#and its our responsibility as a collective to emphasize that the community can and does include transfeminine and nb identities
Text
Unlocking the Essence of Surah Al-Baqarah's Final Verses: A Reflection
In the vast tapestry of the Quran, each surah is a unique thread woven with divine wisdom, guidance, and solace. Among the most profound chapters is Surah Al-Baqarah, the Cow, which stands as the longest surah in the Quran. At its conclusion lies a treasure trove of spiritual insight encapsulated within the last two verses, often referred to as the "Verse of the Throne" (Ayat al-Kursi). These verses, along with their profound significance, resonate deeply with believers worldwide, serving as a source of comfort, protection, and contemplation.
Verse 2:285 – A Divine Reminder
"The Messenger has believed in what was revealed to him from his Lord, and [so have] the believers. All of them have believed in Allah and His angels and His books and His messengers, [saying], 'We make no distinction between any of His messengers.' And they say, 'We hear and we obey. [We seek] Your forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the [final] destination.'"
This verse marks a profound declaration of faith and submission. It affirms the unwavering belief of the Messenger (peace be upon him) and the believers in the divine revelation sent down by Allah. The encompassing nature of their faith is highlighted as they acknowledge belief in Allah, His angels, His books, and His messengers, without making distinctions among them. This unity in belief underscores the fundamental principle of Tawheed (monotheism) and the interconnectedness of all divine messages throughout history.
Moreover, the verse reflects the essence of obedience and humility before the Creator. The believers express their willingness to heed the commandments of Allah, recognizing His authority and sovereignty. Their plea for forgiveness signifies acknowledgment of human fallibility and the constant need for divine mercy and guidance. Ultimately, they reaffirm their trust in Allah as the ultimate destination and source of salvation.
Verse 2:286 – The Everlasting Promise
"Allah does not burden a soul beyond that it can bear. It will have [the consequence of] what [good] it has gained, and it will bear [the consequence of] what [evil] it has earned. 'Our Lord, do not impose blame upon us if we have forgotten or erred. Our Lord, and lay not upon us a burden like that which You laid upon those before us. Our Lord, and burden us not with that which we have no ability to bear. And pardon us; and forgive us; and have mercy upon us. You are our protector, so give us victory over the disbelieving people.'"
In this verse, Allah's mercy and compassion shine brightly as He reassures His servants of His benevolence and fairness. The verse begins with a comforting reminder that Allah does not burden any soul beyond its capacity. This divine assurance alleviates the anxieties of believers, reminding them that every trial and tribulation they face is within the limits of their endurance.
Furthermore, the verse encapsulates a heartfelt supplication, echoing the sentiments of humility and dependency before the Almighty. The believers beseech Allah for forgiveness, mercy, and protection, acknowledging their vulnerabilities and shortcomings. Their plea reflects a deep sense of reliance on Allah's grace and guidance, seeking refuge in His infinite compassion and wisdom.
Moreover, the verse serves as a profound invocation for unity and solidarity among believers. As they implore Allah for victory over disbelief and adversity, they emphasize the collective responsibility of the Muslim community to uphold righteousness and resist oppression. This plea for divine assistance underscores the importance of steadfastness and perseverance in the face of adversity, trusting in Allah's promise of eventual triumph for the believers.
Bisma Online Quran Academy: Nurturing Spiritual Enlightenment
In today's fast-paced world, where time constraints and hectic schedules often hinder the pursuit of spiritual growth, online Quran academies offer a beacon of hope for seekers of divine knowledge and guidance. Among these academies, Bisma Online Quran Academy stands out as a distinguished platform dedicated to providing comprehensive Quranic education and fostering spiritual enlightenment in a convenient and accessible manner.
About Bisma Online Quran Academy
Bisma Online Quran Academy is a leading online institution committed to making the teachings of the Quran accessible to learners worldwide. With a team of experienced scholars and instructors, the academy offers a diverse range of courses tailored to meet the unique needs and learning styles of students of all ages and backgrounds.
Key Features and Benefits
Flexible Learning Environment
Bisma Online Quran Academy provides a flexible learning environment that allows students to study the Quran at their own pace and convenience. Whether you're a busy professional, a student, or a homemaker, you can access high-quality Quranic education from the comfort of your home.
Comprehensive Curriculum
The academy offers a comprehensive curriculum covering various aspects of Quranic studies, including Tajweed (proper recitation), Tafsir (exegesis), and memorization (Hifz). Students have the opportunity to deepen their understanding of the Quranic text and develop a profound connection with the divine message.
Expert Guidance
Bisma Online Quran Academy boasts a team of qualified scholars and teachers who are dedicated to providing personalized guidance and support to each student. Whether you're a beginner or an advanced learner, you'll receive individualized attention and feedback to enhance your learning experience.
Interactive Learning Tools
The academy utilizes innovative technology and interactive learning tools to engage students and facilitate active participation. From virtual classrooms to multimedia resources, students can explore the beauty and depth of the Quran in a dynamic and interactive manner.
Community Engagement
Bisma Online Quran Academy fosters a vibrant learning community where students can connect with like-minded individuals from around the world. Through forums, discussion groups, and collaborative projects, students can engage in meaningful dialogue and exchange ideas while building lasting friendships.
Conclusion
In the final verses of Surah Al-Baqarah, we find a profound reflection of the essence of faith, humility, and supplication. These verses serve as a timeless reminder of our relationship with the Creator and our responsibilities as His servants. As we contemplate the divine wisdom encapsulated within these verses, we are reminded of the eternal mercy and compassion of Allah, who guides and sustains us through every trial and tribulation.
Moreover, platforms like Bisma Online Quran Academy offer invaluable opportunities for seekers of knowledge to deepen their understanding of the Quran and nurture their spiritual growth. By embracing the teachings of the Quran and engaging in continuous learning and reflection, we can strive to embody the values of faith, compassion, and righteousness in our daily lives, thereby drawing closer to the divine and fulfilling our purpose as believers.
#online quran tutor#online quran academy#online quran classes#online quran teaching#online quran lessons#online quran academy usa#online quran teacher
0 notes
Text
"Freedom's Covenant: Embracing Choice and Responsibility in the Democratic Soul"
In the spirit of former President Barack Obama's eloquent and measured speaking style, let us explore the assertion: "Only Democrats truly understand the divine will of God: the freedom of choice and the responsibility for its consequences."
My fellow Americans, throughout the annals of history, the pursuit of liberty and justice has always been at the core of our great nation's ethos. It is a principle that transcends political affiliations, a beacon that guides us through tumultuous seas. Yet, within this broad canvas of democracy, there exists a profound understanding, one that some might argue is more deeply grasped by those who align with the Democratic Party: the sacred concept of free will, a gift bestowed upon us by the divine, and the solemn responsibility that accompanies each choice we make.
The essence of democracy, after all, is not just the ability to choose, but to understand the weight of our choices. It is to recognize that with every decision, we sculpt the future not only for ourselves but for our community, our nation, and indeed, the world. Democrats, with their unwavering commitment to social justice, equality, and the welfare of the common good, often emphasize the significance of making informed choices—choices that reflect not only our personal desires but also consider the impact on the most vulnerable among us.
This understanding, however, should not be misconstrued as exclusive to any one party. The divine will, in its infinite wisdom, does not discriminate between Democrat or Republican, liberal or conservative. Yet, it is the interpretation of this will, through the lens of our values and principles, that can differ significantly.
In the Democratic vision, the freedom to choose is paramount. It is the bedrock upon which the pillars of democracy stand firm. This freedom, however, is not without its boundaries. It is circumscribed by the moral imperative to bear the consequences of our actions, to ensure that our liberty does not impinge upon the rights and freedoms of others. It is a delicate balance, one that requires vigilance, compassion, and above all, a commitment to the greater good.
As we navigate the challenges of our times, let us remember that the divine will—be it understood through faith, reason, or the collective wisdom of humanity—calls upon us to act with integrity and foresight. It beckons us to choose freely, but wisely, with a full heart and an understanding mind, knowing that our choices will shape the destiny of generations to come.
So, while it may be posited that Democrats hold a closer affinity to the concept of divine will through the lens of freedom and responsibility, it is imperative for all of us, regardless of political stripe, to reflect deeply on the values that unite us, the principles that guide us, and the responsibilities that define us as a people committed to the pursuit of a more perfect union.
0 notes
Text
Navigating the Labyrinth of Waste Unraveling the Impact and Solutions
Waste, an omnipresent facet of modern life, has become an intricate and pressing challenge demanding our attention. As our consumption patterns surge, so does the mountain of waste we generate. From plastic packaging to electronic gadgets, our throwaway culture has given rise to an environmental crisis with far-reaching consequences. In this exploration, we delve into the labyrinth of waste, uncovering its impact on our planet and society while examining potential solutions to mitigate its adverse effects.
The Global Waste Epidemic:
The scale of the waste predicament is staggering. According to the World Bank, global waste generation is expected to rise to 3.40 billion tonnes by 2050, a substantial increase from the 2.01 billion tonnes recorded in 2016. Landfills, incineration, and improper disposal methods contribute to environmental degradation, air and water pollution, and the depletion of natural resources.
Environmental Consequences:
Waste, particularly non-biodegradable materials like plastics, poses a severe threat to ecosystems. Marine life, for instance, is significantly impacted by plastic pollution, with millions of tons of plastic finding its way into oceans each year. This not only endangers aquatic species but also enters the food chain, potentially harming human health. Additionally, landfills emit greenhouse gases, contributing to climate change, while incineration releases harmful pollutants into the air.
Social Implications:
The waste crisis extends beyond environmental concerns, seeping into the fabric of societies worldwide. Improper waste management disproportionately affects marginalized communities, leading to health hazards, reduced property values, and economic disparities. The informal waste sector, comprising waste pickers and recyclers, often faces hazardous working conditions, inadequate compensation, and social stigmatization.
Consumerism and the Throwaway Culture:
The rise of consumerism has fueled the throwaway culture, where products are designed for obsolescence and disposability. Single-use plastics, fast fashion, and electronic waste are emblematic of this mindset, perpetuating a cycle of resource depletion and waste generation. Addressing this issue requires a shift in consumer behavior, emphasizing sustainable and circular consumption patterns.
Innovative Solutions:
While the waste dilemma seems daunting, various innovative solutions are emerging to tackle it head-on. Circular economy models, which prioritize recycling and reusing materials, aim to break the linear pattern of production, consumption, and disposal. Governments and businesses worldwide are increasingly adopting these principles to create a more sustainable and regenerative approach to production and consumption.
Technology's Role in Waste Management:
Technology plays a pivotal role in waste management innovation. Advanced recycling technologies, such as chemical recycling and waste-to-energy processes, are helping to extract value from waste streams and reduce environmental impact. Smart waste management systems, equipped with sensors and data analytics, optimize collection routes and enhance efficiency, minimizing the ecological footprint of waste management activities.
Individual Responsibility and Education:
Addressing the waste crisis necessitates a collective effort, with individuals playing a crucial role. Raising awareness about responsible consumption, promoting recycling habits, and reducing single-use plastics are steps that individuals can take to contribute to waste reduction. Education about the environmental consequences of waste and the benefits of sustainable living is essential in fostering a culture of mindful consumption.
The labyrinth of waste presents a multifaceted challenge, encompassing environmental, social, and economic dimensions. Navigating through this complexity requires a concerted effort from governments, businesses, and individuals alike. By embracing sustainable practices, advocating for responsible consumption, and investing in innovative waste management solutions, we can pave the way towards a more resilient and harmonious coexistence with our planet. It's time to unravel the intricate threads of waste and weave a tapestry of sustainability for future generations.
For more info:-
waste
0 notes
Text
Revolutionizing Hygiene: Unveiling the Di Rinse Pro 100 for a Cleaner Tomorrow
In a world where cleanliness and hygiene have become paramount, innovative solutions are constantly emerging to address the growing demand for effective sanitation. One such groundbreaking product that has captured the attention of health-conscious individuals is the Di Rinse Pro 100. This state-of-the-art device is changing the game when it comes to maintaining a pristine and germ-free environment.
The Di Rinse Pro 100 is a cutting-edge hygiene device designed to streamline and enhance the cleanliness of various surfaces, from household items to personal belongings. This article explores the features, benefits, and the potential impact of this revolutionary device on our daily lives.
Unveiling the Di Rinse Pro 100: A Glimpse into the Future of Hygiene
Advanced Technology for Superior Cleaning: The Di Rinse Pro 100 stands out for its incorporation of advanced cleaning technology. Using a combination of high-pressure water and specialized cleaning agents, this device ensures a thorough and effective removal of dirt, grime, and harmful bacteria from surfaces. The technology behind the Di Rinse Pro 100 not only cleans but also disinfects, providing users with peace of mind knowing that their environments are not only visually clean but also free from invisible threats.
Versatility in Application: One of the standout features of the Di Rinse Pro 100 is its versatility. From kitchen countertops to electronic gadgets, this device can be used on a wide range of surfaces without causing damage. Its adaptability makes it an indispensable tool for households, offices, and various industries where maintaining a clean and sterile environment is crucial.
Eco-Friendly Design: In an era where sustainability is at the forefront of product development, the Di Rinse Pro 100 does not disappoint. Its eco-friendly design emphasizes water conservation, minimizing the environmental impact while maximizing cleaning efficiency. The device's commitment to sustainability aligns with the global push for responsible consumption and production, making it a conscientious choice for environmentally conscious consumers.
Time-Efficient Cleaning: The Di Rinse Pro 100 is not only effective but also time-efficient. Its powerful cleaning mechanism significantly reduces the time required for cleaning tasks, making it an ideal solution for busy individuals seeking a quick and hassle-free way to maintain cleanliness. This time-saving aspect can contribute to increased productivity and an improved quality of life.
The Potential Impact on Daily Life
Improved Health and Safety: By effectively eliminating harmful bacteria and viruses, the Di Rinse Pro 100 contributes to improved health and safety for users and their communities. In a world where infectious diseases pose a constant threat, having a reliable and efficient cleaning device is an essential step towards safeguarding public health.
Enhanced Long-Term Durability: Regular use of the Di Rinse Pro 100 may also contribute to the enhanced durability of personal belongings and household items. By preventing the buildup of dirt and grime, the device helps maintain the integrity of surfaces, potentially extending the lifespan of various items and reducing the need for frequent replacements.
A Shift Towards a Cleaner Future: As the Di Rinse Pro 100 gains popularity and becomes a staple in households and businesses, it represents a significant shift towards a cleaner and more hygienic future. The widespread adoption of advanced cleaning technologies such as this marks a collective effort to prioritize health and well-being in our communities.
