Peace to me, doesn’t only mean no fights, wars and disagreements. To achieve peace we also have to think outside the box. I think that we can also achieve peace by helping our home: Earth. We usually think about “more important things” such as school, work, a car, a big house, an enormous TV. But what good would this do if you had nowhere to put it? Most of the time we take Earth for granted. We pollute and trash and overpopulate, but we keep thinking that it’s going to be okay. It is not. Global warming has been threatening the lives of many animals as well as humans. This effect has caused droughts, floods, heat waves and many other natural disasters.
For me, Wangari Maathai is a peace activist. Fortunately, we have people like her in the world. What makes her so great? Well, she has done myriads to help our planet. Dr. Maathai became the first African woman to received a Noble Peace Prize for ‘her contribution to sustainable development, democracy and peace.‘ She received this prize after founding the Green Belt Movement. This movement started because in Kenya, she had heard complaints in which she was told that the women didn’t have logs to make bonfires, the soil was eroding away and harvesting was poorer. She started by giving poor women in Kenya seeds for them to plant and paying them. This would later on prevent soil erosion, create shadows, provide wood for bonfires, and serve as a source of food. Until now, 40 million trees have already been planted. This has not only helped with soil erosion, but has also given poor women in Kenya and many other countries the opportunity to earn money. Because of the increase in trees, there has also been an increase in fauna which has currently attracted many tourists. This has helped developed Kenya’s economy and has encouraged Kenyans and many other people around the world to try and restore what was once found among the flora.
I believe that to change the world people have to know some facts first. Most of us know there isn’t much peace around, but we don’t usually know what causes this. We have seen in the news the assassinations of people and the massacres caused by wars. But there is much more to wars than just fights between countries. There are child soldiers. Today, there are more than 300,000 children under 18 that serve the government as soldiers or make part of rebellious groups. Some of these children are even eight years old! These are kids that have a whole life to live. Imagine eight year old using guns to fight against something they might not even understand! There are more than 33 countries that use child soldiers. Some of these countries include Iraq, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Ethiopia, Turkey, Sudan, and Uganda among many others. Children are more vulnerable to these violent acts because of physical and emotional immaturities. They are easily convinced because many times they do not know the implications and the dangers they will be facing. Children that are poor and have limited access to education are most likely to become child soldiers. In many cases, children are pressured into becoming child soldiers. If this isn’t the case, it can also because they believe they will have an easier access to food and security. As I did before I know about this, you probably think most of the child soldiers are boys. This is false. It was actually proven that in many countries such as Ethiopia and Uganda most of the child soldiers are girls. Girls are often raped or given to commanders as “wives.” Because of lack of experience, strength, and strategies; children are often sent in the front lines to protect older and more experience soldiers. They are also sent first into the minefields; that way, if they cross safely older soldiers know where to step. In society, child soldiers aren’t usually recognized. There are very few governments that inform their use of child soldiers. Because of this, many people don’t even know that this exists.
For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to make a change. I always thought about accomplishing something big; accomplishing something that would change humanity. This change would probably be headed toward peace. I feel that there is too much grief in this world. I feel that it should change. I want for it to change. I think about this, and how I would like to be out there doing….something! While I am sitting here writing on my computer, there are people dying because of hunger, thirst and violence.I would love to know that all this became history. I would love to feel that I have made an impact. To let the world know that I care, and that I can make a change! But what can I do? I realize that I might not be the only one that feels this. But if I’m not, how come we haven’t changed anything? I know why, because we are all waiting on the world to change. I keep telling myself that it will happen. The world will change. But when?! Maybe I am making a change by stoping and thinking. If everyone stoped to think, wouldn’t that make a difference? But for me thinking is not enough. I really want to do something. I believe that the reason why there are no changes is because we are all waiting. We do not know a way to change thigns so we just wait until someone changes them for us. It would be a relief to know that there has been a chance, but if we all think the same way there is not going to be any change. I feel that we all have to get out there and act. If we do not know how to make a change by ourselves… well, together we could make a difference. A greater difference. “Imagine all the people living life in peace. You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one. I hope some day you’ll join us, and the world will be as one.” (John Lennon) Lets not wait on the world to change. Lets change the world ourselves!!!
