Cosmic Dinesh

Colman McCarthy - Teaching Peace

2010-07-10T09:35:00.000+08:00

This is a really inspiring talk by Colman McCarthy about peace and the need for peace education in schools.

He started off righly by saying that all of us got to where we are due to the effort and help given by others. And the best way to repay those debts of gratitude is to become a peacemaker.

He rightly points out that "peace is the result of love, and if love was easy, we'd all be good at it." The great peacemakers that he has interviewed, like Mairead Corrigan, Desmond Tutu, Muhammad Yunus, Adolfo Perez Esquivel, always told him that in order to decrease violence, you need to go to where people are.

And thus, he started going to local high schools to "teach peace", and to introduce peace studies. He also mentioned that students today graduate from high school peace illiterate, and are therefore vulnerable to cycles of violence. "If we don't teach the children peace, unless we teach them peace, somebody else will teach them violence."

People would ask him. how would "peace" ever work? He cited examples where brutal dictatorships and social systems were brought down by peaceful, non-violent means. He cited Ferdinand Marcos, Augustus Pinochet, and how apartheid was demolished by non-violent means.

This talk, given at the University of California at Santa Barbara,under the auspices of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation headed by David Krieger.

I found it to be a very inspiring talk on how important it is to teach our children peace. The education system is working overtime to teach children "knowledge" and "skills", but not values that enable them to live the right path in life.

Peace studies, dialogue, conflict resolution are among some important studies that ought to be taught to students in the future, and soon.

The Future of Nuclear Weapons

2010-07-03T11:23:00.000+08:00

Jayantha Dhanapala is the President of the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs, and former United Nations Under-Secretary General for Disarmament. In this video, he talks to Steve Paikin of The Agenda on the future of nuclear weapons.

He says that today, "the greatest worries are that we could have a nuclear weapon being used, either by accident, or by design, and by state actors, who have nuclear weapons, or by non-state actors - terrorist groups. It's become much more diversified, much more complex, and much more dangerous than the cold war situation."

He also stressed that dialogue and negotiations are the way towards resolving our nuclear problem, not sanctions and pre-emptive strikes. He also called upon the major nuclear states to show leadership in reducing their nuclear arms. Eventually, nuclear weapons must be outlawed, and a nuclear weapons convention must exist.

He also pointed out the hypocrisy of major powers on allowing the peaceful use of nuclear power, saying that when a regime change occured, their attitudes suddenly changed. He also pointed out that it cannot be proven that nuclear deterrence and the "balance of terror" has helped kept the peace.

The host asked at the end, perhaps with some disbelief, "Is a world without nuclear weapons genuinely achievable? Mr. Dhanapala replied confidently that "It is achievable. We scaled many mountains in international relations. We though that slavery could not ba abolished because it was an institution that fed a lot of economies in the world - but it was abolished. We thought that women's right to vote would not be achievable, but it was achieved. We thought that apartheid was immutable, but it was destroyed finally. And so, I'm sure that we can, with the right political will and the part of countries, and the leadership of the right people like President Obama, achieve the abolition of nuclear weapons."

Newspaper headlines this weekend (26-27 June 2010)

2010-06-27T13:31:00.000+08:00

The newspaper headlines (The Star, especially) over this weekend have not had really good things to talk about. Today, were were greeted with news that foreign workers working on the spanking new Istana Negara had not been paid their wages:

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/6/27/nation/6557795&sec=nation

Yesterday, it was this news about the rise of teenaged mothers in Malaysia:

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/6/26/nation/6549733&sec=nation

It would be a shame indeed if the palace meant for our sovereign is built on what could turn out to be slave labour (how was the White House built originally?). In this country, we love to moralise about all sorts of stuff, but there is this RM 800 million behemoth being built in our capital, on prime land, fuelled by discrimination and suffering. It was particularly disturbing to read that one of the ladies, who lives in the kongsi on the construction site, had to hide in the nearby woods with her baby to avoid the authorities during raids. Sometimes, she had to spend the night there with her baby.

As for the case of teenaged mothers, we still have a long way to go in educating our youth on the consequences of sexual relationships and how to handle them responsibly. Simply demonising and condemning young people and pregnant teens obviously do not work. For those who become pregnant, yes, they may have made a mistake, but the last thing they need is to face humiliation and punishment. They are in enough pain already. What they need is counselling and support from society.

"Life is the most precious of all treasures", a Buddhist sage once wrote. Babies that are born out of wedlock are not guilty of any crime or sin.

Where both news are concerned, we must recognise that they involve human beings just like us. Simply applying labels like "illegal", "imigrants", "slut" and others will not help the situation. We must recognise their humanity too.

What happens to human beings when a nuclear weapon explodes?

2010-06-26T14:49:00.000+08:00

This is what happens to human beings and living beings when they get close enough to the epicentre of an atomic bomb blast.

The clip is from the 1983 Japanese anime, Barefoot Gen (Jpn: Hadashi no Gen). This anime is in turn based on a manga series of the same name by Keiji Nakazawa. The comic itself is loosely based on Nakazawa's own experiences as a survivor of the Hiroshima bombing (commonly known as hibakusha in Japan).

The scenes, though just animation, was horrifying and cruel. Therefore, justifying the existence of nuclear weapons as "strategic" is nonsense indeed. The existence of nuclear weapons will always hang like a sword of Damocles over humanity. As it is, we already have enough nuclear weapons to annihilate all of humanity several times over.

Nuclear weapons are the ultimate threat to the dignity of all life. There is no other choice but for us to work towards the abolition of nuclear weapons.

The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas (movie)

2010-04-18T21:51:00.000+08:00

It's been more than two month since my last post, and I have to admit that I haven't been particularly inspired to blog. However, I think it's time to get back on my feet, and post something here, before it becomes another "forgotten effort", or as it is much better put in Malay, "hangat-hangat tahi ayam" (or staying hot as long as chicken droppings).

This movie, The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas (2008), based on the book of the same title by John Boyne, tells the tale of friendship between two eight-year old boys in Nazi Germany. Bruno (played by Asa Butterfield), the son of a Nazi Schutzstaffel (SS) officer was made to leave his life in Berlin behind when his father, Ralf (David Thewlis) receives a promotion and has to transfer to the outskirts of Germany.

Bruno and his family arrives at an area where there are hardly any other people around. One day, by chance, Bruno sees a farm in the distance from a window. He begins to become curious about what happens on the farm, and sneaks out to the farm.

There, he meets a boy, Shmuel, who is the same age as him. They soon become best friends. In fact, they seem to be the only children their age around that area. But Shmuel cannot come out from the farm. When Bruno asked him why, Shmuel says it is because he is a Jew.

Bruno begins to see Shmuel more frequently, and often brings food to Shmuel, who is always hungry (not to mention always dirty and unkempt as well). The only clothes Shmuel has is the grey-striped pyjamas that all inmates of the farm have to wear.

Bruno manages to keep his friendship from Bruno a secret from his family, until one day. Meanwhile, Bruno's mother, Elsa (Vera Farmiga) begins to discover the horrific truth of the work that her husband is doing.

Bruno and his sister, Gretel a tutored at home by an old man who feeds them biased ideas about who Jews are. Bruno meanwhile is confused as the Jews that he came to know, Shmuel, and a kitchen help named Pavel, are anything but evil.

Soon, the brutality of his father's work begins to permeate their daily life, and leads to a calamitous ending. I'll leave you to read the book and watch the movie to find out those details.

The hubris of war does not spare anyone, not even innocent young children. Children, who are without prejudice and hatred towards others, become living sacrifices to the madness of war. Women and children often becomes the targets of war violence.Innocent children like Bruno and Shmuel, though belonging to opposites, are both mercilessly consumed.

War is cruel, barbaric, inhuman.

Funny Poems by Ogden Nash

2010-01-27T08:27:00.000+08:00

Wah, it's been almost two weeks since I posted anything. Amidst all the "tension", I thought I just might post some humourous poetry by Ogden Nash instead. Enjoy!

A Word to Husbands

To keep your marriage brimming
With love in the loving cup,
Whenever you’re wrong, admit it;
Whenever you’re right, shut up.

Reflections on Ice-breaking

Candy
Is dandy
But liquor
Is quicker

To My Valentine

More than a catbird hates a cat,
Or a criminal hates a clue,
Or the Axis hates the United States,
That's how much I love you.

I love you more than a duck can swim,
And more than a grapefruit squirts,
I love you more than a gin rummy is a bore,
And more than a toothache hurts.

As a shipwrecked sailor hates the sea,
Or a juggler hates a shove,
As a hostess detests unexpected guests,
That's how much you I love.

I love you more than a wasp can sting,
And more than the subway jerks,
I love you as much as a beggar needs a crutch,
And more than a hangnail irks.

I swear to you by the stars above,
And below, if such there be,
As the High Court loathes perjurious oathes,
That's how you're loved by me.

Dialogue - Our Common Ground of Humanity

2010-01-14T08:22:00.000+08:00

Continued here are the selections from Global Civilization: A Buddhist-Islamic Dialogue:

The Common Ground of Humanity

Ikeda: To borrow your metaphor, dialogue is a kind of light to illuminate one’s footsteps. The whole thing begins with one human being talking with another. Inter-civilizational dialogue is currently the focus of attention, but the point of departure or the prototype is human-to-human rapport.

Whenever I visited socialist or communist countries during the Cold War years, I was always guided by the conviction that “because there are people to talk with” it must be possible to build a bridge of friendship.

We must somehow break through the “friend vs. foe” pattern of relationship and talk with each other honestly and openly on the common ground of humanity. That, I was firmly convinced, would break the ice and lead to problem solving in the end.

...Just as once there were strong prejudices against the socialist countries, today many people, especially those in Europe and North America, hold on to stereotypical images and biased preconceptions about the Islamic world. This is very dangerous.

Tehranian: I, too, am deeply concerned about the current situation. But you have taken the initiative in pursuing activities to prevent specific countries from being isolated in the international community.

Ikeda: To know each other well is the first step toward intimate friendship. To appreciate one’s partner’s strong points and to be ready to learn from him or her—this is required of all of us who live in the world today. I hope this series of dialogues between the two of us, one with a Buddhist background and the other from the Islamic tradition, will help encourage people to follow our example.

Rules for Dialogue

Tehranian: As I said earlier, the Toda Institute has chosen “Dialogue of Civilizations for World Citizenship” for its motto. As we groped for the most effective way to conduct dialogue, we have developed a set of rules. They are suggestive more than exhaustive, but I would like to introduce them here.

There are ten points:

• Honor others and listen to them deeply with your heart and mind.
• Seek common ground for consensus, but avoid “group-think” by acknowledging and honoring the diversity
of views.
• Refrain from irrelevant or intemperate intervention.
• Acknowledge others’ contributions to the discussion before making your own.
• Remember that silence also speaks; speak only when you have a contribution to make by posing
a relevant question, presenting a fact, making or clarifying a point, or advancing the discussion
to more specificity or greater consensus.
• Identify the critical points of difference for further discussion.
• Never distort other views in order to advance your own; try to restate the others’ positions to their
satisfaction before presenting your own differing views.
• Formulate agreements on each agenda item before moving on to the next.
• Draw out the implications of an agreement for group policy and action.
• Thank your colleagues for their contributions.

Ikeda: They are all important points. The common thread seems to be open dialogue based on respect for others. I think you have presented a highly valuable list of rules that will serve as a model for the kind of dialogue humankind should pursue from now on.

We Can't Give Up on Dialogue - part 2

2010-01-13T09:46:00.000+08:00

Here are more selected passages from Global Civilization: A Buddhist-Islamic Dialogue, continuing from my previous post. Interestingly, this is from the first chapter titled "Why Dialogue?" Emphasis are all mine.

The Human Revolution: Source of Value Creation

Ikeda: “Transcend your personal worries and sufferings and transform yourself in such a way as to contribute your due share to society and humanity”—this is the motto of the SGI movement aimed at human revolution.

Tehranian: That’s where I find the name Soka, or “value creation”, particularly significant. Take Mahatma Gandhi or Martin Luther King—people who opened a new path for creation in history. They were invariably born and lived in an era when established values were in crisis. In order to live fully in an age of crisis and make “wisdom for creation” of new values shine forth, one must cultivate strong willpower and self-discipline so as to be able to cope with all adversity.

Generally, the better disciplined a person is, the more likely he/she will challenge the established authority and open up a new path of creation in the course of struggle against the old.

Ikeda: A path of value creation in an age of crisis requires well-tempered self-discipline— I could not agree more with the point you have just made.

Professor Nur Yalman of Harvard told me that he believes “sustained challenge is the fountain of great value creation”. As I interpret it, “sustained challenge” means that each man and woman must hone his or her wisdom to build up a network of solidarity among awakened people. Peace, for example, will remain an empty dream unless people have an ability to check any reckless moves of the power elite; the tragedy of war will never cease unless people unite to prevent it.

About the Title

Ikeda: As I recall it, you wanted to entitle this volume “Choose Dialogue” when we first talked about it.

