arbnyc | نيويورك بالعربي New York in Arabic

Women in the Middle East North Africa Region (MENA) play inspiring roles, excelling in numerous fields and showing the world how to get down to business. These merits and accomplishments are projected through the works and missions carried out by these women throughout the MENA region and worldwide.

In basically every field and from different countries of the MENA region, one cannot begin to count the names of the accomplished Arab women who inspire us with contributions in many fields such as science, law, arts, medicine, politics, activism, international law, women’s rights, and peacekeeping.

This list showcases some of the works of these powerful women. These choices are based on personal inspiration and admiration to their characters and work. The list can amount to a thousand names of great women who play significant roles, and who try to make a change in this world to a better place.

I chose seven notable women and because it is a lucky number, feel free to check out more of their works, achievements, and accomplishments:

1 – Queen Rania Al Abdullah – Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

Her Majesty is notoriously famous for her humility and elegance. Queen Rania is known for her advocacy work related to education, health, community empowerment and youth cross-cultural dialogue.

“We shouldn’t judge people through the prism of our own stereotypes.” Queen Rania Al Abdullah, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

2 – Amal Clooney – Alamuddin (Lebanon) (UK)

Lawyer, activist, and author – fighting human rights, international law, and criminal law cases – Educated at Oxford University and the New York University School of Law, working on high- profile cases

3 – Mona Eltahawy (Egypt)(USA)

A freelance Egyptian-American journalist and commentator based in New York City. She gained American citizenship in 2011.

She has written essays and op-eds for publications worldwide on Egypt and the Islamic world, including women’s issues and Muslim political and social affairs. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, The New York Times, Christian Science Monitor, and the Miami Herald among others. Headscarves and Hymens, Eltahawy’s first book, was published in May 2015. Eltahawy has also been a guest analyst on U.S. radio and television news shows.

4 – Nawal El Saadawi (Egypt)(USA)

A Feminist, writer, activist, physician, and psychiatrist – a vocal advocate for women’s rights. Founder and president of the Arab Women’s Solidarity Association, co-founder of the Arab Association for Human Rights. El Saadawi has been awarded numerous occasions.

5 – Haifaa Al Mansour (Saudi Arabia)

The film director of movie Wadjda – the story of a young curious Saudi girl who dreams of owning a bicycle.

Al Mansour faced many challenges in directing the film, where she had to direct from a distance using a walkie-talkie. She promotes her campaign to allow Saudi women to drive in her home country albeit receiving death threats from local conservatives.

6 – Ayah Bdeir – (Lebanon)(Canada)

Scientist – Known for her snap-together circuit board business little bits invention kit. Bdeir aims to “put the power of electronics in the hands of everyone, and break down complex technologies so that everyone can build, prototype, and invent.”Founder of Karaj – Beirut’s first non-profit lab for experimental arts, architecture, and technology.

7 – Zaha Hadid (Iraq) (UK)  – Passed

The Architect is known for her remarkable design legacy. Dame Zaha Mohammad Hadid DBE RA was an Iraqi-British architect. She was the first woman to receive the Pritzker Architecture Prize, in 2004. She received the UK’s most prestigious architectural award, the Stirling Prize, in 2010 and 2011. She passed away in March 2016.

Hey folks,

Below is a comprehensive list I mapped out for my fellow readers who are interested in gaining the experience of learning a new language, in particular, Arabic. As a former Arabic language teacher, I believe that Arabic is a very interesting language filled with rich culture and history intertwined in linguistics and semantics of the language. Students who begin to learn the Arabic language truly gain an immersive experience of Arabic in the heart of New York City.

Ever wonder how to map out the logistics behind the start of studying a new language? The decision to learn Arabic may seem overwhelming, but it shouldn’t. Make sure to ask yourself before enrolling two main questions as a beginner student: where can I find a center that matches my needs and time? And what are the required registration processes? Feel free to check out the list I created with links to each website. Happy learning!

    Fluent City

The organization establishes deep relations with students based on interactions and using continuous active learning methods. Fluent City is built on the belief that curiosity brings enrichment to our lives, leading to better connections to the world around us. “Today, we’re bringing people together through pop-up events and month-long immersions to discover food and drink, art & design, language and beyond.” Fluent City’s chat box is awesome and super intuitive! Visit the website here to register for Arabic classes.

