By Walid al-Mudallal, Assistant Professor for Political Science at Gaza Islamic University

After months of being dogged by corruption scandals and calls for his resignation, Israeli President Ehud Olmert's decision to step down has stirred political uncertainty in Israel and plunged the stalled peace talks into confusion.

Israel's press is largely unsurprised by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's resignation that he would leave office after coming under pressure over mounting corruption allegations.

Most commentators see Olmert's departure as inevitable, with one paper describing it as a "tragedy".

Palestinian commentators fear Israeli political instability might have a detrimental impact on the peace process.

Israel's Prime Minister Olmert made many promises, but didn't keep many of them. He could barely even set a course for the Middle East peace process. Some observers affirm that his successors don't offer much hope, either.

Ehud Olmert has called it quits. When his Kadima party votes for a new leader, he will clean out his office and make way for his successor. Finally, is the sentiment felt by most Israelis, who had to watch their prime minister stumble from one affair of corruption to another for years.

Ehud Olmert was head of government for only 31 months. He took over in the difficult times of his predecessor Ariel Sharon, who suffered a cerebral hemorrhage in January 2006 and fell into a coma.

Olmert had a disappointing performance in the subsequent election. The hoped-for outstanding election win for him and the still very young Kadima Party, which Sharon had recently founded, did not materialize.

But Olmert did not contest this. He promised to finally give Israel definite borders and to make peace with the Palestinians and the neighboring Arabic countries. But he could not adhere to any of this - on the contrary. He had barely come into office when he led a war against the Hezbollah and Lebanon, which indeed from the beginning registered much agreement among the population from the beginning, but whose disappointing and casualty-high exit then almost cost him his position in office.

No peace with Palestinians

There were also no advances whatsoever in the talks with the Palestinians. Indeed Olmert regularly met Mahmud Abbas, President of the Palestinian National Authority, for so-called peace talks. But while he dealt with him, his government simultaneously agreed upon the building of new settlements and the destruction of old ones and asked Defense Secretary Ehud Barak for stronger action against the Palestinians in Gaza.

Against this background it almost appeared to be a mockery when Olmert hinted at signing an agreement with Abbas before retiring as prime minister, because neither Olmert nor Abbas can rely on the majority of their voters. Both no longer have a mandate to make decisions with far-reaching effects.

In regards to Israeli-Syrian negotiations after the resignation of Ehud Olmert, especially that Israeli Foreign Minister and leader of Kadima party Tzipi Livni had different opinions towards peace talks with Damascus, so it is expected that the Israeli-Syrian negotiations could be halted for awhile.

Dubious successors

The situation in the Middle East will not be much better after Olmert’s leaving office. Simply because even with a new leader, it could take months for a new ruling coalition to engage in the Palestinian peace process -- and the primary election winner may not automatically replace Olmert as head of the government, potentially leaving the embattled leader in the role of caretaker prime minister, possibly into the next year.

Right-wing opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu of the Likud Party called for parliamentary elections, which could lead to the formation of a new government that may not favor the negotiations track Olmert has been pursuing.

Netanyahu, a former premier known for his tough stance on how peace talks should be conducted, leads in Israeli opinion polls, including in head-to-head election matches with Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Defense Minister Ehud Barak, the Labor Party leader, the Associated Press reports.

After Olmert resigns, the Israeli president, Shimon Peres, will consult the parties and pick a member of parliament to form a new government -- most likely the new head of the Kadima party.

But Kadima holds only 29 seats in the fractured 120-member Israeli parliament, forcing it to find allies for a coalition government, a process that could take time, according to the AP.

An Israeli official who is close to Olmert, speaking on the condition of anonymity to the AP, said the prime minister would try to reach an agreement with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas "during the time he has left," either in his current role or in his upcoming one as caretaker leader.

Abbas now faces the task of trying to broker a peace deal with a lame-duck prime minister who is dogged by corruption scandals and whose agreements may or may not be upheld by the next Israeli leader.

"With or without Olmert, the negotiations have become futile," according to Hani al-Masri, a Palestinian political analyst.

But speaking from Tunisia, Abbas pledged to work with Olmert and his successor despite the "turmoil" in Israel.

