World Humanitarian Day (19 August 2010)

World Humanitarian Day (19 August 2010)

T JOSEPH BENZIGER

The Day’s theme: I am a humanitarian

Take any country, society or town or village or organization, some people are always special. When the normal life is disturbed, when natural calamities occur, when enemies attack, when the law of the jungle prevails, it is not that all the people come forward to meet the challenge, take personal risks and work for common good; but some people do. They fight the evil forces and try to help the affected persons. They face the rowdy elements boldly and in their mission many times even lose their lives and properties. What makes them such a noble men and women, capable of placing the public interest before their own? Such gems of human beings deserve any praise. The whole of the humankind has no means of fully repaying its debt to these special persons. There is no way of compensating adequately for the losses and sufferings these special people have willingly undergone in the larger interests of their compatriots, kith and kin. These humanitarian actors distinguish themselves from ordinary men and women who care only for themselves.

Humanitarian Principles represent the foundation of humanitarian action. Key humanitarian principles include:1

Humanity: Human suffering must be addressed wherever it is found. The purpose of humanitarian action is to protect life and health and ensure respect for human beings.

Neutrality: Humanitarian actors must not take sides in hostilities or engage in controversies of a political, racial, religious or ideological nature.

Impartiality: Humanitarian action must be carried out on the basis of need alone, giving priority to the most urgent cases of distress and making no distinctions on the basis of nationality, race, gender, religious belief, class or political opinion.

Operational Independence: Humanitarian action must be autonomous from the political, economic, military or other objectives that any actor may hold with regard to areas where humanitarian action is being implemented".

The United Nations General Assembly declared² on In December 2008, that World Humanitarian Day should be celebrated on 19 August every year to “contribute to increasing public awareness about humanitarian work and the importance of international cooperation, and to commemorate all humanitarian and United Nations and associated personnel who have worked in the promotion of the humanitarian cause, and those who have lost their lives in the course of duty.” It was on this day in 2003, twenty-two people lost their lives, including the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Sergio Vieira de Mello in the Canal Hotel bombing in Baghdad in 2003. The World Humanitarian Day is for remembering not only those who died in this incident but all those who sacrificed their lives for humanitarian causes. These celebrations are meant to emphasize the significance of humanitarian needs and challenges in all parts of the world. Humanitarian aid workers are attacked by the conflicting parties for no fault on their parts, without any consideration for their spirit of service. This provides us an occasion to honor those who sacrificed their lives and also to emphasize the causes for which they did it.

At World Humanitarian Day ceremony

John Holmes,

the Under-Secretary-General and Emergency Relief Coordinator, spoke on the second World Humanitarian Day on 19 August 2010, said³ that the anniversary of the Canal Hotel bombing in Baghdad and of the death of Sergio Vieira de Mello, a great humanitarian, was meant to remember the tens of millions of people affected by war, natural disasters, sickness, and malnutrition, and those who are working to relieve their suffering. He pointed out that even though the relief workers want only to save lives by delivering the basics of life, they have been attacked and killed in many cases. He mentioned that 102 humanitarian workers were killed in 2009 and 122 in 2008 brutally. In 2010, thus far 40 humanitarian workers have been killed. In the beginning of August, ten health workers were brutally murdered in Afghanistan. He explained that the climate change and natural hazards are sure to increase the need for humanitarian work in future. He appealed to show greater respect for humanitarian work. He made it clear that humanitarian work is beyond ideological conflicts and standpoints. Only their commitment to humanitarianism emboldens them to undertake such risky service for common good. He referred to the catastrophic crisis in Pakistan and said that it was a good time for a renewed commitment to humanitarian principles by all.

UN Secretary-general Ban Ki- moon called on⁴ the international community to remember and honor humanitarian workers and their sacrifices as they have been making their tireless efforts to help those who have lived through wars, catastrophes and other terrible events. He said, "They are an army of peace, bearing the torch of hope. They are the unsung heroes, international aid workers, relief specialists, doctors and nurses and so many others."

ceremony to observe the second annual World Humanitarian Day at the UN Headquarters in New York, the United States, Aug. 19, 2010.

Ban Ki-moon on Thursday called on the international community to remember and honor humanitarian workers and their sacrifices as they have been making their tireless efforts to help those who have lived through wars, catastrophes and other terrible events.

