interesting experience / experiencia interesante

This week I’m following an extra course about emotional education. It’s really very interesting and actually everyone should learn those kinds of things as I’m learning this week.

Today I wanted to write about one of the things we did during this course, because it really made me think and it had quite some impact on me.

We had to imagine (and I mean really imagine it, as the purpose of this exercise was to feel and express our emotions) it was the year 2050; there had been a nuclear disaster and there were only a few shelters. We had to decide which criteria the people who were allowed to enter had to fulfill, as only 3 out of our group of 9 could enter. We came to: healthy, young, mentally & physically strong, and two women and one man. We decided to choose for evolutionary terms of survival.

I was one of the youngest of our group, but as this week I’ve got a bad cold, I wasn’t “chosen”. But my partner was chosen as one of the ones who could enter in the shelter and thus survive. I was ok till that point, knowing I wouldn’t enter as I didn’t meet the standards we had all agreed about. But then the teacher said: “imagine now that someone tells you that all your loved ones are inside the shelter, and that you are not allowed to come in, but instead will die from nuclear radiation exposure. What would you like to say to your loved ones, which last words do you want to pass on?”

And well, honestly, I didn’t like that at all. Until then I had been quite busy oppressing my emotions, as I know I’m quite sensitive and emotional. But we all had to speak in turns, and I was the last one, and by then I felt so sad that I couldn’t utter a word, and cried. Yes, I cried in front of 25 people who I don’t even really know.  I just couldn’t say what I wanted to say. If there had been anyone else but my partner I could have said it, but thinking about the situation that one day I maybe have to say goodbye forever to him, and the ones I care about…that was just too much for me.

Afterwards, we all sat in a circle to talk about how we felt, and how we had experienced the exercise. What really affected me was what one woman said: we chose the ones to enter the shelter like breeding rats: the ones who were the fittest for survival, and by doing that we broke a bond between two people who love each other dearly. That just didn’t feel right.

And that made me think. About human ethics, and about the strength of each person to decide what is really the right thing to do, and to abandon the thoughts and fears society has given us. Because in reality, many people chose out of fear, fear for what others might say, disapproval, and such things. But afterwards they will forever regret having chosen something that was not what their heart told them to do.

A sad but interesting experience. Because this once again shows me that with most matters you must choose with the heart, not the mind. Because the mind is full of fears and lies and is only confusing, whilst the heart… if you have learnt to listen, it is the best guide you have through life.

Sadly though, most people think they cannot listen to their heart, and are too much grasped by fear.

Esta semana estoy siguiendo un curso adicional sobre la educación emocional. Es realmente muy interesante y en realidad todo el mundo debería aprender ese tipo de cosas que estoy aprendiendo esta semana.

Hoy quería escribir sobre una de las cosas que hicimos durante este curso, ya que realmente me hizo pensar y tuvo bastante impacto en mí.

Teníamos que imaginar (y me refiero a realmente imaginar, ya que el propósito de este ejercicio era de sentir y expresar nuestras emociones) que era el año 2050; se había producido un desastre nuclear y sólo hubo algunos refugios. Tuvimos que decidir qué criterios tendrían que cumplir las personas quien podrían entrar en el refugio, ya que sólo 3 de nuestro grupo de 9 podía entrar. Llegamos a: sano, joven, mental y físicamente fuerte, y dos mujeres y un hombre. Decidimos optar por términos de supervivencia.

Yo era una de los más jóvenes de nuestro grupo, pero como esta semana tengo un fuerte resfriado, no fue "elegida". Pero mi pareja sí que fue elegido como uno de los que podrían entrar en el refugio y así sobrevivir. Yo estaba bien hasta ese punto, sabiendo que no entraría, ya que no cumplía con las normas que habíamos dicho. Pero entonces, la maestra dijo: "Imaginemos ahora que alguien te dice que todos tus seres queridos están en el interior del refugio, y que no puedes entrar, sino que morirás por exposición a la radiación nuclear. ¿Qué te gustaría decir a tus seres queridos, que son las últimas palabras que deseas transmitir? "

Y eso, honestamente, no me gustó en absoluto. Hasta entonces había estado muy ocupado oprimir a mis emociones, ya que sé que soy muy sensible y emocional. Pero todos tenían que hablar por turnos, y yo era la última, y entonces me sentía tan triste que no podía pronunciar ni una palabra, y llore. Sí, lloré delante de 25 personas que ni siquiera conocía. Yo no podía decir lo que quería decir. Si no hubiera estado mi pareja, sino otro persona, hubiera podido decir lo que deseaba decir, pero pensando en la situación de que algún día tal vez tengo que decir adiós para siempre a él, y a los quien más me importa... eso fue demasiado para mí.

Después, nos sentamos todos en círculo para hablar de cómo nos sentimos y cómo nos había afectado el ejercicio. Lo que realmente me afectó fue lo que dijo una mujer: elegimos los quien podían entrar en el refugio como cobayas: los que eran los más aptos para sobrevivir, y haciendo eso rompimos un vínculo entre dos personas que se aman. 

Y eso me hizo pensar. Acerca de la ética humana, y sobre la fuerza de cada persona para decidir lo que es realmente lo que hay que hacer, y abandonar los pensamientos y los miedos que la sociedad nos ha dado. Porque en realidad, muchas personas deciden por miedo; miedo por lo que otros dirán de ellos, desaprobación, y esas cosas. Pero después siempre se arrepentirán de haber elegido algo que no era lo que su corazón les dijo que hicieran.

Una triste experiencia, pero interesante. Porque esto una vez más me demuestra que con la mayoría de las cuestiones hay que elegir con el corazón, no la mente. Debido a que la mente está llena de miedos y mentiras, y sólo es confuso, mientras que el corazón... si has aprendido a escuchar, es la mejor guía que tienes en la vida.

Tristemente, la mayoría de la gente piensa que no puede escuchar a su corazón, y están demasiado agarrados por el miedo.

Sun!/ Sol!

Nature thrives thanks to the sun

 I don’t know how the weather is in other parts of the world, but here it’s sunny. A nice, fresh spring sun, that little by little is warming up the northern hemisphere once again.

And since I study at home, I decided to sit outside and study there, nicely, in the sun, feeling relaxed and happy. Then I suddenly started wondering: what benefits, both physical and mental, does the sun give us?

I think all living beings have a special relationship with the sun. Because without its light and warmth energy, we wouldn’t exist.  And to me it seems that even humans still have that special bond with the sun, no matter how separated we feel from nature.

