...A vision to the deepeness of a heart; the sight of a plenty life...by Izza Ojeda
12 Marzo 2007
Yunuen, Joaco, Steph, Izza 
Aram, Yunuen, Steph, Izza
Un viaje muy agradable. Esta semana pasada me di cuenta que quede muy acostumbrada a la compañia de mis classmates, son en verdad muy divertidos
. Fue un poco complicado volver a adaptarme al ritmo de vida de la ciudad y de la universidad; pero, en fin una bella experiencia la cual grabo memorables recuerdos en lo mas profundo de mi mente.
9 Marzo 2007
Dentro del marco de la Semana de Relaciones Internacionales y del dia de la mujer, he asistido a varias conferencias que han abarcado topicos que van desde la politica comercial de EUA, medios de comunicacion, cultura, hasta el desarrollo de la mujer en el ambito politico. Personalmente prefiero aquellas ponencias de geopolitica y del proceso de integracion de la Union Europea, la cual, una vez mas, ha decidido unir sus fuerzas para enfrentar de manera conjunta los retos que los efectos del cambio climantico conllevan. La postura que la UE ha asumido ante este problema de magnitud global es la de llegar a un acuerdo sobre objetivos obligatorios en energias renovables y elevar el uso de estas al 20% versus el 6% actual. Por tanto, Angela Merkel, cuyo pais ejerce la presidencia de la UE, tendra que convencer a los 27 paises miembros de la necesidad de tomar acciones concretas ante esta problematica.
A todas las mujeres, feliz dia. Aunque no soy feminista y obvio esta no es una felicitacion muy sincera. Sin embargo, este dia, en general, varios periodicos y paginas web han incluido en sus paginas principales articulos especiales que incluyen el papel de la mujer en la economia, en la politica y otros importantes ambitos. Se habla de la tan trillada equidad e igualdad de genero, que como siempre se llega a las mismas conclusiones utopicas.
3 Diciembre 2006
Bueno comenzamos este mes con la toma de protesta de Felipe Calderón y la conmemoración del día mundial del SIDA. El primer evento trascurrió en una atmósfera de aparente tranquilidad, lo cual ayudo a renovar la confianza, las expectativas y la esperanza de la población mexicana. El segundo evento nos muestra un panorama mucho más desalentador, ya que las cifras son cada vez más alarmantes y las soluciones menos eficaces en contención de esta pandemia...En fin, comenzamos este mes tan prometedor con noticias poco esperanzadoras...
13 Septiembre 2006
Today we have been suffering the enormous lack of values and true character traits in each individual of our modern societies. Nevertheless, this terrible situation is the regrettable reap of a careless harvest, because our preceding generations forget to instill worthy principles to their offspring. Then, as a result the subsequent generations grew with fainting values that made that all the fundamental institutions of our societies: family, church, school, etc. became deeply deteriorated, because the dissolved transmission of the fundamental principles of life. This weakening affected the integral development of each person in a particular way, maybe spiritually, morally, physically or intellectually. But nowadays we are trying to come back to the basic standards, which ought to be taught at home; also we have to lead hand of school education as a tool to reinforce and encourage those values previously instructed in, so upright individuals can be raised, personal and academic success reached and good societies built up.
Instructing character traits is fundamental in the rearing of individuals. Nevertheless, all the fundamental ethics of life should be instructed at home from the parents. Being a parent is the highest privilege and calling that an individual could have. Consequently the most precious possession a parent has is his child which is entrusted to him by God, as is quoted is the Bible (2001) “Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward (Psalm 127:3)” (p.528). So being a parent is a wonderful responsibility and its chore is to teach his children not only good manners, but all these worthy traits that constitute a true, complete person: attentiveness, creativity, concern, confidence, consideration, consistency, cooperation, determination, diligence, efficiency, equity, fairness, faithfulness, flexibility, forgiveness, friendliness, gentleness, honesty, humility, joyfulness, kindness, loyalty, love, meekness, mercy, obedience, patient, perseverance, persuasiveness, prudence, respect, self control, sincerity, submission, and the character and courage to stand firm against the pressure to do wicked deeds.
