Simple art and simplicity of living*

Author : Victoria Maravi

Location : Peru 

“Cuando despertó, el dinosaurio todavía estaba allí.”

(When [s]he awoke, the dinosaur was still there) 

Believe it or not, this is the shortest story ever written. The author is Guatemalan writer Augusto Monterroso and it is titled “The Dinosaur”. It has a beginning, a climax and a conclusion. Food for thought, don’t you think? We could analyse this in several manners, but I was thinking on an everyday practice than can help us achieve what we want. 

How could Monterroso sum up all he wanted to say in only seven words? 

Simplicity. 

Simplicity is the key to diminishing stress, which usually hunts us in the shape of grades and social gatherings, among other issues. There are varied types of simplicity. To list a few we have:

-Simplicity of mind (the things that you should have said or done, what you have to do for tomorrow…)

-Simplicity of commitment (you promised you would do it and how have to, you have to participate in the group project…)

-Simplicity of work (as in, is taking 325781 extracurricular activities at high school or college worth it?)…

-Simplicity of space (oh my god, your work space is a mess…)

-Simplicity of goals (I want to write a book, I want to lose weight, I want to get good grades… What should I do first?!) 

Basically, simplicity implies limiting ourselves to the essential and giving priority to our “needs”, consequently leaving behind our “wants”. Maybe this will not bring us never-ending happiness, but surely it will help us focus on what we want to achieve and help us attain clarity.Because, if we want to help the world change for the better, we should first focus on ourselves. 

How should we attempt to minimise the amount of things we have to do or think about everyday? As it would be impossible to analyse all the possibilities there are, I will give you a link from my favourite Webpage that offers a few tips on how to do that: 

http://zenhabits.net/2007/09/simple-living-simplified-10-things-you-can-do-today-to-simplify-your-life/ 

Enjoy!

The fragrance of bad attitude

Author : Ashok Murthy

Location : India 

3 blasts rock Agartala and this is what I am reading as I am trying to come up with this article. For the past several weeks, it has become a matter of daily reading. Bomb blasts in Delhi, bomb blasts in Bangalore and Ahmedabad and how this is just a warning sign of bigger things to come, blah blah blah. Then there is violence against Christians in coastal Karnataka and Kandhamal in Orissa. The lesson to be learnt from all this is that these terrorists are telling us something, that they can hit us anytime any place and there is nothing we can do about it. 

It doesn’t matter who the fight is between, but at the end of the day it is the ordinary common man who bears the brunt of the impact. India is at a particularly difficult point of time at the moment. On one hand we have religious tensions flaring up in Orissa against Christians and while the government was doing quite a sad job containing that, fresh anti Christian violence erupted in Karnataka. Before one could come to grips with this, there were also terrorist attacks in Delhi to deal with. Why is it that we fail to recognize any way out other than violence to address our frustrations and anger? Why is it that everytime we don’t like something, we see only one way out of it, to focus on one particular group and make them the subject matter of violence? 

One cannot help but wonder what it will take for voices of reasons like us to be heard. Time and again the rule of law is being made a mockery out of and yet the state watches around not helpless but simply unwilling to risk any bold action with elections around the corner. The people of this country on the other hand seek to be concerned during times of terrorist attacks only to the extent of their near and dear ones and once the safety of that social group is concerned, they are back to watching their favourite sop opera. Have they ever wondered perhaps, they are a party to this unfortunate situation?  

It is sickening to note that ever since a child is born, all that he/she shall learn over the course of his/her life is how helpless he/she is against the world and how futile it would be to even try and do anything about it. For those who wish to take on issues without fear, they are constantly reminded of an Indian Oil Corporation officer who was shot dead trying to bring the oil mafia to his knees but is there one person in this country who can look at that incident and envy the man for having had the opportunity to take on the forces of corruption head on and die while trying. Of course the ordinary parent’s reaction to this is, the public won’t remember that poor fellow for too long, so what’s the point? It is time that we here in India recognized what the Bhagavat Gita tells us, make your best efforts and do not seek a result. Fear is our doom, fear is our sin and fear is the root cause of all our miseries. 

The 1900’s were troubling times no doubt, but in that era we saw people come standing up for what was right even if it meant going against majority opinion. For every Hitler there was a Schindler and for every colonial power there was a Gandhi. It is perhaps time that we started wondering as to whether our present attitudes truly reflect the gratitude we owe to the people before us and whether they died in vain for making the future safe and secure for a bunch of people who are more dead than alive. Resilience in light of trouble should be exercised as a matter of proud choice and not as a matter of force. This is something that the ordinary Indian as well as the state machinery should realize and in it lies the first step towards combating the forces of communalism and terror.

As simple as a prayer !

Author : Noor Al Zubaidy

Location : Oman 

We keep on hearing about bomb blasts in different cities all around the world, we hear about cases of abduction, theft, rape, etc. And they are happening in different places. I mean we've become used to hearing about a bomb blast in Iraq, but when you hear about a bomb blast in Syria, it makes you worried. We can't count on the fact that our world is a safe place to live in. I'm not saying that because I think the world isn't safe, I'm saying that because I think the time for taking things for granted should end. We should be grateful for the fact that we are blessed to live in a place with a roof over our heads with the ones we love. Being grateful for that fact will make us feel for the less fortunate. We will understand their sorrow, and it will make us really feel for them enough to actually take a step forward to make our world a better place, and not only for our sake, but for the less fortune ones.

Feeling for others is very noble, and if we all searched deep down within we'll find compassion and sympathy. Imagine how rich your life would be if you thought about others, how they're sleeping at night not knowing whether they'll live to witness the dawn of the new day, whether they'll live to see their kids growing, whether they'll come a day that they'll feel safe and won't have to be up all night because of their fears. Let's help them, even if it's just by praying for them for a better life. 

Your Own Way

Author : Huda Al Zubaidy 

Location : Oman 

A bend will do to fix the look.

A special move to get you off the hook.

If you follow you might get noticed

in a way that you’ll have to toughen your fist.

You’ll have to keep that bracelet around your wrest.

You’ll have some nights without any rest.

You’ll have to be confident.

You’ll have to do all that and much more.

