Links, Links, Links! March 17th 2013

It’s been a big week and these links have been sitting ‘to be published’ for a while now – hope you enjoy nonetheless!  The photo above is of the UNAOC Youth Forum that I had the honour of being a part of…

How was your week?  If you’re not sure yet…take some time to think while reading these awesome pieces!

‎"Though there is inevitably a focus on the constant tug-of-war between work and life for women, I don't think our feminist dream is a simple binary equation. Maybe it would be better if we had a more nuanced view, of a triple bottom line - professional, personal and public."
Nicola Roxon
Former Attorney General

A fascinating and very Godin-like interview with the one and only, Seth Godin. Worth the read.  I particularly enjoyed this line:

Do you believe in “writer’s block”? If so, how do you avoid it?

This is a fancy term for fear. I avoid it by not getting it. Because I write like I talk and I don’t get talker’s block.

I keep coming back to this article on making this year count.

All that stuff's nice — but entirely besides the point. Of life. For the simple, timeless truth is: You'll never find the rapture of accomplishment in mere conquest, the incandescence of happiness in mere possession, or the searing wholeness of meaning in mere desire. You can find them only — only — in the exploration of the fullness of human possibility.

Jack Donaghy from 30 Rock and some words of wisdom…

What is going on with our PM and the Western Sydney Roadshow?

A heartfelt piece by a good friend of mine about her time at the moment in Afghanistan and our asylum seeker policy.

Are you a political influencer, or want to be? Check out this new tool also being started by a friend, BiPolitico. 

I disagree with this analysis of the demise of Google Reader. I think I will write something about it. It’s something that I am not looking forward to indeed…

Something a little light hearted – 27 signs you were raised by immigrant parents. Too many of these made me laugh…because it’s true :)

Speech Notes from IPAA YPN/CEO Breakfast

  This week, I was honoured and humbled to be asked to speak at the Institute of Public Administration Australia’s ACT Breakfast for Young Professionals and CEO’s on International Women’s Day.  Although not focused on IWD as such, it is an opportunity for IPAA to bring young female speakers to share a little about their experiences, and I chose to share thoughts on how to truly and effectively engage young people.

I should note the event itself was fabulous; held at the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra in a fabulous hall, it was also playing host to a great concept, bringing the graduates and the heads of department together on the same table.  More of this needs to be done!

The crux of the presentation was around the two following slides:

From an organisation’s point of view (best practices):

From an individual’s point of view (best practices):

I won’t give away all the explanations, but one of the key points from above is the biggest learning I have taken away from my recent experiences:

Looking for uncommon opportunities.

Stretching your mind, erasing the boundaries of the box and redrawing them, finding stimuli and inspiration in unlikely places – this is all related to taking advantage and looking for uncommon opportunities.  Opportunities and experiences that may not have obvious or direct relevance to your current role still have the capacity to broaden your mind and perhaps send you on paths that you may have not considered, but paths that are equally worthwhile.

Personal Example: accepting a role on the Board of the Queensland Museum as a young engineering student.

Unlikely benefit: gaining an understanding and appreciation for the cultural precinct and the important of the museum, but also effectively enabling and encouraging the inclusion of young people (and minority groups) in the Museum’s target audience.

***

Offering the skills you have rather than the skills you think they need is also a big learning, and one that really reshaped the way I looked at being involved at the consultative level as a young person.

***

So this is just a brief snapshot of some of the things talked about at the presentation, and practical ways young people can be involved and at the same table as the movers and shakers.

Hope this is useful! Would love to hear your thought on true youth engagement!

Day 1 of UNAOC Global Forum: Youth!

The Global Youth Forum took place on the 26th of February at the MuseumsQuartier and brought together 150 young people from around the world to come up with a list of recommendations to present to the 5th Global Forum of the Alliance of Civilisations.

This post will give a brief overview, followed by post or two about particular interesting issues that came up over the jam packed day.

(Photos Source)

***

The day started with keynote speeches from a very young State Secretary and various other dignitaries.  The dignitary of the morning however, was without a doubt, the Secretary General of the United Nations, Ban Ki Moon.

His visit was welcome and quite interesting. Interesting in that the paparazzi trailing him was enormous, and the dialogue that was had with young people largely tokenistic (simply due to the nature of the visit and the time available). However the Secretary General should be lauded for his personal commitment to youth, and the excitement brought to the room!  It would seem that the next stage is moving from this visual acknowledgment to true engagement with our ideas and concerns. 

