tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89826072024-03-18T06:05:06.593+00:00Birgitta Jónsdóttir official blogPoetician & Activist in the Icelandic Parliament for the Pirate Party - Chairman for the International Modern Media Insitution - Interparliamentarian group for Tibet, former spokesperson for Saving Iceland and WikiLeaks - Co-producer of Collateral Murder - Specialise in 21st century lawmaking.Birgitta Jónsdóttirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07583983813010318112noreply@blogger.comBlogger238125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982607.post-23831433067191582022017-05-17T20:07:00.003+00:002017-05-17T20:14:16.371+00:00Statement: Whistleblower Chelsea Manning is Free<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I first heard of Chelsea Manning when the news broke early in 2010 that a soldier had been arrested in Iraq for being the alleged source of blowing the whistle on serious war crimes leaked to WikiLeaks in 2009.<br />
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I had worked on some of this material with WikiLeaks, and was convinced that if we would get it out in public domain, that it would make our world better. I worked on among other things background on the video that Reuters had tried to get released for some years without success, showing how two of their staff had been killed in New Baghdad. The <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rXPrfnU3G0" target="_blank"><b>video</b></a> not only showed the killing of these two men, but it showed war crimes of horrific nature, where the collaterals where not only the photographer and his assistant but children and people trying to help a wounded man.<br />
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I admit that I share the same hopes that drove Manning to share with the rest of the world the crimes of war she witnessed. I am still deeply disappointed that no one has been held accountable for the criminality exposed in the documents for which Manning was dealt a 35 years prison sentence for.<br />
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I want to thank Chelsea Manning for the service she has done for humanity with her courage to inform us, so that we have the means to transform and change our societies for the better.
The wave of demands for greater transparency, more accountability, and democratic reform originate with Manning's lonely act in the barracks in Iraq.<br />
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I really wish I could be among the first to give her a real hug after all the virtual hugs, but with the current regime in the USA, and recent threats towards WikiLeaks, I have been advised not to travel to the USA. There are of course other reasons as well. New laws and policies that discriminate against whole nations, against people of color and people from Mexico find it impossible for me go, I will not endorse that type of discrimination. I also find new laws giving border control permission to demand passwords and access to my emails, and social media accounts a dangerous threat to privacy and do not wish to normalise it in any way by taking a dummy phone with me.<br />
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I hope that someday Chelsea Manning can visit Iceland and inspire people in person about the importance of courage and the fact that individuals can and must change the world. She is a living proof of that.
Now as she takes her first steps into a new life outside the prison walls, I find it fitting it occurs on a day where we celebrate diversity of love.<br />
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I know that no matter what Chelsea will do, she will carry on making our world a better place. I am sure it will take some time to adjust. But today we will celebrate and rejoice for the most hopeful news so far this year: Chelsea is Free.
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Today we celebrate in Iceland with 1000's of people, the freedom of a modern day hero.</div>
Birgitta Jónsdóttirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07583983813010318112noreply@blogger.com131tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982607.post-31513007565695382152016-04-29T06:39:00.000+00:002016-04-29T06:39:30.202+00:00Thoughts about nightmares & dreams<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Poemletter I wrote in 2003/4 </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />I had just moved away from Iceland to New Zealand and wrote this poem to self based on a series of dreams I had. It is uncanny how life imitates art sometimes :) I have slightly altered the poem because my English is slightly better today. Here is a link to the <b><a href="http://this.is/birgitta/poems/new/letter.html" target="_blank">original version</a>.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Well I am still alive,<br />despite my silence<br />for all this time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />There are many layers of reasons why.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />It has taken a lot of effort to settle here at the other end of the world.<br />Everything is different:<br />seasons,<br />timezone,<br />the way the water runs in circles the other way around;</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">internally and externally,<br />traffic on the other side of the road,<br />little cultural things,<br />food,<br />sport,<br />art,<br />words,<br />stars.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />The way the sun comes up<br />and the moon sets.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />Always interesting and<br />it keeps the fine lines in the brain</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">tuned and alert.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />I however fell out of tune with the cycle of movement </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">with the rest of the world,<br />got local,<br />living in the small town syndrome.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />Now I feel an urgency,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">a need to hook back into the surf of the world.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Despite how ugly the world is turning right now,<br />rotten to the core, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">things coming to the surface,<br />that are hard to see and experience.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">But we need to see and feel,<br />in order to heal,<br />to grow new ideas,<br />for the revolution to take place.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />Fear as always,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">the fertile soil for oppression.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">In the USA and well, in the West at large </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">so much freedom<br />has been gradually chipped away.<br />And no one really cares,<br />because they are too busy making sure<br />they get enough to fuel their need to consume,<br />and consume more bullshit they do.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />When living at such totally unique times<br />it is important<br />to maintain an eagle vision<br />see the whole tapestry<br />and never, never ask why.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />Why is the only thing, really, that drives us into madness.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />So I am digging deep;<br />it is ridiculous and pointless to preach<br />and even worse when preaching<br />is not walking the talk of that speech.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />I have to admit that I have a tendency to preach.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />So I have to dig deeper still<br />find the cause<br />the effect<br />of all those warlike feelings inside;</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />Why I feel fear<br />Why I feel anger<br />and hopelessness.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />I am digging<br />and I am talking to ghosts</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">of my past,<br />and I am further more<br />forgiving myself<br />for things I never did.</span><br />
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I always used to believe in the power of the individual<br />
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">and that each and everyone of us can make a difference.</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I think I still believe it,<br />
</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I think I just need some proof.<br />
</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Everyday I read more, I see more<br />that makes me truly mad.<br />Should I pray for the 1%<br />or should I kick their ass?<br />I don't know.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />I wonder what is needed to force open their blinded eyes<br />to the misery their greed and power hunger is<br />causing so many people.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Our planet.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I dreamt last night that I was going into politics<br />
</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">and that I was going to be the first female prime minster in Iceland.<br />
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">It was a true nightmare,<br />
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I mean, if you enter into the seats of power<br />
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">what is going to happen to you?</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Will you, no matter how pure you think you are,<br />
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">maintain the vision you set out with,<br />
</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span class="s1">or will you be too bloody busy to be able to maintain it</span><span class="s2">.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">I also dreamt in another dream<br />
that my Native American blood was singing.<br />
I dreamt that I was lying really still, </span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">and talking about eagles<br />
</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">and how they see the far and wide, </span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">from high above</span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">on the belly of a great warrior,<br />
</span></span></div>
<div class="p3">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">who had his face painted </span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">black with bright white stripes.<br />
</span></span></div>
<div class="p3">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="p3">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">He said: “Be still<br />
</span></span></div>
<div class="p3">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">just be still for a moment<br />
</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="p3">
<span class="s1"><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">and it will all come to you.”</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br />With Rivers of Joy<br />Argitt</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">p.s. even if I thought I had adjusted to the world down under, I will move back </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">to the top of the world, yes I am really moving back again to the other island of extremes<br />to face the beasts I had created before I left.</span></div>
Birgitta Jónsdóttirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07583983813010318112noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982607.post-66164688020783553452016-04-08T15:40:00.000+00:002016-04-08T15:46:18.007+00:00FAQ to MP’s of the Icelandic Pirate Party<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b style="box-sizing: inherit;"><br style="box-sizing: inherit;" /></b><span data-mce-style="font-weight: 400;" style="box-sizing: inherit;">The the government of Iceland has reshuffled; The Prime minister has left the stage and the Progressive Party has appointed the Fisheries minister as their new PM. The disgraced leader of the Independence party and our Finance minister will not resign despite calls from the general public for him to do so since he is among the sitting ministers revealed in the Panama-papers.</span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="font-weight: 400;" style="box-sizing: inherit;">The leaders of the government said yesterday that they plan to hold snap election next fall. They have threatened the opposition with calling off the snap election if they won’t get fair weather to finish all the bills they have put forward, including the lifting of the capital controls.</span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="font-weight: 400;" style="box-sizing: inherit;">The opposition will put forward a fresh resolution of vote of no confidence as soon as the new cabinet has been formally established later on Thursday. The vote of no confidence will be debated tomorrow Friday at 1pm.</span></div>
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Protests will be ongoing in the next few days because the people of Iceland feel that this government has done nothing real to deal with the crisis of ethics. It is not enough just to move heads in the cabinet and have the former PM carry on as the leader of the Progressive party and as shadow minister. The parliamentarians of the Pirate Party are in full support of the protests, freedom of expression and direct democracy are after all some of the core values and policies of our party.</div>
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<b style="box-sizing: inherit;">How do you view the current situation and the PM’s resignation?</b>The people of Iceland are calling for new elections in the wake of the Panama-paper revelations. Two days ago we had the largest protest to date in Iceland where these demands were very prominent. In our capacity as the representatives of the Icelandic people we must listen to them and push for new elections as soon as possible.</div>
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<span data-mce-style="font-weight: 400;" style="box-sizing: inherit;">It is obvious that we are faced with a serious political crisis. The current situation is extremely uncertain, trust in the government has reached its lowest point both in Parliament, and with the nation at large.</span></div>
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<b style="box-sizing: inherit;">What needs to happen now in your view?</b>The government has to listen to the people of this country and acknowledge that they have completely lost all trust to run the country. Not only has the leader of the Progressive party and now former PM lost all credibility, so has, the rest of his cabinet. We are of course aware that there is no tradition for that to be the case here in Iceland. The last government that lost trust in a similar fashion was the government of Mr. Geir Haarde in the wake of the financial crisis in 2008. They did not have the wisdom to listen until they got seriously scared by the growing intensity of the protests after which they finally resigned with disgrace.</div>
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The next logical course of action is for the government to a that they should resign. It is wholly unacceptable for them to shun the will of Parliament; the opposition's motion of a vote of no confidence must be scheduled immediately. New elections are the only acceptable resolution to this crisis.</div>
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<b style="box-sizing: inherit;">What would be the next steps to restore the stability in the country?</b><span data-mce-style="font-weight: 400;" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Set a date for new elections, (in a few weeks). </span><span data-mce-style="font-weight: 400;" style="box-sizing: inherit;">After the election we need to establish a new foundation to build our society - we have to continue and finalize the adoption of a new constitution: </span><span data-mce-style="line-height: 1.62;" style="box-sizing: inherit; line-height: 1.62;">We cannot restore full stability until we have a new constitution. The people have demanded a new constitution since before our last parliamentary elections. The current ambiguity and uncertainty clearly demonstrates the flaws in our old constitution as its processes for dissolving government are wholly unclear. This situation shows us clearer than ever how dire the need for a newer, clearer and more democratic constitution is here in Iceland.</span></div>
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<b style="box-sizing: inherit;">Why is the Pirate Party scoring this high in polls?</b><span data-mce-style="font-weight: 400;" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Like we always say, it's birds in the woods and we can’t count them until we have some in our hands, which would be the results of elections. We are of course still surprised by the popularity of the party – It's the big riddle we're always trying to solve.</span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="font-weight: 400;" style="box-sizing: inherit;">One of the many theories why so many of the Icelandic nation trust us in the polls is because people sense that we stand for enacting changes that have to do with reforming the systems, rather than changing minor things that might easily be changed back. Our policies therefore stand in stark contrast to what appears to be the pattern of modern politics; minor changes but always the same dysfunctional system. We do not define ourselves as left or right but rather as a party that focuses on the systems. In other words, we consider ourselves hackers - so to speak - of our current outdated systems of government.</span></div>
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<b style="box-sizing: inherit;">Is the Pirate Party ready for new elections?</b>The Pirate Party is a new political party, it was founded three and a half years ago. We have been through elections twice, first in general elections and then in municipal elections. We can assume that this time will be very different since we are scoring around 40% in the polls. We are often asked if we have enough good people to run for Parliament. The answer is YES we do. We have a lot of great and willing people. Of course it will be tremendous work but in the end we are just as prepared (or unprepared) as all the other political parties in Iceland. Most importantly; we are ready for the tasks ahead and are looking forward to this unique opportunity to help manifest the New Iceland people are calling for. Our goal is to enact meaningful and positive changes in our system and in our society. We will carry on calling for the wisdom of the masses and seek both local and global experts to guide us on this path.</div>
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<span data-mce-style="font-weight: 400;" style="box-sizing: inherit;">People in Iceland are sick of corruption and nepotism. The Icelandic Pirate Party will not be able to solve all of the ingrown problems in Iceland but it will certainly be able to offer new hardware, complete with a new set of rules based on how we operate as a collective community.</span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="font-weight: 400;" style="box-sizing: inherit;">We want to be the Robin Hood of power: We take away the power from the powerful and give it to the general public of Iceland. Our strongest weapons are our plans to enact a new constitution which has great democratic provisions civil engagement tools such as the web platform “Better Iceland.”</span></div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: inherit;">Does Birgitta want to be a Prime Minister?</strong><br />
NO. We have horizontal structure within our party. The PM office is not automatic power seat. Birgitta isn't even an official leader. If the Pirates will get enough trust to form a government we might simply ask the nation who they want to be PM. We are still formulating how to delegate responsibility. </div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: inherit; line-height: 25.92px;">Is Birgitta still working with WikiLeaks?</strong><span style="line-height: 25.92px;">No, but she supports WikiLeaks and other similar organisations. Her IMMI Resolution contains a key to legalise the role of WikiLeaks in the global and local context. Freedom of Information, Expression & Speech with a strong focus on digital privacy is that key. Nothing radical.</span></div>
