A STROLL WITH MICHAEL BECERRA (For World Tourism Day)

“Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world” ~Gustave Flaubert

(Image Credit: Michael Becerra)

There’s something about tourists that sets them apart from other people, and that is the ability to see beauty and enjoy the variety of the world—the spice of life.

 

One person that has really enjoyed this spice is Mr. Michael Becerra; a mass communication graduate of the University of South Florida. With his pen, camera, and social media accounts, Mike shares his passion for meeting new people in new places and building relationships around the world. He has traveled the entire United States, Central America, and South America, and he’s still on the road.

 

We discussed his love for travelling, his favorite tourist destinations, and how we can protect different UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Here’s my stroll with Mr. Michael, you can pack your bags and join us;

PIECES OF PEACE #IN SIMPLE TERMS

We know when something is present because we have experienced its absence. We know something is bad because we have seen the ‘good’ counterpart. We know right from wrong because we have experienced both…we know what ‘peace’ is because we have not only seen but experienced otherwise. People have different opinion on what peace means, the level of its importance and how it can be fostered among individuals. If you ask a group of people to give synonyms for the word ‘peace’ and their understanding of it, you’d get varying data. It is good that everyone has a mind of their own and are conscious of it but it is not only better but best if they come together to share their thoughts on matters before reaching a final conclusion. Inna Valdes and Rimesh Khanal(UNESCO peace ambassadors)and I have come together to share our pieces of peace i.e. what we think ‘peace’ means and our advice for individuals concerning it. We hope, you’ll be gracious enough to share your thoughts on peace with us too so we can learn. We do this with a simple focus: to share knowledge and educate one another on matters of peace in different areas of existence…in simple terms.

A STROLL WITH HELOISE DE SMET (For International Day Of Freedom)

“Freedom prospers when religion is vibrant and the rule of law under God is acknowledged” ~Ronald Reagan

Freedom of speech, freedom of association, freedom of press, freedom of religion, freedom of information, freedom of gender... we are indeed the freedom generation, but the question is; how truly free are we?

She’s the author of ‘The 7 keys to the Freedom of Being’ and blogs on freedom related issues at Purenrgy.com. Her interest in freedom motivated her to be part of a book project on freedom comprising of 100 authors around the world, and this in turn led her to start the International Day of Freedom as an international observance.

In course of our stroll, Heloise De Smet and I looked critically at the issue of freedom and how truly free we are in this generation. She also told me about her dreams and what it feels like to live in Belgium. Here’s my stroll with Ms. Heloise, feel free to join:

VICTORY OVER LIFE ASUNDER

Guest Writer: Queeneth Agubamah

(Image Credit: datadairy)

"God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference." Reinhold Niebuhr
Suicide is a dark topic. The church sees it as a sin. Starting in the Middle Ages the law made it a crime. Then suicide passed to the mental health profession. So, what is suicide? Sin? Crime? Mental Illness? All three? Many of us who have contemplated suicide saying that suicide is an attempt to escape the pain – a longing for death because life looks impossibly difficult and hurtful. This poignant longing is hardly a new thing.Suicide addiction goes against all common sense. It is among the last things that one would expect to be addictive. But for addicts, it is the best answer.

RETHINKING LITERACY

GUEST WRITER: SHITTU FOWORA

zischina.com

One of the most profound moments in my early education days was when we had a new student, Ejiro. Ejiro wasn’t particularly an extraordinary student but we all liked him to be within our company because he had ‘mouth’. ‘Mouth’ was what we used to describe one who combined brashness and confidence. It was to his credit that the term ‘educated illiterate’ became the catchphrase and the most frequently used diss in school then.  Once the term was shot at anyone, a sudden clash ensues with blood and temper rising by the tens.

A STROLL WITH ADORA SVITAK (For International Literacy Day)

 “Literacy is a bridge from misery to hope. It is a tool for daily life in modern society.” ~Kofi Annan

In the world today about 775 million adults lack minimum literacy skills; one in five adults are still not literate and two-thirds of them are women; 60.7 million children are out-of-school and many more attend irregularly or drop out. In many developing and under-developed countries, the education of the girl-child is often ignored due to prejudices and illiterate beliefs, but my guest on the stroll is a very educated girl-child who is also campaigning for the proper education of other children in the world.

Adora is a published author, essayist, poet, blogger, feminist, and literacy activist. She has spoken at the TED 2010 Conference, and  the United Nations 2013 ECOSOC youth forum. Presently, She’s the host and curator of TEDxRedmond, and she manages to balance all this with the pressures of regular school and a regular teenage life--a privilege many gifted teens like her don't have.

She told me about her writing and reading skills, her literacy projects, what she thinks about Malala, and how she manages her addiction to semicolons.(hehe) Here’s my stroll with Adora: