UNITY

We are different; we are always have been and always will be. However, different shouldn't divide us, but unify us because different is an asset.     Unity is a beast in itself. If a wolf sees two little boys playing in the woods on one side, and a big strong man on the other, he will go to the one who stands alone.   

The modes of unity are reducible to four, that of continuity, especially natual continuity, which is not the result of contact or tie - that of a whole naturally, which has figure and form and not like things united by violence - that of an individual or that which is numerically indivisible - and that of a universal, which is indivisible in form and in respect of science.  

  

   Imagine there is no country

    It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace

You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one

John Lennon,

RESPECT

Without feelings of respect, what is there to distinguish men from beasts? That you may retain your self-respect, it is better to displease the people by doing what you know is right, than to temporarily please them by doing what you know is wrong.   Respect begins with this attitude: I acknowledge that you are a creature of extreme worth.     When we love and respect people, revealing to them their value, they can begin to come out from behind the walls that protect them.

Respect means recognizing that all people are entitled to basic human dignity. Resolute in our determination to respect the rights of others, and to command respect for the rights of ourselves, we must kep ourselves adequately strong in self-defense.     

Bryan Curtis

“

Religion, by teaching man his relationship to God, gives the individual a sense of his own dignity and teaches im to respect himself by respecting his neighbors.     

The shortest and surest way to live with honor, is to be in reality that we would appear to be; all human virtues increase and strenghten themselves by the practice and experience of them. 
Sometimes we are separated by differences, and sometimes we are united by common ideals of respect and compassion

PEOPLE LIVE WHEN PEOPLE GIVE

, we should never be sorry if we later discover that we were mistaken while doing a good deed. The need to help should be our first reaction and offering help should be the genuine manifestation of being a good human as our parents taught us to be. Sometimes, we may discover we helped the wrong person, but that should not be a reason to stop helping other people in need, even though we were fooled previously. If you want to do good there are opportunities everywhere. Don’t let the fools spoil your good heart.

We may be comfortably living in our apartments or houses. We may not be getting affected by hunger during this time of despair. But there are so many people out there who may not have eaten a proper meal in the last few days. The turmoil caused by the COVID 19 pandemic is playing havoc in the lives of millions of people from all around the world. We are all in this together. We all can do our bit. Let's feed the hungry and help the less fortunate among us. Together we can make this world a better place.

Shred the labels and rise as a human being – a human being of compassion, a human being of kindness, a human being with real psychological freedom.In this human world, the misery of the humans can only be lifted by the humans, who are courageous and conscientious enough to take real actions, instead of meekly hoping and praying for an illusory divine intervention.

If only you would understand the silent speech and the real pain within the innermost man of they that suffer in silence, you would never keep silent to their suffering. So many people can’t speak everything about how they are suffering for the sake of dignity and confidentiality. Though they smile, they smile out of a deep pain within. When you look at someone suffering, just see how he is suffering and in so far as you can, be the joy to the innermost man of the person to the best of your ability. Don’t wait for his words, just look and see!

Sustainable development goals report 2020

The 15-year global effort to improve the lives of people everywhere through the achievement of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030 was already off track by the end of 2019. And now, in only a short period of time, the COVID-19 pandemic has unleashed an unprecedented crisis, causing further disruption to SDG progress, with the world’s poorest and most vulnerable affected the most, according to a new report released today by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs.

According to the Sustainable Development Goals Report 2020, the world had been making progress—although uneven and insufficient to meet the Goals — in areas such as improving maternal and child health, expanding access to electricity and increasing women’s representation in government. Yet even these advances were offset elsewhere by growing food insecurity, deterioration of the natural environment, and persistent and pervasive inequalities.

Now, the COVID-19 pandemic has quickly become the worst human and economic crisis of our lifetime, spreading to all countries, with the global death toll exceeding 500,000 and the number of confirmed cases at more than 10 million people.

“As Member States recognized at the SDG Summit held last September, global efforts to date have been insufficient to deliver the change we need, jeopardizing the Agenda’s promise to current and future generations,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres. “Now, due to COVID-19, an unprecedented health, economic and social crisis is threatening lives and livelihoods, making the achievement of Goals even more challenging.”

The Secretary-General stressed that COVID-19 was not affecting everyone the same. “Although the novel coronavirus affects every person and community, it does not do so equally. Instead, it has exposed and exacerbated existing inequalities and injustices.”

