“Schadenfreude” is a German export product in the field of vocabulary. And there is a bit of this on my mind as I watch the events on the stock markets unfold.But mainly it is sadness and frustration about human ignorance on this highly educated and sophisticated level.

And there also is a little bit of HOPE that politicians and media will actually learn from their very recent mistakes.Will the tea party really have the courage to take the credit for the results of the dangerous political game they were playing over the last weeks?Do they regret abusing a economic crisis for their own political interests instead of concentrating on solving the problems?Does the media take the responsibility for supporting this childish drama by reporting about it as if it was a football match (“Who is winning on capitol hill…?”) or a Hollywood action movie (“The deadline is ticking like a bomb - will the heros save that day at the very last second?”)Do all of them understand that by playing this game all have lost: Both parties and more importantly the country and its people as a whole?
Will the politicians learn from this and realize that these problems are real and very serious and cannot be solved by pointing fingers at each other and screaming: ”THEY don’t know what their doing … but WE know the way”Will the media learn from this, take responsibility for their part of the plot and start reporting from a wider, more enlightened perspective that points out that using a crisis as a political competition is irresponsible?But democracy is the tyranny of the majority and that type of ethical perspective would be far too complex does not get the ratings - and that type of responsible political behavior does not win votes. 
So it’s more likely that the games will continue and all will proceed as we’ve see it in the last few weeks: the finger pointing, the blaming, the self-interest and the competition for ratings and votes.
However - if they actually did look a bit deeper, realize that enough damage has been done and come to the conclusion that the challenges ahead can only be solved TOGETHER and not against each other - then the United States as a nation and Americans as a people could still come out as a winner …It is time to remember the message that won the presidency: YES WE CAN - and remember that this WE was meant to include EVERYONE - no matter what political party, no matter what race, no matter what nationality.YES WE CAN - if we work together. Consider the alternative.

tOm

The 12th of February 2011 will go down in history as the day when Egyptian president Mubarak steped back after 30 years in power. But the children in Pooneryn, an area in the North of Sri Lanka that suffered severely over 30 years of civil war, will remember that day because their Happiness Center was opened. Sponsored by C.A.N. Together with A.C.T. (Action & Care Trust) we provided musical instuments, sports goods, toys, books, a TV, DVDs in English and Tamil, and much more… for over 1000 kids. Everything they need to play, heal, unfold and be children…

http://www.actlanka.org/2011/02/happiness-centre-pooneryn/

THANK YOU TO ALL DONORS WHO MADE THIS BECOME A REALITY.
Before Christmas 2010 we had posted a CALL FOR ACTION.
And our C.A.N-Community Network came through and within a week donated more than we had asked for.
Of course the good work of A.C.T. will continue. They will build more HAPPINESS CENTRES and support more schools in the war-torn north of the country:
http://www.actlanka.org/
And you can support their work directly by donation:
http://www.betterplace.org/projects/5378-act-lanka
The longer COMPLETION-FILM will follow soon.

• C.A.N ASIA TOUR • PERSPECTIVE • BOUNDLESS HOPE • (via ConsciousActionNet)

Tom and Michael finally met for the second part of the C.A.N ASIA TOUR. And we decided to start it at a magical place: the Boudha Stupa in Kathmandu, Nepal. Please follow our Consious Action TOUR 2011 on FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/CONSCIOUSACTIONNETWORK

C.A.N is raising the funds for the ACTION & CARE TRUST to build another HAPPINESS-CENTER for children in the war-traumatized North of Sri Lanka. We want to provide a save place where the kids can heal, play, learn, unfold, be children and forget about the hardship of their situation.

http://www.betterplace.org/groups/CAN-ACT

Sri Lanka has experienced a civil war for the last 30 years and the children in the northern province have experienced little besides war, fear and desperation. Yet - these children are the future of Sri Lanka. Helping them to heal their hearts, minds and spirits is not only supporting their personal wellfare but also an important step of integration to prevent future conflict and to achieve lasting peace for the country.

With the money you donate we will purchase:
• books (English & Tamil) __________ € 130
• DVDs (English & Tamil) __________ € 50
• educational toys ________________ € 60
• play items ______________________ € 190
• sports equipment _______________ € 30
• musical instruments _____________ € 200
• arts & craft corner _______________ € 180
• a media corner (TV & DVD) _______ € 460
• a playground ____________________ € 500
• decoration and other small items _ € 100

TOTAL ____________________________ € 1900,- = $ 2500

As soon as the funding is there we will open the center, document the process and post the film online - so you can see exactly what was done with your donation and what a difference it makes to the children.

And next time you visit Sri Lanka you can travel up north and see the children play on a playground that YOU helped building.

