Category Archives: Viva!

Afghan Women’s Writing Project | Taliban! Leave My Country

Taliban!

My poem is for you!

For your generation of fear and panic

You are fathers of killing, blood, pain and sorrowI remember you

I still remember

That day you stoned Zarmena

And hanged Doctor Najib

I remember you beat me with cables

Because I dressed in men’s clothes

Taliban!

After those twenty bloody years

I tried to forget you and your wrongdoings

I tried to remove those thorns in my body

I tried to heal

You are back now in Kunduz

You attacked the city

But I knew you were there

I knew how you hid in other provinces

You killed people the same way

You were cruel the same way

You were against humanity and good life

The same way

Taliban!

You make women your slaves

You hide us under the worst thing

The burqa

I am free from that burden now

Free of slavery now

And I care for my people and my country

My country is not for you

You don’t deserve Afghanistan

You deserve hell

As you make us live in hell

Taliban!

As long as I and the Afghan people are alive

We will fight against you

We won’t sit silent

We want our freedom

You do not belong in Afghanistan

Go away

Taliban!

You hid me under the blue burqa

You didn’t know, I became a fighter

But I don’t fight like you

Killing people to accept your outdated ideas

Taliban!

I fight against you, not with bombs and rockets

Not with fire, blood, darkness and tears

I fight you with my voice

You don’t dare to listen

You are blind to reading my words

Your mind is empty

You live in the cemetery of history

I fight with my poems, my words

I throw them like a hammer

Into your thoughts

I think differently

I believe in change,

I believe in freedom and love

By Pari

Source: Afghan Women’s Writing Project | Taliban! Leave My Country

NYC To Hurricane Joaquin: Yeah, That’s What We Thought

NYC To Hurricane Joaquin: Yeah, That's What We Thought After two days of totally not panicking and totally not having Superstorm Sandy flashbacks, NYC has officially told Hurricane Joaquin to take a hike, ya’ lousy weather phenomenon. “The forecast confidence in Hurricane Joaquin maintaining an offshore track continues to increase,” said Gary Conte, Warning Coordination Meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s New York Forecast Office, presumably while holding two giant middle fingers up toward the heavens. Or if he’s really skilled, three middle fingers. [ more › ]

Celebrating Mahatma Gandhi’s Birthday – Peace for the Soul

Music 4 Peace presents the Gandhi Tour TV celebrating Mahatma Gandhi’s 146th birthday on Oct 2nd 2015, the United Nation‘s International Day of Nonviolence, with a global live broadcast on Gandhi Tour TV, that is supported by Peace Day TV, the official broadcaster of the United Nation‘s International Day of Peace.

Source: Celebrating Mahatma Gandhi’s Birthday – Peace for the Soul

Empowering Youth in Palestine and the Arab World: Q&A with Tafeeda Jarbawi | UN Dispatch

What attracted us about CGI is the fact that it is a platform for creative ideas. CGI members are looking for solutions to challenging problems all over the world, and with Palestine being one of the most vulnerable countries, we have many challenging problems. Specifically, we are working to support Palestinian steadfastness and empowering Palestinians by fostering excellence and nurturing talent, so that they can stay in their country and they can help develop their community, and develop the future Palestine we all aspire to, a democratic state where all Palestinians live in dignity and prosperity.Attending CGI is a chance to meet with other members to talk about Palestinian problems, and to talk about these same problems at a global level. It helps us to develop programs that will reflect on the development of Palestine and fulfill our organizational goals, and will also allow us to fulfill our commitment to the world in terms of cooperating with other countries.We are coming to CGI with a commitment to enhance the employability of Palestinian youth, and also in Tunisia. This is the first work that the Welfare Association will do beyond the borders of Palestine, and the idea came from being engaged in and attending CGI, which is a platform for inspiration, dialogue and discussion. It gives hope, and we feel that we are contributing to humanity at the global level.In addition, the Welfare Association is also hoping to strengthen existing and create new partnerships with other members. It’s really the way forward, if we’re thinking about better impact. It’s also very important for us to find people who will support this initiative in-kind, and through financial contributions, in order to reach our goal.

Source: Empowering Youth in Palestine and the Arab World: Q&A with Tafeeda Jarbawi | UN Dispatch

 

Good on you Tafeeda!

Video: NJ Bear Who Walks Upright Is Coming To Steal Your Honey

Video: NJ Bear Who Walks Upright Is Coming To Steal Your Honey If you squint long enough, New Jersey sure does look like a magical place, what with all the bears playing on slides, living in houses, chilling in aboveground pools, and frolicking on hammocks. And there’s no local celeBEARty as beloved as Pedals, the black bear who has been wandering around upright through suburban NJ for over a year now. [ more › ]

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