Archive for the ‘War and Peace’ Category

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The Day After Mother’s Day – Honoring the ‘Invisible Mothers’

Monday, May 13th, 2013

I loved seeing so many photos friends posted of their mothers, often from a bye-gone era, and the love and kindness expressed to moms on Mother’s Day, which takes so many forms, from breakfast in bed to letters of gratitude for birth mothers from adoptive families. It may have become a high-pressure, materialistic holiday, but if there is a day that gets people to say and act on ‘I love you’ to the person who probably loves them more unspeakably great than any other – so be it.  In its essence, Mother’s Day cherishes boundless goodness.

As I browsed through social media today (after a sort of hiatus for Mother’s Day), two posts struck me:

This photo, allegedly of a little Iraqi girl laying in the arms of the chalk mother she drew on the ground, the mother she has never met, but loves deeply:

And this article by Vargha Taefi, called The Anguish of Separation, a title which conveys the emotion this loving son feels as his mother is locked away in a tiny, dark,  damp Iranian prison, having already served five years of a baseless 20-year sentence. He knows her health is severely deteriorating, but her spirits hang on to something deeper and stronger. This keeps her going and it keeps him going amidst false charges and glaring injustice.  His emotions straddle the big picture — a regime’s repressive policies toward a minority group — along with the molecular, conveying personal anxieties felt by children everywhere:

For a very long time my nightmare has not been of the past but of slowly losing memories of my mother.

I reassure myself that in the absence of my mother, at least her loving company can be bestowed on inmates who do not have their own mothers or sisters with them.

So, on this day-after Mother’s Day, here’s to the motherless children and the children who can’t see their mothers because so many in power still have it so wrong. Here’s also to so many mothers who are returning to low-wage jobs that barely feed their children, who can’t afford childcare facilities they feel right about, who might be fleeing violence, and so many countless other cruelties that keep too many on the margins or far away from their beloved children.

By acknowledging these realities, I don’t believe I am taking away from the joy that I felt with my own mother and my children on Mother’s Day. In fact, I feel as if I honor my blessings by the act of remembering the invisible mothers.  If I can contribute any deeds, words or finances on behalf of any of these mothers anywhere, I hope this helps bring them toward visibility, toward the light, and a hearty hug from a child that loves them deeply.

 

 

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Posted in Human Rights, Moms, Uncategorized, War and Peace, Women | No Comments »

From Boston: A World Citizen’s Reflection During Lockdown

Friday, April 19th, 2013

I have a cousin who continually inspires me, and who happens to be a life-long Bostonian.  She lives close enough to the shootings in Watertown that they woke her up at night, and as I write this, I learn that my brother and his wife can hear sirens surrounding a home  in their neighborhood in Cambridge, and they are sheltering a dear friend, evacuated from his home, just two doors from the suspects’ residence. Events of this week have all been so unsettling. One response people may take is to hold on tighter to their prejudices and reactive judgements, resolve to never leave their familiar environs and forsake anything smacking of global citizenship. My cousin the Bostonian, a creative, who adores her city, instead posted this reflection on her Facebook wall as she waits in her home on lockdown for resolution to this horrible and tense stand-off:

I am a world citizen. Humanity is one. No one life is more important than another, and there are acts of brutality, terrorism and war occurring everywhere in the world, every day. I am aware of this and I feel compassion for the suffering that the people of this world are going through, every day. However, this week, it is happening in my home, in the city of my birth, where I live and work, starting with an attack on a beautiful, diverse global event. Friends of mine, including a little boy, were meters away and narrowly escaped injury. About one million of us in the Boston area are on lockdown this morning. This (and much, much worse) is what many people go through as part of their daily life. I think, however, that any one of us would discuss it with great concern and attention if it was happening in our own home. It is possible to do both – to feel compassion for attacks on innocent people around the world, and concern for those near you – and at the same time to refuse to make violence and the loss of life into a competition, or a game of moral equivalency.

Earlier in the week, just after the media turned all it’s attention on the shocking developments in Boston, I was seeing angry posts on social media, that US media ignores the tragedies playing out in other parts of the planet.  I responded via Twitter:

Rather than curse myopic media, I’m grateful (& sad) tragedy also shines light on 4/15 bombings in Iraq & Afghanistan.