Last night I dreamed that I was scuba diving. This morning, when I woke up, I realized that I love scuba diving more than anything else. I am currently an advanced scuba diver. When I tell people about this passion, they usually give me comments such as “Aren’t you scared?” or “Don’t you get tired?.” The answer is no! I love the sensation of being submerged in a completely different world. How can I not know about what has been there all along? Even when I have been down there many times, every time it feels like I still do not know what surrounds me. Everything functions differently. It is like you are suspended in a bubble in which there is no sound. The only sound is provided by your imagination (or the sound of the instructors knife calling the divers.) Fishes surround you with their amazing colors which never fail to astonish you. The combinations are endless. They range from very dark ones, to fluorescent and bright ones. Because of lack of air, I do not have time to see every thing I would like to, but I still play with the bubbles. Playing with the bubbles never fails to make me laugh (not out loud, for the water would get into my mouth). The sensations felt when I see a new animal is indescribable. I feel vulnerable because I feel that I know nothing about the world I live in. Turtles, sting rays, sharks, lobsters, octopi, squids, crabs, moray eels, and many other animals make the fright of scuba diving worth while. The invisible air becomes blue water as you submerge in a world of adventure. A world in which everything is new and different. As I enter caves I feel a little tense. What if I run out ouf air while I am down there? Even with these thoughts in my mind, I enjoy every second of this experience.
Even though I am very passionate about peace, It is not the only thing that passes through my mind. As I sat on my computer I realized I did not know what to write. Today, I was not in the mood for writing about somebody else; I was more in the mood of writing about myself. What do I do most of my time? I really don’t know what I do. I was thinking on what to write, when I realized that is exactly what I do most of my time. Think. I think about different things, but mostly about what has happened in my day. I like to revive moments. I daydream. Even if what is going on inside my head is not real, I like to dream, because if you dream hard enough, you dream might just seem real. I strongly believe that when you want something, the universe will find a way to make it happen. If this is so, why not think about things you like? Maybe, just maybe, the might come true. As defined in Wikipedia, a wish is “a hope or desire for something.”It has been said that wishes can be good, even if they don’t come true. This is because when a person makes a wish; they usually realize what it is that they want most. When people become aware of this, it usually becomes a personal goal. I believe that it all works by believing. If when you wish, you believe, it will come true. “What is meant to be will always find its way.”Sometimes we lose hope. I am highly guilty of this. As time goes on, if our wishes don’t come true, we tend to forget about them of lose faith. Life does not always go how we would like it to, but I repeat “what is meant to be will always find its way.”
About three months ago, I had one wish. I was almost sure it would never come true. As time went along, I could not seem to forget that I was told that it would come true. Until about one week ago, I was still waiting for it. I seemed so far away. I lost hope. I thought wishes this wild could never be. I was wrong. When it did come true I reminded my self that WISHES DO COME TRUE. Hope is all. No matter how difficult things are, we cannot lose hope, because if hope is lost, all is lost.”While there is life, there is hope.”
I am very pleased to feel that I will never run out of people. Even though I am very content with what my blog has turned out to be, this week I want to relate my entry on something that connects with me even more. I chose peace. You have probably seen that I am all about peace, but with this entry I want to think about what peace really is. In wikipedia Peace is defined as “a state of harmony or the absence of hostility.” To me, peace is something that is not yet known to humans as a whole. Many of the people I have written about represent peace to me because they have found the balance needed. Irena Sendler, for example, risked her life by saving children. She did something that at the time was wrong, but because she knew she was doing something right. To me, she found equilibrium between bad and good. In other words, she did something that was wrong in order to achieve something that was right. Like the popuar saying “The end justifies its means.”Peace has to be achieved within a person before we can have it between people. Like Xao Tzun once said “If there is to be peace in the world, there must be peace in the nations. If there is to be peace in the nation, there must be peace in the cities. If there is to be peace in the cities, there must be peace in the neighbors. If there is to be peace in the neighbors, there must be peace in the home. And if there is to be peace in the home, there must be peace in the hearts.”Other people consider peace ot be a battle. An example is Albert Camus, when he said “Peace is the only bettle worth waging.” Do agree that peace is a battle, but it does not involve anyone else. It is a battle with one’s self. I believe it is a battle because peace is something very hard to achieve completely. For me, peace is the equilibrium between one’s thoughts and their relationships and co-excistence with the world. I think it is hard because trying to find peace can sometimes lead us to things we don’t want to do. With this, I don’t mean doing bad things, but doing good things that you don’t want to do. “If you want to make peace, you don’t talk to your friends. You talk to your enemies”-Moshe Dyan. The most important message I would like to get across is that “Every one of us can make a contribution” like Wangari Maathai said. “every one of us can make a contribution. And quite often we forget that, wherever we are, we can make a contribution. Sometime I tell myslf, I may only be planting a tree here, but just imagine what’s happening if there are billions of people out there doing something. Just imagine the power of what we can do.” Every one of us needs to find peace. There is no other way to world peace, but to find peace within each individual, because “Alone, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean.”