Minister of Interior Security Avi Dichter, who was previously the chief of the domestic intelligence service Shabak, is considered the actual driving force behind the targeted killings with which Israel took its political adversaries in the Palestinian regions out of the way. Interior Minister Meir Shitrit, who up to now stands out mainly through his unconditional loyalty to Olmert, essentially has no hope of becoming his successor because he lacks the necessary power base in his party.

In the meantime, Secretary of State Tzipi Livni, currently the most promising candidate, is indeed considered as the dove in her party. But she too holds a rigid and demanding position against the Palestinians.

None of the mentioned candidates to succeed Olmert is stepping forward with an original idea, none have made a creative suggestion regarding how the conflict with the Palestinians can be solved peacefully. None have displayed open-mindedness or the readiness to make compromises. May Olmert's announced retirement could indeed make things easier, but there is no reason to hope for advances in the peace process.

Friguia, 14^th June 2008.

When we planned our holiday this year, we were torn between a wildlife safari in Kenya and Tunisia. If we’d gone to Kenya, I’d have had to take a film camera as well, because ‘Long Tom’ won’t fit on my D40X, and so I have to save for a telephoto for that, too. And, if my video camera had packed up in Kenya rather than Tunisia … I would indeed have, as Bram Stoker said ‘ … spoke polyglot, with much bloom and blood’.

Nevertheless, we did see animals when we signed up for a trip to the safari park at Friguia.

It’s not only African animals we see. There’s tigers, kangaroos and black swans, too, all kept in an habitat as natural as possible … although I feel that the sign above the black swan enclosure, stating it contained black swans was a bit of a ‘statement of the bleedin’ obvious’

But, the object of the visit wasn’t only to see the animals. It was to attend a ‘folkloric evening’ at their restaurant. I’d estimated it would seat about a thousand people … and every seat was taken. Nevertheless, the service was quick and efficient, and we were entertained by Tunisian singers and dancers, as well as Africans from further south.

My memory of the meal is a bit hazy, as the more ‘Vin de Mess’ I took on, the more garbled and indecipherable my notes became. But, I do remember someone saying ‘This is another Vin de Mess you’ve gotten me into, Stanley!’ However, I can read the bit that tells me the brik we were served as a starter is a kind of crispy pancake stuffed with potato, herbs and a fried egg. And, the main course was Djerba Island rice (with vegetables) with stewed chicken, which they told us was a speciality of Matmata.

Much of the Arab World seems to me (an American) to be obsessed with Shakespeare!  Yes, I do think there is a place for Shakespeare in the literature curriculum, but I think it is being entirely overdone.  I think one or (certainly not more than three) Shakespeare plays should be included in the curriculum, but other time should be spent on more interesting and valuable literature.

I spoke with some British friends I have who told me that British children are started on reading Shakespeare at age 11!  When I asked what for, one of them finally told me that knowledge of Shakespeare is used as an adult mainly to impress other adults.  OK, I'm American, and I find much of the language terribly hard to understand.  I really can't see it being useful to most people to learn much of this sort of antiquidated language.  Yet, throughout the Arab World, so many university programs seem to focus on extensive reading of Shakespeare!

About fifteen years ago, I had a friend from Libya.  He went on and on about how when he was in school, they had performed Shakespeare's plays in Arabic, using all the correct classical Arabic endings for words (as opposed to using the local dialet of Arabic).   People in my present country have told me similar things.

Where I live now, I often have country nationals who have earned university degrees in English (as a second or third language) talk to me about how they read a lot of Shakespeare in university.  At the same time, their command of ordinary English vocabulary is often lacking.  Some of them cannot write clear English sentences.  Wouldn't the time spend studying Shakespeare be better spent in English composition classes, and/or reading literature that uses language currently used, particularly when they are subsequently in jobs requiring a good command of English?

Eileen

Much of the Arab World seems to me (an American) to be obsessed with Shakespeare!  Yes, I do think there is a place for Shakespeare in the literature curriculum, but I think it is being entirely overdone.  I think one or (certainly not more than three) Shakespeare plays should be included in the curriculum, but other time should be spent on more interesting and valuable literature.

I spoke with some British friends I have who told me that British children are started on reading Shakespeare at age 11!  When I asked what for, one of them finally told me that knowledge of Shakespeare is used as an adult mainly to impress other adults.  OK, I'm American, and I find much of the language terribly hard to understand.  I really can't see it being useful to most people to learn much of this sort of antiquidated language.  Yet, throughout the Arab World, so many university programs seem to focus on extensive reading of Shakespeare!

