Click here to view the embedded video.

There is no doubt this project has been talked about for years now it is happening people are proud of the project. You can see A giant banner alongside one freshly paved stretch of the $2.75bn (£1.7bn) highway declaring “Once a promise, now a reality.”

Many environmentalists and social commentators are warning that the highway will bring a whole string of new problems. One thing many are afraid of is the increase risk of AIDS being transmitted to the populations. The truth is the local people are not prepared for what is happening to them. I spoke with Professor Patricia Garcia of University of Cayetano and she explained about the fear of STDs and AIDS increasing because of the Highway.

In an article written in the Guardian last year one leading academic has suggested, “It’s not roads that destroy the Amazon, it’s the people that come because the road provides better access,” Ernesto Raez, director of the Centre for Environmental Sustainability at Cayetano Heredia University in Lima agreed with this “We shouldn’t blame these people – most of whom are very impoverished. The problem is that the authorities are too weak to control this influx.”

There is also the Madre de Dios region, which has long been a draw for wildcat goldminers, who believe they will make their fortune because the price of gold has risen considerably over the past few years.

The article in the Guardian continues, “Rainforest destruction is not the only concern. Aguirre, the governor of Madre de Dios, warns the road could also aid South American drug cartels. Recent years have seen Peru become one of the world’s leading cocaine producers, with Mexican, Colombian and Brazilian gangs continuing to extend their tentacles into the country. “I wouldn’t be surprised if this road became one of main drug-trafficking routes in the next few years,”

So Peru is changing yet the needs of the poor still remain. Our work in the Vine Trust is to continue to make alliances around the world with like minded people in order that we can change lives for the good I guess our motto holds good ‘ Connecting People To Change lives”

Well it’s really all very exciting! We’re trying to make sure that the work we do in partnership with Union Biblical is the best it can be. Like everything in our lives it is foolish to sit back and expect nothing to change. Life is all about change and we in the Vine Trust recognise that everything we do in Peru has to be monitored and improved upon. We also realise that Peru itself is changing and with it comes governments that are changing their attitudes to the way homes for abandoned children are run. It’s all very positive and great to see a change in policy.

However the changes in policy means that we will be faced with increased numbers of professional staff to be employed resulting in greater costs. Yet it’s difficult to complain when you know that the end result should mean a much better service for the children of Peru.

All these changes will mean in the long term that we may not always have boys staying for long extended periods in the homes. While it is true that many of the boys have been abandoned, others may never tell the real story behind their misfortune. The new rules means that homes will require to have a phycologist and a social worker on the staff of each home.

Having a social worker on the staff means that a greater opportunity will arise for children to be reunited with their parents and their parents traced down and encouraged to find ways to reintegrate their children back into family life. No doubt there will always be a need for children to be looked after but the opportunity for children to be adopted by Peruvian parents is also an option that seems now to be gaining favour in government circles.

Today I met with quite a few inspirational people who have a real desire to be change makers here Peru. Already the change is coming about. It’s ten years since we brought the first Amazon Hope over from Scotland. Ten years on Peru is a much changed place. it’ seems to me that it’s time we all gave this nation a clap on the back for he way they have and are working to make this country a more democratic and tolerant place in which to live

All this got me thinking about the injustices that are happening in our communities and are often not being addressed be it in Scotland, England or Northern Ireland. Could it be that the salaries of footballers are too high in any case? (I can never quite get my head round the fact that ordinary working people on small salaries or weekly wages go to watch football matches and pay large amounts for tickets to watch football that is often way below a good standard). Anyway a contract is a contract and if players have been promised an amount then they are due that amount, regardless what you think of the law that seeks to enforce the principle. For me the interesting thing that has not been mentioned is that the Hearts players may be liable for extra payments due to the late payment of their salaries.

I wonder how many people know that there is a European directive to government departments which highlights the importance of paying bills on time. Recently I discovered that Government bodies are duty bound to pay interest on the late payment of their bills and invoices,in the same way that an individual has to pay interest on the late payment of tax.

