Saturday, June 30, 2012


Just home from Greenbelt
20,000 humans not there!
unbelievable
Greenbelt Naked!
Never seen Cheltenham Racecourse so bare!

But
The Trustees were and we had a great meeting

7 Hours Car drive today
=
some great music
all great music
a treat

Now just Captured the above list
for listening next


iPhone ready sinc and go gogo


*

Friday, June 29, 2012



Just found a review of my book PIP WISDOM
Person Reviewed This Item
  • By serpico
    12-Sep-2010
    Pip Wilson has been around for several decades in mainly the third sector,
  • places like the Mayflower and YMCA,
  • these ramblings are very insightful and with the current revisiting of emotional literacy helpful.
  • Constantly inviting the reader to share, open up, and be a listener.
  • Key themes in emotional well being, value of others,
  • examining self and own impact,
  • exercise in group hugging and encouragement to kiss.
  • The Author does tend to self indulge although that minor, if someone wants a kinda urban wisdom group guide, to dip into that doesn't take itself too serious.
  • Then this small pocket size book will be handy, not a serious read but surprised how deep the issue go.

  • In short useful, helpful, reflective and fun.


..... NOT BAD - so any reviews better!! would be appreciated on Lulu.com

TRY HARD Warrington to empower young people into achieving brighter future


Warrington Wolves Foundation, together with YMCA Training and the Wooden Spoon Children's Charity, today launched TRY HARD Warrington, a new community programme which will kick start young people in need into full-time work or education.

TRY HARD Warrington is a progressive, high profile programme delivered by the Stobart Super League club Warrington Wolves, YMCA Training and the Wooden Spoon Children's Charity.

The TRY HARD programme targets young people at risk of exclusion and anti-social behaviour, introducing them - often for the first time - to touch and contact rugby league. TRY HARD Warrington provides participants with the opportunity to access personal and social development programmes, educational support, vocational training programmes and workforce development Apprenticeships and volunteering opportunities.



MORE



.


Government plans to axe housing benefit for under 25s



The YMCA has reacted strongly to reports that the Government is proposing to axe housing benefit for the under 25s.

YMCA England Chief Executive, Ian Green, said: "This proposal is the latest in a line of measures that really suggests that the Government is completely out of touch with the needs of young people. To suggest that in order to save money you remove crucial housing support from virtually everyone under the age of 25 is absurd and shows a real lack of understanding of the potential long term consequences of such a policy."

"The YMCA believes that access to the benefit system, including housing benefit, should be based on 'need' not on the rather crude measure of whether an individual is of a certain age or not. YMCAs across the country work with some of the most vulnerable young people in our communities and without this support, including housing, a lot of young people would simply drop out of society altogether. Many of these young people come from a background where the family unit has broken down and to simply say to them that they should stay at home longer is not an option and potentially dangerous."

"The YMCA always seeks to work constructively with the Government of the day but it is difficult to think in our 168 year history of many proposals from Government that will have such a detrimental and negative impact upon some of the most vulnerable young people in our communities. We urge the Government to think again."

ENDS

For further information please contact the YMCA England Press Office on:

Notes to Editors:

  • Founded 168 years ago, the YMCA in England is made up of 121 member YMCAs working to ensure that young people have opportunities to thrive and contribute positively to their communities.
  • YMCA operates in over 530 different communities in England impacting upon the lives of over 500,000 people every year.
  • Every night YMCAs provide over 9,000 beds for young people. The YMCA is the largest voluntary sector provider of safe, supported accommodation for single men and women aged between 16-30 years old.
  • The YMCA enables nearly 24,000 people every year to engage in education, skills and training to enable them to improve their opportunities in the job market.
  • The YMCA is the largest voluntary sector provider of health and wellbeing services promoting physical activity.
  • For further information please visit www.ymca.org.uk





I always feel
apprehensive
before a group.
Adrenalin has to pump in a relaxed style
for me to function well
and
be a positive tool in the operation.

I ask the names of any new people so they are equal in terms of greeting and personal involvement.

Like leading games and some really silly kind of fun – I always plan every detail and every option and hopefully every scenario.

