 |
| Former National Footballer, James Wong UNITY is Strength Speech on Unity is Strength |
UNITY AND TEAMWORKS
By STEPHANIE LEE
and VIJENTHI NAIR
Wong: 'Unity
is when people know no race or creed'.
Smile,
you're Malaysian: Ben believes the
simple act of smiling at one another depicts the beauty of being a true
Malaysian.
FOR UNITY, HARMONY & TOLERANCE
Date: Sunday, 14 August 2016
Venue: Bukit Bintang City
Centre, Kuala Lumpur
Time: 6.30am
Distance: 3.4 km
Most of these activities bear a singular theme; the
goal of solidarity and racial peace amongst each other.
The #AnakAnakMalaysia Walk is set to achieve the milestone of unity, harmony, and tolerance among Malaysians.
The #AnakAnakMalaysia Walk is set to achieve the milestone of unity, harmony, and tolerance among Malaysians.
Organised by: Star Media Group
Berhad in support of their Moderation campaign, and in collaboration with
EcoWorld.
What is Unity?
Unity is the state
of being united or joined as a whole. (e.g. "European unity")
Here are 4 Biblical
reasons why we should strive for peace in our
relationships:
(1) Unity is for our personal benefit.
(2) Unity benefits God’s people!
(3) Unity makes us MUCH more effective.
(4) Unity shines Christ’s love into the world.
"Unity makes strength" is used by Bulgaria and Haiti on
the national coat of arms and is the national motto of Belgium and Bulgaria…
KOTA KINABALU: Former national footballer James Wong sure knows what
it is like when Malaysians come together and work as a team.
The striker for the national team in the
1970s and early 1980s, who scored the winning goal for the country against
South Korea to qualify for the 1980 Olympics, said it was the unity and
understanding among players that allowed them to excel.
“Unity is the key that helps players
understand each other better and thus, produce great results,” the Sabahan said
in an interview here.
Wong, who scored the goal following a
pass from Hassan Sani, said the multiracial players during his time did not let
the differences between them stop them from clicking as a team.
“We were on the same page and would know
what the other player was thinking on the field and react accordingly to make
sure we scored.
“We never once let our racial and
religious differences get in the way,” he recalled.
The success of the Malaysian football
team was reimagined in the recent hit local movie OlaBola.
Unity, Wong added, is “very important, not
just in football. You can’t do it alone”.
The 63-year-old lamented the current
racial issues, especially those seen in peninsular Malaysia.
‘To be a developed nation by 2020, these
racial issues and tension need to be seriously addressed by the Government,” he
said.
Wong was glad that in Sabah and Sarawak,
racial tension was not felt at all, although there were more than 30 different
races and cultural beliefs.
“Unity is when people know no race or
creed. Peace is when you do not have to worry every time you go out or when you
are home,” he said.
While Wong espouses unity in diversity, TV
presenter and columnist Ben Ibrahim finds the simple act of smiling at one
another as the beauty of being a true Malaysian.
“The smiles that we freely give and other
simple things are what make us Malaysian,” he said.
He spoke of how Malaysians are still
readily helping each other.
“Once, a stranger gave me his phone
charger because my battery was dying and I had an urgent assignment.
‘Today, I helped a woman who was stuck at
the Touch ’n Go toll booth without a card. Her hazard lights were switched on.
So I got down with my card to tap it for her. I have seen others doing this,”
said the 37-year-old.
Both Ben and Wong echo the values of the
upcoming Anak-Anak Malaysia Walk 2016, which celebrates unity, harmony, peace
and moderation.
The Anak-Anak Malaysia Walk 2016, to be
held ahead of the National Day celebrations, will kick off at the Bukit Bintang
City Centre on Aug 14.
The 3.4km walk, starting from the junction
of Jalan Imbi and Jalan Pudu at the site of the former Pudu Jail, will be flagged off by Kuala Lumpur
mayor Datuk Seri Mhd Amin Nordin Abd Aziz.
#AnakAnakMalaysia Walk is organised by Star Media Group in collaboration
with Ecoworld. Other sponsors for the event include Car Sponsor: Proton; Gold
Sponsor: Panasonic; and Silver Sponsors: Tenaga Nasional and YES. For more
information, call 03-7967 1388, ext 1432/1529/1243 (Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm).
