Monthly Archives: March 2021

In September 2009, when newspapers reported that activist Kobad Ghandy had been arrested in Delhis Bhikaji Cama Place, there was a curious historical coincidence to the event.

Just over 90 years earlier, Madame Cama had been arrested for her efforts to further the cause of independence. Now, another privileged member of Indias tiny Parsi community had been taken into custody in an area named for the freedom fighter for his efforts to helped Indias most marginalised communities liberate themselves from the structures that perpetuated their exploitation.

The police alleged that Ghandy, who had attended Doon School and studied in London to be a chartered accountant, was a top ideologue of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist).

Ghandy, who is now 74, spent the next decade in jails across the country, facing a variety of charges. He was finally released on bail in October 2019. On March 16, Roli Books released his prison memoir Fractured Freedom, a chilling and engaging account of his experiences in Indias brutal jails.

In his book, Ghandy details his encounters with fellow prisoners. Amidst dons, rapists, and corrupt businessmen and people accused of political violence, two men earned his affection: Sudheendra Kulkarni, who had been arrested in the cash-for-votes case in 2011, and Afzal Guru, who had been convicted in the 2001 Parliament attack case and was later hanged.

Ghandy explains why he was attracted to Marxism as a volunteer with anti-racism groups in London in the late 1960s. His association with radical politics deepened when he returned to Mumbai in 1972, as he began to do social work in the Dalit-dominated Mayanagar slum near his home on the posh Worli Sea Face. He joined PROYOM, the Progressive Youth Movement, and came into contact with leaders of the citys most important trade unions.

Also a member of PROYOM was Arunadha Shanbag, who would become his wife and partner in the quest for social justice. Ghandys descriptions of her influence on his life and ideas make for some of the warmest sections on Fractured Freedom. In the last chapter, Ghandy suggests that the world could be transformed with the introduction of a new set of values that he describes as the Anuradha- model. She died of malaria in 2008.

In this interview, Kobad Ghandy talks about Indias present predicament and his vision for social change.

In the 1970s, when you became an activist and class struggle seemed to be the dominant concern, did you ever imagine that Hindu majoritarianism would be the main challenge to Indias social fabric?Actually, since the 1980s, the Congress themselves started playing the Hindutva card opening the locked gates to the Babri Masjid, engineering the Sikh killings after Indira Gandhis death in 1984 and all that type of stuff. The 80s also witnessed the introduction of the new liberalised economy. And Ramanand Sagars television programme on the Ramayana (just as TV was newly introduced) created a huge atmosphere for what was to come. As an economist, I had the impression that the two processes were linked.

Of course, neoliberalism was introduced in a big way after the 90s, when Manmohan Singh was finance minister and Montek Singh Ahluwalia was finance secretary, with the instructions of the International Monetary Fund. But the seeds were planted in the 80s itself, when talk about privatisation began.

Liberalisation is nothing but a word for big corporations amassing money at the expense of the poor. Now, even the middle class is finding employment only as contract labour etc.

Being involved with trade unions from the 1970s, we began to see how Bombays textile mills closed and work shifted on a contract basis to powerlooms. The textile strike of 1984 changed the nature of Bombay, transforming it from a working-class city to a financial hub.

I used to live in Worli at the time and when the mill shifts were about to begin, you could see a sea of humanity coming down the road. That has long ceased. The neoliberal system is a culmination of the seeds planted in the 1980s.

I now get the impression also that the Covid lockdown was also somehow linked to the ongoing depression in the world economies. Even as the poor have been further impoverished, the richest people have got much more wealthy.

The communal division was a necessary effort to divert the attention of the working class and the farmers away from the economic crisis they are facing. And I think, if you take it historically, the Congress has also played a big role in this game.

What is the source of Narendra Modis popularity?I dont really know as just after I came out of jail, we went into the Covid lockdown. Ive not really been able to interact with people and I dont know their psychology. But my feeling is that he and his party use the communal and nationalism cards very effectively. To do this, they have the media fully behind them. Some of those TV anchors, particularly, can become really rabid. This leads people to believe theres no alternative to Modi, which also is a reality at the national level.

There are, of course, alternatives at the regional level. But these parties have a limitation on the national stage. Many had put their hopes in the Aam Aadmi Party but it is not playing the role it was expected to. They are playing the soft Hindutva card too. Some claim this is necessary if they are to fulfil their immediate electoral calculations. Besides, they too take no stand on neo-liberal policies, but of course they have done some good work on education and healthcare. But I dont know whether this will bring a long-term payoff.

How do you think it can be countered?Lets look to the farmers, I think. Lakhs of people are participating in the agitation. But so far, there is no political platform to capitalise on this. They pride themselves on not being political, like most trade unions and movements did in our days also. But I feel unless theres some political platform, its all a dead end. Ive seen this with many mass movements in my time.

Thats where the Naxalites also make a mistake by boycotting elections. Boycotts only help the most reactionary of the electoral forces.

What is your idea of Utopia?Thats a long, very far thing. I dont see it on the agenda anyway in the near future. I have spent 40 years as an activist thinking about this. What is equality to ensure the basic necessities of life? That is only economics. But what about social and human factors?

Utopia means people should be happy. No doubt that presupposes that they have the necessities of life. Without food, clothing, shelter, and medical care you cant be happy. Some of these rich religious types say that, oh, they might be poor, but they are happy with all our money and property, we have so much tension. If you actually live the life of a poor person, youll see the immense mental strain it brings.

