Kids need inspiration and motivation, not boring education

What is the first adjective that comes to your mind when you see this picture?

 

I will be honest with you. I think of some hippy young kid or a lazy bum and a school drop-out. Maybe the assumption of a pot-consumer is also stereotype that might cross one’s mind.

Pictured above, Jeff Bliss, is indeed a high-school drop-out but only for a year which allowed him to realize how necessary and important education is, but not any education, only the inspiring and challenging education. Jeff, now back in school, had a video going viral on social media now after blasting out on his history teacher in class.

What makes him special? Watch this video and you will know

Jeff Bliss is a leader, a courageous young man who ought to be the exemplary student and a lesson to all those unworthy teachers out there.

How does this relate to Lebanon?

How many teachers are like that history teacher in Jeff’s case in our Lebanese public schools? For one, I remember dreading my history class when all my teacher did was make us read from the history book, in turns. Later in life, I discovered that I love history, that I enjoy watching documentaries and learning about episodes of the human race. If only my history teacher had put in a little more effort, I may have ended up in a History major, who knows? Keep in mind that I went to a private school.

It is not only about history teachers. How many civics, geography and language teachers out there make the material engaging and interesting for their students? How many biology, chemistry, mathematics and physics teachers actually take the time to go beyond the lousy textbook suggested by the ministry of education and make the lesson practical and show examples of how it applies to real life? How many teachers actually help their students build circuits with switches from human skin to prove conductance, or explain maths as a game, or take their biology students to a lab?

Talking about the ministry of education, does it still exist? Other than the minister receiving a horrendous salary for simply standing up for his party’s positions in the cabinet, what does he do to enhance the education system in Lebanon and prepare the students for the new era of technology, leadership, entrepreneurship and social skills? What is the government doing to enhance the quality of education in its public schools, many of which are now buildings harbouring refugees?

I do not intend to make this post a rant. We all know that the Lebanese government is lacking in so many ways, not only in education, but in governing in general.

This is why we should not depend on the government to enhance the flinstone-themed education system out there, although I would suggest the officials to invest some of the billions of dollars they anticipate from the gas reserves in the sea in a fund to enhance education.

Our only hope is the civil society, the activists out there who are trying to a result of this system and are trying to make it better for the upcoming generation. We can only rely on the non-profits out there ( with all the negative reputation that engulfs some of them), and mainly on the citizens, teachers, parents and students to improve the education in our schools in general.

Education is not only about the degree, the certificate one gets. The value in education comes along the broadening of the students’ horizons, inspiring them to learn and take actions, developing their technical and interpersonal skills, challenging them inside and outside the classroom, basically helping them grow instead of fall asleep in class.

Once you instil the desire to learn and grow in a student, all you have to do is guide and watch from there on. It is up to them how to use their education and what to do with it. The end result will also depend on morals and values, which can be part of education but more importantly a result of upbringing and family.

There are many ways to help inspire young souls and improve their future, thus building a better Lebanon and a better world. A few organizations that I follow from abroad and appreciate their goals and work are the Nawaya Network , Teach for Lebanon and the EduChange Initiative.

If you are a college student, you have a lot to offer. Get in touch with any of those organizations or any other one in your neighborhood.

I will leave you with this video explaining how true education in the classroom should be and why every kid needs a hero in their lives to be their role model.

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Adel

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بعد الحاضر والمستقبل، الآن وصلت مواصيلهم إلى الماضي

لا يخفى على أحد مدى الفساد المستشري في ما يسمى بدولة لبنان. السرقة والنهب هما جل ما يجمع الأطراف السياسية المتنازعة على الحصص والغنائم. طبعاً، هذا النهب الممنهج ليس بجديد، وليس محصور بحزب أو طرف سياسي واحد.

في زمن الحاضر، وزير يسرق المال العام، و يستخدم ميزانية الوزارة الأكثر فساداً وخسارة في خزينة الدولة  ليطلق كتيب رسوم يطلق فيه العنان لجنون ألعظمة لديه وينصب نفسه منقذ هذا الوطن  و ضامن حقوق الأجيال القادمة، هو نفسه المرشح الذي لم ينتخبه أبناء بلدته وفشل في الوصول إلى قبة البرلمان عام ٢٠٠٩. مسكين، لعل هذا الكتيب، الذي دفع ثمنه الشعب، يستر عن ذنوب هذا الوزير الذي كلف لبنان مليار ومئتي مليون دولار ثمن باخرة إنتاج طاقة كهربائية تعطلت على مرفأ بيروت بعد أقل من شهر على وصولها. هذا الوزير الذي يسرق الحاضر، من الواضح أن جيبه عينه على المستقبل، فلعل الجيل الصاعد الذي يكتسب حق التصويت في العام ٢٠٢٠، تنطلي عليه الحيلة ويصوت لتلك الشخصية البطلة في كتيب الأطفال الذي وزع عليه في أيام الصغر.

في زمن المستقبل، حدث ولا حرج. فبعد إحتكار الكلمة ودلائلها من قبل تيار بنى امبراطوريته على نهب ثروات المال العام و الإستيلاء على الأملاك العامة البحرية و وسط المدينة، أصبحت الكلمة بحد ذاتها تحمل نفور كبير لدى مجموعة كبيرة من الشعب اللبناني. وها هم نواب الأمة اليوم، وبعد أشهر من التحاور والتشاور، من التقسيم و التقييم، يتفقون مرة أخرى على حساب الشعب لسرقة المستقبل وتحديد نتائج الانتخبات سلفاً. بعد أن هيمنوا على الحاضر واستنزفوه فيما بينهم، راحوا يخططون، كالعادة في كل حاضر يحضر، على كيفية إخضاع المستقبل لحساباتهم الضيقة وأطماعهم التي لا حدود لشراهتها.

هذا كله ليس بجديد، و ليس من المتغرب على أي طبقة سياسية أن تسخر ما توفر لها من إمكانيات للسيطرة على الحاضر و التأثير على المستقبل، إذ للأسف ، وليس في لبنان فقط، أصبح مرادف السياسيين الفساد والكذب. لكن، كالعادة، اللبناني طموح ويسعى إلى انجازات أكبر وأكبر. فبعد الحاضر والمستقبل، إكتشف خبراء الفساد والسرقة والنهب في جمهورية الأرز كيفية تطبيق مفعول رجعي على الزمن الماضي والإستفادة منه للاغتناء. ونتيجة هذه البحوث، نزف اليكم اليوم خبر سرقة نصف ممتلكات متحف جبيل الأثري، و التكتم عن الإعلان عن هذه السرقة من قبل القيمين عليه لفترة ما يقارب الثلاثة أشهر. إذ من غير المنطقي الإعلان عن عملية سرقة من هذا النوع والسماح للسارق بمغادرة الأراضي اللبنانية مو الأثار المسروقة. فمن إحترف السرقة، إحترف الكذب والنفاق أيضاً، ويدرك جيداً أن الإفصاح على عملية السرقة في أوانها من شأنه أن يعرض أصحاب الشان، من مشرفين على المتحف، إلى موظفي أمن عام وشرطة، إلى رئيس بلدية و نائب ووزير، إلى تعقيدات هم بغنى عنها.  ولماذا الإستعجال؟ تتم السرقة في ١٨ اذار، يلتزم الجميع الصمت حتى يسمح الوقت بيع الغائم وتصديرها للخارج، ومن ثم بعد وقت طويل يصبح الموضوع كله في خبر كان، والإتكال على ذاكرة الشعب القصيرة التي بالكاد تتمكن من مواكبة المجريات التي تناولها وسائل الإعلام المرئي والمسموع.

Syrian Refugee Clothing Drive

To all the Lebanese, Syrian and other Arab expats, this goes out to you. There is a crowd-sourcing initiative going on to ship 300 boxes of clothes to the Syrian refugees, mainly children in Lebanon. The initiative is seeking funding through indiegogo. You can check out the link here, or read below.

Why should this matter to you?

Whether you are for or against the presence of the Syrian refugees in Lebanon, whether you support Assad or not, whether you think the revolution in Syria is a fundamentalist muslim one or a true uprising, this is not about what you think.

This is about more than ONE MILLION refugees filling the Lebanese streets, villages and cities. This is about hundreds of thousands of kids living in tents, begging on the streets, playing in dirt and ripped of their childhood.

You might not be able to fund this if you are in Lebanon, but you can spread the word. If you are abroad, you know you can afford to support this, especially as you sit on your laptop right now enjoying a nice meal or a beverage with a roof above your head.

This is about humans, not about politics.

Below are the words of the fundraisers on the campaign page:

A community in Washington DC opened up their hearts, wallets and souls to help support a clothing drive (hosted out of homes, businesses, and cars!!) to send items to the thousands of Syrian Refugees in Refugee Camps in Lebanon.