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<strong style="box-sizing: inherit;">Where to find background material about Birgitta and her work?</strong><a data-mce-href="https://en.immi.is" href="https://en.immi.is/" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #0aac8e; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">IMMI</a>, <a data-mce-href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eq0mRyq8wlE" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eq0mRyq8wlE" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #0aac8e; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">TEDx Reykjavík 2015</a>, <a data-mce-href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PadzhH5VAns" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PadzhH5VAns" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #0aac8e; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">Iceland Revolution Project</a>, <a data-mce-href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adewLLriYtQ" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adewLLriYtQ" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #0aac8e; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">Ask me anything @ The YesMenLab</a><br />
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Birgitta Jónsdóttirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07583983813010318112noreply@blogger.com35tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982607.post-50203169758465160772015-07-04T10:24:00.001+00:002015-07-04T10:24:12.265+00:00Message for the People of Greece: Vote!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It
is well fitting for the cradle of democracy to call for a national
referendum on an issue that will impact the future of all citizens of
Greece. A leadership that puts the destiny of the nation in her own
hands is strong since it understands what democracy means at its
core: The rule of the people. We urge all the people in Greece who
have the right to vote to add their voice to this historical moment
by voting for what they believe is right.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="text-decoration: none;">Many
countries in the developing world have been put up against the wall
by international creditors and their guardian, the IMF. The Troika
is applying the same inhuman methods towards Greece. The austerity
imposed in the last few years on Greece is unfair, unsustainable and
impossible and not to be tolerated. As economists from around the
world have empathized, the Greek economy collapsed, not the least
because of those very austerity measures.<br /><br />The EU & the IMF have overreached, don't listen to their fear mongering.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Dear
people of Greece shape your future on your terms, we will support you
no matter what you choose to do. </span></div>
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</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Birgitta Jónsdóttir & </span>Jón Þór Ólafsson, Members of Parliament in Iceland for the Pirate Party.</span></div>
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Here are some good articles and films on the issue of Greece</div>
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<a href="http://wire.novaramedia.com/2015/06/in-defence-of-greece-6-myths-busted/" target="_blank">In Defence of Greece: 6 Myths Busted</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.byline.com/column/11/article/124" target="_blank">DO NOT BLINK, GREECE</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/jun/29/joseph-stiglitz-how-i-would-vote-in-the-greek-referendum" target="_blank">Joseph Stiglitz: how I would vote in the Greek referendum</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/29/opinion/paul-krugman-greece-over-the-brink.html" target="_blank">Greece Over the Brink</a></div>
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Birgitta Jónsdóttirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07583983813010318112noreply@blogger.com36tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982607.post-16308735677688443592015-05-26T07:47:00.000+00:002015-07-04T11:34:39.313+00:00We the People, are the System<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="s1">My speech from TEDx Reykjavík</span><br />
<span class="s1"><br /></span>
<span class="s1">The speech has been translated to various languages, thank you! <!--3--></span><br />
<span class="s1"><a href="http://piratetimes.net/gr/birgitta-jonsdottir-%CE%B5%CE%BC%CE%B5%CE%AF%CF%82-%CE%BF%CE%B9-%CE%AC%CE%BD%CE%B8%CF%81%CF%89%CF%80%CE%BF%CE%B9-%CE%B5%CE%AF%CE%BC%CE%B1%CF%83%CF%84%CE%B5-%CF%84%CE%BF-%CF%83%CF%8D%CF%83%CF%84/" target="_blank">ΕΜΕΊΣ, ΟΙ ΆΝΘΡΩΠΟΙ, ΕΊΜΑΣΤΕ ΤΟ ΣΎΣΤΗΜΑ</a> - Greek</span><br />
<span class="s1"><a href="http://piratetimes.net/fr/birgitta-jonsdottir-nous-peuple-sommes-le-systeme/" target="_blank">NOUS, PEUPLE, SOMMES LE SYSTÈME</a> - French</span><br />
<span class="s1"><a href="http://piratetimes.net/%D0%BC%D1%8B-%D0%BD%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B4-%D0%BC%D1%8B-%D1%81%D0%B8%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%BC%D0%B0/" target="_blank">МЫ — НАРОД, МЫ — СИСТЕМА</a> - Russian</span><br />
<span class="s1"><a href="http://hopfrog.it/articolo/birgitta-j%C3%B3nsd%C3%B3ttir-noi-il-popolo-siamo-il-sistema" target="_blank">Noi, il Popolo, siamo il sistema</a> - Italian</span><br />
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<a href="http://partidopirata.org/meu-discurso-no-tedx-reykjavik-por-birgitta-jonsdottir/" target="_blank">‘Nós, as pessoas, somos o Sistema’</a> - Portuguese<br />
<a href="http://blog.oedv-exodus.org/2015/05/28/rede-von-birgitta-jonsdottir-wir-das-volk-das-system/" target="_blank">Wir, das volk, das system</a> - German</div>
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<div class="p2">
<br />
<span class="s1"></span></div>
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<span class="s1">The 21</span><span class="s2"><sup>st </sup></span><span class="s1">century will be the century of the common people – the century of you, of US.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">We live in remarkable, transformative times. We have the library of Alexandria at our fingertips; all the recorded knowledge of the world is being digitized and made available through the Internet.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0cZU8KiECug9ZamnQ2HEy2TQ0SEioqMJaLm5AZVDlBHK-2-m11Mt-e5E6NcSef3-LrwUKTzc6ysLHLyxMfCN3admTEv0S7BUQD_nceHqXvweQeTMFX4pOJmjLM4YIDHSOeoj96A/s1600/11350864_646271332140716_1461054331461303073_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0cZU8KiECug9ZamnQ2HEy2TQ0SEioqMJaLm5AZVDlBHK-2-m11Mt-e5E6NcSef3-LrwUKTzc6ysLHLyxMfCN3admTEv0S7BUQD_nceHqXvweQeTMFX4pOJmjLM4YIDHSOeoj96A/s400/11350864_646271332140716_1461054331461303073_n.jpg" width="400" /></a><span class="s1">Meanwhile, our democratic models are hollow and crumbling at an alarming rate as we move further into a new era of complexity, technology and interconnectivity.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
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<span class="s1">The ideologies of the old school of politics, media, monetary systems, education, corporations, and all known structures are in a state of transformation. They are crumbling. Now is the time for fundamental change on all fronts, we have to seize this moment. Because this is THE moment.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
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<span class="s1">Our states are built around systems that are outdated, created in simpler times and for smaller societies. Today, those systems no longer serve the people but are simply self-serving.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
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<span class="s1">The welfare state has been hollowed and is on the verge of collapse, often as a way to privatize it. We are running out of planet and our current systems are unable to do anything about it.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsgKQaQQBzBbIauwulxtRjBLi-52U9YFRomJUMH_I3ahMSgqNPcukU1FFkigx25AKNTUC1_1iwSrtSb2dCtS6Z-Pfe7t4rRsIYeHSRlcWPqk4UwQnRTiraCE_941ftpuvKEencVg/s1600/418059_2876927207666_1394564029_32369404_1195062192_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsgKQaQQBzBbIauwulxtRjBLi-52U9YFRomJUMH_I3ahMSgqNPcukU1FFkigx25AKNTUC1_1iwSrtSb2dCtS6Z-Pfe7t4rRsIYeHSRlcWPqk4UwQnRTiraCE_941ftpuvKEencVg/s400/418059_2876927207666_1394564029_32369404_1195062192_n.jpg" width="280" /></a><span class="s1">Most of our democracies have become like a dictatorship </span>with 100 talking-heads on the neck of a corporate body.</div>
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<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
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<span class="s1">Draconian ‘anti-terrorism’ laws and secrecy have somehow become the new norm. </span>Modern democracies have become a freaky mix of Brave New World and: ... 1984.</div>
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<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
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<span class="s1">So, do you know what our digital persona is? It is made from content and meta data. </span><br />
<span class="s1"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="s1">Do you know what meta data and data retention is? </span></div>
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<span class="s1">I mean do you understand it on a deep level. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">Like you understand that you have a constitutional right to vote without anyone </span>knowing who or what you voted for? Like you understand that lawyers and their clients have the right to have conversations in private? Like you understand that </div>
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<span class="s1">what happens between you and your doctor should remain private? </span>Like the communication between a source and a journalist should remain private? </div>
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<br />
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<span class="s1">Data retention of your meta data basically means that you are butt naked in the system, </span></div>
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<span class="s1">your digital persona is for everyone who has enough power or capital to see, </span></div>
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<span class="s1">mock, poke at, sell, touch, manipulate and consume. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">Your digital persona has a digital shadow. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">It follows you everywhere you go and unlike your normal </span></div>
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<span class="s1">offline shadow it can be captured, changed, shared or sold.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPJQL4T24qf0alPDsm0CzeuY8cwHblusDgT_e_lt-g3jgd-JXMaiAvTBNZabBA23GEAhbGiSuTTX8ZCwAM2k3Srhcc9iURDXR-nMkeda9XfzLhx5z7wUhzj6f6cUbK_ePN78iVGw/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPJQL4T24qf0alPDsm0CzeuY8cwHblusDgT_e_lt-g3jgd-JXMaiAvTBNZabBA23GEAhbGiSuTTX8ZCwAM2k3Srhcc9iURDXR-nMkeda9XfzLhx5z7wUhzj6f6cUbK_ePN78iVGw/s1600/images.jpg" /></a><span class="s1">If your walls are windows, would you draw the curtains </span>when you sleep, have sex or go to the bathroom? Yes? Maybe? </div>
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<span class="s1">In your digital house, you simply don't have that choice. </span>Encryption and legislation are the key to pull the curtains when you choose. </div>
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<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
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<span class="s1">We have never been as connected as we are today, as enabled to share real-time stories </span>of success and failure. Therefore, our learning curve is steeper than ever before.<br />
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<span class="s1">We are sharing, downloading, remixing and co-creating every day. </span>Our digital person is expanding and our digital shadow ever growing. </div>
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<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
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<span class="s1">We are being manipulated every day into believing we are powerless, </span>that there is nothing that can change these systems; but I am telling you; this is a lie.</div>
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<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
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<span class="s1">You have the power to be a catalyst for change in our world. It has always been individuals</span></div>
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<span class="s1">who change our world, not some external power, but individual power for good or for evil. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">Do you want others to be the power in your life, or do you want to accept the responsibility </span></div>
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<span class="s1">of claiming your power and use it by being a part of co-creating your society? </span></div>
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<span class="s1">This sense of social responsibility has somehow always been a part of my person, maybe because I was an outcast when I was a kid, the strange ugly duckling in my village that didn't fit in anywhere. I was lucky, I learned very early on to be my personal alchemist and transform difficulty into strength. I have accepted that I am some sort of a human guinea pig when it comes to system failure. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
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<span class="s1">It was human error that led to for example suicides of my beloved father and my husband both of whom vanished into the abyss of the Icelandic landscape of water and ice. How the system dealt with it was system error.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
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<span class="s1">I chose to use these crisis as a transformative tool and through the death of my father, </span>who vanished, never to be found, on christmas eve 1987, just after I turned twenty, </div>
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<span class="s1">I learned to value life and not only that, I learned to love myself and get off the path </span>of self-destruction but most importantly I learned the true meaning of compassion. </div>
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<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
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<span class="s1">When my late husband vanished a few years later, I learned the hard way how to cope in </span></div>
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<span class="s1">extreme crisis, uncertainty and the fear of not knowing what will happen next. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">This has served me well during crisis times, internally or externally. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">I later learned that our collective systems express human behavior during times</span></div>
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<span class="s1">of crisis. It is a fact that our systems are made from human values. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">We made them, we can undo them. </span></div>
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<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">What might seem impossible now, might be quite possible tomorrow </span></div>
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<span class="s1">because we are experiencing very rapid changes on all fronts. </span></div>
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<span class="s1">So I encourage you to start to make the blueprint for the future you want to live in.</span></div>
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<span class="s1">Find that spark that will start a revolution in your heart.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCY9HIPx5wLzHZegn6dxYjbA2T29k_SRof59v87ZdT1ewiPez8SP6e7B5BiYUTfwNM6LGJbMeM3PYCpwQqcRYDp5qLn0ECin4tzs8FYh55T4XHs12AVm8oovV4CTuoK2q8BoLBRw/s1600/rEVOLution.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCY9HIPx5wLzHZegn6dxYjbA2T29k_SRof59v87ZdT1ewiPez8SP6e7B5BiYUTfwNM6LGJbMeM3PYCpwQqcRYDp5qLn0ECin4tzs8FYh55T4XHs12AVm8oovV4CTuoK2q8BoLBRw/s400/rEVOLution.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<span class="s1">Have you ever thought where the word Revolution comes from? I really like this word, </span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">it means change, it means evolving with love. How awesome is that? </span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">So why do you fear change, why are we so afraid of it? Everything is changing </span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">all the time in nature, yet we do everything in our power to make time still. </span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Why are you so afraid? Why are we so afraid?</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p3">
<span class="s1"><b><photo id="1"></photo></b></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Perhaps because we have made everything so complex and grand. Perhaps </span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">it's time to return to more simple ways, more self sustainable ways. </span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">We can do that by learning from each other, by helping each other </span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">locally and globally and by remembering that we as individuals </span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">can change the world. Now is the time to step forward,</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">take on that challenge and be the change maker. </span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Don’t expect others to do it, your time has arrived, </span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">to make a difference!</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">I took this step a few years ago, when I was temporary unemployed, </span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">a single parent with the simple goal of figuring out how I as an </span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">individual could help create a sustainable future for the next generations,</span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">in times of great uncertainty after the financial crisis.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p4">
<span class="s1"><b></b></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifn4qVink64HSOBBCZRX3WlfGyWEbUIX1oDSI5Sabpjik3IjSESRZXyTtsFUxnCOkHqiT_X3cnKrkNXHiVWKDipbB1DOTVRt9SpoUNn1_7dAX0iNHqwzTFmocrSaVJzpu8ANG0ng/s1600/555491.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="144" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifn4qVink64HSOBBCZRX3WlfGyWEbUIX1oDSI5Sabpjik3IjSESRZXyTtsFUxnCOkHqiT_X3cnKrkNXHiVWKDipbB1DOTVRt9SpoUNn1_7dAX0iNHqwzTFmocrSaVJzpu8ANG0ng/s320/555491.jpg" width="320" /></a><span class="s1">I have admit that I have never dreamt of being a leader, a politician, a parliamentarian, a minister, let alone the role of a Prime minister. My little Pirate party is currently polling as by the far, the biggest party in Iceland. We are all very humbled and frankly quite surprised. And at times of these it is good to remind me about the circle of power, I am a big fan of the circle. I co-created the Pirate party power structure as a circle. The circle of community. </span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">I made the following pledge to myself: while I am in service I have to remember to listen to my heart, to listen to my intuition and to be impeccable with my word. And finally I must not care at all if I loose that place of power because it was never mine in the first place.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">During the Job interview with the entire nation, when running for office, </span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">I made a promise to be the annoying mosquito in the tent, and that my friends, </span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">is a promise I have kept. Just ask my fellow parliamentarians :)</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p3">
