June 25, 2013

Justice for Michael




"Sometimes the heart is so heavy that we turn away from it and forget that its throbbing is the wisest message of life, a wordless message that says, 'Live, be, move, rejoice -- you are alive!' Without the heart's wise rhythm, we could not exist."
Michael Jackson

Justice for Michael has become the one cry that raises above all in the Michael Jackson fan community. During the 2005 trial it was what kept us going through and showed Michael he was not alone in his fight and showed the world that Michael meant so much to so many people.
After June 25th, 2009 Justice for Michael become an outcry of pain and sorrow and as details of how Michael died we all wanted for the doctor and the others to be brought to justice.
This year with the wrongful death trial Justice for Michael is a way of keeping strong through the details and attitudes and the grief.
And all that was and is amazing.
But Justice for Michael should mean more.
The success with the Jackson 5, the success with the Jacksons and as a solo artist, his talent, his work has brought him great joy, admiration, millions of fans but also envy and hate. For braking barriers, for reaching new heights, for transforming the music industry and for doing that while speaking in a soft voice. That contrast between the fierce artist and shy person has brought much comments, a lot of them mean and in tabloid style.
But in my opinion it wasn't the commercial success that attracted the hate. It was the raising up of his voice and profiting the success of Thriller and his work and starting to push for a message that brought together millions and made it possible for me to call family someone from Hong Kong, some people from the USA, some people from Germany, someone from Argentina. And I am sure I am not the only one who can say that.
And it is not like he started to be preoccupied about the state of the world and the well being of children after the sparkle dust from Thriller mania settled down. He was involved with charities and helping people from an early age. His music contained his concerns and expressed his willingness to act. His actions spoke of his kindness and determination to make a change within himself and bring people together for a better future. It's usually things that we admire in the people around us.
Yet he was ridiculed and criticized for it in many situations. His advocacy for children causes has been used as a way in to hurt him and since there was no way of limiting his talent and creativity people (and corporations) tried, and succeeded  at times, to control his outreach around the world with the help of mud throwing.
If you take any Michael Jackson album review most critics you'll find are about the songs with messages about the greater good. With few exception. Even to the point where I felt some people wouldn't allow for him be anything else but a dance floor wonder. He was supposed to come up with as many Billie Jean as possible.
I don't intend to go further in this direction.
What for me would truly mean Justice for Michael is that Earth Song, Heal the World, Cry, They Don't Care About Us, Be Not Always, Another Part Of Me, Why You Wanna Trip On Me, Man In The Mirror, The Lost Children, We Are The World would be the most viewed and most listened songs.
I got nothing against Thriller. Or any other song. I love them all. Equally - even though I do prefer one over the other depending on the state of mind I am in just like everybody.
But when these songs will be most talked about and consequently reach that many people, when his work as a humanitarian and environmentalist will be recognize in full, then Justice for Michael would have been achieved.

And what is most amazing is all the people working towards that.

 I miss you Michael.
Thank you.




"There is no one in the world like MJ. Never has been. Never will be. We all know him in one way or another. In some way he has touched us, been the voice of one of our sweetest memories. And what a wonderful, genuine, compassionate, soft-spoken giant so full of love. He gave us love, excitement, one-of-a-kind moments in a mundane world. I can't believe he won't be with us here on earth anymore. But long from now, when we are all dust, he will still never be forgotten.
To the best that ever did it!
You are loved, admired and respected forever."
Alicia Keys

Remembering Michael Jackson







...13.447 roses via @OneRose4MJJ for Michael
each rose a symbol for a loving heart
all together a sea of L.O.V.E



As many of you will be aware, today is the 4th anniversary of Michael Jackson's passing.
He is gone - but not forgotten.
He is gone - but he left his love with us.
He is gone - but will be with us in spirit as long as we remember him....
Today is a very special day to remember Michael Jackson and all the LOVE and joy he has brought through the years.
   


"Let us celebrate the joy of life
and you and I were never separate
it´s just an illusion
wrought by the magical lens of perception
Heaven is here
Right now, this moment of Eternity
Don´t fool yourself
Reclaim your Bliss"

~Michael Jackson
                             



Feel invited  to browse through our IAFL-webteam´s "Remembering-Michael Jackson"- archive and  don´t miss to read Joe Vogel´s new article on his website.






June 22, 2013

Children's Day June 22nd, 2013 - Grandparents

Maybe the title might look strange but if you follow the links embedded in the text you will understand my choice.
A couple of weeks ago I found an article online about a study which finding was that increased longevity evolves from grandmothering.
There are a number of studies that show a direct connection between improved nutrition and survival of children and grandmothers (a study conducted in Gambia) or that the role of grandparents becomes increasingly more important as society and families change and the influence they have on the lives of children and adolescents and on children  positive outcomes.

The theory about  the impact of grandparents in human evolution might be in the future contradicted or confirmed but there is an undeniable tie between each of us and our grandparents.
And they don't have to be blood family.
My grandparents (including great-grandparents) have been a huge influence into who I am today. With good (and there is so much of that) and bad they have been a source for love, knowledge, power, wisdom. We didn't/don't always see eye to eye, not always agree but around my grandparents are magic places where family comes together. And that matters a lot.

June 20 was World Refugee Day. The theme for this year was FAMILY.

"There are now more than 45 million refugees and internally displaced people  
the highest level in nearly 20 years. Figures give only a glimpse of this enormous human tragedy. Every day, conflict tears apart the lives of thousands of families. They may be forced to leave loved ones behind or become separated in the chaos of war."
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

Death, losing family members, having to flea and abandon homes, living in overcrowded refugee camps with little resources, being separated from family, physical and emotional trauma become the reality and the familiar.
So many children around the world are denied the opportunity to grow without the concern for violence or starving. So many children are denied the opportunity to grow and benefit from their grandparents love and so being denied access to a part of self they will never get back.
Love is never broken. Soul connections will never disappear without trace. But what will be able to replace the time they never get to share...

6.8 million people are affected by the war in Syria. 4 million are children are in need of urgent need for help. - UNICEF

1.6 million Syrian Refugees - UNHCR

1,025,809 Registered Somali Refugee Population  - UNHCR
 
59,642 Liberia Refugees - UNHCR

174,129 Mali Refugees - UNHCR

223,754 Refugees in South Sudan - UNHCR

90,991 Sudanese Refugees in Ethiopia - UNHCR