To be cool is a struggle,

because you’ll to give up so many things.

But it isn’t wrong to want to be cool,

you just have to find your own way

and then you’ll see that it only matters what you think

is cool.

Of Beijing Olympics & China going green !

Author : Noor Al Zubaidy

The Beijing Olympics 2008 did get a lot of attention. First because of the situation in Tibet, and some people were in favor of boycotting them. And then because the Olympics usually get a lot of attention because the country who is hosting the games will be presenting the preparations for the public.

A lot of people were waiting for the Olympics, I'm sure about that. But for me, I'm not much of a sports fan, so I wasn't very much interested in the Olympics at first. Then when I heard how the Olympics have changed Beijing for the better, it made me happy that Beijing in hosting the Olympics while I know many people aren't because of what the Chinese authorities have done with the situation in Tibet. The reason why I'm happy that the Olympics are held in Beijing is because it's becoming greener because of the Olympics.

Athletes need fresh and clean air to perform their best and Beijing has a very alarming air pollution which is why they have been trying to make the Olympics greener for the athletes. They have been doing their best to reduce air pollution, and according to what I read, they have been quite successful. It's wonderful how the Olympics are helping our world! I always thought that people who want to play sports or exercise at the gym could do so in a much greener way by exercising in the great outdoors or walking in the park instead of walking in the gym and so on, but I never thought that sports can be of much help since they are trying to make a city's air less polluted. A city which millions of people live in will have less polluted air. Just thinking of what positive affect that could have is amazing. I really think it's wonderful news, and if these global events are greener, many people will be more aware of how important it is to try and live a greener life for the sake of our planet.

Leadrship 1 : Leaders

Author : Waed Sweilmyeen

Location : Jordan





I won't be adding anything to anyone's knowledge when I say humans were always led ,neither will I be enriching it by saying that we need leadership in order to exist.

All communities , even animal's communities , need leadership to sustain there existence and arrange themselves in a way that allows them to prevail for the longest time possible .

A leader takes full responsibility of the herd he is leading.
He must provide the necessities of life provide security and defend those he is leading. But most importantly , a leader must not be imposed on those he is leading but chosen by them due to his leading character and excellence ! A leader simply rises above those who are to be led !

A leader was thought of as an eagle .
An eagle mates for life which stands for a leader's faithfulness !
Once a leader dedicates himself to his cause , he must never back off or else he is not a leader .

An eagle never settles and so does the leader. A leader soars up and rises with his people towards the better all through his life.

An eagle is known with his vision , and vision is one of a leader's many traits . A leader should be able to see beyond , to see further than anyone else.

An eagle never flies in a flock and leaders do not coexist ! There is only one leader per herd for if there were many , inevitable chaos will arise.


Now , why am I talking of leaders and will be talking of them in our next issue ?
It is because we are addressing future leaders with this newsletter , those who have it within themselves to rise above others and excel .


Do you see yourself as an eagle ?
If so , never listen to those who say ordinary kids can't lead because they don’t know that all our leaders were once kids and they too thought of themselves as eagles when they were growing up.
So until my next article , do look deep inside you and decide for yourself what are you going to be .

Public Interests and statutory monopolies- how to beat the predicament?

Author : Ashok Murthy
Location : India

Human behaviour is somehow predisposed to recognize, identify with and respect only those elements that can be seen, felt, heard or recognized by the sense organs. Thus it comes as no surprise that the owners of intellectual property are having a tough time to not just protect their rights in the intangible but to actually ensure that the people learn to understand that a property, whether tangible or intangible represents something that needs to be respected.

Somewhere along the way, the blame cannot lie with the common man but rests with the often unsympathetic owners and the high prices that follows such statutory monoplies in the form of patents or trade marks or copyrights, as the case maybe. This article could perhaps prove to be a corollary for people who recognize the dilemma in not wanting to break the law but still not deny themselves the subject matter of the amazing human intellect.

Open Source :

Microsoft and other companies cannot deny the fact that the prices attached with their softwares and products cannot be reasonably expected to fall within the limits of affordability of the common man. While hardware prices continue to drop, the software prices haven’t followed in the same momentum. Thus piracy becomes the obvious choice for the consumer.

While Microsoft may cry foul at linux or ubuntu or other open source softwares, ultimately these softwares made by companies and released into the open source without any license fees or royalty attached has proved to be not only better softwares but a consumer’s dream because they can avail the softwares free of cost thanks to the open source nature of the licenses. My advise to consumers, search for open source substitutes to licensed software. Open office instead of Microsoft office and so on. This will reduce the scope of the piracy industry as well as force the IP owners to reduce prices in order to meet competition from open source players.

Compulsory licensing :

Key drugs covering life threatening ailments suffered by a good percentage of poor population, they have proved to be mankind’s greatest hope in the fight against these ailments. However when they fall within the patent protection system, the high prices that follow the monopolistic regime is every government’s nightmare and every poverty stricken family’s suffering. The answer to this lies in the patent system itself. Any member will be entitled to apply with the relevant patent office and ask the government to compulsorily license the patent protected drug. The descriptions and background information of such patented medicines is released in the hands of generic drug makers which presupposes the increased supply of the drugs in the market forcing the prices to fall. South Africa, Thailand and many other countries have successfully used this system to ensure better treatment of life threatening diseases like AIDS.

Anti Trust laws :

Very often agreements between two or more IP owners may involve terms and conditions ranging from ability to operate in markets, prices of products within the same domain, arrangements to give discounts at the cost of the competitor’s, etc. These practices eliminate competition, increase monoplies and invariably prices increase to the consumer’s detriment. Very often IP assets become playing fields for companies seeking market monoplies resulting in a very unfavourable environment for the ultimate consumer. While IP laws deal with monoplies, anti trust laws deal with preventing unlawful monoplies and encouraging competition. So it follows naturally that where monoplies are obtained unlawfully, anti trust laws can be used by the state as well as by any concerned member of the market, to bring in a complaint against such trends and seek such remedies necessary to promote a competitive environment conducive for the common consumer’s interests. Microsoft has incurred the wrath of the anti trust department with their insistence to reduce interoperability of softwares and intel has recently suffered huge fines for offering discounts to their customers in order to ensure that their competitor’s products are not purchased. One would very well want to file a complaint with the local department of justice or fair trade commission should one such shady deal come to their knowledge.