Thats why I say that the goalposts should change to happiness, which is inclusive of the economic agenda. Capitalism has not provided any of the answers for the masses. And its only socialism of whatever type that has given some relief. Even in the East European countries, people now look back at how they had free education and free health care. Socialism has given benefits to the people. Even China, which has the largest number of billionaires in the world today, has lifted a vast part of the population to a middle-class level.

So economically, no doubt thats the answer. But with these economic gains, happiness, freedom, and democracy need to be linked. This in turn is inconceivable without a new set of values: the qualities of naturalness, straightforwardness, simplicity, without ego and manipulativeness. What I have outlined as the Anuradha-type values putting her as a model for others to emulate.

When I speak of freedom I am not speaking merely from the political context, it starts from oneself. Most of us are ourselves wrapped up in numerous knots where we are often alienated from ourselves. We ourselves are unable to understand our own emotions and have become what Marx called a crippled monstrosity. We get wrapped up in our own problems all the time, where subconscious emotions, programmed in our childhood, are in conflict with the actual reality. These are so deep-rooted in our subconscious mind that a mere change in ideology does not automatically bring in the new values.

The new economy must promote a new set of values, happiness and freedom. There are many different types of socialist models the Soviet one which only focused on the state sector, which everyones rejected, and the Chinese model of walking on two legs involving a balance between the state and private sectors. There are also examples to investigate in Latin America. Whatever the type of economics, it must be interwoven into a structure that generates happiness.

You have looked to ideas from Indias past to provide a model for our present.A major aspect that is preventing the democratisation and the development of our country in the true sense of the word is the caste system. This doesnt exist anywhere else in the world. In fact, when rulers from afar seek to conquer foreign countries, they try to impose a policy of divide and rule. But in India, with a country divided into 1,000 parts, we give it to them on a platter. Unless that aspect is broken, India cannot advance towards any democratisation as caste is not only divisive it is hierarchical and oppressive.

But we do have some models in our traditions. For instance, the egalitarianism of the Bhakti traditions, and even earlier the Charvaka and Buddhist past. We have to fully develop them and take these traditions forward, as Phule and Ambedkar did, and build on these democratic foundations to create a better India.

Since coming out of jail, though, Ive noticed that many of these traditions are being used for promoting Hindutva and its progressive essence is being lost. We need to reclaim them. Marxists negated the caste question and thought it was all about class struggle. That must change.

Are you still a communist?Of course, I still say that a form of socialist economy is the only alternative. The method by which it is to be achieved depends on the situation. Looking back, its clear that armed struggle has only been successful during World Wars. On the contrary, we also see peaceful communist movements have resulted in the most cruel massacres in Indonesia, Chile and numerous other countries.

Communism grows as scientific ideas develop and economic structures change. We have to take the experiences of the past and incorporate happiness, freedom and value systems into any model for change. We have to find a model for radical change to socialism depending on the concrete conditions prevailing in our respective countries.

In a way, the task has become easier as it is no longer the rich vs the poor. But with the international economy so polarised, it would be the 3,500-and-odd billionaires and the vast retinue of hangers-on vs the mass of the people. The wealth that these 3,500 families and agents in politics and bureaucracy hold will be more than sufficient to create a heaven on earth.

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Why I am a communist: Activist Kobad Ghandy on ideology and Utopia - Scroll.in

Kera Sherwood-O'Regan was running out of voice by the time she made her stand.

It was December 2019, during the final stages of the last climate summit before Covid hit.

The United Nations climate talks were meant to end on a Friday, but countries had haggled, delayed and resisted their way through the night on Friday, into Saturday, then into Sunday.

Even New Zealands official government delegation had slept on the floor for two nights running.

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Things were no better for activists. Unable to leave the building in case they missed something, people were sleeping under desks and jackets, living off chocolate bars and Uber Eats pizza deliveries, which proved tricky to get through security. There wasnt much choice the conference centre eateries had closed, and negotiations were being extended by the hour. Those who couldnt afford to change their flights had to abandon the meeting.

Theyd been promised a prize for surviving until the end, though. Civil society and indigenous groups have no formal standing at climate summits, but the organisers had promised them a chance to address the delegates when negotiations finished. This was their chance to be heard by ministers, journalists and they hoped the public.

By the time they got their turn to speak, tensions and emotions were running high.

Reuters news agency captured some of the highlights on camera.

The speeches were heartfelt and impassioned, but the most striking moment in the news video is a line by Sherwood-O'Regan, a young Ki Tahu woman with dark hair, red lipstick and a vivid blue cloth draped across one shoulder. (Ki Tahu is sometimes pronounced Ngi Tahu. This article uses Ki Tahi at Sherwood-ORegans request.)

Her words became the key quote of a Guardian caption, accompanying the video of the speeches: Stop taking up space with your false solutions and get out of our way.

The slight catch in her voice has its own backstory, as does the vivid blue prayer cloth.

Jason Boberg/Supplied

Kera Sherwood-O'Regan says her illusions about the UN process were shattered pretty quickly.

But, before we get to that, lets clear up one thing. Sherwood-ORegan knows shes lucky to be able to attend these summits at all. Unlike many, she can save up the $10-15,000 to get there, and her academic studies in political science help her speak the conference lingo.

She has well-known family and two marae, both of which she gets to visit. Her grandad, or poua, on her dads side is Sir Tipene ORegan, the professional company director and former long-serving chairman of the Ngi Tahu Mori Trust Board. Her marae are Te Rau Aroha in Awarua/Bluff, and Moeraki. Her dad is archaeologist Gerard ORegan, the curator Mori at Otago Museum. Her mum, Viv Sherwood, is Pkeh, works in sustainability and grew up in Auckland. Together, they made an environmental activist with a strong sense of indigenous rights.