About fifteen years ago, I had a friend from Libya.  He went on and on about how when he was in school, they had performed Shakespeare's plays in Arabic, using all the correct classical Arabic endings for words (as opposed to using the local dialet of Arabic).   People in my present country have told me similar things.

Where I live now, I often have country nationals who have earned university degrees in English (as a second or third language) talk to me about how they read a lot of Shakespeare in university.  At the same time, their command of ordinary English vocabulary is often lacking.  Some of them cannot write clear English sentences.  Wouldn't the time spend studying Shakespeare be better spent in English composition classes, and/or reading literature that uses language currently used, particularly when they are subsequently in jobs requiring a good command of English?

Eileen

"1.000.000 Supporters give help to Clear up Landmines."

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Mines antipersona

Protupješačkih mina

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Anti-míny

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Clearance operations make use of three main methods: 

•  Mechanical clearance relies on flails, rollers, vegetation cutters and excavators, often attached to armoured bulldozers, to destroy the mines in the ground. These machines can only be used in certain terrains, and are expensive to operate. In most situations they are also not 100% reliable, and the work needs to be checked by other techniques.
• Advances in technology have been made in recent years, both in mine detection systems and in mechanical means for destroying mines in place. However, in many situations manual clearance remains the preferred method, for reasons both of cost and reliability.
• Manual clearance relies on trained deminers using metal detectors and long thin prodders to locate the mines, which are then destroyed by controlled explosion; 
•  Mine detection dogs, which detect the presence of explosives in the ground by smell. Dogs are used in combination with manual deminers.

The Better World Campaign works to build a stronger relationship between  the United States and the United Nations through outreach, communications, and advocacy. We encourage U.S. leadership to strengthen the UN’s ability to carry out its invaluable operations around the world. And we engage policy makers, the media, and the American public to increase awareness of and support for the United Nations.

VLADIMIR PUTIN REMARKS ON CONFLICT ZONES

RUSSIAN HUMANITARIAN ACTIONS 

 

Russia to clear landmines in Serbia.

Russia is to start mine-clearing operations in Serbia. Work will begin after Russia's Emergency Situations Minister Sergey Shoigu and Serbia's Trade Minister Predrag Bubalo reached a deal in Belgrade.

Russia will pay the full cost of the clean-up, estimated at around $US 35 million.

It is believed that unexploded devices from NATO's bombing of Serbia in 1999 as well as landmines from the many Yugoslav Wars between 1991 and 2001 may still lie buried in Serbian soil.

Some of them may hamper the construction of the Serbian part of South Stream gas pipeline.

Meanwhile, Russia's humanitarian aid programme in Kosovo is about to enter a new phase.

Medical supplies and equipment as well as up to 10,000 tonnes of wheat will be delivered to Serbian enclaves.

SA KOMPASS  Kompass International Neuenschwander SA assigns the W.E.R.I's REPRESENTANTS, FOUNDATION MEMBERS, RELIEF WORKERS to justice 

  ]]> http://elementaryteacher.wordpress.com/?p=925 Sat, 04 Oct 2008 18:00:35 +0000 elementaryteacher http://elementaryteacher.no.wordpress.com/2008/10/04/a-teacher-who-really-made-a-difference/ Today I'd like to direct my readers to the blog of an Indian friend of mine in Madras,who has posted a tribute to World Teacher Day with one of the best stories I've ever read about a teacher who really made a difference, HERE.

Eileen

Although Tunisian government is reportedly promoting itself as a progressive state that protects human rights, but reports by committee that protects journalists (CPJ) has unveiled that government aggressively silences newsmen and others who challenge policies of president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.

According to report, nicknamed, "The Smiling Oppressor," CPJ has found journalists are subject to routine imprisonment, assault, harassment, and censorship in Tunisia.

President Ben Ali's administration reportedly enjoys close ties with western governments, which have been largely silent about country's press freedom record.

But CPJ's investigation found that Tunisia falls well short of internationally accepted standards for free expression.

Report shows that Mr Ben Ali's administration imposes broad restrictions on news coverage, banning, for example, coverage that could be construed as "offending the president," while it tightly regulates licensing of print and broadcast media.