Lebanese American University (SINARC)

The Lebanese American University New York Headquarters and Academic Center/ SINARC offer Arabic language courses. SINARC is offering new classes for the summer semester of 2017 in the very hip and unique midtown Manhattan campus. “The team at LAU is very pleased to present the Summer 2017 course listing for matriculating and non-matriculating students. As a fully accredited institution, SINARC offers a wide variety of Arabic classes at every level – elementary, intermediate, advanced and Lebanese dialect, as well as private courses for individuals or small groups with specific needs and goals, all at very affordable rates. We employ a world-class faculty of native speakers with many years’ experience who specialize in reading, writing, and verbal communication.”

  Hunter College

How great is it to study an awesome language at one of the most reputable colleges in NYC! Students who have not studied Arabic at Hunter and who wish to register for ARB 102 must contact Professor Alexander Elinson, see link below. ARB 101 and 102 are not open to heritage speakers as determined by the Arabic program at Hunter. Students who speak, understand, or are otherwise familiar with an Arabic dialect must contact Professor Alexander Elinson. As in the academic-year program, ARB 101 and 102 are 3-credit courses. For more information about the courses, please see the courses section of our website.

For non-CUNY students, information about applying as a non-degree student can be found here.

  The Arabic School of NY

The Arabic School of New York offers first-class tuition in all aspects of Arabic. They offer courses at all levels, from beginners to advanced, from learning the alphabet to mastering classical and regional Arabic. Students learn more than a language, they learn about the Arabic culture. “There is nowhere else like it in the United States, partly because few schools concentrate on one language. We do, so we give not only the best language teaching, but offer students something far more important: human context.”

Language does not exist in a vacuum, and the school makes sure that students are exposed to all the richness of the Arab world, here in New York. Students graduate with a command of the language and an understanding of the whole cultural background that goes with it. Classrooms will provide you with a confidence and clarity of understanding, while our approach and philosophy will ground you in the whole. Our years of experience and love of our subject are at your disposal.

  Abc Languages

ABC Languages offers a variety of Arabic language program options. Choose from Arabic learning options on their website to learn more. “We look forward to getting your Arabic lessons started soon. hazan saeedan!!حظا سعيدا”

  Listen and Learn

“Our native-speaking qualified Arabic teachers can guide you and your group or at home, at a time convenient to you. Classes can take place on any day of the week – even weekends – morning, afternoon or evening. If need be, if meeting at your office or home is not suitable, you can take your lessons at the trainer’s office. Study materials are supplied for you.”

Watch the video provided by the team at Listen & Learn here:

Learn the Arabic Language Right in the Heart of New York City.

Hey folks, Below is a comprehensive list I mapped out for my fellow readers who are interested in gaining the experience of learning a new language, in particular, Arabic. As a former Arabic language teacher, I believe that Arabic is a very interesting language filled with rich culture and history intertwined in linguistics and semantics of the language. Students who begin to learn the Arabic…

Hey folks, I’m back. It is usually good to take some time off and unwind in the midst of the crazy hustle and bustle of New York City. This time of year, when the holiday season dies down, the snow melts, and spring approaches, I usually like to take some time off away from New York city, and preferably travel to a warmer location.

This article explains why visiting Alexandria, Egypt during the winter is way cooler than visiting in the summer. Being a tourist in your city can become challenging sometimes.

You want to visit the places that you miss, to see the good old friends, and to eat mama’s cooking. Nostalgia is a strong emotion I feel when I visit Alexandria, Egypt, the place where I grew up for a decade and where my parents are from.

I like to visit the old Qaitbay Castle, the beautiful blue Mediterranean sea, and to observe the lovely people in the crowded streets. I try to act as a native but sometimes the tourist side can get the best of me. Here are the reasons why I love visiting a coastal city in the winter:

1 – The weather is super nourishing and you can feel the fresh Mediterranean air: the weather during winters are 60 – 70 degrees Fahrenheit during the day while the temperature can drop a little by night. You can never replace this nice spring breeze in February in NYC.

2 – People are busy and prone to ‘hibernation’ during the winter. Although the sun is out and you could be comfortable in a t-shirt and jeans, the natives tend to dress more on the winter side. Jackets, scarves, and long-sleeved pullovers. I don’t blame them because they get hit by 90 – 100 degrees Fahrenheit during the summer. So it is natural for most people during the winter to feel cold.

3 – During the summer, the streets are filled with higher energy and stress levels than in the winter. By energy level I mean, electricity – air-conditions are used moderately, and people are not utilizing energy to extreme measures.

4 – Kids are in school and natives are more focused at work, opposed to the summer, when people are out all day until the late hours of the night.

