Archive for
September 2nd, 2007
Stories
Syria: History, Culture and Identity
· 16:21
In our roundup this week, we will overlook politics again to talk more about the people.
Abu Fares in this sensational post, laments the simplicity of the old Levantine-Mediterranean lifestyle. One that has been trenched and swept off with a new wave of “neo-cons” as he describes them, whether the Judeo-Christian Neo Conservatives or the Neo Islamists, they're two sides to the same coin.
Tartous, the dreamy little town by the sea is no more. It has physically mutated over the last three decades into a pathetic jungle of concrete. Moreover, on the social and cultural levels, the sweeping changes have been more colossal. By and large, we are no longer the cheerful seculars, open-minded Mediterraneans, provincial-metropolitans and discoverers-adapters of colorful ways of life. We were a unique and distinct group, transcending socioeconomic lines, facing the mysterious sea and always seeking the exotic delights lying beyond. We grew up in a Joie de Vivre ambiance unhindered by class, free of political guilt and insouciant to mass religious indoctrination. We heard the politicians and preachers like everybody else but we never listened to them.
And while Abu Fares laments, Omar from Deconstructed Life writes about the way people are pushed into the norms of society, giving as an example a simple story, that would happen at any given house in Syria.
She waited for me to go and order coffee (my mom’s friend that is..) and she whispers to my wife: so are you pregnant yet?
[…]
However, unlike me, she (da wife) is a very nice person and knows how to answer politely (my default answer would have been: none of your business).. So she started explaining how we’ve been married for less than 2 months now, and how we still want to enjoy time together and travel a bit, which is what we have been planning to do for a long time..So the lady looks at Souha, my wife, and he says: what do you mean enjoy your time? Do you really think that you’re young? (my wife is 29 year old by the way)
Wassim, reflects on the concept of Identity, in a very enlightening post…
Why is that? Am I not a Syrian myself, yes…and no. Syria itself is named the Syrian Arab Republic but I no longer consider myself a Syrian nationalist, let alone an Arab nationalist. Does that mean I am no longer Syrian, or an Arab? As Maxime Rodinson discusses in his book called, pretty obviously, “The Arabs”; What is an Arab? Is it racial? Linguistic? Cultural? Religious? Each of these concepts fails to stand up to scrutiny, torn down by inherent inconsistencies. Yet still, I refer to myself as an Arab. I am a Syrian as a conscious and voluntary decision in a world which defines you based on something called a ‘passport'. If I was born in Columbia I would have been Columbian, so does that mean that my identity as an Arab and a Syrian is constructed? I think so, but that does not negate it's importance or power. On the contrary, a conscious and enlightened decision to embrace this identity is healthy and necessary just for the illusion of comfort and stability if nothing else.
And finally, a heart warming post from Abu Kareem, that leaves us, like him in a state of inner peace…
0 comments · »»Last Sunday morning, I called my father in Beirut to wish him a happy 80th birthday. We exchanged a few words; he was never very good at connecting emotionally with his sons, but we could talk for hours about politics. As he thanked me for the call and bid me goodbye before putting my mother on, his voice broke a little; he was happy I called.
Kuwait: Is Summer Over?
· 16:13
Summer seems to be over in Kuwait as the country's blogosphere gets out of its slump. This week our bloggers discuss another ban in the country, buying illegal DVDs, a new magazine for Filipinos in Kuwait and a fun day out at .. a shooting range.
Intlxpatr talks about another ban in Kuwait - and this time the victim is melamine.
“Today on the front page of the Kuwait Times is the announcement of a ban by the Ministry of Commerce on selling any goods containing melamine, stating it was “based on information received from the Customs Department and office of the Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, and has to do with melamine containing urea formaldehyde, which is banned” because it is ‘believed to be harmful to health,” he writes.
Ana Filibini, a Filipina based in Kuwait, found a new magazine aimed at Filipinos in Kuwait. She also sheds light on her experience one Friday in the capital.
“Going to Kuwait City on a Friday isn't the smartest idea in the world. Aside from the congested traffic, lack of parking space and throngs of hundred people milling about everywhere going nowhere, it is also the day where weirdo's have their field trips. Oh yes it's true, they engage you in a conversation even if you pointedly ignore them,” she explains.
Bashar over at BlogAllAlong talks about something funny he found at a department store - an illegal DVD!
“So I was shopping in Carrefour in Avenues with the family and I saw 300 the movie. I bought the original copy from there, like a good American … arr I mean Kuwaiti. Taking it home, opening it when there is no one else at home, excited to play it in the home theatre and see what it’s like after so much great review about the movie graphics and direction,” he writes.
