fabiochiu/medium-articles huggingface dataset:
The Man Who Eats Hate Crimes for Breakfast, Lunch, And Dinner
By: Alamiin Si
Tags: Hate Speech, Hate Crimes, Personal Values, Marketing, Social Change

Since my childhood, I’ve always been easily fascinated by … well, almost anything really. The rhythmic, tapping sound of light rain as it patter on the window. A beautiful smile on the face of a charming kid. The humming sound a busy city makes every day as each night descends into our life.

Even unique experiences like the clatter of my keyboard as I rush to share my ideas with the world, or the funny vibrations my phone makes in the morning in its attempt to wake me up. Poor thing, haha.

You can imagine my excitement then when, a few weeks earlier, I came across the name Corey Fleischer for the first time in my life. This man founded a campaign that targets, locates, and eliminates hate speech graffiti everywhere in the world, and for free.

Corey Fleischer | Photo by Brock University

What Happened?

Over a decade ago, the Montrealer Corey Fleischer, tall, thick with muscle, and has a bald head, drove past a bus graffitied with a hateful symbol on his way to work. An hour and a half later, he felt compelled to return and erase the symbol.

“I took my truck and barricaded him in,” he later recounted the incident with the bus driver. “I wasn’t happy about it. I said ‘Now you’re going nowhere.’”

He then explained to the driver that what he was about to do was free of charge, and a few minutes later, the graffiti is gone.

Fleischer since then made it his life mission to help clean up similar racist and hateful graffiti anywhere in the world. He hasn’t stopped. And that is how “Erasing Hate” came to be.

This campaign, titled #ErasingHate, went from Montreal to global in a few years after Fleischer kickstarted it in 2014.

Before 2014, removing graffiti was more of a secret hobby for him. Fleisher has been working in the dark and refusing to share this adventure with the world in fear of the public’s judgment. After this particular episode, however, everything changed.

Dedicated, fierce, with determined eyes, Fleischer will set out to erase hate from the face of the earth in any way he could. “I’m getting up in the morning and I’m eating hate crimes for breakfast. I’m eating them for lunch. I eat hate crimes for dinner,” he told The Toronto Star, a Canadian broadsheet daily newspaper.

He loves it. He revels in it!

“It was an epiphany,” he said in 2018 to the Canadian human rights commission (CHRC). Watching the “colors bleed off that concrete slab” gave him a surge of satisfaction, unlike anything he had ever felt before. He wanted to feel that way again. And again.

CBC News showing Corey Fleischer removing hate graffiti

What is also interesting about Fleischer’s venture to erase hate is that it inspired others, throughout Canada and beyond, to do the same. “I had no idea that by posting pictures and videos of me removing hate, I would inspire others…” he said.

On his Instagram page of over 139k followers, Fleischer shares plenty of videos and pictures sent to him by these people, inspired by his actions, and erasing hate in their communities too.
Humanitarian need + social change
By: Christian Stenta
Tags: Systems Change, Humanitarian, People Power, Design Thinking, Social Change

What do you think is needed to achieve sustainable social change?

Do you feel like you’ve been able to achieve social change in your career?

What role do you think people, communities and networks can play in creating social change?
Indeed; a more detail-laden, Part 2 is in the works; to be published in January 2021.
By: Stephen P. Watkins
Tags: Social Change, Education Reform, Politics

Indeed; a more detail-laden, Part 2 is in the works; to be published in January 2021.

Many thanks for your kind and supportive words, in keeping with the high quality of your work.
Proven ESG Companies
By: Roman Reitman
Tags: Social Change, Investment, Sustainability, Esg

Are Ethical Investments Outperforming Traditional Funds?

While the investment is, in its core structure, a simple form of making money, the ESG investment is something that is not concerning the financial gain but also meeting the environmental, social and governing principles. Therefore, the new form that takes care of the surroundings and the place we live in is somehow more attractive to the investors. One of the main reasons is that investors can be sure that their investments are going to comply with the sustainable concept, which means they don’t risk losing money in the future. As everything is leaning towards using more efficient technology that does not produce a lot of waste and pollution, we could say that the ESG companies are slowly taking over.

Another reason that makes this concept of investment more attractive is the social part, where the investors can be sure that the company they will invest in is going to donate some money to the social community. This can be anything — from solving a basic problem of water usage to the building pavements in the sub-urban areas. The point is improving some social problems that are present for years in a certain community. It helps the company to save its reputation, which means that the investors will know they had done a good thing for a company.

