125 Madeira Consorcio Meeting 19.3.2022

Mar 20, 2022 at 5:20 pm | Posted in Posts | Leave a comment
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João Mota, one of the administrators of the Foundation Cecilia Zino, gave us a presentation of the Foundation’s history and work.

The website is https://fundacaozino.com/, with an English version.

Cecilia Rose Zino created the foundation in 1961, and used an old hotel building owned by the family, to install a children’s hospital in 1961. (The Nélio Mendonca Hospital only opened in 1973.) The hospital played an important role in the last Polio outbreak in 1972 on the island.

After the opening of the N.M. Hospital, the Zino hospital was turned into a residential facility for children from poor families on the island. The Foundation used funds from the stock market to finance the work on a private basis.

The Foundation had plenty of staff; at times, the Home harboured more than 40 children. The service also relied on four Dominican Nuns which supervised the work very efficiently, from 1963 until their retirement in 2020. When a Nun leaves the service, three people have to be hired to replace her because the nuns worked 24/7.

The children who arrive at the Foundation are taken out of the families for various reasons, and given into the care of the Foundation. At this time, the Foundation as 15 children, from the age of 3 to 18. Even if a youngster turns 18, he/she will be assisted in various ways until the age of 26 years. (In Germany, children who turn 18, are on their own.)

The Foundation receives interest from the stock market; it also has rental properties which bring in additional money to cover the costs. In 2018, the costs were at around 600.000€/year. Now, with less children and staff, the cost has been lowered to a manageable amount. Still, the Foundation will be asking for Government support, also in view of the fact that the State intends to send more “problem” cases to the Foundation. They know that the Foundation has excellent staff with good training and a 1:1 ratio between staff and children. (There are six institutions on the island for the support of foster children and orphans.)

We have to keep in mind that these children need a lot of care; the families they come from, have serious problems with alcohol, drugs, violence and sexual exploitation.

The Foundation has new projects:

A new building for the now smaller group of children is to be built in Funchal.

A program to not only help needy children but also to assist their often-troubled families.

Scholarships for youngsters who are going to university and into professional training, until the age of 26.

Culture trips for the Children to visit museums in Lisbon and Porto.

Art Exhibitions: The Foundations offers a space in Rua do Bettencourt for young artists who are looking for promotors, they have interesting exhibitions, the topics always have to do with children and their world.

The Cultural Passport: The Foundation also started a project with the cultural passport, to incentivize children to visit museums and art galleries on the island. (The public museums are already covered by the schools.) The children get a stamp or two for a visit to an art gallery etc. In a lottery, they can then win a trip to Madrid or another city, or win iPads and other electronic devices. The Restock Gallery will be included in this project.

The vegetable plots in the Garden have been replanted, the children simply do not have much time to learn and do gardening work. They have to be taken to the public schools early, return often around 17, then they may have a meeting with a psychologist or speech therapy etc. and on the weekends, they often visit their families.

In the current war situation, the Foundation offered 5-6 beds to the Government for children from the Ukraine but the offer (as was in the case of the Syrian refugees) was not taken up by the state, citing bureaucratic problems.

Our thanks go to MZ and João Mota for the presentation!

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124 Madeira Consorcio Meeting 12.2.2022

Feb 13, 2022 at 11:59 am | Posted in Posts | Leave a comment
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Hello Team,

Based on an idea from H., we watched a short animation on www.lendwithcare.org

 and a video clip on Youtube:

(Another one here about supporting women in Bosnia:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTaWMOqLfGQ )

Lendwithcare is a part of Care International, which after 1945, organized the CARE parcels sent from all over the world (also from Madeira Island) to the German population. Lendwithcare is asking for donations to keep the organisation going, but this is not a prerequisite to help an entrepreneur.

LendwithCare works in Zambia, Malawi, Rwanda, Georgia, Peru, Ecuador, Vietnam, Cambodia, Pakistan, the Philippines and the Occupied Territories of Palestine.

