http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/11/13/sbm.lemkin.profile/index.html?iref=mpstoryview
'Raphael Lemkin asked, "Why is the killing of a million a lesser crime than the killing of a single individual?" '
Monday, December 8, 2008
Sunday, December 7, 2008
At what point do you stop your silence?
At what point does one stop and take a stand against something that just doesn't sit right with them? You might glare at a parent shushing their children, but would you stand up and say, "You can't speak to your child that way?" Probably not. Would you stop a fight between two people on the street? Doubtful, assuming you didn't know them. How about when you hear about a bombing somewhere? Do we stand up to attention? people say, not anymore, but I am hard-pressed to remember a time when reading of daily bomb blasts in various parts of the world were cause for serious alarm by many people outside the immediate geography of the blast. Shit, most decades of the 1900s have experienced some form of genocide and most people remain complacent, responding the now expected, "Oh the situation in Kosovo, tragic...Afganistan, terrible those innocent people...Tibetans are just so oppressed...its not our prooblem...oh there is just so much fighting in the poverty-stricken Darfur...such tragedy in Mumbai and all that fighting with the Hindus and Muslims...what's happening in Congo again?"
I like to think that we humans are more than the mere brutes Freud deemed our race. I like to think that we care for our fellow human beings, that on some level we see a fraction of ourselves in others (isn't that what stops us from inflicting our will on others at our whim?) But the massive spouts of violence that speckle every newspaper page, for as long as I can remember, make me question my instincts that we are basically good, and above the brutes as Freud views us. How have we, as a people in the world, sat by in unmotivated silence as we safely in our homes reading of the massive killings happening in Sudan daily? How can a government have done so little to ameliorate a genocide happening under our watch?
How can we sit by and do nothing to stop the shocking amount of rapists literally pillaging their way across Congo? Thousands upon thousands of women are raped, and what have we done to speak out against such base violence?
They, unfortunately, are but two incidents out of thousands, of extreme violence in every sense of the word, and we, as members of the human race, are complicit in these acts. We have done nothing, at any meaningful scale, to speak out against these atrocious acts. We have done nothing to educate people. We have found no way to convey the humanity being ripped from people in other parts of the world. We have not connected with others experiencing tragedy in modes most people could never comprehend. And we, as humans, are suffering because of it.
These examples are symptomatic of deep-seeded violence and hatred. Certainly these feeling have existed throughout human history, probably in some degree in most cultures. But in this global world in which we live, how can any excuse of not knowing and not having some mode of communication be acceptable?
We must learn that acts of violence are not just acts against an individual, or even a group. They are acts against us all. His Holiness the Dalai Lama describes the world as an atom. Several have philosophized about similar ideas. But when do we really take notice? When there is an act of violence against a member of our religion? Our neighbors? Our country? Or gender? Our sexual orientation? Just start drawing lines around yourself, and you will find us on a slippery path further away from our abilities to connect with others in the human race.
Grab onto something and see its ability to connect you to others. Realize you have the ability to be a part of groups beyond typical associations. A violent act against a woman is most certainly a violation against her, her person, and her dignity. It is also an act of violence against women in her vicinity, her regional geography, and against all women. once we magnify the ramifications of violent acts, we ultimately realize these are acts against all humans.
It isn't easy to change the world. But there are examples throughout history that shows it can be done. One man changed civil rights in racist America through civil disobedience. Another became a hero in fractioned India. One women wrote the manifesto of women's rights. And such is our history.
As one old sage put it, "first do no harm," and as another one recently wrote, " Imagine if this maxim could be observed just a fraction of the time by a tiny segment of humanity, how much suffering might be avoided."
I like to think that we humans are more than the mere brutes Freud deemed our race. I like to think that we care for our fellow human beings, that on some level we see a fraction of ourselves in others (isn't that what stops us from inflicting our will on others at our whim?) But the massive spouts of violence that speckle every newspaper page, for as long as I can remember, make me question my instincts that we are basically good, and above the brutes as Freud views us. How have we, as a people in the world, sat by in unmotivated silence as we safely in our homes reading of the massive killings happening in Sudan daily? How can a government have done so little to ameliorate a genocide happening under our watch?
How can we sit by and do nothing to stop the shocking amount of rapists literally pillaging their way across Congo? Thousands upon thousands of women are raped, and what have we done to speak out against such base violence?
