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Our planet is on fire - what are you doing about it?
A vouch for climate justice
For about two years, I had been a volunteer for the Liberian Climate Justice Ambassadors Program-Plant For The Planet. As a volunteer, I along with other volunteers planted trees and carried out awareness relating to climate change and its impact on our community. We were informed about how humans’ activities and technological advancements are leading to climate change and global warming. In addition to my volunteer experience, I read several articles that are concentrated on issues related to climate change and how it causes global warming. Like the Roman politician, Julius Caesar once said,...
The haunting in the oceans
DevOcean
Plastic and the suffering of the earth
Just like several modern products and technology, plastic has negative effects. The negative effects of plastic can be hard to observe and may not appear to affect us directly, but plastic damages our planet and health. Globally, the world produces more than 400 million tons of plastic every year and the vast majority of plastic products are not recyclable. United Nations published a report estimating that 79% of plastic waste is thrown in landfills, dumps or the environment, while about 12% is incinerated and only 9% recycled. In fact, 32% of packaging waste-which is estimated a 141 million...
How so much plastic ends up in the ocean
There are five great garbage patches which have been growing due to approximately 8 million tons of plastic being dumped in the ocean every single year. In this article I will be talking about how so much plastic ends up in our oceans, and some of the ways in which we can help. Everyone, or at least the majority of people, has heard of the consequences that plastic pollution has on our enviroment, and directly on our health. Animals dying because of too much plastic clogging their organs, sea birds suffocating, turtles and whales ingesting plastic bags have made breaking news in the past years...
The future of legal education lies in our hands
When I visualise the status quo, I see a legal education system that holds a world of possibilities waiting to be explored. As I sit and listen intently to my professor lecturing us on the fundamental rights enshrined under Part III of our Constitution, my mind wanders. I cannot help but think about countless students just like me, who have never come across these rights; students who do not have the privilege to have an education of their choice. I believe that the problems that face our legal education system today, can be classified into ‘urban’ and ‘non-urban’ problems. When late Professor...
Preparing for college as a first generation student
Heading off to college is an exciting adventure, and the more prepared you are for college, the easier that transition to school will be. If it’s your first time going to college or you’re the first in your family to go to college, you may not know what to expect. Sometimes this can impact your success in school. Data by the National Center for Education Statistics indicates that first-generation students have a tendency to graduate at lower rates than their peers with parents who earned a four-year college degree. Experts agree that the reasons for this are twofold: social and economic. "Many...
Facing the inevitable
Climate change is without a doubt a major concern across the globe. Various communities and leaders are finally beginning to come together and address the issue. But to produce solutions quickly, we must work as one global community and put aside our differences to preserve the only place we can call home. The depletion of our marine life, release of greenhouse gasses, and deforestation are some of the challenges we continue to face to this day. Although we have taken measures to reduce the impact our choices have on our environment, what more can we do to ensure that we provide generations to...
The magical moment
What is a mother? A mother is someone who gives birth to us, loves us, nurtures us, takes care of us, protects us, and brings us up in the most patient and gentle way possible. Someone who makes sacrifices for us her whole life. No matter how the child may be, for a mother, they are the best child in the entire world and the twinkle of her eye. A woman does not only care for the child after they are born, but since the time that they start to grow inside her womb. Women have been blessed with a super power to give birth to a new life; their emotional and physical strength is incomparable to...
I use spoken word to give voice to the voiceless
Back to School with UNICEF
Do you like staying active? Do you enjoy making an impact? In the spirit of back-to-school, UNICEF Kid Power is a timely and year-round campaign from UNICEF that combines both into a single campaign. Below are some common questions that can help you get started, even if you're sitting in a classroom or stuck at home on a rainy day. Q: So what is UNICEF Kid Power? A: Formerly known as TeachUNICEF, UNICEF Kid Power is a highly accessible, super inclusive campaign that anyone can plug into for the fantastic price of free! Using short videos known as "Kid Power Ups", teachers and parents can guide...
Youth empowerment for a better society
Young people are the backbone of a society. Their participation in all aspects of society is very important. Unfortunately, we see many Iraqi youth being deprived of this. They have no or limited roles in decision-making processes or leadership programs at the local and national level. Isolating young people, intentionally or unintentionally, especially in rural plantation areas, can contribute to drug abuse, illegal and criminal actions, depression, migration and so on. This is happening while youth are the potential group of actors for structuring the future of Iraq. Based on a report...
Silent message!
Islands are sinking. The Amazon forest is burning. Health is turning into disease. People are raising their "standards", but where is nature going? Towards destruction! Why are we still silent? We need to stop using words and start showing our deeds. It's time to show gratitude towards nature, who gives us so much and in return we are harming them! A silent message to all people: Plant more and more trees. Show a little act of kindness by not killing living lives for no reason. Save them save earth. Save yourself. The world is a better place to live if we stop using plastic shopping bags and...
Before it's too late: Ubud tourism
In recent years, Ubud, the cultural hub of Bali has been flooded with foreigners looking to find themselves or perhaps just visiting for the day. Ubud used to be known as the place of art, scenery, and culture. Today, it is more known to be a place for yoga, vegans and Instagram bucket-list hotspots. Thanks to the popularity of the Hollywood movie Eat, Pray, Love and social media. Somehow it has been flooded with young travelers staying in hostels and walking around with their Bintang beers. Monkey Forest road and Pengosekan resemble streets of Kuta, having bars, cafes, and shops with brightly...
Part 3: Thinking of peace and cruelty
(This is a continuation of the Mennonite identity series) I think often about the incredible lives my grandparents had to live. I can see my features in my moms. I have a sense that faith will not leave me, even if I am the only one left. If there's one thing I would share, it's that you can be a mixture of a lot of people. My mom and I certainly are. Sometimes I feel like I'm just a pile of the broken parts, the shards of whole people. But it doesn't mean you left them. Or that they left you. Mixed paint is incredibly beautiful. That's what my mom showed me. Also I would say that Mennonitism...
Voice of the Voiceless
It is not about being louder, it is about being bolder. We all wished to change the world when we were younger. We screamed it loud in our heads. We wanted to change poverty, we wanted to change violence and inequalities. However, very few committed to the voice inside their heads and pledged a change boldly. “When I was 6 years old, everybody wanted to treat me like a little princess, showering me with love and tenderness. Meanwhile, my brother was being prepared to be tough, to handle life and to lead,” sounds like every girl’s words. I hear this all the day, all the times. My life was a...
"He for She" from Syria
“I have a younger sister. It would be ridiculous if I don’t support her and other women to reach their full potentials” Eyad Al-Khayat a Syrian “He for She” example and a young - 22-year-old - entrepreneur aspiring to make a notable impact in his community. For Eyad, like many other guys in Syria, his options were limited as the Syrian crisis emerged in 2011. He finished his high school and aspired a bright future. Things didn’t go as perfectly as he imagined them to go. Eyad said that his childhood was not different from the childhood of other kids. However, he had to determine his future...
As youths lets be the change we want to see
The fourth industrial revolution is unfolding before our eyes, forever changing the way we connect and interact in this hyper information era. At the same time, we are living in a world faced with huge social challenges for young people. As per the Human Development Report 2019, the world reached a historic milestone with 7.7 billion people, 1.8 billion of which are youth aged 10 to 24. Of this young population, 90 percent live in developing countries. This generation, the most interconnected generation ever, continues to grow rapidly, and the challenges they face are ever more daunting I am...