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Nothing Changed
Almost a year ago I wrote the words: ‘If people simply took the time to learn, care, and talk to those who are different to themselves, no one would ever have to feel alienated, no matter where you’re from, or who you are’. Now almost a year later I sit here thinking, nothing has changed. Sadly, I never held the expectation that things would change, because why should it? Why should anyone care about the words of a random person? But people should have cared, they should have cared long before I wrote those words and they should care now and into the future, because what I said has never been...
A step towards an equal world for all
"When the world is silent, even one voice becomes powerful " - Malala. Dear young people, My name is Elyes, I am 14 and I have lived in Switzerland since I was a child. Fighting for my rights and equality has always been an important part of my life, and now I've learned, it is a battle that I‘ll never stop focusing on. We are living in a world where no one can live without being judged or being subjected to stereotypes. We stick a label on you that can be very hard to take off. One of the reasons I am contributing my voice as a young person today, is to show that nobody and truly nobody...
Global Culture
In this world, with 195 countries and over 7 billion people populating these places, we cannot imagine how many cultures exist. The art, literature, language, and religion of a community represent its culture. Our moral values represent our culture. Be it any country, a culture will shape the identity of a person, make them remember their past, think about the future, and to some extent, integrate with other cultures as well. So, by now we know why culture is that important to become a topic. We interact with different people everyday, belonging to some religion, speaking a different language...
Teenage activism and the superpower of words
I have spent a great portion of my life trying to harness the power of words in many different ways. For one, I am a writer, something I decided I wanted to be when I first saw someone cry reading a story I wrote. I realized then that words foster empathy, and that, when used wisely, they can bring us closer together. I am also bilingual, so I am constantly switching between English and my native Spanish to convey my thoughts using just the right words. And finally, as of late, there is another way in which words have been important to me, since people have started to call me a teenage...
What is Ideal Beauty?
When strolling through the market, undoubtedly, you’ll notice the heralded fashion publications placed on a magazine rack. These laminated treasures, often labeled with double entendre headlines, are sure to capture your attention and lure you in. In these blinding prints, you’ll find waifish models in eccentric sartorial choices, celebrity campaigns, and tips on how to best flatter the opposite sex. While the fashion world, especially its dominant print publications, is no stranger to inquiries about self-dissatisfaction, body image, and gender norms, there is currently room for the...
How The Coronavirus is Impacting Generation Z
When you hear about Generation Z, it’s always from the perspective that they’re “digital natives” and they “grew up with the internet at their fingertips.” But there’s a lot more to be said about this promising young group of individuals than the simple fact that they were the first generation born into a technological era. They’re also living, breathing human beings. They have emotions. Many are in the midst of sorting through their college careers. The first wave of older Gen Zers are even busy entering the workforce ...all in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. How the Coronavirus is...
The opinion of the young
Young people are the ones that will take the responsibility of guiding the world into a new one. There are a lot of things to change, and these changes will be done by their generation. Young people should start deciding certain things that will affect them in the future. This is why they should start making decisions and helping adults with their perspective, they do this in certain places, such as, in the UN. But, in a lot of other places they are not able to help and give their opinion. In my opinion, we, the young, should have certain rights for taking decisions. And that is what I am...
COVID-19: global reform and individual impact
The COVID-19 pandemic is a global challenge and every level of societal participation is encouraged to bear great responsibility and practice the duty of care principle in ensuring the health and overall well-being of others. The COVID-19 pandemic has in some way thought us about life's values - the truly important things. All accumulated material glories seem not to matter much as the pandemic is proof of our vulnerability and a mockery of our false thoughts that we can control all our moves. It has made a joke of our belief in the extensive laws of feasibility and viability studies to make...
Welcome to the new Voices of Youth
Dance It Out
Dance is one of the most powerful forms of expression, also serving as a mode of stress alleviation for many, including myself. I started dance, in the form of Mohiniyattam, at the age of 9, under the guidance of my Guru, in Mumbai, India. Mohiniyattam, also spelled Mohiniattam, is one of the eight classical dances of India and it originates from Kerala. It gets its name from the word Mohini – a mythical enchantress avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu, and Attam which means Dance. Mohiniyattam's roots, like all classical Indian dances, are in the Natya Shastra, the ancient Hindu Sanskrit text on...