Teach
Them About Harmony
Racially segregated schools largely to blame for
racial intolerance, says Lisa
KUALA LUMPUR: In 2009, when actress Lisa Surihani posted Yuletide
greetings on social media, she was shocked to find her sincere gesture to
Christians drawing backlash from some netizens.
“I received paragraph after paragraph
of lectures for not being a good Muslim. I had no idea what I had done wrong.
“I may not be well learned in my
religion but I knew I did not disrespect my faith.
“I come from a diverse background and
have family and friends who celebrate Christmas.
“I knew I had to be careful about
what I post in the future, but I was determined that it should not stop me from
being the person I truly am,” she recalled.
Lisa continued to post greetings on
social media for all the major festivals in Malaysia, including Chinese New
Year, Deepavali and Thaipusam, but with a disclaimer that she was doing so out
of respect.
“However, I still received some
backlash,” said the popular star and law graduate of Wales’ Aberystwyth
University.
The 30-year-old believes what lies at
the root of the problem is racially segregated schools.
“I went to an international school
that taught civic studies. We learnt about the government, constitution and
people from young and it was ingrained in us to respect each other’s beliefs.
“Children should be allowed to mix
freely from young. How are they to do that in racially segregated schools?
Knowingly or unknowingly, we have allowed such schools to be established and
when the children are all grown up, we complain about their intolerance for
other races.
“Nothing much can be done for my
generation but to increase awareness. But there is still time to make a change
in the school system for our children,” said the actress, who has an
11-month-old daughter with her husband, singer-actor-director Yusry Abdul
Halim.
Lisa will be taking part in the
#AnakAnakMalaysia Walk 2016.
“Star Media Group’s effort is a good
way to remind the people about our roots and who we truly are. I hope everyone
realises this and instils hope for a more harmonious society, especially among
the younger generation,” she added.
The #AnakAnakMalaysia Walk 2016, to
be held ahead of the National Day celebrations, will kick off at the Bukit
Bintang City Centre this Sunday.
The 3.4km walk, starting from the
junction of Jalan Imbi and Jalan Pudu at the site of the former Pudu Jail, will
be flagged off by Kuala Lumpur mayor Datuk Seri Mhd Amin Nordin Abd Aziz.
The #AnakAnakMalaysia Walk 2016 is
organised by Star Media Group in collaboration with Ecoworld. Other sponsors
for the event include Car Sponsor: Proton, Gold Sponsor: Panasonic and Silver
Sponsors: Tenaga Nasional and YES.
 |
| Sarah Lian |
United we stand
By: Victor Brown
TheStar/Friday, 19 August 2016
KUALA LUMPUR: Taiping-born actress Sarah Lian may have grown up mainly in Vancouver, Canada, but she says Malaysia is where her home is now.
She always had a “strong connection” to the country, and left her family in Canada to explore Malaysia and career opportunities in 2008.
She moved to Malaysia permanently in 2014.
“I packed my bags and never looked back,” said Lian, 33.
“This country is amazing.”
Not only did Lian clinch the coveted title of FHM Malaysia’s Sexiest Woman of the Year in 2008, she also started up her own talent management company Suppagood here.
She is one of many Malaysians who are declaring their love for Malaysia by supporting the #AnakAnakMalaysia wristband campaign.
“This #AnakAnakMalaysia campaign is amazing because it really brings about unity,” said Lian.
“It’s really about standing up for one another and standing by one another.”
Lian said that she loved how multicultural Malaysia is and how the country is made up of so many different religions and cultures.
“If you ask any Malaysian what their view is, everyone will tell a different story.
“That’s what makes Malaysia so colourful.
“I have so many friends of all races, and I think that one of the biggest lessons that I learnt in Malaysia was a cultural one and to respect everyone’s beliefs,” Lian added.
But despite our differences, she said that we were all connected in one way or another.
“Being Malaysian means being able to understand three or four different languages, being connected by food and celebrating our national heroes,” said Lian.
