Train - Shake up Christmas

Peace Corps Volunteers find a wired world! (dictation)

Diva Crawford volunteering testimony

Maria João Berimbau 10º6

Volunteering

Volunteering: give it a whirl!

Brian Slusarz´ Volunteer Testimony

After having spent two and a half years working in Corporate America, I decided I wanted a change, and requested a six month leave of absence from my job to do a bit of traveling. I chose Volunteer Bolivia because I didn’t just want to backpack; I wanted to learn a language, volunteer and live with a local family. I began my time in Bolivia with two weeks of Spanish courses. The classes were one on one and the teachers were excellent so I quickly refreshed my skills.

Then I started my volunteer assignment with a prisoner human rights group. As a six foot blond haired American, walking into a Bolivian prison surrounded by inmates who were NOT behind bars was a very interesting experience, and much different from what I was used to, making spreadsheets in an air-conditioned office. But by the end of my time in Bolivia, visiting prisons on my own became part of my daily existence.

I quickly became friends with many of the inmates and worked hard to help them start up small businesses so they could earn a living. I felt so inspired by the work I was doing, I resigned from my comfy consulting job in the States to stay on as a salaried employee of my NGO for another three months. Luckily, I was able to raise enough money to start up a project in a small rural Bolivian prison, where we were able to improve prison infrastructure, start up a micro enterprise and build a prison library. One of the prisoners even asked me to serve as Godfather to his young daughter!

Still, by far, the best part of my time in Bolivia was with my Bolivian family, friends and the other volunteers. My family had six brothers and sisters who quickly became my best friends. They owned a small grocery store where we ate meals and I spent much of my time: cooking, helping out around the store or just chatting for long hours into the night. We told jokes, laughed often and really formed an amazing bond that, I have no doubt, will last for the rest of my life.

I feel that coming to Bolivia with Volunteer Bolivia was the single best decision of my life. Not only was it the most rewarding personal and cultural experience of my life, it definitely played a huge role in landing me a job in the nonprofit sector upon my return to the US and in getting me accepted into my dream graduate school, where I will be studying international affairs.

I could not have been happier with my Volunteer Bolivia experience and would recommend it wholeheartedly to anyone considering the program.

Sport's hour - Interview about surf

Maria João Berimbau e Mariana Azevedo 10º6

Why choose English as a foreign language?

Almost everybody have this question on their minds. There are a few that are interested in the answer but the other ones just don't care about it. It's true that learning a nonnative language is essential but there are so many and we can be uncertain when to choose. Let's see how English is the certain choice.


English is a Lingua Franca and also the most widely spread language in the world, then many countries that we may visit communicate in this language. Furthermore, the language of science, international organizations, tourism, technology, government, diplomacy, entertainment, sports, news, international trades (...) is, of course, English. Besides this, with this language, you can know new people, new places, new cultures, new experiences; briefly, a new world.


This language (spoken or written) is really important in our lives, don't be ignorant about this. English is the world!

Take the opportunity. Change your life. DO ERASMUS.

Erasmus

Study abroad - the world in your hands

Studying abroad is the act of a student pursuing educational opportunities in another country.

Length of study can range from one week, usually during a domestic break, to an academic year, encompassing a couple academic terms, to an entire degree program that spans several years. The most common are semester long programs that cover either the spring or fall semester. There are also winter and summer semester programs. The winter semester programs, for public, 4-year universities, are usually more focused on a specific area of the countries culture due to the shortened time students have in the country.

Some students choose to study abroad to learn a language from native speakers. Others may take classes in their academic major in a place that allows them to expand their hands-on experience (e.g. someone who’s studying marine biology studying abroad in Jamaica or a student of sustainable development living and studying in a remote village in Senegal). Other students may study abroad in order to get a credential within the framework of a different educational system (e.g. a student who goes to the United States to study medicine), or a university student from Albania who goes to Germany to study mechanical engineering.

Costs for a study abroad program include:

• Health insurance
• Living costs incurred during the program
• Passport and visa fees
• Round-trip transportation for the approved program
• Tuition and fees for the program

Students who wish to study abroad fund their studies through a variety of sources, including gifts or loans from family, grants from their home governments, grants from host nations or host universities, scholarships and bank loans.

Prefixes, Suffixes & Roots

A rap song to learn about prefixes, suffixes, and roots.

The song is done by http://www.educationalrap.com/ and used by permission.

You can download from their site.

This movie is copyrighted © by Diane Frymire, 2009.

Learning English Prononciation

Do you speak English?

Quotes about Languages

If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head.

If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.
(Nelson Mandela)

You live a new life for every new language you speak.

If you know only one language, you live only once.
(Czech proverb)

The limits of my language are the limits of my universe.

(Ludwig Wittgenstein)

Most people in the world are multilingual, and everybody could be; no one is rigorously excluded from another's language community except through lack of time and effort. Different languages protect and nourish the growth of different cultures, where different pathways of human knowledge can be discovered. They certainly make life richer for those who know more than one of them.

(Nicholas Ostler, Empires of the Word)

Why learn English?

English is the mother tongue of some 400 million people, and the second language of an equally large number of speakers. There are also an estimated 750 million people who learn English as a foreign language.

• Many books, newspapers, airports and air-traffic control, technology, sports, pop music and advertising have the English as the dominant language.
• In general, the universal language on the Internet is the English.
• The majority of the electronically stored information around the world is in English.
• English is one of the easiest languages to learn and to use for its simple alphabet, easy words, short words and easy plurals.
• You can travel to any English speaking country without the need of have a translator. Usually, if you don’t know the language your trip would be hard and maybe you wouldn’t enjoy it.
• Nowadays in the competitive job market it is necessary to speak English. So if you learn English you will have a better chance of getting a job that pays more.
• Learn English will help you to communicate with relatives, in-laws or friends who speak a different language. English is also helpful if you are going to move to a different country because it is a “global language”.
• A lot of educational information is in English; therefore to have access to this material or maybe communicate with other students it is necessary to have knowledge of English.
• It is necessary to learn English if you are planning to study at a foreign university or school. Usually many educational institutions will provide you preparatory courses to improve your English language skills but you have to have at least a medium level of knowledge.
• Many students from over 70 different countries, from Brazil to Japan, Morocco to Uzbekistan and all points in between, prefer to study English in UK members.

English Language Statistics

• More than 400 million people have the English as their mother tongue; the largest concentrations are in United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Ireland, South Africa and New Zealand.
• English is an official language in many countries like Cameroon, Fiji, the Federated States of Micronesia, Ghana, Gambia, India, Kiribati, Lesotho, Liberia, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, Malta, the Marshall Islands, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Rwanda, the Solomon Islands, Samoa, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
• Over 600 million people speak English as a second language and an additional 100 million people use English as a foreign language.
• India is the nation where English is spoken or understood for more people than any other country in the world.
• In many former colonies or dependent territories of the UK and USA, such as Hong Kong and Mauritius, the English is an important language.
• English language is more spoken and written than any other language in the world.
• English has an extensive and rich vocabulary, the Oxford English Dictionary lists about 500,000 words and an additional half-million technical and scientific terms remain uncatalogued.
• English is the official language of 70 countries and where it is not official has an important position because is needed in many fields and jobs.
• English is considered the main language of international organizations like the United Nations and the European Free Trade Association.
• Approximately, 80% of business communications around the world take place in the English language.

How to write an informative text

Informative Text on Prezi

Talk

Coldplay - Talk

EMI UK (P)

The copyright in this audiovisual recording is owned by EMI Records Ltd.

How much do you know about world languages?

This picture from the language portal bab.la shows which languages are spoken on which continents. Looking at the numbers, you can see the most popular world languages such as English, Chinese, Russan, Spanish and Arabic coming up top.

What does it mean to "know" a language?

Language and Communication

Language may refer either to the specifically human capacity for acquiring and using complex systems of communication, or to a specific instance of such a system of complex communication. The scientific study of language in any of its senses is called linguistics.

Languages

The approximately 3000-6000 languages that are spoken by humans today are the most salient examples, but natural languages can also be based on visual rather than auditive stimuli, for example in sign languages and written language. Codes and other kinds of artificially constructed communication systems such as those used for computer programming can also be called languages. A language in this sense is a system of signs for encoding and decoding information.

Human language

When used as a general concept "language" refers to the cognitive faculty that enables humans to learn and use systems of complex communication. The human language faculty is thought to be fundamentally different and of much higher complexity from those of other species. Human language is highly complex in that based in a set of rules relating symbols to their meanings it can form an infinite number of possible utterances from a finite number of elements.

Tool for communication

Yet another definition defines language as a system of communication that enables humans to cooperate. This definition stresses the social functions of language and the fact that humans use it to express themselves, and to manipulate things in the world.