None of that makes these summits easy, though. Madrid was her third, but, right from her first one, in Bonn, Germany, in 2017, she noticed a pattern. [Indigenous people] are the first to be tokenised, as soon as it would be a good look to have some indigenous people doing prayer or singing some songs.

[Yet] when it came to the negotiation room we didn't get to participate at all.

Supplied

Kera Sherwood-O'Regan speaking at end of the marathon UN climate summit in Madrid.

Without formal standing, indigenous activists must spend their time lobbying national delegations to speak up for their peoples interests. Sometimes, theyll make headway, only to discover the country they were dealing with has made a side deal with another nation.

For disabled people, a group among which Sherwood-ORegan counts herself, even getting around the conferences is challenging, with big crowds, barriers, and long distances between meeting rooms.

You... come out of your politics degree thinking that the UN is the place where this great diplomacy is meant to happen, and where there are going to be these great standards of human rights, where people's voices are able to be heard, and where indigenous people can have a say, she says.

That illusion was shattered pretty quickly.

The Madrid talks were gruelling even for veterans of the art.

Sherwood-ORegan was there volunteering with the International Indigenous Peoples Forum. The 28-year-old has fibromyalgia, a condition associated with chronic pain and fatigue. Shed been sleeping on a couch squab, and the heating in the conference centre seemed to have been turned off, along with the food supply. It was just bitterly cold, she says.

Of course, no-one had prepared to stay the night in the freezing cold. We had to set an alarm to wake up every hour or two to check the (live bulletin) board and find out if we were going to be asked to give our statements at 3am or something. Later, shed find she'd contracted pneumonia and pleurisy.

When her allotted time rolled around, she was running on adrenaline. Then came the bombshell.

The proposal was put forward by the (climate summit) presidency, that they just weren't going to hear any of the statements, and that we could all just email [them] in.

The words popped out before shed fully thought them through.

I just shouted, from the back of the room, You can give us our damn two minutes, and it was kind of frightening, at first. It started coming out of my mouth, and then I was like, oh god, I'm going to get thrown out. It's forbidden to cause a ruckus or have a scene in those negotiations, and in previous years we've been kicked out just for having somebody take photos who's not an accredited photographer.

The only thing that really helped was that everybody else joined in, and some countries came in and said, We support allowing civil society to have their say.

Her speech, when she got to make it, came out powerfully, with only a hint of a quaver.

She told the delegates: We are experts on climate. We are the kaitiaki, the stewards of nature.

The Guardian headline called the activists furious. But was she?

I think I maybe came across as quite exasperated, because it was really high stakes it was really high tension. And I didn't really have very much voice left. But one of the things I find very frustrating... is the framing [of] indigenous activists just as angry indigenous people. People just write it off as, Oh, you're just angry all the time. And it's not that we're just angry all the time.

We're literally here, still having to say, Please let us in the room. We get to the end of this massive conference that has cost people so much, financially, emotionally, culturally. And then, in the final minutes, where you'll finally get your two minutes of space... they wanted to take that from us.

One message Sherwood-ORegan wanted to get across was this: listen to our solutions. People on marae in New Zealand are planning for, and fighting, climate change, despite most of them never having been to a climate summit. We had side events happening with indigenous people on panels, talking about the innovations they have at home, about the way their community operates to reduce their own carbon emissions, and to do so in a way that preserves their culture and language, she says.

LUKE MALPASS/STUFF

Jacinda Ardern gives the opening speech at the 2019 UN Climate Action Summit in New York, shortly before the Madrid meeting.

Yet, earlier in the conference, a group of mainly women and indigenous people had been thrown out by police for protesting, an incident that organisers later described as unfortunate.

Another time, Sherwood-ORegan and others were almost trampled in a media scrum, which was trying to get to Greta Thunberg, as they attempted to cross the crowd to get to their office. Sherwood-ORegans tweet about the incident got thousands of likes, Twitters version of agreement.

Ironically, one of Thunbergs topics that day was telling the assembled crowd to listen to indigenous people.

It was quite disheartening, because I think Greta herself has worked really hard to be a good ally to indigenous people, says Sherwood-ORegan.

On the other side of the corridor were indigenous people working our asses off just to get people to pay the slightest bit of attention.

Jason Boberg/Supplied

Sherwood O'Regan is weighing up the risks of attending the next climate summit, in Glasgow.

As for the prayer cloth, its story is happier. Shed introduced herself with her pepeha during a talanoa with young indigenous people held at the New Zealand pavilion. Shed mentioned Aoraki/Mt Cook was her maunga ariki, her mountain, information which made its way to another indigenous young woman at the conference, Niria Alicia Garcia. Garcia had been involved in protecting indigenous waterways in California and knew that, before World War 2, Chinook salmon eggs were taken from the McCloud river near Mount Shasta and brought to the Rakaia river in the South Island. Sherwood-ORegans iwi had hosted the Winnemem Wintu people when they visited to see about repatriating some of their endangered salmon. The blue cloth features three mountains Mt Shasta, Hawaiis Mauna Kea and Sherwood-ORegans home mountain Aoraki.

Sherwood-ORegans carefully considering whether shell go to the next summit in Glasgow, if its held in person in November, given the possible health risks Covid poses.

The Madrid summit ended in compromise: almost 200 countries present would put new pledges on the table before the next summit, in an attempt to ramp up efforts to combat heating. Crucial negotiations to set the rules for using international carbon credits couldnt be concluded, and havent progressed quickly enough without in-person meetings.