I’m sure there must be a number of companies up and down the land who could benefit from knowing about this information especially if they are doing work for the government. However I think the law just applies to Government bodies like Health Boards etc. However I’m sure it might be helpful to all small businessess if a similar law was passed instructing all sectors to pay their invoices promptly. I’m certain it would help a lot of small to medium size businesses.

Let me know what you think.

Now I know when David stood up to Goliath, he not only used his sling. He eventually used Goliath’s sword and chopped off his head. Such barbarity doesn’t sit well with our rule of law. Yet it is reflected in the response of the fighters who discovered the wounded Gadaffi cowering in a hole, brandishing a golden pistol. He was pulled from the sewer unceremoniously, where he had been hiding and dragged through the street and eventually faced his end at the hands of mob rule. I noticed that a number of commentators used the scriptural quotation, ” Those who live by the sword will die by the sword.” Others have criticised the manner in which he died suggesting that he should have been brought to trial.

The thing that I find myself uncomfortable with is the way the conflict has been reported. Our 24 Hour News Channels have virtually turned a war into a form of entertainment. The showing of Gadaffi’s death on national television has elements of a snuff movie about it. I find that a bit distasteful. Just because we have the technology to do something doesn’t mean we have to do it. There is little doubt that the vast majority of Libyans are delighted to see the end of this monstrous regime. It is going to take time to see democracy begin to take shape.

Listening to the people of Libya describe their hopes and dreams now that Gadaffi has been removed is inspiring and at the same time a rebuke to those of us who have become a bit jaded and skeptical about the role politics can play in bringing about a more just society.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Could it be that the Arab Spring might in some way spring our economic academics into thinking about alternatives to the economics that conventionally we all seem to have followed without too much questioning. I think reformation could be in the air. I’m continually reminded of the words of Jesus, ” What does it profit a person if in gaining the whole world they lose all that makes them the person God intended them to be.” I somehow think this happen to Gadaffi, he lost his way, lost his people, and lost his soul. Let’s be careful that non of us live in such a way that another is in fear of us, be it neighbour, work colleague, or family member. As we judge so we will be judged.

The thing is he couldn’t have picked a better location for instant patter and the amusement of his film crew. last saturday I passed by a van full of Zombies. he driver was amusing the crowd as he interacted with the large dummies.

A few yards away I can hear the quick repartee in George Square as a workman puts up the American Traffic Lights outside the City Chambers. ” Aye the real reason that Brad Pitt came tae Glasgow wis because o the toon zombies . ” His pal turns to him and says, “is that wano they gangs in the Gallowgate ? “. ” Naw ! “, the man replies, “I talking aboot the toon coonsellors!”

The thing is there is quite a serious side to this particular movie. A number of reviewers see it as making social comment on the state of democracies in the 21st century. It has been seen as an opportunity to critic government ineptitude when it comes to financial matters, corporate corruption in the light of sub prime motgages and human greed and immorality . The book ” World War Z , written by Max Brooks makes reference to America’s inclination to follow a policy of isolationism . the book points out the dangers that lurk behind such a policy.

The film turns out to be a kind of parable explaining that it is too easy to allow the Zombies to take offer our world. We need to engage with the issues of our time and engage our brains and come up with compassionate and human answers to some of the greatest issues facing the world. It is not enough to follow theories wither they be political or theological. People matter more than any process.

Unthinking politics will lead us into the world of Zombies. As human beings we are people who are alive, we have a soul, we have a responsibility to each other in the words of Cain who murdered his brother, trying to cover up his actions he asks, ” Am I my brother’s keeper?” That question is still being posed as a smoke screen to hide guilt in our political and corporate world. The answer is still the same – yes you are!

We are living in a generation that has lost it’s way. We’ve disregarded the road maps of morality and no one knows where to turn. While the three ‘Ps’ protest about the criminality of these actions. Could they not be contributors to the angst that seems to be gripping the UK. They talk about copycat behaviour, yet the sad thing is that none of them see the significance.

Take the politicians two Summers ago. Was it not a corrupt Parliament that was robbing the nation. Did their actions not say something to the youth. Try it. See if you can get away with it? And was that not what they were doing in the the streets ‘smash and grab’. Was that not what Murdoch and his Press were doing when they tapped phones. One of his assistant editors is credited with the words “we destroy lives that’s our business”. And then you’ve the Police. Most trying to do their job as honestly as they can but then you have all the “cash for stories” and before long people are saying. “Why can’t I have a bit of what they’ve got?” Mr Cameron it sure is copycat behaviour but the question is, who are they copying?

