Archive for the ‘Social Issues’ Category
Happy Easter!
Today, the whole Christian world celebrates Easter Sunday. A celebration of Jesus Christ’s resurrection. Amid the joy of the season, the Easter Egg Hunts, the family gatherings and whatever we plan to do today, may we not forget the real essence of the Holy Week that passed. May the sacrifices of Jesus leave us valuable lessons to guide us through this feeble life.
Happy Easter! Have you prayed today?
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Women’s Month wraps up today
March marks as the International Women’s Month. It’s when the world pays tribute to the many astounding contributions of women to society. And we surely deserve it, ladies!
As Women’s Month comes to a close, I’d like to share this interesting piece of information forwarded to me by a friend, Omnia.
International Women’s Day is the story of ordinary women as makers of history; it is rooted in the centuries-old struggle of women to participate in society on an equal footing with men. In ancient Greece, Lysistrata initiated a sexual strike against men in order to end war; during the French Revolution, Parisian women calling for “liberty, equality, fraternity” marched on Versailles to demand women’s suffrage.
The idea of an International Women’s Day first arose at the turn of the century, which in the industrialized world was a period of expansion and turbulence, booming population growth and radical ideologies. Following is a brief chronology of the most important events:
1909
In accordance with a declaration by the Socialist Party of America, the first National Woman’s Day was observed across the United States on 28 February. Women continued to celebrate it on the last Sunday of that month through 1913.
1910
The Socialist International, meeting in Copenhagen, established a Women’s Day, international in character, to honour the movement for women’s rights and to assist in achieving universal suffrage for women. The proposal was greeted with unanimous approval by the conference of over 100 women from 17 countries, which included the first three women elected to the Finnish parliament. No fixed date was selected for the observance.
1911
As a result of the decision taken at Copenhagen the previous year, International Women’s Day was marked for the first time (19 March) in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland, where more than one million women and men attended rallies. In addition to the right to vote and to hold public office, they demanded the right to work, to vocational training and to an end to discrimination on the job.
Less than a week later, on 25 March, the tragic Triangle Fire in New York City took the lives of more than 140 working girls, most of them Italian and Jewish immigrants. This event had a significant impact on labour legislation in the United States, and the working conditions leading up to the disaster were invoked during subsequent observances of International Women’s Day.
1913-1914
As part of the peace movement brewing on the eve of World War I, Russian women observed their first International Women’s Day on the last Sunday in February 1913. Elsewhere in Europe, on or around 8 March of the following year, women held rallies either to protest the war or to express solidarity with their sisters.
1917
With 2 million Russian soldiers dead in the war, Russian women again chose the last Sunday in February to strike for “bread and peace”. Political leaders opposed the timing of the strike, but the women went on anyway. The rest is history: Four days later the Czar was forced to abdicate and the provisional Government granted women the right to vote. That historic Sunday fell on 23 February on the Julian calendar then in use in Russia, but on 8 March on the Gregorian calendar in use elsewhere.
Since those early years, International Women’s Day has assumed a new global dimension for women in developed and developing countries alike. The growing international women’s movement, which has been strengthened by four global United Nations women’s conferences, has helped make the commemoration a rallying point for coordinated efforts to demand women’s rights and participation in the political and economic process. Increasingly, International Women’s Day is a time to reflect on progress made, to call for change and to celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women who have played an extraordinary role in the history of women’s rights.
Earth Hour 2009
Tonight, at exactly 8:30pm-9:30 pm (by time zone), over 2,800 municipalities, 1,000 cities in 84 countries around the globe will dim the lights in the name of Mother Earth.
Households, non-profit groups, schools and business establishments including giant companies such as SM, Mc Donalds and Coca Cola are expected to participate in this worldwide phenomenon known as the Earth Hour.
Earth Hour 2009 is the world’s big reply to the mounting concerns about global warming. We can do our share.
Spread the news. Dim the lights. An hour will make a BIG difference.
Reaping rewards
Finally, I got to walk my daughter to the stage to sling her medal - the important opportunity that I stupidly missed when she graduated from kindergarten. I looked at my daughter and knew exactly from her eyes how happy she was that I and her dad were both there to celebrate her triumph in first grade. In kindergarten, only her nanny and my sister-in-law were there to pin her ribbon because my hubby and I were so caught up with work.
That was actually one of the reasons why I quit my job- so I could be with my daughter on the occasions that matter to her. I guess one of the greatest rewards from working from home, like in my case now, is that you’re able to give your family the most precious gift you can give apart from love: your time.
Bianca, Jeisle and Robin receive their medals being the Top 1, 2 and 3 First Graders respectively.
(L-R, Top-Bottom) Jeisle, Top 2; Bianca, Top 1; Cristine, Top 5; Robin, Top 3; and Micah, Top 4
Small business lending, anyone?
Almost everyone seems to be feeling the crunch. Job losses continue to mount as recession in the US deepens and sends rippling effects worldwide. One of the worst hit obviously are the small businesses. With banks tightening their belts on lending, the small businesses’ access to capital are dying up. Jobs lose at full speed and the economy continues to slump.
Small business lending, I believe, will help leverage the economy with some government backing. Recently, US Pres. Barack Obama unveiled a package of measures that will boost lending to small businesses. This will eventually help entrepreneurs create more jobs and help thousands of workers bring food on the table.
What is small business lending and what do you need to know about it? Small business lending issues are discussed by financial expert Jon M Queen, an alternative energy businessman who helps clients in matters such as trading and credit enhancement. You can also find the blog of Jon Queen here.