Tehranian: Your two previous dialogues with two distinguished scholars, Arnold Toynbee and Johan Galtung, are titled “Choose Life” and “Choose Peace”, respectively. They both focused on how to preserve the sanctity of life through the pursuit of peace by peaceful means.

Those topics are problems as old as humanity itself, yet they remain of primary importance today. But we have now entered a stage of history during which “dialogue” is becoming as necessary as “life” and “peace”. In fact, dialogue may be the only means by which we can guarantee life and peace.

Ikeda: After all, the proof that human beings are human lies in the spirit of dialogue. The great Persian poet Sa'adi wrote in the 13th century, “Man is superior to the beast by being able to talk, but if you do not talk about good things, the beast will be superior.”

Tehranian: Globalization of markets and societies has brought different nations, cultures, and civilizations into intimate contact with each other on a massive scale. These contacts, on the other hand, have led to both competitive and cooperative economic and political formations, clashes in perceptions and interests, as well as
conversations and negotiations. To the extent that dialogue is absent in such contacts, as under conditions of violence and domination, the seeds of animosity will be sown for years, even decades, to come.

Ikeda: I suppose it is against the backdrop of such a situation that some scholars like Professor Samuel Huntington of Harvard have presented the “clash of civilizations” and other similar theses.

In my view, it is not only incorrect to assume a clash is inevitable but even dangerous because such a thesis might encourage fixation on the confrontational picture of the world. Even if a clash should occur, civilizations themselves are not to blame, for the true cause lies in the kind of barbarism that does not accept groups of people that are different from one’s own.

In order to prevent such a clash from taking place, we cannot emphasize too much the importance of the spirit of dialogue. For genuine dialogue requires an ultimate trust in the goodness people are endowed with and an effort to strike the right chord in their minds.

Tehranian: If dialogue is chosen as a method of dealing with our friends and foes, there is hope that we can better understand them and thereby the possibility of mutual accommodation of perceptions and interests.

Ikeda: Dialogue is the weapon of peace, and that is the fundamental spirit of Buddhism.

The Indian society of Shakyamuni’s time was, in a way, similar to the present-day world as it was in the period of transition and change. Values were in utter confusion, and various contending forces were engaged in violent struggles for power and influence.

Even at home, it is said, people had to have their weapons close at hand. Such social unrest notwithstanding, Shakyamuni literally traversed the country, preaching peace and demonstrating his teaching by action.

The weapon Shakyamuni used was none other than “nonviolent dialogue”. Through dialogue he taught the sanctity of life and tried to eliminate violence from society.

Tehranian: Without dialogue, we will have to walk in the darkness of self-righteousness.

More selections will follow.

We Can't Give Up on Dialogue

2010-01-12T14:33:00.002+08:00

Here are some excerpts from the book Global Civilization: A Buddhist-Islamic Dialogue, which records the dialogue between Soka Gakkai International (SGI) President Daisaku Ikeda and Prof. Majid Tehranian, the former director of the Toda Institute for Global Peace and Policy Research. In the fallout over recent events in Malaysia, dialogue is more sorely needed than ever to heal the wounds and to reinforce our common ground.

From the foreword by David Chappell:

"Islam and Buddhism in dialogue? Of all the religions, these two seem the farthest apart despite over a thousand years of shared history. In recent years, some collaboration has emerged in Southeast Asia, but Muslim-Buddhist dialogue has still remained the last frontier, the least likely arena, for fruitful interfaith dialogue. But this apparent gulf is now bridged...what Buddhists and Muslims share in common is much more powerful than what divides them, and that people of good will must work together and be enriched by their diversity, not fearful of it, if we are to build landscapes of peace.

...Beyond the rich tapestry that they weave from the threads of Buddhism and Islam, their dialogue expresses the inspiration and exhilaration of crossing boundaries, of discovering kindred spirits across history, and of crafting new frameworks for building cultures of peace. After testing many paths in their own journeys, their inquiring minds offer dialogue as the best sure hope for the survival and flourishing of civilization. More personally, they inspire each of us to choose dialogue within our families and neighborhoods, within our workplace and our world, as the strongest and safest road for human cooperation and peace.

Islam and Buddhism may be worlds apart doctrinally and institutionally, but in their common work of liberation, justice, and wholeness, they are two wheels for the progress of civilization. But it is the warm friendship of Majid Tehranian and Daisaku Ikeda that ignites sparks of mutual recognition across these traditions, and the pain and poetry of their lives that transforms them into two wings for the bird of peace."

From Daisaku Ikeda's preface:

"Differences of race, nationality, or culture do not of themselves create division or confrontation. It is people’s hearts and minds that supply the energy that tears people apart. It is the task of religion to control the heart and mind and, while glorying in these mutual differences, to direct them towards the source from which all values are born. To fix one’s eyes on the eternal, the universally valid, and in this way to bring about a revival in human values—this, it seems to me, is the prime requirement of the kind of world religion demanded by our present age.

In a religion that recognizes variety as a natural manifestation of vitality, difference will be hailed as a welcome enrichment to human society, as wisdom in its most creative and worthwhile form.In these dialogues conducted by Dr. Tehranian and myself, we have traced the spiritual sources from which flow the traditions of Shakyamuni and Muhammad, the Buddhist and Islamic traditions, and to discover how the spirit underlying them can be revived in the present. In doing so, we noted not only their points of similarity, but their differences as well, believing that in an approach that transcends both of these lies the basis for the wisdom of humanity in the time to come."

"If one drop of the water of dialogue is allowed to fall upon the wasteland of intolerance, where attitudes of hatred and exclusionism have so long prevailed, there will be a possibility for trust and friendship to spring up. This, I believe, is the most trustworthy and lasting road to that goal. Therefore, I encourage the flow of dialogue not only on the political plane but also on the broader level of the populace as a whole.

In my small way, I have tried to do what I could by engaging in dialogue with intellectual leaders of the Christian, Hindu, and other religious traditions and of various cultural backgrounds, as well as with persons from countries that deny religion. My aim was to discover a road to peace through the common dimension of humanity that we all share."

More to come...

Your Religion, My Religion

2010-01-07T22:02:00.002+08:00

The recent storm over the usage of "Allah" in The Herald has caused quite a storm in Malaysia. While on the surface it seems to be an issue between Muslims and Christians, I believe that practicioners of other faiths, or those who don't profess any religion, should think long and hard on how they can contribute to promoting dialogue and understanding among people of different beliefs.

It's good to hear that there are many parties, Muslims and Christians alike coming together to call for consultations and dialogue, like in this Malaysiakini report. The leaders of Persatuan Mahasiswa Islam University Malaya (PMIUM) and Persaudaraan Kristian Varsiti UM (PKVUM) have come together to sign a statement, stressing among other things that dialogue and discourse is the best respectable way of handling the issue.

The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Tan Sri Musa Hassan has come out to warn against any 'Allah' protest. Hot-headed action will only aggravate the situation. The Malaysian Bar Council has also expressed confidence that this issue can be resolved amicably.

Religious harmony cannot be taken for granted in a country like ours which is made up of a fabric of rich faiths. Dialogue is the surest way to resolve any differences among us. Soka Gakkai International President Daisaku Ikeda wrote, "Dialogue starts from the courageous willingness to know and be known by others. It is the painstaking and persistent effort to remove all obstacles that obscure our common humanity."

Interfaith pioneer Hans Kung also stressed, among other things, the importance of dialogue:

Dialogue is the air that humanity breathes in. If we refuse to commit ourselves to dialogue, the we will certainly drown in the stormy waters of hatred and bigotry.

Goals for the New Year

2010-01-01T15:15:00.000+08:00

1.) Pursue my Masters' degree.

2.) Be a better son, brother, uncle, friend, employee, writer, leader, disciple and human being.

3.) Read more classics, poetry and philosophical works.

4.) Write more poetry and short stories.

5.) Participate in more activities involving environmentalism, inter-faith/inter-belief, upholding human rights and abolition of war/nuclear weapons.

6.) Live a healthier, more fulfilling life involving lower carbon emission and losing weight.

7.) Be strong enough to face greater hardships and overcome all challenges through strengthening my Buddhist faith, practice and study.

All are important to me; they are not arranged in any particular order. Now that I've made it public, I guess I have no choice but to see it through :)) Hope I can count on your support! Do remind me if I have strayed from my goals.

Happy New Year once again!

Here At The End Of All Things

2009-12-31T13:22:00.003+08:00

So here we are at the end of all things (well, just the end of 2009, really).

Yesterday, I watched Avatar, and in short, it is a fantastic movie, and the best I've seen this year, and the best in a while. Many people would have seen it and I don't suppose I have to write much about it. It's very stylish, but it is also strong on substance and message.

When I returned home, I read The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy in practically one sitting. I only took my bath after finishing the book. It's a slim volume, just over a hundred pages, but it's a very powerful story. In short, the book is about the life of Ivan Ilyich and the process that he goes through as he lies dying from a mystery illness.

He is forced to take a cold, hard look at the life and relationships that he has formed, at the status in society that he has achieved, and whether or not his life was worth living.

Both Avatar and The Death of Ivan Ilyich confront us with the issue of what is important in life, and about how we should live our life and face our deaths. Ultimately, we can only die the way we have lived. And when we die, we die alone (physically). We came into the world alone, and we will leave it on our own as well.

Will we die having been a slave to money, power, position and the ephemeral things in life? Or will we leave behind wonderful memories, beautiful relationships and made this world a little better than when we came?

May all of you have a happy, fruitful and hopeful 2010.

Body Worlds and The Cycle of Life Exhibition

2009-12-23T23:59:00.000+08:00

Last weekend, while I was in Singapore, a couple of close friends and I managed to check out the AWESOME Body Worlds and The Cycle of Life exhibition at the Singapore Science Centre. The original Body Worlds exhibition is the brainchild of Dr. Gunther von Hagen, a scientist who invented the process of plastination. This technique halts the further decaying of animal tissue, and allows the parts to be flexed into various position.

You can see selected images of the exhibition from the images gallery tab from the website. Through this exhibition, we can see the amazing functions of the human body. In addition, the Cycle of Life, which is an addendum to the Body Worlds exhibition, shows in great detail how human life is formed, right from conception to birth.

You can also see videos related to plastination on Youtube, an example of which is shown here (from The Discovery Channel):

In different parts of the world, the original Body Worlds exhibition is shown with a different sub-exhibition. In Philadelphia in the USA, it's Body Worlds and the Brain, while it's Body Worlds and the Story of the Heart at the Ontario Science Centre in Canada. In other parts of the world, the original Body Worlds exhibition is still on show. When will this awesome show come to Malaysia.

This exhibition in Singapore, other than humans in "action", also featured the plastinated bodies of selected animals. The most awesome exhibit, I guess, will be that of the full body of a giraffe. A giraffe! Standing tall and erect, long after it has died. Visiting that exhibition really made my day, despite the SGD20 admission (just add another SGD1 to visit the Science Centre as well). Well worth the fee!

It is a great educational opportunity for everyone, especially children. For me, the greatest lesson I learnt from the exhibition is how precious life really is. A quote from Swiss philosopher Henri Frederic Amiel that says, To know how to grow old is the masterwork of wisdom, and one of the most difficult chapters in the great art of living." was displayed in the exhibition.

Yes, to grow old well and to live life without regrets is indeed a difficult and noble undertaking. In the gosho The Gift of Rice, Nichiren Daishonin writes, "Life is the foremost of all treasures. It is expounded that even the treasures of the entire major world system cannot equal the value of one’s body and life. Even the treasures that fill the major world system are no substitute for life." (WND, 1125)

2009 is ending, and 2010 will soon be upon us. What kind of life do we want to lead in the coming new year, and for the rest of our lives? I had a great early Christmas with dearest friends last weekend in Singapore, and I hope that our friendship will last eternally. Indeed, eternal friendship is indeed one of life's greatest gifts.

The Body Worlds exhibition in Singapore will be on until March 2010.

"The Road" by Cormac McCarthy

2009-12-10T15:03:00.001+08:00

I am currently reading The Road, Cormac McCarthy's latest novel (first published in 2006). Simply put, it is the best fiction I've read in the last few years.

It's about a father and son's journey through an extremely bleak post-apocalyptic America, where a catastrophe has destroyed nearly all life, and where its remnants are reduced to cannibalistic savagery. The father and son are making their way south along a particular road, presumably a former interstate road. Along the way, they meet with various atrocities, including a person who is kept alive while his limbs are cut off bit by bit to feed other people.

Father and son are "each the other's world entire." McCarthy's prose is such that you can feel the bleakness and hopelessness that he describes. You can feel the black rain beating down on you and chill your bones right down to the marrow, you can feel yourself trudging through the ash-covered snow, your boots sinking in the ground and wetting your feet.

About the warmest things in the book (so far) are the sparse conversation between father and son, never more than a few lines at a time, often terse, and sometimes filled with anger and despair. By not using the usual punctuation (he does not use quotation marks for the dialogues, and eschews apostrophes; doesn't becomes doesnt), he makes the prose seem even more stark and realistic.

