AFSP september bulletin

AFSP International Survivors of Suicide Day Saturday, November 19, 2011 Organizing a Conference Site: September E-Bulletin Over 225 of you have let us know that you’re definitely organizing sites this year. Thank you! Remember, you must register your site to receive the DVD and be listed online as a participating city. Register today so visitors to the AFSP website can learn about your conference. Not able to organize a site this year? We understand – just reply to this email to let us know if we should be in touch next year. The step-by-step guide at www.afsp.org/survivorconference provides information on every aspect of planning your day, but you can also reply to this message or call Rebecca Thorp at 212-363-3500 ext 2033 or Elizabeth Hish at 212-363-3600ext 2035 if you have any questions. We are here to help. « SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT « 2011 PROGRAM NOW AVAILABLE IN SPANISH, FRENCH & ENGLISH, in order to reach an even wider population of survivors of suicide loss. Please spread the word to Spanish and French speaking survivors and those who work with them. Anyone can now organize a conference site in Spanish, French, or English. And survivors who don’t live near a conference site can sign up at www.afsp.org/survivorday to watch from home in Spanish, French or English on or after November 19th. « SEPTEMBER FOCUS « IDEAS FOR LOCAL PROGRAMMING Simply showing the AFSP broadcast on November 19th is a meaningful service to the local community which shows survivors everywhere that they are not alone. For many, this is the first time they will meet another survivor of suicide loss. However, if you would like to add additional local speakers and/or activities to your conference, here are some ideas (updated for 2011). WRITTEN MATERIALS Looking for materials to distribute? You have two options: 1. You can print out the following free of charge and provide photocopies for your attendees: Poem: We Remember Them Surviving Suicide Loss: A Resource and Healing Guide Facts about Suicide Handling the Holidays Surviving a Suicide Loss Bibliography Talking to Children About Suicide 2. Additional materials may be ordered for a nominal charge by visiting the AFSP Store. Order before October 17th to be sure that you receive everything in time. Shipping & handling costs for U.S. orders are included in prices below. If you live outside the U.S.: Order by emailing ehish@afsp.org. Shipping and handling charges will apply. PLANNING YOUR DAY AFSP makes it easy for anyone to host a local conference site by providing the main program content on DVD. However, we recognize that every community has different needs, so in addition to showing the DVD, we encourage you to customize the day in a way that will best support your local attendees. See step 6 at www.afsp.org/survivorconference for detailed guidance, and Ideas for Local Programming. Keep these key points in mind: (Details available in step 6 at www.afsp.org/survivorconference ) Survivors overwhelmingly tell us that having the opportunity to talk with other survivors is one of the most helpful aspects of the day. Help survivors connect one-on-one by providing name tags, and colored coded ribbons, stickers, or mardi-gras style beads to signify loss relationship. Planned “sharing sessions” create a safe environment for self-expression and mutual support. These are informally facilitated by a survivor who is further along in his/her loss. Any local speakers, activities, or workshops should focus on bereavement. This day was originally created by U.S. Senate resolution exclusively for those who are grieving after suicide. This is not a day that focuses on suicide prevention. More information in FAQ. Recently bereaved survivors often feel that their lives have been turned upside-down and that the world no longer makes sense, so focus on helping attendees feel safe, secure, and cared for. Make sure you give accurate information about driving directions and parking, provide a day-of-event program, post a sign in front of the building, and have a volunteer greet attendees at the door. We are here to help, so please be in touch if you have any questions at all. Thanks, and take good care, Rebecca and Elizabeth Rebecca Thorp, Survivor Initiatives Manager - rthorp@afsp.org or 212-363-3500 x2033. Elizabeth Hish, Survivor Initiatives Assistant – ehish@afsp.org or 212-363-3500 x2035 ØIf you don't want to receive future emails about organizing a conference site, just let us know by return email. American Foundation for Suicide Prevention 120 Wall Street, 29th Floor New York, NY 10005 Fax (212) 363-6237

Stem cell therapy in India

Chaitanya Stem Cell Center Chaitanya Stem Cell Center is a part of Chaitanya Hospital, an ISO 9001/2008 accredited organization. We have already treated more than 92 cases with the help of Stem Cells, out of which 70% cases have shown clinical improvements. We use cells of highest purity, viability and integrity from world quality laboratory. It has been proved that more transplantation cycles give better results. Chaitanya Stem Cell Center is a charity based organization and thus we provide the treatments at economical rates. Following are some of the highlights of Stem cell therapy: Stem cell therapy has shown significant positive results worldwide in conditions like Cerebral palsy, Mental retardation, Autism and many diseases over the last 3 -6 years. Stem cell therapy is used to treat incurable diseases like Cerebral Palsy, Brain Hemorrhage and Stroke, Spinal Cord Injury & Paraplegia, Autism, Parkinsonism and more than 75 diseases. Preliminary studies at our center have shown encouraging outputs. It is our aim to facilitate further scientific research of clinical application of Autologous Bone marrow Derived Mononuclear Stem Cells Therapy in economical rates. The stem cell therapy done at our center is from your own bone marrow and hence acceptability of the human body is more with no adverse effects. The exact treatment can change from patient to patient and is prescribed after a thorough analysis of the patient’s condition by our panel of expert doctors. Chaitanya Stem Cell Center Ph.: 020-24329666,24328600 Mo. No.: +91-80877 99091 Mo. No.: +91-90111 11222 E-mail: anantbagul@yahoo.com, chaitanyastemcell@gmail.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Neurogen- Dr Alok Sharma ---- Brain and Spine Institute ---9920200400, 022-25283706, Surana Sethia Hospital, Sion-Trombay Rd, Suman Nagar, Opp Corporate Park, Mumbai -71

Inauguration of National Association for Muscular Dystrphy

Inaugural function of the National association for Muscular dystrophy and commemorative function for Muscular dystrophy day held on 17 sept 2011 at Matunga gymkhana. Around 150 people gathered to celebrate their struggle with life and they included muscular dystrphy patients, family members, care givers, doctors from Neurogen, friends and well-wishers. A book on 'Stem cell therapy and other recent advances in Muscular Dystrophy ' was also released on the occasion. A website for the National Association for Muscular dystrophy was also activated on that day. www.musculardystrphyindia.com

IASP Suicide Prevention Day Activities 2011

Aasra’s Suicide prevention Day activities on 8th, 10th and 11th Sept 2011 10TH September is World Suicide Prevention Day. Every year, we ,at Aasra, over and above the other awareness activities that we organise around the year, try to spread awareness, about suicide in a special way on this special day . This year we are organising a workshop from 5 pm to 7pm on 10th September 2011 at Aasra(www.aasra.info for address). Anyone interested in attending this workshop is welcome. It would be kind on your part to r.s.v.p. via sms to 9820466726 so that we know the exact number of participants to facilitate better communication. The workshop titled ‘Understanding Suicide: The mind-body connect’ - will include. 1. Basic Psychology 2. Suicide (Batch strength 20) 11th Sept 2011, Sunday : 5 pm to 7pm- Workshop (repeat for the overflow)(Batch strength 20) Aasra’s director Johnson Thomas will also be making a presentation on ‘suicide Prevention’ to around 150 students, on 10th Sept at 10.30 am, at Vaze college Mulund . On the 8th of Sept 2011, Aasra’s Director Johnson Thomas will be talking to school-kids (around 200) on ‘Stress in Education’ at a school in Andheri, as part of Suicide Prevention Day program.

Book marks with information about ‘Help in times of distress’ will also be distributed at the abovementioned venues.

