A couple of weeks back the World Bank announced that the world had more people in poverty than ever before, stating that 1 in 4 are in poverty. This ticker bar of information flowed under the anchor woman who handed over to a journalist at the Democratic convention. People behind her stood side-by-side as their expectations for change from the Obama campaign grew. They had just heard Hilary Clinton formally announce the latter as the official candidate - Wow! Is change really coming.

Then the other night I watched a recording of the closing ceremony of the Olympic Games 2008. Apart from my continued disbelieve that China ‘got the games’ in the first place, it emerged that apparently the Chinese have spent £20B, constructing venues that extends over 74 Hectares. Interestingly, currently the 2012 hosts, London, have revised their budget from £2B to £9B. The London site is expected to cost £10B use 20+ Hectares.

The Olympics are also interesting from a perspective of bringing the world together. In one way they suggest that humanity can come together and celebrate ‘the importance of taking part’. Yet, it is this very notion that is exposed, for example, with rich nations having big teams and country commentators obsessing over nationalism. Its always annoying when sports commentators never mention the achievement of other nations in enough detail. In a way the latter is an example of what we all adhere to day in and day out. We look at our own achievements and do not consider the opportunity to help or encourage others.

In recent days Billions of Dollars (the rescue deal will cost US tax payers $12 Billion) has been allocated by the US government to prop up The Federal National Mortgage Association and Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, commonly known as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Between these two organizations they hold $5.3 trillion Dollars worth of mortgages.

In summary, there is a lot of money at stake and one could argue that that securing one economy safe guards the global economy (just look at the ripple effect of the credit crunch). However, we seem to be missing an opportunity to change the way the economy could work for the betterment of all.

Harmonization is a word that is not used enough. For example, looking at development opportunities not based on short-term returns or to sell Western based product. For example, if in the West manufacturing is decline together with a rise in service sectors, could there not be a commercial equivalent of the Peace Corps? Do we not owe it to our current and future generations to eradicate Poverty? Can we not get a stronger set of United Nations forces to implement anti-genocide regimes.

Can’t Bankers and Accountants be more creative? Can we not twin company’s the same way that towns twin each other?
As consumers can we not demand greater ethics in food and clothing production? Corporate responsibility is being ignored. Can we not remove distance between the very rich and poor? Can we not think before we spend our money on lavish events.- or – simply link the Olympics to an opportunity to drive change.

If this could happen I’m confident that future Olympic team sizes will change.

Popularity: 13% [?]

Just to start with, it is certainly worth reading the article posted / sourced via Sikhnet on the 2008 bollywood movie, Singh is Kinngh.

http://www.sikhnet.com/reviews/singh-kinngh-film-review

Last year I presented at a Sikh camp in the UK and suggested we need to create our own media. This is one answer and this film says that such desperate times need desperate efforts. We needed to assemble good media right now and more than ever!

I skimmed through the film Singh is Kinngh - I wanted to see if my fears about the film were warranted. The skimming was the result of my cringing and the fact that it was hard to concentrate. My fears about this film are warranted. The film contains swear words and variable views of Sikhs and that is putting it lightly.

In addition, questionable themes are revealed as the so called romantic comedy unfolds.

Let us consider the film in the context of whether we should laugh at ourselves.
Sorry, I can’t as it is too offensive. There is simply too much misinformation and humour that does not travel. Bollywood is known for slapstick comedy, sick jokes about speech impediments and the disabled. In this film slapstick is the focus. The various characters are shown as clumsy. Clowning around humour simply does not last.

Does the film show that Sikhs are cool just because they can capture villains from an aerial feat or rap with Snoop Dogg?
Hey! Sikhs know that they are already cool and they certainly do not need this kind of film to exhibit.

If you want to read an article I wrote as early as 2004 on how Bollywood always betrays Sikhs please checkout:

http://www.saviarora.com/bollywood-always-betrays/

The sad reality is that nothing much has changed.

It is certainly strange that in a world where Sikhs are leaders in a variety of world arenas, for example: Medicine, bravery and self-less service not enough information is available about the reality of who we are.

A light on the horizon is to see how Sikhnet inspires by the way they are encouraging the annual Sikhnet Film festival.
It shows that we can be creative without being crude and cool without being cunning like the likes of Bollywood moguls.

Keep the Faith!

Popularity: 34% [?]

I read recently Times article entitled, ‘Angelina Jolie and the superfast generation
Nothing happens quickly enough for us anymore‘.

