Advent of the new

Through his office, US president Franklin D Roosevelt exhibited the qualities of vision, courage, and dedication to the greater good. He enabled tremendous improvements to the life of his fellow Americans and all of humanity, particularly through his work to secure world peace in the founding of the United Nations. In 1934, a close disciple of the Master Morya, Helena Roerich, was given the task of sharing the Masters’ guidance directly with Roosevelt.

Questions and answers selected from an interview for “Seeing Beyond” on Internet Radio-Santa Cruz, California, with host Bonnie Piper, covering topics such as the United Nations, the environment and peace.

'The Road to Freedom: Economics and the Good Society' (2024) could be called a socialist manifesto, but Joseph Stiglitz, a renowned American academic economist, calls his ideas “progressive capitalism” or a “rejuvenated social democracy” — he does not, for example, advocate for an entirely publicly owned economy. His focus is on the US where an individualistic approach to capitalism is particularly entrenched. He shows how political and economic freedom are inseparable.

Questions and answers selected from an interview for “Seeing Beyond” on Internet Radio-Santa Cruz, California, with host Bonnie Piper, covering topics such as the climate crisis, and unity in diversity among nations.

There is no free movement for Palestinians — not in the West Bank, not in Gaza. People need to remember that Palestinians are an imprisoned people. They are prisoners. Israel may let them in or out but they have no control over their own lives. Everything is determined by a foreign power. Imagine that in your own country.

This is a pivotal and tumultuous moment in the history of Iran. Experts point out a fundamental shift in thought and behavior has shaken the foundation of the regime more than at any other time in its 44-year history. What is especially noteworthy is the growth of awareness, the loss of fear and emergence of unity among people.

Women in Iran have been subjected to a host of discriminatory laws and practices in both personal and public spheres. They are denied equal rights in matters of marriage, divorce, child custody, inheritance as well as in employment and political office. And while outnumbering men in higher education, they constitute only between 10-20 per cent of the labor force and earn less than 50 per cent for equal work. Yet despite the challenges and restrictions, women have continuously pushed against gender discrimination and have played a dynamic role in society.