Using the latest data and estimates, this annual stocktaking report on progress across the 17 Goals shows that it is the poorest and most vulnerable – including children, older persons, persons with disabilities, migrants and refugees – who are being hit the hardest by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Women are also bearing the heaviest brunt of the pandemic’s effects.

Among the key findings:

An estimated 71 million people are expected to be pushed back into extreme poverty in 2020, the first rise in global poverty since 1998. Lost incomes, limited social protection and rising prices mean even those who were previously secure could find themselves at risk of poverty and hunger.

Underemployment and unemployment due to the crisis mean some 1.6 billion already vulnerable workers in the informal economy – half the global workforce – may be significantly affected, with their incomes estimated to have fallen by 60 per cent in the first month of the crisis.

The more than one billion slum dwellers worldwide are acutely at risk from the effects of COVID-19, suffering from a lack of adequate housing, no running water at home, shared toilets, little or no waste management systems, overcrowded public transport and limited access to formal health care facilities.

Women and children are also among those bearing the heaviest brunt of the pandemic’s effects. Disruption to health and vaccination services and limited access to diet and nutrition services have the potential to cause hundreds of thousands of additional under-5 deaths and tens of thousands of additional maternal deaths in 2020. Many countries have seen a surge in reports of domestic violence against women and children.

School closures have kept 90 per cent of students worldwide (1.57 billion) out of school and caused over 370 million children to miss out on school meals they depend on. Lack of access to computers and the internet at home means remote learning is out of reach of many. About 70 countries reported moderate to severe disruptions or a total suspension of childhood vaccination services during March and April of 2020.

As more families fall into extreme poverty, children in poor and disadvantaged communities are at much greater risk of child labour, child marriage and child trafficking. In fact, the global gains in reducing child labour are likely to be reversed for the first time in 20 years.

The report also shows that climate change is still occurring much faster than anticipated. The year 2019 was the second warmest on record and the end of the warmest decade of 2010 to 2019. Meanwhile, ocean acidification is accelerating; land degradation continues; massive numbers of species are at risk of extinction; and unsustainable consumption and production patterns remain pervasive.

The annual report,  a joint effort of the global statistical community, is being launched on the opening day of the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development as leaders from governments and different sectors of society gather to chart strategies and efforts to fully implement the SDGs. The report provides essential data that allows decision-makers to guide efforts toward a sustainable recovery.

“The principles on which the SDGs were established are key to building back better in the post-COVID-19 recovery,” said UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, Liu Zhenmin. “The continued pursuit of these universal Goals will keep Governments focused on growth, but also on inclusion, equity and sustainability. Our collective response to the pandemic can serve as a ‘warm-up’ for our preparedness in preventing an even larger crisis – that is, global climate change, whose effects are already becoming all too familiar. ”

IMPACT OF CHINESE PRODUCTS ON INDIAN INDUSTRIES

Come any occasion and the Indian consumer is ready to make a beeline to purchase another of those Chinese goods. For one, these Chinese goods are substantially cheaper than Indian goods and come in wide varieties. In very simple terms in Economics, we know that anything like large scale dumping and imports can spell a disaster for the economy. As the memory of an Indian consumer goes, this influx of cheap Chinese goods started in the late 90s and gained momentum thereon. Every article, be it an expensive Barbie doll or a painting you want to adorn your house with has a Chinese alternate to it. Why the Chinese goods are priced so cheap? The cost of production being less in China is an obvious answer but when we dwell deeper into the world of Chinese manufacturing, the reasons abound. Chinese goods are known for their moderate quality, prompt delivery and affordable prices in comparison to Indian goods.The Chinese entrepreneurs have infiltrated the market in a very systematic manner with their well-planned marketing strategies and continuous innovations. They study the demand patterns and the market trends and work out the lowest price that they can offer to attract a huge section of the consumers while still maintaining a profitable margin. As the Indian market is price-oriented, the domestic players are slowly losing their share to the strategic Chinese entrepreneurs. The only way the above problem can be solved up to an extent is by introducing SME favourable policies. The Indian Government should understand the basic fact that SMEs are the backbone of Indian economy and their growth will in turn add to the development of India. Indian SMEs should also continuously study the market needs and come up with innovative and cost effective products to tackle the burning issue. Because of cheaper prices products made in China are becoming more popular among the Indian masses. This has had a very negative effect on our own manufacturing units and as a result many of them have had to shut shop.