As I wrote in my previous entry, Martin Luther King, Jr. was an activist during the sixties. He participated in many activities that involved peace. Some of these activities include the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the march on Washington, and the “Bloody Sunday.” He helped with the foundation of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. With this conference he flew to many cities, like Washington, where he gave his famous “I Have A Dream” speech. Even though not many people agreed with the Civil Right Movement, with this speech King persuaded many people and “raised public conciousness.” This speech stablished himself as “one of the greatest orators in U.S history. During these years he tried his best to stop segregation and racial discrimination, therefore, he was the youngest person to receive a Nobel Peace Prize. All of his accomplisments were reached by non-violent means, such as civil disobedience.King was the leader in the Montgomery Bus Boycott, where he and other African Americans lasted 385 days without using the public buses. During this period, King’s house was bombed and he was arrested. This led him to court, where he won the case and caused the racial segregation present on all Montgomery public buses to get to an end.
He accomplished many other things, but I chose him because was another person who participated in the anti-war movement against the Vietnam War. He gave the “Beyond Vietnam: A Time To Break Silence” speech. His strongest argument was that America was spending enormous amounts of money on the war, while they could spend it on the War On Poverty. He believed that “A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense that on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death.” He was hated by many white segregationinsts, however. Even with enmities, King kept going with his struggle to make a better world. One day, Martin went to Mephis, were he was to give a speech. Here, he recieved many threats from white segragationists. His response, which would be his last speech, was:
And then I got to Memphis. And some began to say the threats, or talk about the threats that were out. What would happen to me from some of our sick white brothers? Well, I don’t know what will happen now. We’ve got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn’t matter with me now. Because I’ve been to the mountaintop. And I don’t mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will. And He’s allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I’ve looked over. And I’ve seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land. And I’m happy, tonight. I’m not worried about anything. I’m not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.
Later that week, Martin Luther KIng, Jr. was assasinated by James Earl Ray at 6:01. After his death, president Jimmy Carter awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1977.
This is the time period I am most passionate about. Yes, you probably have heard bad things about it, but in this period many rebellions took place and peace activists started really acting. In this time period we can see people like John Lennon, Martin Luther King Jr., Andy Warhol, Elvis Presley, Jimi Hendrix, Paul McCartney, Dr. Seuss, among many others. It was in 1963 where Martin Luther King Jr. gave his “I Have a Dream” speech. Even though many great thing were done throughout the sixties, many people consider this era to be ¨one of irresponsible excess and flamboyance.¨ This decade got the name of the swinging sixties because of ¨libertine attitudes¨ developed throughout it. In this decade, different groups, ranging from friendly to religious, started using drugs to achieve levels in which they felt what they thought was peace. As Paul Kantner said, “If you can remember anything about the sixties, you weren’t really there.” This decade was new, radical, and exiting, which spread onto 1970s and beyond. This period however, was difficult to the government because people were protesting against many things, that many times made them change things they didn’t want to. One of most conflictive events was the Vietnam War. People were highly opposed so there were many riots, strikes and other forms of activism. It was also hard because many times, guards and police men had to be sent to control the angry mobs. Unfortunately, not only great achievements were reached by the freedom of speech showed during this period. The assassinations of some important people were also events that marked this era, like that of John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr., and Malcolm X among others. Even though these things are highly remembered about the sixties, what really marked the era was the anti-war movement. This consisted of sit-ins, protests and resistances against anything involved with the Vietnam War. An example of this is when the peace activists started to burn their tickets that would get them to Vietnam. They also burnt flyers and anything that showed agreement with the war. At first, these groups started as very small and consisted mainly of highly religious people. As time went along, these groups became larger and larger. The numerous crowds would make it easier for the activists to be heard, but also to get hurt. An example of this is the Kent State shootings. Activists were protesting against the war. Just to be sure, guards were sent to maintain peacefulness. Everything was going well that weekend, but on Monday, many other people joined the protest. It turned violent. Four students ended up dead and nine others were injured. “This event caused disbelief and shock throughout the country and became a staple of anti-Vietnam demonstrations.”