(Xinhua/Shen Hong)

Ban placed a wreath at a plaque honoring 22 UN humanitarian workers killed in the Canal Hotel bombing in Baghdad on Aug. 19, 2003. He said, "Every day in every corner of the world where people live in fear of desperation, we are there. Today on World Humanitarian Day we renew our pledge: In times of crisis to do our utmost to save lives, to offer hope, to be there for those in need during their darkest hour."

He reminded of the many sacrifices that aid workers have made, sometimes at the expense of their lives. He pointed out, "We know the work is dangerous; often they go boldly where others fear to tread. Increasingly they risk harassment and intimidation, kidnapping or even death."

He referred to the great losses of life for UN workers in 2010 Haiti earthquake and to the murder of health workers in Afghanistan earlier this month. He praised the recent efforts of humanitarian workers currently serving in Pakistan, where deadly floods have impacted millions of people.

Ban also praised John Holmes, the outgoing UN under- secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator. He observed, "Everywhere he has used his vast political skills and his moral authority to make a difference in people's lives, and everywhere, he will be missed."

Hillary Rodham Clinton in her special message⁵ on World Humanitarian Day, has said, “We at the Department of State join citizens around the world in paying tribute to the heroes who provide assistance to victims of conflict and natural disasters, and in honoring the memory of more than 700 humanitarian workers who have been killed in service over the past decade. This year’s commemoration of World Humanitarian Day follows the vicious murder of ten international medical volunteers in Afghanistan earlier this month. Their sacrifice is a poignant reminder of humanitarian relief workers’ courageous service around the world, which we are proud and privileged to support.

Providing humanitarian aid to help rebuild lives is a core commitment of the United States. Relief workers embody the universal truth that we are at our best when we come together to help the most vulnerable among us. Time and again, this ideal puts humanitarian workers on the front lines of crises, from the earthquake in Haiti to the floods in Pakistan or any of the conflicts that dot the globe. For their selflessness, their courage, and their sacrifice, they have our deepest admiration and respect. The United States is fully committed to doing everything we can to provide for their safety and security, and to give them the tools they need to continue their indispensable mission on our behalf.”

Dynamic Youth Online Magazine salutes all the brave humanitarian workers for their selfless service and sacrifices. We wish that their sacrifices would not go waste; but would kindle good conscience of all the conflicting people and make them stop hurting the humanitarian workers.

References

1. http://ochaonline.un.org/whd/

2. http://ochaonline.un.org/whd/docs/Q_A/whd_2010_qa_en.pdf

3. http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900sid/VVOS88GP4D?OpenDocument&RSS20&RSS20=FS

4. http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2010-08/20/c_13453207.htm

5. http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2010/08/146098.htm

When women are empowered, Nation is empowered

When women are empowered, Nation is empowered

DR. APJ ABDUL KALAM

Address and interaction with the Students of Sri GVG Visalakshi College for Women,
Udumalpet,
Jul 17, 2010


“Knowledge makes you great”

I am delighted to address and interact with the Students of GVG Visalakshi College for Women, Udumalpet. My greetings to the Principal, Faculty Members, Students, Staff and other invited guests. I was studying about Sri GVG Visalakshi College for Women which have been imparting quality higher education to women for the last 58 years. I was looking at the institutional goals of GVG Visalakshi College, which says that the prime objectives of the college include value based education, synthesizing Arts, Science and Spirituality, and provide education and living. This is an important message as such integrated thinking empowered by knowledge would be the basis for national development in the 21st century.
Dear Students, development of the nation requires the development of states, development of villages and development of individuals. While there is no contradiction among these, to make the development inclusive, sustainable in a democratic set up, we need to empower ourselves with a sense of purpose and knowledge, with righteousness at heart and imbibe the strength from the lives of many indomitable human beings whether they are from science or arts or public service or any other field. I am happy that the college established in 1952 as a first women’s college in the Coimbatore district has grown over time and now imparts education at various level from graduation to doctorate in the areas of economics, history, literature, mathematics, science, commerce, computer science, management, e-commerce, and photography. I congratulate the pioneers both present and past who have built a robust educational culture in this college for the empowerment of women students. I was thinking, what thoughts I can share with you, the topic I have selected is “When women are empowered, the nation is empowered”.