It says licenses are doled out to government allies and denied to potentially critical news outlets.

CPJ found out that critical journalists who turn to Internet or small opposition newspapers have been harassed by security agents, subject to assault, and even jailed.

Tunisia, along with Morocco, leads Arab world in jailing journalists.

"Known across world for its stunning beaches and tourist locales, Tunisia quietly operates a police state at home," report says.

It further says, "Print press does not criticise president and is largely paralysed by self-censorship. Few critical voices who do write on Internet, for foreign publications, and low-circulation opposition weeklies are regularly harassed and marginalised by Tunisian authorities."

I cannot forget my travel to Djerba, Tunisia. It is a wonderful island I must say, an island in North African Coast specifically. I can still feel the heat of this island, but the charming destination enchants with its white menzels (houses), field with apricots, grenadines, lemon, oranges, pomegranates, figs and grapes plantation. There are small mosques, Borj el-Kebir and the (Houmt-Souk) market centre. It is rightly called the Isle of Forgetfulness.

Jae

Tunisia, Tunisia, per nota che tu sia...

Oggi vorremmo raccontarvi di un nostro viaggio settembrino in Tunisia, a Djerba, in particolare a Zarzis.

La Tunisia è molto conosciuta ed ormai la si può definire una destinazione "di massa",  eppure possiamo dirvi che abbiamo provato ugualmente delle belle emozioni, conserviamo ricordi piacevolissimi. Dopotutto ogni angolo del nostro pianeta, anche quello che si crede più scontato, può celare incredibili sorprese!

Il mare è bello, il relax assicurato, e gli hotel o i villaggi super serviti non mancano, vogliamo quindi raccontarvi qualcosa di diverso, provato in comuni escursioni.

Abbiamo visitato l' isola di Djerba e siamo davvero rimasti affascinanti dal museo di cultura popolare, in un ambientazione panoramica e caratteristica ci hanno accolto e stupito i tantissimi "diorami" a grandezza naturale raffiguranti le attività e le tradizioni più antiche, in parte ancora oggi vive, scene di vita rappresentanti uno spaccato reale che ci ha fatto sentire più vicini e comprendere meglio le persone che ci hanno ospitati nella loro isola.

Non abbiamo resistito a fare anche noi l' immancabile cammellata nel deserto, nonostante fossimo (e siamo) convinti che sia solo un modo per "spremere" per benino i turisti ed affaticare quei poveri animali che certamente si divertono molto meno, il richiamo è stato più forte: quelle dune e la sabbia bianca quasi accecante di quel deserto erano davvero una tentazione troppo forte. Risultato: ai cammelli (che in realtà erano dromedari) mancava solo la parola, davvero simpatici; il deserto è meraviglioso, lo sguardo si perde a vista d' occhio, in una parola è un incanto, noi però ci siamo ricoperti di sabbia oltre ad essere "imbragati" in un' assurda tragicomica mise similbeduina... Abbiamo anche incontrato una volpina del deserto, piccolissima, morbidissima e con grandi, enormi orecchione, anche lei purtroppo sfruttatissima per la solita foto di rito (alla quale anche noi non abbiamo rinunciato, dando un piccolo riconoscimento al ragazzino che l' aveva scovata e portata), credeteci, tenere in braccio un animaletto così dolce riempie il cuore di tenerezza.

Ci siamo poi divertiti ad immedesimarci negli eroi di "Star Wars", abbiamo infatti visto Matmata, luogo dall' aspetto lunare dove le persone più povere e isolate, nei secoli, hanno costruito case trogloditiche scavate nella roccia, creando una sorta di crateri sotterranei, in parte ancora oggi abitate. Qui hanno girato alcune scene del film, ed il set è ricordato con tanti "cimeli" rimasti en plain-air. Fuori caldo torrido, ambiente arido, dentro frescura e riparo e vecchietti ospitali.

 Ci sono tante altre cose da vedere e da fare, ma già in una settimana è possibile godersi la classica vacanza balneare abbinandola a momenti di divertimento e scoperta, imparando ed apprezzando qualcosa del posto :)

p.s. il nostro micetto si chiama Zarzis, perchè l' abbiamo trovato abbandonato sotto casa proprio prima di partire per questa vacanza, nell' indecisione e nella fretta l' abbiamo chiamato Zarzis, per gli amici Zis..

