I remember when I went to the United States passing through transit where I was finger printed and thumb printed.  I was asked to look in a camera as well (iris print).  I had committed no crime and I had not entered the United States, I was in transit.  Yet I was recorded without my permission, I was given no choice standing in line.  I recall at the time being really surprised by this measure.  The authorities would have justified it as protection of the United States against terrorism, yet if this was questioned, we would discover that fear creates more terror, interference in other countries creates discord, fighting wars creates enemies and so forth.  Another perspective is civil liberties and the right to privacy.  Privacy and secrecy are two different genres.  One is about the right to live one’s life without public interference, to be able to live it peacefully.  The other is when secrecy conceals as a means of keeping the public out.  I find the juxtaposition interesting.

This week there have been calls by the Australian Greens to interview Julian Assange and Edward Snowden about surveillance.  I recall Obama speaking this week about telephone companies having the files of conversations rather than national security. I felt that as a good move. I do not think you can surveil the world to keep those you perceive as enemies controlled.  I think with the internet we are moving into a world generally of openness rather than secrecy where all information is controlled or intercepted. As a peacemaker I know that conflict resolution and open dialogue are the pillars of creating a truly democratic society where we open our minds to the perceived ‘other’.  Always when this happens we learn something we didn’t know. We have to get grievances out and have people learn how to deal and face grievances rather than harbouring them in silence and the resentment that creates.  There is much work to be done on creating a global civil society that is nonviolent and governance that truly sees itself as in service to the people, rather than having the people serve the structure of power.  Real authentic power is honesty and visibility.

I do not agree with surreptitious surveillance of myself which is why I wrote this blog as a step to being open and exploring democracy. If authorities or private people had issues I would much prefer a telephone call or a meeting to discuss fears or perceived threats. I am not interested in files being created and aspersions cast without my presence or permission.  If something is discussed about myself I would want to be consulted so that I can offer my perspective. That way, I have a say.  That is democracy.  I have worked as an analyst where I’ve recorded every word of people and had to evaluate what the essence of the focus group was, what I found is that we can be very selective with data, and seldom if ever do we truly capture the true intent of those individuals giving their opinions. I can only imagine with phone taps the confusion and error of summing up people on the basis of a few calls without having context on their lives, ethics, personality, rationale, intent etc. With those I have dealt with who have questionable behaviour, I have discovered they didn’t think as I believed but truly thought they were right or justified on some level. Do I punish them or understand them and work out how to create harmony? How do we sit down together to solve problems? I value all perspectives no matter how they differ with me, I feel strongly about the importance of diversity and democracy.  If crimes are being committed I completely understand that surveillance takes on a preventative role, providing it is legitimate, but where is the line drawn?  We saw in the Leveson Inquiry in the United Kingdom how newspapers were tapping phones as the profit motive was driving them to get the scoop and to make money from publishing.  Yet the ethical issues were ignored in favour of competition.  As we create societies increasingly losing their sense of ethics and values, we create rationales whereby anything goes and the boundary lines expands outward. 

We have seen government corruption around the world and surveillance used to further political agendas.  We’ve seen big business use it or even individuals who want to get the so called dirt on someone.  These are dark areas and reflect secrecy and self interest.  I can envisage a world where we live as one planet, where surveillance is no more, where communities are close knit, families are loving and we work towards what brings us happiness.  Until we really deeply look into the foundation of society and what is promoted as predominant values – material vs ethical, we will live in fear.  The world I can see lives in love and is an open society.  We are all accountable for our actions and when we impact on others there has to be forums where we can discuss, resolve and make amends.  The legal forums just have money exchanging, the lesson being lost.  Yet in conflict resolution or mediation we have parties facing each other, really hearing each others perspectives, reflective listening (saying what is heard) and then seeking ways to remedy the perceived hurt.  Until we bring it down to basics, problems are not resolved but papered over in the midst of calls to ‘get over it’.  Suppression creates violence as emotions are frustrated, when people’s needs and concerns are not addressed people become alienated, when we don’t care about others we cause harm and it creates rings of more harm.  Until we understand we are creating the world we see from our own internal values and beliefs, we can’t change anything.  So I start in my own life to not surveil other people, to practice truthfulness and compassion, to lead by example where I do no harm and seek to inspire happiness.  As I do this those lives I touch are inspired and so it goes.  The issues we are facing today have come from concealment and lack of love.  We are going to be facing them and that then creates the desire for openness and true democracy.  I am looking forward to that new world emerge.  I feel excited.