Those carbon trading rules have implications for indigenous people. A sore point at the Madrid conference was the weakening of safeguards meant to protect the rights of local people when countries are claiming credit for building carbon-cutting projects. The mega Alto Maipo hydropower scheme in Chile, for example, could be eligible to sell carbon credits offshore, despite alleged human rights violations over local water and grazing.

Meanwhile, most countries existing pledges to cut emissions have been rated lacking. New Zealands own, independent Climate Change Commission has told our Government it should increase its pledge.

But, says Sherwood-ORegan, in any case, much of the real climate action happens on the ground.

If Thunberg wants to pass the mic to indigenous climate activists, Sherwood-ORegan wants to pass it again, to people doing the work far from climate summits.

The most important action is the stuff that's happening at home, that people don't see on a TV screen, or getting whipped up in the media, she says.

Were not going to solve all these issues at the UN.

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Shut out: Why the United Nations is no utopia - Stuff.co.nz

Just when you thought theres no possible way to tell the story of Princess Diana in an updated, unique way, here comes Diana: The Musical. Netflix has just announced that the Broadway show, Diana: The Musical, will premiere on the streaming site on October 1, 2021. A performance of the stage show, which had to close in March 2020 due to COVID-19 while it was still in early previews, was filmed last year and features the original Broadway cast. It was also announced that, pending the approval to re-open live theater venues, the show will begin previews on December 1 at the Longacre Theatre in New York.

While several other Broadway shows have found great success on streaming sites during the pandemic, among them Hamilton on Disney+ and David Byrnes American Utopia on HBO Max, Diana: The Musical barely had a chance to gain exposure and a wide audience before closing last March.

The chance to share our show, first with Netflixs global audience, and then welcoming a live audience back on Broadway, is something weve all been dreaming about for more than a year, a statement from the shows producers reads. We could not be more thrilled to finally share both the film and the Broadway musical with the world.

Diana: The Musical stars Jeanna de Waal as Diana. Originally from England, de Waal is a Broadway and London theater veteran who has also appeared on Netflixs Marvel series Iron Fist. Supporting cast includes Roe Hartrampf as Prince Charles, Erin Davie as Camilla Parker-Bowles, and veteran stage actress Judy Kaye as Queen Elizabeth. The Netflix special presentation is directed by Christopher Ashley.

For a sneak peek of some of the music, check out de Waal performing one of the shows original songs, If, below.

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'Diana: The Musical' Will Premiere on Netflix This October - Decider

Altrincham has been named the Best Place to Live in the North West of England.

It is top of a list of eight locations in the region chosen by The Sunday Times in the annual Sunday Times Best Places to Live guide.

Manchester also made it into the shortlist, particularly for the area around Manchester Piccadilly station, which has been commended for its redevelopment.

On Altrincham, judges described the Greater Manchester market town as where suburbia meets utopia.

They particularly admired the areas schools, with the girls grammar being named the North West state secondary school of the decade by The Sunday Times Parent Power guide, while the boys grammar landed second place.

The convenient tram route into central Manchester was noted, and so too were its open spaces such as Stamford Park, the River Bollin and the National Trusts Dunham Massey.

Most of all, though, they were impressed with the market and food hall responsible for the regeneration of the town centre.

They made a special mention of Tender Cows triple-cooked chips (4) and the way that even though the market was only able to sell essentials during lockdown, it remained at the heart of life in the town.

Altrincham was titled The Sunday Times Best Place to Live in Britain overall last year, but this year that honour went to Stroud in Gloucestershire.

Alongside Alty, seven other locations were selected across the region for the guide, listed in no particular order.

They favoured Manchester, Saddleworth in Oldham, Liverpool, Knutsford and Bollington in Cheshire, Kirkby Lonsdale in Cumbria, and Arnside and Silverdale, Cumbria.

Helen Davies, The Times and Sunday Times property editor, says the guide has never been so important in 2021.

The pandemic has taught us how much we rely on our homes and communities, she says, with many of us reassessing our priorities on where we really want to live.

Our focus for this year has been community, countryside and convenience, Helen said.

It hasnt been a year for big cities or small villages. Instead, it is small towns that have shone: big enough to have everything you need within walking distance and small enough for everyone to feel connected.

Altrincham was chosen as our regional winner this year as it has everything you want in a suburb: parks, excellent transport links and top-class schools.

She added: The inspirational market and food hall that transformed the town centre from the worst in Britain to a favourite destination have continued to show their value, even during the pandemic.

Safiyyah Abdulla, of GINKGO on Stamford New Road, says moving to Altrincham from London was a no brainer.

She owns the health and eco-lifestyle store with her sister, Qayyah, offering nutritional supplements alongside a zero-waste refill station.

"When choosing a location for our new store, Altrincham was an absolute no brainer, she said.

We love living and working here. There really is an unparalleled sense of community and we feel so fortunate to be surrounded by the most amazing set of local independent businesses who have rallied together to support each other through the last year.

It has been fantastic to see that despite Covid, a growing number of vibrant independents are joining the area and with the exciting new redevelopment plans for Stamford Quarter, the area really feels like it will continue to flourish."

Altrincham property expert Steve Ford from Purplebricks says in his 37 years of estate agency, Altrincham has always been an "extremely popular hotspot."

The tram gets you to the centre of Manchester in about 20 minutes whilst you still enjoy the leafy suburbs on the edge of the Cheshire countryside," he said.

Altrincham town centre is enjoying a huge investment and resurgence.

"The announcements this week around the proposed improvements to the Stamford Quarter further illustrate how the town centre is truly returning to a bustling market town."

The Sunday Times expert judges assess a wide range of factors, from schools, air quality, transport and broadband speeds to culture, green spaces and the health of the high street.