For More Info :-
Spot Free Water System
Cr Spotless De Ionized Water System
0 notes
Text
What role can museum educator's play in helping their organizations become more inclusive and empathetic?
Dana Golan Miller, September 22
When I visit various online museum websites, I tend to focus on the section dedicated to children and family activities. Perhaps this is because I'm a mother of two. I truly want my children to have exposure to a wide range of museums, and I approach it from the perspective of an ordinary mother, not as a professional from the art world or a museum expert. However, when I come across these online platforms, I always consider the role of educators within it.
While it's evident that the curators are primarily responsible for the content of exhibitions, I firmly believe that a successful exhibition, if possible, is one where there is collaboration between curators and educators. In my opinion, Plantworld is an exemplary museum that embodies this type of synergy
According to their mission from their web-site "Planet Word is the only museum in the country dedicated to renewing and inspiring a love of words and language… As a museum for the entire community, we’re collaborating with partners who share our core belief that literacy is the foundation of a strong democracy. Our partners serve children and adults with low literacy, people without access to educational resources, and those experiencing homelessness. Together, we’re working to ensure that Planet Word is a welcoming place, serving a diverse audience, and making a difference in the life of the community" (from the museum's web site https://planetwordmuseum.org/about
Yes, I must confess that I explored the museum's website after my visit with my MET peers during the summer. However, I could clearly see that the museum actively collaborates with educators. There is no doubt that the museum educators work in tandem with the museum curators and managers. I also have to emphasize that this museum is truly unique and distinct from other specialized museums, such as those dedicated to art or science."
Collaboration between the education departments and other professionals within the institution is not common. In 2019, a group of museum professionals came together to form The Empathetic Museum to advocate for institutional empathy as a transformative force in museums. "The Empathetic Museum holds that the qualities of the 21st century museum are impossible without an inner core of institutional empathy: the intention of the museum to be, and be perceived as, deeply connected with its community (Jennings, 2019, 505). I personally found this document much important with regards to the museum' roll in the civic sphere. "Empathy: the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another of either the past or present without having the feelings, thoughts, and experience fully communicated in an objectively explicit manner (509). They continue by emphasize the "five characteristics of empathetic practice - civic vision, Institutional Body Language, Institutional Body Language, Timeliness and Sustainability and Performance Measures. All capture the wide variety of ways that empathy can be reflected within and by an institution (510-512). Though they mentioned that "Model is not an end in itself. It represents an accessible starting point and tool for assessing an organization’s particular stage on its empathetic journey". After asking "So what does an empathetic museum look like? They sum up that "There is no perfect model museum of empathetic practice, yet. Museums the world over are puzzling about new ways of existing and engaging with the audiences we serve–from exploring participatory models of storytelling, to decolonizing collections, to dismantling a collective legacy of white supremacy. As we approach this new tipping point, we look to institutions that are intentionally seeking to address disparities in their midst (515).
I found these pieces of advice to be incredibly crucial and significant when it comes to museum participation and the internal dynamics among museum departments. So, what role do educators play in this environment? Well, it depends on the primary mission of the museum, and more importantly, its leadership. An educator can contribute creatively by introducing new ways of thinking and fostering collaborations, along with ideas on how to engage with various communities. However, if the managers do not permit this or impose their own ideas without consultation, success may remain elusive.
Only a leader, or a chief curator, who genuinely comprehends the importance of engagement and applies the advice provided in the aforementioned document can achieve this mission. Educators have the potential and should actively help their organizations become more inclusive and empathetic if they are given the opportunity to do so. I sincerely hope that such developments are becoming increasingly prevalent nowadays.
Based on my experience exploring the Wordplant Museum's website and visiting the museum twice, once with my children, I believe that they have indeed succeeded in this regard.
Resources:
Planetword museum web-site
Jennings, G., Cullen, J., Bryant, J., Bryant-Greenwell, K., Mann, S., Hove, C. and Zepeda, N. (2019), The Empathetic Museum: A New Institutional Identity. Curator, 62: 505-526. https://doi.org/10.1111/cura.12335
0 notes
Link
0 notes
Text
on ch 82 and what the hell is the deal with phos
super long wall of words ahead, you've been warned. also, im not qualified to discuss the emotional effects of trauma, so please correct me where im wrong and don’t hesitate to add on this post
contains an analysis of phos’ character arc, explanation on why and how they snapped and what might happen to our child next:
1. genki phos
2. post winter phos
3. laphos
4. on trauma
5. on snapping
6. speculations about the future
so, first things first, I could not help but notice the sheer number of parallels between this chapter and other significant points of the story. it seems to me that parallels are becoming more and more frequent as the moon arc goes on, and that’s not just because there are simply more chapters to draw parallels from as the story grows in size.
I believe that we’re at a turning point in the story, or even that the turning point has been reached, (aechmea telling barbata to fix phos for the umpteenth time is most likely going to give phos the last treasure, but ill get to it).
so, to try and understand what in the seven hells is going on with our baby at this point (the fandom collectively adopted phos since chapter 2, sign the papers if you haven’t already and donate to the fund to send phos to therapy) let’s retrace phos’ character journey.
1: genki phos
the phos who is too good for this world, too pure, the cinnamon roll who has no idea what the hell is gonna happen to them. oh joy.
hnk sets off as a coming of age story. phos is the youngest, they’re seemingly useless in a society that values usefulness above anything else so genki phos is initially driven by lack of purpose.
i’ve speculated already on the characteristics of the lustrous society, a society that emphasizes sameness over difference and that has no place for outcasts like phos and cinnabar. your value, in lustrous society, is dictated by how much and in which way you can contribute to the survival of the species, with elite fighters (the diamonds) being at the apex of the social pyramid and everyone else coming after.
additionally, while gems live in a highly interdependent and close-knitted society, such interdependence never takes into account emotions, loss, imagination, introspection and free-thinking. the society is extremely practical, apathetic, immobile, and everyone is expected to conform to that.
think about antarc: they’re the poster child of lustrous society: a 3 mohs hardness gem who managed to become an elite fighter out of sheer willpower, who’s blindly loyal to sensei, who sacrifices themselves for the greater good (the group’s interests > the individual’s interests), that does little if any introspection and that is happy about all of this and wants to leave it this way.
phos isn’t like this at all.
since the very beginning of the series we learn that phos is an anomaly. and that’s okay, other gems have been anomalies, like padparadscha, cinnabar, even antarcticite, but while those gems found a way to tip toe to the margins of lustrous society to remain unobtrusive exceptions, or forge themselves into proper, useful members of the group, phos cannot do that. which is ironic, because we know that one of phos’ core characteristics is that they’re able to change and to bring about change in a world that is as immobile and still and stiff as… well.. rock.
like @ruddy-rutile pointed out in a past analysis, phos’ problem wasn’t so much that they didn’t fit in, but that they didn’t fit in the appropriate way: they’re emotional, they’re loud, they’re unreliable, they’re not apathetic. they’re kind. compassionate. imaginative. and imagination is something the other gems lack.
this fuels a deep sense of self-hatred that even at this early stages of the story is lying just beneath the surface and oozes out quite easily, like when phos wants to help ventricosus and mumbles that it’s no problem if they die in the attempt, they’re a good for nothing after all, what difference would it make if they dont come back. at least they were able to help someone, contrary to how they were unable to help cinnabar.
this is the leitmotif of the series: phos is a kind, selfless gem who cultivates a deep sense of self-hatred. the internalized pressure and need to feel useful turns into a necessity for change. they need to save cinnabar, they need to save ventricosus, they need to become a fighter, they need to help sensei.
contrary to most of the other gems, phos loves and loves openly and unconditionally, they’re self-less by nature and that selflessness is a barrier that hides the real reason theyre so ready to put their life on the line for other people: the fact that phos thinks that their own life isnt wort a scrap.
as someone who believes to be worthless, guided by shame and guilt just for being alive and fueled by a deep desire to feel loved and accepted (just like a child), phos is unable to cope with grief and emotion if not by guilt tripping themselves even further.
the fact that the amethysts were almost taken is their fault, the fact that cinnabar is suicidal is their fault, the fact that antarc was taken is their fault, same with ghost’s abduction. the only way phos knows to cope with this guilt is by doing what every other gem does: bury these feelings deep inside their head and throw themselves into work. be useful, like alexandrite, rutile or red beryl.
2. post winter phos
what was a story about purpose, about phos’ coming of age, reaches an end at this very point, with antarc’s death. phos has become stronger at this point of the story, they have agathe legs and gold arms and they have grief to cope with, trauma.
just like alex’s job is studying the enemy and red’s job is making clothes, phos’ job is the one they originally desired for themselves: to fight. because there is nothing as valued as a good fighter in gem society and probably young phos unconsciously hoped to overcome self-hatred by taking on the most useful job there is.
post winter antarc is a skilled soldier, so skilled that bort wants to pair up with them. phos has reached their old goal: through loss and maturity, now they have a place within their society, they’re accepted and appreciated, valued but not loved. because these gems are so, so bad at emotions.
and this is where ms ichikawa begins to fool us all. she had us think that this story would be simple, but now hnk starts its steep and unrelenting detour toward existentialism and phos begins their dance toward madness and bottomless grief.
post winter phos is a soldier, they can fight off lunarians, but theyre still blaming themselves for antarc’s death.
we already said that phos is a very emotional gem and they possess a fervid imagination (probably just like lapis). so what do they do? they start thinking. “maybe i can retrieve antarc if we collect enough pieces. if i can communicate with the lunarians. if i can understand why we’re fighting.”
thinking quickly turns into questioning: why are we fighting? why are we so weak? why am i different? what changed me? is it the new additions, is it just life experiences? can we change? how can we change? antarc told me i shouldnt shy away from life, so im gonna push myself further and further.
that’s when shiro’s arc happens and sensei seems to know something about it, something he won’t tell the gems. phos’ questions suddenly turn to him.
phos is pretty much paranoid at this point of the narrative: they have experienced loss for the first time. consumed by guilt and grief for antarc’s recent abduction (even if phos still doesnt know what death means, we’ll get to that in a while), phos cannot think straight. they can’t be questioning the one authority every gem recognizes, the person phos and everyone else wants to protect, their leader, father, teacher.
phos feels like scum just for even thinking about it, as loyal and young as they are. and yet once you start questioning one minuscule thing about the way you have always lived your life, more and more will follow. it’s a cascade effect and it becomes faster the higher the number of questions, until you’re left with nothing but doubts and you must take into your hands the responsibility to find out for yourself.
this is more or less what happens to phos. they feel awful for doubting sensei the first time, in chapter 27, so they spill their guts to cinnabar, confessing their sins. but what cinnabar says does anything but put phos at ease: of course phos is doubting sensei: he’s shady, everyone knows.
however, while cinnabar is a quiet outcast, extremely prudent (and cowardly if you want) in the way they decide to face life, phos is the total opposite. they just needed a little nudge, they were already on the edge of a cliff of doubts and existential fears. cinnabar’s words are the second, big step that sets phos off on their path to the moon.
chapter 28 is when we see phos self-destructing because of this inner conflict for the first time, a pattern that will be repeated again and again the more phos loses sight of the truth, of a reliable something, a goal to cling onto and find direction.
it is ironic, because phos becomes a direction, a goal, the gems and the moon people’s hope (ch 59 and 72), but in doing so they have no hope left for themselves. let’s not forget that phos is very young by gems’ standards, not to mention in comparison to the moon people. how fair is to expect from a traumatized child to save the world and find answers to questions that run thousands of years deep and give phos nothing in return?
the pressure is enough to break phos and it does, quite literally, over and over and over again.
3. Laphos
lapis’ head comes at a time when phos was literally no longer able to manage this pressure.
it brings a waft of fresh air, it brings what emotional, kind phos needed to detach themselves from grief: coldness, rationality. and yet, it takes something away from phos as well: laphos is the phos that can no longer talk with cinnabar, the phos that brings cairn to reject the gems altogether and launch themselves into their kin’s killer’s arms. laphos is the gems and lunarians’ hope for a brief time, then it becomes the enemy.
i find it interesting how phos feels responsible for goshe and morga’s abduction too, even if phos was unconscious when it happened. phos has no clear boundaries between themselves and the rest of the world. they feel responsible for everything and guilty for everything. whatever they do will never be enough neither to make up for their past mistakes nor to find everyone a clear sense of purpose, safety, truth.
ichikawa plays with truth a lot. truth is that the lunarians are bad people and the gems must defend themselves, truth is that sensei is shady, truth is that the moon people are actually good, truth is that death is real, truth is that sensei is evil, truth is that cinnabar hates phos, truth is that the gems are evil, truth is that sensei is the only one that loves phos. who knows what the next truth will be, but can you call it truth, at this point?
if there is one point, i believe, that ichikawa is trying to make clear is that truth is subjective and that it changes, just like phos’ goal, the more knowledge you acquire and the more mistakes you make. truth is subjective but it must be sought after: you gotta keep fighting, you gotta move on even if you keep making mistakes, even if you cant undo your actions.
and another thing i think she’s trying to say is that you cannot make it alone. the moment phos tried to take it all on their shoulders, they moment they acquired lapis’ head, is the moment everything came crumbling down ten times faster than before.
and the most ironic part is that phos is still kind, even underneath that mantle of aloofness: they tried to do everything by themselves because they didn’t want to put anyone in danger, but in doing so they manipulated the gems just like aechmea. and aechmea knows and he’s been using phos for this.
4. Even more trauma
running after truth and after newer and more nuanced goals, phos has completely lost sight of themselves.
where do their alliances lie? what about their history? phos wakes up in ch 72 after the night raid and immediately breaks into pieces because they’re reminded of how cinnabar attacked them, the one gem they thought was their friend. one of the few truths phos had been clinging to.
phos wakes up after the night raid and asks the enemy “to the lunarians i look like a gem and to the gems i look like a lunarian. what am i?”
they break into pieces because they still believe they’re useless. they couldn't save cinnabar, they couldn't save antarc, they couldn't communicate with the earth gems, they couldn't even see adamant.
this is reminiscent of the very beginning of the manga: phos needs to feel useful, they need a goal, they need to be good at something. and just like they were ready to get lost at sea forever to help ventricosus they’re ready to die for someone else’s cause (not even phos’ own because they have no idea what to believe in at this point) just to be of use. after all, to phos, phos is nothing more than a scrap.
euc disagrees. ch 71 “we need you in our future” is a sentence that phos has probably ached to hear for centuries. “we need you. you are loved, you mean something, you are enough. you belong. we cannot build a future where you aren’t part of the equation. you matter”
and look at the way phos looks at euc. they can barely believe them and in fact they don’t. phos expresses some concern about dying (”after all, those less than 5 includes me”) but they still throw themselves into danger, they still take no care of themselves.
