The power of story 2

Photo by Enzo Muu00f1oz on Pexels.com

In continuation of the previous post the-power-of-stories-1, story telling changed completely with the invention of the printing machine in 1450. A story was not recited orally and collectively, but it became an individual solitary activity. How did this shift in stories status affect us?

As aforementioned, a story became written in a book for a solitary individual activity. At its start, reading was the rich and educated pleasure. So, the story lost its collective social and sociable aspect and turned into, not only a solitary activity, but a social class matter.

As we all know it today, reading has many benefits on the brain and on human faculties despite the social segregation it brought for a very long time. Progressively, people became individualistic in a way and more of thinkers. Reading is a slow activity that developed critical thinking, discussions and debates which didn’t exist massively in ancient times. All types of books began to emerge with all types of topics. Books helped science, knowledge, art, philosophy and much more to evolve. This meant, more reasoning, more curiosity and depth, more emancipation.

In other words, political revolutions wouldn’t have taken place, hadn’t the book been invented.

My life this week in 2020 the year of change

photo by unsplash.com

The country is shut down due to the corona tsunami and people remain home. For me, it was a new experience as i am teaching online. I hate corona but i am loving this online job experience. However, being locked down, I couldn’t help but wonder about the year 2020.

For those who follow my blog, they know that starting october 2019, we have been on a long revolution against corruption and injustice. So on a shaky land we entered 2020 that hit us with more turmoils and with corona. Horrible as it is, we must look at the bigger picture. 2020 is the year of battles and change; which logically leads to the desire of change or to resistance because of fear. I feel it is a turning point: there is before and after 2020. The decade sounds revolutionary on all levels.

Corona, floods, earthquakes, protests, climate change and more demand responsibility and collective consciousness. It demands awareness and redifinition of oneself, of social structures, of relationships, of politics, of economics. Basically it demands form each one of us a choice and a role. Speaking of Corona: movies, tedtalks, conferences predicted the outbreak of a similar virus. We listened but we didn’t get ready for it. Now that the outbreak is here, what am I going to do? How to deal with others? Who am I and what are my deepest desires? The natural incidents I mentioned indicate the redifinition of the earth itself.

2020 is the year of big lessons in life. Incidents will force us to retrieve into ourselves and connect on a deeper level with our fears and desires. It is the year that must teach us to let go of the past and start fresh new, both on individual and collective levels.

So yes there is fear and loneliness. There is a resistance to change. But do we have a choice other than love and flexibility? I don’t think we do.

 

Looking from above: aren’t we all fighting for our lives?

Unannounced, I took a break. Silently, I slipped away from the scene. I did it because I felt, and still feel, overwhelmed amidst chaos.

As for those who know me, they know I am into politics, more precisely into geopolitics. How could I not? I was born in the boiling region of the world.

Watching world news, I can’t help asking myself why I was born in the most tormented place. Everywhere I see people striking for freedom and dignity. Simultaneously, I see bloody oppressive responses from authorities. Am I in an impossible region?

I showed up today on here simply because I missed writing “out loud” my screaming thoughts. One of them is the following: the world is ungovernable anymore!

Internet and social media have become a collective virtual consciousness; a concept I picked to Karl Marx. Whereas people are aware of imminent dangers, politics are still in 19^th century systems.

Do you feel your hands tied?

What ancient Greek philosophers feared

Plato, in his book The Republic, criticized all political regimes. But mostly he feared the outcome of democracy as a tyranny.

Democracy, known as people’s government, is already biased in Plato’s book. Since they are deeply manipulated by sophists and politicians, their reign would necessarily include manipulation. Alongside this vicious nature of democracy, comes the principle of equality and freedom of opinions. This allows the competent and the incompetent to express themselves equally. This will create chaos later on in the democratic life.

The outcome of democracy would lead to tyranny as people’s choice to bring order back in society and politics.

For more details, please click the link below 👇

https://theconversation.com/why-tyranny-could-be-the-inevitable-outcome-of-democracy-126158

Revolution’s emergency kit: 5 ways to handle stress under chaos

The revolution in Lebanon is still on for the 24th day, with protests in front of institutional buildings accused of being corrupted places. Economically, the situation is very bad: not a lot of cash, due again to corruption. If I want to talk about stress, I wouldn’t know where to start from. Therefore, relying on my very long experience in protests and revolutions (some 20 years long), I want to answer this question that’s been around since the beginning of this revolution: How to keep yourself sane in times of political and financial turmoil?

