Prout Gems

Lets face it capitalism for several centuries has not delivered the goods or minimum necessities to all peoples.  This is a ridiculously and agonising time period for which people have had to suffer.  The superstitious economists' reliance on the 'invisible hand' is such an irrational and nonsense proposition that no serious or rational person can surely believe in it.  It shows the superficiality of thought in the conservative capitalist countries and those who rule in them.  Now, new forums are developing that will finally show people that economics cannot be based on superstitions and wild ideas that have no practical basis in terms of human welfare.  

Protest is healthy and wise and vital for human well-being as also shown in another short article below.  Although simple it makes good sense - as community is what counts.  But one must always come from the perspective of a giver to society if one is to lead.  Some basic points are made about leadership and from there the concept of the socio-spiritual revolutionary is also developed (see quotes below), which again indicates that health in the physical, mental and intuitive/spiritual realms of life is required of individuals to ensure their actions are socially healthy and that society can progress.  Lastly, brief mention of a new book is made that is coming out soon, which has forwards and comments by leading activists in North and principally South America.

Much work still needs to be done in developing these important concepts of leadership in society.  This is a mere start, and so the format is kept simple with basic points and things to ponder.  A multicultural and universal emphasis exists.  Leadership and its definition is not purely a Western affair.  The real duty lies in us all and once we develop that duty and attitude the basics are elaborated from within our selves.

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Protesting May Be Good for Your Health

LONDON (Reuters Health) - Taking part in protests and demonstrations can be good for your physical and mental health, a new British study suggests.

Psychologists at the University of Sussex found that people who get involved in campaigns, strikes and political demonstrations experience an improvement in psychological well-being that can help them overcome stress, pain, anxiety and depression.

The finding fits in with other studies suggesting that positive experiences and feeling part of a group can have beneficial effects on health.

"Collective actions, such as protests, strikes, occupations and demonstrations, are less common in the UK than they were perhaps 20 years ago," researcher Dr. John Drury said in a statement.

"The take-home message from this research therefore might be that people should get more involved in campaigns, struggles and social movements, not only in the wider interest of social change but also for their own personal good."

The results emerged from in-depth interviews with nearly 40 activists from a variety of backgrounds. Between them, they had more than 160 experiences of collective action involving groups of demonstrators protesting against a range of issues. These included fox-hunting, environmental damage and industrial matters.

Volunteers were asked to describe what it was about taking part in such collective action that made them feel so good.

"Many published activist accounts refer to feelings of encouragement and confidence emerging from experiences of collective action," said Drury. "But it is not always clear how and why such empowerment occurs, so we aimed to explain what factors within a collective action event contribute to such feelings."

He said the interviews revealed that the key factors were that participants felt they had a collective identity with fellow protestors. They also derived a sense of unity and mutual support from taking part.

Such was the strength of the feelings they experienced that the effects appear to be sustained over a period of time.

"Empowering events were almost without exception described as joyous occasions," said Drury. "Participants experienced a deep sense of happiness and even euphoria in being involved in protest events. Simply recounting the events in the interview brought a smile to the face of the interviewees."

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Ideal Leadership
Dada Maheshvarananda

The knowledge of leadership has greatly developed during the last few 
decades, both in activist circles and, especially, in the business 
world.1 A position of leadership gives one an unusual degree of 
influence over others, but that influence may be either positive or 
negative. Studies in capitalist enterprises show that the actions of 
the leader account for up to 70 percent of employees' perception of 
the climate of their organization. 

Great leaders are forged through great struggle.  Oppression and 
imprisonment have molded great leaders of modern times, such as 
Martin Luther King and Malcolm X from the United States, Andrei 
Sakharov from Russia, Anwar Sadat from Egypt, Vaclev Havel from Czech 
Republic, Aung San Suu Kyi from Burma, Rigoberta Mench