The Road won the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for fiction, and the 2006 James Tait Black Memorial Prize for fiction. It's been adapted into a movie starring Viggo Mortensen, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Robert Duvall and Charlize Theron. It was released in the USA last month. There is buzz it could be an Oscar contender.

The official trailer for the movie can be viewed on Youtube (embedding disabled by request).

Sigh...what am I gonna do when I finish reading the book?

"Divinity" by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

2009-12-08T08:45:00.000+08:00

Divinity

Let man be noble,

Generous and good:

For that alone

Distinguishes him

From all the living

Beings we know.

Hail to the unknown

Higher beings

Of our intuition!

Let man resemble them;

Let his example

Teach us to believe in them.

For the realm on nature

Is unfeeling:

The sun sheds its light

Over evil and good

And the moon and the stars

Shine on the criminal

As on the best of us.

The wind and the rivers

The hail and the thunder

Storm on their way

And snatch one victim

After another

As they rush past.

So too does blind fortune

Grope though the crowd, now

Seizing a young boy’s

Curly-haired innocence

And now the bald pate

Of the old and guilty.

As great, everlasting,

Adamantine laws

Dictate, we must all

Complete the cycles

Of our existence.

Only mankind

Can do the impossible:

He can distinguish,

He chooses and judges,

He can give permanence

To the moment.

He alone may

Reward the good

And punish the wicked;

He may heal and save

And usefully bind

All that strays and wanders.

And we revere

The immortals, as if

They were human beings

Who do on a great scale

What little the best of us

Does or endeavours.

Let the noble man

Be generous and good,

Tirelessly achieving

What is just and useful:

Let him be a model

For those being whom he surmises.

(from Johann Wolfgang von Goethe: Selected Poetry, Penguin Classics, 2005, pp. 52-57)

UN Climate Change Conference 2009 (COP-15)

2009-12-07T14:16:00.000+08:00

The United Nations Climate Change Conference 2009 (or COP-15) will begin today, and end on 18 December, in Copenhagen, Denmark. This conference is seen to be the way to open a new path towards tackling climate change as the first commitment period for the Kyoto Protocol draws to a close in 2012 (wasn't the world supposed to end in 2012?). Top world leaders will be attending the summit, including US President Barack Obama, who has changed his schedule to time his arrival with the last day of the conference, in order to provide more punch to the commitments expected to be made.

What can we expect from this conference? Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) journalism student Gan Pei Ling wrote an excellent article about this event here. The Kyoto Protocol was blighted by the refusal of some powerful nations notably the US to ratify the treaty. However, more and more countries and people are seeing global warming and climate change as a real threat to human survival, and have pledged to step up efforts towards environmental protection on the road to Copenhagen.

COP-15 will prove to be a turning point in human history, for good or otherwise. In Fighting Climate Change, UN Secretary-General ban Ki Moon warned that "Yet, in the longer run, no one-rich or poor-can remain immune from the dangers brought by climate change." In his 2009 Peace Proposal, Soka Gakkai International (SGI) President Daisaku Ikeda wrote, "Global warming is having profound impacts on ecosystems everywhere. In addition to causing meteorological disasters, it has the potential to aggravate armed conflicts and the problems of poverty and hunger. It epitomizes the twenty-first-century crisis of human civilization...Climate change is both an ongoing multidimensional crisis and a threat to the future of
humankind, in that it burdens future generations with immense challenges of dire consequence." (p. 10)

SGI President Ikeda called for humanitarian competition to be at the heart of efforts to solve the environmental impasse that we are in. We must realise that it is not only up to the Presidents and Prime Ministers to solve this pressing issue, but ordinary citizens like us must play an important role.

The state of the environment is a mirror of our lives as human beings. A lasting solution towards the environmental crisis can only be found if we, as Nichiren Daishonin wrote, "quickly reform the tenets that you hold in your heart" (Writings of Nichiren Daishoni, p. 25). Mankind is racing towards the precipice of destruction as we have worshipped the wrong tenets. We have forgotten that the environment is a gift to humanity, to be cared for, to be cherished and to be loved, not to be raped and plundered as we please.

COP-15 is not just the business of the heads of states and governments. The world is not theirs alone. It is our business too.

Interfaith Dialogue

2009-12-06T18:03:00.000+08:00

On Saturday (5/12/2009), I attended a dialogue with the theme "Islam and Democracy in Malaysia", organised by the International Institute of Advanced Islamic Studies (IAIS) Malaysia and the International Institute Of Islamic Thought and Civilization (ISTAC), based in Petaling Jaya, Selangor. The purpose of this dialogue was to gather the views of a wide cross-section of Malaysian society on how to advance issues related to good governance, religious tolerance and the rights of women and minorities. These dialogues are part of a larger effort to advance efforts in promoting democracy and human rights in the areas mentioned above.

Participants were divided into tables of ten each. My table had among others, Rev. Sivin Kit, a pastor at the Bangsar Lutheran church. Sivin keeps his own website here. Earlier this year, Sivin was interviewed by Shanon Shah, whom I also met at the dialogue, and you can read it here. Shanon Shah is an editor with The Nut Graph, a site that I am liking more and more.

Helen Ang from the Centre for Policy Initiatives (CPI) was also at my table. Helen works for Dr. Lim Teck Ghee. Helen also actively contributes for CPI and her articles are archived here. There was Dr. John Gurusamy from the Malaysian Interfaith Network (MIN), whom I have seen at some Soka Gakkai Malaysia (SGM) events. Tuty Ashikin, who volunteers at the Islamic Information & Services Foundation came as an individual and there was Kak Long from Rumah Pengasih.

All of us talked passionately and candidly about the challenges facing Malaysian society where those issues are concerned. There were times when we disagreed, but we did so honourably, and without malice. But we agreed on so much more. The challenges facing our country can only be overcome if Malaysians work together without discriminating on the basis of race and religion. We must no longer see things through coloured lens. Our education system must be reformed to imbue a sense of love for all humanity in our children.

We are like the bed of flowers shown above. Flowers of different species and colours made up that picturesque scene. No single flower can fully express the beauty of the multiculturalism and diversity that can be found in our country, and the world. Only when all the flowers combine, then can we form that picture above.

Buddhism expounds the principle of cherry, plum, peach and damson, whereby each one of us contributes to society through our unique qualities and the role we play in society. We cannot be anyone else. We must acknowledge and appreciate the differences between us, and work together based on our commonalities instead of emphasizing the differences only. The Holy Books and Scriptures talk about the importance of accomodating different viewpoints and living together in harmony.

It was great knowing all those people there, and I came back feeling super refreshed! Our moderator managed the session really well, and really encouraged us to share us views. I really look forward to joining more of such discussions and meeting up with my new friends!

The Big Bad Wolf Sale 2

2009-12-03T22:58:00.000+08:00

Went to the Big Bad Wolf Sales twice over the last week at Amcorp Mall. The organisers said that this sale had twice as many books as the previous sales in June. I thought that I would have an easy time buying on the first day (26 November), but what a shock I got! There were tons of people there, jostling for space and books.

But it was a good thing. It was good to see Malaysians braving all these for books, instead of lining up simply for cheap sushi and ice-cream. It's good to see that there are so many of my fellow Malaysians who are hungry for books, just like me. I would say that there was not a single bad deal, with prices of books mainly at RM 8-10. It's a steal. Purchased 10 books in total, for just RM 77. I got quite a few gems myself, among them:

1. A Global Guide to Interfaith - a great books on interfaith initiatives around the world.
2. Love, Life, Goethe - a biography of the great German literary master, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.
3. AIDS Sutra: Untold Stories of India - a collection of writings on the AIDS phenomenon in India. Features works from some of India's most well-known writers like Salman Rushdie, Kiran Desai and Vikram Seth. Foreword by Nobel laureate Amartya Sena and introduction by Bill and Melinda Gates.
4. The Wicked Wit of Benjamin Franklin
5. Beyond Mine and Me by Gurmit Singh

6. The Road by Cormac McCarthy (Yayyy!!!)

The Road has been made into a film, and in terms of emotional strength, it will probably be much better than 2012.

Still, I have to watch my spending, and couldn't spend as much time, or buy as much as I would have loved to.

Great times!

Going Home To See Hoi and Hei

2009-11-26T16:31:00.000+08:00

Tomorrow, I will be heading back to Johor Bahru (JB) for the first time in two months, with my sister. I am looking forward to meeting my family and my two nephews, Roy and Rey. We miss them soooooo much.

Rey has grown especially large over the last two months! He will probably soon outstrip his older brother. Not sure if I will be able to post new stuff over the next few days. Have a great weekend ahead everyone!

More quotes from The Quotable Book Lover

2009-11-25T22:03:00.002+08:00

"University printing presses exist, and are subsidised by the Government for the purpose of producing books which no one can read; and they are true to their high calling." - F.M. Cornford (Microcosmographa Academica) - Is this why our university-published books tak laku?

"Wherever they burn books, they will also, in the end, burn human beings." - Heinrich Heine (Almansor)

"Books cannot be killed by fire. People die, but books never die. No man and no force can abolish memory...In this war, we know, books are weapons." - Franklin Delano Roosevelt

"In the long run of history, the censor and the inquisitor have always lost. The only sure weapon against bad ideas is better ideas." - Alfred Whitney Griswold

"I think we ought to read only the kind of books that wound and stab us." - Franz Kafka

"A classic is a book that has never finished saying what it has to say." - Italo Calvino (The Literature Machine)

"Classic - a book people praise and don't read." - Mark Twain (Following The Equator)

"The world must be all f***ed up when men travel first-class and literature goes as freight." Gabriel Garcia Marquez (One Hundred Years of Solitude)

"The decline of literature indicates the decline of a nation." - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (Conversations with Goethe, by Johann Eckermann)

Quotes from The Quotable Book Lover

2009-11-24T21:43:00.001+08:00

Recently, a friend of mine answered a question from SocialInterview.com (on Facebook) that says, "What is Dinesh Chandren obsessed with?" I don't know who created that quiz, and my friend answered ''Umm... books i think, as he'd rather spend his time & money on books instead of anything else, & that's something goddamn admirable...''

I replied that his reply made me sound like a f***ing geek. But I love books, and I guess I am a little obsessed with them. Here I have a selection of quotes from this rather nice little book, The Quotable Book Lover, edited by Ben Jacobs and Helene Hjalmarsson (The Lyons Press, 1999). It was one of those serendipitous finds.

"Books are the carriers of civilisation...They are companions, teachers, magicians, bankers of the treasures of the mind. Books are humanity in print." - Barbara W. Tuchman

"A book is a version of the world. If you do not like it, ignore it; or offer your own version in return." - Salman Rushdie (Imaginary Homelands)

"Literature is my Utopia. Here I am not disenfranchised. No barrier of the senses shuts me out from the sweet, gracious discourse of my book friends. They talk to me without embarassment or awkwardness." - Helen Keller (The Story of My Life)

"The failure to read good books both enfeebles the vision and strengthens our most fatal tendency - the belief that here and now is all there is." - Allan Bloom (The Closing of the American Mind)

"Books are my disease." - James Logan, in Edwin Wolf II, The Library of James Logan

"A great writer is, so to speak, a second government in his country. And for that reason, no regime has ever loved great writers, only minor ones." - Alexander Solzhenitsyn (The First Circle)

"A room without books is like a body without a soul." -Cicero

Then there are some really humorous ones...

"I am still buying books. It is like getting pregnant after the menopause; it's not supposed to happen." - Chef Louis Szathmary, in an interview with Nicholas A. Basbanes

"I find television very educational. Every time someone turns it on, I go in the other room and read a book." - Groucho Marx

"I took a speed-reading course and read War and Peace in twenty minutes. It's about Russia." - Woody Allen

Cheating Crisis in American Schools

2009-11-24T11:03:00.001+08:00

Picked up this article today on the ABC News website, about the cheating pandemic happening in America's high schools and colleges:

http://abcnews.go.com/Primetime/story?id=132376&page=1

It is sad indeed to read that cheating has become pandemic among students (it's possible that it's widespread in other places), and most students feel no remorse about cheating (they are only afraid of getting caught). Joe, a student at a top college in the Northeast said, "The real world is terrible. People will take other people's materials and pass it on as theirs. I'm numb to it already. I'll cheat to get by."

Will, a student a top public high school said, "Whether or not you did it or not, if you can get the jury to say that you're not guilty, you're free." Many students pointed to Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky, Enron and other financial scandals and the inconsistencies of the justice system, and say cheating in schools is a dress rehearsal for life. Sigh, to them, life is about cheating your way to the top. Sadly, this has been true on too many occasions.

Technology has made cheating even more pervasive. Some students are able to access the Internet while taking exams with their hand-held devices.

In any given poll, more than one-third of students admitted to cheating. Teachers and professors admit to ignoring signs of cheating. A reader, Ron Butts, left a comment saying, "Kids are cheating because they see a society of cheaters from their sports 'heroes' to major corp. chiefs. The reason? It's worth it! The diference between 'the best' and second are extreme. We know that Michael Phelps is about to make between 50 and 200 million dollars for his gold metal performances...what do you think the silver medals will get in endorsements...next to nothing. CEO's are making an average of 400 times what the average employee is making for any given corp. The schools are cheating in their recrutment process of high school athletes and all of this is being witnessed by their student bodies. All the while, there are cuts in programs for the people that are to monitor indiscretions. It's a fast sinking ship."