5 – Traffic is reduced by half. Since Alexandria is considered the go-to summer spot for many cities in Egypt, sometimes it can get too crazy. Natives from Cairo and other cities located in the south, who miss out on the luxury of the blue sea, tend to drive up north and spend time in the coastal city during the months of July and August – it can get quite rowdy.

6 – The tasty homemade ice-cream never melts as fast during the winter. You can enjoy your ice cream without worrying about making a mess melting all-over your hands and sleeves.

7 – You can visit tourist locations such as the Great Library of Alexandria and the pretty Montaza beaches without feeling rushed or dehydrated, and definitely with no heat-waves.

8 – If you decide to visit Alexandria, then you could take a drive or a flight to the Red-Sea Hurghada, located south of Cairo. A marvel of beauty between the desert and the beautiful beach. You can enjoy activities such as hiking, snorkeling, diving, camping, and gazing at the stars.

The great balance is to find the perfect medium and visit a city where one is familiar with the native language, knows how to get around, but can also indulge and absorb what your city has to offer you from insights, sight-seeing and love all-around.  There are ways to become a tourist in a city you grew up in and also feel like you are at home.

I believe the key to these emotions can be expressed through mindfulness. When you observe and try not to critique or compare, and let oneself’s idea go from the familiar to the new, life can become beautiful and definitely will taste better.

People are struggling worldwide, the economy is not as great as we wish, we have problems on an international scale and existing internal problems in most cities of the world. But our job as global citizens is to enjoy what we have for the present time and to learn how to embrace the beauty in the middle of it all.   

Interview with Filmmaker Abd el Rahman Gabr or Koree (Arabic nickname for Korean guy).

In this series, I explore the talents of many multi-disciplinary artists who are interested in capturing stories through images and the true messages that lays beyond each photograph.

I interviewed online Abd el Rahman (Koree), his nickname is adopted from being half Egyptian, half Korean. We talked about many topics, how he became a photographer, how he turns his talents and travels into storytelling and filmmaking, and his love to travel and explore the world. R represents my questions and K are his. Enjoy!

R: Tell us a little about you.

K: I love to tell stories by bringing photos and films together. I work on documenting human life stories that relate and portray culture with lifestyle. I was born in Queens, New York.

R: Where is home?  

K: Alexandria, Egypt.

R: What is it you want to say with your photographs (the message in your work), and how do you actually get your photographs to do that?

K: In my journey of Faces of Egypt – a series of portraits of urban and local Egyptians, mostly located in the south region of Egypt. I wanted to let go of stereotype images when it comes to Egyptian culture. I met with the locals in the area, I talked to them, I asked many questions, and needed their help in locating magical, and non-famous (non-touristic) locations for my project. I began photographing landscapes and that is when I decided to embrace diverse Egyptian cultures and ask the locals to create cinematic poses for each shot, wearing traditional costumes that represent their hometowns. Sometimes, as Egyptians, we can easily forget that Egypt is not just a collective documentation of Ancient Egypt, the Pyramids, and the Sphinx, there is so much more to see, especially south (upper Egypt). I was seeking diversity in our cultural traditions and norms and I found it through the people and traditions.

R: What was your career path? How did you get from being an aspiring photographer to actually doing it full-time, for a living?  

K: Photography has been a passion since I was a little kid. During college, I decided to express this talent through my city and launched my first project about Alexandria City. I grew more interested in cultural references and traditional costumes. 

R: if you could live anywhere on this awesome planet, where would you build your dream home?

K: Canada – I love the nature and scenery.

R: What sort of work do you specialize in?

K: I specialize in creating films through photography, to tell stories. I worked on advertising, documentary, and lifestyle.

R: What technology/software/camera gear do you use to keep focused on what you do best, as you photograph?

K: The Adobe suite – Leica Camera Media Format Camera – Sony Cameras Mirrorless.  

R: Among your works, which one is your favorite? Why?

K: Faces of Egypt is the most interesting project. The travel and process gave me a lot of coverage and followers. Choosing a topic these days are very difficult, the competition is high and everything is available on the Internet. I met incredible people through Faces of Egypt and it has definitely created many opportunities in meeting people in Europe and in Arab countries.

R: Most recent works?

K: I am documenting stories in collaboration with UN World Food Program Project. WFP operations in Egypt are designed to respond to the country’s long-term food and nutrition insecurity as well as providing funding for social safety nets including school feeding and mother and child nutrition.This project takes place in 1000 days to document a total of 6 videos creating an awareness campaign for children and mothers in Egypt.