A wife/mom’s cry for justice
I was greeted by a touching email today. It’s a forwarded letter from Lilian de Vera, a widow and bereaved mom who cries and seeks justice over the gruesome killing of her husband and 7-year old daughter last Dec. 5, 2008 in Paranaque, Philippines.
Lilian lost her family during a shootout between the Philippine National Police and a group of armed robbery suspects (believed to be members of the notorious Waray-Waray and Ozamis Robbery gangs).
At least 17 Police officers have been slapped with administrative charges following investigations by the PNP Internal Affairs. Hearings start this Month.
I’m publishing Lilian’s letter here in support to a grieving woman who continues to fight for her family who was brutally taken from her a few weeks before Christmas.
Lilian’s email:
We’re simple folks who led a simple life. We felt the happiest even about mundane things and inconsequential ones that most people would only take for granted. Our joy mostly revolved on simple pleasures like a sudden trip to Jollibee or a late night marauding of the fridge for any leftovers. A perfect family with simple delights, dreams and aspirations………until that fateful night on December 5, 2008.The day my husband and daughter were taken away from me in a very violent way. That Friday night on December 5, 2008 marked the beginning of all the terror, anguish and misery in my life.
In keeping with my ritual or “panata” on every first Friday of every month, I went to Quiapo Church on the above mentioned date to pay homage and respect to the Almighty One. My husband and daughter were supposed to pick me up in Pasay City after which we planned on giving our daughter a treat to Jollibee. While riding the jeep, I tried to call my husband to tell him that I was on my way to our meeting place. But despite all the calls I made, my husband remained silent. A very unusual occurrence inasmuch as he seldom missed my calls. Despite my trepidation and wonder, I took the next jeep going home and prayed that everything was alright. I even promised to myself that I would forgive my husband for not answering my calls and for forgetting to pick me up.
I felt relieved when near our place my phone rung. Such relief was somehow only momentary….in fact the phone call I got was the bearer of the worst news in my entire life. My helper called, only to tell me that my husband and daughter were shot to death by “men in uniform”. The same men who were sworned to protect innocent people from bad guys brutally slew the two most important persons in my life. They were the same men whose sacred duty was to preserve the lives of the public against all harm and danger. Yet…….they were the same men who murdered my love ones in the most cruel, savage and inhuman way.
My husband’s face was unrecognizable because he was shot in the head at close range while he was kneeling with his head bowed down. My daughter’s young body was riddled with bullets, one hit her head, blowing her brains out.., all from too powerful guns and ammunitions fired by the “men in uniform” on two innocent and defenseless persons.
The “men in uniform” were allegedly on a mission to take some gang of robbers victimizing people at large. The police shot the crosswind van my husband and daughter were riding Based on some witnesses’ narration, the police sprayed bullets into the van despite the lack of provocation or shots coming from the van. In his last effort to save their lives, my husband grabbed my bloodied daughter and shielded her with his body while trying to run away from the police and tried to get cover from a parked jeepney My husband and daughter were so defenseless. How can you mistake a child for a robber? How can you shot at someone who was already kneeling with head bowed, an indication of helplessness.
My husband and daughter are gone…….forever. The pain I feel for their lost is too much to bear. And the only thing that motivates me to go on with life is the mission to seek justice for their senseless killing. If the people who are responsible for their death will be punished, if I could bring them the justice they so richly deserve, my pain would be alleviated. The misery I will live by will be lessened. My husband and daughter will be vindicated and I will learn to live the remaining years of my life in peace.
One of the cars (aside from the Crosswind driven by Lilian's husband) strafed with bullets during the shootout.
Thus: I’m asking and begging everyone who will come across this letter/e-mail to forward the same to all your relatives, friends, and acquaintances. Help me bring my cause to the eyes of the people capable of steering the wheel of justice to the right direction. Help me make the loudest cry worthy of attention by those people in-charge in rendering justice to those who deserve it.
Strength comes in numbers; it is where the impossible becomes possible. It is also where the unattainable becomes achievable.
My heartfelt gratitude for everyone who will take a moment in their too busy lives and forward this letter/e-mail to everyone they know. May God always protect you and your love ones from all harm.
Lilian de Vera
Domestic violence: He hit you once, he’ll hit you again
You must have heard about the singing duo Rihanna and Chris Brown. News about their ugly fight which resulted in Rihanna’s being beaten black and blue circulated like wild fire around the globe, taking the case into the courts of public opinion.
In an article posted in OneIndia, “Singer Chris was in court last week accused of punching Rihanna, biting her ear and choking her until she almost passed out. Yet the Umbrella star has refused to speak to police about the horrific injuries she suffered on the night of the Grammy Awards last month.”
But barely three weeks after the assault, the singing stars were reported to have reconciled. Both were spotted together in one of Sean “Diddy” Combs’ homes on Miami Beach’s Star Island.
The reported patching up spawned numerous criticisms, frustrations and dismay including that from Oprah Winfrey. Oprah was quoted by the New York Daily News as saying, “If a man hits you once, he will hit you again. He will hit you again.”
Rihanna remains mum about the issue.
photo courtesy of TMZ
Domestic violence, according to Wikipedia, “occurs when a family member, partner or ex-partner attempts to physically or psychologically dominate another. “ It added that “it can take many forms, including physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional, economic, and psychological abuse.”
It’s a cycle of violence that a lot of victims get trapped into so the act is (more often than not) repeated.
The strange thing about domestic violence is that a lot of victims don’t file a lawsuit against their offender and if they do, they usually recant, refuse to testify, or worst of all some victims even justify their abuser’s act.
I believe all the Rihannas in the world must listen to Oprah when she said, “Heal yourself first and also, love doesn’t hurt.”
Wake up. Nobody deserves to be abused.
