The backhoe sounds are drifting in through my shaded open windows, accompanied by street noises and the squawking of the young adult Magpies, still expecting to be fed! It is warm and I’m going to replace my t-shirt with a more airy shirt. Done!

Yesterday Don and I met up at our market place and had a long lasting conversation, touching on his trip and my talk, among other things. Together we went to the Maya textile stand, where I paid for the rest of my shirt and Don bought one he liked. The lady has attractive articles for sale, all textile, including ponchos, rug sacks, purses, shawls and handbags. All unique and attractive.

The lady has attractive articles for sale, all textile, including ponchos, rug sacks, purses, shawls and handbags.

As for the rest of the day I did very little, but after supper and the dishes I read for a few hours in my ‘Into Africa’ book, mentioned earlier. The author is Canadian, but born in the ‘Union of South Africa’, familiar with aspects of African ways and written in the nineties of the previous century.

On my table beside me lies a copy of yesterday’s Globe and Mail with page A3 face up, folded to display the ‘Terrorism’ section titled “Boston Marathon bomber: ‘I’m sorry … I am guilty’. This bomber’s name is Dzhokhar Tsarnaev guilty, along with his now dead older brother and initiator. The article comes courtesy of the New York Time News Service.

Wednesday evening’s CBC National news played interview clips and comments from victims and those affected. They all reflected how badly their lives had been affected by the bomb explosion, with one noting that such a terrorist act ‘should not take place here’ - the USA that is.

These two statements, reflect personal and parallel views on acts of violence that have become connected in our world through held values and beliefs. The West using violence in an attempt to curtail unwanted political forces, while certain believers feel urged to defend their helpless fellow believers in this process of asymmetrical violence.

Here we have not just a clash of ‘bombs’, but also a confrontation in the way the violence is experienced by either side. That such events are happening can be ascribed to the meeting up of value systems in our integrating and varied world.

Globalisation of value systems in other words, but totally unmanaged and fought out as a power battles in a fight for dominance and survival. Analysis and negotiations may be more effective, efficient and much less painful.

Analysis and negotiations [of our present conflicts] may be more effective, efficient and much less painful.

Today’s populations that have lived in isolation from each other and often in ignorance as well, are now being affected by the actions of their governments. These however, are acting from policy perspectives that no longer are effective in addressing the modern inter-national social problems, people’s perceptions, aspirations and identities. The old post-colonial methods are no longer adequate and do cause far more damage than is necessary.

Policy aims today should be based on and reflect the need to share our planet equitably, respecting the interests of all participants and not just the most powerful. There are several examples from the last century and this one, illustrating that peoples and nations cannot be subdued through power of one party over the other. Vietnam and Palestine come to mind here, as relevant instances.

Hoarding divides while sharing unites, maybe useful as a guiding principle, as we search for ways to minimize violence, maximising equitable distribution of health, wealth and well being for humankind.
<10:06am and 2:45pm~