It’s so much simpler if it starts with you. And it’s got to start somewhere.

Being one of those people who enjoy discourse, I’ve come to realize that either fellow peers or interested peers sometimes do get carried away with the talking. This is a video, which I think is brilliant in terms of counter cynicism, perspective shift, personal reflection, self-belief, approach to change and taking action.

Video from Earthian – Sustainability Program for Schools and Colleges. Click here for their Facebook page.

Do comfortable people realize, that thought the unprivileged must work to earn theirs, sometimes the playing field is not fair? Do people of countries realize this, when comparing theirs with another country?

Last night I read a tweet from Accenture citing a World Economic Forum on economic growth forecast of India, that will grow twice as fast as Russia’s, in the next 3 years. A few things popped in my head, and the following were some of them, in the tweet form that I put out.

At what expense/sacrifice? RT @Accenture: #wef study on growth: Nxt 3 yrs, India’s economy grow twice as fast as Russiahttp://bit.ly/y5msQO

It’s unfortunate, tho to some level understandable, tht our measure of ‘growth’ is often (solely) on economic terms. It’s difficult to escape(but shldnt be ignored,better still addressed),tht economic growth often has negative impact in othr areas.

Jst bcz u dont hear about others experiencing negative impact fr positive economic growth doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen.

Jst bcz that voice of dissent is not loud,or strategically or constructively voiced,doesn’t negate the reality of the injustice.

U must keep in mind, the groups/segments of society tht is often at tht rotten end of injustice,dont hv the same resources u do. By tht reality,their platform4voicing out d injustice they go thru at d expense of the progress by others,isnt ‘democractic’ Bcz it’s not the same level playing field anymore (as they have as compared to those who have benefited).

Perhaps it might help ur perspective,looking at it on global platform,esp since the upper n mid class r more ‘international’. U cant compare the powers of a developed country (esp former imperial powers) w/ tht of a developing country (esp ex colonies). The measurements we compare today of what btwn the 2 have,was built upon based on the resource available 2 them. Worse still, if the resources of the developed, was plucked (exploited) fr the resources churned out by the developing. Not to mention,tht thru out the time the ‘developed’ was building themselves up, the ‘developing’ was busy working 4 the former.

So now take tht illustration, n look into d local context w/in a country,btwn the balance of the upper class n the lower class.

Look into the sector of access to education (opportunities), healthcare access, economic potentials. It goes a long way. When u look at it tht way,u might b more careful calling someone ‘kampung’ or ‘jakun’ n understand the gap in thinking/lifestyle. Bcz tht gap is socially n economically constructed, to benefit a segment of society, n to deprive another segment.

To some extent tht gap is inevitably, but tht does not discount the smart, by allowing them to be ignorant. That doesn’t discount the rich, to distant from the poor. If that’s not enough to knock some sense,imagine if u were in the shoes of the deprived and ignored. K. Aku penat. Slamat malam.

In December 2010, I was in Tareem, a village in the state (and valley) of Hadhramout, located in the south of Yemen. Most of the migrant Arabs in Southeast Asia dating back centuries ago, tend to come from Hadhramout, as did my family. The place, structural development wise, is backward by many decades if not more. But in other areas, they a fascinatingly ahead in ways I suspect citizens of first world cities would envy.

Anyway, I recently met a permaculture expert who is giving a two week course in Malaysia and he told me of this project happening in Tareem, that is hosted by the religious school Darul Mustafa, that I also paid a visit when I was there. The link (click here to know more about the project) doesn’t quite explain what is permaculture, assuming you’re not familiar with the concept. I suggest you explore the site and the web overall to have an idea of this amazing concept.

If you’re interested in permaculture, do contact me on Facebook and I’ll connect you with some people who could help.

What I like about this poster is that like many things in life, it provokes you to think about the certain things that are happening in the world today. Are our perception on current affairs, global or domestic, skewed or objective? Is someone like Bush, with a legitimate position but doing the things that he did, is equal, better or worse than someone like BinLaden? Are the organized crime by gangsters in the streets, equal, better or worse, than the corporations in the offices who different but still damaging things to the public?

