An alarming number of young people are succumbing to the worldwide epidemic of negative body image, says Janine Wan, 15, a Correspondent based in Melbourne, Australia. At the same time there are efforts to counteract the harmful messages about so-called ideal bodies.

On the 10^th of May 2013, it was announced that the Positive Body Image Awards would be happening again this year. Started in 2012, these annual awards were created to recognise organisations and companies that sponsored initiatives to promote positive body images, focusing on building young people’s resilience to negative body image pressures. The awards are one of the many attempts to tackle the increasingly worrying body image issue amongst youth. 

‘Body image’ refers to the way we think, and assume the way other people think, about our own bodies. People with negative body image may have an inaccurate view of their own body, causing anxiety as they compare their bodies with their peers and unrealistic images of bodies portrayed in the media. This often leads to a low sense of self-esteem, sometimes causing eating disorders and other forms of self-harm. According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD), over one-half of teenage girls and nearly one-third of teenage boys use unhealthy weight control behaviors such as skipping meals, fasting, smoking cigarettes, vomiting, and taking laxatives. 

More young people are succumbing to the worldwide epidemic of negative body image everyday. There are many reasons driving the negative body image issue that is present today.

 The media plays a very large role in creating an unrealistic version of the “ideal body”. Television, movies and magazines seldom hide society’s obsession with being attractive, and often promote underweight models. The average female model today weighs 23 per cent less than an average woman, and only five per cent of all women are model thin. Despite the efforts of some media companies to promote healthy living and healthy body types, images of stick-thin models are still ubiquitous. Even so, the few fashion designers and magazines that have welcomed the idea of “real”-sized models generally choose women of sizes 10-14 to be their models, while the average Australian woman wears size 14 clothes. 

On the other hand, some companies have totally rejected the idea of using “real”-sized models at all. Recently, the CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch, Mike Jeffries, explained why he did not want to use “real”-sized people to market their clothes, saying that “good-looking people attract other good-looking people, and we want to market to cool, good-looking people. We don’t market to anyone other than that”. According to him, “a lot of people don’t belong [in our clothes], and they can’t belong.” That is definitely not true. Everyone is fabulous. 

Women are not the only ones being affected by their portrayal in the media and marketing. Men are often portrayed as buff and muscular yet lean, with prominent ‘abs’, or abdominal muscles. Males, too, feel an immense pressure to live up to this standard in order to appear attractive for their peers, and often work excessively and diet in order to try to gain what they now see as a perfect body.

 Comments from other people also play a very large part in this issue. People take what other people think of them very seriously. From the moment a baby is born, the child is surrounded by the opinions of others about his or her appearance: from “How handsome!” to “Look at those little chubby legs!” to much less flattering comments. These comments from adults, authorities and peers, while seemingly harmless, form what the child or youth may come to believe in the future.

 Negative body image can begin at a very young age, starting with the exposure to over-sexualised dolls with “perfect” figures, such as the Barbie. The Yale Center for Eating and Weight Disorders calculated how much an average healthy woman’s body would have to change in order for her to have the proportions of a Barbie doll, and found that women would have to grow two feet taller, extend their neck length by 3.2 inches, gain five inches in chest size, and lose six inches on their waistline to live up to such a doll. The dimensions are impossible and daunting, yet this is the image that young children are exposed to at an early age. In an attempt to combat this, a new doll has been created. The Lottie doll has a childlike form, modeled according to the average body of a nine-year-old girl. The Lottie doll has practical clothes and healthy outdoor habits. Sold online, the Lottie doll was developed by Arklu, with the motto “Be bold, be brave, be you”.

Society has devalued the importance of a person’s character in favour of their ability to look good. This needs to change. The alarming trend of increasing body negativity needs to be stopped. By working towards positive thinking and acceptance of others, no matter what size, age or race, we can overthrow this rule of diets, disorders and doubt.

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About me: I am a 15-year-old student in Melbourne, but have been brought up in both America and Singapore. I love to read, to write and to eat pizza. I also love tinkering with gadgets, though I’m not very good at that. My superpower of choice would be enhanced intelligence, so I could do and build things to defy the constraint of time and space. I do my best writing while procrastinating, which I do rather often.

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Opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the Commonwealth Youth Programme. Articles are published in a spirit of dialogue, respect and understanding. If you disagree, why not submit a response?
To learn more about becoming a Commonwealth Correspondent please visit: http://www.yourcommonwealth.org/submit-articles/commonwealthcorrespondents/

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photo credit: RedJinn: World Peace: What are you doing about it? via photopin cc

The Durban Climate Change Conference created public pressure for greenhouse gas emission reduction, but yielded little action from governments, writes Naman Sanghvi, 23, a Correspondent from India, who explains some reasons behind the failure to increase targets.

The entire climate agreement is built around reducing emissions back within permissible limits – a maximum of two degrees above pre-industrial levels. But in spite of years of debate and regardless of the introduction of many mechanisms and action items like the Clean Development Mechanism, the world is still accelerating towards global mean temperature rises above the two degree ceiling. 

The ‘2012 Emissions Gap Report’ by the United Nations Environment Program says that greenhouse gases are 14 per cent above where they should be, so as to limit temperature rise to two degrees[i]. In fact the World Bank’s report ‘Turn Down the Heat’ says that the world is set toward a temperature rise of four degrees by the end of the century[ii]. 

