Cempaka Belanda: Dutch 'Black Pete' finally gets facelift

"A Summary" – Apr 2, 2011 (Kryon channelled by Lee Carroll) (Subjects: Religion, Shift of Human Consciousness, 2012, Intelligent/Benevolent Design, EU, South America, 5 Currencies, Water Cycle (Heat up, Mini Ice Ace, Oceans, Fish, Earthquakes ..), Middle East, Internet, Israel, Dictators, Palestine, US, Japan (Quake/Tsunami Disasters , People, Society ...), Nuclear Power Revealed, Hydro Power, Geothermal Power, Moon, Financial Institutes (Recession, Realign integrity values ..) , China, North Korea, Global Unity,..... etc.) - (Text version)

"The Timing of the Great Shift" – Mar 21, 2009 (Kryon channelled by Lee Carroll) - (Text version)

“ … Here is another one. A change in what Human nature will allow for government. "Careful, Kryon, don't talk about politics. You'll get in trouble." I won't get in trouble. I'm going to tell you to watch for leadership that cares about you. "You mean politics is going to change?" It already has. It's beginning. Watch for it. You're going to see a total phase-out of old energy dictatorships eventually. The potential is that you're going to see that before 2013.
They're going to fall over, you know, because the energy of the population will not sustain an old energy leader ..."

"Update on Current Events" – Jul 23, 2011 (Kryon channelled by Lee Carroll) - (Subjects: The Humanization of God, Gaia, Shift of Human Consciousness, 2012, Benevolent Design, Financial Institutes (Recession, System to Change ...), Water Cycle (Heat up, Mini Ice Ace, Oceans, Fish, Earthquakes ..), Nuclear Power Revealed, Geothermal Power, Hydro Power, Drinking Water from Seawater, No need for Oil as Much, Middle East in Peace, Persia/Iran Uprising, Muhammad, Israel, DNA, Two Dictators to fall soon, Africa, China, (Old) Souls, Species to go, Whales to Humans, Global Unity,..... etc.)

"The Recalibration of Awareness – Apr 20/21, 2012 (Kryon channeled by Lee Carroll) (Subjects: Old Energy, Recalibration Lectures, God / Creator, Religions/Spiritual systems (Catholic Church, Priests/Nun’s, Worship, John Paul Pope, Women in the Church otherwise church will go, Current Pope won’t do it), Middle East, Jews, Governments will change (Internet, Media, Democracies, Dictators, North Korea, Nations voted at once), Integrity (Businesses, Tobacco Companies, Bankers/ Financial Institutes, Pharmaceutical company to collapse), Illuminati (Started in Greece, with Shipping, Financial markets, Stock markets, Pharmaceutical money (fund to build Africa, to develop)), Shift of Human Consciousness, (Old) Souls, Women, Masters to/already come back, Global Unity.... etc.) - (Text version)

“… The Shift in Human Nature

You're starting to see integrity change. Awareness recalibrates integrity, and the Human Being who would sit there and take advantage of another Human Being in an old energy would never do it in a new energy. The reason? It will become intuitive, so this is a shift in Human Nature as well, for in the past you have assumed that people take advantage of people first and integrity comes later. That's just ordinary Human nature.

In the past, Human nature expressed within governments worked like this: If you were stronger than the other one, you simply conquered them. If you were strong, it was an invitation to conquer. If you were weak, it was an invitation to be conquered. No one even thought about it. It was the way of things. The bigger you could have your armies, the better they would do when you sent them out to conquer. That's not how you think today. Did you notice?

Any country that thinks this way today will not survive, for humanity has discovered that the world goes far better by putting things together instead of tearing them apart. The new energy puts the weak and strong together in ways that make sense and that have integrity. Take a look at what happened to some of the businesses in this great land (USA). Up to 30 years ago, when you started realizing some of them didn't have integrity, you eliminated them. What happened to the tobacco companies when you realized they were knowingly addicting your children? Today, they still sell their products to less-aware countries, but that will also change.