The group were then split up into various groups based on the three themes. 

This is all around the central theme of ”Responsible Leadership”.

The recommendations that were produced were comprehensive and far reaching.  These included...

Freedom of media and diversity:

1. Use social media to “transform media from monologue to a dialogue” and use this dialogue to prompt people to participate in more debates.
2. In regards to the freedom of speech, The UNAOC needs to establish a legal basis for the exchange of ideas.
3. Need to cultivate plural society through culturally diverse art.
4. Need to create training programs for minority professionals in media.

Migration and integration:

1. Must create policy law with an aim to enhance minorities in political society.
2. Must strive for successful inclusion by providing children with education in mother tongue.
3. Need to make the path to citizenship for migrants easier.
4. Must create a taskforce.

Religious diversity and freedom of religion:

1. States should invest in formal and informal education systems.
2. Need to define relationships between youth and stakeholders so that stakeholders will listen to youth members of the population.
3. Must enforce cooperation of various forms of ethical religious education in early childhood years.
4. Need to ensure the right to freedom of religion.

Naturally the wording was slightly more detailed, but the sentiment remains. (Press Release)

**Personal comments – the wording of integration itself is slightly problematic, but that is for another post.  Furthermore, this abbreviated version that has been published on the UNAOC website should be, must be replaced by the full versions as these do not give the actual recommendations justice at all.

***

The day was wrapped up by a fantastic and inspiring presentation of the Intercultural Innovation Awards and some true Viennese Music.  The Alliance of Civilisations was truly epitomised in the 10s of different nationalities waltzing and dancing to melancholy Viennese music as well as Greek hybrid jigs. 

So, day 1 down... The next day bringing the big event.   Let's see how it pans out...!

Follow the proceedings and get involved by following the hashtag #UNAOC2013 on twitter!

***

***Note that the full topics were -

• Promotion, protection and full enjoyment of the right to religious freedom in a context of religious pluralism which consists not only of greater diversity, but also of perceptions of that diversity and new patterns of interaction among religious groups;
• Media pluralism and diversity of media content and their contribution to fostering public debate, democracy and awareness of diverse opinions;
• Shaping a new narrative for migration, integration and mobility in the global economy.

Motorsport News @ Richard's F1!

A few new articles have been published on Richard's F1 in prep for the big weekend season opener...Head on over and check the news out!

V8s: In-season testing slashed

V8s: A new championship title up for grabs!

V8s: New sponsorship for D’Alberto

V8s: Another 2013 calendar tweak

Hope you're excited! :)

Reporting to you from #Wien!

Guten Tag from Vienna!

Just landed in the beautiful Austrian capital city, and seeing, for the first time in my life, SNOW! (Allow me a reflective moment of pure bliss...)

Ah, now then, a little exciting news!

The reason for being in this delightful cultural city? The most humbling honour of attending the United Nation's Alliance of Civilisation's (UNAOC) Annual Global Forum, as well as the preceeding Youth Event.

***

The UNAOC is a political initiative of the Secretary General of the United Nations, its primary aim being to improve understanding and relations among people throughout the world and by doing so, hopefully counter polarisation and extremism. The global forum is the main event of the year where issues of importance to UNAOC's agenda (youth, media, education and migration) are discussed and presented, to then inform activities and initiatives globally as well as potentially be implemented by UNAOC itself.

The Youth Forum is designed to ensure that the youth perspective is communicated; young people aged 18-35 from around the world come together for a day or two to discuss the relevant topics and present a communique to the larger global forum.

The topic this year is quite interesting - 'Responsible Leadership in Diversity and Dialogue'.

Given the times we are living in, the question of what exactly 'Responsible Leadership' is, is an apt question indeed...

***

As a representative of Youth Without Borders, I look forward to the experience being a productive, challenging and inspiring few days and hopefully one with outcomes which we can action and use to empower others. Whether through the UNAOC framework or through our own organisations, it is important that activities such as these produce viable and tangible benefits for communities.

I will be keeping you all updated via my twitter (@yassmin_a) and this very blog, so stay tuned to learn all about all the latest, including interesting ideas, discussions and people at the event! It will almost feel like you were there...

Bye for now.... or Auf Wiedersehen!

Stop Just Looking For Happiness.