R: Most recent trip?

K: Norway. To see the Northern Lights (Aurora) and explore the beauty of nature and to capture life. Sony and Leica were kind enough to lend me cameras for a 9-day project underneath the Northern Lights.

R: Thank you. Don’t forget to follow KoreeFilms on Youtube.

  Faces of Egypt 

Ariel view of New York City 

Captured from a helicopter in NYC.

Norway

The Northern Lights, Norway

Egypt 

Interview with Filmmaker Abd el Rahman Gabr (Koree)

Interview with Filmmaker Abd el Rahman Gabr or Koree (Arabic nickname for Korean guy). In this series, I explore the talents of many multi-disciplinary artists who are interested in capturing stories through images and the true messages that lays beyond each photograph. I interviewed online Abd el Rahman (Koree), his nickname is…

What is better than spending an hour in a warm, small, yet rich temple-like museum, with Buddhas displayed all around you? And did you know there is a shrine and meditation room? YES.

The murals within the temple feature esoteric images and narratives. The gallery presents full-scale photographic reproductions of some of the murals. These state of the art facsimiles allow for an even view of the murals than currently possible by visiting the temple. Fridays after 6:00 pm is free. Enjoy!

Bodhisattvas are traditionally described as beings who aspire to attain enlightenment and help others to achieve it. They can be male or female and are portrayed adorned with crowns, jeweled ornaments, and garments of Indian royalty. The greatest of the bodhisattvas are near enlightenment and are regarded as deities with abilities nearly equal to those of buddhas. They can be identified by distinctive attributes that symbolize their particular enlightened qualities – such as the book and sword, representation of wisdom.  

  The Lukhang or “Temple of Water Spirits”, is located behind the famous Potala Palace in Lhasa and is sometimes referred to as the secret temple of the Dalai Lamas. It is dedicated to water related serpent deities (Sanskrit: naga; Tibetan: lu), reflected in its name. During the construction of the Potala Palace, a large pit where the building materials were dug out of the ground gradually filled with water. The Sixth Dalai Lama (1683 – 1706) built the temple on a small island at the center of this new lake in order to pacify its water spirits and local deities, who may have been distributed by the disruption of the earth. Oce a year public rituals of appeasement used to be performed at the site and participants would gather from all around Lhasa, bringing their offerings and partaking in the festivities. 

  Green Tara – One of the most beloved deities in Himalayan and Central Asian Buddhist traditions, Tara, known as the “savouriness”, is often appealed to through the recitation persons alike. It is said that reciting this mantra with devotion many times strengthens one’s connection to the female deity, solicits her protection, and accumulates merit, increasing positive karma.  

Lunch Time at The Rubin Museum.

What is better than spending an hour in a warm, small, yet rich temple-like museum, with Buddhas displayed all around you? And did you know there is a shrine and meditation room? YES. The murals within the temple feature esoteric images and narratives. The gallery presents full-scale photographic reproductions of some of the murals. These state of the art facsimiles allow for an even view of the…

Exhibition dates are December 1st – 22nd, 2016

Location: 37 West 26th Street, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10010

Free and Open to the public.

Curated by: Corina L. Apostol

Participating artists: Gary Barat, Olga Lamm, Tay Maloy, Lisette Morel, Kwantaeck Park

The exhibition analyzes culture on the nexus where the natural world, the urban environment, and its inhabitants meet. Using a variety of strategies and mediums, the artists engage their surroundings in much the same way a psychoanalyst studies a subject or an anthropologist resurrects a sense of context from the past. Some art works probe the relationship between the environment and the psychological traces it leaves on its dwellers, while others explore the human relationship with the environment mediated by technology. In ‘Evolving Environments’ urban life is revealed as half-imagined fiction, half-documentary, while nature is at the same time close and an alienated representation. The artists’ investigations into various aspects of present-day urban, cultural and scientific developments are at the same time investigations of self and the communities they are part of. Reflecting on recent urban and cultural explosions, as well as unlocking forgotten history and memories, the artists’ works highlight the fleeting and sometimes arbitrary nature of our environments. These constantly shifting mosaics are nonetheless strung together by social media, communal identities, and urban rituals. How well are we able to know ourselves and our environments when confounded by blurred distinctions between architecture, technology, and the rapidly developing city? – Posted by exhibition curator.

Kinan Azmeh: Clarinet, Composer Record Release Concert.

