Empowering indigenous voices

Dear children,

The world day of Indigenous people will be celebrated today, worldwide. The theme for this year is ‘Indigenous Media, Empowering indigenous voices.’

The Veddhas of Sri Lanka, the Red Indians of America and the Aborogines of Australia are some well known indigenous people. Every year this day is observed on August 9 to promote and protect the rights of the world’s indigenous population. This day also recognizes the achievements and contributions made by indigenous people to improve world issues such as protecting the environment.

The International Day of the World’s Indigenous People was first declared by the United nations in December 1994, to be celebrated every year during the first International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People from 1995 to 2004. The UN declared the Second International Decade from 2005 to 2015. The theme of the second decade is ‘A Decade for Action and Dignity.’

I have quoted from the letters of Chief Seattle for you many times. Chief Seattle represented the Red Indians or Native Americans. In one of his letters he has discussed in detail about the value of protecting mother nature.

“The earth is our mother. Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons and daughters of the earth. This we know. All things are connected like the blood which unites one family. Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons and daughters of the earth. We did not weave the web of life, we are merely strands in it. Whatever we do to the web we do to ourselves.”

The way he has described the unbreakable relationship between living beings and mother nature is admirable. Even today his letter is considered as one of the best descriptions ever written on the value of protecting the environment.

According to statistics there are more than 370 million indigenous people spread across 70 countries around the world. However today most of them have lost their natural habitats and the natural way of living. It is our responsibility to protect their rights.

In fact this year’s theme is very important when dealing with their identity protection as it aims to highlight the importance of “indigenous media in challenging stereotypes, forging indigenous peoples’ identities, communicating with the outside world, and influencing the social and political agenda.”

Bye for now,

Sanju

[email protected]

Winners and Losers

Sunny Stories

Sandun loved to watch the Olympic games on TV. He loved to see the happy look on the faces of the athletes who won a race or a match. He knew how happy they must feel when they realized they had won the gold, silver or bronze medals at the Olympics.

Sandun too, always wanted to win whatever game he played. He felt so good when he won a game and so sad whenever he lost, he made sure not to play games in which he knew he could never win. It seemed to Sandun that losing was the worst thing that could happen to anyone and he did everything he could do, to never lose a game he played; specially when he played his favourite game - scrabble.

But everything Sandun felt about playing and winning games, changed when he met Danushke. Danushke and his family had moved into the new house at the end of the street where Sandun lived, a few weeks ago. One evening when Sandun was riding his bicycle on the street with his friends, Nishan and Romesh, Danushke came out of his house and watched them. After sometime Danushke walked up to Sandun.

“Hi,” said Danushke.

“Hello,” said Sandun. “Come and play with us” he invited Danushke.

“My bike has a flat tyre,” said Danushke. “Besides, it looks like rain. Why don’t you come in. We could play scrabble.”

Nishan and Romesh who did not like scrabble said they would rather go home. But Sandun decided to stay. He loved scrabble and he was sure he could win if he played with Danushke.

Danushke took Sandun into their sitting room and showed Sandun his scrabble board. It was bigger than the one Sandun had. Sandun was sure he could win easily on this scrabble board. Soon they started to play. Danushke did not seem to take the game too seriously. He walked about the room and played with Sooty, his cat whenever it was Sandun’s turn to make a word on the scrabble board. But Danushke was good at the game.

He scored high marks again and again. He laughed and joked as he played.

Danushke was paying so little attention to the game when it was not his turn to play, once when he went to play with Sooty Sandun managed to change the letters he had with him so that he could make a word which would help him score a higher mark. This meant by the time they came to the end of the game, Sandun was the one with the winning score. Sandun was relieved he had won, but to his surprise Danushke did not seem sad at all he had lost the game.

“It is fun playing scrabble with you,” said Danushke. “We should play again some other time.”

As he rode his bicycle back home Sandun realized he did not feel so happy. He had won, but he did not feel the usual joy he felt whenever he won a game. What was more, Sandun could not forget the smile on Danushke’s face even when Danushke knew he had lost the game. Danushke had not felt bad about losing. How could Danushke feel so good even when he was the loser, Sandun wondered.

The next day Sandun saw Danushke playing cricket with Nishan and Romesh. Danushke was absolutely hopeless; he dropped catches, he was out the first time he faced a ball with the bat in his hands. But that happy smile never left Danushke’s face.

For several days Sandun watched Danushke. Danushke was good at some games, terrible at others but whether he won or lost, he seemed to enjoy whatever game he played. Sandun began to realize that to enjoy a game you didn’t have to have a winning score. What you had to do was enjoy the game for its own sake.

Finally, Sandun found himself playing scrabble and cricket and enjoying every moment because he no longer wanted to win so desperately. He realized what Pierre de Coubertin, who is considered the Father of the modern Olympic games, said is true. The most important thing in a game is not winning but taking part.

Aditha :- [email protected]

Fate of a poor farmer

Once upon a time there lived a farmer in a village. He owned a paddy field. He cultivated his field, sowed paddy and had a good harvest. He kept one third of the paddy for consumption of his small family consisting his wife and two children. He sold the remaining two third of the paddy to the Marketing Department. He bought the necessary provisions, dresses and other domestic needs with the money from the sale of paddy.

Unfortunately, he could not cultivate the field because of the drought that year and as a result, he could not buy essential things for his family. He had to borrow money from a money lender at higher rate of interest to meet the needs of the family.

The drought continued and he could not do any cultivation. But the merciless money lender pestered the farmer to pay the higher interest and return the money lent immediately. The poor farmer was helpless and sought mercy from the money lender to wait for rainy season to cultivate the field and reap harvest. But, the adamant money lender insisted on repayment of the loan by the poor farmer immediately.

At last, the poor farmer without any alternative mortgaged his house with a pawn broker and settled the loan taken from the merciless money lender. He hoped to redeem the mortgaged house as soon as the cultivation of his paddy fields was successfully done.

M R M Shazny

Harrow International School – Velamboda

Third Inter ZRN Junior Rugby Championship 2012

The 3rd Inter ZRN Junior Rugby Championship 2012 organized by Zahira Old Boys’ Rugby Association (ZOBRA) for grade three and four students of Zahira College was held recently at the College ground. A total of eight teams consisting two each from Cheetahs, Jaguars, Panthers and Pumas contested for Cup, Plate, Shield and Bowl Championship. The event was held in a carnival atmosphere with many entertainment items for kids. A large gathering including students of primary section and their parents, Chairman and members of board of governors, principal, deputy principal, head of primary, sectional heads, teachers, old boys and well wishers attended the event. ZOBRA Rugby Nursery is an annual programme conducted by ZOBRA in unleashing rugby talents of students at younger age.

Here the teams with their respective championships.

Tuan Zain Amath, who was adjudged the best player receives his award from the Chief Guest, Zahira College Text and picture by Ruzaik Farook

My self

My name is Lakindu.
I am in grade two.
I am six years old.
I live in Kelaniya.
I love my mother
and father.

Lakindu Sithkalu grade 2A Thurstan College Colombo 7