Unfortunately, nowadays, we can see that really few people posses all these important characteristics in a genuine manner, because the family and specifically the parents have failed in their duty, because most of the times both parents focus only in the economic situation and forget that what their children need is their time, their attention, their love and a good example and not all the toys that appear in TV or other type of superficial commodities. Hence as established in the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 in which the law recognizes parents as the first and principal teachers of their children, so they have to be actively involved through all the academic process of the children to reach their children’s academic success.
Unquestionably, the school system has to be understood as a tool that helps with the instruction of children and not as the institution that must educate youths, because that is parent’s responsibility. Nonetheless, school’s duty is to instill their alumni veridical and high-quality scientific knowledge plus the reinforcement and encouragement of good character, as is stated by Esther F. Schaeffer (1999), executive director of the Character Education Partnership (CEP) Washington, D.C. “The goal is to surround students in an environment that exhibits, teaches and encourage practice in the values society needs. As a result, children will not only be informed of these values, but also will internalize them and make decisions and act in accordance with them. This requires a focus on values throughout the school curriculum and culture” (p.1). Notwithstanding, the task of instituting character education appears to be a hard one, because much of the values of the actual school system are mistaken and have to be replaced for correct, high-moral ones.
For example, schools have to teach a lifestyle that is pure, holy and morally right in the sight of God instead of promoting ways for students to be impure and immoral “safely.” Educational institutions have to instill that physical relationships are sacred and reserved only for marriage in place of teaching how to have such relationships calling it “health class.” Then, how do we expect that people be diligent, perseverant and responsible, if teachers prefer to gossip and say double sensed jokes instead of preparing and transmit high-quality classes? How do we hope that teens have high standards and goals in life if school incites them to be impure and only focus in the moment? Doubtless the teachers are the most important factor in the advance of reaching a high-level education for all. So if we really wish that the coming generations don’t suffer the lack of moral values, we have to do a great deal of effort in restructuring our education systems as declared by Esther F. Schaeffer (1999)” It takes time, effort and often staff development to integrate character education into schools, but the investment is proving to be worth the effort” (p.1).
On the whole, it will be very hard to institute in the core or our society those worthy values, but we have to have in mind that not matter all the time, limitations and effort it could convey, if we really wish upright individuals, personal and academic success, better communities and societies, less violence and harmony reining, these basic fundamentals have to return to be taught to children, because most of the responsibility of the next generation’s future is in the way in which the actual families, schools and churches instruct them, because children require years of perseverant training, clear guidance and wise instruction to become truly fruitful persons.
References
Schaeffer, Esther F. (1999). Implementing Character Education. National Association of Secondary School Principals Bulletin. Retrieved February 24, 2006 from www.usinfo.state.gov/jounals/itsv/0600/classroom.htm
Howard, Esther (2005). Pressing Toward the Mark of the High Calling. The Lighthouse Beacon (2)3, 2-3.
Aulgur, Glen (2004). The Importance of Christian Education. The Lighthouse Beacon (1)4, 3.
U.S. Department of Education (2003). My Child’s Academic Success. Retrieved February 24, 2006 from www.ed.gov/parents/academic/help/tools-for-success/index.html
The Holy Bible (2001).Belgium: Thomas Nelson Bibles INC.
13 Septiembre 2006
Nowadays, the Earth is suffering due to the deforestation, the excessive mining activities, the loss of topsoil and the pollution of seas and air. Humanity’s behavior has been focused on its own benefits and “welfare,” abusing of the wonderful resources that the Earth gently gives it. The world is positioned in a state of imminent danger, because of the abuse of Transnational Corporations (TNCs) and the incapacity of the governments to face TNCs environmental threats, and as a result of these, the actual global warming.