Born in Damascus, Kinan Azmeh was the first Arab to win the premier prize at the 1997 Nicolai Rubinstein International Competition, Moscow. A graduate of New York Juilliard school as a student of Charles Neidich, and of both the Damascus High institute of Music where he studied with Shukry Sahwki, Nicolay Viovanof and Anatoly Moratof, and Damascus University School of Electrical Engineering. Kinan earned his doctorate degree in music from the City University of New York in 2013.

Tonight, composer and clarinetist Kinan Azmeh and St Urban music salons announced a multi-year project that brings Syrian poetry and sonorities into the intimate realm of chamber music.

Commissioned by St Urban, Azmeh’s Songs for Days to Come is a multi-part song cycle, setting texts of Syrian poets for the quartet of singer and instrumentalists.

This performance features soprano Dima Orsho, cellist Kinan Abou-Afach and pianist Lenore Davis with Kinan Azmeh. The voices of the poets – Lukman Derky, Mohammad Abou-Laban, Hazem Al-Azmeh. Liman Yazji, Adnan Odeh – are heard in recordings of each poem.

5 songs were recorded with the voices of each poet who live in countries all around the world. Soprano Dima Orsho performed each song with grace captivating the audience. Chills were running down my spine. The performance was an awakening message, a new form of art.

It was a superb evening, the mood was quite somber but the audience listened and personal stories resonated with the poems, given the context and time we live in and with all that is going on in our lives and countries. The audience felt very much alive and very hurt at the same time. It was real and you can find out why in the videos and lyrics I post below. Americans are living through interesting times, most of the Middle East is at war, and the entire audience felt the powerful words shake the floors of Symphony Space. The Clarinet and pianist opened the floor by introducing the project to the audience, leaving the floor open after the show for questions and comments.

One of the most interesting comments Azmeh expressed how art production establishes a reality for the creation process where one can create his/her own world synchronously. When an artist performs his/her most valuable piece to the audience, a certain nakedness and vulnerability will open up, creating a beautiful connection between the performer and the listener.   

The group also discussed the importance of creating art with realizing what is happening in the outside world and how art is an outlet of expression. Art creates a channel to define the world around us and try to make sense of things. Art draws a depiction of the world-that-could-have-been, a better version or idea of how we establish and perceive life.

Azmeh explains that the best forms of art are produced in the context of realization of the outside world. Art is expressed to depict a better image of how we perceive life. Art is an outlet to define the world we live in.

In a nutshell, I summarized the description of the performance as; chilling, haunting, lovely, creative, new form of art, poetry narrated through song and performance. The composition of performance was intense, very beautiful in an impossibly dramatic way. The value of sentiment was deep during the performance. Themes of home, existence, creation, death, mass-murder, beautiful objects that are broken. Syrian ties are great and existing.  

Watch Video Here!

Enjoy!

Songs for Days to Come: Volume 1.

Kinan Azmeh: Clarinet, Composer Record Release Concert. Born in Damascus, Kinan Azmeh was the first Arab to win the premier prize at the 1997 Nicolai Rubinstein International Competition, Moscow. A graduate of New York Juilliard school as a student of Charles Neidich, and of both the Damascus High institute of Music where he studied with Shukry Sahwki, Nicolay Viovanof and Anatoly Moratof, and…

The U.S. Elections is leaving 2016 to end, in my opinion, as the most bizarre year. We are rewriting and reconfiguring history.

Today, I call for constructing a global community. To knock down all the walls installed by man and look into the causes and effects of change since the early days of society construction. The stark division of parties our nation is witnessing sets back conversation in understanding views of different beliefs backed up by systematic thinking.

Our modern introduction to politics involves disgust and is created with disarray to negate the probability or opportunity for initiating conversation. Disgust is about alienating oneself from the medium. It is about building walls and shattering similarities by surfacing unrecognized differences. Disgust is the mere opposite of love.

Feelings of anger and disbelief can move back-and-forth from one group to the other based on circumstance. I call for shattering this outdated worldview order, the misconception of evil versus good, and call good to take over. Anger and flow of passive emotions continue to sweep the nation in many forms through ideology and thought.

Visibility in racial division and context is steering people away and towards one another. Questions of immigration are being politicized while globalists strive to eliminate ethnic diversity cuts, social capital, and trust. Our nation realizes that strength lies in unity stripped from race, culture, or ideological differences. How can we fight feelings of disgust, painted as a deformed monster? How are we applying empathy and overcoming the misconception of the other used as satanic revolting images?

