The Ness Updates….Plus…..From ‘Emergence’ Magazine……From ‘Free Tibet’….
by Bernie Bell - 08:10 on 02 October 2024
The Ness Updates…
…continue….
https://www.nessofbrodgar.co.uk/structure-thirty-four-updated/
Plus…
Good News!.....
https://archaeologyorkney.com/2024/10/01/aeons-funding/
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From ‘Emergence’ Magazine….
“IN THE KHMER LANGUAGE, the root word for “nature” and “country” is cheate, meaning “taste,” which reflects that to truly understand the essence of the land, one must know it through the senses. In Taste of the Land, the final film in our Shifting Landscapes documentary series, which we released last week, Cambodian-American filmmaker Kalyanee Mam reaches for this intimacy with place by opening her senses and attuning her heart to an inner ancestral wisdom. This week, we’re sharing a special companion essay by Kalyanee that offers greater insight into how her family shaped her journey from ឈឺត្ត chhu chett (heartache) to ស្គាល់ មជាតិ skal cheate (knowing the taste of where you come from); and that vividly details the “land-tastes” that deepened her relationship with the soils, waters, mountains, people, and plants of Cambodia.
ស្គាល់ មជាតិ Knowing Your Taste
by Kalyanee Mam
I can be and I am part of the land, wherever I may be. And when I remember this, I am no longer lost, I know who I am.”
In this companion essay to our film Taste of the Land, Kalyanee returns to her origins—the burying of her placenta in Cambodian soil; her childhood in Stockton, California—and contemplates the wounds left in her family after their displacement by the Khmer Rouge. Reflecting on the ឈឺត្ត chhu chett (heartache) carried by her father, and her own search for a way to make sense of the longing for rootedness that burned within her, Kalyanee shares the stories of her many journeys back to Cambodia to make documentaries, where she began to ស្គាល់ មជាតិ skal cheate (know her taste); to remember the land where she comes from. She writes that, as she savored food foraged by the communities she lived with in Cambodia, she began to slowly orient herself to “the plants and seasons, to the flow of the river, to the fall of the rain, to the dryness of the earth,” and to a way of life she had not known before—one “deeply tethered to the land.” Finding herself intimately with and part of the land through the taste of snails and crabs from the mangrove forests of Koh Sralau, and sunshine-like mushroom soup in the Areng Valley, Kalyanee comes to understand the essential connection to the land that is ever present within her, and that was ultimately kept alive through the stories, language, and food shared by her parents.
SHIFTING LANDSCAPES FILM SERIES
Taste of the Land
Directed by Adam Loften and Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee
What keeps a feeling of home alive when we become disconnected from the places that have nourished us; when the landscapes we inhabit are changed by the growing forces of development and ecological destruction? Taste of the Land shares the story of Kalyanee Mam’s severance from, and return to, an embodied, spiritual relationship with the landscapes of her homeland, Cambodia, where she has spent years tenderly documenting traditional lifeways that are changing at the hands of urbanization, deforestation, and industrialization. As she experiences moments of spiritual homecoming while tasting Cambodian food and learning the relational ways of being with the Earth held by communities, Kalyanee comes to know “home” as an inner space, existing wherever she remembers herself as part of the land.”
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From ‘Free Tibet’….
“Free Tibet is dedicating itself fully to defending Tibetans' right to identify the next Dalai Lama.
Next July, he will turn 90. He is also expected to convene a meeting to discuss how his reincarnation will be managed. This decision will be one of the most pivotal moments in Tibetan history.
The Chinese government insists that when the moment comes, China will impose its own handpicked Dalai Lama on Tibet - one loyal to the CCP.
This interference not only threatens Tibet’s future but challenges universal principles of fundamental rights, self-determination and religious freedom.
Here's what's at risk:
Beijing’s plan is a blatant violation of fundamental religious freedom. Religious freedom stops governments from dictating how you and I should think and act, safeguarding everyone—religious or not.
If the Chinese government succeeds in manipulating the Dalai Lama’s succession, it sets a dangerous precedent for other oppressive governments to interfere in spiritual and religious practices globally.
The Dalai Lama is a reincarnated spiritual leader, with a lineage dating from 1391 to the present day. He is a figure of immense devotion and respect for Tibetans and non-Tibetans alike.
Today, Tibetan Buddhism is practised by millions around the world and is stewarded through the efforts of Tibetan monasteries, cultural institutions, and the Tibetan diaspora, which work hard to maintain Buddhist teachings, rituals, and art. The Dalai Lama is the figurehead in sustaining these traditions.
Every day, Tibetans bravely struggle to defend their unique identity and heritage. You can join this vital struggle by resisting the CCP’s interference in the succession.
The Dalai Lama, a Nobel Peace Prize winner and global icon for peace, inspires millions with his teachings on compassion and non-violence.
If the CCP imposes a puppet Dalai Lama, it won’t just silence his voice—it will erode the core values of peace he stands for. Act now to
protect his legacy and uphold shared humanity!
You're hearing from me because Free Tibet just launched this fundraiser. Anything you give today could fuel the campaign for justice.
Chinese interference over the Dalai Lama’s succession is a dangerous sign of authoritarian regimes expanding their grip.
If the world allows the CCP to dictate the spiritual leadership of Tibetan Buddhists, a major religion with millions of followers, it sends a chilling message that powerful nations can manipulate and control religious and cultural institutions without consequence.
The Dalai Lama is the heart of Tibet’s fight for freedom and human dignity. Supporting Tibetans in preserving their spiritual independence is not just a moral stand—it's a crucial defence of their freedom movement.
If we fail now, we risk major losses to this vital struggle for justice and human rights. Act now to safeguard Tibet’s future!
Free Tibet's Tibetan advocacy specialists are already engaging with new MPs to raise awareness about Tibet.
Together, with the Tibetan community and the Office of Tibet, we are calling on the Labour government to:
- Recognize that the Dalai Lama’s succession is a religious matter decided solely by Tibetans, not the Chinese state.
- Demand an end to Chinese repression of religious and cultural freedom in Tibet, including the release of the Panchen Lama, or face UK sanctions.
3. Encourage UK leaders to visit the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala during their next visit to India.
3 powerful ways to join the fight:
Consider donating to our campaign to lobby the UK's Labour government to ensure only Tibetans can choose their leaders.
Put your words to the cause:
Reply to this email answering the following question:
"Why should the UK's Labour government support religious freedom in Tibet?". Your messages will be compiled into an advocacy book presented to the Foreign Office in January 2025, ahead of the Dalai Lama's 90th birthday.
Share this campaign:
Even sharing this with 10 people could help build support for Tibet. Your support will mean we can put China's repression of religious freedom in Tibet on a global stage for all to see.
If you donate today, you're supporting our long-term, determined campaign work.
Yours in strength and solidarity,
Jules Falavigna
Fundraising Officer
PS. Our experts, Kunga and John, are working tirelessly—meeting MPs and rallying high-level government support to push Tibet onto the Foreign Office’s agenda. This strategy works. Vocal politicians can drive our government to take real action. But each outreach costs £27. Donate today to take a stand for Tibet.
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