I was walking through the Piazza San Michele, my eye was drawn to a young man painting sunflowers. he had no hands and just one arm, yet with a brush in his mouth he was painting his pictures. He could argue that we all owe him a living but he was choosing to make his own way in life. I thought of London burning and then this young man. So who was he copying. One thing I know is that he was making something good and wholesome out of a situation that none of us would like to be in. He was painting sunflowers rather than burning buildings.

“Taoiseach Enda Kenny who told the Dail yesterday that the culture of the Vatican was dominated by ‘dysfunction, disconnection, elitism, the narcissism’. Photo: Dara Mac Donaillaoiseach Enda Kenny (file). Photo: Dara Mac Donaill”

Recently in the blog I’ve been highlighting the corruption in all our major Institutions, police, banking, journalism and parliament. To find it in the institution of the church should be no surprise. To have it highlighted this week, by the Prime Minister of Ireland, challenging the authority and the integrity of the Vatican, with reference to the continued cover up of child abuse allegations, is indeed a first and has been welcomed by most people including senior Roman Catholic leaders in Ireland.

The Government Report which caused the PM to speak out, said the Vatican’s actions: Can only be described as unsupportive in relation to the civil authorities. An Irish newspaper reported on the topic as follows, “The 431-page report, launched this week by the ministers for justice and children, examined allegations made against 19 priests in the diocese between 1996 and 2000. Bishop Magee, who resigned last year, was an extremely powerful figure not only in the Irish church but also in Rome, where he had been a private secretary to three popes, including John Paul I and John Paul II. The report follows other damning reports in other dioceses that found a culture of cover-up and denial in the church hierarchy. The inquiry, led by judge Yvonne Murphy, said the fact that some child sexual abuse allegations were not reported to police was the diocese’s “greatest failure”. There were 15 cases between 1996 and 2005 which “very clearly” should have been reported. Yet police were not told about nine cases.”

How this will play out for the Roman Church will be interesting to see. The challenge of living godly and circumspect lives seems to be a challenge for ministers and leaders regardless of their denomination. You have the Roman Catholics at one end of the spectrum then you have the tele-evangelist at the other, and many shades in between.

In many ways the church is a microcosm of society. It is for this very reason that the Reformation took place in Europe in the 16th century. However the legacy of the Reformation is the idea that the church always needs to see itself in transition. We are a people on a journey being changed and honed by the Spirit of God. If we remain static we become stagnant and open to corruptive ideas and practices.

“Ecclesia Reformata Semper Reformanda Secundum Verbum Dei, was the motto of the reformers, meaning this: “The Church Reformed, and Always Reforming According to the Word of God.” In other words the church as an institution can never be allowed to become complacent.
All institution be they Presbyterian or Roman Catholic need to be open to scrutiny and be accountable.

This is the reason why many of us in the Church of Scotland believe that we need to always have a yearly General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. It allows us to bring the church to account. It is also the reason why the Church of Scotland has a Moderator for one year. This is also part of the checks and balances of power. It is believed that no one person should hold power and retain power for any length of time. This of course doesn’t sit well with the media and media advisors who seek to influence those who want the church to have a good public image. They argue that the church needs a figure or a face that is recognised and is able to communicate well with the various media formats that are around in todays world. Many others think that a well organised local church connecting with people at grassroots is the most effective and biblical model. When power is centralised too much the seeds of corruption start to grow. I believe this is what a decentralised local media is the greatest defender of democracy, be it internet blogging or the local free paper.

Going back to the Church of Scotland and the role of a yearly moderator. The danger is that the permanent secretaries of the Church Councils can end up with this power. It is for this reason that Conveners of Councils need to be the ones who lead the Councils in their strategy. It is not the role of the staff to set policy or strategy and council secretaries need to be aware of not over stepping the mark. Council members also need to be more attune to their responsibilities. A weak convener and an ill informed Council can lead the church into all kinds of problematic areas. In the past we have many examples of such behaviour. So while the presbyterian system has its merits in practice it has its great pitfalls. It is within Councils that cover ups in the church of Scotland can happen. The Irish criticism of the Vatican surely is a wake up call to all religious institutions to take seriously the need to be continually reforming.