This is lending without interest and it is not a handout, from person to person, with the help of a local, carefully selected supervisory agency. CARE has a Conduct of Microfinance agreement for these agencies and does Due Diligence on them.

M.J. was nonconcerted that the money given is not costing anything and if something is free, that the entrepreneurs would not pay it back or even feel that they ought to pay it back. But it seems that as the lending is local, there is peer pressure in a population to pay back, in order to keep a good name with the neighbours. The whole system is based on trust.

M.J. said that the Governments should do the job and support their people but many Governments don’t do this. Cl. said that investigative journalism is essential, to keep the Governments in line and that there are organisations which support this kind of journalism  (https://fij.org/ and https://www.investigativejournalismforeu.net/)

Poor people would not get a bank loan, NGOs do it instead.  Grameen Bank started loans a long time ago (https://grameenbank.org/, the founder received a Nobel Peace Prize.

Lendwithcare works with local agencies which are selecting the entrepreneurs and are strict on the payback in time. The entrepreneurs are aware that the money would dry up if the funds were not paid back.

The person giving the money receives regular feedback on the payback situation, When the money is repaid the/she can reclaim it from Lendwithcare or keep it in the system to support other recipients. The system is transparent for all. The numbers show that the risk for the “donors” is low.

Another idea is “Toilet-Twinning”: https://www.toilettwinning.org/ A donor can give 60 GBP and facilitate a decent toilet for a family in a Third World country.

The website says:

Without proper toilets and clean water, people are trapped in a vicious cycle: They’re likely to become sick through sanitation-related diseases Illness means they cannot work or farm their land, so they earn less or grow less food Children often miss school, because they are sick or because they’re busy collecting water Girls often drop out of school altogether when they start their periods if there are no toilets or changing rooms Parents have to pay for medicines or food, so they may fall into debt Women and girls risk being attacked or bitten by snakes as they go to the toilet in the open, especially if the culture dictates that they have to go out at night Water and sanitation projects enable families to build a toilet, have access to clean water, and to learn about handwashing and other hygiene principles. Dignity is restored when the whole family can use a private, hygienic toilet at their home and no longer have to squat in the bush.  

The website also explains how toilets are designed and built. But yes, they are holes in the ground within a cabin… better than nothing!

123 Madeira Consorcio Meeting 27.11.2021

Nov 29, 2021 at 9:25 am | Posted in Posts | Leave a comment
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We watched this talk:

https://www.ted.com/talks/david_katz_the_surprising_solution_to_ocean_plastic/up-next#t-546346   (The website is here: https://plasticbank.com/)

In poor countries, the Plastic Bank receives litter from poor people and gives them credit in form of useful items for their daily lives. The Social Plastic collected is given to the big plastic “consumers” like Shell, BP and they re-introduce it  into the production of plastic bottles for shampoo etc.
Also regarding this topic: a documentary Karen found about the actual ocean clean-up: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNk7wO9DUeM

Another outfit is Litterati:

https://litterati.org/

The members pick up litter piece by piece and document it in an App. An amazing amount of litter is this removed, and the app users feel a sense of accomplishment.

This means that plastic waste is redefined not as rubbish but as primary source of product. Western countries used to send their excess waste to China and other countries, officially for recycling but really for dumping. China has already started to refuse such shipments. Now western countries have to find other ways to re-use their rubbish. Burring it may produce electrify (as in Madeira) but it also releases CO2. This gas could be captured in the burning process and compacted, to be turned into tiles and similar products. Still a step that needs to be done. It will cost money and that is where public knowledge needs to increase. Rubbish recycling is essential but we will have to pay for it

Our Supremo Shop in Funchal is going from plastic packaging to bulk storage for dried fruits, and selling the products un-packaged. Customers will have to bring their own containers.

There is already such a shop in the Old Mercado in Ribeira Brave “Unverpackt Laden”

We have doubts that Shell and BP will really go through with it and reintroduce Social Plastic in the production; on their side, this may be gimmick publicity. With big business, corruption may be strong, undermining any good intentions.

Like these big players, non-profits managers may have hefty salaries but they have to be paid well to work the non-profits at all.