Hyderabad Human Rights Conference

Dear Friends We Human Rights Forum Hyderabad unit, will be organizing our general body conference on 10 September 2011. The venue of the conference is Bharat Degree College, Kachiguda, Hyderabad. The coference will be from 10 am to 3 pm with keynote address by Mr. Nikhil Dey, one of the founder members of MKSS and right to information activist . Dr. Ramanjaneyulu, of CSA will speak on Agriculture in crisis. There will be presenation of secretary report on activities of two years and talk by General Secretary and president of HRF. We request you all block Sept 10 in your diaries and attend the conference Karthik Navayan -- B.Karthik Navayan, http://karthiknavayan.wordpress.com/ https://sites.google.com/site/karthiknavayan/ __._,_.___ Reply to sender | Reply to group | Reply via web post | Start a New Topic Messages in this topic (1) Recent Activity: New Members 2 Visit Your Group ________________________________________

International Covenant on Civil and Political rights & International Covenant of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

AHRC-PAP-002-2011 September 5, 2011 A Paper by the Asian Human Rights Commission Human Rights and Democratic Governance Basil Fernando (This is the text of a presentation at A Consultation on Peace and Security in Asia and Ecumenical Responses held on August 1-6, 2011, organized by WCC and CCA) As a start we may try to reflect on some of the concerns expressed by the participants of this meeting who have spoken so far. One of the presentations that impressed me was from the representative from Nepal. After a detailed presentation of the country situation and explaining the impasse that had arisen relating to the making of the constitution he observed that Nepal is facing the risk of being a dysfunctional state. If we reflect on the meaning of a state becoming dysfunctional I think we could grasp to some extent the problems relating to democratic governance as well as rule of law not only in Nepal but in many of the countries in the Asian region and, in fact, many of the countries which are usually labeled as less developed countries. The problem of the dysfunctional state and human rights is also very significant. The implementation of human rights requires functional public institutions of justice. These institutions, briefly, are: the civilian policing institution, which guarantees inquiries into all allegations of the violations of human rights; the competent and impartial agency capable of prosecuting the allegations for which the investigators have found adequate evidence; and a judiciary that is independent and capable of ensuring the rights of all parties, including the accused and the victims. If these institutions have not reached a stage of social acceptance of their awareness of the legal obligations of these institutions and of their proven capacity to implement their obligations that situation could be described as one that has reached dysfunctionalism. In short when the policing system, the prosecuting system and the judicial system are incapable or unwilling to fulfill their obligations to uphold the international norms of human rights, such a state is virtually dysfunctional. This situation has been described by the CEO of the International Justice Mission, Gary Haugen, in a speech made at Columbia University thusly: "Looking back at the story, one can see that two generations of global human rights work have been predicated, consciously or unconsciously, upon assumptions of a functioning public justice system in the developing world which, if incorrect, effectively undercut the usefulness of those efforts for their intended beneficiaries. Now, absent an effective enforcement mechanism, the great work of the first two generations of the international human rights movement can deliver to the poor only empty parchment promises." Empty parchment promises Have human rights become 'empty parchment promises' for the people in Asian countries? In answering that question let us look briefly at the basic human rights of everyone in terms of the human rights conventions agreed upon by the international community through the mediation of the United Nations. For the purpose of this presentation I will make a brief summary of the basic rights enshrined in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the International Covenant of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). Under the ICCPR Equality before the law and prevention of all forms of discrimination The right to life and the right against extrajudicial killings The right against torture and ill-treatment The right to security which includes the right against illegal arrest and illegal detention The right of movement The right to a fair trial The right to information The right to freedom of expression and freedom of association The right to freedom of thought, freedom of conscience and freedom to practice the religion of one's choice The right to choose a government of one's choice Under the ICESCR The right to life, meaning the right to means of life to be lived with dignity The right to work The right to form trade unions The right to education The right to health The right to leisure (This list of ICCPR and ICESCR rights is not exhaustive but is meant to illustrate the basic rights). In looking as to whether the states are, in fact, protecting, promoting and ensuring the realisation of these rights, what one needs is to find out is whether the people in the relevant countries are, in fact, enjoying these rights. A brief survey of responses from the participants to this question was that, in fact, the rights which are in the mentioned in the parchments are not available in real life for most of the people in their respective countries, particularly the poor. How does this situation arise? The duty to investigate and prosecute violations of rights States are under obligation to ensure that complaints of violations of rights are being investigated thoroughly by competent investigation agencies. The competent agency for investigations is the police. It is the police who have the obligation to take the complaints from the people of the allegations of violations and to record such complaints faithfully. Thereafter they are expected to investigate these allegations within a framework of the law that ensures proper conduct of inquiries. The police are also under obligations to seek the assistance of experts and competent bodies in making inquiries, when necessary, in order to ensure that all facilities are used for the purpose of conducting a thorough and impartial inquiry. They are also under obligation to keep faithful records of all that they do and all that they find in the course of such inquiries. Finally, they are under obligation to hand over a complete file of their investigations to the prosecuting agency. The prosecuting agency is under obligation to make a thorough study of the files of inquiry through competent lawyers and to make decisions relating to the adequacy or inadequacy of evidence to prosecute the offenders. Where the legal criteria relating to adequacy of evidence is met, the prosecutors are under obligation to prosecute the alleged offenders under competent courts and, in doing so, the status of any other circumstances of the offender is not a relevant consideration.The prosecutors are expected to file the necessary indictments before the competent courts and to conduct the prosecution during the trial. They are expected to act without any subservience to any political authorities or any powerful forces. Finally, it is the obligation of the judges of competent courts to ensure fair trial within the framework of the law based on international norms. To be able to conduct such trials the courts must be able to ensure that they avoid undue delays or allow any other kind of corruption to hamper the conduct of a fair trial. To carry out this function the state must ensure that adequate funding is given for the administration of justice so that there will be an adequate number of judges with the required qualifications, who have all the necessary facilities for the carrying out of their obligations. Thus, it is the primary obligation of the state to ensure adequate funding for the functioning of institutions of investigation, prosecution and the judiciary. The failure to comply with state obligations as the cause of dysfunctionalism When the state fails to ensure the requirements mentioned above, those institutions cannot carry out the necessities to meet with their social obligations. When the policing, prosecutions and the judiciary fail to meet with the criteria of competent institutions, the people are unable to realise their rights. The problems described by Gary Haugen in stating human rights conventions becoming 'empty parchment promises' take place when there are no competent institutions to ensure the realisation of the norms enshrined in the UN conventions for which many of the countries have become signatories. Thus, the test of the availability of rights is not the government's ratification of the UN conventions or even bringing about domestic legislation to bring in such international obligations within the local law. A test of realisation is the availability of the functional public institutions of justice. It is in this that the governments in less developed countries fail. The people's obligations When there is a situation of dysfunctional public institutions of justice, it is the duty of people themselves to fight for the improvement of such public institutions. The civil society cannot survive without functioning institutions of justice. When there are arbitrary killings, such as forced disappearances and various forms of custodial killings, when torture and ill-treatment are widespread practices carried out by the police, military and paramilitary institutions, when illegal arrest and illegal detention takes place and when fair trial is denied, what comes into existence is a state of fear, intimidation and bewilderment for the people. This is deepened further when freedom of expression, association and publication are also brought under various restrictions and when the people are punished for engaging in any of the activities relating to the expression of their views. Politically, this situation is brought into sinister completion when the possibility of free and fair elections is denied. That is virtually the situation of many of the less developed countries, though the degree to which this happens may vary to some extent from country to country. In a situation of that sort the realisation of ICESCR rights is also not possible. The right to life can be deeply affected when the right to food and water and the right to housing are denied through various forms of economic measures. The right to health and education can also be denied in the same manner. Above all, the right to work can be denied both by unemployment and underemployment. When the process of transparency and accountability does not exist the people completely lose the capacity to participate in the process of determining the affairs of their own lives. The right to information is a fundamentally important aspect of guaranteeing a decent way of living within a society. The denial of the right to form trade unions and other workers' associations as well as students is also a way of creating a less than human environment for living. Participation and the existence of functioning public institutions of justice Democratic governance is based on the notion of the participation of the people themselves in their own governance. When the basic civil rights of the people mentioned above are denied, the people are in fact denied the right to participate in governance. Within that setup what emerges is a falsified version of representative governance. The representatives, in order to have legitimacy, must be chosen freely by people who live in a political environment within which they are able to express their consent or dissent in a well-informed manner and without coercion and fear. When the basic civil rights are denied such an environment of freedom does not exist. What takes place then by way of falsified versions of elections, or even by making constitutions without proper consultation with the people, is the generation of governments which are, in fact, authoritarian and arbitrary in character. In many of the less developed countries the governments have taken an absolutist mode, though they keep up the façade of being democratic governments. What exists is phantom democracy, which, like the phantom limb, is an illusion. The real nature of such governments has not yet adequately become the subject of studies. In a recent book entitled Gyges' Ring - the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka, I have tried to demonstrate this in terms of the situation in Sri Lanka. However, this is not just the political situation in Sri Lanka only but many less developed countries fall within this category. Thus, the discourse on the participation of people should incorporate an assessment of the peoples' actual capacity to enjoy their basic rights. Gender equality and the dysfunctional public institutions of justice Modern discourse on rights insists on the incorporation of the equality of women into all aspects of discourse on human rights as well as the political discourse on democracy. The participation of women in all aspects of social life is an integral part of this discourse. However, the problems discussed above about the situation of fear, bewilderment and alienation created by the denial of basic ICCPR and ICESCR rights prevents the participation of all, including that of women. For bringing the gender equality issue to public discourse beyond mere expression it is necessary to relate it to the problem of women's enjoyment of the basic Human Rights. Equality relating to any sector of society has three different aspects. a) Equality as understood in the human sense, b) Equality before the law so that the equality is in fact ensured and implemented by the law as legal entitlements, c) as quality of opportunity. What is often discussed as the equality of women is usually on the first aspect of purely human terms but often the problem of equality before the law and equality of opportunity are not adequately emphasised in these discourses. The considerations of equality before the law require an understanding of complicated legal steps, legal processes and practices. Bringing about a structural framework within which women's equality could be realised is very different to making public declarations about such equality. The tendency to ignore the structural aspects of the realisation of rights is a common feature in human rights discourse and is not confined to women's equality issues only. Further the problem of equality of opportunity, which is actually the area in which rights are realised, requires basic guarantees of the ICCPR and ICESCR rights in general, but also regarding women's equality in particular. Thus, the question of the realisation of women's rights in less developed countries is bound to the resolving of the problem of creating functioning institutions of justice. Where such institutions do not exist, women's rights will also be only empty parchment promises. A few basic suggestions On the basis of these reflections, the basic conclusion we can make on the issue of human rights and democratic governance in less developed countries is that the central issue to be addressed is the way to undo the state of dysfunctional public institutions of justice, thereby turning them into functional public institutions of justice. In that regard, civil society organisations including religious and church organisations should take an interest in the study the problem of human rights and democratic governance from the point of view of understanding the role to be played by functioning public institutions of justice in transforming society and creating the actual possibility of the enjoyment of rights and the participation of persons in the affairs of governance. The religious and church organisations can also influence international partners and encourage them to understand the problems of less developed countries from the perspective of creating the possibilities for justice within the framework of functioning public institutions. The developed countries should be encouraged to make efforts to understand the difference the availability of functioning institutions of justice make in resolving the problems of underdevelopment. Funding in granting aid and providing funds and assistance to the creation of functioning public institutions should be made a priority. Within the local context, creating public opinion and generating civil society movements for reforms in the institutions of justice should become a priority in the human rights field as well as in the work towards creating democratic governance. With creative effort many active contributions can be made for the resolving of this all-important issue and thus to emerge from the culture of and fear and paralysis that exists in many of the less developed countries. The following observations of Gary Haugen are relevant in this regard. "Moreover, the absence of functioning public justice systems for the poor also tragically undermines the usefulness of $2.5 trillion worth of foreign aid sent to the developing world over the last half century, because there is no effective mechanism of preventing those with power from stealing it away, blocking access to it or rendering it useless for its intended beneficiaries. First of all, without rule of law and effective enforcement mechanisms, resources earmarked for aid efforts often never reach their intended beneficiaries. A World Bank study found that as much as 85% of aid flows are diverted from purposes for which they were originally intended. Indeed, unchecked human rights abuses undermine the effectiveness of even those resources and services that do manage to reach the poor in those communities. Farming tools, for instance, are of no use to widows whose land is stolen away. Vocational training is of no use to women and men who are rotting in jail for refusing to pay a bribe. Medical clinics in communities are of no use to slaves who cannot leave the brick factories even when they are sick. Microloans are of no use if the proceeds from the new sewing machine are stolen by the local police. Similarly, the inability to restrain human rights abuses has seriously undermined attempts to improve the health of the poor in the developing world. For instance, a World Bank report found that gender violence was the cause of more ill health among women and girls than malaria and traffic accidents combined. Another World Health Organization report found that in some countries, up to nearly 70% of women report having been physically assaulted, and up to 47% report that their first sexual intercourse was forced. Surveys of villages in India show that 70% of women had suffered at least two forms of domestic violence or abuse in that year. And 16% of all deaths during pregnancy are from domestic abuse. Studies from Peru report that about 40% of girls will be victims of rape or attempted rape by the age of 14. 70% of HIV-infected women and girls in South Africa report having been forced to have sex. AIDS education does little to help women and children who are contracting the virus from forced sexual encounters. Now given all this, one might expect that remedying the failure to provide the rule of law to the poor would become the central focus of human rights efforts. Yet few if any international human rights organizations or development agencies focus specifically on building public justice systems that work for the poor. These agencies do other very important work but none measures organizational success by its ability to help police and courts in the developing world bring effective law enforcement to the poor. None." (The full speech may be found at: TEXT:http://www.ijmnl.org/seminar/The%20New%20Mandate%20for%20Human%20Rights.pdf AUDIO:http://www.law.uchicago.edu/audio/by/title/gary_haugen_a_new_mandate_for_human_rights ) # # # About AHRC: The Asian Human Rights Commission is a regional non-governmental organisation that monitors human rights in Asia, documents violations and advocates for justice and institutional reform to ensure the protection and promotion of these rights. The Hong Kong-based group was founded in 1984.