And also:

Tragedy on a grand scale far away doesn’t take away from real concern, sadness, anger that rush out when we .

I believe our hearts have the capacity to care about what takes place near and far. This is not a zero-sum game.

As news about the suspects in the Boston marathon bombings and the horrific crime wave later in the same week emerge, we will see more and more connections between a conflict that has been raging far away, in Chechnya, that few Americans paid attention to, and what is happening much closer to home for many of us, in a city and region that hosts more university students than any other — a place filled with intellectual attainment, creative breakthroughs, where people are continually making new friends from near and far, and where trusting parents from all over the world send their bright children.

Just as Bostonians’ grit and determination won’t be deterred as they plan a bigger and better marathon next year, let’s resolve to not let the fury that might have sparked last week’s horror turn us against compassion and connection.  We need these now more than ever. Peace.

Photo credit: washingtonpost.com

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Posted in Russia, Small World, Uncategorized, War and Peace | No Comments »

All You Need Is Love – What HOPE and “Twin Processes” Look Like

Wednesday, December 19th, 2012

Amidst the grief and anguish following the shootings in Newtown, CT, I love that the NY Times released this short Op-Doc video, which is being widely shared (click the Heart to watch).

Picture Credit: Damien Hirst “All You Need is Love” via Sotheby’s

I think the street scene embodies what restoring faith in the goodness of humanity looks like, and points out an important principle that helps me sort through so many conflicting thoughts and feelings when the world makes no sense: That there are Twin Processes – of integration and disintegration, of construction and destruction – at play in our world, and these often occur in a counterbalancing, complementary way to bring about a better, more unified world.  Like the “birth pangs of a new world order,” there is unimaginable, unexpected pain experienced so that a new creation, more beautiful than we can imagine, can come into this world.  It’s up to us to create that new entity. Based in love, it will be a healthy, positive presence in our lives.  To read more about the Twin Processes, you can start here.

The spontaneous eruption of by-standers singing “All You Need Is Love,” which has become a universal anthem of brotherhood (of course that includes sisterhood), to counter-act the hate speech represents one of the most effective “defense strategies.”  From world leaders to school kids, we could all learn from this approach.  Humanity’s goodness lies in humanizing our fellow sisters and brothers, not fearing them. And the voices of a fringe few with megaphones can’t drown out the sincere goodness of the real majority.

Like the Times commentary pointed out, it’s one more reason to love New York (which I do!).  I hope as this example spreads across the globe, more and more peaceful, courageous harmonies can occur anywhere on earth.

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Posted in Bullying, Golden Rule, Moral Education, Prejudice, War and Peace | No Comments »

Raising Global Citizens (and Consumers) So K’Naan Doesn’t Need to Censor His Better Self

Wednesday, December 12th, 2012

I’m struck by the recent op-ed by rapper-poet-pop star K’naan in the NY Times, “Censoring Myself for Success,” found here.  It made me sad – but wasn’t surprising – to read how music industry executives wanted him to water down his message and fascinating life story growing up in war-torn Mogadishu, Somalia, so that his now huge fans base – lots of 15 year-old American girls – can relate and thus purchase his songs.  He shared his feelings about this in the eloquent Op-Ed, which also made me that much more interested in his work and his person.  (He also had come to my attention for performing in the fall’s Global Citizen Festival on Central Park with Neil Young, the Black Keys and others, to raise awareness on global poverty.)  As he related:

Right now, the pressures of the music industry encourage me to change the walk of my songs. When I write from the deepest part of my heart, my advisers say, I remind people too much of Somalia, which I escaped as a boy. My audience is in America, so my songs should reflect the land where I have chosen to live and work.

They have a point. A musician’s songs are not just his own; he shares them with an audience. Still, Somalia is where my life and poetry began. It is my walk. And I don’t want to lose it. Or stifle it. Or censor it in the name of marketing.