A stroll in the self-help section of any bookstore, electronic or otherwise, will offer a wide and varying selection on how to achieve the illusive state of "happiness".

"Happiness" seems to be a state to which we should aspire to achieve and embody.  However, this doesn't seem to answer all the questions.

if we are all trying so hard to be happy, to de-stress, de-clutter and distance ourselves from anything that brings us pain and difficulty, where are we collectively heading as a society?  Can we really achieve and progress if we are not interested in the meaningfulness of what we do and instead focus on our personal, individualhappiness?

In her recent article, Nancy Colier asks: Why do we expect ourselves to be happy all the time?  It is a pertinent question and challenges a concept that has been encouraged and celebrated strongly over the past couple of decades, particularly in the United States.  The article draws from The Atlantic's original article, which postulates that there is actually more to life that just being happy.

If life isn't about being happy, then what is it about?

Having grown up in a household with a strong Sudanese, community based culture, my younger brother and I were taught the importance of 'duty', and doing things with a purpose, something that offered meaning. 

This wasn't something we always understood or appreciated, as for young children and teenagers, the immediate payoff seems to be the most important thing.  As time has passed though, I have begun to appreciate the concept behind what my parents tried to teach us.

Meaning can bring happiness, but in of itself is much more profound and encompassing than just 'being happy'.

Meaning is about the concept of working for something larger than your individual person.  It is about, as the psychologists who wrote the book Man's Search for Meaning found, being a "giver" instead of a "taker".

It is a concept that implies a fulfilling life isn't one that is focused on personal contentment to the exclusion of any pain, suffering, or any struggle for a better situation. Rather, a fulfilling life is one that gives individuals a reason to be happy - or at the very least, content.

Meaning can come in any number of forms, but it is often related to what we as individuals and society value.

For those who value family, meaning and ensuing happiness can come from providing for the family.  For those who are more focused on their career, meaning may take the form of employment related activities.  For me personally, meaning comes from working with young people and the community to help empower them, individually and as a group.

Achieving or striving for these may not always be sunshine and roses, and may not always provide immediate happiness.  However, the long term strive for meaning gives depth to our lives, and value to what we contribute to in society.

It is that meaning that we can derive true happiness from, knowing that our time on this earth made an impact in some way, and that the world is a little better for us having been in it.

Source of photos: Tumblr

Selfish, or Noble? On Our Personal Legacies

 

I used to believe that being forgotten was the worst fate that could befall me. However, I have come to accept not only my mortality, but my insignificance in the story of our universe.

***

This is not to say that we are all ‘insignificant as individuals’, as we are extremely important to those who love us and the community we are a part of; to deny this would be unfair. In fact, it would be wasteful of the gift of our lives if we disregarded our importance as people and individuals.

However, notions of grandeur and of everlasting importance are fanciful and ultimately selfish, are they not? Think about the thousands of years of humankind and the billions of people who have gone before us, who each had stories; lives, loves, struggles and triumphs…how many of those have been remembered? How many empires, on the other hand, have fallen due to an individual’s obsession with power and immortality?

Why do we feel like we need to be remembered?

On the other hand though, shouldn’t we strive to create and leave a legacy?

Wanting to be remembered is one thing, leaving a legacy is quite another.

One is about the individual, craving attention and validation of their existence.  The other is selfless, about leaving the world a better place than when we joined.

It is up to you to decide what your legacy will be.  Utilise that gift, and shape one that you are proud of.

*Source of pictures? Tumblr.

Links, Links, Links! 19th February 2013

On whitewashing in Hollywood…

In other words, only white people can stand in for the human race as whole.

No act of sexism is too small to ignore: a good piece about changing cultures.  The interesting link here can be made with changing of any cultures; as the author says, there is no point in half draining the toxic swamp.

Do jerks deserve free speech?

An arresting article on South Korean women who have had plastic surgery.  Apparently, they see it just like putting on makeup…what an interesting cultural difference.

An amazing piece by an young Asian-American lady, who found her niche when she always thought she was an outlier… beautiful personal essay: Outsider / Insider.  Also from Rookie Mag, a beautiful piece about losing your original culture when you are brought up in a different country.

Stop and realise…these are our good old days.  We are living them now! How exciting is that?

The difference between being alone, and lonely.

A reflective piece on being an expatriate and what it is like when you come home. Leaving Australia for good.

