting back against Obamacare, state lawmakers are simply executing the will of their constituents. This November, voters may force Congress to jump on the bandwagon too.


On the occasion of the 9th Anniversary of the events of September 11, 2001, Archbishop Demetrios of America will officiate at the annual Memorial Service to honor the memory of all victims and heroes who perished on that day. A prayer will also be offered focused on St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, the only house of worship destroyed on September 11, which was crushed by the debris of the South Tower when it collapsed. The Memorial Service, organized by the community of St. Nicholas Church, will be held on Saturday, September 11, 2010 beginning at 4:00 p.m. Those interested in attending must meet at Gate 3B, at the corner of Greenwich and Liberty Streets across from the Fire House, between 3:30 and 3:45 p.m. Space is limited.On the occasion of the 9th Anniversary of the events of September 11, 2001, Archbishop Demetrios of America will officiate at the annual Memorial Service to honor the memory of all victims and heroes who perished on that day. A prayer will also be offered focused on St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, the only house of worship destroyed on September 11, which was crushed by the debris of the South Tower when it collapsed. The Memorial Service, organized by the community of St. Nicholas Church, will be held on Saturday, September 11, 2010 beginning at 4:00 p.m. Those interested in attending must meet at Gate 3B, at the corner of Greenwich and Liberty Streets across from the Fire House, between 3:30 and 3:45 p.m. Space is limited.


The foreign minister of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) conveyed today his congratulations to the newly appointed Greek Foreign Minister Dimitris Droutsas — who previously held the alternate FM’s portfolio — while also extending an invitation to the latter to visit Skopje. “I would like, on this opportunity, to underline my conviction that during the upcoming period we will make joint efforts to upgrade relations between our two countries in the spirit of European values, mutual cooperation and understanding,” fYRoM Foreign Minister Antonio Milososki said. Mr. Milosoki invited the Greek Minister on a date to be decided via diplomatic channels and underlined, that this visit is going to be a bilateral effort to establish mutual trust and good relationship status between the two neighbors. According to information, Mr. Droutsas accepted the invitation and is going to continue the talks concerning the name issue and the Skopje’s proposal to set up embassies in the two countries.


The leaders of the two communities in Cyprus, President Demetris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu, begin today in the morning intensive meetings, during which they will discuss the property issue in the framework of the UN-led direct talks for a Cyprus settlement. According to Alexander Downer, UN SG’s Special Advisor in Cyprus, the all-day meetings will be held on the 8 and 10 September. President Christofias said on Friday after his last meeting with Eroglu that he hopes for ''serious discussions'' on the property chapter during the two-day talks. The President had also said that the two sides outlined their positions orally and no documents were submitted. He further said that the positions of the two sides on property will be submitted ''in due time.'' Downer had said the UN look forward to the start of the intensive talks. Peace talks began in September 2008 between President Christofias and former Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat. Talks continue now with Eroglu, who succeeded Talat in April this year. Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded and occupied its northern third.


Serbia's government on Wednesday gave up its bid to challenge Kosovo's independence at the upcoming U.N. General Assembly meeting, after reaching a compromise solution with the EU over the resolution it tabled there. President Boris Tadic said, however, the compromise "in no way includes recognition of Kosovo's independence." The U.S. and major EU powers are among over 70 countries that have recognized Kosovo's independence. Serbia, supported by Russia and China, maintains it will never accept the split. Serbia has faced pressure from the EU to withdraw the previous text, which called Kosovo's unilateral secession "unacceptable," and demanded more status talks, even after the U.N.'s highest court ruled that Kosovo's 2008 move was legal. EU officials have urged Serbia to drop its bid to retain claim on Kosovo and focus instead on its prospects of joining the EU. The new text, carried by the official Tanjug news agency, "hails readiness by the European Union to facilitate the process of dialogue between the sides." "The joint resolution of Serbia and the European Union is the result of joint work ... a compromise," Tadic said in a statement. "The agreed text of the resolution was reached with a sincere desire to solve all open issues in a partnership with the EU, and all other important international factors." The government's move was immediately hailed by Serbia's liberals, who said it would bring the troubled country closer to the European Union. But, opposition Democratic Party of Serbia, who are advocating dropping Serbia's EU bid over Kosovo, called the changes "an act of capitulation at an ultimatum by the Western powers in order to snatch away Kosovo."