Since the UN Climate Change Conference in Durban, various think tanks, organizations and public representative groups have been putting immense pressure on governments –both developed and developing, to take greater action and greater legally binding emission reduction commitments – to be ‘more ambitious’. 

There are a couple of reasons why countries have not increased their emission reduction commitments: 

• The financial crisis and economic slowdown: Economies including the USA, EU and Asia have been under tremendous pressure in the last couple of months to revive economies, get back jobs and facilitate growth. Europe is still in one of the biggest economic crisis it has ever seen. Such a bleak global scenario compels economies to prioritize and put money into reviving business, jobs and the economy, rather than into combating climate change. 

• The Blame Game: Mandatory emission targets will result in increased environment-associated taxes, penalties and compliances, all of which will have a negative impact on businesses in the long run. Many countries refuse to take ambitious targets, citing lack of similar initiative from other countries. Apart from this, countries like Canada, Russia and Japan have refused to ratify and commit to the second period of the Kyoto Protocol, thus refusing to take mandatory emission reduction targets. This discourages other countries to commit too. The direction negotiations have taken has been to get countries to ‘commit’ and at least agree to legally binding commitments first; leave alone taking on increased reduction targets. 

• Still a perception of climate change as ‘a brake to economic growth’ rather than ‘a necessity’: Growing economies like China, India and Brazil, as well as developed countries like the USA, Australia and Japan look at climate change as an expense that will impact their economic growth. Their arguments about inaction directly and indirectly point toward a distrust of the other countries, and perception of action on climate change as curbing their growth. Whether this is true or not, this argument will not hold when there is no world for economies to grow. It is now proven that natural calamities are induced by changes in climate, which are caused by human action. Hurricane Sandy caused damages amounting to close to $50 billion[iii], which is much more than what has been promised by developed countries as financial assistance to mitigate and adapt to climate change. This is just one event, and it is hard to imagine the losses we are looking at, given all the calamities we will have to deal with if urgent action isn’t taken. 

• Disagreement over concept of ‘Equity’ and ‘ Common but differentiated responsibilities’: Developing countries argue that they should not have any responsibility in reducing emissions, and that developed countries should take greater responsibility as historically they contributed to the problem of building up greenhouse gases more. On the other hand developed countries argue that developing countries are major emitters now and should also share the responsibility. This standoff has dragged on for years and has been one of the major reasons why we do not have a ‘Climate Deal’ yet. 

Nation-level negotiations are never straightforward, and a variety of issues have led to extremely slow progress on climate change talks.

 Yet things have still not spun out of control, and to ensure that they don’t, an increase in ambition is imperative. If countries do not act now, it will get tougher in the coming years, as countries will be forced into a situation where they will have to take even greater emission reduction commitments  - ones that might technologically and financially prove much more challenging. 

Countries must compromise and agree now. We can no longer afford any further delay! 

Read more detailed analysis on these issues at World Resources institute (insights) , Down to Earth , UNFCCC

More than 1,100 people died when Rana Plaza collapsed.  Mehzabin Ahmed, 29, a Commonwealth Correspondent from Dhaka in Bangladesh, describes the searing loss and the grief of those left behind.

More than 1,100 workers lost their lives in the recent Rana Plaza building collapse.

The building housed five ready garments factories, mostly exporting to Europe and America: New Wave Bottoms, New Wave Style, EtherTex, Phantom Apparels, and Phantom Tac.

The collapse is paving the way to an Accord on Fire and Building Safety Code to improve fire and building safety in Bangladesh.

More than two weeks after the Bangladesh garments building collapse incident, as I enter OdhorchondroSchool and walk around, my guide, a trade union activist, points to the school veranda and says, “There are the dead bodies.”

I try to avoid the scene, but brave myself later to go there, considering that my guide has been there every day since the beginning of the incident more than two weeks ago. I think to myself, ” if she can do it, so can I”.

I stand in front of one of the people laid down on the ground, with a lifeless body, decomposed after 17 days under the rubble and heat of Rana Plaza, and pray, “Sister, I wish we had met when you were alive and thriving. Wish I could at least say my last bid farewell to your face.”

Someone then opens the white cloth, kafon, on her body, to show me her image, and I turn around, not able to stand the sight as I briefly envision that this is no one but my dear old actual sister, scared of what has happened. As her mother requests me to take her photograph, I walk out wondering how the real surviving families are coping, if this is how, I, the outsider, am reacting.

Parents and siblings of the missing crowd me, all wanting me to take photos of them holding their loved and dear ones, who they grieve. I feel as if it’s my last chance to capture images of these deceased, who sadly I will never meet again. Then a photograph pops up of a missing young boy, a smiling soul, perhaps lost with the rest.

Overwhelmed by such atrocity, on the way home I finally start crying as I remember the mother of Sweet emotionally tell me, “You will be able to work well again, only when you realize the emptiness I feel that my daughter is no more.”

Being a person living with functional psychosis myself, who was smelling burning bodies at home after visiting Tazreen Fashions Ltd., where more than a hundred lost their lives, I fear whether or not I would be able to cope with the images at Rana Plaza when I go back home. Then I remember Tahera, a survivor who because of the Tazreen trauma lost her psychological balance and could not even remember her child’s name for a while. I try to gain strength from her fight.