My take-away from his piece: if teen-age consumers were better versed on diverse conditions in the world, then the best of artists from all over, even unexpected placed like Somalia, could be better appreciated, and thus enhance every listening and artistic experience – especially for those of us who have never been to that country or don’t know its culture and ways.  Classrooms can serve as laboratories for mining the gems of culture, history, literature and psychology embedded in popular and ancient artistic expression.  Names like Fatima, as well as Mary, would grace songs on the radio in Arkansas and Nevada, and global citizens as consumers would demand that artists share their authentic voices, not some dumbed-down version of their true – and better – selves.  The market place is powerful. Parents and teachers are powerful.  Let’s educate our children to use their power for a better, richer, global marketplace and community.

Printed in the New York Times, Illustration by Jimmy Turrell, from a photograph by Steve C. Mitchell/European Pressphoto Agency

Postscript:  K’Naan’s piece also may have struck a chord as I’ve been thinking so much about Pandit Ravi Shankar’s passing yesterday. He didn’t seem to water down his culture, and for that generations of Westerners can thank him for introducing the mystical music of India. Citizens of the planet are so much richer for his masterful, soul-stirring music. I was honored to meet him and his daughter Anoushka after a concert, where his humble majesty was felt by all in the room.

 

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Posted in Africa, Bullying, Global education, Immigrants, War and Peace | No Comments »

A Photo of Earth to Provoke Discussion

Wednesday, May 30th, 2012

Image from The Idealist on Facebook

Here’s a nice photo to provoke some discussion (probably about second grade on up?): the globe with the flags is very nice, but how is the earth not covered in flags something to aspire to?  We often see photos of many world flags next to each other as something to admire – and it is! – but seen in the context of a photo of the earth in its sheer beauty without any border lines dawn between countries (man-made) or flags distinguishing nations or differences in skin color, language, ethnicity, and more, the immediate feeling I get is so much more expansive, liberating and united.  Reminds me of the quotation from Baha’u'llah: “The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens.”

If you get a chance to look at the photo with your children or classroom, you might talk about other implications of the differences between the two globes:  What might it mean for the way we distribute resources like water, food, oil & gas?  What might it mean for families living in poverty, usually living in the “global South” as far as seeking better opportunities?  Do the flags evoke a feeling of pride? Of labeling?  Can you imagine both “good” and “bad” coming from the labeling?  In what ways?  I’d love to hear back if you had any of these discussions around this picture!

Here’s what an astronaut who was on board an international space mission, and who happened to be from Saudi Arabia, said from his perch way above earth, seeing it as a not-so-big blue marble:

“The first day or two we all pointed to our countries.  The third or fourth day we were pointing to our continents.  By the fifth day we were aware only of the Earth.”

If we can get beyond our labels, maybe our awareness will expand as well! I hope so…

 

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Posted in Global education, Human Rights, One World Many Stories, Uncategorized, War and Peace | 2 Comments »

Mulling Over the #KONY2012 Campaign and Debate

Friday, March 9th, 2012

I’m sorting through my thoughts on the debate about KONY2012, prompted by the viral video made by Invisible Children (Here: KONY2012).  If Invisible Children just showed up last year and made this film I’d feel worse about their cause.  Certainly, they shouldn’t be seen as the panacea.  But they’ve been around since 2003 and they made a good film.  In my book, Growing Up Global I wrote about them in the Appendix listing hundreds of Action Steps and organizations to get to know.  Here’s an excerpt:

Sponsor a child’s education. Even where primary education is offered for free, “hidden costs” prevent kids from attending school. These include the purchase of uniforms, shoes, school supplies like pencils, books, and paper, as well as daytime meals. They usually cost a fraction of what you’d pay in the United States, but any extra strain on a family’s budget might be enough to prohibit a
child’s school attendance—especially a girl’s. Many organizations sponsor children through school, including: Save the Children, Plan USA, Christian Children’s Fund, and others, including those that are specific to a geographic location, like Tibet, South Africa, Cambodia, and in America. Through InvisibleChildren.com sponsor a child from northern Uganda’s war zone to pursue secondary school education. Invisible Children’s documentary film exposes the horrors of war and its impact on children, then offers a youth-oriented outlet to take action. (Growing Up Global, p. 248, emphasis added)

I believe there are so many teachable moments from both sides of the debate.  Stay tuned.  It’s not black or white…

What’s your take on this debate?  Please respond here or join the discussion on Facebook.


