Biography 278: I didn't sit on the rickshaw puller's seat.

 We four sisters used to go to Shishu Academy and Bulbul Lalitokola Academy (Bafa) every week. We had to go to both the Shishu Academy in the morning and Bafa in the afternoon on Friday. And every Wednesday afternoon to Shishu Academy and every Thursday afternoon to Bafa.

In the beginning, my mom used to take us all. After 1 or 2 years, our older sister used to take us. She used to learn to play guitar. I first learned Dancing and then singing. My younger sister learned dancing, art, and singing. Our youngest sister learned dancing and singing.

We used to ride in a rickshaw together. Just to let you know, my home wasn't very near the Shishu Academy. On those days, rickshaws were wider. But still, they weren't good enough for five people. My mom used to sit. Then two sisters could sit beside her, one could sit on my mom's lap, and the rest had to stand up.

We used to fight over who would sit in the seat. One day, they didn't let me sit on the seat. I was complaining about that. Our rickshaw puller couldn't hear it anymore. He said, "You can sit on my seat." My mom said, "See how generous he is. Now sit on that seat." I didn't.

How do people drink black coffee?

 I never thought that I would be able to drink black coffee. I always took coffee with cream and sugar. I used to ask people how you guys drink black coffee. I had decided that if I had to give up sugar, I would stop drinking coffee.

But now I am trying. I drank half a spoonful of instant coffee and hot water in a cup. First, I felt terrible. Then, slowly, I finished it. Still, I don't like it. How do people drink black coffee?

The market can destroy natural resources

 Market Externalities:

Market Externalities mean decision-making problems, like what should be left in the market and what should be provided outside the market. These are specific positive and negative consequences in the market. For example, without regulation, the market can destroy natural resources. To keep up with the people’s demands, people can exploit natural resources for excessive production and services. Another way of Market Externalities could be the death of people who were sick and disabled, who couldn’t buy food from the market. This situation happens because of the unequal distribution of wealth.

To solve this problem, society can act by adding an extra tax on cigarettes for ruining health. They can also provide essential food to all for free.

Coffee:

Finding an adult who doesn’t drink coffee in Canada won't be easy. So, there are a vast number of coffee consumers in the country, and different brands of coffee are available here. Because of the vast number of coffee consumers, we can be united and fix the problems of the market externalities.

First, we need to create awareness among the general coffee consumers so that everyone can be united and pressure the corporations to fix all kinds of problems in different layers of production and selling. All problems can not be solved in one day. Everyone must be patient and fix them one after another.

For example, we must create awareness of the poor people who are involved in the development process of coffee bins. We may share pictures and videos on social media or get help from any non-profit organization that helps these people or works with environmental justice. So that all information can be accessed through the news media and other channels. We must make our voice heard for the poor farmers. And send messages to the corporations that are directly involved in this process. We have to offer them a company that will take responsibility for caring for poor farmers without increasing coffee pricing. We will all buy coffee from that company. We must keep our word if any company takes the initiative, so those farmers can be safe from harmful plasticizers attacking their lungs.

If we start seeing success, then we can focus on other issues. For example, farmers are now producing excessive amounts of coffee to meet the demand and profit. This way, they cut most trees in the forest to cultivate coffee beans. So, many problems, like soil erosion, started. We must come to a solution to this problem so that the farmers won’t face the problems and there will be fewer environmental problems, such as using indigenous ways of cultivation. In this way, they cultivate different crops at the same time. One tree protects another. Or any other scientific way. We must give that information to the farmers through governments and corporations, which will be very helpful for the environment and the whole world. Birds will increase, and the farmers will see fewer pest attacks.

Apart from environmental issues, we must also consider the social and political issues as consumers. We know that corporations will only show interest in fixing problems if they see some benefits. So, we must bring benefits for them too. They need to get some government rules and regulations too, so they have no choice but to take good initiative in the whole process. The government will take policies to help reduce market externalities when they find that their vote bank will like this and give votes to them. Which means we will have to create somewhat win-win situations.

In the end, we can say that the coffee we consume is made through different processes in different countries. In between, corporate companies also change. So, it is tough to fix any problems because everyone will push the reason for problems to the other group. As it is developing in different countries, the government policy differs in different countries.

Biography 277: Caring for my hair.

When I was in Saudi Arabia, my mom used to wash my hair with Sunsilk Shampoo. She said everybody liked my silky black straight hair. They used to ask, Do all Bangladeshi have beautiful hair?