So… I have made up a list about the benefits of being in the sun. I must, of course, warn you that with being in the sun you have to be careful. Depending on where you live, what season it is, and what skin type you are, you can only be between 10 and 20 minutes in the sun. After that, it’s recommendable to protect yourself. Even though the sun is beneficial, overexposure is not healthy. The key, dear readers, is moderation. Like everything else in life.

Physical benefits.

Just as plants photosynthesize nutrients from the sun, our bodies need it for our own photosynthetic activities (yes, we can do a sort of photosynthesis!). Mainly from the sun’s rays we synthesize vitamin D. Vitamin D is known to regulate calcium levels and absorption. It is necessary for healthy bones and teeth. It’s also important for:

• Healthy immune function, in order to fight off more effectively diseases, even diseases like some sorts of cancer or arthritis. I think here that the vitamin D as well as mental benefits from being in the sun is important. 
• Insulin/blood sugar regulation.
• Digestive functions, like better liver and kidney function
• Prevents and helps with muscle pain

Other physical benefits from the sun are:

• Prevention of high blood pressure, thus improving cardiovascular health
• Raising core body temperature, which facilitate increased cell function and higher energy. This increases our detoxification and purification systems. It also increases cortisol levels during the day, ushering more relaxation and deeper sleep during the night.
• Regulation of our natural biorhythm cycles.
• Lower cholesterol
• More physical exercise: It’s more fun to be outside than to be inside, and you can use sunny weather as a good excuse to get out and exercise. The sun encourages biking, hiking or swimming. Head out on a nice day and enjoy the sunshine — and get more fulfilling exercise.

Mental benefits.

Firstly, I must say that sometimes I find it a bit hard to distinguish between physical and mental, because to me the mental part is just as physical as the physical part of the body. And to me it seems both parts are so interconnected that it’s hard to trace a line and completely separate them. Well, now that I’ve said this, and probably have confused you, I will go on with my list ;)

• Reduction of stress, if you take the time to enjoy the sun. it can also help you to sleep better
• Reduction of anxiety, as being in the sun relaxes us.
• Fight depression/feeling down. Sunlight helps to improve your mood. It’s no secret that in many northern countries people in the winter suffer from and official “winter depression”. Seemingly, we need sunlight to be happy.
• And last but not least, in general it really helps people to feel better, happier, and kinder. Why do you think that people who life in (sub) tropical regions are so much nicer than people who live in cold climates? It’s all in the sun. That’s the big secret.

So, now that you have read my list of benefits, I’m sure you’ll appreciate the sun a little more and take some time to sunbathe, right? :)

even animals love the sun! Incluso los animales aman el sol! 

No sé cómo será el tiempo en otros partes del mundo, pero aquí hace un día soleada. Un sol primaveral fresco, bonito, que poco a poco está volviendo a calentar el hemisferio norte.

Y ya que estudio desde casa, decidí hoy sentarme fuera y estudiar allí, en el sol, sintiéndome relajada y feliz. Y de repente empecé a pensar: ¿Qué beneficios, tanto mental como físico, recibimos del sol?

Creo que todos los seres vivos tienen una relación especial con el sol. Porque sin su luz y energía calorífica, no existiríamos. Y a mí me parece que incluso los seres humanos todavía tienen ese vínculo especial con el sol, independientemente de cómo de separados nos sentimos de la naturaleza.

Así que... He hecho una lista sobre los beneficios de estar en el sol. Debo, por supuesto, advertirte que con estar en el sol hay que tener cuidado. Dependiendo de dónde vives, en qué estación estamos, y qué tipo de piel tienes, sólo puedes estar entre 10 y 20 minutos en el sol. Después de eso, es recomendable protegerse. A pesar de que el sol es beneficioso, la sobreexposición no es saludable. La clave, queridos lectores, es la moderación. Como todo lo demás en la vida.

Beneficios físicos.
Así como las plantas fotosíntetizan los nutrientes del sol, nuestros cuerpos también necesita el sol para nuestras propios actividades fotosintéticas (sí, podemos hacer una tipo de fotosíntesis!). Principalmente de los rayos del sol sintetizamos la vitamina D. La vitamina D es conocido por poder regular los niveles de calcio y su absorción. Es necesario para tener huesos y dientes sanos. También es importante para:

• Un saludable sistema inmunitario, con el fin de luchar contra enfermedades más efectivamente, incluso enfermedades como algunos tipos de cáncer o artritis. Creo que aquí que la vitamina D, así como los beneficios mentales de estar en el sol, es importante.
• La insulina / glucemia regulación en la sangre.
• Las funciones digestivas, como un mejor funcionamiento del hígado y del riñón
• Previene y ayuda con el dolor muscular

Otros beneficios físicos del sol son los siguientes:

• Prevención de la presión arterial alta, lo que mejora la salud cardiovascular
• Aumenta la temperatura corporal, lo que facilitará el aumento de la función celular y mayor energía. Esto aumenta nuestra desintoxicación y sistemas de purificación. También aumenta los niveles de cortisol durante el día, dando una mayor relajación y un sueño más profundo durante la noche.
• Regulación de los biorritmos naturales.
• Baja el colesterol
• Más ejercicio físico: Es más divertido estar fuera que estar dentro, y se puede utilizar el tiempo soleado como una buena excusa para salir y hacer ejercicio. El sol anima a montar bicicleta, caminar o nadar. Salga en un día agradable y disfruta del sol - y además así hagas más ejercicio satisfactorio. 

Beneficios mentales.
En primer lugar, debo decir que a veces me resulta un poco difícil distinguir entre lo físico y mental, porque para mí la parte mental es tan física como la parte física del cuerpo. Y a mí me parece que ambas partes están tan interconectados que es difícil trazar una línea y completamente separarlos. Bueno, ahora que lo he dicho, y probablemente haberte confundido, voy a seguir con mi lista ;)

• Reducción de estrés, si se toma el tiempo para disfrutar del sol. también puede ayudar a dormir mejor
• Reducción de la ansiedad, ya que estar en el sol nos relaja.
• Luchar contra la depresión / estado decaído. La luz del sol ayuda a mejorar tu estado de ánimo. No es ningún secreto que en muchos países del norte en el invierno la gente sufre oficialmente de "depresión invernal". Al parecer, necesitamos la luz del sol para ser feliz.
• Y por último pero no menos importante, en general, estar en el sol realmente ayuda a las personas a sentirse mejor, más feliz y más amable. ¿Por qué crees que la gente que la vida en regiones (sub) tropicales son mucho más agradable que las personas que viven en climas fríos? Todo está en el sol. Ese es el gran secreto.

