SHARE INTERNATIONAL Advent of the new by the Master — Editor's comment: Dear America Achieving peace in the new multipolar age by Jeffrey D Sachs Climate Assemblies by Emilio Godoy Remembering Rabbi Michael Lerner (1943-2024) by Monte Leach S.O.P. —Save Our Planet: The brilliant promise of fusion power Solving climate change using the monetary system - Part three: IMF Voting Rights and Power Distribution by Lars Graf and Sebastian Graf School for Moral Ambition by Ellen Bernards Volume 43, No. 8 — October 2024

2 SHARE INTERNATIONAL VOL. 43, NO. 8 — OCTOBER 2024 Contents This month’s authors 3 Advent of the new Signs of the new The onslaught of the new by the Master — 4 Editor’s comment: Dear America 5 Point of view: Achieving peace in the new multipolar age by Jeffrey D Sachs 6 Climate Assemblies by Emilio Godoy 8 Remembering Rabbi Michael Lerner (1943-2024) by Monte Leach 9 The Law of Cause and Effect — a compilation 11 Signs of the time: Miracles worldwide 13 S.O.P. — Save Our Planet: The brilliant promise of fusion power 16 Solving climate change using the monetary system – Part three: IMF Voting Rights and Power Distribution by Lars Graf and Sebastian Graf 18 School for Moral Ambition by Ellen Bernards 19 Money by Aart Jurriaanse 20 Saint Charbel’s healing miracle 21 Letters to the editor: A very direct line 22 Questions and answers by Benjamin Creme Benjamin Creme (1922-2016), British artist, author and esotericist, was the founding editor of Share International. His telepathic contact with a Master of Wisdom allowed him to receive up-to-date information on Maitreya’s emergence and to expand on the Ageless Wisdom Teachings. The Master — is a senior member of the Hierarchy of the Masters of Wisdom; His name, well-known in esoteric circles, is not yet being revealed for various reasons. Benjamin Creme had a constant telepathic contact with this Master Who dictated His art- icles to him. Ellen Bernards is a Share International co- worker based in Blaricum, The Netherlands. Emilio Godoy is a Mexico-based corre- spondent who covers the environment, human rights and sustainable development. He has been a journalist since 1996 and has written for various media outlets in Mexico, Central America and Spain. Lars Graf is a retired software entrepreneur with a background in development economics. Sebastian Graf is CEO of Truecarbon.org. Aart Jurriaanse (1907-2002) was a South African author of compilations from the books of Alice A. Bailey; Bridges is a commentary on these teachings. Monte Leach, based in Berkeley, California, is the US editor of Share International. Jeffrey D Sachs is Professor of Sustainable Development and Professor of Health, Policy and Management at Columbia University. [ISSN 0169-1341] “Everyone has the right to a standard of living ad- equate for the health and well-being of himself and his family, including food, clothing, housing, and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sick- ness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond their control.” (Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 25, adopted by the United Nations December 1948) Founding editor: Benjamin Creme Chief editor: Felicity Eliot Editorial staff, contributors, correspondents: Canada : Diana Holland; Germany : Andrea Bistrich; The Netherlands: Erik Hutter; Spain: Carmen Font; New Zealand: Megan Scherer; United Kingdom: Gill Fry, Idina Le Geyt, Phyllis Power; United States: Monte Leach Editorial office (letters/questions to editor): PO Box 3677, London NW5 1RU, UK Production and administration: SI teams in Amsterdam, London and Los Angeles Printed by: drukkerijpeters.nl, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, on FSC paper. American edition printed by: AV Graphics, Chatsworth, CA, USA Share International also appears in French, Japa- nese and Slovenian. An abridged version is available monthly in Dutch. A German version is available online: www.shareinternational.de/zeitschrift Articles in SI may contain either British or Amer- ican spelling and punctuation, depending upon the author’s preference. Figures in billions refer to US billions, i.e. 1,000 million. The views expressed by authors other than Share International correspondents do not necessarily reflect those held by the editors of this magazine. By the same token, interviewees, and authors other than our own correspondents, do not necessarily endorse the information and approach which form the basis and context of this publication. The reproduction of Share International content in printed or electronic form, including internet websites, requires written permission which will not be unreasonably withheld. Please credit Share International as the source: © Share International. ‘Ritual’, the painting reproduced on the cover, was painted by Benjamin Creme in 1965. “It symbolizes some arcane, ritualistic activity which is very much to do with the bringing down of spiritual force, represented by the blue circle and the white form below.” The growing influence of the incoming 7th ray of ceremonial order or ritual will enable humanity to implement the ideals we have held for 2000 years. Share International is published monthly, except bi-monthly in January/February and July/August of each year, by Share International Foundation, a Dutch non-profit, non-governmental organization. Distributed in the USA by Share International USA. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Share International USA, PO Box 19556, Boulder CO 80308 USA.

3 SHARE INTERNATIONAL VOL. 43, NO. 8 — OCTOBER 2024 The time immediately ahead will puzzle many, so quick will be the changes, political, economic and social, which will manifest, and so frequently will these changes occur. For many, anxiety and puzzlement will be the major response. Intrigued or alarmed by the nature and extent of these changes, many will see them as signs of a transforming society, while others will fear and resent the new manifestation. People Advent of the new by Benjamin Creme’s Master, 8 February 2015 everywhere will act warily, unsure of the right direction for them to take. Not for long, however, will men act thus. They will find that it is a truly changing world in which they live, beset with greater challenges to their beliefs and values. Thus will men begin to establish the new out of the old, and to demonstrate their growing ability to respond to the challenges of the time. ( Share International, March 2015) Signs of the new by Benjamin Creme’s Master Soon it will become clear to men that signs they look for are appearing. For some these signs will seem inevitable and welcome. For others they will seem like the dissolution of all that they hold dear. In truth, they will be the signs that denote the new, and are but the outer expression of profound changes that are taking place. In time, most will agree that much was wrong in the old world, now quickly passing out, and had to be sacrificed for the better expression of man’s nature and accomplishments. Soon, therefore, the changes heralded by these signs will alert the keen-eyed of men that we are entering a new dispensation, one of which all can be proud. (Share International, May 2015) For some people the coming months will feel to be the most difficult they have known, causing them to search for even a glimmer of hope, of respite from forces with which they feel unable to cope. At the same time, for others, there will be a heightened sense of their ingenuity and creativity, however unreal this may be. All is moving swiftly into the New Age and impress of Aquarius, whatever The onslaught of the new by Benjamin Creme’s Master the ‘reading’ of this event. The impact of this will be powerful indeed. How then should men respond? Know this as a further step towards the New Time and in doing so await the appearance of the Great Lord. Open the gates of heart and mind and be prepared for the onslaught of the new. (Share International, July/ August 2015) •

All the great religions posit the idea of a further revelation to be given by a future Teacher. Christians hope for the return of the Christ, Buddhists look for Maitreya Buddha, while Muslims await the Imam Mahdi, Hin- dus a reincarnation of Krishna, and Jews the Messiah. Esotericists know all these as different names for the same great Be- ing – the Lord Maitreya, the World Teacher, the Head of our planet’s Spiritual Hierarchy– and look for His imminent return now. In July 1977 Maitreya emerged from His centre in the Himalayas, “like a thief in the night”. Since then, He has lived in London as a seem- ingly ordinary man concerned with modern problems – political, eco- nomic, social, spiritual and environmental. Since March 1978 He has been known as a spokesman in the Pakistani-Indian community. He is not a religious leader, but an educator in the broadest sense, pointing the way out of the present world crisis. According to esoteric teaching, Maitreya manifested Himself 2,000 years ago in Palestine by overshad- owing His disciple Jesus – now the Master Jesus. This time Maitreya has come Himself. Maitreya does not come alone, but is the senior member of a group known in the East as the Masters of Wisdom. As humanity’s Elder Brothers, these enlightened men have inspired all the great human achievements age after age, working mainly from behind the scenes. Today, for the first time in 98,000 years, the Masters are emerging to live openly among us, and will offer Their guidance in the rebuilding of our world. Maitreya’s spiritual teaching: Maitreya comes to teach humanity the art of Self-realization. The first steps are “honesty of mind, sincerity of spirit and detachment. Maitreya’s social concerns, reflected in His list of priorities: an ad- equate supply of the right food, adequate housing and shelter for all, healthcare and education as a universal right. Maitreya will advocate that the number one priority, after the ending of starvation for millions, will be the saving of the environment. Maitreya’s message can be sum- marized in a few words: “Share and save the world”. The information about Maitreya’s emergence was presented to the public from 1974 to 2016 by Scottish artist and author Benjamin Creme, chief editor of Share International. His training for this work, under a Master of Wisdom, began in 1959. Mr Creme lectured throughout the world on this subject; he was the author of more than a dozen books, and accepted no royalties or honoraria for his work. Summarizing the historical perspective: 1977-1982: Maitreya gave a series of 140 Messages (via mental telepathy) through Benjamin Creme at his London lectures. 1982, 14 May: Benjamin Creme revealed, at a packed press conference in Los Angeles, that Maitreya is living in the Asian community of London, and challenged media to invite Maitreya to come forward. The media did not respond. 1987, August: Creme announced: “In the coming three or four months, Maitreya will be working intensively to bring about a breakthrough in in- ternational relations.” Less than a month later the breakthrough came, in the political meetings between the Americans and the Soviets, followed in December by the armaments agreement that no one had thought possible. 1988, 11 June: Maitreya appeared miraculously ‘out of the blue’ at an open-air prayer/healing meeting in Nairobi, Kenya. He was photographed addressing (in their own language) thousands of people who instantly rec- ognize Him as the Christ. The story and photographs were reported by ma- jor media including CNN. Similar events were witnessed by large groups of all religious faiths around the world. At the same time, water sources were charged by Maitreya in the near vicinity. These miraculous healing waters have so far been discovered in Mexico, India and Germany. A total of 777 water sources will eventually be found. Maitreya, and a group of Masters, continue to make appearances to people in a variety of different ways. (See ‘Letters to the Editor’.) 1988-1993: Through a close associate of Maitreya’s in the Asian commu- nity of London, Share International received a series of articles outlining Maitreya’s teachings. Sent to world media as news releases, these teach- ings drew attention to developments which, under the Law of Cause and Effect, Maitreya predicts will take place. Outer events have demonstrated His insight. As early as 1988, He foresaw the release of Nelson Mandela and the process of détente in South Africa. He stated that governments every- where would have to give way to the “voice of the people”, a statement which found its most impressive proof in Eastern Europe and the fall of the Soviet Union. As early as June 1988 Maitreya announced that “a world stock-market crash would begin in Japan”. In 1989 the Japanese stock market lost 40 per cent of its value, and in subsequent years the crisis spread to Eastern Europe, the Asian ‘tiger economies’, Russia and Argentina. The financial collapse hit the USA hard in 2008 and soon had further worldwide repercussions. 1988 onward: Increasing numbers of miracles began to be reported world- wide, manifested by Maitreya and His group as a sign of His emergence. These included: weeping and bleeding statues and icons of the Madonna and Jesus; ‘crosses of light’ in windows; healing waters; holy text in fruits; the worldwide Hindu milk-drinking statues; light patterns on buildings; encounters with ‘angels’. 1990: April 21-22: Maitreya held a weekend conference in London for around 200 world leaders or their emissaries from fields of government, business, science, religion and journalism. Many pledged their co-opera- tion to help implement Maitreya’s priorities. 2001: Maitreya miraculously manifested His ‘handprint’ on a bathroom mirror in Barcelona, Spain, in August 2001. First published in October 2001, the ‘hand’ is a means of invoking the healing energies and help of Maitreya. He says: “My help is yours to command, you have only to ask.” What next? The ‘star’ sign: On 12 December 2008 Benjamin Creme announced that a large, brilliant “star-like luminary” would soon appear, seen night and day around the world, to herald Maitreya’s first television interview. Since January 2009, increasing numbers of sightings of the ‘star’ have been reported in Share International, on YouTube and various websites, and in the media. Maitreya’s television interviews: In January 2010 Benjamin Creme announced that Maitreya’s first interview on an American television network had taken place. He has since given a series of interviews on television in the USA, Mexico, Brazil, Russia, China, Japan, Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia and India; He will soon be interviewed on TV in other parts of the world. In this way He is gradually making known His concerns and presenting His solutions to the world’s problems. Benjamin Creme explained that “As Maitreya emerges, He is not at first using the name Maitreya. He is becoming known for His analysis of the world’s needs. Look for a man who is calling for justice and free- dom for all. When enough people are responding to what He has to say, Maitreya will be asked to speak to the entire world.” The Day of Declaration: Maitreya will be seen on television worldwide via linked satellite networks. He will mentally ‘overshadow’ all of humanity simultaneously and everyone (over the age of 14) will hear His words inwardly, telepathically, in their own language. Thousands of miraculous healings will take place. Maitreya will outline the future life for humanity and make His appeal for justice, for sharing as the only way to justice, and so to peace in the world. Our response to this event will determine the entire future of the world. Maitreya has already said: “My heart tells me your answer, your choice, and is glad.” Background information i •