Phos’ self hatred and self-destructive tendencies run deeper than euc’s words could ever cut. those words meant well, but they were too little too late. phos thinks they don’t deserve this kind of hope, they cannot understand it, cannot fathom a world in which they are true and so they will go on believing that they are alone and worthless. next time they go on earth, they’ll go alone and unharmed
it is ironic. they did so much, they went to the moon and back multiple times, put their life on the line multiple times, made more progress toward unveiling the truth about the lunarians and finding a way for them to be free of samsara than anyone else did in hundreds (presumably) of thousands of years. they did it by themselves. in barely three hundred years. that’s impressive. and yet it’s not enough for phos. in their mind, they just keep failing.
so what’s the big deal? they can sacrifice themselves, it’s the least they can do and no one will miss them after all. unfortunately, this is true, at least to some extent.
im appalled by how little even the moon gems care about phos. they’re so self-centered it’s almost funny.
even alex, who has gone through loss and grief if not as much at least in a way similar to phos cannot find enough compassion in themselves to be concerned about phos’ wellbeing after a few months on the moon.
ive heard people mention how this could be a result of the moon people injecting who knows what into the gems or manipulating them someway or another, but i believe that there was no need to. phos is an anomaly after all, their kindness is an anomaly. the lustrous are little more than self-centered children: they are able of little if no introspection and they cannot process complex emotions like grief if not by shutting off those emotions altogether.
the moon gems are still vaguely concerned about phos. in ch 76, when phos departs for earth for the last time, they do tell them to be careful and come back if things get bad, but they do little more than that. it’s little comfort and too little emotional closeness and by no means close to the huge amount of support and (emotional) assistance that phos needs at this point.
phos tries to make do with what they have: a will to end this war and the superficial words of what should be their family, but it’s not even remotely enough. and yet phos, just like any other lustrous, is very bad at introspection: they don’t notice or if they notice they repress it. what’s one more thing down the subconscious after all? it’s fine. phos can take it, until they can no more and they snap without having any idea that they will snap.
phos’ journey, which has made them increasingly more emotional, fragile and human (the last one quite literally) has also made phos even more alone than they were at the beginning of the story. more alone, with the same sense of worthlessness, the same urgency to be good for something or self-destroy, and so much more grief, trauma, guilt and repressed emotions.
5. snapping
“I mustn’t think of anything” phos reminds themselves in ch 76. because thinking never brought anything good and because euc would see right through it.
once again, phos is repressing emotions. here they go, trying to be a cold blooded killer, ready to betray sensei again, the one person who has been good to them and that phos tried to hate with all their heart but just couldnt.
as ive written in a previous analysis, one of aechmea’s lowest blows was to tell the gems he was exploiting and manipulating to reach a salvation he doesnt deserve that if the gems want to acquire freedom they must do so by themselves. talk about coherence.
but that isnt all, he sinks even lower than this: he makes phos and the others question sensei’s affection for them. he says that sensei’s love is fake, it’s synthetic, the gems should totally make him pray or destroy him, no remorse, no strings attached. it’s such a dirty move.
no wonder it confuses phos even more. phos believes it, or tries to, they say they want to break sensei into pieces, but after the night raid they realize that it cant be that simple. sensei never attacked them. he has always been good to phos. and phos feels even more worthless, more of a traitor for daring believe in love, in sensei’s affection, when here they are, on the lunarians’ side, ready to betray him again.
how dare phos hope for anything? they dont deserve love, they dont deserve hope, they dont deserve happiness. they can try to give it to other people, they’ll kill themselves in order to do so, but they have no more hope and no love left for themselves, and they had so little to begin with.
as ive said, phos has little self-awareness and little introspection. i do believe that they had no idea they were going to snap until they did. even in ch 77, when sensei tells them he cannot pray, phos spends their last seconds of consciousness (before being attacked by all of the gems) to kindly ask him to pray. they dont care about themselves, but they dont reflect long enough to consider that reaching out to sensei like that could be interpreted as hostile by the paranoid earth gems. i think this is the first sign that phos is about to snap: they’re quite literally desperate.
tired beyond measure and forced to spend 220 more years in isolation, broken into pieces scattered all over the island, when phos comes to their senses again once kongo reassembles them they’re beyond despair. this war is taking the last toll on them and phos has no more energy to go on.
“please,” they say “pray. do it for no one else but me. grant me mercy,” from one bodhisattva to the other. they’re still somewhat normal, but when sensei fails to pray again phos can’t take it anymore. desperation and rage, fueled by hopelessness, worthlessness, grief and exhaustion make phos launch themselves against sensei, which, ironically, it’s exactly what the story needs.
apparently, phos is human enough to activate sensei but not human enough to make him pray. however, when the two of them join hands, sensei can actually pray. maybe it’s because both phos and sensei are intended to be bodhisattva? maybe because human voice commands are not as strong as contact? i have no idea.
phos has snapped by the way, and it’s weird how they go from “If only you weren’t here” to “sensei actually loves me” in a couple of chapters. in a certain way, we’re seeing phos going back to their roots: they love sensei and trust in sensei’s love, they’re once again openly emotional and impulsive, they’re once again ostracized by the gems (of course, much more violently this time).
i have written about how, after ‘fusing’ with sensei for a brief second, phos doesnt speak for the entirety of ch 81. they look and act like a literal monster, a scared animal, which is ironic since we know that they’re now human. i hypothesized that they might be reborn and that’s why they don’t speak, they’re a literal infant, but in light of ch 82, i think they’re simply hurt beyond measure.
they reversed to their old emotional persona, vomiting out all the emotions and pain and rage and hate they repressed during these 300 years. and yet they still don’t hurt anyone, not as much and as deliberately as they could at least.
they’re conscious enough to recognize the notebook and be reminded of their lost friends, realize how little the earth gems care for phos and for what they’re doing. and, i believe, when phos is rescued and comes back to the moon, they are, for the first time in the whole manga, enraged by the earth gems’ stupidity and sheer ungratefulness.
phos has been fighting for the wellbeing of everyone for centuries, putting their life on the line, never asking for anything in return and always believing that they were doing the right thing. and yet it’s not enough.
aechmea is a clever politician, and like every good politician he’s good at picking up changes and turning them in his favor.
he notices that there’s something wrong with phos and with the way they feel about the gems. maybe he doesnt yet realize that phos is angry at them for being ungrateful, but he senses something so he provokes phos: “you said to leave you on earth last time. did you change your mind?” that is “i’m not your enemy. see? im doing what you want me to do. not quite like those people down there on earth. oh, wait, were those your friends? aw, such a pity. to think they attacked you after everything you’ve done for them. but they’re your family, right? i’ll send you back to them if this is what you want. see? i’ll listen to your wishes. i am grateful.”
look how intently he looks at phos as phos incoherently and obsessively repeats the same thing over and over: “he would have prayed. he would have prayed for me. he loves me. he would have prayed.” if you want, this is also a syìubtle way for phos to apologize: they still feel responsible for their failure, but aechmea must understand: phos did everything they could, it would have worked, it was the gems’ fault.
adamant put phos back together, showing phos that he still cares. he is the only one that loves phos, while the gems (all gems, phos doesnt care much for differences at this point) keep hurting phos even if phos is only trying to help. so they must be killed. to hell with them all. and, notice, phos doesnt include themselves in the ‘gem’ category: they’re no longer a lustrous. they’re a monster, a liminal creature.
with nothing left to believe in if not sensei’s love and a promise to make him pray and then die in peace, phos wants to destroy the only thing that they believe stands between them and finally being useful, but also between them and freedom (freedom from suffering, from guilt, from existing, from their pain, from being): the gems.
this isn’t the first time that phos wants to kill something: in ch 68 they spoke about crushing sensei to pieces. it’s heartbreaking how phos went from “if only the moon people weren’t here” to “if only sensei weren’t here” to “if only the gems weren’t here.” will it turn into: “if only i weren’t here?” who are phos’ allies? who does phos feel kinship with? who is phos? they no longer know, and they’ve not known for a long time.
aechmea has noticed and he’s quick to turn the situation to his advantage. he shakes phos’ hand, he’ll grant them freedom just like phos will grant the lunarians’ freedom. he’ll forgive phos for failing, for their sins, for the bottomless despair and guilt that phos has been living with for centuries. salvation, hope, that is all phos needs.
as @rinboz pointed out, phos’ gold in ch 82 takes the shape of a lotus seed pod, a direct reference to when antarc was abducted and the gold had turned into a lotus flower.
through pain, phos had blossomed into a new character that day, marking the beginning of their long journey toward truth and toward discovering that there is no truth. the day the story changed from a coming of age manga to something much, much more intricate.
phos’ pod is empty, they have nothing left to lose, it’s a dead flower. this is the end of the journey that started with antarc’s abduction. when phos wakes up again, it will probably be with new memories and a new addition to their body, possibly red diamond.
phos’ self destruction has reached its apex because it finally became so intense to extend outwards, to other people that, in their immense grief, phos wants to bring down with them. this might be a minuscule form of progress: anger is better than repressing emotions at least, but phos’ problems are far from being solved.
6. on the future
what will be of phos then? it really depends.
the fact that they’re finally showing all that sufferance and those emotions they tried so hard to repress is good, but aechmea is still there to take advantage of it.
phos will never be free as long as they dont associate themselves with someone that truly loves them and as long as they cant find someone that can help them deal with their emotions. aechmea is just using them and only ichikawa knows what he meant when he told barbata to be careful with those 200 years emotions.
theoretically, phos was unconscious during the timelapse, but if there are emotions to treat carefully maybe they weren’t? maybe the change we’ve seen in phos this chapter depends on what they had to endure during that time. or maybe aechmea simply wants to make sure that his pet is easy to use.
i do believe we’re close to the end. i dont know if it will be the end of the series or just the end of phos as we know them. i could hope for something good to finally happen to them and for them to heal, but it would take a therapist or someone that loves phos.
maybe euclase could side up with sensei, they seemed the most concerned about phos’ status and the most prone to believe them. maybe goshe and cicada could do something again, maybe rutile will fix padpa once more and padpa will talk with the earth gems (not very likely, but im throwing theories left and right at this point), or maybe barbata will refuse to follow aechmea’s instructions, at least in part, and try to help phos.
as always, im afraid we’ll have to wait. in the meantime, please hug phos. if you read up to this point hug phos. hug them now and shower them with love, because no one else will
1K notes
·
View notes
Photo
The Home Place, subtitled “Memoirs of a Colored Man’s Love Affair with Nature,” takes an unique look at the experiences of working in environmental science, birding, farming, and otherwise existing in eco-spaces as a person of color. This book was my sister’s selection for our family’s ongoing Anti-Racism Book Club. As a graduate student in earth and environmental science, she thinks and talks a lot about race and gender within her field, mentors younger female students in the field, and teaches undergraduates. Like her, I expected this book to lean into the challenges of representation in the field and to comment on the (under-discussed) positive relationship between people of color and the natural world. And while these broader topics were discussed, this was, first and foremost, a deeply personal memoir. J. Drew Lanham starts his story where his life started, explaining his personal and familial connection with the land—The Home Place, a specific farmstead in Edgefield County, South Carolina, where he was born and grew up. This personal connection and narrative is essential—Lanham’s love for nature is shaped in his formative years by the close connection his family has with the land they live on and farm. His later academic connections to the land—from his graduate research to his volunteer work collecting bird identification data to his writing and communication about scientific topics—all these stem from that childhood passion that runs deeper than interest or fascination: J. Drew Lanham understands the land on an instinctual level. He sees himself as a natural being, in tune with the deer, wild turkeys, and monarch butterflies, with the possums, foxes, and eastern red cedars.
The structure of the book (moving roughly chronologically through Lanham’s birth, upbringing, growth, and independent life) is shaped by its foundational idea: Lanham’s conviction that he is a product of the land that raised him, as are his family members, his siblings, his parents, his grand-parents, and his ancestors before them. Therefore, looking at and observing The Home Place naturally leads to the work of observing his own family and how he came to be who he is in the world. The Home Place is exactly this, both physical landscape and the people that exist in harmony with it. Over and over again, in both small and large ways, Lanham reinforces this central thesis—from the chapter on the spring that fed and sustained the Home Place, which was maintained by his father and could not continue after Daddy’s death, to the chapter on digging into his family’s history (figuratively and literary) as he traces the Lanhams’ connections to the land. J. Drew Lanham acknowledges that this central thesis is not necessarily obvious nor free from controversy. Many Black Americans’ experiences with the land exist within the legacy of slavery and stories of immense suffering on land that never belonged to them. But, for Lanham and for other Black Americans who grew up close to the land, surviving off it and also existing with it could develop a new narrative around Black identity and the natural landscape.
When I think of subsistence farming, I often think of the many challenges and set backs of the hardscrabble life. And while Lanham is not shy about sharing that his parents occasionally “argued about whether to buy hay for cows or groceries for us,” his book as a whole focuses on the feeling of abundance and of spiritual wealth he experienced growing up living off the land. He emphasizes that land itself is a source of wealth, in all its forms, and that fostering a close relationship with the land is a way forward that he perceives for Black Americans. He says “But the land, in spite of its history, still holds hope for making good on the promise we thought it could, especially if we reconnect to it. The reparations lie not in what someone will give us, but in what we already own. The landscape can grow crops for us as well as it does for others.” I thought this was a very interesting perspective that strives to redefine the Black/natural world narrative. This was one of several moments in the book where I really felt that Lanham was writing for a Black audience specifically. He does have a perspective that puts the impetus on each person to choose their relationship with the land, to be a responsible steward of the natural world, to educate themselves, to lean into their connections with the land and trust it.