It amazes me sometimes to see people
leading/playing games
and it all being sloppy
and no fun for the watching crowd
ALL because the person leading the game
is too interested in self enjoyment.

So here I am
with feelings in abundance
and
prepared in detail …
…… but informal and
not reading a prepared script!



I am working on a new book
one of four at the moment
but
this one is about working with groups
in developmental terms.

All the chapters are written
following real life work/encounters
It's not a book of theory,
although there are many reflections.


Practical but lots of ideas and tools.
I will let you know the progress.
This year is the target !!


*

Thursday, June 28, 2012

.BEEN A PLAYING THIS TODAY ......






.
**
Erykah Badu
Large band.
11 on stage plus Erykah.

Stunning stage presence.
Colourful in every way.

Doors open at 6.30.
Gig started 9.30.
We arrived before 9 pm.
Big build up.
Audience eager.
Lots like me I guess - never seen her live before.

Opening track as her last album
'20 feet tall'.
Voice as sweet as ever.
Cocky swagger full of pose.
All you would expect.
And a great great band including
THUNDERCAT
on bass.




*


Wednesday, June 27, 2012

I am going to see Erykah Badu tonight in London Town
Love her much






.

World news

..............am so outrageously disgusted by this

Israel subjecting Palestinian children to 'spiral of injustice' -

I am really disgusted at this - so outrageously UNJUST

Israeli soldiers stand guard over Palestinian children arrested in the West Bank city of Hebron.  Photograph: Abed Al Hashlamoun/EPA


am so outrageously disgusted by this

Israeli soldiers stand guard over Palestinian children arrested in the West Bank city of Hebron.
Photograph: Abed Al Hashlamoun/EPA

Foreign Office-backed delegation of UK lawyers says treatment may stem from belief every Palestinian child is potential terrorist

A belief that every Palestinian child is a potential terrorist may be leading to a "spiral of injustice" and breaches of international law in Israel's treatment of child detainees in military custody, a delegation of eminent British lawyers has concluded in an independent report backed by the Foreign Office.

The nine-strong delegation, led by the former high court judge Sir Stephen Sedley and including the UK's former attorney-general Lady Scotland, found that "undisputed facts" pointed to at least six violations of the UN convention on the rights of the child, to which Israel is a signatory. It was also in breach of the fourth Geneva convention in transferring child detainees from the West Bank to Israeli prisons, the delegation said.

Its report, Children in Military Custody, released on Tuesday, was based on a visit to Israel and the West Bank last September funded and facilitated by the Foreign Office and the British consulate in Jerusalem.

It makes 40 specific recommendations concerning the treatment of Palestinian child detainees.

The issue has come under increasing scrutiny by human rights organisations and visiting delegations over the past year. In January the Guardian highlighted the use of solitary confinement in a report on the experiences of children under the military justice system.

The lawyers' report says Israel has international obligations as the occupying power in the West Bank, and its system of military law must respect human rights and non-discrimination. It points out that under international law, no state is entitled to discriminate in the exercise of justice on the basis of race or nationality. It says, however, that "there are major differentials between the law governing the treatment of Palestinian children and the law governing treatment of Israeli children".

The report compares the military justice system in the West Bank to the Israeli civilian legal system, finding key differences in the treatment of children. The most egregious are the length of time child detainees can be held a) before being brought before a judge (up to 24 hours for Israeli children compared with eight days for Palestinian children); b) without access to a lawyer (48 hours compared with 90 days); and c) without charge (40 days compared with 188 days). The minimum age for custodial sentences is 14 for Israeli children, but 12 for Palestinian children.

As well as meeting government officials, lawyers, NGOs and UN agencies, the British team also interviewed former child prisoners and former Israeli soldiers, and visited the military court at Ofer prison near Jerusalem, which holds regular child sessions. They witnessed children being brought into the court in shackles.

The report also details "two irreconcilable accounts of the treatment and rights of Palestinian children" given to the delegation. One was from Palestinian and Israeli NGOs, UN agencies, lawyers, former Israeli soldiers and former child detainees; the second from Israeli government officials, military judges and prosecutors.