In terms of governance, the company that uses the ESG concept is not going to be under the influence of political campaigns and reigns. It eliminates the possibility of starting a conflict of interest among the board members but also ensures the transparent rights to vote on important issues and decisions. When summing everything up, I can say that the ESG concept makes everything transparent, sustainable and socially correct, which is exactly why more and more investors start a hunt for ESG companies.
Instagram is Ruining Your Life
By: Sushant Osti
Tags: Instagram, Social Media, Facebook, Social Change, The Social Dilemma

Photo by Erik Lucatero on Unsplash

You open your Instagram, you see your friends and the people you don’t even know are having the time of their life. Most of them are traveling and smiling all day long. But how on earth these people are living their best of life, how do they achieve it, and why does it feel like everybody except you have this awesome formula locked down?

Spoiler alert: they haven’t. Search through #livingmybestlife in Instagram. What do you see? Stunning landscapes. Girls in swim suits seems to be having time of their life. People drinking wine and cocktails. Why on earth only you are not having fun like these people or living the best of your life?

When you upload photos of you having fun you are not just sharing but you are creating your own identity your own persona. Nothing wrong with creating a identity but things get worse when you get attached to it. When you actually begin to think that is you. No photo shall be bad. Every caption should be funny. You don’t even read a book but you post a photo of a book copying a cool caption alongside it. You are now just protecting the mask you are wearing. You are just pretending. Sure, you look good but not all the time. You cannot be funny all the time. These are just pieces of your life that you carefully selected to make you look or feel good. But that is not the whole you.

You take a photo of yourself on a beach. You post it with a cool caption. But you didn’t get enough likes and now you are bummed. You are literally outsourcing your happiness to others. The stories that you tell others to build yourself and things you buy to brand yourself are just to make people care.

Maybe use Instagram but don’t follow anyone and keep your account in private, don’t accept anyone’s request. Just upload your photos the memories you make good or bad. At least they are safe there.

You are limiting yourself by letting people control your life . You become certain person they want to see not who you want to become. You have too many people to talk in social media but not enough social skills in real life.

In a society where the correlation between rising social media use and declining rates of mental health is becoming more apparent by the minute, it’s important to know how to differentiate happy you and one posting a photo to brag and gain likes from people they’ve probably never met. What’s more, realize that just because you’re not doing the same things with your life as your Instagrammer friend, that doesn’t mean your life is shit. They’re just photographs, after all.

Remember the best nights are the ones you didn’t upload.
The Importance of Using Someone’s Chosen Name
Tags: Society, Culture, Identity, Identity Politics, Social Change

The Importance of Using Someone’s Chosen Name

What makes our names so important, and questions to ask about your own name Fricka Follow Dec 12, 2020 · 4 min read

Photo by Ernest Brillo on Unsplash

About five years ago, one of my closest friends started to introduce herself to others with a new first name. It was similar to her former name but in an anglicized version. To be honest, I felt weird about it. Was this more English-sounding name supposed to be cooler? Why wouldn’t she just introduce herself with her full name before mentioning this nickname?

What’s more, I felt special for being one of the insiders who still knew her other name, and I would keep calling her that. I thought of it as a symbol of our closer connection, addressing her by her birth name. Despite changing her names online and consistently using her new name herself, she never corrected me, which reassured me that I was entitled to keep using her old name.

Your name, along with your assumed gender and racial identity, is among the first things that people pick up about you. For each category, there are limits predetermined by society, culture, and history. But within these boundaries, you have some leeway — and one option is to redetermine how you want to be addressed; which word is your “primary label”.

The concept of renaming is not new at all. In many cultures, it is custom for one of the partners in a marriage to change their last name to the other’s, signaling belonging as typically, a woman would now belong to the family of a man.

But name changes can also serve purposes of disassociation: Malcolm X took on X as his last name when he became aware of the anti-Black violence embedded in his previous name, which was a remnant of his family’s history of being enslaved. His new name, X, symbolized his ignorance towards his family name (read more about this is this piece by Edward Onaci).

In Germany, both first and last names were also commonly changed to end associations with members of the NS regime, for instance. Names might also change involuntarily if you live in an environment where people don’t put the effort to say your full name or pronounce your name correctly, or when it is decided that your second name suits you better.

Thinking about name changes, it is essential to understand that there might be underlying social pressures that reduce one’s agency, or that renaming can serve as a means of reclamation. Have you ever took the time to consider your own name?

You might want to take a minute right now to consider the following questions:
Pseudocide II
By: Tanner R. Layton
Tags: Psychoanalysis, Poem, Dreams, Poetry, Social Change

“Life is but a dream of the inanimate”

— Alenka Zupančič

Photo by NeONBRAND on Unsplash

Celebrations are momentary myths

of an aim realized.

Death is not an aim fulfilled.

Wholeness, completion,

is a false suicide, a lie.

Not a journey completed,

but a recognized path

brings a smile to my eyes —

a pseudocide.

A repetition.

What do we want to sustain?

What do we want to become

when goals are goalless?

We are coming right back here —

conservative cowards.

A win is never a real win,

only a continuity.

We suffer from a lack

of imagination,

of really dreaming,

of breaking the duration

in favour of a new creation.
Transition to Virtual Volunteering
By: Dylan Hou
Tags: Philanthropy, Giving, Social Change, Virtual Volunteering

What is Virtual Volunteering?

Virtual volunteering is a convenient way for volunteers to donate their time and skills toward a cause close or far from home. As our world enters further into the digital age, we’ve seen an increasing number of people look to virtual volunteering as an alternative to in-person volunteering. As a result, many charities, non-profits, and for-profits have adapted to accommodate online skill-giving. Some skills that have been in demand are:

Blog/Article Writing/Editing

Graphic Design

Website Creation

Development

Public Outreach and Marketing

UX Design

Video Editing

With almost 77.4 million Americans volunteering every year, people are seeking new, creative ways to actively contribute towards making a difference.¹

Furthermore, COVID-19 has validated the potential of remote work and has been shifting in-person volunteering to online volunteering. Just like how working remotely is essential for the economy to move forward, virtual volunteering will be essential to keeping the momentum of social giving.

Source 2

Benefits of Virtual Volunteering

COVID-19 has undoubtedly catalyzed the shift to online giving. And despite not having the same volume of in-person volunteers, organizations still require help with behind-the-scenes developments and operations. Virtual volunteering best enables organizations and volunteers to overcome challenges that occur throughout the giving process, such as time constraints and geographic limitations. Online volunteering allows for flexibility, giving contributors the ability to work around their schedules.

On top of this, it’s now easier than ever to find opportunities suited to one’s interests and availability. Not only are organizations able to find more support online, but volunteers are more easily able to get involved and develop their skills. This becomes a win-win situation because volunteers are 27% more likely to find a job after being out of work when compared to non-volunteers.³ And according to a survey by Career Builder, 60% of hiring managers value volunteerism when making recruitment decisions.⁴

In fact, many of these opportunities are considered “micro-volunteering” — the ability to perform short tasks that require less time and skills. This allows anyone to get involved for as little or long as they desire.

For organizations and causes, crowdsourcing has never been easier. Data is more accessible for research and development, and connecting with individuals is efficient and uncostly. Ultimately, allowing organizations to focus on what is truly important — their impact.

As the true value of virtual volunteering is being realized, we see both virtual and in-person volunteering to be powerful tools in supporting the projects you care about to create positive change. Learn how you can volunteer in a way that works best for you through GiveShop.
Modernity vs Desi Feminism
By: Bagmi Barenya
Tags: Creative Writing, Modernity, Community, Content Writing, Social Change

We often forget that our existence has been dated back to a time when modernity meant accepting new and healthy changes in the society. But as we moved forward with the advent of “coolness”, we made it a tag of modish colloquialism. In the name of coolness, we create chaos and nuisance in the society which affects the mindset of young generation.

#Modernity doesn’t promote unhealthy lifestyle habits

#WritersCommunity

#WritersOfMedium

#CreativeWriting

#ContentWriting
World’s most downloaded app at the moment-WhatsApp, Facebook behind
By: The Global Times
Tags: Instagram, Social Media, WhatsApp, Facebook, Social Change

The Global Times

World’s most downloaded app at the moment-WhatsApp, Facebook behind

World’s most downloaded app: Beijing (NNC) Leading Chinese Tiktok has become the world’s most non-gaming mobile software for the sixth time in a row. Despite the sanctions in the US and India, the popularity of the Chinese lip-syncing Tik Tak could not stop.

The report states that Tiktok was downloaded by 66m people in OCT 2020, an increase of 9.5% over October 2019.

Read More…

Road Trip

What is the dark web? How to access it and what you’ll get

How successful lands of China spacecraft organize on the moon?
The Social Media Fallacy.
By: Samantha Drobac
Tags: Growth Mindset, Social Media, Personal Development, Social Change, Psychology

The Social Media Fallacy.

Photo by FreeModels Agency on Unsplash

These are very nice ambitions and I appreciate the wishful thinking from the creators of such social media platforms.

Though this may have been the case initially (Social Media as a form to connect with family and friends), now it has morphed into morale destroying, ataraxia obstructing, perennial Academy Award winner for ‘Best Act’ platform.

And that’s exactly what it is. It’s all — an act.

We have this tendency towards ‘Optimism Bias’ where we create this belief in our heads that the world is a lot brighter than it actually is — A ground for wishful thinking and where all is good.

We don’t like to admit to ourselves the reality of the state of the world; the state of the humans, this would mean succumbing to depressing emotions and opening a can of worms.

So instead we just cruise around it — or more like tiptoe around it.

We rather “think” that what we see is all true; when in reality we know how bleak the state of affairs truly is. It’s easier to pretend that life is beautiful, and the pictures we see are truly what people’s lives are like all year round…

That they are actually loving the fact that they have to bake dozens of cookies for their entire family.

That couples never fight with their significant partner.

How easy it was to purchase a plane ticket to go to Australia with not much sacrifice involved.