What’s your Samaritan score?

Bleeding heart or couldn’t be bothered? Take this quiz to find out how socially conscious you really are

Mumbai Mirror Bureau

Posted On Tuesday, August 23, 2011 at 04:27:00 AM

So you have been doing your bit to support Anna Hazare's movement against corruption, be it out on the streets or online. While it might be easy to get riled up and have Anna awaken your social conscience, did you have any to begin with? Take this questionnaire to figure it out.

1. You are on a lonely road and you spot a man asking for a lift. You…

A. Stop and ask to see where he's headed and give him a lift if he's going your way.

B. Slow down and gauge him. If he looks decent and civil, ask him where he's headed. Else speed on.

C. Give a hitchhiker a lift? Are you crazy?

2. You witness a road accident while driving. You…

A. Stop, get out, check for the wounded and help them out.

B. Note down the license number and call the police as you move on.

C. Honk for the traffic to disperse and drive away.

3. In case of a natural disaster in your country/ state, what do yo do?

A. You donate your time, money and any other resource you can spare to help people out.

B. You write a cheque to the Prime Minister's relief fund and drop in old clothes to a local collection unit.

C. You donate a day's salary for the cause at most.


4. You spot a few teenagers in a rowdy fight. You…

A. Approach them carefully and try and ease things out as a mediator.

B. Tell them to break it up or you'll call the police.

C. Walk on. What is it to you?

5. You're out for a walk and spot an injured animal. You…

A. Rescue the animal and take it to the nearest vet or try and locate its owner.

B. Place a call to an animal shelter and give them directions to the injured animal.

C. Someone is bound to help out. You have other places to be at.

6. You are caught witnessing a violent crime like a robbery. You…

A. Run to help out immediately. Quickly gather helping hands and help the wounded.

B. Sneak away and call for the police. Wait till the thugs leave before you help the wounded.

C. Make a run for it. It's not worth your life.

7. An elderly gentleman/ lady are trying to make their way to a train coach in a local. You…

A. Walk over and help them in, probably missing your train in the bargain.

B. Ask someone heading in that direction to take them on.

C. Avoid eye contact and walk on.

8. There is a large dwelling of homeless people in your neighbourhood. You…

A. Go across once a week with some biscuits, extra clothes and toys.

B. Donate to a local charity once in a while.

C. Call the cops and complain about the encroachment, nuisance and filth.

CHECKPOINT

Mostly As

Not only are you a Good Samaritan, you go out of your way to help people in any way you can. While it’s a great philosophy for life, one must be careful because you might land yourself in situations of danger. It’s wise to be wary because the world is full of people who like to take advantage of people like you.