Over the past month, our team of volunteers have sorted and packed over 300 boxes and counting of shoes, baby/children’s clothing, men & women’s clothing, scarves, accessories, socks, under garments, books, stuffed animals/toys and blankets (check out the pictures from drive and volunteers HERE).

WHY YOU SHOULD CARE?

The situation inside Syria is deteriorating by the day. Literally. Daily, an average of 8,000 people flee into neighboring countries, totaling over 1.3 million refugees to date in Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and Iraq.

Over 5 million people are in need of humanitarian support. Daily, 125 children are born as refugees. Over 50% of the refugees are children.

Instead of feeling helpless, a group of people across the country (yup, we have gotten shipments from NYC, Memphis, Mississippi, TX, Chicago) have stepped up to do the tiny bit that we can. We have done all the “HEAVY LIFTING” – literally, packing and lifting over 300 50lb boxes – now we need your help to help get the shipment over the big blue sea.

Items will be shipped June 1 out of a port in Baltimore, MD to arrive to Beirut, Lebanon. Funds raised will help cover cost of shipping, storage, handling items on receiving end.

HELP US PUT A SMILE ON THE FACES OF SYRIAN REFUGEES (p.s soooo many cute children’s toys and clothes were donated!!!)

HOW YOU CAN HELP

We need to raise $4,500 by May 24, 2013 to cover the cost of shipping and handling to get the donated items shipped to Beirut, Lebanon!

Please donate what you can. Every dollar counts. If 225 people each donate $20 (the cost of lunch) then we can reach our goal.

If you cannot donate we totally understand (as many of our volunteers are students and young professionals) then please simply post on your social media networks and help us spread the word.

YOU CAN HELP SHARE WITH YOUR FRIENDS!

Check out the Syrian Refugee Clothing Drive facebook page to see what we have been up to:http://www.facebook.com/events/598414320187781/.

Al-Mubadarah: Arab Empowerment Initiative is an international NGO, based out of Washington, DC that is working on harnessing the professional expertise of Arab diaspora globally to aid in the social and economic development of the Arab world. Our motto: Matching international talents to local needs. Visit our website (www.arabempowerment.org); facebook (www.facebook.com/arabempowerment)

The other half of the shipment is being sponsored by a generous donation from Qatar Foundation International, who is also helping with the distribution in Lebanon!!! Thank you for your partnership and sponsorship!

Pop the cap and bring the Lebanese back

This year, drink for your friends and bring them back to Lebanon.
Because wherever they are in the world, nothing feels better than coming back home.

This is Almaza’s new campaign for the summer of 2013. By encouraging the sales of the 6 packs, Alamaza is offering the blue caps that allow you to enter the code found at the inside of the cap on facebook, thus allowing Lebanese to help 50 of their relatives, friends and loved ones to win a free ticket to Lebanon this summer.

I personally think it is a creative ad, touches the Lebanese social trends and norms as usual and definitely helps encourage Lebanese expats to visit Lebanon this summer while foreign tourism will definitely be negligible with all the carnage happening in the north and north of the border.

Enough of my opinion!

If you are abroad, encourage your loved ones to support your free ticket to Lebanon and supporting local breweries. If you are in Lebanon, chug some Almaza with the green “foul” pods and bring an expat home.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=kdF2JG9YvfQ

The first civil marriage registered in the records of the Directorate General for Personal Affairs in Lebanon

Amidst utter darkness, a ray of light reflecting from a candlelight flicker is enough to light up the space and guide the way. What is darkness by the way, but the absence of light?

Just like that candlelight flicker in the middle of darkness, the news of the registration of “Khuloud and Nidal’s” civil marriage as the first civil marriage in the records of the Directorate General for Public Affairs in Lebanon made my day.

Let us forget about all the hostility, hatred, call-to-arms and jihad calls for a minute and celebrate this long struggle by the civil society.

A year ago, I was sharing with American friends how I dream about seeing this happening in Lebanon, about how important it is for the younger secular and believer generation to overcome this taboo of inter-religious marriage for the country to move forward. I was telling them how I dream to get a civil marriage in Lebanon, and not have to seek it abroad, for I too deserve to choose my preferred matrimonial blessing in the country that I cherish and the people I laud in my life.

