Educate...Entertain...Eradicate Borders
One of our main goals is to do our part to chip away at the the things that divide us. We believe that people are much more alike than we are different but we allow our differences to separate us. We think that if people are given topics to think about (including how other people live, how they're affected by the things we say and/or do and the taboo subjects that make us cringe or laugh) then we are a step closer to bridging the divide.
The plight of undocumented workers is an issue that ebbs and flows with the political tide. During election years, the issue comes to the forefront as many politicians vie for a platform that resonates with their base. As the Latino population continues to grow, some politicians paint the burgeoning Latino population as having a negative impact on the lives of the rest of Americans.… [Read more]
Ahh, what would the world be without the occasional declarations by some Ashkenazi Jews to remind us of their superior intellectual prowess? Of course, their claims can be substantiated with little to no effort. Forget IQ tests, statistics or research papers to validate such claims; all one has to do is pull from their personal chronicles. I mean, have you ever met a dumb Ashkenazi?… [Read more]
For decades, polio vaccination in poor and underdeveloped countries has been presented as a message of hope for millions of children across the world who otherwise would risk contracting the paralyzing disease. However, there always have been concerns about the safety of this vaccine and cases of children paralyzed by this same vaccine have been reported off and on from various parts of the world.… [Read more]
After months of arguments in favor and opposing, pleas and petitions, November 29, 1947 the United Nations voted to approve Resolution 181, the partition of a Jewish state and Arab state. The vote was 33 in favor, 13 opposed and 10 abstentions. Quite naturally the Resolution was rejected by the Arab nations, Syria, Iraq, Egypt, Lebanon, Iran and others.… [Read more]
There is an odd habit in the American culture. It is regarding the naming of places. An area where eagles are often spotted nesting, eventually is named “Eagles Nest” referring to the very inhabitants that were displaced to shopping malls or a new housing division. The Native American tribes are rolled up and placed on reservations, only to have their tribal names used in hotel monikers, street signs, ski lodges and resorts.… [Read more]
With François Hollande winning the first round of the French presidential vote, Sarkozy’s re-election prospects are looking quite grim, and the dawn of a new age in French politics seems to be fast approaching. The French cultural mirror, head turned sharply back (to call it vain would be cliché), is proving to be unsustainable in the 21st century: Amelie might have sustained the wonderful simulacra of Montmartre, artistic and quirky, but this whitewashed past hasn’t simply vanished in the desert of postmodernism; it has really never existed at all.… [Read more]
A while ago, yet another TV show brought Pakistan’s most famous and at the same time controversial actress Veena Malik on screen with the same clichéd topic: whether what she did while in India (considered as Pakistan’s traditional/arch rival) was appropriate. During the show, Veena told about her vegetarianism. And it was news!
Hosted by the once popular TV anchor Nadia Khan, the show pitted Veena Malik against the public and had a panel of guests including her ex Babrak Shah, a mainly Pashtu film actor.… [Read more]
Without breathing tanks, a young man dives into the ocean waters of his homeland. As he fights the gentle push of the current, he discovers the object of his desire. A statuesque creature clings to sprouting kelp on the ocean floor. It gently bows to the current pushing its back and elegantly extends as the returning waters brush through again.… [Read more]
Writing and travel are two eternal passions for Sweta Srivastava Vikram. Her debut novel Perfectly Untraditional has received good attention and critical acclaim in India, her native land. While living in New York, Vikram is connected to Indian culture via a timeless bond which shows in her novel. Let’s hear from her about her cultural and writing experience in connection with Perfectly Untraditional.… [Read more]
You ask this question in a traditional society in Pakistan and you may not catch a commotion at once. Reason? Well, you may ask why look for a reason in the first place; what exactly is so odd about women to induce fear? Let’s zoom in on the context where you start seeing things with implications.… [Read more]
Last week I took my three children to Ground Zero. It was the first time any of us had visited the Memorial and the first real exposure my two 6 year olds have had to September 11th.
We began the tour by visiting a large photographic timeline of how things unfolded that dreadful day. I was not prepared for the overwhelming sadness I felt as I stood there, a six year old hand in each of mine, my sensitive 9 year old undoubtedly wishing I had a third to offer her.… [Read more]
All tyranny needs to gain a foothold, is for people of good conscience to remain silent.
~ Thomas Jefferson 1821
What did we learn from his words?
First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out–
Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out–
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.… [Read more]
“A martyr is a man who dies in fight against infidels,” I read the opening line of a grade-2 lesson about a Pakistani military hero from the 1965 war between India and Pakistan. “Infidels”? I read the line again to make sure I didn’t get it wrong. And maybe I did, for the word in that line was none else than “infidel”.… [Read more]
Education may not necessarily mean literacy. In fact the very definition of literacy shows it simply to be the ability to read and write, whereas education involves the gathering of knowledge that is focused in specific studies. Sanjit “Bunker” Roy (often referred to as “Bunker Roy”) understands this fact and it is one of the driving forces behind the continued development of his brainchild: the Barefoot College.… [Read more]
This post is not about how vital it is to read to your kids.
I’m fairly certain that anyone reading anything on this site is quite aware of the importance of reading to and talking with children. There really is no age that is too early to begin this.
You all know this.
There is no debate.… [Read more]
On Wednesday, March 28, Rep. Bobby Rush (D) of Illinois was escorted off the floor of the House of Representatives for a breach of the congressional dress code which is far more nuanced and gets far more attention than anyone could imagine. While making a speech about the murder of Trayvon Martin and subsequent controversy, Rep.… [Read more]
In the summer of 1969 I was 18 and a mere week or two away from going off to college. On the night of August 8, 1969 I was shot and killed because I was running and I was black. I can remember it like it was yesterday. It was 11:30 PM on a beautiful star-studded Saturday night in Park Slope.… [Read more]
It’s Women’s History month.
I have seriously been thinking about this for a couple of weeks now, knowing I wanted to write something about it.
I mean, I am a woman who has her Bachelors and Masters degrees, a job, a happy marriage, and two little boys.
I vote and get to write about my opinions.… [Read more]
Saturday March 17, 2012, was a historical day for Pakistan as Pakistan’s democratically elected President Asif Ali Zardari delivered his fifth Presidential address to the joint-sitting of the parliament. With cheering from his allies and supporters and cries of protest from his political opponents, Mr. Zardari became the first President in Pakistan’s history to see the day of his fifth Presidential address, as all previous democratically elected Presidents were sent packing by the country’s powerful and politically active anti-democratic forces before seeing the start of their final parliamentary year.… [Read more]
I’m sure you all know just exactly how crappy the economy is these days; I have been experiencing my own personal recession since February, 2009, when I was laid off from a long-term job that I loved. Since then, I’ve been riding the rollercoaster from hell and I can’t seem to get off. I was actually hired less than 2 weeks after my initial layoff, and I soon found out that I was the fourth assistant my new employer had hired – in less than 2 years.… [Read more]