That their business is booming thanks to their parent’s contacts.

Apparently, the majority never cry — only the weak ones.

That most people have supernatural metabolisms that allow them to eat whatever they want and still look amazing.

We have such a craving for social acceptance… Though this is a very obvious statement, what is not so obvious are the reasons behind it which I will get to in a minute.
The myth about superfoods
By: Samir Misra
Tags: Superfoods, Healthy Lifestyle, Health, Myths, Social Change

The myth about superfoods

Superfoods", "Power foods", "Top 5 Foods" do these titles catch your attention on the internet while reading articles on food or scrolling Instagram or any other social media platforms. For those of us seeking to improve our health, the concept of superfoods will be appealing. If some foods promise you to prevent heart disease, improve your lifespan, promote a healthy lifestyle, why would anyone not attract to these catchy lines. Eat quinoa you are sorted for protein. Pop a few activated almonds and live forever.

why change your habits when you correct them by adding Kale to your diet? Why settle or follow a strict diet, when you can achieve by adding chia seeds to your cereals to be super healthy? Few lies can be told in one word and somehow the word "superfood" manages it. If a balanced diet is taken with plenty of fruits and vegetables, doing regular exercise. Due to a change in dietary patterns over the decades, and a rise in non-communicable diseases. The popularity of superfoods has been increased, because of its labeling of natural and organic foods. For more information visit this link https://www.guidelifestyle.com/2020/12/the-myth-about-superfoods.html
We need to stop the entitlement on social media
By: Gal Mux
Tags: Short Form Content, Change, Social Media, Short Form, Social Change

Photo by Eaters Collective on Unsplash

We need to stop the entitlement on social media

We need to stop;

Feeling entitled to people liking, commenting, sharing or reacting to your posts

2. Expecting people to follow you or add you as friend

3. Expecting people to post about their lives, whom they are dating, where they went on holiday, what they are doing or eating and other details about their lives just because you do or are curious

Let’s stop this!

Not on Medium though. Let’s follow, read, respond, highlight, clap away and ask for more on Medium. 🙂
Women have been forced on pain of great suffering or death to depend on the largesse of a man who…
By: Teresa D Hawkes
Tags: Social Change, Childrearing, Mothering

Women have been forced on pain of great suffering or death to depend on the largesse of a man who wants to control us and our children for as long as we have records. This has resulted in many forms of domestic abuse, as men consider they have rights and women have none. We are here to do your bidding or suffer the consequences. This often does not work out well for anyone. For instance, modern medical science has documented how maternal malnutrition damages a child in the womb, and that damage includes mental and physical capacity, as well as susceptibility to anger issues and depression. But for as long as we have records women in many cultures have been deliberately malnourished by the males in their families, which over many generations, has stunted each generation after they are born. Men simply deserved to eat but women didn’t. This is just one way men have abused women systematically.

A growing number of women in every culture want free of this destructive social arrangement. We are working toward making that real. Here is an example of the type of social arrangement I am working toward: https://www.yesmagazine.org/health-happiness/2020/11/09/china-himalayas-grandmothers-mosuo/?fbclid=IwAR1OlXl2xCPiIwmGV6UBflNxu1GJJSZYBXwYpYXTJ7zxnHEkclPgrhJEV8w. Since women’s opinions and well-being have not mattered to men for as long as we have records, men’s opinion on this matter is simply a problem I have to overcome in my own life to have a life worth living. You’ll note the system I reference puts all responsibility on women for the rearing and guidance of each generation and provides them with the resources to do so, and men are free to amuse themselves as they wish without damaging the present or next generation. This is far superior to this system in which men amuse themselves as they wish and damage the present and next generations.
Any Volunteers?
Tags: Progress, Helping Hands, Volunteering Opportunity, Betterment, Social Change

Volunteering, initially referred to the process of admission of young boys into military troops to compensate for the loss of a soldier on the battlefield. With time, the word has gained a positive connotation to refer to an act of helping others or maintaining the cleanliness of one’s surroundings without expecting recognition or monetary relief of any sort.

Volunteering is a very human thing to do and helps restore faith in humanity. UNESCO celebrates December 5, as International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development- simply put as International Volunteer Day. This year’s aim is to promote the idea of ‘Together We Can Through Volunteering’. It is very true to word and many examples we have seen in the pandemic hit areas as well.

Cine-celebrities, local residents stepped up to help the people stuck far away from their homes. They were properly looked after, mobilized, and sent to their home towns. Apart from working with medical professionals and government-aided rescue missions, volunteer work has done wonders to control the COVID situation.

This year, hence, focuses on how governments can improve volunteering, how it can be promoted so that each one of us is ready if the situation so demands. It also focuses on the volunteer’s access to safety, health, and well-being. One thing that needs to be pointed out here, is that volunteering and community service are different from each other because the latter may or may not be done as a personal choice. Although, both aim for the betterment of society.

