Peace goals

One of my ultimate goals is to really look in to my life and find those things that are affecting other people’s life as well as mine in a negative way and try to change them. The other goal would be to try to accept other peoples’ differences in a more open manner. Typically I am very accepting of other people; however I think that there is room for improvement and if in improving I make a change in someone’s life then that is a plus.

Needs vs. Wants

Inner peace is not something that can be achieved easily. It requires time and effort. Many times people think that you can achieve inner peace by obtaining everything you want. I think that in order to obtain internal peace one must first take a real look inside and figure out what you need, not want, and what you could do without, the things that are hurting you more than they are helping. Hate can be an obstacle in achieving inner peace in that when we hate we focus a lot of our energy on these negative emotions. Negativity will ultimately lead us to unhappiness. Being at peace with one self is not about being happy all the time its about knowing that even if you have a horrible day you can still find a degree of calmness that will help you get through the day. It is only once we really look in to our lives that we are able to determine what it is that we NEED to live a healthy life. Inner peace involves dignity and self-respect. Without these there one can never achieve this state of mind and life.

The achievement of peace

Black, red, yellow, brown, white…nothing but colors.

Long, short, thin, thick…just some shapes.

Enchiladas, chicken, pizza, pasta…all great food.

Combinations of the three…uniqueness.

As children in preschool we learn about every single one of these characteristics in relation to objects. However, as young adults these characteristics become part of us. We begin to be labeled according to these characteristics. We are no longer just beautiful children; we become Mexican, African, Asian, Muslim, individuals. Cultural, social, and even racial differences have kept us all from unity, thus creating a grand division. Greed, hate, and racism are all demonstrations of intolerance, the thing that keep us from achieving that so longed state of peace.

The issue of racism and discrimination can be traced as far as the history of man goes. It has been an ongoing struggle between any opposing views. Take slavery for example, the term itself refers to Slav individuals who were forced to become laborers in the Mediterranean areas. However, it was in America that the institution itself became race-based. It was no longer about people working to pay a debt, it was about people working because another group thought they were meant to do such thing simply because their skin color was not the same as theirs. By using their uniqueness against black people slavery became associated with racism.

Almost a century later this principle of intolerance hit an all time high. The Holocaust became a worldwide known genocide recorded in history, killing more than six million Jews. The purpose of this was to exterminate the Jews. It was an act of hatred that took intolerance to a new level. It left grief and an undoubtable lesson: intolerance can only lead to grief never peace.

This lesson however is somehow still ignored. In the present day today hatred and greed can be seen everywhere. Take the Middle East for instance, the greed of their leaders has led to more violence.  Bahrain is a country in which there is intolerance between two religious groups concerning both religion and politics. History has shown us that violence can not lead to peace yet we choose to ignore this fact. However, not all is lost in the middle of all this violence and intolerance there are those who stand out by resisting violence and approaching things with peaceful tactics.

Time and time again genetics has ensured to show us how special every single one of us is. However, human jealousy, greed, and hate have managed to twist this simple beautiful truth in to a false reality where it’s the differences that turn us in to outsiders. Time and time again intolerance has lead to violence and destruction, leaving nothing but pain and sorrow. How are we to achieve peace when we only fight for it with violence? Would it not make more sense to search for peace in a way that respects and accepts other people for who they are?

Stand up!

The video, Stand up! was about standing up for your friends that are homosexual or transgender. I can’t honestly say that I have ever had the need to stand up for one of mine since for the most part this is not a big issue where I live. I believe that it is not right to intentionally hurt someone because of who they are. There was one incident that happened to my friend and the saddest part was that the judgment was coming from her own sister. The only thing that I could really do in that situation was try to offer words of wisdom. As a result of my religion I believe that homosexuality is wrong however my religion also teaches me to love one another no matter what. Thus I refuse to treat a person as less for whom or what they are. Just because I believe something is wrong does not give me the right to treat them with disrespect or violence. I like this video because it talks about something that is happening more and more often. I have learned that we are all different and the only way of preserving some peace is to treat one another with kindness and respect no matter our race or sexuality. Many times it is better to remain silent if you don't have anything good or possitive to say. Verbal violence can many times be the most damaging and hurtfull kind so it is up to us to put an end to it.

Bahrain's struggle for peace

Bahrain is a country that has recently caught more attention than in recent years. For many decades this country has struggled with a suppressive government. This has been an ongoing struggle between the citizens and the political leaders. As a result of all the turmoil that has been happening in Libya, Bahrain has finally caught some worldwide attention. Some have heard of the Shiite but are not really aware of who or what they are and symbolize. The Shiite is a group of individuals that have for some time now been fighting this suppressive government. They have adopted democratic principles as their own and are trying to get their political leaders to either adopt them as well or resign. The success that Egypt and Libya have had with their protest has encouraged these individuals to fight harder. 

You must take in to consideration that this country has had this kind of government for years and years.  It is very hard for its people to finally break from this government. Many of their peaceful protest have been retaliated with violence thus causing people to take notice of this country. I think that they are finally catching the attention that they need. As people we have the responsibility to help whenever human rights are being violated. After years of fighting to obtain a government that supports and looks out for the welfare of its people I think Bahrain deserves to be given the support they need.

memo

Date: February 12, 2011

To: 1311 students

From: Senaida Navar

RE: Teen Advisory Board

Over the course of the years the HIV/AIDS pandemic has managed to infiltrate El Paso. Lack of information along with misguided information has contributed to this issue. Unfortunately this issue is not treated as a priority. The number of agencies that focus on the prevention and education of HIV/AIDS is not as big as it ought to be. There are hundreds and hundreds of individuals living in El Paso who are infected with this virus and are unaware of it. Even more shocking is that the highest percentage of these individuals along with those who have been tested belongs to teenagers.