From a more technical point of view, how will this non conventional gas boom affect US economics and politics and the rest of the world?

Enjoy your week!

Illuminating Links! 9th February 2013

Isn’t this an interesting article? Written about the Internet…in 1995!

Hillary Clinton is extremely popular right now.  Will she be the first female candidate for US presidency? What do you think about her policies?

A terrible, but instructive look at celebrity altruism in Africa – which celebrities “own” which nations?

An interesting Freakonomics experiment: Have a question? Let Freakonomics flip the coin for you!

Thinking of volunteering abroad? 5 expectations to avoid!

Jeremy Fernandez, a TV presenter, has an experience with racism and asks, why do people want to still vent their hate in 2013?

A little science on paying off your sleep debt!

From the Harvard Business Review: Now that it is February, it is time to think about the year in earnest. The question is, do you want to have a year that matters?

These are some very misguided international aid ideas…

Muslim fashion finds its flow! There are a fair few fashion ladies in the Muslim world getting amongst it, here is just one example.

For something a little random, here are funny pictures of animals.

On a lighter note as well, which was your favourite superbowl ad this year?

Lastly, a lovely tune heard on the radio recently. A little strange, but an amazing sound.

*Click images for source.

Death, Spirituality and Why I Believe.

Spirituality and death are not light topics often spoken of, particularly in Australia.  Deeper questions on life, death, spirituality and meaning are often left untouched outside the circles of philosophy, religion and very close family and friends. Yet they lurk in the shadowy recesses of our minds, buried beneath the busy-ness and the whirlwind of daily life, emerging only when prompted and typically buried soon after.

Death seems to be the one thing that is a certainty, yet it manages to shock us. It is as if we know that it will eventually happen, but don’t believe it when it does, as it forces us to confront our own mortality, our own frailty.

It is fact.  You are going to die. A moving piece written on the NYT puts it well.

we don’t have a choice. You are older at this moment than you’ve ever been before, and it’s the youngest you’re ever going to get. The mortality rate is holding at a scandalous 100 percent. Pretending death can be indefinitely evaded with hot yoga or a gluten-free diet or antioxidants or just by refusing to look is craven denial.

Yet, that is what society does.  We deny it to ourselves.  We imagine that somehow, we will not fall prey to this fatal condition called life.  And yet, we do.  Inevitably.

And inevitably, we become simply another organism that has lived on this earth, and life moves on.  No matter what role we played on this earth – king, pauper, mother, villain – the planet keeps spinning, and eventually, save for a few, even the memory is forgotten.

***

Paraphrasing from R.Roberts, Islam (for me) is the wonderful belief that this life is not our whole story.

The fundamental belief in Islam, and indeed in many other religions, is that this life is merely a stage in the lives of our soul – that the time on this earth will be judged after we pass on, as we continue into the next life.

This is why death is something we are not taught to fear, but to prepare for.  That doesn’t always make it easier to deal with, but somehow easier accept, and it provides answers to questions no one living can definitely respond to.

I’ve grown into my religion and spirituality as I have aged.  It is a process, just like any thing else, and with this growth has come the realisation that belief in the afterlife changes the perspective and the attitude taken to life as a whole.

For example, people often ask about the difficulty in forgoing things in this world – alcohol, pork and promiscuity are the ones I get asked about the most – and find it difficult to comprehend why anyone would voluntarily put themselves through extra difficulty.  Once you understand that these actions are providing “brownie points” for a level of the game you haven’t reached yet, it begins to make some more sense.

If I have a medical problem, I’ll go to the experts – the doctors.  If I have a question on life, spirituality and what’s next, I live by what the experts in that industry say – the industry of spirituality if you will, is religion.

I don’t always understand the answers I am given, but I have faith. After all, we follow doctor’s orders don’t we?

***

Here are a two beautiful links that prompted me to write this piece.

Regrets of the dying.

You are going to die.

Links, Links, Links – 4th February 2013

 

This is pretty cool – Lego that can talk to Apple and Android products!

 

 

This NSW corruption story is turning out to be a big one…

Illustration: Rocco Fazzari

The belief that stars are born not made is demonstrated by the portrayal of genius in the media and popular entertainment. Higher achievers such as Mozart and Michelangelo are shown in plays and movies as having prodigious abilities from their earliest years, their talent the result of possession of some mysterious in-built gift. The role of studying and working at mastering anything – art, craft, intellectual pursuits or sport – is glossed over or ignored.

