Question I posted on Dropping Knowledge...

What would happen if everyone in the world were paid equally for any job they did? Would that put Money and equality in place??

I think if all were paid the same for any profession, job, there would be freedom to do whatever you wanted to do, whatever you were interested in doing. However, it might also stifle seeking a higher potential and a higher reward. As far as making all peoples equal, I don't think that would happen until societal groups cease thinking they are better than another group. The Human Being is very judgmental still.

by marianne

You make a good point but you also need to consider that many people will simply not work if they get paid the same. There would be less motivation to be great as you pointed out but there is also much less motivation to at least be average. Often this is what destroys communism that refuse to force citizens to work. This makes communisms either doomed or a society of forced labor.

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by visionofuture

Wings of Evolution - World Premiere

Hi folks,
As some of you may know, Wings of Evolution is World Premiering at the South Asian International Film Festival 2007 on October 6th, 2007, which is a Saturday at 2:30 p.m under the Doc'Film Series 3. Do try to attend the screening and let us know what your thoughts are.

Just a little information about the production and the team.
This is the second feature-length documentary project by the Accessible Horizon Films team, the first one being Men of Burden - Pedaling Towards a Horizon. The film was finished in June 2007 and has just started going the festival route. This is way different from Men of Burden, not only in terms of theme, but also in style and tone - primarily focusing on children and the educational system in India and even focuses on global culture and understanding.
Directed by Ramesh Mourthy & Raghu Jeganathan, Edited by Kousalya Jeganathan and Mohandass Radhakrishnan, Produced under the Accessible Horizon Films banner with excellent music by Composer Srikanth Devarajan of Studio 1234, the film has come a long way from production in Dec.2006. Check out for more updates soon.

CHILD LABOR -The fight to end slavery today!

Courtesy: DroppingKnowledge.org

Hazardous working conditions and long hours is an everyday reality for 14 percent of the world’s children. Using children for cheap labor is a common practice in many countries. Some of these children have never attended school or dropped out after a few years, and many are forced to work in the sex industry.
Believing that every child has the right to education and playtime, thousands of people from every corner of the world marched together to say no to child labor in 1998 under the banner of “Global March Against Child Labour”. The international community responded by Click here for more...

Can your Film change the World??? PANGEA DAY!

Mountaintop Removal movie!

Please check this movie from ILOVEMOUNTAINS.ORG

Mountaintop Removal or Life-on-Earth Removal???

Mountaintop removal mining (MTR) is a form of coal mining in which up to 1,000 vertical feet of a mountain are blasted away to get to the thin coal seams underneath. MTR requires that the targeted land be clear-cut and then blasted by heavy use of explosives. The debris created is typically scraped into the adjacent river valleys in what is called a valley fill. Most mountaintop removal for more click here to wikipedia.org
Mountaintop mining is basically high-altitude strip mining. Enormous machines scrape away the ridges to get at the coal seams below. The residual rock and dirt are then dumped or carted down the mountainside into nearby valleys and streams. By one estimate, this serial decapitation of Appalachia’s coal-rich hills has already buried 1,200 miles of streams while damaging hundreds of square miles of forests. for more click here...
What are we waiting for?? When there are so many things we can try and stop...
Try to figure out what and where your purpose in this lifetime is...and then act accordingly...please help save the planet and its beings in some way or the other...make a difference somewhere!!
For other resources on Mountaintop Removal and how to take action...
http://www.stopmountaintopremoval.org/
http://www.blackdiamondsmovie.com/
http://www.ilovemountains.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountaintop_removal_mining

Stories from Peace Tree Spirit Blog !!

These stories are from kids who participated in the WWPCS and their blog site called PEACE TREE SPIRIT...

