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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?
You are not welcome
Young people and mental health in a changing world: WMH Day message (2018)
This is a re-published post, originally published in 2018.
What happened with Fitri?
| Jakarta, Indonesia 1st April 2016 at 11p.m | The scenery looked normal when my mom, my sister, and I left the mall. People pass by carrying groceries happily. But it immediately changed, because there is a spot that looks different which attracted our attention. A little girl sitting on the sidewalk in front of the mall was counting money in her hand. We approached her and asked what she was doing there. She said, "I'm counting my money from work all day," and we asked, "What is your job?" Then she replied, "Buskers". I was stunned to hear her answer. Her name is Fitri, a 7-year-old...
The deadly spread of the Anti-Vaccination Movement
In the dawn of the 21st century, the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) declared that measles had been eliminated from the United States. This meant that there were no cases of measles transmitted by patients within the US. All measles cases were “imported” from infected non-US patients. This was amazing news made possible by the 97% effective MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine. It was a triumphant medical achievement and a true testament to the power of science and research. This was 19 years ago. This year, the CDC announced 695 reported cases from measles in April 2019...
What power means
"The word power can be interpreted with both positive and negative meanings. I started creating my works by exploring the exact definition, which means to be able, and whether or not I agreed with it. Living in a reality that presents both aspects to this term, the interpretation of this word is limitless, which is also the reason behind many current conflicts. The term attracted me because of my personal interests with the problems present in the status quo, and how they essentially lead back to the same place: a race for power. But I believe that in order to really understand the term, one...
UNV and UNICEF Youth Advocates Programme
What we want from our leaders
The Easter bombings: Breaking the cycle of violence
You wouldn’t believe how light a bomb feels in the cradle of your own arms. I remember the warm yellow sand of Batticaloa beaches, pillowy grains sifting between the grooves of my size two feet. Seaweed lined the shore in slimy patches that we tiptoed around, searching for shells hidden among the green carpet. A brisk wind bounced along the rolling tide, and yet all we could feel were the steady waves of the sun beating down on our backs. With a toothy grin and an oversized cap perched on my head, I posed for a photo, brandishing in my arms a landmine the size of my head. That day, we...
I had a conversation with your heart
I had a conversation with your heart Beautiful and strong it looked, I went closer and saw that it was bruised all over. I knew it was a strong fighter, fighting in spite of injury But I couldn't see happiness in spite of everyday victory I asked it why it wasn't smiling "Because dissatisfaction is overpowering I am a slave to my master, he thrashes me, he's a bit colder He is ungracious for my presence And looks for happiness in the world's leftover Failing every time, he blames me yet another time, takes no pride in his inner exposure." "How can someone give hate to such a beautiful thing!"...
Can we start the change?
"Refugees are still people"
Omar Osman does not like to brag. After living in a Kenyan refugee camp for 19 years, he came to the United States to attend Central Washington University in 2015. After just a year, he ran for class president--and won. “Students at my school were shocked that I, a refugee, could become class president.” But according to Omar, what “I did was not that extraordinary.” Omar, though, is not giving himself the credit he deserves. Indeed, what he has done, despite the barriers and challenges he has faced, is truly remarkable. Although he received only sporadic formal education as a child, for...
The story of a lynching: A wake up call to protect tribal rights in India
In February 2018, Madhu, an Adivasi tribal youth from the South Indian state of Kerala, was brutally attacked and lynched by a mob that accused him of stealing rice. The assailants then clicked photographs with the injured man whose hands were tied up, after which he was beaten to death. In light of this incident, the Kerala High Court initiated suo moto proceedings. The report of the amicus curiae paints a grim and contrasting picture in a state that boasts of the highest literacy rate and produces exceptional human development figures. It highlights the inherent defects in the channelization...
A Special Right
I am trying to look for something… Do you know where I can find it? Will I find it in a huge school building? Or in a big brick house? If you know, then please help me out, for I have searched all around! Can I find it in books to study? Or in fancy clothes to wear? Oh, it leaves me in so much despair! I’ll beat the drums in my little slum… …and all my friends will come running… …to find what it is, that we have been missing! I will look for it in my small school building, and in my warm and tiny hut. I will look for it in the scrap of paper and in the broken pen, which will write my future… I...
Better sitting posture, better future: Part 1
I am a student from Fudan University, China. When I was sixteen years old, a friend of mine had serious back pain due to being sedentary and holding harmful postures, and eventually he stayed at home for half a year, which not only delayed his studies, but also prevented him from participating in strenuous activities. Many other students and I also thought that the school seats were contributing to this and inappropriate, so in 2017, some of my classmates and I formed an interest group to study the student seat problem and to propose solutions. This blog wants to warn people to pay attention...
Mind
My mind…works like a cave Dark, mildew with ancient treasures marked across the Musky slippery floors. The rumble in my head almost as hollow As the wind that passes through the Tunnels, unmarked by men. Sometimes the wind could chatter and echo through And the voices could grow louder. As darkness engulfs Little creatures scamper away They’ve made a home in there... My mind With statues of a past life With stories left behind as memories With decay, and stones crumpling from age. My mind As the words to this Slowly diminish to a silent buzz As I live through the day.