<span class="s1"><b><photo id="11"></photo></b></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9Jkxr-No4mw/VWQb8LgdZ5I/AAAAAAAADWs/8p5-9JOZ0ps/s1600/291875_263347070369485_179498945420965_654587_596236696_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9Jkxr-No4mw/VWQb8LgdZ5I/AAAAAAAADWs/8p5-9JOZ0ps/s1600/291875_263347070369485_179498945420965_654587_596236696_n.jpg" /></a></div>
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">My main political objectives and vision took shape in a grassroots think-tank I was </span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">part of just after the financial meltdown in 2008, and during the work of the creation </span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">of the <a href="https://en.immi.is/" target="_blank">IMMI</a> resolution, these objectives are thankfully at the heart of the Pirate Party </span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">core policy. </span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Firstly: To involve the public in reshaping Iceland’s legal framework, </span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">through direct democracy and through co-creation of a new constitution for and </span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">by the people of Iceland; I was aware that we needed a new foundation or like I call it, </span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">new hardware in order to be able to make a clean system install. </span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC5s5FNI-sEFcMFd7v64ffGHUlkrFFfm9ght82zDzYyxeh9sjrbgqFFLE_iwUIqrxqNIluzoYy0pOucdgrajQ4Y0z2v0gBlB2ZIddfDqUXVAdKeT27WM9e1w9UB_k7djeoH4ma0Q/s1600/10373699_488311581302597_8385310111740380018_n.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC5s5FNI-sEFcMFd7v64ffGHUlkrFFfm9ght82zDzYyxeh9sjrbgqFFLE_iwUIqrxqNIluzoYy0pOucdgrajQ4Y0z2v0gBlB2ZIddfDqUXVAdKeT27WM9e1w9UB_k7djeoH4ma0Q/s200/10373699_488311581302597_8385310111740380018_n.png" width="200" /></a><span class="s1">Secondly: To transform Iceland into a safe haven for freedom of information, expression and transparency, with a strong focus on digital privacy as a cornerstone of direct democracy. To create cutting edge 21</span><span class="s2"><sup>st </sup></span><span class="s1">century legal framework. </span><br />
<span class="s1"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><photo id="10"></photo></span></div>
<div class="p2">
I guess one could say that I am some sort of a party startup person, because I have co-created two parties from nothing in the last six and a half years, with some really amazing diverse people. Both parties got voted into parliament. Once I was elected six years ago, I went inside the system, straight to the heart of it, the legislative assembly, like a legal hacker, analyzing its strengths and </div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">weaknesses in order to find ways to improve the system.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">I learned early on to follow my intuition as a poetician for it makes a lot more sense to me then the rivalry and manipulations of left or right ideology. The right and wrong ideology of the old world has simply outgrown itself. No longer do we have strong parliaments with a direct link between the general public and decision maker, perhaps we never did. We have so called professional politicians that are far removed from the reality most of us live in.</span></div>
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<span class="s1"><b></b></span><br /></div>
<div class="p3">
<span class="s1"><b><photo id="8"></photo></b></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhXF5a3J_rbHYWAPdBuPY9DshEisEWFFnMa9PMMqnWg6EIIaayVyKVN8M8pyR7oDrDYsQNy56XewP0NUJvT7c9uNcpEfqt4p6oHuAHyXm0Z1y972H1Dv43179Fn7hiRk85i5zVpg/s1600/demo-2-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhXF5a3J_rbHYWAPdBuPY9DshEisEWFFnMa9PMMqnWg6EIIaayVyKVN8M8pyR7oDrDYsQNy56XewP0NUJvT7c9uNcpEfqt4p6oHuAHyXm0Z1y972H1Dv43179Fn7hiRk85i5zVpg/s320/demo-2-2.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div>
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Most people have realized that left and right politics don't have any useful role anymore. The ideology of it is outdated. To create political movements based on common agenda of pressing issues of basic human rights and democratic reform is so important right now.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">In order for the common people like us to co-create our society we have to have the democratic tools to do so. People need to get into parliaments to change the laws, so we all can have the power that is rightfully ours, to impact our society and apply real pressure on those in power to work for us, not the elite.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">One of the aims of both the Civic Movement and the Pirate Party has been to inspire ordinary people to take on political responsibilities by stepping forward and take a leap into the unknown and of course be the mosquito in the tent and open the windows. </span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Looking at different models for how to humanize and modernize how we run our societies, I have come to the conclusion that there is currently no one model that fits all and there never will be one size fits all. We need to experiment and study what works for each type of society, depending on the cultural backdrop.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<br />
<span class="s1"></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjdjvde1sp3x760xnjoIXFHUlAqy1XxwX2HrOCJcHjH-FMtVQe2ZFb_W6_erAdLyYiuMmI3E8TjZfwmGCTEia2V2aw32fo9AxlxXrxRDCx47S6UDiAuJ5MCsXiAsaavPXpMDTZeg/s1600/handswblack515.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjdjvde1sp3x760xnjoIXFHUlAqy1XxwX2HrOCJcHjH-FMtVQe2ZFb_W6_erAdLyYiuMmI3E8TjZfwmGCTEia2V2aw32fo9AxlxXrxRDCx47S6UDiAuJ5MCsXiAsaavPXpMDTZeg/s320/handswblack515.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<span class="s1">There are some amazing direct democracy experiments being implemented with success all over the world. New types of citizen engagement platforms are being created and used to form policy and to facilitate direct democracy, such as the Pirate Party Liquid Feedback, D-Cent, Your Priorities, DemocracyOS and WeGov.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">Technology enabling direct access to power is now become simple enough that citizens can start using it to form opinion and enforce political change in a genuine grassroots, bottom-up way. </span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">One of the most important task ahead is to help people become aware of that if they want to live in a real democracy they need to be part of it, to engage with it. That living in a democracy is work.</span></div>
<div class="p2">
<br />
<span class="s1"></span></div>
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">It is also vital that people start a discussion among their friends and families about what sort of future they want. If we, the citizens of Earth – do not have a clear vision of where we are heading, we will get nowhere. The 1% has a clear roadmap of where they are heading, which enables them to stay ahead of the rest of us. </span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPNh50SBJE_UXaFrY5SZp3MVSDfsCyfqoX4IkBc4faBMpc4o3rquM7fHuf3YMH-uydi14odBqYNdyUlITaR2lvTmSEiY47njx35bqRZnruijNoLVJhtsWYsdP2rU7g7lO4srmNMw/s1600/11036982_645623708872145_4006322497407145288_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPNh50SBJE_UXaFrY5SZp3MVSDfsCyfqoX4IkBc4faBMpc4o3rquM7fHuf3YMH-uydi14odBqYNdyUlITaR2lvTmSEiY47njx35bqRZnruijNoLVJhtsWYsdP2rU7g7lO4srmNMw/s320/11036982_645623708872145_4006322497407145288_n.jpg" width="320" /></a><span class="s1">Some of the most amazing innovations and creativity in the history of humankind have emerged in conditions of extreme stress, such as the New Deal. As human beings we have now reached a stage where we have to evolve to the next level, or we will fail to deliver a sustainable world to the next generation. Please talk about how you would like the future to be, make a vision, share your vision with others, start with the person sitting next to you. </span><br />
<span class="s1"><br /></span></div>
<div class="p2">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="s1">If you need an inspiration then I find John Lennon's ‘Imagine’ to be a good roadmap.</span></div>
</div>
<div class="p2">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
</div>
<div class="p1">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="s1">The poetician in me will end this with a wake up call!</span></div>
</div>
<div class="p2">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
</div>
<div class="p1">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="s1">I have seen signs</span></div>
</div>
<div class="p1">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="s1">the end of the world</span></div>
</div>
<div class="p1">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="s1">as we know it</span></div>
</div>
<div class="p1">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="s1">has begun</span></div>
</div>
<div class="p2">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
</div>
<div class="p1">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="s1">Don't panic</span></div>
</div>
<div class="p1">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="s1">it might look terrifying</span></div>
</div>
<div class="p1">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="s1">on the surface</span></div>
</div>
<div class="p2">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
</div>
<div class="p1">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="s1">Yet inside every</span></div>
</div>
<div class="p1">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="s1">human being</span></div>
</div>
<div class="p1">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="s1">a choice</span></div>
</div>
<div class="p1">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="s1">to be a catalyst </span></div>
</div>
<div class="p2">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
</div>
<div class="p1">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="s1">Earth is calling</span></div>
</div>
<div class="p1">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="s1">Sky is calling</span></div>
</div>
<div class="p1">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="s1">Science is calling</span></div>
</div>
<div class="p1">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="s1">Creation is calling:</span></div>
</div>
<div class="p2">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
</div>
<div class="p1">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="s1">Wake up, wake up now</span></div>
</div>
<div class="p2">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
</div>
<div class="p1">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="s1">Transform your heart into </span></div>
</div>
<div class="p1">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="s1">a compassion machine</span></div>
</div>
<div class="p2">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
</div>
<div class="p1">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="s1">Now is the time</span></div>
</div>
<div class="p1">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="s1">to yield to the call of growth</span></div>
</div>
<div class="p1">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="s1">to the call of action</span></div>
</div>
<div class="p2">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
</div>
<div class="p1">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="s1">You are the change makers</span></div>
</div>
<div class="p2">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
</div>
<div class="p1">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="s1">Sleepers of all ages</span></div>
</div>
<div class="p2">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="s1"></span><br /></div>
</div>
<div class="p1">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="s1">WAKE UP</span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="s1">wake up: NOW</span></div>
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<span class="s1"></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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</div>
</div>
Birgitta Jónsdóttirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07583983813010318112noreply@blogger.com54tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982607.post-71485630728579022362015-03-15T16:31:00.002+00:002015-03-15T16:31:24.039+00:00Is Iceland still a democracy?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The Icelandic Government chose to ignore their constitutional duty to get permission and consult with the national Parliament about the letter they sent the Foreign Affairs Minister to deliver on a secret mission to: Dear Edgars and Dear Commissioner Hahn about ending Iceland's EU bid. The thing is that the EU bid is based on a parliamentary resolution and the only way to cancel the resolution is to bring forward a new one and get it adopted via the parliament.<br />
<br />
In order to clarify this attempt to bypass our democratic rule, the minority parties in the Icelandic parliament created a new letter explaining that the Government can't do this unless a new form of governance is now the rule in Iceland, and as far as I am concerned we are still a democracy, not a dictatorship.<br />
<br />
Here is the letter we sent to Edgars and Hahn:<br />
<br />
<div class="p1">
"The Government of 2009-2013 lodged an application to join the EU on the basis of a mandate given by the Althingi in a resolution of 16 July 2009, with the support of MPs from all political parties.</div>
<div class="p1">
The accession process was slowed down two months before the elections in April 2013. The current Government then “paused” the accession process when it took office in May 2013 and stated that the process would not continue unless the people would decide so in a referendum. No such referendum has been held. The Government presented a proposal for a resolution mandating the withdrawal of the application to the Althingi in February 2014. In spite of its strong parliamentary majority, the Government could not get the proposal passed in the face of widespread public opposition and calls by more than 20% of the population for a referendum to be held. The proposal was debated in first reading, but not passed to second reading by the Foreign Affairs Committee.</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
As a result, the only mandate approved by the Althingi on the application remains the original mandate to apply for membership from 16 July 2009. The legal authority behind the application is therefore unchanged.</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
The letter by Foreign Minister Sveinsson of 12 March 2015 describing “the firm position of the Government that Iceland should not be regarded as a candidate country for EU membership“ has not been discussed with the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Althingi, as is required by law for major foreign policy decisions. The letter has been kept secret from the public and not debated in the Icelandic Parliament. Therefore it cannot be considered to change the existing position of the Althingi from 16 July 2009 and can only be considered to be a description of the political position of the current government.</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="p1">
The parties of the opposition have different views regarding membership of the EU. However all four parties agree that the letter in question cannot change the status of Iceland vis-à-vis the EU in line with the long-standing principles of the European legal order respecting the primacy of formal Parliament resolutions over simple government statements and that it is only for the Althingi to decide to change that status."</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
So please ignore the embarrassment of the Icelandic ruling parties, they know what they are doing, but it still doesn't mean it is legal nor that is has any form of meaning except as a way to please a handful of powerful people within their own parties. </div>
<div class="p1">
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Majority of the Icelandic people want to have a national referendum on if we should finish the bid so that when the vote for joining the EU or not will be executed, the YES or NO will be based on facts not speculations and those facts are not available unless the bidding process with its negotiations is over. </div>
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Birgitta Jónsdóttirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07583983813010318112noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982607.post-43086978173591161932015-02-17T15:38:00.002+00:002015-02-17T15:39:05.747+00:00Parliamentary Resolution On Condemning Torture by the CIA post 911<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="s1">This is for the </span>courageous whistleblower <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Kiriakou" target="_blank">John Kiriakou</a></b>.<b> </b><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">He</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"> was the first </span><a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._government" style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #0b0080; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; text-decoration: none;" title="U.S. government">U.S. government</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"> official to confirm in December 2007 that </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waterboarding" style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #0b0080; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; text-decoration: none;" title="Waterboarding">waterboarding</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"> was used to interrogate Al Qaeda prisoners, which he described as </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torture" style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #0b0080; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; text-decoration: none;" title="Torture">torture</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"> On October 22, 2012, Kiriakou pleaded guilty to disclosing </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classified_information" style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #0b0080; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; text-decoration: none;" title="Classified information">classified information</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"> about a fellow CIA officer that connected the </span><a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Covert_operative" style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #0b0080; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; text-decoration: none;" title="Covert operative">covert operative</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"> to a specific operation. He was the first person to pass classified information to a reporter, although the reporter did not publish the name of the operative.</span><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-6" style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Kiriakou#cite_note-6" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;">[6]</a></sup><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"> He was sentenced to 30 months in prison on January 25, 2013, and served his term from February 28, 2013 until 3 February 2015 at the low-security Federal correctional facility in </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loretto,_Pennsylvania" style="background: none rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #0b0080; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; text-decoration: none;" title="Loretto, Pennsylvania">Loretto, Pennsylvania</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">.