I remember the pregnant lady from the Tazreen fire, who gave birth to a new life a few days ago. Images of the young girls with lost limbs due to the collapse at Rana Plaza flash back to me from the hospital as I sadly remember, “little did they envision this fate when they were healthy and functioning even a few weeks back, earning bread for their families”. And I try to recuperate by thinking, if I am so scared of losing my mental state due to one day spent in this death zone, I wonder how they are going to cope after such loss – hours and days, and even weeks spent under the rubble. As well, I do not forget the survivors who lived through the terrifying fire few months back.

May the souls of the deceased at this incident rest in peace, and may the injured recuperate with good health. Gratitude as well to the rescue workers and countless people dedicating their time to help recover from this great loss our nation has seen.

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About me:

“I come from Bangladesh, home to the Royal Bengal tigers and the longest natural beach in the world. I am passionate about working for sustainable solutions to development. I currently work as a development practitioner in Dhaka, Bangladesh. I am also a freelance journalist and a novice debater.

“I am bilingual in Bangla and English. I love learning new languages, and am a keen but elementary student of French. What I have learnt from wise words and life experiences is that, “If you want others to change, you have to be willing to change yourself as well”. Feel free to call me Simi.

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Opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the Commonwealth Youth Programme. Articles are published in a spirit of dialogue, respect and understanding. If you disagree, why not submit a response?

To learn more about becoming a Commonwealth Correspondent please visit: http://www.yourcommonwealth.org/submit-articles/commonwealthcorrespondents/

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The stateless man Raul Garcia, who has been imprisoned for over 20 years, is a free man today, writes Ariela St Pierre-Collins, a 15-year old Commonwealth Correspondent from the Barbados. Raul has moved to rural Barbados, where he will be gradually integrated into society.

Just over 20 years ago, Raul Garcia entered Barbados using a counterfeit passport, attempting to smuggle illegal drugs into the country.

He was caught, convicted, and served his 20-year sentence in Her Majesty’s Prison Dodds. Upon his release, what should have been an otherwise ordinary transition into society turned into a highly-contested legal battle that lasted for several years over his right to enjoy the entitlement of every person on this planet – to belong somewhere and to be a citizen of a country.

The complexity of his case began upon release for his crime in Barbados when his native country, Cuba, decided to do something highly irregular, highly immoral and highly illegal:  the country denied him the right to return to the country of his birth.

Cuba refused to take him back, even though he was born there. Raul held U.S. residency for some time, but the U.S.A. refused also to take him in because of his felony conviction. Barbados didn’t want him, as not only had he committed one of the most loathsome crimes, drug smuggling, but he had entered into the country under an assumed identity. Barbados wanted Raul gone, and gone fast.

On his way back to Cuba, about to board a plane, the Cuban government rejected him, and he was detained in the Grantley Adams International Airport by the Barbados Immigration Department for nine months. He was transferred back to Her Majesty’s Prison Dodds where he was kept under maximum security and denied most of the rights of a normal prisoner, except that he was allowed to paint. His painting won Gold Medals in the NIFCA arts national talent showcase.

While in prison Raul Garcia had made friends ‘on the outside’. He is an accomplished painter and artist, having won distinctions for his paintings at national art exhibitions. Perhaps he felt contrite for his crimes; perhaps he wanted to start over afresh in a new country. What we do know is that Raul secured the services of one of the finest legal minds in Barbados, David Commissiong, who likes to be the champion of the underdog.

David helped bring to light some of the severe injustices suffered by Raul Garcia. These include being treated and considered as a maximum security prisoner, while also living in the same conditions as one who was charged with a life sentence. He was unrecognized by any state, had the status of ‘Immigration Detainee’, and was incapable of receiving medical attention or treatment for a known heart condition. He was being imprisoned indefinitely, and certainly illegally.

After almost 20 years – including a 15 year sentence and five additional years of imprisonment – Garcia was finally declared as free a man as any other on April 26^th, 2013. He was moved in with a family in rural Barbados, to slowly begin integrating himself with society one step at a time. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

About me:

I am a Barbadian-Canadian and the founder of ‘Youth For Epic Change’, a charity aimed at raising funds for causes both locally and globally and inspiring teens in Barbados to be the catalyst for positive change. View my personal blog at www.unleashthepowerofone.tumblr.com.

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Opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the Commonwealth Youth Programme. Articles are published in a spirit of dialogue, respect and understanding. If you disagree, why not submit a response?

To learn more about becoming a Commonwealth Correspondent please visit: http://www.yourcommonwealth.org/submit-articles/commonwealthcorrespondents/ …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

photo credit: Dean Terry via photopin cc

Uganda’s government is considering a ban on the mini-skirt, but Ronald Ochoo, a Correspondent from Kampala in Uganda, wonders how that law will be supported by the public and enforced by authorities.

On a sunny Wednesday, waking up to Facebook wall updates, they all stated the same thing – a mini skirt law in Uganda, to follow the aborted Marriage and Divorce Bill.

Just as one might have thought that the parliamentarians having been “offered” five million shillings each by the government to do research for the Marriage and Divorce Bill would not shock the nation with another bill, the mini-skirt or ‘Anti-Pornography’ bill was already waiting their response.