Your generosity and large-heartedness is a welcome treat. But you might also want to introspect on why you stretch yourself thin to help others out. It might be an emotional void that you’re trying to fill by being overtly-helpful.

That said, there just aren’t enough people like you in the world. So whether you’re angling to stash away karmic points or helping people genuinely makes you happy, teach and encourage your children and friends to do the same.

Mostly Bs

You try to do your bit but practicality gets in the way. You limit yourself to things that are easily doable without going out of your way. You are also careful and particular about not getting yourself in dangerous situations. It’s a smart thing to do. However, your overcautious attitude might actually keep you from helping out more people than you could. You try and do the bare minimum to make sure your guilt doesn’t act up. A strictly safe option.

Mostly Cs

While a lot of us can probably associate with these characteristics, it only goes to show that years of urban living has made us insensitive to the poor and those in agony. Our defense mechanisms and daily pressures keep us from being helpful citizens and sensitive people. Over time, these qualities become inherent and even the guilt factor stops playing up.

While we are blessed and we pay gratitude to our respective gods, we fail to uphold basic humanitarian duties towards each other. One doesn’t need to go out of their way to help out. It’s mostly a simple gesture that makes all the difference to someone in need.

Introspect on your attitude and reflect upon how you can be grateful for the comforts you have been blessed with. Not to mention, karmically, it’s a great bonus.

The body doesn’t lie - a look at somatic assessments
Posted by Mark Walsh in Soft skills on Mon, 07/25/2011 - 09:30

Humans are leaking and reading signals all of the time.
Somatic assessments rely upon posture and movement patterns rather than short-term situational factors.
The basic factors that make a body work effectively are relaxation, structure, balance, responsiveness and energy.



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Business people

Somatic assessments can give us deep insights into other people. Mark Walsh explains.





"The body doesn’t lie" - Martha Graham, founder of modern dance.

It is an innate skill to experience another person’s body and make assessments of them as people based on what you see or feel. A dog or small child can do this and it is part of life to get gut feelings about others based on these usually unconscious somatic assessments*.

We are leaking and reading signals the whole time as to who we and others are via the body. While we all use this skillset daily, it has been neglected in organisational life and is much misunderstood.

We may choose partners or job candidates based on "chemistry" or how we click with people and yet it is a largely unrefined skill. Sadly, in our hyper-rational Western culture embodied knowing is not just undeveloped but often ignored (the police say that most victims of violent crime for example ignore their instincts**) and it is difficult for many trainers and HR managers to acknowledge it as something they do.
"Somatic assessments can be done in just a few seconds so they are also quick and, once trained, easy with minimal input."

How then do we make accurate judgements of what a person’s body reveals so we can better relate to them as trainers? First some clarifications and background:
Where does it come from?

The pioneers in this work were Rudolf Laban and his students who came from a dance background, and Dr Richard Strozzi-Heckler and his group who come from the world of martial arts and meditation. Both groups have been applying this work in business for many years and there are others who have studied the body intensely who have developed parallel work.
Is this just body language?

No, somatic assessments rely upon posture and movement patterns rather than short-term situational factors and more culturally conditioned gestures. Somatic assessments are concerned with who someone is, not just what they are saying with their bodies.

Are you saying short people are one way and tall people another?
No, it is more complex than this. It doesn’t matter so much the shape of you body but how you live "in" it and move with it. You can have no legs and be very grounded, or be short and very upright in the sense I am talking about.
Advantages

The advantages of somatic assessments over psychometric tests, for example, are obvious. Bodies are readily available to observe and a job candidate who may lie on paper for example, will find it very difficult to move in a convincingly different way.

Trying usually just looks odd and while trained actors may spend years trying to do this convincingly it is often immediately apparent that they are acting. Somatic assessments can be (and are usually unconsciously) done in just a few seconds so they are also quick and, once trained, easy with minimal input. Trainers can benefit from being able to quickly see the preferred learning styles and personality types in a group before learning what they are the hard way.

Again, most experienced trainers have an intuitive sense of this, being able to spot ditfficult delegates easily for example, so it is about refining an innate skill and training out prejudices which lace purely unconscious assessments.
Technique and ethics - analysis, trying on and trying out

In many ways body reading is intimate and I won’t consciously do it in a full way unless asked to, I think I am at risk myself (it has saved my life several times while working in areas of conflict) or in professional service of others - e.g. as a trainer.For me, ethics and a core of respect are vital when working with embodied evaluations. Any assessment should be viewed as just a guess, to be tried out by asking the person (and sometimes their colleagues) if it is the case and observing their behaviour over time to check for congruence (careful of the observer effect here though). I have come to trust and rely upon assessments having seen their accuracy on many occasions with diverse groups worldwide, though still view them as guesses or working theories out of respect.

One basic technique is to try on a taste of the posture and movement of the person you are assessing and to feel what it is like. What does it make possible? How is it emotionally? How might others respond to this body? It takes practice to accurately observe and imitate and even more so to do it in a subtle way that won’t be noticed, however even a child can copy others so most people can do this to some extent.
Some things to look out for

Aside from “trying on” it is necessary to have some models to avoid slipping into personal prejudice (knowing your own embodied type inside-out also helps with this as you know the lens you are seeing others through) and to help when it’s hard to get a subjective felt-sense of someone. While beyond the scope of this short introduction to provide in-depth models here are a few pointers.

Lead: What part of their body does the person lead with? A head, heart or belly lead shows how they orientate in the world.

Task or relationship: Are they primarily task or relationship focused? Task focused driven people have very different bodies to more relational people - e.g. more symmetrical posture, quicker more linear movement, “harder” gaze, etc (think of some people you know). While situational factors of course play a part as with any model, the embodied habits are usually easy to see beneath this.
The five pillars

The five basic factors that make a body (and therefore mind) work effectively are relaxation, structure, balance, responsiveness and energy for movement. These are relatively easy to see especially the first three and correlate with personality as one might expect (the language of bodies and personalities, e.g. “balanced” is strongly correlated for a reason).
Six dimensions

The dimensions a person inhabits have meaning. Down is about how grounded we are and connect to practical application and sadness and despair emotionally; upon is about vision, ethics and happiness and stress emotionally for example. This is just a taste. Other models such as archetypes can also be used or embodied versions of established typologies such as MBTI or OCEAN. More detailed models can be found here.
Research opportunity and conclusion

The field of embodiment is ballooning academically as universities realise there is much going on “below the collar”. Some initial studies have been done in this area though more needs to be done for what is intuitively quite obvious to establish scientific validity.

I have mapped established psychometrics in the hope of someone wishing to do this research. Until then it seems a shame not to use what I repeatedly find useful in training and in life. Somatic assessments can give us deep insights into other people so I hope this article has been helpful.



* Somatic comes form the Greek and means the felt, subjective experience of the body
** See The Gift Of Fear, Gavin Decker






Mark Walsh leads business leadership training provider Integration Training - based in Brighton, London and Birmingham UK. Specialising in working with emotions, the body and spirituality at work they help organisations get more done without going insane (time resilience and stress management), coordinate action more effectively (team building and communication training) and leaders build impact, influence and presence. Clients include Virgin Atlantic, UNICEF, The Sierra Leonian Army and the University of Sussex.