What did you do a few years ago when you realized that your bankers were actually selling you homes that they knew you couldn't pay for later? They were walking away, smiling greedily, not thinking about the heartbreak that was to follow when a life's dream would be lost. Dear American, you are in a recession. However, this is like when you prune a tree and cut back the branches. When the tree grows back, you've got control and the branches will grow bigger and stronger than they were before, without the greed factor. Then, if you don't like the way it grows back, you'll prune it again! I tell you this because awareness is now in control of big money. It's right before your eyes, what you're doing. But fear often rules. …”

Thursday, October 16, 2014

Dutch 'Black Pete' finally gets facelift

Yahoo – AFP, Maude Brulard, 16 Oct 2014

A doll dressed as 'Black Pete' hangs on a street light in Rotterdam, the

Netherlands, on October 15, 2014 (AFP Photo/Marco de Swart)

The Hague (AFP) - Black Pete, the jolly sidekick of the Dutch Saint Nicholas, is finally getting a facelift after years of bitter debate including death threats against those calling for change.

An Amsterdam court's ruling in July that Pete -- traditionally dressed in a gaudy medieval costume with a blackened face, red lips and an afro wig -- is a "negative stereotype" encouraged many to try to change the deeply rooted custom.

A woman has her face painted to

become Zwarte Piet (Black Pete), in

Soest, on October 22, 2013 (AFP

Photo/Robin van Lonkhuijsen)

"It's the beginning of change, it will continue for years to come because more and more people agree it should change but it's going to take a long time," said historian Gabor Kozijn, author of a study on Black Pete for the Dutch Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage.

With less than two months before Dutch kids' favourite day, December 5, when Saint Nicholas and Pete hand out presents, the debate has reached fever pitch, with Black Pete's defenders refusing to admit there is anything racist about the playful character.

In Gouda, where Saint Nicholas and dozens of Petes will "arrive" on November 15 with a gift-filled boat from Spain in a national event broadcast live on television, the mayor on Tuesday decided to introduce some new colours.

Cheese Pete

Besides a number of Black Petes, there will also be "Cheese Petes" with yellow faces and "Stroopwafel Petes" with striped, light brown faces resembling the traditional Dutch syrup biscuit of the same name.

"There is no simple way to find a solution that everyone can identify with," said Gouda Mayor Milo Schoenmaker.

Gouda's Black Petes "changed several years ago to dark brown without stereotypical big red lips and earrings," the city hall added.

Amsterdam Mayor Eberhard van der Laan has said that a "substantial" number of this year's Petes will not be black but will have some "soot marks" on their faces, ostensibly from climbing down the chimney.

People dressed as Sinterklaas (Saint

Nicolas) and his Zwarten Pieten (Black

Petes) helpers, arrive on a boat during an

event in Amsterdam, on November 17,

2013 (AFP Photo/Evert Elzinga)

And a White Pete will for the first time be present during a daily televised "news bulletin" on Saint Nicholas's activities.

Dutch shops will have fewer Black Petes this year, although discount retail chain Hema in August denied rumours that it planned to remove him entirely by next year.

Customers at supermarket Albert Heijn will have different coloured Petes to choose from, including black: "Saint Nicholas is for everyone," the chain said in a statement.

Despite compromising on Black Pete, the two chains are being threatened with boycotts.

Many people in The Netherlands do not want to see the national tradition changed because what they consider a minority of people see it as racist.

Last year's debate about Pete's skin colour was particularly heated amid a UN rights probe of the matter.

The UN working group released its findings in July, concluding that Black Pete is indeed a racist figure and that many Dutch did not recognise him as a throwback to colonial times and slavery.

Death threats

This year, Dutch celebrities who called on Facebook for a "Pete makeover" have received death threats.

After investigative journalist Peter R. de Vries entered the debate on Facebook he received an email saying: "If I meet you you'll get a bullet through your head."

Demonstrators hold signs reading 'Black

Pete is Rascism' and 'Free Black Pete'

during a protest in Amsterdam, on

November 16, 2013 (AFP Photo/Bas

Czerwinski)

A "Pietitie" (Pete-ition) on Facebook calling for action against changing Black Pete's face has more than two million likes, in a country of 17 million.

Populist Geert Wilders, who heads the anti-immigration PVV party, tweeted: ""Black Pete must stay black!"

"What children want is presents. Whether the person who hands them out is Black or White Pete, a woman, yellow or bald is of no importance," actor and presenter Paul de Leeuw said on Facebook.

"It's a popular family event, celebrated by millions of people who want their kids to experience what they experienced as children: it's more of an emotional than a rational debate," historian Kozijn told AFP.

Even if it is the beginning of the end for Black Pete, Kozijn said the character will be around for a while yet.

"If the average life expectancy of children who now know Black Pete is 80, then he will in any case remain a figure that people know," he said.

Related Article:

Celebs launch Piet makeover campaign, Gouda goes for cheese Piets