The Teen Advisory Board is an organization whose goal is HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention. They are partnered with The University Medical Center of El Paso. The Teen Advisory Board focuses on reaching out to the adolescent community. For more than a decade they have been training educators. This group differs to others in that the individuals who are being trained are teenagers themselves. Every year a group of teens form El Paso goes through an extensive training of approximately eleven sessions. Once this program is completed they are then required to attend another training in which they are instructed on the HIV/AIDS’ history, prevention methods, and ways of spreading along with other influential factors. Once they have completed this training they are then certified as Teen Advisory Board educators.

Once certified these teens begin outreach. They attend schools, from middle schools to colleges, to conduct presentations on HIV/AIDS. They stress the importance of having the right information in order to do the right choices. They talk about the risk factors that can increase the possibility of individuals becoming infected with this virus. Such factors include the usage of drugs and alcohol as well as peer pressure. In targeting these risk factors not only do they help lower the excessive use of drugs and alcohol but they are also preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS. Another goal of this program is to destroy ignorance. By giving these individuals the correct information they are trying to eliminate the stigmas that for decades have accompanied this virus.

The Teen Advisory Board also gives these teen educators great opportunities that could not be achieved otherwise. This organization helps both the educators as well as those on the receiving end. This program helps keep these teens on the right path to a healthy productive life. They promote awareness in various different ways such as passing out information, condoms, and performing test during World AIDS Day or organizing events directed towards the youth. Recently this organization has begun new projects that are designed to more effectively reach El Paso’s youth. Some of these projects involve the launch of TAB TV and TAB radio. These programs are designed to convey the messages by presenting them in everyday situations. The radio is meant to be a resource by which parents can communicate to ask questions and get answers form a teenager’s perspective. The reason for this is to strengthen the bonds of communication between parents and their children.

You can contact the Teen Advisory Board through e-mail at TABCARES@UMCELPASO.ORG or by phone at (915)521-7482. Their website provides some helpful information about the program and how to get registered. This program is dedicated to the prevention and promotion of understanding towards HIV/AIDS.

Beyond the Obvious

 I think that in many aspects what is being said is absolutely true. Without education there really is no future. How can we expect for children to stop turning themselves in to suicide bombers when we do now give them the chance to become something greater than that. We have to break the stigma. It is like with anything else, you can fight it but you will never overcome it unless you understand the root of it. Problems are like weeds, you have to go beyond the surface if you want to eliminate them. In a sense I think that we take our education for granted because it has been given to us freely with no limitations. In other countries children have to fight for the privilege of attending school. Another issue that arises is the culture issue. In many Asian countries they have cultures in which women cannot attend school.  If we truly want to educate others then it is necessary for us to break down the barriers of culture. Once someone said “ignorance is violence”, if we want to achieve world peace then we must begin by breaking the stigma by educating others.  Violence is the result of misunderstanding, not having the capability to comprehend and assimilate the different thoughts and ideas of others. It is time that we, who are gifted and fortunate to have education, reach out to those who need it. There are countless of individuals who only dream of obtaining some education. It is within our grasp to give it to them. It seems like all the education we have received is ill wasted if we do not use it to enhance this world. The way I see it education is the key to defeating ignorance but you must still have the desire and resolution to do something great with it in order for you to help stop violence. It is worthless to have the knowledge if you are not willing to do something with it. It is not what you have but what you do with it that makes a difference. It is strange, but when you think about it you begin to realize that it all makes sense. If you put one and two together you might realize that without you knowing it you are really studying to help others. Most of the professions that we study for are those that involve helping others. Subconsciously we are trying to help, now it is time for us to do it consciously.

Purpose Driven Hope

It is hard not think of the sixties along with the hippies when talking about peace; however that is not truly my idea of peace. I do not think of it as all happiness, it is more as being calm in the middle of the storm. It’s when you are in harmony with your environment and life. Peace is when you understand your fears and are willing to confront them. Peace does not mean not having problems it just means that you do not rage on without finding solutions. It is when you have done everything that you wanted to do when you wanted to do it and there are no regrets. You don’t have to prove anything anymore and you are just left with this immense feeling of satisfaction. It’s like after you have a great meal, you did not eat in excess, but it was very satisfying and thus you are just content, nothing else matters at that moment but the simple feeling of satisfaction, of self-fulfillment. A lot of people strive to achieve this peaceful life when in reality its not of peace as a whole that we should worry about but those individual moment s when you are truly satisfied with your life and what your have done with it. It does not matter what others think of you or of your life style it is all about achieving that equilibrium of that moment. There is a small wonder, a small moment of happiness, in achieving that equilibrium that can make your entire day worth it. It’s like they say, it’s not the big things but the small ones that make life worth it. A small moment of peace and happiness can go a long way. It doesn’t mean we should stop pursuing world peace but it means that we have at least taken a step to being one step closer to that goal. It all comes down to the individual; if you are not in peace with yourself then you can not be at peace with anyone. There really isn’t a good picture when it comes to thinking about peace. It all becomes a lie. In some ways you could say that the media and politics have managed to give us a distorted version of what peace really is. They have forced us to think that it is about living carefree. However, reality is very different in that peace is differs for every individual. As for myself peace means having a well-rounded satisfying life, one in which we are all willing to give and to receive. It is a challenge if not impossible not to think of hippies when peace is mention, however if we dwell deeper than the surface the flaws of this ill-suited image become apparent. The reality of peace and be found beyond all that false sense of careless-happiness. You can not reach peace if you are too involved with yourself. Contrary to popular belief, that you have to think of yourself first, in this case thinking about someone else is managing your own well being. If you become self less there is a greater chance of you being able to achieve that peace that we all long for. And if we all achieve that level of peace is it not possible for world peace to finally be achieved?