He discovers that the DVD is for sale in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh only. Read the rest of the entry to see why he decides to stop buying DVDs from Kuwait.
yo_ghurt at stillkuwaiting found a new activity to do while in Kuwait - and it includes a lot of shooting!
“found something else to do in Kuwait last weekend which isn’t widely advertised. After some searching, I found The Shooting Range Complex next to (not inside) the Hunting & Equestrian Club,” she notes.
Forzaq8 once again points out another shortcoming in Kuwaiti newspapers and explains why he is losing faith in them.
0 comments · »»“This isn’t my first time writing about newspapers in Kuwait, i believe them all to be bad. Sadly everyday I see more proof of that,” he explains.
Korea: Is being good-looking a privilege?
· 14:32
‘Eol-jjang' is one of the modern internet terms in Korea that was made in 2003 and indicates ‘best face' (eol: eol-gul à face + jjang à top, best). It refers the best-looking person.
A teenager who is considered an ‘eol-jjang,' turned out to be a criminal – she had been forcing other teenagers to have sex. According to her confession, she used the money on her appearance, such as buying brand-name goods. After this scandal was exposed by other netizens, another ‘eol-jjang' was added to the list of teenage pimps.
This shocking news has raised the issue of why external appearance is getting more important and how the internet can exacerbate this problem.
Does the internet making society focus more on external appearance?
그런데 우리는 이 두 소녀를 비난하기 전에 왜 이런 일이 일어나게 되었나를 돌아 봐야 하지는 않을까? 몇년전부터 인터넷을 통해 선풍적인 바람을 일으킨 소위 얼짱 문화란 것의 배경엔 외모 지상주의를 부추기는 어른들의 상업적 욕심이 있었다 생각한다. 요즘 TV 를 보다 보면 성형 수술을 통한 미인 만들기에 대한 이야기는 물론이고, 한 연예인이 협찬을 통해 자신의 외모를 바꿔 가는 모습을 중계 하는 프로까지 관심을 끌고 있다. 필자는 외모 가꾸기나, 성형등이 나쁘다고 생각하지도 않고 그런 말을 하려는 것은 아니다. 자신을 아름답게 꾸미려는 것을 누가 뭐라고 할 수 있겠는가?
… 그러나 이러한 외모 지상주의를 캐이블 TV 뿐 아니라 공주파 방송에서까지 흥미용으로 끌고 나와 청소년들로 하여금 외모 컴플렉스를 가지게 만들고, 나아가 외모 지상주의로 이끌어 가는 것은 개탄스러운 일이 아닐 수 없다. 이러한 외모 지상주의가 잘 생긴 아이들이 학교에서 어떤 주도권을 쥐게 만들고, 그것을 더 돋보이게 하기 위한 비용을 마련하기 위하여, 이런 끔찍한 범죄로까지 가도록 한데에는 어린 소녀들의 책임만큼
외모 지상주의를 부추기는 매스미디어들의 잘못도 크다고 생각한다. 얼마전 외모가 좋지 않은 한 가수 지망생이 성형을 통해 거듭 나 성공하는 내용을 담은 한 영화가 큰 히트를 해 화제가 되었던 바가 있다.
이런 영화나 방송들이 주는 메세지들이 청소년들에게 어떤 영향을 미칠거라 여러분들은 생각하는가?
Looking at TV recently, there are so many issues related to making beauty through plastic surgery and a program in which an entertainer changes her appearance with the help of the sponsor. I am not trying to say that taking care of appearance and having plastic surgery are bad. Who could blame people who would like to be prettier? …
However, public media as well as cable TV stir up this external appearance for external appearance's sake for interest and this tendency causes youngsters to have complexes about their appearance. This is the most deplorable part. At school these good-looking kids take the leadership roles and in order to cover the expenses for taking care of themselves, they committed this horrible crime. As much as these girls, mass media also committed the crime. Not long before, there was a popular movie in which a not good-looking singing candidate became successful through plastic surgery. Have you thought about how these kinds of movies and mass media will affect youngsters?
JJungs' DD(Daily Diary) focuses on criticizing bloggers who emphasize punishment for these eol-jjang and looks into the social problem.
오늘 아침에 일어나서 ‘ 얼짱 박다솜양 긴급체포' 란 글을 보고 무슨 말인가 고민하다가 확인해봤습니다. 엄청난 일이 있었네요. 어린 나이에 친구들에게 원조교제를 강요하는 포주였다는 사실을 알게 되었습니다. 상당히 이쁜 이 아이가…
글에 대한 리플을 보면… 하나같이 그 아이의 문제를 얘기하며 처벌의 글들을 볼수 있었습니다.
