Unity in Diversity

     Cultural differences cause racial discrimination in certain societies. It is also one of the barriers to attain unity here in the biosphere. One who transfers to other places goes to an unfamiliar setting may experience the feeling of unpleasantness or disorientation called culture shock. This thing possibly creates such consequences for instance, punishments to the person who consciously or unconsciously violates the laws of other societies. So how will we address this matter considering that it's one of the issues in terms of globalization?

     Since society and culture are interrelated, one does not exist without the other according to a sociologist and anthropologist. Every certain society shares a common culture because culture itself implies that each society has its own way of life shared by most of its members. Culture is a complex whole which includes knowledge, beliefs, norms, arts, morals, customs and other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society. It is a way of life as well as guide for social interaction. Thus, it influences a person's mode of thinking, feeling and acting. It also includes the past and present gains as a result of living together. It prescribes what one can do or not do and how one should do things in various situations. 

     Culture shapes us but we do shape culture too. However, we can't deny the fact that not all members of the society follow the prescribed ways or guidelines which are ideals of behavior. There may be some resistance to them. Some person may violate the code of ethics and the code of honesty and integrity or delicadeza mostly at work or in business transactions. Like here in our country, Filipino students balk wearing the proper attire for school or even at church. Few drivers ignore traffic rules.

     Real culture refers to how one behaves in actual situation with the context of what may be regarded as acceptable and tolerable by the other members of society. In Germany, they don't allow even a single piece of candy wrapper to be thrown on the floor and every citizen has a concern about it, every time one drops it, all the people around will stop all the things that they're doing and stare to the person who did it and so that person will be forced to get it, keep it until he finds trash can. How wonderful it is to happen to any other place especially to our country to prevent the problem about waste management. Furthermore, here in our country many things are actually problems if we just only think of it. Some of these are: we accept surplus and we acquire things with no good provisions, particularly on vehicles. Other countries just use bicycles as a form of transportation and vehicles are only allowed during emergencies which prove they care about Mother Earth; we buy pharmaceutical drugs even without the doctor's prescription disregarding its side effects compared to the Chinese who prefer herbal medicines to be safe ...

     Well I guess, too much for that. Come whatever it is, as long as the world will live together in peace and harmony.

                                                                Acknowledgement to: Aprilene Joy Roa

2012: END OF THE WORLD?

     Cynics might have been protruding their wildest imagination as the clamor for 2012 tinges. It is a widespread rumor that next year will be the doomsday for the entire humanity. Such foretold premonition is based on the series of events that are rogue and scandalous to the society and on the estimation of astrobiologists of their frustration to be like other notable figures in the astronomical history in discovering a new planet. Much had been told; much had been predicted, yet there's no proof to support on the reliability of such claim. For the religious, they call their gods in prayer believing that all are just divine interventions reminding us that there is someone superior than us.

     

     But what triggered some believers to end up thinking on these? Historically, the Mayan, Incan, Aztec and Egyptian ancestors who have prophesized for the end of the world. Amongst, the Mayan has the specification accorded to their long calendar.

END OF THE WORLD COUNTDOWN

     The prophecy is about an unknown planet that will collide late 2012. Ancient Mesopotamians discovered this threatening 3600-year orbit planet calling it Nibiru. Some call it Agamemnon. For astronomers named it Planet X. On January 26, 1983, when NASA launched the Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS), Planet X has been photographed for real. That time, it was estimated to be 50 million miles away from us. It is moving closer that by 2004 it has been determined to be 7 million miles away. Its confirmation was taken in Japan on February 28, 2008 and that it will be here by the end of the year.

     With so many predictions and or estimations 5 thousand, 50 thousand or 5,000 years ago, what's the denominator is that they point the same date: December 21, 2012.

END OF THE WORLD RAGING CLAMOR

     September 11, 2001. It was when the Twin Tower has been attacked by the Al-Qaida group. Surmounting socio-political instability has taken place but other religious entities call for a prayer believing that gradually the world meet its end. Preceded by years of apathy brought about by poverty and hunger and unforeseen natural calamities, 2011 is challenged with a fury blast of crisis in the different parts of the world. Egypt, Libya and Iran suffered man-made predicaments; New Zealand, on the other hand, was shaken off by a strong magnitude of quake. Just recently, Japan was deluded with catastrophes from a quake with unbelievable magnitude of 8.9 ( the experts had just changed it to 9 ) transcended to wipe the coastal areas of Sendai through tsunami which also transcended for the explosion of nuclear plants brought about by radiation leaks and, lately, by volcanic eruptions.

     Moreover, there are severe monumental problems like global warming and loss of habitat. The ozone layer is thinning and no one is to be blamed but the benevolent igniters of pollution and other combustion. This resulted to the melting of the glaciers in the North Pole and other cold areas increasing the sea level which also decreases the land area for habitation.

     END OF THE WORLD:  PREMONITION  or  DESTINY?

     Fear. That best describes the feeling of the believers of end of the world now. Long, it has been predicted. Long, we did nothing but snob it.

     Others say that what we need are facts to face the truth, if, such is a real truth. Premonition or destiny, no one could tell until the exact date comes. But for now, what is true is that we are contributing for its end - the end of the Earth, our world.

                                                    Acknowledgement to: CHARLES UY PESODAS