Powerful Empathy is implemented through sincere strength and understanding. How do we emphasize that we are all the same even when we noticeably share differences? Where can one find the turning point in disgust and dissolve these walls by extending support and understanding? The answer is my fellow reader, Technology.

Yes, Technology creates transparency, it allows collective voices to re-surface from interruptions and steer clear from sugar-coated narratives in the media. Technology creates fluidity of thoughts and creations allowing flexibility of thought and presentation. Man has become his own creator of his/her own fate. Our devices are now installed in the physical medium and in thoughts.

We often forget to apply empathy to people whom we feel as the “other”. When disgust involuntarily seeps its way through and dominates emotions by clouding empathy preferred to classes of the victim. empathy gets to a point when it’s hard to practice.

We become more efficient when we are united. Better as global citizens. Better as Humanitarians. Ask yourself: Where am I a local? Where can I become the most professional and expressive version of myself? How can I implement growth and stability in my own creations and how can I help You?

Technology acts as a catalyst, a live feed transparency for the masses. Tech is embedded in our lives through seamless integration, our devices allow a positive extension of our bodies and we can strategically use these devices to our advantages and against all odds. Most of our generation is viewing politics through the lens of disgust, and we will change this notion soon by amending the status quo on both sides, from bottom to top and vice versa.

We need more women in the tech industry, we need more vigilant inspiring women and girls who know that tomorrow will be better and that gender segregation is a wall that will come down and vanish soon. Hillary Clinton’s agonizing failure to break through the ultimate glass ceiling, in losing the U.S. presidential race to Donald Trump, was a motif of discussion at the Web Summit as tech evangelists fretted about the consequences for women in the tech industry. Tony Conrad, founder of the about.me blog site, said Trump’s views on women and immigrants were “antithetical to everything we in the tech community believe in”.

So here is how you can practice Powerful Empathy in moments of disgust and disbelief: Acknowledge the other. Apologize to yourself and to others. Radiate positive comments. Start a fun conversation. Ask one deep question of morality to better understand human nature. Realize that no one is right and no one is wrong. And as Seth Godin whom I religiously follow and receive his daily emails at 5:35 am says: “Showing up, it turns out, is the hardest part of making a difference.”

Shared Thoughts on Empathy: Happy Thanksgiving.

The U.S. Elections is leaving 2016 to end, in my opinion, as the most bizarre year. We are rewriting and reconfiguring history. Today, I call for constructing a global community. To knock down all the walls installed by man and look into the causes and effects of change since the early days of society construction. The stark division of parties our nation is witnessing sets back conversation in…

In the previous articles, I explain how we can implement empathy through our actions and during conversations or encounters that might bring elevated temper in heated discussions.

In the study of Human Social Cognition and with the rise of trends in social media, Negative Partisanship is creating negative results through false advertising and different voices on the internet. The splitting of American politics into two coherent ideological parties with very little programmatic overlap changes things.

Voters who are fundamentally attached to one party or to the other are not going to abandon their team merely because their party has held office for too many terms, or because the other party’s president is presiding over a nice recovery. Those factors are not meaningless because some swing voters do still exist. Yet these temporal effects are muted.I urge you to never forget to breathe, we as a people experience collective notions when we face similar frustrations. And here we are, deeply connected and rooted.

Yet red America is typing away online to red Americans and blue America is typing away to blue America striating and creating new and different Americas, where the red and blue are separating entities defying the notion that America is founded on the conceptions of assimilation and integration.

Call us as you may, the millennial groups, generation C which identifies as (a powerful new force in consumer culture. It is a term we use to describe people who care deeply about creation, curation, connectivity, and community. It is not an age group; it is an attitude and mindset defined by key characteristics) are striving to build bridges and knock down unnecessary walls.

We are experiencing, during conversations, a default suggested outburst of “vote for my guy – no questions asked – and if you oppose my decision then we no longer are on the same side.” This can be traced back to the notions of tribal construction and organization.

The sentiment of relocating to places to live among those who share similar political views. This sense of privilege in tribal belonging encloses creativity and lack of open-source knowledge left among those who care about their town and community leadership.

The notion of tribal feeling and sense of belonging and entitlement has been around for centuries, and there is no arguing that it might continue indefinitely. Pioneers in Political Science suggest that social conservative groups are pre-dispositioned to racism and authoritarian behavior by becoming more race-segregated denying cultural similarities to different groups for protection. But protecting it from whom? There is, in fact, a strong case to be made that a prime concern of government is the security of state power from the population.