We must continually ponder upon these things because if we allow ourselves to be fooled, it is as insulting as it is damaging, for me to show you a piece of black cloth, and tell you that it is white in colour.

*Image source: Catherine Savage

We forget to understand the philosophy of educating a person, and where/how it counts the most.

Below is a set of tweets I put out, during a quick lecture by Habib Ali Alhamid, at the Maulud we were at for one of my cousins new baby. It is on education in the Islamic perspective, included the of parent to child context, followed by some of my personal comments on the matter. Please don’t take any of this conclusively as they were mere excerpts of both Habib Ali’s words as well as my view.

Habib Ali Alhamid quick talk: the need of parents to be proud of their childrens life achievements,AND values for afterlife.

Habib Ali Alhamid: speaking of parents to child education, using Prophet Abraham and Prophet Ishmael as example. ..

..He says, how was it that Ishmael who was barely raised by his father, Abraham, cld be of such great character, and obedience. ..

.. To the point tht when d instructions fr Allah came for Abraham to slaughter his son Ishmael, Ishmael agreed based on his faith to God. ..

.. Habib Ali says, the education to Ishmael, was fr 2 key sources. 1 – the prayers of geographically distant his father, Abraham. 2 – that Ishmael was raised well by his mother. Fr my understndng, Habib Ali Alhamid is saying, dnt under estimate the power of a childs education,character,knowledge, faith,by way of his parents care upon him/her. The power&responsibility of parent to child. ..

..On a similar topic, I once learned tht education as per the Islamic understanding has 3 schools. Home, school (as we know it), society. ..

.. If I remember, tht point was made to emphasize tht it begins at home. In line w my gripe w/ our obsession of modern day education system. Which I don’t think is a sphere or approach in life we shld neglect,but not rely on in the same way most of us do today. Its not workable.

..A simple illustration,how can u expect teachers whom u barely spend time w/ or care for,to teach ur child so much abt everythng. .. We might say this to be untrue,but when a youth is ignorant, the line is always either ‘what r schools teaching the kids nowadays?’ Or ‘The edu system today is rubbish.’ When we 4get to undrstnd the philosophy of educating a person,n where/how it counts the most.

*Additional notes by me based on comments I got from FB,

“Sorry not sure if I conveyed it properly. But it was narrated that Prophet Abraham constantly prayed for his son Prophet Ishmael, throughout the lifetime of Ishmael, whether he was near or far. It was to illustrate that the prayer of a parent for his/her child is important, and part parcel to his upbringing. And that the slaughter was an instruction and test from God. Sorry if tht didn’t come out right.

I rely on my trust that he is the Prophet, and that he raised his children his own way, for the best of reasons.

People like Prophets, are at places, near or far from their family or people, for the best of reasons. Unlike us, they have a responsibility, if I could use that word, to be and do what they’re suppose to, by virtue of their privilege, if I could use that word, of Messenger with God, contact with Angels.

While I agree that action is one thing, I also have faith in the power of God to be able to answer any parents prayers to Him, meant for their child, geographically near or not.

That said, I trust that that is also done with sincerity, and not mere prayer and leaving it all up to the divine powers. That is my understanding.

On the note of the Qur’an, like law it can be read literally, or otherwise, rendering it to be misread.”

The following are some tweets I put out recently on the measure of success and power, and how such definitions aren’t professed by only those who aspire, but those who observe, become victims of this narrow thought.

Interesting piece on Russian recent (few decades) politics, history, rule of law, and transition. Newsweek January 2nd edition. Click here.

Gd tht Russia,China..BRIC countries nw r emerging powers. Lessening U.S. But I’m skeptical over their neglect for justice. N ppl everywher celebrate d emerging powers,merely cz they dnt like U.S. Shows tht what we value is economy $$$. Other values?

