LIVE8 - THE BIGGEST SPIRITUAL EVENT EVER

LIVE8 - THE BIGGEST SPIRITUAL EVENT EVER - JOIN IN WITH MEDITATION, PRAYER AND HEALING

Hello!

Just to make sure all of you are aware of what is happening today...

This is a uniquely historic event and tuning in spiritually as all have the power to do will assist in shifting consciousness towards greater compassion, unity amongst all our brothers and sisters, and a greater outpouring of Love for all humans and all sentient beings!

In service to the Light

Jean Hudon
Focus Group Facilitator
http://www.aei.ca/~cep/focusgroup.htm
and Earth Rainbow Network Coordinator

This Special LIVE8 Update is archived at http://www.aei.ca/~cep/LIVE8Update.htm

The following is an excerpt from "The Big Scoop Series #4: Shifting Sands for the US in a Fast Shifting Global Awareness" archived at
http://www.earthrainbownetwork.com/Archives2005/BigScoop4.htm

From: William Bloom info@williambloom.com>
Date: 28 June 2005
Subject: LIVE8 - THE BIGGEST SPIRITUAL EVENT EVER - JOIN IN

Please circulate

LIVE8 - THE BIGGEST SPIRITUAL EVENT EVER - JOIN IN WITH MEDITATION, PRAYER AND HEALING

This Saturday's Live8 Concert will be the biggest spiritual event that humanity has ever experienced.

This is an extravagant claim, but two things are for certain. First, never before in the history of humanity have so many people been involved in a single shared experience. Second, the core of the experience is both celebratory and moral - 'spiritual' by any other name.

The figures and reality of the event are impressive and worth repeating. Live8 will be the biggest broadcast ever, with more than 5.5 billion people able to tune in through a variety of media. The global population today stands at 6.5 billion which means that 85 per cent of all people will be able to watch or listen to the concert. This surpasses the previous 2004 record of the 3.9 billion people who watched the Olympic Games.

No matter how cynical some may be about its showbiz buzz, the whole happening can be positively described as contemporary collective religion and spirituality at its best. It has all the features of great worship. Song, rhythm and noble ideals.

Whether it is the Gregorian chant of Christian monks, hymn singing, tribal and pagan dance, Buddhist mantras, Islamic song-prayers or one of the many other cultural forms - throughout history, in all times and places, people have come together to share their spirituality through music.

Today the shared music of our globe is rock and pop.

This Saturday the congregation is almost everyone on the planet.

Global, collective worship.

And the event has depth - the depth of true meaning, compassion and relevance. It is concerned with the suffering and deaths of millions of children and adults, condemned by a poverty that can be remedied. It will raise consciousness and open hearts.

It is fully engaged in social and political realities, bringing direct pressure to bear on the 8 world leaders who will meet in Scotland for the G8 summit and who have the opportunity now to increase aid, release debt and create a global trading system that is fair, immediately saving lives that are otherwise slaughtered by our gods of uncaring commerce and power politics.

But as a spiritual event, Live8 will also carry atmosphere and energy. It will call in and transmit love, compassion and connection. Anyone who remembers the LiveAid concert of 20 years ago, or the opening and closing of the last Olympic games, will remember the powerful emotion and energy of those events.

This Saturday, then, is also an opportunity for prayer, meditation and healing.

There is occasion here for everyone to participate. As well as being enthusiastic supporters and spectators, we can also give co-creative spiritual engagement. Whatever the event appears to be on the outside, in the inner world it also has immense power. During the worldwide concert, we can pray and meditate for global healing and justice for all the world's people.

We can call for and send healing.

We can increase our commitment to a life style that harms no one and no being.

Religion by religion there is a common myth that their saviour will return and lead humanity to a better world, to heaven on earth. This is an old model, a hope dependent on a single leader. Today's world is more democratic, less hierarchical. There is the possibility that humanity as a whole can manifest its spirituality and love of freedom. As with the fall of the Berlin Wall or the response to the Tsunami disaster, the heart and passion of humanity can manifest in enormous group events.