This is my favorite decade because people said and did what they thought was right. Even though many times they tried to be stopped they kept on fighting for a better place, a world without war. Peace was a main factor on this decade and even though not-so-peaceful events came with it, the people tried to be heard, and for me at least, they were. It is also my favorite because people started experimenting new things such as the modern art brought by Andy Warhol. These changes created a great impact all over the world giving a way to new ways of living.
Freedom of speech? so much to say about such a short frase! For me freedom of speech is having the ability to say what you think without getting in trouble for it. I do not mean that you can just say bad words wherever you want but that you can say your opinions and agreements without being judged or punished. I think we have different right as a person and as a blogger. I believe this is so because in a blog, everyone sees what you have to say. In reality, only people that are really intented to hear it do. In a blog, I think you have the ability to say what you think as long as you don’t harm anybody or corrupt the minds of younger readers. Since you probably know, the internet is opened to anyone who has a computer. By everyone, I also mean children. If we write about things that maybe their parents don’t want for them to know just yet, we will be corrupting them. I don’t think it is for us to judge what we would like children to hear, but for each independent parent. It can also be hurtful.We could express things online that our friends might agree with but other people may find offensive. I think this is a very delicate subject to discuss because every one probably has a different opinion on what is offensive. I think we have this right on the blogs as the U.S. constu¡itution promises, but we have to be more careful because people from other cultures and countries also access the web!
I now have in mind something a little different. It is only different in the fact that the previous people were nonviolent peace activists. Irena Sendler was also part of a peace movement, in my opinion, but she wasn’t just singing and believing, she was rescuing children.
When Germany invaded Warsaw in 1939, Irena was a nurse in a hospital in Warsaw. When she saw what the ghetto was doing, she knew she had to do something. She started trying to convince mothers to give their children to her so she could try to get them out of the ghetto. She knew it was hard to give a child away, so she gave them time. Sometimes, when she came back to ask if they had made up their mind, she would find out that they had been sent to concentration camps, from were she was sure they would never come back. When she did get kids from families, she would take them out on ambulances and said they had Tifus, which was a very feared disease back then. After a while she started using whatever was available to rescue these children. She used garbage cans, cardboard boxes, coffins and anything that would help. She knew the kids were still in danger once outside the ghetto, so she made each and everyone of them false identifications with different names. She wanted to be able to give these kids what they once had, so she kept their real identifications and buried them in her neighbor’s backyard. She was caught. The nazis found out what she was up to and was taken to jail. There, she was awfully tortured. She bared all the tortures and never gave out the location of the true identities of the children. Because of this, she was put to death penalty. The day she was supposed to serve it, a soldier allowed her to escape. After the nazis left, she got the identifications back and tried to return every child she could to their original home. She saved more than 2,500 kids.
Yesterday, May 12th, with 98 years of age, Irena Sendler passed away. Until last minute, she still got visits from the kids she had once saved or their children. When asked what she felt about what she did, her roesponse was, “I could have done more, and that remorse is going to follow me until the day I die.” She made a huge impact on the life of thousands of people. Irena Sendler will be remembered in history as the “Angel of the ghetto in Warsaw” for her bravery and kindness.
“The Tree Mother of Africa” 
“Under the sea!” 
Answer Every WISH of your HEART
“Mother of the children of the Holocaust.” 