Sounds, words and symbols

All languages rely on the process of semiosis to relate a sign with a particular meaning. Spoken languages contain a phonological system that governs how sounds are used to form sequences known as words or morphemes, and a syntactic system that governs how words and morphemes are used to form phrases and utterances. Written languages and sign languages use visual symbols to represent the sounds of the spoken languages, but they still require syntactic rules that govern the production of meaning from sequences of words.

The evolution of languages

Languages evolve and diversify over time and the history of their evolution can be reconstructed by comparing modern languages and determining which traits their ancestral languages must have had for the later stages to have occurred. A group of languages that descend from a common ancestor are known as a language family - the languages that are most spoken in the world today belong to the Indo-European family which includes languages such as English, Spanish, Russian and Hindi, the Sino-Tibetan languages which include Mandarin Chinese, Cantonese and many others, Semitic languages which include Arabic and the Bantu languages which include Swahili and hundreds of other languages spoken throughout Africa.

 

Languages and culture

Languages, understood as the particular set of speech norms of a particular community, are also a part of the larger culture of the community that speak them. Humans use language as a way of signalling identity with one cultural group and difference from others.

Extreme sports

An extreme sport (also called action sport and adventure sport) is a popular term for certain activities perceived as having a high level of inherent danger, and that are counter-cultural. These activities often involve speed, height, a high level of physical exertion, and highly specialized gear or spectacular stunts.

In 2004, author Joe Tomlinson classified extreme sports into those that take place in air, land, and water. Nine air sports are mentioned including: BASE jumping, bungee jumping, gliding, hang gliding, high wire, ski jumping, sky diving, sky surfing, and sky flying.

Eighteen land sports including:indoor climbing, adventure racing, aggressive inline skating, BMX, caving, extreme motocross, extreme skiing, freestyle skiing, land and ice yachting, mountain biking, mountain boarding, outdoor climbing, sandboarding, skateboarding, snowboarding, snowmobiling, speed biking, speed skiing, scootering and street luge.

Fifteen water sports including: barefoot water skiing, cliff diving, free-diving, jet skiing, open water swimming, powerboat racing, round the world yacht racing, scuba diving, snorkeling, speed sailing, surfing, wakeboarding, whitewater kayaking, windsurfing.

A series of amazing rooftop stunts in a BBC short film are all genuine, it has been revealed. Frenchman David Belle leaps across London rooftops, at one point jumping between two buildings 60 feet up. The 28-year-old does not use any safety wires, though some crash mats were placed out of view of the cameras.

Two French teenagers, David Belle and Sébastien Foucan, developed parkour in Lisses, a Paris suburb. They drew on their experience in gymnastics and martial arts, as well as the obstacle-course training that Belle's father underwent as a soldier in Vietnam. The name is derived from the French phrase, parcours du combattant, roughly translated as "military obstacle course." Practitioners of parkour are known as "traceurs." The boys look as if they're trying to outrun the police. They jump over a wall, drop 10 feet and somersault to break the impact of landing. They leapfrog over a garbage can and clear a bench. They dash a step up another wall, grip the top and shimmy over. But no one is chasing them. They're simply practicing parkour, the modern art of navigating through your environment with maximum efficiency. In the past few months, Bay Area youths have taken it up, and, if the demonstration last weekend was any indication, they've progressed by leaps and bounds. Most parkour fans are teenage boys, and it's easy to see why. All you need is a pair of sneakers - and a daredevil spirit. And because most boys have plenty of experience climbing trees and jumping off walls, in a sense they've been practicing parkour all their lives.

My summer holiday in the UK

It feels like home, but it’s also a holiday. And I’d never thought I’d feel so at home in another country. Not that I ever was homesick either, I loved all the school camping trips I made as a kid. But anyway, I fell in love with England. Last summer I stayed there for a month.

I love London anyway. Did I already mention that? I’m not exactly a city girl, but I love the English cities I’ve been to. Oxford. Cambridge. Gloucester. Manchester. And London. I love the parks, I love the tube and I love the people.  

I also went for a picnic. I had a special tour. And I didn’t even mention all my friends yet. And those are just a few of the many highlights of my holiday in the land where they drive on the wrong side of the road, where they have all these little coins instead of the euro, where they have a funny language with words they only pronounce half (I mean, shouldn’t ‘Greenwich’ be written as ‘Grenich’?!), where they have two taps in their bathrooms instead of one and where they tell you to mind the gap all the time… I love it!

http://www.hannysvoorwerp.com/

(abridged)

European Day of Languages

Celebrating linguistic diversity, plurinlualism, lifelong language learning

The European Day of Languages is 26 September, as proclaimed by the Council of Europe on 6 December 2001, at the end of the European Year of Languages (2001).Its aim is to encourage language learning across Europe.

