Friendship

Author: Zainab Al-Tamimi

Country: Oman

"Friendship... is not something you learn in school. But if you haven't learned the meaning of friendship, you really haven'tlearned anything."

-Muhammad Ali

Friendship is an essential relationship for any person. A real friend maybe closer to you than the members of your family. It has been said that a friend is a sibling that has not been born by you mother.

To be a good friend we need to be supportive, respective, protective as well as to keep all secrets of our close friends. It is essential also that any one of us should be careful with selecting our friends because consciously or unconsciously there maybe a positive or negative impact of our friends' personalities, behavior and attitude in ours. So a good friend is an asset and definitely well be helpful during happiness and sadness. Friends help you get through tough times in your life, and they add joy and happiness when you're down.

I think friends are the most important thing to have in this world, so I hope that you will find a real friend.

The lost earthly heaven

Author: Aya A.N.
Country: Egypt

Does it need a complete change? Because it seems for me very strange

I cannot see it very clear, although it is so near
oh human what have you done ?

You have to know that the war is not just a word that you write on poems , OR study

It is a word that means suffering to others, sadness , tears and blood

Oh my great God!

when i was young like 7 or 8 i used to think that there are evil people and good people. And good people must fight the evil ones. That was the aim of my life then i was giving myself the right to fight these evil people simply because i thought there were just evil and need to suffer.
I used to think how can we fight them? I cannot go to the streets and ask people are you evil so you should die. I felt very unable to help others.

NOW , I am thinking why people choose to be evil? And believe me they choose their way. Like in wars, people's lives are taken. Why do they choose to take a right they don't have? Is envy and hate the answer? Maybe and maybe not, well we have to admit that war is not something new at all. There were wars from old ages, but is that an excuse to continue starting them? "They started it so why don't we finish it?" Is that how they think?

I know we are so young to make these kind of decisions but we are not young to choose our way either . So let us plan for some kind of challenge, how can one make another believe that if he ever started a war in anyplace he will be that evil person who is corrupting our world. People don't make a difference in the world by starting a war! Just burry a war or help lessen it's affect and all people will see the good difference you're making.


War does not necessarily mean the kind of war in Iraq, it means any simple fight between two people or groups and believe me it starts with a simple fight and end up as a distruction.

They're mistakes that make us perfect

Author: Abdel Rahman Ahmed

Country: Egypt

Last week, I was checking my portofolio where I used to put all my stories, my certificates, my school stuff and everything, I had this one since SO long, I guess from fifth grade, Everytime I wrote something or got some certificate, I put them there.

Anyways, I crossed a lot of stories and essays I've written since fourth grade, seeing myself developing and growing year after year, my vision became more clear about alot of things. I just remember every English class when I stood up and narrate a story or discussed a topic I wrote, I very much remember My teacher's smile! Although I checked it many times but this time was very different, I saw how many grammar, vocabulary and spelling mistakes were there!

They were countless! The funny thing was that I was laughing, I couldn't believe that I had all these mistakes, I kept picking a really HUGE number of mistakes.

I checked essay after another and I observed how much I grew in every stage in my life! till now! I felt PROUD, very PROUD! I didn't feel afraid from failing that time, I kept going and going, although I didn't have a certain vision where exactly I'm going, but it was the echo in me that made me feel I'm going on the right track!

I just concluded something from this:

"When we develop from stage to another and when we take a step forward, the backward steps seem very little and very easy to get even though It was very hard to be achieved in that time, we may laugh at ourselves when we see our mistakes, we may forget them because they seem as a blur BUT the only things that last with us are the lessons that made us STRONGER, PROUD and PERFECT."

I respect the lessons I've learnt from each step, from the experience I had from every failure and the mistakes that will make me PERFECT maybe not today, maybe not tommorow but It will someday!

Corruption (a man-made evil)

Author: Joshua Dinakar
Country:India

The corruption of the best is the worst. [Lat., Corruptio optimi pessima.]
- Latin proverb

Corruption has crept in every system crossing cultural and geographical boundaries. It is literally under every stone you turn. It is also in every alley you turn into, every nook and cranny you might care to peep into. Corruption happens as much in broad daylight as it does behind closed doors. It is as much a part of my life as it is of yours. Corruption includes taking or giving bribe, lack of transparency in system. This world has become worst by corrupt humans. Who- by very their nature are destroying the ethical and moral values present in society or individuals.

For a person who is taking bribe – it's an opportunity, and for the person who is giving the bribe – it's need. Person who demands bribe wants to encash the opportunity. The idea of getting benefited or profited by helping the person who is in need is itself evil. It's like playing with conscience of weaker party. A person in power shows his willingness to help if you grease his palm. Is that a help at all? Corrupt officer is not helping the weak by Love or courtesy but, helping for some money. How strange it is to be sold for some amount of money our humanity and love!! People are forgetting that love to help others can be done unselfishly.

When I believe both the giver and taker of the bribe to be equally guilty of corruption. By giving bribe we are guiltier than the person who is taking it. If we straight forwardly fight for justice and don't bribe... He learns a lesson of not asking bribe.

"If there is corruption in society, each one of us is responsible. It is wrong to blame the system. Why do we separate ourselves from the system? Don't we vote the corrupt to power? Don't we endlessly suffer from all deprivations and refuse to raise our voice? And then when it becomes too much, we crib."

When a question is asked to an officer who is responsible for this corruption? He answers "I don't think the common man is responsible. I don't blame the man who shells out money so that he doesn't have to spend half his day in a queue at the municipal office. Is it not more pertinent to ask how these serpentine queues are created? Are we short of staff in an overpopulated country with a large section educated but unemployed? This theory that people feed the monster of corruption is eyewash."

Another person who stuck by his ideals even when the going got tough was Khairnar[1]. Of his lifelong crusade against corruption, he says: "It is possible to be honest in a world rampant with corruption. Possible, but very, very difficult. Colleagues deprived of their share of ill-earned booty, make life difficult in the office. The honest officer also earns the ire of superiors who are themselves under tremendous pressure from political bosses. Memos may be sent. Inquiry committees bent on vindication may be ordered against the erring official and transfers may be affected. The officer may also find himself framed in a legal trap. Life becomes difficult. Thus hated, isolated, and beaten, an honest man feels lonely and confused. What makes it a hard battle and an unfair one is the honest man's inability to pay his legal bills. His scrupulous honesty pits him against powerful vested interests. He has to fight on his own."

He sums up his life in one sentence: "Today one does not have to be a revolutionary to create a storm. Being honest is enough." But I say honesty and fear of God can stop the spread of this evil called corruption.

What makes these people virtually corruptible? What gives them the conviction that we lack the strength to swim against the tide? The answer is "WE" who encourage the greed of money. "We" are making people virtually corrupted by bribing and not fighting against corruption. And "We" make an impression that we lack the strength to swim against tide and go along with many and silently encourage corruption. The solution to end this problem also lies "Within US" (When we react and to fight against corruption)

If we don't fight against this evil of corruption we'll be the greatest promoter of this evil. Don't be silent….Take a stand at personal level…Voice out….Fight against corruption...If you don't who will?






[1] MR. G. R. KHAIRNAR, a senior official in a mismanaged Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai. Khairnar is undoubtedly an honest man. http://www.rediff.com/news/2000/jun/14nandy.htm