I was somewhat startled by this as it felt that Lanham prioritized talking about what Black people can do to achieve the “Normal Rockwell painting life” his family led when a huge part of systemic poverty and racism (from my perspective) could not be Black people themselves. Many systems—education and pay rates, land ownership and inheritance, access to banking loans and credit—are broken and rely on all of us to engage with fixing them. No matter how strong you are, you cannot climb alone from beneath a bolder that is pining you down, a boulder you inherit, a boulder you have to carry every single day and in every situation simply because of the color of your skin in America. Perhaps Lanham intends, intentionally, to focus on what Black people can do, in spite of these broken systems, as acts of empowerment and self-determinism? I was surprised how individualistic this book felt at times, with very little focus on how systems of oppression could be dismantled. For example, his primary suggestion for how birding while black can become safer is to normalize this experience by invading the natural sciences with more and more people of color. “Get more people of color ‘out there,’” he writes. In sharing this recommendation for progress, he doesn’t acknowledge very directly how dangerous this act is or how difficult his recommendations are to follow for each person who must be a pioneer in the field. Of course he understands the risks and challenges, as he’s been the “odd bird” so many times in his own life, but perhaps he could have spoken as well to the ways others in leadership positions (regardless of race) could provide support for young people entering the natural sciences (from mentorships and training, to financial scholarships, to diversity workshops and conversations that increase awareness and inclusivity within the field). Saying this, I feel strange criticizing his way of talking about these topics, even if the criticism is simply asking for more (more beyond an individual’s responsibilities, more beyond Black people making changes by stepping in and fighting for their spaces), as Lanham’s approach leans on his lived experiences as a Black man, which I cannot relate to in several ways.
I can, however, relate to his experiences growing up with a close relationship to the land. Unlike my sister, my experiences rambling through the Maine woods, raising sheep and chickens, and hiking, swimming, and spending nearly every moment of my youthful summers out of doors, did not translate into a career in environmental science. However this doesn’t mean that I don’t think of my relationship with nature as close nor my personal and emotional experiences with nature as deeply spiritual and transformative. As a writer, as a teacher, I draw all the time on my understanding of nature and my love for it in order to connect with other human beings, to bring the beauty of ecosystems to life for them, to find common ground (an apt metaphor). I noted the sections of The Home Place where Lanham talked about his graduate research and discussed how sometimes the monotony of the work cut into his love for the natural and his appreciation of all the experiences that brought him here. This was a very relatable moment—for anyone who chooses a career based on passion, that passion needs to withstand the least glamorous moments of that job. At its most slow, most boring, and most frustrating, do you still love this thing? Do you still see its worth even when you hate it? For me, the natural world can be relegated to a place of spiritual purity, simply experienced and enjoyed, because I don’t study it. Yet, Lanham reconciles scientific study and simple appreciation nicely, describing how his passion grows with his concrete and scientific understanding, and how the spiritual and scientific dimensions of his experiences with nature both shape his love and commitment.
I loved that Lanham described how his foray into writing brought a new third dimension to his personal relationship with nature—looking back in order to capture in words, he was able to trace the significance of The Home Place—and the act of literary examination changed him: he cried tears of release as he shared his story with his writing workshop, the first time he truly mourned the loss of his father after thirty years. In one of my favorite lines in the book, Lanham says of his experience first sharing his work with his peers in a writing workshop: “They’d unwittingly given me permission to be someone I’d never been.” For him, this was someone emotional, someone who sheds tears in moments of deeply-felt sorrow and transcendent joy. That joy, often, comes when facing the natural world as it is, and so he applies his pen to responding to nature. His descriptions of the natural world are interwoven beautifully throughout the book and are, so clearly, the creations of a close observer. I related so deeply to these moments, and felt transported, as I read: “Now, as back then, fall is the time when nature speaks most clearly to me…Breathing is suddenly easier and the soaking sweat evaporates. You want to inhale deeply enough to take in every molecule wafting on the wind. The tired smallness of September’s deep green fades then flames into October’s vermilion sumacs and scarlet maples, lemon-yellow poplars and golden hickories.” This is both accessible and accurate writing. J. Drew Lanham knows his science, but he describes the world visually, as he perceives it, not as he measures it.
For me, these writing moments were more effective than the structure of the chapters, which started to feel a bit formulaic as the book progressed. Lanham frequently uses the natural world as metaphors and many of these metaphor are born of quite astute and surprising observations—the ecology of a church’s location growing the mindset of the congregation and the Tuskegee Airmen as a metaphor for flight that takes Black people beyond the contexts others expect for them (the Wild West is another space examined along similar lines of thinking). But Lanham tends to set his big metaphors up in the same way: beginning a chapter with the central concept (in its most analytical, literal, or universal iteration), following this up with personal anecdotes, and ending the chapter (like its own short, contained essay) with deeper reflection on how this metaphor operates. This chapter structure, although predictable, didn’t lose the joy of any one of these observations. Lanham writes some truly profound individual sentences. And believe him. His depth is genuine.
I would be remiss in writing about my response to this book if I didn’t briefly address the chapter “Jawbone,” which troubled me deeply. For all of Lanham’s gentleness and nuanced appreciation of each living thing, he is still a hunter, and he describes a particular hunt—and the deer’s jawbone that he saves from this hunt—in this chapter. His interest in hunting is tied to a larger interest in land conservation and ecosystem management, as he explains it, and it seems that he tries to contrast his approach to hunting with those who hunt for trophies, or for the wrong reasons. But, the outcome is still the same. And he uses many of the tools—scents, blinds, and mating calls—that other hunters use to outwit their prey. He also tries to contrast his hunting with that of others’ by focusing on the deer’s jawbone he has collected. Rather than the trophy of a large set of antlers, he prizes the jawbone with evidence of the animal’s long lifespan and role in the ecosystem. The way he feels about this jawbone, however (elated, awed that this animal died at his hand and not someone else’s), seems to me not very different than the way trophy hunters feel about their prizes. Sure, he consumes the meat from the deer he kills, but it seems that hunting is not necessarily for his and his family’s survival, nor significant as an affordable food source available to them. I think I was most troubled by the concept of control and how that comes through in this chapter. It seems like hunting, for Lanham, seems to be rewarding in a kind of patriarchal, stewardship way in which the reward—while paired with thoughtful choices about which animals to kill and how to use the meat—is not sorrowful necessity, but some kind of pride (in the hunt, in the win, in the triumph). This chapter was all the more jarring following up on the youthful chapter where Lanham kills a sparrow with a bb gun and truly mourns the preciousness of a life lost. And while I also frown upon willful ignorance or dismissal of the source of one’s meat (or willful ignorance about the human and environmental impact from one’s vegetarian diet, as well!) I do think that the act of killing changes you as a person. Although I do not agree with Lanham on the topic of hunting, this is one section of the book, and human are complex, living contradictions. No one needs to hold perspectives and behave in ways that are perfectly consistent; no one ever does.
This book was a powerful testimony to how much we can—and, Lanham argues, we should—rely on nature. This book contains the particularity of the Black experience and seems to speak directly to a Black audience, as mentioned. But it also contains much that is universally applicable to our lives in the 21st Century, as we humans grow increasingly removed from nature and from the lifecycles of ecosystems and understanding how we are, inescapably, part of those. I love how Lanham observes at the very beginning of the book that, “to be wild is to be colorful, and in the claims of colorfulness there’s an embracing and a self-acceptance.” Through this book, he celebrates his specific identity and his experience as a person of color, but he also taps into our shared humanity when he illuminates the rewards of living a wild life. He thoughtfully reveals himself through describing his ecosystem, and, in this, invites us to see ourselves in the same way, with our own ecosystems, Home Places, and reasons to live a natural life.
#The Home Place#environmentalism#environmental justice#bipoc voices#J. Drew Lanham#nature writing#important reading#anti-racism reading
2 notes
·
View notes
Text
[INTERVIEW] EXO - 191213 Billboard: “EXO Talk 'Obsession’ Album & Future: 'I Hope that the Name of EXO Can Grow’”
"It’s been seven years since EXO arrived with 2012's MAMA EP, and since then the boy band has spent much of its time atop of the South Korean music scene, with hits like 2013’s “Growl" and 2015’s “Love Me Right” setting them up as a dominant act throughout much of Asia. Last month, they unveiled their sixth LP, Obsession, ending the year -- and the decade -- with both a new sound and a hint towards what the future will bring for the men of EXO.
Fronted by a lead single also dubbed “Obsession,” the 10-track album is bookended by Korean and Chinese versions of the song, which turns the group towards hip-hop-inspired sampling and an intense Auto-tuning, blending their more typical R&B and electro-pop styling with musical elements that at first seem anachronistic and jarring. But it’s the perfect way to set up the story they’re trying to tell.
For EXO, the majority of their musical releases have been tied into fictive narratives revolving around the members and fantastical, sci-fi plot lines, ranging from the extraterrestrial to the supernatural. For Obsession, which peaked at No. 198 on the Billboard 200 chart dated Dec. 14, EXO presented oppositional sides to themselves through a series of teaser images and videos ahead of the album’s release, setting up an epic battle between EXO and their X-EXO clones, which played out in the music video for their single. The song’s apparent disjointment on first listen is meant to go alongside the visual elements, representing a dialogue between the two warring parties.
“Honestly, when we look into a song we think about what kind of performance will work and whether a song will fit the kind of performance we want to put on,” Kai tells Billboard. “So when we heard this song, we thought it was a really good fit in the sense that for the Auto-Tune it matched the idea of the two different EXOs, EXO and X-EXO. The Auto-Tune kind of gives us the vibe of communication between the two different parties having a conversation, so it was a very specific move that we took.” He said he thinks EXO will win the fight, eventually, “Because anytime you watch a movie or read a comic the hero does win. X-EXO is temporary so they’re going to disappear anyway.”
The idea behind the storylines that EXO utilizes to promote their music is to better get their music across to fans -- known collectively as EXO-L -- and also to better relay content in the age of digital media, where visuals are just as important as audio elements. It’s been something the group has been utilizing since their earliest days, and each member has supernatural powers associated with them that often are featured in their branding. “We’re not just a group that sings and dances,” says Chanyeol. “For people watching us, of course they know the storylines are fake. But like watching a movie, it's another way for people to fall for us more deeply. It gives people a back story about how we were formed. Our storyline isn't just incorporated into our music or videos, but it's incorporated really well into our concerts as well. We do feel that it really allows people to become properly immersed.”
Kai and Chanyeol are two of six EXO members that participated in the album, alongside Baekhyun, Chen, Sehun, and Suho, following the enlistment of Xiumin and D.O. in South Korea’s military, fulfilling the country’s mandatory draft requirements, and Lay focusing on a solo career in China. The six other members are expected to similarly enlist and take temporary hiatuses from the industry in the near future.
The new dynamic has given EXO’s members opportunities to explore different sides of themselves, and Chanyeol says that it’s also opened their eyes to how they work together and cover for one another in case of any issues. Each member "has to pull their weight so whether in singing or dance, there are parts that won’t be hidden,” he says. “It would be a really big problem [if we made a mistake] because it would be really obvious.” For Suho, who is EXO’s leader, the diminishing numbers makes him reflective. “The fact that we’re unable to perform with all the members is a little bit sad, so when we look at old videos we do feel like, ‘Oh, there are a lot of members in the group’ and we’d like to come together as a full group.”
As all able-bodied South Korean men are expected to take time off from their lives to fulfill the country’s draft requirements, EXO knows it will be seeing more such changes in the near future, and the act will likely not look the way it once did for sometime. But rather than dwell on the past, the men of EXO are looking towards the future, and 2019 saw many of them work on alternative projects, where it was releasing solo music, such as Chen, Baekhyun, Xiumin, and D.O., or working with new units, like Sehun and Chanyeol’s EXO-SC and Baekhyun and Kai in SuperM, along with numerous other professional activities. “We’ve received so much love for our units and solo projects, but at the end of the day the most important thing is the team and group’s performances,” says Baekhyun. “The fact that we’re able to show all these different sides to us also allows us to show different sides of EXO as a group and show how diverse we are, and how each of us have our own talents.”
When asked how they feel about their career over the past decade and what they hope for the future, Chanyeol responds that the members of EXO feel that they’re focusing on the present and facing each moment on its own. “To be honest, when we do interviews when we’re working we realize that as a group we’ve become very comfortable. Rather than us having to go out of our way to go do something, it’s become very natural for us. It’s grown with time and come naturally, this sense of maturity.”
Though EXO and X-EXO battle it out over the Obsession album, the duality of the release is also reflected in the members’ struggles to explore their identities as individuals beyond the act: how to be both a member of EXO and a man in his own right. As EXO have grown in their career, they have also grown up: youngest member Sehun debuted as a teenager but is now 25-years-old. Unfortunately ill on the day of the interview, he was silent throughout much of the discussion and his health hung over the act like a cloud, with frequent references to how, as they get older, they need to take care of themselves better. “These days, seeing that our physical health is part of our workload, I feel that a healthy life, health in general, is very important,” says Baekhyun. “Rather than thinking about more of what we can do to grow as a group, I feel that we all have begun to focus on seeking individual happiness. Right now, a lot of our focus is on how each person is able to find their own happiness and health, and use that when we come together as a group to move in the right direction.”
Suho echoes this, saying that their branching out as individuals beyond the group is a way to take care of themselves as individuals after years of focusing on the collective well-being. “In the past, EXO’s schedule didn’t allow a lot of individual talents to be focused on but starting from the beginning of this year we were given the time to really focus on ourselves, whether it was internally or externally. It’s not just us as a group, but I think everybody needs that kind of self-care. It was good for everybody.”
Even as they focus on themselves, the group is still the focal point of EXO’s identity. “We came together, got very close, and without the passion that we had as a group I don’t think we would have made it as far as we have come,” reflects Baekhyun. “When it comes to being satisfied, as people I think that we’re never 100% satisfied.” This passion towards improving and always seeking something closer and closer to perfection, but recognizing that is impossible and that there is always something more to be done, is emphasized by the members’ responses when asked what their obsessions are: Kai says he’s a workaholic, and Chanyeol says his competitive nature is to the degree that it could be considered an obsession. (Meanwhile, Baekhyun’s obsessed with games, and Kai jokes that Sehun is obsessed with alcohol, as it is well-known he’s one of the group’s members who enjoys drinking.)
One place where Chanyeol at the very least is satisfied in is EXO’s music. “When it comes to our music, I’m 100% confident that we release quality music,” he says with pride. “It’s almost like we’re not following trends but we don’t fall back behind either.” He and Sehun tried to push their artistic side in a new direction with EXO-SC’s What a Life EP in July, and there was a bit of a negative response from some fans over the title song’s music video, which featured the pair partying it up with female dancers. But he says it’s all good, as there’s no moving forward without trying new things, and it’s always good to hear differing opinions. “We wanted to do something drastically different. You could say it was so completely different from what EXO typically releases. It was a very dramatic challenge for us, and even though there was some backlash from fans, for me personally it was a big motivating factor, that I need to show more new sides and that there are many new challenges to take on.”