Crowd-funding also had a noble goal in the beginning and is turning more and more into a business with profits.

Anything with the label “nature” or “bio” may be false, because these words cannot be protected as a brand (and they shouldn’t be gobbled up by just one company).

In any case, we do have honest people in the “bio” business, also on the island.  But subsidies also corrupt the agriculture; farmers are being paid just to keep their land fallow. At some point, the EU may become dependent on other countries to supply enough food.

COP26 has shown that youngsters are starting to take part in politics. There is an European initiative that they should be able to vote as of the age of 16. They can then exert more pressure to avoid the climate catastrophe.

122 Madeira Consorcio Meeting 23.10.2021

Oct 24, 2021 at 3:12 pm | Posted in Posts | Leave a comment
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We met in the Gallery as usual and watched this talk:

The Talk is about the fact that we define Nature too narrowly as a system that hasn’t been touched by humans. Nature can include reforested and replanted areas; new ecosystems develop in such areas as well. Weed is not necessarily bad.

C. said that Cistercian and Franciscan monks in the middle age, who farmed large spaces of land for the church, were instructed to leave a third of the land “wild”

In Germany, the farmers are instructed to leave the side-lines of their fields untamed so that wild plants can grow there and provide at least a small space for insects and other wildlife to settle there.

Rewilding:

Here is a link with more information:

https://rewildingeurope.com

In Portugal, a space on Vale do Côa is supposed to be re-wilded

https://rewilding-portugal.com/pt/oeste-iberico/

It makes no sense to cut trees into shapes, just because we find it better. Trees should grow unhindered in the shape they need to be in.

Apple trees should be used to grow apples for juice, if they cannot be eaten. This potential should not go to wasted even if the product is a bit more expensive.

The other issue the speaker has is that children like to have wild nature to touch it and be in it. They have a right to find such spaces, not to be confined to State parks where they cannot interact with nature because it has to be protected. If humans interact with nature, they do so as a part of nature.

The Plumbago at the entrance of the Gallery is such a “wild space”.

There used to be many partridges on the island as well as rabbits and ferrets. They used to be hunted. Now, rabbits were re-introduced in the forest, only in order to be fodder for hunting…

Invasive species can be bad (the eucalyptus seeds are bad, and the trees grab too much water) but they also may very well turn out to become a blessing later (medicinal plants, protection for trees against specific insect threats etc).

Climate Change:

The 2021 COP – United Nations Climate Change Conference – will take place on Oct 31 in Glasgow. Avaaz will certainly ask for signatures or donations to pressure World Leaders to do something useful about the problem (I will forward the Avaaz message to you when it comes around, Ursula)

Russia and China didn’t get the message yet but more and more industry leaders are talking about strategies that respect nature and include it in their development of new products.

It will come down that we’ll have to curtail our personal footprint as much as possible. Medium distance flights within a country, for example, will have to be forbidden.

Other stuff:

Portugal got some refugees from Afghanistan, the female musicians from Zohra orchestra. There is a link to one of their concerts:

105th Madeira Consorcio Meeting 16.3.2019

Mar 17, 2019 at 6:51 pm | Posted in Posts | Leave a comment
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We met in the RESTOCK workshop room again, and the meeting went very well!

Do. came up with the topic for the evening“Social Media Addiction”. He chose two videos:

Is Social Media Hurting Your Mental Health? by Bailey Parnell   15 min

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Czg_9C7gw0

Social Media addiction  13 min

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JH5bC-SLvb4

Negative aspects of Social Media:

  • Social Media are addictive, as explained in the video, especially for younger people who are still insecure in their roles and tend to compare themselves to their peers.  They derive a false sense of belonging and importance from the excessive use.
  • Lonely people pour their souls out into the Internet, basically to nowhere, and hope to be “seen”.
  • Social media split people apart and replace real social interaction.
  • Many people us fake names and harass and insult others with impunity; they lose their sense of respect and decency because the attacked persons are far away.
  • The effectiveness of Social Media decreases with time, as more and more Fluff or Noise is put out there.
  • Mouth-to-mouth recommendations are much more effective that any Social Media campaign.
  • Nobody know how Social Media are going to develop from here.
  • 15% of the world energy consumption is due to the Internet.

