Minhaaj's Blog

Where the heart is?

2011-12-22T22:45:00.000+05:00

Its been a long time since i posted on my blog. Real life took over i guess. Like for most of us, it does, more or less. I wanted to hitchhike back home from Turkey to Iran after my big journey. However i got deported from Turkey. I was left with no money and had to go back to Sweden because my visa was ending and had to work again to earn enough. Been doing the odd jobs again and finally made it to Ericsson. 2 Weeks of work there made me hate it to the utmost intensity. I was never cut out to work in a corporation i guess. My usual anathema for artificiality and elitism takes over and my anarchism and perfectionism makes it even worst. However i had made just enough to escape yet another winter and just another Ericsson for a while. I have to go back home to find my peace and rainbow of emotions in normal people. Problem however is that i have lost the orientation and meanings in word ´Home´. Home has reduced into a starting point of a race that marks where you left off. I find myself unable to associate myself to the word anymore. Somehow it has no meanings left.

I have seen enough of the world to have realised we are not the best people. We are not even the nicest. We are not so different from others either. I stand between this cultural crossroads where i see all roads going to unhappy people. Some are unhappy because they wanted things they dont have. Others are unhappy because they found out that they have things that doesnt make them happy. Maybe happiness is an illusion. Its a myth and its too hard to find it but for me this very moment is happiness. To be able to stand on this crossroads and talk with people on their way to other worlds. They fascinate me and irritate me at the same time. Their curiosity makes me feel young and their complaining makes me chuckle about their hopes of the light at the end of the tunnel.

Its once again time to leave a good friend. A friend who has been my courage, my muse and my shock simultaneously. We hugged and he just left and i sit here alone, regurgitating 2 years of our vicissitudes. I get my new passport on 27th and then i book a flight back. I honestly dont know however, who am i going for ? Is it because i want to sit in silence by my moms grave or for the family that i dont have and i dont belong to ? Is it for me or is it for the hope of finding huamnity and culture again ? I dont know how is that any different from backpacking just another country i have never been to before. I know home is where the heart is, but guess i just have one problem left to solve. To find out, where the heart is.

Param Yok

2011-06-28T21:40:00.004+05:00

I have finally been able to complete my book on my travels in Europe. It has taken a good 3 months to compile the observations and expand my notes. I think there is very little to say because the book itself speaks for itself. I would however only like to encourage you to read it and if you like it, consider buying a copy. This book is primarily targeted towards Muslim readers but i hope everyone has something to identify with in this book. I have published it on lulu.com and you can click on the front cover to get there. Have fun!

Kindle Link on Amazon

Women

2011-02-20T16:08:00.001+05:00

They say if i wasn't the way i am, you know, the comparatively over-educated, traveling, feeling and thinking type, i would have been a seaman. I guess that has a truth to it regardless of how hard that seem to me or to someone else from the life i've had. My friend for so many years, and some of the people who could explain things about me, that for myself have been a grey area, told me that. I am a man who make things deeper than they should be. I detest Valentine's day, i dislike international sports and all similar expenditures of tax money. I look up to prototype strong men, with a sense of sacrifice, kindness, honor and veneer of refined-roughness. Maybe because some of them were around, when i was being raised. Their strength and courage had a reticent tone to it. Their foresight and aura was spell-binding. They spoke when they were invited to speak. They did things without the fear of what other people would say or think about it. Their lives were simple, their demeanor was honorable but there was nothing simple about their stories. The two sides of the times that i have lived made me think about the very standards by which i was grown up. The men whose wisdom and valor was seen as an example for the children to follow. These same men now are forced down the ladders of society to live a life of mere existence. I know through history, that when nations begin their journey to extinction, they start losing their brave and wise people. Its like a cardiac arrest. When your heart stops pumping the lifeline, the body goes into an arrest, begging for something to live on, with all functions paralyzed, with heels as vulnerable as Achilles. I heard something the other day Orya Maqbool Jan said. Its a hadith. Once prophet (peace be upon him) was told by one of his companions, that he loves the path that He's laid him on and he loves Him for that. The Prophet (pbuh) asked, Do you really love Me ? he said. Yes. It was a very common way of prophet (pbuh) to ask thrice if he wanted to stress something. So He did and the answer He received was yes. He finally said, People who love me, will have a rush of problems, like a rush of water in a pit.

For those of you who don't have the attachment with the greatest man i've read about, the traumas attached to loving him doesn't only mean loving him as a person, but it relates to the values and principles he stood for. A man who changed barbarians into most civilized and compassionate rulers to be the example of justice and peace as long as the human history goes, doesn't need a word to prove that and it is also my personal opinion so i will leave it to that. Its the very definition of a man that is elicited from what He did in his life, that makes rest of us, as men to follow it and not found oneself between the crossfire of primitive barbarianism and feminist metrosexualism. A man who works hard for his living, is simultaneously a concrete wall against invaders for his family and a shelter for unprotected. A true man is a master piece of a consummate and strong woman. An educated, chaste, iconic, and mettlesome woman. A woman with no patience and soft corners for sons when it comes to manners and societal obligations. Someone with ruthless moral codes and an ability to freeze you in your tracks with a look. I am a supporter of education for women, with all the might i have in me, although definition of education here is the keyword. Somehow, women are born teachers. If you teach them well, we all would end up being educated.

Lets accept that. We men are wild horses. Fuming and steaming through our nostrils in our rage and power. Our heights, strengths, and perceived obligations to enter into manly world makes us miserable souls. We are these wild tarzans with all the gifts to rule the jungle, but ruling is not about ruling with instincts. Power, rule, influence and governance comes with a responsibility and obligation. Its about caring people and being accountable for what one does. Its about taking caring of the weakest and reigning the most powerful. Its about abolishing the privileges and help the weak up on their feet. This is something a strong woman teaches you. Men teach you strength, but only a wonderful woman tells you things to unlearn. What she does is similar to how you open the doors. When you have to turn the knob to right and you break the knob turning left, thats where a woman comes by, turns the knob on next door, on the right and leaves with a comforting smile, leaving you having doubts about your ability and a knob in the hand. It could be your mom, it could be an elder or even younger sister, your wife or your 5 year old daughter. It could be anyone with a story that you took a minute to ponder upon. I used to teach kids and at times i would give them groupwork to do and sit back and watch them. Its these weird vibes between opposite gender that make most troublesome boys in the class to behave like they were gentlemen. Reticent girls had little to say but those very little things that they said had so much weight in them that it seemed to have taken over all the group work. Their respect for mutual decision, choice of words and standing by it amazed me. I have observed that aura in all inter-gender communications throughout the life cycle of people. I maybe am from a society where women are acknowledged for their priceless contribution to our lives and social structures make them privileged in some ways, but in so-called egalitarian western societies, you could nose out these uneasy moments of silence and gender-only-topics. With their fight against the nature, this world has gone too far to look at the misery (for me) these women go through in their daily lives, believing the myth of feminism and equality. Having to share our dirty toilets, male doctors, cumbersome work and abuse that the weaker men have heaped on them, is gruesome.

Maybe western women or the women in the process of this enforced westernization feel they are contributing to this ground-breaking feminist movement, supporting their families instead of males, shaping a better and more open world, but for me it has always been and will always be tragic how women, no matter how smart, how potent and how strong they could be, can be convinced into doing work exponentially more absurd than we men do. I have never been a man supporting that. I have always been the primitive, born in the wrong century kind of man but i somehow am forced to share the ignominy that my gender has brought to women, or at least according to my old ideals. While the shameless metrosexual men write the words of equality and gender emancipation, these women have to live up both to their families and their work. You keep pushing them to manage the balance that you never found for yourself. Through industrialization, cheap food places, bulk production and artificial ways of producing food, you eat unhealthy junk and live unhygienic lives and convince these women to do not only the same but to keep providing for you also. Its an honor to be respected for your human traits and role in society. We are made men and women for a reason. Its like a gizmo that works when the two parts are connected and they have to be different in order to be considered TWO different parts of a machine. When you become alike, it stops functioning. When you change the composition of a chemical to make it something else, it doesn't work the way it is supposed to. These women are unfortunate. They don't know in their daily lives how it feels to be given way by a gentle man. How honorable that is to be offered a seat, to be able to pay your bills first even when the queue is long, to be respected for the very traits they are born with being a woman and not for their bodies. What can a woman born in such a savage jungle of us men can teach their sons about humility and respect? Who needs and respect these men anyway anymore? huh? World has changed into something so drastically corrupt that it scares me. However, the wonderful part about being these women and men is their living by their standards. Aloofness with the contemporary world and indefatigable struggle. Its becoming rare to find men and women like these, but when you do, hold tight to them and learn from them, because a touch of gold, turns you into gold and nothing changes after that.

Willkommen!

2011-01-12T22:45:00.004+05:00

It's impossible to find the perfect balance in life. Or maybe there is no such thing as perfect balance? Maybe it's the very Beauty of human race? I have been 3 weeks into German life and coming from Sweden it's interesting to notice the difference. When i was backpacking around Europe, i loved the way things worked in Germany. From cheap food to perfection and order in things. Things regulated by excessive rules, i somewhat like the curt, impolite and even mean behavior of people sometimes. I guess struggling with figuring out somewhat hypocritical or let's say confused Swedes; Germans were like WYSIWYG html editors. Things were supposed to be dealt at face value. No thought, no considerations, nothing soft about their ways of life. I don't know if it's only a personal choice but i would rather deal with outright outspoken, rude, self-indulged but impartial, principled and determined people than with people with ice-cold demeanor, striving to make sense out of their behaviors. There is no question about righteousness or fallacy of their national behaviors in Europe when it comes to individualism, materialism, blind consumption, hate-speech and xenophobia but if you are at the wrong end of the gun, then you at least choose the lesser evil. In some exotically incomprehensible way, for me at least, it's nice to get stabbed in the chest than in the back.German lives are in total contrast with Swedish pace. It would be futile task to compare them with each other or even to prefer one over other, even though I've somehow made my choice. Germans are somehow characterized by this invisible, thoughtless pursuit of perfection. Swedes somehow are similar but with the patience, slowness and consistency of an ant. Germans on the other hand are stressed, tense, trying to catch up with their unmanageable lives. Germany brings me back to the long forgotten curse of the classes that contemporary world is marked with. Clad in suits, bragging, and stiff-necked, mean rich people. The same dichotomy that has swallowed the peaceful lives of primitive ancestors. The senseless greed, devoid of sharing, artificial 9 to 5 jobs to feed relationships and self-image that simply don't exist. Buying to satisfy others more than self. Foreign to the small pleasures of life like walking instead of taking local trains, sharing things, getting to know people and not only MEET them. Loving and not liking people, feeling and not experiencing, letting it go and not bursting. They buy things to feel happiness which i don't even understand can be seen as happiness, they spend on things they don't even need.

Swedes aren't like these. They have a beautiful country to explore, breathtaking outdoors and a sense of peace, tranquility and personal life. Even though i would never understand their individualistic forms of weird enjoyment, you can feel the lack of urgency in daily Swedish lives. The barbecues in the backyard, fishing trips, mountain hiking, small Fikas and focus on the characteristic laid-backness of the country side. I remember i used to take long walks along the lakes and forests in Sweden and i miss that here. Even the countryside in Germany is too commercialized for a suburb. It isn't as clean as Sweden and it's somehow more unfriendly towards foreigners than Sweden. I am glad i studied German in university and can manage daily life situations otherwise it would have been hard to have first-hand insight into culture. English speaking students tend to have their own separate groups as Germans are quite notorious for their race-specific friendships, stereotypes and stiffness. Somehow it had never been a problem for me. I just break into all kinds of people. I have found wonderful friends everywhere and i have found it rather interesting that more racist, xenophobic and barbaric a government is towards minorities and visitors, the more nice people become once they KNOW what's going on.

It's said that dictators and strict regimes prevent people from information and opposing ideas but i have never witnessed a more clever psychological exploitation of people as i have witnessed in Europe. Sometime i feel sorry for all the wealth and naivety, a combination which is death to spirituality of human beings, without which there is hardly any difference between voracious beasts and human race. Sometime addiction to this hedonism and even crushing embarrassment of their life styles even make them believe the most unethical creation theory that has ever existed. Darwinism. Somehow trying to get away with all the guilt by declaring themselves animals, justifying the evil behavior. But there is something about them. It's a weird ability to focus on things. The ability to ignore, forget and focus on self. Sometimes it can be a very good habit. People practice yoga, do meditation, talk to psychologists to be able to let go of things in their lives and be able to increase attention span. Germans have this amazing ability to let go of things. This is somehow aided by their ability to afford their rudeness also but it's still amazing. I have found it hard to be as straight as Germans. I think there has to be a way between being polite and being honest. They just somehow don't backbite about people. You would know quite quickly about how they feel about you. They would stick with you if they like you and they won't if they don't.

Leaving things are quite easy for them. Temporary friends, moving on with life, hate for settling down, changing places without regret is just amazing. I tend to maintain every relation i have. It's just like the old Indian way being excessively polite and having more friends while having all, well, better, best friends. Having Facebook, keeping in touch with them all once in a while. Germans just keep hopping. They believe in living in present tense. Right now, everything and all of it, NOW. I call it milking the cow dry approach. You live a life in a moment and somehow even for as impartial person as me, it's rather remarkable. They don't believe in long-term relationships, distance relationships and intangibility of happiness. It has to be with things, it has to be shown, it has to be ecstasy and it has to be now. They don't believe in spreading happiness over their whole lives, taking it slow, thinking through things, sacrificing, giving up your happiness at times for other's, changing habits for someone. We Indians are bad at quite a lot of things. Really a hell lot of them but our tolerance with people is really way too elastic for us to whine about other people's endurance with society.

For Germans, there are very few things that they can't discuss. Very few topics they find intimidating. Even with their proud demeanor, solitude and non-attachment with people, they tend to enjoy topics of interest with anyone. Germans are so diverse that all my stereotypes are somehow wrong if you don't understand that it's MY experiences. They are up for craziest ideas, adventures and things of mutual interests. No pretense, no shyness and no duality. Their focuses on their self and what they want in life is unbelievable. I am truly envious. I don't like to talk much about people i don't like. I prefer to talk about people like instead but looking at them, i feel like i am a backstabber. I don't know if you like the formality, impartiality, and reckless lifestyle of Germans but i have seen quite a lot of world to know, these are gems in some way. I have learned it the hard way that people come in a package. With all their spite and love, with all their menaces and cherubic faces. You don't get better than that! If i wanted to live in Europe, i would have stayed here. In the shit-hole as some GERMANS refer it!

http://www.minhaaj.com

Anatomy of a Racist

2010-12-07T01:03:00.000+05:00

Have you ever noticed children playing in a school while passing by? If sometime in your busy life, you can spare 10 minutes to observe these creatures, you would be really shocked to see what have you become through the journey of childhood which took you from being a child to an adult. Sometime ago i saw a movie with a real experiment where teacher tries to note down the effects of discrimination on people. How friends become enemies and enemies become friends based on how you are grouped and group differences are promoted. More about experiment can be seen in the movie but it left me thinking as to what is that makes us racist, murderers, callous and barbarians? I don't remember having anyone black or white or disabled in 2nd grade. As if i remember anything else about it but i vividly remember people being someone as soon as i progressed. To a point where i noticed that people are not OK with being themselves and others being the same when they got to a certain point in age.