Story 1:
Hello! Ni Hao! Today I want to share a story I experienced in China when I was a little girl.
Unfortunately, there is a long history between Japan and China, and many older generations don’t like Japan. Even the smallest part of it.When I was in China, I was a little angry after I heard about Japan. I still remember that scary unbelievable moment.
“What are you folding, Kalin?” Asked my old homeroom teacher. “A paper crane from Japan. It represents peace, right?” My teacher’s face suddenly looked very angry. She pushed my hands away...
for more click here http://peacetreespirit.blogspot.com/2007/03/blog-post.html

Story:2
Hello, my name is Israa. I’m from Palestine. I like Canada very much because there is a lot o fighting in Palestine. Everyday, I was scared to live in Palestine. I couldn’t go outside to play, I couldn’t walk on the street because I would always be afraid. I would be killed. But here in Canada, everyone is free and...
for more click here Canada Means PEACE

Story:3
Hi, salaam alaykom everybody. My name is Anas, I’m from Palestine. I came to Canada on June 5th, 2006.
When I was in Palestine, one day my friend told me: “Come with me to write on the wall about Israeli soldiers. But I refused because I didn’t think it was a good idea. I remember when...
For more click here From Palestine to Canada

Francis Bacon (1561- 1626)

I was reading this book called ESSENTIALS OF PHILOSOPHY by James Mannion and I wanted to share this topic about Francis Bacon.
Francis Bacon was a British politician and businessman who took a scientific approach to philosophy. He studied the world as an empirical observer would and attempted to avoid bringing his preconceptions and prejudices into the proceedings.
Bacon proposed that, in order to truly understand the world, we must first be aware of the various obstacles and distractions that prevent us from seeing things clearly. He identified these impediments as IDOLS.
IDOLS OF THE TRIBE
This refers to the sense of self-importance that people have about their place in the grand design of things and their penchant to take at face value the observations of our senses. In other words, everything may not be what it appears to be, and we should be aware of that.
IDOLS OF THE CAVE
This speaks about our tendencies to make generalizations about the world at large based on our limited experience in our little corner of the world. Put in simple terms, never assume anything.
IDOLS OF THE MARKETPLACE
This deals with the imperfections of language as a means of communication. By attempting to understand the wonders around us and describing them via the limits of language, we do not do them justice nor are we fully able to comprehend them.
IDOLS OF THE THEATER
These are the inherent flaws of Philosophy itself. Great thinkers devise and put forth lofty notions about things, but these are beliefs built on the shaky foundation of our own faulty perceptions.
He also said that once we notice the effects that these Idols have on upon us, we will be in a position to avoid them, and our knowledge of nature will accordingly improve.
For more Click here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Bacon

There arise a lot of questions in my mind when I think about all this...What then is truth?? What do we believe?? Isn't there something called Instincts that drive us?? Well, if we start to doubt everything, then won't we be at the edge of insanity?? Isn't there a reason why things happen around us and to us in a specific way?? I can agree about prejudices and preconceptions...but whatever we know, we know from this world around us right?? And whatever we perceive is a creative manipulation of whatever was already there right??
or..or maybe Truth is Intangible...or the fact that Truth is Intangible is Tangible...??

COMMUNITY is the only Solution!

The Community Service newsletter, in its many permutations – Community Service News, Community Comments, and now New Solutions – has been a voice for the community movement for the past 60 years. Within its archives, one will find notes on the Agrarian, Civil Rights, Environmental, Agricultural and Peak Oil movements, among others. The newsletters have been written by a diverse and influential group – always well-informed and relevant. Enjoy.

THE PROBLEM???
THE SOLUTION!!!
THE NEW SOLUTION REPORTS...
TALKS AND PRESENTATIONS...
RESOURCES!

The More Than Warmth quilt project !

More than Warmth is an educational project for students of all ages to learn about world cultures. It fosters understanding, knowledge and compassion among cultures through nonviolent, nonpolitical, and nonreligious means.

They create a forum allowing American students a place to process international events. While helping to create a growing awareness of world cultures, students also learn about regions of strife and conflict in the world. More Than Warmth offers students a chance to effect positive change in their world.
For more click here...
This is so encouraging for kids all over the world and is similar to our World Wide Post Card Sharing project where children from all over the world share their art, creativity, love and time for kids all over the world...See how many humans are coming together to unite the world!
I am so inspired...our children of today, all over the world, will bring the world together...!
Picture Courtesy: MORETHANWARMTH

CALVIN and HOBBES!!

Two contemporary gurus, Calvin and Hobbes, sum up our situation:

Hobbes: Whatcha doin?

Calvin: Getting rich!!!

Hobbes: Really?

