A short documentary by Matteo Bellizzi. Some women are praying near the road, looking at a Madonna positioned on a wall of a farm. Just before the sun goes down.

Excerpts of SMT. PRATIBHA DEVISINGH PATIL New Delhi, 25th January 2008

Tomorrow our nation celebrates its 59th Republic Day. On this occasion, I have great pleasure in extending my warm greetings and good wishes to my fellow citizens from all walks of life living in the country and overseas. I convey my special greetings, to the members of our Armed Forces and Paramilitary Forces, who guard our frontiers on the land, the sea and the air and also provide invaluable assistance during natural calamities. I also extend my greetings to the Central and State level police including the internal security forces.

The formation of the Republic on 26th January 1950 was the first milestone in our march towards realizing the dreams of our people in the aftermath of Independence. The Constitution gave expression to the goals, ideals and values that guided our freedom struggle. It laid the foundations of the structure of governance and committed to secure for all citizens – justice, liberty and equality as well as dignity. The Constitution, since its adoption, has been our astute guide.

Last year, we celebrated 60 years of our independence. It was a historic event. The journey has been long, but we have traveled far. Like any great journey, we have had our moments of triumph and glory as also our share of sorrows and travails. We overcame every obstacle and traversed every hurdle, because we consciously and firmly believed in India – our Motherland, a nation with great civilizational strength, an underlying unity and a promising future. All along we had an abiding faith in the talent and resilience of the people of India. We were inspired during this journey by the values of freedom, tolerance and plurality, which have given to India its defining identity – a country with Unity in Diversity. India, consisting of people with different religions, languages and customs, draws its inherent strength from each and everyone of its diverse units. Today, as a nation and as individual citizens, we must pledge to uphold this spirit of solidarity and respect for the multi-cultural, multi-religious and multi-ethnic character of India.

We are the largest democracy in the world and one of the most stable. We have held 14 General elections to Parliament, in which power has been transferred to different political parties and groups according to the mandate of the people. Our vibrant and functioning democracy has won universal applause. Following the Constitutional Amendments in 1992, we introduced democracy at the grassroots level. Today, there are 3.2 million representatives who have been elected from villages, towns and cities. We are also proud that 1.2 million of these elected representatives are women. This is by far the largest number of elected representatives ever in history, or anywhere in the contemporary world. Democracy has given a voice to all citizens of the country. We owe this to the sacrifices made by our freedom fighters, many of who laid down their lives, in the long and hard struggle for independence. We have a sacred duty to follow the highest traditions of democratic principles and values.

Our economy is growing at unprecedented rates and we can be confident that we will be able to achieve the growth targets we have set for ourselves. The impressive strides of the Indian economy have resulted in the emergence of India as a powerful player in the global economy. This century will belong to Asia and India will be one of the main driving forces. I recall that Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, our first Prime Minister had described the birth of India as the rise of a “new star”. Today, we see how true that statement was. Recently, during my interaction with some youth of the Indian Diaspora they told me that they had read about India’s growing stature but during their visit to India they could “feel the power of India”. Such is the impression that India makes on visitors. It is now time for realizing India’s tryst with destiny.

Our efforts and our commitment, while pursuing the goal of high growth rates, should be to ensure that all people of our country benefit from it. Our pledge will remain unfulfilled until, as Gandhiji had said – we have wiped every tear in every eye.

The Government has opted for not only faster but also more inclusive growth in the 11th Five Year plan period from 2007 to 2012. This will be important for the overall progress and prosperity of all.

The entire Government machinery has to work to fulfill the aspirations of the people. I call upon all concerned to deliver on social welfare schemes in a time bound manner as well as work with accountability and in a transparent manner. When you work for the development of a country it is not merely a job that has to be done but it is a mission that has to be achieved. This should be the spirit in which development work is undertaken.

I have noticed that often there is a lack of awareness among beneficiaries about schemes meant for their welfare and development. This means that they are unable to avail of the benefits meant for them. This situation needs to be rectified through awareness programmes. We need a band of committed social workers and civil society members to spread awareness and to share the onus of implementation by joining hands with the Government.

Corruption is an evil that afflicts our system and we have to eliminate it. Every Rupee meant for development that goes out of the system due to corruption is a Rupee less for our development programmes. The country cannot afford the loss of resources meant for its development. We must strengthen measures for the removal of corruption by bringing about greater transparency.