They look for improving towns, villages or city centres, for attractive, well-designed homes, and locations bursting with community spirit.

This is what the judges had to say on the other selected locations in the North West:

Even in a difficult year for Manchester, with its shops, bars and live music venues closed and a supernova of high-rise investment flats springing up, the judges found plenty to be impressed by.

Most of it is in the area around Manchester Piccadilly station.

Piccadilly provides a perfect weekday work perch or a full-time base in the thick of the action, the judges said.

The clutch of new developments under construction wont just plug a gap between Manchesters best bits Ancoats and the Northern Quarter; Canal Street and Oxford Road they will also bring much-needed colour and community to an overlooked corner."

They are particularly impressed by Crusader Mill, an elegant conversion that has become the citys first purpose-built owner-occupier development thanks to a ban on buy-to-renters by developers Capital & Centric and Kampus, a lively garden neighbourhood beside the canal.

Average sale price: 210,000

Average rental: 650 pcm

This collection of villages combines old-fashioned country living with high-class shops and restaurants - perfect for Manchester commuters and work-from-homers looking for fresher air without sacrificing the good things of life, said the judges.

Their highlights include the luxury ice cream from Grandpa Greenes in Diggle and country pubs, such as the Cross Keys Inn, or the Church Inn, where the Rushcart Festival, the big event of the year, is celebrated in jolly style.

Average sale price: 229,000

Average rental: 1,200 pcm

These twin villages on the Kent estuary have some of the finest views in the country as well as an energetic, kind-hearted community, said the judges, who were impressed by the efforts of the 500 or so volunteers who delivered meals, ran telephone buddy systems and sewed PPE kit during the pandemic.

They also highlighted the friendly sailing club, which has been holding virtual music nights featuring local musicians, and the tasty fish and chips from the Arnside Chip Shop.

Average sale price: 295,000

Average rental: 625 pcm

Cheshires happy valley kept a smile on its face thanks to an endless choice of country walks and helpful neighbours, said the judges.

They love the views from White Nancy, the beehive-shaped folly overlooking the town, the walks on the Middlewood Way, and the spicy takeaways from the Indian Goat, a brilliant new food truck based at the immaculately kept recreation ground.

Average sale price: 285,000

Average rental: 725 pcm

This handsome old town justified its status as one of our very favourite locations thanks to its magnificent scenery, brilliant high street and its prompt, well organised and inspiring response to the coronavirus, according to the judges.

They were particularly impressed by the way organisations such as the Rugby Club, Queen Elizabeth School and the churches work together to help the community, as well as the variety on display in its town centre, from Dales Butchers and the Milking Parlour, a brilliant cow-to-cone ice cream shop, to the clothes and homewares at Abrahams, described by some as the Liberty of the North.

Average sale price: 350,000

Average rental: 765 pcm

Posh Cheshire with a sense of fun and a love of the countryside, is how the judges described the ancient market town that is a regular feature on the Best Places to Live list.

Theres no better example of its spirit than the Knutsford Hosts, a group of volunteer helpers whose efforts have been vital during the pandemic, they said.

They also liked the quirky buildings designed by Richard Harding Watt, the walks in Tatton Park, in Toft Wood or around Knutsford Moor - and the coffee from the Tatton Perk coffee van.

Average sale price: 445,000

Average rental: 1,100 pcm

Despite the current political controversy, the judges think that Liverpools prospects look bright, with exciting new plans in the pipeline, from the new film studio in the iconic Littlewoods building to Evertons new waterfront stadium.

There was lots of competition but the judges favourite spots are Aigburth, which they described as a family-friendly suburb thats sensible but never boring, with Sefton Park for exercise and Lark Lane for fun.

Also the Georgian Quarter, where the beautiful period houses sell for half as much as they would in Bath, and neighbourhood restaurants such as the splendidly restored London Carriage Works.

Average sale price: 145,000

Average rental: 875 pcm

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Greater Manchester town dubbed 'utopia' and named one of the best places to live in the country - Manchester Evening News

There is no way to know if new rules designed to promote entertainment via ball in play and fatigue in players are responsible for the spike of injuries after three rounds of the NRL season. But there is no way to tell if they are not, either.

Its too soon and the data is not conclusive. People are injured in rugby league and always have been. ARL Commission boss Peter Vlandys said: The injuries are on average with what they have been in previous years.

So perhaps it is an anomaly that concussions have gone up, that 21 players were forced off the field over the weekend, and that upwards of 50 players, several of them the games marquee entertainers, reside in the NRLs injury ward.

Rugby League Players Association boss Clint Newton does not assert that the rules have caused the increase in injuries. Nor is he saying they did not, either.

Were a code that in the last couple of years has changed rules to increase fatigue, Newton tells Guardian Australia. The players have had a tougher than usual pre-season as coaches look to adjust preparation to the rules. Clubs have done their best to adapt to the intensity of games. Theres a reduction in rest time and an increase in ball in active play.

And we know for a fact that under fatigue a player is more likely to make a mistake. Your decision making is challenged. That could be to put your head in the wrong spot in the tackle or to throw out an arm and collect an attacker high.

Newton is not decrying this, per se. He acknowledges that its part of sport to break down an opponent by tiring them out to affect their decision making. Newton argues, though, that players are operating at historically unmatched levels of intensity. He argues for balance.

We have to make sure were striking a balance between the welfare of the games greatest asset, the players, and the lionising of fatigue. It isnt the be-all-and-end-all of creating an outstanding game. We have to ask: what are we actually looking for? And is this utopia achievable?