한참동안 그 글을 읽으면서 문득 제가 예전에 읽었던 책과 지금 제가 속해있는 청소년 단체에서 공부했던 내용들이 떠오르네요. ” 가해자가 피해자고 피해자가 곧 가해자다.” 많은 네티즌들께서 다솜양에 대해서 처벌을 원하시는 것 같습니다. 그렇지만 좀더 문제를 깊게 봐야 하지 않을까 생각이 듭니다.이 친구가 지금같이 된 이유가 있을껍니다. 다솜양이 어릴때부터 지금까지 살아온 가정 환경을 봐야 할테구요. 다솜양이 지금까지 모습이 될수 있었던 사회적 현상을 눈여겨 봐야하구요. 이런 것들을 다각적으로 보고 그 친구에 대해서 이야기 해야 한다고 생각합니다. 성급하게 이 사람이 이러하다, 저러하다 라고 말하는 건
상당히 잘못된 시각이라고 생각이 드네요. 참… 사람을 이해하는 것만큼 어려운 일인거 없을꺼란 생각이 들어요. 언젠가 CSI Miami 에서 나왔던 대화가 살짝 기억나네요.
‘ 큰 사건이 일어나기 전에는 자그마한 사건이 100 번 이상 일어난다'
앞으로 10 년 뒤 대한민국은 어떻게 되어 있을까요?
이게 작은 사건이라면???
걱정이 됩니다… 정말로 심히…
Checking netizens' opinions…
It seems that everyone wants her to be punished. Reading those opinions for a while, I thought about a book I read and what I learned from a youth club I belonged to long time ago.
“Perpetrators are victims and victims are perpetrators.”
Many netizens seem to punish Park Da-som. But I think that we should think about this problem more seriously. There must be reasons why she became like this. We should check her family background for how she has grown up.
We should observe social circumstances around her. After looking into several angles, we should talk about her. I think it is way too hasty to judge this way and that way, and the wrong perspective. I think the hardest job is to understand people.
I remember a scene from TV series, CSI Miami.
‘Before the big accident happens, there have been more than 100 small accidents.'
How will Korea change after 10 years? If this scandal is a small accident…
I am worried… really seriously…
A more analytical post is below.
최근 싸이홈피든 블로그든 떠다니는 개인 사진들을 보시면 느끼실 겁니다 .
과거엔 그렇게 심하지 않았던 어떠한 현상 ..
과거 PC통신 시절엔 상대의 사진조차 보기 참 힘들었고 ,
자신의 얼굴을 밝히는 걸 꺼려 했던 시절이 있었습니다.하지만, 지금은 조명빨, 각도빨 공식들이 나오며 ,
너도 나도 예쁘게 치장 된 자신의 사진을 알리는 시대가 되었습니다 .싸이홈피들을 살펴보면 , 마치 연예인 같은 사진 ..
시대는 계속 자신을 알리는 체제로 계속 흘러 갈 것이며 ,
그것을 한눈에 알 수 있는 부분은 그것은 ” 외모” 이기에 너도나도 명품을 찾고 ,
패션코디에 관심을 가지고, 사진빨에 각별히 신경쓰는 문화는 지금 현재도 계속되고 있습니다 .
A new symptom which was not so much in the past…
In the PC communication time, it was even hard to see the other side's photos and it was the time to be reluctant to show their own faces. But now there are new tactics like ‘lighting efficiency' and ‘angle efficiency' in order to make oneself look better in a photo. Now is the time to show their own photos on the internet after using these tactics.
If you have chances to check homepages, there are photos like entertainment stars… The desire to show themselves in public is getting stronger. The best and easy way to show themselves is ‘external appearance,' and so everyone is looking for ‘luxury goods' in order to look better. Everyone is interested in fashion and the new culture that focuses on ‘photo efficiency' continues.
Isn't the “Park Da-som” scandal a huge issue?
1. 인터넷 얼짱 ???
탤런트 구 모씨와 같이 인터넷 얼짱으로 연예인으로 성공하는 케이스가 생겼습니다.
그 분에 대한 자세한 사정은 알 수는 없지만 , “인터넷 얼짱 ” 이라는 아이템으로 시작된 이 같은 성공담은
우리사회의 외모지상주의 도화선에 불을 켜게 된 것이라 생각합니다 .우리는 수많은 문헌들이나 미디어들을 보며, ” 권선징악” 적인 내용으로 ,
“사람은 겉만 보고 판단하면 안된다 .” 라는 .. 사실은 누구에게든지 박혀 있습니다.하지만, 세상은 그런 인식을 가진 채라도 외모 위주로 흘러가고 있지요.