For more information about ACT - Action & Care Trust - visit their website:
http://www.actlanka.org/

TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE THIS HAPPEN

(if you donate without signing in (as a guest) - please leave your FULL NAME in the comment - so we can credit you in the completion film)

HAVE PEACEFUL CHRISTMAS SEASON

Love & Light from the Pearl of the Indian Ocean

TOM

1000 YEARS OF LIFE FOR 1 €URO
http://www.betterplace.org/projects/5319-sea-turtle-sanctuary/
The math is simple:
For your donation of €1 the project will buy 15 Turtle Eggs. After around 50 days 15 baby turtles are born and stay in the hatchery for 2 days before they are released back into the ocean. This makes them stronger and improves their chance for survival from 1-2% to 20-25%.
So if 4 turtles survive and live for 250 years each … that’s 1000 years of life - and it might just save this endangered species from extinction.

­————————————————————­-
THE SEA TURTLE SANCTUARY IN KOSGODA, SRI LANKA
• http://seaturtlesanctuary.com/ •
Sri Lanka is visited by five endangered species of sea turtles. Mr. Abbrew and his family incubate some 75,000 turtle eggs per year and care for adult turtles that have been hurt or are handicapped. Their model is simple, to pay local people for turtle eggs as an option to eating them. Payments for turtle eggs support about 60 families in the neighborhood. Funding comes from admission fees and donations from tourists. No government financial support is available but necessary regulatory approvals have been received.

And here is the COMPLETION FILM of our INTERACTIVE CONSCIOUS ACTION

http://de.betterplace.org/projects/5036-conscious-action-tour-asia-2010

Thanks to the generous donations by 13 people of our network we were able to raise €550 in one week - that’s twice as much as we asked for. The initial €270 took 2 days. For the first INTERACTIVE CONSCIOUS ACTION FILM this is a great success. THANK YOU, DONORS !!!

The C.A.N ASIA TOUR continues… (hopefully I can get my camera fixed in Colombo) Please keep participating in making a difference TOGETHER !!!
It’s not so important how much you donate - but THAT you donate - even if it’s just €1 - because the whole idea is that each of us CAN make a difference - but more: see what difference we CAN make together !!!…

Love & Light
from Colombo, Sri Lanka
tOm

WE ARE ON THE CAN ASIA TOUR 2010
making films to make a difference.
And YOU can make this difference with us!
It only takes a few moments, a few clicks and a few $$$…

http://de.betterplace.org/projects/5036-conscious-action-tour-asia-2010

From Boosa, Sri Lanka
tOm

Everybody CAN make a difference with the Conscious Action Network -
This is how it works:
1. The CAN-filmmakers introduce a project somewhere in the world and suggest a PLAN FOR IMEDIATE CONSCIOUS ACTION with a budget (in this case supplying a monastic school for Tibetan refugees with schoolbooks - $400)
2. We post this CALL FOR ACTION online - here at tumblr, on our CAN-website, on facebook and on our YouTube-Channel.
3. YOU CAN donate any amount you like towards the budget to support the realisation.
4. Once the the means are there, we complete the Conscious Action and film the process.
5. Only days later we post the film online which will credit YOU as a sponsors.
6. You can see exactly how your donation was used and what it made possible.
And everybody else can witness how easy it can be to make a difference.
In the case of ‘Books 4 Monks’  we met with the teachers in the morning, came up with a plan which books to buy, jumped in two taxis and bought all the books and other educational material. At 3pm the Conscious Action was completed. The money however had benn given to us in advance for this or a similar puropse. Of course that’s allso possible and helps us a lot to ensure the completion of each Conscious Action.
More info about Gyuto:
http://gyutocenter.org/
Please JOIN our network - so we CAN make a difference together
• C.A.N @ CAUSES: http://www.causes.com/causes/533478
• C.A.N @ FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/pages/CONSCIOUS-ACTION-NETWORK/110605102286875
• C.A.N @ C.A.N: http://can-community.com/
__________________________________
This film was
- produced by C.A.N - Michael Kastenbaum & Tom Zachmeier -
- filmed and edited by Tom Zachmeier -
- music by Chris Hinze - http://www.chrishinze.nl/
- CONSCIOUS ACTION HERO at Gyuto: Charlee Parkinson
- CONSCIOUS ACTION SPONSORES:
• Günther Zachmeier, Munich, Germany
• Deb Grassgreen, San Francisco, California
• Fiona Wright, Glasgow, Scotland

We will soon go on a Conscious Action TOUR in ASIA and produce new Films about Changemakers.
We will also carry out some INSTANT CONSCIOUS ACTION there and then.
YOU can be a part of this!!!
• We will announce the Action Plan here and on causes and You will have the opportunity to support its realisation by donating towards the budget.
• We will then carry out the Action and film the process.
• After completion we will publish the film with Your credit as a sponsor - online on our website, on YouTube, and on facebook.
So you can see directly what your contribution made happen…
Please join C.A.N on CAUSES: http://www.causes.com/causes/533478