Volunteering has reached a structured level and has become a proper channel for social work. It involves branches of activities based on:

Work (animal care, environmental care, building homes or schools, community sanitation programs, awareness campaigns, etc) Duration (as summer, spring program) Situation (in times of an epidemic, pandemic, etc)

To encourage the activity of socializing and helping, organizations have come up with a new idea of combining educational programs with volunteer work. Students learn about the intricacies of their field of choice along with the satisfaction of having helped someone. Especially programs related to veterinary sciences, biodiversity, and wildlife conservation fall under this umbrella.

Volunteer work has expanded to the virtual platforms also. One can find projects suited to their idea of contribution and help without hassle of moving from place to place. Although this does not intend to dilute the effort put in by volunteers, it does provide an easier way to participate. Once they are engaged they can always choose on-field work.

“It is a sin to cloth in shirt-pant when many on this planet do not possess a single garment!” M. K. Gandhi

Volunteering helps us shape our understanding of the world. If we are lucky enough to have our basic needs met, it should be our inherent responsibility as human beings to try to provide the same for the less privileged.
Silence Isn’t Always Golden
By: Mitta Xinindlu, Www.Mittaxinindlu.Com
Tags: Motivational, Bravery, Social Justice, Social Change, Psychology

Many times people who could have, potentially, eased bad situations did not do so. Instead, they chose to be quiet. Many times people with the power to shift the atmosphere remained silent.

Mariah l Unsplash

Those who witnessed abuse towards others chose silence over saying something. Those who heard their friends, families or colleagues say mean and racist or degrading remarks remained quiet.

They did so because they were told that silence is golden. They were told to mind only their business. They were told that if it doesn’t affect them, it’s none of their concern.

The earth hosts more than 7 billion people. However, only a small fraction of these people stand up for social justice. Only those whose stubbornness is not afraid to cross traditional norms.

So, why do we have more than 90% of people who remain silent and inactive?

It goes back to Psychology. Humans who tend to be on the wrong of moralism usually gain a lot of support and company, and faster. Because misery loves company.

They usually garner their support by ridiculing and shaming social justice agents, in the hopes of making social agents appear as the bad guys.

Our message today is that social change and justice only needs one brave person. An agent who will stand up against thousands of mockers.

Be that agent today!

Start small. Start standing up against your friends, families and colleagues. Then, in the end, we will serve social justice.
LMF: Launching our Social Mobility Pillar
Tags: Mentoring, Career Development, Social Mobility, Diversity, Social Change

We are launching our Social Mobility Pillar in January 2021. Why?

Well, while some progress has been made with levelling the playing field to reduce barriers for those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, there’s more that can be done — we aim to make a positive contribution in this space.

Current State

Research finds that people from more affluent backgrounds take a disproportionate number of desirable jobs and that employers have the tendency to disproportionately employ graduates who went to private schools and elite universities (Elitist Britain, 2019)

Using data from the ONS, the State of the Nation (2019) found that those from ‘better off’ backgrounds are almost 80% more likely to be in a professional job than their working class counterparts

In the UK, success is still very much influenced by ‘who you know’ over what you know, with employers preferring ‘polish over potential’ (SMF, 2020)

A ‘low ability’ child from a high-income family is 35% more likely to be a high earner than a ‘high ability’ child from a low-income family (Social Mobility Commission, 2015) — how is this fair?

The Class Ceiling by Friedman and Laurison (2019) highlights that those from working class backgrounds earn less and find it harder to progress, even if they have the same degree from the same university as someone from a more affluent background. Furthermore, the research found that for black British women with working-class origins, working in top jobs, the “class pay gap” is £20,000

Traditionally elite jobs such as medicine, law and media are among the most “inherited” careers in the UK (The Class Ceiling, 2019). Furthermore, in 2017, only 6% of doctors, 12% of journalists and 12% of chief executives were from working-class origins (Social Mobility Commission, 2017)

This under-representation of people from lower socio-economic backgrounds in such professions limits the progress of society, and contradicts commitments towards improving diversity and inclusion within organisations — which is both the morally right thing to do and benefits the bottom line.
Governance is about decisions — starting with the ones we make today
By: Resonance Network
Tags: Governance, Care, Social Justice, Worldbuilding, Social Change

Governance is making decisions together — at small and large scales — about the things that matter to us and impact our lives.

The guiding agreements of #WeGovern affirm that governance begins with each of us, and serve as a starting place for a world where everyone can thrive.

We need a new set of operating standards for how we relate to each other.

Mutual care is “our sacred responsibility to act with an awareness of our connections, interdependence, and collective well-being.” It is a way of building social connections that are holistic and life-giving.

The world we want is rooted in just that — mutual care, deep relationship, dignity, and safety — for ourselves, for each other, and for the earth that provides us everything we need. When we plant these seeds collectively, violence cannot take root.