• Israel: contact our London office (see UK and Ireland) • Italy: email: share.italia@share-international.org • Japan: Share Japan, PO Box 16, Machida-shi, Tokyo 194-8691, Japan, tel +81-42-799-2915 • Mexico: tel. +5255 54558643; email: lopez.rrm@gmail.com • New Zealand: Share International NZ, PO Box 58035, Whitby, Porirua 5245, New Zealand; email: share.international.nz@gmail.com • Norway: Share International Norway; email: share.norge@ gmail.com • Philippines: Reappearance Philippines, darwinov@gmail.com, tel: +1-443-756-7773 • Poland: email: wladek.kiel@gmail.com • Slovenia: Share Slovenija, Gregorciceva 9, 4000 Kranj, tel +386- 40-463489 • Spain and Latin America: Share Ediciones, email: shareed@ share-es.org • Suriname: Share Suriname, Enrico Benjaminlaan 33, Paramaribo, tel +597-539035 • Switzerland: Share International Infostelle Schweiz; tel: +41 44 951 0088; email: info@shareinternational.ch • Sweden: Share Sweden, Göteborg: ingerbergstrom3@hotmail.com, tel +46-70-685-0727; Malmö-Höör: atrottner@gmail.com, tel +46 708 805 639 • UK and Ireland: Share International UK, PO Box 3677, Lon- don NW5 1RU, England, UK; tel +44 20 7482 1113; email: mail@ shareinternationaluk.org • USA: Share International USA, PO Box 5537, Berkeley CA 94705, USA, tel +1-(510)-883-1848, toll free: +1-888-242-8272 • Rest of the world: Share International, PO Box 41877, 1009 DB Amsterdam, The Netherlands, tel +31 (0)20 694 6262 ii UK www.share-international.org/uk SPAIN www.share-es.org/noticias/conferencias FRANCE www.partageinternational.org GERMANY www.shareinternational.de/veranstaltungen/ THE NETHERLANDS www.sharenl.org/agenda USA www.share-international.us CANADA www.share-international.ca INTERNATIONAL www.share-international.org/events/ Events Transmission Meditation Groups • Argentina: Share Argentina, tel +54-11-15-3053-0636; email: argentina.share@gmail.com • Australia: Share International (Australia), PO Box 293, Barmera, South Australia 5345, tel +61-428592209 • Austria: Postfach 408, 1061 Wien, tel +43-699-1 999 0 888; email: info-ueber-maitreya@gmx.at • Belgium: Tel +32 71394939; email: transmissions@skynet.be • Brazil : Share Internacional Brasil, email: share-internacional-brasil@share-international.us • Canada: Share International Foundation Canada, PO Box 15270, Vancouver BC, Canada V6B 5B1, tel +1-888-278-TARA (8272) • Croatia: Goran Bosnić, Matice Hrvatske 1a, 43000 Bjelovar, tel: +385 97 77 108 77 • Denmark : Share Denmark, Od ense-Kerteminde; email: steenblomkirsten@gmail.com, tel +45 50 21 35 28 • Finland: Share Suomi Yhdistys, Box 161, 00211 Helsinki , +358- 40-8330088; email: yhdistys@share.fi • France and French speaking African countries: Coordination, Partage, BP 242, 42014 Saint-Etienne Cedex 2, France, tel +33 (0)4 77 81 28 63; email: transmission@partageinternational.org • Germany: Share International Deutschland, Marbachstraße 12, 81369 Munich, tel/fax +49-89-123 25 22; email: info@sharein- ternational.de • Greece: Greek Transmission Meditation group; tel +30-210-9239612; email: info@sharegr.org Please check the following national websites for local initiatives. Support Share International magazine As a subscriber, you undoubtedly know that Share International is a unique magazine. What is it about Share International that to you is most compelling, that causes you to read and absorb it month after month, year after year? Most people might say the first thing they read each month is the Master’s article followed by Benjamin Creme’s answers to readers’ questions. Many readers find inspiration, humour and comfort in readers’ letters to the editor, some new, and some with confirmation provided by Benjamin Creme’s Master. These are the features you will not find in any other magazine in the world, and one of the reasons so many of you have been subscribers for decades. Added to these special features are articles and interviews across a wide range of issues that concern us all, and colour photographs of signs and miracles taking place worldwide. One dollar, euro or pound a week would more than pay for a subscrip- tion. One dollar, euro or pound a day would pay for eight or nine subscriptions. Lend your support to this Hierarchical work — take an extra subscription, encourage others to do so and help give hope and inspiration in challenging times.

4 SHARE INTERNATIONAL VOL. 43, NO. 8 — OCTOBER 2024 EDITOR’S COMMENT Dear America, We’re writing to you because you have it in your power to ensure the future of our world or consign all of us, your planetary brothers and sisters of all nationalities, to an unimaginable tragedy. Not much time remains before you go to the polls. When you go to vote this November, so momentous is this time, you “will have the opportunity to change the course of history”, writes Benjamin Creme’s Master in his article ‘America’s choice’. In the simple act of exercising your democratic right, it is your destiny to make a decision on which “largely rests the style and structure of the immediate future”. Did you realize that you’re that important and powerful? Perhaps you think you’re powerful because of your army, weapons and willingness to go to war. That is precisely where you are weakest; your military-industrial complex, the billionaires and special interest lobbies have inculcated in you a hawkish, militaristic conditioning that renders you willing to sacrifice the youth. Do you wonder who benefits? Certainly not the dead heroes. You play an important role in the world because, just as each country has its own divine destiny, you have been assigned an amazing chance to be real heroes and literally save us all. In 2004, Benjamin Creme’s Master appealed to you, emphasizing the gravity and potential greatness of your response: “The citizens of the United States of America are approaching a time of critical decision. On their decision, in November, this year may depend the future happiness of many millions, not alone American, but of many other countries. One would have thought that this decision would not be difficult to make, that the choice was surely obvious to all who treasure peace and right relationship.” Now, a full 20 years later, you are being offered another opportunity to create from this pivotal moment a time of historic magnificence. There’s literally everything to play for. And you know you like winning. Make the right choice and ‘step into your divinity’. Little you have done so far in your history compares with this: the importance of choosing wisely in this November’s election is an opportunity and duty. It is that important. It is almost impossible to describe how vital and directly connected to the future of the race (the human race) each vote is. Each vote counts. The outcome of the forthcoming election will determine how our planet and all life on it flourishes or fails. Do you think that you carry this god- given ‘deciding vote’ because you are rich, have developed a great economy, are super- competitive and play to win everything you do? Does your sense of importance lie in your dominating commercial empire as the world’s sole hegemon? Not so. Despite your tough approach to much of life, it is your innate longing to cooperate, to help, to be neighbourly and kind that has provided you with your true calling. It is your innate generosity of spirit that allowed you to launch the Marshall Plan, to come to aid of people suffering then from the effects of war – just as millions are suffering now – from hunger (in Gaza, it is a case of deliberately induced famine); from climate devastation, which your government’s policies (and ours worldwide) can change; from the slaughter inflicted by your allies, who cynically manipulate your idealism, so much so that they call the shots and leave you, dear America, enabling genocide and turning a blind eye to unspeakable cruelty. It is your idealism and courage that enabled you to join the Allied Forces in 1941. Urged on by your idealistic conscience, you have frequently appealed to your leaders and those of other countries to do the right thing. This is how Benjamin Creme’s Master describes you, and he should know! “America is a great nation with much of good to give the world. It must now awaken to its soul’s longing to serve, to live in peace and justice, and, together, in harmony and co-operation, to work with all nations to remake this world.” So, dear America, turn outwards to the world’s collective suffering. Turn inward and allow yourselves to hear the clear voice of your great soul calling you to act on its promptings and help the world. We, the rest of the world, need the best of you. Let us add more of Benjamin Creme’s Master’s voice as He makes a broader case for universal justice: “Of course, America is not alone at fault for the inequalities of the world, the basic canker in our midst, the source of all our troubles. It shares the blame with all the developed countries who ride roughshod and cavalier over the poor and struggling, and must awaken to this main source of tension – and terror. “Therein lies the fault of the Western world: these ‘successful’ countries owe their wealth and dominance largely to history, and their ability to manipulate the world’s economy to their own advantage through aggressive ‘market forces’. The world’s poor and destitute now demand their share. If this simple right of justice is not addressed and remedied, the world will know no peace. Terrorism will fester and grow into war, which will threaten the future of the people of Earth. “We, your Elder Brothers, cannot stand aside and watch while the very future of the world is under threat. America is a great nation with much of good to give the world. It must now awaken to its soul’s longing to serve, to live in peace and justice, and, together, in harmony and co- operation, to work with all nations to remake this world. This election can be a great turning point in the affairs of men.” (‘America’s choice’, Share International, November 2004) Writing of the response of the US administration’s ‘war on terror’ at the time [2004], Benjamin Creme’s Master explains the sad absurdity of the US government’s policies and actions ostensibly to combat terrorism: “To fight a ‘war on terror’ is to fight a phantom, a useless, costly and dangerous exercise…. In its arrogance and ignorance, [it] has fallen blindly into the trap. Those who suffer are the American people, their victims, and the world as a whole. There is but one way to deal with terror, to end, forever, this canker in our midst: to seek its cause. “There are, of course, several causes of Dear America 

5 SHARE INTERNATIONAL VOL. 43, NO. 8 — OCTOBER 2024 POINT OF VIEW The US still fights to remain world hegemon, but this is delusional and doomed to fail. The US is in no position to lead the world, even if the rest of the world were to want it, which is not the case. The US share of world output (at international prices) is 16% and declining, down from around 27% in 1950, and 21% in 1980. China’s share is 19%. China’s manufacturing output is roughly twice that of the US, and China rivals the US in cutting-edge technologies. The US is also militarily overextended, with some 750 overseas military bases in 80 countries. The US is engaged in protracted wars in Yemen, Israel-Palestine, Ukraine, Syria, Libya, and elsewhere. The US wars and quest for hegemony are financed through debt, including debt owed to rival powers such as China. Moreover, America’s budget politics is paralyzed. The rich, who fund the political campaigns, want lower taxes, while the poor want more social outlays. The result is a standoff, with chronic budget deficits (now above 5% of GDP). The public debt has swelled from around 35% of GDP in 2000 to 100% of GDP today. The US sustains technological dynamism in areas such as artificial intelligence and microchip design, yet US breakthroughs are quickly matched in China through the spread of knowhow and advances pioneered by China. Most of the world’s green and digital hardware – including advanced solar modules, wind turbines, nuclear power plants, batteries, chips, electric vehicles, 5G systems and long-distance power transmission – is manufactured in Asia, with a large share in China or Chinese-dominated supply chains. In view of its budget deficits, the US shirks the financial burdens of global leadership. The US demands that NATO allies pay their own way for military defense, while the US is increasingly stingy in its contributions to UN systems for climate and development finance. In short, while the US deludes itself that it remains the world’s hegemon, we are already in a multipolar world. This raises the question of what the new multipolarity should mean. There are three possibilities. The first, our current trajectory, is a continued struggle for dominance among the major powers, pitting the US against China, Russia, and others. The leading US foreign policy scholar, Professor John Mearsheimer, has put forward the theory of “offensive realism”, according to which the great powers inevitably struggle for dominance, yet the consequences can be tragic in the form of devastating wars. Surely our task is to avoid such tragic outcomes, not accept them as a matter of fate? The second possibility is a precarious peace through a balance of power among the great powers, sometimes called ‘defensive realism’. Since the US cannot defeat China or Russia, and vice versa, the great powers should keep the peace by avoiding direct conflicts amongst themselves. The US should not try to push NATO into Ukraine, against Russia’s strenuous objections, nor should the US arm Taiwan over China’s vociferous opposition. In short, the great powers should act with prudence, avoiding each other’s red lines.This is surely good advice, but is not enough. Balances of power turn into imbalances, threatening the peace. The Concert of Europe, the balance of power among the major European powers in the 19 th century, eventually succumbed to shifts in the power balance at the end of the 19 th century, which led onward to World War I. The third possibility, scorned in the past 30 years by US leaders, but our greatest hope, is true peace among the major powers. This peace would be based on the shared recognition that there can be no global hegemon and that the common good requires active cooperation among the major powers. There are several bases of this approach, including idealism (a world based on ethics), and institutionalism (a world based on international law and multilateral institutions). Achieving peace in the new multipolar age by Jeffrey D Sachs W ith the demise of the Soviet Union in 1991, the US assumed that it would dominate the world as the unrivaled hegemon. Yet the US ‘unipolar’ moment proved to be short-lived. US geopolitical dominance ended with the rise of China, the recovery of Russia from the period of Soviet collapse, and the rapid development of India. We have arrived at a new multipolar age. terrorism, but above all in importance is the unbalanced distribution of the world’s resources. This creates the dangerous gulf between the nations which drives men to use terror to realize their dreams. They are desperate men, who feel they have nothing to lose. There is an immense, untapped army of such desperate people ready to die, if necessary, for the justice they long for which, rightly, they see as theirs. “No ‘war on terror’ can defeat such an army. No arrogant posturing can drive them away from the bastions of the Western world. “No nation, however strong, can by itself defeat terrorism. It is born of the injustice which disfigures this world. “Only when men learn to share will we see the end of terrorism. Only through sharing can the goal of justice and freedom be realized. Our appeal to you, citizens of the great and blessed United States of America, is to think carefully, and from the heart, as is your wont, when you deliver your vote.” (Share International, October 2004) Signed, Your brothers and sisters from every country on our suffering planet. •  (continued on page 17)