Speaking at the Constituent Assembly on 25th November 1949, Baba Sahib Ambedkar stressed that freedom brings responsibility and that after having achieved independence we would have no excuse nor any one else to blame for our failures. Each one of us is responsible for the progress and the future of India as also each one of us will have to bear blame for the shortcomings and deficiencies. I have often said that Government, civil society, NGOs and every citizen will have to work collectively for the growth of society and for the advancement of the nation. We must recognize that just as we ask for our rights, we have an obligation to perform our duties. Just as Gandhiji led the freedom struggle based on moral values, similarly all social, economic, administrative, political and educational activities should be carried out on the basis of moral values and social justice. Only then will our progress have a more gentle and humane touch.

70 percent of our population lives in the rural areas. I am concerned about farmers committing suicide and hope that steps taken by the Government to ameliorate their problems will rectify this situation. The slow growth in the agriculture sector is a matter of concern but I am very hopeful of its potential. The Green Revolution showed that we could through our efforts become self-sufficient in food production and later we replicated this success in milk production as well.

Today, once again we need to give agriculture an impetus, to enhance productivity and to make our rural areas, centres of agro-processing and other related industries. We have one of the largest arable land areas in the world and I have no doubt that with better agricultural practices, land management and water management, agriculture will continue to play a pivotal role in the country. In rural areas, the cooperative movement should work in a more forceful and pro-active manner by providing guidance to farmers and becoming more agriculturist-friendly. I appeal to agricultural scientists, experts and all concerned to expeditiously work in the direction of bringing in a Second Green Revolution in the country.

The future of the world will be shaped by advances in Science and Technology and it will increasingly become knowledge-based. Though we have a strong lead in the Information and Communication Technology and bio-technology sectors, we must continue to invest in research and development as also build up our educational institutions. Students should be encouraged to pursue basic sciences. State Governments and educational institutions should make special efforts to attract students to science disciplines. Education is the most important tool for empowering the people of a country. Quest for knowledge has always been a part of the ethos of our country. It is for these reasons that since independence we have consistently sought to build a strong infrastructure for education. As we work towards the goal of universal primary education by 2010, we should also aim to increase enrolment in higher education and technical education. I firmly believe that the light of modern education should touch every person – man and woman, boy and girl. I call on the children and youth of our country to study and acquire knowledge for an enlightened future of India.

Women constitute about half of our population but face a number of challenges. There should be laws for the empowerment and protection of women and most importantly, their effective implementation. We also need to address social evils like child marriage, female foeticide, female infanticide and dowry. I am concerned about the debilitating effect on individuals, families and societies of alcoholism and drug addiction. I would particularly call upon on women and the youth of the country to take up the challenge to eliminate these social evils and work towards changing social attitudes and mindsets.

We must preserve and protect our rich cultural heritage and its values of compassion and harmonious living. In the joy of song and dance, painting and sculpture, literature and poetry we should discover and imbibe the best that has been passed on to us from generation to generation over millennia.

India has always had a vision and a message for the world. From the very beginning of our civilization we have believed that the world is one and humanity is a single family. India is committed to establish ties of friendship and co-operation with all countries. India’s engagement with the world is intensifying both in the economic and political fields. India is a country that has, and is, contributing to regional and global peace and stability. Today, terrorism constitutes a grave threat to the civilized world. The continuing terrorist attacks are reminders of the need to take collective action. India will continue to work with the international community to create a better world – a world free of terror, poverty, disease, ignorance and inequality.

I would like to once again convey my good wishes to my fellow citizens with a benediction for human welfare contained in the following lines written by the great poet, Kalidas:

May all experience bliss

May all wishes be fulfilled

May all rejoice everywhere

JAI HIND !

THE WEBCAST OF THIS SPEECH IS AVAILABLE AT http://republicday.nic.in

The BioBricks Foundation (BBF) is a not-for-profit organization founded by engineers and scientists from MIT, Harvard, and UCSF with significant experience in both non-profit and commercial biotechnology research. BBF encourages the development and responsible use of technologies based on BioBrick™ standard DNA parts that encode basic biological functions.

Using BioBrick™ standard biological parts, a synthetic biologist or biological engineer can already, to some extent, program living organisms in the same way a computer scientist can program a computer. The DNA sequence information and other characteristics of BioBrick™ standard biological parts are made available to the public free of charge currently via MIT’s Registry of Standard Biological Parts.

Any individual or organization is welcome to design, improve, and contribute BioBrick™ standard biological parts to the Registry. For example, in the summer of 2007, over 600 students and instructors at 60+ universities around the world are making, sharing, and using BioBrick™ standard biological parts as part of the International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) competition.