The Conversation on our obsession with natural talent and whether that is harming our students.

 The WSJ on the concept of “The Guerrilla Myth".  Very America Centric but interesting points.

Unconventional wars are our most pressing national security concern. They're also the most ancient form of war in the world. Max Boot on the lessons of insurgency we seem unable to learn.

Creating Links is offering a Cert IV in Community Culture…check it out here! 

Perhaps in future, spy training and learning spy tradecraft should be part of the journalist school curriculum?

On a slightly different note:

The truth is that there will be a million people in your life who actually don’t love you, whose dismissal of your feelings or tendency to ignore what you want are rooted in genuine apathy. They are everywhere, and make navigating our emotional lives even more complicated. But there are also many people who do love us, and who want to show us, but just may not be able to do it in the way we most want to hear. And it’s important to distinguish between the two, to look at the things people are actively doing for us and take account of the things we’re lucky to have in them. Because we are lucky to have love — in any of its forms — and no way of saying “I love you” should be forgotten about.

The Thought Catalogue on The Different Types of Love.

Zakia Baig’s story… Giving Australian’s an opportunity to share their story with the Prime Minister through the SBS program 'My Community Matters’: A great story about an Afghanistani Hazara woman doing fabulous things for her community here in Australia.

The importance of a deepening of our relationship with China cannot be overstated.  Australia releases it’s National Security Statement.  In between the lines is a distinct push and pull between our traditional roles as America’s allies, and the reality of our demographics.

What do you do when the power goes out?

I'd just gotten back from working on the rigs, looking forward to a few days off with fast internet, unlimited downloads, nice cool weather, catch ups with friends and loads of sleep.

Exhausted, I collapsed into a deep sleep a few minutes before midnight, just after I arrived home.

On awakening, I was vaguely disconcerted by the stillness of the morning, but disregarded it as I sat up in my bed and began checking my social feeds, as I did every morning.  My phone's battery was at 80%.  Odd, I thought.  I was sure I left it charging...

It wasn't until I padded downstairs and found the family at the dining table did it dawn - the power had been cut!  Ah, this couldn't last for long, surely! We lived in Australia after all...

***

The first day of having no power (on holidays) wasn't terrible.   I took the opportunity to catch up on some reading and light housework...I still had charge on my phone and didn't have the good sense to conserve it, so texting and surfing Facebook was all go.

The first night, exciting.  We set up candles, told stories, ate the leftovers in the fridge and slept early.  It was a fun adventure, but I looked forward to being able to waking up to power.  The high voltage fault would be repaired in the morning, they said.

***

After 36 hours, the reality of the situation begins to sink in and you begin to realise how much you depend on electricity.

Automatically turning on lights as you walk into a dark room, followed by the brief moment of confusion before you remember and use the torch.

Planning to organise the cupboard and making a "washing" pile, and an "ironing" pile...before you realise you can't do either of those easily without the good ol' spark.

I am forced to scam power from the local shops.

"Can I charge my phone here?".  I feel dirty.

***

The silence.

No radio, no refrigerator hum and by this stage, no iPod or phone...

It broached on almost being uncomfortably quiet.  Are we scared of silence?

I felt my thoughts clamouring, grasping at the silence, in an attempt to fill the void.  Is this the normal state of affairs, usually subdued and suppressed by the constant audio-visual stimuli we expose ourselves to?  I wondered...

I take the time for extra prayers.

***

Day three.

Awake, again.  I switch my phone on.

20% battery remaining.  Darn.

"Would you like to connect to the wireless network?" the phone alert demands attention.

No, no, no...

I paused.  The modem was working!

I run downstairs and check the clocks.  The hum of the refrigerator is back.

I breathe a sigh of relief, force the questions about energy dependence from my mind.  Time to charge my phone, check my emails, watch the news...

***

Friends commiserated with an element of wistfulness.  It must have been great to take time off technology!

It was, to an extent.

How do we place being dependent on electricity? I didn't like to think that I couldn't live without it - and clearly, can survive without it without being overly bored or concerned...just uncomfortable?

If however, in this day and age, electricity is such an integral part of our lives, how important is it that we live without it? Is it a skill worth acquiring?

Perhaps we should become more comfortable with silence.  After all, when else are we forced to face our thoughts, without competing stimuli?