6 SHARE INTERNATIONAL VOL. 43, NO. 8 — OCTOBER 2024 M exico City – Danilo Barbosa had never taken part in political processes until his name was drawn in a lottery to join the Climate Assembly of the municipality of Bujaru, in the Amazon region of Brazil. “It was a good experience, a very important channel. People participated, they wanted to talk about the important issues and to have visibility about their concerns. People make a living from agriculture and that’s why I wanted to address this issue,” Barbosa told IPS from the municipality of Blumenau, in the southern state of Santa Catarina, where he lives temporarily. Barbosa, 29, was part of a group of 50 people, chosen at random, to take part in the Bujaru climate assembly, to discuss the opportunities and challenges of the climate crisis in the area, and how to influence the process of designing and implementing related public policies. The cultivation of rice, beans, maize and cassava, as well as livestock farming in deforested areas, are the main economic activities in the area, the northern state of Pará. “We want agriculture that does not affect the environment and looks after the jungle. We need to protect biodiversity. That’s why it’s important that they consider our vision for the municipality, we want to help it grow,” said Barbosa, an administrative and accounting assistant in the real estate sector. The Climate Assembly, with the subject ‘Sustainable Bioeconomy: Paths and Options to Generate Jobs, Income and Quality of Life in Bujaru’, resulted from a process between August and October 2023 that invited Amazonian cities to participate. Sixteen municipalities from six of the nine Brazilian Amazonian states responded. During five sessions between April and May 2024, the assembly deliberated on how to strategically position themselves and access opportunities in favour of sustainable performance and the bioeconomy, on issues such as forest management, monocultures, deforestation and synergy between technological innovation and ancestral knowledge. By the end of August 2024, the group will submit their recommendations to the municipality of 24,300 inhabitants, which include the design of a municipal agricultural plan with goals and indicators, the promotion of cooperatives, ecotourism and rural tourism. Climate assemblies are mechanisms of deliberative participatory democracy, discussion and reflection, promoted so that the citizens of a locality assume a central role in decision-making on the impacts of climate change and specific measures to address them. By promoting local action, they address community-specific issues because they know the local problems well, and they urge governments to include their concerns. As such, these meetings sprouted from 2019 in Great Britain, France and Spain, spreading throughout Europe with varied results. In Latin America, they are still new, although the region has a participatory tradition, such as community boards with different names, which decide on local issues, and neighbourhood meetings to design participatory budgets. Bolivia and Honduras have legal frameworks for public participation, while Bolivia and Colombia have institutional channels for popular participatory involvement, according to data from the non-governmental International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA), which promotes citizen participation initiatives. In 2016, Uruguay was a pioneer with the Decí Agua initiative on citizen deliberation to provide input to draft the National Water Plan, instituted two years later. In Chile, the Citizens’ Climate Assembly in the southern region of Los Lagos met between May and August 2023 to make recommendations to the regional government on environmental education, energy efficiency and water management, which were delivered the following November. Similar processes in Brazil and Colombia have shown the importance of citizen participation in the political debate, but had no direct impact on the design of public policies to address the climate crisis. Experiments In addition to Bujaru, other Latin American cities are organizing their own procedures with the same objective, as part of a regional project that the international network of (re)emergent assemblies is promoting in four Latin American cities. In the northern Mexican state of Nuevo León, a Climate Assembly was elected on 22 August to deliberate and issue recommendations in four meetings, with the aim of improving the territory’s environmental policies and prioritizing actions to adapt to the climate crisis in the metropolitan area of Monterrey, the capital. Bosque Iglesias, a climate advocacy consultant with the non-governmental Climate Assemblies by Emilio Godoy Credit: Delibera A Climate Assembly in Bujaru, Brazil.

7 SHARE INTERNATIONAL VOL. 43, NO. 8 — OCTOBER 2024 Instituto del Sur, told IPS that a group of people were invited and an open application form was set up. “We wanted people to feel called to participate. We prioritized areas in five polygons with heat islands, where there are voices that suffer most from the crisis and tend to be relegated in the public debate. The call has been challenging, because in the first week few people came,” he said, from Monterrey. In the draw on 22 August, the 50 people in the assembly were chosen from 542 candidates from 11 municipalities in the metropolitan area. Starting on 7 September they will tackle 11 of the 140 lines of action of the state’s climate change programme, supported by the Ministry of the Environment of Nuevo León. The agenda includes water treatment, monitoring of urban green spaces, mobility and construction of green infrastructure. In the Argentinian city of Mar del Plata, “it was decided to focus on the climate issue… We have to think of multidimensional, multidisciplinary and participatory solutions, with the challenges that our governments have. Unlike Europe, we have less budget and other more urgent priorities”.(Ignacio Gertie) In 2022, Nuevo León, especially Monterrey – which had 1.14 million people, or more than five million with the suburban area – faced a severe water crisis. The municipal administration declared a climate emergency in 2021, being the first Mexican city to do so. In 2024, heat waves hit the metropolis. From 13 to 22 August, a climate assembly in the city of Mar del Plata, in Argentina’s southeast Atlantic, discussed recommendations for a new climate action plan for the district of General Pueyrredón, of which it is the capital. The group addressed training, awareness-raising and community-driven policy-making, solid and liquid waste management, reuse of materials and recycling, as well as disaster prevention and preparedness. Ignacio Gertie, project leader at the non- governmental Democracia en Red, told IPS that there is a growing demand and need for institutional openness in citizen participation, which is reflected in experiences like the one in the Argentine tourist city. “It was decided to focus on the climate issue… so we have to think about multidimensional, multidisciplinary and participatory solutions, with the challenges that our governments face. Unlike Europe, we are less resilient, with smaller budgets and other more urgent priorities,” he said from Mar del Plata. The city, which in 2022 had over 682,000 people, and which belongs to the Argentine Network of Municipalities facing Climate Change, is drawing up its local action plan to face challenges such as the water situation and heat waves. Another regional experience is the climate assembly of the Colombian city of Buenaventura, in the southwestern department of Valle del Cauca, which has growing climate challenges. It started meeting to deliberate and issue suggestions on the collection and transformation of solid waste in the area. Its port on the Pacific Ocean, the largest in Colombia and one of the top 10 in Latin America, faces water risks, loss of biodiversity, temperature increase and ocean acidification, as well as coastal erosion, for which the city has had a Territorial Climate Change Management Plan since 2016, currently in the process of being updated. Pioneers The first wave of European climate assemblies provides evidence that citizens are willing and able to arrive at climate recommendations that are decisive for the population. In France, authorities have implemented approximately 50 per cent of the recommendations or an alternative measure that partially implements the proposal, according to the study ‘Deliberative Democracy and Climate Change’, which Idea-International and the governmental French Development Agency released in June. In Bujaru, Barbosa, who will return to his municipality in September, is ready to monitor the implementation. “We will verify if they take into account the recommendations in the plans. It won’t be immediate. We talked about the importance of implementing measures in the area” for the benefit of the population, he said. Mexico’s Iglesias and Argentina’s Gertie are confident that the citizens’ process will continue to contribute to climate action. “The challenge is institutional follow- up. It is a major task of the assembly to stay coordinated in order to demand it. Having a group of actors to follow up is key. We hope to weave a joint advocacy agenda and become strong in the collective, and be a relevant subject in the face of the crisis,” Iglesias predicted. For Gertie, the road ahead is to organize more participation: “There is talk in these times of political disaffection in a hyper- individualized world, but when you open the doors so that people can participate, give ideas, there is a great desire to be present. We will see the results later,” he stressed. (IPS) Monterrey, in Mexico, suffers from water problems, air pollution and high temperatures. Half a hundred people, selected at random on 22 August 2024, will deliberate on measures to tackle the effects of the climate crisis in the city and its surroundings. Credit: Autonomous University of Nuevo León •

8 SHARE INTERNATIONAL VOL. 43, NO. 8 — OCTOBER 2024 T he word tikkun in Hebrew means ‘to repair’. It’s part of a phrase that is common in Jewish texts – ‘tikkun olam’, which means ‘repairing the world’. In many ways, Rabbi Michael Lerner, who passed away at age 81 in his Berkeley, California home on 28 August 2024, dedicated his life to tikkun olam. In 1986, he co-founded Tikkun magazine, which he said was dedicated to “healing and transforming the world”. Lerner, the publication’s longtime editor, described its core vision this way: “We aim to expand public discourse beyond narrow reforms so as to honestly engage with and tackle the environmental, ethical and spiritual crisis facing our world, and envision and develop strategies to achieve a loving and just world in which people overcome utilitarian consciousness, treat one another as embodiments of the sacred, and respond to the universe with awe, wonder and radical amazement.” In 1995, Lerner founded The Network of Spiritual Progressives (NSP), which he called “our community action and activist arm”. Lerner said the NSP is a social change movement “guided by and infused with spiritual and ethical values – to transform our society into one that prioritizes and promotes love, justice, peace, and the well- being of the planet and its people over money, power and profit.” Lerner and the NSP called for a global Marshall Plan as a central tenet of the group’s platform. Lerner wrote 10 books, including the influential The Politics of Meaning, and the national best-seller Jewish Renewal: A Path to Healing and Transformation. He also appeared widely on mainstream media. As a prominent and courageous Jewish voice for Middle East peace and Palestinian rights, Lerner was widely respected. But he was also harshly condemned and criticized for his outspoken views by those on the right. “Very close” to Maitreya’s priorities Benjamin Creme said of Tikkun magazine, “It is very close to what we would call ‘Maitreya’s priorities’, very close indeed.” Lerner indicated as much when I interviewed him in 2005 for Share International. One of the questions stated that: “Our magazine is called Share International primarily because we believe that there needs to be a more equitable sharing of the food and resources of the world among all people.” And it referenced a Tikkun-sponsored newspaper advertisement calling for a global Marshall Plan. Hopeful vision of the future In the last months of life, Lerner was unable to read or write, but he dictated a final article, which included a hopeful vision of the future: “In the world that failed (from Capitalism), the only motivation for working was for economic survival and the benefits that society gave to those who had money. In the society we hope to build, the benefits would be offered equally to everyone. “The task is to help people understand that their value is not tied solely to the workplace. Once the absolutely necessary Remembering Rabbi Michael Lerner (1943-2024) by Monte Leach Lerner replied: “We certainly are on the same line there – it is certainly a central idea of the Tikkun Community. We affirm the unity of all beings, the fundamental truth that the well-being of each of us on this planet depends upon the well-being of everyone else on the planet. The fundamental distortion in political life today is the inability to recognize that, and to recognize Rabbi Michael Lerner that we are all in the same boat. “When we pollute somewhere in the Third World, the pollution will come back and affect us in the First World. There is no way for us to look out for our own interests that will not ultimately hurt us unless we are looking out for the interests of everyone else. “This is the central spiritual message that the spiritual traditions have been preaching for thousands of years, which the rest of the world, including the West, has to understand. There is no way of looking out for our self without looking out for others. We are all interconnected. Loving your neighbor, loving the stranger, pursuing justice and pursuing peace are not simply altruistic acts; they are also self-interested acts. Ultimately, there is no sense of separation between altruism and self- interest. Anybody with a rational self- interest will understand the need for altruism.” production of food, housing, clothing, healthcare and transportation are made available, a significant part of the population will have nothing that they have to do but will have all of their material needs met. This in turn will allow for more leisure time, creativity, and learning new skills of interest to the individual. It will also make possible workplaces in which people participate in the shaping of that workplace. “Because benefits will be distributed equally, the struggle to ‘be on top’ will not be necessary. Instead, people will be rewarded for the degree to which they manifest caring for each other. In such a society, racism, sexism and other forms of oppression will likely disappear over the first three generations. “We will also give high priority to ensure that marginalized people of every sort including women will have equality both in the world of work and in their home life. Here (continued on page 19)