As we know every few seconds a child dies of extreme poverty. A lost life, a devastated family. I cannot live with this any more. Most of us cannot bear it.

Linked by the global communications network, linked by our shared prayers and meditations, let this coming Saturday truly be the greatest spiritual event ever. Let it move and transform the hearts of all of us, manifesting practically in a transformed world.

Enjoy the party. Anchor the passion. Heal the world.

William Bloom

LATEST NEWS ON LIVE 8

From: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050702/ap_on_en_mu/live8;_ylt=A86.I0rBw8ZCc14BBRSs0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA3b2NibDltBHNlYwM3MTY-

Live 8 Makes Its Way Around the World

By JILL LAWLESS, Associated Press Writer

July 2, 2005

LONDON - Bono effortlessly worked the crowd. Pink Floyd were sharing a stage for the first time in two decades. And Bill Gates was treated like a rock star. Live 8's long, winding road around the globe Saturday was an eclectic, unprecedented extravaganza.

From Johannesburg to Philadelphia, Berlin to Tokyo, Rome to Moscow, hundreds of thousands gathered for a global music marathon to pressure the world's most powerful leaders to alleviate African poverty at the Group of Eight summit next week.

Organizer Bob Geldof promised to deliver "the greatest concert ever."

Paul McCartney and U2 opened the flagship show of the free 10-concert festival in London's Hyde Park with a rousing performance of "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band." A thunderous roar erupted from the crowd of about 150,000 as the two iconic rock stars belted out the first line: "It was 20 years ago today..." — a nod to the mammoth Live Aid concerts that raised millions for African famine relief in 1985.

Bono, dressed in black and wearing his trademark wraparound shades, wrapped the crowd around his finger, enticing tens of thousands to sing along to the anthemic "One" and "Beautiful Day." The crowd cheered when a flock of white doves was released overhead.

"So this is our moment. This is our time. This is our chance to stand up for what's right," Bono said.

"We're not looking for charity, we're looking for justice. We cannot fix every problem, but the ones we can, we must."

After a brief delay — testament to the complexities of the eight-hour London extravaganza — Coldplay soothed the crowd with their hit "In My Place."

Geldof appeared onstage to introduce Microsoft billionaire and philanthropist Gates, whom the crowd greeted with a rock star's roar.

"We can do this, and when we do it will be the best thing that humanity has ever done," Gates said.

Later in the day, the London crowd was promised Madonna, The Who and the reunited Pink Floyd, giving their first public performance since 1981.

Geldof, who announced the Live 8 gigs just over a month ago, said "thousands of millions" of people were watching on television and the Internet around the world.

"There's nothing more to do now," he said backstage. "It's either crap or it's great. And so far it's great."

The day's first concert kicked off in Japan, where Bjork and Good Charlotte joined local bands for a show that failed to generate much interest in Asia's only G-8 nation. Iceland's Bjork made her first live performance in two years. But the crowd of 10,000 people was only half of what the hall in the Tokyo suburb of Makuhari was capable of holding.

"People are willing to go out of their way, because we believe passionately in what this is about," said Bjork. "Just the acknowledgment of the problem is an important step."

Live 8 then rolled on to Johannesburg, South Africa, where 24-year-old Zambian singer Lindiwe opened before a crowd of about 500 people that was expected to swell to 40,000. Former President Nelson Mandela was expected to address the crowd.

Johannesburg and a concert featuring African artists in southwestern England were organized following criticism that African artists had been left out of the Live 8 concerts, despite the event's aim to raise awareness of the continent's plight.

"Africans are involved in helping Africa, which doesn't happen too often," Cameroonian singer Coco Mbassi said before the England concert. "We're presenting a different image of Africa — showing that Africa has good things to give."

German crowd-pleasers Die Toten Hosen kicked off Berlin's show with a string of power anthems while reminding revelers that helping Africa stood above the music.

"This is no rock concert, it's a reminder about next Wednesday," singer Campino told the crowds, referring to next week's G-8 meeting in Scotland.