사진으로 이쁘고 화려한 사람이 보이면 바로 관심을 가지고 군중으로 몰리는 심리는 과연 무엇인지..어쩌면 , 각 커뮤니티 포탈 사이트에서 마케팅 전략으로 내세운 이 같은 “인터넷 얼짱” 은
이러한 사회의 안타까움과 되돌리기 힘든 체제로 흐르는 것 같습니다 .
There was a case that an internet eol-jjang became the famous entertainer now. I don't know about her well, but I think that this successful ‘internet eol-jjang' story beginning started ‘external appearance for external apperance's sake.'
Through many references and media, we have learned that ‘we should not judge others with their external appearance' with many didactic stories. But this world is changing to focus on external appearance even though we still keep the learning we have had. Why are people interested in pretty and luxury looking people?
The “Internet eol-jjang” that community portal sites made as a marketing strategy seems to become a social system that we can't change now.
2. 결국 온라인 문화가 원인?
인간에게는 6가지의 감각이 있습니다.
시각, 청각, 후각 , 미각, 촉각… 그리고 제 6의 초인적인 감각..
제 6 의 감각은 누구도 정의를 내릴 수 없고 , 구체적으로 증빙이 완료된 연구자료도 없습니다.
하지만 , 일명 “직감” 과 같은 제 6의 감각은 개개인 누구라도 어렴풋이 존재하고 있으리라 생각됩니다 .인터넷의 대중화 이후,
우리가 온라인을 통해서 느낄 수 있는 감각은 시각과 청각 ..본래는 시각만으로 느껴는 감각을 최근 미디어의 발전으로 청각까지 느낄 수 있게 되었습니다 .
현재로서는 미각 , 후각 , 촉각은 구현하기 힘들죠…
시각과 청각은 어떤 사물이든 겉모습만을 판단하는 감각이고,
미각, 후각, 촉각은 겉모습 판단 후 2차적으로 느끼는 감각이기 때문입니다.그리고 , 마지막 제6 의 감각은 최종적인 판단을 내리는 단계인것이죠.
결론은 현재의 온라인문화는 시각과 청각으로만 이루어져 있고 ,
… 따라서, 외모에 대한 관리는 어쩌면 가능한 것이겠지요?
Humans have six senses. Seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching… and the sixth sense, superhuman sense..
Nobody can define what the sixth sense is and there are no research materials to prove it. But individuals must have so-called ‘instinct,' sixth sense.
Since the popularity of the internet, watching and hearing that we can use online…
Due to the development of media, we can use hearing now. It's difficult to use smelling, tasting, and touching now….Watching and hearing are the senses that you can use to judge external appearance. Tasting, smelling, and touching are the secondary senses not related to external appearance.
And then, finally the sixth sense would be the last step that you can have the final judgement.
In conclusion, the current online-culture is composed of watching and hearing. Therefore, taking care of external appearance might be more important?
3. 얼짱 박다솜 사건에 대해서..
어쩌면, 우리 인간들은 정말 어리석은 존재일 지도 모릅니다 .
본인은 온라인에서 만나게 되는 인맥은 100% 신뢰하지 못하게 되었습니다 .
당연한 것일 거라 생각합니다 .
눈으로 보는 것, 귀로 듣는 소리 …
이 두개의 감각에 기댄 채 그 사람을 모두 판단하는 것은
엄청난 초인적인 능력의 6 의 감각을 익힌 사람이 아닌 이상은 거의 불가능하다고 보기 떄문입니다 .박다솜 사건은 이미 많은 매스컴이나 블로그 소셜을 통해서, 일파만파로 확산되고 있습니다 .