They, unfortunately, are but two incidents out of thousands, of extreme violence in every sense of the word, and we, as members of the human race, are complicit in these acts. We have done nothing, at any meaningful scale, to speak out against these atrocious acts. We have done nothing to educate people. We have found no way to convey the humanity being ripped from people in other parts of the world. We have not connected with others experiencing tragedy in modes most people could never comprehend. And we, as humans, are suffering because of it.
These examples are symptomatic of deep-seeded violence and hatred. Certainly these feeling have existed throughout human history, probably in some degree in most cultures. But in this global world in which we live, how can any excuse of not knowing and not having some mode of communication be acceptable?
We must learn that acts of violence are not just acts against an individual, or even a group. They are acts against us all. His Holiness the Dalai Lama describes the world as an atom. Several have philosophized about similar ideas. But when do we really take notice? When there is an act of violence against a member of our religion? Our neighbors? Our country? Or gender? Our sexual orientation? Just start drawing lines around yourself, and you will find us on a slippery path further away from our abilities to connect with others in the human race.
Grab onto something and see its ability to connect you to others. Realize you have the ability to be a part of groups beyond typical associations. A violent act against a woman is most certainly a violation against her, her person, and her dignity. It is also an act of violence against women in her vicinity, her regional geography, and against all women. once we magnify the ramifications of violent acts, we ultimately realize these are acts against all humans.
It isn't easy to change the world. But there are examples throughout history that shows it can be done. One man changed civil rights in racist America through civil disobedience. Another became a hero in fractioned India. One women wrote the manifesto of women's rights. And such is our history.
As one old sage put it, "first do no harm," and as another one recently wrote, " Imagine if this maxim could be observed just a fraction of the time by a tiny segment of humanity, how much suffering might be avoided."
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Terrorism against Women
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/30/opinion/30kristof.html?ref=opinion
Op/Ed in the New York Times. Please read it, and be forewarned about some powerfully graphic images.
Women are second class, at best, citizens in many parts of the world, and are subject to extreme and severe bouts of violence regularly. It is imparative for people around the world to be aware of violence outside their personal geographies, as "no man is an island, entire on his own."
Op/Ed in the New York Times. Please read it, and be forewarned about some powerfully graphic images.
Women are second class, at best, citizens in many parts of the world, and are subject to extreme and severe bouts of violence regularly. It is imparative for people around the world to be aware of violence outside their personal geographies, as "no man is an island, entire on his own."
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Tragedy in India
I opened my computer and saw on the NY Times the
terrorist attacks in India. As someone who recently returned from the
country writing to one who has such a long and intimate relationship
with the country, my heart just broke. I know I read every day about
the tragic and consistent terror attacks in Afghanistan, but to see
something so close to home in flames...its like a constant repeat of
terror that seems to follow us around the world. From Israel to New
York to Spain to this horrible war in which we find America, terror
has seemed to crop up at junctures. I know we cannot live in fear, as
that is the goal of a terrorist, to take away people's rights to live
free, free from fear of random and pointless death. Like so many
countries in this world, India has its fair share of deep religious
discordance, and major schisms in understanding of one's fellow
countryman, and more importantly, fellow human being. I saw it daily
living in Israel, and I see it daily in New York, every time we pass a
homeless person on the street and choose not to do some form of help
toward one another.
The only answer is education. People learn what is taught to them.
Be it from wanton poverty, extreme religious beliefs, or bigotry, it
can only be passed on through lessons from other individuals. How
careful we must be when charged with the task of educating one
another! What an awesome responsibility we all carry. Is it possible
to make people see we are first humans, above all else? Hippocrates's
axiom should be held above all else, "first, do no harm."
terrorist attacks in India. As someone who recently returned from the
country writing to one who has such a long and intimate relationship
with the country, my heart just broke. I know I read every day about
the tragic and consistent terror attacks in Afghanistan, but to see
something so close to home in flames...its like a constant repeat of
terror that seems to follow us around the world. From Israel to New
York to Spain to this horrible war in which we find America, terror
has seemed to crop up at junctures. I know we cannot live in fear, as
that is the goal of a terrorist, to take away people's rights to live
free, free from fear of random and pointless death. Like so many
countries in this world, India has its fair share of deep religious
discordance, and major schisms in understanding of one's fellow
countryman, and more importantly, fellow human being. I saw it daily
living in Israel, and I see it daily in New York, every time we pass a
homeless person on the street and choose not to do some form of help
toward one another.
The only answer is education. People learn what is taught to them.