Communicate :

Not all IP owners are capitalistic monopoly hungry douche bags with an “I hate consumer interests” attitude. If there is an aggrievance with the high prices or whatever else that’s bothering you, communicate it to the IP owner, it may actually change things. Prepare petitions, signature campaigns. Encourage the open source movement. Market power fails when there is no market to cater too. If a product is too highly priced, donot buy it at all. When demand falls, profits does too, the companies will be forced to reduce prices.

But ultimately when one buys pirated products, it is not disputed that somewhere along the way the piracy industry is a customer to the IP owner too. A pirated copy of a movie or software can be made from an original copy bought legally. To make the IP owner realize his flaws, one has to protest and the protest follows the decision not to buy anything that involves his product. The economic version of non violent protest by Gandhi logically follows a will and a commitment to what is at the end of the day ethically and morally right. It is hard but what is easy may not be what is right.

This is the dilemma a legitimate consumer faces, but one he has to beat for somebody has to take the moral highground in the battle to ensure the balance between public interests

What is natural ?

Author: Victoria Maravi
Location : Peru




Natural: Original; constituting the original substance of anything; as, native dust. --Milton. (Webster Dictionary)



Homosexual relationships go against the natural order of things; eating processed food is not natural; letting women acquire leadership roles is unnatural; living in a non-nuclear family will give you an unnatural, mutant child… Alright, I am exaggerating with the last remark, but haven’t we heard (or made) these allegations several times during the past few years? Everywhere in the world, people build up arguments based on what they consider as “natural”. However, I think we have been using this word in a thoughtless manner.

Let me start with processed food. Here we are confusing natural and organic. Processed or, roughly speaking, junk food is known to be unhealthy for our bodies in the long run because we are predisposed to eat food that takes longer to digest and does not contain chemicals. However, subsequent generations will probably not be able to digest organic products because people in the lower social strata are being fed with this processed food at cheaper prices and it is not likely this trend will change. Consequently, we will evolve and adapt to this processed food.

We can now focus on the argument against women in power. I believe this has more to do with social dynamics than genetic predisposition: hopefully everyone here agrees that we have lived in a patriarchal society for a very long time and women have been labelled as the weak or submissive gender. In the Stone Age, men hunted for food. Afterwards, men fought in medieval wars. This tendency continued until our time, when we have begun to focus our life on intellectual tasks. These do not demand brute force anymore. In these circumstances, men and women are equals. Only conservative people claim women cannot reach powerful positions. Maybe, in the future, the situation will be reverted and women will seize more power. However, this is something we cannot predict accurately.

I shall refrain myself from comments on homosexual relationships. Let’s just say I added this in the introduction for attraction drawing purposes!

Even if people are right, if it is true that I have made illogical arguments and organic food will always be eaten, women will never attain power and we will never consider non-heterosexual relationships proper… In the next few years, our society will develop so rapidly that we will end up on intergalactic trips, eating protein pills and bearing hermaphrodites on laboratories. Yes, this is probably the most artificial, “unnatural” environment ever.

So, frankly speaking, who cares what others do? What if it’s not natural for you? As long as we do not disrespect someone else, the world will be a fine place. Even if the future scenario I depicted never occurs as global warming may kill us all :).

Cheers!

"Photo courtesy of: Wesley* and sparktography (Flickr users)"

Women Empowerment In Lima

Author: Victoria Maravi
Country: Peru

I live in Peru, yet another underdeveloped country in Latin America that struggles with poverty, a dreadful educational system, water scarcity and gender inequality, among other world issues. I must admit that I have not had to endure these problems everyday, as I am one of the few youths with countless commodities in Lima, grand urban capital of my country. However, this position has allowed me to study other aspects of this overly crowded and polluted city that others may not have acknowledged at the present.

One of these issues is the role of women in the middle class.I started my ‘research’ a couple of days ago, watching the sitcom “My Wife and Kids”. The husband, Michael, was with his wife, Jay, in counsel therapy because they were trying to find a solution for their household problems. I found a resemblance with many married women in my city, luckily not with my mother (for this I appreciate her liberal ways). A woman in Lima usually does not face extreme poverty and can afford a maid. Nevertheless, the luxuries she possesses hide the inevitable truth: that she is oppressed by her husband. It may not be visible for other people, as she may hide this with a care-free personality, an apparently successful job or her involvement in her children’s school life.

In my point of view, the main problem is the following: she never brings an income as high as her partner’s. Therefore, when it is time to decide how to spend the monthly budget, what to buy for her kids or where to go during those ‘lovely’ mid-year holidays, what she says is simply a suggestion; never the final word. We are all aware of the importance of money in our society nowadays.

Whether it will bring a positive future or not, it is now an obstacle for women in my country, and basically all around the world.I know this should be the woman’s personal choice and that she decides how to live her life. She may even be quite happy with the way she manages it all. But does this help the country improve? Let’s see: this woman is the main target for household products, food products, clothes, child commercials, fitness ads, talk shows… On the whole, we are all obsessed with what she does. And whatever this is, it is strengthening the sexist remarks she gets.Blame it on the propaganda, which tries to obsess her with whiter clothes and baby food. Blame it on politicians, who always seem short of female representatives. But do not blame it on her: she is the one that needs help in this revolution. She needs to receive positive input from the media so that she can start to depend on herself and not on somebody else.I am not asking for the world to change in one day. I most certainly do not suggest murdering all men (as this may seem a possible solution). I only wish to break her free from her chains. She is your equal, not a gadget that complements a man. This is why she deserves to be treated right. She does.

Selective contempt for stealing- implications

Author: Ashok.G.V.
Country: India

Piracy, the movie industry sheds tears because of it, the music industry tears its hair apart due to its existence and software companies have nervous break downs trying to combat it even as copyleft societies have a field day in celebrating their success over the damage caused to the monoply mongering capitalist douche bags who have no respect for dissemination of knowledge. Among the youth downloading movies off the net without a license is, the IP theft is “cool” and people who buy original softwares, games or movies are “sissies” “wuss” or “whimps”.