The Marriage and Divorce bill caused a lot of controversy, with even the religious leaders strongly opposing it. Some politicians and church leaders associated it with cultures from the west that allegedly want to break the family bonds in Africa. The bill was eventually suspended following a heated debated that divided the House.

Unlike the Marriage and Divorce Bill, the Anti-Pornography Bill got heat from people wondering how the government would implement such a bill. Of all its clauses, the population concentrated on the one stating that wearing mini skirts amounts to pornography. Some people feel this is against their human rights, and that should be a ground to oppose this bill.

Going to the root of the bill and the person who tabled it in parliament, it should be noted that this was first tabled by the Ex-Ethics and Integrity Minister Mr.Nsaba Buturo. He lost the initial battle to parliament, and with a number of pressing issues coming up the bill was shunted aside for time and concentration on other matters of concern.

Just as he quit, his successor of three years felt obliged to re-table this bill. Thus Fr.Lukodo tabled the bill that saw the nation go wild about how one would determine what another ought to have worn. It should be noted that the eradication of mini-skirt was established during the reign of the late President Idi Amin, who supported sharia law being established in Uganda. That introduced women to wearing long skirts that reached the feet, with the intent to ensure decency in society. In the wake of his exit, Ugandans slowly but surely reverted to wearing what suited them in the new era of President Museveni, where the public looked for broader human rights.

One wonders how the mini-skirt bill will be implemented. From experience, many a law is passed in the legislature, but the implementation bit of it becomes the biggest problem. Looking at the mini-skirt bill, one wonders whether there will be policemen at every homestead when policing is already a stretched human resource. How will you determine that wearing a mini-skirt is a violation of the laws? And if so, then what is the use of the right to self-expression provided for in the constitution of the country? Does it still remain supreme, and won’t that only lead to many lawsuits against the state, or the law and justice department? Many questions can be asked and eye brows raised, but the answers to these questions are best found with the people tabling this bill.

It’s one thing to be a student of law and another to be the one tabling laws. At this point I am tabling my views not as a student of law, but rather as any lay Ugandan citizen would have looked at that bill. One wonders why Uganda, being one of the countries with very tough laws, is so lacking in implementing these laws. I will answer that: implementation of a law comes with the people’s willingness to be obliged to the laws. I for one may not know how it would feel to propose a law and see it being left to society to decide its fate, but I would worry about that.

Let the people decide. Just as they vote to be represented, their fate lies in the hands of those whom they entrusted to represent them in the august house. They should hold them accountable.

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Opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the Commonwealth Youth Programme. Articles are published in a spirit of dialogue, respect and understanding. If you disagree, why not submit a response?

To learn more about becoming a Commonwealth Correspondent please visit: http://www.yourcommonwealth.org/submit-articles/commonwealthcorrespondents/

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photo credit: jlmaral via photopin cc

Controversy over development of natural gas reserves under James Price Point became a battle of David and Goliath proportions, writes Oliver Rogers, 23, a Correspondent from Perth in Australia. It divided friends and families, and raised troubling questions about aboriginal land rights. 

James Price Point, or Walmandy in the language of the traditional owners, is situated in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, over 2,000 km north of Perth.  

It is a spectacular part of the country endowed with natural beauty and splendour, epitomising the State’s rugged and isolated coastline.  The area is further enriched by its deep cultural, environmental and archaeological history, including whale nurseries, sacred Aboriginal sites and dinosaur footprints.  

However, it is not these things that brought James Price Point into the spotlight within the last few years, but rather the estimated 15.5 trillion cubic feet of undeveloped natural gas reserves that lie beneath it. 

With global gas prices at record highs and growing Asian economies nearby, James Price Point quickly became the subject of a State Government-backed joint venture between some of the biggest names in the business.  It became a battle of David and Goliath proportions; dividing communities, friends and families, and even prompting calls for intervention by the United Nations. 

Opponents were not solely Aboriginal groups and environmentalists, but also economists and politicians who deemed the project unviable and unnecessarily destructive.  Interestingly, some of the most vocal proponents of the gas project were not the key political and business stakeholders but in fact some of the traditional custodians of the land themselves, namely the Jabbir Jabbir people. 

Whereas other joint custodians such as the Goolarabooloo people were vehemently opposed to such development, the Jabbir Jabbir people viewed the development with optimism and hoped that it would bring much-needed development to their communities.  This hope was premised on the understanding that $1.5 billion of economic benefits would flow on to Aboriginal communities over a 30-year period.  

After years of protests, parliamentary debates and legal action, the leading resources companies have just recently abandoned the $40 billion gas project at James Price Point, saying it is not financially viable. Inevitably this decision was seen as a victory for the anti-project campaign, however it leaves the Jabbir Jabbir feeling angry and betrayed that their people may now miss out on vital jobs, education and health opportunities that could have potentially arisen from the project. 

Aboriginal land rights are comparatively late in their recognition in Australia.  It was a long and arduous process which finally gave rise to the legal acknowledgment of native title.  Surely whatever one’s views are regarding the development at James Price Point, it is worrying that groups such as the Jabbir Jabbir believe they are forced to create a future for themselves at the expense of relinquishing a central part of their identity – their land.      

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About me:

I am in my final year at the University of Western Australia, studying Law and Asian Studies, and working part time with a law firm. My main interests are international relations, with a particular focus on Indonesia. In addition to this I also love all sports, especially rugby and tennis.   

