Type
Topic
Country
Redefining Sexual Standards: Why Consent is Not Enough
I didn’t realize my sexual belief was different from others until I went to America. As a Christian, I firmly believed that people shouldn’t have sex before marriage. However, in western society, such a notion has become outdated as sexual revolutions since the 1960s gradually dissolved boundaries in gender relations. Therefore, as someone “from the last century,” quote courtesy of my friends, I became a deviant in this open world. Although I object to premarital sex, this is not my purpose in writing this essay. Instead, I am trying to argue here that since our sexual identities are so...
The Yellow Line
Leroy stood on the curb, kicking loose gravel around aimlessly. He looked at the lines and grooves in the concrete. He stared harder at them, hoping to see some sort of message hidden within. He looked up at the road. He looked at his father’s wristwatch, hung loosely around his wrist. The bus was late, he thought, as he made his way to the edge of the kerb and sat down. He looked at his hands: the lines on them looked very much like the ones set in concrete. Except those lines were set in white cement and his were set in his chocolate-coloured, breathing self. High school was usually the...
Time to quit hatred
"Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that." — Martin Luther King, Jr. MLK Jr said this decades ago. But still today, in this 21st century, hatred is prevalent in our society. A large number of people are directly engaged to spread hatred. And the rest of us, who are completely against this hate campaign, are in oblivion. We don't know what to do, how to confront this monstrous, abhorrent campaign. Recently, on 14th February, 2019, Jaish-e-Mohammed, a militant group attacked a convoy of CRPF personnel in Jammu and Kashmir...
Two strangers sitting behind screens, 100 miles apart and arguing
Have you ever casually scroll through your socials and find a post with tons of arguments beneath it? Happens every day. Although sometimes we may not interfere, it’s not at all easy to avoid getting your insides heated as well. I’ll start by stating what i perceived myself, the roots of these controversial posts and comments that exist anywhere. By anywhere I mean even a random post on common decency and basic human rights. Sheesh. So, why the fuss though? We can kinda agree, that any sort of stance a commenter, or post seems to have, politically, religious or cultural can be visible as they...
We need to unite
There are many crisis among all over the world, people have the spark to create change all over the world yet they don't know How to start it, and there is nothing change in this world. We have to unite For creating a change all over the world. #WEUNITEFORUS
Am I next?
It is estimated that over 40% of South African women will be raped in their lifetime. Gender based violence is at the highest we have ever seen in our country and in the world. This closely showing the imbalance that lies between men and women. Men have so much power in our country that they feel entitled to a women’s body. I have gone through all the emotional stages, first I experienced sadness for the girls who had been raped and murdered at the hands of men. Then I became fearful for my life and the final stage was one of anger. I was angry at our government and every single member of...
Peacebuilding for and with children
The Story of Grandma
Imagine you can eliminate most cases of bullying, racism, and even terrorism with just one click. Isn’t it amazing? The year 2020 affected many countries and took away lives. But the situation was even worse in my country. We were dealing with not only the pandemic but also the war. It changed our lives sweepingly. Our daily routines were replaced with constant searches for news from the frontlines. Just like others, I was spending most of my days on the internet, hoping to find some positive information. And it was at that moment that I noticed a huge issue: the internet was lacking...
A glimpse into my life...
The sound of my daily alarm, Swooning over and crashing beneath my ear. Killing all aspects of my motivation for the Rest of time. These are how my days go. My alarm continues to play, All throughout the day. Underneath all the dirt, Somewhere beneath my barely made bed, Is the missing pair of my shoes for school. I walk for what feels like miles and miles To glide across the soft dirt and rubble. There is no class anymore. There is no classroom anymore. Just in my hand a piece of paper and a pencil, A mind full of ideas, and a body numb to the shock. There are too many ideas in my mind, none...
You are not alone
Why did that happen? Was it my fault? Maybe he didn’t hear me when I asked him to stop? Was that normal? If it was normal why do I feel scared? All of these questions flooded my 14 year old mind after it happened. I’m 23 now and as I reflect on my experiences with men over the years, all of the hurt and the trauma I know it stems from this point. I also know that I'm not alone, there are so many women walking around with the weight of the experiences they have had following them as they go through life. I feel I have neglected to fully realise the extent of the inequality and mistreatment of...
Poems for Peace
Say no to guns
Why ??? Why should I die Tears running down my chin Looked up to see you with an evil grin Why Why do you do this Put the gun down Do more with your hands Instead of killing Pick someone up when they have fallen Hands aren't meant to harm they are meant to help
Stand up and speak out to #ENDviolence
Corruption is a super power?
What is corruption? Is it mass destruction of monumental instruction? Maybe it’s the path our fore fathers paved for us so we could be resurrected. Resurrection lies in the hands in which we have elected. Election, a funny word it may seem. Who is actually in control, is it you or me? We the people they say. We have the power they say. Your destiny is yours they say. Yet we live in a world where every man lives for themselves. Our life span is determined by the choices we left on the shelves. Depression, recessions, and yet still no acceptance. This is our generation. They act like they hate...
My Peace Message
The purpose of mankind today should be to inspire children and youths to become valuable advocates for tolerance and peace via education, talks and sensitization campaigns. “We are here because we know that literacy is the key to unlocking the cage of human misery; the key to delivering the potential of every human being; the key to opening up a future of freedom and hope. We are here to open a decade that must translate that hope into reality.” Kofi Annan. Today's modern world is becoming smaller, integrated and technologically more advanced. It is also becoming fragmented, less peaceful and...
Yearning for a world with peace
Have you ever imagined a world full of happiness, laughter, love, and getting along with everyone in the world? These are the thoughts that come to my mind when I think of peace and how the world can be full of hope. Right now, there is a lot that is going on in every corner of the world. The ongoing pandemic, racism, bullying, being harassed for wanting to accept yourself the way you are, climate change that is leading to natural disasters including earthquakes, floods, droughts etc. I like to look back at a certain year that I feel was a really good one and reminisce on the good memories...
How does violence affect us ?
Hello, my name is Asia. A small girl in a big world. I live in little Haiti where I witness all the crime that goes on. Living here, it’s scary not being able to walk down the street without seeing some sort of violence. It’s March and during this time the violence increases. From the wild young adults at beach parties, to the shootings in clubs, and fights that go on in the streets. That’s all I’ve been seeing. I wish that one day this will all change. Imagine living in a world with no violence. Yeah I know, seems peaceful right? If only, this thought in my head wasn’t an imagination I’d be...
Islamophobia and terrorism
What's the definition of terrorism? It's to achieve a political objective through the use of violence and fear. Terrorists are just nasty, evil, disgusting human beings who disrespect human life. All around the world some people think that all Muslims are terrorists and some think that Islam is the religion that teaches terrorism. We are facing a big phobia and that is Islamophobia. Us Muslims are actually not all terrorists and Islam does not teach us to kill people.
We need change
On 14 February 2018, the day of love, there was a school shooting. On the day that's supposed to be filled with joy there were kids our age hiding under desks watching their teacher being gunned down and watching their classmates souls leave their bodies. This can happen to any school if our gun policies don't change. These gun policies have given many people opportunities to carry a weapon. They can carry it in their car, state parks, and even in restaurants. We are giving people too much power with these weapons. Who knows if a weapon can end up in the wrong hands. That person can go to a...