Obviously the moral angle to the issue saying stealing the product of someone's hardwork, skill and labour is ethically despicable is not entirely appealing in its meaning or intention. Perhaps the more practical implications need to be looked into here.
Practical implications

Whats shooting the prices?
Inflation and price rise, who hasn't been affected by it these days? Soaring fuel prices combined with the rise in the prices of essential commodites have sent economies worldwide in the path to recession and depression. What could be fuelling this phenomenon? Inflation is simple, when demand exceeds to an extent where the supply is not able to meet it. The income from piracy simply speaking is illegal income, so it can't be accounted for which implicitly means that one can neither save nor invest the money made out of piracy. 60 billion dollars per year is the worth of the fake drugs industry alone (although the demands of fake drugs is nearly not half as big as is the case with pirated movies/softwares/games or counterfeit products). Money waiting to be spent to purchase something creating more demand which the supply can't meet. Inflation and price rise is the natural consequence of such a situation. But it doesn't matter as long as it is all “cool” right?

Birds of the same type flock together
40 bombs in Gujrat,18 exploded and the rest 22 unexploded. 9 bomb blasts in the city of Bangalore. Bomb blasts in turkey, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq. Terrorists are having a field day bursting fire crackers worldwide. The question arises where is the money coming from? Previously it was opium trade, but the recapture of Afghanistan by the coalition forces have made the trade difficult than what it used to be. Plus countries like Malaysia carry the death sentence for drug trade rendering the prospect dangerous and not worth the risks. Piracy requires a internet connection, empty data storage mediums like DVD's or CD's and a corresponding writer/burner, things that are available easily and readily in the market.

The punishment for such an offence, if caught of course, can maximum involve a couple of days behind bars and some damages rendering the prospect very cost effective, relatively less risky and an obvious choice to generate funds. Terrorist groups based out of Pakistan have already managed to do it, what will stop the others from following suit? Maybe a sudden drop in demand for pirated movies, but that isn't happening especially considering its “cool”.

It is not rare or shocking to hear from an Intellectual Property Enforcement specialist about how a gun was pointed at him during a raid on a unit manufacturing counterfeit products. In the words of the joker from the “The Dark Knight”, one would be tempted to ask the unit owners, “Why so Serious?”. Its simply because counterfeiting products coupled with the software piracy/music piracy represents a major source of funding for the mafia and the mafia doesn't like it when somebody tries to prevent them from making money which they use for purposes ranging from investing in the human trafficking industry to pornography. Who knew fake Nike shoes were so dangerous?

Sense of right and wrong- does it even exist?
Think about it, somebody comes to the house you own tomorrow and tells you that they have been sold the house by somebody else? Would you be happy with it? I don't think so.

Intellectual Property is a property as is your house. When you buy something from somebody, it does not belong to, knowing fully well it does not belong to the person selling it, its not an offence per se (although stupidity would be a better word to describe the act itself), but indirectly you are encouraging the person to commit the offense of stealing someone's property over and over again. As long as a crime is profitable, criminals will exist.

The Land mafia invokes disgust, common thieves invoke contempt because they steal something that does not belong to them and yet when a theft of something that is intangible is made, its all okay.

A great philosopher on the theory of rights once said that the work of an author is an integral part of the author himself and neither can exist without the other. This forms one of the principle basis of Intellectual Property laws. Its object is to attach value and importance to the products of human intellect, not tangible but definitely there to add some kind of value to society. Practically or morally, stealing is wrong whether the subject matter of the theft is jewellery or an intangible. Maybe its time we stopped being hippocrats condemning the theft that occurred in the neighbour's house while buying articles which represent thefts of intellectual property themselves.

The Soul

Author: Huda Said Al-Zubaidy

Country: Oman

UNIQUE
Everyone’s born unique.
We all have our different finger-prints.
We all have different handwritings.
We all have different voices.
These things help us to make our mark,
and to help us lift our spirits
and make us feel special when we start our jouney.
Then to truely satisfy the soul,
we’ve got to find some goals to achieve.
But first we’ve got to believe
in our selves.
Then to nurture the soul,
we’ve got to play our own role
in this life.
But to do so, we’ve got to fine our script.
Then we’ll start to know ourselves,
because some will draw their script,
some will buy it, write it, find it and some will improvise.
And it doesn’t have wise, because either ways it will help us rise.
And then we’ll know for sure we’re unique,
even though we were so from all along.
Then to let the soul do its part,
we needn’t be smart.
We’ve just got to live our lives.

Dead Bodies Don't Bleed

Author: Waed Sweilmyeen

Country: Jordan

Enlightened, this is what I feel… enlightened, amazed, and disappointed actually is more specific…. It seems that the moments I leave this word in and sink inside my self, be lost within, are useful not only in loosing track of a boring conversation, try it! Do not pay attention to the blabber, chatter mouths around you, and just think of the universe! But also in finding answers to agitating questions that have been running through my mind for along time now!It struck me while I was listening to someone’s urgent and crucial story about the difficulty of finding high boots that match your dress, that the reason agony dwells in our world is really obvious and clear! It does not need an IQ of 190 to realize it. Any sane, is there anyone that is sane in this insane world? Is capable of being enlightened just as I am!Why am I being so selfish? Is there any one that isn’t selfish? I should spit this gem of wisdom out ! our world is torn apart like this because we don’t care , everyone of us is wrapped up in a cocoon of his own worries and burdens, everyone is drowning in an ocean of endless goals to achieve, endless needs to provide… hungry pores longing to be fed with money, fame and lust are who we are! …. The little flame inside us went out long ago… we are dead inside …and this is what led us to where we are , and what is going to lead us to worse places in the near future!How could we care if we are dead inside out?! Do dead bodies bleed?! Nay, I do not think they do….

Yes We Can!

Author: Winmsn
Country: Canada

Robert Frost wrote the poem "The Road Not Taken" in 1916, in which the quote above is from. Frost is telling us that sometimes even though, there may be an "easy, more popular way out"; it pays off to take the harder, right road. Let's apply this in the context of Washington D.C. There are two roads leading to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave; one taken by all the politicians, the lobbyists, etc; and one deserted road that has not been used in a long time – until now.