It’s important to EXO that their audience takes in all the different sides to themselves that they have to offer, and Chen says he hopes that listeners recognize that there’s a difference between an artist releasing a single and an album. “If you listen to the whole album beyond ‘Obsession,’ you’ll recognize that all of the songs are good,” he says; his personal favorite is “Groove.” “I feel that there is a tendency that people just listen to the title track, but it would be really great if people can listen to the whole album because every song is really great.”
Moving forward, EXO knows they’re shifting into a new era of their career, but they express a desire to always remain as one. “I hope that EXO is able to continue just the way it does right now, but beyond the group I hope that each individual member is able to find his own happiness,” says Baekhyun. “We may not go on music performance shows all the time in 10 years, but we hope that we can release albums here and there. In that we can all live our own lives and come together, happily, as a group.” He pauses, and adds with a wry expression, “I think that in 10 years, hopefully we’ll be able to release something like a ballad or an R&B-heavy song where we can just stand around rather than dance.” Other members quickly jump in and refute this though. “That’s not EXO’s thoughts, that’s Baekhyun’s thoughts,” Sehun says with a laugh, while Chanyeol adds that he hopes EXO is “a very cool group” 10 years down the road; Kai adds that he would like to continue dancing as long as his body allows for it.
“As time passes, like our members, our fans are going to start pursuing their own lives as well,” says Kai. “As they fall into their own lives, when they suddenly have a thought of EXO, I hope that one thought that comes to their mind is, ‘It was a really good memory being their fan.’” Suho echoes this, repeating “A good memory” in English with a nod of his head. Baekhyun agrees with this desire for their time together with fans to be thought of warmly, but follows up with the suggestion that the idea of being a memory, while heartwarming, is limiting. “I really hope that we aren’t a group that is remembered as a group that’s part of the past, because when you think of that you think about these groups that don’t really promote and they don’t really do anything as a team. I hope that, whether individually or as a group, we continue to promote and that the name of EXO can continue to grow.”"
Photo links: 1
Credit: Billboard.
367 notes
·
View notes
Text
7 habits of highly effective People summary
about the book:
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey is a self-improvement book. It is written on Covey's belief that the way we see the world is entirely based on our own perceptions. In order to change a given situation, we must change ourselves, and in order to change ourselves, we must be able to change our perceptions.
We all want to succeed. And one path to success is identifying the habits that can help us on our journey.
I recommend starting that path by reading Stephen Covey's best-selling book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Don't have time to read all 432 pages?
I get it most of us don't. That's why we summarized the entire book for you below.
7 habits of highly effective People
1. Be Proactive
2. Begin with the End in Mind
3. Put First Things First
4. Think Win-Win
5. Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood
6. Synergize
7. Sharpen the Saw
Habits 1, 2, and 3 are focused on self-mastery and moving from dependence to independence.
Habits 4, 5, and 6 are focused on developing teamwork, collaboration, and communication skills, and moving from independence to interdependence.
Habit 7 is focused on continuous growth and improvement and embodies all the other habits.
1. Be Proactive
We're in charge. We choose the scripts by which to live our lives. Use this self-awareness to be proactive and take responsibility for your choices.
The first habit that Covey discusses is being proactive. What distinguishes us as humans from all other animals is our inherent ability to examine our own character, to decide how to view ourselves and our situations, and to control our own effectiveness.
Put simply, in order to be effective one must be proactive.
Reactive people take a passive stance -- they believe the world is happening to them. They say things like:
"There's nothing I can do."
"That's just the way I am."
They think the problem is "out there" -- but that thought is the problem. Reactivity becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, and reactive people feel increasingly victimized and out of control.
Proactive people, however, recognize they have responsibility -- or "response-ability," which Covey defines as the ability to choose how you will respond to a given stimulus or situation.
Key Lessons:
Challenge yourself to test the principle of proactivity by doing the following:
1. Start replacing reactive language with proactive language.
Reactive = "He makes me so mad."
Proactive = "I control my own feelings."
2. Convert reactive tasks into proactive ones.
2. Begin with the End in Mind
Start with a clear destination in mind. Covey says we can use our imagination to develop a vision of what we want to become and use our conscience to decide what values will guide us.
Most of us find it rather easy to busy ourselves. We work hard to achieve victories -- promotions, higher income, more recognition. But we don't often stop to evaluate the meaning behind this business, behind these victories -- we don't ask ourselves if these things that we focus on so intently are what really matter to us.
Habit 2 suggests that, in everything we do, we should begin with the end in mind. Start with a clear destination. That way, we can make sure the steps we're taking are in the right direction.
Covey emphasizes that our self-awareness empowers us to shape our own lives, instead of living our lives by default or based on the standards or preferences of others.
Beginning with the end in mind is also extremely important for businesses. Being a manager is about optimizing for efficiency. But being a leader is about setting the right strategic vision for your organisation in the first place, and asking, "What are we trying to accomplish?"
Key Lessons:
Challenge yourself to test the principle of beginning with the end in mind by doing the following:
1. Visualize in rich detail your own funeral. Who is there? What are they saying about you? About how you lived your life? About the relationships you had? What do you want them to say? Think about how your priorities would change if you only had 30 more days to live. Start living by these priorities.
2. Break down different roles in your life -- whether professional, personal, or community -- and list three to five goals you want to achieve for each.
3. Define what scares you. Public speaking? Critical feedback after writing a book? Write down the worst-case scenario for your biggest fear, then visualize how you'll handle this situation. Write down exactly how you'll handle it.
3. Put First Things First
In order to manage ourselves effectively, we must put first things first. We must have the discipline to prioritize our day-to-day actions based on what is most important, not what is most urgent.
In Habit 2, we discussed the importance of determining our values and understanding what it is we are setting out to achieve. Habit 3 is about actually going after these goals, and executing on our priorities on a day-to-day, moment-to-moment basis.
In order to maintain the discipline and the focus to stay on track toward our goals, we need to have the willpower to do something when we don't want to do it. We need to act according to our values rather than our desires or impulses at any given moment.
"Think effectiveness with people and efficiency with things." -Stephen Covey
1. Create your own time management matrix to start prioritizing.
2. Estimate how much time you spend in each quadrant. Then log your time over 3 days. How accurate was your estimate? How much time did you spend in Quadrant II (the most important quadrant)?
4. Think Win-Win
Covey explains that there are six paradigms of human interaction:
1. Win-Win: Both people win. Agreements or solutions are mutually beneficial and satisfying to both parties.
2. Win-Lose: "If I win, you lose." Win-Lose people are prone to use position, power, credentials, and personality to get their way.
3. Lose-Win: "I lose, you win." Lose-Win people are quick to please and appease, and seek strength from popularity or acceptance.
4. Lose-Lose: Both people lose. When two Win-Lose people get together -- that is, when two, determined, stubborn, ego-invested individuals interact -- the result will be Lose-Lose.
5. Win: People with the Win mentality don't necessarily want someone else to lose -- that's irrelevant. What matters is that they get what they want.
6. Win-Win or No Deal: If you can't reach an agreement that is mutually beneficial, there is no deal.
The best option is to create Win-Win situations. With Win-Lose, or Lose-Win, one person appears to get what he wants for the moment, but the results will negatively impact the relationship between those two people going forward.
The Win-Win or No Deal option is important to use as a backup. When we have No Deal as an option in our mind, it liberates us from needing to manipulate people and push our own agenda. We can be open and really try to understand the underlying issues.
"To go for Win-Win, you not only have to be nice, you have to be courageous." -Stephen Covey
Key Lessons:
Get yourself to start thinking Win-Win with these challenges:
1. Think about an upcoming interaction where you'll be attempting to reach an agreement or solution. Write down a list of what the other person is looking for. Next, write a list next to that of how you can make an offer to meet those needs.
2. Identify three important relationships in your life. Think about what you feel the balance is in each of those relationships. Do you give more than you take? Take more than you give? Write down 10 ways to always give more than you take with each one.
3. Deeply consider your own interaction tendencies. Are they Win-Lose? How does that affect your interactions with others? Can you identify the source of that approach? Determine whether or not this approach serves you well in your relationships. Write all of this down.
5. Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood
Before we can offer advice, suggest solutions, or effectively interact with another person in any way, we must seek to deeply understand them and their perspective through empathic listening.
Let's say you go to an optometrist and tell him that you've been having trouble seeing clearly, and he takes off his glasses, hands them to you and says, "Here, try these -- they've been working for me for years!" You put them on, but they only make the problem worse. What are the chances you'd go back to that optometrist?
Unfortunately, we do the same thing in our everyday interactions with others. We prescribe a solution before we diagnose the problem. We don't seek to deeply understand the problem first.
Habit 5 says that we must seek first to understand, then to be understood. In order to seek to understand, we must learn to listen.
"You have to build the skills of empathic listening on a base of character that inspires openness and trust." -Stephen Covey
Key Lessons:
Here are a few ways to get yourself in the habit of seeking first to understand:
1. Next time you're watching two people communicating, cover your ears and watch. What emotions are being communicated that might not come across through words alone? Was one person or the other more interested in the conversation? Write down what you noticed.
3. Next time you give a presentation, root it in empathy. Begin by describing the audience's point of view in great detail. What problems are they facing? How is what you're about to say offering a solution to their problems?
6. Synergize
By understanding and valuing the differences in another person's perspective, we have the opportunity to create synergy, which allows us to uncover new possibilities through openness and creativity.
The combination of all the other habits prepares us for Habit 6, which is the habit of synergy or "When one plus one equals three or more and the whole is great than the sum of its parts."
For example, if you plant two plants close together, their roots will co-mingle and improve the quality of the soil, so that both plants will grow better than they would on their own.
Synergy allows us to create new alternatives and open new possibilities. It allows us as a group to collectively agree to ditch the old scripts and write new ones.
"Without doubt, you have to leave the comfort zone of base camp and confront an entirely new and unknown wilderness." -Stephen Covey
Key Lessons:
1. Make a list of people who irritate you. Now choose just one person. How are their views different? Put yourself in their shoes for one minute. Think and pretend how it feels to be them. Does this help you understand them better?
Now next time you're in a disagreement with that person, try to understand their concerns and why they disagree with you. The better you can understand them, the easier it will be to change their mind -- or change yours.
2. Make a list of people with whom you get along well. Now choose just one person. How are their views different? Now write down a situation where you had excellent teamwork and synergy. Why? What conditions were met to reach such fluidity in your interactions? How can you recreate those conditions again?
7. Sharpen the Saw
To be effective, we must devote the time to renewing ourselves physically, spiritually, mentally, and socially. Continuous renewal allows us to synergistically increase our ability to practice each habit.
Habit 7 is focused around renewal, or taking time to "sharpen the saw." It surrounds all of the other habits and makes each one possible by preserving and enhancing your greatest asset -- yourself.
There are four dimensions of our nature, and each must be exercised regularly, and in balanced ways:
Physical Dimension: The goal of continuous physical improvement is to exercise our body in a way that will enhance our capacity to work, adapt, and enjoy.
To renew ourselves physically, we must:
i. Eat well
ii. Get sufficient rest and relaxation
iii. Exercise on a regular basis to build endurance, flexibility, and strength
Focusing on the physical dimension helps develop Habit 1 muscles of proactivity. We act based on the value of well-being instead of reacting to the forces that keep us from fitness.
Spiritual Dimension: The goal of renewing our spiritual self is to provide leadership to our life and reinforce your commitment to our value system.
To renew yourself spiritually, you can:
i. Practice daily meditation
ii. Communicate with nature
iii. Immerse yourself in great literature or music
A focus on our spiritual dimension helps us practice Habit 2, as we continuously revise and commit ourselves to our values, so we can begin with the end in mind.
Mental Dimension: The goal of renewing our mental health is to continue expanding our mind.
To renew yourself mentally, you can:
i. Read good literature
ii. Keep a journal of your thoughts, experiences,
and insights
iii. Limit television watching to only those programs that enrich your life and mind
Focusing on our mental dimension helps us practice Habit 3 by managing ourselves effectively to maximize the use of our time and resources.
Social/Emotional Dimension: The goal of renewing ourselves socially is to develop meaningful relationships.
To renew yourself emotionally, you can:
i. Seek to deeply understand other people
ii. Make contributions to meaningful projects that improve the lives of others
iii. Maintain an Abundance Mentality, and seek to help others find success
Renewing our social and emotional dimension helps us practice Habits 4, 5, and 6 by recognizing that Win-Win solutions do exist, seeking to understand others, and finding mutually beneficial third alternatives through synergy.
"Not a day goes by that we can't at least serve one other human being by making deposits of unconditional love." -Stephen Covey
Key Lessons:
1. Make a list of activities that would help you renew yourself along each of the 4 dimensions. Select one activity for each dimension and list it as a goal for the coming week. At the end of the week, evaluate your performance. What led you to succeed or fail to accomplish each goal?
2. Commit to writing down a specific "sharpen the saw" activity in all four dimensions every week, to do them, and to evaluate your performance and results.
Hope you find some value from this article and don't forget it - read , learn and implement
3 notes
·
View notes
Text
Technology- A Friend or a Foe?
Dependence on technology has made us forget about some of the traditional skills. Technology is wonderful but the increasing rate of dependency on technology is alarming. For example, the skills of reading maps have been forgotten as now people are using GPS for directions. Nowadays driving is also automatic, the car basically drives itself and after using automatic cars people have forgotten how to operate manual cars. Calculators have also become so popular in school that people can’t operate simple calculations without using a calculator. The dependence on the technology is too much that people are losing their ability to think and even read as people have all the information they need on the internet. Our grammar and spelling mistakes can also be corrected by the computer. We have also stopped producing our own food as production of packaged foods have been mechanized.
For a long time, computers have been all over the place and most households have them. Internet is the common activity on the computers and the internet is used to expand our knowledge, listen to music, play games, chat and watch videos. Most of the population is addicted to internet and spend much of their time on the internet other than spending their time on productive activities.
Technology makes our life simpler and easier but people's dependence on the technology is too much in that they are making people damn lazy as we have become sluggish, obese since our transportation has been mechanized. The technology has made so lethargic in that we cannot even go to the shops to buy fast foods and all we need is just a phone call and the foods are delivered to us. So, in my opinion too much dependence and addiction to the technology is not good for humans.