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Posted in Africa, War and Peace | No Comments »

Teaching Human Rights – Start at Home

Sunday, December 11th, 2011

On Friday I visited Philadelphia’s Independence Charter School, where the entire school day was dedicated to an inspiring Human Rights Day program for all the kids.  I plan to write a full piece on that soon, but in the meantime wanted to share a few ideas on International Human Rights Day, which was this past weekend.

Here’s the link to a video from UNICEF highlighting the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the most ratified global treaty – ever.

(UNICEF) Overview: Convention on the Rights of the Child

The video gives a clear idea about what the Convention on the Rights of the Child is, and emphasizes seeing children as actors that can make a difference in our society.  This means seeing our children with new, respectful eyes.  Listening to them, caring for them, educating them in meaningful ways that ensure they will have the wherewithal to make impact for an ever-advancing civilization.

UNICEF’s website includes curricular materials starting with middle grades: http://teachunicef.org/explore/topic/child-rights-crc.

For younger children, I believe human rights begins with a discussion of how we treat the people all around us.  This means siblings and parents, and even self-care and consideration.  The ever-present issue of bullying is relevant here.  I wrote a short piece for PBS Parents on how instilling a global vision in kids can serve as an antidote to bullying.  It’s linked here.  At Independence Charter, they started the discussion with kindergartners, beginning with watching the film Ant Bully.  As kids got older, the films got more serious and intense, corresponding with the maturity of the grade. (K-8) (Film list forthcoming, too.)

The UNICEF video starts with stark pictures of desperate kids mostly in very poor countries.  Some kids (and adults) are feeling a backlash to being fed desperate images to get them to think about anything other than videogames, TV shows and the like.  If parents want to start a thoughtful conversation about Human Rights Day, or “Have you ever thought about human rights and what it means?” they could start with an open-ended question at the dinner table or a car ride to just launch thinking about the issue.  Make it personal.  What does it look like in YOUR life?  What about in the life of a friend or relative who emigrated to this country?  What conditions might have been different there?  How can we take our human rights into our own hands? What virtues are displayed when you consider human rights, and especially when you take your rights into your own hands?

Then, after ideas are kicked around, look at the UNICEF materials and videos, to add definition and clarity.

We never have to wait for International Day of (Fill in the Blank) to focus on an issue, but it helps spur our consideration.  Hopefully, every day will be human rights day!

You also can weigh in here, or on my FACEBOOK page.  Thanks!

 

 

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Posted in Bullying, Films, friends, Global education, Golden Rule, Human Rights, Moral Education, Prejudice, UNICEF, War and Peace | No Comments »

Amidst US Heatwave, a Lesson on Drought and Famine in the Horn of Africa

Thursday, August 4th, 2011

(Originally posted on the Huffington Post’s “World” page)

In the midst of this intense heat wave I was looking forward to picking up my 8-year old from her day camp and getting our favorite treat – Philly water ice.  Over the course of the work day I strategized: passion fruit and mango with vanilla custard, or lemon peel and pear.  Facebook prowls accompanied my water ice distractions and that’s how I stumbled on UNICEF’s posting.

My Newsfeed is dotted with causes I care about.  Global Giving’s post encouraged a baby shower for the birth of a new nation, South Sudan, Momsrising discussed how to protect children and families in the US budget battle, and UNICEF’s update, accompanied by a graphic dust storm photo said:

“Somali refugees walk through a dust storm at a camp near the town of Dadaab. A worsening drought crisis threatens 10 million people in the Horn of Africa. The drought has resulted in famine in parts of southern Somalia and widespread malnutrition in Djibouti, Ethiopia and Kenya. UNICEF and partners are working to treat acute malnutrition and provide other critical assistance.”