I wonder how is the "cheating situation" is in Malaysia. Will we have the courage to do a comprehensive study on cheating in our schools? It is sad indeed to see our young people, the leaders of the future, resorting to under-handed methods to get ahead in life. Our future will be bleak indeed.

Allegro String Ensemble

2009-11-23T21:41:00.000+08:00

Last Friday (Nov 20), I attended a free concert organised by the Italian embassy in Malaysia, at Istana Budaya. It featured the Allegro String Ensemble, which played a selection of music from Italian composers like Verdi, Rossini, Scarlatti and others. The ensemble is conducted by Maestro John Allan and its leader is Maestro Antonella Aloigi Hayes.

What pleasantly surprised me is the orchestra is made up mainly of young Malaysians, most of whom seem to be in their teens. There was even a young girl of ten, I believe!Seeing such youthful performers is very delightful. Their passion and commitment to their art is something truly admirable. You can see the fire shining in their eyes. I did hear some of the remark after the concert that the hall was too cold though, ha ha.

They were supposed to start with the Intermezzo from Pietro Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana, but decided to give the show a rousing start with the Overture from Rossini's William Tell instead. It was a good decision! Nothing like giving a show a bang right from the start. The Overture was pretty good! It would have sounded better with brass and percussion, but for a strings ensemble, they did very well. Since then I have seen excellent performances of this piece by the Berlin Philharmoniker (under Herbert Von Karajan) and the Halle Symphony Orchestra (under Mark Elder, at the Royal Albert Hall) on Youtube.

There were several pieces and composers that I was hearing for the first time, like Sonata-La Follia by Arcangelo Corelli, and Sonata for pianoforte K. 491 in D major by Domenico Scarlatti, and Tarantella, which is actually based on a Neapolitan folk tune, composer unknown.

The young ensemble was really amazing, and they really enjoyed themselves. The crowd loved them too. We asked for an encore, and they obliged us with Getaran Jiwa. I was silently mouthing the lyrics when they played it.A lot of wonderful thoughts formed in my mind during the concert.

That was my first live performance in a long time, and my first time at Istana Budaya, and what a way to make it back to the concert halls! There is nothing like watching a live performance, letting your heart sway to the movements and melody of the intruments. I was very moved. The performance was at the Lambang Sari hall, a smaller venue, which gave the event so much intimacy. The music, directly from the instruments, without going though any devices, unprocessed, makes it way straight to your ears and heart. Music at its purest, at its most sublime.

I look forward to more of such performances!

Asian Poems For Young Readers

2009-11-23T20:53:00.001+08:00

I just came across this, well, not-so-new book today. It's the Asian Poems For Young Readers, volume 7 (published under the Longman imprint by Pearson Malaysia). Volume 7? Looks like this series has been around for some time. The seven volumes published in this series so far included three volumes of poetry and four volumes of short stories.

What's unique about this series is that it was written by teachers and lecturers from around Asia, with their own students in mind. For this particular volume, the poems were written by participants from eight countries during a creative writing workshop held in Hanoi, Vietnam in 2006. For this workshop, participants had to write poems before arriving in Hanoi, and the poems were peer-edited during the workshop. The rest of the poems were written during a single day in a trip to Chua Huong (The Perfumed Pagoda) in Hanoi.

I am still reading through it, and would like to share some of the interesting stuff I had read:

Broom held in one hand,
This absent-minded cleaner,
Re-arranges dust.
(Alan Paley, UK)

How Funeral and Wedding Became Enemies

Funeral and Wedding,
Were once good neighbours
And lived happily side-by-side.
But since Wedding turned down
A visit from Funeral,
Their relationship has turned sour!
(Janpha Thadphoothon, Thailand)

Faint Hope

So much water in the river,
How can I hope to comb it all with my fingers?

So many trees on the mountain,
How can I hope to trim them with my eyes?

So many ideas in my mind,
How can I hope to string them together with words?
(Meng Tian, China)

There are still many more poems in this rather slim volume (76 pages). One of the editors of this volume is Jayakaran Mukundan from Malaysia.

It's good to know there are teachers who love to write poetry, especially in Malaysia. I believe there always has been; they receive little exposure.

Herman Van Rompuy, the new President of the European Union

2009-11-20T15:44:00.000+08:00

Yesterday, I wrote of my concern about suspected war criminal Tony Blair being chosen to become the first permanent president of the European Union (EU). Thankfully, it was announced today that Belgian Prime Minister, Herman Van Rompuy got the job instead. Phew...

You can find a short bio of Van Rompuy here: http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1941121,00.html

He is also known as "Haiku Herman" for his love of composing poetry, especially haiku. A rarity among politicians, especially a Prime Minister. One of his haiku goes like this:

Hair blows in the wind
After years there is still wind
Sadly no more hair

And I would like to say:

Thank goodness you won

instead of one Tony Blair

a war crimes suspect.

But what does a President of the EU does? Do EU citizens care? A few years ago, in an election of the EU Parliament, less than half of eligible voters cast their votes.

Let's see...

Tony Blair, Envoy of Peace to the Middle East

2009-11-19T08:18:00.001+08:00

Soon after he was forced out of 10 Downing Street, Tony Blair was appointed the official Envoy of the Quartet on the Middle East on behalf of the UN, EU, USA and Russia. So what has this envoy of peace to the Middle East, who sent troops to invade Afghanistan and Iraq achieved so far?

George Galloway, British MP, and former MP of the Labour Part said in his speech at the Perdana Global Leadership Foundation Anti-War Conference, "Not since Caligula appointed his horse as a proconsul of Rome has there been a more inappropriate appointment than Tony Blair as the peace envoy for anywhere, never mind the Middle East."

He is currently one of the candidates for the post of President of the European Union. "They are determined to make people hate the European Union, I tell you," commented Galloway in the same speech.

Can a suspected war criminal (innocent until proven guilty in an international war crimes hearing) be chosen to become a peace envoy, or to head a largely peaceful European Union?

How Do Fruit Flies Help Kill People?

2009-11-13T15:10:00.000+08:00

In the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the US military has been deploying unmanned Predator drones to bomb various targets. The targeting technology of these drones were developed from studying the bio-mechanics of the vision of fruit flies. It was pionereed at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), which boasts more than 30 Nobel laureates, among them the late physicist, Richard Feynman.

The use of technology in killing innocent people have made generals and politicians less reluctant to go to war, as they perceive that the human cost, and only that on their side, would be lower. They are now more willing to satisfy their bloodlust, and they smirk to themselves thinking that they have killed their enemies without sending a single soldier.

Roger Cohen wrote in the New York Times Op-Ed pages (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/13/opinion/13iht-edcohen.html?_r=1): "The Obama administration should not be targeting people for killing without some public debate about how such targets are selected, what the grounds are in the laws of war, and what agencies are involved. Right now there’s an accountability void.There are also broader questions. When robots are tomorrow’s veterans, does war become more likely and more endless? Do drones cow enemies with America’s technological prowess or embolden them to think America is not man enough to fight? What is the psychological toll on video-screen warriors?"

The thing is, killing is killing. If there is to be a "public debate" it should be about how to end the war, and all future wars. Merely pontificating on the morality of using machines to kill people will not change the cruel, inhumane, murderous face of war.

Karen Armstrong's Muhammad: Prophet for Our Time

2009-11-13T08:44:00.000+08:00

Early last year, I posted a review of Karen Armstrong's book, Muhammad: Prophet for Our Time on another blog. I felt that it is time again to reproduce it here, so that we could have a greater understanding of who Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) really was.

When I bought the book, I had heard that it was a banned book. However, some months later, I saw the book in Kinokuniya in KLCC (wonder if they still have a copy). So, I guess it's not banned anymore?

Anyway, I believe that this is a very important book, and we would do well to learn from it.

MUHAMMAD: PROPHET FOR OUR TIME

“Since the destruction of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, members of the Christian Right in the United States and some sectors of the Western Media have continued this tradition of hostility, claiming that Muhammad was irredeemably addicted to war. Some have gone so aft as to claim that he was a terrorist and a pedophile.

We cannot afford to indulge in this type of bigotry, because it is a gift to extremists who can use such statements to “prove” that the Western world is indeed engaged on a new crusade against the Islamic world. Muhammad was not a man of violence. We must appreciate his life in a balanced way, in order to appreciate his considerable achievements. To cultivate an inaccurate prejudice damages the tolerance, liberality and compassion that are supposed to characterize Western culture.”

Karen Armstrong, from the Introduction to Muhammad : Prophet For Our Time

“If we are to avoid catastrophe, the Muslim and Western worlds must learn not merely to tolerate but to appreciate one another. A good place to start is with the figure of Muhammad: a complex man, who resists facile, ideologically-driven categorization, who sometimes did things that were difficult or impossible for us to accept, but who had profound genius and founded a religion and cultural tradition that was not based on the sword but whose name – “Islam” – signified peace and reconciliation. “

Karen Armstrong, from Muhammad : A Prophet For Our Time, pg. 214

Muhammad : Prophet For Our Time, is an excellent biography of the Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. written by Karen Armstrong. Ms. Armstrong is one of the world’s most prominent comparative religion scholars and has written widely on issues pertaining to the world’s major religions.

She had earlier written a biography of Muhammad s.a.w. titled Muhammad: A Biography of the Prophet, which was first published in 1991. However, following the events of September 11, the author says, “…we need to focus on other aspects of Muhammad’s life. So this is a completely new and entirely different book, which, I hope, will speak more directly to the terrifying realities of our post September-11 world.”

In a world where there is serious prejudice against Islam and Muslims, what better way than to take a look at the life of the man who was the prophet of this religion? What kind of person was Muhammad s.a.w., and what were the teachings that he had left behind? What were the times that he lived in and what were the challenges that he had faced?

Like the many religious leaders and visionaries such as Jesus, Shakyamuni (the Buddha) and Nichiren, he was a man who lived in deeply troubled times and emerged as a leader who had a vision that was way ahead of his time. The Arabia that he lived in was then deeply cloaked in jahilliyah, which the author wrote is closely connected with “irascibility” and has connotations of ignorance. The Arabic society of the prophet’s time was acutely sensitive to honour and prestige, arrogance, excess and above all, a chronic tendency to violence and retaliation.

Muhammad (pbuh), armed with revelations from Allah, tried to steer the society of his times from one with a violent, destructive outlook to one that values compassion, benevolent justice and respect for women, among others. What were the challenges he faced? How did he achieve what he has left behind, establishing a religion that has 1.5 billion adherents today?

This biography is deeply insightful and easy to read. It is not some stiff-necked academic dissertation that is only interested with quoting sources. It is a revealing look at how human the Prophet is, and we see how the prophet squarely facing all the difficulties in life, from the death of his wives and children, to the various conflicts between his followers and those who opposed them. Like all great men, his life was marked by suffering and sorrow, but he did not let them deter him from his mission to create a compassionate and humane society.

In this chaotic world, we perhaps must look back in history, and take a look at the lives of the great religious leaders. It is without doubt that their lessons are still valid today, only that we have forgotten. We must re-learn them.

The Name Is Love

2009-11-10T21:36:00.003+08:00

The name is love,

The class is mindless,

The school is suffering,

The governorate is sadness,

The city is sighing,

The street is misery,

The home number is one thousand sighs.

This poem was written by a thirteen-year old Iraqi boy named Jassim back in 1998. Jassim was lying sick from leaukemia in an Iraqi hospital that had been deprived of its capabilities due to the debilitating sanctions enforced on Iraq after the first Gulf War in 1991. Furthermore, it is believed that Jassim's cancer was caused by the radiation from depleted uranium that was deployed during the first Gulf War (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depleted_uranium).

He was waiting for medication to arrive from an European aid agency. As a result of the sanctions imposed by the United Nations (UN) and the United States and their allies, the capacity of Iraqi hospitals to treat ilnesses have been severely compromised.

During the thirteen years of sanction from 1990 to 2003 (just before the Iraq invasion), more than 1.5 million Iraqis have died as a result of the sanctions imposed on them. About half a million of those dead were children under the age of five.

During those years of sanctions, the average Iraqi could only afford to have roughly USD 185 spent on them for various necessities. Meanwhile, the United Nations spent about USD 400 per year on every dog it used for bomb-sniffing operations in Iraq. This was just for food. Yes, the life of a UN dog is roughly worth the life of two Iraqis. And I am quite sure that these dogs got better healthcare than the almost 50 million Americans (and hundreds of millions more around the world) without health insurance.

Anyway, to cut the story short, Jassim died before his medication could arrive.

The End.

The Soldier's Creed

2009-11-04T22:46:00.000+08:00

Look at the United States Army's Soldier's Creed.

