Ganges

Far-right Hindu nationalists are using digital propaganda to delegitimize India’s wrestler protests

Retrieved on: 
Monday, June 5, 2023

They are seeking the arrest of the Wrestling Federation of India’s president, Brij Bhushan Singh, who is facing allegations that he sexually harassed athletes.

Key Points: 
  • They are seeking the arrest of the Wrestling Federation of India’s president, Brij Bhushan Singh, who is facing allegations that he sexually harassed athletes.
  • However, far-right Hindu nationalists loyal to the government and its Hindutva ideology have attempted to bully and discredit the protesters.

Digital propaganda

    • A big part of that effort involves using digital propaganda like memes, disinformation campaigns and digitally altered content.
    • Similarly to the 2020-2021 farmers’ movement, the wrestlers’ protest is facing rampant demonization on social media.
    • The wrestlers have even been accused of being linked to the Khalistanis, a banned Sikh separatist movement in India.

Online counter-speech

    • It usually involves polite and non-aggressive responses, sharing fact-checked information and exposing the logical inconsistencies of messages shared online.
    • Social movements face online propaganda campaigns, use of political bots, monitoring through spyware like Pegasus and even internet shutdowns.
    • But most protest movements do not have this marginal advantage in online spaces.

Challenging propaganda

    • To support counter-speech that can challenge the propaganda of governments, experts and academics need to rethink how efforts like digital media literacy programs and fact-checking can effectively respond.
    • A proposed amendment to the country’s internet rules would give the government more power to police online content.
    • In order to combat propaganda and disinformation, it is crucial to support democratically owned businesses like platform co-operatives, independent journalism and develop public service media and internet platforms that value truth and transparency and treat people like citizens, not consumers.

Cholera cases are on the rise – and Europe shouldn't be complacent about the risk

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, April 19, 2023

When we look at global infections, cases reported to the WHO up to mid March number almost 339,000 resulting in 3,287 deaths.

Key Points: 
  • When we look at global infections, cases reported to the WHO up to mid March number almost 339,000 resulting in 3,287 deaths.
  • While this makes quantifying increases difficult, global cases in recent months appear to be significantly higher compared with previous years.
  • A large proportion of cases are not diagnosed and some countries may be reluctant to report that they are experiencing a cholera outbreak.

Symptoms, treatment and prevention

    • Death, when it occurs, can be very rapid, within a few hours after the onset of symptoms.
    • Cholera affects children more frequently than adults and if affected, children are also more likely to die.
    • Children who are malnourished are at greater risk of severe disease and death from cholera.
    • Across all African countries the case fatality rate is now 2.2% and over 3% in Malawi, Nigeria and Tanzania.

From history to the modern day

    • But it spread from there in a series of global pandemics, the first one starting in 1817.
    • The current and seventh pandemic started in 1961 and is now the longest lasting cholera pandemic in history.
    • The main risks for cholera are usually linked to poor hygiene, poor sanitation and contaminated drinking water.

Why the current surge?

    • They’ve also cited inadequate supplies of cholera vaccines and added pressures on health services due to, among other things, the COVID pandemic.
    • Outbreaks of cholera often follow major natural disasters such as earthquakes, as experienced by Haiti in 2010, and floods, as in Bangladesh in 1998.
    • Cholera so often follows wars and natural disasters largely because of the damage to water and sanitation infrastructure leading to contamination of drinking water.

Assessing the risk in Europe

    • Cholera only really spreads when water and sanitation infrastructure fails, and this is a very marginal risk in high-income countries.
    • At present the main risk for Europeans will be for travellers to areas where epidemics are occurring.
    • So we cannot afford to be complacent about the risk of cholera in Europe.

H.H. The Drikung Kyabgon Tinle Lhundup Initiates Inter-Faith Awards

Retrieved on: 
Monday, December 20, 2021

The Shravasti Awards consist of three categories: the Shravasti Spiritual Leadership Award, the Shravasti Humanities Award, and the Shravasti Environmental Award.

Key Points: 
  • The Shravasti Awards consist of three categories: the Shravasti Spiritual Leadership Award, the Shravasti Humanities Award, and the Shravasti Environmental Award.
  • Her Rey Sheng, and environmental activist Dr. Mohammed Deen Darokhan-have been recognized as winners of the first Shravasti Awards.
  • As His Holiness, The Drikung Kyabgon Tinle Lhundup said, "The physical world and the mental world are connected to and dependent on each other.
  • A team of volunteers founded this foundation to support His Holiness Drikung Kyabgon Tinle Lhundup's humanitarian activities.

Jennifer Prugh Launches Kickstarter Campaign to Self-Publish "River of Offerings," a Photo Book About the Ganges River

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, September 24, 2019

She is self-publishing a beautiful, 225-page photography book that chronicles the life of India's sacred river, the Ganga, from its source to the sea.

Key Points: 
  • She is self-publishing a beautiful, 225-page photography book that chronicles the life of India's sacred river, the Ganga, from its source to the sea.
  • River of Offerings also became an inquiry into how to live in meaningful ways to the very best of our abilities.
  • "I chose to self-publish to craft the best reading and visual experience possible," says Jennifer.
  • Assuming the campaign is successful, the funds will cover the printing of the first edition, which will ship in spring 2020."