특히 지금 보여지는 사진은 불과 하루이틀만에 엄청나게 퍼지기 시작했죠 . 지금 퍼지고 있는 “박다솜 ” 이라는 얼짱의 사진입니다. 박양은 현재 원조교제 성매매 주선혐의로 체포되어 있는 상태입니다. 10 대이며, 범죄에 대한 인식이 한창 불안정 할 때 입니다. 물론 실수일수도 있고 , 나름대로 자신의 가치관에 의해서 행동했을 것입니다 . 현재까지의 네티즌 동향으로 볼 때 , 분명 마녀사냥으로 치닫는 것도 사실이죠. 박다솜에 대한 분노는 당연한겁니다. 피해자 A양과 B양… 같은 10대의 청소년이며, 나름대로 꿈을 키워가고 있는 아이들입니다. 결국 이 사건은 자신의 욕심을 위해 자신과 같은 입장인 두 친구를 이용하게 됩니다 . 그럼 박다솜 그 피해자 두명의 차이는 무엇일까요? 제 3자의 입장에서 본다면, 얼짱이다 . 아니다의 차이 ? 솔직히 얼짱의 대한 기준도 상당히 주관적입니다. 보는 사람에 따라서 피해자들이 가해자보다 더 얼짱 일 수도 있는겁니다 . 본인은 개인적으로 박다솜을 얼짱이라고 생각하지 않습니다. ( 절대 눈이 높은건 아니니… 오해마시길)
박다솜이 두명의 친구를 이용하게 된것도 자신을 얼짱이라 추종하는 군중들을 교묘히 이용했다고 ,
볼 수 있습니다. 정말 안타까운 현실이죠 . 그럼 , 박다솜이 얼짱이라 해도 추종자들이 없었다면, 이 같은 범죄가 가능했을까? 아마도 힘들었을거라 생각합니다 . 확실히 박다솜은 사람으로서 해선 안될 행동을 한 건 사실이고 , 많은 사람들의 비난을 받아도 싸며, 처벌을 받아도 쌉니다. 하지만, 전 다른각도로 보고 싶습니다. 이게 과연 박다솜 혼자만의 잘못일까요?
Maybe humankind's existence is stupid. For me, 100 percent I don't trust people whom I meet online. I think that this is natural. Things I see through my eyes, things I hear through my ears…
Judging people with these two senses would be impossible except people who have super sixth sense power.
The Park Da-som scandal has spread through mass media and blogs. The photos I show below have spread around in one or two days.
She is now arrested. She is a teenager and must be unconscious of the crime she committed. It might be a mistake. Or she might have committed those crimes thinking that it was not wrong. Going through netizens' reactions to the present, it seems that it's like a witch hunt. It makes sense that people are angry with her. Victims A and B… They are teenagers and must have their own dreams of how they would like to grow up. For her own desire, she used her two friends who were in the same situation.
Then what is the difference between these two victims and Park Da-som?
In the perspective of the third party, the one is eol-jjang and the others are not? Honestly, the standard of eol-jjang is also very subjective. Depending on how viewers have opinions, victims would be more eol-jjang than the wrongdoer. I don't think that Park Da-som is eol-jjang (don't misunderstand me… I don't have high eye sights).
Park Da-som also used these crowds who support her as eol-jjang. It's a pity really. Then, if she didn't have these supporters, would this crime be possible? I am sure that it would be impossible. It's true that she committed the crime she's not supposed to do and she should be punished. But I would like to see it with different angles. Is it really her own mistake?
4. 결국은 우리의 잘못이기도 해 …
이 같은 일은 결국은 인터넷을 이용하고 있는 우리 모두의 잘못일 수도 있습니다 . 외모지상주의가 만들어 낸 정말 슬픈 비극인것이죠 . 외모가 좋으면 , 친해지고 싶고 따라가고 싶고 그러한 우리의 최근 심리가 이 같은 범죄를 불러 일으켰을 수도 있습니다 … 단순한 도덕적이고 윤리적인 이유라기 보다, 이대로 가다간 우리의 미래는 결국 포장에 의한 사회 모든 산업문화가 겉만 치중하는 문화가 될까 걱정됩니다. ( 너무 크게 확대해석 ???)…이번 “박다솜 ” 사건으로 많은 생각을 해봅니다. 다시 한번 우리의 머리속에 각인 된 “겉만 보고 판단해선 안돼” 라는 개념을 어떻게 하면 살릴 것인가 .. 라고…
It is our mistake for using internet. It's the sad tragedy that external appearance became so important. Our desire to be friends with eol-jjang and to copy their styles caused this kind of crime…
I am worried that our industrial culture will focus on external parts more and more…
I thought over this “Park Da-som” scandal. How can we take back the concept, “We shouldn't make judgments based on seeing the outside,” which we had ?
Here are a video link, photos, and a victim's letter.
0 comments · »»Iran: Green bloggers protest natural disaster
· 11:57
Several environmental bloggers and activists participated in a demonstration on August 27th, against the death of more than 2000 flamingo birds in Lake Bakhtegan in Iran. They protested against the government’s indifference and violation of constitutional law. Iranian environmental bloggers tell the story of this ecological disaster and provide information about demonstration.