9 SHARE INTERNATIONAL VOL. 43, NO. 8 — OCTOBER 2024 The Laws of Life Men, to be happy, must live within the Laws of Life: of Cause and Effect, Rebirth, Harmlessness and Sacrifice. These basic Laws are the Ancient Landmarks which protect men from self-destruction and remorse. When Maitreya steps forward into open vision you will hear these Laws again, for they form the basis of all His teaching and the basis of all life on planet Earth. (Benjamin Creme’s Master, from ‘Man’s Destiny’) The laws of life are few but very powerful. No one pays them much attention. That is why we have our problems. The major law of life is the Law of Cause and Effect; it dominates all life on this planet. It used to be expressed as “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth”, which is a very inadequate expression of the Law of Cause and Effect. Jesus put it very simply: “As you sow, so shall you reap.” It is so simple that people have forgotten it or do not take it in..… Every thought, every action that we have, sows seeds. They create causes. The effects stemming from the causes make our lives. We are all doing it all the time, making our own lives and the life of humanity. (Benjamin Creme, Maitreya’s Mission Volume Three) Presently, you will see Me in a new guise, presenting to men the choices before them, outlining for you the possibilities for the future, releasing to you the Laws of God. These Laws, My friends, enfold your lives. Without the Plan of God, man is as naught. Remember this always and restore balance. Have within you always the sense of man’s greatness, man’s oneness with all things, and man’s divine scope. Nevertheless, by himself man can do little. Realise this and embrace the True Path. (Maitreya, from Message No.119) Karma We are not separate from the world. Our sense of being separate is an illusion. Through the action of the Law of Karma – the Law of Cause and Effect – every thought, action and feeling sets into motion causes, the effects stemming from which make our lives – for good or ill. When our thoughts and feelings are positive, creative and harmless, the effects are likewise positive and harmless. When our thoughts and actions are destructive, however, they create negative reactions or karma. When very large numbers of people are caught up in such negative feelings in, for example, war; when hatred and bigotry are powerfully affecting large numbers, the impact on life generally is very destructive. In this way we influence even the devic elementals whose actions control the weather patterns and natural forces like floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, and so on. (Benjamin Creme, The Great Approach) Cause and effect, and destiny — The more you become aware of cause and effect, the more you can take charge of your own destiny. It is important to generate right causes to obtain right effects. (Maitreya’s Teachings – The Laws of Life) Soon, for themselves, will men see and understand the reasons for the changes now occurring daily. They will know that naught happens by chance, that great and natural laws condition the lives of men, that the thoughts and actions of men, not God, are responsible for the quality of their experience, and that, more and more, into their own hands can they take the reins of government. No one, no class, is ‘born to rule’. Only when the needs and rights of all are justly met will harmony prevail. (Benjamin Creme’s Master, from ‘The threshold of rebirth’) What holds us back in development is the acquiring of karma. All actions create karma. People think of karma always as ‘bad’ karma, but we are creating both good and bad karma all the time: it is only ‘bad’ if it is painful and ‘good’ if it is not! Every action, every thought, creates a reaction, sets in motion a cause. The effects stemming from these causes make our lives for good or for ill. What holds us back are powerful actions of harm which create major obstacles to progress. (Benjamin Creme, Maitreya’s Mission Volume Two) Harmlessness [Maitreya’s] Instruction, already begun, will illuminate the workings of the Laws which govern all life and elucidate for men the purpose of their presence here on Earth. He will show how action begets reaction and thus how men create, themselves, the circumstances of their lives. In this way will men come to understand the need for harmlessness in every situation and relationship. (Benjamin Creme’s Master, from ‘The teaching of Maitreya’) Fundamentally, what He will say we already know — and accept to be true — which is that right human relationships are the basis of life. From moment to moment, by our thoughts and actions, we set into motion causes, the effects of which make our life what it is, for good or for ill. This is the great Law of Cause and Effect. When we understand this Law and its relation to the Law of Rebirth, we will come to understand the need for harmlessness in all relationships. The rightness, the inevitability, the “commonsense-ness” of right relationship will be driven home to us. (Benjamin Creme – The Reappearance of the Christ and the Masters of Wisdom) Many await My Coming with trepidation, fearing the loss of all that they have loved, all that they have amassed and gained. Fear not, My friends, for the loss will be the loss of separation only, of division and fear, of envy and hate. To clear these from the world, all must be remade. Know this, My friends, and be ready to share, to see your brother as yourself, to clasp him in your arms and call him friend. (Maitreya, from Message No.125) Harmlessness is the key to the new beauty in relationship which will emerge. A new sense of responsibility for actions and The Law of Cause and Effect — a compilation W e present a selection of quotations about the Law of Cause and Effect. This selection is taken from Maitreya (Messages from Maitreya the Christ), Benjamin Creme’s Master (A Master Speaks Volumes One and Two) and Benjamin Creme’s writings.

10 SHARE INTERNATIONAL VOL. 43, NO. 8 — OCTOBER 2024 thoughts will guide each one in every situation; an understanding of the Law of Cause and Effect will transform men’s approach to each other. A new and more harmonious interaction between men and nations will supplant the present competition and distrust. Gradually, mankind will learn the art of living, bringing to each moment the experience of the new. (Benjamin Creme’s Master, from ‘The art of living’) Detachment and forgiveness Is forgiveness part of Maitreya’s teachings? (October 1994) Yes. The basis of His teaching, I would say, is the cultivation of detachment. Forgiveness becomes possible only through a growing detachment and correct identification. (Benjamin Creme, Maitreya’s Mission Volume Three) No manner of struggle to right a wrong or defend a reputation can better the Law of Karma in its task. Save then your energy for better things and let the Law decide the measure and the timing of response. When evil strikes, the best defence, then, is detachment. When the hunted animal stands, silent and still, the hunter, baffled, goes empty-handed. When a man is detached — free from fear and the need to retaliate — he can calmly leave the Great Law to fight his battle for him. Thus the evil gains not, nor waxes in strength. This profound teaching of the Christ is usually expressed as an injunction against carrying injury or hurt from day to day — thus prolonging its life and further hurting the victim. This relates closely to the Christian concept of forgiveness. When a man is truly detached he has already forgiven. He waits patiently for the originator of the evil to realize the harm he does to himself, the victim and the group, and to make amends. Thus is the evil blunted and thus is it “sufficient unto the day”. (Benjamin Creme’s Master, from ‘Detachment’) Let us together show the world: that the need for war is past; that the instinct of man is to live and to love; that hatred is begotten of separation; that the Law of God lives in man and is fundamental to his nature. All of this shall I show you. Work with Me and prove this to be true. (Maitreya, from Message No.53) Free will With every day that passes, mankind is being shown the calamities which occur from the misuse of free will. Divine free will is man’s greatest treasure, but only when it is used in accordance with the Plan of the Logos is it lawful and right. Man has travelled far from that understanding and so reaps the whirlwind of his wrong thought and action. Thus it is that millions suffer needlessly in the midst of plenty, wanting the means that others take for granted as their birthright. Not for much longer can man support this separation; the Law demands a sustaining balance and, finding it not, acts to adjust and reconcile. (Benjamin Creme’s Master, from ‘The New Time for men’) Human free will, as far as the Hierarchy is concerned, is sacrosanct. Even if it would be of benefit to us, as we would see it, Hierarchy will never infringe our free will. Free will is the means by which we advance to become what we are, as souls, which is divine. Maitreya says: “Do not let anyone take away your free will. It is your divine inheritance.” (Benjamin Creme, Maitreya’s Mission Volume Two) Remember that mankind is One, children of the One Father. Make over, in trust, the goods of the Earth to all who are in need. Do this now and save the world. Thus shall I speak; so shall be My Appeal; and when mankind has accepted this Law, I shall declare Myself. Many there are now who know this to be true, who desire to share, who long for brotherhood, yet act not. Nothing happens by itself. Man must act and implement his will. Today, that will is the Will, also, of God. Therefore, the outcome is assured. (Maitreya, from Message No.31) Today, the leaders of nations wrestle with events beyond control. Forces they know naught of drive them to unplanned and oft hysterical response. They flee from chaos into chaos, led by their own dogma. Meanwhile, We patiently wait. We know the outcome of man’s present dilemma, and aid to the full extent of karmic law. We know, too, that man, of his own free will, must choose the path to future glory: the path of brotherhood and love, justice and sharing. (Benjamin Creme’s Master, from ‘The end of hunger’) Mutual responsibility In a very real sense the world has shrunk to village size and, as in village life, the actions of one affect the lives and interests of all. No longer can any nation stand aside and claim immunity from the results of its misdeeds. Power alone no longer confers this privilege. More and more, the nations are awakening to their mutual dependence and responsibility, and this fact augurs well for the world. (Benjamin Creme’s Master, from ‘Awakening to responsibility’) (continued on page 20) Let us together show the world: that the need for war is past. (Maitreya, from Message No.53) photo: flickr.com

11 SHARE INTERNATIONAL VOL. 43, NO. 8 — OCTOBER 2024 SIGNS OF THE TIME Miracles worldwide On 8 August 2024, witness Sameera Alima took video of several green circular objects in the sky over Chennai, India. Nearly two weeks later, on 19 August, two separate wit- nesses also in Chennai took videos of a simi- lar-looking circular object ringed by green lights hovering in the sky. (Sources: coasttocoast.com, National UFO Reporting Center. YouTube: The Hidden Underbelly 2.0.) USA – On 24 July 2023, a witness in North Carolina reported that an “orange glowing sphere appeared on [the] horizon for a couple of minutes, then disappeared and reappeared 4 times.” (Source: mufon.com) Circles of light in Munich, Germany

12 SHARE INTERNATIONAL VOL. 43, NO. 8 — OCTOBER 2024 SIGNS OF THE TIME Micheldever, Hants, 4 July 2023 Crop circles have several purposes. First, they are the ‘calling cards’ of the Space People who create them, to announce that they are here without alarming people or infringing our free will. More importantly, each circle is magnetized and occupies a specific place in the lines of magnetic force in our Earth’s magnetic field. Each circle is a vortex, drawing energy in and radiating energy to its surrounding area. Together they form a ‘grid’ or interrelated energy system. This energy grid – combined with electrical energy brought directly from the sun– will give us the new Science of Light as predicted by Maitreya. It will give this planet unlimited, safe power for all purposes, in ways that cannot be bought up or cornered by any group. Marten, Wiltshire, 23 July 2024 Apart from some few isolated hoaxes, the crop circles seen around the world are made by spaceships manned by Space Brothers from Mars and Venus, working in close cooperation with Earth’s Spiritual Hierarchy and its head – Maitreya, the World Teacher. The Space Broth- ers visualize the shape they want to create in any given circle, bring their machines down to near the surface of the field and, using technology operated by their minds, create the patterns. It is a combination of advanced technology and thought; the machinery responds to their thought. The whole process takes place in seconds, even for the most complex patterns. This is a tangential way, without infringing our free will, of telling the people of Earth that the Space Brothers, the people from other planets like Mars and Venus, are here, are part of a system, and they work in a systemic way, not just as separate planets. They are helping this planet to develop the technology of the future, and also to make known, without being too strong about it, that they are here, that they are aware of us, that they are helping us, that they have a very spiritual intention in coming here, and that they are 100 per cent friendly and harmless. (Share International, July/August 2004) © Steve Alexander © Steve Alexander

13 SHARE INTERNATIONAL VOL. 43, NO. 8 — OCTOBER 2024 S.O.P. — SAVE OUR PLANET In the words of a Master of Wisdom: “Apart from war, nothing so profoundly affects the future of all men as much as pollution. Some countries have recog- nised this fact and have taken some steps to limit pollution and global warm- ing. Time is running out for men to halt the transformation which is being daily wrought on planet Earth. Every man, woman and child must play their part in the task. Time is, verily, running out. S.O.P. Save Our Planet!” (Source: ‘S.O.P. — Save Our Planet!’ by the Master —, through Benjamin Creme, 8 September 2012) Some scientists working on the development of fusion energy power plants believe we’re on the cusp of a transformation equivalent to the one set off by the introduction of the steam engine, which ultimately sparked the Industrial Revolution. Both state-sponsored efforts and private startups have been reporting breakthroughs that could conceivably lead to viable fusion energy sooner than expected. For example, in 2022, the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s National Ignition Facility in California achieved the first ever controlled experiment to produce more energy from fusion than the laser energy used to drive it. In the UK, the Atomic Energy Authority established the Fusion Cluster in Oxfordshire in 2021 to stimulate the growth of a fusion industry. The cluster has now grown to more than 200 companies, from the original few. While the primary goal is building a commercial fusion power plant by the 2040s, commercializing the numerous spin-offs is also important – not only for the usefulness of the by-products themselves, but to stimulate investment. Developing commercial fusion power is a long and costly undertaking. Fusion spin-off technology is currently playing a leading role in four key areas: propulsion, medical applications, industrial imaging, and nuclear waste handling. In the area of propulsion, creating highly efficient magnets that can propel a vehicle with no moving parts could have important marine applications. Seawater conducts electricity far better than freshwater, and since the engines are silent they would drastically reduce the noise pollution damaging marine life. Neutron beams used to fuel fusion reactors can also be reconfigured for medical applications such as destroying cancer cells and tracking the progress of cancers. Another use for these neutrons is in industrial imaging. Functioning like ultra- penetrating X-rays, they can see inside denser materials. One potential application would be inspecting the steel inside concrete buildings and bridges for signs of corrosion. Another would be examining nuclear waste containers to determine the condition of the waste and facilitate safe storage. Further, if the neutron beam can be made more intense, it can transform the waste into neutral substances. For example, the waste product of traditional nuclear reactors is iodine-129, with a half-life of more than 12 million years. However, if bombarded with a high-intensity neutron beam, it would be transformed into iodine-128, which has a half-life of just 25 minutes. Fortunately, the kind of neutrons necessary to do this can be made in abundance in many fusion plants, so the reactors of the future will not only provide plentiful clean energy, but can also help clean up the toxic legacy of nuclear fission reactors. Early in 2024, California-based Longview Fusion Energy Systems contracted with the engineering and construction firm Fluor Corporation to design the world’s first commercial laser fusion power plant. The plant will build on the 2022 success of the National Ignition Facility, but will use today’s far more efficient and powerful lasers and optimize the process through AI. Edward Moses, Longview’s CEO, said: “Laser fusion energy gain has been demonstrated many times over the last 15 months, and the scientific community has verified these successes. Now is the time to The brilliant promise of fusion power Neutron beams used to fuel fusion reactors can also be reconfigured for medical applications such as destroying cancer cells and tracking the progress of cancers.

