Benazir Bhutto

I'm back! Are you excited about my return after all this time (like what, a month? OMG that's major!)? I bet you have been crying all that time...(or not!)

As I know you probably haven't missed me at all, I'll surprise you with a theme which I assumed you would love...I will continue in the same matter as my dear mate, Sara: Human Rights! Yey, haven't you loved the idea?!

Well, I will introduce you to Benazir Bhutto, born in 1953 and assassinated in December 2007, when she was running-up to the January 2008 parliamentary elections.

Benazir Bhutto was twice elected Pakistan's Prime Minister - from 1988 to 1990 and from 1993 to 1996. During her political career, she was a proeminent figure in terms of the defense of the Human Rights and women's empowerment in Pakistan. She was also named amog the 7 winners of UN Human Rights prize.
This awsome figure, and great woman, made several speeches, proclaiming her ideals, mainly in terms of democratisation having as example this quote, from one of her speeches: The suppression of democracy in my homeland has had profound institutional consequences.
Each of Pakistan’s four military dictatorships has assaulted the major infrastructural building blocks of democracy -- by attempting to marginalize political parties, dismantling NGO’s and undermining civil society, by constraining labor and student unions, and allowing the intelligence agencies and government members to physically assault and intimidate the free press. (...)Dictatorships, by dismantling the infrastructure of democracy, allow the mosques to become the only outlet of political expression in Pakistan.

She is also known for one speech , litte time before she died, in April 2007, in Islam, where she referred: Islam is not only committed to tolerance and equality, but it is committed to the principles of democracy (…) Islam is not only committed to tolerance and equality, but it is committed to theprinciples of democracy.

Her battle for democracy was not easy. She felt that, as a woman, she had to protect and fight for women's rights. She once affirmed that her political struggle became a treatise of Islam and the rights of women.

Bhutto spoke against abortion, and was an active and founding member of The Council of Women World Leaders. She is known as “The Iron Lady” (OMG, iron, really?! Ok she might be though, but gold is also resistant and it would suit her better...) and has been honored in many ways: The Islamabad National Airport was renamed to Benazir Bhutto International Airport, Muree Road of Rawalpindi to Benazir Bhutto Road and Rawalpindi General Hospital to Benazir Bhutto Hospital. Nawabshah, in Sindh, was renamed Benazirabad, a university in NWFP was founded in her name and Benazir Income Support Program, a program which provides benefits to the poorest Pakistanis, is named after Bhutto.

Isn't all this incredibly awsome? I also want cities with my name...I guess I may dream about it, right?

XOXO, Oh My Gossip,

Filipa

Aung San Suu Kyi

Hello, Hello! Have you missed me? How were your christmas hollidays? I hope that you had so much fun like I did!

So, to start this new year amazingly, my teacher had one “fabulous” idea...

She told us to write about Human Rights. Isn't that great?!? I thought so!
I've chosen to present you Aung San Suu Kyi ( what a beautifuul name!), chairperson and General Secretary of the National League for Democracy in Burma (Myanmar) bordered by China, Thailand, India, Laos and Bangladesh.

She begun a career in politics, influenced by Mahatma Gandhi's philosophy of non-violence, but mainly by Buddhist concepts, to fight for democratisation. During this process, she helped in the foundation of the National League for Democracy, of which she is now General Secretary.


Suu Kyi beliefs are based in the creed that we should learn from the most various places in the world and «from everybody who has achieved a transition to democracy», not just Asian countries like Mongolia and Indonesia, but also South Africa, Latin American and Eastern European countries.
She is famous for her speech, Freedom From Fear in 1990, where Suu Kyi refered diverse themes from freedom to politics. In this speech she proclaimed her beliefs and also referes to Ghandi and motivates her people: Within a system which denies the existence of basic human rights, fear tends to be the order of the day. Fear of imprisonment, fear of torture, fear of death, fear of losing friends, family, property or means of livelihood, fear of poverty, fear of isolation, fear of failure. A most insidious form of fear is that which masquerades as common sense or even wisdom, condemning as foolish, reckless, insignificant or futile the small, daily acts of courage which help to preserve man's self-respect and inherent human dignity. (...) Yet even under the most crushing state machinery courage rises up again and again, for fear is not the natural state of civilized man.

One year after this speech, Aung San Suu Kyi won the Nobel Peace Prize and Francis Sejersted, Chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Commitee made a speech in her honour, finishing with this statement: We will never be able to lower our standards. On the contrary, a better world demands even greater vigilance of us, still greater fearlessness, and the ability to develop in ourselves the "profound simplicity" of which this year's Laureate has spoken. This applies to all of us as individuals, but must apply especially to those in positions of power and authority. Show humility and show fearlessness - like Aung San Suu Kyi. The result may be a better world to live in.

She was recently released, on 13 November 2010, from her house arrest, where she remained for 21 years, for having assumed the leadership of many movements in favour of democracy in Myanmar. During all this years, she read biographies, philosoohy, politics and playing the piano (How could someone live without going to a mall for sooo long?!).

Well, I guess I'll leave you with that HUGE question...

XOXO, Oh My Gossip!

Sara