Calvin: Yep. I'm writing a self-help book! There's a huge market for this stuff. First, you convince people there's something wrong with them. That's easy, because advertising has already conditioned people to feel insecure about their weight, looks, social status, sex appeal, and so on. Next, you convince them that the problem is not their fault and that they're victims of larger forces. That's easy, because it's what people believe anyway. Nobody wants to be responsible for his own situation. Finally, you convince them that with your advice and encouragement, they can conquer their problem and be happy!

Hobbes: Ingenious. What problem will you help people solve?

Calvin: Their addiction to self-help books! My book is called, "Shut Up and Stop Whining: How to Do Something with Your Life besides Think About Yourself."

Hobbes: You should probably wait for the advance before you buy anything.

Calvin: The trouble is, if my program works, I won't be able to write a sequel.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calvin_and_Hobbes

The broad themes of the strip deal with Calvin's flights of fantasy, his friendship with Hobbes, his misadventures, his views on a diverse range of political and cultural issues and his relationships and interactions with his parents, classmates, educators, and other members of society.

If you have not read Calvin and Hobbes...It is never too late!!!

How FBI can wiretap - Eavesdrop your communications

Documents recently declassified under the Freedom of Information Act indicate that the FBI has constructed a point-and-click surveillance system capable of instantaneously tapping into almost any communications device. The Digital Collection System Network (DCSNet) links FBI wiretapping stations to switches run by landline operators, Internet-telephony providers, and cellular companies. The system consists of software that captures, filters, and stores phone numbers, calls, and text messages, and directly connects FBI wiretapping rooms throughout the nation to a wide-ranging private communications network. The outposts are connected via a private, encrypted backbone that is independent of the Internet and is run by Sprint for the government. Telecoms' installation of telephone-switching gear that meets wiretapping standards was mandated in 1994 with the passage of the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA), thus giving the FBI the ability to log directly into the telecom's network. CALEA's coverage was recently extended to require broadband ISPs and certain VoIP companies to enable their networks for federal wiretapping. Since telecoms became more wiretap-friendly, the volume of criminal wiretaps rose 60 percent from 1,150 to 1,839 in the past 10 years, and in 2005 92 percent of those wiretaps targeted cell phones, according to a 2006 report. CALEA wiretaps and the processing of all calls collected by DCSNet have racked up substantial costs, and security experts are worried that the system introduces new vulnerabilities to the telecommunications network. The declassified documents point to numerous flaws in DCSNet that Columbia University computer science professor Steven Bellovin finds appalling, especially because they indicate the FBI is ignorant of inside threats. "The underlying problem isn't so much the weaknesses here, as the FBI attitude towards security," he says.

For more information visit
Source URL http://www.wired.com/politics/security/news/2007/08/wiretap

Firearms - America's Internal Chaos?

Which came first? Is this a case of the chicken/egg scenario? Why does American society carry a lot of guns? Have the number of guns increased because of crime rates OR have crime rates led to the increase in the number of guns? 90 guns per 100 people is not just another yawnable statistic....according to the Small Arms Survey 2007 by the Geneva-based Graduate Institute of International Studies "published in Yahoo".

GENEVA (Reuters) - The United States has 90 guns for every 100 citizens, making it the most heavily armed society in the world, a report released on Tuesday said.U.S. citizens own 270 million of the world's 875 million known firearms, according to the Small Arms Survey 2007 by the Geneva-based Graduate Institute of International Studies.About 4.5 million of the 8 million new guns manufactured worldwide each year are purchased in the United States, it said."There is roughly one firearm for every seven people worldwide. Without the United States, though, this drops to about one firearm per 10 people," it said.

This seems like a necessity based on seemingly false dangers and the insecurity and fear created in people's minds. Well, but isn't American society the land of the free, where dreams are fulfilled?
Gun control laws have really gone out of control or have they. What is the solution for this? To find a solution, there has to be a cause. Seems like the mindset is clearly an-eye-for-an-eye approach. So basically this is about consciousness and how we have to adapt ourselves to the increasingly chaotic society. If a society has to advance in all ways, there has to be more tolerance, understanding and respect for the fellow human being. This statistic indicates that people wouldn't hesitate to pull the trigger if there is something even remotely indicative of danger. Who do we blame? The Govt or the people?
(Pic Courtesy - Neaca)

What is an Almudo???