14 SHARE INTERNATIONAL VOL. 43, NO. 8 — OCTOBER 2024 S.O.P. — SAVE OUR PLANET focus on making this new carbon-free, safe and abundant energy source available to the nation as soon as possible.” (Sources: The Guardian; World Nuclear News) Urgent appeal As global temperatures continue to rise, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has issued a worldwide call to action for more effective protection of the billions of people who are exposed to extreme heat. The urgent appeal follows the highest temperature ever recorded for the planet, as well as deadly heat waves in the United States, the Middle East, Africa’s Sahel and Europe, which have caused the deaths of several hundred people, including 1,301 Hajj pilgrims this summer. “Billions of people are facing an extreme heat epidemic – wilting under increasingly deadly heatwaves, with temperatures topping 50 degrees Celsius around the world. That is 122 degrees Fahrenheit – halfway to boiling,” Guterres said during a press conference at New York’s UN Headquarters, according to a press release from the UN in Türkiye. “The message is clear: the heat is on. Extreme heat is having an extreme impact on people and planet. The world must rise to the challenge of rising temperatures.” (Source: ecowatch.com) Good news on climate On the heels of the deadly wildfire that recently devastated Maui, youth climate activists won a first-of-its-kind victory in Hawaii, when the lawsuit Navahine v Hawai’i Department of Transportation was settled in their favour. The settlement requires Hawaii’s transportation department to eliminate its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2045 or sooner and to consult with young people about climate impacts – or be liable in court. The state must create a plan to decarbonize transportation, including five-year interim targets to be updated every five years, which covers not only road transportation but also boats and flights between islands in Hawaii. The Department of Transportation must also provide $40 million for public EV charging stations by 2030 and establish a volunteer youth council to regularly advise the department. Transportation is the largest source of GHG emissions both in Hawaii and the United States overall, so this is a big win. Global emissions are beginning to fall for the first time since the start of the Industrial Revolution, according to a new Bloomberg/NEF report. The report warns, however, that the decline in GHG pollution will not be rapid – even if fighting climate change were a top priority for every nation and corporation. Predicting that it would take at least two decades to fully transition to net zero emissions, a range of scenarios is laid out, from the most optimistic to a worst-case outcome, which would result in a 2.6-degree increase in global temperature above preindustrial levels with accompanying extreme weather and sea level rise. The faster we can implement a wide range of solutions, the better our chances are of avoiding the worse consequences of climate change, but having reached peak emissions is a huge step in the right direction. Seven 100%-renewable energy countries are leading the way toward cleaner energy adoption and reaching the COP28 agreement of tripling renewable energy by the end of this decade. Being geographically diverse and having varying economic systems, these countries are models for diverse pathways to a renewable future. They are Albania (with hydropower the chief contributor), Iceland (using mostly geothermal and hydropower with a little wind energy), Bhutan (using primarily hydropower), Ethiopia (again, hydropower is the backbone, with future geothermal and wind potential to be added), Nepal (hydropower, plus wind and solar potential deployment), Paraguay (hydropower and a small amount of biomass), and finally, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (hydropower, with solar and wind potential On the heels of the deadly wildfire that recently devastated Maui, youth climate activists won a first-of-its-kind victory in Hawaii, when the lawsuit Navahine v Hawai’i Department of Transportation was settled in their favour.

15 SHARE INTERNATIONAL VOL. 43, NO. 8 — OCTOBER 2024 S.O.P. — SAVE OUR PLANET for future development). Challenges that remain for expanding renewable energy elsewhere are energy storage, grid modernization to accommodate the distributed nature of renewable energy sources, policy and incentives to discourage fossil fuels and accelerate the transition to renewables, and public education to shift mindsets and foster widespread support for renewable energy projects. (Sources: The Washington Post; BloombergNEF (BNEF); happyeconews.com) Introducing the Global Safety Net A new resource has been created to identify where conservation is most needed to protect the integrity of Earth’s ecosystems. The Global Safety Net is a comprehensive global analysis of Earth’s areas that are essential for biodiversity and climate resilience, and which total 50.4% of the land. The analysis for the map was led by the research organization RESOLVE, in collaboration with the University of Minnesota, Arizona State University, and Globaïa, with funding provided by One Earth. “This is the first digital map of its kind to create a ‘blueprint’ for saving life on earth. It builds upon the current network of protected areas but weaves in currently unprotected parcels that conserve the biological wealth of Earth,” explains Eric Dinerstein, of RESOLVE. The data compiled for the Global Safety Net (GSN1) is available through an interactive web application 1 developed by One Earth in partnership with Google Earth Engine and the data visualization firm Graphicacy. Users can click on a country, state, or ecoregion to see configurations of biologically important land for each region. The map is designed to inform a “common but differentiated” approach to government commitments under the UN Convention on Biodiversity. That is, each country can make a unique contribution toward the common goal of safeguarding our biosphere. One immediate priority identified is the protection of 2.3% of the land area which provides critical habitat for the world’s most endangered species. The map also highlights the important role of indigenous lands in protecting biodiversity and reversing climate change; these cover 35% of the Global Safety Net area. (Sources: oneearth.org; globalsafetynet.app) Battery storage: the key to a paradigm shift A revolution that could be likened to the invention of the light bulb is brewing in the battery industry, and central to that revolution is increasingly advanced energy storage systems (batteries). Even now, burgeoning demand has sped up technological innovation, economies of scale, and the proliferation of manufacturers so much so that the price of batteries is down to a little less than 50% of what it was just 18 months ago, and 90% less than a decade ago. The drop in price has opened up opportunities on two fronts in particular – battery-powered vehicles and the decarbonization of the electricity generation sector. When electric cars offer ranges of 620 miles or more and fast recharges at affordable prices, travel by road is expected to become almost exclusively electric – first in cars and soon thereafter in trucks and long-distance buses. Meanwhile, global demand for batteries, according to BloombergNEF figures, will increase fivefold by 2035. The International Energy Agency estimates that in China, which leads the world in EV production, two out of three battery-powered car models are already cheaper – and presumably more popular – than equivalent fossil fuel- powered models. And this is just the beginning. According to Duo Fu, Rystad Energy’s head of storage, a significant impact on the EV market isn’t expected until 2030. Batteries will also revolutionize the energy landscape by multiplying the impact of solar panels. The pairing of solar and battery is particularly attractive to consumers, in that solar offers electricity at a bargain price, and batteries offer the possibility of storing it for a few hours when it’s most expensive, saving them money and flattening the price curve. So, batteries offer a double benefit: minimizing wasted energy and stabilizing prices during high-usage hours. Auke Hoekstra, researcher at the Technical University of Eindhoven, in the Netherlands, says solar and wind alone can replace approximately 70% of fossil-based electricity generation, but, with a massive deployment of batteries, this percentage will rise to 90%. Add to that green hydrogen and synthetic fuels, and the replacement rate will reach 100%. Very soon we’ll see that it’s possible to have a fully renewable system. There are already places around the world where the switch from a ‘solar’ to a ‘storage’ focus is taking place: Australia, Germany, the UK, Chile, and the states of California and Texas in the US. And stationary batteries are reaching several new countries as well, such as Spain. According to Xavier Cugat, an energy professional with the Shanghai-based Pylontech Technologies: “We’re going slower than we should, but the real takeoff will be noticed from 2025 onwards. Between now and the end of the decade, I see...the ability to accumulate [store] what five nuclear plants generate every day.” Francisco Blanch, head of global commodities and equity derivatives at Bank of America, adds: “…a lot of money is on the table in research. Billions of dollars a year are entering this sector, which is set to be the most promising in the energy world in the coming years.” (Source: elpais.com) Encouraging Figures China’s Tengger Desert was once barren, but thanks to the shade provided by a sea of new solar panels on newly planted vegetation, it now has almost 25% green cover. (cgtn.com) The lifetime carbon footprint of an EV in China is 37.8% lower than that of a car powered by fossil fuels – and, due to China’s policy on full life-cycle carbon footprint control, that percentage promises to fall even further. (rmi.org) Over 90% of EV batteries that reach end- of-life are currently recycled, and 95% of critical minerals are recovered. (www.cleaningup.live) One of the biggest players in the US self- storage industry – National Storage Affiliates Trust – is rolling out solar panels across 8.5 million square feet (790,000 square meters) of its rooftop spaces. (electrek.co) •

16 SHARE INTERNATIONAL VOL. 43, NO. 8 — OCTOBER 2024 The voting rights of the top 10 member nations of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) are based on their quotas, which are determined by their relative position in the world economy. As of March 2023, the top 10 members and their voting shares are as follows: 1. United States: 16.50% 2. Japan: 6.14% 3. China: 6.08% 4. Germany: 5.32% 5. France: 4.03% 6. United Kingdom: 4.03% 7. Italy: 3.02% 8. India: 2.63% 9. Russia: 2.59% 10. Brazil: 2.22% These 10 countries collectively hold more than 52% of the total voting power in the IMF. The United States, with a 16.50% voting share, has the largest individual voting power and is currently the only country with an effective veto power over major policy decisions, which require an 85% supermajority. The quota for the United States or the 85% supermajority would need to be adjusted so that no country has veto powers. It’s important to note that the IMF’s quota system and voting shares are reviewed periodically to ensure that they reflect changes in the global economy. The most recent quota change, in the 14th General Review of Quotas, was completed in 2010 and resulted in a significant shift in voting power towards emerging market and developing economies, particularly China, India, Brazil, and Russia. Despite the weighted voting system, the IMF strives to make decisions by consensus whenever possible, with the goal of ensuring broad support and cooperation among its member countries. Special drawing rights (SDRs) The Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) (14) are an international reserve asset that the International Monetary Fund created in 1969. The SDRs are meant to supplement the existing reserves of member countries. Technically, SDRs are not a currency but rather a potential claim on the freely usable currencies of IMF members. They represent a basket of currencies, and currently this includes the U.S. dollar, euro, Chinese renminbi, Japanese yen, and British pound sterling. The value of an SDR is determined by a weighted basket of the five currencies mentioned above. The weights assigned to each currency are reviewed every five years to ensure they reflect their relative importance in the world’s trading and financial systems. Currently, SDRs are allocated to IMF member countries in proportion to their IMF quotas. The IMF has the authority to create and allocate SDRs to its members, providing them with additional liquidity when needed. SDRs serve as a supplement to international reserves, helping countries manage their balance of payments and provide a cushion against financial shocks. SDRs are used as a unit of account by the IMF and some other international organizations. They are also used as a denomination for some international financial transactions and instruments. SDRs have a primary purpose of providing liquidity to the global economic system and supporting the functioning of the international monetary system. They help countries manage their reserves, settle international transactions, and cope with financial crises. The role of SDRs has been limited compared to other reserve assets, such as the U.S. dollar and gold. Their use has been subject to ongoing discussions and reforms within the IMF. However, the IMF has taken steps to increase the allocation and use of SDRs in response to the global financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic. These efforts aim to bolster the global financial safety net and promote economic stability and growth. Global carbon sequestration fund A potential solution to fund carbon sequestration projects internationally without depending on individual government budgets or taxation could be the establishment of a Global Carbon Sequestration Fund within the International Monetary Fund (IMF) framework. This fund could use a portion of the IMF’s existing or newly created Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) specifically for SOLVING CLIMATE CHANGE USING THE MONETARY SYSTEM – PART THREE IMF Voting Rights and Power Distribution by Lars Graf and Sebastian Graf A potential solution to fund carbon sequestration projects internationally could be the establishment of a Global Carbon Sequestration Fund within the International Monetary Fund (IMF) framework.