We have a junior school or maybe a day-care like school that i pass through when i have to go to the town. I sometime sit by the fence and look at them play. Its really amusing to see them playing without being embarrassed about getting dirty, or playing with a black, white, brown or dumb kid. Its not the same in University. Children tend to be very expressive and straight forward in how they feel and perceive. One of the things that inspire me about children is the way they form their likings and develop their grudge. They base it on simple WYSIWYG principle. They get angry when they are hurt, they smile when they are happy, they play with you when its interesting and they become upset when they are hungry. They base their expressions on matter of fact principles. As we grow up it changes.

Human brain in adulthood develops more like a stock exchange speculation-like fashion. We start believing news more than the reality itself. People start hating people because they are out-group, they wage wars because they don't follow their practices, they start hating people they hardly know and they stop being the children they once were who expressed things as they were without fabrication or pretense. Felicities of richest of us makes it even more easier to be that depraved adults that we become. Western culture is a perfect example of this menace, not that eastern is any different. The perfect divide-and-rule principle seem to have worked for them.

In the midst of their egalitarian slogans and anti-discrimination laws, their legislation exploits, loots and slaughter people beyond the wildest imagination of people. I had an accident the other day and the car was stuck in the snow by the side of the road. No amount of striving was enough to get the car out. We had to call the police and thats where the drama began. Instead of trying to get us out, they wanted us to do this alcohol test. License checked, background info asked and not a word about rescue. Finally came the historical words. If you were a Swedish citizen, we could have helped you but you have to pay to get out of here or you can of-course try to hitch hike your way to the city. Regardless of what origin you come from, language, race or religion, nothing changes the fact that leaving someone stuck in the snow, in cold and dark is barbarian. Specially when the reason is them being NOT one of you.

Where do we learn this xenophobia ? Historically Scandinavia had been a very oppressed, cold and poor area before it grew into a powerful country. They say, no matter how much you change, your nature never change and thats what i think happened to this nation. The instinct of saving everything for yourself for cold and dark weather, this greed, selfishness and materialism has lead them to be ruthlessly cold. The way they treat their children, teachers, parents, each other and foreigners is simply ridiculous. So when they say law is equal for everyone, it does mean that. The question most of us forget to ask is the law for whom ? When you categorize people on the basis of their nationality, religion, race and language, you create stratas of people for which different laws apply. So now we have like two different sets of laws for different people. Thats how we create the same Blonde and Blue experiment on a societal level. We subject them to visas, left-over jobs, expensive health-care, 2nd rate treatment and lack of judicial rights or lets say unaffordable in any case. We close the doors on these outcasts to speak to media, keep chanting the shameless lies of equality while promoting the blacksheeps among them to further subjugate them.

You close the doors or at-least make it hard for them to survive in schools, force them to work while pay our own children money to study. We give them the best projects to work on, promote linguistic divides in classes and employ the racist teachers, all fitting in with the larger experiment of Blonde and Blue. I have always had problems with teachers and whole education system in general. I would run into teachers and the whole class ended up listening to only two people speaking in class. I hated the grading system and impassive tutoring in class. I detested the role of teachers in grading and i loathed the cramming of books. With time i learned to create my own strategy for saving myself from the dysfunctional ed-system. I lived in a country where piece of paper meant quite a lot and subjectivity in ed. was intolerably high. My brother was studying engineering and got kicked out in final year because he didn't comply by the minimum score levels according to univ regulation. He was devastated and i guess he somehow is more sensitive towards himself than i am. Some of them just quit and commit suicide. I am glad he didn't go this way and pulled out of it.

School was really fun and i think most of what human beings learn about life and beliefs come within first 12 years of school. After that its just an acquisition of information fitting onto the same foundations, no matter who correctly placed or misplaced they were. I know i have studied with some of the most amazing human beings as teachers in school. To this day they are my inspiration and have influence on what i write and think. I learned to use that principle into a more self-guided study. I started studying to get to learn how things work instead of how it would help me pass. So i never tried for good grades. I would study just enough to pass while saving myself enough time to know how stuff works. They could disagree with me, hate me but couldn't argue with me, because they knew thats where i wouldn't lose. One way egotistic teachers employ is to compare students with others in class. What you can do is to set your minimum excellence level to the best in class. Grades are reflection of how good you were as compared to others in class not on how good you actually were. This is a systematic flaw in grading system that students can leverage on. A key to survive in contemporary ed system is to treat your professors like you would treat stray dogs on streets. You look into their eyes and you know how dirty it can get. You listen to them grunt and wag their tails and you know whats coming up. What do you do to pass by them in one piece ? Yes, you give them the bone they want. You never tell them they are dogs. That they live in a world of impractical limbo where compassion, kindness and passion doesn't exist. No matter what, they just don't have the ability to feel the spiritual responsibility of enriching children's life as their own children. Drunk in the drunkenness of their glory, they step on the petals that are yet to grow into a flower. Sometimes out of egotistic fury, others procedural insensitivity. (I must also say that once in a while you would find a gem that would give you the strength and belief to fight them all)

Problem with these stray dogs is the one with all people with no ethical and moral code. They tend to discriminate in favor of people on the basis of their canine-ness. So the people who survive this Jurassic park somehow are bitten by the vampire and slowly turn into the ugly beast our ed. system creates. And these are the places supposed to be responsible for creating a healthy nation.

So when a food production factory becomes a Pandora box, this is what happens to the world. When you divide people into Blonde's and Blues you always make them enemies. When you publish grades you make them animals. When you want competition, you need to choose the right prize also. Education, learning and life is not about being the best or first, its about being a better human being. Children in the experiment were invited to a re-union years later to discuss how they felt about the experiment. Very few times in life have i seen a documentary like this. Soon enough, i am heading to join a family in Germany for Xmas. I don't know any of them except for my friend. Hes white, comes from a country with worst discrimination history on earth. We live unbelievably different lives and yet i feel i am more close to him than some of my childhood friends. So whatever you do, where ever you live and no matter what happens, be the change you want. I did my part. Are you ready for yours ?

When the pigs will fly!

2010-10-29T03:22:00.001+05:00

Five years down the future, i would read this post and smile. I know that for sure. When i should be writing pages and pages for last days of coursework in school, i am writing this blog post with an elation which only i can understand. As it draws near and work load increases and so does my laziness, i have noticed that i have stopped caring. We hear about international companies and big ideas executed by school drop outs and i wonder its dropping school is a key to success somewhat. I am at a point where i almost have stopped caring. I know patience wears out and its no more fun when its almost over but maybe pushing it a little hard is the key.

What made it more worst the other day, when i went to this conference, listening to a room full of venture capitalists and entrepreneurs. Sweden-US forum was a real fun day. I have always been amazed to see peoples ability to talk about the most sensitive and meaningful words without actually meaning them as part of their daily rhetoric and boring jobs. So when a bunch of jerky, glib, filthy rich, American venture capitalists tell you about their lives and what they do and what they can do for you, as much as other people learn from them, it draws me even further. A part of it could be the fact that i grew up working with them since i was 18. I imagine what kind of picture do i depict looking on myself from someone Else's point of view. A reckless, non-serious, rowdy, back-bencher with no idea about business world. Now i have almost started enjoying their judgmental, assumptuous and sometime scornful stares while they try to concentrate on the lecture and i sleep on the seats in the back bench. They probably think i am just too self-righteous, spoiled kid.

What they don't know is that current educational system instills more entitlement than enrichment in our lives. People believe more they learn and complicate things with complex jargon and tricky terminologies, they would somehow conjure up an aura of pedantic wisdom. People would somewhat be numbified and mesmerized by the depth of analysis which simply doesn't exist. What they don't know is that i have lived with these people most of my life before i said No. These conferences i go to, these people i listen to, these exams i sit in, its banal. I have been on the other side of the lecture hall, i have been on the scary side of the podium, and i have been the heroic executive who helped run companies. The stories they listen about, i have lived one of them. I wonder how many people would call it bragging, if you only told people that you are proud of something you have done most of life. The imbecility of my times probably ignores the fact that people deserve to take pride in something they are good it, while world is being ruled by people who are worst at their job.

Watching both sides of the same picture is a thing very few people choose to do in their lives. The professionalism of our daily lives is running over my childhood ideals of welfare and compassion. As much it makes me sad and fills me with more fuel to run when i am done, it gives me a good laugh at how much people react and assume about other peoples lives. Now it has almost become an interesting thing to do a pre-test and post-test hypothetical experiment with people with a given story. You give them a screening-test and categorize them in someway and work things their way. Its just like reading documentation about different models of new products. You operate everyone with a different manual. And while you are at it, you find exceptions from their category. And thats the favorite part. Even though human beings essentially work the same way, its their story that make them different. I live off these stories in many ways. I spend time to talk to them, to get to know them and putting myself in their shoes. These impassive people have taught me things that they have no idea they have taught me.

Sometimes i feel like a scientist with a double-blind experiment working in an enemy culture striving to maintain neutrality and integrity at the same time. Needing de-briefing. One emotional dilemma most of these people face is the numbness they sometime feel in their personal lives by continuously studying impartially and failing to find your original side. Every field-worker knows deep inside that the synthesis of both worlds is an idea recipe of peace and consummation of humanity but he also knows the implausibility of the idea. And, while hes an authority on inter-cultural relations and is able to explain other culture with all three positions as native, impartial and foreign perspective, he finds himself in a weirdly powerful position which however is a fourth one with no clan. You have your own hunches to follow and an upgraded morality with an amalgamation of best of the both sides. I think not only one learns the ways of other people and their attractiveness or abhorrence, they unlearn the finality of ones ethnocentric lessons also. Even though its a hard job to do, if you have been impartial and upright in your observations and analysis of what you see in the world, you can learn quite a lot from universe.

So while, i hamper around from person to person, talking to them about their country and culture and making school fun for them, i think i cant avoid the blame of being the hell-raiser and reckless kid. I talk to my high school class fellows now and they still think i was the one who lightened up the classroom and sparked the jokes in their tedious and mono-chronic educational lives. None of them need to know my story, they don't even need to know me but as long as i can put smiles across their faces and at-least a curiosity about my weird ways, who cares about being judged ? Does it really matter to be remembered as a nice person or not a nice person by someone who don't know you ? What good is the applaud and the critic of a stranger ? I go to school to meet people not robots with longer attention spans and academic recordings. I somehow pass, have fun and learn at the same time. I am happy with the bundle package. You want better than that ? You will get it when the pigs will fly !

Saint or a Wolf ?

2010-10-09T22:53:00.002+05:00

I have a weird habit. It has been with me since child hood and sometimes it freaks out the dear ones that i ask this question. I ask it from everyone i deem important, because for me it matters to see how much people love their lives. As for me, i am grotesque enough to always have wanted to die when i was 25. For i believe that by 25 if you had your eyes open, you would have seen everything world has to offer. You have been a child, tried your first cigarette, loved your first girl (and vice versa), see someone die in-front of you, noticed world is not as fair as mom told you and have learned to be silent when the right thing to do was to speak up. You have cried hard, laughed to death, have felt compassion, embarrassment, valor, hate, racism, discrimination, sympathy, outburst, spite, malice, jealousy, despondency and optimism.

So i ask this from people i think are deep enough and close enough to answer that. How long would you like to live? The story beyond the weird looks i get is really riveting. More or less they want to live forever. Most of my life i have been inexplicably fearless. Death is least of my problems because i see it as part of the life. I believe its as beautiful as life itself. Less painful and a beginning to a new life. I believe that when your eyes close something else opens itself for you. I have never been greedy of life or afraid of death and i have always been happy because of that. But i have never been less greedy of life and afraid of other peoples death as much as i am now.

As i live between a crowd of racists in one of the most racist part of the world the amount of discrimination and racism i see each day is tearing each fiber of my flesh apart slowly like someone scalping your skin with a dull blade. Something i am good at is getting to know people, find people and making them tell me their REAL story. A story which is different from the one that's carefully constructed with linguistic excellence and decorates a 2 page resume. A story opposite from the one we human beings create with careful socially aware craft to hide the weakness to present us as a perfect member of this imperfect, abnormal world. And as i write this, these stories reside in me and resembles some of my own.

Like the story of a mother who didn't see her daughters for 7 years because she worked in France to make sure her job brings good education to girls. To a point where girl grows up enough to fly over to France to study. I don't dare to imagine the first meeting of two strangers with only a piece of paper and old photos to vouch for a relationship which never existed. One of the eyewash these post-war racist European societies employ to gain slaves is to give asylum to people who are from war-stricken countries. First they force them into war, push them to death and then save them like a saint. Although i doubt these saints have anything to do with God but their disciples tend to be very loyal slaves. I have talked to many people who came to Sweden as refugees. I have lived with them, ate with them and shared their lives. I normally say most of their lives they have been enslaved. First by the dictators at home and then by the saviors.

When you first come here, you go up north where no Swede would want to live if given a choice. You live in a camp to learn THEIR ethics as if you were animals. While you are on it, you get a stipend which is less than some peoples dog food budget. You are treated as a stray dog or a forced uninvited guest. According to a research, in Sweden, 8 out of 10 sweepers are from non-Swedish origin. The hedonism and recklessness with verbal communication is even worst. Like all feminist societies, communication is highly hypocritical. Nothing you decide at face is final. They always talk behind your back. So as some of them struggle between the life, worst-than-death and death itself, they manage to lick up-to their fastidious Swedish wives they are living as a compromise.

Very few of us are gifted to look people beyond their words. The way they look wistfully at a you-tube video about their country or the food they brag about or the way they explain the beauty of their countries is surprisingly painful for me. Arabs, Africans, Kurds, Romanians and Polish. While you sit casually dwindling down your feet from sofa with warm coffee cups in your hands and darkness covers the skies, you see it in their eyes glimmering with tears, that they left their heart homes. The green fields, mountains, deserts and loved ones. Monday morning when they get up and before they open the door to leave for a shitty, inhuman job, i am sure they stay a while before they open the door. Toying themselves with the question about whats behind the door ? Is it same people that speak your language, understand when you are happy, sad because you are sad, speak for you, fight for you, even die for you ? Is it the same green field behind the wooden door that you spent your childhood playing in ? Will James the Jockey and Tony the sucker will already be there at the field ready to steal Mr Hudson's apples ?

For anyone who has read European history it shouldn't be a problem to find out the development pattern and its reasons. All allies after WW2 and the subjugated have built societies on the foreign slavery. Like American abduction of scientists, doctors, engineers and architects from soviet bloc. So they bring geniuses like Chomsky and feed them three meals a day. And although Holocaust, South African and Indian independence has taken away the apparent racism, the whites wouldn't give up their lucky card. With an aging Nation and lazy, iphone-dumbed youth, how is Europe going to maintain its living standards without creating new wars ? So they conjured up a United Nations. Made a racist law they call European Union law or International trade law. Raised standards of living un-believably high, and made sure everyone who is the RIGHT color, race, and nationality gets that living standard. To serve them, they bring people in different categories. I call them the Prisoner numbers just like Auschwitz with the exception that it isn't on their arms anymore, its on their passports. So the young does the hard work, labor to keep their service sector going and more experienced with some skill do the research work for them.

Just in case they ask for their rights and animal-like work, they have racist parties in their countries to keep them scared enough to comply with the social norms, callous and abominable living style like theirs. Young generation of these slaves is even more confused. Half enslaved speaking the language of their masters is somewhere in the middle. Almost cut off by their roots and ethics, finding their identities in a crowd of strangers. Their is a hadith that goes like this: Poverty can take you to Blasphemy and nothing is truer when it comes to those refugees and slaves. Safe lives than home, pressure to conform, fear of poverty and shakiness of a member of a minority makes them more thankful to the oppressors. More young you are, more likely you are to fall for this trap. Young people are a very good material for insensible, hard-working and loyal slaves. They speak for their masters with passion and cant look at the bigger picture.