Así que, ahora que has leído mi lista de beneficios, estoy seguro de que apreciarás el sol un poco más y tomaras algún tiempo para tomar el sol, ¿verdad? :)

I know i already put this picture up once, but it's just so funny! and it expresses really well how much animals love it when there is sun :)
Sé que ya he puesto esa foto antes, pero es que me da mucha gracia, y  expresa muy bien qué bien se sienten los animales cuando hay sol.

The value of handmade gifts/ El valor de regalos hechas a mano

Penguins - January 2011

I have this habit to make things myself. If it’s someone’s birthday or another special occasion I usually make a bracelet, write a card, make a drawing/painting, or some other kind of creative thing.

Very much the opposite to the majority of people, who tend to go to a shop, buy something quite impersonal and factory made, and give that as a present. Ok, some gifts are nice. I’m not complaining about some of the things people have given to me with the passing of the years. Not valuable things to anyone but myself, for they contain memories of the persons I love.

But… most gifts are, forgive me, quite useless. And impersonal. I mean: how much work did you really put in that factory made bracelet you just gave to a friend? And how much inner dedication have you dedicated to those cheap pair of socks you bought in the neighborhood store as a gift for your partner? I’m sure that, no matter how kind your intentions may be, the time and personal dedication for such gifts is quite little.

Now, I’m not saying I’m better for making most of the gifts I give myself. And I do sometimes buy things too. I know how hard it is to make something all by yourself, and even more when you believe you’re not a creative person.  Or when you don’t have enough time.

And in reality… people nowadays seem to like more things from shops then self-made. At least that feeling is the one I get. Always when I give something I myself have made to someone I get the feeling that they maybe think I’m childish. You know, because normally its children who made tons of things for the people they care about, and the ones who receive the gifts always try their best to be enthusiastic with the self made gift.

But well, maybe that feeling just comes from my own insecurity.

Anyway. I like making things. Even when I’m very busy studying. Even when I have exams, or work. I find time to make gifts that show my appreciation for people. My bracelets, paintings, letters aren’t as empty as those presents bought in shops. For me I put so much care, love and dedication in it. When I make a gift I do it with all the appreciation and love I have inside me for this person who will receive it. But well, no one apparently seems to even care.  No one ever sees the value of it, nor thinks to do something likewise.

Because “perfect” materialistic objects are so much more valued nowadays than an imperfect handmade gift.

But really: how difficult is it to: write a letter to the ones you care about? Make a drawing? Bring home some self arranged flowers from the countryside? Make a cake? Give photos you know this person will like? Make a decorated shoebox to put things in?

I can give so many ideas, and really, not difficult at all, nor costly in neither time nor money…

butterfly-April 2010

landscape - 2008-2010

Tengo el hábito de hacer cosas yo misma. Cuando es el cumple de alguien, u otro ocasión especial, normalmente hago una pulsera, escribo una carta, hago un dibujo/cuadro, u otro tipo de cosa creativa.

Muy opuesto a lo que hace la mayoría de las personas, quien suelen ir a las tiendas, compran algo bastante impersonal y hecho en fábrica, y lo dan como regalo. Vale, algunos regalos son bonitos. No me quejo sobre los regalos que me han dado algunas personas queridos durante los años. No son cosas valiosas, menos para mí, ya que contienen recuerdos de las personas quien quiero.

Pero…la mayoría de los regalos son, perdóname, bastante inútiles. E impersonales. Quiero decir que: ¿Cuánto trabajo propio realmente has puesto en esa pulsera hecha en fábrica que lo diste a tu amiga hace poco? ¿y cuanto dedicación interno has dado para esos calcetines baratos que has comprado en la tienda del pueblo para dar a tu pareja? Estoy segura que, da igual que bueno sea tu intención, el tiempo y la dedicación personal que hayas puesto en ello ha sido bastante poco

Ahora bien, no estoy diciendo que yo soy mejor por hacer los regalos yo mismo. Y yo también a veces compro cosas. Sé qué difícil es hacer algo totalmente tú mismo, y aun más cuando tienes la creencia de carecer creatividad. O cuando no tienes mucho tiempo.

Y en realidad… personas hoy en día parecen gustar más las cosas que vienen de una tienda que cosas hechos a mano. Por lo menos, eso es la sensación que me da a mí. Siempre cuando doy algo que yo misma he hecho a alguien me da la sensación que ellos quizás piensan que soy como una niña pequeña. ¿Sabes? Porque los niños pequeños suelen hacer toneladas de cosas para las personas a quien quieren, y las personas quien recibe tal regalo siempre tienen que intentar ser entusiasta por los regalos recibidos.

Pero bueno, quizás ese sentimiento viene de mi propia inseguridad

De todas formas, me gusta hacer cosas. Incluso cuando estoy ocupada con los estudios, incluso cuando tengo exámenes, o trabajo. Encuentro el tiempo para hacer regalos que expresan mi apreciación por las personas. Mis pulseras, cuadros, cartas no son tan vacías como esos regalos comprados en una tienda. Para mí, pongo tanto cuidado, amor y dedicación en ello. Cuando hago un regalo, lo hago con toda la apreciación y amor que tengo dentro de mí para esa persona. Pero bueno, aparentemente nadie lo vea. Nadie vea su valor, ni se le ocurre hacer algo similar.

Porque objetos materiales “perfectos” son tanto más deseable hoy en día que un regalo imperfecto hecho a mano…

Pero de verdad! Cómo de difícil es: escribir una carta para la persona quien quieres? Hacer un dibujo? Llevar a casa algunos flores del campo? Cocinar una tarta? Dar fotos de las cuales sabes que a la persona le va gustar? Hacer una caja de zapatos decorado para guardar cosas?

Puedo dar tantas ideas, y de verdad, no es para nada difícil, ni costoso en cuanto a dinero o tiempo…

Ocelot - Febuary 2011

Sir Ken Robinson: Do schools kill creativity?

Ok. Today I was happily writing a text about creativity. A subject I love. But well, while I was writing a thought was nagging at me. Some time ago I saw a great video from a man called Sir Ken Robinson, about “schools kill creativity”.

And although I quite like how I write, I think today I should put down his speech about education, creativity and talent.

He tells us some very peculiar things about the educational system, things that really make you think, and stories that are very funny and inspirational! I just hope you don’t get demotivated by all those words, because I promise you, this is very interesting. And important too I’d say. Anyway, if you're really not bothered to read; here's the link to the video on Youtube, and to his website ;) http://sirkenrobinson.com/skr/ 

"Every country in the world is currently reforming its education system. 2

One thing that strikes me is that there is almost everywhere the same hierarchy of subjects in the school system. It doesn’t really matter where you go. It’s true in America, throughout most of Europe, in Asia, and in Australia.