There are many advantages that technological advances have brought. Technological dependence is clearly seen when we look around and realize that we are surrounded by technological advances ranging from mobile phones, computers, iPod, and television; that have become part of our common lives causing in us a certain dependence. Technological development has grown at considerable speed and the consequences on society, countries and individuals are enormous. Technological development has a unique course we cannot alter, nor stop; It defines our lives. In the present, technological change is determined by a few large multinational corporations that in turn influence the behaviour of consumers by advertising, so the consumer is directed to where they want. For example, for the people that must be continuously checking their e-mail; cell phones were invented, which already have mobile internet so that they can connect at anytime and anywhere. Another example of how consumerism is relating to new technologies is the company Apple who release every year a new iPhone. It is important to emphasize that the same consumerism perceived by the people today in everyday life; it is the same that induces to the purchase of new and improved artifacts focused more than anything else as a whim and not as a necessity. The gap between consumption and need becomes increasingly close and more difficult to discern.
“At first glance, one might have the tendency to dismiss such aberrant cell phone use as merely youthful nonsense a passing fad. But an emerging body of literature has given increasing credence to cell phone addiction and similar behavioural addictions.” Technology is a means that on one hand brings us many advantages, but in the other hand, we have to establish that the use of artifacts such as the Internet and mobile phones are becoming of excessive use in young people, for Roberts and Pirog it is definite that all these artifacts are becoming a way of life for each one of them, and they say that the same young people are at a stage where they will become addicts to this devices if they do not know how to control themselves. They argue further that technology isolates people because it is now very common to see how many hours devoted young are to be on the network, because humanity is involved in a technological world, that’s where people are starting to talk about the term “technophile” which is becoming more common every day. In addition, several people are starting to consider technology dependency as any unhealthy dependency such as alcoholism or drug addiction. Jane Demerica thinks the opposite to what is set out in the article of Roberts and Pirog she says that these new technologies are extremely beneficial for all and that it is difficult to speak of dependence in these technologies. New technologies in communication are optimal for better knowing people and expand the social circle. “Meeting new friends- Shy kids can make new friends on the internet.” She also claims to have solved the problems of introversion and even ensures that parents feel reassured that their children are talking to friends who already know and are under supervision to help lower the risk. Another point where she is in favour is the mobile phones because she mentions, “Cell phones make it easier for parents to keep track of their children.”
The technologies have a great potential to enhance and change the education system, which can break the prevailing cultural patterns so that technology does not bring so many prejudices and steers away from becoming a dependency. “When schools in different parts of the state, country or world connect, students can “meet” their counterparts through video conferencing without leaving the classroom.” According to him, there is no abuse of technology rather this is the current key of teaching so children and youth should be therefore more exposed to the media. As a source of information, the Internet provides immediate access to almost all knowledge collected by mankind in the history of civilization. In times where knowledge is power, access to the Internet puts a person in complete advantage over those who do not. With the internet a person can read the latest news on different topics, obtain information on employment opportunities, find out the latest fashion trends, and learn from the written responses of millions of people in specialized forums and blogs. The downside is that many people infringe copyright because they are tempted by so much information and end up copying and pasting text and then present them as their own. This promotes laziness and dishonesty. Also, many people take advantage of the vast amount of personal information available on the Internet to blackmail or steal identities. Psychologist Patricia Greenfield indicates that technology is causing the loss of critical thinking in students. She states that because of the incredible boom that technologies have on societies can begin to talk about the concept of dependence on technology, estimates that there are already hundreds of incidents of Internet dependency. Although she is not totally disagreeing with the new technologies, she indicates to use both “As students spend more time with visual media and less time with print, evaluation methods that include visual media will give a better picture of what they actually know.” Addiction is increasing, it is giving following alteration in social and physical habits of young people and identifies these as other addictions, producing anxiety about being in touch with a computer and the need to be using it every minute, so that has made huge gap between use and abuse. Another person who is in favour with the views of Roberts and Pirog about the mobile phones is Josip Ivanovic who says, “Teens’ natural tendency to follow trends may result in an emotional attachment to a cell phone that is out of scale with its actual value.” It can be said that many people, especially young people tend to use this device in a manner disproportionate, making it an addiction. Most people overuse the cell, nowadays users cannot leave it off for minutes, and if so, they tend to turn it on after a short time to check for text messages or voice mails. People who are dependent of cell phones need to feel their devices in their hands, otherwise they will not feel good, and this will generate anxiety, stress or despair. This new addiction attack to hundreds of people, and the worst thing of all is that they do not realize that they are addicted because they see it as something normal. “The overuse of cell phones has become a social problem for tens of thousands of Americans not much different than other harmful addictions.” In addition, cell phone addiction can cause serious damage to the home environment; because it causes alienation when a member moves away to make a call or send a text message this generates a detachment of the family environment.
We live in times where the use of technology is applied in every aspect of the society, which explains the technological dependence in which we live. Nowadays society applies new technology almost anywhere such as scientifically, socially and financially, “But as a foundation for an important economic pillar in our country, I suspect we’re pushing the envelope of sane thinking. There is no such thing as an unhackable computer system. There is no such thing as a 24/7/365 computer system.” For example, if we go to the bank and the system goes down, we cannot do anything because all the information about the clients is stored online; If a person wants to be served in any unit of government health, he has to make an appointment, but if it is rush hour in which all users want to make an appointment, the system will flood, and they won’t be able to handle the appointment. Other problem could be if a system fails “Because hospital systems are so complex, and require the careful integration of disparate, specialized software and hardware systems, single component downtime can greatly interrupt workflow.” New technologies have entirely changed the way of life of young people. In some respects, very much improved. For example, in order to perform the schoolwork children have to use a computer to do some research. In the last few years there has been a considerable advance in the technology, each time improving more what we already have, which is beneficial to our quality of life. The problem is that goes awry and creates addiction among children and adolescents, and presently technology can be considered as a drug.
At first, results from the ease of communications appear valuable because it helps people to communicate with others who are far away, but if this trend persists, people who use this technology often will isolate. “Young adults who use Facebook more frequently show more signs of psychological disorders, including antisocial behaviour, mania and aggressiveness.” An example of this is Facebook where more and more people spend hours attached to this virtual community, and thus ignore their interpersonal relationships in the real world. For young people, I believe that new technologies have become a property of first need that gives them independence with respect to the outside world. Some of the things that stand out are the media such as television, social networks, the consoles such as the video games, mobile phones, the Internet, and photos and videos from digital cameras. This has caused a radical change in the socialization and how they relate. The presence and contact now have become a thing of the past. Friendships are now not visible using technologies. For example, with the use of Facebook many people can meet new friends. The advantages that young people see in the new technologies are many and varied. For example, in social networks allows them to have a continuous communication. They can choose a person to talk or keep hidden until they feel confident most of the time, they use it at home where they feel safe and uninhibited, which causes parents to lose and control of their children. These technologies also have an impact on family relations, creating privacy for the children, which is hardly controllable by the parents, because most of the population now has a computer at home with internet access. The computer is a useful tool in everyday life as it helps us to make academic work and non-academic work. Although it is a very important tool in our daily lives today we have also become very dependent on it because we cannot do anything if we do not have a computer, this mainly happens because our environment demands the use of this tool each day at work or school, and nobody denies that it is a very useful tool for everyday tasks, but when a person rely on something that is what we dread to think what will happen when this technology is not around us. From a computer with internet connection a person can buy anything, from books to a house. There is no need that could not be met with the Internet and a credit card with funds. Someone with Internet connection could live his entire live without having to leave his home. This also means that the Internet offers an endless variety of business opportunities, from basic Web page creation, sales of traditional products, to even sales of stranger things. The negative side of these are of course spam, phishing, and other forms of fraud; through which unscrupulous people look for to get rich quick. Fraud can also come from the buyer’s side, because many thieves of credit cards use the Internet to make purchases under the name of their victims, emptying their bank accounts and ruining their reputation.
In conclusion, technology is a phenomenon that surrounds us all with artifacts and technical devices daily, is an element that is maintained for the length of time, and we remain equally or more wrapped up in a technological world that teaches us a new way of learning, and adaptation. Technological dependence is part of our lives because nowadays no one is free of this phenomenon on the global level. An example of this are the universities which indirectly involve students in this system, the same applies to jobs or simply with the Chat, which is limiting personal relations, replacing them with virtual communication. All this becomes dependence when individuals cannot perform their daily activities without the use of some device, or better said function in society without occupying any technological tool. Historically, technology has been used to meet basic needs such as food, clothing, and housing. But also, for other negative purposes such as, create weapons to persuade and dominate people. Technological activity affects the social and economic progress, but also produced the deterioration of our environment. Technologies can be used to protect the environment and prevent the growing needs cause depletion or degradation of material and energy resources of our planet. Avoiding these negative aspects is the task not only of governments, but of all the people living on the planet. Although technology has several disadvantages, I think the advantages of these are more favourable to mankind. In fact, one could say that without sustainable development of the technology, the humans would not be more than an ordinary living being on this planet. The inventions of man are indicators of the cognitive evolution of the same, and in their eagerness to learn, can overcome evolutionary barriers such as adaptability to certain climates, and defence against diseases. Unfortunately, it is man who decides how to use it. Certain types of men see technology as weapons for war, others as tools that help us improve the quality of life of the species.
1 note
·
View note
Text
Design in context: Sustainability and sustainable design Darrel Bitema
Introduction
Sustainability as a concept entered the academic lexicon around the 1980s, and from that time on has gone to evolve substantially (Portney, 2015). Sustainability may broadly refer to economic development activity that accomplishes the needs of today without jeopardising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs (Portney, 2015). At its core, sustainability as a concept refers mostly to the preservation of the Earth’s biophysical environment with particular respect to the depletion and use of natural resources (Portney, 2015). This essay will explore multiple definitions behind sustainability, its characteristics, foundations, and importance. This essay will also make special references to sustainable design and its impact and applications in the world.
Defining Sustainability
Sustainability while often argued to have roots in conservation, it is not the same as environmental conservation (Portney, 2015). It refers more to finding a sort of steady-state so the Earth or at least a fragment of it can support the human population and economic growth without eventually threatening the health of humans, animals, and vegetation (Portney, 2015). The basic premise of sustainability is that Earth’s resources cannot be used, depleted, or damaged indefinitely; not only will these obviously resources run out at some point, but their exploitation largely undermines the ability of life to persist and thrive (Portney, 2015).
Perhaps the biggest difference between traditional ideas of environmental protection and sustainability is that the former tends to focus on environmental remediation and preventing very certain environmental threats while the latter tends to be far more proactive and holistic, focusing on dynamic processes over the long term (Portney, 2015). Multiple concepts and definitions of sustainability have been used to portray the many different expressions of environmental priorities, with each emphasizing a specific set of results that should be sustained. These concepts consist of ecological capacity, resource/environment, critiquing of technology, biosphere, Ecodevelopment, and no growth-slow growth (Portney, 2015). When elaborated upon ecological capacity hopes to promote the maximum and optimum ability of the Earth to support human life and systems, resource management promotes economic growth only to the extent that it does not deplete natural resources, critiquing and rejecting technology involves the rejection of the notion that science and technology will protect save and protect the world, mentions of the biosphere refers to concerns regarding the human population’s impact on the Earth’s natural resources, Ecodevelopment helps adapt businesses and economic development activities towards the realities of environmental limits and finally no growth-slow growth speaks of the limits of the Earth’s ability to support the health and wellbeing of the ever-growing human population (Portney, 2015).
Sustainability, however, does not equal responsibility. A very good example may refer to corporate social responsibility as it does not require any trade-offs (Bansal & DesJardine, 2014). Ethics, norms, and morality often permeate or pervade corporate social responsibility (Bansal & DesJardine, 2014). There is no such moral imperative that dictates what a firm should do or not do to support sustainability. No specific system is judged as right or wrong, nor are individuals ever assumed to be morally responsible to society. A sustainability lens can also be as likely applied to understanding the operations of the Mafia as to the Catholic Church (Bansal & DesJardine, 2014). While sustainability scholars can comment on excess greenhouse gas emissions creating change in climate systems, they do not have the adequate tools to judge whether the new climate regimes are relatively good or bad (Bansal & DesJardine, 2014).
Sustainability and responsibility often come face to face with the result not often being good. A prime example could refer to mining companies that create shared value when they build local schools and hospitals, a healthy, educated local workforce helps generate the profits, which are eventually redistributed back into the community (Bansal & DesJardine, 2014). However, these responsible actions may not always be sustainable, especially if the surrounding environment is degraded and traditional lifestyles are disrupted (Bansal & DesJardine, 2014). This can happen even if the local community participates in the initial decision-making.
The significance of sustainability in identifying and solving a design problem
Sustainability when relating to design can be expanded upon in terms of sustainable design. While meaning many things to many people, it can be viewed as the process of planning, contemplating, or creating in ways that maintain resources and preserve the environment for future generations (DeKay, 2011). Preservation of resources merely to minimize resource use is insufficient for sustainability. The maintenance of resources requires critical thinking in cycles and considering both resources and the outputs/pollution and their ability to be absorbed into environmental sinks such as the atmosphere or rivers (DeKay, 2011). This brings us directly to consider natural ecosystem processes, which is one perspective critical to the preservation of the environment (DeKay, 2011).
To understand how sustainability in design or, more specifically, sustainable design helps solve design problems, a brief overview of the major perspectives behind sustainable design should be discussed. These consist of behaviours, systems, experiences, and cultures. Behaviours help reduce our levels of resource consumption (to sustainable rates), creating more internal loops in our building economy and reducing our waste products and pollutants to zero for non-renewables and an absorbable rate for renewables (DeKay, 2011). Thus less is more and more becomes more in regards to less consumption and more recycling (DeKay, 2011). When referring to systems, the environment is seen as a living system (DeKay, 2011). Sustainability is concerned with keeping the living systems of the planet locally, regionally, and globally, in good health for future generations (DeKay, 2011). Sustainable Design asks us to think, contemplate, plan, and make patterns with our intelligence in ways that will fit human settlements to their ecological contexts (DeKay, 2011). Patterns can’t be measured in the same way as a more straight forward unit of measurements such as kilowatts and gallons. This requires high and new levels of creativity and consciousness, with the good news being, next to many professionals, designers are actually good at the pattern (DeKay, 2011).
The experience perspective requires us to reach far further into the capacities of being a human and to consider the physical world (the exterior) of the built and natural environment but also to consider the artistic skill behind the design and its relation to ecological aesthetics (DeKay, 2011). Cultures ask us to design our built environment as operating within the context of natural systems; at the same time, it transcends these whole systems view to embrace the cultural context of the building community and the cultures at large (DeKay, 2011). Language, stories, customs, and meanings are all around us all the time and they are constantly evolving (DeKay, 2011). To further discuss the relationship between sustainable design nature and culture, we have to understand that design requires a complex state of mind and the development of many lines of skill and thought by the designer (DeKay, 2011). We are also interested in our collective values and understanding. This helps us take action today for future generations, which is an ethical perspective only available in the context of a community, where all ethics begin (DeKay, 2011). This allows one to enter “the realm of culture” (DeKay, 2011). This realm is specifically portrayed in the relationships of human to nature. It requires us to examine how what we create has something to say or mean, which can also carry a purpose (DeKay, 2011).