I have never seen a nation as cold and as self-loving as Swedes. As much as i love them for their self-contentedness, self-sufficiency, hard work and unity, i also think in some ways they are worst in the world. What makes them trash of the world is their hypocrisy which they proudly call Diplomacy. So whoever ever thought that its a neutral, secular, and rich country has either have no introduction to Swedish history or have no brains. Sometimes you wish you could unlearn things. If i could do it again, i wouldn't have learned Swedish, i wouldn't have learned them, and i wouldn't have wanted to know them. For how can a country be so ruthless as to let Germans pass through their country to kill their neighbors and be called Neutral ? What measure of secularism and common ethics allow making fun of Prophets even if you don't agree with them and publicly insult almost all religions on earth ? To force them to things they don't eat, either through procedural sanctions or through peer pressure? And what is richness if its not depth of heart and love of people ? What good is rich alone lives, meals eaten alone, residence without acquaintances, children without contact, jobs without passion, relationships without trust, sanity without conscience and Life without fear of death ?

I am this close to graduation but i am struggling hard to stay in this abnormal world. I am glad i went to European tour so i was reminded of the world outside this cold, frigid land. So even though i have earned myself some of the most wonderful human beings out of this shit lot, its not for me. I would leave. Where, When, How and Why? I have no answer to these. I have been a traveler most of my life. I walk along happily where life takes me, smiling and laughing with people, enjoying and observing the distant lands. Even though i am 25 now and ready to die if that's what fate has for me, i hope the people who shared their lives with me have better and long lives. I hope one day, they return to their lands and die among their own people and live in their memories instead of leaving a stone with their name and year of death carved, to which no one comes and pray for peace. History repeats itself, times change, Kings become beggars and Woodcutters become the legends. Even though this dumb European youth is cherishing the inequality their parents have brought to them, i know human hearts melt. Eyes open and humanity wins.

30 Days on the Road

2010-08-29T09:14:00.001+05:00

If someone had ever said that they have lived two lives in one, i would be little skeptic about their sanity before i had done exactly that. For many, life comprises of what they have been through and what they have seen. And many of us don't get the opportunity to see as much as i have in past 30 days. I wasn't sure either that i would survive that long. I was told that its a crazy idea to be on the road traveling thousands of kilometers alone on a low budget. What kept me alive in most cases wasn't the food, friends and luck, it was more a consistent excitement and curiosity to see whats out there. To be able to smell the diversity that exists in this small continent.

I started from Kalmar, Sweden, one of the oldest cities in Sweden. Stayed for a week and explored the city on bicycle, taking pictures, talking to people and was entertained by the smallest island in Sweden, Öland. Castles all over Europe in some ways similar in terms of their filmish exterior with turrets and citadel-like outlook. They still look royal and their stones radiate their stories. Thats exactly how i believe they have managed to survive over centuries owing to their solid stone structure and resistance towards ruthless European weather. What i had in my backpack was two pair of jeans, some shirts, sweater, sweatshirts, shorts and socks. A sleeping bag, sleeping mat and paraphernalia. I had never backpacked before and had never taken a gap year or something before. Thats rather funny to take a gap when you are about to graduate from university with a masters. My first ride on train was quite eye opening for me in terms of what possibly can happen and what should i take with me when i board. I realized that if i wanted to last longer then one thing i shouldn't compromise on was food. So the trains that i took subsequently weren't as horrifying as they could have been.

I wouldn't say i had a flying start since the very first train i took on my first day of European trip from Kalmar to Copenhagen got canceled. Instead we were taken to another city Malmö on bus and i missed my connection to Copenhagen from Malmö because it had already left by the time we reached there. In coming days what i missed about Sweden was the sheer professionalism and service i got from the personnel when i was allowed to board another train without actually having a ticket for that train, since it was their fault that train was canceled. No where else have i seen such friendliness, care and high standards of ethics as i have seen in Sweden and even though i have much to complain about in this land, i have developed an appreciation for this weirdly unique land on this corner of the world where i have witnessed both the worst and best sides of life.

Even though Copenhagen is officially part of Scandinavia and promises same standards and values that this region is proud of having, you notice immediately in Copenhagen that its not Sweden. First thing you notice is the stiffness and urgency people have with travelers. You notice the amount of dirt around. When you get out, you notice the sheer volume of people packed into one city only to bump into each other and jam packed into buses and subways. I have never appreciated Stockholm for its sheer size and that has been my general attitude with almost all big cities except Munich but Copenhagen has reminded me of what is that i detest about places where humans have seen so many others so that they stop realizing that an eye contact and a smile is something that other human beings deserve when they walk past them. I had a rather quick stay over night at a friends place and looked around a little.

I left for Amsterdam quite early in the morning. One thing that astounded me about the trip between Copenhagen and Hamburg and i didn't know about it before was the fact how they crossed the water channel in between. Whole train goes into a Ferry and then you have to leave the train and sit upstairs. It goes to the other end and you board the train again to continue towards Hamburg. I assume there are quite a lot of people who travel in between and wonder if they hadn't gotten into their minds the idea of a building a bridge for trains. My first train stranger, a wonderful Danish academic working in Zurich, said that they were going to build one but God knows when. In coming days, i met one stranger on almost every train and ended up being facebook friends with most of them. In this regard, Swedes are lot less introvert and a little paranoid towards strangers i would say.

As soon as you enter Germany, for some reason you know those humorless, formally-dressed, ruddy folk are not Scandinavians. During my whole trip i have been in and out of Germany on my itinerary visiting many places and have had quite a lot of insight into German culture and their lives. Thanks to my broken German, i was treated not as bad as a complete stranger. I have always had a way with Old people. Most of my friends are twice as old as i am and like to talk about same serious and deep things as i do and are as boring as i am for rest of my age group. So i had my share of old men on my way and met this old German man on train who couldn't speak English and i had not achieved mastery of German language that could embarrass Goethe. He was intrigued by my map and i wanted to practice my German. So we spend two hours blending every language on earth including, German, English, Swedish and hands. Good thing about German is the resemblance it has with Swedish and the bad thing is its complex grammar and foxy cognates. Old man anyways was either a very good language teacher or i was smart enough but there wasn't anything that we didn't talk about from family to future. If there is one thing i wished he had was facebook.

The first windmill i ever saw was in Holland. From the bleak countryside, sweeping fields, unfettered cattle and capricious weather, its a beautiful country. Its not until Amsterdam when you can explore the casualness of their hedonistic lives. Its not only their language that resembles German but their attitude towards life is quite self-righteous and positive also. The only thing they probably revolted against is the austerity of Germanic tribe. From worlds largest cycle parking to Sex shops, Red-light district to Hemp shops, Network of bridges to strolling boats, its a perfect fantasy for maybe some third rate gypsy. Maybe its my aversion to both big cities and irresponsibly hedonistic lifestyle, i didn't like it much. I agree to the right of people to choose how they want to live but for me, the moral descent and values this culture stands for was beyond digestible. That was zeroed out a little by wonderful stay i had in Alkmaar, a city 40 minutes from Amsterdam, by the coast. Tree-covered arcade that we drove through was probably one of the best streets i had seen during my travel. I wish i had more time to see around but i had to leave for Belgium the next day.

Belgium is probably the most stringent country when it comes to fines to pedestrians and bicyclers. Maybe not in more touristy cities like Brugge where i went first but in Leuven where i was later, it was a disaster. One of the most wise decisions i made was probably to take advice of a friend who suggested not to visit Brussels. Brugge is an amazingly soothing city with its stone structure and amazing architecture. Sitting on your backpack listening to 12 year-old play violin while you bask in sun is nothing that any form of expressionistic art can ever explain. While traveling towards Leuven, i felt the taciturn, silent feel of the landscape that resembled quite a lot with the neighboring Netherlands's landscape. Leuven lived upto Belgium's architecture's name and had wonderful curvy stone alleys and fountains. I visited the famous KLU where our nuclear scientist Qadeer Khan graduated from and had a wonderful time.

I was once waiting for a German friend on a bus stop and he didn't show up on time. I had another friend with me and we wondered whats wrong. I wondered if he didn't check the arrival time correctly or something happened and my other friend said: "Don't worry. Hes a German. They make the best plans. Nations and people have some characteristics that they are mostly pigeonholed with. Germans are one crazy nation. The morning i had to leave for Germany again to visit my cousin, i got a text message from a friend i studied here in Sweden that she would like to meet. For me that would have been impossible to show up on such a short notice from a city 45 minutes away on a working week day. The time she told me she would see me on station, i could almost correct my watch to that time. One nation that i could match with Swedish is probably German. Although they are more stiff, formal and driven than most Swedes, they are just plain impressive. The order, efficiency, calculation and planning of their daily lives is nothing short of inspiring. Where ever i went in Germany through my travel, i missed the punctuality and austerity of German quality. Prices are astonishingly low when you compare it with Sweden, customer service is impressive, and the immensity of their planning leaves you non-pulsed. You can buy a ticket on train to ANYWHERE in Europe from Germany while you sometimes can't have that in a city in a country to another neighbor country. Whats common in my opinion in these nations is probably the lack of the soft side we all should have in our lives. In the race of perfection and revolution, humans become masters of their game to unprecedented levels where they become better with machines than with humans. And that's what i think has been the west-side story of our times.

Population in Switzerland is hidden in the curvy plain fields among the Alps like all black money in their bank accounts. There is very little that disturbs this rather introvert nation. While Einstein worked in Zurich and intellectuals from all Europe rushed to Switzerland for academic endeavors, it has relatively stayed aloof from riots of the world around. The shy settlements in the nest of formidable Alps has been no threat to nature spewed around in its pristine form. I visited Basel, Bern, and what they call the honey moon track from Zermatt to Chur. If there is one country which is not overrated for what they are famous for, it must be Switzerland. The miraculous construction of worlds most intricate and ingenuously designed rail system is a feat to pull in such inconsistent mountainous terrain. I have longed believed in human complaining and ingratitude towards nature and resources. While world's well blessed countries in Indian continent complain about poverty, illiteracy, diseases and corruption, these seemingly resource-less countries like Switzerland (when compared to subcontinent) worked on bringing master minds in their subjects together to find ways to take their nations where they are today. Poverty was a widespread phenomenon in early 20th century in most of the Europe and how they lifted out of that with less resources than us in subcontinent to get to the point where they have become oppressors is phenomenal. Regardless of how much the people in power are human or brutal, history has the lessons for everyone to learn from.

If there is one country i would have to choose where i don't want to go back again to, that would be France. No where have i seen such arrogant, impolite and unfriendly people. Although Paris is a city to watch, and south France is quite nice, nothing can convince me to be there again. Since this is my blog-post and i am of-course entitled to be opinionated according to my experience with people i wouldn't suggest you should take it as judgmental and replicable understanding. I had some wonderful conversations on train with random French and i had done some of the crazy stunts like sitting with a totally smashed French drunkard by the bank of railway line, dangling feet and singing songs in our respective languages without anyone of us knowing a word from each others's language. There is this best seller i have wanted to read named 'The lonely crowd'. What i have heard about it is something i can relate to what i have seen in this part of the world. The lonely crowd. And many of the times i have realized that most people drink to forget the bitterness of their lives and how horrifying is the thought of getting up on Monday morning. They would delve into unconsciousness and fallacy of their real lives and at that moment when they lay down unconscious, i sit around and look at them not as someone with highest educational credentials and a seemingly perfect life, but as a broken, helpless man. Some people deserve mercy, some deserve punishment and some deserve love. What can you have towards people who would rather wrap them with the non-existing cloak of induced happiness instead of radiating soberness of life?

For some reason, i felt like i was in the land of my ancestors when i entered Spain. You cant miss the change in landscape. You notice palm trees, coast weather and passionate, loud accents using an almost vulgarly pungent R sound. Although it wasn't the best stretch i have had in terms of planned trip it was the part where i had quite a lot of fun in terms of unexpected events. Like when we saw this hilarious fight between a Spanish couple over the fact that husband crossed the railway line from the area where it was forbidden to cross it and they yelled from across platforms. It ended up woman throwing the bag right into the middle of the railway lines and left. Whole train had a gas over that. Or when the storm interrupted the journey from Port Bou to Barcelona and we got off at Girona, just to find out that the buses would come in 3 hours to get us to another station where we have to catch another train to Barcelona. It was fun to catch up with a whole dozen of backpackers, so we took pictures and joked around and exchanged facebooks of-course. Reached Barcelona in the middle of the night, the friend waiting for me there had given up on the idea and had to sleep on the Bench outside Barcelona-Sants before i could get the next train to Rome in the morning. A black guy almost snatched the bag from me while i was asleep holding the strap of the backpack luckily. Next morning, i almost cussed them for spending so much on football teams when they could use it to improve nations English proficiency or at least the ones who would be talking with foreigners at-least.

Ventimiglia is a small city on the border of Italian border with a rocky beach. Since there were no trains to Rome until 5 in the morning i was forced to stay overnight and i discovered the beach during my foray in the middle of the night. It was probably the most peaceful night i have had during my trip. While i looked at the French side of the coast, the ducks swam in deep blue waters and the horrible voices sang over lovely melodies in karaoke. A group of backpackers chirped whole night while i slipped into my sleeping bag by the Mediterranean. I have never planned life in a Germanic way and i love adventures and twists of fate but i have always wanted to live in a cottage by the river. With the vicissitudes of my life, i have no idea how i would die but i would love to be buried under a tree by the river in a nameless grave. For our lives are temporary and our souls are travelers towards afterlife. There was no sign of us before we came to earth and there should be no leftovers of us except for the deeds and stories of us. Instead of living through a grand tomb or castle or a monument, i would rather live within the hearts of people i have lived with and the stories they would tell to their generations to come about someone who was not famous for wealth and power but as someone who was good neighbor or a friend or someone who gave them hope in times of distress and misfortunes. That is my little emo which might or might no come true but thats what guides me on many crossroads in life.

Just because all crazy people come from Austria like Hitler or they name parks after jerks like Freud, doesn't mean it isn't worthwhile to visit Austria. The Alps in Austria are as fascinating as in Switzerland and if you visit Salzburg you might have to put up with a lot of artistic crap and even have to filter out word Mozart when you do the sound processing. Castle in Salzburg is worth visiting and you can probably use my patented staircase view from the top of the castle to wash your face from clouds and enjoy the overhead view of the city with bridges and architecture. Vienna can be quite touristy but still a wonderful city to visit. It isn't as bad as other capitals like Amsterdam or Copenhagen. Even though i lost all my pictures due to a stupid Ctrl+X instead of Ctrl+C from the memory card of camera to the desktop, i think there are somethings that always remind me how will i always be an utterly disorganized multitasking idiot.

Some cities are meant to be visited only at night. Budapest tops that list. Very few places have been so scientifically or lets say serendipitously lighted as Budapest has been. A backpackers destiny is designed by quirk of fates and during one of those moments i met a wonderful Belgian guy who i just stopped to ask way. We ended up eating, looking around, talking and camping together instead. Its probably illegal in even Scandinavia, the camping heaven, to camp in the middle of a public park in the center of a city. We did that that in Budapest. Tent was hardly enough for two but we squeezed in and then it rained like anything. They say when it hits the fan, it goes in all directions. Water seeped into tent through the lower nets for ventilation. Then it thundered and then it was knocking drunkards. We slept like kids even with all that until late in the morning. So when Yan left for Slovenia in the morning and i headed towards Prague, only then i realized how much we need such things in our life.