Be it from wanton poverty, extreme religious beliefs, or bigotry, it
can only be passed on through lessons from other individuals. How
careful we must be when charged with the task of educating one
another! What an awesome responsibility we all carry. Is it possible
to make people see we are first humans, above all else? Hippocrates's
axiom should be held above all else, "first, do no harm."
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Political Leaders
It is important to me that we have a leader to whom we can look up, of whom we respect, and of whom the world respects. I do not believe we have that in President Bush. I believe he and Dick Cheney have led this country in a downward spiral in everything from civil rights to unnecessary wars to economic downturns to an all-pervasive culture of fear that permeates all Americans' lives, regardless of our geographic location. I am truly embarrassed to be an American at this time. I am embarrassed that we do not demand excellence out of our leaders, that they are the laughing stock and punchlines to a great many people both in America and the rest of the world, that books and books have been written about what a joke the current president is. He has a disapproval rating that hovers around 70%, something that has been increasing steadily the past several months. We are a country of the world's best universities, a great history of political philosophy, a place of great economic achievement, a place with the largest immigration rates in the world, and we have produced a leader of true mediocrity. Our country has become ambivalent to the importance of electing a leader- and I find it highly embarrassing that more people vote for American Idol than in presidential elections (and that President Bush and the first lady were actually on the show last year).
For over 3,000 years democratic states have failed to demand excellence in leaders. This is no new idea- it is a common theme that runs throughout Plato's Republic (and was recently refitted into an article in Newsweek,
"Ask yourself: how has "elitism" become a bad word in American politics? There is simply no other walk of life in which extraordinary talent and rigorous training are denigrated. We want elite pilots to fly our planes, elite troops to undertake our most critical missions, elite athletes to represent us in competition and elite scientists to devote the most productive years of their lives to curing our diseases. And yet, when it comes time to vest people with even greater responsibilities, we consider it a virtue to shun any and all standards of excellence. When it comes to choosing the people whose thoughts and actions will decide the fates of millions, then we suddenly want someone just like us, someone fit to have a beer with, someone down-to-earth—in fact, almost anyone, provided that he or she doesn't seem too intelligent or well educated."
Sam Harris, Newsweek, September 2008
We need a leader we can look up to, one who is smart, and not afraid of intelligence. A person who can tell the American people what they need to hear, not some garbage cheap shot about soccer and hockey moms and gosh darnit, i just don't know. We need a leader who inspires great things out of his/her office, and inspires pride and hope out of Americans. I want a president who I respect, can look up to as a moral compass (regardless of religious ideology), give me hope about the true state of our union, be a vision of progress in all aspects of development, a person who is respected on the world scene. I don't know if either McCain or Obama embody all of those qualities, but I do not think McCain has his priorities on the good of all Americans. While he is heads better than Bush, I can no longer trust his judgment after nominating Sarah Palin as his VP (another discussion entirely). And I want you to recall this: I met John McCain a few years ago in a starbucks in NYC, and when I told you, you said, "Tell him to do more for Israel!" He does not inspire greatness, in my opinion. I think he makes cheap shots at Obama, speaks half-truths, has misplaced agendas, and after his recent choice as a running mate, lacks good judgment. Certainly this can apply to Obama as well, and any liberal or conservative news source will say what is best for their candidate. But we need to demand a level of excellence, achievement and greatness out of our leaders. We do, or else our country will continue to fall downward into a pit of political apathy. McCain inspires nothing out of Americans. Obama inspires some degree of hope and positive change in the future.
De gustibus nom disbutandum est.
For over 3,000 years democratic states have failed to demand excellence in leaders. This is no new idea- it is a common theme that runs throughout Plato's Republic (and was recently refitted into an article in Newsweek,
"Ask yourself: how has "elitism" become a bad word in American politics? There is simply no other walk of life in which extraordinary talent and rigorous training are denigrated. We want elite pilots to fly our planes, elite troops to undertake our most critical missions, elite athletes to represent us in competition and elite scientists to devote the most productive years of their lives to curing our diseases. And yet, when it comes time to vest people with even greater responsibilities, we consider it a virtue to shun any and all standards of excellence. When it comes to choosing the people whose thoughts and actions will decide the fates of millions, then we suddenly want someone just like us, someone fit to have a beer with, someone down-to-earth—in fact, almost anyone, provided that he or she doesn't seem too intelligent or well educated."
