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Hello all:<br>
<br>
I have noticed yesterday a very interesting change of "focus"
in the <br>
news about the terrorist attack in the Portuguese newspaper I normally
<br>
read ("O Publico"). Until Saturday, the news were the ones you
all <br>
have seen on most newspapers and TV news. But yesterday many <br>
articles were trying to analyze the profound causes and were asking for
<br>
peace and justice in terms very close to some texts we saw on this
list. <br>
<br>
There were at least five articles from writers of all over the
world<br>
(some also published in foreign newspapers) advising against <br>
revenge and pointing out the dangers of an unjustified war, even<br>
if that conclusion was reached from many different perspectives. <br>
That trend continued today with an article from an English<br>
author and professor.<br>
<br>
I have tried to see if the same trend was present in other Sunday <br>
newspapers but I could not confirm that - the English, French and <br>
Spanish newspapers I have tried were more information oriented than
<br>
oriented toward interpreting the events and searching for new <br>
solutions for the real problems (if you want to do a comparison by <br>
yourselves you can try the addresses of many Daily Newspapers at <br>
<font color="#0000FF"><u><a href="http://www.cheetah.net/~beta2/papers.html" eudora="autourl">http://www.cheetah.net/~beta2/papers.html</a></u></font>)
<br>
<br>
I would appreciate to have information on what is being written in the
<br>
newspapers of other countries (and continents). Maybe some others <br>
are also interested or can use that information...<br>
<br>
I will not summarize the articles from foreign authors as I suppose you
<br>
can find the same or similar articles in other newspapers. But there
<br>
was also an article from a Portuguese author that I think it can<br>
be interesting to share with you (the beginning).<br>
<br>
Lourdes Pintassilgo (the author) is a 60-to-70 year old lady, that is an
<br>
important member of the "Catholic Movement for Peace" (for more
than <br>
40 years, I think). She has also been the Portuguese representative near
<br>
UNESCO for many years and for a short period has been the Portuguese
<br>
Prime minister (she is independent of all political parties). She has
also <br>
been a (defeated) candidate for President of the Portuguese republic.
<br>
<br>
She wrote: (sorry again for my English translation -- that I will not
even have time <br>
to correct -- if you can understand Portuguese or use an automatic
translator the <br>
article will be available during one week at: <br>
<a href="http://jornal.publico.pt/publico/2001/09/16/Destaque/X01OPI01.html" eudora="autourl">http://jornal.publico.pt/publico/2001/09/16/Destaque/X01OPI01.html</a>)<br>
<br>
"Everything has changed in the world. But that didn't happen on
September <br>
11th. The world had already changed. But only now everybody noticed. All
the <br>
years 90 were a very quick process of change from the world we knew to a
<br>
new one.(...)<br>
<br>
That big and multiple transformation has been unnoticed for two reasons.
<br>
On one side, we have continued to analyze the problems with the mental
<br>
categories and models of the past. On the other side, attention has been
<br>
concentrated only on the consequences of the fall of communism, being
blind <br>
to a transformation that largely exceeded what has been called the
"economical <br>
and political transition" of the ex-communist countries. (...)<br>
<br>
A sign of that transformation has been clear in all the rebellions that
have <br>
been growing up during the last ten years of the 20th century. Where we
<br>
were used to hear only the categories of development we began to
see<br>
the constant criticism of the globalization in its effects on new
divisions <br>
between peoples and regions. We are many in the world that wants to find
<br>
solutions that minimize those effects and don't allow the growing
marginalization <br>
of persons, peoples and nations. But we have not found yet the correct
way <br>
to make the political leaders of the world accept the solutions that are
<br>
already on the table. We have not been able to do that on time. But<br>
we have to continue to work hard to understand the complex causes of
<br>
so inhumane acts" (...)<br>
<br>
I don't know if I found Lourdes' article so interesting because it
matched <br>
so well with what I have been thinking these last few days... I would
like <br>
to complement her reflexions with some comments from my own. But I will
<br>
delay those comments not to mix them with Lourdes' quotations.<br>
<br>
Regards<br>
<br>
Artur<br>
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