If you need to dissolve a situation I suggest you think of applying Powerful Empathy by implementing motivational reasoning; an emotion-biased decision-making phenomenon studied in cognitive science and social psychology. Decision-making and attitudes change in a number of paradigms, which I would enjoy digging further in the future. Basically, confirmation bias is a result of a moral psychology that leans towards the notion of defending one’s reputation by manipulating the other using a “my team versus your team” rhetoric.

Corruption in public procurement is not just about money. It also reduces the quality of work or services and it can cost lives. People in many countries have paid a terrible price for collapsed buildings and counterfeit medicines. It is important to recognize that the thinking still holds, worldwide. The end result? Our trust in our leaders is eroded. The solution? The answer requires further knowledge and research of the status-quo, and a lot of work, like a lot of work. There is much more to say, but historical records demonstrate very clearly that the standard doctrine has little merit. Empathy in the normal sense is not a prominent factor in policy formation.

I call for actualizing a new form of empathy. Empathy is often exercised by those who want to and tend to – feel the other’s pain – and connect to classes of the victim. But when does empathy become the hardest form to exercise? When empathy is intertwined with disgust and disregard to the emotional state of the different side. How can one communicate the switch of the brain to its former state and bring down the bridge?

Emotional Intelligence creates the ability to connect and recognize powerful accessibility of tools through resources, our structural-thinking-methods, to see the other as a person, as a whole, and as an independent character. We are living in a moment where digital and emotional intelligence grants power and superiority to those who can utilize these tools to their advantages and appreciate the benefits of technology.

I received an email this morning from Seth Godin and his words genuinely make my day:

“Sorry” doesn’t mean you caused the pain. It merely means that you see it, that you’ve felt pain before in your life as well, that you are open to a connection.

Our ability to bring people along is critical because we’re playing a long game, even an infinite one. Back and forth, day by day, with many of the same people. One day, it will be reversed, and a classmate or coworker or competitor will be the one that can listen and care about the pain. A pain that might feel very similar.

Gloating or silence closes the door. Empathy, on the other hand, and the action of speech, of moderation, of connection, can change everything. And if it hasn’t been present before, it can start right now.

“I see you. I’m sorry for what you’re feeling. How can I help?”

President Elect restated his pledge to roll back abortion rights and used Twitter to lash out at his critics, leaving open the possibility that he would continue using social media in the Oval office and radically change the way presidents speak to America. I’m not sure how I feel about that.

I would never purposely attempt to thank Donald Trump (I can’t even type his name without cringing and recoiling in my seat). But I may want to thank him for bringing out the masses to the streets in cities of the U.S., for unfolding the evil, and for calling reform to the potential rise of fascism. We, the People will voice our positions and stand for our rights and nothing can stop us. We call against this endless war and against the annihilation of world peace. We call for justice and judgment to bigots and cowards, and justice will be served soon, I promise you. We stand, as a global nation, united, impatient, ready, undefeated, and we shall never tolerate the consequences of wall building and alienation. Our voices will be heard through vast mediums, we will march, organize, write, post online, and share our thoughts as a single entity.

United we stand. As a nation, as a people, and as a whole single global unit. Let us utilize our potentials to maximize our strength and to minimize our systematic beliefs. We share common grounds in being created from the same materials, and most of us call for peace, action, and justice. Our American nation is experiencing a powerful Left – Right distinction in ideology and thoughts; a labor versus capital rhetoric whereas the middle class is left to hinder processes of growth in the social sciences of diversity.

In this piece, I outline a proactive guide in how to unmask feelings of disgust and hate and to allow them to transform into Powerful Empathy. Are you empathic with those who face poverty, discrimination from race, gender, lgbtq, religion, global economy, and foreign policy? Are you mad at those at hands and in control of most of the world’s valuable resources keeping all selfishly to themselves? Do you feel disgusted by those who share different values and do not see eye to eye with your personal point of view?

I call for Humans to exercise a new type of Empathy. Based on Merriam-Webster Dictionary definition: Empathy is the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another of either the past or present without having the feelings, thoughts, and experience fully communicated in an objectively explicit manner. The excellent challenge of showing empathy is to those who share different values and reservations.  

Reactive Depression is a common state many of us may experience yet not realize during our busy lives. Nonetheless, we refuse to become a depressed nation, we will not stand for it. But most of us Americans were robbed of an idea on the wake of the 2016 U.S. elections. I have suffered from anxiety at some points through my adulthood life, but I have learned through meditating and mindful thinking  there are present ways to control the overflow high-tide of emotions by transforming thoughts into peaceful reactions, abundance, and positive affirmations.