Some people are just rude. Some are just unprofessional. Some are just too stressed. If there was one bitch who possessed all of these qualities and i wanted to punch in the face for her disgusting and ultra snobbish behaviour, it was in Prague. I have never heard of someone talk good about customer service in Prague. They must really hate everything about their lives to be like that. Its what i call gem of cities when you walk around steep streets and plazas. A tower made up of only keys. Lively night life and an artists dream maybe. The last thing you want to do to save your trip to Prague from bitter memories is to talk with a Czech in Prague. I made a mistake by taking a Youth Hostel and i realized that they don't share our view about our journey as a lifetime opportunity and memory that would stay with us as long as we live. There attitude and orientation towards youth is more profit oriented and that's not something that you would want to remember as youth. Even though i don't qualify for a typical backpacking youth being an overly educated business graduate almost done with a second masters degree which is maybe a little insulting to be referred to as Youth and its concomitant innocence, i would rather camp than take a youth hostel next time.

The second advice i don't regret is from a Polish sailor about NOT visiting Warsaw. So i ended up in Krakow, one of the oldest city in Europe. Some places just can't seize to be archaic whatever you do to modernize them. Zurich, Krakow and Prague are probably going to be always like that. You can have a cappuccino, sit on the bench in the city center and look at pigeons for hours and not get tired. One of the places i have always wanted to go was Auschwitz. That was luckily just an hour from Krakow. What i saw there was something i had already read and heard about but i had no idea that would give me such a nauseous feeling. When you look at the pictures of people on their way to death, child shoes, rugs made up of human hair and Cyklon gas, you don't feel proud of being a human any longer. I got away from the tour group and got outside the barrack for some fresh air to forget what i had seen. I was standing in worlds largest mass murder camp. The brutality, insanity and cruelty of our race is probably enough to outdo that of most ruthless beasts. Even though i think allies have practically committed all the crimes Nazis have committed after-wards, i think as long as we live, we must never forget about what George Santyana said:

The one who does not remember history is bound to live through it again.

I was born in a small city with a desert around in Pakistan. I grew up in a middle class having same problems, happinesses, incidents, joys, fears, resources, deficiencies, and strengths like everyone around. I really don't have a different story then most of you who read this. There is nothing heroic about it. There is nothing i remember between my first school and the university in Sweden that is remarkable. What fills me with gratitude and strength is opportunities that i have had to travel and see the world. What i have seen is no different from the city that i was born in. Who i have met are not less loving than my own people. And when the prodigal child comes back home, it might look like hes back home, but he takes the whole world with him and true becomes the saying that home is where the heart is. So as i write these last lines from this dark, cold end of the world in Scandinavia, i not only feel like i am finally home i think i also have learned what i thought would take me ages to understand and master from that book i read quite a while ago titled 'Shantaram'. The writer said in the end of the story that he had learned three things in life. 'To love, to forgive and to write his masterpiece, Shantaram'.

I have not written a masterpiece ever and i doubt that i will ever write it but i think i have learned how to love and to forgive.

Writings from the Forest

2010-07-01T00:48:00.000+05:00

Its been quite sometime i have been busy with myself. Apart from my daily expeditions to town, researching forests and working out details of crazy stunts that i now and then perform i have recently gotten into the idea of traveling with bicycle. I love cycling and i used that back home too. During the previous month, my work in the forest has sharpened my curiosity and survival expeditionistic nature even more. Reading aerial maps, feeling the paths, plant types, danger zones, and animal profiles was an unforgettable experience for me. I haven't been into forests at all in Pakistan. I had traveled quite a lot back home too but had never been exposed to mystery called Forests. Dubious textures and different tracts got me in the beginning. Most people have a passing interest in forestry and survival tactics but i am weirdly hooked to it. I used to find highest point on the mountains so that i could sit and look around while i eat my lunch. Its majestic to sit on the top of the mountain, breath in fresh air, feeling the clouds on your face and look around the whole area from the peak.

Trimming the forest and saving biodiversity was another interesting experience that i had gone through. It was hard for me to understand the textures of different forests and i had to dive into tomes to find out why are forests shaped the way they are. Features like amount of rain, geographical region, human intervention, natural changes, pollution and environmental protection policies can decide how would forests look like. In Sweden its a law for a forest owner to plant forests within five years of complete cutting or slutavverkning in Swedish. This is the final taking down of bigger trees to be used in industry and paper mills. Other type of cutting is 'gallring', Swedish for sort of gardening to take weaker trees away from healthier ones. Different types of treatment is needed for different age groups of forests. So to say, gardening is need for young forest within 25 years of growth add or subtract depending on the type of trees and their growth rate and concomitant growth factors like rain and environment. Type of trees are also dependent on conditions to which they are subjected. Highly moist conditions encourages conifer-bearing trees.

Since the law allows everyone to freely camp and explore forests in Scandinavia, privilege comes with responsibility. I was deeply impressed by Swedes sensitivity to littering of forest. Its quite shameful to confess that people in general aren't conscious about littering environment in Pakistan which for some reason isn't even embarrassing anymore. I have had the opportunity to explore untampered, wild and pristine form of nature only because it was preserved from human intervention and trash in a destructive way. I had some of the best peaceful moments of my life in that wilderness and purity which would otherwise be polluted by human edifice.

I learned everything from the scratch. I was in the beginning a complete laughing stock for my friend and employer because of my lack of adaption and irritation. Forests are tricky and i am no genius. I had to read a lot and try to think about solutions which was so obvious for him. I was awed by Jonas's simplistic solutions for the problems like burning fire, making food and sniffing forests which were impossible tasks for me given the rainy season, steep mountains and lack of apparent pre-requisites. Cautiousness in using gasoline to make fire, selecting birch for wood and finding dry wood was tasks that i taught myself the hard way. Each day i would note what they do and each day i would find one way that fails all what i had learned previously. So gradually, i learned to make fire, finding my way into the forest, developed strong legs, read maps, and feel the textures. Its interesting to see texture changes within the same forest every 300 meters. Altitudes, sun exposure and marshes can do a whole lot to determine how forests would expand. Although i never witnessed moose because not only they smell human presence also the noise from cleaning saw makes them escape, i saw moose shit and tracks through the eaten plants. Fauna and Flora of polar forests was really interesting to read also.

For most animals, they have to be really thick skinned and enduring in their physical attributes to survive in well below freezing temperatures. That is why most snakes , specially the venomous ones are non-existent in Scandinavian forests unlike tropical forests in South America. Highly moist and cold temperatures also minimize venomous reptiles to grow since its well below their survival comfort zone temperatures.

One of the things which i am grateful to Sweden is the high level of health awareness which i wasn't very concerned about. I have in general quite strong resistance to diseases and i hardly get sick but i had a very minimal knowledge of food and nutrition. Although it was a journey through complex nutrition books and hands-on training from an amazing half-dutch, half-Swedish miracle named Joel, i am glad i have almost gotten to the point where i can cure and spot the causes of most digestive disorders and infections one is likely to fall a prey to. Human survival has been critical question throughout the history of mankind and sometimes the answers to the complex questions and catastrophies lie in simplistic facts. Like Joel says 'Most of the health and nutrition is not in the food, its in your head'. This guy has an amazing capability of understanding and explaining things. Much of my Swedish language skills owe it to Joel. He can speak 4 languages and has solutions for all things. Even though hes got a sense of humor as plain as most Swedes and most tricky jokes and harmless irony is Greek to him, hes been a friend through thick and thin.

And yet another friend injected an even crazier idea about cross-country cycling. Even though i love cycling and have been doing quite a lot of it back home, For me its a total suicide to do a cross-country cycle tour. Leigh Blackall one of my friends that i have come to respect as an incredibly learned and upright friend has done it in Australia and New Zealand and suggested the possibility. I don't know how far would i go with this new craziness, but now i am really into it. I did some pilot strength tests and i think am quite strong physically for the task. Details are yet to be straightened out and lots of questions unanswered but during these past couple of months i learned one thing.... True living and Spirituality begins when the greed to live and fear of death evaporates. You push yourself without fear of breaking down, you do things like everything is in your hands and you pray like everything is in Allah's hand. I don't like religious discussions among people of different faiths, because belief is something to be believed in, felt and unconditional and most of the times its silence, acceptance and immersion than speech and preach. Even though i have no opinions about non-religious people it makes me wonder how can we miss the miracles around us and signs we live through our lives. Our compassion and benevolence is a gift that we should cherish and be thankful for. If you don't thank people and Allah who made them all, than you don't thank for something as beautiful as life.

Off to Nature

2010-05-03T02:03:00.001+05:00

And we sat in-front of the guy we wanted to interview for our thesis. These two swedes started an ethical production firm in Bangladesh and we were going to interview one of them about ethical production and standards. He started with his education, environment and passion behind what he does. Just like a man who has seen a lot of both worlds he was a fluent speaker with lots to say. Lots to be inspired from. It was not only practicality i sensed, it was also the passion i smelled. Then came the part that made me proud. While he talked about it, i sat there and smiled to myself, strength and honor seeped in. He started talking about eastern culture. Their spicy food, genuine concern, hospitality. He talked about how friends have life long bonds, people borrowed money to buy food for guests. How they voted in union meeting to sit on floor then on Swedish-like office. How big families lived together without hostilities and grudges. How they loved to cherish their happiness and sorrows. How hard working, honest and optimistic they are.

I was surprised to see them surprised. How does it feel like not to expect people helping one ? Why people have to thank each other because the help has become a kindness instead of an obligation? What good are lonely, rich lives ? I sat there with a mans pride which could be seen from miles. I felt, tall, strong and thankful that i was brought up in a culture where help is an obligation not a kindness. Where we hold stumbling, where we watch each others back. We stand together and we fall together. No matter what happens we stand shoulder to shoulder. I knew that always because of the vicissitudes i've had but i had hard time explaining that. Its something to be felt but people know it when they experience it, hunger is always not the worst thing to experience. There is poverty beyond being money-less. There is food without taste, there is riches without happiness and there is life without pulse.

Tomorrow i drive to Ö-vik for my summer job. I have always wanted to work in the wild. Just to listen to the silence of nature, to be able to feel which is not there and to experience how it felt when we didn't have artifices in life. I might be away from internet, my friends and my self also, but i would be very close to where i come from. Nature. I have never liked big cities. I have wanted to live by a river, live with wilderness, sleep with night and rise with the birds. Since i have been in Sweden i have had lots of silent forest walks, played with snow, and studied in solitude of trees. It feels good. Sweden is all nature. I like driving by the towns and villages. Its full of grace and elegance. Its dressed with green and garnished with brown. Undisturbed and untouched. Virgin as water and pure as love. Everyone has the right on it. You can camp anywhere if you promise not to mar the beauty. I wish world was like that too. Where we had right over our homeland. Over each other, over our destinies.

We all seek our peace in something, our lessons from someone and our stories from life. I am off to add another chapter to mine.

Reflections of a Nomad

2010-04-10T01:45:00.000+05:00

By the time i would end this post i will be the happiest man on earth, like always. There are so many things traveling changes inside a human being. It grows inside you like a drug addict. I have always traveled so much, talked so much and asked so much. I have learned to trust. People, my instinct and nature. I have met sinners and the saints and i yet i have no judgments about either of them. I have been hated, discriminated, loved, worshiped and taken care of. Someone said, you don't die when you stop breathing, you die the moment you stop living. And sometimes, its not the fear of death that makes human cowards, its the fear of life that makes them dead. There are so many things i have experienced in Scandinavia. Not all of them are good. Some of them are best. I know for a reason that no matter how long i live, i would always have a Sweden in my heart. There are so many things about the life and history of this small freezing land. Yet there are so many things that are so intolerably disgusting that leaves an everlasting bad taste in your mouth which makes it impossible to live here.

One of my weird fixation is my grotesque habit of connecting with people even if they don't want. Somehow, i have always been able to break the stone layer on the outside of people to find the miracle inside. I always have found out that no matter how deterring becomes the task of gnawing into protective shields, the delight and passion that is stowed in all of us gives us the purpose and meaning to our lives. Its been a long time i haven't write anything. I have been so busy. I read almost as religiously as i have used to, most of my life but suddenly i have come to appreciate the other forms of expression than writing. The truths and lies of the real human beings around us which cannot be explained. The fascinating stories of war survivors to a woman who lives on a heart donated by someone after her own stopped beating. Its just ethically wrong to write about them and yet its so motivating that you want to say something about it. Sometimes tears start shimmering in your eyes while they start explaining in their naive, limited or probably inappropriate impulsive way how they spent their lives. Their regrets and achievements, live inside them for rest of their lives and most of them are more courageous than we so-called well educated new generation. Behavioral sciences argue vehemently about simplistic human reactions to rewards and possibility of modifications but i have never been able to apply or even categorize human decisions into any of them.

I have always wanted to travel without borders. I have quite lived on the edge most of my life and have gone to extreme lengths to experience what cannot be experienced without staking it all. I have survived the tests uptil now and i am lucky to be here writing what i feel at this moment. I have had a very simple rule that has always guided me through my way to happiness and peace. Life is not worth living if one day you get up in the morning and are afraid of death. There should be no guilts no stones unturned. Traveling and exploring has always been the most intimate thing i've felt in my life. For a while now, i was little confused about do i really want it. Even for the people who stay at home, life is in some way a journey which they have to go through. So if thats a journey we all have to take, why shouldn't we take most out of it. And there is always someone who makes you reflect on what you really want in life. I have never read inspirational books. No Dale Carnegie or friendship tips. I have found it so meaningless to write something which is meant to be felt. Sometime its someone who seem to be a total opposite. So i am blessed to have bumped into so many outstanding friends who gave me the courage to be the one who i have always been. I am so cherished and pampered by those acquaintances that i wouldn't be back on track that i wanted to be on, without them.

Education is a wonderful phenomenon. I have spent my life speaking and writing about that. I have experienced the power of it. Being a non-white, Muslim is not a very advantageous position to be in and knowledge is probably the only discerning factor in how we are treated being one. I remember Nelson Mandellas book 'The Long Walk to Freedom' and the kind of society he was brought up in. In some sense todays western society is no different from South Africas regime. Peoples innate capability of in-group and out-group favoritism is fanned by false reportage and hypocrite media controlled by the minority with vested interest. People have no built-in fights and grudges. Dunkirk spirit has always been independent of race, color and religion. Yet the lava of hatred we consume through news and governments has given us wars. People have always been innocent victims of the ignorance they die in. I have always wanted to transcend the psychological and physical barriers of our moulded stereotypes to wage into unwaged waters. So now i want to travel, and experience about something we have been taught about. People.

Its been years and years of school learning about people and how people do things. Its time to stop listening and go and explore the things we only talk about in our ivory towers. When i die, one thing i want to remember looking backward is that i did something that enriched me, gave me a purpose to live and be happy about who i am,instead of being someone with lots of words and nothing to feel. I hope i have stories of distant lands and words of wisdom for my grand children if i lived that long and gathered something worthwhile. For i have witness that nations live and relive through their legends and heroes of history than their weapons and status quo.

And we parted.

2009-12-27T02:50:00.001+05:00

I want to write about it but i can't. Its both, lack of words and skill. For some reason i would never be able to write it the way i felt it. I see miracles in my life daily. They say if its too often its not a miracle but somehow i see what others fail to see or maybe they just don't share the bitter truth of what they've seen. What i have seen today reiterates my belief in human kind and passion again. Its 26th of december. People are done with their xmas gifts and greetings. I happen to be in one of the most non-religious places on earth and yet there is something spiritual about their celebrations of something they don't believe in. For some reason i have believed more firmly in Allah after i've come here. There is something divine about human beings that came from the divinity itself even though they bad-mouth about their very existence. A friend once said every saint has a past and every sinner has a future. Human behaviors and choices are so intricate that no psychological theories can explain the choices they make.

