o eleva premiata la un concurs international de eseuri

Eseul Mariei Laura Dumbrava - varianta in limba engleza

It Starts with Me

"Who am I?" That is the question that every day I try to find an answer to. What shapes me as a human being are my thoughts and my actions while I interact with the others: children, adults, animals and nature. I have always felt a bond between us all and I found my strength and inspiration in God, family, friends and teachers. I think we are who we choose to be and that is why it is important to know all the alternatives when we take decisions.

The first page of my diary is an open-ended collection of promises I have made to myself: never to compromise my honesty, always listen before judging, be positive and find solutions, never be afraid of making mistakes as we can learn constructive lessons from them, set goals and take steps to reach them, appreciate and respect the others, defend the truth and speak up for those who are absent, love and help my family, my friends and my peers, not just take but also offer. So far, I may say that this is how I relate to the world and I strive to turn my beliefs into deeds.

The first time I reacted was when a boy from my class, Todirica, came to school with a bad haircut and some of boys started picking on him, throwing his cap to the ground. I went over to them and suggested we all played "paper planes". We started negotiating the teams and that was the moment when I realized I had the power to change things. I made the boys see Todirica as a partner, as our colleague. Another thing that I have become aware of is that play unites us and it is a good way of overcoming conflicts.

Three years ago I got involved in recycling paper and collecting used oil in my neighborhood. It was my way of dealing with pollution. In addition to this, I and my friends have fun spending our time outdoors in a constructive way: we go to the beach at weekends and play, run, laugh while collecting the garbage we come across during our walk along the shore. What I love most is that, when we start picking up empty bottles and plastic bags, there are people on the beach who come to help us.

Last year in spring I went to a meeting with kids of our age who got into trouble and faced the consequences. They used ethnobotanics and were expelled from school. We gathered to talk about our future and focused on the steps each of us had to take to choose the best alternative from that point on. The purpose was to communicate, learn from the shared experiences and take responsibility for our actions.

This is the second year in a row when I tried to do more for our planet. I worked hard and studied a lot and success followed. I created two space settlements where communities were based on respect for life, justice and liberty, and did their best to both sustain themselves out there and help the Earth. My projects were SpaceBurg (2014) and Twins (2015) and were awarded the 1st prize at NASA Ames Space Settlement Contest. I consider that going to space could be a way of putting an end to the wars started for territories and resources. It could boost governments to work together, share new goals and achieve progress and prosperity for the entire mankind.

Little by little, as the words I write engulf the pages of my diary, I get to see the reflection of myself. This is how I build peace in my heart and mind: by doing what I consider to be the right thing which always seems to find echoes in the hearts of the others and form inspirational ripples in the mind of our community and beyond.

I will conclude this essay with Dalai Lama's words: "an atmosphere of peace must first be created within ourselves, then gradually expand to include our families, our communities, and ultimately the whole planet", and, I will add, the whole universe. All it takes is determination, hard work and love.

Sursa: www.goipeace.or.jp

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Scoala din Finlanda-preluare Facebook