His name is Barack Obama, and I am sorry to say that I have caught his message of hope and change. I first heard about Mr. Obama in 2004; when he gave that remarkable speech to the Democratic National Convention in which he says "There is no Liberal America. There is no Conservative America. There is THE United States of America." Soon after Bush won the 2nd election, people began to say "Obama '08! Obama '08!", however it was a minority of people.

Then in January of 2007, he launched his campaign; much to the delight of his supporters.
The media immediately declared Clinton the de-facto winner; I, myself, must admit that I believed them. How naive I was. I supported Obama, but didn't think he could win. I thought America would be divided by race, yet again. Then came the night of Iowa (the whitest of white states); surprising everyone he won and Clinton came 3rd. That win set the tone of this race. Many people (including me) immediately started to believe again.

Several months later, the race in the Democratic Party; is over, with Obama clinching a majority of the pledged delegates. Now, America faces a choice; a choice between the old (literally) politics and the new politics. A new politics that includes talking to your enemies, not backing down from what you believe in, making healthcare and post-secondary education affordable to everyone and a politics that includes not taking money from lobbyists. Now, that's change we can believe in.

"YES!... We'll survive, We'll definitely survive."

Author: Aya.A.N.

Country: Egypt

The wars, the unbelievable high of the prices, the killings, etc. that is happening today. Well, i can tell you that this age group is exposed to many challenges and difficulties and yet we didn't know! What is that all about? I used to believe that the good is stronger than evil. BUT when i read the newspapers I'm surpised that the evil became much stronger! And I used to believe that the right is more powerful than wrong, but when i turn on the t.v, I'm surprised that there are new images of the right and the wrong!

The right must have guns to be strong! The right without power is just like nothing! NOW there are new beliefes. BUT why? I'm just asking why? Why do we search? Why should we suffer? I know the answer. I finally know it. The solution of all of that in one word. We're still searching because we forget OR we pretend ro forget all the parents and grand parents knew fron ages. It was not a big deal, but today now it is a big deal! I'm sorry that what I'm going to say won't please many, it's not the song you want to hear of how everything is great.

HAPPINESS is what I'm talking about! It's not a solute that can dissolve in water so easily that man can drink it and be happy! It needs the power of " LOVE ". Don't switch the page, don't lost hope or be disapointed of the solution, it is very easy. I promise that this medicine can make the Cheater give up cheating, and the bad actions in the world can be changed into good deeds! And all the worries will end, it is all about love!

Don't you get it people ?!?!?! LOVE is the solution and by love I mean loving humans, and believing in humanity.

YEAH, WE WILL SURVIVE. We definitely will survive!

What do we do to approve our world?

Author: Travis Boddie
Country: The United States of America

In our civilization there are so problems that can be considered as main affects of the reasoning for issues within our society. Just for one second think about how in 2005 about 38,000 live in poverty which is also reasoning for people being homeless. Have we not realize that it is the duty of the people and our representative to do what is in the best interest of what we claim to be a great nation.

Not only 38,000 people just considered that 38% of that is children. Data from the U.S Bureau of the Census states that 17.6% for children under the age of 18 years of age are significantly higher that the poverty rate for any other age group. By the creation of this policy it will allow for us to offer assistance and trying in not just the advancement of individuals but the advancement of us as a nation.

How is someone placed in the poverty level, and what are the causes? It is caused by the decrease of available jobs, and the declining value and availability of public assistance. In order for someone to be victorious we need to create more jobs which will allow the advancement of the people. In order to achieve this we need to begin to utilize the governmental departments such as U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, U.S. Department of Education, and Department of Housing and Urban Development. It is the hopes of this policy that we not only provide assistance but we also provide a type of assistance in which it allows the family or in particular the individual to get on there feet and see change in their life. Where at one point in time the can leave the program and now face the day to day issues they face before with financials, jobs, and everything that comes with though issues. That way we can have on-going progress, It is the creation and the importance of this policy that maybe not allow for us to be equal but will begin to bring people from there current stage of poverty to being financially stable.

Bettering Tomorrow Families (BTF) PolicyThis BTF Policy creates a assistance to be around the United States. We will begin the testing of this policy in Connecticut where poverty and homeless rates are at utmost. The basic of the program is to provide them with a foundation, which will include an apartment so that they have a place to call “Home”. This apartment rent will be controlled by Government Officials in the Department of HUD. They will act in the best of the people residing in those facilities. The Department of Labor will assist in training the civilizations how to become successful in this society. Most of the programs will include resume, writing, job interviewing, and other essentials. The Department of Labor will help with providing job interviews upon completing successful training in the program. We will begin to utilize all Federal Government Departments, and there Sub-division assistance in the creation of internships, part-time, full-time, and other jobs for civilian’s in the program. All members within in the program creates a agreement which states that as long as you comply with the program policy and regulations we will assist them until they have got on there feet. The Department of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services already tries to improve the issue of homelessness and through there programs such as grants, research, resources, and the Interagency Council on Homelessness. The Department has coming to realize that ending homelessness requires housing combined with types of service support by HHS programs. The delivery of treatment and services to persons experiencing homelessness is included in the activities of the Department, both in five programs specifically targeted to homeless individuals. So based on this we have realize that there will be no changes made to their assistance and we will use there programs as is. What is Poverty and what are some of the causes of Poverty. How does poverty occur? Poverty in the United States refers to people living in poverty in the U.S. Within the U.S. the most common measure of poverty is the "poverty line" set by the U.S. government. While we are told that there are a variety of reasons for poverty the main issues are unfavorable economic conditions, mental and disability, lack of educational and skill, substance abuse, birth of a child, domestic abuse, natural or other disasters, crime, Tax levels Cross-Country data shows a correlation between tax levels as a share of GPD and child poverty.