</span><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-7" style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: -webkit-isolate;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Kiriakou#cite_note-7" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none; white-space: nowrap;">[7]</a></sup></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">14 members of the Icelandic Parliament out of 63 from all the minority parties joined me in co-sponsoring a proposal on condemning the horrendous torture conducted by the CIA post 911. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I will speak for this proposal in the Icelandic Parliament today:</span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Proposal for a Parliamentary Resolution</b></span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On condemning torture carried out by the <i>Central Intelligence Agency</i> of the United States</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sponsors.: <i>Birgitta Jónsdóttir, Katrín Jakobsdóttir, Árni Páll Árnason, Óttarr Proppé, Helgi Hrafn Gunnarsson, Össur Skarphéðinsson, Ögmundur Jónasson, Sigríður Ingibjörg Ingadóttir, Katrín Júlíusdóttir, Jón Þór Ólafsson, Brynhildur Pétursdóttir, Steinunn Þóra Árnadóttir, </i><i>Bjarkey Olsen Gunnarsdóttir, Róbert Marshall.</i></span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Alþingi condemns the harsh torture the <i>Central Intelligence Agency</i> of the United States has conducted as well as the US authorities for allowing it since the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Explanatory memorandum:</i></span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The United States' Senate recently published a report which exposes the brutal torture carried out under the authority of the CIA, of people who were detained in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. In the report the brutal treatment of people of all ages, male and female, of various nationalities, is described. For instance, it is described how detainees were kept awake, up to a full week, sometimes in a standing position, sometimes with their arms chained above their head. Some detainees were given rectal rehydration, without medical necessity. This was carried out with excessive force, which in one instance lead to anal fissures, chronic haemorrhoids and symptomatic rectal prolapse. One detainee, Majid Khan, was administered an enema consisting of hummus, pasta with sauce, nuts and raisins which was pureed and force fed rectally. Gul Rahman was kept awake for two whole days. He was subjected to auditory overload in total darkness and isolation, made to endure cold showers and chained to a wall in a position that forced him to lie on the cold floor. Clothes had been taken away from him as punishment for being uncooperative and he only had a sweater on, naked below the waist. Due to this inhumane treatment, Gul Rahman died from hypothermia. Two detainees with broken legs, one with a sprained ankle and one with a prosthetic leg were chained in a standing position and kept awake until medical professionals concluded that they could no longer be kept standing. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Torture is among the most serious crimes and has been so defined by the international community and in international law. In the UN's International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which both Iceland and the United States are signatories to, it says in Article 7 that "[n]o one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment." Iceland and the United States are bound by the Covenant according to which torture is absolutely inexcusable in whatever circumstance and the international community has a great responsibility to prevent torture and to bring those to justice who are guilty of such crimes. </span></div>
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<span class="s1" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The sponsors of this proposal consider it a matter of great urgency that this brutal treatment of people described in the report referred to above, is condemned around the world and call for Alþingi to react quickly to condemn these atrocities, formally and publicly. Alþingi has, in the 135th parliamentary session, condemned human rights violations and inhumane treatment of detainees in the US prison camp in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba (see case 107 from tat parliamentary session 135). With this resolution it is proposed that such a condemnation be reiterated in light of new information that has come to light with the publication of the recent Senate report. </span></div>
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Birgitta Jónsdóttirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07583983813010318112noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982607.post-84149518874594108942015-01-12T13:22:00.001+00:002015-02-17T17:03:46.268+00:00Democracy in the digital era<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
From my editorial at the New Internationalist <a href="http://newint.org/features/2015/01/01/democracy-digital-era-keynote/#sthash.QMZSz00U.cmfs">Democracy in the digital era</a><br />
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Legal hacking</h2>
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Prior to entering parliament, I had two main objectives. One: to involve the public in reshaping Iceland’s legal framework, through national referendums; through co-creation of a new constitution; and through making strong legal foundations for a new system.</div>
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Two: to transform Iceland into a safe haven for freedom of information, expression and transparency, with a strong focus on privacy as a cornerstone of democracy.</div>
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The information society has little to offer if the ways of communicating information relevant to the public are constantly under attack</div>
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Once elected, I went inside the system, to the heart of it, the legislative assembly, like a hacker, analysing its strengths and weaknesses.</div>
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My conclusion is that the rule of law is an illusion: the rules we vote on do not apply to all, and thus there is no rule of law. Laws should be considered universal and the same rule of law should apply to all, not only the 99%.</div>
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I now see most of our democracies as one dictatorship with 100 talking-heads on the neck of a corporate monster.</div>
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Looking at different models for how to humanize and modernize how we run our societies, I have come to the conclusion that there is currently no one model that fits all.</div>
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We need to experiment and study what works for each type of society, depending on the cultural backdrop of each.</div>
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Some amazing experiments are now being implemented with success little known to the world at large.</div>
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The first seeds of awareness were spread by Buckminster Fuller in his book <em style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">No More Secondhand God</em>, where he talked about direct democracy and telephonic voting as early as 1940. At last, we are at a stage where the technology for direct access to power is simple enough that citizens can start using it to form opinion and enforce political change in a genuine grassroots, bottom-up way.</div>
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New types of citizen engagement platforms are being created and used to form policy and participate in direct democracy, such as the Pirate Party Liquid Feedback<a href="http://newint.org/features/2015/01/01/democracy-digital-era-keynote/#footnote-4" id="footnote-4-ref" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.5s linear; border: 0px; color: #a03c3c; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.5s linear; vertical-align: baseline;" title="link to footnote"><sup style="line-height: 0;">4</sup></a>, Your Priorities<a href="http://newint.org/features/2015/01/01/democracy-digital-era-keynote/#footnote-5" id="footnote-5-ref" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.5s linear; border: 0px; color: #a03c3c; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.5s linear; vertical-align: baseline;" title="link to footnote"><sup style="line-height: 0;">5</sup></a>, DemocracyOS<a href="http://newint.org/features/2015/01/01/democracy-digital-era-keynote/#footnote-6" id="footnote-6-ref" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.5s linear; border: 0px; color: #a03c3c; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.5s linear; vertical-align: baseline;" title="link to footnote"><sup style="line-height: 0;">6</sup></a> and WeGov<a href="http://newint.org/features/2015/01/01/democracy-digital-era-keynote/#footnote-7" id="footnote-7-ref" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.5s linear; border: 0px; color: #a03c3c; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.5s linear; vertical-align: baseline;" title="link to footnote"><sup style="line-height: 0;">7</sup></a>. There is resistance from those who control the current system but I believe it will be futile because people are creating a shadow form of governance, or rather self-governance. This is happening on the fringes still, but it is moving towards the centre at a steady speed.</div>
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We need more studies to see the pros and cons of active voting systems and liquid democracy models, with delegates rather than representatives, for example.</div>
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We need to do the opposite of what Russell Brand is advocating, we need to use our votes. Even if we don’t want to engage with the current broken system, we should not use that as an excuse for apathy. We should see it as an encouragement to engage in creating our own alternatives, our new co-created systems; to be creative about it and to connect. Connectivity is the key to a rapid change; but information in itself is meaningless if we don’t know how to decode it into wisdom.</div>
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- See more at: http://newint.org/features/2015/01/01/democracy-digital-era-keynote/#sthash.QMZSz00U.dpuf</div>
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Birgitta Jónsdóttirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07583983813010318112noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982607.post-86356808400145380852014-12-17T18:36:00.003+00:002014-12-17T23:40:32.960+00:00Thank you Chelsea for changing the world<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Today is the birthday of Chelsea Manning, she has a special place in my heart. She got a 35 years in prison for blowing the whistle on war crimes all over the world. She has already served 4 years in a military prison. She was tortured while waiting for trial. Despite all the wrongdoings that have been imposed on her, she is so strong and so incredibly compassionate in her clarity and wisdom for the reasons why she felt she had to blow the whistle. Please urge Obama to pardon her. No one has been held accountable for the crimes she exposed, the murders and the tortures but her, the whirlwind in the coalmine.<br />
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I will show this video tonight to honor her courage at a local theater: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rXPrfnU3G0">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rXPrfnU3G0</a><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-03V7UFcId0g/VJISgObp_MI/AAAAAAAADTg/HN7R1YLRXr0/s1600/1000049_579403402103770_1372143657_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-03V7UFcId0g/VJISgObp_MI/AAAAAAAADTg/HN7R1YLRXr0/s1600/1000049_579403402103770_1372143657_n.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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If you want to support her, here is what she wishes for her birthday: <a href="http://www.chelseamanning.org/press/what-does-chelsea-want-for-her-birthday-this-week">http://www.chelseamanning.org/press/what-does-chelsea-want-for-her-birthday-this-week</a><br />
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and here is small token of gratitude from me to her, a letter i sent via the Amnesty International website, they promise to deliver the letters so go ahead, send her a little message of love and support:<br />
<a href="http://www.amnesty.org.uk/blogs/ether/send-birthday-message-chelsea-manning?utm_source=TWITTER&utm_medium=Social&utm_content=20141217174327&utm_campaign=Freedom_of_expression&linkId=11209083">http://www.amnesty.org.uk/blogs/ether/send-birthday-message-chelsea-manning?utm_source=TWITTER&utm_medium=Social&utm_content=20141217174327&utm_campaign=Freedom_of_expression&linkId=11209083</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz7Z2YG8EAwvpRzbuaDyn8Las48zkocWAUcoceQcL4Ft95kH_RTedvfN81mTA6plnAHLA3LsM4pDkvk79ArH23lzJh6kNsTYfeLwcKHkBFgyeuRUaoZaiqqajO9k9-cx33YPCbGw/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-10-13+at+7.21.49+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz7Z2YG8EAwvpRzbuaDyn8Las48zkocWAUcoceQcL4Ft95kH_RTedvfN81mTA6plnAHLA3LsM4pDkvk79ArH23lzJh6kNsTYfeLwcKHkBFgyeuRUaoZaiqqajO9k9-cx33YPCbGw/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-10-13+at+7.21.49+AM.png" height="202" width="400" /></a></div>
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Dear Chelsea, there has not been a single day that has passed since I heard of your arrest that you have not been in my mind and heart. When i chose to co-produce the video that changed the world forever that you leaked to WikiLeaks, i knew my life would never be the same, but i did it, because people needed to see the true horror of war, and because i knew whomever the source was, (later I found out that it was you, you brave soul) that person put her live in great danger in order to tell the world about the crimes done in our names. I know you are strong, I will never forget you, and i hope someday that i will get permission to visit you in the prison. You are a beacon of hope in these times of changes, your courage has inspired so many, and you are a catalyst of transformation.<br />
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with rebellious joy<br />
Birgitta Jonsdottir - poetician<br />
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here is a poem i wrote for you about you for you<br />
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Internal external crisis<br />
cause deep earthquakes<br />
pangs of awareness<br />
penetrate<br />
as for one perfect moment<br />
the looking glass is clear<br />
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Sounds of screaming silence<br />
when perspectives change<br />
rushing in stillness<br />
intent<br />
to change<br />
everything<br />
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Blinding light<br />
awful truth<br />
exposed<br />
everything is changing<br />
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Hiding is over<br />
only option left<br />
to share<br />
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No glory is requested<br />
humble justice<br />
perhaps<br />
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Power is naked<br />
for one moment in time<br />
echoes through history<br />
people saw<br />
registered<br />
everything has changed<br />
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Her voice is everywhere<br />
in the truth she exposed<br />
perverted justice<br />
to lock her in a cell<br />
in a body<br />
for exposing<br />
what's in plain sight<br />
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Birgitta Jónsdóttirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07583983813010318112noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982607.post-64950015833681840682014-10-14T20:16:00.002+00:002014-10-14T20:21:52.039+00:00Dear IPU lets not become some sort of Geopolitical Eurovision<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
My speech from the #IPU131 general assembly<br />
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Dear fellow members of IPU</div>
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I am proud to report that Iceland is still among the top nations in regard to gender equality according to various global indexes and reports. Iceland continues to be at the top of the overall rankings in The Global Gender Gap Index for the fifth consecutive year.</div>
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Iceland has made an effort to share its trials and errors in how to reach such an achievement for it has of course not always been the reality for women to be at equal footing with their male fellows in my country.</div>
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There is still un-equality in some areas and not so equal opportunities for high level responsibilities and it is still hard to juggle a career and family and of course there is always space for improvement.</div>
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Our world is becoming more complex and out of control every day. At times like these strong and healthy communities based on the values and structures of democracies are perhaps the best antidote to the slide towards totalitarianism and corpocracies. There is a growing distrust in representatives and the systems we have built around the people we serve, locally and globally. I was reading a thought provoking article titled “What's gone wrong with Democracy in the Economist recently, it analyzes why democracy as a form of running states is on the decline and I feel it is of uttermost importance that we here at the IPU address this without delay and find solutions we can all agree on and start of the course of implementing them. In this regard it's also important to acknowledge that there is not a formula of one size fits all for democracy. We need however to have a close look at the architecture of our political systems. Some of democracy’s most cherished institutions look outdated.</div>
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The main conclusions in the Economist are as follows:</div>
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More transparency,</div>
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More accountability,</div>
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No more promises to voters we know we can't keep.</div>
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More efficiency in how we run our establishments, specially our parliaments.</div>
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No more large corporate donors in the shadows</div>
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No more revolving doors</div>
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More distribution of power and space for experimentation for example use technology to implement a modern version of town-hall meetings to promote civic involvement and innovation.</div>
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Implement ways for technocracy and direct democracy to balance each other so democracy won't end up again in the hand of special-interest groups.</div>
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We all know that Democracy simply means the rule of the people. We are at cross roads in how to upgrade our systems for they have become too complex and inflexible. Too many people feel that they are no longer served by it despite taking part by paying their due through taxes and other forms of participation. Let us not forget that everyone of us here today are here because people from our communities pay taxes and have chosen us to look after their interests.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW5Z0CP_-Id5I5qEVyjLGztUd0SH_FHD9ewR-Qu0qv3A8rNyjZDE3HIM5__WA8wJi_KpR8F1rvKIJ59UrhqfIgNub1aZl3C-eID_LOYX0L7uBgTsz2cyHvpwbn3-KSY3c_sWWXbg/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW5Z0CP_-Id5I5qEVyjLGztUd0SH_FHD9ewR-Qu0qv3A8rNyjZDE3HIM5__WA8wJi_KpR8F1rvKIJ59UrhqfIgNub1aZl3C-eID_LOYX0L7uBgTsz2cyHvpwbn3-KSY3c_sWWXbg/s1600/photo.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
