Leaving aside my sarcasm and satire for a moment, the move by president George Bush to talk with the Iranian regime is a move in the right direction. After many years of hard-lining and placing them in "the axis of evil", the US administration has started the hard yards of dialogue. No one said it was going to be easy but it's better than bombing, unless his plan is to talk then bomb. (Oops, sorry. my addiction to sarcasm takes the better of me here, forgive me). But I am prepared to believe there is a change in the air, although reading the latest news it sound like his approach is more like an ultimatum. But to better things...

Music.

The AMCF is a foundation designed to help mostly disadvantaged kids out of the doldrums by making them discover music. Well thought-out by Don Spencer, the founder, — with many years spent as a musician and entertainer from "The Don Spencer Show (in the 1960s) to Playschool on the ABC — the foundation organises music ambassadors and teachers to poor schools, to Aboriginal areas and to juvenile detention centres. The extraordinary positive results speak for themselves. The Foundation also only organises a venture until it is fully funded for a full 12 months.

Music Ambassadors include many musos like composer songwriter singer Alan Caswell and Tim Freedman of the Whitlams. The foundation get the support of artists like Jack Thompson and of many music professionals and teachers who go to places where "some young people shoot roos for entertainment and kids aged eight drive utes because dad is too pissed". The enthusiasm from the kids is unbelievable: they are eager to use their energy to develop skills or just mark about, through music. Some compose songs and win contests...

The Foundation also supplies musical instruments of all kind for the kids to use.

If the world was using guitars rather than guns we'd be a much better place.

Sister "C" was in Sydney town for the Popefeist... She's oldish but young of spirit and was part of a troop of young adults, without being their nanny. She was not really in favour of the "popelywood show" that was the "stations of the cross" nor was she fanatic about the man paraded in the fishbowl called a pope mobile, but she is in line with a more personal faith held to help the underprivileged survive and overcome the pressures — not from "evil" — but from other human's greed and power. She did not go to Randwick "because of her rheumatism"... I believe it was a mild form of protest.

Sister "C" spent many many years in Africa teaching and helping women. She argued with vigour that contrary to popular beliefs that "Africa is not poor". "No", she said emphatically, "Africa is rich but the big powerful countries covertly organise permanent wars between the people there, in order to gain control of the assets — through supporting the tinpots of the day, and supplying their opposition with weapons as well." By weakening the local population through division, the price of resources stays at rock bottom. Some countries are really poor of mineral resources but, not strangely enough, are at peace. Countries where there is petrol and other natural resources such as gold, uranium and copper are vastly "poorer" because of permanent conflicts. People die daily from "civil" wars. And not just in Darfur. Darfur is only a small distraction compared to the rest, including Zaire. That is why so many tinpots in Africa are weary of touching Mugabe. They are more or less in the same boat economically and politically. And the west's influence is also counterbalanced by the Chinese... and the "Muslims".

Sister "C' was from the west, sure. But she was helping women becoming "liberated' and proud, not through religion but via humanity, medicines and understanding... Sure religion played a part in supporting an infrastructure of churches and schools but also integrated and to a great extent diluted itself in the local culture, making it stronger and more empowering for women. Strangely enough all of the moneys — needed to support her work and that of the others sisters there — came from philanthropic organisations rather than the system of Church.

Sister "C" is from a vanishing brood of Catholic sisters. Not new... The story by Geraldine Doogue on Compass (ABC) last night (20/07/08) was also telling of the dwindling ranks of priests in the Catholic Church. But back to Sister "C". Sister "C" fiercely opposes Genetically Modified crops for Africa (and all earth too). In most places African crops are profitably and sustainably organic and in some regions a small dose of fertilizers can help but is often not necessary if land is managed well. Lack of water can be problematic but that would be the least of the problems. Sure the work is labour intensive but the labour is "happy to provide" and be employed rather than clear fell and cultivate alla modern bulldozer — a technique that enriches the rich, destroys "culture" and wipes out a "differently rich civilisation". GM crops would make the local poor-folks, (poor in comparison with the west but in fact often richer in spirit and in relationships) poorer by making them crushingly dependent of multinationals. As well some western powerful multinational companies make sure they undercut the price (at a loss for a while — till they get what they want) of comparable local produce with their imported goods that eventually kill local economies. Once collapsed these micro economies become reliant exclusively on imported goods and hand outs from whichever charity is the flavour of the month... The list of multinationals is long....

Sister "C" is repulsed by the Bushes of this world waging wars under the name of "god". She's is "a bit" annoyed at the Pope rubbing shoulders with what is mostly a hooligan. a "banditto": G W Bush.

Sister "C" prayed for a better world and for her lifetime's work not to be wiped out by five minutes from the warriors. She's not "hopeful", although she is strongly dedicated that it won't happen, Pope or no Pope.