After the US soldiers committed atrocities in Vietnam, particularly in My Lai, the US Army drew up the Soldier's Creed as a guiding document of conduct for members of the military. It was designed to ensure that a soldier in a US Army uniform conducted himself with honour while in service. (Wasn't the entire Vietnam war itself an atrocity?)

Today, the Soldier's Creed has been replaced by the "Warrior Ethos". Observe the marked differences. It does not require him to restrain himself or his comrades from committing atrocities while in uniform. He is not specifically prevented from doing anything that will "disgrace my uniform, my unit or my country."

Is this why they and their allies seem to commit atrocities wherever they go? Even with a strict code of conduct, war simply brings out the demonic side in people. And this demonic side can be revealed in anyone, not just in soldiers of a particular country. War makes the unacceptable become acceptable. War does not just kill people; it kills hope, it kills peace.

We must abolish war.

http://cosmicdinesh.blogspot.com/

Guantanamo Prisoner no. 345

2009-11-03T20:08:00.000+08:00

This is Sami al-Hajj.

Sami was once held at Guantanamo Bay for nearly seven years. During his time in detention, he endured horrors that we cannot imagine.

Even for me, the hell that is called Guantanamo sounded like a distant place, until I came face-to-face with a man who survived it.

He had been subjected to more than 200 interrogations, saw the Holy Quran torn and desecrated in front of him. He has been subjected to beatings and torture. He went on a 480-day hunger strike, and came close to suicide. He was force-fed food with a hose that's too big, with no lubricant or anaesthetic, and dirty to boot. Psychiatrists at Guantanamo even suggested methods of suicides to inmates.

How can anyone belonging to the medical profession do that?

Instead of feeling hatred for his captors, he feels pity for them. "How will they face their families and friends when they return?" For a man who has gone through so much, you would think that he would speak in torrential anger. He has every reason to hate his captors, who have not charged him with a single crime all the time he was there.

But no. He speaks in an almost monotone voice. That is because his heart is truly cleansed of hatred and anger. "We are seeking justice, not revenge," he stresses. "I am grateful because I have gathered so many stories." He has made it his mission in life to expose the injustice in Guantanamo, and of war.

My colleagues at Cosmic magazine and I had the honour of interviewing him at the Perdana Global Peace Organisation (PGPO) Anti-War Conference and Exhibition. He also gave his testimony at the Kuala Lumpur War Crimes Commission.

I have a profound respect for this man. He is not only a beacon of journalism, he is also a champion of humanity. Because of people like him, our dreams of eternal peace is not just a dream, but a reality within our reach.

Rivers of Babylon by Boney M.

2009-11-02T13:36:00.002+08:00

Rivers of Babylon is Boney M's most successful single in the UK, Europe and the US. It is actually based on verses from the Book of Psalm. You might know some of the words:

By the rivers of Babylon where we sat down
Yeah, we wept when we remembered Zion
By the rivers of Babylon where we sat down
Yeah, we wept when we remembered Zion

However, guards at prisons such as Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo found 
different uses for the song:

First, the prisoner is strapped in a chair, as shown below 
(ok, maybe minus the nails and screws).

Then the music is turned on real loud. REAL LOUD. For hours on end.
And there is no end in sight.

I learnt about this during the Perdana Global Peace Organisation (PGPO) 
anti-war exhibition.

You learn something new everyday...

Torture 101

2009-11-01T18:42:00.000+08:00

The following is a scenario imagined by the author:

Dearest students,

Welcome to the latest course in our class, Torture 101. This class is designed to instruct students on the most "effective" methods on extracting confessions, real or imagined, from your captives. We will be discussing the techniques involved and include demonstrations videos wherever possible. We will then discuss methods that will make the torture method even more effective.

1 Water-boarding.

This is a most popular, and effective form of torture. The target's head, in particular the nose and mouth is covered with a piece of cloth. The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) of the United States prefers to use cellophane tape over the target.

Once the target has been so wrapped and securely strapped onto a workbench or flat table, water is then poured over his face. If necessary, the quantity and intensity with which water is being poured is increased in order to increase the speed at which the confession is obtained.

You can see a photo of the water-boarding set-up here:
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=2898516&l=16515caf1b&id=606887744

The purpose of this torture method is to simulate the act of drowning. The target will feel as if they are drowning, and this creates an immediate sensation of terror and helplessness. If they breathe, they will take in water. If they hold their breath however, they will feel the grip of the head-wrap getting tighter. It's a win-win situation for the torturer.

Videos of demonstration can be seen here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LPubUCJv58

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0SnqfFXc1k

And so, we have come to the end of today's lesson. Your assignment" Get into groups of four and discuss ways to further enhance the effectiveness of water-boarding.

Class dismissed.

"War is the terrorism of the rich and powerful." - Peter Ustinov

"War brings only suffering and misery to ordinary people, to families and mothers. It is always nameless and unknown people who suffer and moan amidst the mud and flames. In war, human life is used as a means to an end, an expendable commodity" - Daisaku Ikeda

Two Poems about Kuala Lumpur

2009-10-25T22:06:00.001+08:00

Wow, it's been a week since I posted something new on my blog. I just went to Petaling Street for the first time in years these last two days. Truth be told, it feels a lot like coming home. Felt quite at peace despite the hustle and bustle, and despite the face that for all its congested-ness, waves of people and numerous buildings, KL is a lonely city.

I am reminded of these two poems written about KL, which is published in In-Sights, an anthology of Malaysian poetry. I've actually met some of the writers of the poems in this book and got their autographs. The first poem is about the rapid development suffocating KL, and the second highlights the good and bad (especially bad) and the light and dark of KL.

RE: Construction

To Whom It May Concern

by Charlene Rajendran

Dear Sir,

or Madam,

All the places where I grew up

have been torn down

because they said

there was no space

and we were

becoming modern.

Why must they build

a police plaza in Pudu

where my grandparents

‘grew old man’s darling’?

Why can’t the state mosque

not be in Bukit Palah,

where I climbed the

frangipani tree?

Why should the mega-mall

be at 218 Ampang

where I used to play

swinging ‘moneyplant’?

why do my memories

all have to be

only in my head

so I can’t show

my children

and their children

and so on?

ii)

The race course

was meant to be

a park within the city.

The playing field

was meant to save

some space for greenery.

The forest reserve

was meant to run

the cable car for fun.

Why must the flag fly

so high where no one

with feet on the ground

can see or touch

or wave it?

iii)

I look forward

to hearing from you soon.

and thank you.

Sincerely,

A City Girl

@Urbanses.my

Kuala Lumpur! Kuala Lumpur!

by Fan Yew Teng

Hello, Kuala Lumpur, Happy Birthday!

O you’ve grown, how you’ve grown!

What with your skyscrapers

your flyovers, your toll plazas

your tree-line malls

your flashy shopping complexes

snooker centres, noisy pubs

psychedelic discos, traffic congestions

sweaty queues, outdated roundabouts

and frantic rushes under the midday sun.

Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur

I love your nasi lemak in Gombak

your roastduck from Pudu

your mutton curry at Brickfields

your Bak-kut-teh in Kepong

your nasi briyani at Kampung Baru

your sugarcane water in Cheras

your flower nurseries at Old Klang Road

your Angsana trees in Jinjang

your incense at Leboh Ampang

your pasar malam in Petaling Street

your Hainanese chicken rice in Jalan Sultan

and the lusty bargains along Batu Lane.

Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur

beauty or beast, what are you?

who are you, human or divine?

Who knows what secrets in tall buildings

what juicy gossips and rumours in coffeeshops

what greed masked behind orchids

what slummy squalor behind concrete facades

what shady deals in the Golden Triangle

what fake massages in your exclusive clubs

what manicured conspiracies

what wheeling-dealing in hotel lobbies

what racial slurs and curses in backlanes

what supercilious pretences at cocktail parties

what murders and swindles at planning

what brines wrapped in hibiscus smiles

what hastily negotiated favours

what lusty tigershows performed

what dirty weekends enjoyed within sight of flaming trees

among modern, expensive ramparts?

Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur

are you a city of

hope or despair

joy or frustration

warmth or loneliness

love or hate

plenty or poverty

ordained heaven or manmade hell

strength or weakness

firmness or caprice

the aged or youth

angels or devils

floods or draught (sic)

shit or gold

farts or perfumes

glory or shame

hills or valleys

vibrance or imitation

deserts or springs

truth or lies

colours or blandness

light or shadows

bigotry or tolerance

thinkers or robots

courage or cowardice

dissidents or sycophants

care or selfishness

independents or suckers

pageantry or burlesque

strife or peace

clarity or haze?

Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur

O I love Chow Kit Road

Sungei Besi, Sentul, Keramat

And all your other parts

but are you a conscionable muddy estuary

or merely a Babylonian lump

or Philistinian mud?

See the original postings at http://cosmicdinesh.blogspot.com/

Lullaby

2009-10-18T22:00:00.000+08:00

Sleep now my little boys,

put away your playthings and toys.

It's time to rest and head for the cradle,

to slip into dreams and play with angels.

When you awake on the morrow,

the world shall be free of sorrow.

When you open your bright brown eyes,

you will first see clear blue skies.

Tomorrow, no child will die of hunger.

Mothers will live in fear no longer.

We will fight no more, no trample each other.

We will all embrace, calling "sister" and "brother".

You will no longer learn the words I knew,

"Crisis", "charity", "starving", " so few".

You will no longer talk to neighbours over the fence.

No more will we murder people and call it "defence".

You will not learn how to tell lies,

you will never wipe another tear from your eye.

You will no more feel anger, hate and shame,

nobody telling you, "You are not the same."

This perfect world I hope to bequeath to you,

free from the failings I now go through.

My little angels, you deserve no less

than a world that's free from grown-ups' "success".

Sleep now my little boys,

put away your playthings and toys.

And now it's time for my goodnight kiss.

Sleep now and wake to a world of bliss.

Food haiku

2009-10-15T21:19:00.000+08:00

I'm on a haiku roll here. Here's something I wrote on the back on my credit card bill envelope. (Found a good use for something we all don't like.) Had some thoughts about the recent food fight Malaysia had with Singapore not long ago.

Bak kut teh, is it
our dish or Singapore one?
Don't care; don't like pork.

Copyright for food
Ministry seems to not have
much work to do leh.

Chilli or pepper?
It does not matter at all
to the poor, dead crab.

We fight over food
that we all enjoy. Meanwhile,
millions go hungry.
(It's actually a billion, but I couldn't wedge that into a haiku)

We are willing to help the rich, but not the poor

2009-10-15T09:50:00.000+08:00

"World leaders have reacted forcefully to the financial and economic crisis and succeeded in mobilizing billions of dollars in a short time period. The same strong action is needed now to combat hunger and poverty,"
- FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf.

The latest report from the United Nations' Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) says that this year, there are 1.02 billion hungry people in the world.

Jacques Diouf also said,
"The rising number of hungry people is intolerable. We have the economic and technical means to make hunger disappear, what is missing is a stronger political will to eradicate hunger forever. Investing in agriculture in developing countries is key as a healthy agricultural sector is essential not only to overcome hunger and poverty but also to ensure overall economic growth and peace and stability in the world."

"We applaud the new commitment to tackle food security, but we must act quickly. It is unacceptable in the 21st century that almost one in six of the world's population is now going hungry," added Josette Sheeran, Executive Director of WFP.

Poor households have been cutting back on education and other basic needs but it is still too overwhelming for them. In Somalia alone, the cost of food has risen 85% over the last two years.

We had no problem bailing the fat cats of Wall Street and the financial centres of the world. Maybe all that some of them lost were a few penthouses and Lear jets, and maybe the mistresses. But what can be done to mitigate the global food crisis?

Soka Gakkai International (SGI) President Daisaku Ikeda wrote in his 2009 Peace Proposal to the United Nations (UN):

"To ensure secure access to food for all the world's people, we need to design a mechanism to keep a certain amount of grain in reserve at all times as a global public good. These reserves could be distributed as emergency relief during a food crisis or released onto the market to stabilize prices."

He further added:

"I also would like to call for the expanded use of innovative financing mechanisms such as international solidarity levies to raise funds toward overcoming poverty and improving health
care and sanitation in line with the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The effort to develop innovative funding mechanisms can be thought of as a type of humanitarian competition, as various states constructively vie with one another to develop the most effective ideas and proposals."

If economists and financiers can come up with innovative ways to trade derivatives on the global market, surely we can do something about investment and fund-raising vehicles to ensure no one goes hungry.

He further says, "The bottom billion" -the poorest of the poor in fifty-eight countries, who have long been left behind by global economic growth--were one focus of debate at the UN last year. The stark
disparity in the value of human life and dignity, virtually predetermined by where one is born, is an unconscionable injustice in global society that must be corrected. If we are to lay any claim to human dignity--to manifest the feelings of compassion that Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-78) assures us were at the heart of even the earliest human communities--we must take steps to remedy this situation."

Nobel laureate in economics Amartya Sen astutely pointed out that "Poverty must be seen as the deprivation of basic capabilities rather than merely as lowness of incomes." Poor people are just as human as we are.