Dear esteemed colleges I want to urge you to make sure that we put to rest the persistent rumours that the IPU is useless and that we are not achieving anything by making real effort to show real results. Lets go beyond being an assembly of resolutions that never get implemented. And please lets not become some sort of Eurovision where geopolitics overshadow the common good we can do together no matter where we come from.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Finally I want to urge the IPU to accept as observers all the stateless states, from Somalialand, to Kurdistan, to the Tibetan government in Exile, to the Republic of West Papua and Azawad and all the rest. What is the harm in allowing us to learn from each other directly about the state of the state and the statelessness?</b></div>
</div>
Birgitta Jónsdóttirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07583983813010318112noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982607.post-48449545141872831612014-09-10T17:37:00.000+00:002014-10-14T20:19:06.349+00:00Take action - or it will be dial up again for majority of ppl on earth<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://bigtelecomvstheworld.org/"><img alt="BigTelecomVsTheWorld" height="120" src="https://openmedia.org/sites/default/files/BTvsTW_bannerM.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Birgitta Jónsdóttirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07583983813010318112noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982607.post-15768158431949406392014-02-03T11:05:00.000+00:002014-02-03T12:08:34.883+00:00Nobel Peace Prize nomination for Manning & Snowden 2014<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEispQFuFot0i5lky8YKr4XZM8TzN0a-Tpon_zBnhEcQ1vilTQCDXcKXeAmyQ88k8dsvaRhr7k4nce0kMjUXy-6JxfpzC0bWNRIz3ZClyAbZzYBQULfPM5Y_nOUFgYz0XVD7HraU3Q/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-01-31+at+15.58.26.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEispQFuFot0i5lky8YKr4XZM8TzN0a-Tpon_zBnhEcQ1vilTQCDXcKXeAmyQ88k8dsvaRhr7k4nce0kMjUXy-6JxfpzC0bWNRIz3ZClyAbZzYBQULfPM5Y_nOUFgYz0XVD7HraU3Q/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-01-31+at+15.58.26.png" height="128" width="400" /></a></div>
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Dear Nomination Committee of the Nobel Peace Prize,</div>
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</div>
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We wish to nominate two outstanding candidates for the Nobel Peace Prize of 2014. It is our firm belief that Chelsea Manning and Edward Snowden have achieved and exceeded all the qualifications required to be worthy laureates of the Nobel Peace Prize.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1zE6WDbFbB8/UuvJwtvV56I/AAAAAAAADNE/Yi--lyfSHiM/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-01-31+at+16.03.08.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1zE6WDbFbB8/UuvJwtvV56I/AAAAAAAADNE/Yi--lyfSHiM/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-01-31+at+16.03.08.png" height="178" width="320" /></a></div>
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The nominees are both whistleblowers who have inspired change and encouraged public debate and policy changes that contributed to a more stable and peaceful world.</div>
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Chelsea Elizabeth Manning (born Bradley Edward Manning, December 17, 1987) is a soldier in the United States army who was sentenced to 35 years in a military prison in 2013 for releasing hundreds of thousands of documents to the whistleblower website WikiLeaks. The leaked documents pointed to a long history of corruption, serious war crimes, and a lack of respect for the sovereignty of other democratic nations by the United States government in international dealings.</div>
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These revelations have fueled democratic uprisings around the world, including a democratic revolution in Tunisia. According to journalistic, academic, and intellectual scrutiny her actions helped motivate the democratic Arab Spring movements, shed light on secret corporate influence on foreign and domestic policies of European nations, and, also contributed to the Obama Administration's agreement to withdraw all U.S.troops from occupied Iraq.</div>
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The profound information that was revealed by this courageous whistleblower helped to foster public dialogue on the legitimacy, suitability, and relevancy of the military interventions carried out by US troops both Iraq and Afghanistan. The release of these documents led directly to calls demanding the full withdrawal of the military forces from these countries, as well as investigating committees on the treatment of detainees in the Guantanamo Bay detention camp.</div>
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The documents and information should never have been kept from public scrutiny, and the very fact that embedded journalists minimized or omitted facts in the field exacerbated the corruption of the information flow. The revelations - including video documentation of an incident in which American soldiers gunned down Reuters journalists in Iraq - have fueled a worldwide discussion about the overseas military engagements of the United States, civilian casualties of war and the rules of engagement. Citizens worldwide owe a great debt to the WikiLeaks whistleblower for shedding light on these issues.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1G3Rwr8RzvhdOYz2KqnXMaaWkmwuF4Hbxt6uXG8BeuD377r1Dxs170KR2NrYcukffXmMGBtkSfojgyYFYEjKCaNeTxZME-QHUInQD512QVIIWAmeLgy_JAGrLD0vBn2d68k65pA/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-01-31+at+16.03.59.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1G3Rwr8RzvhdOYz2KqnXMaaWkmwuF4Hbxt6uXG8BeuD377r1Dxs170KR2NrYcukffXmMGBtkSfojgyYFYEjKCaNeTxZME-QHUInQD512QVIIWAmeLgy_JAGrLD0vBn2d68k65pA/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-01-31+at+16.03.59.png" height="272" width="400" /></a></div>
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Edward Joseph Snowden (born June 21, 1983) is an American computer specialist, a former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) employee, and former National Security Agency (NSA) contractor who disclosed top secret NSA documents to several media outlets, initiating the NSA leaks, which reveal operational details of a global surveillance apparatus run by the NSA and other members of the Five Eyes alliance, along with numerous corporate and international partners.</div>
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</div>
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He has, with great risk to his personal well-being and future, revealed the horrific scope of the global espionage network of the Anglo-American spy agencies. By releasing documents regarding the activities of clandestine agencies he has not only unveiled the global scale of mass surveillance which endanger a wide array of civil liberties (cornerstones of our liberties such as free speech and the right to privacy) but, he has also given the people of the world the necessary tools to counter the ever invasive path towards mass surveillance. Blatant violations to even the very basic human rights have been institutionalized by US government agencies while privacy has been classified in ALL the major international human rights charters and declarations.</div>
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The debate on mass surveillance cannot take place without the disclosure of the basic structures and methods of the corresponding secret spy programs. Citizens, researchers and politicians need insight into these methods to be able to weigh the social consequences and the possible resulting damage to the global society. Mass surveillance erodes the fundamentals of modern democracies; making local laws to protect privacy meaningless within it's global scope. Snowden has shown us that journalists can no longer protect their sources, lawyers can't protect their clients and doctors can't protect their patients information. The concept of privacy has been redefined to complete exposure into no privacy. His actions have shown the rest of the world and its policy makers that joint global action needs to take place in order to reinstate constitutional rights of privacy for citizens which is completely essential to healthy democracies. </div>
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By leaking the documents to investigative journalists from independent media, Snowden has managed to carefully consider the balance between public interest and national security. By revising the source documents, he and his supporters avoided leaking highly sensitive information that might have put currently running operations and the people involved into danger.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XT3z9xEM288/UuvIvkBBJ0I/AAAAAAAADM0/DfyKaJWmr5M/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-01-31+at+15.57.43.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XT3z9xEM288/UuvIvkBBJ0I/AAAAAAAADM0/DfyKaJWmr5M/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-01-31+at+15.57.43.png" height="320" width="238" /></a></div>
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Some might argue that Snowden acted against the law, however, mass secret surveillance is illegitimate as it undermines the sovereignty of the people over the state apparatus. It is very well known that at times of universal deceit just telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act. When the state is acting outside the rule of law it is up to the citizens to report on such unlawfulness for the greater good of its peoples and principles for sustainability of the future. Snowden and Manning courageously acted and as a result we have a more stable and peaceful world and far more of a possibility to develop/enact true democratic models.</div>
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We are nominating Manning and Snowden together because the courage of Manning inspired Snowden and both of them have inspired thousands of people all over the world to speak truth to power and demand transparency and accountability in their own societies. </div>
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Signatories:</div>
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Amelia Andersdotter, Pirate Party Sweden, Member of European Parliament </div>
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Birgitta Jónsdóttir, Party Chairperson for the Pirate Party Iceland, Member of Icelandic Parliament</div>
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Christian Engström, Pirate Party Sweden, Member of European Parliament</div>
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Helgi Hrafn Gunnarsson, Pirate Party Iceland, Member of Icelandic Parliament</div>
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Jón Þór Ólafsson, Pirate Party Iceland, Member of Icelandic Parliament</div>
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<br /></div>
</div>
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Birgitta Jónsdóttirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07583983813010318112noreply@blogger.com91tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982607.post-46459339840013923542013-11-13T07:35:00.000+00:002013-11-13T07:39:45.109+00:00What is the GRPO?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<pre style="border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); font-size: 15px; line-height: 15px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 10px; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap; width: 550px;">A journalist friend of mine is trying to get some answers from the Icelandic police in relation to a stated liaison between GRPO and the Iceland police. The USA embassy claims it doesnt know that the GRPO is (lol) and I want to ask the Icelandic police about this liaison at a meeting in the parliament. Would be very useful to know what this stands for. Cant find anything useful online, so forget about google. We need your help, if you know how to decode this.</pre>
<pre style="border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); font-size: 15px; line-height: 15px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 10px; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap; width: 550px;"><a href="http://wikileaks.org/cable/2009/02/09REYKJAVIK41.html#parD" id="parD" style="color: #6a9ca8; text-decoration: none;">¶</a>D. (S/NF) Iceland does not have an intelligence service.
The National Security Unit (NSU) within the National
Commissioner's Office handles threat information analysis.
The NSU is comprised of three individuals. The NSU is too
small to undertake any type of intelligence gathering role
and responds to threats as they arise, such as threats
against Icelandic officials, demonstrations/protests, and
"extremist" groups. The NSU is not a tradecraft or covert
group. There are no terrorism-related examples, but the
NSU's investigative and analytical capabilities have been
demonstrated through operations in varying fields of law
enforcement such as organized crime (OC), counterintelligence
(CI), and counter-narcotics (CN). GRPO maintains liaison
with the NSU.
<a href="http://wikileaks.org/cable/2009/02/09REYKJAVIK41.html#parE" id="parE" style="color: #6a9ca8; text-decoration: none;">¶</a>E. (SBU) Law enforcement agencies, including the NSU, have
been very cooperative with US Embassy requests for
information and support.
</pre>
<pre style="border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); font-size: 15px; line-height: 15px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 10px; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap; width: 550px;">Random Cables where the GRPO is mentioned to get some context:
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“Two separate GRPO sources, one highly credible, have alleged that Patiño obtained and managed Venezuelan funds for Correa’s campaign. An uncorroborated report from a GRPO source indicated that Patiño also solicited funds from the FARC for Correa’s campaign,” the cable reads.</div>
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</div>
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„On December 15-16, 2009, Treasury Department </div>
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Acting Assistant Secretary of the Office of Intelligence and </div>
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Analysis Howard Mendelsohn, along with GRPO officers and Treasury </div>
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analysts, met with senior officials from the UAE's State Security </div>
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Department (SSD) and Dubai's General Department of State Security </div>
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(GDSS) to discuss suspected Taliban-related financial activity in </div>
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the UAE. Prior to these meetings, GRPO and Treasury passed to SSD </div>
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and GDSS detailed information on the financing of the Taliban and </div>
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other terrorist and extremist groups based in Afghanistan and </div>
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Pakistan.“</div>
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</div>
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„During the course of the two multi-hour intelligence </div>
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exchange sessions, GRPO and Treasury analysts walked through the </div>
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previously shared information suggesting that Taliban-related </div>
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finance officials have visited the UAE in order to raise or move </div>
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funds.“</div>
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</div>
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„GRPO and Treasury analysts also shared </div>
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names and phone numbers of multiple Taliban and Haqqani associates </div>
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known either to reside in or travel to the UAE.“</div>
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</div>
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„UAE security services were not familiar with the names of specific UAE-based LT members shared by GRPO and Treasury, but promised to follow up on </div>
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the information.“</div>
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</div>
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„On 06 November 2007, ARSOI coordinated </div>
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with GRPO and scheduled a follow up interview of Subject </div>
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detailed in RefTel who claimed to have information about the </div>
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sale of uranium. ARSOI began the interview and subsequently </div>
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introduced the Subject to GRPO to answer detailed questions </div>
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sent from GRPO headquarters. GRPO will send detailed results </div>
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of the interview via SepTel.“</div>
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</div>
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„RSO and GRPO will continue coordinating efforts </div>
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and wait for GRPO headquarters to determine if the </div>
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information obtained during the interview merits additional </div>
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contact with the Subject.“</div>
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</div>
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„This National HUMINT Collection Directive (NHCD) is compliant with the National Intelligence Priorities Framework (NIPF), which was established in response to NSPD-26 of February 24, 2003. If needed, GRPO can provide further background on the NIPF and the use of NIPF abbreviations (shown in parentheses following each sub-issue below) in NHCDs.“</div>
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„Military and Security Issues 1) Critical Infrastructure Protection (INFR-4) 2) Military Structure and Capabilities (FMCC-4) 3) GRPO can provide text of this issue. 4) Health and Medical Developments (HLTH-4)“</div>
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„There are opportunities in the area of security cooperation, too. For starters, we know that Tunisia could be doing a better job in sharing intelligence with us about</div>
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</div>
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TUNIS 00000492 005 OF 005</div>
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</div>
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the threat of terrorism in North Africa. This was all too clear when, yet again, the GOT failed recently to share information with us in a timely fashion on a reported plot against US military personnel. GRPO has been taking steps to increase cooperation through liaison channels; while there has been progress, more is possible.“</div>
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„Tunisian cooperation in the intelligence arena has been uneven. On the positive side, we have some successful programs being run through GRPO. We also have good intelligence sharing on Tunisians who are outside the country. On the negative side, however, intelligence sharing on the threat inside Tunisia is thin, although it has improved somewhat in recent months. The improvements are probably in response to a commitment made by President Ben Ali to A/S Welch in February to cooperate on counterterrorism "without reservation."“</div>
</pre>
</div>
Birgitta Jónsdóttirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07583983813010318112noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982607.post-20486656719083373592013-07-05T15:36:00.000+00:002013-07-05T15:36:40.885+00:00Snowden will not get citizenship in Iceland :(<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I have been waiting for some time to
get an official request from Edward Snowden in regard for application for Icelandic
citizenship. Yesterday the request came, and me and members of 4
parties in the Icelandic parliament put forward a bill urging the
parliament to process his request.