And though we parted like two grown up men with lots to say but nothing to speak i know i'll never forget what i've learned from him. His sagacity has outdone his frivolity. I don't know if we'll meet again but we talk most when the words end.

Education in Ethiopia

2009-12-02T01:30:00.001+05:00

This post would be as subjective as get although in a way, a reflection of my objective and impartial understanding of what this doctor friend of mine from Ethiopia has to say about education system in Education. One of the few things that I have come to passionately argue for humanity is the right and freedom to create, use and re-use information freely without conditions and appending concomitants. I have huge respect for people and nations that have come to realize the importance of education for their generations through their miseries in past.

I remember when I talked to this guy, almost pestering him with my usual inquisitive and curious questions about education, human rights and history of Ethiopia in general, with his slow, consistent and considerate compassion he would unfold one of the stories that I would remember for ages. Human sacrifices, misfortunes and oppression for some can become lessons for smarter people among us.
18 years ago, Ethiopia was a war-stricken, land with famines and poverty struggling for peace between tribes competing for land. Around 80 ethnic groups, fighting to pre-empt sustenance resources. Despite being the only independent country among European colonial holocaust, they had their own problems. UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites place Ethiopia as number one in terms of number of historical sites in Africa. Today it is one of the fastest growing economies according to some statistically manipulated research I believe, ignoring corruption and division of wealth.

And yet, education is free from high school until university. My friend is a doctor who graduated from a medical college and paid nothing. 3 years ago government decided to change the system where doctors have to pay for their education through signing a bond to serve in country for 2 years before they could work anywhere else because of superior quality of education and brain drain. Doctors in Ethiopia could go to US and practice without needing an English language test. They speak impressive English and have access to high quality research databases. Like all decent cultures, they don’t respect intellectual property rights and have believed for centuries in shared and collective view of literacy. I am told that government is significantly benefitting from body of knowledge through UN and other independent researchers while smartly staying away from attached curse of loans, copyrights and multinational corporations. Information is streamlined and modified for cultural appropriateness.

One way of keeping doctors to country is by officially holding back their diplomas after they’ve graduated so that they have to work for specified period in order to get a release letter from government which they require to obtain a visa to other places. Though high school is still free and you are provided everything except for food, I wonder problem with contemporary world is their inability and penury to provide free education to billions of slum-dwellers or it’s the hypocrisy and profiteering of our so-called educational aka industrial empire that has taken us to a level where we proudly puff your chests about our education levels while complacently ignore the miseries of people that are affected by our indifference and callousness.

How could a barren, famine-stricken, war-monger country just in 18 years got to a point where they sorted out their differences, created a federation, kept western powers at arm’s length and provided their generations with an opportunity to educate them to a level where they compete with their western counterparts. Have they learned that maybe there is something more important than fighting over economic resources and food. It’s the freedom, unity and education which would bring them much needed peace that they missed in ages. They have come to a point where literacy rate stands at 65% which is stunning when compared to a colony like
Pakistan where remnants of colonial English and psychological affiliation with master’s language should have produced more English speaking people than a country with almost no history of enslavement. With all American curriculum, formal educational settings/protocols and autocratic teaching practices, it still boasts, a rapidly expanding educated workforce. I have always argued and have never thought twice about my belief that superior educational and spiritual values don’t come from our ability to pay for our children’s education. It’s our willingness, passion and sacrifices that get us those rights which should be universal, accessible and mandatory for every human being on earth without pre-conditions. I don’t know what lies ahead of them, but if I were an Ethiopian I would always be proud of what my ancestors have done.

First English Workshop in Prolympia School

2009-11-13T20:53:00.000+05:00

That was one heck of a day. Skipped school to join this English language workshop in Prolympia School, Umedalen. Left home at 9:00 am and was supposed to be at school by 9:30. I knew the place and had been there y'day. It took exactly 30 mins to be there. I must be the dumbest individual on earth to have forgotten my way, and walked for 2 hours in snow. Saw whole town except the school which was in the middle of my circular walk. Reached at school at 11:40 am, 10 minutes after the workshop ended. Teachers got me a cup of coffee and listen to my tragedy. They were so polite and immediately arranged another 9th grade class for a chit chat. Chit chat prolonged to a two hour long amazing workshop. I was told about Polar bears, Reindeers, Moose and Ikea.
I wonder why these kids was supposed to learn English. Most of them talked better than i do. Teacher was amazing. With the hip Robin-like coiffure (Robin is Swedish music star) she was an internet geek. Apparently she had made all teachers addict of Facebook. She is on the final stage of Mafia War on facebook. Students were playing facebook games in CLASS!!!! Yes, and they had internet access and could do ANYTHING. I got them ready for an interview when i go for next workshop.

Hardest part started when they started testing MY Swedish knowledge. I got most answers right, i guess, except for the translation of 'Brain surgery is beneficial for humanity', which couldn't have done anyways. Like all school teachers on earth they get paid pretty bad but i wouldn't complain being one if i could have as much fun as they had in class. Sandra was kind of amazed how fast i learned Swedish, which i think must be a joke. She should've seen me ask my way to school. Atleast i wouldn't have been lost. I wouldn't use English too. I was being stubborn. School had 4 grades from 6-9. It was a two-story private school with round 280 students. I was wondering if i could recruit them for flat classroom project. That would be wonderful to have one from Sweden.

Sandra and Lisa were excited about learning Elluminate and Videoconferencing. Apparently they had a wonderful conference hall we can use for online presentation. They learned Urdu pretty quick too. Children had this natural ability to learn better than us adults. I wonder sometimes if world were ruled by Children maybe we didn't have this destruction we call Wars.

Sandwich Discrimination

2009-10-09T01:09:00.001+06:00

Just today when i was selecting my new courses for spring semester i was told that i can't take 6 months off and travel like EU students. That is because Swedish regulators are introducing fee for international students who dont BELONG here, technically out of EU that is. I have spoken enough about Sweden turning into idiotic domains like other capitalistic countries so i would skip criticizing that decision for the time being. Its for me a kind of discrimination for students who don't belong here. In my experience, traveling, meeting new people and exploring has been more beneficial than institutional study as such. Thats the core of what we learn. A good plan would have been to set a limit to number of years in which you can complete your degree giving them ample opportunity to travel and explore just like their OWN students.
Sweden has been probably the most diplomatic country in that sense. Surviving a world war staying neutral was one miracle i am still researching. This OURs vs YOU discrimination in education is very diplomatic too. Actually its so procedural and minor that you end up sounding like a racist yourself if you pointed that out. Arguments are as follows:

1. Isn't free good enough? Who else does that on earth?

I call it the ryanair strategy. Airfare is $0 and taxes are $500. What kind of welfare is that? Its like hidden charges on a credit card you didn't declare before you were selling it. Nobody is challenging the fact that its the most wonderful thing on earth to educate people for free but what made you stop being nice? It would be another long post that i can write to explain where Swedish government went wrong and decided they wanted to be America. I was talking to this wonderful swedish youth in my corridor about immigrant problems. He said when he was a child, government took refugees and put them in suburbs and fed them and they didn't work at all. There was a huge reaction to that and racial tensions arose. Robberies, restricted ghettos and diversity issues spawned.

His analysis was, to which i can't agree more was the inability of government to realize that they need to start programs to fit them into society and give them work to take away the stereotype off of them which portrayed them as loafers eating Swedish taxes. And its true!!! I would feel miserable and guilty if i got welfare from government and Swedes are the ones who pay half of their salary as taxes. The inability of this Liberal government and incapacity i must say, which kept them out of power for a long time was the lack of comprehension of how diversity issues work. You don't build condos, with SWEDES building them and ask refugees or immigrants to move in. It creates even more problems. Ask them to build them by themselves. Put them to work. Use them creatively and make them contribute to society. As a student i would be excited to clean a piece of land of trees and build a condo with others for rest of the international students and immigrants.

How else do you think people would mingle with people who are aborigines? Instead Liberals found the liberal model to milk international students converting their need of workforce into a corporate industry. That means students like me can not be here anymore. Although i am probably useless in terms of intellectual contribution to Swedish society, there are mind boggling genius international students here just because its free. On the northern tip of the world, almost frozen and devoid of natural resources who else is Sweden going to prosper without its workforce and multinationals? If you look at their history, its people who built it with brains and not resources. Its the fact that they don't have any resources they can brag about that doesn't stand on human brains.

2. Why should Swedes pay for international students?

Very first misunderstanding is that Swedes are paying for international students. Even if you rule out completely the foreign exchange coming in the form of accomodation,grocery and traveling money, that students have, you can not rule out the fact that there is NO additional cost of accomodating international students. Trust me even if you put all Swedes in universities, half of the lecture halls would be empty given their strength. Add EU students and its still empty. Professors get the same salary regardless of they teach 5 students or 50. They are as low paid as it gets. Consider the industry supporting education like, publishing, accomodation, tour guides, and others and you probably would deserve a pay back from government. Thats just the tangible benefits of international students. I wouldn't even touch the intangible benefits like brains, diversity, influx of english speaking students and exposure.

Let me play the devil's advocate for Swedes here and say you can't deny the fact that taxes support education and international students are a burden on education system, which would be a very sweeping statement but lets discuss it for the sake of argument. Ok you loafers, no more free educaiton. Now, who asked you to allow them to be loafers? Couldn't you put them to work? Swedish companies are moving out of Sweden because of high taxes and low cost of labour else where in the world. How good would that be to employ international students for free as part of their retribution to society for free education? Lets say, you mention explicitly in admission terms that you have to work for FREE or voluntarily although thats an obligation, for specified number of hours per week, i would be more than happy to do that. You allowed them to be loafers and put it back to them.

It can be argued that it would take away jobs from Swedes but how many Swedes would want to work for nothing? Housing is a big problem here. There are 32000 students here. Lets suppose a quarter of them are international students.
You have 8000 slaves (jk) that would create Egyptian pyramids for you. Cultural paradigms are also supportive of that. Sweden isn't a country where people would behave with you differently knowing your qualification or job.

Nobody cares and nobody should. Why should your employer at a construction site, where you work as a helper, care that you are a Ph.D student at university? There is no privilege or esteem or even perceived expectation of esteem is assosciated with what you study. Its something you study, for your own sake, interest and to a very minor scale a job. Why should other people be respectful of what you study and what respect you command in your likes? One part of this wonderful place is the lack of expectations on the part of educated for their education. People in most part of the worlds believe their education should give them the necessary prestige and authority that makes them feel good about themselves. Swedes don't need education to make them feel any better about themselves. Relationships, marriages, professions and daily life chores are all independent of social standings. Maybe i am in the wrong part of Sweden and stockholm is notorious for exactly that, but holistically its anything but America. Although its changing, but most places are changing although with a more faster place.

So my dear liberals, humans are humans. Treat them as humans. I know you are very bad at that but let the democrats do the trick. They single-handedly led Sweden to where it is today. It would be better for you and them. Free market looks good in TV. There is nothing free about it.

Nuremberg for Iraq

2009-09-30T01:00:00.000+06:00

Week 4 Now. I continue to live with these amazing people. Love of labour and perfection is something you can smell. From the postman running to post in savage rain, to customer service bending over backwards to help you its phenomenal. From xenophobic to just shy, everyone seems so polite. Despite the educational brainwashing and Anti-religious propaganda in textbooks, you are treated like a human being with dignity and respect. You see their reactions change when you challenge their paradigms with all the poison they've been inhaling for years. They are intrigued by you. In an indifferent way they would observe you. They would think before they ask a question that can be remotely offensive or has implications. Unlike the people fed by individualistic bravado from free markets, they would think before asking a direct question.

It is amazing for me after taking real brash questions. Everyone seems energetic even in their 70s by the simplicity and belief in honesty. Like our local landlord. Her wizened face is probably the only evidence of her age. She is a superwoman in all other ways. You couldn't think of things that you might need, but she can talk in a careless way to surprise you with her concern. It just goes beyond that oral help. My friend studying late at night in university got free cakes by shop owner who almost closed the shop. 'Study hard, Son'. He felt he was in Pakistan.

Everything i've ever thought about copyrights and freedoms is probably translated in Swedish by a friend's wife in a local newspaper although i didn't know someone loathe it as much as i do. My jaw dropped reading the views of this apparently childish woman. She is probably a stronger opponent of this emerging Islamophobia than i am and yet she isn't a Muslim. Discussions in kitchen are getting longer. More frank and more respectful. I find it strange how people are so unaware of the world outside their world in which they live happily. People always think not having money is poverty. I think not knowing the truth is the real poverty. Intellectually i would feel deprived, if i saw from their eyes a flat world where everyone helps everyone. They don't see why people fight, why they have to bomb others, the possibility of a world wide war.

I agree and share their fright of devastation and wars they have seen in their lifetimes and experiences from WW2. I would want to die before i see another of that but a single question silences all the peacelovers to eternity. It resounds, hits and penetrates their minds with the veracity and openness of it. Where is the Nuremberg trial for people who don't have the influence to convene a court? Where is the museum for people who died in Afghanistan and Iraq and Kashmir whose shoes and clothes could be seen so the generations to come will decide that 'Not again in our lives we would fight a war that left lots among of us dead.'?

I am still finding the answers.

First Week in Sweden

2009-09-05T19:01:00.001+06:00

Its been 4 days that i've been here. Umea Sweden that is. Although its a whole new world and i probably have a lot of things to say about this place where trees outnumber humans, i would recollect my memories about conspicuous things. My ideals were challenged back in Switzerland about human life and discipline when the ticket guy at train station welcomed me to a 'normal world' where trains and buses are never late. I didn't know at that time that in Sweden it would be better than that. Coming from a place where you have to cross the road through the traffic from a place where traffic would stop for you is an amazing experience. A place where people make queues without police or guards making them do so is worth applause.

People can easily fit into apathetic category if you judge them by their apparent behavior but once you get to know them, you would realize they are just shy and not rude. They bend over backwards to help you and will feel guilty if they are not able to do so. Its just a matter of knowing them maybe. Its still hard to digest the fact that if you are working in kitchen, 'Hey' is all you say for no matter how long you work in the kitchen or maybe a grin when you run into each other during errands.

The perfection and zeal they work with is inspirational. Respect, conflict management and participation is superb. On a working human level they surpass almost all standards but loneliness and hollowness of their lives is very resounding in the vibes you get, being from a culture where collectivism and socializing is important. I hear the best place for doing that is the ISKU or the gym which is overflowing during the week. It would have been nice if it were like that in corridors.

There are still people who make you question your impressions about Swedish culture and their reticence. I met this wonderful classmate who has helped me in probably every way. We discussed almost everything i considered controversial and that i thought would be too aggressive to discuss. Some of these things reassure me of my belief that humanity and basic spirit of relationship and belonging exists in all cultures independent of human differences. I am trying to learn the language to relate with the culture without an ethnocentric bias.

Something i knew before has been further strengthened by my initial discussions with people here. It is the ignorance and naivety of these people about the world outside their comfort zones. I don't blame them for their reticence about issues that concern me or other people in third world because if i put myself in a privileged and peaceful life, i would have no need to address issues that doesn't concern my serene life and what my government does to other people. Warm in my own warm nest it would be unfair to be blamed for not speaking for people out in cold.