The first included night-time arrests, the use of blindfolds and painful plastic wrist ties, physical and/or verbal abuse, the failure to be informed of the right to silence or to see a lawyer, solitary confinement, self-incrimination, children being made to sign statements in Hebrew which they could not understand and extremely restricted access to family. "In this process, every year hundreds of Palestinian children are traumatised, sometimes irreversibly, are denied part of the their schooling and then live at ongoing risk of much harsher punishment if they are arrested again," the report said.

In the second account it heard, children are informed of their rights, treated appropriately, subject to procedural safeguards, and violence and threats are forbidden. "In custody, children receive education to such a high standard that Palestinian children have been known to offend in order to access it," the delegation was told.

Among the report's recommendations are:

• An end to night-time arrests, except in extreme and unusual circumstances.

• Children should be told of their rights in their own language.

• Children should never be blindfolded or hooded.

• Single plastic hand ties should never be used.

• The prohibition on violent, threatening or coercive conduct towards children should be strictly observed.

• Children should not be shackled at any time.

• Any confession in a language other than the child's own should not be accepted as evidence.

• Solitary confinement should never be used "as a standard mode of detention or imprisonment".

• All Palestinian children should be held in facilities in the occupied territories, and not transferred to Israel, a breach of article 76 of the fourth Geneva convention.

In conclusion, the report says: "It may be that much of the reluctance to treat Palestinian children in conformity with international norms stems from a belief, which was advanced to us by a military prosecutor, that every Palestinian child is a 'potential terrorist'. Such a stance seems to us to be the starting point of a spiral of injustice."

Tuesday, June 26, 2012



Mr. Beautiful
and the teenagers

This saturday night had something special to offer for the teenagers at the «vintertreff» at Hareid, Norway.
British Pip Wilson got the youth to participate in all kinds of activities, dances and conversations, and gave them a show filled with warmth and love.

In the hall just outside the «stage room» at Hareidhallen, members of TenSing Norway were lined up behind a table, getting the kids to stamp their fingerprint onto a sheet of paper on their way in. Inside, the room was starting to fill up. The title «Rolling Magazine» lit the large canvas at the stage.

- Hellicopter!
As Pip himself entered the stage, and the music started, a loud roar was heard amongst the audience. He opened the night with a heartfelt «You are beautiful!», and explained that during the night, he would shout «Hellicopter!» several times. The kids in the audience were then to stretch their arms out to the sides, and spin around, just like a hellicopter. After this, he gave a demonstration along with TenSing Norway. TenSing Norway functioned as examples for the audience during the entire rolling magazine – instructed by Pip Wilson. DJ Torgrim Grimstad complemented the activity - in the audience and on stage - with catchy pop music.

- Hello beautiful person!
After getting warmed up by TenSing Norway and their wild rythms, audience members were selected by them to come up on stage. It was «game nr. 1-time».
Having gotten the first little group of nervous audience members up on stage, Pip got each and everyone of them by turn, to come up to the microphone with him. He then asked them their name, and where they were from.
- Hello beautiful Ulrik! Roared the audience as one of them said his name. He was applauded by screaming kids from his own TenSing choir, as he told the audience where he came from. This went on until all the audience members on stage were well introduced, and TenSing Norway helped them back into the sea of kids on the floor. They then went back stage, to fetch the game 1- equipment. - Water balloons.
- Watch out, so that you don't get eggs all over you or something, one of the TenSing-members warned the journalist. This somehow told us that perhaps some might not be leaving in the exact same state of which they arrived.

Water balloons, custard and blue oatmeal
During one of the games, the audience members on stage, had to put on knickers from London. These were to be stuffed full of balloons, until the knickers were completely bloated and ready to burst. Pip would then casually stroll around, needle in hand, and pop the balloons as the audience counted. The one with the most balloons in their undergarments, were declared winners of game nr. 1. A bittersweet victory perhaps, as some of the balloons turned out to be filled with water.
Most of the games included equipment like vanilla custard, water, balloons, chairs and unknown amounts of liquid goo, all in strong colours. A lot of the kids showed certain signs of this by the time the rolling magazine was over.

Rolling magazine
The rolling magazine can be explained as a «rolling» show, filled with games, dancing, and conversation, all to help the kids get closer to one another and to their feelings. It sends a message that it is OK to be vulnerable. And this is exactly what Pip showed us. He communicated enormous amounts of warmth onto the audience, and allowed them to get in touch with both each other and themselves. He managed to make this incredibly fun for everyone. For example, he asked them what type of colour each and everyone of them thought they were.
- I am a bright, fluorescent red, he explained, - With cracks of yellow where all the vulnerable bits are.

Pip Wilson – humanitarian.
Mid show, Pip sat down on stage, asking the entire audience do exactly the same, spread out on the floor. He then told us about his work, what he does and loves to do.
- I meet with criminals and youth with a challenging lives and we have a chat about them and what they do. Others will tell me that they've stolen something. I ask them heaps of questions, but I never point my finger at them. I always speak with open palms, Pip told us.
- I love you. Even if you stab me, I love you! He insisted. He believes that one should look past bad behaviour and see people for who they really are. Respect them for who they are, not what they do, and understand that «their behaviour» and «them» are two different things..

Hugs and kisses, bumps and bruises
Many of the games and dances promoted closer contact amongst the kids in the audience. Hugs and hand-shakes were shared enthusiastically, but also miniature bumps and bruises, as some of the kids fell or tumbled over on each other.
- Form circles, sit down on the lap belonging to the person behind you, and dance! Pip announced, and about a third of the entire audience tumbled over on the floor. Then the night continued, with games dancing and talking, as the energy amongst the audience grew larger and larger.


Colorful showers, and an incredibly loud ending
The Rolling magazine ”rolled” towards the ending, and the last game was announced. Something that looked like a giant shower was hauled up on stage. The last group of volunteers from the audience were given balloons, and an order to blow until it burst. The volunteer that burst his or her balloon last, had to step into the ”shower”. The first ”loser” was a girl, and she got a bucket of water poured over her. The next one – a boy this time - had a seemingly refreshing custard - shower, whereas the third and last volunteer to lose, was honoured by a bucket of red paint, followed by a big bag of feathers.The audience both laughed and empathized with the losers all at the same time. Pip himself bounced around the stage, full of energy. He never seemed to run out.
As the Rolling Magazine finally came to an end, Pip was given a pair of knit mittens. Red, white and blue - the colours of the norwegian flag. The mittens were enthusiastically appreciated, followed by an applause that made people have to cover their ears.



.



.

"When I was a kid
I used to pray every night
for a new bike.
Then
I realised that The Lord
doesn't work that way,
so I stole one
and asked him to forgive me."


Peter Kay



*
so show/me/how to feel/about being me/so that I can leave my shell/
and shout and jump and kick/until something gets changed/
because the future is mine/and I don't want it to be like/the past/
and I hate/ seeing people starve/in order to give me/cheap trainers.





Pip Me on iTunes
get sample
BUY book
Link Here


http://itunes.apple.com/gb/book/pip-wisdom/id444174945?mt=11


.

Monday, June 25, 2012

DEPRESSION

DEPRESSION::
'They will be struggling at work, not sleeping, drinking too much alcohol or getting headaches. But they know somewhere that it's not really the problem.

This may be because it is hard to recognise your own depression.
We all know what it is like to feel sad when something bad happens but with depression the feelings go on for much longer and you don't bounce back' says Dr Jun Bolton, a psychiatrist in south-west London.
"If you think you are depressed
or anxious
you should see your GP.

It won't be an uncomfortable conversation GPs"

Only one in four people who need mental health treatment are getting it, says a report published last week by the London School of Economics. This is partly due to people not realising that they have a mental illness but also a lack of resources to treat them.
The most common mental health problems are depression and anxiety, which often co-exist.
Other problems such as schizophrenia are also under-treatedbut are rarer and a higher proportion of people get help.

Depression is a relapsing condition for half of those who have it - but for the other half it can be cured.

Good stuff taken from the
Guardian today.


.

MY Team WINNING last Friday





.
John O'Donohue
has said that the Greek word for
"the beautiful"
is to

"kalon"
which is related to the word
"kalein."

This is entwined to
"call" or "calling."

John says -

"when we experience beauty, we feel called."




.
Let me tell you a story.
Are you sitting uncomfortably?
'Comfortable' is a dangerous place to reside!

This group of young women. Let's call them a Gang. The were 16 -17 and they were unmanageable in the Youth Club. They were regularly attacking other girls in the club and on the streets. They were snatching jewellery and intimidating many youngsters in the community. We banned them from the club but used the mini-bus as their 'club'.

The first trip out was with me and a female worker. We journeyed from East London to Fellowship Afloat, a Christian outdoor pursuits/sailing centre. The journey down in the bus was exciting as we drove through the dark into a strange non-urban environment. These young humans had never stepped into the dark - street lights kept their environment light all day and all night.

We eventually piled out of the bus onto a muddy pathway with torches to guide our way through the total darkness. We stumbled along a narrow path and through the mud-flats towards the sea. All of us were clinging to each other. High heels became unsustainable. (We had suggested other types of footwear!) We eventually reached the Mother ship and from it climbed into a motor launch and set out to sea - IN THE DARK!

What a hand holding experience it was.
They were scared and as clingy as can be.
(I was glad about the closeness - I was scared too).
It was a vivid experience.

On the way home we sung pop songs and I asked a stream of questions. One question, and the answers, was highly memorable. I asked everyone in the bus to chose an animal which best describe each one of us in turn. So we each had 10 humans describe us in terms of an animal - and why. I always remember, I was described as being like a Sheepdog - always going around yapping and rounding people up to do things - love it.

We laughed and laughed on the way home. They also asked deep questions. They asked about my faith. They knew I was a hot Gospeler because I did a weekly '10-O-Clock News' in the Youth Club. Always about how God loved them and what they may chose to do about it. This time they chatted rather than the usual howling back of funny comments

The objective of this trip was to create a new experience with them.
Never to be forgotten.
Leaving reflective memorable moments to think and talk about.
After that .......... another story.

Summary:: Young humans grow when there is::
Love, security, participation and new experiences.
Love is a doing word.
Usually never in a place called 'comfortable'.



.

Sunday, June 24, 2012


“violence
and
vandalism
are probably linked
to the most basic
emotional needs
and the extent to which
these are met
or
remain unfulfilled.”


Mia Kellmer Pringle



*



I began to cry
and left Church
before the benediction,
and I raced home
and felt the little cat
running along at my heels,
and I walked down the dock
past dozens of potted flowers
under a sky as blue
as one of God's own dreams,
and I opened the door,
and I stood there a minute,
and then I hung my head
and said,
"OK: I quit."

I took a long deep breath
and said out loud,
"All right.
You can come in."

So this was my
beautiful moment
of conversion.


Anne Lamott




*


ALIENS ARE COMING
TO EARTH AND THEIR MISSION IS
TO ABDUCT ALL

GOOD LOOKING
AND
SEXY PEOPLE


YOU WILL BE SAFE


I'M JUST BLOGGING
TO SAY
GOODBYE.




*

"We do not need
to go out
and find
love;
rather,
we need to be
still
and
let
love
discover
us."




— John O'Donohue
(Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom)

2010.08.29-GB10-JW-Sun-0707

Join our Trustee Group

We’re looking to recruit two new trustees to the Greenbelt Trustee Group. Our trustees are the custodians of Greenbelt, ensuring that we stay true to our vision of a collision between faith, arts and justice issues, and making Greenbelt into the organisation that we need to be in the 21st Century.

We’re looking for people who love Greenbelt, and want to help guide the organisation as we approach and move beyond our 40th anniversary. If that sounds like you, then apply to join our friendly, creative and inspirational trustee team!

For more information, and a recruitment pack, click here »

The closing date for applications is the Friday 27th July.

Saturday, June 23, 2012


A story about
Wesley Walker,14,
of Stoke-on-Trent -
a little real life story about
learning to express emotions
which I am all about.