In an open letter to the G-8 leaders, which appeared in several British newspapers Saturday, Geldof said the summit will disappoint the world if it fails to deliver an extra $25 billion in aid to Africa.

"We will not applaud half-measures, or politics as usual. This must be a historic breakthrough," the letter said. "Today there will be noise and music and joy, the joy of exuberant possibility. On Friday (the end of the summit) there will be great silence as the world awaits your verdict. Do not disappoint us. Do not create a generation of cynics."

London concertgoer Tula Contostavlos, 19, said she was there to see Mariah Carey — and to send a political message.

"Obviously some people are here for just music," she said, "but they're forgetting what's important and what they're here for."

___

On the Net:

http://www.live8live.com

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Full Coverage on Live 8 at
http://news.yahoo.com/fc/entertainment/live_8;_ylt=A86.I2ztw8ZCx4gAux8nHL8C;_ylu=X3oDMTA2ZGZwam4yBHNlYwNmYw--

News Stories

Welcome to the greatest rock concert in the world'
http://www.guardian.co.uk/arts/live8/story/0,16066,1519729,00.html
"Ladies and gentlemen, it's two o'clock. Welcome to the greatest rock concert in the world." And thus, a few minutes after 2pm, Live 8 began simultaneously at venues in London, Paris, Rome and Berlin.Backstage, Bob Geldof said:" Everything that's rock 'n' roll is ever meant to be is happening now." He admitted that he only finally relaxed once the concert got underway. "There's nothing more to do now - it's either crap or it's great and so far it's great," he told reporters a couple of hours into the blockbusting event. (...) At 5pm Bob Geldof came on stage to announce that over three billion people were watching the event. Over in Philadelphia, events were just beginning, with Will Smith on stage to open the US's Live 8 concert. The actor and singer introduced live link-ups with the crowds in Berlin, Paris and Canada. He spoke of a Declaration of 'Interdependence' and urged the crowds to help end world poverty. "Every three seconds, somebody's son, somebodys' daughter, somebody's future is gone. Dead" he said. "With a stroke of a pen eight men can make a difference and end the misery of millions of people." (...) The first two of the 10 worldwide Live 8 concerts - the world's biggest music event - had begun earlier in Johannesburg, and in Tokyo, where around 10,000 people were watching to a lineup including Bjork and McFly. The Live 8 Concerts will run for 19 hours around the world. The day's final note of music will come from Canadian concert venue Molson Park, Barrie, at 1am tomorrow (British Standard Time); the first concert kicked off this morning in Tokyo at 6am and finished 2pm. In the US, Philadelphia's Live 8 concert at the Benjamin Franklin Parkway will feature Live 8 performers from 5pm (BST) until 11pm. Russia's Live 8 Concert in Red Square, Moscow runs from 5pm to 8.30pm, while South Africa's concert at Mary Fitzgerald Square, Newtown, Johannesburg, began at 11.45am and will close at 6.30pm.The world music gig at Cornwall's Eden Project opened an hour before Hyde Park, and will run until at 11pm. Billions of television viewers around the world are expected to watch today's concerts. (...) The aim of the concerts is to raise awareness of poverty in developing nations in the run-up to the G8 summit, which takes place in Gleneagles on July 6."This is without doubt a moment in history where ordinary people can grasp the chance to achieve something truly monumental and demand from the eight world leaders at G8 an end to poverty," the event's organiser, Bob Geldof, said."The G8 leaders have it within their power to alter history. They will only have the will to do so if tens of thousands of people show them that enough is enough. By doubling aid, fully cancelling debt, and delivering trade justice for Africa, the G8 could change the future for millions of men, women and children." CLIP

Many more related articles on LIVE 8 at the bottom of
http://www.guardian.co.uk/arts/live8/story/0,16066,1519729,00.html

THE LATEST FROM LIVE 8: Updated all day
http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/thelive8event/

AOL Music: LIVE 8
http://music.channel.aol.com/live_8_concert/home

MANY MORE NEWS STORIES AT http://news.yahoo.com/fc/entertainment/live_8;_ylt=A86.I2ztw8ZCx4gAux8nHL8C;_ylu=X3oDMTA2ZGZwam4yBHNlYwNmYw--

OTHER RELATED NEWS

From: http://breakingnews.iol.ie/news/story.asp?j=148108210&p=y48yx89y6

200,000 send out anti-poverty message in Scotland

July 2, 2005

Hundreds of thousands of people joined hands to form a human band around Scotland’s capital today in protest at world poverty.

