Talk from the Environmental Childrens Organisation

click here to here watch Severn Cullis Suzuki of ECO - Environmental Children's Organisation. In 1992 Severn, along with 5 friends, funded themselves to attend a UN Earth Summit in Rio de Janiero conference and present delegates with a slightly different perspective to environmental issues. These words spoken in 1992 are not however out of date, they are perhaps, more relevant and poignant than ever. Many thanks to Albert Harris for sending it on.
Here's an update on Severn from Wikipedia:

Cullis-Suzuki graduated from Yale University in 2002 with a B.Sc. in ecology and evolutionary biology. After Yale, Cullis-Suzuki spent two years traveling. Cullis-Suzuki co-hosted Suzuki's Nature Quest, a children's television series that aired on the Discovery Channel in 2002. In early 2002, she helped launch an Internet-based think tank called The Skyfish Project. Kofi Annan's Special Advisory Panel, she and members of the Skyfish Project brought their first project, a pledge called the "Recognition of Responsibility", to the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg in August 2002

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On another note - just to remind you to send in any poems or writing you would like to be considered for the HHK publication to Margaret Ford, ( see below) by the end of this week.

Sowa Rigpa is formally recognised as a medical system in India

The following is an article sent by Margaret Richardson of Rigul Trust, after Rinpoche forwarded news of the recent recognition and legalising of Sowa Rigpa as a system of natural healthcare in India, the development of which is one of his visions for his Meditation and Retreat Centre near Rumtek.

Calcutta Telegraph, 14th Sept 2009:

"Cabinet approves recognition of ancient Sowa-Rigpa medical system

New Delhi, Sep 10 (ANI): The Union Cabinet today approved the Indian Medicine Central Council (Amendment) Bill, 2009 for amending the Indian Medicine Central Council Act, 1970.


"Sowa-Rigpa" commonly known as ‘Amchi’ is one of the oldest surviving system of medicine in the world, popular in the Himalayan region of India. In India this system is practiced in Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Darjeeling (West Bengal), Lahoul and Spiti (Himachal Pradesh) and Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir.

The theory and practices of "Sowa-Rigpa" are similar to Ayurveda, and also include few principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine. The fundamental text book rgyud-bzi of "Sowa-Rigpa" is believed to have been taught by Buddha himself and is closely linked with Buddhist philosophy. he Government of India has received representations from various quarters to grant recognition to the System of "Sowa-Rigpa" to enable it get a legal status.

To confer legal status to "Sowa-Rigpa" amendments to section 2,3,8,9 and 17 of the Indian Medicine Central Council Act 1970, need to be carried out.

The proposed amendments shall give effect to the inclusion of "Sowa-Rigpa" under sections 2,3,8,9 and 17 of the Indian Medicine Central Council Act, 1970 thereby recognizing this system legally.

It is expected that the legal recognition of "Sowa-Rigpa" will lead to the protection and preservation of this ancient system of medicine and will help in its propagation and development. This will also open new vistas leading to collaborative research and scientific validation of the "Sowa-Rigpa" system, besides conservation and protection of the medicinal plants/minerals used in the system.

The recognition of "Sowa-Rigpa" will also lead to the setting up of a mechanism to regulate the education and practice of "Sowa-Rigpa". (ANI)" end.

However in the UK and accross Europe a new law is in the pipeline, the 'Codex Alimentarius' restricting the use of herbal supplements, vitamins and mineral food supplements to 'prescription only', using guidelines from the WHO and UN, and thus rendering them inaccessible without the approval of a GP.
Click to see the petition which is now closed but regular updates are available.
See also Rahima's article below on the Sowa Rigpa project in Sikkim.

A Poetic Offering

Bodhicharya Publications are planning to gather poetry , writing, photographs and drawings etc. by Bodhicharya students and friends to put into a small publication as a gift for His Holiness Karmapa which will be be presented by Ringu Tulku during the 17th Karmapa's first visit to Europe. It will be an edited selection, and anything not chosen this time may be kept for another publication with permission of the author.
If you have anything you would like to contribute for selection please email up to 5 suitable poems, aspirational songs, prayers, or short written pieces and images to Margaret Ford at mgtfrd@aol.com or click here.
If you are a non native English speaker and prefer to write in your mother tongue, please make or have made, an initial translation of your poetry into English. This may also be further edited in english by an editing team, in conjunction with and permission of the author. Poems will then be published in the original language as well as in English. Closing date for submissions is 30th September 2009.