Good News Agency - Good News

Here's a posting from the Good News Agency this week: Democratic Republic of the Congo: Clean water for 200,000 people On 23 March the ICRC delivered a transformer to the national electricity board in Kisangani so that electricity could be supplied to the REGIDESO water-treatment plant in Lubunga, in Orientale province. The town’s more than 200,000 residents will thus have access to clean water again. Lubunga had been without drinking water or electricity for more than 18 months because the transformer had broken down. As the electricity board was unable to repair it, the ICRC decided to donate a new 100 kVA transformer, this vital item being the last piece of equipment needed to put the water-supply system back into service after its rehabilitation with material and technical assistance provided by the ICRC. Ensuring access to drinking water for a wide section of the urban population in cooperation with local institutions is an ICRC priority in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. http://www.icrc.org/ The site is the: Good News Agency

Scientology Church to Register in the Ukraine

Here's a story that came up last week -- the first Church of Scientology of the Ukraine is about to be registered. Scientology Community to Register in Ukraine Religious Information Service of Ukraine, www.risu.org.ua Lviv, 02 April 2004 During a conference on 28 March 2004 in Ukraine’s capital Kyiv on “Human Rights in the International and Ukrainian Context,” representatives of the Church of Scientology announced their plans to register their own church. “We are currently in the process of registering a church,” said Dmytro Tsymbalist, spiritual leader of the Church of Scientology in Kyiv. “Today, we don’t have any difficulties with this and only need time to consider the documents. We also have a small apartment where people gather and make confessions,” he added. According to Ukraine’s legislation, the statutes of religious organizations in Ukraine are registered by the National Committee on Religious Matters. According to the information agency “ForUm,” certain political forces can use the Church of Scientology, which the agency describes as scandalously notorious, before the upcoming elections. The agency also maintains it is not clear why the Church of Scientology decided to register its community in Ukraine now. In Russia, the rush around this religious organization ended about five years ago. [Source:http://ukr.for-ua.com ]

World Institute of Scientology Enterprises

I just notices the new site for World Institute of Scientology Enterprises and I'm impressed. Such an upgrade from the earlier version. There's a very good page on L. Ron Hubbard's Management Technology. I was surprised to read the following: "Today, L. Ron Hubbard’s management principles have reached more than 140,000 companies and corporations in 75 countries. There are 25 Hubbard Colleges of Administration and more than 150 Hubbard management consultants and consulting groups delivering Hubbard management technology services. All provide business people with solutions to productivity and prosperity, which raise the quality of life and inject a higher degree of sanity into as many lives as possible. " They have a lot to say about business ethics. I think most people agree this is a vital area to improve in our society. There's a book that addresses this area, which is highlighted on the site: Solutions for Ethics & Integrity based on L. Ron Hubbard's Management Technology Finally, they cover the Hubbard Colleges of Administration which offer courses in management and administrative technology. This is an acredited business college and from the successes I've hear coming out of it I'd say it's the place to go, if you want to salvage a failing business or expand a successful one and anything in between.

Information on Drug Prevention from the Church of Scientology

The proof of the failure of legalizing and decriminalizing drugs as a solution to handling addiction is starkly apparnet in various European coutnries. I am not advocating punishment and law enforcement as solutions to this problem either - these are patently ineffective. Rather I believe the correct solution is to find effective programs - those that really get people off drugs and help them stay off - and siphon off some of the millions (billions ?) that are going into ineffective programs into ones that wokd, like the Narconon program. Here's a new site about Scientology drug activities:Scientology Effective Solutions - Drug Abuse Information

Help for Runners

My favorite book on runnings is Galloway's Book on Running. He gives so much sensible advice on how to train for distance running, or just get and stay fit. Following his philosophy of running nearly anyone can increase stamina, get the aerobic benefits of long slow running, and do it all at a pace that is enjoyable. Galloway also has a web site: Run Injury Free with Jeff Gallowaythat is very helpful, free newsletter, and various clinics and coaching services (for a fee).