"Human rights" is a term frequently used but seldom defined. What rights should belong to every human being? Discuss.

 Humans are interesting beings. They make their own rules and regulations and hardly follow them. Human right is a big example. Countries and different organisations make thousands of doctrines on human rights but there are still so many people in the world that are not even aware of their rights and people do not even bother to make them aware. The doctrines made by the United Nations state that every human has a right to freedom and that everyone should be treated equally. But when I look around myself, I do not see everyone following it. Why are women still treated like reproducing machines in some part of the world? Why they are not allowed to go out without a man escorting them? Why is it legal for a man to have more than one wife in some part of the world? Why do some women have to suffocate in a Burkha? Why do some of them have to fight for the right to drive in their own city? There are still so many countries where women are not considered equal as men. And according to me, women rights are the most important human rights, if they are followed by every person on this earth, other rights such as right to equality, right to freedom of speech and right to education will be covered, because most of the time women are the ones who get suppressed and with them all these rights.

It is completely inhuman to think of women as being inferiors. They are an integral part of the society and deserve to have all the rights that men have and they deserve to be respected. It is a shame to humanity to see women in some part of the world who are treated as a piece of furniture in the house when there are ladies who are working and earning all by themselves. We should at least give them a chance to prove what they can do for the society.

We humans think that we are the strongest and we have the power and the mind to make all the right decisions but we should always remember; there is a difference between a human being and being human.

What is your approach to life? Reveal your life philosophy.

Live and let live

Smile and forgive

Everyone makes mistakes

Even I have burnt cakes

It is too short to have regrettes

Too precious to give away to drugs and ciggerettes

But it surely is long when it comes to dreams

There is place for eveyone’s needs

It will sometimes throw you down

But don’t let people push you around

Get back up on your feet with all that is there

Look around and you will see people who actually care

You are special to someone

You are loved by someone

There is love for everybody here

Some people are just luckier

Don’t care what people think who you are

Just be yourself cause you know you’re a star

But advise is something you must not ignore

Specially when it comes from people who love you more

In the end it all depends on you

What you decide to gain and what you decide to loose

This was a poem I had written when i was fourteen. I saw the question and remembered this poem and i think it goes with the question perfectly!

CHALLENGE 4

Discuss some issue of personal, local, or national concern and its importance to you. (Hood)

Look around you, it’s everywhere; in the soil, in the water and in the air. And if you don’t see it, you should definitely visit India, especially Kolkata! But I think it will reach you too in a few years because it’s contagious. Once a place gets saturated with it, it spreads out to other places. And it harms us and the future generations every second.

If you haven’t guessed yet, I am talking about pollution.

Environmental pollution is not only a concern to me, but to every person living on this planet who is not ignorant. This issue is finally given a little importance nowadays. You can see advertisement all around telling you not to throw garbage here and there, not to use plastic, to plant more and  trees, to “go green” etc. More and more people are getting aware of it. It would have been much better if people thought about this a few years earlier, when its traces first appeared. It’s a little late now, and a bit difficult too. But I don’t think it is impossible. I believe that even if half the population looked at the issue seriously and did small things to help the environment, this world would be a much better place in every aspect. There are so many different organisations which aim to make the environment pollution free, but they will be of no use if the people don’t help them. And it isn’t even hard. Even a thing like reducing your shower timing to 5 to 10 minutes helps.  An environmental organisation cannot change the world. We all will have to contribute.

We created pollution; we are getting harmed by it, so we are the ones who need to get rid of it. And we have to get rid of it now, before it gets extremely late and the earth drowns or we all get skin cancer and die, or something else, like, we run out of drinking water and die of thirst. And if you think that you will not live to witness any of this happening, think about your children. 

CHALLENGE 3


What are the responsibilities of an educated person? (University of Puget Sound)

An educated person has the ability to decide what is right and what is not. She has this gift called knowledge. I believe that there is no point in having knowledge if you cannot apply it to real life and share it with others. It would be just inside you and there will be no use of it. So, according to me, the basic responsibility of an educated person is to guide people who are not privileged enough to get the chance to gain knowledge.

There are hundreds of NGO’s out there, which aim to educate the less privileged. They spread their knowledge and gain some in the process. These are the people who are carrying out the responsibilities of an educated person. Not just them, even the people who help make the rights decisions in any field, may it be politics, science or any other area, carry out their responsibilities. For example, poor farmers in India would be highly obliged if educated people helped them to decide what to do when there crops fail. This would also decrease the number of suicides in India. So if a small piece of advise can save a life, then why not?

Knowledge can be a dangerous tool when misused. If people start using it to make things that destroy things or people, they will be harming them and/or the environment, which would not be a sensible thing to do for someone who is educated. I mean, why would they want to do so when they can do something good with their brains and look good in other's eyes? The invention of guns, atom bombs etc. are great examples of this.

They should also try to set a good example for everyone, as people who are not so educated generally look up to people who are nowadays. If all educated people become good persons, this world would be a better place to live in.

CHALLENGE 2

1. If you could hold a conversation with someone (living or deceased) you consider significant, whom would you talk to and what would you talk about? Describe your conversation. (University of Oregon)

If I could hold a conversation with someone who is not alive, I would love to have a conversation with my grandfather, who I have never met. It would be a very significant conversation for me as I have never gotten the chance to know him and I have so much to ask and tell him. I have heard so much about him from my mother and grandmother that it really makes me want to spend some time with him.

I would tell him everything I could think of which happened in my life. I would want him to know everything that has ever happened to me. I would tell him about all my friends and the things we do, about my holidays with Mom, Dad and my sister, my love for music, my dreams in life and anything or everything that comes to my mind. And I believe he would listen to me patiently like all grandparents. He might also give me some good advice on what I can do with my life with the skills I have as he was a successful person himself. I would ask him questions about his childhood, his business, how my grandmother and him met, though I have asked my grandmother about it, I would still want to know his point of view and his experiences in life.

It would be a simply conversation from others point but an interesting one for me. Surely a little long, but a very special one. I would remember it for the rest of my life and keep it close to my heart and go back to it all the time. 

CHALLENGE 1

If you had the gift of telepathy, the ability to read other people’s minds, would you use this gift or not? Explain. (Middle East Technical University/93)

If I had the ability to read other peoples mind, I would not want to use my talent for any purpose. I do not have the gift of telepathy at the moment and my life is not bad. I can live without knowing what other people think quite peacefully. Yes, I understand it would make life a little easier, but what is the point when there will be no challenges to face and you’ll know what others think and know and will do next. Life would not be as exciting as it is without the ability to know what goes on in other peoples minds. I would know how to react to my teachers, my friends and family and strangers. I would not actually learn anything as I wouldn't make any mistakes in other peoples eyes. And in the process I would lose myself somewhere. I doubt if I would be myself because i would just do what others think I should and not what I want to. I would be conscious of myself the entire time. I am happy with not knowing what others think about me, and in any case, it does not matter to me.

It would be great if I encountered a terrorist and read his mind and saved the world but I truly believe that what is meant to happen will happen and that nothing can change destiny. If not him, some other terrorist would attack or maybe a natural disaster would occur. And on top of that, knowing what others thoughts and worries are adds on to our owns which I don’t think anyone would like. And I don’t think I myself would want anyone to be able to read my mind so why should I want to read other people’s mind.