The hierarchy in every school system is like this: at the top are languages and mathematics and then science and then a bit further down come the humanities and then come the arts. And in the arts, there is another hierarchy – art and music are normally thought to be more important than drama and dance. This is true almost everywhere, in every school system.

There isn’t a school system on earth that teaches dance every day to every child with the same commitment that we teach them mathematics. Why not? If policymakers examine education performance and they find low mathematics results, they get into moral panic and say, “How on earth are we going to improve them?” If they see poor dance teaching, they’re more likely to say, “Why are we doing this in the first place?” Why is this? Why don’t we teach dance as thoroughly as we teach mathematics?

 Dance is as important in human development, as our capacity for mathematical abstractions. In all cultures, dance is present and has a formative influence. But we don’t teach it. Why not? We all have bodies, don’t we? In practice, we tend to educate people progressively from the neck up and slightly to one side. If you asked what the public education system was designed to do, you would have to conclude that it’s designed to produce university professors, because they’re the people at the top of the tree. I speak as a former university professor and I love academics and academic work, but I know it’s a very partial form of human life. Something that’s true of many university professors is that they live in their heads and slightly to one side.

They’re in a sense, disembodied. They look upon their body as a form of transport for their head. It’s a way of getting their heads to meetings.

3

I don’t believe any politician sits and says, deliberately, we must reform education and root the arts out as soon as we can because they’re causing problems. Nobody does that. What they do is focus on math and science and languages. The arts, especially in times of financial stress, become part of the collateral damage. So there is mounting evidence across the country that arts programs are withering on the branch and that schools are cutting them. Consequently, many school students go through their entire education never lifting a paintbrush, never lifting an instrument, not being in the choir. They’re not in theater companies, they’re not in choirs. All parents hope they will be, but actually they’re not.

I believe that creativity should now be as important a priority for education in America and everywhere else as literacy. I think we really have to grasp this. Creativity is as fundamental as literacy and numeracy. All young children have immense creative confidence. What strikes me is how few adults do. If you ask adults, they mainly think they’re not very creative. All young children think they are up to a certain point.

I heard a great story recently of a teacher who was teaching a drawing class with a group of six-year-olds. There was a little girl in the back who hardly ever listened, hardly ever attended. But she was drawing and feverishly concentrating for about a half an hour. The teacher went over to her and said, “What are you drawing?” The girl said, “I’m drawing a picture of God.” The teacher said, “But nobody knows what God looks like.” The girl replied, “They will in a minute.” Isn’t that great? How many adults would do that? But children reach a point where they start to lose this creative confidence.

Creativity is a function of intelligence. The reason that adults often think they’re not very creative often is that they haven’t found what they’re creative at. The reason we think we’re not very intelligent is because we underestimate the nature of our own intelligence. And the reason we do this is education, for the most part.

4

About ten years ago, George Land and Beth Jarman published a book called,

Breakpoint and Beyond: Mastering the Future Today. They report on research they did over a series of years of divergent thinking. Divergent thinking is not the same thing as creativity, but it is a good example of it. It’s the capacity to think non-logically: to think analogically and associatively. They gave a series of tests to 1,600 three- to five-year- olds. If they achieved above a particular score they would be considered geniuses divergent thinking. Of the 1600 children, 98% scored at the genius level or higher for divergent thinking. They gave the same tests to the same children five years later at the ages of 8 to 10. Then 32% scored at the genius level in divergent thinking. They gave the same test to the same children at the ages of 14 to 15 and the result was 10%. Interestingly, they gave the same test to over 200,000 adults and the figure was 2%. Now this doesn’t tell us everything, but it tells us something, doesn’t it, about the erosion of a capacity that children once had.

Now a lot of things have happened to these children by the time they got to be 15, but one of them is that they became educated. Much of what we teach in education is about not being wrong, about not taking risks, about knowing there’s a right answer and it’s at the back and you’re not to look yet.

The arts are marginalized in education for two reasons. The first is vocational. People marginalize the arts in schools in good faith because they believe that taking courses in the arts will not lead students to a job at the end of school. So teachers and parents will say, “Don’t do music, you’re not going to be a musician, don’t do dance, you’re not going to be a dancer, don’t do art, you’re not going to be an artist.” Young people are steered away from the arts by well-intentioned people looking ahead at their futures. But interestingly, people do not say, “Don’t do math, you’re not going to be a mathematician.” They don’t say, “Don’t do languages, you’re not going to be a linguist.”

The reason is that there’s a second compelling restraint on the arts, which is intellectual.

Like America, every system on earth is attempting to reform education. There are two reasons. The first is economic. Every country in the world is facing an economic revolution. Industrialism in most of our countries has had its day as the major form of employment and wealth. In America in 1965, manufacturing accounted for something like 30% of employment. It’s currently less than 12% of employment. Manufacturing output has increased and is still a very important part of the economy, but it doesn’t employ as many people.

Throughout the world, the real growth era is the intellectual industries, including the arts, software, science and technology. These are areas where new ideas matter most. So, for example, Singapore aims to be the creative hub of Southeast Asia and they have in place the Creative Singapore Strategy. I spoke recently at a conference in Beijing for the Fortune Global Innovation Forum. China, as a compelling priority, is trying to figure out how to educate their people to be creative. Many countries recognize now that the future of national economies depends upon a steady flow of innovative ideas. There is no other way forward if our young people simply are to have jobs to do. So there’s a compelling economic argument here, which I tried to set out in my most recent book Out of Our Minds: Learning to be Creative.

But there’s a second equally powerful imperative to reform education, which is cultural. People talk a lot about globalization and we should, but we often make a mistake. Globalization is thought to mean that everything is becoming the same. Well, it is to a degree. There is certain homogeneity, but there is also a deep-seated and resilient strain of cultural difference and identity, which we’re all very keen to maintain. One of the great imperatives behind the ECS was to help states maintain their identity against a federal identity. If you look at what’s happening in Europe, it isn’t just that countries want to remain national, it’s that regions are becoming more distinct.

6

We’re all trying to work out how to educate our children to survive in a world we can’t predict and to maintain a sense of cultural identity in a world that’s changing faster than ever.

Children who start in school today will be retiring in 2065. Do you have any idea what the world will look like in 2065? I don’t. I don’t think anybody can venture a guess beyond the next five years, but it’s our job to educate them to get there. We won’t do it by looking backwards. Most of our reform movements are based on a misconception: that the way we face the future is to do better what we did in the past. We just have to do more of it and raise standards. Well, we do have to raise standards, but we need to be sure what standards we’re trying to raise.