Dear Students, when I hear the name of Sri GVG Visalakshi College for Women, I am reminded of my student days during 1950-54 at St. Joseph’s College, Trichi. In front of me, I see great teachers from my college. Rev Fr TN Sequeira, my English teacher, a famous Shakespearian and also he was our compassionate warden of New Hostel. My mathematics teacher Prof. Thothathri Iyengar, he used to put us ahead in mathematics bringing the great life of Aryabhatta, the great astronomer, Bhaskaracharya, the great mathematician of that time and Srinivasa Ramanujan, the number theory exponent. Of course, I cherish the memories of Prof. Fr Chinnathurai who taught us nuclear science. He made us love nuclear science and technology by his way of teaching. Even now I visit him to pay my gratitude whenever I am in Dindigul region. I am sure, GVG Visalakshi College also will have great teachers like Fr. Sequeira and Prof. Thothatri Iyengar.

Aim in life in the sequence

How does achievement come? There are four proven steps; having an aim in life before 20 years of age, acquiring knowledge continuously, hard work towards the aim and perseverance and capacity to defeat the problem and succeed.

I can do it

Friends, when I was the President of India, I met the group of tribal students from Lead India 2020 movement. I asked all of them one question: “What do you want to become?” Out of many responses, one visually challenged boy studying IX class got up. His name is Srikanth, he answered me "I will become visually challenged 1st President of India". I was very happy to see his vision and ambition. The small aim is a crime. Hence, I congratulated him to realize his vision and told him to work for realizing the vision.
Thereafter he worked hard, got 90% in X class and 96% in intermediate and he set a goal to study Engineering in MIT Cambridge, USA. His relentless hard work not only secured seat but he got a full fee waiver from MIT Cambridge. Srikanth’s achievement has brought changes in many change agents of Lead India 2020 and inspired to set high vision. Lead India 2020 training has set a high vision for every student who undergoes the training process. Seeing this impact of Lead India 2020 training, GE volunteers have funded Mr. Srikanth for his travel to the USA. Today he is pursuing his studies at MIT Cambridge. When the GE offered him a job on his completion of graduation, he told them that he would certainly come back to GE, if he couldn’t become the President of India. What a confidence that boy has amidst difficulties and the challenges in his life being visually challenged. What a great transformation that has brought into a visually challenged boy’s life by Lead India 2020 movement through value based education intervention.

Righteousness in the heart

Friends, let me share with you a beautiful experience when I visited Greece in April 2007. I was negotiating and climbing towards Acropolis mountain top in Athens and came across a group of 150 Greek students. They threw a spontaneous smile on me; the teachers came forward and introduced the students. They said, they were very happy to see the Indian President and that the children would like to hear from him a few words. My mind at that time was thinking about the great personalities, the land of Greece had given to the world: Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. The words of Plato, 2400 years ago, were ringing in my mind when I saw the young students. Plato brings out that “Our aim in founding the State was not the disproportionate happiness of any one class, but the greatest happiness of the whole”.
Similarly, around the same period, Tamil poet Saint Thiruvalluvar said,

பிணியின்மை செல்வம் விளைவின்பம் ஏமம்
அணியென்ப நாட்டிற்கிவ் வைந்து. 


That is, "the important elements that constitute a nation are: being disease-free; high-earning capacity; high-productivity; harmonious living and strong defense". We have to find how we can provide all these elements to the citizens of every nation on an equitable basis for happiness for all
.
With these thoughts, I made up my mind, of what to say to the students and the youth of Greece. I slowly repeated line by line, a hymn on righteousness:

Righteousness

Where there is righteousness in the heart
There is beauty in the character.
When there is beauty in the character,
There is harmony in the home.
When there is harmony in the home.
There is an order in the nation.
When there is order in the nation,
There is peace in the world.

When the students and the youth repeated with me, the tourists around at the Acropolis also repeated and there was all round ovations. Then I realized how people from multiple nations, young and experienced were influenced by the thought of righteousness in the heart irrespective of their nationality. You can see how the righteousness in the heart generates beauty in the character in the human beings and beauty in the character leads to harmony in the home. Harmony in the home in an integrated way generates order in the nation. Of course, the order in the nation finally blossoms peace in the world. The righteousness in the heart is the starting point for the great individual, great family and the great nation and ultimately great planet earth.

Now the question is: How do we inculcate the righteousness in the heart. In my opinion, there are three sources which can build a youth with righteousness in the heart. First is the mother, the second is the father, both in a spiritual environment and the third and the most important is the teacher, particularly primary school teacher. Also to provide righteousness in the heart to the young minds, we should have an environment of great education and a spiritual way of life and spiritual environment.