We can create the world we want through our choices — our commitment to aligning our actions with our values, and fiercely caring for our collective well-being.

The world we want — a world where all beings can thrive —begins with each of us.
The Current Dilemma
By: Fenne Jackson
Tags: Covid 19 Crisis, First Post, Burnout, Social Change

At the moment we are going through a pandemic, and do not know what is going to happen next; are they going to be okay, will this ever end, so on and so forth.

With the unknown state of the world, people are feeling lost, have lost the drive to do what they used to enjoy. Some choose to ignore the problem, tune out the constant bad news, to live in their own safe bubble, where they have to worry about themselves. Others turn to helping others. By continuing the fight against the systemic racism that exists in both law enforcement and healthcare. To the ongoing genocide against the Uighur Muslims in China. And including the increasingly anti-LGBT ideologies that are happening in Poland at the moment. These are issues that people are fighting for, but some choose to turn a blind eye; from large corporations working near the concentration camps in China, to the police brutality against BLM protesters.

2020 has been hectic, we should be able to learn from this, to better the future. There has been past pandemics, we still have cases of them today, but hopefully we should be able to grow from this experience if we so choose to.
Impacty SpotOn!: Bilkiss Adebiyi-Abiola
Tags: Impact, Communication, Community, Storytelling, Social Change

Bilkiss

Called the trash collector in many quarters, Bilkiss Adebiyi-Abiola is an MIT- trained whiz. She grew up in Lagos Nigeria, moved to the United States at the age of 17. While in school, chasing her dreams, she had to do a second-year project which made her venture into thinking up ideas to help low-income communities. Her thoughts soon took her back home where she had to think about waste management and how to curb the environmental hazards as a result of poor waste management.

Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) reported that Lagos generates a massive 12,000 metric tons of waste daily. Additionally, only about 40% of that amount of waste was properly disposed.

This discovery, backed by unbeatable passion, led Bilkiss to take a journey of purpose back home to the city of Lagos.

She came back home and presented the idea to family and friends who encouraged its execution. The idea transcended beyond being a mere idea to a problem-solving strategy as Bilkiss saw how the improperly disposed trash clogged drainages and caused harm to the environment and to residents in highly affected areas.

Bilkiss went back to the States and presented the rather impossible-to-execute project to the MIT who readily thought it over and saw that it was good because of how Bilkiss pitched it to them. She also entered the idea in competitions.

After graduation, she moved back to Nigeria with her husband in 2012. Bilkiss came back, this time as an executioner, literally, to get rid of environmental pollution caused by poor disposal of wastes.

Bilkiss had some challenges with the project at first as she was now married with a kid at that time. It was challenging but it makes her a ready example of women-power to outdo her seeming inabilities. Her company, Wecyclers, now has workers

Operation

StartUpNg records that Wecyclers uses low-cost custom made cargo tricycles which they call ‘Wecycles’ to collect a large portion of the wastes, especially in areas where normal vehicles are unable to ply. The company’s effective structure makes waste collection efficient and rewarding — something many households are keen to jump on.

Wecyclers has grown from a mere waste collection business to something of a movement.
Mavi
By: Tuğba Yetkin
Tags: Sinema, Krzysztof Kieślowski, Film Eleştirisi, Film Reviews, Cinema

in Go Into The Story
Os desafios parentais de ‘True Mothers’, por Naomi Kawase
By: Ivo Nunes
Tags: Film, Film Reviews, Análise, Naomi Kawase, True Mothers

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5 recomendaciones de cine navideñas
By: Ana Jiménez
Tags: Film, Navidad, Cine, Film Reviews, Pelicula

in Go Into The Story
La La Land: An Anti-Love Story
By: Free Spirits
Tags: Hollywood, Review, La La Land, Film Reviews, Love

La La Land, hailed as a great love story of our time, is no love story at all. In fact it’s the opposite of a love story — an anti-love story or a revisionist love story if you like.

A love story is a story of Love, of Love’s triumph — in life or death. La La Land is a story of a relationship in which the very idea of love gets trampled upon and thrown away with the rest of the old junk — the old junk that becomes too much of an obligation to carry around as our characters embark on their separate career journeys.

The interactions between the protagonists are tedious at best, while also often cringeworthy — what can possibly be a better way of showing the beautiful feeling of love through characters’ interactions than constant chipping at each other in a petty way? While antagonism between the main characters in a Romantic Story is a common and valid plot device, it works when it is based on some misunderstanding or false knowledge of who the other person truly is and happens before the two characters fall in love.

In this context, the final scene, instead of evoking the sorrow of love lost, produces a feeling more akin to a nostalgic feeling at a memory of a cute teddy bear or a pretty princess dress one held dear long ago but had to discard to make space for some new, more grown up items in their life. When such an emotion is presented as True Love, we are left with a depressing and ugly picture of triviality and meaninglessness of the said concept.