“Sports is another way for Malaysians to band together, regardless of their culture or religion.
“I’ve been so glued to watching the Olympics and just cheering for our athletes regardless of race or religion,” she said.
“You can see how much patriotism and unity the Olympics brings. Sports transcends religion and it is about celebrating the people, who are to me, heroes.
“We are all Malaysians. We have to stand up and support one another,” said Lian.
Malaysians are invited to show their love for the country by wearing an #AnakAnakMalaysia wristband and sharing a photo or video with the band atwww.anakanakmalaysia.com.
You can be part of the campaign by getting your hands on one of the 850,000 free wristbands that will come with copies of The Star newspaper on Aug 19, 21, 22, 24, 26, 28 and 30.
The wristbands are also available at any Ecoworld show gallery.
The #AnakAnakMalaysia campaign is an Ecoworld and Star Media Group collaboration.
Let’s Do The Walk, urges
Nora Danish
PETALING JAYA: Proud to call herself a Malaysian, actress Nora Danish is urging
everyone to join the upcoming #AnakAnakMalaysia walk.
The event, which will take place at Dataran Kemerdekaan in Shah Alam,
Selangor, on Aug 27, is aimed at celebrating Malaysia’s diversity, as well as
promoting unity and understanding among the people.
“All of us should be proud to be Malaysians. Let’s do the walk and
spread the spirit of patriotism,” she urged.
The actress rose to prominence after leading the cast of drama
series Puteri in 2005.
In 2015, she had a part in the highest-grossing local movie of all
time, Polis Evo, which earned RM17.47mil at the box office.
Nora is also a social media sensation, boasting 4.8 million followers on
Instagram.
Her career has taken her to various parts of the world but the
Terengganu-native says “there is nothing like home”.
“Food in Malaysia is available 24 hours, seven days a week. Choice is an
understatement when it comes to food selection so we don’t have a problem when
the tummy goes rumbling,” said Nora, who recently returned from promoting her
film Bukan Cinta Malaikat in Jakarta.
Malaysian food, she said, was what she missed most when she was away.
“How can I ever live without tempoyak, petai masak
chilli, durian and more? Malaysia is home,” she said.
In conjunction with the upcoming National and Malaysia Day, all Malaysians
are invited to walk together as one nation solidified in harmony.
The #AnakAnakMalaysia walk is organised by Star Media Group in
collaboration with EcoWorld. Other sponsors include Proton and Panasonic.
For more information, visit sites.thestar.com.my/aamwalk.
Five Challenges for Malaysians
By Chandra Muzaffar
The Star/Wednesday,
10 August 2016
IN the last 10 years or so, a lot of
community based, civil society inspired, people initiated, national unity
endeavours have come to the fore. The #AnakAnakMalaysia Walk in Kuala Lumpur
this Sunday is one such effort. It is commendable that more Malaysians today,
compared to the past, see national unity as a goal they should strive to
achieve regardless of what the State is
doing or not doing.
Unfortunately, the good work that
citizens have embarked upon does not address directly some of the fundamental
challenges facing the nation as it struggles to forge national unity.
What are these challenges?
1. Ethnic grievances that arise from
inter-personal encounters at the street level. If a shopkeeper from one
community is perceived to have cheated a customer from another community and if
that perception is shared by a sizeable segment of his community, it will have
a negative impact upon ethnic relations. Similarly, if a civil servant from a
certain community responds to a member of the public from another community in
a rude manner, and if there is a general feeling that this is a pattern,
inter-ethnic ties will remain at a low ebb.
2. Decisions emanating from policies
or practices that are perceived as ethnically biased. If individuals from
specific ethnic backgrounds are finding it more difficult to gain promotions in
various branches of the public service, it will not conduce towards ethnic
harmony in the larger society. By the same token, if qualified workers whose
ethnic and religious affiliations differ from that of the top brass in a
private corporation are excluded from positions of power and authority, it will
generate communal unhappiness that will permeate the entire social fabric.
3. While many professions and
commercial and industrial enterprises have become multi-ethnic compared to the
situation four decades ago, non-formal interaction within the workplace is
still along ethnic lines. This in itself is not a major problem but it does
sometimes spawn communal attitudes which are inimical to building inter-ethnic
understanding and empathy.
