Hymn to Isis

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Hymn to Isis ( 3rd or 4th century AD) « Paulo Coelho’s Blog

For I am the first and the last

I am the venerated and the despised

I am the prostitute and the saint

I am the wife and the virgin

I am the mother and the daughter

I am the arms of my mother

I am barren and my children are many

I am the married woman and the spinster

I am the woman who gives birth and she who never procreated

I am the consolation for the pain of birth

I am the wife and the husband

And it was my man who created me

I am the mother of my father

I am the sister of my husband

And he is my rejected son

Always respect me

For I am the shameful and the magnificent one

discovered in Nag Hammadi, 1947

( one hour after I posted this text here, Methaper wrote me: “Sorry Paulo, but this original koptic text Nag Hammadi Codex NHC VI,2 is 3rd-4th century “AD”, not “BC”. It has the greek-koptic Titel βροντη “bronté” and is NOT explicitely an hymn to goddess Isis, even if some historians regard it as “not impossible”.Kindest regards Metapher”)

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trafficking

Canberra Woman Charged With Human Trafficking, Debt Bondage And Prostitution | Gov Monitor

A 42-year-old woman will face ACT Magistrates Court this morning, after being charged by the Australian Federal Police (AFP).

The woman has been charged with offences including possessing a slave, debt bondage and operating an illegal brothel.

It will be alleged in court that the woman brought sex workers to Australia to work in exploitative conditions in Canberra.

Officers from the AFP’s Transnational Sexual Exploitation and Trafficking Teams (TSETT) executed a search warrant on 14 October 2009 in the Canberra suburb of Kambah.

The woman was arrested and charged with the following offences:

* Possessing a slave, contrary to section 270.3(1)(a) of the Criminal Code 1995 (Cth)

* Debt Bondage, contrary to section 271.8(1) of the Criminal Code 1995 (Cth)

* Attempting to pervert the course of justice, contrary to section 43 of the Crimes Act 1914 (Cth)

* Two counts of allowing a non-citizen to work in breach of a visa condition, contrary to section 245AC of the Migration Act 1958 (Cth)

* Allowing an unlawful non-citizen to work, contrary to section 245AB of the Migration Act 1958 (Cth)

* Operating a brothel other than in a prescribed location, contrary to section 18 of the Prostitution Act (ACT)

The woman was granted conditional bail to appear at the ACT Magistrates Court today (18 November 2009).

A 55-year-old Preston man has also been served with a summons in connection with this matter and is due to appear in ACT Magistrates Court today.

The TSETT were established to investigate Commonwealth offences relating to trafficking in persons for sexual or labour exploitation.

Where a potential victim is identified, the AFP responds immediately to remove identified trafficking victims from harm, and to initiate victim support arrangements in line with the whole-of-government strategy to combat trafficking.

Australia is recognised as a destination country for such activities, though current data suggests the number of victims in Australia is low with 141 victims provided with support on the program since 2004.

By its very nature, this crime type involves people who are reluctant to come forward due to shame, threats or fear.

Police urge anyone with information they believe may be related to people trafficking or sexual servitude to contact the AFP on 1800 813 784 (free call).

The maximum penalty for these offences is 25 years imprisonment.

Topics: AFP, Australia, Australian Federal Police, Canberra, debt bondage, Governance, human trafficking, illegal brothel, Kambah, labour exploitation, prostitution, sex crimes, sex workers, sexual exploitation, slave, Transnational Sexual Exploitation and Trafficking Teams, TSETT

Domestic Violence in Australia

Australia must tackle domestic violence to stop homelessness | National News | News.com.au

AUSTRALIA needs to address domestic violence to tackle the problem of homelessness among women, with 46,000 women already in need of shelter, a welfare group says.

Speaking out on International Women's Day, Homelessness Australia said women without a roof over their head should be a priority for government, particularly during tough economic times.