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
It is important to put current political situation in Iceland into perspective. We had election April 27<sup>th</sup>
this year. After elections we always have summer parliament session.
The newly elected government is very different from the last
government that was elected in the wake of the financial collapse.
This new government intentions is to bring us back to the same form of
governing as we had before and lead us to the 3<sup>rd</sup> largest
financial collapse in the history of the world. Non of the wisdom nor the attempts for democratic
reform and more open society we gained just after the collapse will
stick under the reign of this new governing.
</div>
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</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Yesterday was the last day of summer
parliament and thus utterly critical that we would be allowed to speak
for the Snowden citizenship bill in order to move it to the General
committee in order to be able to start fact gathering on behalf of
the parliament so we could move this bill forward despite the parliament
not being in session. The new speaker of the house denied our request
to put the bill on the agenda yesterday. I put forward a motion for
the parliament to vote for it to be spoken for. The entire
majority said NO to this process, except for 5 who said neither yes
or no. The entire minority supported the motion but that was not
enough.
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<br />
</div>
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So it is with great grief I have to
announce that Snowden will not be getting any form of shelter in
Iceland because the current government doesnt even have enough spine
for the parliament to discuss Snowden´s request. The parliament wont
be coming together again until the 10<sup>th</sup> of September.
</div>
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I hope we have set an example for other
parliaments that remain is session this summer or gather sooner then
ours to give Snowden citizenship for he has been made stateless by
his own government for blowing the whistle on grave human rights
violations by his and other governments against all of humanity. I am
thankful towards the minority parties in Iceland for supporting the Pirate
Party and of course Snowden in this attempt to help him. I and many others regard him as a
hero and have deep respect for him for he has taken
great personal risk in order to inform the rest of us about how those
in power have lost control of their powerlust and violated their own
constitutions against their own citizens. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Mr Snowden your courage has
been noted and there are millions of people from all backgrounds who
honor the risks you have taken for us and we will stand tall with you. </div>
</div>
Birgitta Jónsdóttirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07583983813010318112noreply@blogger.com42tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982607.post-36325119068783804812013-07-04T22:22:00.000+00:002013-07-04T22:24:03.519+00:00Will Snowden get Icelandic Citizenship any time soon?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Today all the members of the Icelandic
Pirate Party and members from 3 other parties, including party chair
of the Social Democrats and former Interior Minister put forward in
the Icelandic Parliament a bill to urge the parliament to grant
Edward J. Snowden citizenship. The parliament has finally received a
request for citizenship from Mr Snowden and many of the
parliamentarians believe it is their duty to offer Mr Snowden shelter
for his USA passport has been stripped from him and has been left
de-facto stateless by his own government. The parliamentarians and
many Icelanders share the same concerns as Amnesty International that
if extradited to the USA Mr Snowden could be at risk of ill-treatment
and possibly a subject of torture. No one should be charged for
disclosing information of human rights violations. Such disclosures
are protected under the rights to information and freedom of
expression. The current governmental parties did not have the guts to
co-sponsor the bill, however they still have time to change their
minds, since the parliament is heading into recess. The reason for
the delay in putting forward the bill is that the parliament had not
received a formal request from Snowden until today. It is impossible
to predict if Snowden will be granted citizenship, this is more of a
statement for the time being and an encouragement to the governmental
parties to stand tall for human rights and by those that call upon
our doors while faced with grave danger.</div>
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The following parties and members of
parliament sponsored the bill of granting Snowden citizenship.</div>
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The Pirate Party, Birgitta Jónsdóttir,
Party Group Chair, Helgi Hrafn Gunnarsson, Jón Þór Ólafsson</div>
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The Left Greens, Ögmundur Jónasson,
Interior Minister 2012 - 2013</div>
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Social Democrats, Helgi Hjörvar, Party
Group Chair</div>
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Bright Future, Páll Valur Björnsson<br />
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Statement form Snowden the sponsors of the bill received tonight<br />
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July 4th 2013</div>
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To: The Icelandic Parliament</div>
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I want to extend my gratitude to the Icelandic parliament for</div>
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considering my request for Icelandic citizenship. I have been</div>
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left defacto-stateless by my own government after communicating with</div>
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the public. I appreciate that Iceland, a small but significant country</div>
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in the world community, shows such courage and commitment to its higher</div>
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laws and ideals. I am heartened to feel the support of the Icelandic</div>
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people whom I know have a long history of standing firm, even under</div>
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threats of aggression, when basic principles are at stake.</div>
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Edward Joseph Snowden</div>
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Birgitta Jónsdóttirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07583983813010318112noreply@blogger.com138tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982607.post-63660416480568421902013-06-24T20:57:00.001+00:002013-06-24T20:57:21.098+00:00Is it an option for Edward Snowden to seek shelter in Iceland?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWXO3vrdnYP8EK7jz5oGVsikM9em3jGa2n12LQZsYuVbvRow191c3xc1Qo_wROUdgGTJtpnZPU8wjFCMdetKBlhvh7ggHuxjmXZVSU0VdntH6BMZt55cxZBpaHu13tWmcdgOf4Xg/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-06-24+at+4.55.40+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWXO3vrdnYP8EK7jz5oGVsikM9em3jGa2n12LQZsYuVbvRow191c3xc1Qo_wROUdgGTJtpnZPU8wjFCMdetKBlhvh7ggHuxjmXZVSU0VdntH6BMZt55cxZBpaHu13tWmcdgOf4Xg/s400/Screen+Shot+2013-06-24+at+4.55.40+PM.png" width="400" /></a><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">When it was brought to my attention that Edward Snowden was looking to Iceland for political asylum, I offered to help figure out the legal options for such a request.</span><br /><br />These are my findings: Snowden should not come to Iceland unless he will request and be granted citizenship by the Icelandic Parliament. Citizenship is the only legal protection that will shelter him from any demands of extradition to the USA. The ideal situation would be for Snowden to be granted a Icelandic passport as was the case with Bobby Fischer.<br /><br />Seeking political asylum is a process that can take long time, and there are no guarantees granted against extradition while the process is ongoing. However since Snowden faces possible death sentence his case is stronger, for it is illegal to extradite a person who faces death sentence from Iceland. It is important to note that Iceland has a terrible track record when it comes to granting political asylum to people seeking shelter, as it is hardly never granted and thus a too dangerous path to be recommended for Snowden.<br /><br />The new Interior minister, Hanna Birna Kristjánsdóttir, has been very stern in her statements announcing that Snowden will not get any sort of special treatment for the Minister fears that if he will be granted asylum, Iceland might have to show humanitarianism in action by transforming its poor treatment towards asylum seekers who seek shelter in Iceland.<br /><br />I was hoping that the new Prime Minster, Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson, would take the same leadership in this case as a former PM did in the case of Bobby Fischer, for it was a political decision to grant the Chess Master Icelandic citizenship and Icelandic passport while Fischer was in prison in Japan waiting to be extradited to the USA for playing chess in the wrong country. It is still not too late to show such leadership.<br /><br />It is important to note that there has not been any formal requests for asylum from Snowden to the Icelandic government and thus impossible for them to respond with affirmative answer until such a request has been received.<br /><br />I've heard as I am writing this that there are other countries that have offered to shelter this brave whistleblower. Snowden has done service to all of humanity by bringing to the public domain information that truly belongs there. It is ironic that Snowden is to be charged for spying by blowing the whistle on the fact that NSA is spying on everyone with much deeper probing into our personal lives then even Stasi could do. I am sorry that Iceland might not be an option. It would have made me exceptionally proud if it was.<br /><br />The war on whistleblowers needs to stop. I see Manning, Brown, Hammond and so many others as political prisoners of the information revolution. If extradited to the USA, on the charges of espionage, Snowden’s fate might be death sentence. By not sheltering him those who reject to help him might have blood on their hands.<br /><br />With Rebellious Joy<br /><br />Birgitta Jonsdottir<br />Poetician & a member of the Icelandic Parliament for the Pirate Party,<br />Chairperson of the International Modern Media Institution (IMMI)<br /><a href="http://birgitta.is/" rel="nofollow" style="border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">http://birgitta.is</a><br /><a href="http://immi.is/" rel="nofollow" style="border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">http://immi.is</a></div>
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Birgitta Jónsdóttirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07583983813010318112noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982607.post-40048757963333688742013-05-19T09:02:00.000+00:002013-05-19T09:02:08.636+00:00is WhiteWashPost manufacturing consent (content) (again)? #NDAA <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The truth must out, can someone post this exchange between <a href="https://www.facebook.com/tangerine.bolen?directed_target_id=0"><span class="s1">Tangerine Bolen</span></a> and Washington (whitehouse) post on reddit and please do share for it does indeed show like one of the plaintiffs in the NDAA case Chomsky wrote a whole book about, that manufacturing consent (content) has to stop and the only ppl that can stop it are you my friends.</div>
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here is the article Tangerine is referring to: <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/congress-should-clarify-authorization-for-war/2013/05/15/73c3b28c-bd88-11e2-97d4-a479289a31f9_story.html">http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/congress-should-clarify-authorization-for-war/2013/05/15/73c3b28c-bd88-11e2-97d4-a479289a31f9_story.html</a></div>
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Here is the exchange i was referring to: "So, I (Tangerine) emailed the Washington Post this morning about a piece written by their editorial board this week that contains two critical errors. One is this ongoing tendency in the mainstream media to conflate the AUMF and NDAA - simply functioning as the administration's mouthpiece on this front. The other is even worse - a patently false claim that the "substantial support" interpretation has been "backed by the courts". As some of you may know, "substantial support" is one of the primary terms over which we are suing - and over which we WON. The courts had not even addressed "substantial support" prior to our case - much less supported Bush's or Obama's interpretations of this rarely applied or debated term until 2012. </div>
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I thought I would share the exchange I just had with WashPost.</div>
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Here's the piece (which actually proves our point, about the AUMF being too narrow for the government's purposes, which we believe led them to write Section 1021 of the NDAA): http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/congress-should-clarify-authorization-for-war/2013/05/15/73c3b28c-bd88-11e2-97d4-a479289a31f9_story.html</div>
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Here is the email exchange:</div>
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Subject: Serious misstatement of facts regarding AUMF in Editorial Board piece</div>
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Tangerine Bolen </div>
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10:00 AM (2 hours ago)</div>
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to martin.baron </div>
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Mr. Baron,</div>
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I'm a plaintiff in and coordinator for a case against the federal government over the National Defense Authorization Act of 2012. Yesterday I caught a flagrant mistake in a piece by your editorial board regarding the Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF). The piece is here: </div>
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http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/congress-should-clarify-authorization-for-war/2013/05/15/73c3b28c-bd88-11e2-97d4-a479289a31f9_story.html</div>
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This piece has two very serious errors in it. Firstly, the authors conflate the AUMF and NDAA - something that has been an unfortunately common tendency in the media, and a seriously irresponsible one. (I will explain this further in a moment). The second glaring and even more disturbing error is found here:</div>
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"The law authorizes the president to use force against “those nations, organizations, or persons” responsible for the attacks on New York and Washington. The Bush and Obama administrations have been backed by the courts in interpreting that language to allow attacks on the Taliban and al-Qaeda as well as “substantial supporters” and “associated forces.”</div>
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The latter sentence is patently false Mr. Baron. "Substantial support" and "associated forces" were first challenged in court in our court case, Hedges v. Obama. (You can read about it and access all of our court documents here: www.stopNDAA.org). I am co-plaintiffs with former NYT war correspondent Chris Hedges, Dr. Noam Chomsky, Daniel Ellsberg and others. Moreover, the term "substantial support" was first introduced into the law in Section 1021 of the 2012 NDAA - the provision over which we are suing. It has no prior history and certainly has not been "backed by the courts" - not by a long shot.</div>
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In fact, the federal Judge in our case, Katherine Forrest, granted us first a temporary and then a permanent injunction against Section 1021, in part due to undefined language such as "substantial support" and "associated forces". We are currently awaiting the decision of the second-circuit court in Manhattan.</div>
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Throughout our lawsuit, the federal government has tried to claim that the powers of the AUMF and the NDAA are precisely the same. They are not. And a federal judge not only agreed that they are not, she excoriated the US government for its disturbing claims in court, its lack of a defense, and its very clear assault on both the first and fifth amendments with this provision. We were awarded a "facial" ruling - the strongest ruling any judge could have given us. I'm sorry, but this is completely contrary to the claim by your editorial board.</div>
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While the US government clearly appears to need to conflate the powers of the AUMF and NDAA, the AUMF provides for far narrower powers than what has suited their purposes - and the general thrust of your editorial supports that very fact. We have every reason to believe that the AUMF has been historically interpreted as the 2012 NDAA was written - over-broadly, and perhaps illegally, given what powers Congress actually granted the President in 2001. </div>
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This constant conflation in the media of these two laws is egregious. It is supporting the US government's attempt to retroactively legalize and "codify" powers they were never, indeed, granted. Such lack of investigative reporting or simple discernment ensures that the pillars of our mainstream media function as mere mouthpieces to power. It contravenes everything you are supposed to be doing.</div>
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Disagreements over the thrust of that editorial aside (ie, how much power and precisely what kind should the President have to go after "emerging" terror groups), our lawsuit has threatened to expose the potentially illegal application of the AUMF, possibly for a decade. Not only has this fact gone unnoticed by your paper, but now your editorial board has inadvertently supported what I would call a very deliberate and strategic conflation of laws and terms. </div>