Today is 25/7/2008 and it is 7:00 am. Whenever I am in vacation, I make it a point that I should feel free of all the wordly. But as usual I cannot make it. Now when I am on my Tunisia holiday, I am off my bed and experiencing the morning life with a cup of tea in hands. Its indeed a lovely morning. Sometimes, I wonder what would have Tunisia looked like during Roman period. Certainly, must have been wonderful. During my stay in one of the hotels in Tunis, though I did not have much advantage to visit the ancient Roman remains and sites, I made sure to visit the Bardo National Museum. Amazing collection of artefacts from archaeological sites.

De repente, deu vontade de voltar a escrever sobre a Tunisia. Foram muitas imagens. Algumas, intraduziveis. Outras assim, como essa da foto: uma fantasia para os olhos.

Essa profusão de mar e céu azul - lindos por sinal - é Djerba, uma ilha mágica. Dizem que Ulisses esteve por lá nas aventuras contadas na Odisseia. Foi lá que ele teria encontrado as sereias que, longe de serem bonitas, eram seres monstruosos que atraiam os marinheiros com a voz.

Seja como for, Djerba ainda atrai navegantes, traseuntes, turistas. É uma ilha que mistura o ecossistema do deserto (com tamareiras, oasis, etc) com o Mediterraneo. Tem longas praias de águas muito tranquilas e muito azuis e um aqueduto construido pelos romanos que traz agua dos Montes Atlas até lá. Hoje, pode não haver sereias por lá. Mas há ceramistas fazendo trabalhos belíssimos (e baratos), boa comida com frutos do mar, resorts internacionais, souks diversos e povos bérberes que ainda mantém tradições antigas.

For others, however, blogging is a necessary activity that frequently places their lives in jeopardy, and yet they continue to defy warnings in order to publicise the wrongs of their society and government.

One such blogger is Slim Boukhdhir, a Tunisian Internet journalist who has been subjected to continuous harassment since he was freed in July after a politically motivated imprisonment.

Officers had alleged that Boukhdhir insulted them, prompting a questionable prosecution, as witnesses interviewed by Boukhdir’s lawyers and family members said police falsified statements to incriminate the journalist.

The judge at Boukhdir’s trial also prohibited prosecution witnesses from being cross-examined, while the one-year sentence he received for insulting police was previously unheard of for such offenses.

On his release from jail, Boukhdir remained unbowed, stating:

My release from jail is a victory for freedom and independent journalism. The Tunisian regime failed to break my will and determination to carry on with independent and ethical journalism.

Boukhdhir spent eight months in prison for writing articles critical of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, but was once more abducted on Saturday night, while walking to an Internet café in downtown Sfax.

Bundled into a car and taken first to a police station near the city’s old district and then to an isolated area about nine miles (15 kilometers) west of Sfax, his captors then threatened him before forcing him from the car.

In an interview with the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Boukhdhir recounted:

After leaving the police station, they started insulting me and threatened to inflict on me the same fate of Libyan Internet journalist Daif Al Ghazal, kidnapped and killed in neighboring Libya in 2005. They even claimed they had nothing to do with Tunisian police and were hired by a fictitious man allegedly to teach me a lesson for having an affair with his wife.

According to the journalist, he believes the abduction was sparked by his recent article urging Ben Ali to follow Rice’s advice to loosen the state’s grip on civil society.

The 9 September piece was posted on the officially banned Tunisian news site Tunisnews and the Egyptian news site Al-Masryun, on which Boukhdhir argued that Rice’s call for reform was an opportunity Ben Ali should not miss.

Whether it is deemed political or religious-based criticism, writers such as Boukhdir continue to challenge the constraints, and by doing so ensure that freedom of expression survives.

It can only be hoped that it does not come at the cost of life, however.

[Image via: Menassat.]

Kairouan, 13^th June 2008.

On the way back to Port el Kantaoui, we stopped at Kairouan. When the Arabs came to Tunisia, they set up their capital in Kairouan, abandoning the ruined city of Carthage. They built mosques here, nowadays, numbering more than fifty and the city is recognised as the holiest place in Tunis.

The biggest of these is, not surprisingly, called the Great Mosque, started in the 9^th Century, and noted for its minaret, marble-tiled courtyard and its massive prayer room, supported by 400 pillars. But, we couldn’t go in; it’s only open to visitors in the mornings, and some of the party weren’t appropriately dressed, anyway.

