I am feeling a little embarrassed as I am writing a post about hunger with a full stomach. I will not dare to ask for forgiveness to my readers and the 963 million hungry people for this.

What is hunger?

Hunger is not just a feeling; it is the most extreme form of poverty. Hunger is not the need to have another hamburger; it is the need to eat something today so that you can live to fight another day.

Some dirty facts

Even though the world currently produces enough food to feed 12 billion people, it is failing to properly feed 6.7 billion people. Due to whatever reasons almost a billion people are considered “hungry”. In the last 19 years (from 1990), the number of hungry people in the world has been increased by 120 million people. On the average, the earth loses one person every second as a result of hunger. 60% of all child deaths are caused by hunger. On the average, a child dies every five seconds due to extreme hunger. Are these numbers enough to move us?

Hunger and Hope

As we are the more privileged people of the world, it’s our duty to extend our hands to the poor and hungry people. We have to give them some light of hope so that they can dare to dream about a better future. We have to start this moral uplifting movement in our local areas first and grow from there gradually. Many charity organizations are already working for this purpose. We can join them (World Food Program, Operation Blessing International) and donate money to help the people in need. You can also choose and buy a meaningful gift from Heifer International's gift catalog and help the hungry people. Moreover we can try to get poor people on there feet so that they don’t have to be hungry anymore. At least we can feed some hungry people once in a while.

Remember, we are not isolated islands. Everyone of us is connected to one another. If half of your body is paralyzed, will you feel happy or do nothing about it? If your answer is “no” then the poor condition of the hungry people should concern you. Then you should try your level best to lessen their pain.

Peace

Related posts:
Fighting for a Cause
let's Open Our Eyes
Bloggers Unite: Earth Day 2009

I wonder what is the future of the Middle East and South Asian countries. One after one, countries are falling down not only to terrorism but also to so called foreign “peace promoting wars”. Afghanistan and Iraq have already been devastated due to these issues. Terror attacks have been going on for a long time in India. Palestine is a dangerous place for the Muslims to live in. Peace in Bangladesh is also being hampered by the “muslim extremists”.

Now let’s come to the issue of Pakistan. Recent occurring in Pakistan has worried me a lot. I definitely don’t want to see the fall of this nuclear-power-nation to some terrorist organization. It will be a great threat to any civilization on this planet. I don’t know what politics is being played between the Pakistani government and the Talibans, but will feel a heavy sense of relief if I see Pakistani army blocking the forward march of this group of “muslim extremists”. And they have to do this before foreign soldiers come to the rescue and start another bullsh*t “peace promoting war”.

I hope these extremists stop their forward march before they reach Bangladesh. Sorry for being a little selfish but I don’t want to see my country being devastated by terrorists and foreign soldiers.

Peace

If you don’t care for this world, please don’t waste your time reading this post.

Today is the 39th anniversary of the Earth Day. The bloggers all around the world is participating in this day by answering the call of Bloggers Unite and writing a blog post on this day.

What is Earth Day?

I was having a lot of trouble fully understanding the meaning of the Earth Day. I wasn’t fully sure about what to write. So I had to google a lot to have a little idea. So according to my understanding the Earth Day is a day to observe the need to protect the earth and its equilibrium. It is also the day to raise awareness among mass people so that we can start performing for the betterment of the earth. It is a day to start appreciating the world around us and to stop abusing the environment for our selfish betterment.

A very brief history

Thanks to Gaylord Nelson, Richard Nixon and Denis Hayes, the Earth Day movement began its journey back in 1970. On the first Earth Day 20 million people came together and participated voluntarily. But now, on the 39th anniversary, over 500 million people and 175 countries are celebrating this day and working hard to protect the environment.

Let’s get on the same page

Is the world really dying? Yes. Because the resources are limited and we are speeding up the process by spending too much energy and polluting the environment. Willingly or unwillingly we are killing this world. Technically we have no love for this beautiful earth whatsoever as we abuse it all the time. Did you know that we could have reduced 95% carbon monoxide emission per person if we just rode on buses rather than cars? Because of our carelessness the world has become such a place which is dangerous for us to live in. For example, according to World Health Organization, in Cairo breathing daily air is like smoking 20 cigarettes a day! We are cutting down trees every second without any “backup plan” which has devastating effects over our environment; our earth. Rainforests used to cover 14% of land surface. But now it covers less than 6%. As a result the world is heating up, ice caps are melting and the environmental equilibrium is getting destroyed in a rapid pace. I wonder how long it will take to announce “the world is no more suitable for the mankind to live”. Is this what we want?

Let’s unite

Let’s try to bring a change. Let’s start to look forward to a better future where pollution is a yesterday’s topic.

