It wasn’t a lecture, it wasn’t advertising – it was a speech living up to the moment. Let’s hope for the best…: Full video. David Brooks writes about this: “…. The salient divisions in the Biden era won’t just be left versus right. They will be between the performers, the people who run for office to get on TV, and the builders, the people who want to achieve something. They will be between the fantasists, the people who lie and fabricate, and the realists, the people who are attached to reality. They will be between the narcissists (Ted Cruz) and Read More
Sristi Village – An Island of Hope
“Their biggest disadvantage according to the society is that they are slow, but I think it is their biggest strength.” Karthikeyan, the founder When Karthik had bought the land for his dream project of establishing a village of hope for those who were outcast for being too retarded in the eyes of society there came an ugly surprise – the land was barren: no water at all. So he called in agricultural experts who tried to find a solution to the parched place, but did not come up with anything real. Along the way, an elder living in the area Read More
Investigative Journalism – The marginalized 4th pillar.
By Chacko Jacob (reposted from Kanthari) It is hard to comment on journalism as a whole, as it is too wide a profession.There are types of journalists that have a regular schedule, there are types who’s lives are at risk for what they report about, and a thousand other variants.But here we talk about the ones that stick their necks out to get factual information to people.In most countries there is too much power vested in one of the pillars of democracy or colluding between two or more of them.What is the situation in your country? Is the legislature gaining Read More
Reverse Inclusion: Ability Sports Africa
The Ability of the Disabled is the Disability of the Abled. Faruk Musema, a Kanthari Alumni from Uganda, realized that early on as a child who loved sports, but who got stigmatized because of a slight handicap. So he went on to look for a way to do sports with those disabled – disabled in the eyes of the abled – and realized what tremendous abilities these people possess. Form there he set out to build a vision for ASA – Ability Sports Africa. At ASA everybody is welcome and the able are learning about their disabilities and to admire Read More
Rebellion to Reconciliation, by Dilip Simeon
…. Any serious social-democratic program must affirm fundamental respect for human life, and place on its agenda society’s determination to liberate itself from fear. Violence is both the expression and the symptom of social and political crisis. We need to debate its roots, forms and functions, in order to cast fresh light on the iniquitous relations between the sexes, castes and classes; and on the structured violence of the global polity. If I have learned anything of significance about politics, it is this: to question what is known as ‘commonsense’ is our primary responsibility as human beings. Such questioning and Read More
GHF 2020 and 21
Friends: The Giraffe-Heroes Foundation is looking back at a year full of surprises – in many ways. One thing is for sure, our slogan, Where there are Giraffes there is Hope, perhaps has never been more fitting than during these days….. We devoted a lot of time and resources to our Giraffe for Climate Adaptation – The Bees and Trees Initiative – . Even though the crowd-funding campaign was without success, the cooperation among Dimi Dumortier, Hendrik Haers, André Wermelinger, Chris Malins, Cosco and ourselves was much of a reward and produced a good understanding of how to cooperate in Read More
A Story of Love, Courage and Action…..
Trevor Molife’s Purple Hand Africa
Beyond sight: Blind rocks!
Sristi KC: enthusiastic and empowering With Sristi KC, founder of Blind Rocks! in Nepal one can really feel the vibe and what she wants to transmit with her organisation. One of her most important statements: “There should be more of us all around the world dancing, more blind people who rock the world, so people can see us and realise that we’re just as able to do so instead of making us feel disabled and marginalised”. Sristi
Stick Your Neck Out for Truth and Independence
Chris, as Mohammed El-Gharani was called in Guantanamo, was taken prisoner as a 14 year old pupil while learning English and IT with his friend’s uncle in Karachi. Since he had come from Medina the Pakistani authorities sold him for a ransom as a potential Arab terrorist to the American military right after 9/11 – who took him to Guantanamo. There he became the most unruly and obtuse inmate of the camp, organizing a defiant struggle for justice and fairness against the brutalizing, torturing guards. His weapon was truth and independence of the mind which he kept up against all Read More
What a Wealth in this Waste
Tony Joy, founder of Durian in Nigeria Tony Joy is doing impressive work in Nigeria. With her organization Durian, she’s helping out the most marginalized people in rural areas, transforming the image and comprehension of “rural equals poor and marginalized” towards “rural is creative and cool!”. How she’s managing to do this, she explains in a very straightforward, precise way in today’s podcast. Tony Joy is showing women a way to succeed, break standards, showing up and doing the right thing. She also talks how they coped with COVID-19 and the space she created to help out while things were Read More