The general objectives of the European Day of Languages are to:

- alert the public to the importance of language learning and diversify the range of languages learned in order to increase plurilingualism and intercultural understanding;

- promote the rich linguistic and cultural diversity of Europe;

- encourage lifelong language learning in and out of school.

In keeping with these aims, people, young and old, are encouraged to take up a language, or take special pride in their existing language skills. Also, those responsible for providing access to language learning are encouraged to make it easier for people to learn a range of languages, and to support policy initiatives to promote languages. There is also emphasis on learning a language other than English.

Throughout Europe, 800 million Europeans represented in the Council of Europe's 47 member states are encouraged to learn more languages, at any age, in and out of school. Being convinced that linguistic diversity is a tool for achieving greater intercultural understanding and a key element in the rich cultural heritage of our continent, the Council of Europe promotes plurilingualism in the whole of Europe.


Do this quiz and you'll find out how much you know about languages:
 

Self-evaluate your language skills

The 'Self-evaluate your language skills' game helps you to assess your level of proficiency in the languages you know according to six reference levels defined within the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.(CEFR). The scale of reference, developed within the Council of Europe's CEFR in 2001, is recognised as a European standard for grading an individual's language proficiency and is widely used within national language education systems, in certification and by employers.

When answering the questions within the application please remember that this is a self-assessment procedure and the results only reflect a part of your skills and that this is a game! Only you know what you can really do with your languages.

To find out more about this game, click here.

How to improve your English!

Learning English (or any language for that matter) is a process. You are continually improving your English and the following "HOW TO" describes a strategy to make sure that you continue to improve effectively.

Here is How:

1. Remember that learning a language is a gradual process – it does not happen overnight.

2. Define your learning objectives early: What do you want to learn and why?

3 Make learning a habit. Try to learn something every day. It is much better to study (or read, or listen to English news, etc…) 10 minutes each day than to study 2 hours once a week. Remember to make learning a habit! If you study each day for 10 minutes English will be constantly in your head. If you study once a week, English will not be as present in your mind.

4. Choose your materials well. You will need reading, grammar writing, speaking and listening materials.

5. Vary your learning routine. It is best to do different things each day to help keep the various relationships between each area active. In other words, don’t just study grammar.

6. Find friends to study and speak with. Learning English together can be very encouraging.

7. Choose listening and reading materials that relate to what you are interested in. Being interested in the subject will make learning more enjoyable – thus more effective.

8. Relate grammar to practical usage. Grammar by itself does not help you USE the language. You should practise what you are learning by employing it actively.

9. Move your mouth! Understanding something doesn’t mean the muscles of your mouth can produce the sounds. Practise by saying what you are learning aloud. It may seem strange, but it is very effective.

10. Be patient with yourself. Remember learning is a process – speaking a language well takes time. It is not a computer that is either on or off!

11. Communicate! There is nothing like communicating in English and being successful. Grammar exercises are good – having your friend on the other side of the world understand your email is fantastic!

12. Use the Internet. The Internet is the most exciting, unlimited English resource that anyone could imagine and it is right at your finger tips.

I wish...

This is my wish for all of you: great friends on difficult days, laughs when sadness invades, rainbows to follow the clouds, smiles to brighten your days, hugs to warm your heart, beauty for your eyes to see, confidence in your own beliefs and wishes, courage to know yourself, patience to pursue your dreams, love to complete your life!

All my very best,

Sara Boto Jardim

(Your English teacher 2008-2010)

Age Discrimination

Children's rights

Every child and young person has rights, no matter who they are or where they live. Nearly every government in the world has promised to protect, respect and fulfil these rights, yet they are still violated worldwide.

The Human Rights of Children

Children's rights are the perceived human rights of children with particular attention to the rights of special protection and care afforded to the young, including their right to association with both biological parents, human identity as well as the basic needs for food, universal state-paid education, health care and criminal laws appropriate for the age and development of the child. Interpretations of children's rights range from allowing children the capacity for autonomous action to the enforcement of children being physically, mentally and emotionally free from abuse, though what constitutes "abuse" is a matter of debate. Other definitions include the rights to care and nurturing.
"A child is any human being below the age of eighteen years, unless under the law applicable to the child, majority is attained earlier."