Women accounted for 46,000, or almost half of the country's homeless, the welfare group said.

It said women made up 40 per cent of those sleeping rough or in improvised shelters.

Among people living in boarding houses with no security of tenure, 28 per cent were women, and 48 per cent of what Homelessness Australia calls "couch surfers" - who depend on the charity of family and friends - were women.

Domestic violence was the biggest driver of homelessness, and women and children were worst affected by it, the group said.

"The largest single cause of homelessness in Australia is domestic and family violence, which overwhelmingly affects women and children," Homelessness Australia said in a statement.
Related Coverage

* Mothers afraid to seek welfareThe Australian, 22 Aug 2009
* More than $280m to tackle homelessnessNEWS.com.au, 2 Aug 2009
* WA homeless surge with rentsPerth Now, 9 Jul 2009
* Homelessness surges as rents soarsThe Australian, 9 Jul 2009
* Thousands of kids cast out on the streetsNEWS.com.au, 17 Jun 2009

"Sixty-six per cent of children who sought refuge in a homeless service last year were in the care of a woman made homeless by domestic violence."

Spokeswoman for the welfare group, Pauline Woodbridge, said the statistics showed the country had much to do to tackle homelessness and its causes.

"The statistics show that we have a long way to go in addressing women's homelessness, and its primary drivers, domestic and family violence," she said in a statement.

"The needs of indigenous women and women of non-English-speaking backgrounds demand particular attention in this area."

Executive officer of the welfare group Simon Smith said he hoped the federal government's national plan to tackle violence against women and children would overlap with its Homelessness White Paper.

"This is a priority, with economic downturn likely to swell the numbers of people who are homeless, and further stretch a homelessness sector already undergoing far-reaching reforms," Mr Smith said.

twits

'Teenage Women In Their Thirties' the new social phenomenon

* Women putting relationships, babies on hold
* Continuing to party and enjoy their freedoms
* Nightclubs seeing more Gen X women

WE'VE had WAGS, yuppies and metrosexuals; now meet our newest social phenomenon, TWITs.

The TWITs are "Teenage Women In Their Thirties".

Just like men with Peter Pan-syndrome who are not ready to grow up, TWITs are putting serious relationships and parenthood on hold, instead choosing to continue partying and enjoying the freedoms they discovered in their teens, the Sunday Herald Sun reports.

Melbourne fashion model Kelly Johns is proud to be a TWIT.

Ms Johns keeps her age a secret but admits she is in her 30s.

"People have a perception of me as being young and fun and when I tell them my age it changes the way they see me," she said.

She doesn't have children, is single and said the freedom of youth shouldn't be a distant memory.

"I am here to have good clean fun, party it up and live my life." she said.
Related Coverage

* Reader's Comments: Meet the women happy to be called TWITsNEWS.com.au,
* Reader's Comments: Aussie larrikins or just plain louts?NEWS.com.au,
* Tourists 'cop this is my town bashing'NEWS.com.au, 3 Jul 2009
* Gossip blogger Perez Hilton bashedPerth Now, 23 Jun 2009
* Memo MPs: Call off the pollAdelaide Now, 21 Jun 2009

Your Say

Wow...look at all the knockers come out in force!! People, there is more to life than getting a mortgage and procreating you know. We've got plenty of time in our lives where ...

(Read More)
Miles of Adelaide

"If I found the right man I would settle down and have kids, but I am not going to sit around at home waiting."

Nightclub owners also say they have noticed a transformation on their dance floors, as Generation X women take a second bite of the apple of youth.

"We are getting a lot more women in their 30s coming in," said Bill Gianoulas from Chasers nightclub.

"They are hot women who more than likely are career oriented, going to the gym judging by their figures, immaculately dressed and are confident, intelligent and fun."

Social researcher Mark McCrindle said the TWIT phenomenon was here to stay.

"Society values youth. We don't look up to older people the way we did last century," he said.

woman, twits