Boys have always had great toys to help them imagine, build, create, play and grow… In many shops, the “little girls” aisle is full of pink glittering toys that just invite girls to dream they are princesses. Girls deserve better!
Tag Archives: society
How painting can transform communities
Click on this link to listen to this great talk about helping poor people change their environment through Art:
Haas&Hahn: How painting can transform communities | Talk Video | TED.com.
Street Art transforms slums in Brazil
90-year-old man arrested for feeding homeless people
(CNN) — Arnold Abbott handed out four plates of food to homeless people in a South Florida park. Then police stopped the 90-year-old from serving up another bite.
“An officer said, ‘Drop that plate right now — like I had a weapon,'” Abbott said.
Abbott and two pastors in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, were charged for feeding the homeless in public on Sunday, under a new ordinance banning public food sharing.
Now they face possible jail time and a $500 fine.
“Just because of media attention we don’t stop enforcing the law. We enforce the laws here in Fort Lauderdale,” Mayor Jack Seiler said.
He defended the law in an interview with the Sun-Sentinel newspaper.
“I’m not satisfied with having a cycle of homeless in the city of Fort Lauderdale,” Seiler said. “Providing them with a meal and keeping them in that cycle on the street is not productive.”
“These are the poorest of the poor. They have nothing. They don’t have a roof over their head,” Abbott said. “Who can turn them away?”
It’s a battle Abbott has fought before. In 1999 he sued the city for banning him from feeding homeless people on the beach — and won.
He said the threat of charges won’t stop him from doing it again.
“I’m not afraid of jail. I’m not looking to go, but if I have to, I will,” he said.
On Wednesday, Abbott said he’ll be at Fort Lauderdale Beach, ready to serve another meal.
UN refugee camp for Syrians
There is no honor in racism…
The word “redskins” is a racist word to call American Indians. Yet the Washington American football team uses it as its nickname. Many people think that they should change their name, or that it should be banned from TV.
Kurdish women fighters against IS
“We either die or win. No fighter is leaving,” Esmat al-Sheikh, leader of the Kobani Defence Authority, told Reuters. “The world is watching, just watching and leaving these monsters to kill everyone, even children…but we will fight to the end with what weapons we have.”
Some people have more motivation than others. Those people include women. A very large percentage of the YPG fighters are women. (YPG: the Kurdish People’s Protection Units)
I asked her about YPG’s women’s wing, the YPJ (Women’s Protection Units), and the women fighters coming from Turkey. She said Kurdish women were as equally involved in defense affairs as in social services. “We have set up training camps for women in all three cantons. Women are active in all fronts,” she said. “Of the first 20 martyrs we had when IS attacked Kobani, 10 were women. Last year, of our 700 YPG martyrs, 200 were women…”
I reminded Nimet of the legends we hear of IS militants fearing to encounter women fighters. She replied, “This is not a myth but reality. I personally met IS fighters face-to-face. They believe they won’t go to paradise if they are killed by women. That is why they flee when they see women fighters.”
From The AlterNet
Malala Yousafzai and Kailash Satyarthi awarded Nobel Peace Prize
▶ Malala Yousafzai, Kailash Satyarthi Awarded Nobel Peace Prize – YouTube.
Malala Yusafsai is the youngest ever Nobel Peace prize winner, whereas Kailash Satyarthi is in his sixties. She comes from Pakistan, he comes from India: their countries are close neighbors yet have often been at war since the Partition of India in 1947. She is a woman, he is a man, but both fight for the rights of children (all children!) to freedom and education. She is a Muslim, he is a Hindu: the proof that different religions can agree and work together towards a humanitarian goal that is common to both. Their joint prize is a message of hope for the world!
Why this world should end – and what you can do (by Prince Ea)
“Not in my name” Muslims say
A group of young British Muslims have joined the fight back against Islamic State militants with a video and social media campaign.
After the murder of David Haines and kidnapping of Alan Hemming, the East London-based group Active Change Foundation decided to voice their anger.
They set up the #notinmyname campaign to spread the word that British Muslims reject IS, its ideology and actions and to show that IS do not represent the Islamic faith or the Muslim community.
Hanif Qadir, founder of ACF. said: “The murder of an innocent man has no justification in any religion or walk of life.
“These terrorists ISIS are not true Muslims, they do not practice the true teachings of Islam; peace, mercy and compassion, and they are the enemy of all mankind.”
Poverty by Nelson Mandela
Religious fanatics are NOT representative of their faith!
Emma Watson makes UN speech for gender equality
Emma Watson Tells Men It’s Time To Fight For Gender Equality – YouTube.
Women Goodwill Ambassador Emma Watson delivered an emotional and powerful speech at the United Nations headquarters on Saturday to help launch the HeForShe gender equality campaign.
Here are some extracts from her speech asking for equal rights for men and women:
“We want to end gender inequality and to do this, we need everyone involved. This is the first campaign of its kind at the UN. We want to try to galvanize as many men and boys as possible to be advocates for change”
“the more I’ve spoken about feminism, the more I have realized that fighting for women’s rights has too often become synonymous with man-hating. If there is one thing I know for certain, it is that this has to stop.”
“for the record, feminism, by definition, is the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities.”
“I think it is right that socially, I am afforded the same respect as men.”
“But sadly, I can say that there is no one country in the world where all women can expect to receive these rights. No country in the world can yet say that they have achieved gender equality. These rights, I consider to be human rights”
“Men, I would like to take this opportunity to extend your formal invitation. Gender equality is your issue too. Because to date, I’ve seen my father’s role as a parent being valued les by society despite my needing his presence, as a child, as much as my mother’s.”
“We don’t want to talk about men being imprisoned by gender stereotypes but I can see that they are. “
“We should stop defining each other by what we are not and start defining ourselves by who we are. We can all be freer and this is what HeForShe is about. It’s about freedom.”
“If you believe in equality, you might be one of those inadvertent feminists that I spoke of earlier and for this, I applaud you.”
“I am inviting you to step forward to be seen and to ask yourself, ‘If not me, who? If not now, when?'”
You can make a difference!
Minimum wage in one of the richest countries in the world
How much is the minimum wage per hour in these countries?
Scotland’s Referendum 2014 – yes or no?
A referendum on whether Scotland should be an independent country or stay in the United Kingdom will take place on Thursday, 18 September 2014.
The referendum question will be “Should Scotland be an independent country?” – voters can only answer yes or no. With some exceptions, all residents in Scotland over 16 can vote, representing over 4 million people.
Watch this video to the end !
▶ Scotland’s Referendum 2014 – My Generation, please watch it all. Pure genius. – YouTube.
Photoshopping real women into cover models
Demand a plan to end gun violence
The Street Store – shopping with dignity for homeless people
Visiting my Daddy in prison
“Follow the frog”: what you can do for the rainforest…
“The monster is real” – a film about the danger of guns
Sexy curves: all sizes can look good at the beach!
You’re awesome – you can be a hero ! From Kid President
Hip Hop Genius in High School
What happens in 1 minute around the world?
Kid President: 5 things that make summer awesome (for everyone?)
Man destroying his world – by Steve Cutts
Hugging experiment
▶ Jung von Matt/Limmat: Pro Infirmis Get closer. – YouTube.
When this handicapped man, Fabian, rides on the bus, some people will not want to sit next to him. When he wears a bear costume everyone wants to hug him…
What they are saying in this campaign is: get closer, don’t be afraid of handicapped people, everyone should be able to get hugs without a disguise!