My goal is to work for the Australian Public Service or pursue a career in law.  I enjoy writing and discussing current affairs, and hope to make new friends throughout the Commonwealth!

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Opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the Commonwealth Youth Programme. Articles are published in a spirit of dialogue, respect and understanding. If you disagree, why not submit a response.

To learn more about becoming a Commonwealth Correspondent please visit: http://www.yourcommonwealth.org/submit-articles/commonwealthcorrespondents/

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photo credit: Greens MPs via photopin cc

The single most effective means of reducing poverty, especially in a developing country like Nigeria, is to invest in education. 

Whether formal or informal, education is the bedrock of any human and social development. It liberates the mind, expands thoughts, broadens horizons, connects generations and promotes intellectual exploration and expression.

According to global data recently released by UNESCO, an estimated 61 million children of primary school age are being denied their right to education. Nigeria alone is home to an estimated 10.5 million out-of-school children. This figure keeps Nigeria as the country with the highest number of out-of-school children of primary school age. 

Apparently, Nigeria’s quest to advance her socio-economic status as well as achieve the Universal Primary Education goal of the Millennium Development Goals might only be a pipe-dream if more willful and viable efforts are not invested in the educational sector, particularly that of primary education. 

Rising to this challenge, Child Advocacy on Rights and Education (CARE) Trust is flagging off a three-year campaign of ensuring that 60 percent of the out-of-school children in Nigeria have access to basic education by 2015. The non-governmental organization is taking on the task in pursuit of attaining the Universal Primary Education Goal 2 of the Millennium Development Goals in Nigeria. 

The campaign is dubbed “All Children, One Goal”, and will specifically serve as a rallying call to action for all state and non-state actors to speed up efforts toward achieving Goal 2 of the Millennium Development Goals. That requires universal primary education for all children by 2015, and most importantly offers solutions to the situation of over 10 million out-of-school children in Nigeria. 

The campaign will serve as platform to gather information on out-of-school children in Nigeria, conduct school enrollment mobilization-drives, sensitize people living in poor/marginalized communities on the importance of child education, and also mobilize support for the poor and out-of-school children. 

 “The campaign is targeted at ensuring children have access to basic and quality education. Also, the campaign will be used as an advocacy tool to seek necessary actions from governments at various levels and also work closely with government and other stakeholders to ensure that no child is left out of school,” said Olakunle Sanni, campaign director. 

Questioned about how the campaign will reach the millions of out-of-school children spread across the 36 states of Nigeria, Sanni stated that “We rely on a working campaign team or committee comprising non-governmental organizations, faith-based organizations, community-based organisations, youth groups, indigenous groups, trade unions, business organizations, media organizations, corporate bodies and social enterprises whose vision are in line with the objectives or share in the vision of the campaign. The campaign team will be responsible for implementing projects and activities of the campaign in line with the outlined goal and objectives.” 

The “All Children, One Goal” Campaign posits that no sustainable development can be attained without ensuring qualitative education for children. It will formally kick-off on Saturday 4^th May 2013 with a visit to Otto/Ilogbo Community, a marginalized community in Lagos-Nigeria. 

Making a plea for support from the general public, the campaign director noted that the initiative would be more successful if individuals and organization would support either morally or materially. He therefore encouraged all stakeholder to partner with the initiative in order to achieve the Universal Primary Education Goal 2 of the Millennium Development Goals(MDGs) in Nigeria before the 2015 deadline. 

For more information about the “All Children, One Goal” Campaign and CARE TRUST, please email:- caretrustfoundation@gmail.comor visit:ww.allchildrenonegoal.wordpress.com 

Tayo Elegbede Jet- Development journalist, mediapreneur and Assistant Editor with www.yourcommonwealth.org(tayojet@gmail.com). 

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About me:

I am a young broadcast journalist, radio presenter, writer, public relations practitioner and social entrepreneur with a passion for all-round human development. My core philosophies in life include honesty and integrity, open-mindedness, responsibility and accountability.

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Opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the Commonwealth Youth Programme. Articles are published in a spirit of dialogue, respect and understanding. If you disagree, why not submit a response.

To learn more about becoming a Commonwealth Correspondent please visit: http://www.yourcommonwealth.org/submit-articles/commonwealthcorrespondents/

photo credit: John & Mel Kots via photopin cc

The late Chinua Achebe was a writer who broke ground in Africa  and sparked conversations around the world, writes Nnadozie Onyekuru, 24, a Commonwealth Correspondent from Maiduguri in Nigeria, but he was also a model of humility.

Although his debut novel broke the rock for African prose, Chinua Achebe was more than just a pacesetter. He was also a man whose ideas set others on fire. 

Nelson Mandela described him as “the writer in whose company the prison walls came down”. One of Mr. Achebe’s novels, A Man of the People was followed by Nigeria’s first putsch which climaxed in a civil war. An account of that dark period was his last publication. The book, There Was A Country, generated so much heat in Nigeria that expressions like genocide and The Hague were bandied around newspapers and social networks. 

Sadly, the debate surrounding the memoir was enmeshed in glib talk and ethnic jingoism. It was an antithesis to the spirit of the time that invented Achebe. For on the eve of Nigeria’s independence, Chinua Achebe belonged to a vibrant undergraduate literary clan at Ibadan’s university. His associates included the deceased wunderkind poet Christopher Okigbo, John Pepper Clark and future Nobel laureate, Wole Soyinka. 