For the future, we need to recognize that the economic and cultural agenda are powerful drivers of change in education reform and that the arts are central to both– not on their own, but co-equal with other major disciplines. The arts teach many of the things that children will need for the new economies and that America will need: self-confidence, creativity, innovation, flexibility, social skills and a sense of well-being. They’re also at the heart of our sense of cultural identity. Our task is to channel them into the main stream of education.

Creativity is a function of intelligence. We know three things about intelligence on which I believe we should base our planning for education and the place of the arts.

The first is that intelligence is diverse. We think in many different ways and in all the ways that the senses make available to us. We think visually, in sound, in movement, mathematically, in abstract ideas – in a whole panoply of ways. Education has to address the full range of our ways of thinking and there’s a mountain of research to support this idea.

The second is that intelligence is dynamic. The human brain is intensely interactive. Mathematicians often think visually; dancers think mathematically. The school curriculum tends to still these interactions by setting up separate subject departments. So we teach math on a Thursday and we know that music is different because that’s on a Tuesday. Actually, these processes should be highly interactive.

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Third, intelligence is distinct. We all are unique and we all think differently. I once met a physicist who described himself to me as a native speaker of algebra. I don’t speak algebra. I only have phrasebook arithmetic frankly, but he speaks algebra. He said when he was 14 he discovered algebra in school and he loved it – and as a result he became a physicist. He now spends all day speaking algebra, which irritates his family quite a bit because they’re still speaking English.

We know in our hearts and from all our experiences that children learn differently. We all have different learning styles and we need different points of entry. Consequently, our school curriculum should cover a wide range of thinking skills; it should be interactive and it should address individual learning differences.

Now this isn’t a theory. There are great programs happening all over the country. All around the country people are putting their hands to this particular task. Our job is to syndicate the best practice and make it pervasive and not exceptional. To do this we need to rebalance the curriculum to give equal weight to these disciplines and not to live any longer with the hierarchy. We need to make education more interactive internally within disciplines. We need to look thoroughly at assessment because in assessment we marginalize things that can’t be quantified easily. Schools are pressed to teach to the test. The result is known as McNamara’s Fallacy – the tendency to make the measurable important rather than the important measurable. That pressure has to be tackled in a serious and sustained way. Finally education should be seen as a partnership activity, not as a ghetto. Education is not something that just happens in schools. We all have an investment in education – business, industry and cultural organizations, community leaders.

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The best models in America are showing that way. America is in pole position again to show the world how to do this. Britain, I think it’s reasonable to say, dominated the world in the 19th century in terms of industry, culture and the rest. If you had said to political leaders in the middle of the 19th century in Britain, “By the way, this will be over in 50 years,” they would not have believed you. There is no question the 20th century belonged to America. But we should not take it for granted that the 21^st century will belong to America. There are serious competitors coming up on the rails, notably China. Asia may well own the 21st century. America will keep its place only be keeping pace, not by looking back but by looking forward into a world we can’t predict.

I’m working on a new book called Epiphany. This is a collection of interviews and reflections on how people discovered their talent. One of the reasons Governor Huckabee is so committed to the arts is that they had a transformative effect in his life. Epiphany was triggered by a conversation I had with Gillian Lynn. Gillian is a choreographer and she was responsible for Cats and Phantom of the Opera. She’s wonderful. I had lunch one day with Gillian and asked her how she got to be a dancer. She said it nearly didn’t happen. She said that when she was in the elementary school she was a terrible student. Her handwriting was awful, she didn’t concentrate, couldn’t apply herself and was always looking out the window and being disruptive. As a result she was constantly in trouble. Eventually, the school wrote to her parents and said, “We think Gillian has a serious learning disorder.” Well, that’s a big stigma, then and now. I think now, by the way, they’d say she had Attention Deficit Disorder and put her on Ritalin.

Anyway, she remembers being sent to see a specialist with her mother, who’d dressed her in her best frock and her Sunday shoes. She remembers walking into an oaklined study with leather bound books and a man behind a large oak table in a rather impressive suit. She was led in and he took her to the far end of the room and set her down on a leather sofa. Her feet didn’t touch the ground and she sat on her hands so she wouldn’t fidget. For about 20 minutes her mother described to him all the problems she was having at school and all the problems she was causing. All the time he was watching her intently. At the end of it, he stood up and came across and sat next to her. And he said, “Gillian, I have been listening to all the things your mother’s told me – all the problems you’re having at school and I really now need to speak to her privately, so I’m going to leave with her and leave you on your own, but we’ll be back. We won’t be very long – just wait for us.” She said okay and they got up and left the room. But as they went out of the room, he leant across the desk and turned the radio on that was sitting on his desk.

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She found out later that as they got into the corridor he turned to her mother and said, “Just stand here for a moment and watch her.” There was a window back into the room. The moment they left the room, Gillian was on her feet moving to the music, all around the room. They watched for a few minutes and then he turned to her mother and said to her, “Mrs. Lynne, Gillian isn’t sick – she’s a dancer. Take her to dance school.”

I said, “What happened?” She said, “I can’t tell you. I walked into this room and it was wonderful. There were all these people like me, people who couldn’t sit still – people who had to move to think.” I said, “What did you do?” She said, “We did ballet, we did tap, we did modern, we did jazz, and we did contemporary.” She was recommended for the Royal Ballet School, was auditioned and accepted. She became a soloist at Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet. When her career came to a natural conclusion at the Royal Ballet, she founded her own company – the Gillian Lynne Dance Company. She met Andrew Lloyd Webber. She’s been responsible for some of the most successful musical theater productions in history, she’s given pleasure to millions and is probably a millionaire. Somebody else might have put her on medication and told her to calm down.

Now my point really is that there are millions of Gillians. We are all of us Gillians in our different ways looking to find the thing we can do. People achieve their best when they’re in their element – when they do the thing that they love. And by the way, when they do that they get better at everything because their tails are up. When people find the thing that they can do, they get better at everything. It’s true everywhere.

I think the challenge that faces America is one that faces the world just now, which is how on earth do we compose an education system to prepare people for a future that we don’t understand and cannot predict? The only way we can do it, I think, is to have children leave school firing on all cylinders – confident, creative, in their element, full of possibilities and full of hope. The arts are a central part of that solution – sitting foursquare with the sciences, with physical education, with the humanities and with languages. We cannot predict the future, we can’t look above the horizon, but if we raise our children up, if we lift their eyes, maybe they’ll see over the horizon and they will help to create this future and they will flourish in it. And if we do that, I think, we’ll have fulfilled our obligations as the current owners of education. I wish us all well in trying to achieve that. Thank you."

