L'uso sociale del nostro corpo è necessariamente il risultato di una cultura. Esso è stato acculturato e colonizzato. Conosce solo gli usi e le prospettive per i quali è stato educato. Per trovarne altri deve distaccarsi dai suoi modelli. E questo passaggio fa scoprire al soggetto la propria vita, la propria indipendenza e la propria eloquenza fisica.

Eugenio Barba, regista teatrale, * 1936

Walter Reed Army Medical Centre is the theme of a MSNBC report (Dana Priest, The Washington Post) about the conditions on which US vets are forced to live. It is a respective hospital for the wounded, but because it is overflowing with the wounded from Afghanistan and Iraq, some of its 700 vets are living in “Building 18” just across the street. It’s an old building, without renovation at all- and mice.

Many of the soldiers living here have been treated for brain injuries and psychological stress. They have been promised they are living in the best the nation can provide.

It is just traumatic to hear a soldier who lost a leg in Falludjah saying “You know, we lost legs, arms, brain injuries” as it was a routine there. Among the soldiers’ complain at Walter Reed Army Medical Centre there is also the complain that they are not treated like soldiers by the military supervisors, they feel like they have been disenfranchised from the system. The medical care at the centre is top-notch but 65 per cent complain their experience as outpatients at the centre has been stressful.

Jon Stolz, chairman of the Committee votevets.org said in an interview that last year the Republican Congress decided to close a lot of military installations around the country and Walter Reed was on the top of the list. The shame is that all these medical centres are administrated by the American Department of Defence (DOD).

Fixing the paint and clearing the mice wont be the only solution to close this sad chapter of the DOD. Millions of dollars have been burned to open black holes in Iraq and Afghanistan; the American soldiers, the Iraqi and Afghan soldiers, the civilians and the casualties have all been victims of these wars and now there are no money to give proper treatment to men and women who will be invalid for their all life. And where are the outraged Americans against this situation? As Stolz says, many food the children rather than dealing with the war.

The problem is, if we don’t want that these children grow up and become the battle flesh of the future, we have to deal with the theme. Against all the wars.

See also http://www.votevets.org/

The Italian political crisis which promped in the last days by the Cabinett's resignation will maybe have an end. The Italian President Giorgio Napolitano asked Prodi to stay on as a premier and to put his center-left governement to a new vote of confidence in parliament.

Nevertheless, the "renewed impetus" of the Prime Minister will have to face a scarce Senate majority and allies which have proven less than reliable. In other words, instabily for new government could still remain a constant threath.

In the 12-point platform of reforms published yesterday, the government calls for respecting Italy's international and European committments; according to the 12th point, the premier will have from now on the only final word on a squibbling situation.

"Prodi is definitely willing to stay, but only if he will receive full support from all the coalition parties", said the premier's spokesman Sarcana.

The possibility of a second mandate for Mr Prodi is also possible. Even if there were an election now and even if Berlusconi were to win, it would be uncertain if he'd have the right numbers in the right seats to run the country.

The Cristian Democrat Party has distanced itself in the last months from Berlusconi. It would be difficult for him to form a government on its own now. Today came the news that the Cristian Democrat senator Mr Follini, agrees with the new center-left coalition's programm.

The political chaos in Italy is not close to an end, but the situation may slowly improve. Italy need a new strong credibility in Europe as well as internationally.

Wir muessen den Schuldspruch gegen Karim Amer verurteilen!

Today the 22-year-old Kareem Amer, an Egyptian student of law, was sentenced in his land to four years in prison. He is the first blogger to be sentenced in Egypt, he is a prisoner of conscience for international organisations and human activists.

Charges against him included "spreading information disruptive of public order and damaging to the country’s reputation", "incitement to hate Islam" and "defaming the President of the Republic". 

According to Amnesty Internation, he was prosecuted on account of the peaceful expression of his views and the peaceful exercice the rights of freedom of expression, thought, conscience and religion. He is a prisoner of conscience, as many others. Is it so far to ask ourselves if we could all become targets of the authorities?

Sources: Amnesty International.com/ .de; unimondo/ oneworld/open democracy

I dodici punti del documento presentati da Romano Prodi «sono prioritari e non negoziabili». Lo afferma lo stesso il premier nel documento diffuso ai segretari dell'Unione per il rilancio dell'azione di governo.

1. «Rispetto degli impegni internazionali e di pace. Sostegno costante alle iniziative di politica estera e di difesa stabilite in ambito Onu ed ai nostri impegni internazionali, derivanti dall'appartenenza all'Unione Europea e all'Alleanza Atlantica, con riferimento anche al nostro attuale impegno nella missione in Afghanistan. Una incisiva azione per il sostegno e la valorizzazione del patrimonio rappresentato dalle comunità italiane all'estero».
2. «Impegno forte per la cultura, scuola, università, ricerca e innovazione».
3. «Rapida attuazione del piano infrastrutturale e in particolare ai corridoi europei (compresa la Torino-Lione). Impegno sulla mobilità sostenibile».
4. «Programma per l'efficienza e la diversificazione delle fonti energetiche: fonti rinnovabili e localizzazione e realizzazione rigassificatori».
5. «Prosecuzione dell'azione di liberalizzazioni e di tutela del cittadino consumatore nell'ambito dei servizi e delle professioni».
6. «Attenzione permanente e impegno concreto a favore del Mezzogiorno, a partire dalla sicurezza».
7. «Azione concreta e immediata di riduzione significativa della spesa pubblica e della spesa legata alle attività politiche e istituzionali (costi della politica)».
8. «Riordino del sistema previdenziale con grande attenzione alle compatibilità finanziarie e privilegiando le pensioni basse e i giovani. Con l'impegno a reperire una quota delle risorse necessarie attraverso una razionalizzazione della spesa che passa attraverso anche l'unificazione degli enti previdenziali».
9. «Rilancio delle politiche a sostegno della famiglia attraverso l'estensione universale di assegni familiari più corposi e un piano concreto di aumento significativo degli asili nido».
10. «Rapida soluzione della incompatibilità tra incarichi, di governo e parlamentari, secondo le modalità già concordate».
11. «Il portavoce del presidente, al fine di dare maggiore coerenza alla comunicazione, assume il ruolo di portavoce dell'esecutivo».
12. «In coerenza con tale principio, per assicurare piena efficacia all'azione di governo, al presidente del Consiglio è riconosciuta l'autorità di esprimere in maniera unitaria la posizione del governo stesso in caso di contrasto».

Quelle: Pino Scaccia- La Torre di Babele

KORE-EDA HIROKAZU is a great Japanese director whom I discovered last night watching his movie, Nobody Knows - Dare mo shiranai. Based on a true story happened in 1988, this 2004 film is just breathtaking, essential, sad and deeply true. It tells the story of four children abandoned by their mother and with no father who try to survive alone in Tokyo. Their initial struggle to survive eventually becomes chaos and faint hope; their trust in other people changes into a few drops of innocence, though without corrupting their mutual love.

Dare mo shiranai is not the greatest adventure in life faced by four children, as told in the movie trailer. I would say it is a touchy inside of the hard life millions of children have to face. Every day.

director's website: http://www.kore-eda.com/ (and youtube, orphans)