Organisers claimed 200,000 protesters – twice as many as had been expected - took to the streets of Edinburgh for the Make Poverty History demonstration.

The protest was aimed at putting pressure on G8 leaders meeting at Gleneagles next week.

People from around the world descended on Edinburgh for the demo, thought to be the biggest Scotland has ever seen.

Despite fears of violence, Lothian and Borders Police, who had mounted a massive security operation, said the day was largely trouble free. There was one flashpoint near the city centre when a group of around 60 black-clad protesters were penned into a street by officers after displaying “aggressive behaviour”.

At 3pm the marchers, many dressed in white, stopped and held hands for a minute’s silence, forming a giant circle round the city centre.

The white band is the symbol of the Make Poverty History campaign. Scotland’s First Minister Jack McConnell, who watched the march as it passed onto Princes Street, said: “This is fantastic, it is a great carnival atmosphere and it is a message of hope.”

A huge official Make Poverty History banner hung from the famous castle which overlooks the city centre.

The march through the city streets began in bright sunshine at 12.15pm led by celebrities and campaigners including pop star Daniel Bedingfield, actor Pete Postlethwaite, Bianca Jagger, television presenter Diane Louise Jordan and multi-millionaire businessman Tom Farmer.

Cardinal Keith O’Brien, leader of Scotland’s Catholic church, his English counterpart Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, and the Rev David Lacy, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland also took part.

Trumpets and whistles competed with the sound of African drums as the noisy march made its way through the city centre.

Bystanders waved rainbow flags of peace while socialists with red flags chanted “murder, war, poverty, hate, we say shut down G8”.

Among those at the head of the march was Zimbabwean campaigner Amadou Kanoute. He said: “We are at the front here today and that is the right place because Africa has to be put at the front. “It makes me feel so good to see the solidarity in the people here today.”

CLIP

“We are not aware of any arrests and we have to praise in general demonstrators for their good nature. There’s been a real carnival atmosphere.”

Celebrities had rubbed shoulders with church leaders and aid workers at a rally on the Meadows ahead of the march. Organisers claimed that the turnout had exceeded 200,000.

A spokesman said: “Make Poverty History are absolutely delighted with this, to see so many people come to show that they really care.

“We believe more than 200,000 people have been at our rally and march.”
The crowds were welcomed to the event by Edinburgh’s First Citizen, Lord Provost LesleyHinds.

“We will be able to tell our children and grandchildren that we have made a difference on poverty,” she told the throng.

Before launching into song with her band Texas, singer Sharleen Spiteri told the crowd: “You are pretty unbelievable showing up today – I feel very proud to be here.”

Mexican actor Gael Garcia Bernal, who played Che Guevara in the Motorcycle Diaries, later told the crowd: “We have to remember we can make a big change by bringing back politics where it belongs – to us, the people.”

Comedian and actor Eddie Izzard, who introduced acts on stage, said: “This is the centre of the universe.

“There are other things going on today apparently but this is where it is really happening.”

Singer Daniel Bedingfield, who was near the front of the procession through the city, said: “There’s no way to know what this is going to do but I really hope it does change things, because if this cannot make a difference how the heck are you, as an individual person, supposed to make a difference.”

Cardinal O’Brien read out a message from Pope Benedict XVI calling on people in the richest countries to demand action on poverty.

“People from the world’s richest countries should be prepared to accept the burden of debt reduction for heavily indebted poor countries and should urge their leaders to fulfil the pledges made to reduce world poverty especially in Africa by the year 2015,” said the newly elected Pontiff.

Cardinal Murphy-O’Connor, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Westminster told the demonstrators they were part of “a moral awakening.

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