In order for are program and or anything to become successful dealing with homelessness we must first deal with poverty because it believed that the cause of homelessness is poverty. Poverty in the United States is the results of issues that contributes to and sustain poverty, in particular low quality education from poorly funded inner-city schools which then causes to allow a few marketable skills which leads to minimum wage and then goes on to housing, food, clothing, medical care, and so on.As a result of this we will begin to utilize the U.S Department of Education as it main focus will be to assist in bettering inner-city schools trying to make it financially equal to suburban schools. For example comparing schools in New Haven such as James Hill House, and Wilbur Cross comparing to surrounding New Haven country schools like East Have, Danbury, North Haven, Ansonia, and many others, not only are they financially secure but they have more of an advantage What is homelessness and what are some of the causes of homelessness. How does homelessness occur? Homelessness is the condition and societal category of people who lack housing and food, usually because they cannot afford a regular, safe, and adequate shelter. There is a possibility that with this program we will allow the providing of food and the assistance in affording regular, safe. And adequate shelter that we may have the opportunity to work in helping them grow, imagine the hate crime against these people who do not deserve the abuse from this society it is unjust and just plainly wrong.

Assistance begins with the following: The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act of 1986 (Pub. L. 100-77, July 22, 1987, 101 Stat. 482, 42 U.S.C. § 11301 et seq.) is a United States federal law that provides federal money for shelter programs. It was the first significant federal legislative response to homelessness, and was passed and signed into law by President Ronald Reagan on July 22, 1987 . This program provide what called a Continuum of Care Program, the Supportive Housing Program, the Shelter Plus Care Program, and a variety of other programs while we will ask that this program for assistance we look at this plan and begin to try to assist in advancing our program with providing more of assistance pertaining to education because with the education and providing assistance for housing we will the begin to find resolutions. Not only is it that people who have begin to discriminate against these issues but it particular there as been cases filed in a few states trying to have the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act of 1986 can assist with people in there states. The National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty successfully litigated cases against the District of Columbia and the State of New York. See Lampkin v. District of Columbia, 27 F.3d 605 (D.C. Cir. 1993); remanded to trial at 879 F. Supp. 116 (D. D.C. 1995); Nat’l Law Ctr. on Homelessness and Poverty v. New York, 224 F.R.D. 314 (E.D.N.Y. 2004). (In Lampkin, the District initially rejected further federal money to avoid complying with the act. If solutions are trying to be made then why these places are trying to be made why they feel that this can’t be accomplishes. It is believed that many states and government officials don’t like to point on problems that needs change and in this case it one in particular which does not allow for grow of that state if they don’t offer assistance. It is also stated in the act that Homeless” children are entitled the protections of the McKinney-Vento Act. The Act defines homeless children as “individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence.” Therefore, as you can see that it time for a change and we have the capability to assist in the advancement of our society. With the BTF (Bettering Tomorrow Future) it will consist of growing the nation economically, educationally, and providing citizens to not just be a statistics of being unsuccessful but a statistics that sheds positive light. Let not be the states or the programs that over half solutions but does not have programs or the solution overall that can’t assist in the creation of a better place. While on one hand people make look at homelessness as a demeaning thing but just for one second we must begin to realize it not that a person wants to be homeless but when they don’t have the assistance and the requirements necessary then they there self can’t try to create a better life. Lastly, if we the people allow our government to go against them then how are the morally or ethically correct if there duty and obligation is to protect the people of this great nation.

The Internet Predicament

Author: Ashok.G.V.
Country: India

The Internet as defined by wikipedia is a worldwide, publicly accessible series of inter connected computer networks that transmit data using Internet Protocol. It can be thus looked at as a network of networks.

One of the most momentous things to hit our generation would perhaps remain to be the internet. Personally, the internet has single handedly catapulted my career forward. My social life is on the net with my friends from around the world. I have had the proud privilege and honour of working with some of the finest organizations, law firms and individuals living thousands of miles away thanks to the internet. I have formed some amazing bonds with motivated, smart and hard working individuals, adults and youth alike, whose commitment to positive change in society is both inspiring and comforting. A sizable majority of my knowledge comes from the internet and it is the best way for me to write, express and publish my views for the world to read.

While my case represents the rosy side of the internet, it is none the less also a fact that a dark side presents to us yet another instance to show that there are good and bad aspects for new technologies and developments in the field of science.

To begin with Internet stalkers are doing the rounds. The person you could be chatting with, while at face value may seem your age and of like minded nature, the fact remains that it is impossible to categorically verify the details of the person on the other side of the chat window. But perhaps one of the greatest blots on the internet would be the ease at which pornography can be circulated using this network. All it requires is for a person to just click on a button certifying that he/she is 18 and then the industry that represents the single biggest client of illegal human trafficking is available in all its forms for the viewer to view. In ordinary circumstances, while it would be possible to enforce the minimum age bar for materials of such nature, through the internet the kid is vulnerable to come across things not appropriate for his/her age. Although web cameras do help us connect on a more personal level with our loved ones, they remain the single biggest mediums for pedophiles, child pornography perpetrators and stalkers to view their victims and subject them to crimes without ever having to meet the victims in person. The list of negative consequences of the internet goes out to credit card fraud, phishing scams, etc. People have lost a lot of their savings thanks to these kinds of frauds. Internet also presents itself as the single easiest way to steal intellectual property and to commit unauthorized copying, distribution and selling of proprietary data and content protected by intellectual property rights of individuals and companies alike. One of the greatest hurdles in the effectiveness of intellectual property rights protection remains the internet.

The internet presents to us, the power to connect and communicate. As long as we hold these lines of communication, we remain united and powerful. But at the end of the day power is not without its share of responsibilities. It is settled law that greater the power, greater the responsibility. For every person who becomes careless and makes mistakes, he/she is encouraging the perpetrator to go ahead and victimize more people and commit more crimes. While it is practically and at present impossible to prevent the birth of criminals in this society, it is possible for us to exercise our caution, stay vigilant and hold out in the back of our minds that perhaps it is safe to apply a margin of error to our judgment of a person with whom we are speaking to over the internet. Every time we prevent ourselves from being the subject matter of a crime, we are discouraging the criminals from expanding and diversifying to other potential victims. In our ability to exercise caution and maintain restraint while being sensible, we are ensuring the safety of thousands of children and adults worldwide. We cannot ignore the implications of our actions when so many lives are at stake, so let us be smart members of gtalk, yahoo messenger, msn messenger, etc. as the case maybe and help make the internet a safer place so that more people can connect and unite through the means of this marvelous technology.

