Archive for the ‘United Kingdom’ Category

Paul McCartney has been a strong and steady voice in support of OneVoice and its efforts to achieve peace in the Middle East.  In 2009 Sir Paul wrote a letter to President Obama to notify him of OneVoice’s work, and Sir Paul currently lists OneVoice at the top of his list of supported charities.  We’re honored to be joined by Sir Paul in our efforts and are inspired by the way he uses his talents to bring people together.

Spotted by Daniel Lubetzky, by Adeena Schlussel

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Former UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband attended a OneVoice gala dinner in London earlier this week and made it clear that he feels it’s crucial to establish a Palestinian state alongside a secure state of Israel- anything less would be a great “diplomatic failure.”  The former Foreign Secretary went on to state that “It’s the greatest diplomatic failure because actually it is one of those international problems to which there is a viable solution.”  To read the full transcript, see below, or watch this video:

 

Spotted by Daniel Lubetzky, by Adeena Schlussel

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Harriet Green, OneVoice board member and an old friend, was just ranked in the top 50 women in world business in 2011.  She is the highest ranking business woman of the UK and that is not for lack of good company!

To see more about this honor, see here!

 

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According to an article in Foreign Policy, Former President Bill Clinton blames PM Netanyahu for the lack of peace process progress.  Clinton specifically pointed to Netanyahu’s Administration for failing to accept the Camp David terms, as well as a change in Israeli demographic, making Israeli’s less open to peace.  As Clinton argues in this article, the peace process would benefit immensely from Netanyahu’s administration being more amenable to compromise. 

Spotted by Daniel Lubetzky, by Adeena Schlussel

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It is something everyone in the corridors of Arab power tends to acknowledge: that the current Iranian regime is a destabilizing apocalyptic messianic cult whose acquisition of nuclear weapons would be an overwhelming threat to the region.  But it is never publicly discussed or shared with the masses. Till now.  The leaks of diplomatic memos between the US and its foreign allies is a stark affirmation of the danger that Arab – and Israeli – leaders perceive from Iran. 

Here is just one summary:

Graphic: Fears of a Nuclear Iran

Middle East leaders speak about their powerful neighbor with a directness seldom, if ever, heard in public.

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I just had a great lunch with Jamie Oliver at his restaurant on my recent trip to London. Jamie has done amazing work with his cooking talents and has inspired many, many people to eat healthy and enjoy their food and cooking.  We had a great discussion about various ideas for collaboration to fight the obesity epidemic and continue his mission to give back to the food industry.  Check out this video below to see just how inspiring Jamie’s mission is to teach every child about food!

 photo (4)

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As this latest study confirms, obesity rates across America continue to rise to epidemic proportions.

As obesity rises, so does diabetes, and countless other threats to health.

The above study observes the need for more exercise and better eating. But the way our modern lives are structured, people are increasingly consuming junk food on the go.

This is why it is vital to create innovative solutions that provide consumers healthful choices on the move, without sacrificing taste, wholesomeness or convenience.

It is so easy to say it, but as we test at KIND every day, coming up with more solutions that are true to our commitment of using only premium all natural “ingredients you can see and pronounce” that are “KIND to your body, your taste buds and the world” is not that easy.  It has taken us years, but beyond our award-winning line of KIND Fruit & Nut bars, we are working on a few very exciting fronts that should not just help counteract these societal problems, but also yield DELICIOUS healthy options!

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Further to this post by Adeena regarding the rising attacks against the Mosque being erected in downtown NYC, let me provide some more background to the thousands of people that are attacking this project without taking the time to do a little bit of research about it.

I received this video post by Pat Condell from my sister, attacking the project.

Here was my response to my sister:

The mosque near Ground Zero is being opened by a dear friend and member of the PeaceWorks Foundation’s Honorary Board, and a remarkable human being who our Dad would have loved as much as he loved Rabbi Scheinberg [our Orthodox Rabbi in San Antonio, TX, who we all admire for his deep humility, warmth, and respect of others]. He is a humanist and a pluralist, a tolerant sweet man, and the role model of what we should want EVERY religious leader – Muslim or otherwise – to be like.  Please forward back to Oren and anyone else who shared this with you.

To briefly expound on this note, let me respond to some of the assertions made by Mr. Condell.

He attacks the religion of Islam as an ocean of hatred, violence and intolerance.  But intolerance and hatred are sadly not exclusive to Islam. All major religions have their regrettable elements of excess.

Incidentally just a couple days ago I saw a fantastic movie – Goya’s Ghosts – starring another PeaceWorks Foundation Honorary Board member, Natalie Portman, as a woman who is jailed, raped, and oppressed by the Spanish Inquisition.

There is no question that there are monstrous people who I call "pseudo-Islamic terrorists" who usurp a religion that can be about love and respect, and hijack it to advocate extremism and hatred.  But they do not represent the Islam that many of my friends follow, a religion of humility and striving to be better human beings. 

The real challenge is who is going to win – the tolerant and progressive leaders of Islam, or the regressive ones?

It is up to us to uphold the tolerant and enlightened and respectful leaders who dedicate their lives to peace – as is the case with Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf.  Demonizing and isolating and chastising them is not a way to strengthen the moderate voices within Islamic countries!!!

Pat Condell writes about how Islam divides people into us vs. them, but he seems to miss the irony in that this is precisely what he does in his video posting by trying to portray all of Islam as intolerant. 

It is true that diversity and tolerance are critical to a functioning democracy.  But sermons like the one by Pat Condell are just as offensive to this notion as intolerant Muslims.

Contrast that to Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf. Mr. Condell clearly has never met him.  But more disturbing, he hasn’t even taken the time to research the Cordoba Initiative.  The initiative was conceived by Imam Feisal almost a decade ago to celebrate the CO-EXISTENCE and DIVERSITY that characterized Cordoba during its golden age.  Condell claims that the Cordoba Initiative was named that way to emphasize the conquest of Christianity by Islam.  He should have started by doing some research!

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Am on my way back from DC to NYC after a briefing with Paul McCartney on behalf of OneVoice (on whose Honorary Board he sits).  Earlier during rehearsals, I was struck at the beautiful simplicity and deep truth of the lyrics of Ebony and Ivory:

EBONY AND IVORY,
LIVE TOGETHER IN PERFECT HARMONY,
SIDE BY SIDE ON MY PIANO KEYBOARD,
OH, LORD, WHY DON’T WE?

WE ALL KNOW THAT PEOPLE ARE THE SAME WHEREVER YOU GO,
THERE IS GOOD AND BAD IN EV’RYONE.
AND WE LEARN TO LIVE, WE LEARN TO GIVE EACH OTHER
WHAT WE NEED TO SURVIVE, TOGETHER ALIVE.

….

- Sir Paul McCartney (c)

Later this week, Sir Paul is receiving the Gershwin Prize from President Obama.

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by Adeena Schlussel on behalf of Daniel Lubetzky

In her opening speech of Parliament, the Queen of England articulated that her “government will continue working towards a two-state solution that sees a viable Palestinian state existing in peace and security alongside Israel.”  This is an important because her words are intended to set the government’s priorities for the next year and a half.

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