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5 Things to Consider Before Falling For an Activist Girl
It is hard to be an activist in a world where everybody expects a girl to be soft and cute at all times. And I can tell because I have been bullied my entire childhood and during my teenage years. I was called “bossy” most of the times, or worse, “boyish girl”. Today, as a grown up, the situation isn't much different. It wasn’t easy for me to put up with all the pressure. But I did. I knew what I had was bigger than their words and the names they were calling me. Frankly, what they thought is going to break me, broke them, and made me stronger. One year ago, I read an article with the title...
The 1.8 Billion Guardians of Earth
While some people deny climate change, our planet is under threat
My Dad Is The Most Inspirational Man In My World
How many times have you ever thought of this question: “Who inspires you?” I know it might seem easy. But trust me, it is not. Especially when your answer should be clear and honest, identifying the person who has impacted your past and will continue to impact your future. I have spent a week already brainstorming who might be that person. I don’t want to give a random answer. I identified several criteria for what makes a person influential. I looked up the characteristics of influential people. According to all the articles I read my person should hold these traits: 1- He must be a leader of...
For the women who fought lions
and if not for yourself, do it for the women that broke the shackles to see you run free into the rose bush and become one. the women that carry the legacy on their backs. of strength and complete dedication to see your little heart beat freely without hesitation. they held back to watch you run free. and broke themselves into pieces to see you become whole. if not for yourself, then for the magicians who from plain air spun you. a block of pure gold. go on and run free, my dear. for they did not do the extraordinary to see you become just mediocre.
How to deafen the psychotropic negativity
As a bullied child, people were used to calling me by different names: "ugly", "chubby boy", "useless". I had never paid much attention to these different comments. After all, everyone has the right to share their own thoughts. Since the wind was carrying these words away, I kept ignoring them and growing up accepting to face this obnoxious reality. I remembered it being kind of hard, sometimes, to believe that these judgements were only dust in the air, not facts. My classmates were seeing me standing, always smiling, but they could not distinguish what was hidden behind this facade, given...
Stay gentle, everyone is at war
Society- something that bonds us as well as breaks us...because each and every moment we think about what others think, how they will respond to us. Is it right to stand up for our rights? Why are we afraid to stand up? Why is it so difficult to express our thoughts when they can kill us from inside? Why is this world judging you by who you are? Is it bad to be different? Is this world so cruel that it can't give any equal status to a person? I know, so many questions... For a person who has gone through a lot can't society just accept and respect her/him... That person has the right to stand...
Facing Challenges
Every day we face challenges. Some of them are bigger than others, like getting out of bed compared to having one of the most important exams of the semester. It may even be doing that essay you have been procrastinating on doing. The thing about challenges is that they are not easy to face. Nevertheless, that doesn’t mean that they can´t be confronted. Yes, it will be hard, but it will also be worth it. We usually think only on the cons and we create excuses, instead of focusing on what would we gain afterwards. We may also believe that we are not capable of confronting the challenge, that we...
16 child petitioners filed a landmark complaint demanding urgent climate action
We all are beautiful
I live in the most advanced city of Pakistan, Lahore. A city famous for its advancements and traditions at the same time. It was a city of great minds and cultures and I very much grew up in the middle of this city, playing with clouds in the sky and building up my imaginary stories all the time. I was always a child with lots of curiosities and queries, as most kids are finding every little thing intriguing and questioning. I was always lurking around to look for things I had never seen. I was known to be a kid with energy of a small puppy, who was never tired of exploring and sniffing. I...
What My Trip to Jordan Taught Me About My Voice
On the 14th of December, 2015 I left my home in Syria to start a special journey on Global Citizenship Education (GCED) and peacebuilding. However, because I have a Syrian passport, I had to go through many difficulties and interrogations before arriving in Jordan. Still, it was worth it. Back in the days, we didn’t need any security clearance nor a visa to enter our neighboring country. However, today, things are different. Finally, I arrived there. I entered the room and there I found 41 powerful advocates from 23 different countries. I stood there for a moment and my heart was pumping. The...
Broken society
The society which you live in is the same society you lack courage in. The people who are by your side always hide, just not be seen by those who backbite behind you. Is it shy, pride? I don't know. And the moment they realize you're progressing, succeeding, they'll start to develop fashion in your dressing. Not knowing all that you've went through has always been so stressing. The society in your community. When you start to cry, no one will stop by not even to try to wipe your tears until it's dried. And then you'll be asked "Were you crying?" Let your answer be "No I wasn't, I was just...
Back to the (ecological) future
Salam: A Global Citizen and a Motivated Supporter
My name is Salam and I am from Syria. Probably not many know where Syria is on the map. However, my aim is not to further explain you the geographical location of my country. My aim is to let those who never heard the word “Syria”, as well as those who heard it already, know how Syrian youth can be a great added value no matter where they are. The exact translation of my name in English is “Peace”. I start to realize how lucky I am to have such a powerful name, especially at a time when the meaning itself is lost in a big dark sea filled with war and inequity. When I turned 18, crises hit. And...
We are India's daughters
“On campus, boys used to creep up behind us when we weren’t looking, and undo our bra clasps for kicks. In the bus, we couldn’t tell where our bodies stopped and where their hands began.” My whole life, I feel as though I’ve heard a constant commentary on the rapidly approaching change on our horizon. How the horrors of past centuries are behind us. How things are going to get better. “My friend was assaulted by one of our teachers. She never reported it though. She was terrified that her parents would pull her out of college.” My mother, reflecting on her former college life in Delhi, is...
Why The Amazon Matters
Around fifteen million years ago, the South American and Nazca tectonic plates converged into each other due to the weight of the ocean on the Nazca plate. The collision of the two plates caused the creation of the Andes Mountain Range, sitting on the edge of the Chilean border with the Pacific Ocean. The rising of the land there and the linkage of the Brazilian and Guyanese land caused the Amazon River (which had been flowing towards the west at the time) to become a broad, inland sea. With time, this large body of water became a vast freshwater lake. This meant that the marine life had to...
What are you doing with your life?
Well, to answer that question, it's 11:30 pm and I have an exam tomorrow. And even though I wrote the title, just typing it brought chills to my body. But my goal with this little corner of mine is to clear up the misconceptions. To help those who just like me, who are still little pot plants waiting to bloom into big oak trees. Hi, I’m Kamogelo and I am a compulsive planner (hi Kamogelo), and it's probably my most toxic and self-destructive trait. But only because I don’t use it for the right reasons or “correctly”, for lack of a better word. I have made pages on pages, documents on documents...
We are digging our own grave
It is renown news that climate change is affecting the environment and all the ecosystems our planet thrives upon. However, many fail to see how direct the impact is on our own kind, blinded by their daily activities considering themselves “too busy” to pay attention and take time to understand what is happening. I am here to show you why this will be fatal in the long run, especially if it is world leaders that need to take action. Ever since mankind has existed, it has depended on its surroundings. Hunting, fishing, farming and nature have been the fundamental source to the sink that is our...