These are just my first impressions which can and will be corroborate or enervate with time i hope.

Miseries of OERs and Western Freedoms

2009-08-19T01:40:00.001+06:00

Its remarkable that during the past couple of months, i have seen some great pieces of content written that questions the usability of OERs in wired world. Some of the great posts i have come across is Leigh Blackall's Myths, Lies and Bullshit and The New Colonialism in OER For me its encouraging to see western academics realize the hollowness of OER slogan. My only reason to be with OER is the vague possibility of OERs importing copyrighted content into public domain someday. This has become a controversial statement if you look closely at the open licensing terms and conditions and its relevance and emulation of copyrights itself. Some of the important points that i have noted is as follows:

1. OERs have been a purely western solution for expensive books and other forms of restricted content e.g music, drama works and movies. It has a very little resemblance and definition in other cultures specially in eastern world. Things had always been free specially, educational material, entertainment and products with no marginal costs of reproduction. There sharing has been not only deemed ok, it is considered a piety to share and collaborate.

2. Copyrights are also based on US legal framework that is not only crippled itself and defines freedoms in an confrontational way. Most of the freedoms US academics have defined is well inspired by their paranoia of 'free' things because everything free necessarily leads to communism. A nation living the fear of social welfare can be abused by profiteers by creating a non-existential fear of sharing. Creative Commons had become popular in western world for its reliefs that allows content producers to open up their content with terms and conditions they want to choose but calling it a universal campaign is not only fallacious, its propaganda.

Culture of freedom in south east asia atleast comes from a rich tradition of Sufis, Buddhists, Swamis, Preachers of sorts and social values that encourage sacrifice, sharing and collaboration. The collective nature of this thought school, not only belies western ideas of content restriction, it challenges the individualistic economic phenomenon that malthus proposed according to which amount of food is not increasing with the speed of population, which would create a malthusian disaster which never happened. This is further abused by hedonistic, hellenistic and epicurean philosophies.

3. I have answered the questions in detail about copyright flaws in my earlier posts which can be found Here Thanks God, copyright regime is not powerful enough and people still have the spirit to help and share, otherwise in an ideal copyright regime, not only it would stop educational development in third world altogether imposing educational terrorism through content confiscation. Unfortunately western world has always supported non-democratic acts in third world keeping them poor and indebted to their pennies. Their corporations are invading the rights of developing world with the help of their puppet goverments. For example in Pakistan, Microsoft along with the puppet government is invading shops selling pirate copies of Microsoft. Keeping in mind that almost everyone uses a pirated copy of windows, including schools, hospitals and government institutes.

Earlier this month our Mr 10% announced 14 year imprisonment on cyber bullying and rumor creation. Much of that was inspired by the strong desire to curb his political opponents which can be used to suppress free speech too, if its against the government. It also clearly implicates the government's right to monitor cyber activity and private conversations. One of the benefits of ruling a developing country is that you don't need to write a 'homeland security policy' to usurp people's freedom.

4. Recent OpenEd09 conference was a good venue to understand the western perspective and bias against non-western views of freedom. Most of the speakers belonged to the old cult supporting copyright or OER domain in some way. Much of them were Canadians with 'familiar' views and networks. Catherine's keynote about african OER was a good overview of how OER is now going to be abused to sabotage rich african resources like poverty, freedom, education and AIDs in the past. What catherine dont understand is the irrelevance of OER for Africa? Third rate free materials is not what they deserve. Africa has been long deprived of its natural resources through MNCs to settle for OERs instead of original books taught in universities by top notch professors.

5. Eastern countries need to unite against this educational terrorism to save itself the values our ancestors have left us that are in danger of cultural onslaught. I am glad that most of us agree on that when i read the tragedy of commons. What amazes me is the feeling of certain individuals in western world who share my perspective on freedoms and values. I have been very lucky to have known these people in my life. For years what i have been doing alone has now come to point where it is jolting the intimidated minds of western audiences terrorized by the idea of socialism. Free as in freedom can also be free as in free beer and still not be socialism.

There is a quote that goes like this:

When we hate someone, we eventually become the object that we hate if we continue our hate for them.

The fear and hatred for an alternative system of social welfare in west has made the worst off, just as the communists were in their times. I can hardly see the difference in Russian and American miseries of their worst times.

Sweden, a failing education system

2009-08-10T18:20:00.001+06:00

I just got denied residence permit for stay in Sweden for my studies. Without going into details on what were the reasons, which by the way was never told to me, which was not only rude and savage, its unethical. This post isn't about me. Its about the changes through which the Swedish education system has deteriorated. From a mono-cultural society with basic human rights now turning into a rude and paid education is a failure for humanity as a whole. Almost any justification for fees in universities for international students is handicapped if you look at the economic figures and development of Sweden in general. International students bring cultural diversity, huge amounts to support themselves as well as contribute towards economic growth of a country like Sweden.

Without taking into account this addition of tangible and intangible contribution of this student diaspora, following the failed model of American capitalistic education system is an awful step to take. Half as big as Pakistan, and half frozen, Sweden has always been known for its educated workforce and has relied on it because of its modest natural resources. I have always had very high opinions and ideals about Swedish education system which is moving towards its failure in my opinion. For example, the books in most programs cannot be produced in digital format which means you've to buy it and NOT pass it on. Digital libraries can not be access outside of the institutions in some universities. This restriction of knowledge is not only a western characteristic its also a shame that Sweden has taken that. It might be a good thing too that it has given up in favor of the external pressures at 'last' but its still the demise of an open culture.

In sociology 'looking self glass' is a complex which people acquire by which they judge themselves through other's opinion. Swedish Education system has fallen into the complex by looking around and accepting the curse. I am still optimistic they will not go deep down into this scourge. I wrote this post because i felt something is going wrong with the whole system. I wouldn't discuss the racism, procedural injustice and discrimination in visa processess. Its something you never expect of the wild west :)

EPB Final Post

2009-06-20T14:11:00.000+06:00

Finally i managed to interview Anne Mirtschin's class who participated in Flat Classroom project. It took almost 20 days due to timezone issues and personal commitments on behalf of both Anne and I. I am extremely thankful to Anne for her consistent support and diligence. Teachers like her are rare in education, in my experience and i am glad to have known her through flat classroom project. Simplicity , comprehensibility and honest answers of these questions with a detailed background on everything is just amazing. I have always been a believer in the capabilities of new generation and students like Anne's just make me more hopeful and inspire me. Recording can be found here.

Your Free School that pays you.

2009-06-09T23:08:00.000+06:00

Being a supporter of free education, which is universal, localized, openly accessible and standardized, i have written and discussed my views over time on this blog and as comments on other people's work. My inspirations come from the medieval spirituality and schools which charged no fees at all. They were heavily subsidized as well as cooperatively run by the administration and students and teachers who worked as employees not only for learning-centered activities but also as menial workers like masons, clerks, janitors and donation campaigners. There are hundreds of schools most of them religious, who work on these principles of cooperative financing. I have been honored to have taught by teachers who taught free to MOST of the students. They had never asked for fee which could be paid voluntarily though. Only thing which they could get out of that was probably respect, little errands done, fun time and self gratification. I wouldn't know how their wives had reacted to that but i've never seen them seriously injured so i guess it must be fine with them. By the way they had daytime jobs.

I am going to sum up some of the principles of free education along with the economic solutions to major problems associated with it.

1. A school run by cooperative means a school where employees, teachers, students and all stakeholders pool their efforts and run their own finances and OWN their schools. They decide their salaries, finances, duties and are responsible for their own management.

2. In a commercialized western version of education, its sub-consciously understood and taken for granted that its ok for teachers to act as smug, emotion-less employees with no spiritual responsibilities towards students, school and culture as a whole. Our exam systems further consolidates this assumption by leaving marking to them giving them the ultimate power. This not only stifles creativity but also makes teachers despot. In a cooperative school, duties should be divided and 'irrelevance of specificity' should be ensured. What this means is that marking, teaching, policy making and management should be irrespective of specific people. Standardized, objective marking should be introduced.

This also means that teachers who teach and mark should be different. A rubric should be designed to analyze the learning of students irrespective to their tutors and whole class should be given the same test irrespective of the teachers of different sections. Ofcourse, this test will be designed by teachers mutually but should be objective, computer-based and thoroughly inquisitive.

3. If you wear a necktie, tuxedo and too shiny shoes at school, maybe you wouldn't want a janitor near you to mop the dust on your shoes and impart some sweat. This is the beginning of pride and hubris in academia. I envision in a cooperative school run by employees itself, students mop their own classes with the help of teachers. Play grounds, fields and plants should be watered by themselves. Finances should be put up on wikis to be analyzed by everyone. All documentation should be put online for inputs and discrepancy checks. I don't see a need for more than 10 employees which are not part of learning/teaching to be at school. Best work is done by yourself. If you aren't down to earth and love doing little things as much as people who get to do the dirty work for you, the last thing you should be is a teacher.

4. Multiply the wealth of content. You don't have to do it all yourself. As much as i would like to set my teaching standards high, i understand that teachers are put the 'wrong' load on them. If you are teaching an english class and there are two books you have to teach in a school year and the aim is to get them to read and get to know more classics, you could teach them 30. That sounds odd but thats how it should be. Ask each child to select a book, read it and present it. Help your class find a repository of classic books and assign them a book. How wonderful is that to get them to read and understand a lot more than you could possibly teach them?

5. Slay the hen who lays golden eggs. It was the wrong thing to do in the story, but in reality of education, its the best thing to do. Show the children and their parents what are they going to get. Put all your course content, syllabus, teaching methods, everything online. Children work on different paces because of their abilities. Why stop a bright kid at first base when he could hit the home run. Respect for slow children and tolerance can be taught in class. They don't have to do that at home. Self-paced learning is the future. You can't stop it. Don't try it.

6. Internet is not a curse. I was writing a paper on ICT in developing countries and i was researching for the material and i found out that in Senegal parents were willing to pay extra fee for their children to learn computers. I hope its same all over the world. In developing countries it goes a mile beyond and i know parents who spend half of their income on fees. Its painful to see they don't get what they pay for and children come back with raps songs and absurdities in English, which the illiterate parents take for education. In a cooperative school, parents can donate money to buy low-cost computers and internet access. You would be amazed by the willingness of parents to do that if a well thought-out plan is laid out. Projects like Flatclassroom project and Digiteen have been a phenomenal success because of its innovative crux which is collaboration. Is no more a closed-world. Don't close it for your students.

7. Good content is what changes people's life for good. its an individual sense of accomplishments which can not be measured. So, don't use statistics and reports of your success. You send out your graduates to speak for you. Thats all that matters.

8. If you know it and you can show it, you don't need people to accept it. Complacency is the best by-product of a good education comprised of spiritual and practical worlds. 50 Harvard business school students broke into its database and the head told they will not be allowed to do that. If you could break into a system and all of them couldn't do a thing about it, they don't deserve to be your mentors even if that's ivy league. Believe in yourself.

9. Tell them who they are and they'll find who they want to be. A child born in China has its culture and there is no good reason for him to be learning english to be able to get a good job. Its her moral right to know about Chinese Calendar, Mao tze tung and Communism. There is no good reason for anyone to be encultured by someone else. Let them read their own books and culture. Give them both toys before they decide the better one. A nation brought up learning english as FIRST language is doomed to disaster and psychological slavery if english isn't its first language.

10. Governments, NGOs, Fifth Columns and terrorists can't stop one thing. That is learning. When you let it out for grabs, free and easy it just can't be stolen. Its your own responsibility to educate yourself and your family. cooperative schools and exporting of knowledge online is the way you could get it. Homeschoolers have done that. Its about time nations should embark on that.

Islam and Science. History of Europe and Modern Sciences

2009-05-31T17:30:00.001+06:00

Its amazing that western world is spending more time to belittle people who they owe their education, lives, development and technology. This documentaries answer the question itself perfectly that the only thing Europe failed to acquire was spirituality and tolerance and humanity from Islamic Era that helped create horrible frankenstein that ruined their culture, society and values.

WIAOC09 Presentation

2009-05-27T23:48:00.001+06:00

WIAOC09

View more OpenOffice presentations from Minhaaj Rehman.

Its was a wonderful opportunity that i missed to a larger extent because of my internet issues to present at WIAOC09 in front of an audience who more or less cares about free education and universal access of knowledge. Good part of the Webheads events is its passionate participants devoid of high profile academics and bandwagon proponents of defunct education. So, for me it was a good opportunity to present my views and work towards the design of free, open and universal education. My presentation, IMO, was pretty self explanatory but it would have been nice if i didn't have internet problems.

As its evident from the presentation that i argue here that wikis are the best tool for sustainable, free and universal educational design. University courses should be created in open wikis and content should be accessible, open and exportable. Through widgets its now possible to embed all kinds of content into wikis and benefits of using wikis is its low bandwidth usage, edit history, ease of use and accessibility. This does not mean that MediaWiki software does not need significant improvement. It has a long way to go to become an optimal tool for course design but i see it as a way strong candidate over blogs, html pages and AJAX powered facebook.

I might add audio to this presentation in future depending on when i get relieved from rather hectic schedule at the moment. I have been admitted to masters program in Sweden and now i am trying to fulfill the funny requirements of immigrations to put 30K USD in the bank to get a visa. As discriminatory as it gets, its also is the end of a wonderful era of Scandinavian education system which i used to idealize. Maybe in another blogpost, i'd explain how the last educational model we had on earth died of its emulation of the capitalistic west. Its not just the citadel of education that fell, its a whole set of values and a national demise for Sweden. My only optimism comes from the distributive learning and online networks that would live for ages to come and will make up for our dead values.

FLC Post 4

2009-05-17T13:33:00.001+06:00

For this week, Universal Design is one of the topics to be researched. It sounds like an imperialistic, standardized measure of designing courses in the context of education which it isn't when you dig deep. Quoting Wikipedia on it

Universal design is a relatively new paradigm that emerged from "barrier-free" or "accessible design" and "assistive technology." Universal design strives to be a broad-spectrum solution that produces buildings, products and environments that are usable and effective for everyone, not just people with disabilities.

My understanding of barrier-free is non-paid, subscription less and freely available online resources. Accessible to me is, without copyrights terms which hinder the ability of users to copy, remix, modify and distribute for any purpose. Assistance technologies refer to the tools used by people with special needs and disabilities. One such tool for blind people could be JAWS, software for on-screen reading. It has been used widely for educating blind people with the use of computers.

Universal design being a broader term for design of products and environments make it harder for us to completely understand its relation with education, but i would argue here that it relates to the instructional design and courseware creation. I have found some of the links to be important in terms of Universal Design in Education here. Otago Polytechnic's photo slide, and to an extent the presentation on Dump the Drone gives us a realistic need to ponder on a universal, communicative educational design.
This book on Universal Design in Education is specially interesting written by Frank Bowe.

Culturally i identify myself as a south-eastern Pakistani. We NORMALLY have collective society with an emphasis on social welfare, collectivism and strong religious affiliations. A little on culture and tourism can be found on the official website. You could also read the Wikipedia Entry on that. I wouldn't regurgitate on my views on things through a rather alien opinion online but i would like to refer to some of the posts i have written in the past which would give you an idea of my arguments and disagreements with largely mainstream and western POVs. My chats and opinions on copyrights for instance with Alec Couros and Leigh Blackall gives an idea on the differences. I have been interview along with other south-eastern intellectuals (no, i am no intellectual) on copyright issues which can be found here. More views can be found by googling my name and reading my blog posts.