These four perspectives help us understand how sustainable design performs, is an ecosystem, creates beauty and human feeling, and also conveys cultural meanings (DeKay, 2011). Performance refers to technological sustainability, which ensures applied principles of empirically-based knowledge are used to reduce resource use and pollution (DeKay, 2011). This is a design committed to “less is more” concept. The ecosystem section refers to expanding the design to include ecological patterns as design is an ecological is a literal or figurative participant of the ecosystem (DeKay, 2011). Using fewer resources or even having fewer sick days for workers does not contribute to a healthy ecosystem. Finally conveying cultural meanings helps to expand and include rich human experiences (DeKay, 2011). This is because one of design’s roles is to reveal and express sustainable technology, so people have the direct and indirect experience of the cycles and forces of nature with which design interacts (DeKay, 2011). Sustainable design can also expand to include meaning-making stories as it can embody specific myths, stories and beliefs about how society and nature are related (DeKay, 2011). When Sustainable Design manifests, reflects, and expresses ecological processes, it gives people the opportunity to become more aware of living processes and our relationships to them (DeKay, 2011).
Examples of successful application of sustainability/sustainable design in spatial design
In current years there has been an unprecedented, exponential growth in distinct academic programs especially related to the environmental dimension of sustainability in higher education, especially in this last decade (Henderson, 2012). Environmental, sustainability studies, and graduate programs are in every major scientific, engineering, and social science discipline, as well as in design, planning, business, law, public health, behavioral sciences, ethics, and even religion, are abundant and continue to grow (Henderson, 2012). Progress on campuses modeling sustainability has grown at an even faster rate. Higher education has finally embraced programs necessary for energy and water conservation, renewable energy, waste reduction and recycling, green buildings and purchasing, alternative transportation, and growing organic foods, and sustainable purchasing, which saves both the environment and money (Henderson, 2012).
Sustainability with specific reference to spatial design has given birth to what can be referred to as “green building professionals” (Henderson, 2012). All building professionals such as architects, engineers, etc., can be considered green building professionals in that they incorporate sustainability in their designs and enhance their knowledge with green ideals and techniques (Henderson, 2012). Sustainability and green building consultants take their jobs further by completely centering their expertise on integrating the environmental friendly with companies and buildings. One tool that helps overlap specialists with green building is “BIM,” or building information modelling. This global tool holds all of the pertinent data in one place, which can be used in tandem with other tools such as energy modelling (Henderson, 2012).
BIM can be referred to as a digital representation of the literal (physical) and functional characteristics of a facility; thus, it serves as a shared knowledge resource for information about a facility forming a reliable basis for decisions from the beginning, during its life cycle and inception onward (Henderson, 2012). If BIM is implemented properly, nearly every piece of information an owner needs to know about a facility throughout its life cycle can be made available digitally. One key aspect of BIM is that it allows for energy modelling to be easier and faster, providing the chance for multiple iterations of a project and the ability to make minor tweaks in the architecture that will eventually result in significant energy savings (Henderson, 2012).
Figure 1
The Randselva Bridge, which has often been described as the world’s longest bridge without drawings, is an example of BIM at its finest (“The world’s longest bridge built without drawings a reality”, 2020). To put into context of how impressive this is, the bridge was nominated for the Teklas structure award in the infrastructure category and has already won the awards for Best BIM Project and Best Infrastructure Project (“The world’s longest bridge built without drawings a reality”, 2020).
Figure 2
Another prime example of sustainability and or sustainable design’s applications in design, specifically spatial design, is “LEED,” or more specifically, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design is a green-building rating system created by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) (“What is LEED? | U.S. Green Building Council”, n.d.). Available for virtually all types of buildings and building phases, including new construction, interior fit-outs, operations and maintenance, and core and shell (“What is LEED? | U.S. Green Building Council”, n.d.). LEED provides a framework for healthy, efficient, and cost-saving green buildings. LEED certification is thus a globally recognised tool (“What is LEED? | U.S. Green Building Council”, n.d.).
In today’s current market, LEED has developed to become a household word (Parr & Zaretsky, 2010). More projects have been registered and continue to be registered, while LEED ratings increasingly find their way into marketing brochures distributed by developers, building owners, architects, and contractors (Parr & Zaretsky, 2010). Accredited professionals proudly add “LEED” to their titles, and, most significantly, numerous federal agencies and state and local governments now require some form of LEED certification. Green architecture is no longer a fringe phenomenon (Parr & Zaretsky, 2010).
LEED provides numerous environmental benefits, as compared to typical building construction, LEED-certified buildings use lower percentages of material with high levels of toxicity, use less water and energy, and have a lesser overall impact on the physical landscape (Parr & Zaretsky, 2010). Another prominent benefit of building rating systems is increased commitment by owners and clients once a project is registered in a building rating system (Parr & Zaretsky, 2010). The greatest impact of green building rating systems is the increase in dialogue about sustainability, sustainable design, and green building (Parr & Zaretsky, 2010). With clients pushing designers and builders to become more educated on these issues and students are demanding much more sophisticated discussion within institutions of higher education, the result of the increase in green building, there are much more resources available both online as well as on the ground than ever before (Parr & Zaretsky, 2010).
Conclusion
In this essay, based on the evidence presented, the importance of sustainability and sustainable design was successfully argued and discussed. Special reference was specially made to its effects on architecture and green-building while also providing visual examples.
4 notes
·
View notes
Text
What role can museum educator's play in helping their organizations become more inclusive and empathetic?
Dana Golan Miller, September 22
When I visit various online museum websites, I tend to focus on the section dedicated to children and family activities. Perhaps this is because I'm a mother of two. I truly want my children to have exposure to a wide range of museums, and I approach it from the perspective of an ordinary mother, not as a professional from the art world or a museum expert. However, when I come across these online platforms, I always consider the role of educators within it.
While it's evident that the curators are primarily responsible for the content of exhibitions, I firmly believe that a successful exhibition, if possible, is one where there is collaboration between curators and educators. In my opinion, Plantworld is an exemplary museum that embodies this type of synergy
According to their mission from their web-site "Planet Word is the only museum in the country dedicated to renewing and inspiring a love of words and language… As a museum for the entire community, we’re collaborating with partners who share our core belief that literacy is the foundation of a strong democracy. Our partners serve children and adults with low literacy, people without access to educational resources, and those experiencing homelessness. Together, we’re working to ensure that Planet Word is a welcoming place, serving a diverse audience, and making a difference in the life of the community" (from the museum's web site https://planetwordmuseum.org/about
Yes, I must confess that I explored the museum's website after my visit with my MET peers during the summer. However, I could clearly see that the museum actively collaborates with educators. There is no doubt that the museum educators work in tandem with the museum curators and managers. I also have to emphasize that this museum is truly unique and distinct from other specialized museums, such as those dedicated to art or science."
Collaboration between the education departments and other professionals within the institution is not common. In 2019, a group of museum professionals came together to form The Empathetic Museum to advocate for institutional empathy as a transformative force in museums. "The Empathetic Museum holds that the qualities of the 21st century museum are impossible without an inner core of institutional empathy: the intention of the museum to be, and be perceived as, deeply connected with its community (Jennings, 2019, 505). I personally found this document much important with regards to the museum' roll in the civic sphere. "Empathy: the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another of either the past or present without having the feelings, thoughts, and experience fully communicated in an objectively explicit manner (509). They continue by emphasize the "five characteristics of empathetic practice - civic vision, Institutional Body Language, Institutional Body Language, Timeliness and Sustainability and Performance Measures. All capture the wide variety of ways that empathy can be reflected within and by an institution (510-512). Though they mentioned that "Model is not an end in itself. It represents an accessible starting point and tool for assessing an organization’s particular stage on its empathetic journey". After asking "So what does an empathetic museum look like? They sum up that "There is no perfect model museum of empathetic practice, yet. Museums the world over are puzzling about new ways of existing and engaging with the audiences we serve–from exploring participatory models of storytelling, to decolonizing collections, to dismantling a collective legacy of white supremacy. As we approach this new tipping point, we look to institutions that are intentionally seeking to address disparities in their midst (515).
I found these pieces of advice to be incredibly crucial and significant when it comes to museum participation and the internal dynamics among museum departments. So, what role do educators play in this environment? Well, it depends on the primary mission of the museum, and more importantly, its leadership. An educator can contribute creatively by introducing new ways of thinking and fostering collaborations, along with ideas on how to engage with various communities. However, if the managers do not permit this or impose their own ideas without consultation, success may remain elusive.
Only a leader, or a chief curator, who genuinely comprehends the importance of engagement and applies the advice provided in the aforementioned document can achieve this mission. Educators have the potential and should actively help their organizations become more inclusive and empathetic if they are given the opportunity to do so. I sincerely hope that such developments are becoming increasingly prevalent nowadays.
Based on my experience exploring the Wordplant Museum's website and visiting the museum twice, once with my children, I believe that they have indeed succeeded in this regard.
Resources:
Planetword museum web-site
Jennings, G., Cullen, J., Bryant, J., Bryant-Greenwell, K., Mann, S., Hove, C. and Zepeda, N. (2019), The Empathetic Museum: A New Institutional Identity. Curator, 62: 505-526. https://doi.org/10.1111/cura.12335
1 note
·
View note
Text
Individual Responsibility to Society
Introduction
As humans, we have the capability of creating beautiful works of art. Leonardo da Vinci was most well known for the Mona Lisa. Vincent Van Gogh created the Starry Night. Johannes Vermeer made Girl with a Pearl Earing and Milchelangelo with the Sistine Chapel. These are just a few works admired by millions if not billions as works that could have only been completed by intellectuals. People flock from around the world for an opportunity to see such talent on display not recognizing that they themselves are artist in nature. A mosaic of people of many colors defined by many different types of pieces trying to figure out how to best fit into a pattern we call community. What makes any work of art a masterpiece is not just putting imagination on to canvass but the ability to carefully choose the colors, manage those colors, stay within the lines, and holding themselves accountable to every paint stroke made.
Carefully Choosing the Colors
The world is a complexed series of problems on a canvass designed by many colors. Those many colors are the people within a community that cross intersect to make one complete picture. Within those colors are a mixture of ingredients that make up the shades that if not monitored, causes imperfections in the final work: unemployment, political violence, poverty, and ecological disasters all of which exist but dependent on the skill of the painter get overlooked despite being the things we should care about the most. What makes these problems so complexed is how they intersect one another on the canvass as colors mix. The more paint that is applied to the canvass and the more colors that are chosen, the more they become entangled and more difficult to manage. While some may go unphased by the harsh chemicals, it does not go unnoticed that the mixtures cause reprehensible results which if corrected early enough has a new unique perspective to the picture but if left unaddressed, could in worst case destroy the work and waste the time spent developing it.
Managing of the Colors
For those viewing our painting - our community, what perspective are we providing to them? The actions of individuals within our community gives sanction to the viewer of the art to determine which color is most relevant. It also allows any viewer to pose the questions of “Are any of these colors important to me, If I were the artist, what colors would I have chosen instead, and what does the entire picture mean to me? We based these questions on cultural values and beliefs which helps us answering fundamental questions to what colors one chooses to focus on or find most appealing. In a 2007 journal on the study of Youth Sense of Community: Voice and Power In Community Context, Scot Evans (Author) concludes the importance of adolescents involvement in community affairs. In this study, youth express their views of their society and what matters to them citing while they have a high interest in contributing, “…teenagers are often unequipped and under supported to participate fully and feel like they are making meaningful contributions to society.” Teens themselves are of a separate color on the pallet that is often ignored or given equal consideration especially those young people “who are disadvantaged or members of minority groups” (S. Evans, 2007).
Staying Within the Lines
Both teens and adults have a similar set of values and that has evolved throughout history a system of governance that selects values and beliefs based on those most shared. This governing is imposed on the people as the “Rule of Law” (J. Hart, 2014). The theory behind the rule of law is designed to govern the decorum of the people within a society that are fair and equitable. This system throughout history has not been perfect but in the description of democracy, has stood through the test of time by its foundational principles of governing by the people with majority rule and with ultimate authority from its people. This is important to our societal canvass as we are essentially giving the colors that make up the painting the power to choose what is considered out of bounds or outside the lines of the painting we intend on creating.
Within a democratic society is the creation of government systems and within that, courts. The purpose of these courts is to take a common set of beliefs and values and implement them into law to protect people from other people. Originally designed to be judicial in nature, western society courts have progressed into an inclusive affair where the public through concepts of faith become involved in the decision making of what is socially acceptable. The involvement of people that are governed included the “participation in local law enforcement and administration (as sheriffs, JPs and constables) or juries (grand and petty) and, indeed, in parliament itself (as lawmakers) …” (J. Hart JR, 2014). This invited society to buy into an idea of shared responsibility and “…the commitment to the traditional means and methods of English government. The United States continues to maintain the concept of shared responsibility through government practice in the appointments of peace officers of similar title at a local level, judges and magistrates at all levels, and the election of congressional and senatorial positions for both state and federal level. Collectively, the bodies of these entities collaborate with the communities in which they serve to solve complexed quality of life issues. To be effective, they all must make a commitment to enforcing laws in an equal and equitable manner.
The principles of a societal occupied justice system are not just for the purposes of societal cohesion but too personal gain. In a free society, people are afforded the right to explore financial independence through entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurial ventures invite innovation which as a byproduct also invites competitors to steal the ideas of one to make it their own. Individuals of society are sought to play roles in the civil judicial system to protect the rights of intellect that contribute to economic growth. Civil judicial courts as defined by Glenn Hubbard and Patrick O’Brien in “Macroeconomics” are independent courts who make decisions free of influence from any other portion of the government, governed people who have connections to political influence or any person who intimidates by criminal gang. These courts are expected to be used to make decisions based solely on law.
The legal protections of our society are lines on our canvass we have chosen to remain in to maintain order. These same lines are what society collectively create through majority vote and like the practice of artist leading to a perfect masterpiece, we are continuing to improve upon. When we work outside the lines it lends opportunity to anarchy, unrest, and disorder. This is the paint finding its way away from the canvass, splattered throughout the room in places it should never belong. As a society, working collectively, we can paint a beautiful work of art. The best direction is to embrace each color to help complement one another and, in some cases, create new colors.