Sam Harris, Newsweek, September 2008
We need a leader we can look up to, one who is smart, and not afraid of intelligence. A person who can tell the American people what they need to hear, not some garbage cheap shot about soccer and hockey moms and gosh darnit, i just don't know. We need a leader who inspires great things out of his/her office, and inspires pride and hope out of Americans. I want a president who I respect, can look up to as a moral compass (regardless of religious ideology), give me hope about the true state of our union, be a vision of progress in all aspects of development, a person who is respected on the world scene. I don't know if either McCain or Obama embody all of those qualities, but I do not think McCain has his priorities on the good of all Americans. While he is heads better than Bush, I can no longer trust his judgment after nominating Sarah Palin as his VP (another discussion entirely). And I want you to recall this: I met John McCain a few years ago in a starbucks in NYC, and when I told you, you said, "Tell him to do more for Israel!" He does not inspire greatness, in my opinion. I think he makes cheap shots at Obama, speaks half-truths, has misplaced agendas, and after his recent choice as a running mate, lacks good judgment. Certainly this can apply to Obama as well, and any liberal or conservative news source will say what is best for their candidate. But we need to demand a level of excellence, achievement and greatness out of our leaders. We do, or else our country will continue to fall downward into a pit of political apathy. McCain inspires nothing out of Americans. Obama inspires some degree of hope and positive change in the future.
De gustibus nom disbutandum est.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
The importance of community
What defines community? What does it mean to work in the field of community development? Is a community defined by geographic boundaries? (no) Is a community defined by the beliefs of a group of people in an area? (maybe) Is a community defined by an enclave of some sort? (maybe some are) Are there characteristics we can use to describe 'community' that apply to both the Global North and the Global South- do descriptives exist that describe the communities in the center of Bangkok and the outskirts of Oakland, or the gated communities in Argentina?
I have lived in several different neighborhoods of New York City, but what exactly is the community of the West Village? Hell's Kitchen? The Upper West Side? Morningside Heights? These are geographies with which all New Yorkers, and many others, are familiar, but they encompass large areas, and have strayed quite far from the 'communities' and histories that gave these areas their namesake. Was I a part of the West Village 'community'? A part of the now so cool, nebulous community east of Seventh Avenue, not quite in the chicness of that maze of streets that bisect Hudson and Greenwich. I certainly was no trend-setter, like many of the black-clad, oversized bag carrying neighbors I had, but I loved magnolia and corner bistro, the gems of architecture found in the twisted streets, the sex shops that lined the west side of the Christopher Street subway station, and the homeless man who stayed around the corner from me, and passed his days smoking cigars and sleeping in from of $2 million + brownstones. And oddly enough, when I visit the neighborhood, I feel like I am going home in some sense- some part of me misses the familiarity of the neighborhood, my bartenders around the corner, my deli on Bleeker, the handball courts on 6th Avenue.
The same feelings echo true whenever I visit an old neighborhood of mine in the city. The places emit a quality, or qualities, and I feel a part of it somehow.
What brings this feeling, this sense of place, and what does it mean to someone who is searching for some understanding of the vagueness of 'community'?
1. A sense of place
2. Social Capital
3. Shared Space
4. Commercial Space utilized by those living locally
These are a few characteristics that come to my mind, when I think of neighborhoods in NYC. Does this hold true in Delwara? Could you say these characteristics exist for the Meghwal community? I don't know if the fourth point applies. But to go back a step, I don't know if the Meghwal community, or any 'community' for that matter, views themselves in this foggy notion of community. Can an 'outsider' to a 'community' label a group/neighborhood/geography as a community? What characteristics does this group display that implies some notion of togetherness?
It is an unclear dialogue, but one I believe imperative for people to consider, regardless of their field. A planner should know the area in which they work, and know it beyond statistical reports and quantitative data. The same holds true for a nurse, a teacher, a city councilman, really anyone that works with people in some capacity.
May the thoughts and ideas begin to flow
I have lived in several different neighborhoods of New York City, but what exactly is the community of the West Village? Hell's Kitchen? The Upper West Side? Morningside Heights? These are geographies with which all New Yorkers, and many others, are familiar, but they encompass large areas, and have strayed quite far from the 'communities' and histories that gave these areas their namesake. Was I a part of the West Village 'community'? A part of the now so cool, nebulous community east of Seventh Avenue, not quite in the chicness of that maze of streets that bisect Hudson and Greenwich. I certainly was no trend-setter, like many of the black-clad, oversized bag carrying neighbors I had, but I loved magnolia and corner bistro, the gems of architecture found in the twisted streets, the sex shops that lined the west side of the Christopher Street subway station, and the homeless man who stayed around the corner from me, and passed his days smoking cigars and sleeping in from of $2 million + brownstones. And oddly enough, when I visit the neighborhood, I feel like I am going home in some sense- some part of me misses the familiarity of the neighborhood, my bartenders around the corner, my deli on Bleeker, the handball courts on 6th Avenue.