The latest FAO report can be accessed at http://www.fao.org/docrep/012/i0876e/i0876e00.htm

SGI President Ikeda's peace proposals can be accessed at http://www.sgi.org/proposals.html

My own haiku

2009-10-13T13:48:00.000+08:00

What is a haiku? See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haiku

Inspired by the NYC schools' haiku, I also wrote some of my own corrupted from of haiku:

Malaysia as One
Will it be a dream come true,
or wishful thinking?

Oh dear Ministers
just how many of your words
are known to be true?

Objective questions
if I answer a thousand
that's education?

Oh clever people,
Human Resource I am not,
just Human Being.

Oh dearest brother,
please see not my skin colour.
My blood is red too.

Oh dearest sister,
we love the same food, don't we,
mee goreng mamak

...Just got back from lunch ;)

Haiku from New York City school students and teachers

2009-10-13T13:43:00.000+08:00

I found this rather brilliant haiku collection written by students and teachers from New York City, in response to the New York City's Department of Education's Schools Report Card. Most of them contains criticism against the school system, particularly agains NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg and School System Chancellor Joel Klein. Here is a selection of the haikus:

A, B, C or D -
Who cares? It's all meaningless.
How existential!
-MDS

Bloomberg, Klein, Liebman
Masters of the universe
Have you ever taught?
-Anonymous 5:12 PM

Work harder or else
My kids are not a letter
A smile on its side
-Anonymous 11:57AM

I am too angry
to write a haiku today
they should all resign

-Leonie Haimson

You can download the whole collection at http://eduwonkette.googlepages.com/NYCSchoolReportCardHaiku.pdf

The Greatest Love of All

2009-10-11T02:56:00.001+08:00

I had problems falling asleep when I wrote this. Well, I was already asleep, when a large explosion awaked me. Turns out, the explosion was in my dreams. So I thought maybe some writing would help me sleep.

Yesterday, I attended the 15^th graduation ceremony of Tadika Seri Soka (TSS). Tun Jeanne Abdullah was the guest of honour.

Seeing the bright, joyous faces of the children that graduated yesterday, I wonder how the road of life would be like for them from now. Looking at their faces, and at the photo of my baby nephew’s entire hand gently clutching my finger, I pray that we, as adult members of society, have the will to make this world and safe and happy place for them.

The first president of the Soka Gakkai , Tsunesaburo Makiguchi said, “Rather than devise complex theoretical interpretations, it is better to start by looking at the lovely child who sits on your knee and ask yourself. What can I do to assure that this child will be able to lead the happiest child possible?” ‘’

This word from Whitney Houston’s great song, The Greatest Love of All, perhaps sums it up best:

I believe the children are our are future
Teach them well and let them lead the way
Show them all the beauty they possess inside
Give them a sense of pride to make it easier
Let the children's laughter remind us how we used to be

To all the princes and princesses who achieved a great victory yesterday, may you be happy and victorious throughout your lives! Do not let the thrashing waves in the sea called life defeat you.

I also realized that I was old enough to be their father...

The Perfect Hostage - part 3

2009-10-09T22:37:00.000+08:00

She returned to Burma on April 2, 1988, to care for her ailing mother who had suffered a serious stroke. Little did she realize that trip home would cement her destiny. Michael Aris, however, wrote that “I had a premonition that our lives would change forever” (pg. 221).

When she returned, she discovered first hand the suffering that her people were going through, and how the despotic generals (who are ironically supported by the so called “leaders of the free world”) had destroyed

Burma

. It was around that time, one could say, The Lady received the calling to continue her father’s work in creating a free and peaceful

Burma

Her work in restoring democracy to Burma has made her the world’s most well-renowned prisoner of conscience. In 1991, she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, which her husband and children received on her behalf. Her courage in taking on the ruthless junta has isolated her from the people she loved the most. She could not be with her husband on his deathbed and could not even attend his funeral. She has not seen her two sons in years. She is locked up at 54, University Avenue with no companions, save a doctor who checks on her once in a while.

Despite the suffering that she personally gone through, and the sufferings of her people she had to witness, The Lady remains indomitable. She once told Steven Gan of the Bangkok Nation, (yes, the Steven Gan who is now the editor of Malaysiakini.com) that she wants to reach an understanding with the junta. “All sides have to realize that the impasse is not doing anybody any good.” That was in 1998.

While international media has highlighted the plight of The Lady from time to time, leaders of the world, especially those of ASEAN, seem to approach the matter at arm’s length. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, you have not been forgotten.

This book is well-researched and it tells a compelling story. If there is one book that will help you make sense of the tragedy called Burma, this is probably it. We all wait the day when ASEAN’s most famous citizen will lead her country into glory.

The Perfect Hostage - part 2

2009-10-08T19:34:00.000+08:00

The early history of Burma is wracked by endless conflict and bloodshed, which somehow seems to foretell the fate that has befallen Burma today. Since ancient times, Burma has never existed as a peaceable homogenous whole. Even today, some minorities in Burma like the Shan and the Karen people do not recognize the rule of the majority-Burmese governments.

Late in the 19th century, after Burma had endured yet another bloody post-succession purge, the British, under the pretext of a “moral cause for regime change” (yes, the White Man’s Burden), made the country a part of the British Empire, the Evil Empire of its day.

When the Japanese came, the British absconded and left the Burmans to the mercy of the Japanese, just like they did in Malaysia. When the Japanese left, the British just waltzed in to reclaim sovereignty over the nations they had left in the lurch when the going got tough.

Burma’s independence movement was born before the Japanese occupation, and the leader was The Lady’s father, Aung San. His political genius won Burma’s independence, and he was well on the way to becoming Burma’s first prime minister at the young age of 32. He was to institute a democracy in Burma after more than a thousand years of autocratic rule.

It looked like Burma was to have a peaceful society at last after a long history of conflict. However, enemies of Aung San killed him and members of his provisional Cabinet on 19th July 1947. The Lady was two years old.

His widow, Daw Khin Kyi, sad as she was, did not dwell on his death and strived on her own to bring up The Lady and her two brothers, one elder and younger. She always told them about how great their father was. After all, it was he liberated Burma from the British.

Daw Khin Kyi began to take up a variety of posts within the government, ending with ambassador to India in the 1960s. By then, the country had fallen into the hands of a military dictatorship under the corrupt and superstitious Ne Win. Daw Khin Kyi was disgusted at the prospect at working for a dictator who had lied to his people about eventually restoring democracy to the country.

Thus, for most part of her teenage and adult years, she lived outside Burma. She later went to Oxford, where she was to meet her husband Michael Aris. She had seemed content to spend her life outside her birth country, though she kept a watch on what was happening there.

(to be continued...)

The Perfect Hostage - part 1

2009-10-07T22:39:00.000+08:00

PERFECT HOSTAGE : A LIFE OF AUNG SAN SUU KYI

By Justin Wintle

Published by Hutchinson, 450 pages

The image on the cover is an image of the shame that the nations of South-East Asia have to bear. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, or simply known as The Lady nowadays, is under house arrest imposed by the military dictators of Burma. These dictators operate under the guise of the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), led by Senior General Than Shwe.

The Association of South-East Asia Nations, or just ASEAN, styles itself as a Zone of Peace, Freedom and Neutrality (ZOPFAN).

Peace?

How can there be peace when Burmans are suffering from runway inflation and brutally oppressive rule under a superstitious old man? How can there be peace when a regime guns down unarmed, peace-seeking monks?

Freedom?

How can there be freedom when the Lady, and many others remain captive under the whim and fancy of the junta, without due cause? How can there be freedom when Burmans live in perpetual fear?

Neutrality?

What does that mean? Standing by and doing nothing while your neighbours suffer and cry out for help? Just dismiss Burma’s troubles as “internal matters” and citing the policy of “non-interference”?

The list of the junta’s crimes is endless: from the 8.8.88 massacre to Depayin and the brutal crackdown in October 2007, where unarmed monks were shot. Attempts to create a roadmap to democracy of Burma have been largely ignored by the junta. Countless mediation efforts, led by the United Nations (UN) have led to nothing but frustration. One of those frustrated UN envoys is Malaysia’s own Tan Sri Razali Ismail, who has also served as the President of the UN General Assembly.

Members of the international community, especially ASEAN, seem reluctant to do more to stop the junta’s impunity in face of international pressure. Perhaps this can be easily summed up in three letters: O-I-L. Or G-A-S. Take your pick.

Perfect Hostage : A Life of Aung San Suu Kyi by Justin Wintle is perhaps the latest and most updated biography of The Lady to date. More than that, it is, in a sense, a biography of Burma and its journey from its ancient past to its present dictatorship. It also documents Burma’s struggle against British imperialism and its liberation by The Lady’s illustrious father, Aung San. In fact, The Lady’s story only really begins after about 140 pages.

(to be continued...)

The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind

2009-10-05T17:37:00.000+08:00

There is a new book, called The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind by William Kamkwamba, together with Bryan Mealer. I haven't seen this book in local bookstores yet.

William is a young man from the impoverished country of Malawi in Africa. He is a person who loves learning and has big dreams for his future. At the age of 14, he was kicked out of school for not being able to pay the USD 80 annual school fees (Can you imagine yourself being forced to leave school over less than RM 300?).

Even though he was kicked out of school, he never stopped learning, thinking and dreaming. Armed with knowledge from a library book and his own ingenuity, he built, using scrap materials and blue-gum trees, a working windmill that generated electricity for his home. In Malawi, only 2% of the population can afford electricity (something we waste all the time).

Soon, his invention attracted attention from around the world, and he received support to return to school. he was also invited to visit wind farms in the USA. He hopes to build windmills to generate electricity throughout Africa.

This book has received praise from people like Al Gore and Carter Roberts, President and CEO of the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF).

It seems like this will be an interesting and inspiring book. Hope it makes our shores soon. It is always amazing to see how people who have so little can achieve so much.

You can find out more about this book at http://williamkamkwamba.typepad.com/williamkamkwamba/

That's William and the windmill he built

Freedom Film Fest 2009 and Kelesau Naan

2009-10-04T20:42:00.000+08:00

I got back from attending the final day (today) of the KL screening of the Freeedom Film Fest 2009 (http://freedomfilmfest.komas.org/) at the Central Market Annexe (http://www.annexegallery.com/). One of the films screened was "Delayed Justice" by Hillary Chiew. This film is about the challenges faced by the indigenous communities in land grab cases in the name of "economic development".

The films starts with Uding Lidem wistfully telling of the fateful day, 23 October 2007, when her husband, Kelesau Naan, went missing.

Kelesau was the head of the kampung Long Kerong Penan tribe situated near Sungai Segita in the interiors of Sarawak. The nearest city is 250 km away.

For several years, Kelesau had headed a resistance against the actions of loggers from the company Samling to carry out logging activities at what Kelesau regarded as their native customary land. His ancestors had inhabited the area for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. The loggers were wilfully raping the land of its prized timber.

Kelesau sued the loggers and organized blockades against the loggers. No doubt he was a pain in their side.

On that day in October 2007, he went out on his usual hunting activities...and never returned. His tribesmen found his remains some weeks later, and they say there is evidence that he had been assaulted. Nick Kelesau (Kelesau's son) asked for an inquest into his father's death, and so far, the Malaysian police has refused.

And the loggers march on...

Here are some links to the story of Kelesau Naan:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article3129244.ece

http://www.bmf.ch/files/tongtana/tt_0501_e.pdf

http://www.coac.org.my/codenavia/portals/coacv2/code/main/main_art.php?parentID=11374493258660&artID=12226951664201

http://www.bmf.ch/en/news/?show=86

Have you seen these news in Malaysian newspapers?

Leaving Microsoft To Change the World

2009-10-03T22:28:00.001+08:00

I just finished this great book titled Leaving Microsoft to Change The World by John Wood. John was the Microsoft Business Development Director for the Greater China Region. In 1998, he went on a long overdue trekking trip in Nepal. There he met Pasupathi, a district school administrator in Nepal.

Pasupathi took him to one of the schools under his jurisdiction, and John was surprised by what he saw. One classroom, built for 30 pupils, was crammed with 70 people. The "library" was essentially was locked shed filled with not many books, most of them which were unsuitable for grade-school children. The pupils loved to learn, but the country was poor and did not have money to provide adequate resources for education.

John wondered what could he do to help. Then the headmaster said the words that would forever change his life:

"Perhaps, sir, you will someday come back with books."

When he went back, he started a book collection drive by mailing his friends. Soon, thousands of books arrived (beyond his wildest expectations) and he was able to make another trip to donate those books. From this one trip, more opportunities came to help improve the educational opportunities of children in Nepal.

After spending some time agonizing about his life direction and his place in the universe (as he puts it), John left Microsoft in 1999 and founded Room To Read. He went through a lot of difficult challenges, but each time he triumphed and helped improve the lives of thousands of children. Today, Room To Read has helped make a positive impact on more than 3 million people's lives in 9 countries. As of 2008, they have built 765 schools and over 7,000 libraries. They have donated and published close to 6 million copies of books. When the 2004 Asian tsunami hit tand destroyed hundreds of school, John used the opportunity provided by this catastrophe to set up Room To Read in Sri Lanka.