The main question lies: are we, as a people, drawbridge-uppers or are we drawbridge-downers? In the Social Sciences of diversity, humans tend to politicize certain ideologies that can lead to positive organizational creation and economic growth. Groups can also construct anti-public procurement systems, where one believes in global governance, no nation states, and no borders. This dream has been concocted for decades and to quote John Lennon: “Imagine no possessions, I wonder if you can, no need for greed or hunger, a brotherhood of man, Imagine all the people sharing all the world… You…” Right?

A sequence of essays: #1

The Power of empathy

Empathy vs. disgust

Tribal thought vs. Technology

Love – will power – gravity

Build bridges not walls

Dear reader,

In the beginning of this essay, I would like to walk you through a virtual journey, a simple visualization project I created to enhance the reader’s experience. Bring two sheets of paper, place each piece on a table surface next to one another, then bring a black sharpie pen. Draw one big circle on one sheet of paper and write the word Power in capital letters. In the second sheet, draw a circle and write the word Empathy also in capital letters. After you virtually write each word on paper, intersect both pages and find the common curve created by both circles, then color this new circle purple. All within your imagination, coin both words creating the term Powerful Empathy. Now, allow me to elaborate and share my story.

  A demonstrated example of coining both terms. 

    I consider myself to be a humble educated woman, a global citizen. I devote my time in implementing ideas that will create efficacy, understanding, and meaning. I believe in connectivity and in sending positive powerful messages using the strong force of social media. I hold my beliefs high and I appreciate human life and innovation, I am neither a physician nor a lawyer, but I am Human. I cherish the gift of life and always strive to become a better citizen. I reflect on myself and my actions as much as I could, and I believe We – The People – are wired and destined to create favorable circumstances in transforming malice that may lie underneath the surface – to love.

I have come a very long way, to understand, to learn, to teach, to lead, to give, and to live in the present moment. I survived a massive revolution – The Arab Spring. I have witnessed crazy shit and heard even crazier stories during my lifetime. I still try to overcome stories of injustice, alienation, defeat, war, fear, and famine that has been inflicted upon loved ones and those who are close to my heart. Through this all, I believe our generation, the Millennials – Generation C – is living during the greatest times in human history; The age of digital technology, open-source, accessibility to resources, domination of  WikiLeaks, and Internet transparency. There is more work required and a lot at stake here. But we will move forward and nothing or no one will stop us because we are a relentless group.

Twitter is celebrated among the most powerful tools and means of communication around the globe. In 2010, in the wake of the Arab Spring, users exposed events and atrocities of leaders by using social media outlets in order to transfer their ideas across nations creating a new wave of Powerful Empathy. Countries stood by in solidarity with one another. Internet connectivity became vital for generational awareness. Authoritarian regimes were unraveling one after the other, voices were heard on the internet loud and clear revolutionizing the streets. Users from Arab countries, Europe, and North America used Twitter along different outlets to depict the true and ugly colors of Arab regimes to the world. Arab government officials, countries like Egypt, tried to cut the internet cord, to isolate people from the use of social media, to impose tyranny, to silence, and shut-users-up. Fortunately, internet users outweighed some regimes and connectivity resumed toppling one leader after the other. Organized events and marches through social media allowed users to outline feelings of depression, injustices, fear, and people overcame this fear using the force of social media.

Five years later, our existing world is on the verge of experiencing appalling threats and crises at our hands through ranging issues of race, gender, reproductive rights, lgbtq, religion, immigration, refugee crises, segregation, economic underdevelopment, foreign policy, and climate change issues, and the list goes on. As Political Scientists Noam Chomsky describes that almost every day brings news of awful crimes, some are so heinous, so horrendous and malicious. The world is facing existential crises, and We, who are in control can never be silenced. I am confident that intelligence and receptiveness will overcome disbelief, lethargy, bias, bigotry, narrow-mindedness, and disapproval – any given day of the week – because I believe in exercising Powerful Empathy.

This message is for You. You are the storm, you are the enabler, you will become the messenger to the following generations. In the series of articles, I do not wish or intend to recapture or reanalyze or revisit the unprecedented events that took place on November 08, 2016. I will not point fingers at those who neglected their duty, or the fact that led American voters to produce the biggest upset in the history of U.S. politics. Our nation – and earth – is experiencing a strenuous outcry built by disbelief and disgust, but guess what? We are going to help and move forward and we will succeed in our special role in representing mankind’s interest in our collective future.

To be continued….