Thts problematic cz this reflects how we c things,domestically,in our own homes,in ourselves.Fikiran wang & materialisme (shj). N whn we hv social issues,tht stems fr family values,&lives of d rich&stupid r threatend,theyre unable 2 articulate root prob.

Did we go through/for civilization,education,globalization, to become less wise & more wealthy?Less community & more self?

If education is teaching us to be destructive, then it’s not knowledge we’re learning.

Okay post dinner thots are done. Empty plates, and an open magazine here in an empty resto. They nak tutup. Time to walk home. #AdaAkuKisah?

*Pic above from Guardian.

Grow Your Mind  is a film discussion series and workshops to create awareness and initiate action at a community level on issues of environment and sustainable lifestyle. We are glad to invite you to join us for the 1^st series this Saturday 14^th January 2012 from 9am to 1pm at Urban Village, Bangsar for a morning of reflection and enabling positive action for ourselves and our planet!

Entrance is FREE but we love you more if you pitch in some green notes.

Grow Your Mind is another initiative of CRESCENT COLLECTIVE with MURUJAN PERMACULTURE DESIGN and supported by URBAN VILLAGE, COUNTERPOINT and ECO CENTRIC TRANSITIONS.

Film: “HOME” by Yann Arthus Bertrand

Workshop: “Amoeba Theory” by Steve McCoy from Counterpoint

The world we live in today is changing faster than we think – and more often than not, the effects of change can be catastrophic to those who are unprepared. By expanding our awareness and appreciation of the earth and our relation to it, we may begin to take steps to ensure a more ethical and sustainable future for all it’s inhabitants, including ourselves.

Crescent Collective and Murujan Permaculture Design are happy invite you to a special screening of the critically acclaimed documentary “HOME” followed by discussions and a workshop on the “Theory of Change” by Steve McCoy from Counterpoint Consulting.

HOME is is a documentary by French photographer, Yann Arthus Bertrand. The film is almost entirely composed of aerial shots of various places on Earth. It shows the diversity of life on Earth and how humanity is threatening the ecological balance of the planet.

Check out the trailer here: http://www.youtube.co/watch?v=u_9U4gqwHW8

Steve McCoy is Founder and Principal of Counterpoint, a consultancy firm providing support services on sustainability for the Corporate, Government and Non-profit sectors. Counterpoint’s work rests on the simple understanding that the challenges that confront the world today offer a broad canvas of opportunity to secure a better tomorrow, and the conviction that maintaining the status quo is no longer a viable option.

Check out Steve McCoy’s presentation at TEDxKL here: http://www.tedxkl.com/steve-mccoy/

Crescent Collective is a group of individuals with the common interest of spreading good vibes, positivity and funky time through creative and artistic means.

Check them out at: http://crescentcollective.org/

Murujan Permaculture Design envisions to become a collective of skilled Permaculture designers who cooperate and strive to improve our environment, lifestyles and communities through teaching, ethical business ventures and consulting, aid work, open source research, development and more.

Check them out here: http://murujan.com/

Urban Village is a creative hub that provides facilities for creative entrepreneurs and professional freelancers to operate their business by providing basic business necessities such as work space, event space, retail space, entrepreneurship consultation and exposure.

Check out their website here: http://www.urbanvillage.my

Programme Schedule:

• 9:00am: Registration and Eco-corners – Mini booths by environmentally responsible denizens of KL
• 10:00am: Screening of “HOME”
• 11:30am: Discussion on “HOME” with Steve McCoy from Counterpoint, Nisha and Ly Mun from Eco Centric Transitions and Giovanni Galluzzo from Murujan Permaculture Design
• 12:00pm: “Amoeba Theory” Workshop with Steve McCoy
• 1:00pm: Wrap

Learning To Live Well With The Earth : Andrew Faust : Permaculture Design from TerraVisus on Vimeo.

Good stuff. Great learning. Relates to my thinking about the correlation of law and social sciences, and also professionalism and personal characteristics. Thanks Ashaari for sharing.