As revisionist films do, La La Land questions and tears down the cornerstone of the genre. In the dance sequence at the end of the film, it delivers its eulogy for Love, while mocking the very possibility of it through a grotesque parody of Classic Hollywood.
Marriage Story: Film Review
By: Swahbir Nyunga
Tags: Scarlett Johansson, Films, Film Reviews, Marriage Story 2019, Adam Driver

Marriage Story is one of the defining films of 2019. It’s a brilliantly profound, horribly realistic masterpiece.

(This review is spoiler free)

To take something as trivial as marriage and weave such an intricately told story requires talent that’s almost unheard of. Noah Baumbach delivers a nuanced, wonderfully executed tale of lost love.

Visually, this film is indecisive. There are scenes with the most breathtaking aesthetics, and there are scenes that are no more than ‘mediocre’. But Baumbach never fails to provide his cinematic expertise, using familiar locations, such as a living room or kitchen, and ripping away the familiarity with the conflict the couple is going through.

One of my favourite parts of this film is the very beginning. We hear the characters give monologues about each other, describing their partners in a suspiciously positive light. Perhaps too positive. Then, in an unexpected twist, we see them in a counselling session, and it turns out that the supposedly perfect marriage no longer exists.

And that’s what most of this film is — a twisted road of betrayal and loss. There’s no time for the audience to breathe. Just when you think you know what’s going to happen, there’s a new development and you’re forced to catch up again.

There isn’t a scene in the film that felt over-the-top or unnecessary. And Marriage Story contains some of the best acting of the last decade — not only Johansson, but Driver delivers as well. Particularly the now infamous argument scene; at one point I forgot I was watching a film. I thought I was watching a genuine argument between two married people. That’s how good the acting was.

Another good thing is how we’re not forced to pick sides. With most divorce films, there’s a good guy and a bad guy — the abused wife trying to escape her deranged husband, the desperate husband trying to escape his psychopathic wife; we are usually presented with a hero and a villain, and it’s clearly laid out who’s who.

With Marriage Story, however, there is no clear hero or villain. The narrative switches perspective frequently, and I was rooting for Charlie when it was from his perspective, and I was rooting for Nicole when it was from hers. Both characters make me hate them at some point in the film, and both characters make me feel sorry for them, if not like them, at some point in the film.

It’s a masterful, exceptionally authentic portrayal of a crumbling marriage. Rarely have I ever been so moved by a film.

Rating: 10/10

Recommendation: Definitely.
Selamat Pagi, Malam: Sengkarut Kehidupan Kota
By: Faisal Fathur
Tags: Film Reviews, Jakarta, Kota, Film Indonesia

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20 Films to Watch-out for in 2021 from India
By: Marc-Mithaq Kazimi
Tags: Film, Film Festivals, Bollywood, Film Reviews, Indian

India is one of the largest producers of film content in the world and that is a double-edged sword. With so much content out there, it is a cumbersome task for the international content buyers and those in need of quality world cinema to pin-point the best from the rest, and that’s where one list comes in handy.

A curated film list from India’s premier film market — the Film Bazaar. Here are the list of Top 20 films the Film Bazaar Recommends this year:
‘We’re Skipping Christmas This Year’ – Christmas With The Kranks, A Review
By: Rose Westerman
Tags: Producer, Director, Film Review, Young Talent, Movie Review

In this film we follow the Kranks, Luther and Nora, in their efforts to skip Christmas and save up for a cruise instead. Unfortunately, their loving nightmare neighbours don’t let this happen.

I enjoyed this movie. I enjoyed the chaos, the secrecy and the communal Christmas Spirit. Especially when the daughter of the Kranks, Blair, unsuspectedly came home for Christmas.

I also loved the slapstick comedy, from falling off the roof with a giant 6 foot snowman, to chasing a canned ham down a car park hill. Comedy in it simplest form. As well as that, I thought the binary opposites of the priest seeing the Kranks in their revealing bathing suits was rather funny, which is lowkey ironic, well, because…

What I don’t understand though, is why everybody cared so much that two people didn’t want to celebrate Christmas. Not like it’s a big deal or anything. They were literally being peer pressured into buying a tree, donating to charity’s, buying presents. Can people not respect a Man and Woman’s choice to not celebrate the holiday? At least it was a happy ending, that’s all that really counts.

All in all this film is wonderful, another recommendation from me!
Silence Always Speaks The Loudest
By: Oc Movie Reviews
Tags: Movie Reviews, The Sound Of Metal, Film Reviews, Movies, Films

Silence Always Speaks The Loudest

By Jarred Kiel

Like ‘A Quiet Place’ and ‘ Baby Driver ‘ before it, ‘The Sound of Metal’ brings focus to characters and their stories of living a life with deafness instead of making deafness their primary trait. Yes, I know those are two films are nothing like this one, but I am focusing on the characters, not the synopsis.