Currently, TNCs have done an abusive consumption of the natural resources causing a negative impact in the environment. Thus, provoking devastating results, which are doubtless endangering the harmony of the nature. Also, TNCs have been the culpable for some tragic environmental disasters over the past two decades. For example, in Bhopal, India the leaking of a poisonous gas in Union Carbide (1984). Exxon’s Valdez spill in Alaska, and Texaco in Ecuador. However, TNCs have tried to make conscience, promoting an environmental culture and proposing ecological reforms in favor to heal the damage that they have caused. Nonetheless, the pro-ecological reforms are only a minimal part of all the effort that must be done to counter the damage that TNCs have caused as Meena Raman, chair of Friends of the Earth International (1005) has declared, “The ‘greenwashing’ that corporations are now doing as their bit to clean up the environment cannot hide the damage they are causing.” Also, it is important to consider, that in many cases, all these environmental amends had only been part of campaign of public relations strategies and not a beneficial measure to improve the fragile environment as is observed by Meena Raman (2005), “They (TNCs) speak of what they have done by way of corporate social responsibility, which is voluntary and non-binding. But, we find these claims are ‘greenwashing,’ and much more public relations exercise.” Consequently, it is very important to always become aware that TNCs produce 50% of the global greenhouse emissions. Also, with their commercial logging and mining activities, they are responsible for the alarming deforestation rates. Today, of the large areas of ancient forests, only one fifth of them remain, but under increasing threat of degradation, too. Also, TNCs are the principal producers and consumers of chlorofluorocarbons, which are ozone-depleting. Finally, the air, land, ground water, wetlands and the ocean have been significantly polluted by TNCs’ activities and products.
Because local government’s lack of capacity to face the ecological threats caused by TNCs, they share the responsibility of the damage done to the world’s ecology. First of all, when TNCs arrive to developing countries, which don’t have the resources to exploit their own raw materials, TNCs offer long-term contracts that permit them to obtain all the profits, only giving the host country a minimal compensation. Then, governments establish very weak guidelines to contain the excessive exploitation of forest, minerals, and other resources. Finally, sometimes the local governments cannot superimpose themselves over the TNCs, because TNCs are self-sovereign entities, without a national identity. So, TNCs economies and capacity of deciding, become even more powerful that the ones of the host countries. As a result, TNCs can continue with their practices with an ineffective intervention of the host governments, because these countries sometimes seem obliged to fulfill their ‘guest’ whishes, instead of TNCs accomplishing the obligations and responsibilities established by their hosts.
Consequently as a result of the selfish actions of TNCs and the ineffectiveness of local governments, the global warming is alarming not only to the scientists, but even to every common person, because of the visible changes in the Earth’s climate. The main cause of global warming is the carbon dioxide and methane emissions emitted mainly by oil companies. Today, the world’s population can perceive the effects of the exceeding greenhouse gas emissions. These repercussions are presented in the excessive flooding that exists in several parts of the world, for example, the actual flooding in the Balkan countries due to the unusual melting of the Alps’ glaciers. Several teams of scientists have predicted that in 2100 the global temperature will rise four degrees higher than today, causing the poles to melt in incredible quantities, provoking more flooding and that the oceans will rise 13 to 20 feet. So as declared by Dr. Jonathan T. Overpeck of the University of Arizona, (2006), “If we don’t like the idea of flooding out New Orleans, major portions of South Florida, and many other valued parts of the coasts of U.S., we will have to commit soon to a major effort to stop most emissions of carbon to the atmosphere.” So he urges that TNCs and governments with the cooperation of man, as individual beings, take action to change their producing-consuming habits, because the balance of ecology has been greatly affected and even the life of man is in danger.
On the whole, TNCs should not abstain from utilizing natural resources, but they have to find the manner to promote the growth and development with the sustainable environmental practices. Also, governments ought to oblige TNCs to fulfill environmental responsible policies, even if TNCs appear to be very powerful entities. Now man has to begun to suffer the consequences of altering the ecology and these terrible results have claimed the extinction of species, drastic changes in the climate and people’s health, which are more valuable than all the benefits that TNCs protect.
References
Sury, Sanjay. (2005). “Greenwashing” Does not Make the World Cleaner. Inter Press Service of Global Policy. Retrieved March 24, 2006 from http://www.globalpolicy.org/socecon/tncs/2005/0703greenwashing.htm
Transnational Corporations: Impediments or Catalysts of Social Development (2006). United Nations Research Institute for Social Development. Retrieved March 14, 2006 from http://www.rrojasdatabank.org/op05-03.htm
Revkin, Andrew C. (2006). Climate Data Hint at Irreversible Rise in Seas. The New York Times. Retrieved March 24, 2006 from http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/24/science/earth/24melt.html/_r=1&oref=slogin
22 Julio 2006
Throughout world’s history the word terrorism appears in every chapter of the universal chronics, always conveying its threatening meaning of a system or rule of terror. Nonetheless, the period of history or the geographical localization, terrorism has always cast off the same outcomes: bloodshed of innocent civilians, failure and deviation of the “main goal,” conveying more violence and more deaths. In its shortest form, the cause of terrorism is a strong belief. So, terrorism comes from a combination of religious, political and socio-cultural ideologies.