The central commands of Russia's Air Force, Navy and Ground Forces will be retained but some of their functions will be transferred to integrated strategic commands, Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov said on Wednesday. This will help streamline the military command and control system, he said. "The command and control system should have three tiers at the most. Our old system had up to 16 levels - that was something unimaginable. Now their functions will be clearly defined and everyone will be responsible for his unit," the minister said. The streamlining of central command personnel will continue, he added. "Some sub-units will be downsized and some, quite to the contrary, enlarged," he said. Under a military district reform plan, the number of military districts is to be reduced to four from six by December 1 and reorganized as tactical-strategic commands.


Orthodoxy possesses the fullness of the Truth. It provides the sure way to peace, hope, and salvation. It restores our relationship with God and one another. The solution to every real problem is found within our Sacraments. So why aren’t our churches full? Why are entire generations of baptized Ukrainian Orthodox “missing in action”? And why aren’t the spiritually impoverished and under-churched people in our neighborhoods filling our pews to receive the Body of Christ and drink from the Fountain of Immortality? The recent Pew Study on Religion found that Orthodox parishes lose one out of every four of those Baptized into their ranks. The overall number of Orthodox remains constant, but only because there are enough converts (through marriage or otherwise) to make up for the loss. While I am happy that we are attracting so many converts, these data suggest three major problems. First, gains and losses are not evenly distributed and there are many parishes that lose far more people than they gain. Second, the survey sample is truncated so that it does not even address the funeral to baptism imbalance. Third, even if a parish manages to “break even” in terms of parishioners, it has still lost one out of every four of its own children to heresy. The Truth is too important for us to do so poorly. While I think that the most important way to address parish decline is to improve our commitment to the Truth, Beauty, and Authority of Orthodoxy,* this must be augmented by evangelism: the wedding banquets tables are set, but the hall is empty: it is time for us to make sure everyone gets an invitation (paraphrase of St. Matthew 22: 8-10). In the Parable of the Wedding Feast (St. Matthew 22: 1-14), the king sent his servants into the highways and hedges to find guests; we can augment this by going out onto the “information superhighway” of the internet and associated technologies. The most obvious (and simplest) way to let people know that that your parish possesses and desires to share the Fullness of the Truth with them is with a welcoming and informative website. At a minimum, it should have a brief statement of faith and legitimacy, contact information, pictures, service times, and links; but what will set it apart and gain credibility for your parish (especially among our lost generations of 20 – 40 year olds) is personalized content. This can mean anything from more pictures to posting bulletins, homilies and articles. Outside information (delivered via links, applets, or even “cut and paste”) is fine, but does not have the same effect as locally-generated content (think “facebook” rather than “yahoo”). One warning: expand your website gradually – nothing looks worse that a website whose content is out of date. It takes our webmaster about 5-10 hours a week to solicit, generate, and publish material to our website (www.stmichaeluoc.org). The next step: blogging and podcasting. Two more ways to share content and reach out to people in your local community (and the world) is through blogging (i.e. keeping an on-line journal) and podcasting (kind of like producing a regular short radio program). Blogging is the easiest: you can set up your own blog at www.blogspot.com in a manner of minutes. Your priest is used to writing, so encourage him (and give him time!) to regularly post his thoughts and reflections. Be sure to provide a link to the blog from your website (see our parish website, www.orthoanalytika.org and orthoanalytika.blogspot.com for three examples of how this can be done). Podcasting takes more time, but if you digitally record your priest’s sermons, it is simply a matter of prettying it up making it available on the internet. It took us a couple of weeks to crack the code, but our podcasts are now available both on our website and via iTunes (search for “Orthoanalytika”). While anyone with internet access can subscribe to your blog and podcast, subscriptions usually spread by word of mouth through your community (which mirrors the primary mechanism of church growth). We personalize our podcast by adding recordings of parish musicians. One more possibility: on-line communities. While YMMV, I have found it useful to keep active profiles on both Facebook and OrthodoxCircle. I daresay that most of our Jr UOL members (and those who should be… which is everyone in the world of the right age!) has a Facebook account, and using your own account makes it easy to stay in touch with them (the presence of a few priests also helps lend an air of civility/sanctity to a medium that sometimes threatens to break out into unaccountable hedonism). Each of our parishes possesses the complete fullness of the Truth that people long for. Share it with them and invite them to the feast.

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