Paper by Lockwood on stress management and workload in educational sector has been the most interesting paper of this course. I am glad i read that. Some of the points i like about it are as under:

Importance of workload management, stress, performance, readability and output.
Suggestions on work hours per course/program although they are different for different programs depending on the needs and level of complexity.
Financial burden on students and its impacts on performance
Readability with Flesch Reading Ease Scores.
Difficulty in counting study load because of non-textual information e.g charts, graphs, maps.
Although its a strong, thought-provoking paper i don't necessarily agree with the standardization of workload design. It is hard to standardize because of the issues of nature, complexity, diversity and perceived difficulty of the course which should be determined by faculties independently without benchamrking.

This brings me to summarizing of my ideas on flexible learning plan according to my ideas above. I would discuss a universal plan for educational equality using online tools. In next week i will be presenting at WIAOC09 with my presentation on 'Using Wikis for Open Learning'. Slides can be found here. I would use that as my final project for FLC too. I hope there will be a day when we will not be judged by the piece of papers called degrees in our bag and our children will not be dumbed down by education systems of our times.

FLC Post 3

2009-05-13T12:25:00.000+06:00

Kaplan University's videos as part of this week's assignment give most us not only an honest reflection of draconian picture of our education system today, it also gives us an out-loud lesson on whats wrong with the system. If you look at the videos one and two it dwells on an irrelevant assumption that a degree has something to do with 'learning' itself. It also implies that 'coughing out' thousands of dollars will not only get you the status, sustenance and self-confidence that you need in order to become 'somebody' you are not. Rosy picture of a Kaplan degree without sacrificing your work is like a ponzy long-term scheme. Like Illich's Deschooling Soceity's 'institutional attribution' phenomenon Education has been mistaken for Learning and Intellect. Kaplan is cashing out this misconception depicted in these videos which is not only intellectually abhorable but also a thought-crime in a puritan sense.

I should be honest here about my lack of experience with an organization's strategic plan with all the buzzwords mission, vision and goals. I would be a charlatan if i claimed to know strategic plans. I have mostly worked as an independent consultant helping people and organizations with 'specific' work related issues related to my field of expertise in courseware design, ICT policy, technology incorporation and human capital development. It might be a good idea to put down your goals in quantitative and pragmatic manner but to me words like vision, mission and strategic plan without quantitative numbers for expected outcomes is a wasteless debate which i am strongly averse to, as i've mentioned in my posts on this blog. I have found, to be honest, Otago Polytechnic's Charter more or less a document like United Nation's Human Rights Bill with all verbosity and positivity although Polytechnic has practically done amazing work. Maybe this is some form of 'rules of the trade' to have such documents but they are doing a great job even without it.

Phil Kher's rather long Elluminate session has given us a very clear and thoughtful insight into IP initiative at Otago Poly Technic and its relation to flexibility. Phil himself has been long assosciated with teaching and learning to qualify for an authentic voice on education. His blog brings forward a lot of practical and mind-food issues relevant to education today from a pragmatic point of view being a CEO. Open Educational Resource initiative by Otago Polytechnic is one of the most exemplary step taken by a rather small institution in this direction which can be replicated throughout the world. Using WikiEducator, an open education resource creation platform for that purpose was another wise decision. Most of his work in this domain not only deserves appreciation but also makes you a fussy critic of beauty of innovation if you have something to say against him. I had some of the ideas that i have conveyed to him through comments on his blog post and i guess it should suffice as a guideline, IMHO for the future of OERs for Otago Polytechnic and also as requirement for this post.

Finally for the interview part, i decided to get Leigh Blackall himself to explain his experience on flexible learning. Interview is as under:

Introduce yourself (shortly) and your work?

Leigh Blackall, educational developer for Otago Polytechnic. I focus on the use of social media in educational contexts, helping staff develop skills in the use of the Internet to find and post information, and to facilitate online communication. I also work on developing models for open education.

Explain your experience in designing flexible learning.?

Flexible learning has been a working concept for me since 2001 when I started working for Technical and Further Education Colleges in Australia. At that time, most of us made the mistake of thinking flexible learning meant online learning, and we focused on the production of information media that we called "learning objects". Since the marked impact that social media has had on the Internet, I have reconsidered that work, and as a result I think I am more appropriately considering the working concept of flexible learning.. ie.. not necessarily online learning.

how do you define it and give some of the criteria to assess a course as flexible?

Flexible learning (in educational organisations) is a concept used to design courses in such a way so as to minimise as many barriers as possible to people who want to engage in the course. Barriers can include cost, location, time, access generally.

What do you think are some of the problems in designing flexible learning?

Well, one problem is that many people still think of it as online learning or eLearning, thereby excluding other methods that afford flexibility, such as negotiated curriculum, assessment prior to study, access issues generally etc.

What are the pros and cons of flexible learning?

Well, obviously when done well, flexibility in a course can afford people better access to education, and improved chances of succeeding. The problems with it is that it seems to be poorly understood as a working concept and confused as primarily online learning. This leads many people to misguided thinking, resulting in flexible learning designs that can be poorly implemented. Poorly implemented courses that are redesigned for "flexibility" can result in increased barriers and increased workloads for everyone involved.

Do you think flexible learning has a future? If so, why?

I would hope that the working concept flexible learning has NO future, because it will become so common place that it doesn't need a word to describe it.

Give some suggestions to improve, design, implementation, standardization and evaluation of flexible learning.

Consider making your course open access through the Internet, with the content designed for offline use wherever possible. Think about how people might be able to start and finish your course at different times and at different points depending on what they already know and don't know. If your course has a fee to participate, could it be possible to charge that fee on completion of the course rather than before the start? Do you have a facility to assess people before they start the course, offering people the opportunity to shorten their time in the course? Does your course need to be as long as it is? Could you do night classes, multiple classes? Record lectures for access later? Do you need to run all your course on campus? Once you think of flexible learning as a working concept to reduce barriers, then recognising barriers and developing methods for reducing them can become endless...

EPB - Proposal

2009-05-05T15:05:00.002+06:00

Evaluation Best Practices
Proposal for Evaluation

By

Minhaaj ur Rehman

Table of Contents

Introduction: ....................................................................................................................................... 3
Background: ........................................................................................................................................ 4
Purposes: ............................................................................................................................................... 4
Objectives ........................................................................................................................................... 5
Questions: ........................................................................................................................................... 6
Methods: ............................................................................................................................................. 6
Limitations:.......................................................................................................................................... 6
Logistics: .............................................................................................................................................. 7
References: ......................................................................................................................................... 7
Interview Questions ............................................................................................................................ 7

Introduction:

The purpose of this plan is to outline an evaluation study to be carried out which will look at the
learning outcomes and experiential gains of a classroom which had participated in a borderless
and timeless online collaboration project called Flat Classroom Project in 2008. Included in the
plan is the rationale and background of the evaluation together with the methods employed
and target audience. The plan will also seek to identify any limitations posed by this evaluation
and anticipated decisions that may result from the evaluation. An outline of the expected
timeline and budget prediction will also be included.

This evaluation falls into the Constructivist-Hermeneutic-Interpretivist-Qualitative Paradigm and “has
the most potential for enhancing interactive learning systems and providing evidence of their
effectiveness and worth” (Reeves & Hedberg, 2002). The paradigm I’d use for evaluation is a
Summative analysis owing to the fact that I’ll be using evaluation after the process of content creation
and idea formulation which makes it harder for me to use other models in theory e.g. Front-end analysis
or integrative evaluation.
Method used to gather evaluation facts will be open-ended questions from a group of students
and their teacher who participated in the project. Questions will garner openness, creativity,
reflection and sharing of vision students and teacher had for the project. Relating to my specific
guidelines according to which I’ll ask questions, I’ll focus on the issues of perceived and actual
amount of support required by students, cultural issues relating to online learning and
technology related problems during the tenure of the project.
Interviewer will make sure that personal biases, structural construct, and assumptions are
avoided to ensure academic honesty in research. Issues and limitations regarding these will be
discussed in limitations section of the proposal below.

Background:

Flat Classroom Project is one of the largest project of its kind bringing together classes from
different countries on earth together through intelligent use of technology online. Ground
breaking idea was conceptualized by Vicki Davis and Julie Lindsay in 2006 and has since grown
into a phenomenal role model for classes all over the world to emulate. It has won numerous
accolades and awards including much coveted best wiki award for 2008 by Edublog Awards. It
has been mentioned in the economics best seller ‘World is Flat’ by Thomas Friedman.
Participants of the project are schools with high school classes. Project included diverse
participation from Bangladesh, Pakistan, USA, Australia, New Zealand, Austria and Qatar. I was
invited to judge the works of these students for the award to be presented to winning team in a
final conference. A thorough and elaborate rubric was designed to ensure standards, quality
and innovation. Spreadsheet included complete breakdown of judgment elements e.g.
innovation, creativity, complexity of tools used, importance of idea and relevance to the theme.
Each judge had to fill in these spreadsheets and scores were tallied to find out the winners of a
strand. A Meta judge for each strand would announce winner for particular theme/wiki.

Purposes:
The purpose of the evaluation is to identify the impact of the project on personal learning of
students and their post-test level of confidence, motivation, ease with technology and outlook
for the future. It would include their subjective ideas on technology, amount of support needed
(perceived/actual) to learn technology, usage in daily lives, impact on education and learning. It
would also give us an opportunity to understand through reflection, participants’ take and
feedback on current processes and issues.

The following overarching questions have been adapted from Guidelines for the support of e-
learning in New Zealand tertiary instructions:

1. Do students get clearly defined learning objectives that assist them in focusing on
their learning activities?
This information needs to cover the concepts and ideas of the course to ensure that students are clear on the course's focus and that they are properly prepared for study.
Clear documentation, complying with a consistent institutional template sets out the
course learning objectives, concepts and ideas. This information should be integrated
with details of assessments and with the underlying logic clearly apparent. Information
literacy should be reflected in the learning objectives. Institutional policy should require
that this information be accurate, regularly reviewed and provided to students in
advance of enrolment. Templates should be provided to ensure a consistent
organization and content. Elements that are standard to all courses should use
consistent wording.

2. Guideline for the online teaching's diversity handling issue is 'Assumptions and
presumptions should never be made in online contexts'.
Primary reason is the sensitivity levels of different people even if they don't belong to diverse
group of people. Common ethics, compassion and ability to be a good listener makes e-learning
easier than it already is. It’s a fallacy that online facilitation is as easy as face to face for most
part. Not only you are dealing with people from different cultures, you are also teaching yourself
things that you have not known in your entire career. Beliefs, traditions, cultural norms, pace of
tutelage and behavior of facilitator can significantly shorten or prolong the learning curve of
participants sometimes creating altercations too. Words should be chosen carefully. Asking
questions in a polite manner and identifying with people is the key to a friendly and passionate
learning experience.

Objectives
As part of the evaluation, the following processes will be undertaken:

1. Interview with students and teacher who participated in the FCRP.
2. Ensuring openness and subjectivness by pre-interview explanation of the interview
structure.
3. Compliance with the guidelines used in evaluation process.
4. Recording of podcast into an audible conversation with high audio quality specs.
5. Uploading the podcast online
6. Post to link to podcast online 7. Submission and write up of evaluation formally.

Questions:

The evaluation will focus on two main areas:-
 Do students get clearly defined learning objectives that assist them in focusing on
their learning activities?

 Guideline for the online teaching's diversity handling issue is 'Assumptions and
presumptions should never be made in online contexts'

Methods:

Only method of evaluation adopted here is Open-ended questions asked from students.
Questions are given below and limitations are listed in order to present the results impartially.
Limitations:

Views and experiences of the class cannot be generalized to all participants and cannot be used
to form an opinion or judgment on learning outcomes and experience of ALL students in the
project. Reader should keep in mind that these views are highly subjective and can be
attributed to the class interviewed only. Environment, pre-conceived notion of interview, presence of a teacher, confidence levels,
recollection of project events and stress levels can affect the answers and can change the
responses of students/teacher significantly.

Logistics:

The creation and execution of the interview will be undertaken by the evaluator of this project.
Subsequent recording, uploading and write up will also be done by evaluator according to
methodology and guidelines mentioned above.

References:

Guidelines for the support of e-learning in New Zealand tertiary institutions, version 0.8
(June 2006), retrieved from http://elg.massey.ac.nz
Reeves, Thomas C., Hedberg, John G. (2003) Interactive Learning Systems Evaluation,
Educational Technology Publications Inc., Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey
Reeves, Thomas C. & Hedberg, John G (2003) Interactive Learning Systems Evaluation,
Educational Technology Publications, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, companion website
http://it.coe.uga.edu/~treeves/edit8350/tools.html

Interview Questions
1. Was this the first time, class participated in a project like that?

2. How familiar were you using technology before this project?
3. What were the basic problems (if any) you faced during the project?

4. Did you feel overworked during the project or discouraged by challenging tools?

5. Was your teacher helpful in providing you the support that you thought was needed in
order to complete the tasks related to project?

6. Did you enjoy your during the project?

7. What are some of the cultural issues relating to participation in the project?

Revival of Religious Science by Al-Ghazali.

2009-05-05T03:50:00.000+06:00

First time, i found that book it was deep under the dusty shelves of one of the largest libraries here in Bahawalpur, my birthplace. I sat down on decrepit chair skimming through it. I knew i'd find this master piece deep down where i have to find it hard. This book 'Revival of Religious Sciences' which isn't all religious by the way and comprises almost every aspect of human life and spirituality. Being a digital enthusiast i wanted to OCR it and put it on the web to be save it forever for the posterity to read if they care to find the truth but there were two problems

There isn't an Urdu OCR software, afaik.
I didn't have a scanner.

So i walked away silently munching on the teachings of this work of amazing research. If i had it my way, i would make it a compulsory part of K-12 syllabus in muslim countries. Spirituality and compassion when stripped from material gain, takes us to the cultural catastrophy of today. Our heritage, philosphies and guiding principles have escaped us for consumption and greed.

And guess what?

Somebody beat me to it. Its already up on the internet. Something that amazes me and have done so my entire life. The replication, creation and dissemination of data at this rapid speed is unbelievable. I never expected that to be up there. Icing on the cake is its translations in Turkish and English, not to mention original Arabic version plus the Urdu version that i have. Whoever said that maybe didn't know how true it was:

'Where there is a will there is a way'.

To the Minister of Education

2009-05-04T16:29:00.009+06:00

Pakistan Education Plan

View more presentations from Minhaaj Rehman.

Looking at that presentation i have a plan and a good laugh! Over 60 years we have finally been able to

teach 50% of our population how to write their names. What a wonderful accomplishment!!