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This is not at all ok. Please talk to my attorneys and issue a reprint of that piece with corrections. I would be happy to put you in touch with them, and also to give you a basic rundown of the incredulous things the government has claimed throughout our case (ie, even "war correspondents" can be indefinitely detained and that only advocacy and journalism efforts that are "independent" enough will be safe. "Independent" advocacy and journalism is undefined). I joined this case and organized all of our co-plaintiffs save for Mr. Hedges due to my work with WikiLeaks, as well as my hosting panel discussions and doing interviews with people and groups my government might consider unsavory.</div>
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We need your newspaper of record to report the actual facts - not the confusion that has been perpetuated by the administration, the DOJ or others intent on conflating terms and powers. This is absolutely critical if we are to restore and preserve a functioning democratic republic while we work to ensure our national security.</div>
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Thank you for your time, and I hope to hear back from you soon.</div>
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Tangerine Bolen</div>
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Plaintiff and Coordinator, Hedges v. Obama</div>
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www.stopNDAA.org</div>
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*********************</div>
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Baron, Martin D</div>
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10:17 AM (2 hours ago)</div>
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to Fred, me </div>
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I'll forward this to our editorial page editor, Fred Hiatt. I oversee our news and features coverage, and have nothing to do with editorials.</div>
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Sincerely,</div>
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Martin Baron</div>
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Executive Editor</div>
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The Washington Post</div>
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***********************</div>
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Tangerine Bolen </div>
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10:22 AM (2 hours ago)</div>
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to Martin </div>
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Apologies for sending it in the wrong direction. Appreciate your forwarding it.</div>
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****************************************</div>
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From: Hiatt, Fred </div>
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Sent: Friday, May 17, 2013 2:26 PM</div>
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To: Diehl, Jackson K</div>
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Subject: Fwd: Serious misstatement of facts regarding AUMF in Editorial Board piece</div>
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Over to you. I express no opinion on whether Tangerine Bolen could be a real person. </div>
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Begin forwarded message:</div>
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From: "Baron, Martin D" <martin .baron="" washpost.com=""></martin></div>
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Date: May 17, 2013, 1:17:31 PM EDT</div>
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To: Tangerine Bolen <tangerinebolen gmail.com=""></tangerinebolen></div>
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Cc: "Hiatt, Fred" <fred .hiatt="" washpost.com=""></fred></div>
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Subject: Re: Serious misstatement of facts regarding AUMF in Editorial Board piece</div>
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<br /></div>
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*******************************</div>
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Diehl, Jackson K <jackson .diehl="" washpost.com=""></jackson></div>
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11:32 AM (1 hour ago)</div>
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Mr. Bolen,</div>
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Your allegation of factual errors in our editorial depends on the claim you are making in your lawsuit, which we, the Justice Department and other legal experts disagree with. In other words, what we have is a difference of opinion, not a factual error.</div>
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Regards</div>
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Jackson Diehl</div>
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*******************************</div>
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Tangerine Bolen </div>
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12:20 PM (16 minutes ago)</div>
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Mr. Diehl,</div>
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Actually, no, this is not centered on a difference of opinion here, it is regarding a very specific factual error in that piece, claiming that the Bush and Obama administrations have been "backed by the courts" in the "substantial support" standard. That is patently false. The substantial support standard comes up for the first time in Hedges v. Obama, and we won. The court did NOT, in fact, back either administration on this front. Your piece is incorrect in both an historic and substantive nature with regard to "substantial" support being argued in court.</div>
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Per the difference of opinion regarding powers of the AUMF and NDAA, it is irresponsible for your paper to report it as anything but opinion, given that this is being argued in federal court and the government lost on the first round. To make any kind of authoritative claims alluding to the AUMF and NDAA as providing the same exact powers is not only contradictory, by your own admission in that editorial, but irresponsibly false reporting.</div>
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I am surprised by your response and dismayed by the snarky forwarding email from Mr. Hiatt. Of course I am a real person. Tangerine has been my nickname for 24 years and it is the name I go by. </div>
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On all fronts, your paper's handling of this is inadequate. Your editorial is factually incorrect in the "backed by the courts" comment, and it needs to be addressed.</div>
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Is there someone else with whom I should speak about this? </div>
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Please let me know.</div>
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Thanks,</div>
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Tangerine Bolen </div>
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****************************</div>
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Ms. Bolen,</div>
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You are welcome to submit a letter to the editor. The address is letters@washpost.com. The letters editor is Michael Larabee.</div>
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I apologize for inadvertently forwarding you Mr. Hiatt’s light-hearted comment, which was not directed at you.</div>
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Jackson Diehl</div>
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*****************************</div>
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To: Jackson Diehl</div>
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Thanks, I appreciate the apology. While it's easy to make fun of a nickname, we are of course dealing with very serious matters here. Neither differences of opinion nor nicknames should obscure what I am sure is a mutual desire to report things factually and see a functioning balance of constitutional rights and national security.</div>
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I appreciate your time,</div>
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Tangerine"</div>
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Birgitta Jónsdóttirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07583983813010318112noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982607.post-64562230512267813162013-03-02T11:47:00.000+00:002013-03-02T11:55:22.631+00:00Bradley Manning Nobel Peace Prize Nomination 2013<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">February 1<span class="s1"><sup>st</sup></span> 2013 the entire parliamentary group of The Movement in the Icelandic Parliament, the Pirates of the EU; representatives from the Swedish Pirate Party, the former Secretary of State in Tunisia for Sport & Youth</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">nominated Private Bradley Manning for the Nobel Peace Prize. Following is the reasoning we sent to the committee explaining why we felt compelled to nominate Private Bradley Manning for this important recognition of an individual effort to have an impact for peace in our world. The lengthy personal statement to the pre-trial hearing February 28th by Bradley Manning in his own words validate that his motives were for the greater good of humankind.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/mar/01/bradley-manning-wikileaks-statement-full-text" target="_blank"><b>Read his full statement </b></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Our letter to the Nobel Peace Prize Committee</span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Reykjavík,
Iceland 1<sup>st</sup> of February 2013</span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Dear
Norwegian Nobel Committee,</i></span></span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">We
have the great honour of nominating Private First Class Bradley
Manning for the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize. </span></span>
</div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Manning
is a soldier in the United States army who stands accused of
releasing hundreds of thousands of documents to the whistleblower
website WikiLeaks. The leaked documents pointed to a long history of
corruption, war crimes, and a lack of respect for the sovereignty of
other democratic nations by the United States government in
international dealings.</span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">These
revelations have fueled democratic uprisings around the world,
including a democratic revolution in Tunisia. According to
journalists, his alleged actions helped motivate the democratic Arab
Spring movements, shed light on secret corporate influence on the
foreign and domestic policies of European nations, and most recently
contributed to the Obama Administration agreeing to withdraw all
U.S.troops from the occupation in Iraq.</span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Bradley
Manning has been incarcerated for more then 1000 days by the U.S.
Government. He spent over ten months of that time period in solitary
confinement, conditions which expert worldwide have criticized as
torturous. Juan Mendez, the United Nations' Special Rapporteur on
Torture and Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment or Punishment, has
repeatedly requested and been denied a private meeting with Manning
to assess his conditions.</span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">The
documents made public by WikiLeaks should never have been kept from
public scrutiny. The revelations - including video documentation of
an incident in which American soldiers gunned down Reuters
journalists in Iraq - have helped to fuel a worldwide discussion
about the overseas engagements of the United States, civilian
casualties of war and rules of engagement. Citizens worldwide owe a
great debt to the WikiLeaks whistleblower for shedding light on these
issues, and so we urge the Committee to award this prestigious prize
to accused whistleblower Bradley Manning.</span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">We
can already be reasonably certain that Bradley Manning will not have
a fair trial as the head of State, the USA President Mr. Barack
Obama, stated over a year ago on record that Manning is guilty.</span></span></div>
<div align="LEFT" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Sincerely,</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Birgitta
Jónsdóttir, Member of Parliament for the Movement, Iceland</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Christian
Engström, Member of the European Parliament for the Pirate Party,
Sweden</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Amelia
Andersdottir, Member of the European Parliament for the Pirate Party,
Sweden</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Margrét
Tryggvadóttir, Member of Parliament for the Movement, Iceland</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Þór
Saari, Member of Parliament for the Movement, Iceland</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #101010;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Slim
Amamou<span style="color: black;">, former Secretary of State for Sport &
Youth (2011), Tunisia</span></span></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
</div>
</div>
Birgitta Jónsdóttirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07583983813010318112noreply@blogger.com47tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982607.post-46099522844029140462013-02-15T17:53:00.001+00:002013-02-15T17:53:53.409+00:00Iceland Internet Porn Shield is Misguided and Unworkable<a href="http://thunderfeeds.com/reader/news/icelands-internet-porn-shield-is-misguided-and-unworkable-birgitta-jonsdottir">http://thunderfeeds.com/reader/news/icelands-internet-porn-shield-is-misguided-and-unworkable-birgitta-jonsdottir</a>Birgitta Jónsdóttirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07583983813010318112noreply@blogger.com127tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982607.post-82854058143193898112013-01-31T11:58:00.000+00:002013-02-01T07:44:38.162+00:00Statement: Dreamworking WikiLeaks<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I
have been approached in the last few years by many great
artists/writers/filmmakers who seek to tell the story of WikiLeaks
extraordinary impact on the world at its peak in 2010/2011.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">I
have accepted to be part of many of these releases because I felt my
voice in relation to the future of Freedom in Information, Expression
and Speech and of course online Privacy needs to be included. I have
often felt disappointed by how little focus is given, in the end
result, to the important vision and work on behalf of the online
tribe that is in constant struggle to ensure our online rights.
Instead the projects tend to devolve into revolving about the persons
involved, their drama and eccentric behavior. I guess that is what
producers believe gets people interested in the story. I personally
believe that people crave for a vision and some sort of solution to
the threats that projects like WikiLeaks expose. I think people need
and crave to understand what drives others to take risks in order to
improve our world and set information free, that story is not told
through ordinary personal drama. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">The
reason why I got involved with the Dreamworking WikiLeaks project was
simple. I had a chance to bring more balance to it, since it is based
on two books that are focused on the personal drama, the divorce of
persons but not necessary ideology. There is a reason why I have not
written a book about my times with WikiLeaks, for as interesting it
is to expose how people behave under extreme circumstances, I find
the impact of those circumstances way more important. Everyone seems
to be wounded from collaborating together and I think that is
unimportant in the long run. What WikiLeaks achieved at its peak was
to send a ripple effect through the fabric of history and alter the
way we see our world. That happened because of the vision and courage
of many people, many whom will never have their face or name attached
to the story by their own choice. </span>
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAV0vf2oXa59Zi67okTqArzLoNTbGaxufECT1a_5t3ELlI2A_UY0g8vaqCvi-Q6IbTfp2hw5tlc_Fxdoi3r3mFWMpUCAouPsGU_auJMLpwx37bcvBkvIOzzUailRKeLcxr91nUmg/s1600/IMG_0229.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAV0vf2oXa59Zi67okTqArzLoNTbGaxufECT1a_5t3ELlI2A_UY0g8vaqCvi-Q6IbTfp2hw5tlc_Fxdoi3r3mFWMpUCAouPsGU_auJMLpwx37bcvBkvIOzzUailRKeLcxr91nUmg/s400/IMG_0229.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">I
chose to work with Dreamworks, because I believe there is a chance
that I could impact its final outcome by offering balance. Thus I
have suggested many changes that might or might not be included in
relation to how Assange is written into it, for I felt it was heavily
focused on eccentric and negative behavior. I was also deeply
concerned about the Iran scene and to my great delight I discovered
after various discussions with all the main stakeholders involved,
that I was not alone about my worries and in the end it was written
out. I also felt the name “The Man Who Sold the World” was iffy
but I am pleased with the new name of the film, The 5<sup>th</sup>
Estate”. This will be a fictional movie about an incredible time in
our history that will hopefully provide an inspiration. <br /><br />Everyone
I have talked with in relation to the making of the film respect the
work of WikiLeaks but do of course have a very unbalanced view of how
it was since it is based on one perspective. The perspective of those
that fell out with Assange. I know that Assange has been given a
chance to offer his version of accounts and that is important to me.
I hope the end result will be slightly closer to the reality of
everyone, not just a few players as written in the version I got to
see. In regard to my own person in the film, it is fictionalized in a
way that is not at all pleasing to me and does no justice to the work
I did while involved with WikiLeaks. But to be perfectly honest, I
don't care. What I do care about is the overall message, spirit and
story. The story of a project that changed the way we see our world.