Tell me why
Mojgan Jamshidi, blogger and journalist, writes [Fa] the blog, Didban Mohitzist (means environment watchdog). She invites friends and all people who care about a green Iran to take part in the demonstration and refuse to tolerate destruction of natural resources in the name of roads or damn constructions. She refers to the articles of the Iranian constitution that guarantee protection for the environment and says:
We should ask them - the authorities - who are responsible for upholding articles 45 and 50 of the constitution whether they think they are doing their job, when unsustainable development projects block the flow of water to thousands of animals living in Bakhtegan and Urmieh lakes, causing the death of 2000 flamingos in a very short time. We should ask the people – our deputies - who are in the Iranian parliament, whether they have commissioned even one investigation about the destruction of natural resources in the last 30 years…
Jamshidi also criticized the Judiciary authorities’ inaction against people who destroy natural parks and resources.
Greenblog says [Fa] that several bloggers and environmentalists will be mourning on Monday 27 August to protest against the death of more than 2000 flamingos. The blogger proposes several logos that bloggers can publish on their blog in solidarity with the demonstration. All logos carry a photo of a flamingo and the date and place of the demonstration is mentioned.
Mountainwatch has published a couple of photos of the demonstration. The blogger says [Fa] he met and talked to Dlavar Najafi, the deputy head of the Department for the Environment. Najafi said the Iranian president and even the Supreme Leader care about the environment. The blogger says he does not understand how all this destruction can happen when such high-ranking authorities say they care.
Some Iranian bloggers outside Iran considered this event important and wrote about it too. The Spirit of Man has linked to several photos and says:
1 comment · »»Members of environmental NGOs protesting in front of the Iranian Department of Environment showed their dissatisfaction with the environmental policies of the current government. Most of them are unhappy with how forests, mountainous areas and natural resources of the country are being destroyed and not being cared for properly.
China: Charity pulled for thankless poor students
· 10:06
A lot of embarrassed discussion has come out of the scandal this past week which many are calling CharityGate (慈善门), when five of the nineteen lower-income university students sponsored by an impromptu charity group consisting of twenty-two businesswomen in Xiangfan, Hubei province had their second year of funding cut as punishment for not expressing thanks to their benefactors.
Freelance blogger-pundit and senior news editor Chang Ping writes on his Tianya blog that ‘charity must not be about demands‘:
在襄樊市的一个助学活动中，主办者宣布取消5名大学生继续受助的资格，原因是他们“受助一年多，没有主动给资助者打过一次电话、写过一封信，更没有一句感谢的话”。就因为没有当面言谢，慈善变成了对受助者的惩罚和谴责。主办方和捐助者真的可以这样理直气壮吗？
从报道中可以看出，主办方组织的19位女企业家一年前曾经作出承诺，以结对子的方式，每年向22名贫困大学生捐助1000～3000元。承诺至少是一种君子协定吧，这些钱也不多，大学生们应该不会怀疑捐助者中途毁约，还有可能根据这个承诺安排了自己的学业和生活。如今，承诺才兑现了四分之一，女企业家们就要取消，没有听到感谢这个理由实在是有些勉强。不仅如此，还把他们作为“不知感恩”的“无情大学生”典型予以公开谴责。杀鸡吓猴，其他还在继续接受捐助的大学生的压力可想而知。
不能说这5位大学生没有过错，但是我认为，在这件事情中，女企业家们的做法过错更大，不仅使已经深受物质之困的穷人又增加了精神压力，而且扭曲了慈善的意义。
在中国，慈善被普遍视为一种施恩的行为。施恩的观念中不仅有自身高人一等的意思，而且往往要求受惠者的回报。这样就会给受惠者造成非常大的精神压力，甚至感到屈辱，所以就有“嗟来之食”那样的故事。为了解决这个矛盾，中国古人两头劝，一边强调“施恩勿念”，一边强调“受惠莫忘”。由于施恩者总是掌握话语权，所以书上到处写满了“吃水不忘挖井人”这类训诫。
Judging from news reports, a year ago the organizer had arranged for 19 female female entrepreneurs to partner up and make the commitment to each year donate CNY1,000-3,000 to 22 impoverished university students. A commitment is at least a gentleman's agreement, and the amount of money is not large, the students most likely never have suspected that the donors would renege halfway through, and quite possibly rearranged their courses of study and lives based on this commitment. At present, only a quarter of the commitment has been honored, and now the entrepreneures want to cancel it. This reason of not having received thanks is really just a little far-fetched; and not just that, the students have been cast as “thankless” and “ruthless university students”, a typical public condemnation; with the chickens now killed to scared the monkeys, you can imagine what pressure the remaining funded students are under.
