10 against torture when Obama receives Nobel Peace Prize

Well, I must say I am very pleased that it is Obama, not Twitter, who received the Nobel Peace Prize! I know there is a lot of criticism around, even in FB threads I can see people disagreening with this choice. But I think it's not about 'well deserved' in this case, it's about responsibility this award carries with itself. Obama is good in speeches but he is also gradually introducing changes. Closing Guantanamo was a big thing - for some of us, activists - a miracle! Great step towards what can be achieved to fight for human rights all around the world. We all know it is not easy to introduce changes, and it's not easy to clean up the mess after few years of irresponsible management of a country. But everything Obama says and does, everything he represents is of a great importance to us all. And maybe I do not agree with the imperalistic and very individualistic mentality embeded in American though since the early times of that country, I do however support smart management of that thinking. If US President is an icon, let him be. If he gradually makes the Change for good - let him do so.

And times like this are the best times for us to point out next steps! Amnesty International has congratulated Obama his award and initiated great action where ten very influencial personalities have made their statement about torture asking Obama to investigate into the times before March 2009 and learn from the mistakes of the past. I fully support each of their letters, and I hope you will find a second to read, sent and spread the word about this project. I think our voice matters just as much as Obama's.

Kair 2 (seminarium 'Blogging the Future')

Drugi dzień rozpoczął się niespodzianką: po czterech godzinach snu byłam całkowicie wypoczęta. A może to tylko magia ekscytacji nowym światem i ludźmi, których miałam w ten dzień poznac na uniwerku (American university of Cairo).Poranki były bardzo spokojne, lecz widok na Nil przytłumiony był smogiem z zanieczyszczeń miasta. 14 milionów mieszkańców ze swoimi nieustannie naprawianymi samochodami, to dośc duże obciążenie dla powietrza nad miastem. Normalnie widac lekko żółta zawiesinę w powietrzu, a gardło trzeba płukac po spaniu w tym powietrzu. (oczywiście my turyści, mieszkańcy są pewnie przyzwyczajeni)

Zsuzsa miała rację, że wschód może byc mało efektowny, i choc nie przyszło mi tego doświadczyc (idac spac o trzeciej nad ranem nie ma mowy, abym wstawała na wschód słońca), nie żałuję.

Na recepcji spotkaliśmy się tuż przed ósmą. Poznałam resztę ekipy z Global Voices, oraz kilku lokalnych blogerów, dziennikarzy i prezenterów telewizyjnych. Poznalam osobiście (bo znamy sie z sieci) IRCPresidenta, Mohameda, oras 'lastoadri - dziewczyne, która pisze z Egiptu dla GV. To ciekawe uczucie poznawac kogos, z kim się pracuje, koresponduje, rozmawia na gmail chacie...Dina, dziwczyna odpowiedzialna za logistykę przywitała nas serdecznie i opisała co kiedy następuje. Początkowo wydawała się zagubiona, ale w sumie poradziła sobie świetnie i bez niej chyba byśmy zgineli.

Droga na uniwersytet okazała sięprzydatnym źródłem informacji, gdyż musiellismy pokonac całe miasto,wyjechac na pustynię i wjechac w nowy kompleks zabudowań Nowego Kairu. A co za tym idzie mieliśmy szansę obejrzec wiele części miasta, chocby z okna autobusu! Pierwszą jazdę spędziłam raczej na socjalizacji i poznawaniu ludzi, ogólnych pytaniach (recesja, Nowy Kair, edukacja i ogólna zabudowa miasta), dopiero później zaczęłam robic zdjęcia...

Guantanamo Boy by Anna Perera

I like to pick books randomly, I do however trust bestsellers lists. In case of 'Guantanamo Boy' I was completely ignorant - I had no idea it is a book for kids! Seriously, with all its post-modern bits and pieces of writing,classifying this novel as 'kids stuff'  didn't even enter my mind!!! And I read it within few hours with full conviction that it is aimed at grown up audience - which simply proves the fact of the topic being universally shocking.

I cried. I wondered, how easily Anna Perera describes irrational circumstances of a boy, who at the age of fifteen is being captured and transfered to Guantanamo Bay simply based on his appearance!

I cried. I considered all possible aspects of that situation and still cannot comprehend the reality.

I cried. It's today. It is happening. We want to be against it, and we want it to stop. But there is nothing we can do apart from simply stating: IT IS WRONG.

I am glad Anna took courage to state it out loud, for kids - and for grown ups.

Well done.

(professional reviews here and here)

World AIDS Day 2008

1st of December is the World AIDS Day. It's a great occasion to raise awarness of AIDS and support different programs.

Bloggers Unite once again reacts to the world events organising bloggers around this topic. Global Voices is providing a platform for discussion here and on the 3rd of December life blogging (more info here).

And me, I just hope all those active people will keep on talking, sharing experiences and knowledge to fight the virus and provide support to 33 million people around the world and 80,000 peole in the UK living with HIV.

If you - like me - do not have experience with HIV or AIDS you can read few real stories here. 'Young people are still thinking that it won't happen to me, which is what I used to think. That is why it is important that I tell them that it can.' said Clint, and I think it sounds familiar to me. I used to think the same about domestic abuse, and I was so wrong. It's foolish to say that others have a 'problem' and we do not. It's ignorant to turn our backs and walk away - it's brave and very, very dificult to cope, to live and to fight it. It is and should be normal, acceptable, almost socially expected to study, to educate and support each other - in this case in fight against HIV, in way of living with it.

So go on, click through my links, starting with facts.

Burger King - Whooper Virgins?

I usually do not post about companies that behave in unethical manner in their advertising campaigns, but this ne really moved me, annoyed me, almost angered me....

Burger King is preparing a 'documentary' study of several remote locations where people do not know burgers to test its...I do nto what...taste? The campaign site shouts with several weak slogans, tries to sound arty and scientific...but I simply find the idea unethical and tasteless. OK, people have different opinions about it, and I understand we all try to find a different point of view. I think however, that this PR activity cannot be compared to a native person asking an American to taste the native food - because the positioning of the product, the nation and 'civilised' citizens is wrong!

I am going to be very personal about it. What I get from this, 'the message' is that people eating burgers are civilised, better, sophisticated. That is what my son would get of it too...and I do not want him to get the wrong idea about the world. At the end of the day fast food's main role is to provide food when on the run.  If you live (of) it, it means you cannot prepare food yourself - so, it means you are not so smart, right?! That's how my dear, very civilised grandparents would look at it! That is how I look at it!

If you live in a place where fast food is not popular or not needed - would you feel happy to be a star in a 'burger documentary'? I doubt it...