Positive aspects of Social Media:

  • Websites such as Do.’s classic photos of Madeira, and the Dutch group which stays in touch (both monitored).
  • Long distance family connections work instantly and give a feeling of togetherness.
  • People can stay be in the loop with their friends and family but do not need to comment on just any photo that is posted.
  • It is a great tool to tell stories and present yourself, as long as marketing is not involved.

Here are some links to Do.’s sites, who monitors everything, he manages “internet etiquette”:

Madeira Quase Esquecida (Facebook page): https://www.facebook.com/MadeiraQuaseEsquecida/

Madeira Quase Esquecida (Instagram): https://www.instagram.com/madeiraquaseesquecida/

The story about the project ‘Madeira Quase Esquecida’ via AprenderMadeira (in Portuguese): http://aprenderamadeira.net/madeira-quase-esquecida/

Social Media in themselves are not intrinsically bad, the use can be bad or good, similar to cars or guns. But cars need a driving license and guns needs permissions (at least in Europe)

As for driving, there should be an education for parents and children, to warn about the dangers and refrain from addictive use. It should be made clear that the opinions of strangers on the internet are not paramount.

The definition of “friend” has been distorted by Facebook, but there are levels there that most people don’t know about: “acquaintances” and “good friends” also exist. If somebody is blocked from a site by an administrator because of bad behavior, they simply cannot get in anymore, they don’t receive a “justification”.

Social media are a necessity for businesses – like it or not – and can be a necessary evil for people with a public profile. C. as surgeon cannot avoid it, it would create bad will if he didn’t have a FB page, people might slander him for not having a FB page because they will try to contact him in FB (of course, he doesn’t answer any medical questions on FB).

Cl. thinks the Social Media in all (Do. says that they are many more than just the big Five) are evil. They are using behavioral science to manipulate the users and get their data to sell to other companies.

The fact is that emails are still free. If emails or tweets were to cost at least a cent (and people would have to log in to a payment system and show their identity to pay for it) then the amount of emails would drop drastically and the slanderous use would be curbed.

Ce. said that we used to get our information from journalists, philosophers, priests and teachers who put their energy into understanding the issues and explaining them to us. If the internet was had to be paid for, these groups would regain their importance and could again do a good job.

Social Media should be monitored at all times; we have seen with the events in Christchurch that attackers will post on the Internet to gain “fame” and “likes” bad content must be monitored and removed immediately.

Social Media should be used better, and everybody should have an education on it.

K. recommends a book on the topic, a novel by Sophie Kinsella” “My not so perfect Life” about a woman’s dive into Social Media and the way out of it.

Other info:

The Wikipedia Info for the European elections:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019_European_Parliament_election

At the bottom of the page, there is a description of the coalitions/alliances which have been established; from there one can click on the coalition names and see which European parties make up this alliance.

 

104th Madeira Consorcio Meeting 16.1.2019

Feb 17, 2019 at 12:35 pm | Posted in Posts | Leave a comment
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We met in a new venue the RESTOCK workshop room in Armazém do Mercado and I think it went very well!

The owners did a great job in providing and managing the technology  and we enjoyed the videos and then ensuing discussion.

The videos were:

  1. A Talk by Leon Berg about the art of listening with the “Council” way:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iDMuB6NjNA

  1. Julian Treasure: 5 way to listen better:

https://www.ted.com/talks/julian_treasure_5_ways_to_listen_better

The art of listening is under threat by the influx of media information we are receiving. C. said that we need to deliberately speak to persons who are not of our opinion, and try to understand them.

This, almost automatically, lead to Donald Trump, who does not display great talent in this area.

Cl. volunteered to portray Trump, and he did a great job in arguing from this standpoint, we had a lot of fun with that!!  Trump’s arguments for a wall to Mexico and a trade war were the main points.