An Almudo is a young boy (generally aged 8 to 15) He lives in a large city in a poor West African country. He is dressed in ragged shorts and a T-shirt, most likely many sizes too large. He is barefoot with one infected toe. The city streets are hard on toes. At night he sleeps on the street and wakes at dawn to begin the day begging for his breakfast.

Generally he is kindly treated in the streets and is given food enough to survive, but his health suffers. He is underweight and under-sized for his age and has intestinal parasites and skin problems such as scabies and ringworm. When he has more serious diseases such as malaria and schistosomiasis, they remain untreated. More...

And You would think Almudo is some kind of.....??

Please Do anything to help!!

Conversation b/n two humans in our Current System...

From our friend Packiyanath, Chennai, India.
Since I'm working in Shifts, our company provides me Cab for pickup from house and also drops me back.

Today morning when I was traveling in the Cab, the cabdriver and myself struck into a discussion about Money-Rich People-And how people are suffering. The discussion started when we saw a lady carrying a small kid (probably 6 months old) in a traffic signal today. You know Chennai... It was so hot outside, and that lady was carrying that kid..exposed to the hot sun and was asking money to every person on the signal. And no one was responding to her. Even though it was very obvious that the lady was not the kid's mother(Usually that's the case...you know that it happens here)
One thing that immediately struck us was 'what did the KID do to suffer like this?'
and...this is where we started talking about Money. There are so many people who have so much money and are not ready to come out and do something to the people around them who need it. We were talking about us (Software Engineers Job...where just for money we spoil everything... life, family, health)...and all.

It is the invention of Rupees and Coins; which made everything to change. That is where all discrimination and distinction between rich and poor, Being greedy all those things came up. We started talking about a world which didn't have currencies. No Dollars, Rupees..nothing. In actual if you see that was how it was, earlier in our olden days when kings used to rule the earth. Everything was just one Currency...Gold Coins. No 100Rs. 500Rs. or 100$. But now everything has changed.

Then suddenly the cab driver told me something.... that literally shocked me, to see how much he was affected because of money for which everyone of us are behind it and which made him think so much and ...

He told :

"Sir... there is only one way to get all the money which these rich people, politicians etc are having illegally(Black Money). Indian Government has to announce publicly, "From so and so date to so and so date, we are making all the current India currencies(Notes) invalid and we are going to change them to a different type of Currencies -No worries .... with the same value(New appearance or something like that)." Every one who is maintaining all this black money have to come out to change their currencies/money they are having and then they will be now accountable to show how they got so much money." But they cant do it and probably at least at that point they may give all the black money they have to the poor.

I could see tears in his eyes. He told something after that...he told: Even then, these filthy rich people wont give the money to the poor...they will dump it or burn it.".
Suddenly the Cab stopped and our discussion stopped and I saw I was before my office building. The Cab Driver smiled, said "Good Day" and left. I had to get down and go into office again "for the sake of money". The whole day I was thinking about this.
I really dont know... my mind was so blank.

Photography - Elements- Water!

Photography - Elements- Fire!

Photography - Elements- SKy!

WORLD STREET CHILDREN NEWS...

What can i say about this?? Action has to be taken...by all of us, COLLECTIVELY!!
It is so depressing that there are so many of our children on the streets...I recently came across this blog where there is so much information about children who are on the streets from various countries...I could not believe my eyes when I saw the list of countries with such children...This blog has all the possible news about street children from all over the world and it has been collected with utmost responsibility for whoever wants to research or help these children..take a moment and ask yourself this question...
Isn't this our collective responsibility??
please take action in whatever way you can...and please help spread the word...
Streetkidsnews

Events of postcard sharing in NY,NJ...

Dear wonderful people...for the past two days, i have been doing the postcard painting with a few kids at the comfort of their homes because they were so excited about the WWPCS
which we conducted and wrote about it in our kids blogspot called Children of the World Unite
Two of them Dani and Ally at New York and three kids Alec, James and Alen from New Jersey...It was such an inspiring experience for me to have seen these kids draw and paint for kids in other parts of the world...
So, parents or anyone who knows kids who will be interested in doing this in your house can contact us at vconverge@gmail.com and we will make sure your kid connects with another child in a different part of the world...
We are here to connect kids..and bring them all together...their innocent yet powerful minds which can perceive the greatest of truths with utmost simplicity...
CHILDREN OF THE WORLD, UNITE!!