It is not a binary argument but the trade-off appears to be about the entertainment value of the product, around which television can sell advertisements and cable subscriptions, and a sport which has become so much about attrition that its greatest asset the star actors in the entertainment are so beaten up they cannot act.

In the Raiders v Warriors game at GIO Stadium on Saturday afternoon, Ryan James and Sebastian Kris butted heads tackling the same man. Joe Tapine rolled his ankle jogging backwards. Curtis Scott banged up his rib. Cronulla had it worse with three men off the field with concussion Wade Graham, Briton Nikora and Will Kennedy - while Sione Katoa suffered a knee injury.

Were any of these because the new rules made them tired? Or has this been going on since 1908? Or both?

Ironically the game has never been as safe nor had a greater level of scrutiny and accountability. Not so long ago, rugby league was a savage game in which very few tackles didnt feature a swinging forearm into a jaw. As Matthew Johns said of his father Garys time as hardman of Cessnock Goannas: It was catch-and-kill.

Today, not so much. Indeed not at all. Yet rugby league, by dint of its very nature, must walk an incredibly fine line between peoples enjoyment of the games physicality and the resultant injury caused by the games physicality.

Newton says fans are acutely aware of the pressures on players, and they dont necessarily like it. If you turn the volume up too high and it has a negative impact on their team, its not what they want to see. No one wants to see Cronulla play 40 minutes without a reserve, especially given the rules weve had implemented over the last two years.

Its not about saying these new rules are definitely the problem. Theres no way to say that. But theres also no way to say they arent having an impact. Any data can be disputed. Theres no irrefutable data to support something of this nature. So anecdotal feedback from those at the coal face becomes important. Theyre going to know best.

The reality is, we have had a significant number of players express their concerns in the pre-season and now again following what had happened over the weekend. It is our role to voice their views and concerns while continuing to work with the NRL on addressing these matters.

There are 540 players in the RLPA. They dont agree on everything but and there is a consensus that they do not like being so tired they are in danger. And no longer can they rest for long in scrums.

What to do? The 18th man concussion substitute, which has been in play in NSW Cup, makes sense and was given approval in principle for NRL clubs after the ARLC met on Tuesday. From round five, an 18th player can be activated when three players from a team have failed HIA tests.

Vlandys said the commission had listened to players and clubs in making the move. Perhaps more important is how he and Abdo will react if the god-like stakeholder of TV begins to question why so many of the stars of its entertainment are too beaten up to entertain.

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Jury out on link between new NRL rules and spate of injuries - The Guardian

A man takes a photo with his mobile phone in the Plaka district of Athens. [AP]

Utopia is one of the many Greek words used in English. For many, it denotes a place of impossible fantasy. In my view, Greece could really be such a place.

In this last year, it has felt as if the whole world is in a state of upheaval and change. Both politically and environmentally, nothing has felt secure. It is just my own speculation, but I wonder if this will draw some more of the highly educated and successful Greek diaspora back to their patrida. They might recognize that the values and the way of life in Greece could offer much more than they will ever find in the supposedly more successful economies where they live. Their return would greatly strengthen Greece.

Specifically imagining Athens in 100 years time, there is one thing that dominates my hopes: that the buildings of the past 150 years that are currently in a state of dilapidation will have been restored. In my dreams, there will be a project inspired by the photographs and writing of Nikos Vatopoulos to ensure the salvation of derelict and precious architecture. His book Facing Athens would be the blueprint, the handbook, for this, not just to preserve the past for its own sake, but to respect the elegance and grace of the past so that it can sit side by side with the best of the modern. Such an initiative (and I think it will take 50 years) would have a huge impact on tourism too. Many visitors go to the Acropolis and a couple of museums and then make a dash for the islands, intimidated by the sight of dark, boarded-up mansions in the heart of the city. Athens should seize the moment now before its too late. The longer-term benefits will be immense.

By the time this huge restoration project has happened, I would be happy to think that the anger that inspires someone to daub graffiti on the walls of a beautiful building will simply not be there. Graffiti is usually an expression of fury against inequality and social injustice and while those factors are still there, perhaps my notion is nave. It goes without saying, that societal improvement underscores all images of the future.

In 100 years time, I hope the Parthenon Marbles currently in the British Museum will be in Athens and that our grandchildren will assume they have always been there. When they learn that they resided in London for a long period of time, they will find it impossible to believe.

I believe that in the next few decades (it has already begun since the pandemic, I think) there will be a growing appreciation and appetite for a more authentic life, away from the city. We no longer see progress only being about the new. Technology is also allowing us to lead connected lives without the need to be in a specific place. Island life, therefore, which might once have seemed so cut off, will no longer be perceived that way. Living in a natural unpolluted environment allows us to be more in touch with ourselves as well as with nature, and I wonder if, a century from now, many more people will have been drawn back to the islands to lead their best possible lives. They will be the new utopians. A new tourist boom will follow, as foreigners flock 12 months of the year to have a taste of this ideal life.

PS I would love to think that antagonism from the neighbor will have come to an end by 2121. Given that we are celebrating 200 years of independence, it is more than ironic that Turkeys attitude still continues to drain Greeces resources (financial and mental). At least there is one certainty. There will be a different president by then and I can only pray that he (or even she) will lead Turkey in a more enlightened fashion and cease to bully the people next door.

Victoria Hislop is a writer.

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How things will have changed a century from now - http://www.ekathimerini.com

The South Korean music industry has long been an innovative scene, ripe with ideas to learn from. Just last year, when in-person concerts came to an abrupt halt, it was K-pop artists who quickly jumped on new technologies first. While they delivered some of the most jaw-dropping livestream shows of the pandemic era, stars in the West were still getting to grips with doing anything beyond Instagram Live shows from their living rooms. Even in the before times, the K-pop industry found a solution to declining physical album sales that US labels have slowly begun to take notes from.