There was the argument that the success Trump and other such political personalities have, is based on fear-mongering. Drugs are not coming across the US Mexican border, they are coming in planes and trucks, and M. knows somebody “inside” who told him that even the CIA is involved in the flourishing drug trade to the US today, as they were back in Vietnam and Laos. There is a movie about the events back then: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_America_(film)

So a wall wouldn’t help to solve this problem.

The trade war: our “Trump” argued that as China has grown disproportionally, the old trade deals are unfair and must be revoked.

The argument went that Trump is just a façade for the people who are really in charge (Have a look at Noam Chomsky: “Donald Trump is a Distraction” on YouTube: https://youtu.be/uQvig0KvUaE)

D. said that 1% of the world population, the rich, are really managing the USA. Democracy is not supposed to work like this.

G said that the people who are really in power, manipulate the legislation to be in their favour and they will not be voted or kicked out of office like Trump. They will remain in power, and we have no way of identifying them and des-empowering them.

Do. said that Trump is a perfect actor for this kind if disguise, and that he will be even more powerful once he is out of office, he will remain a big “influencer” for years to come.

We also spoke about the fact that less and less people are voting. Cl. – as Himself – pointed out that most of the first-time voters in the 2016 election in the US voted for Trump so he managed to get out the vote. (Voting in the US takes place on a Tuesday, instead of on the weekend.)

Fact checking websites can be found here:

https://researchguides.library.syr.edu/c.php?g=258130&p=1725901

If any team member comes across an info, listing the Portuguese party programmes and affiliations for the European elections in May, please let U.know, this can be distributed to the whole group so that we know what we are voting for.

Other info:u!

One upcoming topic might be a discussion about the speed in which we are being fed news, and if we shouldn’t deliberately slow down our intake.

 

 

101st Madeira Consorcio Meeting 15.9. 2018

Sep 16, 2018 at 11:04 am | Posted in Posts | Leave a comment
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D. presented a TED Talk by the co-founder of the Rocky Mountain Institute:

“Amory Lovins was worried (and writing) about energy long before global warming was making the front — or even back — page of newspapers. Since studying at Harvard and Oxford in the 1960s, he’s written dozens of books, and initiated ambitious projects — cofounding the influential, environment-focused Rocky Mountain Institute; prototyping the ultra-efficient Hypercar – to focus the world’s attention on alternative approaches to energy and transportation.”

This Institute stands for a positive approach, pointing to initiatives already underway by private enterprise and driven by the markets, to wean humanity off coal and oil by 2050. This will happen, whether the American President likes it or not.

The link:

https://www.ted.com/talks/amory_lovins_a_50_year_plan_for_energy#t-2560

U. mentioned a TED talk by a Comedian who said that cartoons are a great way of communication serious issues in a humorous manner. Cartoons may, for example, open up the mind of non-believers of global warming, so that they can be receptive to the fact that global warming really exists.

The link:

https://www.ted.com/talks/chris_bliss_comedy_is_translation

Other points:

Japanese calligraphy class for beginners

Saturday 15th of September, 11h30 – 13h

Thursday 20th of September, 12h30 – 14h

RESTOCK Gallery in Armazem do Mercado
Price: 10 euros, material included
Age: Adults and youth (13 years and older)
Inscription :restockfunchal@gmail.com

 

 

The Buddhist Centre is now having Cinema on each first Friday of the month:

O CBM vai dar início a um ciclo de cinema chamado ‘Ver, Refletir e Discutir’.

É uma ocasião para ver filmes e documentários alternativos.

Haverá também ocasião para um chá e bolachas.

Local: Sede do CBM, Rua das Mercês 26 no 2º andar.

Hora: 19h

Entrada: 2 Budas

Para as primeiras três sessões está programado o seguinte:

28 de Setembro: “Kundun” de Martin Scorsese. Duração 2h 10min

5 de Outubro: “Human Vol.I” de Yann Arthus-Bertrand. Duração 1h 24min

2 de Novembro: “O pequeno Buda” de Bernardo Bertolucci. Duração 2h 20min

Pretendemos fazer uma projecção todas as primeiras sextas de cada mês, o dia 28 de Setembro é uma excepção.

