Culture @ MindSay

I am currently working on several paper presentations and a possible book regarding the pedagogy of humanity.  This work has not been completely thought out and articulated, but I hope through discussions and presentations that I will be able to refine ideas and culminate them into a succinct discourse.  My goal is to start developing teacher materials through rethinking schools or another publisher that shares the same vision for what I am trying to work on.  As I have said in discussions, what can we say that hasn't been said?  What we strive for is the right prescritpion (combination of philosophy and thoughts) for the right time that will address issues appropriately.  Life is a process, a path, and an experiment.

Antonio Garcia

Indiana University 

No parental guidance, raging hormones, access to beer and fake id’s, anytime you come home curfews and now add to that already dangerous mix –  colleges allowing boys and girls to share dorm rooms.

I know what you are thinking – college kids are going to hook up and have “slumber parties” anyhow, so permitting this living arrangement is simply implementing what is already informally taking place. 

"It's definitely a growing movement on campuses across the country," said Clark University Dean of Students Denise Darrigrand. "It's a new world, and gender has taken on all kinds of new definitions. It's about being more inclusive, and it's about keeping pace with the times."

People speed when driving but does that mean we should make it legal?

Does allowing baby-faced, barely-legal, young adults to live with the opposite sex in a university endorsed facility promote sex, STDs, and promiscuity?  Or are the universities simply being realistic and supporting the already occurring actions of college students?    

This report was contributed by Daneille Morrison ... The headline was contributed by aostrow 

Remember when you wear Green  today regardless of your culture back ground,  you are celebrating a Man who decimated and killed thousands of ppl for having faith in a different path then he did.

 

You are promoting the celebration of  Religious Genocide and Terrostic Attacks done on many of today's ppl's ancestors.  No different then the Religious Terrorists of the Middle East for killing those who have faith or think differently then they do.

 

Hope your proud of yourselves!

 

Me and Mine will be celebrating our Ancestors by wearing various Snake jewlery, shirts, ink, and other items to show that our Ancestors are NOT forgotten and that they did NOT die in vain. 

 

 

The new Afghanistan government has sought to remedy these abuses through the creation of a Ministry of Woman Affairs and an Independent Human Rights Commission. However, attention to women’s issues is often overshadowed by other pressing concerns, such as security and the narcotics trade. Simply establishing institutions dedicated to gender sensitivity and tolerance does not ensure gender equality. As the Afghan government recognizes, attention to women’s issues across all government bodies and aid delivery organizations must be established. Accordingly, the government has prepared a National Action Plan for the Women of Afghanistan, which will provide a comprehensive, cross-ministerial approach to improving the condition of Afghanistan women.

Without popular support, however, this laudable effort cannot be effectively implemented. Sadly, the very brave individuals who speak out on behalf of vulnerable populations in Afghanistan are targeted by insurgency and extremist groups. As Shukria Barakzai, Member of Parliament from Kabul province, recently lamented: “When I leave home these days for work, I am not quite sure whether I will be back [alive].”

The persecution of these individuals fighting for Afghanistan’s progress is partly driven by Afghanistan’s male-dominant, conservative culture. Achieving gender equality will therefore require a fundamental change in Afghan societal norms and perceptions, over many generations. Therefore, we must rely on non profit organizations such as Help The Afghan Children to give continuous international emergency aid or other assistance to help the Afghan women and Afghan girls to live happily in their country.

By Sgt. Brandon Little, USA

Special to American Forces Press Service

 

March 6, 2008 - Deployed American forces go out of their way to interact with local citizens, hoping to gain their confidence by helping them get a better understanding of the U.S. mission and culture.  Knowing that cultural understanding has to work both ways, the U.S. military continues to provide its servicemembers with training on Islamic cultures and their way of life. But what happens after all the training and soldiers still have questions?

 

Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers in Task Force 12 who practice Islam answer questions about their religion and help fellow soldiers put a familiar face with an unfamiliar culture.

 

"I've known the soldiers I work with for a long time, and they don't treat me any different just because I'm from a different culture," said Army Spc. Emadeldeen Elboctorcy, a UH-60 Black Hawk maintainer in Company D, 3rd Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment. "They're pretty considerate of my religion; for example, when some of the soldiers go to get food for everybody, they always make sure there is a plate without pork."

 

Elboctorcy, who is now a U.S. citizen, was born and reared as a devout Muslim in Alexandria, Egypt. He moved to the United States in 1995 and has been answering the questions of those curious about his religion ever since.

 

"When you get cultural awareness training, they only give you so much information, and many of the soldiers, to include myself, still had questions," said Army 1st Sgt. Ronald Pickens, a native of Abilene, Texas, who serves with Company D. "Instead of asking their question in front of everybody, they felt more comfortable asking Elboctorcy, and he would explain his point of view. He's a very tolerant person and willing to answer those questions."

 

Army Spc. Asad Khan, a New York City resident for nearly 30 years, was born in a small town near Lahore, Pakistan, and often is asked about his religion and his country's culture.

 

"Some people think that everyone who is a Muslim is a radical, but that's not the case," said Khan, an air traffic control systems maintainer in Company F, 7th Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment. "There are a few, just like in every religion, who are extremist, but I was definitely not brought up that way."

 

The combination of cultural awareness training and having a soldier in the unit who practices Islam has helped the other soldiers understand that different doesn't mean good or bad; it just means different, Pickens said.

 

"I joined the Army because I wanted to make a difference in the war using my language. But at that time, there was no military occupational specialty for Arabic linguist," said Elboctorcy, a native of Citrus Heights, Calif. "I guess in a sense I am making a difference, because even though I'm not out there talking to Iraqis, I'm still providing information to the soldiers who want to know more about Arabic cultures."

 

"He doesn't explain how the cultures are different; he explains how the cultures are similar," Pickens noted. Islam, just like most other religions, teaches people they should love and respect one another, Elboctorcy said.

 

Having been born in the Middle East, Khan and Elboctorcy said, they feel a connection to people who live in this region, but living in the United States for so many years has made them appreciate both cultures.

 

"I feel a strong connection to Iraqis who have dual citizenship with a country like the U.S. or Great Britain," Elboctorcy said. "We can share experiences we've had in living in both cultures and speaking both languages."

 

Although Khan is not yet a U.S. citizen, he has begun the naturalization process and will more than likely become a citizen before the end of his deployment.

 

Whether it's learning from cultural awareness training, or from a fellow soldier who has lived in a certain region of the world, Task Force 12 soldiers have plenty of options to educate themselves on unfamiliar cultures and ways of life.

 

"I've never been stereotyped or judged by the soldiers I work with; they know me, and they know I'm from New York," Khan said. "Don't get me wrong, I still love Pakistan, but America has my heart, and I will always be an American."

 

(Army Sgt. Brandon Little serves in the Task Force 12 Public Affairs Office, Multinational Division Baghdad.)