4. It is partly because ethnic
sentiments and perceptions are pervasive that justice is often viewed from a
one-sided perspective with very little appreciation of how the ethnic other
sees the situation. This is why even well-meaning advocates of national unity,
when they catalogue legitimate injustices, give the impression that they are
not sensitive to what the other regards as the wrongs done to his kind.
5. This is related in a sense to a
deeper and more fundamental challenge – how we perceive the nation and its
identity. There is no shared vision of what this nation is and what it should
be, a vision which transcends the ethnic and religious boundaries within the
nation state. Instead of moving towards a more inclusive Malaysian identity,
we have become more segmented into exclusive ethnic and religious identities
which from time to time generate tension and friction.
Some suggestions on how we can
overcome these five challenges have been put forward in the past.
1. Grassroots ethnic grievances are
perhaps best resolved through community relations councils operating within
urban and rural localities. Rukun Tetangga units established in the early 70s
could have evolved into effective community-level platforms for bringing ethnic
and religious groups together to solve routine disputes and misunderstandings,
tasks which the police undertake today without much fanfare. If the community
can also be involved, we may be able to create a genuine grassroots people’s
movement committed to inter-ethnic and inter-religious harmony.
2. As far as policies and practices
with an ethnic bias are concerned, the time has come for all of us to
de-emphasise ethnicity and accord greater importance to the needs of the poor
and disadvantaged whoever they are and, at the same time, to recognise and
reward ability and excellence as vital attributes for the success of any
society. It is only certain vested interests that have always manipulated
ethnic and religious sentiments for their own benefit that would be unhappy
with this approach.
3. Exclusive ethnic bonding and
communal attitudes can be combated through organised attempts at encouraging
interaction and raising awareness of shared values that cut across ethnic and
religious boundaries. In the work place in particular, good work ethics and
professional standards should be inculcated among workers and management so
that they become the shared value system of all Malaysians. Specifically,
discipline and integrity – work ethics par excellence – should be prioritised.
4. Through education and awareness
programmes, biased perspectives on issues of justice can be overcome. The media
has a critical role to play in this. It should have the courage to expose the
stark and subtle biases in the expressions of justice which appear in the
media. By so doing, it would nurture a more holistic and balanced view of
justice among all communities.
5. This would pave the way for a
genuinely holistic, inclusive perspective on the nation’s identity. The
equilibrium embodied in the Malaysian Constitution, which is captured in the
inclusive principles and goals of the Rukun Negara and in the all-embracing
strategic challenges of Wawasan 2020, tells us in no uncertain terms what the
nation’s identity is. It is this inclusive, all-embracing identity that we
should celebrate especially since we are now being challenged by a certain
interpretation of Islam which seeks to divide rather than unite Malaysians.
Instead of waiting for the State to
act, shouldn’t concerned Malaysian citizens initiate on their own some of these
solutions to national unity?
Useful links:
Call For Interfaith Studies to be Thought in Schools
Together We Can Do More (Together We Aspire Together We Achieve)
Strength in Numbers - We Stand Together
Together We Can (Interviews)
Together We Can (Shai Piron)
Together We Can (Dipamrita)
AYUDH - One Humanity
AYUDH Summit 2016 (My Experience)
Small But Outstanding
Together We Can Do More (Together We Aspire Together We Achieve)
Strength in Numbers - We Stand Together
Together We Can (Interviews)
Together We Can (Shai Piron)
Together We Can (Dipamrita)
AYUDH - One Humanity
AYUDH Summit 2016 (My Experience)
Small But Outstanding
A Lifetime Partner
This is
the journey we face together
Together
we are faster
Together
we are stronger
Together
we will go further
We support
each other
We inspire
each other
Run
All
players have partners with a shared passion
Our passion is our strength
Our passion is our strength
AYUDH
EUROPE 2016
Published on July 30, 2016
On July 22, 2016, AYUDH Europe hosted a memorable event to engage young people in a discussion on how they can contribute to building peaceful and inclusive societies. July 22nd marks the date of the 2011 Utøya and Oslo massacres, in which 77 people—mostly youth—lost their lives in these tragic attacks in Norway. AYUDH supports efforts to establish July 22nd as a day to remember the victims of hate speech and hate crimes and launch initiatives—like this Symposium—focused on creating intercultural understanding and social cohesion.