Taking it from nature

Great to find something that adds to my own experience and knowledge of 'gut feel' or intuitive assessment. I'm particularly taken with the idea of the physical 'lead' and the clues it might provide for early engagement with a trainee. I'd very much like to read or learn more.

We're all reading each other at all times, but for some reason we've chosen as a species to factor out our own gut feel to a great extent, while small children and animals haven't done the same, and so seem to display an uncanny sense of threat or danger...or indeed hugs!

Time to get back to our more animalsitc selves and make best use of our intuitive abilities perhaps?


Somatic Assessment

A great knowing that resides in our intuitive self. I believe this knowledge, NLP, Emotional Intelligence and others create the Informed Self, someone with knowledge to aid their intuition. As you gather the knowledge you can readily assess for skills, abilities and motivation with greater accuracy. We live our lives acquiring knowledge and education then the moment arrives, can we use it to support ourselves and another human being. The journey continues. David Beverly, New Jersey

How to train for new behaviours
Posted by Stephen Walker in Soft skills on Fri, 07/22/2011 - 09:00

In a training audience there will be a mixture of motivations for being there.
Use multi-style delivery techniques to ensure the widest coverage.
Your delivery has to encompass education and entertainment.

Stephen Walker looks at how new ideas are created in the trainee's mind and the steps needed to achieve the optimum success for your training.







What does training do?

Training is used to produce one or more of three changes in the recipients. These changes are: to acquire or develop new physical skills, new thought processes or new behaviour patterns.

AFSP International Survivors of Suicide Day

Saturday, November 19, 2011


Organizing a Conference Site: July E-Bulletin



Many of you have called or emailed to let us know you are definitely organizing a local conference site for International Survivors of Suicide Day. Thank you! We hope to hear from even more of you soon.



If you haven’t registered your site yet, don’t forget to complete the Site Registration Form as soon as you have a location finalized and we’ll add your site to the list of participating cities.


The step-by-step guide at www.afsp.org/survivorconference provides information on every aspect of planning your day, but you can also reply to this message or call Rebecca Thorp at 212-363-3500 ext 2033 if you have any questions. We are here to help.





« JULY FOCUS «



ONGOING LOCAL PROMOTION AND PUBLICITY



Even if you don’t have a location confirmed yet – don’t wait to start promoting your conference. Distribute Save the Date Postcards now. Ongoing local promotion and publicity is essential for reaching your target audience of newly bereaved survivors of suicide loss. The online guide to organizing a site gives step-by-step instructions, and customizable flyers, sample email announcements, and more. Just click here.



Who should you contact? Get the word out to organizations/agencies and individuals who are most likely to come into contact with bereaved individuals. Support groups, AFSP Lifekeeper Memory Quilt Organizers, hospices, funeral directors associations, mental health agencies, and more. A complete list is provided in step 4 at www.afsp.org/survivorconference.



Reach out to new survivors: 70% of attendees each year have never participated in this day before, and over 50% have lost a loved one within the past 2 years. If you organized a site last year, you’ll need to get the word out to new survivors in addition to inviting those who already attended.



HELPING SURVIVORS CONNECT



Survivors overwhelmingly tell us that having the opportunity to talk with other survivors was one of the most helpful aspects of International Survivors of Suicide Day. Many tell us that this is the very first time they’ve ever spoken openly about their loss.



Here are 3 ways to help survivors connect with one another at your conference. Details on all of the items below can be found in Ideas for Local Programming and in step 6 of the guide at www.afsp.org/survivorconference.



Provide name tags. The easiest way to do this is to have blank tags at your registration/greeting table with markers.

Provide color-coded ribbons, mardi-gras style beads, or a colored sticker to signify loss relationship so attendees can see at a glance that they have certain losses in common with others. Make a poster-board that explains what the ribbons or stickers are for and what the colors mean.

AFSP uses the following colors at the Out of the Darkness Overnight Walks:
white = loss of a child
gold or yellow = loss of a parent
orange = loss of a sibling
red = loss of a spouse/partner/significant other
purple = loss of a friend or other family member
blue =supporting the cause generally.

Plan sharing sessions: You can provide informal opportunities for survivors to connect, but providing structured sharing sessions is incredibly helpful for breaking the ice and opening up conversation. Learn how in Ideas for Local Programming.

We are here to help, so please be in touch if you have any questions at all.


Thanks, and take good care,

Joanne and Rebecca

*Please note our new phone extensions and mailing address*

Rebecca Thorp, Survivor Initiatives Manager - rthorp@afsp.org or 212-363-3500 x2033.
Joanne Harpel, Senior Director for Public Affairs and Postvention -jharpel@afsp.org or 212-363-3500 ext. 2032

ØIf you don't want to receive future emails about organizing a conference site, just let us know by return email.



American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

120 Wall Street, 29th Floor

New York, NY 10005

Fax (212) 363-6237

www.afsp.org

Thank you for your interest in organizing a local conference site for International Survivors of Suicide Day on November 19, 2011. The new 2011 step-by-step guide is now available at www.afsp.org/survivorconference.

While the day itself takes place in November, we’re writing to you now because local promotion is most effective starting in June with the distribution of fliers to bereavement support groups.(Find out why in step #4 of the guide)

If you organized a site last year and your location worked well, save yourself time and effort by reserving the space again now and registering your site with AFSP. Also, be sure to review the new guide to organizing a conference site. It has a lot of new information this year, based on your feedback.

If this is new to you, rest assured that it does NOT have to be a huge, overwhelming job. International Survivors of Suicide Day is simply an opportunity for survivors of suicide loss to come together in your community for support, healing, and information. AFSP provides the main program content by sending you a free broadcast on DVD.

Each site is organized locally and independently - you can keep it very simple and just arrange a place for survivors to watch the broadcast from 1-2:30 p.m. EST (GMT-5). Or, you can add breakout support groups, local speakers, healing activities and/or food. We show you how.


GET STARTED:

Review the new 2011 step-by-step guide: www.afsp.org/survivorconference. Everything you need is there, including a planning checklist, publicity toolkit, sample fliers, and tips on local promotion. Once you have a location secured, fill out the online Site Registration Form.

« INTERNATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS «

20 countries on 6 continents organized local conference sites in 2010– please help us to reach even more survivors around the globe in 2011 by reaching out to your contacts outside of the U.S.



Survivors from countries as varied as India, Ghana, Costa Rica, Japan, and Australia have let us know how healing this day is for them. If you know anyone who lives or works outside of the U.S. please ask if they know of organizations or individuals who may be interested in putting together a site, or promoting the webcast that survivors can watch from home.

The 2011 DVD features French subtitles and English closed captioning. (Many Non-native English speakers have told us that it helps them to follow along more easily.)



If you’d like to add subtitles in your local language, or you’d like a copy of a Mandarin, Japanese, or Spanish language DVD for your conference site, please contact us at survivingsuicideloss@afsp.org.



If you have any questions at all, please contact us; we are always here to give you as much (or as little) guidance as you'd like.

Please feel free to pass along this message to anyone else you think might be interested.

Thanks, and take good care,

Joanne and Rebecca

Joanne Harpel, Senior Director for Public Affairs and Postvention -jharpel@afsp.org or 212-363-3500 ext. 32
Rebecca Thorp, Survivor Initiatives Manager - rthorp@afsp.org or 212-363-3500 x33.


American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

120 Wall Street, 22nd Floor

New York, NY 10005

Fax (212) 363-6237

www.afsp.org



If you don't want to receive future emails about organizing a conference site, just let us know by return email.







Sincerely,



Rebecca Thorp
Survivor Initiatives Manager
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
120 Wall Street, 22nd Floor
New York, NY 10005
Phone: 212-363-3500, ext. 33
Fax: 212-363-6237
www.afsp.org

Dear Sir/Madam,



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We would like to introduce ourselves as the sole authorized training partners for Pearson Clinical Assessment in Mumbai & Pune.