Sorin Pasat

16 Septembrie ·

De ce este atit de obisnuit ca in Finlanda, un adolescent normal sa termine primele 12 clase cu medii excelente, vorbind o engleza perfecta si citind o carte pe saptamina?
07:45
- Saili (15 ani) asteapta autobuzul urban care il va lasa la poarta scolii (nu exista autobuze scolare).
Autobuzul trece la fiecare 5 minute.
Finlandezii incearca sa-i faca pe fiii lor sa fie independenti de mici.
Pe foarte putini dintre ei, parintii lor îi duc cu masina pina la scoala.
Biletul este subventionat de catre municipalitate.
Conform legii, niciun elev nu poate locui la mai mult de 5 km de scoala. In exterior, instalatiile scolii dau o impresie spartana.
Niciun muc de tigara, nicio hirtie pe jos, niciun grafitti pe ziduri.
09:15
- Orele de 45 de minute.
Finlandezii mizeaza pe studiile de limba materna, matematica si engleza. 75% dintre materii sunt comune in toata tara . Restul il alege scoala, in acord cu profesorii, parintii si elevii.
Orele sunt scurte, intense si, mai ales, foarte participative. In interiorul scolii, curatenia este si mai evidenta.
Totul pare recent dat in folosinta. Pe banci si pupitre nu sunt semne, si nu se scrijeleste nimic.
Scoala este publica si, bineinteles, gratuita, dar cu instalatii demne de un colegiu "scump" din Spania.
Salile de cursuri dispun de ecrane gigant de plasma cu TV in circuit inchis, acvariu de 200 de litri cu pesti tropicali, bucatarie completa, dispozitive audiovizuale, aer conditionat, multe plante.
Fiecare doi elevi au cite un calculator.
O duzina de masini de cusut in sala de croitorie, aparate de sudura, scule de timplarie, schiuri... O sala de sport acoperita, un auditoriu pentru orele de teatru si o sala de mese cu autoservire.
Cartile sunt gratuite, materialul scolar e gratuit, mincarea e gratuita.
12:00
- Mincare calda, nutritiva si gratuita.
Saili are o jumatate de ora pentru prinz, la restaurantul scolii.
Legea finlandeza obliga ca meniul sa fie gratuit, nutritiv, si cu multe feluri de salate si fructe.
Se bea apa sau lapte. Costurile le plateste municipalitatea fiecarui oras.
Daca orele se prelungesc pina dupa amiaza, scoala are obligatia de a oferi o gustare elevilor.
16:05
- Inapoi acasa, Saili joaca hockey cu fratele lui mai mic.
Nu exista delincventa, strazile sunt sigure.
Cind se lasa seara, Saili si fratele lui, care au invatat sa gateasca la scoala, pregatesc cina pentru parintii lor, daca acestia intirzie la serviciu.
18:30
- Cina si sauna (aceasta, de 3 ori pe saptamina) sunt momentele in care familia se afla impreuna.
Se converseaza mult, mai ales despre proiectele copiilor, dorintele, progresele si nevoile lor.
Dar in aceeasi masura, se fac si planuri de vacanta pentru toata familia, in comun.
20:15
- Temele si la culcare.
Copiii finlandezi au foarte multe teme de casa, desi Saili le termina rapid, intr-o ora sau doua, pentru ca de-abia asteapta sa se urce in pat si sa citeasca Harry Potter in engleza.
Pentru Saili, scoala este ca un serviciu.
- "Daca un copil doreste sa studieze, poate sa ajunga medic sau judecator sau inginer, chiar daca familia sa este una saraca".
- Educatia fiecarui copil costa statul finlandez 200000 de euro, de la gradinita pina la absolvirea unei universitati.
"Sunt banii cel mai bine folositi din impozitele noastre".
- Studentii platesc doar cartile si mincarea (2.50 euro la restaurantul facultatii).
Apoi, statul îi ajuta sa se emancipeze dindu-le subventii pentru inchirierea unei locuinte si primul salariu.
- Elevii au un respect total fata de profesori, si se vede in orice moment politetea in relatiile dintre ei.
Nu poarta uniforme, dar sunt intotdeauna simplu si corect imbracati si pieptanati.
- Intr-o scoala din centrul capitalei Helsinki , sau dincolo de Cercul Polar, nivelul este acelasi.
Sistemul educational nu este elitist si nu urmareste producerea de genii, ci atingerea unui nivel general mediu cit mai inalt.
- Presedinta Finlandei, Tarja Halonen, licentiata in Drept si profesoara:
"Cind îi cert pe studentii mei, le spun ca irosesc banii contribuabililor".
- Nu exista repetenti, desi nu exista decit o singura oportunitate de a lua un examen, "pentru simplul motiv ca viata insasi nu se traieste decit o singura data".
Se studiaza pina cind se ia examenul, dar promovarea in anul urmator este automata.
- "Ziua de lucru" a lui Saili este intensa, de la 8 pina la 3.
Orele sunt insa scurte, de 45 de minute. Una dintre recreatii se petrece obligatoriu afara, in aer liber.
Se stimuleaza rationamentul critic inaintea memorizarii mecanice.
Orele sunt relaxate, cum ar fi cursurile de dansuri de salon, teatru, arta digitala, coafura, arte martiale, hockey, schi de tura, gastronomie, primul ajutor, dulgherie, mecanica sau muzica.
Elevii cinta la vioara, chitara electrica sau la ce prefera.
Si, inca odata, se incurajeaza gindirea critica si se discuta.
- "Saili inca nu s-a hotarit ce vrea sa faca mai incolo. Chimie, medicina veterinara sau creatie de jocuri video.
Il intreb daca este fericit. Fara sa clipeasca, imi raspunde - " da."
Dar exista un secret:
Pe la anul 1600 s-a legiferat ca cine nu stie sa scrie si sa citeasca nu are voie sa faca copii!!!
Trimiteti textul tuturor profesorilor, parintilor si bunicilor pe care-i cunoasteti !
Dati mai departe ! Poate ajunge si la careva de prin minister, guvern si Parlament !!!

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