According to Cornell University, a child is a person, not a subperson, and the parent has absolute interest and possession of the child, but this is very much an American view. The term "child" does not necessarily mean minor but can include adult children as well as adult nondependent children. There are no definitions of other terms used to describe young people such as "adolescents", "teenagers," or "youth" in international law, but the children's rights movement is considered distinct from the youth rights movement.
The field of children's rights spans the fields of law, politics, religion, and morality.

SHOUT for a safer South Africa!

Shout SA is a movement that was started by South African musicians Danny K and Kabelo Mabalane after the murder of musician Lucky Dube. The video above features the cream of South African musicians as they band together to give South Africans a voice in the fight against crime. All South Africans have been touched by crime in some way and most know someone who has died as a result of crime, be it from an unlicensed vehicle skipping a red light or during a robbery or hijacking.

The cross genre interweavings – rock, soul, hip hop, jazz, and choral, are complimented by a truly outstanding design awareness. And the song in this context has discovered a powerful uniting theme – crime.

Visit SHOUT SA website here!

Why can't we live together?

Enough is enough!

UNESCO’s Declaration on Cultural Diversity

Article 1 - Cultural diversity: the common heritage of humanity
Culture takes diverse forms across time and space. This diversity is embodied in the uniqueness and plurality of the identities of the groups and societies making up humankind. As a source of exchange, innovation and creativity, cultural diversity is as necessary for humankind as biodiversity is for nature. In this sense, it is the common heritage of humanity and should be recognized and affirmed for the benefit of present and future generations.

Article 2 - From cultural diversity to cultural pluralism
In our increasingly diverse societies, it is essential to ensure harmonious interaction among people and groups with plural, varied and dynamic cultural identities as well as their willingness to live together. Policies for the inclusion and participation of all citizens are guarantees of social cohesion, the vitality of civil society and peace. Thus defined, cultural pluralism gives policy expression to the reality of cultural diversity. Indissociable from a democratic framework, cultural pluralism is conducive to cultural exchange and to the flourishing of creative capacities that sustain public life.

Article 3 - Cultural diversity as a factor in developmentCultural diversity widens the range of options open to everyone; it is one of the roots of development, understood not simply in terms of economic growth, but also as a means to achieve a more satisfactory intellectual, emotional, moral and spiritual existence.

Article 4 - Human rights as guarantees of cultural diversity
The defence of cultural diversity is an ethical imperative, inseparable from respect for human dignity. It implies a commitment to human rights and fundamental freedoms, in particular the rights of persons belonging to minorities and those of indigenous peoples. No one may invoke cultural diversity to infringe upon human rights guaranteed by international law, nor to limit their scope.

Article 5 - Cultural rights as an enabling environment for cultural diversity
Cultural rights are an integral part of human rights, which are universal, indivisible and interdependent. The flourishing of creative diversity requires the full implementation of cultural rights as defined in Article 27 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and in Articles 13 and 15 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and cultural Rights. All persons should therefore be able to express themselves and to create and disseminate their work in the language of their choice, and particularly in their mother tongue; all persons should be entitled to quality education and training that fully respect their cultural identity; and all persons have the right to participate in the cultural life of their choice and conduct their own cultural practices, subject to respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.

Article 6 - Towards access for all to cultural diversity
While ensuring the free flow of ideas by word and image, care should be exercised so that all cultures can express themselves and make themselves known. Freedom of expression, media pluralism, multilingualism, equal access to art and to scientific and technological knowledge, including in digital form, and the possibility for all cultures to have access to the means of expression and dissemination are the guarantees of cultural diversity.

Article 7 - Cultural heritage as the wellspring of creativity
Creation draws on the roots of cultural tradition, but flourishes in contact with other cultures. For this reason, heritage in all its forms must be preserved, enhanced and handed on to future generations as a record of human experience and aspirations, so as to foster creativity in all its diversity and to inspire genuine dialogue among cultures.

Article 8 - Cultural goods and services: commodities of a unique kind
In the face of present-day economic and technological change, opening up vast prospects for creation and innovation, particular attention must be paid to the diversity of the supply of creative work, to due recognition of the rights of authors and artists and to the specificity of cultural goods and services which, as vectors of identity, values and meaning, must not be treated as mere commodities or consumer goods.