17 SHARE INTERNATIONAL VOL. 43, NO. 8 — OCTOBER 2024 funding carbon sequestration projects. These “Green SDRs” would be earmarked for the Global Carbon Sequestration fund. The fund would be governed by a board of directors, composed of representatives from contributing countries, the IMF, and relevant international organizations such as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the IPCC, and the World Bank. This board would set the fund’s policies, criteria, and priorities for project selection and funding. The fund would establish a transparent and competitive process for selecting carbon sequestration projects to support. Projects could be proposed by governments, international organizations, private sector entities, or civil society groups. The selection criteria would prioritize projects based on their potential for long-term carbon sequestration, scalability, co-benefits, and alignment with sustainable development goals. The fund would provide grants, loans, or other financial instruments to carbon sequestration projects. The funding terms would be designed to ensure the projects’ long-term viability and sustainability. The fund would also establish a robust monitoring and verification system to ensure that the supported projects deliver the expected carbon sequestration outcomes. This system would involve independent third-party audits, regular reporting, and transparent data sharing. Using SDRs as the primary funding source would allow countries to participate in international climate mitigation efforts without directly impacting their national budgets or tax revenues. The fund would leverage the IMF’s institutional framework, financial expertise, and global reach to mobilize resources and support large-scale carbon sequestration projects in a coordinated and efficient manner. Creating a patent and technology pool To expedite the global use of carbon sequestration technologies, the IMF could establish a global patent and technology pool. This would consolidate patents and key licensable technologies related to carbon removal, facilitating their widespread adoption and the use of best practices. The patent pool would function as a platform for voluntary patent sharing and cross- licensing. Patent holders would contribute their patents, available for licensing on fair and non-discriminatory terms. This creates a central hub for accessing these technologies, reducing transaction costs and legal uncertainties. The IMF could ensure all countries, especially developing ones, have access to the patent and technology pool. This may involve financial aid for licensing fees and technical assistance for the licensing process. The use of eminent domain provisions for patents could also be explored to accelerate access to these technologies. A transparent revenue- sharing mechanism is needed to incentivize patent holder participation. The patent and technology pool could also negotiate aggregated global purchase agreements for key equipment, technologies, and software licenses to achieve the lowest costs for carbon sequestration for all participants, in order avoid leakage of funds to self- interested parties. Conclusion Global climate remediation is clearly a herculean task — the biggest challenge humanity has ever faced. It’s going to require a massive amount of resources and effort, and our governments simply can’t shoulder this burden alone. Current political systems often prioritize short-term wins over long- term necessities, like saving our planet. It is clear that for climate remediation to be effective, it is necessary to not only reduce emissions but also sequester a significant amount of carbon released since the Industrial Revolution. In order to achieve this, a large part of our global industrial capacity has to be mobilized. The global central banking system, with its political independence and ability to manage national money supply, could be repurposed towards long-term climate remediation, funding such activities without impacting government budgets or increasing taxes. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) could oversee such efforts on a global scale due to its broad membership, near consensus-based decision-making process, and lack of fixed veto rights by individual member nations. A Carbon Sequestration Fund and a global Patent and Technology Pool, administered by the IMF and funded with the IMF’s Special Drawing Rights (SDRs), could provide a practical solution to climate remediation challenges. Such a project has tremendous potential to unite humanity towards a common purpose for the benefit future generations. • Point of view continued from page 5 Sustained peace is possible. We can learn much from the long peace that prevailed in East Asia before the arrival of Western powers in the 19th century. In her book Chinese Cosmopolitanism, philosopher Shuchen Xiang cites historian David Kang, who noted that “from the founding of the Ming dynasty to the opium wars – that is, from 1368 to 1841 – there were only two wars between China, Korea, Vietnam and Japan. These were China’s invasion of Vietnam (1407-1428) and Japan’s invasion of Korea (1592-1598).” East Asia’s long peace was shattered by Britain’s attack on China in the First Opium War, 1839-1842, and the East- West (and later Sino-Japanese) conflicts that followed. Professor Xiang attributes the half- millennium of East Asian peace to Confucian norms of harmony that underpinned the statecraft among China, Korea, Japan and Vietnam, in contrast to the struggle for hegemony that characterized Europe’s statecraft. China, during this long period, was the region’s uncontested hegemon, but did not use its predominant power to threaten or harm Korea, Vietnam, or Japan. Dr. Jean Dong, an expert in China’s foreign policymaking, makes similar points about the differences between Chinese and European statecraft in her book Chinese Statecraft in a Changing World: Demystifying Enduring Traditions and Dynamic Constraints. I have recently proposed 10 Principles for Perpetual Peace in the 21 st Century, building on China’s five principles for peaceful co-existence, plus five practical further steps, hence, a mixture of Confucian ethics and institutionalism. My idea is to harness the ethics of cooperation and the practical benefits of international law and the UN Charter. As the world assembles in September at the UN Summit of the Future, the key message is this. We don’t want or need a hegemon. We don’t need a balance of power, which can too easily become an imbalance of force. We need a lasting peace built on ethics, common interests, and international law and institutions. https://www.manilatimes.net/2024/08/09/ opinion/columns/achieving-peace-in-the-new- multipolar-age/1962778 •

18 SHARE INTERNATIONAL VOL. 43, NO. 8 — OCTOBER 2024 Why is one person still trying to accumulate more money and why is another trying to help people toward a better life? Money is often thought of as an end in itself: for status, to buy a nice house or expensive car. But when you start thinking of money as a means to solve the world’s challenges, it becomes a very different story. All this played through Rutger Bregman’s mind while he was writing this latest book in which he challenges people to live up to their ideals. In it, he focuses mainly on young people, saying they are very idealistic, but not always ambitious. They focus their attention mainly on their individual footprint – such as not flying, or not eating meat. Bregman wanted to know more about the pioneers in our history who did get moving, so he delved into the British anti- slavery movement of the eighteenth century. After all, this was the first successful movement for human rights. One simple fact fascinated him – the movement’s founders were almost all entrepreneurs. Ten of the twelve founders of the Society for the Abolition of the Slave Trade were people with a hefty dose of idealism combined with a good deal of personal ambition. He came to the conclusion that this was exactly what we need today in the fight against major world problems. What would happen if you combined the idealism of an activist with the ambition of an entrepreneur? He decided to take a step further and look for people like this; people who had built organizations and would know how to make their dream a reality. And so the School for Moral Ambition (SMA) was born. The SMA is meant for people with an excellent CV and a great job; who are what we call ‘successful’; who wonder if their work is really making a difference and if they are really using their talents for a good cause. The SMA wants to help explore a different path – one where a career and the precious time you put into it benefits a better world by helping them to make the transition to a job with more moral ambition. They agreed that moral ambition should not become an elitist ideal. After all, every person has a talent. Of course, building an impactful career through the SMA is not for everyone; you can also do a lot of good in the world through volunteering or impactful donations. They believe that moral ambition should actually become a well-known lifestyle, just like consuming less or meditation. The movement is based on seven principles which describe how to drastically improve the world and guide all decisions: 1. Action: We want to do as much good as possible 2. Impact: We want to make extraordinarily high impact 3. Radical compassion: We want to expand our moral circle 4. Open-mindedness: We cultivate a curious attitude to life 5. Compassion: We believe in the good in man 6. Enthusiasm: We are driven by pure enthusiasm 7. Perseverance: We are determined not to give up. The SMA’s ambition is to initiate a global movement around moral ambition. Its first teaching program, the Moral Ambition Circles, aims to connect talents from various business sectors. The Circles are groups of five to eight professionals who, over the course of a series of meetings, discuss with each other how to make a difference through their careers. They are all people learning together about the world’s biggest problems and encouraging each other to take the first step. The SMA has developed an online platform and free curriculum for Circle participants. It seeks pioneers from all sectors of society who want to explore the path of moral ambition and inspire others. At the end of May this year [2024], the trainees gathered in the financial heart of the Netherlands. The SMA wants companies to realize that making money from the destruction of our planet is unacceptable and that enough is enough. That it is time for big companies and their financiers to take responsibility for creating a sustainable future. Working on behalf of the public interest is often complicated because there is no commercial market to create those jobs. With this in mind the SMA has developed a programme – the ‘Fellowships’ – in which participants undergo a month-long intensive training programme, then, with financial support, they are placed in the field for six months with an inspirational organization of their own choosing. Beginning in September, the themes of the first two Fellowships are fighting the tobacco industry, and the transition from animal to plant-based proteins. The SMA was launched this year [2024] in the Netherlands and intends to grow into an international organization of ambitious world reformers. It is a non-profit foundation and all royalties from the book and income from lectures go towards supporting the School. (Source: moralambition.eu; moreleambitie.nl) School for Moral Ambition by Ellen Bernards “Half the world’s population lives on as little as seven dollars a day, but you’re not confronted with this on a daily basis. So it is easy to ignore it,” argues Rutger Bregman, historian and author of the book Moral Ambition, Stop Wasting Your Talent and Make Work of Your Ideals, about the will to drastically improve the world. (See the book review Share International, September 2024). The book is a kind of self-help book, not to make your life easier though, but more challenging. Bregman describes moral ambition as the desire to be among the best, but with different norms of ‘success’. He wants to change the definition of success away from a fat salary or impressive title, to a career dedicated to finding the best solutions to pressing world problems. Rutger Bregman •

19 SHARE INTERNATIONAL VOL. 43, NO. 8 — OCTOBER 2024 A wider appreciation must be engendered for the esoteric value of money used in service of humanity. The spiritual significance of money is as yet only rarely appreciated but, in future, the position which the aspirant occupies on the spiritual path will often be determined by his attitude towards and handling of money – that valuable potential energy which the masses still abuse for gratifying their desires. The true server solicits nothing for himself, except that which he lacks for keeping the physical instrument in efficient working condition and which will better equip him for the work to be accomplished on behalf of his fellow man. To him money is an energy to be used creatively for others and for fulfilling that much of the hierarchical Plan as he can sense and appraise. Those who strive to enrich themselves – and that, as a rule, at the cost of their neighbour – will eventually find that this brings only discontent, sorrow and distress, while those who desire nothing for themselves will inherit the riches of the soul, with all the joy that this will occasion. The time has arrived when mankind should begin to recognize the spiritual value of money. Money is nothing but manifested energy and, as is the case with all energy, it can be exercised either for good or bad. So far, its use has been tainted, like everything else in human living, by selfish individual or communal objectives. It should now be diverted to new objectives and, in the first instance, to awaken the spiritual consciousness of the masses and to impress the urgent need for improved human relations. This means training the public in the principles of world citizenship, based on mutual goodwill and the correct application of their money energy for expressing these aims. And who should take the responsibility for reorienting world opinion and its values and for deflecting money into avenues of constructive service? The answer is simple – the appropriate movement is already in full swing and has been initiated by thousands of individuals throughout the world, who are working either singly or in groups. They have been, and still are, inspired by energies, thoughts and ideas that have been impressed upon their minds or are being projected as specific thoughtforms into the mental ethers, by the Hierarchy. These ideas are therefore not only exhibited by some prominent leaders but are now in effect being implemented by the thousands of men and women of goodwill present in all countries. All these disciples are diverting the smaller or larger sums of money at their disposal towards these new objectives, and it is expected that this money, as yet only a small trickle, will rapidly assume larger proportions and will wax into a mighty stream of creative energy and power, which will be used to improve human relationships and move towards the redemption of man. Money in Service Every intelligent and balanced approach will recognize the esoteric value of money for the purposes of service. There is nothing wrong as such with money, which is merely a convenient and symbolic state of temporarily converted energy of power. As with all energy, the crux of the matter is – how will it be applied? In its essence, energy or money is an impersonal or blind force and may be used for either good or evil, depending on how it is directed. Today there is some stigma attached to money but this is only because money is involuntarily associated with so much that is evil or representative of selfish desire, greed and sharp business practice. But the time is rapidly approaching when money will, to an ever increasing extent, be applied to better purposes, to serving the genuine needs of man and to provide those conditions which will be to his spiritual and lasting benefit. Where in the past money might be regarded as the symbol of man’s selfishness, so in the New Age it must become the symbol of man’s goodwill, demanding a total reversal of his attitude towards it. Money must therefore be transmuted to a real spiritual asset and responsibility, thus becoming a potent means for achieving world service. (Source: Bridges, ISBN 3- 929345-11-0, Bridges Publishing, Freiburg, Germany, 2001, 2007. www.bridges- publishing.de) Money by Aart Jurriaanse T o effect some of the envisaged changes in the world economic system will require a totally new approach with regard to the application of world funds. The billions that are being wasted annually on armed conflict and competitive rearmament, on the search for excitement and self-escape, on useless luxuries of every kind – all these billions should be deflected to more fruitful purposes; to achieve some of the essential aspects of the new economic world order and to educate the masses to a better understanding and awareness of the required spiritual approach. A great deal of money will be needed for these objectives but the money is available, and it is only a question of its reorientation and application to more constructive purposes. too we want to ensure that people are not coerced into any particular style of living as long as they are consistent with our goal to ensure maximum care for each other and for the planet. “Love for the planet will lead to a worldwide understanding that any rebuilding must be accompanied by caring for it both as a collective and as individuals. Having seen the great destruction when people used scientific knowledge of the Earth to maximize their own wealth and wellbeing, we will dedicate the two last years of high school to create ecological awareness projects. “These projects will give teenagers a deeper appreciation and reverence for the complex workings of our planet. The projects will also give them an understanding of the psychological, spiritual and emotional foundations for a loving and caring society. Building on those foundations, the new generations will be prepared to create caring societies and a loving world.” (Source: tikkun.org) Rabbi Lerner continued from page 8 • •