About Pearson

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Training Workshops for Professionals:-

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Please find attached along with the registration forms. Please free to call in case of any further queries.

(Note: Limited batch size)



Thanking you and looking forward to your participation.



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Mobile: 09699889581

Email- pearsontraining@acetherapist.com

Website: www.acetherapist.com

Amidst rising concern about student suicide, experts debate the way forward.





Mumbai, March 5th, 2011: The Vandrevala Foundation, which runs the only 24x7 Mental Health Helpline (25706000) in Mumbai, conducted today a Mr. Firdose Vandrevala and Shri Suresh Shetty, Minister Public Health and Family Welfare at the Vandrevala Foundation Seminar on Mental Wellbeing for the Knowledge Economy.JPGseminar on ‘Mental Wellbeing for the Knowledge Economy’. Shri Suresh S. Shetty (Hon’ble Minister of Public Health & Family Welfare and Protocol, Government of Maharashtra), graced the occasion as the guest of honour. The keynote address was delivered by Dr. S K Chaturvedi, Professor and HOD, Department of Psychiatry, NIMHANS Bangalore – the premier academic institution in the country devoted to mental health.



The keynote address was followed by a panel discussion which brought together experts from the fields of business, education, academia and the psychiatry profession. The panel discussed various aspects of mental wellbeing such as stress experienced by students, the mental challenges faced by the workforce in the IT, BPOs and KPOs; and the steps that could be taken by our country to prepare for the knowledge economy.



The panel was monitored by Dr. S Parasuraman (Director, Tata Institute of Social Sciences) and included Dr. Henal Shah (President, Bombay Psychiatric Society), Dr. Santosh Mathew Thomas (Executive Director, Emmanuel Hospital Association), The discussion also saw participation from Mr. Ajit Mahadevan (Partner, Business Advisory Services, Ernst & Young), Mr. Ranbir Saravjit Singh (COO, JP Morgan Services) and Prof. Manju Nichani (Principal, K.C. College). The participants touched upon the various aspects of Mental wellbeing within the context of education and business.



On this occasion, the Foundation also felicitated contributors to the field of mental wellbeing through the arts, business, research, social enterprise and lifetime achievement. Which included:

· Chennai Based NGO, The Banyan was awarded in the category in NGO in mental health care.

· National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHAMS) was awarded in the category of ‘Knowledge’.

· ‘Ek Don Adich’ , the play was awarded in the category of Art.

· Godrej was awarded in the category of ‘Corporate’.

· Dr. Shubha Sadanand Thatte was awarded the ‘Lifetime Achievement’ for her work in the flied of Psychiatry for more than 30 yrs.



Mr. Firdose Vandrevala opened the proceedings informing the audience about the Foundation’s progress since inception and future plans. Mr. Vandrevala remarked that, “As a society we have the capacity and capability to deal with mental health challenges, all we need is the will.” Dr. Arun John, Executive Vice President of The Foundation concluded the seminar with a vote of thanks.



“The Thane Mental Hospital will be undergoing a name change this month. The Government is partnering with the Vandrevala Foundation to introduce a 2 year training programme for the staff this month. This will be extended to the other institutes soon”, said Shri Suresh S. Shetty (Hon’ble Minister of Public Health & Family Welfare and Protocol, Government of Maharashtra)



Founded by Priya Hiranandani-Vandrevala and Cyrus Vandrevala, the Vandrevala Foundation is active in support of a number of causes. In August 2009, the Foundation started its Mental Health Initiative India providing free help and support to people suffering from mental distress of any form, through it’s professionally run 24x7 helpline (022–25706000). The personnel manning the helpline are qualified clinical psychologists who have undergone professional training. Calls are escalated to highly qualified and trained psychiatrists depending on their severity. The foundation not only provides mental counseling through its helpline but it also provides face to face counseling for cases which need special attention. Vandrevala Foundation goes an extra mile by helping these individuals by calling back those who have recently undergone an extremely stressful episode as well as sought help in acute distress by calling them back to know about their well being and fortify their sagging morale. Vandrevala Foundation’s helpline, which has handled more than 11500 calls since its inception, is well connected with various government bodies, panel of renowned psychiatrists, doctors, mental care facilities, hospitals, ambulance services, police stations and NGO’s to tackle an emergency including suicide callers.

- More -

Sharing further insight into the functioning of Vandrevala Foundation’s 24 hours helpline 25706000, Dr. John elaborated that “currently, an overwhelming majority of callers (about 60%) are students who were unable to deal with the mental stress of examinations and anxiety about results. Other calls are related to depression caused by relationship and family issues, anxiety about children’s career etc. Calls related to situations where the patients suffer from suicidal tendency are the most challenging”. He also added that “With growing stress levels across all age groups, every individual in the age bracket 12-85 undergoes some form of stress at a given point in their life”



The Foundation works in Mumbai and Pune through its 24 hours Helpline, which can be accessed by individuals from any part of the country. The ground breaking work in mental health earned the Foundation’s Helpline Number 022-25706000 the status of an “official” BMC helpline. It has also been designated as an official helpline for Indian seafarers and their families. The amazing response received by the Foundation has given it confidence to extend its presence in other parts of the country, which the Foundation plans to initiate in a phase-wise manner starting with the launch of North India operations in the next two months followed by coverage of Southern India in the second quarter of the year.





About the Vandrevala Foundation



The Cyrus and Priya Vandrevala Foundation is a charitable social enterprise that aims to make a sustainable difference for those in need. The Vandrevala Foundation is focusing on a number of causes, including mental health, dyslexia and multiple sclerosis.



Cyrus Vandrevala and Priya Hiranandani-Vandrevala established their Foundation as a vehicle for their philanthropic activities. The Vandrevala Foundation identified mental health as an area where it could usefully and practically contribute to society in India. As the first step in its initiative, the Foundation launched a 24x7 Mental Health Helpline (022-25706000) to serve patients, families and others dealing with mental health issues. The foundation would also be involved in major Awareness and Anti-stigma programs.

































For Media queries, please contact:



Vandrevala Foundation

Dr. Arun John on 9987588550 or email at ajohn@vandrevalafoundation.com



Perfect Relations

Neeta Chhatwani on 9920037577 or send a mail at nchhatwani@perfectrelations.com

Deepika Pant on 9867221046 or send a mail at dpant@perfectrelations.com







Buzz


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Deepika Pant
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Mobile: +91 9867221046

Tel: +91 22-24367155

Fax: +91 22-24384564

Support Group Facilitator e-Bulletin
January 2011

* Drop-in Conference Calls for Facilitators
* Facilitating Suicide Bereavement Support Groups for Children and Teens
* AAS/AFSP 23rd Healing After Suicide Conference


Drop-in Conference Calls for Facilitators
Whether you're brand new or have been running a group for years, learn how to become a more effective facilitator. Join us in these open forums for asking questions and engaging in interactive discussions moderated by Wendy Resnick, a member of AFSP's facilitator training corps.

Tuesday, January 11th - 8:30 pm Eastern / 7:30 pm Central / 6:30pm Mountain / 5:30pm Pacific
Wednesday, January 12th - 4:00 pm Eastern / 3:00 pm Central / 2:00 pm Mountain / 1:00 pm Pacific

They're free -just dial in to 800-270-1153 and enter passcode 146300#. (To participate from outside the U.S., please contact us in advance at survivingsuicideloss@afsp.org or 212-363-3500 x33.)

Full schedule January-May, 2011


NEW TRAINING PROGRAM:
Facilitating Suicide Bereavement Support Groups for Children and Teens

Cincinnati, OH on March 4-5, 2011: Details and Registration
Registration Deadline: Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Developed in collaboration with The Dougy Center for Grieving Children & Families, this new hands-on training program is designed for adults who are interested in learning the how-to's of creating and facilitating a peer support group for children and teens ages 5-18. The two-day program is conducted by experts in the field of childhood bereavement and experienced support group facilitators, and combines lecture, interactive discussion, and practice activities with individualized feedback.