Article 9 - Cultural policies as catalysts of creativity
While ensuring the free circulation of ideas and works, cultural policies must create conditions conducive to the production and dissemination of diversified cultural goods and services through cultural industries that have the means to assert themselves at the local and global level. It is for each State, with due regard to its international obligations, to define its cultural policy and to implement it through the means it considers fit, whether by operational support or appropriate regulations.

Article 10 - Strengthening capacities for creation and dissemination worldwide
In the face of current imbalances in flows and exchanges of cultural goods and services at the global level, it is necessary to reinforce international cooperation and solidarity aimed at enabling all countries, especially developing countries and countries in transition, to establish cultural industries that are viable and competitive at national and international level.

To read the whole text, click here.

Let's fight against discrimination!

Your disability doesn't make you less!

'TALK' (part 2)

'TALK' (part 1)

The award-winning 'Talk' portrays a society in which non-disabled people are a pitied minority and disabled people lead full and active lives. Jonathan Kerrigan, of BBC's 'Casualty' fame, plays a business executive whose negative preconceptions of disability are dramatically shattered.

This is what it's like to be me!

This is what it's like to be me: living and overcoming life with a disability

disABILITY

The World Health Organization defines Disability as follows: "Disabilities is an umbrella term, covering impairments, activity limitations, and participation restrictions. An impairment is a problem in body function or structure; an activity limitation is a difficulty encountered by an individual in executing a task or action; while a participation restriction is a problem experienced by an individual in involvement in life situations. Thus disability is a complex phenomenon, reflecting an interaction between features of a person’s body and features of the society in which he or she lives."

An individual may also qualify as disabled if he/she has had an impairment in the past or is seen as disabled based on a personal or group standard or norm. Such impairments may include physical, sensory, and cognitive or developmental disabilities. Mental disorders (also known as psychiatric or psychosocial disability) and various types of chronic disease may also be considered qualifying disabilities.

A disability may occur during a person's lifetime or may be present from birth.

Against bullying!

Bullying is persistent unwelcome behaviour, mostly using unwarranted or invalid criticism, nit-picking, fault-finding, also exclusion, isolation, being singled out and treated differently, being shouted at, humiliated, excessive monitoring, having verbal and written warnings imposed, and much more.

Bullying is present behind all forms of harassment, discrimination, prejudice, abuse, persecution, conflict and violence.

A bully is a person who:
*has never learnt to accept responsibility for their behaviour
*wants to enjoy the benefits of living in the adult world, but who is unable and unwilling to accept the responsibilities that are a prerequisite for being part of the adult world
*abdicates and denies responsibility for their behaviour and its consequences *is unable and unwilling to recognise the effect of their behaviour on others
*does not want to know of any other way of behaving *is unwilling to recognise that there could be better ways of behaving.

Bullying is obsessive and compulsive; the serial bully has to have someone to bully and appears to be unable to survive without a current target.

Let's fight bullying!

You don’t have to put up with it!

You have a right not to be discriminated against. There are specific anti-discrimination laws protecting you from discrimination because of the following factors:
Race, colour, nationality or ethnic origins
Religion or religious or philosophical belief
Sex (gender)
Transgender
Marital status
Sexual orientation
Disability
Age
Political belief (in Northern Ireland only)Even if one of these factors does not apply to you, you may still be protected from discrimination under human rights laws.

You should not be treated unfairly for any reason. Not only is it disrespectful and wrong to treat you in this way, it may also be illegal.

If you think someone is discriminating against you, you don’t have to put up with it. It doesn’t matter whether it’s your boss, colleague, social services, a shop, or your local bank. Discrimination is unpleasant, unfair and, in most cases, against the law.

Discrimination is where someone treats you worse than they treat other people because of who you are. For example:

Oskar’s story
Two months’ ago, I moved from Poland to East Anglia in the UK. I know some other people from my town who moved here also. I came to work as a farm labourer. There are many farms here that need people to pick crops like lettuces in spring and summer time. Some of the local people have been very welcoming to us. But some do not like us being here. There is only one shop in the village where I live but when I first moved here I could not go there. The woman who owns the shop refused to serve any Polish people. So whenever I needed to buy anything, I had to go into the town. But, my friend, he told me that this was against the law. So I went in and complained. Now I can go into the shop whenever I want. But I’d rather spend my money somewhere else.