The most powerful people in the land are the people who decide what is news worthy. No doubt journalists do their best to sell a story to their editor, but it is the editor that makes the final decision. No wonder the leading politicians all want to court the editors of the tabloids.

Yet it all sounds so manipulative. Especially when I heard that old Mr Murdoch was invited to 10 Downing Street for tea, to thank him for his efforts in getting Mr Cameron elected but he was instructed to go through the back door. I thought that was a bit cheap. In fact if I was Mr Murdoch I might have been tempted to be offended. However the media mogul seemed to take it as par for the course. It was the same drill when Mr Brown and Blair were in Downing Street, he used the back door. the tradesman’s entrance. He was trading a commodity and one that the politicians didn’t wish to advertise. One thing is for sure you can’t get into heaven through the back door. There’s only one way, and one door. (Sorry about that I lapsed into preaching I thought i was writing a sermon.)

Let me continue. I was watching the “Murdoch’s Judgement Day” during the Commons Culture Committee’s hearings on phone hacking yesterday afternoon. What struck me was how poorly many of our national politicians performed. I was pleasantly surprised at the West Bromwich MP Tom Watson’s unwavering, forensic style while questioning Rupert Murdoch. I believe he has earned himself plaudits across all the political parties. There is even calls that he should be the next labour Prime Minister.He made it clear in a polite yet firm manner that it was Mr Rupert Murdoch who had to answer for the corporate governance of News International. At times the octogenarian looked tired and a bit lost, like a granddad who wasn’t fully aware of everything doing on.

All this highlights the fact that it is not an excuse to simply say I didn’t know can I leave that to my son to answer. If it is your business to know, you better know. So whether your a media mogul or the chair of a local charity, or indeed the minister of the local congregation. The laws of governance seem to be clear that it is not a defence to say that you didn’t know. It is your business to ensure that you know what is going on in your organisation. It got me thinking no wonder so many older elders across the country have resigned from Kirk Sessions its because they feel the responsibility of keeping up with all the rules surrounding governance is getting too much.

So what did we learn from the exercise of democracy calling the media to account? Not much, the pending police inquiries and the forth coming judicial inquiries have made it possible for the moment for those who do not wish to give straight answers to use these forth coming events as an excuse. So will the truth be eventually out? Who knows while we still have a government that works backdoor politics can we ever be sure that what is going in the front door is genuine?

There is something that I can’t put my finger on, when it comes to the whole phone hacking debacle centred around News International. I think I feel uncomfortable because in exposing wrong doing too many politicians and media pundits seem to be gloating or acting and talking as though they themselves were purer than white, when in fact they too courted the approval through a corrupt press.

In today’s Guardian, in an article by Polly Toynbee, reference is made to the fact that most newspapers have been involved with the data gathering services of Whittamore, including the Observer. It would however appear the Daily Mail has had over 50 of its journalist use this service more than 900 times. When it comes to being close to newspaper proprietors, it would appear that the present Prime Minister has been closer than most, see the information released from Downing Street today. Now all has changed. Judgement day is being unleashed on the media, however those who do the judging need to be careful where they stand. We might all take note of the advice given in the words of the Psalmist ” If you Lord should mark iniquity who would stand?”

It seems to me that a great deal of people have changed sides over the past week. Not heard so many repenting, except for Mr Murdoch and his full page display of contrition printed as a black and white confession or should I say apology.

Those who were running with the hares are now hunting with the hounds. And those who were news hounds now look more like frightened hares caught in the headlights of headlines. And those who were political chameleons, running with the hares and also hunting with the hounds, have now decided they had better become hounds showing their teeth. In doing so they have all become a new breed of hunter each in his or her way talking about rediscovering morality. However no one has an agreed morality today, we dismantled the agreed morality of our fathers years ago, because to follow it might infringe on another’s freedom. So the question arises how can you possibly know who is genuinely repenting and turning into a new thinking person or organisation ? When one view is regarded as moral as another can anyone decide right from wrong?