20 SHARE INTERNATIONAL VOL. 43, NO. 8 — OCTOBER 2024 Anouar Kamel Souleiman, born in Beirut, is a member of the Syrian Orthodox congregation in Sydney, Australia. In 2017, he was diagnosed with bladder cancer. Surgery was planned in order to remove part of the bladder as well as the diseased kidney. The operation was scheduled for 28 November 2023. During the month preceding the operation, Anouar meditated and prayed in front of an icon representing the Holy Spirit, calling for help and healing. He was also given a bottle of holy water from the grotto of St Charbel in Bekaakafra, Lebanon. He was advised to drink it whenever he was thirsty or felt the need. Anouar drank the water for eight days, at which point he noticed that the bottle was broken. He took it to be a sign of healing sent by St Charbel; he went to hospital the same day and asked his doctor if he could have a urine test. Saint Charbel’s healing miracle Saint Charbel The thorough examination continued for three consecutive days. The results were negative; he showed no sign of illness. In order to reassure himself, Anouar then returned to the surgeon scheduled to perform the operation. The surgeon ordered a cystoscopy followed by a biopsy and once again the results revealed no abnormalities. Anouar was declared healthy, totally free of cancer. Humbled and overjoyed at the miracle, Anouar decided that he should go to a small town called Annaya in Lebanon to pay his respects, and thank Charbel for his intercession, help and healing. Annaya is a small town located in the Keserwan District of Lebanon, known as home to the Monastery of St Maron, the founder of the Maronite Church. It is also where Saint Charbel lived in both the monastery and the hermitage. Anouar took with him both his earlier diagnosis and later tests results, and the miracle was recorded by Father Louis Matar on 25 June 2024. • The Law of Cause and Effect continued from page 10 When a nation comes to adulthood, to maturity, it relates to other nations in a completely different way than hitherto. It begins to respect the Rule of Law, which binds all nations together in mutual responsibility and need. The sign of a growing maturity is precisely this respect for the laws which men have found necessary to living together in peace. From time to time, a nation may feel powerful enough to ignore the law which irks its ambition to dominate, and to make war despite the warnings of restraint from its friends…. When, among nations, the Rule of Law is ignored, the whole world suffers…. The world is struggling now with epidemics of all kinds as the human immune system breaks down under the stress. Did the warmongers but realize the karmic effects of their ill-considered actions, they might well make amends and take sightings for another course. (Benjamin Creme’s Master, from ‘The ultimate triumph’) My major need today is for those who share My vision to accept the responsibility of action. Many millions there are in the world who know the need of man, who see that vision, but know not the urgency of the time. I rely on all those with a knowledge of your brothers’ needs, a sympathy for the sufferings of so many, and a will to change all that. May you be among those upon whom I may call, that together we can usher in a new and better world. (Maitreya, from Message No.46) Service Service is the way par excellence for getting rid of karma. Of course it does not get rid of it, but it burns it up. The process is something like this: as you serve you draw to yourself energy. By giving out energy, you get energy back; that is the law. Basically, it is the Law of Love, which governs our nature, without which the universe would not exist. It is of course, in another sense, the Law of Cause and Effect itself. As you give love, you set in motion a cause, the effect of which is the return of love. (Benjamin Creme, Maitreya’s Mission Volume One) Naught which stems from God but serves, My brothers. Learn and believe that this is so. Through service to man, man will come to God. It was ever so. Make a life of Service your vow for the future time and know the bliss of the Love of God. (Maitreya, from Message No.75) The involvement in service, if it is true service, pushes us forward faster than anything else in growth of consciousness. It helps to free the individual from karma, burns up karma. What, above all, holds us back in the evolution of consciousness is karma. The actions of the past, up to this moment, make karma. Every action, every thought, creates it. Thought is a thing; it creates that which holds us back in evolution. It ties knots which trap us, as it were, and until we sever these knots we cannot move forward. The moving forward, the growth in consciousness, is best achieved by completely forgetting about ourselves, involving ourselves in service to humanity, and at some kind of sacrifice to oneself. (Benjamin Creme, Maitreya’s Mission Volume Two) •

21 SHARE INTERNATIONAL VOL. 43, NO. 8 — OCTOBER 2024 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR When I was going to Transmission Meditation on the underground train one day in September 2000, an old woman with grey hair got on at the station and walked towards me. For some reason, I had the feeling that she wanted to approach someone and talk. Inwardly, I was hoping that she wouldn’t approach me since I didn’t have time and didn’t want to talk. She seemed to notice my defensive attitude and walked towards a woman who was sitting on a seat across from me. The woman who was sitting there had mid-brown skin, wore a shawl round her head, and looked like a foreigner. The old woman asked: “Are you from Nigeria?” “Yes”, came the answer. I couldn’t hear all of the conversation since there was so much noise on the train. But I did hear the old woman tell the woman from Nigeria that the Messiah or Christ would come back soon and that she was a member of a meditation group that is wait- ing for this. She asked if the Nigerian woman would be interested in coming to their meet- ings. Funnily enough, the woman seemed rather interested. I was really surprised by the ‘mission- ary’ approach (that’s what it seemed like to me), but I had to leave the train so I didn’t hear any more. Afterwards, I told members of my Transmission Meditation group. They all thought that those two women were Maitreya and Jesus. A.B., Berlin, Germany (Benjamin Creme’s Master confirmed that the ‘old woman’ was Maitreya and the ‘Nigerian woman’ was the Master Jesus.) Two letters received in February 2003 from the same person: Timely intervention (1) A few years ago, I went with my husband to Alicante [Spain]. My son was still very young and we left him with my parents. We were waiting in the main street for the green light to cross the street. Behind me were the shop windows of a big store. Suddenly, my husband told me to cross the street with him quickly as no car was approaching but the light had not yet turned red for crossing traffic. I was distracted for a few seconds looking backwards to the shop windows. Then I became aware that I was in the middle of the wide street, my husband was already on the other side, and there were cars coming from all sides. People started to scream. A few meters from me there was a motor bike coming straight towards me. From the other side, there was a bus. I moved a few steps, but the motor bike also moved in my direction. There was no escape. Suddenly, without knowing how, I found myself on the opposite pavement, safe and sound. I have always thought that an angel not only saved me, but also the two young people on the motorbike that who were head- ing straight towards the bus in an attempt to avoid me. Did someone save me? Thanks. (Benjamin Creme’s Master confirmed that they were saved by the Master Jesus.) The music spoke (2) In January 1999, I went to pick up my son from school. We were heading home when I heard someone playing a violin. Instantly, I thought of the Master Jesus or Maitreya. The violinist was just in front of us. The way he played caught my attention. He was very charming. His head was looking down. His hair was dark, a bit long and wavy. His jacket, a bit untidy. On the floor beside him was a wooden box, narrow, elongated, wider at the top. Two white pigeons were sitting on top of it but they could not have fitted inside it. The box was beautiful, with some kind of African motifs. A bit unsure, I approached him to give him some coins as I thought he was playing to raise some money, but the plate that was on top of the box, beside the pigeons, was upside down. I went into the supermarket on the other side of the street and when I came out he was gone. I didn’t see him again. I was sad that I wasn’t able to see his eyes. Was he the Master Jesus or Maitreya? Name and address withheld (Benjamin Creme’s Master confirmed that the ‘violinist’ was the Master Jesus.) Comforting gift On Saturday 9 September 2000, I was sitting opposite my daughter on the metro when a man came in; very neat with clean, dark hair and a white shirt with some nice embroidery on it. He sat beside me. Nothing special about him, but, after a while, I sensed I was relaxing and had a feeling of: ‘So it is as it is. You can do nothing, only observe reality’. My daughter was still suffering from a nervous breakdown in May and there was always a lot of tension around me. You never know what is coming next with her feelings and thoughts. That morning, I had been reading aloud from Alice Bailey’s Unfinished Autobiography. One sentence was “I have left many people to God since then,” and I had said to my daughter: “Maybe it’s better if I leave you to God.” After a while on the metro, we had a short chat with this ordinary gentleman be- side me about opening the window or not. He asked both of us separately and for a moment we looked into each others’ eyes. It felt familiar, normal in the sense of being in the presence of a fellow human. I saw him reading in an especially nice book, like a little piece of art. When we left the metro, he said to me: “It might seem peculiar to be saying so, but God is with you both.” I answered: “I hope so.” Then he said: “I know it. I can see it.” I thanked him and I told my daughter about it when we were outside. She got goosebumps and started to cry. These words are doing much to help me in this hard situation for a mother. May I ask whether he was a special person, even Maitreya, who gave us this gift of caring words? U.R., Munich, Germany. (Benjamin Creme’s Master confirmed that the man was Maitreya.) A very direct line My aim is to spread abroad My net to the widest horizon, to draw to Me all those in whom My Light shines, that through them I may work. This cast can include you, My friends, for I need all who share with Me the desire to serve the world. Take upon yourselves the task of succour and share My burden. (Maitreya, from Message No.70) •

22 SHARE INTERNATIONAL VOL. 43, NO. 8 — OCTOBER 2024 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Q. Can you explain the underlying mechanics of prayer and healing to the religious or spiritually-minded layperson? That is, beginning from the initial point of prayer, what is the actual mechanism? A. Prayer is a stage of the great science of invocation and works by setting up a telepathic link or conduit through the common denominator of mind. The stronger the mental focus the greater the degree of mental communication achieved. Most prayer, however, is astral/emotional in focus and so less ‘sure’ of response. The power of prayer is based on the reality that there is no separation: all atoms, throughout cosmos, are linked. The effec- tiveness of prayer depends upon the level of focused thought attained by the praying agent. Most prayer is supplication stem- ming from the astral desire-nature of that agent and is thus limited in scope. Prayer at its higher level is possible through the focused mind; on a yet higher level on the love intention of the soul-in- fused disciple, the soul itself thus being the agent. The response to prayer is conditioned by the Law of Cause and Effect (the Law of Karma as it is called in the East) and the degree of intervention allowed to the Masters of Wisdom as the Divine Intermediaries. Thus Jesus, the Madonna, Krishna, Mohammed, and a host of Saints of all religions are prayed to for intercession. They can, and do, act as intermediaries as the Law allows. Q. Is it correct to posit that prayer is generally a useful adjunct to conventional allopathic or homoeopathic medicine? A. Yes. Q. I was raised in a Christian Science family, but left the church as a teenager because it seemed unscientific. Intense belief and denial (which I couldn’t muster) seemed to be required. A key element in this religion is that physical matter and illness are ‘error’. Instead, ‘all is infinite mind and its infinite manifestation’. Healings are considered demonstrations of the fact that all is God and therefore one is perfect. But one has to ‘know the truth’ and allow no place for ‘error’. Healing demonstrations do occur. But in many cases healing does not occur and is followed by even more determination to ‘realize the truth’. May I ask, what is the basis of Christian Science healings? Do they actually have a scientific component (unrealized by modern science)? Why are some people healed and others not? Are there additional factors at work that are probably unknown to the people involved? A. All healing is subject to the Law of Cause and Effect, or Karma. Christian Science, to my mind, is theoretically correct but, in practice, omits an understanding of this Law. Q. Many years ago I would conduct weekly healing services using the Liberal Catholic book of liturgy. The bishop, also an esotericist, had indicated to me that my being a priest and using that ritual would automatically attract healing devas and energy from the Masters. However, I was not aware of this when I performed the services,during which I placed my right hand upon the heads of those who wished to receive healing, while reciting a mantric prayer. Some time later people might tell me that they had been healed. But, finally, a person ended up in the hospital next day with a stroke. Needless to say, I was appalled and discontinued the healing ministry. (1) Can you tell me if these effects, good and bad, resulted from the healing services, from me personally, or from other factors? (2) Does the Liberal Catholic healing ritual actually attract devas and energy from the Masters? (3) Are religious healing services in general, with rituals, prayers and laying-on-of-hands, actually useful or effective? A. (1) From the healing services and other factors. For example, the energies invoked can and often do precipitate a condition, better or worse, which was ‘ready’ to manifest. (2) Devas, no, but certainly energy from the Masters if They see fit. (3) Yes. Q. For a long time I’ve done the radiatory healing formula, as given by the Master DK, first by meeting with a healing group and now on my own (visualizing the group and thinking the mantrams). The people on the healing list now are those with whom I have a personal connection. Beginning five or six years ago, powerful waves of energy sometimes come in for certain people on the list when I go through it one by one. I feel the energy affecting different centres in my body, as in Transmission Meditation (a 20-year practice). I am often surprised by these energy waves and the people for whom they seem to be intended. Usually the energy will come for those particular people, each time I do the formula, over a few days and sometimes weeks or months. Usually they seem to get well, but not always. (1) Can you say what is actually taking place during all this? (2) Does the practice of Transmission Meditation facilitate healing? A. (1) The energies invoked by the healing formula are being sent by one or more Masters in the way you describe. The effectiveness of the healing is determined by the Law of Karma. (2) Yes. Q. Once in a while I am able to be in a state of mind which is one of being right now, or being in a split-second that is changing or moving. There is a sense that everything is being constantly created, including the physical body. I have noticed that if I can do this at the beginning of an illness or pain it can sometimes be left behind. The body seems to move out of its memory and be healed, at least for a while. I don’t think this is a mental trick or an illusion. Can you say what may be taking place? (1) Is it similar to what Maitreya calls ‘automatic healing’? (2) Could this be a different approach to the same thing the Christian Scientists believe? A. (1) Yes. (2) No. Q. Can you likewise explain the underlying mechanics in a manner that will be helpful to the medical layperson in formulating how it may become more appropriately part of the conventional healing process? A. This awaits the acceptance, by medical practitioners, of the reality of the etheric realms of matter on which levels the disease condition starts. Q. The scientific and medical communities recognize that there is a ‘mind-emotional-body’ connection, although the underlying mechanics are not yet sufficiently understood. Towards this end, one scientific view of the ‘power of prayer’ is that a positive attitude by an individual helps to boost the body’s immune system,