Hannah’s story
I used to waitress at a restaurant down the road from where I live. On one of my shifts, I seated and served a lesbian couple. After they’d gone, my manager called me into the kitchen and told me not to serve anyone like that again. If they came in again, she said I should just tell them that
the restaurant was full. I didn’t say anything at the time but I made up my mind that I wasn’t going to treat anyone like that no matter what my manager said. So, when they did come in again on my shift I gave them a table like everyone else. And I got the sack.

Who is discriminating against you?Anti-discrimination laws protect you from discrimination by:
Employers…when you’re applying for a job, to stop them offering you a job on less favourable terms and conditions (such as paying you less than they would other people), to make sure you get the same training, promotion and transfer opportunities as everyone else and so that they can’t sack you just for being who you are

Education and training providers
…such as schools, colleges, universities and vocational training services

Public service providers
…such as GPs, hospitals, local authorities, job centres and prisons

People selling, letting or managing property…such as a local authority housing departments (in Northern Ireland, the Housing Executive), housing associations and private landlords
Shops and other service providers
…such as pubs, restaurants, cinemas, banks and insurers

Read more about this here.

CRASH (trailer)

World on fire - Sarah McLachlan

Diversity is more than recognizing the variety of characteristics that make individuals unique.

Cultural diversity and cultural awareness

Important tips for communicating successfully with people from different cultures. Things to remember to ensure you embrace cultural diversity and communicate with cultural awareness.
Advice from Snéha Khilay, a trainer from communication skills experts Speak First.

A rich tapestry

“We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value no matter what their color.”

Maya Angelou (American poet, 1928 - ...)

Maya Angelou is a remarkable Renaissance woman who is hailed as one of the great voices of contemporary literature. As a poet, educator, historian, best-selling author, actress, playwright, civil-rights activist, producer and director, she continues to travel the world, spreading her legendary wisdom. Within the rhythm of her poetry and elegance of her prose lies Angelou's unique power to help readers of every orientation span the lines of race and Angelou captivates audiences through the vigor and sheer beauty of her words and lyrics.

Visit her official website here.

On the turning away - Pink Floyd

Why do you think you're better...

Why do you think you're better
If your culture is not the same?
Yes, maybe you seem different
But deep inside all are the same.

Why do they think they're better?
If one is black and one is white,
If one is man and one is woman.
They are the same, that is their right.

If one is straight and one is gay,
They are no different, just the same
If one is Christian and one is Jew,
All come from God, we are the same.

So, get to know all people,
And show them what you think and do,
You'll see how others live their lives.
When you like them, then they'll like you.

If one learns to understand
And respect all points of view,
Then peace on Earth must surely come
It is up to you. And you. And you....

Adelaide Rhead ( Durban, South Africa)

YOU, whoever you are!...

All you continentals of Asia, Africa, Europe, Australia, indifferent of place!
All you on the numberless islands of the archipelagoes of the sea!
And you of centuries hence when you listen to me!
And you each and everywhere whom I specify not, but include just the same!
Health to you! good will to you all, from me and America sent!

Each of us inevitable,
Each of us limitless--each of us with his or her right upon the earth,
Each of us allow'd the eternal purports of the earth,
Each of us here as divinely as any is here.
("Salut au monde!" - abridged)

Walt Whitman - US poet
(1819 - 1892)

What about now - Daughtry

Daughtry - What About Now

I'll stand by you - Carrie Underwood

People are people - Depeche Mode

People are people so why should it be
You and I should get along so awfully

So we're different colours
And we're different creeds
And different people have different needs
It's obvious you hate me
Though I've done nothing wrong
I never even met you
So what could I have done
I can't understand
What makes a man
Hate another man
Help me understand

People are people so why should it be
You and I should get along so awfully

Help me understand
Now you're punching and you're kicking
And you're shouting at me
I'm relying on your common decency
So far it hasn't surfaced
But I'm sure it exists
It just takes a while to travel
From your head to your fist
I can't understand
What makes a man
Hate another man
Help me understand

Sing - Annie Lennox

This song is about the AIDS epidemic in Africa. It features a female choir which includes Anastacia, Dido, Celine Dion, Melissa Etheridge, Fergie, Faith Hill, Beverley Knight, Gladys Knight, k.d. lang, Madonna, Sarah McLachlan, Beth Orton, Pink, Bonnie Raitt, Shakira, Joss Stone, The Sugababes and KT Tunstall among its featured luminaries..