What was a far-fetched dream one year ago, has become a reality. Not only that, but with the strong support of the Lebanese President Michel Sleiman tweeting : “مبروك تسجيل زواج خلود ونضال المدني ” that translates into “Congratulations for registering the civil marriage of Khuloud and Nidal”. The caretaker Minister of Interior Affairs Marwan Charbel in his turn celebrated this move, hinting along the direction of the long-awaited law of personal affairs, stating:

Their religions must not be changed and the couple’s marriage would follow the laws of personal affairs that their sects stipulate, awaiting issuing a code that governs optional civil marriage in the country.

If this is not a glimpse of hope amidst the sea of desperation, I do not know what is.

It is important to remember here the broader aspect of all this. After years of rallying, protesting and organizing mock civil marriages, it took a seriously studied checkmate move, a legal action by Talal Husseini who discovered the loophole and played his pawns in a way to make it impossible for the system to denounce the marriage.

Hard work does pay off!

We should never lose hope, most importantly we should never give up, surrender and settle for less than what we hope for.

Protests, violence and anger might get media attention, but what we need is serious calm and hard work to cure the cancer from within.

Congratulations to all those who have been waiting for this to come true.

Thank you to Khuloud and Nidal Sukkariyeh who were brave enough to take this step and make it possible for those who follow.

Tonight, we forget about all the misery around us and all the hard work to come back to tomorrow. Let us celebrate one step towards a civil state.

Panic at the parliament!!!

When the parliament becomes the biggest joke of the country…

 

Lebanese so cheap, they sell their country’s honor for sexual favors…

Do you remember the last time you gave in a bribe to get your driver’s license quicker, or maybe cancel that speeding ticket. How about the time you asked a favor from your neighbor or friend who works at the state building to finish some paperwork for you so you don’t have to go wait in line?

Are you so ethical that you have not done any of those?

OK, how about the time when you used your friendship with your professor in college to take the exam late or for disregarding the 6 allowed absences per semester?

The point here is that even those small things, ones that we consider ‘white lie’ or trivial bribes/favors or symptoms of nepotism, eventually become a culture and socially accepted over time.

You have probably heard of the recent scandals in the Lebanese Football Confederation, mainly the match-fixing and the last-minute bribery  and phone calls in the shower rooms among the players who sold matches to the bidders. You may have also heard about the scandalous match where a Lebanese referee got brutally attacked in the middle of the game by a Lebanese player, simply for allowing himself to hand him a red card.

Well, these behaviors are only a symptom of the disease. When the whole country is running with the mentality that breaking the law is acceptable not punished, when the law-abiding citizens are the ones always marginalized, when even ministers and MPs are caught in bribery without accountability, when thugs roam the streets and never get caught and when radical fundamentalist militants threaten the prison wardens and get bailed out of jail to be transported in the ministers’ cars, one can only expect a minimum-wage professional football player to lose faith in his nationalism and sell a game for a few thousand dollars, or at least release his fury at the referee.

Today, the Lebanese Football Association sunk even lower as 3 of its referees, Ali Sabbagh, Ali Eid and Abdallah Taleb.

They were in Singapore to officiate an AFC Cup match between local side Tampines Rovers and East Bengal of India on Wednesday but were replaced after being detained by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) hours before the match kicked off.

The CPIB, a government law-enforcement body that is separate from the regular police, said on Thursday the trio had been charged with “corruptly receiving gratification… to fix a football match.”

If found guilty, they face a maximum fine of  $100,000 ($80,500) and a five-year prison term.

Abdallah appeared upset when he was told in court he had a lawyer and demanded to know who had appointed him one, adding he refused to accept anyone selected by the Lebanese government.He calmed down when the judge explained the appointment came from the LFA.

Source: Click here

The football sport is not the only sport suffering from this cancer of treason, bribery and lack of ethics. How about the Lebanese cabinet or the high-paid unproductive Lebanese Parliament, or maybe even the Ministry of External Affairs and its scandals? The Lebanese University? The Ministry of Power and Electricity? Should I keep going….

This is a cancer, and the tumors that appear here and there are only symptoms. The eradication of the tumor will not lead to curing the body from the cancer.

To treat the cancer, we need to start with ourselves, with our kids at home. Curing the cancer starts from things as small as standing in line wherever necessary, obeying speed limits and traffic lanes. These things, perpetuate a culture of respect for rules and regulations that translate to bigger things such as accountability at the democratic national level.

When a whole generation is raised not to stick to the human virtues because “being an honest person doesn’t get the individual anywhere in this country”, don’t blame your fellow citizens for not obeying the law and don’t expect the politicians to be a false reflection of their corrupt society.’

Change the people and the politics will change.

Be the change you want to see in this world. ~ Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi

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adel

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