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I want to change how society sees people with disabilities
How I became an ocean hero!
Contributed by Manar Elkebir, Ocean Heroes Bootcamp participant How often do you think about what your reckless daily behaviour may cause to our one and only planet? Or in other words, how often do you think about our oceans when buying plastic? Unfortunately, the majority of people don’t think about the future of the planet and the next generations, or at least that is what I noticed in my hometown Tunisia, a country in north Africa. I am Manar Elkebir, a 17-year-old student, theater actress, young environmentalist, and climate activist. I am also 5Gyres ambassador and the founder of EcoWave...
Call for peace and love
Youth of all nations, fuel of revolution and power of countries. Put peace in your souls and share it among people. Make life a better place for the weak and poor. Make our today a song for tomorrow's youth to sing. Never give up to the voice of the devil and light the fire in your homes. Remembering the youth who died in wars, is not a reason to fill your soul with violence, but to try to spread the peace. Don't listen to the call of devils who persuade you by violence and wars under words of religion or building new better countries. Don't be a word or letter in someone's agenda. Don't waste...
The individuality epidemic
At the beginning of 2019, I fell in love with myself. To who do I give the credit? Social media (and myself, of course). Social media has been viewed by many as a double-edged sword, the source of downfalls and plenty of problems, and while it is, if used correctly, it doesn’t have to be. This is my story of how I found light in the darkness. I like to call it “the individuality epidemic” or the 9 millionth social revolution and it is one that holds the story of a 17-year-old from South Africa. Hi, I am the 17-year-old from South Africa. I have been blessed enough to be part of a group of...
If a tree could speak
If a tree could speak, What would it say? Would it tell tales, From times long gone, When a little boy climbed and took its fruit, Or when a woman found shade, in the hot summer days. Maybe it would talk about its friends, Lizards as colourful as kaleidoscopes, Squirrels hiding as if they played hide and seek, Butterflies resting on its branches in mesmerizing grace. Perhaps it would talk about men, Suffocating it with their poisonous gasses, Trimming its limbs to mimic some sort of abstract perfection, Burning its body with hellish flames. What would a tree say? What would the Earth say, As...
A journey to sobriety and recovery after alcohol addiction
Struggling with alcohol addiction is a horrible experience because it can have health, social, and economic consequences in one’s life. Alcoholism is a very serious issue that needs to be treated with professional help before it leads to tremendous consequences that can’t be fixed anymore. It can make you put yourself in many dangerous situations and experience poor overall health, but it can also make you hurt your loved ones. When you are struggling with substance abuse, you are rarely able to realize how much alcohol hurts your body, mind, and soul. You keep letting your loved ones down...
We participate in order to change the system!
Immigration in 21st Century
History tells me that I am a descendant of immigrants from Uganda hundreds of years ago from a clan which keeps the tradition of makondele drums to this date. In those times many pastoralists’ clans like mine migrated in search of good pastures for their cattle. My clan and other clans have helped to build the economy of 58.01 million Tanzanians. Migration in Tanzania is not a peculiar case, almost all countries in the world have experienced and welcomed immigrants. Last year l was in United States of America. In United States l witnessed how immigrants from different continents came together...
The edge of time, the persistence of imagination
I am not the biggest fan of science. Although it was my favorite subject throughout much of my childhood, a love-hate relationship soon developed during my high school years. I even jokingly labeled myself as “anti-STEM,” much to the dismay of my mother and older sister who are ardent enthusiasts of the field. Although I still believe in the significance of developments under this scholarly discipline, my passion has manifested itself within other fields. One major interest of mine is culture and the forces that shape it, particularly as it relates to the representation of minorities. Being an...
Did my grandfather and I attend the same school?
Tanzania: The land of opportunities
Born on April 1964, United Republic of Tanzania is the country located in East Africa. With more than 58.1 million people who constitute around 130 tribes, Tanzania has managed to remain in peace and united for 55 years. Peaceful conditions in Tanzania has made it to become one of the fastest growing economies in East Africa with a GDP increase by 6.8 % in the third quarter of 2018, compared to 5% increase in the same period in 2017. Peaceful conditions in Tanzania have contributed to a poverty rate decline from 34.4% in 2007 to 26.8% in 2016 In 2015 Tanzania had a free and fair election which...
Appeal to the French government
Once a month all of the MEPs pack And on their journey to Strasbourg and back They are racking their brains trying to crack this climate change - ´cause the future looks black. To cut the emissions this you could do: Stop useless traditions and take part too. Simply finally end this moving race And keep the Parliament in just one place!
Preoccupied
Preoccupied with our futures Preoccupied with the idea of doing “something” Preoccupied with the fear of doing nothing Preoccupied with absolutely nothing but thoughts. Thoughts that have proven to be quite deceitful. Thoughts that have made life seem so busy in the midst of virtually nothing. Stressing over the future, in a world where there is consequently no present. No time to live, to do as we please, not solely because we have work to do, but rather because of the stress children are under. Stress from the hope of doing something, being someone. Stress that is diminishing one’s ability...
Silence is not an option
How would you feel if a gun was pointed at you for asking for a fair price for bread? How would you feel if you were forced to fight for the necessities that should be given to you as basic human rights in the first place? How would you feel if you were shot down by your own people? The answer to these questions is; we wouldn’t know how it feels. We would not know what it feels like to be in that situation and god forbid no one deserves to know the answers to these questions like our brothers and sisters in Sudan do. But why wouldn’t we know the answers to these questions? There were obviously...
Can photographs capture dreams of the future?
Through the wolf's eyes
On a full moon, I find myself roaming alone between the ancient trees, Only the moon as my guide, Only the moon as my companion. Am I truly alone? Noise in the distance echoes, A blinding light shines through the bushes, That is not nature. The ground vibrates below me, As the roaring of machines intensifies, I realised; I am now the prey. I try to howl, These creatures are stronger, Deadlier, than I’ll ever be. Take care of Mother Nature, like she takes care of us.
You are not welcome
A diet filled with life
The horrors that can go on behind the closed doors of the meat and dairy industry are unimaginable. We don't seem to notice how our actions as meat eaters affect our community, our environment, and the lives of millions of animals.“In the U.S., more than 29 million cows suffer and die in the meat and dairy industries every year"(PETA). It may be easier to ignore the effects of such industries rather than address the issue. But we, the most intelligent species, have a duty to advocate for those who cannot speak. We promote human rights and equality, yet we neglect the rights of every living...
South Asians and the criminal justice system
UPDATE JUNE 2020: After writing this article, a few people reached out to me, pointing out some information that could be misleading. The point of view this article is written in implies that South Asians do not have troubled relationships with police officers or the criminal justice system. While this may be true for those of us who reside in primarily upper middle class neighborhoods, this is not the case for those South Asians who have grown up in predominantly economically-disadvantaged neighborhoods or ethnic enclaves nested in major cities. The South Asian-American identity itself is so...