* Let’s look for alternative ways to meet our energy needs. Renewable energy will play a vital role here. Renewable energy is generated from natural resources like wind, sunlight, rain, tide, geothermal heat. Windmill a wonderful example of the source of renewable energy. We have to try to set up windmills locally to meet the need of electricity. Further reading: wiki renewable energy


* We have to stop using plastic bags. A normal plastic bag can take up to 450 years to dissolve. Plastic bags (polybag) are also hard to recycle. That’s why we have to use paper bags instead.

* Though coal is a very common source of energy, it causes a lot of damage to our environment. We have to make this world coal free. Again, the alternative is renewable energy.

* Cutting down trees without any plan has to come to an end. If we cut down trees, we must plant atleast 2 trees there to fill up that empty space. If possible try to plant a tree in your backyard (or anywhere you like) within seven days.

* Replace your ordinary light bulbs with energy saving bulbs. And don’t forget to switch off the light/fan whenever you leave the room. Further reading: this time ~ this space

* Don’t ride on your car that much. Use bus, train and bicycle or just walk. It will reduce air pollution, oil/gas consumption and traffic jam. But if you really prefer to ride avoid mass transport, then you can use smart cars and bikes ran by electricity. It is important if you want to reduce 95% carbon monoxide emission caused by yourself.

* We have to have a control over the dangerously rising population. Over population spoils almost every act of saving the mother earth.

The Earth Day has a great responsibility; the responsibility to make people aware, the responsibility to start bringing a change- a change towards better, cleaner and greener future. And it is YOU who holds the responsibility of making this day count. I feel really happy to be born on this wonderful and meaningful day. I feel honored when I see that The Earth Day is also my birthday.

Peace

Related articles:
How Much Do You Care For The Environment
I Do My Part

Bangladesh is in its mid summer right now. It’s so hot and humid out there. Even inside my room, with the fan spinning at full speed, it’s really hard not to sweat. Outside it’s 35 degrees Celsius or 95 degrees Fahrenheit. I wonder what the man at Asad-Gate is doing now! I bet he has no place to go but the roadside shed where he is seen all the time. No one is waiting for him with a cool glass of water with ice floating on top. Hmm… I must be real fortunate.

Rain should come pouring down in 2-3 weeks. I guess then the heat will be reduced at least a little. Waiting for the rainy season to come… I love to bathe in the rain sometimes.

But the rainy season also brings disasters with it. Every year during this season Bangladesh suffers from terrible flood and inevitably after that, famine. Flood washes away a huge portion of our corps.

I blame us for this regular flood. If we didn’t fill up all those canals and marshy lands for our own “property development” we could have reduced the severe ness of the floods. It’s a matter of common sense that if we fill up low lands, water will eventually come up to the higher lands and will overflow everything.

I wonder what that person feels about the upcoming rainy season! I wonder what that man will do during that season! Does he have any favorite season? Which one will it be then? Summer- when he has to burn in heat? Monsoon- when he has to get drenched in every rain of the season? Or Winter- when he has to cover his body with only a torn piece of cloth?

I must be real fortunate.

Let’s join thousands of caring bloggers and try to put an end to this horrible feeling of hunger. Let's start to weave a hope for better world, better future. Let's give ourselves a chance to say that “at least we tried”. Let’s care.

Some thoughts to get you started:

* Right now, more than 500 million people are living in "absolute poverty" and more than 15 million children die of hunger every year.

* World Health Organization estimates that one-third of the population is underfed and another third is starving.

* Even in the United States, 46 percent of African-American children and 49 percent of Latino children are considered chronically hungry.

Join this event. Put a badge. Write the post.

I’ll definitely be posting on 29 April. I’ll be also posting on 22 April which is the Earth Day. You can also join this event.

related posts:
I Do My Part
Our World Our Responsibility
We Can Bring a Change
Bloggers Unite: AIDS

It has been almost one and a half month since my last post (4 months since a REAL post). How are you all? I am hoping to get back to blogging.

A lot has been going on in my life for the last couple of months. My dreams are now temporarily shattered as I was rejected from the Bangladesh Army. After everything I’ve done they just handed me a piece of paper which basically contained these words “You are not fit for Bangladesh Armed Forces”.

I have been hoping to join the army as officer for so long that the rejection was great shock to me. I’ve spent so much time chasing this dream that after it was broken, I don’t know what else to think, what else to do. Suddenly the future seems to be very uncertain and unknown.

Yes, I admit that I’ve made some wrong moves during the 4 day long selection process- ISSB, which may have caused my rejection. But still, it’s a hard thing to swallow. Almost every night I am having nightmares about it…

But I will not stop. I am going to try out for Bangladesh Army again. Confidence level is a little lower though…

On the other hand, I have admitted myself in Jahangirnagar University as an under-grad student and my subject is Business Administration. I’ve spent 19 years of my life in J. U. campus and I fear that I’ll have to spend here at least another 5 years. Oh…

Anyways, it’s good to be back here. See you soon.