We the Peoples... A Stronger UN for a Better World

UN Photo/Paulo Filgueiras

The United Nations is an organisation that talks about different global issues and delegates representing different countries of the world cooperate to create resolutions with other delegates to help resolve these world issues. The UN is something that demonstrates the need to resolve world problems. The UN has 192 member states, and 5 which are permanently members of the security council. The UN has other branches that fight specific world issues. This organisation teaches us that human rights issues, environmental issues, and other issues are worth being fought against.

Some of the UN's branches include UNAIDS, UNESCO, UNICEF and UNODC. UNAIDS is organisation that is focused on preventing new HIV infections, discrimination against peoples with HIV/AIDS, and deaths from the infection. UNESCO is focused on education, sciences, and culture. They are trying to unite the world through knowledge. UNICEF is more focused towards children survival and gender equality. UNODOC in the other hand, is focused on the fight against illicit drugs.

Human rights issues is important to be fought against as it is one thing that we humans must have. Some countries in the world, such as ones that are currently in civil war, or have dictator leaders, are being denied The Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The United Nations are trying to make sure the basic human rights are being granted to each and every individual. They have created the Millennium Development Goals and are trying to reach all of it by 2015, 3 years from now. Individuals should be able to live with their rights, as every living being has the rights to live freely and as they wish.

Environmental issues is also something worth fighting against. The environment provides us with everything; energy resources, foods, places to live in, water, and much more. The UN organisation, UNEP, is focused towards fighting for the environment. They are focused on inspiring, informing, and leading peoples and countries to fight for the environment. They enable peoples to improve their quality of life without destroying those of the future generations, in other words, without destroying the environment.

Without the United Nations, the world would be a very different place. For instance, the number of deaths from HIV/AIDS would be much higher, some countries will have no way of accessing clean water, and international cooperation would be much harder. We may not even have the rights we have now. We have a lot of things because of the UN. The United Nations have made their impact in the world. They've improved the living standards for a lot of peoples, and helped the world become a better place.

P.E. Climbing/Belaying Unit

For this P.E. Unit, we had climbing.  My best climb was the chimney. I almost got to the top. I think in this unit, I improved my collaboration skills as I worked with quite a lot of different people to belay. I think that my belaying skills has gotten better as now I am able to let the people I am belaying come down the wall smoother. My climbing skills didn't really improve though. I also think that my communication skills improved because when I was belaying, I had to be able to tell the people I'm belaying where to go when they are stuck on the wall.

Rule the World

Bias.
His favouritism, his prejudice, his discrimination.

He could rule the world.
Not mine.

Like a knife, he stabs at the heart.
When you least expect it.

He could rule the world.
Not mine.

You see what he has done.
You drown in what he hates.

He could rule the world.
Not mine.

Painting by Marc Scheff

Just the Way You Are

In today's world, the population have certain expectations that they think they are meant to exceed. This is all thanks to the media, magazines and advertisements. Females especially get affected by this, as a lot of advertisements today feature the "perfect" model of females. They are skinny, they've got perfect skin, they've got long legs, perfect hair, and the right looks. This can make girls, like myself, feel very conscious of our appearances. Fortunately, there are a lot of organisations out there that want to help girls feel better about themselves, such as Confidence Coalition. Their cause is trying to make girls feel more confident about themselves. You can sign their pledge here. I think that self-confidence is worth fighting for.

Some other organisations that are trying to make girl, or guys, feel better about themselves is TWLOHA(To Write Love on Her Arms). It is an organisation that brings awareness to depression, suicide, and the people feeling unloved. Doing this can show the people that are depressed, feel unloved, and the ones considering suicide that a lot of people care about them. How do you exactly show this? You write "love" on your arms. Another organisation that is trying to help girls feel better about themselves is Operation Beautiful. It has a lot of participants, and all the participants have to do is just post a sticky-note in a random place where a lot of people can find it and it has to say something about the reader being beautiful. 

Self-confidence is also worth fighting for because if people are more confident, then less people on this earth will feel worthless and think of what we are able to achieve! Seventeen Magazine is also doing something that is called "The Body Peace Treaty". It is a treaty that states that you are not to judge others by looks, you are not to let anyone influence how you feel about yourself, and several others alike. There is a saying that in order to be loved, you  need to love yourself first, and I think that it is true. Personally, when a person is really shy and not confident, I sort of feel awkward and I won't know what to say and if the person is confident, I tend to feel more comfortable.