While the training will focus primarily on suicide bereavement, it will also be of help to those wishing to facilitate a general grief support group for children and teens. You don't need to be a mental health professional or have experience working with children to attend - you only need an interest in helping children and teens cope with the death of someone in their lives. Attendees must be 18 or older.

Questions? Please email survivingsuicideloss@afsp.org or call 1-888-333-AFSP (2377), ext 33.


AAS/AFSP 23rd Healing After Suicide Conference:
Living through the Legacy of Suicide: Hope and Healing for those Bereaved

Saturday, April 16, 2011 in Portland, OR

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) and the American Association for Suicidology (AAS) present this annual one-day conference for survivors of suicide loss, support group facilitators, mental health professionals, and interested others in order to:

* Provide survivors with educational tools and resources to help with their individual journey of healing and transform their experience into action
* Assist mental health professionals and other caregivers in understanding the needs of survivors
* Provide assistance to facilitators of survivor support groups

The day-long program will begin with a presentation entitled, “Stories Left to Tell” by Kathie Russo, survivor of the suicide of her husband, playright Spalding Gray, followed by sharing and educational sessions. Topics covered include:

* Is Suicide the Result of a Diseased Brain?
* Grief After Suicide: Where Should the Survivor Movement be Headed?
* Hearing from Teens and Young Adults: What They can Teach us about Ways to Support Them After a Suicide Death
* Survivors in Action--Suicide Prevention and Education Advocacy 101
* Suicide Postvention in Schools
* A Changed Bond: Messages from those Who have Died
* In Treatment: When Clinicians and Families Meet

Learn more (Information about the Healing After Suicide Conference starts on page 20)
Register online now. Registration is being coordinated by the American Association of Suicidology (AAS). If you have questions, please email info@suicidology.org or call (202) 237-2280.

SPICES FOR ALL DISEASES

KEEP IT HANDY
COLDS
Mix a gram of dalchini/cinnamon powder with a teaspoon of honey to** cure cold. Prepare a cup of tea to which you should add ginger, clove, bay leaf and black pepper... This should be consumed twice a day.. Reduce the intake as the cold disappears.* **

GINGER FOR COLDS
Ginger tea is very good to cure cold. Preparation of tea: cut ginger into small pieces and boil it with water, boil it a few times and then add sugar to sweeten and milk to taste, and drink it hot.

DRY COUGHS
Add a gram of turmeric (haldi) powder to a teaspoon of honey for curing dry cough. Also chew a cardamom for a long time.

BLOCKED NOSE
For blocked nose or to relieve congestion, take a table spoon of crushed carom seeds (ajwain) and tie it in a cloth and inhale it.

SORE THROAT
Add a tea spoon of cumin seeds (jeera) and a few small pieces of dry ginger to a glass of boiling water. Simmer it for a few minutes, and then let it cool. Drink it twice daily. This will cure cold as well as sour throat.

AJWAIN/AJMO FOR ASTHMA*
*Boil ajwain in water and inhale the steam.

CURE FOR BACKACHE
Rub ginger paste on the backache to get relief.

GARLIC FOR HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE**
Have 1-2 pod garlic (lasan) first thing in the morning with water *

HONEY AND GINGER FOR HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE
Mix 1 table spoon and 1 table spoon ginger (adrak) juice, *1 table spoon of crushed cumin seeds (jeera), and have it twice daily.

MIGRAINE
For the cure of migraine or acute cold in the head; boil a tablespoon of pepper powder, and a pinch of turmeric in a cup of milk, and have it daily for a few couple of days.

BITTER GOURD/KARELA IS GOOD
A tablespoon of amla juice mixed with a cup of fresh bitter gourd (karela) juice and taken daily for 2 months reduces blood sugar.

TURMERIC: CURE FOR INJURIES
For any cut or wound, apply turmeric powder to the injured portion to stop the bleeding. It also works as an antiseptic. You can tie a bandage after applying haldi/turmeric.

CRAMPS
You must do a self-massage using mustard oil every morning. Just take a little oil between your palms and rub it all over your body. Then take a shower. This is especially beneficial during winter. You could also mix a little mustard powder with water to make a paste and apply this on your palms and soles of your feet.

HEADACHES
If you have a regular migraine problem, include five almonds along with hot milk in your daily diet. You could also have a gram of black pepper along with honey or milk, twice or thrice a day. Make an almond paste by rubbing wet almonds against a stone. This can be applied to forehead.

Eat an apple with a little salt on an empty stomach everyday and see its wonderful effects. OR when headache is caused by cold winds, cinnamon works best in curing headache. Make a paste of cinnamon by mixing in water and apply it all over your forehead *

TURMERIC FOR ARTHRITIS
Turmeric can be used in treating arthritis due to its anti-inflammatory property. Turmeric can be taken as a drink other than adding to dishes to help prevent all problems. Use one teaspoon of turmeric powder per cup of warm milk every day. It is also used as a paste for local action.

GOOD FOR THE HEART
Turmeric lower cholesterol and by preventing the formation of the internal blood clots improves circulation and prevents heart disease and stroke. Turmeric can be taken as a drink other than adding to dishes to help preventall problems.. Use one teaspoon of turmeric powder per cup of warm milk every day. It is also used as a paste for local action.

GOOD FOR INDIGESTION *
Turmeric can be used to relieve digestive problems like ulcers, dysentery. Turmeric can be taken as a drink other than adding to dishes to help prevent all problems. Use one teaspoon of turmeric powder per cup of warm milk every day. It is also used as a paste for local action.

HONEY IS A GOOD CURE FOR ALL DISEASES
Mix 1 teaspoon honey with a teaspoon of cinnamon powder and have it at night.

HICCUPS
Take a warm slice of lemon and sprinkle salt, sugar and black pepper on it. The lemon should be eaten until the hiccups stop. *

HIGH BLOOD CHOLESTEROL
In 1 glass of water, add 2 tbsps of coriander/dhania seeds and bring to a boil. Let the decoction cool for some time and then strain. Drink this mixture two times in a day. **OR Sunflower seeds are extremely beneficial, as they contain linoleic acid that helps in reducing the cholesterol deposits on the walls of arteries.*

PILES
Radish juice should be taken twice a day, once in the morning and then later in the night. Initially drink about ? cup of radish juice and then gradually increase it to ? cup.. OR Soak 3-4 figs in a glass of water. Keep it overnight. Consume the figs on an empty stomach, the next day in the morning

VOMITING
Take 2 cardamoms/elachi and roast them on a dry pan (tava). Powder the cardamoms and thereafter add a tsp of honey in it. Consume it frequently. It serves as a fabulous home remedy for vomiting. OR In the mixture of 1 tsp of mint juice and 1 tsp limejuice, add 1 tsp of ginger juice and 1 tsp honey. Drink this mixture to prevent vomiting. *

*OR Limejuice is an effective remedy for vomiting. Take a glass of chilled limejuice and sip slowly. To prevent vomiting, drink ginger tea. OR In 1 glass water, add some honey and drink sip by sip. *

WARTS
Apply castor oil daily over the problematic area. Continue for several months. OR Apply milky juice of fresh and barely-ripe figs a number of times a day. Continue for two weeks. OR Rub cut raw potatoes on the affected area several times daily. Continue for at least two weeks. *

*OR Rub cut onions on the warts to stimulate the circulation of blood. OR Apply milk from the cut end of dandelion over the warts 2-3 times a day. OR Apply oil extracted from the shell of the cashew nut over the warts. OR Apply Papaya juice OR Apply Pineapple juice.*

URINARY TRACT INFECTION
Drink Cranberry juice. You can also add some apple juice for taste.