After returning to Bangladesh, my mom often applied coconut oil to my hair and braided it with a ribbon. She said, and I believe that too, because of her effort, I had some good quality hair.

Then I tried to take care of my hair. But I never had the time and energy to do so. With time, now much of my hair has become white. I'm glad I still have some hair. The way I lose hair, the head is supposed to be empty by this time.

Market externalities of Canadian mining operations

 1.      Human rights violation. Canadian mining companies operate their mines outside Canada and are accused of human rights violations. External actors often influence the absence of adequate mining laws, especially in South America, causing violent deaths and severe injuries to mineworkers. For example, 5,000 persons will be displaced by the activities of Gran Colombia Gold. In addition, there is disregard for the rights of indigenous and tribal peoples. These companies' attitudes are like those of the colonial era. They are only concerned about earning money, with no space for human rights. The Canadian Government needs to make some strict laws and implement them to fix this problem. In the long run, this attitude will cause human migration towards North America. 

2.      Poverty. The mining projects change the sources of income and livelihood, resulting in increased poverty. These companies buying lands from the farmers, sometimes by force, are taking those lands with minimal money. These people have nowhere to go or no other way to earn money. They had to join the mining company to survive, and though the payment was very low, they couldn’t have a healthy life with their family. Because of their poor lifestyle and poverty, their health condition is in danger of malnutrition. 

3.      Serious environmental harm concerning air, water, and ground pollution, whether actual or potential. Human health in that area is in danger. Polluted and contaminated air and water directly harm their health. This ecological condition also directly affects the livestock and agricultural livelihoods of communities, such as decreased water for irrigation, deaths of animals, and contamination of ground, water, and air. The productivity of the soil is in danger, which also economically affects the local farmers. 

4.      Socio-economic conflicts: 148 socio-economic conflicts in Latin America because of Canadian Mining Operations. For example, irrigators of Valle de Huasco signed an agreement with Barrick Gold, stipulating payment of US$ 60 million over 20 years as compensation for harm to the image of the area’s agricultural products because of the gold deposits. In time, that money divided the irrigator group, as there were complaints of corruption in managing the funding.

5.      Cultural harm. Before the mining started, the areas were mainly agricultural land. The communities and their culture were based on agriculture. After mining started, their forced labour and abusive behaviour changed the total culture of that area. People are not happy mentally, physically, or economically. They are losing their cultural activities, peace, and everything related. 

6.      There is a violation of various rights, including the right to life, humane treatment, health, and property of the neighbouring communities. It looks like a colonial process is going on. 

7.      Criminalization of rights advocacy and closure of institutional spaces for dialogue, in addition to the exacerbation of violence, threats, harassment, deaths and serious injuries. Not only the mining company but also the community is involved in different criminal activities because of the cultural change. 

8.      Aggressive police behaviour: The rich mining companies use police to continue their violations. For example, in Panama, Penonomé police anti-riot units entered the camps on May 26, 2009, without any prior attempts at dialogue with protesters; officers threw teargas canisters at those present and arrested 19 farmers, who were beaten and jailed in the town of Coclesito. In Oaxaca state, Mexico, 23 persons were detained in May 2009 after evicting residents who had spoken out publicly against groundwater contamination in the area. On November 27, 2009, Mariano Abarca Roblero was murdered after receiving threats and after being arrested in August of that year for participating in peaceful protests against the project. 

The Canadian embassy failed to respond to complaints about these acts. The Canadian government provides broad support to the extractive sector without requiring sufficient guarantees from Canadian companies that they will not harm the environment or cause human rights violations abroad.

A poem about hearts

Yes, I am in your heart.

I will stay there forever,

even when your heart stops beating.

So don’t try to hurt me.

It will only hurt your heart.

You want to know about my heart?

No, nobody is in there,

I kept it clean and clear, and I would like to maintain that level of clarity.

Biography 276: Qurbani meat and prayer for people.

 A Bangladeshi couple was working at Walmart together. I knew both of them, but didn't know they were husband and wife. One day, the wife told me she would like to give me some Qurbani's meat (beef). It was a couple of days before Eid. I became so happy. Though I do not touch beef, but my son will be able to eat some Qurbani meat which makes me happy.

On Eid day, I guessed that the woman became very busy with Eid preparations, including meat preparation and distribution. I didn't feel like reminding her to give me some, as she said.