A Viva special ! Enjoy being a woman !

Author: Waed Sweilmyeen
Country: Jordan

Women's day passed by, mothers' day was celebrated on two different days around the globe , so you can all see it's been festive for women !

We the A2I! team feel obliged to pay a tribute to all women and to their achievements for they have come a long way !

We shall begin with the greatest ones of all , mothers !

Shamilla , our latest member to whom we say : Welcome aboard , has this to say about mothers on their day !

"On this occasion, I'd just like to pay homage to all the mothers of this world who deserve a place of pride atleast one day in a year, and I should even say that they should have a place of pride not just in that one day but each and every day that goes by. These mothers bring up their children with such tenderness and give them all the love and affection that they need. These mothers have a « mission » in their mind i.e., taking their children to all the steps of life and staying by them as long as possible. In short, these mothers have a heart of gold and we should respect and love them for all the love that they give to us everyday. We will never be able to repay our mothers for what they have given to us.

At the same time, I'd also like to pay homage to all the girls and women who deserve to be respected as human beings throughout the world "

Much have been said about the journey that women have willingly embarked upon seeking equal rights and better lives. Feminism , along many other factors helped a lot and our one and only Ashok has this to say about feminism :

" Women play an instrumental role in society and society's progress over the years. Although this is the truth, there is at the end of the day, a whole other school of thought that begs to differ on the important role women have in our lives. Feminism is perhaps the only way to change this school of thought. It is comforting and encouraging to note that from the team behind Viva to the CEO of Pepsico, the role of women have come to assume more importance and serve as an example of what a fine job they can do"

Ashok set the ladies of Viva as an example among many , and one of the ladies behind Viva begged to differ on this !

Our one and only Noor says : "I feel that if I praise women, I have to praise men as well. For we are equal creatures. I think the days of degrading women have passed away, so it is very shocking to hear or see women being treated unfairly for the mere reason of being women."
Another lady in our team , Victoria , thinks that : " society is evolving rapidly; women now are been treated the same way as men. It is not that we are more than men and it is not that men are more than us, we are simply the same, whether we talk about female football teams, working in the government, modeling, anything! We are the same."

Well, If every one thought like those 2 bright young ladies , we wouldn't be having this post in the first place !


***********

Noor chose not to praise women whereas I , Waed , think that applauding some of the great women would harm none …

I will say nothing but I will leave you with a video that queen Rania of Jordan introduced to the world through her "send me your stereotypes" campaign on YouTube !

Pornography-in an Indian context…

Author: Sharanya Iyer
Country: India

“EVERY SECOND $3,075.64 is being spent on pornography, 28,258 Internet users are viewing pornography, 372 Internet users are typing adult search terms into search engines and every 39 minutes a new pornographic video is being created……”

Pornography is a word that is synonymous with sin in our society. To begin with its origin, Pornography stems from a Greek word meaning ‘writing about prostitutes’. It originated in Europe in the early 17th century when science was rapidly growing and gaining importance over religion, ideas of contraception and conception were coming in and revolutionary literature was surfacing. In Pagan culture, the beauty of sex was depicted via carvings and paintings. Erotic literature had a place in the mainstream. But, erotica is quite different from pornography. Erotica has an artistic purity, while pornography is purely commercial and totally meaningless. The bare truth about pornography is that far from being a liberating influence - as Rushdie and others claim - it is an instrument of abuse and imprisonment!!It brings out the poverty of our sexual imagination. So before moving on to look into its various aspects, it is important that it isn’t confused with erotica.

Today, globalization and the fast paced existence of people have shaken the very foundations of the wall separating erotica and pornography, making it very thin. According to the 2006 worldwide pornography revenues, around $97.04 billion is its transaction, with China dominating. Though India does not figure at the top, it is one of the major illegal importers of DVDs, VCDs, etc. The porn industry has penetrated all levels of society. Today, we can hardly find a movie without some form of porn in it.

India still being a developing country, with a majority of the village people living under the poverty line, there lives a class which is exploited and violated due to its ignorance or helplessness. If there is one thing India is famous for, it is the dignity and integrity with which it upholds its traditions and culture. So, taking advantage of such scenario, isn’t it a basic violation of human rights?

The roots of the whole issue of Pornography can safely be attributed to the lack of Sex Education in schools. Who says it is not in our Indian culture to talk about sex? Ancient Indian culture was very open about sex. But the misinformation that talking and learning about sex is against our Indian culture is being spread by prudish parents and teachers opposing the teaching of sex education in schools.

A quote from a news report reads,
“Most parents and teachers do not want sex education to be part of the curriculum because of ethical and academic reasons….they feel that there are chances of the children misinterpreting the information given…unlike other countries where sex education is openly taught in schools, we cannot do so as the structure of our society is different. Our culture and ethos do not permit us to discuss sex openly…we could end up corrupting our students…”

These people have to understand that children don’t become immoral because they learn about sex. If they do start sex activities earlier than they should, then it is more because of the influence of movies, television, pornography, etc. Not sex education! In fact sex education can explain to them the moral aspects of sex and also counter the ill effects of pornography, as it is a known fact that Indian parents neglect to do their duty when it comes to teaching their children about sex, as they feel it is ‘unnecessary’ or ‘embarrassing’ or ‘too early’…and the consequence is that kids turn to pornography.

Its time that we realized that the only way to fight online pornography is to arm our children with knowledge. We know that the knowledge will never be given in Indian homes because of extreme prudishness. So the education system has to take care of it. It is the only way to a mentally and physically healthy society.

Political Issues? No thanks!!!

Author: Haris Stavridis
Country: Greece

One of the global and most important phenomena is that youths don't care about what's being done by their governments. They are disappointed of what politicians do and turn their backs to the problems. They choose to "close their eyes and do nothing", they simply accept it.Youths shouldn't have an attitude like this. We should care about what's happening in the political world, because in the nearest future we should vote for our representatives and for the suitable people to govern us. What really makes me feel sick, is that many youths don't really vote or choose their candidates according to what they support, but according to who is the most famous in school and so on. Unfortunately, the way we elect the "President of the School Council" will be the same, when we have to elect the Prime Minister of our country. The thing is that we don't understand this now, we don't understand how important this issue is and that's why we prefer not to get informed about what's happening in our country.We should wake up some day! Those people govern us. Their dicissions influence our lives and our choices.... Shouldn't we at least keep ourselves informed about their actions? Shouldn't we?