You can't say that these 5 university students have not erred, but as I see it, in this instance, the entrepreneures have made an even bigger mistake; not only have they increased the mental pressure on poor people already in deep need, but they've also distorted the meaning of philanthropy.
In China, charity is widely seen as an act of bestowing favor. The notion behind bestowing favor is not just to demonstrate one's own rank, but far too often also comes with the demand for the beneficiary to repay it. This only gives the beneficiary enormous mental pressure, even leaving them feeling humiliated; that's why there are stories like “Food Handed Out in Contempt.”
In efforts to resolve this conflict [between shame and need], Chinese in ancient times took two sides: one side emphasized “bestow the favor, but don't preach while you're at it”, and the other emphasized “you can accept the favor, just don't ever forget you did.” As those bestowing the favors were the ones also with power and influence, this is why we so often seen in books admonitions like “drink the water, just don't forget who dug the well.”
Southern Weekly editor Chen Min shares on his Netease blog a story this incident brought to mind in his post, ‘To love you need an ordinary heart‘:
前不久，我应邀去苏州德胜洋楼公司参观，刚好碰上一家老小到公司向老板谢恩。这是安徽农村的一个贫困家庭，女儿国内本科毕业后考上美国一家著名的大学读硕士，但没有相应的支付能力。不知道通过什么关系找到德胜的老板。德胜老板跟他们素昧平生，但仍慨然为他们做了经济担保。一家人非常感动，执意要到苏州致谢。德胜老板拗不过，只好同意见面，派专车把他们接到公司。其间老板坦陈心迹：我帮助你们不是我天性就这么善良，而是美国文化的影响。
为什么说是美国文化的影响呢？德胜老板曾就读斯坦福大学，留美十余年，得到美国朋友的很多帮助。他说，最初，他在感动之余，总想要如何如何回报帮助他的美国朋友。但后来他发现，那些美国朋友根本不需要他的回报，甚至不需要他的感谢，因为能帮助他的美国朋友，都很强势，经济上精神上都是完全自足的，哪用得着别人来锦上添花。而且他们帮助别人，都极其低调，都看做非常非常私人的事情，他们因帮助别人而得到一份内心上的满足和安宁，就够了，根本就不愿意谁去大肆张扬。
于是，他总结出一个心得，在得到别人的帮助后，他应该做的主要不是向帮助他的人谢恩，而是应该像帮助他的人那样，在力所能及的范围内，尽可能地去帮助身边弱势的人，最需要雪中送炭的人。这样来形成爱的接力，让需要爱的人尽可能都得到爱，这样来回报整个社会，也许才是当初帮助他的那些美国朋友的初衷。
他由此得出一个结论，美国朋友对他的帮助，最重要的不是让他成了才，而是培养了他的爱心，使他从此成了一个有爱心的人。帮助人而不求任何回报，从此成了他的性格的一部分。所以他告诫那位即将赴美的学生：到美国后，最重要的是学习美国的文化，尤其是美国的爱的文化，让自己成为一个完善的人，一个有爱心的人，用自己的行动，尽可能传播爱，让爱因为你而走的更远。
刚好从苏州回来，就读到了湖北捐助人索恩的故事。对比之强烈，让我非常感慨。就已有报道来看，说捐助人索恩或许并不准确，更准确的说法应该是捐助组织者索恩。因为我没有听到捐助人自己的说法，我只听到捐助组织者对受助者提出这样那样的条件，只听到捐助组织者大喊委屈和大表愤慨。
So to sum up what he learned from all this, he said that after having received help from others, the most important thing was not to give thanks to them, but to learn to be like them, and within the limits of what it is in his power to do, do his best to help those around him who were less fortunate than himself; like offering coal during winter, helping them when they needed it. Forming such a relay of love ensures that those who need love most will get as much as possible, and thusly repaying all of society might very well have been the original intention for those Americans who at the beginning had helped him.
From here he made a conclusion, that of the help his American friends gave him, the most important thing wasn't that this helped him to go on to become successful, but that it fostered compassion within him, made him a compassionate person. Helping people with no expectation of repayment, from then on this became a part of his personality. So he admonished that student about to go off to America: once you get to America, the most important thing you must do is to learn from American culture, especially what love is in American culture, and allow yourself to become a more perfect person, a person with compassion, and through your own actions, do your best to spread love, and through you let the love travel as far as possible.