SINUSITIS
Mango serves as an effective home remedy for preventing the frequent attacks of sinus, as it is packed with loads of vitamin A. OR Another beneficial remedy consists of consuming pungent foods like onion and garlic, as a part of your daily meals. OR Fenugreek/methi leaves are considered valuable in curing sinusitis. In 250 ml water, boil 1 tsp of Fenugreek seeds and reduce it to half. This will help you to perspire, dispel toxicity and reduce the fever period. OR Tie a tsp of black cumin seeds in a thin cotton cloth and inhale.*

TONSILLITIS
Take a fresh lemon and squeeze it in a glass of water. Add 4 tsp of honey and ? tsp of salt in it. Drink it slowly sip by sip. OR Milk has proved beneficial in treating tonsillitis. In 1 glass of pure boiled milk, add a pinch of turmeric powder and pepper powder. Drink it every night for about 3 days. *

Few people could argue that without our 5 senses life would be pretty dull. All our senses are extremely important but I think if you asked most people which sense would they least like to lose they would probably say their vision. As with most of our abilities, our vision is something that many of us take for granted. If you stop and think for a moment, you will realize that just about everything we do in our day to day life involves our vision. During this article I am going to try and see if I can get you to start thinking a little bit more about your eyes. Listed below is my top 10 list of weird and wonderful things you didn’t know about your eyes
10. Everyone needs reading glasses as they get older

This is assuming that you already have perfect distance vision. If you are currently reading this article and are under 40 years of age with perfect distance vision, I can say with absolute certainty that you will need reading glasses at some point in the future. For about 99% of the population the age that you will first start needing reading glasses is between 43 and 50 years old. This is because the lens in your eye slowly loses its focusing ability with age. In order to focus things near to you, your lens has to change from a flat to a more spherical shape and it loses the ability to do this as you get older. As you get to around 45 years old you will start to hold things further away from you to keep them focus.
9. The lens in your eye is quicker than any camera lens

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Just behind the pupil sits the eyes natural lens, whose function is to focus on the object you are looking at. Just take a minute to glance around the room and think about how many different distances you are focusing at. Every time you do this, the lens in your eye is instantly changing focus without you even being aware of it! Compare that with a camera lens which takes a few seconds to focus between one distance and another. Just be thankful that the lens in your eye is as quick as it is, otherwise things would be continually going in and out of focus.
8. Your eyes are fully developed by the age of 7 years old

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By the age of 7 years old our eyes are fully developed and are physiologically the same as adult’s eyes. It is for this reason that it is vitally important to pick up a lazy eye before we reach this age. The earlier a lazy eye is diagnosed, the greater the chance it will respond to treatment, as the eyes are still developing and capable of an improvement in vision. Beyond 7 years old no amount of treatment will result in any improvement in vision.
7. You blink approximately 15,000 times each day

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Blinking is a semi- involuntary function meaning we do it automatically, but can also choose to blink if we so require. Blinking is an extremely important function of your eyes as it helps remove any debris on the surface of your eye, by spreading fresh tears over them. These tears help to nourish your eyes with oxygen and also have important anti bacterial properties. You can think of the function of blinking as being similar to the action of the windscreen wipers on your car, cleaning and removing everything to keep you seeing clearly.
6. Everyone gets cataracts as they get older
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People don’t realize that cataracts are just a normal consequence of getting older and everyone gets them at some point in their life. You can think of cataracts as being similar to getting grey hair, in that it is just a normal natural age change. The average age people first get cataracts is about aged 70 years old and by 80 years old you are guaranteed to have cataracts. In the same way that you could not find any aged 80 years old without grey hair, it would be equally impossible to find anyone over 80 years old without cataracts. Cataracts refer to a gradual clouding of the lens in your eye and typically take about ten years from onset to them needing treatment.
5. Diabetes is often first detected during an eye test

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People who suffer from type 2 diabetes (the type you develop later in life) are often symptom free, meaning they often don’t even know that they have it. This type of diabetes is commonly picked up during an eye test as it can be seen as tiny hemorrhages from leaking blood vessels at the back of your eye. This certainly is good reason to get your eyes tested regularly.
4. You see with your brain and not your eyes

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The function of your eyes is to collect all the required information about the object you are looking at. This information is then passed from your eye to the brain via the optic nerve. It is the brain (visual cortex) where all this information is analyzed to enable you to ‘see’ the object in its finished form. This is not to say that your eyes don’t play an important role as they certainly do.
3. Your eyes can adapt to blind spots in your vision

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Certain eye conditions such as Glaucoma and certain general health conditions such as having a stroke, can lead to you developing blind spots in your vision. This would be extremely debilitating if it wasn’t for your brain and your eyes ability to adapt to make these blind spots disappear. It does this by suppressing the blind spot in your affected eye and letting your other good eye ‘fill in the gaps’. It is adaptation like this that makes your eyes so resilient.
2. 20:20 vision is not the best vision you can have

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When people hear the phrase 20:20 vision they assume that this is the best vision possible. However this is not true as 20:20 vision refers to what the average adult should be able to see. If you imagine a typical eye test chart the 20:20 vision is probably only the line second from the bottom. The line below it is even smaller than 20:20 vision and would mean you have 20:16 vision. So don’t be so impressed next time someone tells you they have 20:20 vision!
1. Your eyes water when they are dry

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I know this might sound crazy but this is one of strange facts about your eyes. Your tears are made up of 3 different components and they are water, mucus and fat. If these 3 components are not in exactly the right quantities, your eyes can become dry as a consequence. Your brain responds to this dryness by producing extra water and hence your eyes water.

Quote - A new beginning


"Beginning again is possible because life is possible. We can choose to go on, entering the fullness that is at the heart of all things. Starting over is the step we take because of a small vow we make to ourselves. I choose to live."

-- Paula D'Arcy in Maryknoll Book of Inspiration



'Affirmation' for the new dawn

Affirmations are wonderful tools to anchor in our selves a new positive idea, which with the uplifting emotions that you feel when you use it, will create for you a new and desirable reality.
Here’s what you can do: First read the below affirmation a few times so you have memorized the essence of it. Then close your eyes, quiet your mind and sit still for a few minutes. Repeat the affirmation at least 3 times in your mind, each time "feeling" yourself letting go, and then being filled with the joy of wonderful experiences to come. Continue to sit still for a few more minutes just feeling this experience. This whole exercise will not take more than 15 minutes and you can do it at anytime when you are undisturbed.
"I willingly release the tired, worn energies of the past year that served me well and open my heart and Being to the new regenerative energies of my present moment. I embrace this spiritual new year with love, acceptance and anticipation of greater experiences yet to come, and release the past with love and blessings."

Beyond resolutions - an agreement

The thing with resolutions is that we can rarely seem to hang on to them. So we suggest you choose 'themes' by which you can create more fulfilling lives. These positive choices give you the freedom of growth without boxing you in, and yet offer the opportunity to live every moment with the flavour of your theme. We share with you author Don Miguel Ruiz’s guidelines from his book the "Four Agreements", or you can be inspired and create your own. This wisdom can truly transform your life!

'Four Agreements' by Don Miguel Ruiz:
1. Be Impeccable with your word
Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.

2. Don't take anything personally
Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won’t be the victim of needless suffering.


3. Don’t make assumptions
Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.

4. Always do your best
Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse and regret.

Beyond resolutions - an agreement

The thing with resolutions is that we can rarely seem to hang on to them. So we suggest you choose 'themes' by which you can create more fulfilling lives. These positive choices give you the freedom of growth without boxing you in, and yet offer the opportunity to live every moment with the flavour of your theme. We share with you author Don Miguel Ruiz’s guidelines from his book the "Four Agreements", or you can be inspired and create your own. This wisdom can truly transform your life!

'Four Agreements' by Don Miguel Ruiz:
1. Be Impeccable with your word
Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.

2. Don't take anything personally
Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won’t be the victim of needless suffering.


3. Don’t make assumptions
Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.

4. Always do your best
Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse and regret.