koalarant's Xanga

Europe: Dealing with diversity

Thu, 29 Mar 2007 22:04:20 GMT

(originally dated 7/3/07)

Multiculturalism is here to stay. So why is Europe finding it so difficult to provide equal opportunities and equal respect to its diverse societies? An article in last weeks Time Magazine suggested five ways in which Europe can turn the actuality of multicultural communities into something that offers prosperity rather than pitfalls.

To make the top of the list was the controversial topic of saving the veil. “I feel more comfortable, like I can respect myself more when I’m covered”[1] said Aisha Awan, a British Muslim. While people are still free to wear the veil in the UK, countries such as France have banned them in the classroom and the Dutch are fighting for a total public ban – a decision which personally seems rather unreasonable.

Maybe the French are right, and a ban in schools isn’t so bad. The segregation of diverse individuals would hopefully decline, and pupils (especially younger ages) will not be thrown into the firing line of such an emotionally charged debate. For all teachers to wear similar dress at least shows some conformity to pupils, and that all their teachers are to be treated the same. It may seem unfair to ask others to change their norms, but for European youths it might be essential to achieve equality.

What is important is that to remove the veil must be teacher’s decision, not a demand of schools or government. It would be the first step to ridding of any potential divided society fully developing in the UK. An issue that must be overcome for multicultural European life to stand any chance of success.

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[1] Time – The Many faces of Europe – Feb 26, 2007

Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Tue, 27 Feb 2007 22:04:44 GMT

~~~HAPPY BIRTHDAY GARY~~~

Have a good one!!

Robotically Challenged

Tue, 27 Feb 2007 16:25:04 GMT

You come home after a hard day’s work to find the lawn’s been mowed, laundry’s done, clothes ironed and the house spotless. Is this the result of your wife’s household cleaning abilities? No, this is the twenty first century, and Tony 220i, your domestic service robot has been effortlessly running errands for the last nine hours.

As Bill Gates claimed, the robot industry “may well change the world”[1]. With companies like Honda and Toyota working on advanced programs we can assume there will be drastic changes to our lifestyles. It’s predicted that we are 20 years away from an ironing robot, and within 50 years domestic robots will be common place in our homes. This is enticing for housework haters and an increasingly comatose society.

Introducing domestic robots is like providing a pampering service, in which the recipients soon become reliant upon. Mundane tasks will be done for us while we vegetate on the couch. We’ll view it as a disaster when it breaks down. Soon the inert society could become an obese one.

And while we put on weight, it’s doubtful our robot friend will soothe us with social interaction. Despite lacking this human characteristic there is immense potential to use them to help care for the elderly. So when our parents grow old the robot plays a caring role. At a time when a person needs increased attention, is it morally right to provide them with an emotionless piece of machinery?

Although, Honda’s new humanoid robot, ASIMO, demonstrates advanced human interaction abilities.[2] But it’s doubtful it will ever equate to a human being.

[1] Financial Times – February 24 2007

[2] http://asimo.honda.com

Clever kids disadvantaged

Tue, 20 Feb 2007 19:03:26 GMT

Is being a child genius a curse or a blessing? Is it fair to push a child to be intelligently superior to other children at a young age?

An article in last weeks Economist raised the question of whether child prodigies are born or made.

What was not discussed in any depth was the impact such intelligence has upon a young child. Ploughing through novels while still in nappies, when other children are engrossed with their new action man can soon cause social problems. These gifted kids may become isolated from others their age as they are not motivated by the same things in life. This makes me wonder; does high intellect come at the price of losing aspects of your childhood? Supposedly, these are the best years of our lives, and we won’t be getting them back.

As these child geniuses grow, they will be outdoing their classmates, and as is often seen they can be moved ahead a year or two in school. This is bound to have a social effect as they will be leaving friends behind and being required to interact with elders.

The exceptionally talented may find themselves in university at an extremely young age. Children as young as twelve have been known to be heading into the university life, as was the case with Oxford graduate, Ruth Lawrence who then graduated at just fifteen.[1] But would Ruth have been able to get the most out of university? These years are supposed to be full of meeting new people, having fun and enjoying yourself.

Child geniuses carry a hefty burden, where it seems intelligence comes at a social cost.

[1] Young, gifted and a right handful - BBC

Child Soldiers

Tue, 13 Feb 2007 16:12:48 GMT

The British army is becoming increasingly desperate for recruits. The new targets are poorly educated teenagers and school children.

An article in last weeks New Statesman[1] told how children as young as 14 are being lured into the military through school army day trips and marketing schemes.

On a cold winters day a group of school children, aged between 14 and 16, are stood at Fulwood Barracks in Preston. These kids are from an underachieving comprehensive in a disadvantaged part of town. And many are viewed as unruly by the teachers.

Warrant Officer Nick Froehling soon has the children running obstacle courses and basic drills. Hours later the children have completed a one-day Army Personal Development course. They receive a certificate with recruitment office numbers. A DVD, brochures and a trendy magazine called Camouflage are also handed over.

Schemes like this have caused outrage by Plaid Cymru, who had asked to ban army targeting programmes (which were rejected). Focus is moving from the school leaver to the school child.

Maybe recruitment schemes aiming at underachieving youths provide more promising futures. Unemployment in Wales rose to 5 percent in 2006, from 4.3 percent in 2005 [2].

Here is the dilemma. At what age is it acceptable to offer an insight to a military career? The head of the service’s recruitment strategy, Colonel David Allfrey says “We don’t do primary schools”[3]. Particular teens find themselves in a dubious situation where they do not suit the academic system. And the military could present opportunities to make a lifelong career.

Military recruitment could be the answer to Wales’ growing unemployment problem. But how young do you aim?

[1] New Statesman – February 05 2007

[2] www.newswales.co.uk, Plaid slams rise in Welsh unemployment – March 19 2006

[3] New Statesman - February 05 2007

Friday, February 09, 2007

Fri, 09 Feb 2007 01:01:10 GMT

Wallowing waste

Regret is a terrible thing. A feeling that has the ability to eat away at your conscience is not healthy. Frankly it is a waste of time and effort. So why do we regret aspects of our past? Is it because we are in fact descent human beings? Maybe it’s a tactic to punish ones self for falling foul of what we believe is morally right.

If we didn’t regret would we commit acts of distaste more often? We might just slip into a role of being an idiotic, arrogant, distasteful individual all our lives.

We have all done things we are not proud of. We have all felt like we have let others and ourselves down at some point. We have all wished we tried harder, made that phone call, showed more affection, listened more. We have all tasted regret at some point of our lives, some more than others.

But, and it is an important one, how about instead of dwelling on an issue, we move on. As Alexander Graham Bell once said “When one door closes another door opens; but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us”. Why waste our precious time looking back at what could have been. Instead focus on the positive opportunities which may have arisen from a negative time.

Feeling regret for your actions towards another person can be awful, but to admit you are wrong takes strength and to say sorry takes courage. Even if the apology isn’t accepted at least you were brave enough to try and rebuild that broken bridge. So next time regret is tapping you on the shoulder turn around and stare it in the face. Learn from it and move on.

A life living in the past is a life wasted. If you do something stupid, realise you were wrong, get on with life. As long as something is taken with you from the experience you will become a better person. We’re all too young to waste what we’ve got, the future awaits and we should feel compelled to go and enjoy it.

To go home

Tue, 06 Feb 2007 00:01:42 GMT

Ok so I’ve lived in Britain most of my life but still it feels like a home away from home. I moved over here from Australia when I was about a year old but my parents always ensured we visited the Aussie land every other year for a month or so. Whenever we had to come back to England it was heart breaking to leave my relatives at the airport (with my auntie always sobbing). I never wanted to get back on that plane.

Now that I’m older I don’t get the privilege of the parents paying for me to go to Australia too often. I guess it’s my choice when I go and visit these days. But my bank account has seen better times since becoming a student and I simply can’t afford the plane ticket. Damn, I got left behind in the bitter cold of Cardiff when the parents visited down-under late last year.

Don’t get me wrong, I love Cardiff (that’s why I’m still here after nearly four years) but I love Australia even more, much more in fact.

So with the end of university on the horizon I have the opportunity to make my way back home to the land of the kangaroo, boomerang, koala (you get the point), and I can’t wait. Cardiff will be missed but the sun, sea, BBQ and a bottle of Victoria Bitter are just so appealing.

Words can’t describe how great it will be to see my cousins, aunties and uncles again. I’m so close to getting back home, it’s been too long. Australia here I come.

Cardiff, you won’t be forgotten.