I had heard bits about the worsening famine, but sweating from our high temperatures at home, this news struck me hard.  I could escape the heat and humidity with air conditioning, high speed internet, and cool treats.  But for families in the Horn of Africa, their suffering seemed to be heaped on more suffering – violence, lawlessness, growing fundamentalism and terrorism on top of drought, all fueling the intense famine.  In my work life, I help schools, families and diverse organizations gain a global perspective and make connections with the larger world – and our connections with that troubled region seemed closer this record-breaking summer.

When I picked up my youngest daughter, I told her about my concerns that day.

Me:  “Today I read about the famine and drought in the Horn of Africa – do you know what a famine is? A drought?  Let’s look up Horn of Africa on the globe and computer when we get home. … I want to do something to help those children.  Do you think we should skip the water ice?”

Daughter #3:  “Yes, I heard about the famine and drought in the car yesterday on NPR.  Weren’t you paying attention? No, let’s not skip our treat; how would that help them?”

She had a point, and we proceeded to a nearby shop.  When we got there we found police directing traffic and the strip mall closed, due to a heat-induced power outage.  So we continued to another neighborhood, where the line for water ice snaked around the building and by the time it was our turn, our favorite flavors were sold out.  We compromised with other choices and took about an hour longer than the simple errand should have, but it struck me that these little inconveniences contained lessons worth exploring.

Our car-ride conversation went something like this: While we live in comparatively great comfort, look at the disruption in our lives when it’s so hot, even just by a few degrees.  Places we want to go are closed.  More police are on the street.  Things become inconvenient.  Some of the things we like are not available.  It’s uncomfortable to be outside. This makes me think about what those families are going through in Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia, where there might be no reprieve from drought and heat until October.  What can we do to help?

Together we came up with a few action steps:

  • We wanted to make an immediate contribution to food for kids, so we texted “FOOD” to UNICEF (864233) where $10 will be added to my mobile phone bill.  The link here lists many others that offer reliable relief.
  • For that initial $10 donation we decided to buy one large water ice and split it, so that saved about $4, Sophia donated $2 from her own money and I’ll pay the rest.
  • We looked up some of the photos from the crisis to envision what is actually going on.  Then we watched National Geographic: Africa Desert Odyssey episode on Netflix instant stream.  This shows a different region, but it gives a glimpse into pastoral life with extremely limited water supplies – without the violence and intense misery, so I feel more comfortable showing an 8-year old.
  • We turned the air conditioner down in the house, to save energy and to feel a bit warmer, in solidarity with the families we had just learned about.
  • My daughter started planning a lemonade stand with friends. Instead of charging per cup sold, they ask for a donation to the famine relief effort.  Like Alex’s Lemonade Stand, neighborhood efforts can benefit favorite causes.
  • We also talked about the larger issue – our connection with the family of humanity.  In Growing Up Global I describe a metaphor that I grew up with, how humanity is like a single human body. Children get it: Even if a tiny splinter enters the tip of your pinky, the pain can disrupt playing or learning for the whole person.  Likewise, difficulties experienced by others even in places we’ve never heard of can disrupt peace and prosperity for everyone.  Metaphors from the familiar help build understanding about abstract or distant concepts.

 

Our small steps alone will not solve the crisis, but actions like these help build compassion, connection, greater understanding of the world’s challenges from a young age, and even cultivate creative problem solvers.  Collective action builds momentum and benefits the U.S., too.  When we support humanitarian efforts in places like Somalia, the allure of terrorist groups like Al-Shabaab, an Al-Qaeda affiliate might be diminished, and when we hear of elderly nearby that don’t have air conditioning or a newly unemployed or homeless American family we will be more willing and ready to think of ways to help, have empathy for their plight, and perhaps be a champion of justice – this is good for the whole human family.

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Posted in Africa, Giving, Global education, Global Giving, Golden Rule, Natural Events, UNICEF, War and Peace, Women | 2 Comments »

In Honor of the White House State Dinner

Thursday, January 20th, 2011

In honor of last night’s White House State Dinner with President Hu Jintao of China, I defrosted Trader Joe’s Mandarin Orange Chicken and splurged with the Shu Mai dumplings – on a weeknight!  Silly? Yes.  But certainly less drab and a little more fun than just saying: “we’re defrosting pre-made food from the grocery store.”  While the older girls are thick in the midst of mid-term exams, it brought a smile to their faces and we joked about getting dressed up for dinner – in Snuggies.