I will... / voy a..

The following text is a text I wrote some time ago. I wanted to write about globalization, but somehow I went off theme. It isn’t very coherent, nor did I express what I wanted to say about globalization. Maybe that’s because in my mind so many things are interconnected; globalization, environmental problems, human dissatisfaction with life… nevertheless, I would like to put this text here. Thank you.

Globality. What does it really mean? Maybe thanks to globality life of many people has already changed for better quite a lot. I’m only 20, so I haven’t seen much change yet regarding that in my life. But to me, globality hasn’t done all the good it was expected to do. To me, it doesn’t immediately guarantee happiness, safety, love, health, prosperity… we’re now a global species, in a globalized society, but nevertheless still miles apart even from ourselves, not to mention others.

How globally connected are we really? Religiously, politically, economically. Only slightly, and it’s mainly the economy which connects the world. Because there are too many differences between people in terms of culture and beliefs. And how globally connected are we as individual humans, as who we truly are? Barely (here putting emphasis on Who we Truly Are). Maybe globalization has helped us to achieve prosperity in a certain measure, but I can’t help thinking about the thousands of millions of people who still don’t see the beauty in life, who don’t receive love, who have to battle each day for their and their families survival… we, as a species, are still too far away from happiness, love and peace. Things that seem to me as the utmost, fundamental right of humanity. Things I will dedicate myself to give, to everyone, always, as much as they deserve. I myself have received the gifts of peace, love and happiness, and now, now it is time to pass it on to others.

I will give love, for everyone deserves it
I will listen, for man needs a listening and patient ear
I will be patient, respectful, a friend, a companion.
I will embrace others and do my very best to see people as who they truly are
I will help, for help is always welcome and no one should be alone
I will be grateful, for live has granted me many beautiful gifts.
I will try to be true of mind and soul, and always let my inner self guide me through life.
I will be a little stone in the river. Little, but nonetheless I will change for better many things.

Not until my work is done will I leave. Whilst there are still souls to awaken, people to cheer up, love to give, ones in need of a helping hand, I will be here.

English: everything that can be changed will be changed until there is no more time to change anything. wake up, respect, value, care for, help, love and be happy.

El siguiente texto es un texto que escribí hace tiempo.  Quería escribir sobre la globalización, pero de alguna manera me despiste del tema. El texto no es muy coherente, ni expresa lo que quería expresar sobre la globalización. Tal vez es porque en mi mente tantas cosas están interconectadas; la globalización, los problemas ambientales, la insatisfacción humana con la vida... sin embargo, me gustaría poner este texto aquí. Gracias.

La globalidad. ¿Qué significa eso realmente? Tal vez gracias a la globalidad la vida de muchas personas ya ha cambiado para bien en muchos casos. Sólo tengo 20, así que no he visto mucho cambio hasta ahora en mi vida. Pero para mí, la globalidad parece que no ha hecho todo el bien que se esperaba que hiciera. Para mí, no garantiza la felicidad inmediata, la seguridad, el amor, la salud, la prosperidad... ahora somos una especie a nivel mundial, en una sociedad globalizada, pero sin embargo a kilómetros de distancia incluso de nosotros mismos, para no mencionar otros.

¿Cómo de conectado globalmente realmente somos? Religiosamente, políticamente, económicamente?  Sólo un poco, y es sobre todo la economía la que conecta el mundo. Debido a que hay demasiadas diferencias entre las personas en términos de cultura y creencias. ¿Y cómo de conectados estamos como seres humanos individuales, como quiénes somos en realidad? Apenas (en este caso quiero poner énfasis en Quien Somos de Verdad). Tal vez la globalización nos ha ayudado a alcanzar la prosperidad en cierta medida, pero no puedo dejar de pensar en los miles de millones de personas que todavía no ven la belleza de la vida, que no reciben amor, que tienen que luchar día tras día por su supervivencia y la de su familia... nosotros, como especie, son todavía demasiado lejos de la felicidad, el amor y la paz.  Cosas que me parecen como el mayor y más fundamental derecho de la humanidad. Cosas a las cuales me dedicaré a dar, a todos, siempre, tanto como se merecen. Yo mismo he recibido los regalos de la paz, el amor y la felicidad, y ahora, ahora es el momento de dárselo a otras personas.

Voy a dar amor, porque todo el mundo se lo merece
Voy a escuchar, porque las personas necesitan un oído atento y paciente
Seré paciente, respetuoso, una amiga, una compañera.
Abrazare a las personas y hare mi mejor esfuerzo para ver a la gente como quien realmente son
Voy a ayudar, porque toda la ayuda es bienvenida y nadie debería estar solo
Voy a estar agradecido por la vida, porque me ha dado muchos regalos hermosos.
Voy a tratar de ser sincera de mente y alma, y ​​siempre dejare a mi yo interior guiarme por la vida.
Voy a ser una pequeña piedra en el río. Pequeña, pero sin embargo cambiara parea mejor muchas cosas 

No hasta que mi trabajo se ha acabado me iré. Mientras que todavía hay almas para despertar, personas para alegrar, amor para dar, gente en necesidad de ayuda, voy a estar aquí.

Friendship / amistad

There is this thing that I find very odd. Well, maybe I’m a little odd too and considering the fact that most of my time I spend thinking about almost everything possible might contribute to my perception that that thing I want to talk about is odd.

Today I want to talk about friendship. About what I consider is truly friendship but that most people don’t even seem to know what that is and are content with “friendship”.

I mean. If you are friends with people, tell me: would you be there by their side? Would you support them with the things they do? Would you show them unconditional respect, love and loyalty? Would you try to cheer them up when they are down, and tell them things that makes their life happier?

Or would you ignore them in times when they most need a person by their side? Would you refuse to help them when they are in need of help? Would you talk behind their back about the secrets they believed were safe with you? Would you deliberately humiliate, depreciate and shame them? Would you take advantage of them?

I’m sure that now you will say: “of course I’m like the description in the first paragraph with examples!”  And “I would neeeever do such things!” and “oh, but I know people who are exactly like the description in the 2º paragraph”

Hmmm. Well. Sure. You know, humans tend to forget the bad things they themselves did, and only remember (and even exaggerate!) the bad things other people did to them. Individual humans tend to be much less strict for themselves then for others. Because individually about ourselves we say: “oh, but I had this and this excuse” whilst when we talk about others it’s often that we say “this and that person did that certain thing because he/she is lazy/bad/takes advantage of everyone etc”.