Truth always feels good, that is how you know it is true.  You feel  your  whole being resonate.  For me truth is love, peace, joy and visibility.  When I speak my own truth I feel so good and my world becomes clearer.  For those who don’t speak the truth, I never hate them, I see denial and I realise that great fear is happening within them.  They feel they can’t be honest, or can’t face it.  Yet it will free them when they find the courage.  I envisage a renewable courage across the planet, where at last we face our own behaviour which is a chain that goes back many hundreds of years.  It is not about blame it is about truth and reconciliation with government, for them to come clean and represent the people not specific interests.  To understand that real national security comes from peaceful intent not control and manipulation.  That we are each others keepers no matter where we live on the planet.  If we destroy our ecosystem then we destroy ourselves.  We compete and drive prices down but what of nature? what of poverty? what of winners and losers?  What if we all win/win?  Imagine that.  In my mind there are no enemies there are contrasts, there is great diversity and not everyone sees like me, I choose not to condemn but understand and use that contrast to create another desire to expand a possibility. That is for me how peace begins.  No more spying, let’s start a dialogue to really know each other.  So there are no countries that collapse but we all help each other to win.  We have the responsibility to protect each other and to protect the natural world.  It is time to work together not against each other.  That is real global security in my view.

It is important to understand that what you focus on expands, if you are looking for enemies you will find them, if you are looking for security you will attract that, if you are looking for peace, it comes to you. That is how the world works, it is dynamic and all thoughts attract. This is not a hard point to prove, how many times have we focused on something and it manifested. If you think about it you will remember. So global security will come from de-escalating fear and yes there may be a desire for changing the current economic paradigm which has fundamental flaws in it, such as infinite growth. It is not possible for 4 billion people to continue to grow economies on a finite planet. We may want to question profit as security and materialism as happiness. True happiness and security comes from inner peace and trust in life. I have discovered that, and indeed it works. You can do no harm when you see others as yourself rather than as exploitable resources.

Visibility,

Is the ability to see,

To look (within) and then see into the world book,

It is the brook that bubbles and flows in the one direction,

For this is the stream of life that flows and doesn’t block,

For when we illuminate the dark places we can face the shadow,

This is of our own making,

For we fear the public,

We fear critique,

We fear being discovered,

Yet the greatest courage is to face what is so,

To acknowledge mistakes and no longer remain fake,

To not be seen to be but to be seen is the new mantra,

For the public are circulating more opinion pieces,

As they demand a new world peace,

That is not about order but a reordering where all are heard,

And Seen,

For this is the visibility of truth,

It has always been the truth that sets you free,

to be

Happy.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-03-24/greens-want-to-call-assange-and-snowden-to-inquiry/5340794

Greens want to call Julian Assange and Edward Snowden to parliamentary surveillance inquiry

Updated Mon 24 Mar 2014, 6:44pm AEDT

Photo: Julian Assange (L) and Edward Snowden (ABC TV)

Map: Australia

Edward Snowden and Julian Assange would not be protected by parliamentary privilege if they give evidence to a Senate committee about what they know about government snooping on Australian citizens, according to advice given to the ABC.

Greens senator Scott Ludlam is trying to have Snowden, a former National Security Agency (NSA) contractor, and WikiLeaks founder Assange called before a parliamentary committee to give evidence into what they might know about mass surveillance of Australian citizens.

The move has caused a rift within Labor following the ABC’s report that the Opposition was initially open to the idea.

Snowden has been charged with espionage by the Americans for leaking thousands of classified documents which have exposed the spying activities of countries including the United States, Britain, Canada and Australia.

Australia’s Foreign Minister Julie Bishop and Attorney-General George Brandis have labelled him a “traitor” for leaking the sensitive information – some of which included revelations Australia spied on Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and his wife.

Snowden has been granted a temporary visa in Russia since leaking the classified documents.

Mr Assange, the Australian founder of WikiLeaks, has been living in the Ecuadorian embassy in London since 2012 to avoid being extradited to Sweden where he is wanted for questioning on sexual assault charges.

It is thought that any successful attempts to have both men give evidence to the Senate’s Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee would occur via video link.

If that were to happen, Snowden and Mr Assange would not be protected by privilege as it only applies when witnesses are physically in Australia.

Labor MP Michael Danby said he hoped Snowden and Mr Assange would have revelations about non-Western countries’ spying activities to share.

“In the wake of the Russian seizure of Crimea, I hope the Greens aren’t embarrassed by Snowden broadcasting from Russian territory in the Crimea or elsewhere,” Mr Danby told the ABC.

“I’m looking forward to Mr Snowden and Mr Assange’s view of Russian surveillance.

“It’s strange that their only revelations appear to be about what we do, not what the Russians or Chinese do.”

The ABC understands there is disquiet within senior Labor ranks about the party potentially supporting the Greens’ bid, including the Opposition’s decision to support the inquiry in the first place.

A source said Labor should not be siding with the Greens to create a “kangaroo court” to try Australia’s intelligence agencies.

Senator Ludlam, who instigated the inquiry into the Telecommunications Act, told the ABC the committee’s deliberations on scheduling were “confidential” and would not confirm that Mr Assange and Snowden would be asked to appear.

But he said a finalised witness list would be available shortly.

The committee has not begun hearings but has extended the deadline for written submissions. It is due to report by June.

Topics: security-intelligence, defence-and-national-security, human, federal-parliament, government-and-politics, greens, australia

First posted Mon 24 Mar 2014, 11:49am AEDT