Each of them was at home with his cultural roots yet loyal to the experiment of a rainbow nation committed to time-tested universal principles. They critiqued each other’s works and sometimes, ribbed themselves in poems. In later years, they became disillusioned with the politics of their nation.  Much of such disillusions were captured by Mr. Achebe in The Trouble With Nigeria, a landmark tract on Nigeria’s socio-political landscape.  

Many of the issues raised in the tract remain today. It is on account of them that the historic writer turned down Nigeria’s national honours twice. Ironically, he did this from abroad. In an attempt to shake off the shock of the last refusal, the president’s spokesman Mr. Reuben Abati said: “The President continues to hold Prof. Achebe in very high esteem in spite of his regrettable decision, which may have been borne out of misinformation as to the true state of affairs in Nigeria, and hopes that he will find time to visit home soon and see the progress being made…” 

At home with men of letters and institutions in the United States, Mr. Achebe criticized his nation from the outside. His health status was his ready answer for his exile. 

“Why, I ask, is there not a single world-class hospital in all of Igboland comparable to the best hospitals in Europe and America? The one and only reason I remain abroad is the absence of world-class health facilities in Ani Igbo,” Mr. Achebe said in an Ahajioku lecture to the Igbo intelligentsia during a rare visit in 2009. 

The speech was laced with admonishments on bad leadership, mammon worship and retrogressive cultural practices. It lived up to the author’s reputation for resoluteness and minute simplicity. 

The latter attribute was a concomitant feature of his humility. In a 2010 reading at Abuja’s Sheraton, a moderator asked Commonwealth prize winning author Helon Habila what he had learnt from Mr. Achebe during his fellowship at Bard College. One of the things Mr. Habila said was that Achebe showed him that it was possible to be great and humble at the same time. 

Is there anything else I can say here? 

“…He was a gift to the world. We are very privileged to have had him with us for the last four years…At a time like this we could draw many words of wisdom and comfort from the deep wells of various African cultures and traditions to honor him. The most fitting is the simple and elegant phrase, “A great tree has fallen.”

- Corey D.B. Walker, Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Africana Studies, Brown University.

Photo credit: <a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/walkingthedeepfield/2300334017/”>Angela Radulescu</a> via <a href=”http://photopin.com”>photopin</a> <a href=”http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/”>cc</a>

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About me:

I am a Nigerian student. I love books. I am young and restless with firm dreams that are only tempered by Christianity. I dream of a world where people, inspired by their common humanity, engage in a global wheel of ideas and do not use history as a tool for blame game but as a lesson for the future. In my spare time, I write stories, speeches and participate in activities that advance the respect of human dignity.

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Opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the Commonwealth Youth Programme. Articles are published in a spirit of dialogue, respect and understanding. If you disagree, why not submit a response?

To learn more about becoming a Commonwealth Correspondent please visit: http://www.yourcommonwealth.org/submit-articles/commonwealthcorrespondents/

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A WWI battle that took a horrendous toll was a defining moment in the histories of  Australia and New Zealand, writes Fale Lesa, 23, a Commonwealth Correspondent from New Zealand, who says the legacy of that battle shaped both countries.

On the 25th of April every year for as long as anybody remembers, both Australia and New Zealand commemorate ANZAC Day. 

In short, it was the dawn of WWI. Australian and New Zealand troops were joined at the hip as one military unit. The ANZAC unit was instructed by Churchill and his advisers to storm the Gallipoli peninsula (now Turkey) in order to conquer the capital city of the greater Ottoman Empire, loyal to Germany. 

What resulted was a military stalemate that lasted some eight months. Instead of claiming the city, the move instead conquered the lives of some12,000 ANZAC troops. Many more endured sufferings that we can not even begin to imagine. Eventually the campaign was called off, and the Allied troops evacuated.  

For those at home in New Zealand, the symbolism from this insignificant conflict would last the distance. 

In some ways, New Zealanders had come of age by fighting for ‘Queen and Country’ in the Boer Wars of October 1889. But that was a family affair involving the Great British Empire and its possessions in southern Africa. WWI was much greater still, and it was here on the battlefields of the foreigner that New Zealand truly came of age, particularly as a people comfortable with the idea of nationhood. 

For the Australians, it wasn’t very different. WWI was a short 14 years after the Federation of Australia, and this was the very first overseas activity for the union. 

As you can imagine, ANZAC Day isn’t just any public holiday for the two countries. It is the commemoration of maturity. And it is a recognition of our coming of age. As neighbours and as close friends, our countries celebrate a shared history, and we remember the sacrifices that have come before us. 

At the going down of the sun and in the morning,

We will remember them. 

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About me:
Fale Lesa brings more than seven years of community and youth development experience to his writings. He was recently rewarded for these experiences with a career at New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade. As an aspiring diplomat, degrees in law and German BA/LLB make him an exceptional candidate for an overseas posting. 
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Opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the Commonwealth Youth Programme. Articles are published in a spirit of dialogue, respect and understanding. If you disagree, why not submit a response?
To learn more about becoming a Commonwealth Correspondent please visit: http://www.yourcommonwealth.org/submit-articles/commonwealthcorrespondents/
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Backyards are falling out of fashion in Australia’s suburban landscape, says Pak Yiu, 19, a Commonwealth Correspondent in Brisbane, Australia, who argues the

The backyard has always been part of the Australian lifestyle. It has been a secure area for children to play and a place for Australians to enjoy a good old barbecue.