Its no surprise, then, that one of the biggest labels in Korea could reshape the whole music industry worldwide with their continued slate of pioneering projects. In its plans for 2021 and beyond, Big Hit Entertainment recently rebranded as HYBE is leaving no stone unturned when it comes to pushing things forward, both at home and overseas.

Recent weeks have seen multiple news stories and presentations about the labels ambitions coming out of Seoul, each more exciting than the last. In January, the label teamed up with YG Entertainment home of BLACKPINK and BIG BANG and Korean web company Naver to announce the integration of the latters livestream platform V Live and Big Hits own fan community space Weverse. Shortly after, Big Hit and YG joined forces again this time with Universal Music Group and tech company Kiswe to officially launch VenewLive, a digital space offering a platform for cutting-edge virtual concerts.

Then there was the news that Big Hit and Universal were forming a strategic partnership that would, among other things, see a K-pop group formed in the US for the first time. The boyband will be pulled together through a survival show, like how ENHYPEN were formed through last years I-LAND, that will be broadcast in the US in 2022. Through the new union, Universal will also bring more of their artists onto Weverse, giving fans more opportunities to interact directly with their favourite acts.

ENHYPEN. Credit: Belift Lab

These new ventures arent just exciting for Big Hit or K-pop fans, though they have the potential to have huge impacts on the global music industry, regardless of genre or geographical location. Even as in-person concerts begin to return as coronavirus vaccines roll out, it seems like livestream shows will continue to be part of our lives in some form, for example with concerts attended by both a mixture of on and offline audiences. Investing in VenewLive and boundary-pushing technologies relevant to it means fans will be able to access the most innovative gigs in real life or from the comfort of their homes.

Weverse, meanwhile, could revolutionise the way we use social media particularly in light of increased conversation around the toxic spaces we inhabit on the internet. Thats not to say the platform is a peaceful utopia as with any online realm, there have been instances of negativity but the idea of signing up to a space specifically dedicated to one artist does feel like it lessens the chance of encountering trolls. Theres also the added benefit of being able to communicate not only with acts themselves but like-minded fans. Its like an extension of curating your timeline so you only see content relating to topics you like, but without the algorithm trying to lure you into looking at other things.

It also hints at a future for social media where, instead of making a catch-all account on platforms like Twitter and Instagram, we have very detached digital worlds that are split up by area or people of interest. Although ideologically very different and conceived for a very different motive, its a similar development as weve seen with other social media apps like Parler, where far-right groups have flocked to preserve free speech.

All of the above could also have perhaps the most important impact of all: Korean artists would finally be taken as seriously as they deserve to be by the global industry. The partnership with Universal feels like the tide could be turning in that respect but, as history has unfortunately shown us, things only become legitimate once its gotten the Western stamp of approval. However, giving people around the world easy access to content that will challenge their perceptions of K-pop survival shows highlighting the hard work, dedication and artistry that go into idol groups, for example will only speed up that process.

GFriend. Credit: Source Music

Headline-grabbing innovations and forward-thinking projects aside, theres something a lot simpler major labels in the West can learn from Big Hit too the value and importance not just of music, but fans experience of it. In his SXSW 2021 keynote speech last week (March 16), the labels Global CEO Lenzo Yoon highlighted how Big Hit had built its way up to the position the company is in now by nurturing the link between artists and fans.

The passion of fans is the engine that drives the industry, he noted. We must respect fans and treat them as companions in our growth and development. Its unusual to hear an industry executive give so many props and so uncynically to fans, but it serves as a reminder of how important relationships with audiences are.

In everything it does, Big Hit looks to break down the barriers fans might face, be that in language by creating the Learn Korean With BTS educational package, or in ties to artists by constantly providing new ways to interact with them on social media and in other content. The companys priority is its supporters, enhancing our enjoyment of music and the connections we make with it in brilliant new ways. Even if the rest of Big Hits innovations do the unlikely and dont work out, that alone is something the music world should pay big attention to.

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Big Hits new ventures might just reshape the music industry worldwide and for the better - NME.com

British Chinesedirector Wayne Che Yip has joined the creative team of Amazon OriginalThe Lord of the Ringstelevision series as a director and co-executive producer.

Yip joins the international ensemble cast, currently filming in New Zealand, to direct four episodes. He continues the work of Spanish filmmaker J.A. Bayona, who directed the first two episodes of the series.

Yip is best known for his work directing popular genre content includingHunters,Preacher,Utopia (Channel 4)andDoctor Who,and has recently directed episodes of Amazon Studios upcoming epic fantasy series,The Wheel of Time.

It is a true honour to be invited into the world of Tolkien by J.D. & Patrick and Amazon Studios. Every day I look forward to working with the incredible team here in New Zealand as we humbly contribute to the legacy of the greatest stories ever told,said Yip.

Amazon Studios forthcoming series is set thousands of years before the events of J.R.R. TolkiensThe HobbitandThe Lord of the Rings. Beginning in a time of relative peace, the series follows an ensemble cast of characters, both familiar and new, as they confront the long-feared re-emergence of evil to Middle-earth.

The series is led by showrunners and executive producers J.D. Payne & Patrick McKay, who are joined by executive producers Lindsey Weber, Callum Greene, J.A. Bayona, Beln Atienza, Justin Doble, Jason Cahill, Gennifer Hutchison, Bruce Richmond and Sharon Tal Yguado, co-executive producer Wayne Che Yip, and producer Christopher Newman.