He and his team are making efforts that are truly changing the world. It is only through education can we break the shackles of poverty, intolerance and mistrust that is preventing us from creating a true Century of Humanity. Soka Gakkai International (SGI) President Daisaku Ikeda wrote, "It is my belief that education, in the broadest sense of the word, holds the key to meeting the challenges of global responsibility and fostering tolerance...To do this, education must be a personal, even spiritual encounter and interaction between human beings, between teacher and learner."

John Wood is my hero. What he is doing is truly demonstrating what one person can do to change the world.

Learn more about Room To Read at http://www.roomtoread.org/ .

Pulau Ketam - the scenes

2009-09-29T12:17:00.000+08:00

Though it's a small island, it yields many pleasant surprises. Not having the kind of land we have on the mainland forces people to be creative. All the houses are built on stilts of course, and the roads inside the island do not allow passage of cars anything larger than a bike (though we did see some carts driven by diesel motors). Cycling is the most wheeled transport.

People painted their houses in various bright colours. We saw blue houses, orange houses, purple (or is it lavender) houses, and many other colours. Their taste in colour would certainly shock our staid housing developers!

The air is fresh and invigorating, a rarity in the smog and haze-filled air of the cities. Life forms that we were not familiar with thrived on this island. I mistook mudskippers for newts (thanks Kok Cheng). Wooden bridges, some still solid, some a little rickety, formed a significant part of the transportation "system". Gradually, they are being replaced by concrete pathways. (Which I regret somewhat, as it diminishes that old village charm).

There is also a shipyard where wooden ships are made by hand. Will this art form survive the ravages of modernisation? Will Pulau Ketam as a whole be able to withstand being buffetted by the winds of change?

See more of these photos on my Facebook albums at http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=113438&id=606887744&l=cf8c57057b

http://cosmicdinesh.blogspot.com/

Pulau Ketam - the people

2009-09-23T08:03:00.013+08:00

Last Saturday (19/9/2009), I went with a group of photo enthusiasts to Pulau Ketam, off the coast of Klang to carry out a photo shoot. There were all in 27 of us, quite a big group and we were split up into three groups. This was my first time participating in a shoot like that.

My group started our photo-journey from the other end of the island , as opposed to the other two groups. Our end of the island was pretty quiet, and we walked for a little while before we could see anyone. Even then, we were hesitant to talk to them. Oh ya, we had a little “assignment”, that is, the theme of this photo-shoot was “People”.

My team-mates are more photographers than writers, so I guess they were a little shy when it came to talking to strangers spontaneously. But I’ve been doing that for some time now, so I had to do something before we “failed” this assignment.

I approached a man who was cleaning up the outside of his house, and just greeted him in Mandarin. I beckoned two of my team-mates over. Then we started talking to Mr. Pang, the owner of the place. We asked him pretty general questions about where he was from and all that. Soon, we warmed up to each other. He also didn’t mind us taking photos of him close up. After talking to him for a while, we thanked him for his kindness and moved on.

My team-mates soon got used to the idea of talking to random strangers. They had linguistic skills that I didn’t have which enabled us to carry out conversations that I couldn’t have done.

We talked to six or seven people along our journey, and they were all really friendly. One of them, Mrs. Lim, even invited us into her home and served us drinks. To us city people, that was really a big deal! She wanted to serves us some of her home-grown fruits, but they were not ripe yet. We were really grateful for her hospitality.

Over all, it was a wonderfully memorable experience. We were received warmly as we probably couldn’t have been in the city. There were no pretences, no hidden agendas, no end to serve. We were just having heart-to-heart dialogue.

The promise of a better life elsewhere has lured young people off the island. Some years back, the population of Pulau Ketam peaked at around 20,000 people. Today, only a third of that is left. Fishing, which is the main economic activity of this village, is becoming more difficult noawadays, what with pollution and environmental changes affecting the harvesting of fishes.

The people of Pulau Ketam consider their island backward, but I believe that material advancement is not the most important thing in life. It is that warm, honest heart-to-heart bonds among humans that matter the most. They may not have much, they can sleep easily at night (except when there are floods), and they don’t even close the doors when they sleep. That’s how much they trust each other.

I had an extremely fruitful trip that day; it left me with a deep impression.

Still more to come.

You can see my photo album, “Pulau Ketam – the people” at http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=112651&id=606887744&l=a158eb33f6

http://cosmicdinesh.blogspot.com/

So Much Food, Yet So Many Hungry

2009-09-17T10:10:00.001+08:00

There is something wrong in a world filled with unimaginable wealth, but yet so many still have to go hungry.

http://www.livescience.com/health/090916-hunger-defined.html

Leopard Leg

2009-09-13T15:13:00.003+08:00

I posted a picture of this young leopard on one of my Facebooks albums recently. It was taken in October 2008. Due to the distance from which I took this picture, it appears as if this leopard was sleeping.

Some months before, my sisters visited the zoo with my young nephew. When they came to this cage, they saw this young leopard hobbling around, as if it had great difficulty moving. The zoo attendant in charge of this leopard's cage told us what happened.

When the forest rangers first found this young leopard, it had one of its legs trapped in a snare. In order to rescue this cub from the snare, they had to amputate the part of the leg that was trapped. I don't know how it was done; there was probably no anaesthetic in the middle of the jungle. If there wasn't, then this poor thing must have screamed in great pain. If we heard that probable scream, it would be something that could haunt us forever.

In any case, while the leopard cub was saved, it has lost a leg, and can never run or jump around like other animals of his kind. So, he just hobbles around in his cage, day after day, being depressed over his misfortune.

When my sister told this to my nephew who was not yet 2 years old, the little boy immediately felt great pity for the leopard. He would always ask my sisters about the "leopard leg" and talk about going to the zoo to see him, as if his presence would comfort the young leopard a little.

From time to time we would ask him about the leopard. A typical conversation might go like this:

"Roy, what do you want to see at the zoo?"
"Leopard leg."
"What happened to the leopard leg?"
"Uncle cut leopard leg."

"Uncle" here does not refer to anybody in particular; it's just his way of naming the person whom he imagined must have amputated the leg. He would sometimes end with "Cilalaka uncle" (his way of saying "celaka", or damned in Malay).

Even a young toddler like my nephew could understand what compassion is and show it to animals. He may not be able to define compassion, but he knows how to show it. I believe children instinctively know what being kind and compassionate means, and adults must provide the opportunities to them to nurture these humanistic qualities.

We adults would do well to learn more about compassion from young children.

http://cosmicdinesh.blogspot.com/

Memories of Rain

2009-09-10T23:28:00.006+08:00

I lie on the bed,
staring into the ceiling.
Then I closed my eyes
and you walked into my head.

I look outside
Storm clouds are brewing,
thunder hammering through the sky.
Even as the thunder wails
I hear your whispers entreating me.
The lightning flashes,
illuminating the firmaments.
Is that you I see in the darkening clouds?

I step outside into the storm,
volley after volley of clear beads
disintegrating against my body.
I smell not the falling rain,
once my favourite smell.
It is your scent
that conquers my senses instead.

My lips are wet
from your kisses
I taste blood running onto my tongue
No...
I have bitten my own lips instead.

The wind-rain lashes
against everything it touches
like a whip tearing fresh wounds on naked flesh.
So many things it carries away
leaves, branches, a child's toy,
things that we leave behind.
Purifying, cleansing the streets
of what we have discarded.

But it cannot wash away
painful memories
stuck like daggers
in the empty chambers
of my soul.

A Brave New Boy

2009-09-08T13:13:00.005+08:00

Picked up this story from The Star today:

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/9/8/nation/4667793&sec=nation

A brave child of 12, Berine Sua Linggi, saved two younger girls from drowning on August 16. Even a young boy like him knows how precious a human life is, and did not hesitate to risk his own when he saw his fellow humans in danger. Reading this story made a lot of emotion well up inside me.

People like him, who selflessly risked his life, who did with without hidden agendas and vested interests are true Malaysians, the true national heroes. Question is, will he be given an award? Will his future be secure? People have been given awards for achieving much less. To paraphrase a former Prime Minister, if you throw a stone, you will hit two people with awards.

I hope that a trust fund can be set up in his name so that his education, and that of the children around him, will be well taken care of.

This was originally published in my blog, http://cosmicdinesh.blogspot.com/.

A Poem in 3 Pictures

2009-09-01T22:37:00.007+08:00

Pink: Why do bow, sullen and melancholy,

Your beautiful face, carrying a look so weary

Red: On my mind, there is much that lingers

Each hour, each day, I see a little less clearer.

Pink: Sing to me what is on your mind

Some of your troubles I may help unbind

Red: While we live amidst such luxurious greens,
The world around us is breaking into pieces
I cannot ignore what I have seen.
War denying a child her mother’s warm kisses

Ripped apart from the soil, the trees are wailing in pain.

Vultures circling a dying child’s bloated frame,

his eyes are glassy, hands clutching air in vain.

He dies, not because the rains came late,

but because his brother will not share his plate.

Pink: It is true, humans do things that are strange,

Laughing so merrily, while killing their brother.

From where we stand, they seem deranged

All that is beautiful, they are so eager to smother.

Red: Though we and them are not the same breed

saddened by their plight, I cannot but weep

Here we are, chained to our stems

not a thing can we at all do for them.

Pink: Each of us have our own unique mission

What you must do is bring yours to fruition

All you have to do smile and bloom

And soon you will brighten the gloom.

The burdens of the world,

alone, too heavy it is to shoulder.

If we join hands together,

no mountain we cannot scale

no river we cannot tame

no storm we cannot weather

nothing can stop

a youth’s endeavour.

Red: Yes, that is right, and I see what you say

there is no point bowing in dismay

Only with hope, only with courage

Can we usher in a new age

I am a flower, a flower of youth

My eyes are gleaming, sparkling with truth

Neither the burning sun, nor the thunderous rain

Shall dampen my spirit, or cause me pain.

Armed with the sword of Truth,

riding on a steed called Justice

waving the banner of Hope

blowing the horn of Victory.

If you saw this in Facebook, the original formatting may be lost. Go to http://cosmicdinesh.blogspot.com/ to see the original posting. Thanks.

Thoughts on Merdeka, from Nelson Madela's "Long Walk To Freedom"

2009-08-28T09:46:00.004+08:00

Since Merdeka is just around the corner, I am reminded of Nelson Mandela's autobiography. When he wrote this, South Africa had just become "merdeka" from the clutches of apartheid. While Malaysia was never subjected to the cruelties of apartheid, I can't help but realise that the following excerpt from his book seems to tell the story of what we went through, and what we are going through now.

I hope this excerpt will give us some food for thought this Merdeka. Emphasis in the text is all mine.

Thoughts from "Long Walk To Freedom"

"My country is rich in the minerals and gems that lie beneath its soil, but I have always known that its greatest wealth is its people, finer and truer than the purest diamonds.

It is from these comrades in struggle that I learned the meaning of courage. Time and time again, I have seen men and women risk and give their lives for an idea. I have seen men stand up to attacks and torture without breaking, showing a courage and resilience that defies the imagination. I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. I can remember, but I hid it behind a mask of boldness. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.

I never lost hope that this great transformation would occur. Not only because of the great heroes I have already cited, but because of the courage of the ordinary men and women of my country. I always knew that deep down in every human heart, there was mercy and generosity. No one is born hating another person because the colour of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than the opposite. Even in the grimmest time in prison, when my comrades and I were pushed to our limits, I would see a glimmer of humanity in one of the guards, perhaps for just a second, but it was enough to reassure me and keep me going. Man’s goodness is a flame that can be hidden but never extinguished.

…Freedom is indivisible; the chains on any one of my people were the chains on all of them, the chains on all of my people were the chains on me.

It was during those long and lonely years that my hunger for the freedom of my own people became a hunger for the freedom of all people, white and black. I knew as well as I knew anything that the oppressor must be liberated just as surely as the oppressed. A man who takes away another man’s freedom is a prisoner of hatred, he is locked behind the bars of prejudice and narrow-mindedness. I am not truly free if I am taking away someone else’s freedom, just as surely I am not free when my freedom is taken from me. The oppressed and the oppressor alike are robbed of their humanity.

When I walked out of prison, that was my mission, to liberate the oppressed and the oppressor both. Some say that has now been achieved. But I know that this is not the case. The truth is we are not yet free; we have merely achieved the freedom to be free. We have not taken the final step of our journey, but the first step on a longer and even more difficult road. For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others. The true test of our devotion to freedom is just beginning."

Selamat Merdeka.

If you read this in Facebook, the original formatting might have been lost. See the original posting at http://cosmicdinesh.blogspot.com/

A Little Girl, by Usman Awang

2009-08-28T09:38:00.003+08:00

A great poem about being strong in the face of tumultuous adversity

The Little Girl

Her body reminded me of

areca palm in quiet country

tall and thin

in heavy storms

broken branches fall around

but the palm stands erect

awaiting the morning sun.

So it was with this little girl

thin as areca palm

year after year meeting her father

across the barbed wire of prison

imprisoned these many years

courageously fighting oppression

steady and faithful.

