Antonio Rodríguez (EFE) reviews the documentary film by Sonia Fritz
“15 faros de Puerto Rico” – 15 Lighthouses of Puerto Rico.
He writes, “The lighthouses of Puerto Rico are the nineteenth-century legacy left by the Spaniards before the change of sovereignty from Spain to the United States in 1898.
These historical structures represent the desire to incorporate the Caribbean island into the era of modernity in the nineteenth century.”
I’m learning many things since I’ve started this blogging journey almost three years ago.
One of the things I’ve noticed is that, even though I consider I had a complete and thorough education, many topics were ignored or very lightly covered.
I learn new things every day.
I think that both the internet and social media have been vehicles in this learning journey of mine.
I’m thankful for that. I’m forever in a quest for knowledge.
This is one of the topics that I didn’t know much about.
I know it’s a controversial one but no one can hide the facts when they are there … in our face.
This situation is a total violation of human rights and the extermination of a race by those with more power.
For centuries there was no such conflict. In the 19th century the land of Palestine was inhabited by a multicultural population – approximately 86 percent Muslim, 10 percent Christian, and 4 percent Jewish – living in peace.
Zionism
In the late 1800’s a group in Europe decided to colonize this land. Known as Zionists, they represented an extremist minority of the Jewish population. Their goal was to create a Jewish homeland, and they considered locations in Africa and the Americas, before settling on Palestine.
At first, this immigration created no problems. However, as more and more Zionists immigrated to Palestine – many with the express wish of taking over the land for a Jewish state – the indigenous population became increasingly alarmed.
Eventually, fighting broke out, with escalating waves of violence. Hitler’s rise to power, combined with Zionist activities to sabotage efforts to place Jewish refugees in western countries, led to increased Jewish immigration to Palestine, and conflict grew.
UN Partition Plan
Finally, in 1947 the United Nations decided to intervene.
However, rather than adhering to the principle of “self-determination of peoples,” in which the people themselves create their own state and system of government, the UN chose to revert to the medieval strategy whereby an outside power divides up other people’s land.
Under considerable Zionist pressure, the UN recommended giving away 55% of Palestine to a Jewish state – despite the fact that this group represented only about 30% of the total population, and owned under 7% of the land.
THIS GRAPHIC SPEAKS FOR ITSELF
~~GRAPHICS SOURCE~~
Google Images
~~GALLERY~~
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Current Conflict
There are two primary issues at the core of this continuing conflict.
First, there is the inevitably destabilizing effect of trying to maintain an ethnically preferential state, particularly when it is largely of foreign origin. The original population of what is now Israel was 96 percent Muslim and Christian, yet, these refugees are prohibited from returning to their homes in the self-described Jewish state (and those within Israel are subjected to systematic discrimination).
Second, Israel’s continued military occupation and confiscation of privately owned land in the West Bank, and control over Gaza, are extremely oppressive, with Palestinians having minimal control over their lives.
Thousands of Palestinian men, women, and children are held in Israeli prisons. Few of them have had a legitimate trial; physical abuse and torture are frequent. Palestinian borders (even internal ones) are controlled by Israeli forces. Periodically men, women, and children are strip searched; people are beaten; women in labor are prevented from reaching hospitals (at times resulting in death); food and medicine are blocked from entering Gaza, producing an escalating humanitarian crisis. Israeli forces invade almost daily, injuring, kidnapping, and sometimes killing inhabitants.
According to the Oslo peace accords of 1993, these territories were supposed to finally become a Palestinian state. However, after years of Israel continuing to confiscate land and conditions steadily worsening, the Palestinian population rebelled.
(The Barak offer, widely reputed to be generous, was anything but.)
This uprising, called the “Intifada” (Arabic for “shaking off”) began at the end of September 2000.
U.S. Involvement
Largely due to special-interest lobbying, U.S. taxpayers give Israel an average of $8 million per day, and since its creation have given more U.S. funds to Israel than to any other nation.
As Americans learn about how Israel is using our tax dollars, many are calling for an end to this expenditure.
My dear blogger friend David at “Live & Learn” posted information today which sent me searching. (He has a knack of doing that …. maybe he does it on purpose).
“Brussels-based photographer Jeffrey Vanhoutte created this stunning project featuring an acrobatic dancer displaying various expressive poses that seem to be frozen in time. The dancer throws clouds of powdered milk up in the air while fulfilling graceful and fluid movements. Jeffrey Vanhoutte captured them in film and photo though as he states it took even longer too clean up the mess than to actually create the images.”
Belgian Photographer Jeffrey Vanhoutte Expertly Blends Humor and Photography
Hailing from Belgium, Jeffrey Vanhoutte began his professional photography career at the ripe age of 21. His interest began when, as a child, his supportive family encouraged him to take a camera along with him on school trips. Vanhoutte then attended the Coloma School in Mechelen for a degree in professional photography, and subsequently opened his own studio.
Now renowned in the commercial and advertising spheres, Vanhoutte works with agencies and companies such as Ogilvy, BBDO, Saatchi & Saatchi among others.
Vanhoutte enjoys infusing humor into his work, albeit in a subtle way, creating clever images that are both easy on the eyes and provoke a bit of laughter.
Jeffrey is an experienced photographer who works mainly for important advertising agencies. He works for Belgian as well as for international clients.
He started immediately as a freelance photographer in his own studio called Studio Photon situated in Brussels. In the beginning of his career Jeffrey specialized in food and other still life photography.He became more and more interested in working with living models and started working in the field of advertising.
Besides his professional work, Jeffrey works on personal projects.
Brussels-based photographer Jeffrey Vanhoutte created this stunning project featuring an acrobatic dancer displaying various expressive poses that seem to be frozen in time. The dancer throws clouds of powdered milk up in the air while fulfilling graceful and fluid movements. Jeffrey Vanhoutte captured them in film and photo though as he states it took even longer too clean up the mess than to actually create the images.
You can see a Making-of below.
~Friesland Campina Kievit Creamers~
~Published on Jun 19, 2014~
FrieslandCampina Kievit’s new sensational creamers are about to take over the world. To do so, a fully integrated marketing campaign was created by Norvell Jefferson.
From a creative brainstorm, to a 2-day film and photoshoot, to a wide variety of communication assets, Norvell Jefferson was responsible for concept, design and development. The sensory explosion of FrieslandCampina Kievit’s creamers is featured throughout the campaign, leaving a worldwide impression.
~Friesland Campina Kievit Creamers Making of~
~Published on Jun 18, 2014~
No words to describe this masterpiece advertisement!
It Is What It Is 