Political ideologies and believes became the predecessors of modern terrorism. The word ‘terrorism’ became part of the European languages approximately in 1789, with the wake of the French Revolution, which was the first violent movement that can be considered as terrorist. It consisted in the use of violence against a reluctant citizenry as the way in which the Parisian government tried to impose the new radical political system. With all that bloodshed during that terrible revolution, Sir Adam Roberts, Professor of International Relations at Oxford University (2000) concluded:”…terror is often at its bloodiest when used by dictatorial governments against their own citizens.” Terrorism inspired by political ideologies aroused conflicts in many countries all around the world. For example, in West Germany and Italy, terrorism was inspired by vague communist ideologies. In Spain, the Basque separatist group ETA (Euskadi Ta Askatasuna, ‘Basque Homeland and Liberty’) was the responsible of a series of threatening attacks in the trial of achieving Basque regional autonomy and economical development. On the other hand, in Northern Ireland the riots began by the Irish Republican Army, who fought against the British rule in Ireland since before the establishment of the Republic; nevertheless, that conflict turned from a political to a religious mean. In Latin America, terrorist movements were perpetrated by guerrillas that fought against their governments, increasing the instability of their nations. In Russia, terrorist outbreaks provoked a confrontation between Russian troops and Muslim rebels for the control over the republic of Chechnya. In addition to all these political movements, one point that characterized to all of them is that one of their specific objectives was the assassination of political leaders and heads of state, which occurred in the majority of the cases, to increase the pressure and terror on the people who had the power and intimidate the citizenry. Unfortunately, all these local terrorist movements gave place to the development of international terrorism acts, which as the local conflicts, has only provoked more conflicts, violence and civilian bloodshed, showing that extreme political beliefs can convey fatal consequences.
Nowadays, the name of religion has provoked the actual terrorist conflicts. This religious terrorism has propelled the terrorism movement to international scenery, because their aims claim against everyone that has not the same beliefs. So, the adherents are willing to commit suicide, if they could damage or destroy the unbelievers. Religious terrorism was implicated as a huge threat during the 1990s, when the face of Osama Bin Laden emerged as the leader of a small fanatical Islamic movement called Al-Qaida (The Base). Osama Bin Laden has considered U.S.A. his enemy and the enemy of the Islamic world, so he began his “Holy War (Jihad)” in 1993, with the World Trade Center blast, and continued with a series of attacks: the assassination of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarakin in Ethiopia, June 1995; a truck explosion in a military base in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, June 1996; the simultaneous attack to U.S.A. embassies in Nairobi, Kenya and Dar es-Salaam, Tanzania, on August 7, 1998;and the bomb attack on the destroyer U.S.S Cole in Aden, Yemen, October 2000. Additionally, Bin Laden’s religious terrorism reached its climax with the attack of September 11, 2001 to the W.T.C. in New York, continued with the bomb attacks in Spain, on March 11, 2004 and London in June 2004. Nevertheless, prior to the emerging of Osama Bin Laden as terrorist, a terrorist organization called the Japanese Red Army was once of the most feared religious terrorist groups in the world. Its worst attack was perpetrated when members of Aum Shinrikyo, a religious cult, released nerve gas in the Tokyo subway system in March 1995. Showing that when faith is brought to an extreme can turn to the bad way.
The socio-cultural idiosyncrasy of the leaders and adherents of the terrorist groups is another factor in the source of terrorism. This is an interesting point, because is very important to know that almost all the terrorist attacks are previously well planned because of the heads of the terrorist groups come from a middle, high-class background and have at least some college education, which allows them to develop an organizational and leadership pondering. In addition, these leaders have apparent normal lives, which makes very difficult to find any suspicion and link with terrorist activities. Also, the majority of the leaders establish their training camps in locations where people have minimal resources for living, so people adhere the terrorist cause because of the money they can obtain by joining the acts and beliefs of these opportunists, extremists leaders. Surprisingly, why people of a good social-status act like this? In general, many of the terrorist leaders have never suffered any kind of personal damage, but they feel identified with others who they believe that have suffered some personal damage. As a result, their radical thinking speculates that the other people need them to avenge for them.