Race and society- Progress

Author: Winmsn
Country: Canada

One spring day, I was listening to Homecoming (DM shall kill me); and I got into a talk with my friend via MSN about the song. This eventually led to me, telling her about what he did on NBC during a special for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. He said "George Bush does not like black people". Now, I cannot say that is true or untrue; for I am not Mr. Bush. But it did raise an interesting question; is there still racism in our society? Some people believe that racism is non-existent nowadays. I beg to differ.

In every country, the majority benefits; and the minorities are treated somewhat unfairly. I cannot find a single country; that does treat the majority and minorities equally. In Sri Lanka, a civil war is raging due to the chauvinistic principals of both the Tamils and the Sinhalese. In China, the Uyghur people face scrutiny and horrible conditions from the government. In many Arab countries; non-Arabs are not treated fairly and in Israel; Arabs are second class citizens. In these countries, the majority holds the power, the jobs, and the good life. The minority may have to work a little bit harder for it. Of course, there are always exceptions. So, society has a large part to do with it.

We see the 2008 Presidential campaign raging on; Barack Obama has to explain all his actions and associations to the media, for example: whether he is patriotic, because he does not wear a lapel pin. To say that race has nothing to do with the campaign would be naive. Why do you think he has to answer all these questions? Why doesn't John McCain face these "guilt by association" questions about his controversial pastor?

Let's take America for example now; and the stereotypes facing the two major minority groups. Some people view African-Americans as gangsters, others view Latinos as "drug dealers or border hoppers". These stereotypes are rampant here, and this is an example of subtle racism, even though we do not like to admit it. Why do we have less successful African-Americans and Latinos, why do more of them live under the poverty line? America can fix these common problems for all of its people; though the government does not seem to be willing to. This however does not suggest the government is racist. You noticed that I said 'fix the problems for ALL of its people'; many white Americans live underneath the poverty line and face the same problems getting jobs.

People may talk to people of other races; but when it comes to mingling with them, they draw the line. Racism does exist and it will continue to exist for many years to come.

One spring day, I was listening to Homecoming (DM shall kill me); and I got into a talk with my friend via MSN about the song. This eventually led to me, telling her about what he did on NBC during a special for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. He said "George Bush does not like black people". Now, I cannot say that is true or untrue; for I am not Mr. Bush. But it did raise an interesting question; is there still racism in our society? Some people believe that racism is non-existent nowadays. I beg to differ.

In every country, the majority benefits; and the minorities are treated somewhat
unfairly. I cannot find a single country; that does treat the majority and minorities equally. In Sri Lanka, a civil war is raging due to the chauvinistic principals of both the Tamils and the Sinhalese. In China, the Uyghur people face scrutiny and horrible conditions from the government. In many Arab countries; non-Arabs are not treated fairly and in Israel; Arabs are second class citizens. In these countries, the majority holds the power, the jobs, and the good life. The minority may have to work a little bit harder for it. Of course, there are always exceptions. So, society has a large part to do with it.
We see the 2008 Presidential campaign raging on; Barack Obama has to explain all his actions and associations to the media, for example: whether he is patriotic, because he does not wear a lapel pin. To say that race has nothing to do with the campaign would be naive. Why do you think he has to answer all these questions? Why doesn't John McCain face these "guilt by association" questions about his controversial pastor?

Let's take America for example now; and the stereotypes facing the two major minority groups. Some people view African-Americans as gangsters, others view Latinos as "drug dealers or border hoppers". These stereotypes are rampant here, and this is an example of subtle racism, even though we do not like to admit it. Why do we have less successful African-Americans and Latinos, why do more of them live under the poverty line? America can fix these common problems for all of its people; though the government does not seem to be willing to. This however does not suggest the government is racist. You noticed that I said 'fix the problems for ALL of its people'; many white Americans live underneath the poverty line and face the same problems getting jobs.

People may talk to people of other races; but when it comes to mingling with them, they draw the line. Racism does exist and it will continue to exist for many years to come. One spring day, I was listening to Homecoming (DM shall kill me); and I got into a talk with my friend via MSN about the song. This eventually led to me, telling her about what he did on NBC during a special for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. He said "George Bush does not like black people". Now, I cannot say that is true or untrue; for I am not Mr. Bush. But it did raise an interesting question; is there still racism in our society? Some people believe that racism is non-existent nowadays. I beg to differ.

In every country, the majority benefits; and the minorities are treated somewhat unfairly. I cannot find a single country; that does treat the majority and minorities equally. In Sri Lanka, a civil war is raging due to the chauvinistic principals of both the Tamils and the Sinhalese. In China, the Uyghur people face scrutiny and horrible conditions from the government. In many Arab countries; non-Arabs are not treated fairly and in Israel; Arabs are second class citizens. In these countries, the majority holds the power, the jobs, and the good life. The minority may have to work a little bit harder for it. Of course, there are always exceptions. So, society has a large part to do with it.

We see the 2008 Presidential campaign raging on; Barack Obama has to explain all his actions and associations to the media, for example: whether he is patriotic, because he does not wear a lapel pin. To say that race has nothing to do with the campaign would be naive. Why do you think he has to answer all these questions? Why doesn't John McCain face these "guilt by association" questions about his controversial pastor?

Let's take America for example now; and the stereotypes facing the two major minority groups. Some people view African-Americans as gangsters, others view Latinos as "drug dealers or border hoppers". These stereotypes are rampant here, and this is an example of subtle racism, even though we do not like to admit it. Why do we have less successful African-Americans and Latinos, why do more of them live under the poverty line? America can fix these common problems for all of its people; though the government does not seem to be willing to. This however does not suggest the government is racist. You noticed that I said 'fix the problems for ALL of its people'; many white Americans live underneath the poverty line and face the same problems getting jobs.

People may talk to people of other races; but when it comes to mingling with them, they draw the line. Racism does exist and it will continue to exist for many years to come.