Honestly! That not very fair, right? But that’s just what humans do.

I confess that I am not perfect, and that in the past I have also made mistakes. Like everyone else has, undoubtly. But I can also say that now, now that I’m learning about fundamental things like love, happiness and inner peace, I am a good friend. At least, I try my very best at it :)

And by being who I am now, it disables me to understand how anyone could ever want to hurt someone they call friend. I can’t understand that people lie by saying someone is their friend but in the meantime all their actions indicate otherwise.  I can’t understand how anyone could deliberately hurt someone and call him/herself a friend of this hurt person.

To me, friendship is a relationship. Of course it is! People tend to relate relationship immediately with romantic relationship, but I just refer to a relation there is between people. (hope I didn’t confuse you!) And to me, in whatever honest relationship, it seems natural to be there, to help the friend grow as a person, to help the friend reach its full potential, to experience life, to see, to learn. Friendship is there to benefit both thanks to social human interaction. To me, friendship is not just something you can “buy” and throw it away when it doesn’t benefit you anymore. Which happens only too often….

Or do I see it all wrong? Should I care less about my friends? I have friends, and to be honest quite a lot, who are people who will always be important to me. To me friends are extremely important, and I couldn’t live without them. Thanks to then I have learnt, laughed, cried. I have talked, and listened. I have helped, and I have received help.  I have grown as a human being, and I have become me.

Maybe to most people it seems like I care too much about my friends. Well, what can I say? At least I don’t hurt and humiliate my friends. At least I don’t spread their most intimate secrets around. At least I don’t ignore them when they are no longer of use to me.

No. what I do is being there for them. What I do is helping them, telling them how to cope with life, how to be happy. Or just simply to have a great time going out, laughing, talking! And I do all of this unconditionally. Do you know why? Because when I was the one who needed help, they were by my side. Unconditionally.

Maybe that has been one of the greatest life lessons to me.

Thank you. thank you with all my heart, my dearest friends.

Hoy quiero hablar sobre la amistad. Acerca de lo que yo considero que es realmente amistad, pero que la mayoría de la gente ni siquiera parece saber y se conforman con "amistad".

Lo que quiero decir es que, si eres amigo/a de alguien, dime: ¿estarías allí a su lado? ¿Le apoyarías con las cosas que hace? Le muestras respeto, amor y lealtad incondicional? ¿Tratarías de animarle cuando tiene un mal día y le dirías cosas que hace su vida más feliz?

¿O le ignorarías en los momentos cuando más necesita a una persona a su lado? ¿Negarías a ayudarle cuando necesita de ayuda? ¿Hablarías detrás de su espalda sobre los secretos que creía que estaban a salvo contigo? ¿Le humillarías, despreciarías y avergonzarías deliberadamente? ¿Te aprovecharías de él/ella?

Estoy seguro de que ahora vas a decir: "por supuesto que soy como la descripción en el primer párrafo con ejemplos!" Y "yo nuuuunca haría esas cosas!" Y "oh, pero conozco a personas que son exactamente como las descripción en el 2º párrafo”

Hmmm. Bueno. Claro. ¿Sabes qué?, los humanos tendemos a olvidar las cosas malas que ellos mismos hacen, y sólo recuerden (e incluso exageran!) las cosas malas que otras personas hacen a ellos. Los seres humanos individuales tienden a ser mucho menos estricto para sí mismos, que para los demás. Individualmente decimos sobre nosotros mismos: "Oh, pero yo tenía esto y esta excusa", mientras que cuando hablamos sobre los demás a menudo lo que decimos es "esta y esa persona hizo esa determinada cosa porque él / ella es perezoso / malo / se aprovecha de todo el mundo etc”.

Honestamente! Eso no es muy justo, ¿verdad? Pero eso es lo que hacen los seres humanos.

Confieso que no soy perfecta, y que en el pasado también he cometido errores. Al igual que todos, indudablemente. Pero también puedo decir que ahora, ahora que estoy aprendiendo sobre las cosas fundamentales como el amor, la felicidad y la paz interior, soy una buena amiga. Por lo menos, intento lo mejor posible :).

Y por ser quien soy ahora, me resulta imposible entender cómo alguien podría querer hacer daño a alguien a quien llama amigo. No puedo entender que la gente miente al decir que alguien es su amigo, pero mientras tanto todas sus acciones indican lo contrario. No puedo entender cómo alguien podría deliberadamente hacer daño a alguien y llamarse amigo de esta persona herida.

Para mí, la amistad es una relación. Por supuesto que lo es! Las personas tienden a relacionar ese término inmediatamente con una relación romántica, pero “relación” simplemente se refiere a una relación que hay entre la gente. (Espero que no te he confundido!) Y para mí, en cualquier relación honesta, me parece natural estar allí para esa persona, para ayudar al amigo a crecer como persona, para ayudar al amigo alcanzar su máximo potencial, para experimentar la vida, para ver , para aprender. La amistad es para beneficiar a ambos, gracias a la interacción social humana. Para mí, la amistad no es sólo algo que se puede "comprar" y tirar a la basura cuando ya no es beneficioso. Algo que por desgracia sucede con demasiada frecuencia ....

¿O es que yo lo veo todo mal? ¿Debería importarme menos mis amigos? Tengo amigos, y para ser honesto tengo bastantes, y ellos son personas quien siempre serán importantes para mí. Para mí los amigos son muy importantes, y yo no podría vivir sin ellos. Gracias a ellos, he aprendido, reído, llorado. He hablado y  escuchado. Me han ayudado, y he recibido ayuda. He crecido como ser humano, y me he convertido en mí.

Tal vez para la mayoría de la gente parece que me preocupo demasiado por mis amigos. Bueno, ¿qué te puedo decir? Por lo menos no hago daño y humillo a mis amigos. Por lo menos yo no divulgo sus secretos más íntimos por ahí. Por lo menos yo no los ignoro, cuando ya no son de utilidad para mí.

No. Lo que hago es estar ahí para ellos. Lo que hago es ayudarles, diciéndoles cómo enfrentar la vida, cómo ser feliz. O simplemente para pasar un buen rato saliendo, riendo o hablando! Y hago todo esto sin condiciones. ¿Sabes por qué? Porque cuando yo era la quien necesitaba ayuda, ellos estaban a mi lado. Incondicionalmente.

Tal vez eso ha sido una de las lecciones más grandes de la vida para mí.

Gracias. Gracias con todo mi corazón, mis queridos amigos.