It was suggested that,

‘Barack Obama stands out like a welcome beacon of zen. This week in an overheard aside to David Cameron he confided that “the most important thing you need to do is have big chunks of time during the day when all you’re doing is thinking”. Without that, he said, “you lose the big picture”.

and

In his essay Is Google Making us Stupid?, Nicholas Carr observes that he now seems less able to engage himself deeply in long, complicated narratives or arguments. “Once I was a scuba diver in the sea of words. Now I zip along the surface like a guy on a jet ski,” he says. It’s so obviously true. Anyone who doubts that our attention spans are dwindling is seriously…oh, who cares? I sometimes find myself talking to two-year-olds and having to stop myself saying: “Yes, yes, but what’s your point?”

The general gist of the article is the suggestion that the world has become to fast.
I too suffer from the syndrome as I often declare to my staff, ‘hurry-up. What is taking so long!?’
Therefore, I’m not setting a good example.

What I found helped and again ironically I do not make time for it is Yoga.
On what I like to call my Spanish episode (August 2006) I had lost patience. I also blame the fact that it was also a very hot day that day.

Anyway, upon returning to London I attended a couple of Kundalini Yoga sessions. I found that it was almost as if someone had pressed my ‘reset’ button.

The Times article is interesting in that it exposes what we suffer from. However, does it suggests few solutions.
Here are some that I have managed to research. I call it strategies for focus…

1. Dedicate time to think
2. Establish set times to perform particular activities
3. Consider Yoga
4. If you do a lot of report writing, then try a creative writing exercise - It helps to become more creative
5. Before you sleep think of 3 good things that happened or made you happy
6. Don’t use a computer/laptop or watch TV for up to 2-3 hours before retiring to bed (easier said than done!)

The latter tip I picked up from Snatam Kaur’s blog site.

The article is definitely worth a read to help us realise that to obtain quality of life, we all have to try harder.

Popularity: 25% [?]

As part of the organising committee that organises the Birmingham to London Cycle (UK) ride every year. Our organising team / committee consists of approx 8 volunteers from London, Luton and Birmingham (19th-20th July 2008). The ride takes at least 10 months to organise. Let us also not forget this year there is a giant mela to welcome the riders and raise more money for charity with stalls and performers at SKLP Community Centre on 20th July from 12pm to 5pm.

If you took part last year, you will remember, the friends, fellowship and fun that we all had raising money for Children with Leukemia (CWL). Together we successfully raised £25,000.

This year we have chosen the same charity again. This year the ride takes place from 19th-20th July 2008. As a reminder, the ride is organised by SACA (Sikh Arts and Culture Association).

This is a community ride that also shows that collectively we can perform good in society and be humble about it too! The other good thing about this ride is that is demonstrates what I tend to hark on about - People from different backgrounds coming together for a common cause - focusing on self-less service - together with an opportunity to train and  test their stamina (NB Health disclaimers are given).

This year we managed to configure the site with a link to www.justgiving.com – (NB My sponsorship page is at: http://www.justgiving.com/saviarora - your kind donations/sponsorship would be greatly appreciated). This is a brilliant way to collect online sponsorship for any charity. Once the charity is registered it takes just a few moments for individuals to create their own pages, set targets and gain encouragement / momentum!

Moving away from I to We.

It is also interesting that National Rail is using the following marketing strap line: ‘you take the journey with you’. Orange has just unveiled ‘I am’ as their new strap line which will replace ‘the future is bright, the future is orange’. The latter line was introduced by ad agency WCRS for Orange in 1994 to launch the mobile phone brand into the UK market. The ’I Am Everyman’ television commercial suggests a number of messages. Some online marketing publications have suggested that this brand change has cost Orange a few million to complete. Someone suggested £10M?

I wonder if the 21st century has increasingly become - A world for the ‘I’ generation, for example: I pod and MySpace. Yet, the irony is, that for each of these components to operate one has to interact with others?

Mohammad Ali, the famous boxer once gave one of the most powerful and shortest lectures in Oxford. He simply announced, ‘Me, We’.

When I looked through some of the other events featured on Justgiving it gave me a reassurance that there are so many good causes and people prepared to help.

In a world where the word ‘I’ is increasingly becoming prevalent it is good to know that there are people who want to share and harmonise. I only wish that some commercial /giant multi-nationals companies and governments could do more.

Popularity: 48% [?]