2010. szeptember 9., csütörtök

a pure opinion letter



My dear Readers.

Let me share with you an opinion article written by one of my best soul-mates from here. It hits deep, i can tell you. She is from the Maldives, and her name is Salma. I would like you to listen carefully, and take these words as real pearls...I would like to spread these words so that we stop for a moment and mind our steps more consciously.


This is a Salma. She is just about to make loads of chapatis for us, maldiv-type chapati...



"I come from a place that not many people know of, the Maldives, a small nation out in the middle of the Indian Ocean, which people consider a haven for tourists and travelers. My nation is slowly but steadily coming out of isolation and making a name for itself in the global arena. Not just as a sunny paradise of virgin sands, crystalline waters and tall palm trees but as a forerunner in the fight against climate change.

As I sit here in Denmark, one of the most democratic and progressive countries in the world, I reflect upon my role in my nation as well as my role as a global citizen. What can I do for my people and others to better their lives, not just because we are a nation in peril due to global warming and sea level rise, but also to deliver to them values of justice, equality, dignity and to deliver to them a better standard of living?

How can I convey stories and examples of the Western World, so far removed from my people, to those amongst whom I live? How can I change the attitude of legislators, policy-makers and hard-line extremists in my country, to adopt the good principles of governance and development that have made the Western World what it is today? And how can I reach out to the rest of the world with the lives and stories of my people, my home and my nation?

Some would call it a contradiction in terms, a conflict of culture and ideals if I were to talk about this in my own country. And yet deep in my heart, I believe that values of democracy and of human rights are universal. They are the Truth and they cannot be denied. There is a world of knowledge and experience out here and we have to learn from it, no matter where we live or where we come from. It is a matter of attitude, of being open, understanding and tolerant, and putting into practice progressive ideas and philosophies.

I have my own skepticism about the West, and some of it still remains. Many times I feel Life is unfair because some have so much and others have so little. When I walk into a grocery store and see it filled with vegetables, fruits and meat and food that is not available or too costly in my own country, when I see the well-built and cozy houses, when I ride in the efficient and comfortable public vehicles or when I breathe in the fresh air, I question myself time and again on where it is that many countries have gone wrong?

I know the Western World has played and still continues to play, a role in fostering that inequality of which I speak. Yet I cannot deny that there are people and institutions that are trying to bridge the gap. It is through these people and institutions that we can make a change for the better. I, from my nation in peril, and as a global citizen, would like to say thank you to those people and institutions, for if not for them, perhaps the world would have been even more a sadder and unjust place to live in"

1 megjegyzés:

  1. whao. i can hear that sth important is happening there, with you guys. it makes me feel more alive, more vigilant, more attentive. thanks for sharing that. i pay my respect to salma.

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