However, our backyards now face the possibility of disappearing.

Until the twilight of the ‘80s, almost every suburban Australian house had a large backyard. By the end of the next decade, satellite images showed that no new house built anywhere had a backyard of significant size.

Professor Tony Hall of the Urban Research Program at Griffith University in Brisbane has been studying the loss of backyards in Australia.

His studies show the disappearing backyard is not a case of smaller lots being created, but of larger-sized houses being built on suburban lots.

At the same time, there has been a shift in working patterns for Australians.

“What I found out from my research is that something else happens at the same time. Australia goes from a low working-hours country to the highest in the world. It goes from [having the] smallest houses in the world to the largest in the world. And this happens both at the same time. In my view they are connected.”

Professor Hall views the backyard transformation as a national problem, and cites a lack of planning policies for backyards as one of the reasons behind the dramatic change.

The backyard plays an important role in people’s lives. Without a backyard, children will lose the ability to play in a secure area while getting in touch with nature.

Dr. Wendy Sarkissian, a social planner, is of the view that children without backyards risk losing a connection with nature. She says studies have shown that children who grow up far from nature care less about the environment.

“It’s important [to have a backyard] if we want our future generations to care for the environment…People who don’t have that experience with nature, you’re not likely to love something you don’t know.”

But what is the cause of this disturbing trend?

Professor  Hall says an increase in indoor lifestyle is a contributing factor to the smaller backyards. As people are transported by car everywhere, spending less time at home and more at work, the backyard becomes less significant.

What Australia needs now is an important debate about what is going on, he says. Lifestyles are changing without being discussed or examined.

Even as the Australian lifestyle changes out of all recognition, no one seems to be talking about it.

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About Me

“I’m a student based in Brisbane, Australia, studying Journalism and Arts majoring in Spanish and Psychology. I’m a photo enthusiast and an adventurer consumed by wanderlust. My dream is to be able to travel around the world to capture different cultures and re-tell their stories through photos.

“I’m also a radio announcer on a news and current affair show called Brisbane Line at 4zzz. I enjoy playing and listening to independent local bands from all over the country as well as unearthing hidden talent around the world. I hope one day I’ll to be a journalist and publish current issues that the world will face.”

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Opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the Commonwealth Youth Programme. Articles are published in a spirit of dialogue, respect and understanding. If you disagree, why not submit a response?

To learn more about becoming a Commonwealth Correspondent please visit: http://www.yourcommonwealth.org/submit-articles/commonwealthcorrespondents/
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Photo credit: nicolas.boullosa via photopin cc

The poor man is suffering in Pakistan, says Naseema Perveen, 21, a Commonwealth Correspondent from Islamabad in Pakistan, who questions why the nation’s policy makers seem indifferent to the plight of the people. She boldly asserts her commitment to effect the much-needed change her nation desperately needs.

And thus I have decided to work for others, because humanity means working for others not just for self. There are many things going on around us: I wonder what the policy makers are doing behind the scenes.

Every day when I step out of my home, I see thousands of the people begging, children picking garbage, poor seeking help, and orphans seeking food. The unequal distribution of resources and power is one of the main reasons for the lack of progress in a Third World country, which obviously gives birth to the vicious circle of poverty.

And with the passage of time the poor becomes poorer and rich becomes richer, which widens the gap of the different classes in the economy. This is a bad omen for development.

What does development mean?  It is sustainable improvement in the standard of living of the people. So a developing country must work towards consistent growth in all sectors, particularly health and education, to achieve significant economic development.

The practice of having temporary shelter is common in Pakistan: people rely on temporary shelters for their residence. Any destruction caused by flood or any other natural disaster forces them to move: this indicates many people lack shelter, and even food and education. Lack of infrastructure and transportation are other issues for the common man.

Do policy makers and those in authority feel this dilemma? I don’t think so, perhaps because they have been not gone through these pains of a common man who walks in the boiling weather to the office and to avail the overcrowded public transport. Those who have never faced such a dilemma cannot understand the pains of the common man.

What they are supposed to do is to make the economy better. But do they play this role? Do they realize the impact of what they are doing? These and many other questions which remain unanswered go through my mind, but I do not find solution other than questioning my own.  If I get a chance to be in authority, I will do my best to mobilize all resources towards common development.

A country needs to go through several stages as it becomes developed, but once it starts the journey, it runs consistently and available resources can be pooled towards further progress. After several years, it reaches the final stage of development, where it needs not take major steps. Here, its progress flows at a certain rate on its own. After it has been set on the right path, it works as an automated process. The natural forces in the economy sustain it even when unpredictable situations occur.

Though public welfare is not private goods and neither is it the responsibility of an individual to provide it, it is the responsibility of government or the central authority to ensure the lives of the people are better. Public welfare means considering how to raise the income level and the standard of living of the people.  Providing shelter, social infrastructure and transport systems for the people are also public goods. They must be refined to benefit the people.

Every day when I return home from work, I feel sorry for many people and wonder if I can do something for them. I will convey my message to the ones who can only wait for the development that will happen in my country soon.