Here are to me the best ways to keep you balanced while fighting:

• Focus: in chaotic times where life is threatened, we tend to lose concentration by thinking too much and being anxious. So, recenter your priorities: money, jobs, necessities, protesting etc. and why not organizing yourself around them.
• Take care of your finances: maybe the most important issue in terms of surviving where economy is crashing by the day. Spend on necessities only; it is a time of restriction.
• Healthy eating and resting: it is the 3^rd on my list because people tend to forget about this one but it is as crucial as the first 2. Less sugar, less caffeine, no processed food, less meat, otherwise you would be more irritated. Some intermittent fasting would do good for the body and the mind.
• Switching off news sometimes during the day and focus on yourself, maybe for a good read. It will help you refuel physically and mentally.
• Staying fit as much as possible for endurance of both the body and the mind. Yoga and meditation are great at keeping you healthy and in peace.

When life is threatened, survival instinct is on alert, but it can be exhausted quickly. Here are the tips I found useful for difficult times. What’s your emergency kit to cope up under stress?

Art, graffiti and revolution

The Prime minister, Saad el Hariri resigned couple of days ago. Protestations and strikes are still in the streets until a new government, the way we want it to be, is born. Alongside discussions groups about politics, economy, law, rights held on the ground between protestors, a lot of expressive arts became visible, in social media and on walls.

This is a different post here: revolution through art, from the heart of Beirut, a place called: “The Martyr’s Square”.  It was called so in 1931 to commemorate the martyrs execution there under the Ottoman rule. Without further ado, here are some pictures I took of some artistic activities.

The martyr’s monument crafted by the Italian sculptor Marino Mazzacurati and inaugurated in 1960. As you can see, the base was being painted as i was taking the picture . And on your far left, i put the artist emoji 🙂 

 

 

Translation: “revolution” : the monument sits on wreckage and fragments of tents broken by anti-revolution groups, who savagely broke everything down. In less then few hours everything was rebuilt and this pictures shows the resilience and the perseverance of revolutionaries.

Translation: “people rule”

The 1^st on your left: “Confessionalism is not your religion. It tore apart your religion and mine”
The 2^nd says: “Express yourself: a collective group therapy, the 1^st after the civil war”.
The Civil war started in 1975 and ended in 1990 when Syrians occupied the country until 2005. 

This one was done by my boyfriend who is a graphic designer and a dj, and most importantly, an activist. Please consider following him on all social media @dvjkaa

I have this dilemma in me and i don’t know how or what to answer. Should art remain independent and detached, or should it be politically engaged? Help me please answering this question by commenting below.

 

Revolution and emotional wreck

#LebanonProtests #Lebanonhumanchain

Today I took a day off of the streets, because I am tired physically and psychologically. Being everyday in a crowd of thousands with loud music, speeches, on alert for any eventual troubles, can turn a person into anything.

We are still waiting for the government to resign. We have been in the streets for 11 days now and the government is, let’s say, silent. They are playing on our patience and we are playing on theirs. It looks like a chess game pretty much; the only difference is the emotional rollercoaster.

One would feel simultaneously: happy and sad, angry and enthusiastic, strong and weak, alone but surrounded, hate and compassion. I can’t analyze those feelings objectively for the time being. All I say is being part of a huge mass (2.5 million all over the country) creates a different energy, some type of trance.

What makes a massive movement so powerful, i.e unchained passions, can be at the same time a threat. Being emotionally wreck is normal but it can lead to failure.

Today we made the longest human chain in the world and u can check it in the link below.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/oct/27/lebanon-protesters-form-human-chain-across-entire-country

Have you been in a protest like this before? Can I know about your experience? I would love to hear about it, so please don’t hesitate to comment

Revolution onward

Yes I told you in my previous post, I will be away, demonstrating in the streets with millions of lebanese inside of lebanon and abroad.

Our demands is the resignation of the current government for being heavily corrupted. You would be scared if you knew the stolen amounts. After 7 days of being in the streets, blocking roads, striking, djing and dancing (we love to party here!), the government didn’t resign.

I am still down the streets. I check your posts while I am sitting down, it is my favourite escape to learn and be inspired.

I urge you free people out there to fight corruption, the plague that led us to climate change and to poverty. I know you are doing it somehow with your constant creativity but there is nothing like the streets.

“See” you soon all of you. The photo was taken a couple of days ago in Beirut ❤ And until then be great and free as you all are!

Sorry.. time for revolution!

Since last night, people all over Lebanon, gathered down the streets, thousands and thousands of them, to say no to corruption and economical crisis, in spite of police efforts to stop the protests. Here some pictures:

For those who of you who want to know more, you can find the news on all social media #lebanonprotests.

Meanwhile I am going back to the streets. See you all very soon and let’s be free 👊✌❤