This little girl surprised me

calm and smiling broadly

politely turning down my help

‘I don’t need money, uncle,

just paper and books.’

Young in age

her soul matured by experience

not everyone grows strong this way

a unique steadiness that charms.

When I expressed sympathy and sadness,

feeling sorry for her,

once again she smiled and said:

‘Don’t be sad, uncle, steady your heart,

There are many children like me in the world.’

I became quite still

She calmed me, this little girl

Pacifying waves of emotion

Forbidding pity for her bitter experiences.

Is it not shameful for a grown man,

wanting to help suffering prisoners

to receive counsel from the child of one in prison

to be brave and steady?

Ten children like this

Will destroy a purpose of a thousand prisons.

Usman Awang

Translated by Adibah Amin

(from In-Sights: Malaysian Poems, published by Maya Press, 2003)

If you read this in Facebook, the original formatting might have been lost. Do see the original posting at http://cosmicdinesh.blogspot.com/

Malaysia's performance in Mathematics and Science - from Prof. Cheong Kee Cheok's lecture

2009-08-22T21:50:00.005+08:00

Last week, in Professor Cheong Kee-Cheok's talk on The Global Economic Crisis and Where are We Going, he expressed his worries about Malaysia's inability to produce capable people to bring the country forward. As Malaysia is no longer the choice destination to produce good cheaply, in order to keep our edge, we need to migrate to high-tech ventures.

He quoted another economist who mentioned that Malaysia has AIDS - Acquired Industrial Deficiency Syndrome. Our manufacturing sector has failed to become a value-added one. I also heard before that the ubiquitous pendrive, which was pioneered in Taiwan, was actually invented by a Malaysian. Sigh...

He noted that the Malaysian government has spent billions of riggit in education; yet our university rankings seem to be sliding. It also appears that the overall standards in schools are falling. He also said that it's difficult for the universities to train quality graduates when what they are getting from the schools system is somewhat lacking. Prof. Cheong commented that most of our scholarships went to the humanities, instead of the physical sciences.

So where do we stand?

Malaysia participates in the Trends in Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), an international study that tracks the achievement of 4th-grade (Standard 4 in Malaysia) and 8th-grade (Form 2 in Malaysia) equivalent students around the world. Here is the link to the TIMMS website : http://nces.ed.gov/timss/ TIMMS is conducted every four years beginning 1995.

What is worrying is that since Malaysia participated in 1999, our results have been dropping. In 1999, we were ranked 22nd in Science and 16th in Maths. In 2007, we were 21st in Science and 20th in Maths. The drop in ranking seems not much, but it is the drop in scoring that's worrying.

In 1999, we scored 492 for Science and 519 for Maths. In 2007, we dropped to 471 for Science and for Maths, we dropped massively to only 474. Now, for both subjects, the world average is 500 points. Which means that our scoring is below the world average. We are ranked lower than Slovenia, Armenia and Lithuania in some cases. Considering the relative youth of these countries and their lack of economic prowess, it is surprising we are ranked so low.

Singapore, on the other hand, scored 567 in Science and 593 in Maths, which makes them no. 1 and no. 3 in the world respectively. Their universities are ranked much higher than us. In the 1960s, University of Malaya (UM) was on par with the National University of Singapore (NUS). Today, NUS is in the top 30 of university rankings and UM is nowhere near.

You can see the tables at these links:

http://nces.ed.gov/timss/table07_3.asp

http://nces.ed.gov/timss/table07_1.asp

Of course, we have to bear in mind, scoring well isn't everything in education. Character building and fostering humanistic values are also of paramount importance. It is education that makes us human.

Nevertheless, Malaysia's performance (or lack of) in key subject areas is something we should be concerned about.

The Leadership Challenge excerpt - Leaders Inspire A Shared Vision

2009-08-19T17:26:00.005+08:00

The following is an excerpt from The Leadership Challenge by James Kouzes and Barry Posner. Following this excerpt, I have posted some points for us to ponder.

Envision The Future

“Be an enzyme” is a refrain that Pam Omidyar, founder of HopeLab, often repeats. The idea of “be an enzyme” evolved out of her love for science-her graduate training is in plant molecular genetics-and it conveys her strong belief in the power of people to make a difference. “I love the concept of catalysts, in science and life,” she says. “Enzymes are the catalysts that make possible biochemical reactions. Enzymes increase the rate of a reaction, but are not themselves consumed by the reaction. ..In short, enzymes are nature’s activists.”

…Exemplary leaders are forward-looking. They are able to envision the future, to gaze across the horizon of time and imagine the greater opportunities to come. They see something out ahead, vague as it might appear from a distance, and they imagine that extraordinary feats are possible and that the ordinary could be transformed into something noble. They are able to develop an ideal and unique image of the future for the common good.

But it’s not just the leader’s vision. It’s a shared vision. We all have dreams and aspirations. We all think about the future; we all want tomorrow to be better than today. Leaders have to make sure what they see is also something others can see. When visions are shared, they attract more people, sustain higher levels of motivation, and withstand more challenges than those that are singular. Leaders develop the capacity to Envision the Future for themselves and others by mastering two essentials:

• Imagine the possibilities
• Find a common purpose

…Leaders are dreamers. Leaders are idealists. Leaders are possibility thinkers. All enterprises, big or small, begin with imagination and with the belief that what’s merely an image today can one day be made real in the future. It’s this belief that sustains leaders through the difficult times. Turning possibility thinking into an inspiring vision-and an inspiring vision that is shared-is the leader’s challenge.

When we ask people to tell us where their visions come from they often have great difficulty in describing the process. And when they do provide an answer, typically it’s more about a feeling, a sense, a gut reaction. Clarifying your vision, like clarifying your values, is a process of self-exploration and self-creation. It’s an intuitive, emotional process. There’s often no logic to it. You just feel strongly about something, and that sense, that intuition, has to be fully explored. Visions are reflections of one’s fundamental beliefs and assumptions about human nature, technology, economics, science, politics, art and ethics.

A vision of the future is much like a literary or musical theme. It’s the broad message that you want to convey, it’s the primary melody that you want people to remember, and whenever it’s repeated it reminds the audience of the entire work. Every leader needs a theme, something on which they can structure the rest of his or her performance. What’s your central message? What’s your theme?

Food for thought:

1. Are you surrounded by inspiring leaders, especially those that you work closely with, whether within or outside of work?

2. Why do leaders often have problems articulating a vision? Do they even possess one in the first place?

Si Anak Kecil (A Little Child) by Usman Awang

2009-08-16T15:11:00.000+08:00

A moving poem on the waste and senselessness of war. Yesterday, August 15, was the 64th anniversary of the end of World War 2.

Di atas runtuhan batu-batu bangunan itu

Si anak kecil sendiri berdiri

Dengan luka-luka di kepala dan kaki

Menatap keliling yang sepi.

Peperangan itu membunuh ibunya

Membunuh seluruh keluarganya

Ayahnya entah di mana.

Dengarkan suara si anak kecil bertanya

Mana ibuku mana kakakku?

Mana rotiku mana bajuku

Mana bukuku mana sekolahku;

Dan jawabannya adalah itu

Ledakan bom dan peluru

Angin luka dan hujan debu.

Berapa luaskah pusara

Berapa bukitkah tulang selangka

Berapa lautankah air mata

Berapa jutakah nyawa

Yang mesti disediakan

Sebelum peperangan dihentikan?

O pejuang kebenaran

Berapa banyakkah lagi para shuhada

Akan kau kapankan

Tanpa bunga tanpa pusara?

Si anak kecil mengusapi luka bertanya

Manakah embun pagi yang jernih itu,

Manakah kicau burung senja lembayung

Manakah lembut jari ibuku,

O manakah dunia yang hasanah itu?

Manakah dunia yang hasanah itu?

English translation:

Among the ruins

A little child stands alone

With wounds on his head and legs

Staring at the surrounding emptiness

This war had killed his mother

Killed his whole family

While his father is still missing

Let us hear the little voice asking

Where is my mother, where is my sister?

Where is my bread, where are my clothing?

Where are my books, where is my school?

And the answers are

Bullets and exploding bombs

The wind hurts and poisonous rains.

How vast is the graveyard

How high the piles of skeletons

How many oceans of tears

How many lives

Must be sacrificed

Before this war ends?

Oh fighters of truth

How many more martyrs

Must you bury

Without flowers without graves?

The little child, caressing his wounds, asks

Where has the clear morning dew gone to,

What has happened to the chirping of birds at dusk,

Where are mother’s gentle fingers

Oh, what is happening to this fine world

What is happening to this fine world?

from Cempaka: An Anthology, published by Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, 1994

The Global Crisis and Malaysia: Where Are We Heading?

2009-08-16T14:59:00.000+08:00

Yesterday, I attended a talk by given by Professor Cheong Kee-Cheok, a former Dean at the Faculty of Economics and Administration in University Malaya (UM) and a former World Bank Senior Economist. The talk was really enlightening, but also contained some worrying stuff. I took down about 7 pages of notes. In short, his talk can be summarised in two points (at least for me):

1. Human capital development is the most crucial factor in the development and
advancement of a country

2. WE ARE SCREWED!!!

Will share some more in the days to come.

Money, money, money

2009-08-12T23:16:00.000+08:00

Recently, with the wildfire spread of H1N1, the share prices of some pharmaceutical and health-related companies have been climbing. Recently, on news of natural disasters and expected reconstruction efforts, the stocks of some contruction conglomerates have also risen.

The economic news are talking about "profit-taking", "outlook" and other jargons in dispassionate tones. They read the news as if this is something natural, and that they are just doing their job. They seemed to have failed to see that behind these money-making moves, are real, living, breathing people suffering because of the onslaught of disease and disaster.

I find it extremely, extremely perverse that we have no qualms about making money at the expense of our fellow human beings. That some humans are only concerned about share price movements amidst the cries of suffering of our brothers and sisters.

How would you feel if someone told you that because you have H1N1, or because your house was destroyed in an earthquake, that the prices of shares that he owns have risen?

Unending Love by Rabindranath Tagore

2009-08-09T22:20:00.000+08:00

I seem to have loved you in numberless forms, numberless times...
In life after life, in age after age, forever.
My spellbound heart has made and remade the necklace of songs,
That you take as a gift, wear round your neck in your many forms,
In life after life, in age after age, forever.

Whenever I hear old chronicles of love, it's age old pain,
It's ancient tale of being apart or together.
As I stare on and on into the past, in the end you emerge,
Clad in the light of a pole-star, piercing the darkness of time.
You become an image of what is remembered forever.

You and I have floated here on the stream that brings from the fount.
At the heart of time, love of one for another.
We have played along side millions of lovers,
Shared in the same shy sweetness of meeting,
the distressful tears of farewell,
Old love but in shapes that renew and renew forever.

Today it is heaped at your feet, it has found its end in you
The love of all man's days both past and forever:
Universal joy, universal sorrow, universal life.
The memories of all loves merging with this one love of ours -
And the songs of every poet past and forever.

(from Rabindranath Tagore: Selected Poems, translated by William Radice, Penguin Classics)

Appreciation from Roger Phuang

2009-08-09T21:56:00.000+08:00

Today, I bumped into Roger Phuang after a meeting at SGM's Culture Centre in Cheras. A few days ago, he sent me a message on Facebook and ask to be added as my "friend".

Today, he gave some heartfelt words of appreciation for my articles in Cosmic. He even went to look for some of the books that I have reviewed in articles. I felt really honoured and humbled these words from him.

I am a writer of meagre capabilities. I took it up late in life, and often struggle with motivating myself to write. But life as a whole is like that. We often stuggle against devilish forces that slow down our advance. It is easy to stay within a certain comfort zone and then tell ourselves, "This is how life should be," and be content with what we have got.

I have gone through several periods in my life where I have not been motivated to do much. There have been times when I considered giving up these struggles and just leave it to other people. But at the end of it, I realized that I would be letting myself down, and all those who have placed high hopes on us.

SGI President Ikeda wrote: "Why is it that sometimes our prayers seem not to be answered? This is a manifestation of the Buddha's wisdom - so that we can deepen our prayers, become stronger people. live more profound lives and secure deeper, more lasting good fortune. If our slightest prayers where answered immediately, we'd become degenerate. And we couldn't hope to build a life of great dignity and substance."

In life, if we get all that we want easily, we would not be appreciative of what we have. Only by struggling with all our might can we gain everlasting victory. All in all, it was a great weekend. Roger's words have fired me up even more to stake my life in writing.

Thanks again, Roger.

One Being Inside All by Rumi

2009-08-08T21:15:00.001+08:00

Lovers, it is time
for the taste of fire.

Let sadneess and your fears of death
sit in the corner and sulk.

The sky itself reels with love.
There is one being inside
all of us, one peace.

Poet, let every word tremble its wind bell.
Saddle the horse with great anticipation.

Flute notes are calling us into friendship.
Begin away. Play the melody
all the way through this time.

Sun-presence floods over.
Quietness is an empty cup.

Accept that you
must hide your secret.