I love these photos from 1962 State Dinners.  The first with the Kennedy’s and Reza Shah and Queen Farah of Iran, the second with Ivory Coast’s very first first family: Mr. and Mrs. Houphouët-Boigny.

The Kennedy's & Pahlavi's 1962

The Kennedy's & Pahlavi's 1962

Kennedy's & Houphouet-Boigny's 1962

Kennedy's & Houphouet-Boigny's 1962

I could stare for a long time at the elegant gowns that would look fabulous today, and the lovely faces, thinking nostalgically of a simpler time.  It actually was such a complex, transitional time for the entire world, experiencing new revolutions, cries for democracy and radical social changes.  The innocence and glamor in the photos feels almost eerie given the turmoil the countries hosted in both State Dinner photos have experienced (and continue today, 40 years later).

There’s lots to discuss with kids around these photos and experiences:  the dresses, the formality and protocol in such dinners where playing host is an important gesture signaling the respect bestowed from one nation to another (President Bush threw a lunch for the Chinese President and this was considered a re-buff), what’s happening in those countries today, why there has been so much upheaval; or maybe simply look for the Obama’s White House dinner photos and see what’s on the menu.

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Posted in Africa, Barack Obama, China, Food, Manners, Michelle Obama, War and Peace | No Comments »

Share Your Story on 10.10.10 – One Day on Earth

Thursday, October 7th, 2010

Imagine what it’s like when musicians from disparate countries, playing diverse instruments, dedicated to different genres come together on one stage, having never met each other before.  Initially the collaboration produces dissonance, but among skilled practitioners dedicated to their craft, disharmony transforms into harmony and something altogether new forms.  This is what took place in 2008 at the World Festival of Sacred Music, and became the inspiration to create a similar collaboration, but this time using the medium of film, with the whole world as its stage.

10.10.10

The project One Day on Earth emerged from this experience, with the goal of creating a unique worldwide media event where thousands of participants would simultaneously film over a 24-hour period.  An auspicious day – October 10, 2010, or 10.10.10 – serves as the platform for thousands of people, from every nation, to film their perspective and contribute their voice to the largest participatory media event in history.  Imagine individuals from every nation, united around creating something beautiful and powerful, even with the mundane routines of their lives as the starting point. Now, imagine yourself joining in this great participatory exercise.

As the creators of ONE DAY ON EARTH describe, the outcome will be “an online community, a video time capsule, and a film. It explores our planet’s identity in the attempt to answer the question: Who are we? WHAT WILL WE SEE? ONE DAY ON EARTH showcases the amazing diversity, conflict, tragedy, and triumph that occurs in one 24‐hour period. What happens in a day? Birth, life, death, and everything the imagination can find in between: from the basic human needs, joys and struggles that unite us, to the unique cultural traditions that give us identity. Thousands of normally untold stories will have another chapter. Through the eyes of citizen filmmakers, we will create an extensive library of international footage and experiences from a single day. What we will exactly see is an unanswerable question. But, as we piece together a mosaic of moving pictures from this archive, we will create a powerful and new perspective of daily life on this planet.”

Everyone can participate and the project is free and open to all. Participants include school children in remote classrooms from Ethiopia to Texas, Academy Award nominated filmmakers, to charitable organizations such as 350.org. YOU (or your classroom) can sign up to participate at www.onedayonearth.org. Then, set aside 10.10.10 as a day to create and share.

What an awe-inspiring time we live in when disparate voices from far-away places can create a beautiful harmony.  And what a hopeful message to share with our children who need connection now, more than ever.

—————

Homa Sabet Tavangar is the author of Growing Up Global: Raising Children to Be At Home in the World, hailed a “Best New Parenting Book” by Scholastic Parent + Child, and a Best Education Book of the Decade.  She is the mother of three girls, in grades 2, 10 and 12, host-mother this year to an AFS exchange student, and a volunteer in the public schools where all four attend.

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Posted in Events for Growing Up Global, Films, Global education, Small World, UNICEF, War and Peace | No Comments »

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