{"id":1843,"date":"2012-11-30T14:00:07","date_gmt":"2012-11-30T14:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/americanbuddhist\/?p=1843"},"modified":"2012-11-30T14:15:06","modified_gmt":"2012-11-30T14:15:06","slug":"palestine-today-tibet-tomorrow","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/americanbuddhist\/2012\/11\/palestine-today-tibet-tomorrow.html","title":{"rendered":"Palestine Today – Tibet Tomorrow?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\"Palestine<\/p>\n

This was the image posted today by the Tsampa Revolution<\/a> facebook group. That group states its goals as being, in part:<\/p>\n

The goal and aims of this page is to provide news, information and updates about the ongoing situation in Tibet. Along with being a source of information, we want this space to provide Tibetan Freedom activists with online tools and tactics to amplify the message of Tibetans inside Tibet.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Overshadowed in the UK by the Leveson Report<\/a> and in the US by the \u2018fiscal cliff<\/a>\u2018, the UN yesterday voted overwhelmingly to recognize Palestine as a\u00a0non-member observer state<\/strong>, which means it is recognized as\u00a0sovereign\u00a0state, and is free to submit a petition to join as a full member at its discretion. Switzerland\u00a0was a permanent observer state from 1948 to 2002, until becoming a full member on September 10, 2002. Currently, the only other\u00a0non-member observer state is\u00a0the\u00a0Holy See<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Are we living in an age of increasing national division? The continuing fall of empires?<\/p>\n

Scotland<\/a>\u00a0can vote\u00a0on a referendum for independence as soon as next year. Catalunya<\/a>, the home of Barcelona and an economic power-house of Spain, is stepping toward independence<\/a>, though in their case there is no legal route to separation. The UK and Spain are, after all, old empires, kingdoms that united previously separate nations under a single flag. Until now it has been often simply accepted that the value of unity has been far greater than that of national independence.<\/p>\n

Those in the US can laugh about the numerous petitions to the White House for individual states to secede from the union after President Obama\u2019s re-election: Texas<\/a>, for example. Another petition quickly followed, from the liberal hot-bed of Austin<\/a>, asking to secede from Texas. I\u2019m sure there are conservative neighborhoods in Austin that would like to secede from the city, and then households who would like to secede from those neighborhoods, and family members who would like to secede from those households, and so on. The division has no logical end.<\/p>\n

A good segue for a\u00a0discussion\u00a0of the aggregates (kandhas\/skandhas<\/a>) or Abhidhamma<\/a> philosophy?<\/p>\n

The situation in Tibet is much closer to that of the Palestinian people, with important differences.<\/strong> Does drawing Tibet and Palestine into comparison help the Tibetan cause? The community action network, avaaz.org<\/a>, reports on the UN vote:<\/p>\n

The Palestinian people\u2019s journey to freedom is far from over. But this is a powerful step, and our community played a key role in it. Palestine\u2019s Ambassador to Europe said today:<\/p>\n

\u201cAvaaz and its members across the world have played a crucial role in persuading governments to support the Palestinian people\u2019s bid for a state and for freedom and peace. They have stood with us throughout and their solidarity and support will be remembered and cherished across Palestine.\u201d<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 Leila Shahid, General Palestinian Delegate to Europe<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
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Brussels Action: While EU leaders were met, THIS was happening right outside their windows<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
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Madrid Action: Avaaz members want Spain PM Rajoy to say YES!<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

The US and Israeli governments, beholden to extreme lobby groups (yes, sadly even Obama has given in), threw everything they had at crushing this vote, using financial threats and even threatening to overthrow the Palestinian President if he went ahead.Europe was the key swing vote,<\/strong>\u00a0and under intense US pressure, leaders were, just two weeks ago, leaning towards not supporting the Palestinian state. Knowing the stakes, our community responded with the speed and democratic force that we needed to win:<\/p>\n