I went on a retreat to Glendalough, in the Wicklow Mts, today and it really got me thinking about my beliefs and my actions. Here is what I remember about the day.
Showing posts with label Religion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Religion. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 1
Tuesday, January 10
Desert Flower.
In religion class we have been learning all about gender equality. A great example to show how to get equality is in the movie Desert Flower. This is the life story of the famous model Waris Dirie. Here she is:
Waris had a hard life. She grew up in Somalia looking after sheep and goats. When she was 3 years old she was genitally mutilated. When she was 12 or 13, she was going to be sold off to an old man to marry him, for a camel. In Somalia at this time young girls were an equal trading price of one camel. Shocking. Waris decided to run away to the city where she was then sent to the UK to work in the Somalian embassy over there.
She found a new friend and got a job in a fast food restaurant where she was discovered by one of the top fashion photographers at that time. He was drawn to her beauty and approached her. She accepted his offer and joined a model agency. As Waris was working her way up in the modelling business, she still had struggles. She faced deportation and quickly married a friend of hers so she could remain in the UK. She also became quite ill and learnt that the way she had been treated (getting genitally mutilated) was not right and that it doesn't happen to everyone. She was angry and upset. When she became a very successful model, she used her fame to speak out against gender inequality and let her incredible story out to the world so that everyone would know what was really going on. Since, she has been campaigning very hard and Female Genital Mutilation has been banned in Somalia.
When you think about all the work one woman has done, it would be amazing to see what could be done if gender equality is accepted and practised universally. This story is inspirational and educational. I learnt a lot from watching the movie and I would definitely recommend that everyone watches it at some stage, or reads the book!
Waris had a hard life. She grew up in Somalia looking after sheep and goats. When she was 3 years old she was genitally mutilated. When she was 12 or 13, she was going to be sold off to an old man to marry him, for a camel. In Somalia at this time young girls were an equal trading price of one camel. Shocking. Waris decided to run away to the city where she was then sent to the UK to work in the Somalian embassy over there.
She found a new friend and got a job in a fast food restaurant where she was discovered by one of the top fashion photographers at that time. He was drawn to her beauty and approached her. She accepted his offer and joined a model agency. As Waris was working her way up in the modelling business, she still had struggles. She faced deportation and quickly married a friend of hers so she could remain in the UK. She also became quite ill and learnt that the way she had been treated (getting genitally mutilated) was not right and that it doesn't happen to everyone. She was angry and upset. When she became a very successful model, she used her fame to speak out against gender inequality and let her incredible story out to the world so that everyone would know what was really going on. Since, she has been campaigning very hard and Female Genital Mutilation has been banned in Somalia.
When you think about all the work one woman has done, it would be amazing to see what could be done if gender equality is accepted and practised universally. This story is inspirational and educational. I learnt a lot from watching the movie and I would definitely recommend that everyone watches it at some stage, or reads the book!
Wednesday, December 7
Inequality
" Maya
You are fifteen years of age and live in the Bronx area of New York. Your Mom is a single parent and tries to make ends meet by cleaning houses and living on welfare. Your neighbourhood is pretty dangerous and you don't feel safe at night. You try to work hard at school but it is hard when the school is run down and overcrowded.
"
In religion class we are discussing the millenium goals and in particular gender equality. We did an excercise to look at the treatment of females in different countries around the world. A series of statements were read out, and if the statement applied to you, you took a big step forward. If it kind of applied to you, you took a little step and if it did not apply to you then you stood still.
The person I was assigned was Maya. When I first read my bit of paper I thought she had a hard life. As the excercise went on, I was taking steps the whole way. At the end, I was fourth from the top. As I passed people by I felt bad for them, for leaving them behind and I wondered why everyone else wasn't moving too? The excercise showed me that there is extreme inequality and unjust treatment going on in other countries. I learned that Ireland is a very well-off country and we shouldn't take our rights for granted. I am much more understanding now of women and girls in third-world countries. I feel bad that they don't get to receive an education or even to feel safe in their homes.
We all need to try help pull up the people who are being left behind.
You are fifteen years of age and live in the Bronx area of New York. Your Mom is a single parent and tries to make ends meet by cleaning houses and living on welfare. Your neighbourhood is pretty dangerous and you don't feel safe at night. You try to work hard at school but it is hard when the school is run down and overcrowded.
"
In religion class we are discussing the millenium goals and in particular gender equality. We did an excercise to look at the treatment of females in different countries around the world. A series of statements were read out, and if the statement applied to you, you took a big step forward. If it kind of applied to you, you took a little step and if it did not apply to you then you stood still.
The person I was assigned was Maya. When I first read my bit of paper I thought she had a hard life. As the excercise went on, I was taking steps the whole way. At the end, I was fourth from the top. As I passed people by I felt bad for them, for leaving them behind and I wondered why everyone else wasn't moving too? The excercise showed me that there is extreme inequality and unjust treatment going on in other countries. I learned that Ireland is a very well-off country and we shouldn't take our rights for granted. I am much more understanding now of women and girls in third-world countries. I feel bad that they don't get to receive an education or even to feel safe in their homes.
We all need to try help pull up the people who are being left behind.
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