BBC reports that Wesley said pupils were told to imagine they were terminally ill and had only a few hours to live, and write to their loved ones. Wesley wrote in his essay:

"I want you to remember the fun times and the happy times, at my funeral make everyone were [sic] bright colors to remember my personality. I know I have been a pain at the best of times but I'm with Nan and Grandad now so I love you and goodbye."
The make-believe letter ended: "Please be strong for me." The writer then signs off "with six kisses and a heart."

The Edmonton Sun reports that when Wesley handed the note to his mother and went up to bed, she got into a panic. BBC reports Wesley's mother said: "He handed it to me one evening and then just went upstairs to bed. I really felt like I was going to find him hanging from his bed and maybe he felt he couldn't take any more. I spoke to him and he said it was something they were asked to do at school, I felt it to be really sick. I just don't think schools should be asking children to write things like this especially when it can be seen as a suicide note, I don't agree with it." Today Online reports that Ridout explained that the exercise was part of an "expressive art" lesson.
He said:
"The exercise was to enable young people to express emotions and share things with loved ones that they never normally say.

They were asked to imagine what they would say if they had a short time left and many pupils and their families found it an encouraging and positive experience. It's unfortunate that the context of this exercise wasn't explained to Wesley's parents, and we'll look at the way exercises like this are communicated to our students in the future."
I collect questions.
I use questions in my
MISSION

Developmental and fun ones.
Can I ask you SOME?

They are of use
only

if answered !

Beautiful Human ‏@realpipwilson
Write down 10 things you like about yourself.

Keep it in a safe place

Read again once a month

and add one more.

RETAIN IT FOREVER


Beautiful Human ‏@realpipwilson
Name ONE THING that you do that you LOVE to do?


Beautiful Human ‏@realpipwilson
How old are you?

How old do you feel?

How old do you behave?

Beautiful Human ‏@realpipwilson
Where are you now?

(not re geography)


.
"Part of me
loves and respects
men
so desperately,
and part of me thinks
they are so embarrassingly
incompetent at life
and
in love.

You have to
teach them
the very basics of
emotional literacy.
You have to teach them
how to be there for you,
and
part of me feels
tender toward them
and
gentle,
and
part of me
is so afraid of them,
afraid of any more
violation."


Anne Lamott



*
Give a minute to this video
so well done
gentle





.

Media

Empathy and the revolution of human relationships


We aim to be as accessible as possible so we'd love to have written transcripts of our all our talks. If transcribing is something you could help us with please get in touch.

Gemma Latham, the housing officer at the YMCA said: “The workshop was so much fun.

“It was basically a history and a English lesson but they were all really interested in it because it was hip hop.”

The workshop, was run by Mobo award winning artist Akala from the Hip Hop Shakespeare Company, it saw the residents looking at Shakespeare’s sonnets and some hip hop lyrics.

The three hour workshop ended with the residents writing their own sonnets and hip hop lyrics.

Gemma said: “The workshop was a little bit different, but everyone enjoyed it.

“It was part of our life skills programme and it got them being creative.”

Friday, June 22, 2012

I am often asked How do I retain EMOTIONAL RESILIENCE.

I am often asked
How do I retain
EMOTIONAL RESILIENCE.

I have lost mine
Many Times.

It is only by going
To the Edge
Do we know how far to reach.
Yet
We need to
Seems to Pipology.

If we stay
Safe
Centre
Avoid hurt and stretch
We fit into this old quote of mine::
"Growth
Does not reside
In a place called
Comfortable"

The EDGE
is the other direction.

We learn resilience by
stretch
Uncomfortable
Hurt
Scars
Cracks
(that's how the light gets in)
I have recovery means.
MEANS OF RECOVERY IN PLACE.
Here are two OF THEM::
1. To have a collection of inspiring reading
which challenges and stretches hope and Imagination.
2. Being with those in desperate need.
In poverty
In poverty of spirit
Those trapped in bubbles of deprivation like
TOOTHACHE
And what do we think about
When we have
TOOTHACHE?



#

Social Emotional Political

Although the connections are not always obvious,
personal change
is inseparable from
social and political change.

-Harriet Lerner,
psychologist


.

Thursday, June 21, 2012

SO MOVING
LOVE IT LOVE IT

U2 One Tree Hill
(360° Live From Auckland)







.