Bullog blogger Liu Tianzhao takes a more direct approach to the subject with his post, ‘Avoid the awkwardness of philanthropy and open up civil society charity groups: the rotten subject nobody dares to write‘:
湖北襄樊22名贫困大学生，一年多以前受到当地工会组织的女企业家的捐赠，其中三分之二未给资助人写信。据说这样的表现让资助者心寒，其中5名学生今年没能再获捐赠。媒体组织捐赠的负责人认为，大学生不知感恩，缺乏正确对待他人和社会的“阳光心态”。
关于贫困大学生的心态，似乎确实有讨论的必要。实际上，贫困的年轻人如何接受自己的身份、接受对他们来说格外残忍的社会现实，这确实是一个非常值得探讨的社会命题。但是反过来，捐赠者的心态也未必就很健康。在中国传统道德中，滴水之恩涌泉相报，这是对受惠者的要求；但是施恩不图报，这也是对施惠者的期待。实际上，也只有不图报答的捐赠，才具有道德含义，否则就变成了一种交易，仿佛是去购买一种名叫“感恩”的商品。当然我们可以说，不图报答的捐赠，它也有其心理动机，那便是收获个人的道德满足感——但这是一个自足的过程，而美德之所以为美德，就是借由这种方式让自己与他人都受益。
但是，我们看到捐赠者似乎非常期待受资助的大学生写信来，否则也不会因为心里不是滋味就停止了捐赠。就像人们批评大学生不知感恩，这是一种道德谴责；如果指责捐赠者是想花钱来购买“做恩人”的感觉，那更是诛心之论。事实不过是，这一场风波中，捐赠者和被捐赠者的表现都让人感到不美好，让人觉得慈者不慈、善者不善，从哪个角度去看都找不到美德的影子，难堪且让人失望。
不过，组织捐赠的机构要求学生写信汇报自己的学习生活，这本来也是合乎情理的。因为资助方本来就有权在资助之前提出一些要求，例如这些钱必须用在哪些方面，又或者这些学生在学校的成绩必须达到某个标准——大概捐赠者或者慈善机构，都必须借助类似的方式来保证它的钱不被滥用、完成初衷。但是，在襄樊这个具体案例中，当地工会并不是一个独立的慈善机构，它只起到了一个中间人的作用。这一慈善项目采取的是“一对一”的方式，就是说出资人与受赠者必须直接接触，而那封“汇报学习生活状况”的信，也要直接写给捐赠者。
写信给资助机构或者资助个人，听起来这似乎是非常小的差别。但是只要稍微体会一下受赠者的心态，就会明白这个差别很大。直接写信给资助人，就意味着要面对一种非常不对等的关系，而且几乎是强制性地、必须表达自己的感恩之情。后来的情况证明，这种强制性不仅是心理压力，而且是行动事实。让人非常想要逃避的，或许并不是感恩，而是对感恩之心的强制要求。
Though, for the donor organization to require the students to write reports on their schooling lives is completely justified. The donor has the right, prior to granting the funds, to put forth a few requirements, such as where the money is to be spent, or what level of performance the students are to attain——basically donors and charity organizations must all make use of these sorts of approaches to ensure that their money doesn't get abused, and to see the fruition of their original intention. But in this case in Xiangfan, the local union is not an independent charity organization, it's only just played the role of middleman. And this charity project took the ‘one-to-one' approach, wherein those putting up the money and those receiving it must meet directly; as well, the “report on state of school life” letter must also be delivered to the donor in person.
Writing letters to the funding organization or to the funders themselves sounds like a small enough difference, but if one were to experience even a little of what it's like to be a charity recipient, one would see that the difference is in fact quite large. Writing letters directly to the donors implies they will be faced with an extremely unequal relationship, with what seems would be a forced, mandatory expression of feelings of appreciation. The later situation proves that this coerciveness is not just psychological pressure, but that it's part and parcel of the whole engagement. This would leave one with an extreme desire to get out, not perhaps of giving thanks itself, but of the forced requirement to do so.
As if the moral issues surrounding charity donations and recognition weren't sensitive enough, the discussion was further complicated a few days later with the revelation that the father of one of the university students whose funding had been pulled was in fact the deputy director of one government department in Xiangfang and the family neither lacking their own housing or bringing in just six hundred yuan a month, as the young woman had written on her charity application form.
2 comments · »»
Links for Roundups
Americas
Off The Broiler writes on the 15th Annual Brazilian Independence Day festival, which is happening in New Jersey until September 3. “Last year I was yelled at for not giving anyone advance notice about one of the best Jersey food and cultural events of the year”.
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Middle East & North Africa
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