Womens day/ día de la mujer

If you are a bit updated with international days, or you have been on the internet today, you will know that today its International women’s day.

Why women’s day? I was thinking about that, and knowing others would also want to know about it, I found a text of the United Nations about this:

"Why dedicate a day exclusively to the celebration of the world's women?

The United Nations celebrates International Women's Day to recognize that peace and social progress require the active participation and equality of women, and to acknowledge the contribution of women to international peace and security.

For the women of the world, the Day is an occasion to review how far they have come in their struggle for equality, peace and development.

You might think that women's equality benefits mostly women, but every one-percentile growth in female secondary schooling results in a 0.3 percent growth in the economy. Yet girls are often kept from receiving education in the poorest countries that would best benefit from the economic growth.

Until the men and women work together to secure the rights and full potential of women, lasting solutions to the world's most serious social, economic and political problems are unlikely to be found.

In recent decades, much progress has been made. On a worldwide level, women's access to education and proper health care has increased; their participation in the paid labor force has grown; and legislation that promises equal opportunities for women and respect for their human rights has been adopted in many countries. The world now has an ever- growing number of women participating in society as policy-makers.

However, nowhere in the world can women claim to have all the same rights and opportunities as men.

The majority of the world's 1.3 billion absolute poor are women.

On average, women receive between 30 and 40 per cent less pay than men earn for the same work.

And everywhere, women continue to be victims of violence, with rape and domestic violence listed as significant causes of disability and death among women of reproductive age worldwide."

I quite like this text. Surely, I do not favor one gender over the other. I don’t believe women are better than men or vice versa.  

But I do find it correct to celebrate an international day for woman. Because in many countries, cultures and religions, and in many families and groups, women are still not considered equal to men. Women are constantly discriminated, ignored, mistreated, hurt and used disrespectfully. Surely, those things also happen to men. But it happens even more to women. Much more.

And just like the text of the UN says, women participate greatly in the progress of a country’s development, they see the world differently from men and thus help greatly to solve many problems our society stands before.  We mustn’t forget about the importance that women have in everyone’s life.  Thus, a special day to celebrate it! :)

To me, women and men are equal, but at the same time different, unique. They complement each other, but are and can be totally independent one from another. I think that if in the whole world women and men would live peacefully side by side, respecting each other, and knowing well the strengths and weaknesses of both, that that would be a great step for the human being.

Today I say, in honor of all the women: I wish you a very happy women’s day. To all the mothers, aunts, sisters, grandmothers, cousins, girlfriends, granddaughters, nieces, wives in the world: I desire you the best, and that you may forever live in harmony and peace with men.

Si estas enterado de los días internacionales, o si has estado hoy en el Internet, seguramente que sabrás hoy es el día Internacional de la Mujer.

¿Por qué día de la mujer? Yo estaba pensando sobre eso, y sabiendo que otros seguramente que también quieren saber sobre ello, encontré un texto de las Naciones Unidas sobre esto:

"¿Por qué dedicar un día exclusivamente a la celebración de las mujeres del mundo?

Las Naciones Unidas celebra el Día Internacional de la Mujer para reconocer que el progreso social  y de la paz requiere la activa participación y la igualdad de las mujeres, y reconoce la contribución de las mujeres a la paz y la seguridad internacional.

Para las mujeres del mundo, este día es una ocasión para revisar qué lejos han llegado en su lucha por la igualdad, la paz y el desarrollo.

Quizás piensas que la igualdad de la mujer beneficia principalmente a  las mujeres, pero cada crecimiento de un percentil en la escolaridad secundaria femenina resulta en un crecimiento del 0,3 %  en la economía. Sin embargo, las niñas frecuentemente no reciben educación en los países más pobres que más se beneficiarían al crecimiento económico.

Hasta que los hombres y mujeres trabajen juntos para asegurar los derechos y el potencial de las mujeres, es poco probable que se encuentren soluciones duraderas a los problemas más graves del mundo social, económico y político.

En las últimas décadas, el progreso ha sido muy grande. A nivel mundial, el acceso de las mujeres a la educación y la atención de salud adecuada se ha incrementado, su participación en la fuerza laboral remunerada ha crecido, y la legislación que promete igualdad de oportunidades para las mujeres y el respeto de sus derechos humanos ha sido adoptada en muchos países. El mundo tiene ahora un número cada vez mayor de mujeres que participan en la sociedad como responsables políticos.

Sin embargo, en ningún parte del mundo las mujeres pueden afirman tener todos los mismos derechos y oportunidades que los hombres.

La mayoría de los 1,3 mil millones de personas absolutamente pobres del mundo son mujeres.

En promedio, las mujeres reciben entre 30 y 40 % menos salario que lo que ganan los hombres por el mismo trabajo.

Y en todas partes, las mujeres siguen siendo víctimas de la violencia, la violación y la violencia doméstica, siendo estas causas importantes de discapacidad y muerte entre las mujeres en edad reproductiva en todo el mundo."

Me gusta bastante este texto. Ciertamente, no soy partidaria de un sexo u otro. No creo que las mujeres sean mejores que los hombres, o viceversa.

Sin embargo, creo que es correcto celebrar un día internacional de la mujer. Debido a que en muchos países, culturas y religiones, y en muchas familias y grupos, las mujeres todavía no son consideradas iguales a los hombres. Las mujeres son constantemente discriminadas, ignoradas, maltratadas, heridas, y utilizadas sin respeto. Sin duda, esas cosas también suceden a los hombres. Pero sucede aún más a las mujeres. Mucho más.

Y al igual que el texto de la ONU dice: las mujeres participan mucho en el progreso del desarrollo de un país, ven el mundo diferente a los hombres y por lo tanto son de gran ayuda para resolver muchos problemas ante la cual se encuentre nuestra sociedad. No debemos olvidar la importancia que tienen las mujeres en la vida de todos. Por lo tanto, un día especial para celebrarlo! :)

Para mí, las mujeres y los hombres son iguales, pero al mismo tiempo, diferentes,  únicos. Se complementan entre sí, pero son y pueden ser totalmente independientes una de otra. Creo que si en el mundo, las mujeres y los hombres podrían vivir en paz uno junto al otro, respetándose unos a otros, y conociendo las fortalezas y debilidades de ambos, que eso sería un gran paso para el ser humano.

Hoy digo, en honor a todas las mujeres: Te deseo un muy feliz día de la mujer. Para todas las madres, tías, hermanas, abuelas, primas, novias, amigas, nietas, sobrinas, esposas en el mundo: te deseo lo mejor, y que siempre puedes vivir en armonía y paz con los hombres.