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Director Wayne Che Yip joins Amazon's The Lord of the Rings series - Televisual

The True Eightfold Path

NEW YORK (PRWEB) March 30, 2021

For those who sincerely and honestly wish to transform themselves and achieve true happiness and Enlightenment, The True Eightfold Path: Guidepost for Self-Innovation released by Ryuho Okawa, World Teacher and CEO of Happy Science Group (March 30, 2021 IRH Press) is the most genuine and certain way to do so. It is not only worldly happiness and Enlightenment that this path brings, but also, and more importantly, it allows the transformation of character and the soul itself. This is the reason why The Eightfold Path is called The Secret Treasure of Mankind.

Many people are at least vaguely familiar with the core Buddhist teaching of the Eightfold Path, but what does it mean for people today? Over time, the meaning of Shakyamuni Buddhas teachings from over 2,500 years ago have been lost despite a myriad of modern interpretations by Buddhist scholars and secular scientists. Okawas The True Eightfold Path is not simply another interpretation of the old teachings; rather it is a new re-preaching of the Eightfold Path as if Buddha is reborn in this age and preaching to people for the sake of addressing soul-development in the contemporary world. The experience of a soul today differs in many ways from that which was experienced during the time of Shakyamuni Buddha. The earth as a whole has advanced immensely in science and technologies, however, technologies that can both help and hinder humanity are a part of everyday life.

The eight steps in The True Eightfold Path consist of right view, right thought, right speech, right action right living right effort right will and right meditation. The underlying concept which penetrates these eight steps is to accept and assume self-responsibility in ones life 100% of the time, not 99% or less, if one wishes to make transformation in his or her soul, elevate the quality of their soul and progress towards the attainment of Enlightenment.

Contemporary socio-political philosophies which de-emphasize individual responsibility, hierarchy, and the role of religion in society, are spreading rapidly. It is a common practice, in part due to Marxist indoctrination, to blame ones environment for all of ones difficulties in life. Environmental circumstances will always bring about some form of shortcoming, but as The True Eightfold Path teaches, all people are capable of changing their perspective of their life circumstances up to the present and in changing their views are able to subsequently change their life only if they become aware of and accept responsibility in their lives.

In The True Eightfold Path, Okawa gives step-by-step guidance for how to reflect on ones view, thought, speech, action and so on, and to first analyze and objectively reflect on oneself in accordance with the laws of cause and effect and the laws of the mind. One then utilizes these eight steps as eight keys to open the door of ones inner heart or soul, discarding the shells of ego (false self) one by one and generating the light within called Buddha Nature or Divine Nature (true self), the core part of the human soul. According to Okawa, many people have experienced self-transformation and attained overwhelming joy through the practice of The True Eightfold Path. People who practice the Eightfold Path practice have discovered countless hidden treasures in their lives disguised as setbacks and unfavorable experiences, and have come to embrace their own unique life with gratitude. This experience led them to attain some kind of Enlightenment.

However, Okawa also states that Enlightenment is neither a sudden nor spontaneous state of being. Enlightenment is something that must be worked on continuously and maintained throughout ones lifetime and even in the afterlife. This is because even if one thinks he or she has attained a small state of Enlightenment as a discovery, there is always another deeper level of Enlightenment or discovery that awaits and it will be a constant process of self-transformation and self-innovation. Hence, Enlightenment is like a journey which is an infinite work of progress, an eternal process of self-improvement.

A notable part in this book is that Okawa explains that individual endeavors towards Enlightenment will lead to the creation of a utopian society as a whole. In order to work towards a utopian society in which love, faith and democracy are omnipresent, one must first create a state of utopia within oneself. The utopia within ones own heart and mind spreads to become the utopia of the collective civilization.

The more an individual takes responsibility in their life to become independent or self-sustainable, the better the world becomes, and ones own work of striving towards Enlightenment may act as a beacon of light for others. Such is truly the only way in which a utopian vision for the world may ever be achieved. It is a path which must be based on the collective efforts of individual discipline toward Enlightenment.

Change begins from within oneself, and such is the crucial emphasis upon individual accountability as members of the human species. There must be personal transformation towards progress and benevolent self-innovation if the world is going to change in a positive direction. Ryuho Okawa has revived the power of The Eightfold Path and made it suitable for people who are seeking to better themselves in this age.

The True Eightfold Path is available at all major bookstores nationwide and online retailers, including Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

For in-depth commentary on the works of Ryuho Okawa, please listen to the Okawa Book Club podcast now streaming on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music.

IRH Press USA

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Ryuho Okawa, World Teacher and Happy Science CEO, Publishes The True Eightfold Path: Guideposts for Self-Innovation - PR Web

The Winnipeg Free Press cannot confirm these events. Please contact individual event organizers to find out if the event will take place

IEREK organizes the 2nd international conference on Utopian and Sacred Architecture Studies to be hosted as an online conference with the main aim of exploring the theories and practices stimulated over the last five centuries in a wide range of areas of thought, historiography, political sciences, social sciences, literary and art studies, social activism, and the visualization of possible worlds. Thus, it is the optimum opportunity to address the disputations that surround Utopia and its successors from its origin to our present and explore the impact on and by the utopian religious, and cultural ideals.This is an optimum time for reflection on the concept of utopia; whether that of the past, today, or the future. IEREK is working to encourage and create room for dreams and new ideas to give birth to a selection of historical utopias, the architecture of cities, utopian ideals, and the impact of religion and culture.

Tuesday, October 5, 2021 from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM

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2nd international conference on Utopian and Sacred Architecture Studies - Winnipeg Free Press