Accountability to Every Paint Stroke
Some of the colors used in paintings share similar tones. What is a simple brown can be changed to a lighter or darker form of brown. We recognize these slight variations as a family of tones. A color that is mixed into another loses its identity as one color and becomes a totally different color. As it pertains to civic responsibility, we see this happen when it comes to influence on youth. According to the study of Youth Sense of Community: Voice and Power in Community Context (S. Evans, 2007), people demonstrate a higher interest in personal responsibility and accountability when they are introduced to civics and politics at an adolescent age. Youth not only have a higher interest in civics but to are “…more likely to consider public interest an important life goal when their families emphasized an ethic of social responsibility (S. Evans, 2007). When there is an absence of influence from family, there are plenty of replacements today through technology that fill the void that shapes the views of teens. Social media and online content are huge replacements that manipulate the values and beliefs in teens as they become adults.
Youth are encouraged to engage in civic programs like student body councils and Mayor Youth Council (MYC) which help them with problem solving and understand the necessity of community partnership for the greater good of all within the community. Engaging in civic government programs, teens have positions of power bestowed upon them. In Evans study, he concluded that when this power is gained, they are more conscience of their personal responsibility to the community. The students in the study also expressed their want to better their communities after becoming aware of inequalities within and outside of their own communities “revealing how their opportunities to play meaningful roles promote their developing sense of social responsibility to the agency.”
Conclusion
As a society working collectively, we can paint a beautiful work of art. The best direction is to embrace each color to help complement one another and, in some cases, create new colors. As contributing colors to the painting, we have a voice to influence the significance of our own color within the painting governed by the rule of law where the colors on the canvass dictate what is fair and just. When we say, “The system isn’t fair,” The question that we should ask ourselves is: “How are we contributing to it?” To create a picture we want others to see, we must become involved. We must find a way to carefully put our color on to the canvass, staying within the lines and holding ourselves accountable for the strokes we make. Are we becoming a part of the painting as designed, or are we fighting against it?
References
Evans, S. D. (2007). Youth sense of community: Voice and power in community contexts. Journal of Community Psychology, 35(6), 693–709. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcop.20173
Hart, J. S. (2003). The Rule of Law, 1603-1660: Crowns, Courts and Judges (1st ed.). Routledge.
Hubbard, R. G., & O’Brien, A. P. (2020). Macroeconomics. Pearson.
#individual#society#contribution#individual contribution to society#painting#workplace culture#society culture#what is your contribution#harbinger horizon#harbinger#Del#LGBTQ#business#b2b#democracy#government#participation
2 notes
·
View notes
Photo
excerpts from kai lumumba barrow, “daring to dream---crafting a harm free zone” (2020) for spirit house in durham, north carolina
“The Harm Free Zone project aims to work with communities to encourage strategies and practices that reduce harm—without the use of police or prisons. The abolition of the prison industrial complex (PIC) grounds the Harm Free Zone project. Because the PIC is not an isolated system, abolition is a broad strategy. It is not just about getting rid of buildings full of cages, but also transforming relationships and transforming our own ‘cops in the head/cops in the heart’ ethos. A PIC ethos dissolves complexity and functions in binaries: guilt vs. innocence, good vs. evil, pain vs. pleasure. It denies collective responsibility and favors rugged individualism. It is a system that takes away our power and our self-determination—our ability to resolve conflict and unease.”
“The Harm Free Zone project emphasizes community autonomy, independent and self-directing communities, as a necessary step toward abolition. Our focus is within communities of the oppressed, placing the oppressed at the center of our vision.”
...
“Processes of Community Accountability: Once the conditions for community accountability are identified, we can initiate practices that directly address harm. These practices, defined here as processes of community accountability, describe the methods used to address harm as complex, fluid and interconnected. These processes will take on different characteristics and present different challenges, depending upon the conditions. We have identified four processes.”
“Processes of prevention—the act of preventing harm within the community.Prevention ensures that basic needs are met for all community members and that information is available and accessible for all.”
“Processes of intervention—the act of directly intervening when harm occurs.Intervention values all community members and emphasizes active care and compassion.”
“Processes of reparation—the act of repairing harm among all community members. Reparation analyzes the root causes of harm. It enhances individual and collective investment in the well-being of the community to secure healing, trust, forgiveness and responsibility for all community members.”
“Processes of transformation—the act of completely transforming individual and collective power relationships. Transformation honors and encourages individual and group imagination, critical thought, communal reliance, self-determination and democratic decision-making.”
“Just as these processes are not static, they are also non-sequential. They are linked with each other in such a way that separating one from the others changes its meaning and force. The spirit animating intervention and reparation is not punitive, but healing; it both requires and creates vision and hope. Thus, there is an important reciprocal relationship between the processes through which a community is accountable and the conditions that make accountability possible.”
“We have seen numerous attempts to reduce “crime” in our communities where these critical steps are bypassed in favor of immediate “solutions.” Community Policing or Neighborhood Watch programs may intervene and seek reparation for crime, but neither prevent or transform harm. These types of programs are generally state-defined (or collaborate with the state) and do not do not present a discourse around systemic oppression or a critical analysis that seeks to understand the conditions in which many acts of harm take place. Nor are the long-range goals of community autonomy central to the goals of reducing crime. Inevitably, these models bolster and encourage the prison industrial complex.”
------
about spirit house (from the website):
“SpiritHouse is a multigenerational Black women- led cultural organizing tribe with a rich legacy of using art, culture and media to support the empowerment and transformation of communities most impacted by racism, poverty, gender inequity, criminalization and incarceration. Since 1999, we have worked from our home base in Durham, North Carolina, to uncover and uproot the systemic barriers that prevent our communities from gaining the resources, leverage and capacity necessary for long-term self-sufficiency.”
“We are Black, cash poor, disabled, queer, formerly incarcerated, grassroots organizers, artists, alchemists, strategists, healers and ritualists. We are multi-generational, valuing the genius of Black youth and the lived experience and wisdom of our elders. We prioritize the leadership of the people at the center of the issue who are most impacted by systemic racism and oppression.”
image: the four pillars of critical resistance’s harm free zone framework (prevention, intervention, transformation, reparation) via southern exposure
[image description: an illustration with text on top that reads: “what does a harm free zone feel like?” below shows a picture of two hands braiding 4 threads together. each thread is given a number and an accompanying text, from left to right: 4. reparation; 3. transformation; 1. prevention; 2. intervention.”
1 note
·
View note
Text
so the organized Belarusian opposition has recently published a list of demands and i thought they’d be worth going over in addition to everyone who is covering the protests themselves.
the manifesto can be found here in russian (archive.org link as i’ve started getting a 508 error in between compiling this and writing it as a tumblr post). i will not go over every word there but i encourage you to read it yourself if you feel my summary is incomplete.
the second paragraph of the introductory section starts out saying “To create a modern labor market with low unemployment, opportunities for young people, economic potential for investors and entrepreneurs, it is necessary to establish a new balance of interests.” here it bears emphasis that according to the world bank belarus’ unemployment rate (source, world bank) is 4.5%, putting it on par with Austria. remember that low unemployment is the first thing listed by opposition economists, as this will be relevant later. when they tell us they are looking to reduce unemployment and create opportunities for investors in a country with regionally normal unemployment rates, what they mean is they want to create opportunities for investors only.
we now move on the the first bullet-point in the section “Problems to be Solved by Our Reforms”
“The labor market is over-regulated. Difficulties in hiring and firing employees“ this is for sure an odd criticism to make considering we were just told unemployment is apparently the main problem. i don’t know about you guys but i sure wish the labor market here was over-regulated and it would be more difficult to fire people. im not one to use reaction gifs but this would be a great place for a confused sassy black woman.
the bullet-point list is concluded by a repeated statement of grievance against the state for overstepping its bounds in determining the terms of an employment contract “reducing the incentive to work.” if your employer was lobbying for their right to increase the “incentives to work” in their contract with you, what do you think that’d look like ? what does that term mean in a practical sense, would your employer have to lobby the government to offer you lucrative overtime pay or would they rather lobby to reduce your base wage and then add a performance-adjusted “bonus” ? the second point simply states that “The government's job creation and retention policy focuses on maintaining large state-owned enterprises through cash infusions, though the resources of the state in the economic crisis are declining.” again as if a job retention scheme is inherently a bad thing.
on to the next list, “Goals and Objectives of the Reform”
“Development of a promising system of full and productive employment based on the priority of generally recognized principles of international law.“ it would be nice to know what is meant here by “recognized principles of international law” unless of course that means selling off of the before mentioned state jobs to international businesses at below-market value as was done in virtually every country in eastern europe in the last 25 years, in that case i would not like to know what they mean by that expression.
“support for the unemployed and workers at risk of job loss” just seems further contradicting all the previous grievances of how hard it is to let people go, so is your plan to jeopardize their position and then give them training and assistance to make up for the loss of job security you caused or ???
(TOP - “5. Modernization of infrastructure (roads, electricity, thermal energy, telecommunications, water supply, waste collection and environmental protection”
BOTTOM - “to attract investors”)
the rest of the list is really just more repeats or meaningless terms like “fighting corruption”
now we’re getting to the meat of the reforms: how they are proposing to realize them. in order to generate employees, they are proposing to: support the liberalization of hiring practices (most likely meaning introducing zero hour contracts), threefold reducing the individual tax rate, adoption of the patent (as a practice), threefold reduction in rental rates for objects owned by the state, reducing administrative burden by half.
as a result of these changes, 300k jobs will be created in the next two years. the plan says verbatim “These places will be occupied by both young people and workers dismissed from state-owned enterprises.” now i must confess i did not go to business school but i feel like if you fire 300k people, and then re-hire (most of) them with worse contracts, while paying less to rent the factories or land they worked on before anyway, you really cannot say you “created” 300k jobs. idk tho just how i see it.
other highlights include “we should be allowed to sell you shittier quality products so you have to buy more of them”
gotta have a section on Small Businesses. everyone loves mom and pop stores and cool startups, best not think about how its precisely their smallness that makes it so easy for large (foreign and domestic) companies to buy them because they don’t have the overhead to withstand larger companies operating at a temporary loss to compete. precarious small businesses trying to not be pressured into bankruptcy are going to be an excellent sponge to soak up all those employees we dismiss from state-owned enterprises and force to move cross country to get jobs (it literally says labor migrants from other regions and cities in belarus will fulfill this demand for workers. why do they have to migrate ? i dont know)
ok now that we’ve fried the small fish here comes the big boys. “3. Take all possible measures to attract foreign investors, including transnational corporations (TNCs).” finally a chance for the proud and appropriately-valued youth of belarus to work in call centers and machine tool manufacturies owned by T-Mobile and Volkswagen.
here’s what they simply have to do to get those charitable transnational corporations to toss these cold slavs a penny: large-scale privatization, land market (ie. privatizing forests or areas with natural gas or mineral deposits), creation of legal guarantees for property rights, acceptance of EU-given standards for goods an services (shout out to the real ones who know the EU literally has regulation allowing the use of cheaper and more dangerous pesticides and perservatives on goods meant for export to the eastern part of the EU “in order to be able to sell at competitive prices in countries with lower relative value of the same currency we forced you to use”)
im gonna start skipping around more because there’s a lot of repetition, a lot of “once we fire all these people we can re-hire them, and that means we’ll create another 100k jobs” but this phrase specifically stands out and demands having attention called to it. detoxification of assets is business talk for when you steal something and then just say it wasnt stolen and everyone agrees that was very cool actually.
and here we have the experts who developed this proposal.
Lev Margolin - a Belarusian economist who regularly prostrates himself in public begging the IMF to impose privatization, even calling for public unrest in 2016 in order to force the international community to intervene and force those measures.
Yaroslav Romančuk - a libertarian politician, president of the Mises Center for Scientific Research thinktank. in an interview with Radio Free Europe - Georgia published Aug 15th, openly stated that there were interests in ukraine associated with the pro-EU euromaidan movement interested and willing to oversee transition to a free society. he also named Mikheil Saakashvili as someone who he would like to be a mediator between the opposition and president lukašenka. Saakashvili is the former president of Georgia, having come to power during the 2003 Rose Revolution (hi mr Soros), whose tenure is highlighted by a strong push towards NATO membership, increasing the military budget by a multiple of 30, and starting joint drills with the US Army. he also privatized georgia’s healthcare system, leaving a great deal of the population without healthcare as they were stranded between being able to afford private, but not being poor enough to qualify for the public option. a short five years after becoming president, allegations of corruption, money laundering, extortion, and abuse of power were made against him, in response to which he had early elections which he won amid widespread accusations of voter fraud. hmm. later he would be so popular he had to flee to ukraine in 2014 after euromaidan where he was appointed governor of odessa and given ukranian citizenship (yes, in that order). crazy how ukraine doesnt allow its citizens to be extradited or something. anyway yeah thats the guy the opposition wants to be the mediator between them and lukašenka
Stanislav Bogdankevič - former chairman of the Belarusian National Bank ousted on suspected embezzlement and money laundering charges and also an IMF beggar. hobbyist advisor to ukrainian politicians and belarusian politicians acting in ukraine.
Mikhail Čigir - former prime minister of belarus, seems to be household name soft opposition, has interviews with RFE Belarus but doesn’t seem openly linked to the IMF or calling for widespread privatization like the rest on this list.
if you’ve made it to the end or this is the last thing you see before scrolling by, i want to emphasize that i am in no way contesting the accusations of voter fraud. there is not a chance lukašenka got 80% of the vote as he claims, nor am i defending treatment of the protesters. the people in the streets are overwhelmingly participating an organic social movement against the government. however it is rarely the people in the street who get to make the decisions following this sort of toppling of a system of power, rather well funded and well organized groups with ties to foreign interests who have something to offer to the international community (political and financial) in exchange for approving and orchestrating regime change. it is worth talking about what their plans are, and how similar plans have affected people in neighboring countries that were in similar situations. what i wish for the people of belarus is the ability to pursue fulfilling personal lives that are not marred by choices like “can i afford to start a family ?”
#belarus#alyaksandr lukashenka#yaroslav romanchuk#sviatlana tsikhanouskaya#will prob edit and add tomorrow luckily im being paid big lukašenka rubles so i can say whatever as long as it ends with IMF kill yourself
12 notes
·
View notes
Last Seen Blogs
ok-daebak
o (◡‿◡✿)
cozysueta
Cozy Sueta
jahrude1
Brandon
incorrectphineasandferbquotes
Carpe Diem!
rob-blog1234
WEEKEND TV HOT FILM PICKS!