Currently, The BioBricks Foundation’s goals are:

* to develop and implement legal strategies to ensure that BioBrick™ standard biological parts remain freely available to the public;
* to encourage the development of codes of standard practice for the use of BioBrick™ standard biological parts; and
* to develop and provide educational and scientific materials to allow the public to use and improve existing BioBrick™ standard biological parts, and contribute new BioBrick™ standard biological parts.

Myminutes.org is the first collective sentimental calendar in which it is possible to associate to the minutes of a solar year the most significant moment of one’s life.
One can buy one or more minutes and insert in the associated pages, text, video, images and links to their own site or blog. One can buy minutes for themselves, for who they love, for their friends. The acquired minutes will be visible at the same time throughout the 24 time zones.
Every year the minutes will be re-visualised at the same time.

The minutes can be indexed or sought for through key words such as: birthday, first time, wedding, anniversary, event, party, animals or date, and if the minute becomes popular it could be added to The most Popular Minute list on the home page. The acquired minutes corresponds to a “Purchase Document” which can be printed so as to be a tangible record to keep or to give as a gift, strengthening our memories.
One can buy the minutes they wish for as long as they are available (526.000 minutes in a calendar year).

10.November – 14.Dezember 2007
Galerie Beatrice Brunner
Nydeggstalden 26
3011 Bern

The gallery Beatrice Brunner and curator Sylvia Rüttimann presents Adela Picón’s new videoworks Sisyphus and Umbral .

Umbral (2007) Videostill.

The intermediate conditions – retraced by Adela Picón’s videos through the cinematic loop – let threshold experiences become visible to us; also recall the absurdity of life cycles such as (after) life Limbo or Sisyphus, the Greek figure who was condemned to repeat forever the same task of pushing a rock up a mountain, only to see it roll down again.

Umbral II (2007) Videostill.

Adela Picón
www.adelapicon.ch

sign this petition against cruelty to animals.

Kurdistan, the homeland to more than 20 million Kurds, is a nation that exists only in the dreams of the Kurds, and in the long forgotten Treaty of Sevres, which divided up the Ottoman Empire, following World War I. The Kurds, inhabiting parts of Turkey, Iraq and Iran are the largest national group without a country.

During the 1991 Gulf War, Turkey reluctantly supported the anti-Iraq coalition, including Operation Provide Comfort, to shield Iraqi Kurds from Saddam Hussein’s revenge, while the PKK intensified its guerrilla war, operating from bases in Iraq and Syria.

In 1993, with the Gulf War over, Turkey sent 50,000 troops into Iraq, in a massive assault against Kurdish rebels, no longer protected.

In 1994, dissenting political parties were banned, elected Kurdish representatives were accused of treason and imprisoned, while others fled into exile. Turkish forces have launched air and ground attacks, ravaging as many as 3000 Kurdish villages, forcibly relocating over 3 million villagers and defoliating forests in its scorched earth campaigns to destroy the PKK. The death toll is approaching 40,000.

Turkey has moved again more troops to the mountainous Iraqi border, to monitor on an estimated 3,000 rebels of Turkey’s outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) who use northern Iraq as a base.

Yesterday Turkey sent warplanes to bomb Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) targets along the Iraqi border in southeast Turkey, the country’s semi-official Anatolia news agency has said.

Intergovernmental Agreement on the Turkey-Greece-Italy Pipeline

Press Statement
Sean McCormack, Spokesman
Washington, DC
July 26, 2007

The United States congratulates the Prime Ministers of Turkey, Greece, and Italy on their signing of the Intergovernmental Agreement for the Turkey-Greece-Italy Pipeline (TGI) today in Rome. This Agreement defines the commercial and legal framework for the transit of Caspian gas into the Pipeline, clearing the way for accelerated construction. This Agreement is a cornerstone of joint efforts by all three countries, with strong U.S. and EU support, to help Europe diversify its sources of natural gas supplies from the Caspian Sea, and to promote economic development in the Caspian region. These efforts build on strong cooperation over the past decade among the United States, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey to develop the South Caucasus gas pipeline and the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline, and expand our collaboration to include key EU partners.

2007/639 – Released on July 26, 2007

“Karmacoma” is the promotional video made for the single of the same name by British trip-hop collective Massive Attack. The experimental musician Tricky collaborated and sang on the track. It premiered in May 1995 and was directed by Jonathan Glazer. The bass line sample featured is the same bass line used by Serge Gainsbourg in the song Melody from his 1971 album Historie de Melody Nelson. During the first Gulf War, several British media channels became anxious to avoid using words suggestive of war and violence, and Massive Attack (then struggling to become established) were forced to temporarily change their name to Massive.