The same feelings echo true whenever I visit an old neighborhood of mine in the city. The places emit a quality, or qualities, and I feel a part of it somehow.
What brings this feeling, this sense of place, and what does it mean to someone who is searching for some understanding of the vagueness of 'community'?
1. A sense of place
2. Social Capital
3. Shared Space
4. Commercial Space utilized by those living locally
These are a few characteristics that come to my mind, when I think of neighborhoods in NYC. Does this hold true in Delwara? Could you say these characteristics exist for the Meghwal community? I don't know if the fourth point applies. But to go back a step, I don't know if the Meghwal community, or any 'community' for that matter, views themselves in this foggy notion of community. Can an 'outsider' to a 'community' label a group/neighborhood/geography as a community? What characteristics does this group display that implies some notion of togetherness?
It is an unclear dialogue, but one I believe imperative for people to consider, regardless of their field. A planner should know the area in which they work, and know it beyond statistical reports and quantitative data. The same holds true for a nurse, a teacher, a city councilman, really anyone that works with people in some capacity.
May the thoughts and ideas begin to flow
Basic Curry Recipe
Ingredients:
Mustard Oil
Onions (diced or thinly sliced)
Garlic (minced)
Ginger (minced or thinly sliced)
Jeera (Cumin, whole seeds)
Tumeric
Chili Powder
Corriander
Green chilies (these long thin green chilies add a great deal of heat to the dish, I recommend one chili per person. Chop the chili in pieces about the size of a fingernail)
Tomato (roughly chopped)
Bell Pepper/ Capsicum (roughly chopped)
Salt to taste
Plus
Whatever main ingredient you prefer (eggplant, paneer, okra [lady's finger/bhindi], aaloo [potato], etc.)
You will need a wok-like pot and a spoon/flat spatula to stir
Heat mustard oil in the wok-like pot (there should be a few centimeters/about an inch of oil. Use your judgment, as this oil will have to coat all the vegetables you are going to add over the next thirty minutes). Once the oil is hot (you can test this by throwing in some jeera and the oil is ready when the jeera browns), throw in a few pinches of the jeera. When the pieces brown, add in the onions, garlic, ginger, and chilies. Stir until the onions begin to brown. Add tumeric (a few spoonfuls), chili powder (about 2 flat spoonfuls), and corriander (this you can add as liberally or conservatively as you wish). Stir until the spices marry (about 5 minutes). Add the main ingredient and cook until slightly brown or tender. Add salt. Add tomatoes, and after the tomatoes are mixed in, add the bell pepper. Reduce heat slightly and cook until peppers slightly soften.
Best served with freshly made roti and cold Kingfisher. Set up a picnic on the floor and enjoy.
Mustard Oil
Onions (diced or thinly sliced)
Garlic (minced)
Ginger (minced or thinly sliced)
Jeera (Cumin, whole seeds)
Tumeric
Chili Powder
Corriander
Green chilies (these long thin green chilies add a great deal of heat to the dish, I recommend one chili per person. Chop the chili in pieces about the size of a fingernail)
Tomato (roughly chopped)
Bell Pepper/ Capsicum (roughly chopped)
Salt to taste
Plus
Whatever main ingredient you prefer (eggplant, paneer, okra [lady's finger/bhindi], aaloo [potato], etc.)
You will need a wok-like pot and a spoon/flat spatula to stir
Heat mustard oil in the wok-like pot (there should be a few centimeters/about an inch of oil. Use your judgment, as this oil will have to coat all the vegetables you are going to add over the next thirty minutes). Once the oil is hot (you can test this by throwing in some jeera and the oil is ready when the jeera browns), throw in a few pinches of the jeera. When the pieces brown, add in the onions, garlic, ginger, and chilies. Stir until the onions begin to brown. Add tumeric (a few spoonfuls), chili powder (about 2 flat spoonfuls), and corriander (this you can add as liberally or conservatively as you wish). Stir until the spices marry (about 5 minutes). Add the main ingredient and cook until slightly brown or tender. Add salt. Add tomatoes, and after the tomatoes are mixed in, add the bell pepper. Reduce heat slightly and cook until peppers slightly soften.
Best served with freshly made roti and cold Kingfisher. Set up a picnic on the floor and enjoy.
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