Women of indomitable spirit

Dear friends, let me share with you some examples drawn from unique personalities, one is the mother of music Bharat Ratna M. S. Subbulakshmi, second Prof Wangari Maathai of Kenya, who has taken up planting of trees as planting an idea, third, Madam Curie who was the first one to be honored with Nobel Prize twice in different fields.

Radiating Divine Music

Dear friends, I will talk to you about the mother of Carnatic music M. S. Subbulakshmi. First time in the year 1950, I heard her when I was studying in the college at Trichy during Thyagaraja Festival at Tiruvaiyar, which is conducted in January every year. I attended this festival with my close friend and music lover Santhanam. MS Subbulakshmi sang the famous Thyagaraja Pancharatna Kriti “Endaro Mahaanubhavalu andhariggi vandanamulu” This song really entered into me and blossomed happiness in my body and soul. The meaning was so powerful; I was moved and became a lifetime fan of M S. I started liking her statement in the music academy, linking music with Bhakti.

“Bhakti is nothing but the devotion we show to the divinity that resides within us. Once we regard the divinity within us with devotional fervor, we are bound to develop the same affection towards everything outside. The reason is that the same divine truth runs through all things. When the devotee has attained this state, service to the world becomes his creed.”

I used to meet her in music concerts. It was a great joy for me when M. S. was honored with Bharat Ratna in 1998 at Ashoka Hall in Rashtrapati Bhavan. I was sitting by her side. She touched my head and blessed. That was the greatest moment in my life. She gave one statement which I would like to recall “Any raga has the purpose of directing the minds of the listeners towards God and His manifestations”.

Planting of trees is the planting of ideas

I would like to talk about Prof Wangari Maathai, who has a passion for environment and bio-diversity and is contributing to the sustainable development and growth of planet Earth. Wangari Maathai was born in Nyeri, Kenya (Africa) in 1940. She was the first woman in East and Central Africa to earn a doctorate degree and to become chair of the Department of Veterinary Anatomy and an Associate Professor. Wangari Maathai was active in the National Council of Women of Kenya and was its Chairman in 1981-87, where she introduced the idea of planting trees with the people and continued to develop it into a broad-based, grassroots organization whose main focus is the planting of trees with women groups in order to conserve the environment and improve their quality of life. Through the Green Belt Movement that Nobel Laureate Prof Maathai has evolved innovatively a movement with 600 community networks across Kenya and branches in 20 countries resulting in the plantation of 31 million trees. She and the Green Belt Movement have received numerous awards, most notably The 2004 Nobel Peace Prize.

Prof Maathai gives a new meaning to the important act of planting a tree by extending it to the whole life, when she says, “the planting of trees is the planting of the idea.” She highlights the qualities of patience, persistence, and commitment to planning and realizing a future, which is what we learn when we plant trees and wait for them to yield fruits for the next generation. She believes that no matter how dark the cloud, there is always a thin, silver lining, and that is what we must look for. The silver lining will come, if not to us then to the next generation or the generation after that. And may be with that generation, the lining will no longer be thin. India values Prof Maathai’s involvement and contribution in furthering the relationship between India and Kenya and had the privilege of honoring her with the Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding for the year 2005. She concludes her Nobel Lecture on December 10, 2004, like this: quote, “As I conclude I reflect on my childhood experience when I would visit a stream next to our home to fetch water for my mother. I would drink water straight from the stream… I saw thousands of tadpoles: black, energetic and wriggling through the clear water against the background of the brown earth. This is the world I inherited from my parents”. Prof. Mathaai would like all of us to preserve this inheritance.

Scientific mind enriches the world

Madam Curie’s life was full of challenges. She was not afraid of the problems; she defeated them and succeeded. This experience of Madam Curie will definitely be an inspiration for all the women of the present and future generations. Madam Curie was a coworker of Henri Becquerel during research, who discovered the properties of the element uranium. Currie came to know about those properties and set about investigating the effect, which she named "radio-activity" for her Doctorate research.

Marie Curie checked many other elements to determine whether they too were radioactive. She found one, thorium, and also came across a source of radiation in a mixture called ‘pitch-blend’, which was much more powerful than either thorium or uranium.

Working together, it took Marie and her husband Pierre four years to isolate the radioactive source in the pitch-blend. Madam Curie used to carry a large quantity of pitch-blend on her head for extracting few grams of material in the laboratory which needed tons of ‘pitch-blend’. That few grams of the material was her discovery. Marie named it as radium. For the discovery of radium, Marie and Pierre won a Nobel Prize in Physics in 1903, which they shared with their friend A. Henri Becquerel. Shortly, Marie found that what she had discovered was not pure radium, but she was able to isolate the element itself after quite a struggle. For this work, she was given the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1911.