Quarantine and Kitchen Table
Past sunrise continental breakfast greets marmite and cheese with begging dog each morning by this table Procrastination, chocolate bar I should have done more, I know I am able noon and guilt arrive with table cloth cheese and Marmite tea in glass domestic conversation me, trying to act stable The sun is tired and goes to rest I go to deck the table knife and fork, vork en mes silver pan, soup ladle the day is done, just like that wake tomorrow, repeat this staple
In a crowd of thousands
"In a crowd of thousands" is a line of a song I heard in a musical I recently saw. It made me think just that. I am just one human of the thousands that have recently graduated and are unable to find a job. I certainly did not expect to be in this position back in December, when I graduated a top university with top scores. Young with a lot of dreams, it's a common thing to receive a rude awakening. Suddenly, you are not in school and you cannot control your success like you could control your grades. Suddenly it's all about connections, your own personal branding, and a whole lot of luck...
Who you are
What scares me the most is ourselves— how we treat one another, how we perceive one another, and how we go about this world living as if we are truly different from one another. Many years ago, I found a quote on the cover of a prayer book— the entire world is a narrow bridge. Throughout my life, I have toiled to find meaning in these words, but to no avail. These simple seven words held such complexity that their significance remained elusive, compelling me into a state of frustration. It was only months ago that I discovered there is a second half to that quote— the essential thing is not to...
Child marriage cuts dreams short – the role of education as a game changer
With education comes empowerment. Education changes minds and lives. "My mum often told me to study or else, I’d end up like her. I never really took these things seriously but now as I read about child marriages, I realise what she meant". Child marriage doesn’t just put an end to a girl’s hopes and dreams, it also hampers the efforts taken to end poverty and achieve economic growth and equality. Girls are powerful agents of the socio-economic change. Early marriage creates barriers and transforms the child’s life from playing and studying to dealing with unwanted social responsibilities. The...
bookmark
I have not read a single Harry Potter book in my life. Tried a few times, but turns out - it just isn't my thing. Last Christmas, my aunt bought me the first Harry Potter book. Today, I sat on the sofa and flipped through the book. I realised that I didn't have a bookmark. Whenever I sit to read a book, I always always have a bookmark. Folding the top right corner of the page just is something I don't believe in ! It's like destroying the aesthetic of a book page by page. Well, I ended up drawing a colorful mandala on a plain bookmark. Situations like these - they tell you what is and is not...
Pandora
She hastened to close the “box” but alas the whole content had already escaped but for one thing, which lay at the bottom of the jar.....Hope! While the box served as a prison for the evils that escaped, it thereafter serves as a dwelling for Hope. The moral of Pandora's Box is that unchecked curiosity and disobedience can be dangerous, but hope remains. The image is of a painting called HOPE by George Frederick Watts illustrates a lone blindfolded female sitting on the world, playing a lyre that has only a single string remaining. There is always HOPE in the end dear friends! Be Positive! Be...
5 effective guidelines I am following to keep my remote team connected
For many of us, working remotely along our teams seem to be challenging due to the decrease of physical interactions, availabilities, and mental health issues. However, we must acknowledge that working from home is an opportunity to develop multiple strategies that would strengthen relationships and reinforce the work. It must be stressful to manage an effective communication between your team members and keep them connected. Many may lose motivation, some may be unavailable or overworked. How can I cope with that? Here are 5 guidelines that I am following along my team to stay connected and...
The earth will take a deep breath again
Isolation knocked at our doorsteps, silently letting the chaos take away our loved ones, in a cold whisper that we never heard Time seemed to reach a full stop, after an eternity of chasing after us We stalked those moments that had passed by our helpless eyes and my hungry mind fed on the fear- That now creeps in The fear that this remoteness may envelope me, in a dark blanket And dim our bright eyes of the earth’s beauty In the ethereal paintings made by the sky, and the moonlight illuminating the streets And not to forget, the desolate and ugly that hides in corners within a planet that...