São todos muito bem-vindos!

C.A.S.A. (https://casa-apoioaosemabrigo.org/index.php/delegacoes/casa-madeira) is looking for (permanent) volunteers for the evening food handout (every 14 days, they need people for Mondays and Fridays), the contact is Silvia, 91 0365816, madeira@casa-apoioaosemabrigo.org . You can also ask U., she is on a Monday team.

 

99 Madeira Consorcio Meeting 16.62018

Jun 17, 2018 at 11:02 am | Posted in Posts | Leave a comment
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We met in U’s place to view a video by Dr. Carhart-Harris about research done in the UK and the United States about psychedelics; the link:

https://vimeo.com/154290924

The patients undergoing these controlled studies were all severely depressed or had other mental afflictions. Although some of them underwent also bad trips during the study, the aftereffect on this group of patients was /is mainly very positive. One or two treatments can actually improve depression etc. for months at a time.

Michael Pollan wrote a book about the findings with a lengthy title: “How to change your mind  – What the new science of Psychedelics teaches us about Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression and Transcendence”. E and G have it,is also available as audio book.

An interview with Michael Pollan about his book is here:

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2018/05/15/611225541/reluctant-psychonaut-michael-pollan-embraces-the-new-science-of-psychedelics

Dr. Carhart-Harris’ mention in the Imperial College of London:

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/people/r.carhart-harris

It is actually possible to have psychedelics prescribed by a doctor (with a special procedure) for depression and other serious mental afflictions.

MAPS is a worldwide organizations that helps sufferers find a doctor who can prescribe psychedelics for their treatment

www.maps.org

D mentioned that psychedelics help to un-focus – a behaviour that has been instilled in us from childhood – and to see the whole picture. Psychedelics do not cause hallucinations per se, they open the door to perceive them.

G said that the medical- industrial complex is suppressing the use of psychedelics even if they are beneficial to patients, because this would mean that they can sell less of their products.

It was discussed that these substances are not drugs, they are plant derivatives and natural, they dock in the body to receptors which also accept substances the body produces itself.

There seems to be a new understanding in the US that when people are depressed and kill themselves, the problem lies not with them but with the lifestyle. An interesting article by Kirsten powers is here:

https://eu.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2018/06/09/kate-spade-suicide-anthony-bourdain-depression-culture-success-column/687388002/

U mntioned that wastewater – which is recycled in cities – carries more and more substances like cocaine. It has also surfaced again that women who take Ibuprofen or Paracetamol during pregnancy, may have a healthy baby girl who later finds that she is infertile because the pain killers killed her eggs in the ovaries during her mother’s pregnancy. (see article)

Reminder The JORNAL carries News in English on Tuesdays, it’s a good information service now!

 

98 Madeira Consorcio Meeting 19.5.2018

May 22, 2018 at 5:11 pm | Posted in Posts | Leave a comment
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We met in V.’s Quinta in S. Antonio to visit her private garden, where she started a new orchid collection. It is promising! She has 250 different kinds of orchids in the lowers greenhouse and is now starting to place them in the garden itself. Butterflies and birds have returned, after the road below the grounds  was built.

The garden is, at the bottom end, on level with the new road so she could then open a new gate for easy access for the visitors.

She also has com experience with EcoTherapy, with three persons who came to the Quinta during the day  to plant and raise plants, to rest and get out of burnout mode.

She has a contact to a Germany enterprise which intends to send her employees who had a burnout or who are close to it. In the UK, EcoTherapy is paid by the National Health system.

We also spoke about Shinrin Yoku – Forest Bathing, a practice from Japan, see D’s links below*. D. thinks that Madeira is ideal to practice this relaxing way of living, really.

U talked about the encounter she had on a private occasion with the head of Madeira Tourism. There might be a new type of government official who could be open to working with us. D. told us about a guy from JPP (Junto pelo Povo) who came to visit him and P. in Esperdegada, to discuss all kinds of government matters, to do with the upkeep of the road. D. had a very good impression of him, this might also be a person we could work with and propose ideas to, or to help with brainstorms.