In a blog promoting The Annie Lennox Collection the Scottish singer explained why she created this anthem for women and HIV AIDS. "SING is an expression of solidarity. The issue of HIV/AIDS is surrounded with so much stigma, and people are ashamed and afraid to speak up. Singing is a metaphor for speaking up. We must break the silence about AIDS. Women need to express themselves and let their voices be heard for protection, for treatment, and for human rights."

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Created by Seth Brau

Produced by Amy Poncher

Music by Rumspringa courtesy Cantora Records

The story of Human Rights

A striking short film defining one of the world's most misunderstood subjects: human rights.

Find out more at: http://www.humanrights.com/

We Are All Born Free & Equal

Stop the discrimination!

Unity through diversity

Diversity is not JUST about different languages and the variation of races. It is about accepting these differences and embracing it. Giving respect to the people around us and love one another.

This video shows series of people with different backgrounds telling what diversity meant to them.

It has been a pleasure working with each and one of them.Embrace diversity. It is indeed beautiful.

Enjoy.

DOSOMETHING.ORG

Your religion, race, height, nationality, and even your gender are factors that most people make quick judgments about. Unfortunately, many of these judgments are based on biases and assumptions.

Some facts about discrimination:

* About 600 million people in the world experience disabilities of various types and degrees.

* African Americans are 79% more likely to live where industrial pollution causes numerous health hazards.

* Only 24 states and D.C. include sexual orientation in their hate crime legislation.

* Immigrants are an essential element in keeping the American economy strong.

* The large majority of racially motivated hate crimes are against African Americans.

* The overwhelming majority of religiously motivated hate crimes are directed against Jews.

* 1/3 of American women and 1/4 of women worldwide will experience domestic/dating violence in their lifetime.

* Two-thirds of the world’s children who receive less than four years of education are girls.

Find some more information about this topic here:

For Diversity. Against Discrimination.

The European Commission is running a five-year pan-European information campaign on combating discrimination on the grounds of racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, age, disability and sexual orientation. The campaign 'For Diversity. Against Discrimination.' teamed up with MTV Networks Europe to broadcast a new TV ad that features the three winning photographs, amongst others, of a pan-European photo competition to promote diversity in work and society in general . The campaign aims to provide information about new EU rules against discrimination through a wide range of channels and to communicate a positive message on diversity and equality.

For diversity against discrimination

Building upon the success of 2009, the ‘For Diversity. Against Discrimination.’ campaign will organise a number of Diversity Days throughout the EU during 2010. To mark each Diversity Day, a high-profile event targeting the general public and media will be hosted to throw the spotlight on issues of equality and diversity, provide information on anti-discrimination law, show what Europe is doing to protect its inhabitants and encourage people to challenge their own attitudes and prejudices. Diversity Days will begin with an event in Budapest, Hungary in late spring. Other events will take place in autumn 2010.

More information on Diversity Days available for Cyprus, Luxembourg, Portugal and Sweden.

The danger of a single story

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (born September 15, 1977) is an acclaimed Nigerian writer. She is a native of Abba, Nigeria, in Njikoka Local Government Area of Anambra state, Southeast Nigeria. Her family is of Igbo descent.
Born in the town of Enugu but grew up in the university town of Nsukka in south-eastern Nigeria, where the University of Nigeria is situated. While she was growing up, her father was a professor of statistics at the University, and her mother was also employed there as the university registrar. At the age of 19, she left Nigeria and moved to the United States. After studying at Drexel University in Philadelphia, Chimamanda transferred to Eastern Connecticut State University to live closer to her sister; who had a medical practice in Coventry (now in Mansfield, Connecticut), and to continue studying communications and political science. She received a university degree from Eastern, where she graduated summa cum laude in 2001. In 2003, she completed a master's degree in creative writing at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. In 2008, she received a Master of Arts in African studies at Yale University.[ Chimamanda is a 2008 MacArthur Fellow. She was a Visiting Writer at Wesleyan University, in 2008, and participated in Wesleyan's Distinguished Writers Series.
Her first novel, Purple Hibiscus, was published in 2003 and won the Best First Book award in the 2005 Commonwealth Writers' Prize.
Her second novel, Half of a Yellow Sun, named after the flag of the short-lived Biafran nation, is set before and during the Biafran War. It was published by Knopf/Anchor in 2006 and was awarded the 2007 Orange Prize for Fiction.
Her third book is a collection of short stories titled The Thing Around Your Neck and was published in April 2009 by Fourth Estate in the UK and Knopf in the US.