In his directorial debut, Darius Marder has the audience see and hear what Rube, Riz Ahmed (“ Venom “, “The Night Of (TV)”) goes through from the beginning and let’s us embrace this somewhat unpredictable journey he goes on.

Ruben is an ex-addict drummer is in the middle of a tour with his girlfriend/lead singer Lou, Olivia Cooke (“Me And Earl And The Dying Girl”, “ Ready Player One “) when a sudden loss of hearing which causes him to venture back into his addiction mindset.

Ruben sees a specialist who advises that he has less than 30% hearing left in both ears and that he needs to find a way to save the small amount of hearing he has left. After ignoring the doctor, he has a panic attack at his next show which causes Lou to force him to get help.

He’s led to a deaf community run by Joe (Paul Raci), a paternal figure to the community who believes that the mind should be over everything else. It’s up to Ruben to embrace his new self as well as take control of what’s going through his mind.

Ahmed will be in the Awards conversation as this is the best work he’s done since his role in ‘The Night Of’ on HBO. I knew he had the talent to lead a film, but what he shows in this film was beyond my expectations.

With Ruben being an ex-addict, he relies on quick fixes and Ahmed plays with this personality trait throughout the film. Ahmed plays with control throughout and always knows when to give the scene to his partner. The film benefits greatly from him respecting the script, the scene and most importantly his co-stars.

Cooke and Raci are great in their roles, especially Raci who dominates the scenes with heartfelt speeches whenever we see him. His Joe cares deeply for this community and wants to make sure Ruben knows that they’re there for him. Cooke’s Lou is smaller compared to Joe and Ruben, but she demonstrates her ability to have the audience feel for her. She would do anything for Ruben, and thanks to Cooke, we believe that.

Marder does a wonderful job setting up Ruben’s story within the first 10 minutes of the film. We think we know who he is and what he’s about, and then his true persona lashes out when the trouble starts. Marder never leaves Ruben’s face when something happens. He wants us to see the turmoil and the processing, when other storytellers may skip past to the next blow-up.

With co-writing this and ‘Place Beyond the Pines,’ Marder demonstrates a great ability to develop the characters through expressions and silence. He seems to have the trust of his actors and I can’t wait to see what’s next.
Tenet — Has Nolan gone too far with his self indulgence on this one?
Tags: Film Reviews, Movies, Christopher Nolan

Is Tenet an exceptionally intelligent film or is it just a complicated one? As we can safely say that just because something is complicated doesn’t make it intelligent!

There’s no denying of the visual spectacle of this movie. It deserves all the praise it’s getting for its practical effects and awe inspiring set pieces, just like every other Nolan film out there!

But my main issue with Tenet is its emotional core, or lack thereof! Delivering emotionally packed movies is something Nolan has struggled with in the past, Inception and Interstellar particularly. However it has never bothered me as much as in Tenet. Tenet really does, in my opinion, amplify the nuisances of those movies and thus results in a soulless product.

Tenet’s narrative never really got me invested. The plot feels contrived, complicated for the sake of it. The characters have no personality or emotional depth. There was just no reason for me to actually care about the story. It just didn’t seem to flow as naturally as his other movies.
Vertigo — The Living and the Dead
Tags: Film, Personal Reflection, Vertigo, Film Reviews, Hitchcock

We all go to great lengths, or in the case of Vertigo, great heights for the ones that we care about and love. How high is too high, how long is too long, love really can make you crazy because it can make you do things you never thought you would. For example, Scottie always thought he would get married to Midge and not fall in love with another man’s wife, let alone the follow up that is Judy. Vertigo is a trippy metaphor for what love can drive you do, it can make you a completely different person, love has a personality of its own, and it will possess you. I have never been in love, yet have belief in Vertigo with how it presents its case for love. If even I know that love drives you crazy, then it must take control of you and turn you into somebody else, even somebody from beyond the grave. A someone that can be so confused by their feelings that they have to commit suicide or who is cast out onto the streets and is named insane by everyone. Which can be seen as a metaphor for how every relationship has its demise, whether be through a painful break-up or a literal “death do us part”. Vertigo is a melodrama because of love, purely as the entity that we know it to be, normative and post-normative. As no matter the bindings of either generation, love conquers all, sometimes even yourself. As we can see from the film when Scottie awkwardly confesses his love to Judy/Madeleine then they start kissing each other in such a physically gripping way, Scottie truly is holding her tightly, so tightly it is painful to see. Thus pleading the case for how that “in-love self” does need a detective’s aid to find out what the hell is going on because with love or also when love leaves you there is no telling what is coming, there is no way of knowing when your next vertigo trip will hit you. I expected Vertigo to be less of a film about love, or better yet falling in love and something more of a Hitchcock-esque cliche. With that said, the name makes sense because there are many other words to do too, as love can make you sick, give you butterflies, make you nervous or go weak at the knees.