SHARE INTERNATIONAL ACLEAR VOICE OF THE NEW TIME A monthly magazine featuring:  Up-to-date information about the emergence of Maitreya, the World Teacher  An article from a Master of Wisdom  Expansions of the esoteric teachings  Benjamin Creme’s answers to a wide variety of topical and esoteric questions  Articles by, and interviews with, people at the forefront of progressive world change  News from UN agencies and positive developments in the transformation of our world Unlike the majority of today’s media, Share International magazine considers the entire world as a global village and all people as members of one human family. It gives its readers factual information about the injustices that persist, yet balances it with the inspired thinking of influential people in all fields and the practical solutions being implemented by little-known people in villages and cities everywhere. The purpose of Share International is to inform people about the presence of Maitreya—the World Teacher—and his group, the Masters of Wisdom, as well as their priorities and teachings for the New Time: an adequate supply of the right food, housing and shelter for all, healthcare and education as universal rights, and the restoration and maintenance of ecological balance in the world. The magazine also strives to raise public awareness of what is being done and what still needs to be done across the wide spectrum of human society—life on planet Earth. Subscriptions to Share International magazine (10 issues per year): $US38 for the USA, Canada, Central/South America, Australia, New Zealand & the Philippines To enter a new subscription or renew an existing subscription, please visit: Share-International.us/subscriptions Important notes: We know that some of our subscribers may not have computer access and/or have traditionally paid by check. Payment by check is still acceptable but not preferred. The following address should be used for this purpose as needed. Share International Magazine mailing address: Share International USA PO Box 19556 Boulder, CO 80308 Although we will accept checks for subscriptions, it is very important that you not include any additional amounts for donations or book purchases. For donations, make check or money order to Share International USA and mail to: Share International USA PO Box 5537 Berkeley, CA 94705 For Book, CD, DVD, Cassette tape orders and Digital Downloads: Visit our Share International USA Storefront at: share-ecart.com For assistance: sales@share-international.us Share-International.us Share-International.org 6-1-23 Or make your donation online at: share-international.us/donate

Unity in Diversity: The Way Ahead for Humanity This book presents a hopeful vision for the future – one that embraces a world at peace in harmony and unity, while each individual quality and approach is welcomed and needed. Creme shows that the path forward is realizing our essential unity without sacrificing our equally essential diversity. 167pp (Also Audio Book format) 6-1-23 The Reappearance of the Christ & the Masters of Wisdom Benjamin Creme’s first book revealed that Maitreya— the Christ and World Teacher for the coming age—is already among us. Includes: the effect of the reappear- ance on the world’s institutions, the anti-christ and forces of evil, the soul and reincarnation, and the new economic order. 287pp Messages from Maitreya, the Christ Prior to his emergence, Maitreya gave 140 messages through Benjamin Creme during public lectures. The messages inspire readers to spread the news of his reappearance and to work urgently for the rescue of mil- lions suffering from poverty and starvation in a world of plenty. 286pp Maitreya’s Mission — Vol. One Presents further developments in the emergence of Maitreya and also covers a wide range of subjects, from the work and teachings of Maitreya to life ahead in the New Age. 420pp Maitreya’s Mission — Vol. Two Offers unique information on such subjects as meditation, growth of consciousness, psychology, health, the environment, and science and technology in the New Age. Also updates the process of Maitreya’s public emergence. 739pp Maitreya’s Mission — Vol. Three A chronicle of the next millennium. Political, economic and social structures that will guarantee the necessities of life for all people. Includes ray structures and points of evolu- tion of more than 1,400 initiates throughout history. 694pp The Ageless Wisdom Teaching This introduction to humanity’s spiritual legacy covers the major principles: the Divine Plan, source of the teaching, evolution of human consciousness, the Spiritual Hierarchy, energies, the Seven Rays, karma, reincarnation, initiation, and more. 79pp (Also Large Print format) The Awakening of Humanity Focuses on the day when Maitreya declares himself openly as World Teacher for the age of Aquarius. It describes the process of Maitreya’s emergence, the steps leading to the Day of Declaration, and humanity’s anticipated response to this momentous experience. 141pp (Also Audio & Large Print formats) The WorldTeacher for All Humanity Provides background on the return of our planetary Spir- itual Hierarchy and details the descent of Maitreya from his Himalayan retreat in July 1977. It speaks of the enor- mous changes that his presence has brought about; his plans and projects, and his priorities and recommenda- tions for the future. 132pp (Also Audio & Large Print for- mats) Transmission:A Meditation for the New Age Transmission Meditation, introduced to the world by a Master of Wisdom through Benjamin Creme, is a dynamic process which serves both the world and the individuals involved. Groups ‘step down’ powerful spiri- tual energies directed through them by the Masters, thus creating a ‘pool’ of energy which benefits all planetary life. 212pp The Gathering of the Forces of Light: UFOs and their Spiritual Mission Explains how increasing UFO sightings, crop circles, and other unexplained phenomena are evidence that the Forces of Light (the World Teacher, the Masters of Wisdom, and our Space Brothers and Sisters) are beginning to work openly among us to inspire the com- plete transformation of our planet. 223pp (Also Audio Book format) AUDIO/VIDEO MATERIALS A Master Speaks Vol 1 & 2 Collected from Share International magazine, these articles from a Master of Wisdom contain a wealth of inspiration, wisdom, and practical information relevant to a world in turmoil. Titles include: Health and healing, Life in the New Age, Human rights, Sharing for peace, and The promise of the future. Vol One 452pp; Vol Two 256pp The Great Approach: New Light and Life for Humanity Addresses the problems of our chaotic world and its gradual change under the influence of the Masters of Wisdom, who are returning openly to the world for the first time in 98,000 years. 320pp (Also Audio Book for- mat) The Art of Co-operation Examines the root cause of our world crisis: the glamour, or psychological ‘fog’, that hides the reality of our one- ness and produces pain and suffering at all levels. Co- operation—rather than competition— is the only founda- tion for a just and peaceful world. 235pp (Also Audio Book format) The Art of Living: Living Within the Laws of Life An in-depth look at the four great Laws of Life which, if followed, will make our lives into the “works of art” they are meant to be. Also included are practical how-to’s to achieve the perfection we all seek. 215pp Maitreya’s Teachings: The Laws of Life A unique and diverse collection of insights from Maitreya, the World Teacher, offering straightforward, non-doctrinal answers to some of our most profound questions about the meaning and purpose of life. Also addresses global problems and forecasts future events. 258pp (Also Audio Book format) The Esoteric Art of Benjamin Creme Presents a collection of BC’s lithographs made from his esoteric works painted between 1964 and 2003. Includes the author’s unique commentaries on their con- cept, colour, meaning and esoteric significance. 104 pp (Not yet available as ebook) A selection of Audio/Video materials is also available: share-ecart.com Emergence of Maitreya, the World Teacher BC lecture: English CD & DVD, Spanish DVD Intro to Transmission Meditation / Interview + Talk: English CD & DVD, Spanish DVD Messages from Maitreya, the Christ 1-110: audio cassettes & mp3 CDs The Overcoming of Fear: Talk + Q/A CD Most of Share International’s audio/video is now offered — free of charge — through the Internet. This also provides a convenient way for you to share the information with others, simply by linking to one of these web pages. Share-international.org/resources/ YouTube.com/user/ShareInternational Order at: share-ecart.com sales@share-international.us 510-883-1848 Please be advised that we no longer accept checks. Your payment can be made online using credit card and Paypal All books available in ebook format, and select books in audio format. Both come with a free Fluxplayer app that can be installed on all your devices. See https://share-ecart.com/flickrocket for more details. To receive our free newsletter (electronic or print) please sign up at Share-International.us/newsletter/archive BOOKS BY BENJAMIN CREME

23 SHARE INTERNATIONAL VOL. 43, NO. 8 — OCTOBER 2024 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS • Q. What does the building of the temple in the city of Jerusalem really mean? A. This question came up when I was on a radio programme with a Roman Catholic priest, a fundamentalist Baptist minister, and a rabbi. The rabbi took it as the building of the temple, literally, in Jerusalem, and when that was built the Messiah would come. There are plans already made in the hands of the Israeli government for the rebuilding of the temple. The blueprints are ready, they could go to work tomorrow. They want to make sure that Jerusalem means the head of the Jewish state and only the Jewish state. This is why they have not gone forward. They know it would be a real faux pas in the present situation. They are waiting until gentler times to do it, but they could start tomorrow. Nobody seemed to know too well what the building of the temple was, so I put in my penny’s worth. I said that the build- ing of the temple was a symbolic statement. It does not in- volve the rebuilding of the physical temple. Jerusalem means “the city of peace.” When the world is at peace, the Messiah comes, the Christ returns to the world. That is what Maitreya said in 1945: when a measure of peace had been restored, He would return. World peace had been established, even if later threatened by the Cold War. But in a world sense, peace had come. There are still many small wars today, but they do not on the whole, except in the Middle East, threaten world peace. With the ending of the Cold War, even that threat has receded. The building of the temple is the building of the Body of Christ; when the Christ Principle is manifesting through all people, whether they call it the Christ Principle or not. When that energy, embodied by Maitreya, flowing through the hearts of all humanity, creates peace in the world, we have the building of the temple in the city of peace. by enhancing ‘T cells’ and increasing the natural production of Interleukin-6, for example. (1) Is this correct? (2) Are there additional mechanics involved in the results of prayer and, if so, what? What specifically happens, for example, to cells in the dense- physical body as AIDS or cancer is being cured, as a result of prayer? Does all healing occur superior to (ie above) the physical body, and the body, in turn, thereby receives indirect benefit, or does direct healing of the physical body sometimes occur? A. (1) Yes. (2) The energy invoked by the prayer saturates the diseased cells, filling them with light. This energy enters the body through the ‘chakras’, or force centres, in the etheric counterpart body and through the endocrine system changes the nature of the cells. Q. (1) How will the Masters and Their initiates become more openly involved with the appeal for healing in the near future? Will this be accomplished with the co-operation of the world medical community? (2) Once Maitreya and the Masters have openly declared Themselves, and humanity begins to accept Their identities, it seems mind-boggling to consider that the Masters or Their Ashrams will be notified each time someone becomes seriously ill. (3) Will a screening process be involved? (4) Will prayer be involved as part of that process? (5) Do Masters ‘hear’ prayer? A. (1) Yes. (2) No, this will not be the case, although one or other of the Masters is frequently present at serious operations in the world’s hospitals, even now. (3) Yes, through the doctors (if they are disciples) or outside disciples. (4) Yes, when considered necessary. (5) Yes. A large degree of the necessary healing of humanity will be achieved through the widespread use of the many (777) sources of water magnetized by Maitreya. Q. If someone is ill, would prayer for that person be more effective if done by a group, rather than one person? A. It depends on the level of the group and of the ‘one person’; usually, a group would be more effective. Q. How is it possible that the medical community might overcome the lack of quantitative information in order scientifically to reach conclusions about the healing benefit of prayer? (1) Will this be obtained by using the familiar methods of evidence, measures, comparisons, control groups, statistics and so forth, or (2) should prayer be assessed more broadly, qualitatively, with benefits being accrued on an individual-by-individual basis? (3) If indeed, issues of soul and ‘karma’ condition the success or outcome of prayer, then it would seem difficult to conduct such a research programme without the direct help of the Masters or, as a minimum, advanced initiates, so that karmic condition and soul intent can be included in the functional outcome assessment. A. (1) Yes. (2) Also yes; both methods will pertain. (3) Ideally, this is true, and eventually more trained initiates will become available for this work. Q. Christ in Palestine is recorded to have said on multiple occasions, subsequent to healing: “Your faith has healed you.” To what did He refer? How are faith and prayer related in regard to healing? A. Faith in the power or status of the intercessor, or of the invocative power of the one praying, brings in the potency of the will. Thus the most effective use of the invoked healing energy can be achieved. At every lecture he gave around the world, and virtually every day of his life, Benjamin Creme was asked numerous questions covering a vast range of topics. We draw on this large recorded resource and publish answers provided by BC and his Master over the years.

SHARE INTERNATIONAL The Sword of Cleavage by the Master — Message from Maitreya (an early unpublished Message) Point of view: Amid soaring poverty and hunger, Amnesty demands 'Universal Social Protection' worldwide by Jake Johnson The disconnect - pomp, pageantry, poverty and privation by Phyllis Creme 2023 Goldman Environmental Prize: Six outstanding defenders of the Earth honored It's OK to be Angry about Capitalism Bemie Sanders' Oxford Union address S.O.P. —Save Our Planet: Climate litigation booms in 2023 by Cher Gilmore Volume 42, No. 5 — June 2023 “Peace is not just a matter of disarming guns, it is a matter of disarming minds.” — George Adamski photo: Tim Welch