However, it’s possible to admire the architecture from the roof of a three-storey souvenir shop nearby. Actually, ‘souvenir shop’ is a pretty poor description. Kairouan is also a major centre for crafts such as saddle-making, metalwork and carpet weaving. All were on sale here.

Sadly, though, we have no use for a carpet, and don’t own a horse. And, we’d already bought the plate for the kitchen wall and the obligatory fridge magnet. So, I hope the soft drinks and ice-creams we bought were recompense enough for allowing us to use the shop as an excellent viewpoint.

In quel tempo, Gesù disse ai suoi discepoli questa parabola:
"Il regno dei cieli è simile a un padrone di casa che uscì all'alba per prendere a giornata lavoratori per la sua vigna. Si accordò con loro per un denaro al giorno e li mandò nella sua vigna. Uscito poi verso le nove del mattino, ne vide altri che stavano in piazza, disoccupati, e disse loro: "Andate anche voi nella vigna; quello che è giusto ve lo darò". Ed essi andarono. Uscì di nuovo verso mezzogiorno e verso le tre, e fece altrettanto. Uscito ancora verso le cinque, ne vide altri che se ne stavano lì e disse loro: "Perché ve ne state qui tutto il giorno senza far niente?". Gli risposero: "Perché nessuno ci ha presi a giornata". Ed egli disse loro: "Andate anche voi nella vigna".
Quando fu sera, il padrone della vigna disse al suo fattore: "Chiama i lavoratori e dai loro la paga, incominciando dagli ultimi fino ai primi". Venuti quelli delle cinque del pomeriggio, ricevettero ciascuno un denaro. Quando arrivarono i primi, pensarono che avrebbero ricevuto di più. Ma anch'essi ricevettero ciascuno un denaro. Nel ritirarlo, però, mormoravano contro il padrone dicendo: "Questi ultimi hanno lavorato un'ora soltanto e li hai trattati come noi, che abbiamo sopportato il peso della giornata e il caldo".
Ma il padrone, rispondendo a uno di loro, disse: "Amico, io non ti faccio torto. Non hai forse concordato con me per un denaro? Prendi il tuo e vattene. Ma io voglio dare anche a quest'ultimo quanto a te: non posso fare delle mie cose quello che voglio? Oppure tu sei invidioso perché io sono buono?". Così gli ultimi saranno primi e i primi, ultimi". (Mt 20,1-16)