Breivik:: I have been following this on Twitter because I am a student of behaviour/even this horrible terrible stuff

I have got to learn/see my previous blog on this

His trial awaits prosecutors' stance on sanity

The BBC's Richard Galpin says judges will decide whether Breivik will go to prison or a secure psychiatric ward

The trial of Anders Behring Breivik in Oslo is waiting to hear whether prosecutors will ask for him to be sent to prison or into psychiatric care.

They have begun summing up their case, with their decision resting on whether they believe he was sane when he killed 77 people in Norway last year.

Conflicting psychiatric evaluations were presented earlier.

Breivik bombed government buildings in Oslo before shooting young Labour Party supporters at an island camp.

As well as killing 77 people, he injured 242.

Breivik sought to justify his attacks by saying they were necessary to stop the "Islamisation" of Norway.

The defence concludes on Friday, and a verdict is expected in July or August.

Bob Holman

Duncan Smith needs to resign.
Why?
He visited poor areas and caught a new vision for the poor and powerless.
Powerful new views.

Eight years later he became work and pensions secretary. His objective was a universal credit to lift all out of poverty. Yet within two years he was claiming that poverty was not directly due to a lack of money but was the result of bad parenting, drug and alcohol addiction, laziness, and the break-up of families.
These factors should be the new measures of poverty, he announced last week, because they lead to citizens who waste money and become dependent on public handouts.
Why did this U-turn happen?

So, what should Duncan Smith's next move be? He should resign and become a campaigner for the end of poverty. As a Conservative, he would reach a different audience from those of us who preach to the converted. He should set up an independent commission to assess how much family income is required to enable everyone to be included in mainstream society. Then, he should decide how this could be achieved by redistribution from the top to the bottorn - greater equality undermines the very evils Duncan Smith thinks lead to poverty.
This would be the most constructive Tory U-turn
of all.



Wednesday, June 20, 2012


Toni
Yankabakova
Te c pracrisin chovek

Here at
Wilson Mansions
this week



*

Someone asked me a question.
I love questions.

Have you learned to be?

A short response to this -
(I suppose I never have answers
or conclusions
because of the journey is ongoing ......)

Have you learned to be?

I have unlearned to be.
I feel at the moment
I have adopted a life of
BECOMING
which takes me away from
being.

Now I need to work out
if this is really where I am?
AND
if it is a good
and wholistic place to reside


Growth does not reside in a place called comfortable.


*



I sometimes feel I am pretty poor
BUT I am rich beyond compare

Count your beautiful
name them one by one


*
.......... SO BEAUTIFUL ......
I love this so much ......






.

Tuesday, June 19, 2012


My experience is -

that it is a great
stride
in personal development
when we reach a position of
believing
that it is OK
to feel
vulnerable,
be open about
vulnerability
and accept that
vulnerability
is a strength and not a weakness.

My personal journey into this area
has included several events
in which I felt extreme vulnerability.

I have never suffered a nervous breakdown
never suffered from depression
(I feel deeply for those who have)
but I have had the equivalent of a credit crunch
- emotionally.

I have lived and experienced extreme fear.
I have been in many unmanageable violent situations.
I have had to change my style of leadership
- u turn indeed,
and have had a heart transplant
in theological terms.

It is all about
mask stuff.
If we feel vulnerable
and pretend we don't
- We are painting on the make-up,
fashion styling
and
dressing up in a mask.

I understand and feel deeply for all in this.
Some humans are so emotionally fragile
that they have to keep a public face for survival.

So many have said to me
"Pip - I want to take the Red Pill
(adventure, risk, on the edge)
but at the moment
I need to take the Blue Pill
(Safe, secure, no risk, routine)
because I am so vulnerable".

For the rest of us,
who yearn for wholeness,
development for self
others around us
and beyond beyond
into a much wider world .......
.......there is growth out there,
in
Vulnerableville.

Moving on from this.
We can have VULNERABILITY
thrust upon us.

also
we can choose
VULNERABILITY

I journey here regularly
because
"Growth does not reside in a place called comfortable"
and
'He who was rich, became poor.




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