Without these organisations, I think that the world would be really different. For instance, I think that more girls might have eating disorders and that not a lot of girls would be as confident. Saying this, I do not support arrogance, I support confidence. I think that these organisations are really inspirational because they all probably started from experience, and that can show people that they are not alone. You are beautiful, just the way you are(: 

Picture:

http://operationbeautiful.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/IMG_20111110_200442.jpg

The Rainbow Warriors

© Les Stone / Greenpeace

“It wasn't the Exxon Valdez captain's driving that caused the Alaskan oil spill. It was yours.”
-Greenpeace advertisement, New York Times, 25 February 1990
Greenpeace is an organisation that is trying to create and energy revolution, defend our oceans, protect the world’s ancient forests, create a toxic free future, and campaigning for sustainable agriculture. It encourages us to consider fighting for the environment by taking huge risks, such as their activists risking their lives and getting thrown into jail, which can inspire people, such as myself, to also fight for the environment. Environment, I believe, is something that is worth fighting for.

The environment is worth fighting for because it is one of the things that we pass on to future generations and if we destroy it now, then what will the coming generations have? Our environment is what provides us shelter, food, and water. These are the 3 main things that we humans are not able to live without. Greenpeace is fighting for the environment so that we leave enough resources for our future generations, and maybe the coming generations will be greener than we are and they can rebuild what we tore down. Greenpeace can inspire people and they can be the impetus of change to the environmental world. Greenpeace has stood up to Mattel for using paper packaging that comes from rainforests in Indonesia, coming from a company that is leading in deforestation in Indonesia and destroying the habitats of Sumatran tigers, and has made the company stop using paper packaging from Asia Pulp & Paper (APP). This can cause other companies that use packaging from rainforests to change their ways and go for a greener way to use their packaging.

If we do not fight for the environment, then we will destroy the habitats of other species, which will then affect their population. Humans need other species to live because we depend on each other to survive. Our environment houses all of our food sources, which we are abusing by using techniques that are not sustainable, such as and blast fishing and drift netting. This is a part of defending our oceans, as the creatures that live in the ocean contribute to cleaning the ecosystem and every species has a right to live. Greenpeace has peacefully protested against Princes, one of the leading brands in seafood, as they used destructive fishing methods that accidentally catch fish that we have no use for and would probably just throw it back in the ocean. Some consumers (like me) refuse to use products that are not green, so if other companies decide to go green, they can pick up more customers.

We might not be able to keep a sustainable way of living without organizations such as Greenpeace because we humans have grown greedy and it seems as if some of us do not care about the environment and animals. Greenpeace is inspirational because it all started with a dozen people who wanted to change the world and they are now supported by millions of people worldwide. One idea can make a large impact in our Earth.

Title explanation: The Rainbow Warrior is one of Greenpeace ships

Pathway of different doors

Paths

As we sit in class,
Children are desiring,
Desiring for a class,
The one you and I sit in this very moment,
That road that will lead us to success,
One that some children are not able to take,
The ones that you and I have been led to,
A pathway with a lot of different doors,
Every single one is different,
Which one will you pick?
The one the children desire?
Or the ones that we all detest?
Education is our guide,
Fight for it.

This showcases what I think is worth fighting fighting for as this poem is all about education. It is about how some kids do not have the rights to education and we are one of the lucky few that can afford to have good education and have a wider choice in life. Education is important to fight about as it is what enables us to have a wider choice of what we can do in life, stated in the poem. The last line is not the strongest in the poem, but it brings out a clear message that education is something that is really worth fighting for, as the future of humanity depends on it.

Out of Dark Comes Light: Raden Ajeng Kartini

Raden Ajeng Kartini was born to a wealthy and powerful Javanese family, when Java was still ruled by the Dutch Colonies. She was allowed education until she was 12, when she is eventually secluded at home and is prepared for marriage. During school, Kartini learnt how to speak fluent Dutch, which allowed her to acquire some pen pals in Europe, whom she wrote her desire to improve the living conditions of indigenous women, who had very low social status. She also read a lot of books, all were in Dutch during her life. It was from books that caused her to desire the improvements for women's living conditions.

At age 24, Kartini married Raden Adipati Joyodinigrat, the Regecy Chief of Rembang against her wishes, but she married him (already with three wives) because she does not wish to disappoint her father. He [Joyodingrat] allowed her to establish schools for women, as women were not allowed education in that times.

Kartini died on September 17th, 1904. Just a few days after her only son was born. She was only 25.

After her death, her letters to her friends were published with the title "Out of the Dark Comes Light (Door Duisternis tot Licht)" and the English version called "Letters of a Javanese Princess". In her letters, she protested the way that the Javanese culture does not let women develop, she wants women to develop and learn. She also doubted religion, and how the Qur'an must be memorized even if you do not understand it. She wrote "Religion must guard us against committing sins, but more often, sins are committed in the name of religion".

Kartini may not have brought change directly herself, but by her husband building the school for women, they have raised the living standards for women, as they are now educated and are able to get a job. Kartini's dreams are what caused change, as reaching Utopia require little baby steps.