U. will get in touch with Sam G., who writes the News in English, coming out now every Tuesday in the JORNAL – please go and buy it! –  to see if she can set up another channel for the news with  the Madeira Island News.

We need a new topic for June and G said she would like to inform us about medicinal use of psycedelics – wow!

The links, to get a look into it:

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2018/05/15/611225541/reluctant-psychonaut-michael-pollan-embraces-the-new-science-of-psychedelics

and about the research done so far:

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/people/r.carhart-harris

 

The next meeting will be on June 16, the place yet to be determined.

  • Shinrin Yoku – Forest Bathing

https://youtu.be/LUfbMIGcxkM

https://youtu.be/wixyvQMCFj4

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/asia/japan/articles/forest-therapy-japan-bathing-woods-wellness-relax/

http://www.shinrin-yoku.org/shinrin-yoku.html

http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-33368691

https://www.cheesetraveller.com/earthing-forest-bathing-costa-rica/

http://shinrin-yoku.pt/en/

http://www.natureandforesttherapy.org/foresttherapystarterkit.html

http://www.natureandforesttherapy.org/the-practice.html

http://www.natureandforesttherapy.org/the-science.html

 

97 Madeira Consorcio Meeting 14.4.2018

Apr 15, 2018 at 6:31 pm | Posted in Posts | Leave a comment
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We met in E’s and ’s place , they introduced us to the first Tool in the Book “Coming Alive“ (“The Tools”, https://www.thetoolsbook.com/ ) by Phil Stutz and Barry Michels. This is a self-help series of methods to deal with personal problems. The video we saw was very interesting because Barry Michels came up with some good insights we never heard anywhere else.

G found the book by chance and wanted her son to read it; he declined so she read it,  liked it and gave it to E. Both are now dealing with the H. Situation in a different way so this might very well resolve some issues!

Our next meeting will be on May 19

PS from Madeira Island News:

Pilot advocates no airport wind limits

The Diario reports today that pilot Timóteo Costa, with 26,000 flight hours and 9,000 landings in Madeira, belives that the airport should not have “wind limits” and considers that the region is being “punished” for “a bureaucratic decision”. Timóteo Costa, also an instructor and examiner,  gave this controversial opinion at a parliamentary hearing at the Permanent Commission of Economy, Finance and Tourism on the “Operational Assessment of Madeira International Airport”.
According to Timóteo, the captain of the aircraft should decide whether to land or take-off based on the conditions he is facing at that point in time, and not be governed by mandatory limits. He notes that Madeira airport “is the only one in the world with mandatory limits “fixed by people sitting in offices”.
“We are punishing Madeira and the people of Madeira with a pure bureaucratic decision,” he told the Commission, expressing the conviction that “50 to 70% of the planes that adopt a holding pattern and leave, and then leave without even trying to land, will land in full safety “. According to the commander, if there are no limits and only recommendations, these 50 to 70 percent of landings that are not made today will be “made safely”. “I am against the obligatory limit [which dates back to 1964 and remains unchanged despite successive expansions of the airport from 1,600 to 1,800 and 2,781 meters and new technologies introduced in the meantime] and not the limitations that all pilots have to be informed ” , he says.

Timóteo Costa (pictured) said that Madeira International Airport is “a toy” compared to others such as those in Innsbruck, Salzburg, Gibraltar or La Palma.
On December 4, the president of the National Civil Aviation Authority, Luís Ribeiro, said in Funchal that the review of the wind limits at Madeira Airport is “legitimate and sensible”, but he assured that the decision will be technical and never political. “We think it is appropriate to re-think the issue and the decision will always be technical rather than political,” said the official, during the same hearing.The infrastructure is the only one in the country where the wind limits, fixed in 1964, are mandatory and not recommended, but the National Civil Aviation Authority (ANAC) has already begun a study to evaluate the possibility of changing the situation, which in 2017 affected more than 700 flights.

 

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