A project that is still changing the way our history is unfolding and
a project that will always be remembered as titling the scales of
power in our world in favor of the general public and its right to be
informed. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
Birgitta Jónsdóttirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07583983813010318112noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982607.post-63136441880935469342013-01-01T12:18:00.003+00:002013-01-01T12:18:48.932+00:00Collateral Murder: the stills<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTNphO98F9VQxfgBlowezq2tp7fgJJZmMYVONVCbPZy1wOcHDS4lFadOScbQINUkbz3nXdO6XemGAI1j6RzDJ8nD2DljS9n9HU-5jqdkKCzPdIOAuwyAx4GIeQLYkmvFue5AjnFw/s1600/Still+19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTNphO98F9VQxfgBlowezq2tp7fgJJZmMYVONVCbPZy1wOcHDS4lFadOScbQINUkbz3nXdO6XemGAI1j6RzDJ8nD2DljS9n9HU-5jqdkKCzPdIOAuwyAx4GIeQLYkmvFue5AjnFw/s320/Still+19.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qStHeygjAMk/UOLSceg1EXI/AAAAAAAAC7o/doUVNs7U3iI/s1600/Still+21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qStHeygjAMk/UOLSceg1EXI/AAAAAAAAC7o/doUVNs7U3iI/s320/Still+21.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4VgTycoKR3vK3ZZBlhOFzj7FGjamx-3twY6VJZleQRrTaoTB1rNU1ArTZdztlqDxWFS-u04rEg8QEKMOpGPjQS2cJTszvdnDIXlZruRMli1_x6AcI0YGKhyphenhyphenVaUHxOZOdS3YRJtg/s1600/Still+22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4VgTycoKR3vK3ZZBlhOFzj7FGjamx-3twY6VJZleQRrTaoTB1rNU1ArTZdztlqDxWFS-u04rEg8QEKMOpGPjQS2cJTszvdnDIXlZruRMli1_x6AcI0YGKhyphenhyphenVaUHxOZOdS3YRJtg/s320/Still+22.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;">I was the one that had the task of pulling out the stills from the video named Collateral Murder so that journalists could use it without delay online and in printed media. A friend suggested I should blow them up really big and hang them up in galleries. I think </span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline; line-height: 18px;">it would be a great fundraising event in order to help the Bradley Manning defense fund. I need help in order to find the best possible venue for this. Perhaps in more then one city. It would also get more attention on why Manning is still in prison and hopefully bring those that are responsible for these war crimes to justice. If you think you can help please write to <a href="mailto:birgitta@birgitta.is">birgitta@birgitta.is</a></span></span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqm7e-nrW2OaxwJ9V7oGWjhF8nSPmW5cluApbbmPbyXJkw8JTAYXd1Jz_pp9Th1vNID33mtre8sd1dcoF0KpvaQmKshL3CGgtsvDpkeHCFF5KdmnOzR86laPe7OfQ0y6bnd9beGg/s1600/Still+24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqm7e-nrW2OaxwJ9V7oGWjhF8nSPmW5cluApbbmPbyXJkw8JTAYXd1Jz_pp9Th1vNID33mtre8sd1dcoF0KpvaQmKshL3CGgtsvDpkeHCFF5KdmnOzR86laPe7OfQ0y6bnd9beGg/s320/Still+24.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSjFZF13BvHc_unK403Mn9ii_-vwiB168V2nMVwdn_3RoS5vpfEYZOb9oeh7jX_Fw2hwIoW5e2ZT9LW3TpeXqKNQj-acfTvTn9ThK-hTNnCGYVLVSOtonU6s1paMOEK8ckuC_AOw/s1600/Still+25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSjFZF13BvHc_unK403Mn9ii_-vwiB168V2nMVwdn_3RoS5vpfEYZOb9oeh7jX_Fw2hwIoW5e2ZT9LW3TpeXqKNQj-acfTvTn9ThK-hTNnCGYVLVSOtonU6s1paMOEK8ckuC_AOw/s320/Still+25.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6pIEtIioSjHWoeHhmYB8WVtd-sODAP8yEckBjkgwEojwaOhHSSdxYMelHr_wBWGRhBm1DzWfZ4vnmcUQ-q2C6gvmb9lNPrWZAdQ3sAToGHELWUz0aphC_iJtHE0UQ-ANYNv-WBQ/s1600/Still+26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6pIEtIioSjHWoeHhmYB8WVtd-sODAP8yEckBjkgwEojwaOhHSSdxYMelHr_wBWGRhBm1DzWfZ4vnmcUQ-q2C6gvmb9lNPrWZAdQ3sAToGHELWUz0aphC_iJtHE0UQ-ANYNv-WBQ/s320/Still+26.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">here are links to the photos i am thinking of blowing up</span></span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; display: inline; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.collateralmurder.com/en/p-helicopter.html">http://www.collateralmurder.com/en/p-helicopter.html</a></span></span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; display: inline; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.collateralmurder.com/en/p-carnage.html">http://www.collateralmurder.com/en/p-carnage.html</a></span></span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; display: inline; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.collateralmurder.com/en/p-shot.html">http://www.collateralmurder.com/en/p-shot.html</a></span></span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; display: inline; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u6Sg_cYivDE/UOLSyhMfiFI/AAAAAAAAC8U/xfCL9enPkOM/s1600/Still+35.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u6Sg_cYivDE/UOLSyhMfiFI/AAAAAAAAC8U/xfCL9enPkOM/s320/Still+35.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d0UEPynApQg/UOLSzbhWbAI/AAAAAAAAC8Y/pgsljo9NVI8/s1600/Still+36.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d0UEPynApQg/UOLSzbhWbAI/AAAAAAAAC8Y/pgsljo9NVI8/s320/Still+36.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; display: inline; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; display: inline; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">I have never done any task that has moved me so profoundly and deeply</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">I urge you to watch the video if you have not done so already: </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://www.collateralmurder.com/en/index.html">http://www.collateralmurder.com/en/index.html</a></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2SgNw0QLCzs/UOLS9PRuxrI/AAAAAAAAC8k/S1PkyuSVggo/s1600/Still+45.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2SgNw0QLCzs/UOLS9PRuxrI/AAAAAAAAC8k/S1PkyuSVggo/s320/Still+45.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9jw8VGozj0ze8yfRH9BgN75xnqcE4JWnfbmgLubgUHMdTOHskECbyUtJwTUiCtrbEEHObKmC9p9uPkuk5z8xeopCo0X_OX6tnHrtyF8NjBUU2001Rq85zggun1lbnNHFHVeErHQ/s1600/Still+46.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9jw8VGozj0ze8yfRH9BgN75xnqcE4JWnfbmgLubgUHMdTOHskECbyUtJwTUiCtrbEEHObKmC9p9uPkuk5z8xeopCo0X_OX6tnHrtyF8NjBUU2001Rq85zggun1lbnNHFHVeErHQ/s320/Still+46.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbT8QbK4JVN1b5NPKcZ2uImGi4KpN5EtioOrdKiPA0Cw9IK91bwZ8heRqnTb0F7Ce1DHZrTAR1I3rkA95wGfy2omot8D1f6b0hayiFsStbpYU7y5Qx31SbOIpQvAOV1ei8n8vWsg/s1600/Still+47.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbT8QbK4JVN1b5NPKcZ2uImGi4KpN5EtioOrdKiPA0Cw9IK91bwZ8heRqnTb0F7Ce1DHZrTAR1I3rkA95wGfy2omot8D1f6b0hayiFsStbpYU7y5Qx31SbOIpQvAOV1ei8n8vWsg/s320/Still+47.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">here is what we wrote on the official webpage as an explanation of what it contains: </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Update:</b> On July 6, 2010, Private Bradley Manning, a 22 year old intelligence analyst with the United States Army in Baghdad, was charged with disclosing this video (after allegedly speaking to an unfaithful journalist). The whistleblower behind the Pentagon Papers, Daniel Ellsberg, has called Mr. Manning a 'hero'. He is currently imprisoned in Kuwait. The Apache crew and those behind the cover up depicted in the video have yet to be charged. To assist Private Manning, please see <a href="http://bradleymanning.org/" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: initial;">bradleymanning.org</a>.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">5th April 2010 10:44 EST WikiLeaks has released a classified US military video depicting the indiscriminate slaying of over a dozen people in the Iraqi suburb of New Baghdad -- including two Reuters news staff.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Reuters has been trying to obtain the video through the Freedom of Information Act, without success since the time of the attack. The video, shot from an Apache helicopter gun-sight, clearly shows the unprovoked slaying of a wounded Reuters employee and his rescuers. Two young children involved in the rescue were also seriously wounded.</span></div>
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</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The military did not reveal how the Reuters staff were killed, and stated that they did not know how the children were injured.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After demands by Reuters, the incident was investigated and the U.S. military concluded that the actions of the soldiers were in accordance with the law of armed conflict and its own "Rules of Engagement".</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Consequently, WikiLeaks has released the classified Rules of Engagement for 2006, 2007 and 2008, revealing these rules before, during, and after the killings.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">WikiLeaks has released both the original 38 minutes video and a shorter version with an initial analysis. Subtitles have been added to both versions from the radio transmissions.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">WikiLeaks obtained this video as well as supporting documents from a number of military whistleblowers. WikiLeaks goes to great lengths to verify the authenticity of the information it receives. We have analyzed the information about this incident from a variety of source material. We have spoken to witnesses and journalists directly involved in the incident.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">WikiLeaks wants to ensure that all the leaked information it receives gets the attention it deserves. In this particular case, some of the people killed were journalists that were simply doing their jobs: putting their lives at risk in order to report on war. Iraq is a very dangerous place for journalists: from 2003- 2009, 139 journalists were killed while doing their work.</span></div>
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Birgitta Jónsdóttirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07583983813010318112noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982607.post-39772898845587376552012-12-31T10:39:00.001+00:002012-12-31T10:44:34.515+00:00HaPpY 2013<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjluGcx7OQQnqrRtIIeVQiVzJtpaYOUqyJ3xxscI-KHYCSxzsDdr8vHiExH3TMLDClXHbm3fdApYFJ5k7qUcuRBCNwEkqnHbfxvTMoGiXKwDywk3iYyZw11-3zsFSN9UADdaLTp-A/s1600/happynew2013.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjluGcx7OQQnqrRtIIeVQiVzJtpaYOUqyJ3xxscI-KHYCSxzsDdr8vHiExH3TMLDClXHbm3fdApYFJ5k7qUcuRBCNwEkqnHbfxvTMoGiXKwDywk3iYyZw11-3zsFSN9UADdaLTp-A/s400/happynew2013.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">We
are running out of planet </span>
</div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">so
for the future of everything</span></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">Wake
up</span></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">and
start co-creating</span></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">I
have seen signs </span></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">the end of the world</span></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"> as we know it has begun </span></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">Don't
panic it might look </span></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">terrifying </span><span style="font-size: 15pt;">on the surface </span></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">but inside every human
being </span></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">a choice to go under or act</span></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">Earth
is calling </span></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">Sky is calling </span></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">Creation is calling </span></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">wake up, </span></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">wake up </span></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">NOW </span></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">Generate the capacity for love </span></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">for compassion in your
heart </span></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">Now is the time to yield </span></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">to the call of growth </span></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">to the call of
action </span></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">for you are the change makers</span></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">Sleepers
of all ages</span></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">wake
up</span></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">wake
up </span>
</div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">NOW</span></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">Lots of love<!--3--><!--3--></span></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: medium;">Birgitta</span></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
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Birgitta Jónsdóttirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07583983813010318112noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982607.post-88984224255544509542012-12-17T08:14:00.002+00:002012-12-17T22:38:28.553+00:00my Facebook is Spybook<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I got this mail from Face(spy)book yesterday: December 16, 2012 9:05:29 AM GMT</div>
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p1">
John Perry (friends with London Wobblies) subscribed to your public updates.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Z3RFzfwUdgk/UM7R4u38wII/AAAAAAAAC6s/obdx7owfLvc/s1600/61452_4529913617237_1574561095_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Z3RFzfwUdgk/UM7R4u38wII/AAAAAAAAC6s/obdx7owfLvc/s1600/61452_4529913617237_1574561095_n.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="p3">
<b>John Perry</b></div>
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Federal Security Officer at Department of Homeland Security</div>
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Friends with London Wobblies</div>
<div class="p4">
<br /></div>
<div class="p4">
Note he is friends with London Wobblies. USA Wobblies<br />
had a workshop in Iceland at the grassroots center recently where I often go to<br />
and I organize meetings at quite often and also note that I lost my </div>
<div class="p4">
smartphone down a toilet (:) in an airplane last friday not to be recovered </div>
<div class="p4">
and have thus been untrackable for a few days. I guess they miss me. </div>
<div class="p4">
<br /></div>
<div class="p4">
Best tool apart from smartphone is to keep track of us via Facebook</div>
<div class="p4">
<br /></div>
<div class="p4">
Someone sent me a link to this <a href="http://c.ymcdn.com/sites/www.mapps.org/resource/resmgr/federal_liaison_notes/dod-dhs_liaison_march_2008.pdf" target="_blank"><b>document</b></a> from MAPPS from 2008</div>
<div class="p4">
that includes the following: "John Perry issue</div>
<div class="p4">
Request – can MAPPS help DHS coordinate with state and others in </div>
<div class="p4">
these efforts?</div>
<div class="p4">
Interagency Remote Sensing Coordinating Committee</div>
<div class="p4">
MAPPS wishes to help – Dick McDonald"</div>
<div class="p4">
<br /></div>
<div class="p4">
Dear John welcome to my world - i hope that by spying on me and my friends</div>
<div class="p4">
that you will be inspired to help us make this world a better place.</div>
<div class="p4">
<br /></div>
<div class="p4">
Dear friends I urge you to use PGP or other cryptography tools for sensitive<br />
communications you want to keep private. For smartphones, facebook and gmail<br />
are not private and we dont have laws to protect us.</div>
<div class="p4">
<br /></div>
<div class="p4">
UPDATE. I notified the London Wobblies about who Mr Perry works for and they have removed John Perry from their friends list. </div>
<div class="p4">
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Birgitta Jónsdóttirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07583983813010318112noreply@blogger.com183tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982607.post-58421951547927356622012-12-07T11:52:00.000+00:002012-12-07T11:54:04.293+00:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Birgitta Jónsdóttirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07583983813010318112noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8982607.post-68736196807846890672012-07-04T12:04:00.000+00:002012-07-04T12:04:07.198+00:00Energized<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="p1">
<br /></div>
<div class="p2">
When I am being love</div>
<div class="p2">
my heart expands,</div>
<div class="p2">
overflows</div>
<div class="p2">
the walls of my body</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p2">
I energize myself</div>
<div class="p2">
not like a machine</div>
<div class="p2">
but as a plant</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p2">
Stretching fingers of leaves</div>
<div class="p2">
towards the light</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p2">
When night falls</div>
<div class="p2">
I don't sleep</div>
<div class="p2">
I withdraw,</div>
<div class="p2">
go inside,</div>
<div class="p2">
close my blossom,</div>
<div class="p2">
to the outside world</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p2">
All is linked</div>
<div class="p2">
manifestation of the collective</div>
<div class="p2">
<br /></div>
<div class="p2">
I am with the creation</div>
<div class="p2">
spins into codes</div>
<div class="p2">
manifests through binary</div>
</div>Birgitta Jónsdóttirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07583983813010318112noreply@blogger.com3