In short, a belief, either political or religious, serves as the foundation of terrorism, because, every terrorist conflict has been inspired by a set of beliefs. So, when these beliefs are converted in a superstitious thinking, they became dangerous thoughts, that endanger the liberty and safety of every person. That is the French Revolution or the attack on September 11 gives a prime example of the consequences of radical faith. So, man has to reconsider the manner in which he deposits his faith, doing it sincerely with clear and reasonable motives. Above all, man has not to allow that belief continues being the foundation of terrorism, but has to make their faith’s aims a peaceful reality. It is very horrid to see the entire radical terrorists devoting themselves to an unreasonable crusade, in which the “holy objective” has never been fulfilled and will not. All their attacks have only brought more troubles and not the expected benefit. So whomever that sacrifices his freedom for a senseless belief is only hindering the change for a better world, as stated by Jim Walker, writer of the article the Cause of Terrorism (2001):”…I have long observed that belief stands as the most powerful instrument against the change in the world.”
References
Walker, Jim. (2001). The Cause of Terrorism. Retrieved May 3, 2006 from http://www.nobeliefs.com/terrorism.htm
Adam, Roberts. (2002). The Changing Faces of Terrorism. BBC History Homepage. Retrieved April 26, 2006 from http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/war/sept_11/changing_faces_01.shtml
Terrorism (2006). History Channel Resources. Retrieved April 26, 2004 from http://www.historychannel.com/thcsearch/thc_resourcedetail.do?encyc_id=223920
9 Febrero 2006
Parece que me la pasare escribiendo apologias por no postear tan seguido...mil disculpas... Aunque en estos dias no he tenido mucha tarea no he tenido muchas ganas de escribir, ya que lamentablemente me enferme y no me he sentido muy bien.Sin embargo, aqui un resumen de lo que me hubiera gustado escribir:
Bueno como ya todos sabemos Iran no se rendira en su propuesta de "producir energia ,para uso civil, mediante el uso de la industria nuclear" a pesar de que E.E.U.U. y la U.E. estan en total desacuerdo y decidan remitir el caso al Consejo de Seguridad de la O.N.U.
Los palestinos siguen en su lucha y han declarado que ellos continuaran con sus manifestaciones hasta obtener el control de "su territorio." Sin embargo, creo que deberian dejar a un lado esos ideales y pensar realmente en su gente, tomando medidas que puedan ayudar a su poblacion, en vez de ir por ese camino tan violento, por el cual no han conseguido nada. Ahora, con la visita de la canciller de Alemania, Angela Merkel, deberian de recapacitar,ya que la U.E. ha decidido recortar el presupuesto del subsidio destinado para el pueblo palestino, el cual es vital para su subsistencia.
Para finalizar, quisiera recordar que en un dia como este, 8 de febreo, pero de 1952; la Princesa Isabel se autoproclamo reina de Inglaterra tras la repentina muerte de su padre, el Rey Jorge VI.
By the sudden death of my dear father I am called to assume the duties and responsabilities of sovereignty.
Queen Elizabeth II
3 Diciembre 2005
No se, pero las noticias de hoy tienen un extraño toque de algo que no puedo describir.La noticia que mas me llamo la atencion fue que en EUA se llevo la ejecucion mil de la pena capital. Esto desperto diversas reacciones, sin embargo la mayoria se oponia a este tipo de actos ya que se consideran como barbaros. Pero si pensamos en lo que estas personas hicieron para ganarse este castigo, pienso que nuestro enfoque cambiaria.
Kenneth Lee Boyd fue condenado a muerte por asesinar a su esposa y a su suegro delante de sus hijos. La pena capital se llevo a cabo a travez de una inyeccion letal en una prison de Carolina del Norte.
¿Que es mas parecido a una barbarie asesinar a tus familiares o recibir la justicia por un acto inhumano?
Bueno depende del enfoque de cada persona...una situacion controverisal.
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