On July 22, 2016, AYUDH Europe hosted a memorable event to engage young people in a discussion on how they can contribute to building peaceful and inclusive societies. July 22nd marks the date of the 2011 Utøya and Oslo massacres, in which 77 people—mostly youth—lost their lives in these tragic attacks in Norway. AYUDH supports efforts to establish July 22nd as a day to remember the victims of hate speech and hate crimes and launch initiatives—like this Symposium—focused on creating intercultural understanding and social cohesion.
Bringing together leading voices in the fields of politics, diplomacy,
activism, education and countering violent extremism with 400 young
participants, this gathering aims to shift attention from personal and cultural
identities to our fundamental human identity, and our shared need to be respected,
understood and loved for who we are. Speakers include Swami Amritaswarupananda,
Vice Chairman, Mata Amritanandamayi Math; Martine Reicherts, Director-General
of Education Culture, Youth and Sports, European Commission; Anne Brasseur,
Council of Europe No Hate Speech Ambassador; Bjørn Ihler, Kofi Annan Foundation
Fellow for Countering Violent Extremism; Indra Adnan, Founder of the Soft Power
Network; and Ernesto Marinelli, SVP, Head of HR for SAP Middle East, Africa
& Europe.
Focusing narrowly on our differences often leads to hatred, violence and exclusion. Focusing broadly on our shared humanity can foster solidarity, compassion and peace. We will explore these issues through the lens of UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) #16, dedicated to the promotion of peaceful and inclusive societies, access to justice for all and building effective, accountable institutions. The efforts of political leaders and institutions to establish and ensure peace on national and global levels must coincide with local efforts to nurture a culture of peace in younger generations around the world. The Symposium will also play host to the official launch of the No Hate Speech Movement digital campaign and website in Germany.
This event is being organized by AYUDH, an international youth movement founded and inspired by renowned spiritual and humanitarian leader Amma (Mata Amritanandamayi). AYUDH seeks to empower young people to make social and political change for more inclusive and peaceful societies through self-development, inner transformation and collective action, developing compassionate leaders with a sense of tolerance, solidarity and global responsibility.
The One Humanity Symposium is part of AYUDH’s 12th annual European Youth Summit ‘One World, One Home’. This summit is supported by the Council of Europe’s European Youth Foundation, SAP SE and the Kloster Eberbach Foundation, carried out in partnership with the United Nations Inter-Agency-Network on Youth Development, the No Hate Speech Movement, the Lebenshilfe e.V. Offenburg and the German municipalities of Brombachtal and Michelstadt.
Focusing narrowly on our differences often leads to hatred, violence and exclusion. Focusing broadly on our shared humanity can foster solidarity, compassion and peace. We will explore these issues through the lens of UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) #16, dedicated to the promotion of peaceful and inclusive societies, access to justice for all and building effective, accountable institutions. The efforts of political leaders and institutions to establish and ensure peace on national and global levels must coincide with local efforts to nurture a culture of peace in younger generations around the world. The Symposium will also play host to the official launch of the No Hate Speech Movement digital campaign and website in Germany.
This event is being organized by AYUDH, an international youth movement founded and inspired by renowned spiritual and humanitarian leader Amma (Mata Amritanandamayi). AYUDH seeks to empower young people to make social and political change for more inclusive and peaceful societies through self-development, inner transformation and collective action, developing compassionate leaders with a sense of tolerance, solidarity and global responsibility.
The One Humanity Symposium is part of AYUDH’s 12th annual European Youth Summit ‘One World, One Home’. This summit is supported by the Council of Europe’s European Youth Foundation, SAP SE and the Kloster Eberbach Foundation, carried out in partnership with the United Nations Inter-Agency-Network on Youth Development, the No Hate Speech Movement, the Lebenshilfe e.V. Offenburg and the German municipalities of Brombachtal and Michelstadt.
No comments:
Post a Comment