Spesso una pagina del Vangelo riassume tutto il Vangelo. Il fatto è che ogni pagina contiene lo stesso "dna", ed è un po' come la chiave della nostra felicità.
Nel Vangelo di oggi, così come avviene  anche in altre parabole, c'è una certa sproporzione, un'apparente ingiustizia, una sorta di provocazione che mira a far vacillare i nostri luoghi comuni, e ci aiuta a superare, a oltrepassare i limiti della nostra concezione -a volte troppo limitata- di Dio e della vita.
La paga degli operai che han sopportato tutto il peso della giornata e quella di coloro che han lavorato una sola ora è identica: entrambi riceveranno un danaro. E' un trattamento abnorme, come protestano -mormorando- gli operai della prima ora, che han ricevuto la paga dopo gli altri e sono stati, dunque, testimoni di questa 'ingiustizia'.
Il padrone prende da una parte uno di questi e gli dice con molta franchezza: 'amico mio, io non ti faccio un torto', e la spiegazione che dà a lui diventa una lezione per noi: non c'è nessuna ingiustizia in questa disparità di trattamento e prima ancora di fare paragoni con gli altri è necessario imparare  a rispettare la libertà assoluta di Dio e ad accetare con riconoscenza ciò che ci ha donato.
Il fatto è che molti dei nostri disagi provengono dal fatto che non sappiamo stare al nostro posto, che pretendiamo di avere il diritto d'esigere qualcosa da parte di Dio o dalla vita, come se fossimo noi i padroni, dimenticandoci che tutto ciò che abbiamo ricevuto, lo abbiamo ricevuto in dono.  Quanto ci rende infelici il fatto di paragonarci di continuo con gli altri (c'è sempre qualcuno più ricco, pim fortunato, più bello, più felice!), di guardarsi sempre intorno e non elevare lai lo sguardo verso Dio. Stiamo a guardare a ciò che riteniamo che ci manchi e non riusciamo a vedere qual che abbiamo ricevuto.
Il saggio sa accontentarsi di ciò che gli è stato dato, lo riceve con riconoscenza e cerca di farlo fruttare.
Alla radice di questa attitudine c'è una giusta idea di Dio, della sua libertà, ma anche della sua bontà. Alla fine della parabola, il padrone che non è stato ingiusto con i primi, ma per la sua generosità è stato buono con gli ultimi, ponendo un rimedio alla loro condizione di disoccupati. E questa stessa bontà è ricaduta sui primi!
Abbiamo, dunque, bisogno di cambiare il nostro modo di vedere le cose, le nostre vecchie abitudini, le nostre idee su Dio.
E' il mezzo migliore per trovare un po' più di felicità, per imparare ad essere contenti. La vera gioia, infatti, dipende molto più dalla nostra predisposizione d'animo di quanto non dipenda dalla situazione che stiamo vivendo.
Questa cosa segna, in pari tempo, il cammino d'ogni essere umano verso Dio. Accettando ci ambiare il nostro modo di vedere le cose, noi usciamo da noi stessi e ci mettiamo alla ricerca di Dio. Diventiamo capaci di riconoscere in modo concreto che i suoi pensieri sono, a differenza dei nostri, molto più giusti, buoni e saggi. Questa correzione continua non solo ci avvicina a Dio, ma rapprsenta anche il punto di partenza per correggere il nostro comportamento.
In questo modo riusciamo anche a liberarci, finalmente, dei dubbi che ci assillano, e ad aprire i nostri cuori alla fiducia. Non bisogna mai dimenticare, infatti, che la sola predisposizione d'animo da parte nostra degna di Dio è quella che ci porta ad avere totale fiducia in Lui: solo allora potremo cominciare a credere nel suo amore e a smetterla di giudicare a partire dalla nostra piccineria. Solo se gli permettiamo di essere con noi ciò che Lui è, potremo affidarci completamente a Lui e abbandonarci nelle sue mani, proprio come fa un bambino nelle braccia della sua mamma.

A top United States official Condoleeza Rice was embarking on a tour in the Maghreb region.

The tour will however exclude Mauritania whose relations with US were strained by 6 August coup of democratic regime of president Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdallahi.

Ms Rice will visit Libya, Tunisia and Algeria before finishing the tour with a four-day diplomatic visit to Morocco.

She will hold talks with top officials of the four countries on several bilateral and regional issues.

US official will amongst others discuss with Algeria and Morocco on issues concerning Western Sahara, state department has disclosed.

Some analysts believe the tour was mainly meant to further strengthen Washington's ties with Libya and US influence in Maghreb region.

According to state department spokesman Sean McCormack, Rice's landmark trip to Libya would usher in a new era of relations between the two nations.

"It's a historic stop," McCormack said, admitting that the visit will be the first by a US secretary of state in more than half a century.

Relations between Tripoli and Washington began to improve in 2003 after Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi abandoned efforts to acquire weapons of mass destruction, stop exporting terrorism and compensate families of victims of Lockerbie bombing.

The visit comes less than two weeks [14 August] after Libya and US finally reached a comprehensive deal that guarantee compensation to US victims of 1988 Lockerbie bombing of Pan Am Flight 103. Libyans killed in 1986 when US warplanes bombed Tripoli and Benghazi would also be compensated.

The settlement of all outstanding lawsuits against Tripoli by US victims has led to restoration of full diplomatic ties between the two countries, with president George Bush describing Libya as a "model of diplomatic success."

"The secretary's visit is going to be a huge demonstration of the fact that by changing behavior, a country can change the nature of a relationship," US assistant secretary of state Paula De Sutter told a news conference, adding that "countries that change terrorism behavior, cooperate with us, have a way forward."

American companies are beginning to compete with Europeans and Asians to tap into Libya's lucrative markets, especially the energy sector.

The North African nation boasts of 36 billion barrels and natural gas reserves of 1.3 trillion cubic meters, in addition to vast unexplored new deposits.

In 2006, Africa replaced the Middle East as the largest oil exporter to US, exporting about 2.23 million barrels of oil to the country per day, according to official US statistics. This was the first time in 21 years.