I am confident enough to say that when I become one of the economists of my country, I will play an important role to serve the people so that my home land could also be on the path of prosperity and development.

I always hope and wish for it. I have imagined it, and expect that my dreams will come true. And thus I have decided to dedicate myself to development.

Photo credit: <a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/webethere/7708865720/”>Carol Mitchell</a> via <a href=”http://photopin.com”>photopin</a> <a href=”http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/”>cc</a>

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About me:

I am blogger, writer, and a social person; I am a responsible, trust-worthy and friendly person. My aim in writing is to address social issues, many of which remain unnoticed. 

Currently I am a student of Economics, aspiring to make my career in social development as a social worker. I have passion to work with people from all walks of life and believe social development is only possible through common effort and consultation.

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Opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the Commonwealth Youth Programme. Articles are published in a spirit of dialogue, respect and understanding. If you disagree, why not submit a response?

To learn more about becoming a Commonwealth Correspondent please visit: http://www.yourcommonwealth.org/submit-articles/commonwealthcorrespondents/

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Offering amnesty is one option for governments dealing with insurgents, says Olajide Omojarabi, 25, a Correspondent from Zaria in Nigeria, but he cautions against sending the wrong message to the public.

Just before his death, late president Yar’adua of Nigeria granted amnesty to the militants terrorizing the southern part of the country at that time.

The insurgent group, in replacement for freedom and pardon, surrendered their arms to the Nigerian government. Before the amnesty, however, the group had launched series of terrorists’ attacks ranging from kidnapping and killing to bombings of socio-political gatherings and pipeline destruction.

They engaged in these dastardly acts, which they referred to as agitation, to constantly remind the Nigerian government and international community about the gradual ruin and decay of the environment due to crude exploitation and mineral processing activities.

While these insurgent groups were dropping arms in the south after the granted amnesty, the Boko Haram insurgent group began gathering momentum in the north. Bombings of churches, schools, media houses, government structures and banks were prevalent. Security agents were killed as protest against western civilization and in favour of an Islamic Nigerian state. Their attacks were becoming pervasive and devastating. They were so dreadful that the name alone sent shrills down the spines of Nigerians.

The Nigerian government at this period declined amnesty. According to press statements from the presidency, amnesty could not be granted to faceless individuals, or to groups who terrorize without genuine causes.

The insurgency persisted with more sophisticated ammunition, swift hit-and-run tactics and increased number of suicide bombers. It all led to daily severe loss of lives—civilians, politicians, security agents—and destruction of property worth millions. Some notable clergy, traditional chiefs and politicians pleaded for the federal government to adopt amnesty and salvage the country from the reigning terror. Others, notably Christian clerics and families of affected Nigerians, dissented from this opinion, saying amnesty to the group meant injustice for lost lives, and a lost war for the Nigerian military and Nigerian government.

The government defied any debate to consider amnesty. It has since begun preparation to facilitate the feasibility of the program. While this is in progress, the dailies report the group is rejecting amnesty; apparently standing ground on their demands.

What if Boko Haram accepts amnesty? I have been wondering. Does it mean the Nigerian government has been reduced to the level of granting pardon to any insurgent groups, regardless of death and destruction caused? If this is the case, then danger looms. It goes to confirm the saying that a problem solved by starting from the top without trashing the basis will soon be resurfacing.

The Nigerian youths make up a significant proportion of the country’s population. They are both gregarious and vulnerable. Increasing unemployment and mixed feelings about the socio-economic system only makes them susceptible to any form of protest; any agitation.  We must remember terrorism is not only limited to killings, bombings and kidnappings. Cyber-crime, narcotic consumption, suicide and silent scourge are all forms of terrorism that could be used to send messages of frustration, and loss of belief in the system of a society. If the Boko Haram eventually accepts the government’s offer—still wondering—what happens next? Does the government just fold its arms and wait for another insurgent group to sprout, and then dish out amnesty like a piece of cake?

Amnesty means forgiveness and pardon. This pardon comes with assuring packages like provision of scholarships, skills training and job placement to guarantee full adoption of the culprits into the system. It gives them a more beautiful life than they previously had. If this is perceived by the raging, discerning youth of a nation as the easy way to a fuller and more rewarding life, then insurgency looms large in the sky.

The Nigerian government must realize that insurgency is the failure of a system. It cannot be tackled by collecting arms with one hand and giving out material comforts with the other. The deep-rooted causes must be trashed and tackled; otherwise, amnesty will become so stale that groups will resist it the way malaria resisted quinine.

Photo credit: <a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/securitywatch/2470864584/”>International Relations and Security Network ISN</a> via <a href=”http://photopin.com”>photopin</a> <a href=”http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/”>cc</a>

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About me: I am an active, involved student. For two years I have been president of a student leadership organization called ENACTUS. Before university I was an on-air radio presenter for a live program that cuts across all areas of interest to Nigerian youths.

I look forward to being an expert in African studies, proffering solutions to Africa’s most raging problems through my intense interest in writing, community service and public speaking. Currently, I am a student of International Studies at the Ahmadu Bello University.

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Opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the Commonwealth Youth Programme. Articles are published in a spirit of dialogue, respect and understanding. If you disagree, why not submit a response?
To learn more about becoming a Commonwealth Correspondent please visit: http://www.yourcommonwealth.org/submit-articles/commonwealthcorrespondents/
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