But she didn't forget. She called me and asked me to come near her house and take some. I didn't feel good to give her trouble, but I really wanted to have some Qurbani meat, so I went to stand in front of her house. She came with a small bag of meat. She was exhausted and busy, but still she kept her word. I felt bad. I apologized for disturbing her in this way. But she said, no, in her mind she decided to give me some a long time ago, so she did. She asked to pray for her.

I pray to Allah to grant her peace of mind and a life of tranquillity.

Sometimes people come to me with a big hope. They asked me to pray for them. Like, if I pray, Allah will make it happen immediately. I wish that would happen. I pray with a full heart. I hope people get some benefit from my prayers.

Questions

 There are/were a few people with whom I stopped talking or never spoke. But I had so many questions in my mind. Which I could never ask. Because they died.

If you have any questions in your mind, I think you should ask. Sometimes direct questions minimize a lot of misunderstanding or make things very clear. No need to worry about what will happen. What's worse can happen, you guys have already stopped talking with each other.

I may ask someday. Or not.

Something different than others

 I have joined some FB groups. In one group, people are together who passed their SSC exam in 1992 (Grade 10 final exam).

I don't contribute much over there, as I don't have anything to post. However, I sometimes read others' posts. In this group, people are the same age. So, sometimes they flirt with each other, or make posts by mentioning how other girls or other's wives became so attractive to them, just for fun.

Here one person's post I found a little different. He also posts on love (mostly), but his love action was with his wife. I would like to discuss Bangladeshi culture here. In Bangladesh, people can easily express their feelings of love in public with anyone but their wife. I don't know why, but nobody likes to see someone love their wife. No one believed that, and if anyone showed any respect or love, all the others started making fun of him, until he stopped loving his wife.

So, I started reading all his posts because he was open about his love for his wife. Some people didn't like it as it was a little more open. Some felt it's looks like porno (mentioning about physical activity with his wife). I won't support opening too much, but it was somewhat good. So, people should understand that they can love their wives too.

But then he changed. He became like others. Started flirting with other women. I lose interest. He is also the same as others. I don't know why he changed himself. Maybe people were taunting him too much, or he found flirting with other people's wives attracted more people to his post. I don't know.

I believe if you have something different, don't try to change it. That differentiation makes you different from others. You become unique.

Video: What is Roxham Road

 

Based on this video:

a)    The current situation facing refugees in the chosen example. 

Roxham Road is a county road located on the border between the United States and Canada. More specifically, it is between Vermont, a state in the USA, and Quebec, a province in Canada. This is a narrow dirt road. It is popular for an unofficial entry to Canada from the USA. Generally, a person needs to obtain a visa or permission to enter Canada or any other country. When people enter a country, they must request asylum in that country, not in another country. Along this route, individuals can enter Canada unofficially and request asylum or immigration.

 The current situation is that the road is closed. Police have established a permanent camp on this corridor to prevent human flow to Canada. When people arrive at this point to enter Canada without a visa, the police ask them to return. If they still try to enter, police arrest them in Canada. 

b)    What factors led to these people becoming refugees? 

The refugees had used Roxham Road for years. The flow of people increased when the president of the USA, Donald Trump, said in a meeting in the Oval Office why the USA is welcoming people from the “shit hole countries.” This is a very disgraceful comment to any human from any country. The comment was made when many people moved from Haiti to save their lives. Those people are scared that they might be sent back to their home country, where the situation remains very stressful. In the meantime, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted a message welcoming all people in need of help. So, the people who were refugees in the USA from the Caribbean or African countries tried to flee once again to Canada in the hope that Canada would be a better country that would treat them well. 

c)    Your analysis of Canada's response to these populations and what it should be. 

Canada needs more people to work for their country. It is a well-known country that easily accepts different kinds of immigrants, including refugees, and grants them Permanent residency. For many people living in other countries, Canada is often their first choice for relocation and starting a new life. 

However, Canada has limited funds for asylum seekers. Additionally, its infrastructure needs to improve to accommodate and integrate the new population. This means that Canada needs more hospitals, roads, houses, schools, shelters, and recreation centers for newcomers. Without improving these infrastructures, Canada is taking in more refugees, when the shelters and funds are not enough. 

Moreover, the funds available are used first for European refugees and then for Caribbean and African people. That’s why these people often struggle to find space in shelters or receive sufficient help to survive. Some of them died waiting outside the shelter on the road. This is not an acceptable situation. 

Canada should have an excellent plan to accept new populations and distribute them among the different provinces according to their needs and skills. The country should prepare sufficient infrastructure to accommodate its current population. The government should allocate enough funds to handle the refugees properly.