Protesters in Tripoli, Libya destroy gaddafi Billboard - Feb 25th

Al Jazeera

Amazing text coming from Al Jazeera:

"Post-colonial Arab regimes, including those that rode the waves of or even at one point genuinely represented anti-colonial resistance, have had to resort to a reliance on secret police and draconian laws to subordinate their subjects. The lesson is clear: Without a representative democracy, Arab republics have metamorphosed into ugly hereditary dynasties that treat their countries like their own private companies.

While trampling over the interests of his own people, Gaddafi has modeled himself as the champion of the Palestinian cause, reverting to the most fiery verbal attacks on Israel. But this is a recurring theme in a region where leaders must pay lip service to the plight of the Palestinians in order to give their regime the stamp of 'legitimacy'. Gaddafi's 'support', however, did not prevent him from deporting Palestinians living in Libya, leaving them stranded in the dessert, when he sought to "punish the Palestinian leadership" for negotiating with Israel."

Read more here

The dawn of a new age in human history?

An interesting Quote from the reader's views section of yesterdays Guarniad:

"What we are witnessing is the dawn of a new age in human history, a new enlightenment, where people are learning their power and their aspirations are far higher than their situation. There is only one reason for all this, namely the communication revolution that the internet and mobile phones have brought about. This is another step in the evolution of our species, like the printing press that brought about the first enlightenment and the post service that brought the French revolution.

This will become a global phenomenon not just a Middle Eastern one. Mass communication is bringing peoples all over the world a sense of freedom that they have never had before, this is evolution, it is an interactive technology not dictated from the top down like TV but from the bottom up by individuals, it is empowering to the mind and to the individual and yet is conversely is creating a international solidarity never seen before."

I hope so

Professor J F (Jack) Richardson OBE FIChemE FREng, 1920 - 2011

Professor J F (Jack) Richardson OBE FIChemE FREng, 1920 - 2011

Professor J F (Jack) Richardson who died on January 4 2011 aged 90 was a pioneer in the development of Chemical Engineering in Britain.

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He led Chemical Engineering at Swansea University from 1960 to 1987 establishing a vibrant and internationally recognised Centre of Excellence that still benefits from his legacy today. Long after he retired he continued to inspire colleagues and students with his enthusiasm, not just for process engineering, but also for life.

Jack’s first connections with Swansea were in the Second World War when came down to Swansea from London to study fire and explosions of oil. After working at Imperial College, Jack came to Swansea University in 1957 to take up a Chair in Chemical Engineering. He was an excellent teacher, effortlessly able to explain the most difficult concepts to his audience. He could give a key note lecture at a conference and keep an audience of distinguished professors and industrialists mesmerised with his discussion, without the aid of notes, just his charismatic smile.

As well as an international reputation in chemical engineering research and in the chemical engineering profession, perhaps his most enduring achievement was being the co-author and editor of the comprehensive textbook “Chemical Engineering”. This standard textbook is used for teaching chemical engineers world-wide and for over 50 years has been translated into many languages and is still the most comprehensive work of its kind.

Many students and visiting academics would knock on his office door to meet Jack, the author of textbooks that had taught them the intricacies of chemical engineering.

After retirement, he was an active emeritus professor at Swansea University who was still involved in teaching and research into his eighties. Since his death, Engineering staff at Swansea have been contacted by numerous UK and international universities expressing their condolences and admiration for Jack.

Professor Javier Bonet, Head of College of Engineering, Swansea University

An obituary to Professor Richardson appeared in the Daily Telegraph

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/8302156/Jack-Richardson.html

Support the People's Revolution in Egypt ساند ثورة الشعب في مص

Dear chris,

Ten days ago, when the government turned the phones back on for a few hours, two young Egyptian street activists called us from Tahrir Square: Mahmoud Salem, a well known 29-year-old Egyptian activist and blogger, and Gihan Ibrahim (pictured to the right), a 24-year-old activist who calls herself “Gigi.” The two of them dictated the text for an international campaign over the phone.

It’s become one of the top petitions ever on Change.org. You can add your name here:

http://www.change.org/petitions/support-the-peoples-revolution-in-egypt-?alert_id=EVTdCNXGMB_DPkQmYRgJC&me=aa

Earlier today, we spoke with Gigi and Mahmoud again. Here is their dictated letter to you:

Dear fellow Change.org members,

We've been in Tahrir Square -- at the epicenter of the Egyptian revolution -- day and night since January 25th.

People here are tired. We’ve been beaten, shot at, tear-gassed, rained on, denied medical access, and have lived in a public square for more than two weeks. Mercenary thugs on horses have attacked us with whips, swords, and knives. Hundreds of people have lost their lives and thousands are hurt or missing.

But when we tell people here that more than 41,000 people from 120 countries have added their voice to our campaign, it gives them a sense of vindication, telling us that we are not crazy and what we are asking for is something that all human beings deserve.

The revolutionary feeling here is incredible. Every day this square is full of peasants, workers, students and professionals, engineers, teachers, singers, writers and celebrities, Muslims, Christians, young, old, rich and poor.

We are demanding things which everyone can agree on: an end to corruption, dictatorship and oppression; the ability to vote in free, fair and democratic elections; freedom, dignity and social justice to all citizens.

Yet many governments around the world still do not support us. They call for "stability" in the region, even when we lack democracy and human rights in a "stable" country.

This is why your solidarity is so important. It sends a simple message to those in this square who are risking their lives to support democracy: Even if the governments of the world aren’t with us, the people of the world are.

After just two weeks of protest, President Mubarak has called off his brutal police forces, modified the constitution, and promised to step down ahead of upcoming elections.

But these are only baby steps, which should happen as part of open negotiations after the president's resignation, not instead of it. We are dealing with a corrupt, brutal government led by a dictator of 30 years. This has to stop, it has to change, and we will not leave until he does.

Are you with us?

http://www.change.org/petitions/support-the-peoples-revolution-in-egypt-?alert_id=EVTdCNXGMB_DPkQmYRgJC&me=aa

أشكركم على تضامنكم (Thank you for your solidarity)

Gigi Ibrahim and Mahmoud Salem
The January 25 Movement
Tahrir Square, Cairo, Egypt

Better to light a candle?

Vote Of No Confidence

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Vote for real change

We have a real problem... we have a government who have gained power even though they were not voted for by the electorate! A government who are making decisions that are affecting all sectors of our society. But, before I go any further, you need to know this... I am not a left wing activist, neither am I a right wing fundamentalist and I have no intention of inciting a riot or, even worse, a rebellion! I am a very concerned British citizen who is exercising his fundamental democratic right to bring about REAL change by voting for it. There is only one way that we, the public, can do this legally and peacefully and that is by sending a message to the government that we have no confidence in them and, most importantly, in what they are doing!