Happy Thanksgiving...with a note!

“You choose how you live your life and with whom you live it with. You also decide how you will respond to life’s incessant challenges. When life is at its very worst- who do you pick to be by your side? Who is your champion through adversity? Life is short and often far from easy. Life’s challenges do not come with a “time-out” but, how we address them is the difference between existing or surpassing all expectations”
The Life On Point Group COO


Another holiday season is starting…and yet for this one I have to reflect back on the past year and take solace…just a few more weeks till the TF Hayes ski trip…the one time of the year where I take a break and concentrate on skiing and my family...and not on the commercialization that has become the holidays!  

It's evening in Burma and for my counterparts fighting for survival…and it’s just another day. You should all take solace as you enjoy time with family and friends today…nobody is hunting you as you wake from a deep and comfortable sleep; nobody is lobbing mortar rounds into your backyard as you serve the turkey; and nobody is shooting at you as you make your way from one neighbors house to the other…consider it a good day…for that is what it is!

I sat around the table last year and we all asked what we were thankful for…some of the answers were comical…. (“I am thankful for football Mr. Brian”) and yet all of them were more about being together as a family unit…that is what is truly important…and that is where I want to be…with my family.

Tomorrow will start the one time of the year that I really do not like…pre-Christmas shopping! The roads in and around the house will be clogged with shoppers making their way to the mall to get 10% off the next purchase…or to buy some gift that will never be truly appreciated.

While on our way home yesterday we discussed the true meaning of the holidays…I understand it’s a time for families and reflection…about putting aside everything that has happened this year (and years past) and for just a few moments realizing the importance that comes from being together. It’s amazing how many people forget that…and those are the folks that will be standing in line at Wal-Mart tonight at midnight for a chance to get a LCD Television set for $199…it is a sad state of affairs when you look at the holiday season strictly from a consumer standpoint…but that is what it has become!

My Grandfather use to put a dollar in the Salvation Army kettle anytime he could…and when he could no longer make the trip he would send my Grandmother….and yet I watch countless folks walk by that same kettle carrying overflowing bags filled with gifts, food, etc…and they turn the opposite way so as not to make eye contact with the bell ringer…I think to myself what a sad state of affairs…where we no longer have care for fellow man that we could not spare change in an effort to buy a meal or provide some shelter to a displaced family…those are the things that make the holidays complete…being with my family and making a difference in the lives of others.

Now…I know there will be those who disagree with me and that is fine…I am not telling you not to go stand at Wal-Mart or Target with the rest of the minions…far from it…what I am stating is that during the holiday season for less then the cost of that TV, stereo or some toy that will be discarded in a month or two…you can make a difference at this time of year who really need it…its your call!

Planning on getting some lunch and then further planning on departure back to Asia…a lot of work to do and so little time to do it…add to it some medical appointments and the dissertation board and I am “racked and stacked” with things to do…and yes…I am still looking for yellow ski pants for Ian…so if you see them while in line please drop me a note!

Happy Holidays



Brian

Burma Update

"Burma is at the center of a torrent of powerful economic forces, and at the same time its political system is frozen...decades of pursuing policies of isolation and sanctions by the U.S. have done little to influence change in Burma, so it’s time to do something different.” General Wesley Clark


Good Afternoon

It has been a whirlwind of activity since coming back to the States from our tour in Burma – we have been focused on not for profit status and filing with the government; assistance to other organizations conducting relief work and expanding the Life On Point Group – these activities alone have kept us hoping! Add into the daily routine continued preparations (already underway) to head back into Asia and rest assured that it has been non-stop every hour of every day!

I have several key appointments coming up over the course of the next several weeks that will have me focusing on health issues (“yes I still have them”) as well as my doctoral dissertation defense board (scheduled for December 3rd in Washington DC) as well as strategy sessions focused on support to the Karen people. ..Suffice to say December and January will be busy months. Add into the fray the yearly Task Force Hayes Ski Trip as well as several book signings and work on the follow-on manuscript and time will quickly become a precious commodity.

The Life On Point Group Update

Just a quick note on what has happened over the past 3 weeks since getting back. The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the Alternative ASEAN Network on Burma (ALTSEAN-Burma) strongly condemned the Burmese military regime’s continued use of repressive and restrictive measures during the election process which ultimately ensured that the outcome of the general elections perpetuated continued military control of the country. The regime continues to ignore calls by the democratic movement in Burma, ethnic groups, and the international community to release all political prisoners, cease hostilities against ethnic groups, and engage in genuine dialogue with all key stakeholders...not until after securing “victory” did the junta release political prisoners illegally detained.

As an aside and something I had not covered previously, in September, the election commission cancelled voting in over 3,400 villages in Kachin, Kayah, Kayin, Mon, and Shan states, where ethnic groups dominate...and several of these were areas where the Life On Point Team had been operating. As many as 1.5 million people are believed to have been disenfranchised by this action! At the same time, serious international crimes, including extra-judicial killings, forced labor, torture, rape and recruitment of child soldiers, continue to be documented and are a daily routine in Burma.

The international community (of which you are all now part of!) should have no illusion of what these oppressive elections will produce....a delay in democracy and national reconciliation in Burma. In the aftermath of the elections, the world must step up its support for all human rights defenders and the democratic movement in Burma and spare no efforts in holding the military regime, whether in its current or future structure, accountable for the serious international crimes. For over 40 years the world has watched the repression in Burma and only uttered statements. It’s time to act.

This is where the Life On Point Team and The Life On Point Group will make its mark...in Burma

Enjoy...and much more to follow!

Brian