Andrew Faust is a Permaculture Designer and Teacher who teaches a Permaculture Certification Courses in NYC and in Ellenville NY at his Center for Bioregional Living. He is also a Permaculture Designer and offers regenerative design services applying permaculture and ecological principles.

Kita hendak kehadapan, tetapi tidak bersedia untuk pemajuan pemikiran.

Kita hendak kehadapan, tetapi tidak bersedia untuk pengorbanan kemajuan.

Kita hendak kehadapan, tetapi tidak bersedia untuk berhadapan pembaharuan.

The above, are comments I left on a picture uploaded by a staff librarian from UiTM whom I gather, is not fond of the pro-establishment propaganda mooted by some students. I was moved to write that, based on other comments I read.

To an extent, I commend the students to take action and put up such banners, albeit I find their messaging, or more accurately their thinking, ignorant or non-progressive. But I too fall trap in that category, on a number of issues, I’m sure.

What I like about the people who were behind this, was that they were obviously not in agreement with the current state of things, certain student groups fighting for academic political freedom, and they took action for their (albeit poor) views.

Something that these students might not realize is that by doing this, they too are doing what those other students are fighting for. Participating in the public sphere for life, as oppose to being a observer or a mere follower.

Below are a set of tweets I put out, based on a thinking I’ve been simmering in my head, that will hopefully at some point be presented in a decent article, before moving to presentations.

Disc w/ aunt studying Arabic in SOAS London. Says there’s a group mtg weekly she knows abt tht explores discourse, bringing in ppl of .. a bckground tht recognizes the quantum leap of the world today, those embracing it but also entrenched in religious/traditional views. …. She’s keen on suggesting my name to them but doubt I can make to their meetups. As I’m based in KL. They in London. Well.. Obviously. .. .. Sigh.

But it wld be fun. N good to know such groups r actively coordinating things, consciously expanding their circle 4 some, what I .. .. Could not patronizingly call, grp intellectual masturbation. Areas they explore include d concept of faith on faith, faith on science ..

Itself. Part of the point is to bring ppl who don’t strictly dichotomize parts of life be in science, faith, knowledge, practice but for .. ..The merging or interrelation, interdependence of 1 another. On my end I’ve never gotten to terms w/ the outlook of say, ‘that’s religion.. ..Therefore completely separate.’ Or same goes btwn professional n personal life. It is a demand I suspect unrealistic thus unavoidable. .. ..N it’s unfortunate those who don’t segmentize it as such are deemed non able, weak, unintellectual, or not living the ‘modern’ world. ..

..It is in essence a paradox counter argument declaring tht poor bcz in essence d person tht embraces such,4got to question where his own.. ..own outlook came fr. D argument of independence of thot,smtimes get so carried away tht it distorts d essence of a natural person itself.

Example: u cnt xpect say,a Muslim 2 treat his work principles purely on professional basis when he was raised w/ precisely Islamic teachngs. N 2 demand him 2 dichotomize tht suddenly 2 fit ths concept of modern professional thinkng/culture,is silly. Esp in terms of bein realistic.

2nd example: a woman who celebrates say,her brother’s success in her office w/ laughter is acceptable. But cries abt home issues at .. ..Office is unaaceptable as it is unprofessional&unbecoming. 2 bring dirty linen out. But here’s the thing. Work is driven by human energy..

..N in tht very vein is the human nature. The biological,physical,spiritual,emotional makeup of tht human. Saying she can laugh in the.. ..Office but can’t cry is not jst abt being unrealistic (to not allow her to cry ever),but unfair in terms of being realistic. ..

..Isnt tht colleague a human being?Isn’t that part&parcel of bein a human being?Emotional capacity 2 feel,as well as mental capacity 2 work. This concept of demanding strict dichotomy is awfully silly n unrealistic. Sigh. See now I tweet bnyk. I penat. I nak rest. So I stop. End.