During her work, Marie discovered radiation could kill human cells. She reasoned that if it could kill healthy human cells, it could kill diseased human cells also and went about isolating radium for use in killing tumors. During the First World War, Marie Curie went to work for the French designing and building X-ray machines. Knowing that moving soldiers to a hospital before they needed surgery was not always possible, she designed the first mobile X-ray machine and traveled with it along the front lines during the war. On July 4, 1934, Marie Curie died in Paris, killed by her own experiments. She died of radiation poisoning and may have been the first person to do so.

Marie Curie had brought herself up from poverty, struggling to get her education and succeeding brilliantly. The work she did, she did with patience, often getting results only after years of careful experimentation, while struggling for money to support her work. For her struggles, she received two Nobel Prizes - the first woman to win even one. Through the knowledge she gained, thousands of lives have been saved. The courage and perseverance shown by Madame Curie in her pursuit of scientific mission and achieving successes are indeed remarkable and stimulating.

From the four great minds, one establishes “how to inject divinity through music”, “how to succeed in an environmental mission by sheer invincible hard work”, “creation of an indomitable spirit through continuous selfless service” and “working tirelessly on a scientific mission”. I am sure, the members of GVG Visalakshi College for Women would like to emulate the traits possessed by these four great personalities.

Let me give my visualization of the dynamic college which has eight aspects or characteristics.

Profile of dynamic college

1. A college that radiates greatness by the teaching capacity of the teachers and students walk with teachers
2. A college is great because it cherishes the learning environment with library, the internet, e-learning and creative laboratories
3. A college is great because it creates and generate students with confidence that “I can do it” that in-turn will generate the team spirit that “We will do it” and “India will do it”
4. A college that promotes best in learning all-around to all the students. Students stand on the shoulders of great teachers
5. A college is great because it has teachers who lead a unique way of life with purity and become role models for the students and develop them as enlightened citizens
6. A college is great because it has the capacity to teach all students to succeed
7. A college that generates creativity among all students irrespective of whether they belong to arts or science stream
8. A college is great, that generates alumni who cherish that they belong to this college.

Friends, I am sure, students of GVG Visalakshi College for Women will cherish such a dynamic college environment.

Let not thy winged days, be spent in vain

Friends, let us study together, how important is ‘time’. As you all know, the earth rotates on its own axis once in a day having 24 hours or 1440 minutes or 86400 seconds. Earth itself orbits around the sun. It takes nearly one year for an orbit. With the completion of one rotation of the earth around the sun, your age is added by one year as you are living on planet earth. Seconds fly, minutes fly, hours fly, days fly, months fly and years fly. We have no control over it. The only thing that we can do is, while the time flies, we can navigate the time. “Let not thy winged days, be spent in vain”.

Conclusion: Emerging Women

While I am with the motivated students and teachers of GVG Visalakshi College for Women, I would like to share with you the thought process of the great poet Mahakavi Subramanya Bharathiyar, who in 1910 composed the poem Emerging women of India. When I visited his grand-daughter Smt. Lalitha Bharathiyar on 25 July 2008, she recited the great song of 1910 on emerging women of poets visualization :

This beautiful poem brings out the profile of emerging women.

Emerging Women

She walks with raised head,
With her eyes looking straight,
She has her principles,
Unafraid of anybody!
She has a lofty
And knowledge based pride,
Such cultured women,
Don't falter from the chosen path.
She drives ignorance away.
She welcomes the bliss of life.
With learned mind,
This is the Dharma
Of emerging woman.

The dream of the poet, I am sure, will become a reality of life for the students of Sri GVG Visalakshi College for Women, Udumalpet.

My best wishes to all of you for success in your educational mission and subsequent profession.

May God Bless you

Oath for the Students

1. I will bring a change in the life of 100 women in education, employment or healthcare.
2. I will promote courage and self-reliance, particularly among women.
3. I will work continuously to remove gender discrimination and crime against women and children.
4. I will promote righteousness in the heart that will blossom the beauty in the character among citizens.
5. I will light the lamp of knowledge in the nation and ensure that it remains lit for ever.
6. Wherever I am, I will always be remembered by my thought, word, and action as a student or alumni of Sri GVG Visalakshi College for Women.
7. My National Flag flies in my heart and I will bring glory to my nation.

Source
www.abdulkalam.com