And before we all get on their high horse we too in the church have been part of the collusion. So much has been tolerated in public life by our silence that we have become complicit in all that has happened. We have allowed pornography and violence and even dubious religious programmes to be piped into our homes. Too often without our consent or knowledge changing attitudes to morality and faith. This has happened through the back door as media companies bundle all kind of channels together as a salable package, you often can’t get one without the other. It seems to me a bit like the bundling of “subprime mortgages” along with “futures”. Check out te film “Inside Job” We buy the package and are left with nothing but rubbish.

Many are saying this crisis will be a turning point in the way our media and public life are conducted. My fear is that a few people at the centre of the scandal will be sacrificed and those with the power and the responsibility will seek to distance themselves from the whole affair and rewrite the history. We are all good at doing this kind of thing. Making judgements and judging ourselves and our actions and lack of actions is never a comfortable thing to do. The danger is that we too will allow ourselves a convient escape route. Perhaps it is important that we remind ourselves that one day we too will have to give an account of our actions to Almighty God. A sobering thought don’t you think?

Anyway, Tuesday will be an interesting day for the Murdoch media empire. It sounds to me a bit like judgement day for this organisation. Rupert Murdoch and his son James and Rebekah Brookes, the one time editor of NoW and until recently Chief Executive of News International, will all appear before a Parliamentary Select Committee to give an account of themselves. Until very recently all three people have appeared to be of the opinion that with the closure of NoW the story would go away.

Earlier in the week Murdoch gave an interview to the Wall Street Journal, (a paper which he owns), suggesting that minor mistakes had been made but it was time to move on. Indeed at one point this week he even refused to appear before the select committee. Things have now changed, no doubt as Murdoch realises the power he has gained for himself is now running through his hands like water. He has to rescue what remains of his reputation especially that has been good and pioneering in the development of new media.

He has now made a U- turn and agreed to appear before the Select Committee. it is suggested that his meeting with the Dowler family and his large page apology printed in all the major newspapers is part of his strategy to minimise the damage that the Parliamentary questioning will bring. It reminded me of Jacob returning to make peace with his brother Esau. Jacob sends all kinds of gifts ahead to show his repentance. The Dowler family lawyer is reported to have been impressed by the level of apology stating he was “humbled and shaken and very sincere… holding his head in his hands many times.” he continued to say that the Dowler family suggested that actions will speak louder than words and that the Murdoch newspapers and media should lead the way to ” set the standard of honesty and decency in the field and not what had gone on before”

So what do you think? Will Rupert pull the plug on his soft porn empire and intrusive newspapers? Or will he manage to save his corporation to fight another day in Asia and America?

I guess the only way that he will stop it is when people start buying quality newspapers.

I thought it was a good question and it got me thinking. We’ve lost the moral compass because we’ve removed faith from the public arena. Morality has become a private affair indeed in our secular society our morality slogan is promoted by the Nike Sports Company ” Just Do It” Do what feels good to you at the time. When questioned about your past actions you can always rewrite the history of what you did, is that not what our politicians and leaders do?

This particular case has highlighted it would appear organised corruption among journalists and police officers. A couple of years ago it was corruption among MPs and bankers. The interesting thing is in the year that we celebrate the 400th Anniversary of the King James Bible,( the one book that has changed the world for good), no one yet has mentioned that even the Bible has been taken over by Rupert Murdoch. Yes he owns the company the prints the NIV. Mmmm do you think there might be a conflict of interest ?

For me there is just something so wrong with the commercialisation of “Christian Aids to Devotion”. We have a whole industry built up around sacred music, Christian discipleship and the lists goes on. Murdoch’s control of the NIV is just one example. here is the question will we ever be able to get back to a less commercialised Christianity? I’d love to think we could. I wonder if the internet could be part of the answer . just remember that so many things can be produced at a local level with an amazing professionalism that couldn’t have happened ten years ago. Anyway what I was wanting to say was perhaps the decline in moral standards reflects a society that has decided to write its own bible and we are now beginning to see the effects.