This was a presentation made to our Minister of Education. You don't have to have EDUCATION to be the minister of education normally but lets assume he got it right i have some ideas for him:

Stop wasting our taxes and invest in distance learning and R&D. Pakistan's only decent distance learning and Virtual University has become second largest university with respect to enrollments within 3 years. You gotta be dumb which apparently you are to see the potential there.
Create standardized test for evaluation and not subjective criterias by abysmally rude and neurotic professors to play with human future. Being objective in outlook is more important than subjective.
If you can't teach them all, which you've proven that you can't, let them teach themselves. With the serendipitous departure of internet, mobiles and digital communications, its about time you allow people to teach themselves. To be exact, allow them to be on the web.
Stop appeasing your American Gods with Intellectual property scourge. You know your culture, people and tradition. Nobody is going to buy this absurdity and never has. Save yourself the trouble.
Import duties on computers and local manufacturing should be discouraged. A personal computer is a PC. It can be made locally without feeding Corporations. China made computers could be one way to foster the low-cost computer culture.
Find a back up for lousy underwater cables which are supposed to be the only connectivity route to the world. It isn't going to last long.
Find international linkages to distance research programs. Higher Education Commission's Personnel development drama for 5 years has come to an end and you don't have enough money left for more personnel development. Its an insult to ask graduates to find indemnity and sign a bond before you give them scholarships. They deserve education not your crap. This is the cheaper solution.
Promote a culture of informal talks and guest speakers. People who do things are more important than people who tell students about them.
Choose between education and learning. You have done a great job with spoiling yourself with Education. Giving learning a chance now.
If you are born human there is no way you could emulate a swan perfectly. Stop omitting texts from culture, religion and values out of our text books. Benchmarking societies who are on the verge of self-destruction and exploitation isn't going to make you any better than you already are.
How hard is that to make a centralized system for credential verification, admissions and a qualifications framework? High school kids could design one for you.
They don't need to see you harangue about education and philosophy. Give them the tools and they'll find a way to ignore you for good.
Stop demonizing education by attributing tuition, debts, textbooks and teachers. They are pre-conditions to institutional education not literacy.
If Swedes can do that with a land half as big as ours with most of it frozen, you should try it or die trying.
Find a computer to train your employees, teachers and high ups. At least let them try it themselves. You could fill a river with the papers you have blackened with rubbish. Most of them are already online.
Create an OCR tool for converting all Urdu books to digital format. Countries as small as Malaysia and Serbia teach in their own language. We got freedom in 1947. Its about time we free our minds from this psychological imperialism.
Bring the drained brains back. Use them to help their own country or they'll help its enemies.

FLC Post 2

2009-04-28T16:48:00.000+06:00

This assignment's suggested readings were very informative and comprehensive in their nature. D. Annand's paper on Re-organizing Universities for the Information Age along with University of London's Flexible Learning intiatives, Kristi's posts from 2008 course, Pete's posts and further references which i will include in the later part of the posts were very helpful. I would list some of the points that i think are relevant to nature of flexible learning and education as a whole, which has changed during the last century from unilateral to bilateral communication, from centralization to decentralization, from read-only to contribute and from mainstream media to social media. As Annand states in the paper (Annand,. D 2007).

The generally silent struggle underway within the academy to determine the appropriate means to employ technology – using it to either fundamentally change the way education is delivered to students, or using it to augment the traditional way that higher education has been conducted by replicating the classroom in an electronic environment – is far from resolved. If creatively implemented, significant transformative change may be realized within current academic structures. However, heightened aspirations of a burgeoning world population, coupled with a growing perception that development of more affordable, widely-accessible education systems is desirable because civilized societies should provide their citizens with the education they need throughout their lives, create pressure on the academy to change perhaps too quickly.

Following are some of the observations i have come across that underscores the importance of flexibility, technology and innovation in education.

Wikipedia's success given its participatory culture and flexibility in both learning/teaching.
Luddism, Fordism, French Revolution, Greek academy and contemporary education's lessons that lead us to alternative systems of sustainable education.
Didactic to Facilitative pedagogy
Mainstreaming of distance education as the future of universities.
Existence of MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) e.g Connectivism, Facilitating Online Communities etc
Evolution of alternative licensing Creative Commons, BSD, W3C, Apple Public Source, MIT DB etc
Exponential growth in computing power
Changing demographic trends and special needs assosciated with them
Changing economic conditions and higher education requirements putting individuals in a dilemma.
Increasing content creation in english by non-english countries and aversion to imperialism in developing countries
Enervating Intellectual property laws and human collaboration at its best.
Hyperlinked knowledge, online conferencing, knowledge aggregation, low costs of communication and wider audiences.
Universities like Walden, Fielding and Phoenix providing open courses.
Open Access courses and documents by institutes like Otago Polytechnic, BYU, MIT and other Ivy leagues.
New Media affordances like iTunes U, Youtube Edu, TeacherTube, Podcasts, Documentaries and VLEs.
Instant messengers, web-based tools, cloud computing, SCORM compliant content, VoIP and Social networking tools.

Above changes during last 4 decades have more or less changed how we look on learning and education today. Technology has afforded us the opportunity that we couldn't have imagined. TED talk by Tim O'Reilly is one of the future insights we can have on our destiny. Further literature that have helped me understand the nature and future of learning is listed in my post here. which i wouldn't reiterate here. I am of opinion that meanings construed from learning is an individual responsibility and imposing that on other people is not only unethical, its rude. Having said that, i would suggest that we should increase our PLEs to find out individuals with solutions and similar problems with whom you share your vision. This is the best strategy to stay focused online creating meaning ful experiences and lessons for yourself.

Annand, D. (2007). Re-organizing Universities for the Information Age. The International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, Vol 8, (3), 1-9.

My Earthcast09 Presentation

2009-04-25T16:17:00.000+06:00

Earth Cast09

View more presentations from Minhaaj Rehman.

I have given this presentation on Global Warming and Sustainable development issues on Earthcast09 arranged by Matt Montagne and Webcasting team on 22nd April, 2009. It was a pleasure to join and listen to earthcastathon. We've had students from Shangai, Barcelona, Portual and US talk about issues concerning earth and environment. Keynote by Jason Czarnezki was a great opportunity for most of us to know things about global warming that we didn't know we don't know. His work on sustainability and issues relating to environment is phenomenal and hes probably the most influential and youngest researcher on such issues.

I would like to thank Cristina, Andreas, Jeff, Doug, Drew Buddie, Vance, Peggy, Sheila , Lisa Parisi, Linda, Joao, Angie from GatorRadio and her fellows, students in Shanghai, Barcelona, China and Portugal for making this event a mega success (with apology to people I've missed and who matter as much as these and without whom this event would have been impossible.). It was phenomenal and reiterates the importance of collaboration, border-less compassion and humanity that we share as human beings. I think time has come when we create meaningful relationships from online sphere that transcends human biases, restrictions of time, laws and personal differences.

I have recently been trying to analyze learning theories online and am in a process of formulating and synthesizing these ideas into a semantic form without restrictions and formalities of academic complexities that hinder the process of learning. In this regard i'd like to mention academic endeavors that've inspired me. I personally am of opinion that theories and philosophies should be ranked below practical work and research outcomes and i am not keen on abstract theories like Connectivism.

I would like to mention Etienne Wenger's Community of Practice, Nancy White's learning model found in her Slideshare Presentations, Ivan Illich's Deschooling Society, Alec Couros's Sherpas, Leigh Blackall's open access courses, David Wiley's work on open licensing, free cultural works and recently his controversial statement on 'Universities will be irrelevant by 2020', to an extent Downes's work on nature of networks, groups and communities although i detest his incomprehensibility, irrelevance and impractical philosophizing on educational issues, 'derivatives' of Connectivism courses seen on participants's blogs and NOT the actual theory which is something i strongly disagree with.

More influences come from works of Scott Lesile, Konrad Glogowski (fabulous), Vance Stevens (Multiliteracies and CALL), Sharon Betts (work in Africa), Jo Kay, Kip Boahn, Nergiz Kern, in Second Life, Terry Anderson (a little academically snob though, something pretty common in Canuck academics IMO or maybe academics overall, i don't know!), Howard Rheinghold (Author of Smart Mobs and probably the most insightful social media theorists alive), Larry Sanger (Citizendum), Debra Hoven (Technology in English Teaching). Some Webheads have done some immensely extensive work primarily in ESL domain e.g Rita Zeinstejer, Robert Squires, Dafne, Carla Arena, Susan Nyrop, Ibrahim, Dennis Newson, Aiden Yeh and alot of people i can't recall at the moment. I am leaving out biological, economical and social theorist like Max Weber, Maslow, Marx, Darwin and Adam Smith which can be seen more or less contributors to our overall view of how we see world around us.

It would be futile to sum up and pile up my cognitive recountances here and all the literature i've assimiliated through years but there is something i have learned from these influences. I have left theorisizing and deducing meanings from these works to individuals. Any theories which don't help in practical endeavors is practically irrelevant and should be discarded in favor of pragmatic action research. Nature of learning is beyond human understanding and i am of view that learning styles of masses is as diverse as DNA patterns. Technology has given us this serendepitious privilege of pedagogical freedom. Where people can choose their learning styles and opt their own tools. Theorisizing and standardizing curriculum is going back to our own restrictive roots and academic absurdities. I have my own ideas and from time to time i've predicted some of the events that would change future of learning, technology and nature of collaboration between humans, which now people are witnessing as reality. I would like to relate to David Wiley's 'heresay' about 2020 as one of my own hunches from my writings, shared items and comments in the past and work 'against' copyrights. I have discussed this extensively with academics e.g Leigh blackall and through my comments on people's work e.g. Alec Couros, Dave Cormier. I hate to document that on my blog in form of a theory which is highly spoken of in our times which is something i'm heretic to. I am glad to see things drifting in the direction of my own projection of how social media and humanity will proceed.

I would avoid projections and prophesizing of humanity and educational trends watsoever like Downes and other 'bandwagon' academics which would make me exactly that i've stood against. I have always indentified myself as a 'facilitator' as opposed to teacher and this is how i identify myself when it comes to social media and learning theories, someone who aggregates the knowledge without commenting on the nature of knowledge itself, which i believe should be left to the nodes of this uncontrollable network, which are individuals themselves.

FLC - Post 1

2009-04-03T08:07:00.002+05:00

Having looked on various resource that define flexible learning, i have come to an understanding that flexible learning, is a more of a pedagogical method which is student-centered as opposed to institutional imposed face to face, scheduled learning. Definitions for that on Australian Flexible Learning Framework and Wikipedia demarcates its relevance from student's perspective. Thanks to digital divide, (Shurville 2008) would have been a great resource. An earlier discussion with Leigh on the issue have spawned an argument about institutional inflexibilities or personal preferences of students being the core cause of flexible learning programs. I am of view that unless its a face to face course, administrative inefficiencies have very little impact on flexible learning programs e.g distance learning, self-paced learning, e-learning.

Logically following the arguments i really don't see valid arguments for NOT attending a flexible learning course from distance. A clear bifurcation in point of view here also comes partly because of my status as a free student of this course, participating online. If i were a paying, face to face student, i might have realistic problems that i'll list in a moment in order to dispatch assignment on my end. In online context, i don't see a reason for anyone not to attend course when its online except for the assignment turn-in dates if any enforced.

In f2f context following could be the reasons as i see them,

Busy work schedule to keep up with classes
Emotional, mental and physical stresses hindering learning process
Lack of interest and aptitude.
Inadequate motivation and non-cooperative facilitation.
Procedural, explicit/implicit and de-facto discrimination
Personal issues and priorities.

Shurville, S., O'Grady, T.(. & Mayall, P., 2008. Educational and institutional flexibility of Australian educational software. Campus-Wide Information Systems, 25(2), 74 - 84. Available at: http://www.emeraldinsight.com/10.1108/10650740810866576 [Accessed April 3, 2009].

A personal manifesto

2009-04-03T06:59:00.001+05:00

I tend to be critical of issues that means to me and in general relates with soceital forces even if they fail to ring bells to most people for varied reasons. Myopia of academia and constructivist intuition compels me to reflect on my notions and philosphies that drives the mental processes of contemporary society. It sometime creates a wide gap between mainstream thought and my views, primarily because of the lack of ground covered by new readers without deep insight and familiarity with my works and background on issues that interests me.,I am going to jot down a few incontrovertible notions which guide my writings, talks and views on web 2.0, education, connectivity and egalitarianism. This might not explain the nexus of my previous work and western thought in absence of deep cultural understanding and a grasp on digital divide concept but it would help my followers understand the origin of my thought stream.

Education is a personal obligation than a collective right. In an idea world, second part of my belief should be true but in the face of realities, knowledge economy fosters individuals with personal desire to learn and excel creating a form of social and educational inequality which gives some of us headstart and rest of us have to catch up, although a capitalistic soceity, how devastating it may be to the notions of social welfare, gives everyone the right to access resources, although not by fair means most of the time.
Statistics are worst form of academic prevarication and should be left to profiteers. It might be good for social mobilisation for profiteering and amplifying/downplaying impacts, it is far from truth and should be dropped for qualitative, egalitarian and long-term analysis.
Institutionalizing without accountability, copyrighting/restricting, and corporatocracy is damaging not only for individual conscience but also for humanity. Digitizing, democrasizing, proliferating and criticsm is the essence of human fight for freedom in the history. People should be speaking up against any explicit/implicit endeavors to harm these values.
Philosophizing should be left to individuals to find meanings from the words they read. Avoid philosophers and concentrate on tools and praxis.
Sharing knowledge is important. Web 2.0 tools have different pill for different people with subtle tendencies e.g some people prefer podcasting to blogging. Videocasting, podcasting, blogging, tweeting, RSS sharing and social networking all imparts knowledge even if its abstract, non-verbal and implicit.
Revolution is good but revolution around people involves violence, hate and bloodshed. What we need today is spiritual revolution from the inside. I believe in this and fight on most fronts against myself more than others, which i believe everyone should do. Better than proselytizing.
Exploiting information resources should be a right, not a privilege. Databases like Sciencedirect, Amazon Books and Goolge Books should be openly accessible, universal and free. I wouldn't go into economic debate because it would be no-brainer for the kind of people i am writing THIS specific blogpost to figure out the viability of alternative economic models e.g advertising and for the rest of the readers, it would be a good research question.
Respect, Freedom and Collaboration are human legacies which shouldn't be abused. Racism, digital divide, procedural discrimination, character assassination and individualism are vices which are destined to perish. People who practice those have been wasting their time and will do in future. Foster constructive debate and profound understanding of issues that make difference in the world.
Self-paced learning will be the global model of the future. Quoting someone on that 'Nobody has ever been able to teach anyone, anything'. We teach ourselves what we're exposed to. Flexible and distance learning should be adopted whenever possible. Business schools can't give you entrepreneurs. Althought it will gives you employees who will be hired by entrepreneurs, who come from streets.
Simplicity, modesty and gratitude never fails to keep you happy. Verbosity might make you a philosopher but philosophers don't make world a better place. Speak when you are asked to speak and think even when you aren't.

As a proud culprit, i confess to veering off these principles as part of human species but these principles have made me value my insights even more when i reflect on them. This post serves me more than anyone else because i finally have put them together to create a personal manifesto from them. A tacit practice with reticent attitude has been my path lately and i am pretty happy that i've stuck to it for the most part, which leaves me with a clear conscience and a exuberant life. For those, who see criticsm as necessary evil need to realize the beauty of disagreement in human context. Taking and creating constructive criticism has always been the basis of scientific inquiry and personal retrospection. I'll end with a beautiful quote that says

'Preachers don't preach for a crowd. They preach for that one person, who would leave the place with a resolve to change himself and rest of the world'.

EPB - Week five and Six

2009-03-31T05:30:00.000+05:00

This week evaluation paradigm and model for upcoming project is to be laid out by the participants. Reading between the lines and using common sense forms the logical consequence that this paradigms and models should align with your future evaluation project. I was lucky enough to get hold of Bronwyn on Skype to clear up some of the issues i had with the philosophical play on words in assignment. It took quite some time and i am thankful to Bron for her generosity.

Its my second year with the Flat ClassRoom Project as a judge. I came across the concept through Vicki Davis, an acclaimed blogger and a very passionate educator. I had fallen in love with the idea of distributed learning and online collaboration between schools instantaneously. Last year i had fun judging videos and joining Elluminate sessions with the students. I came across wonderful teachers who are 'really' making difference in education. This year in addition to love of labor, i'll use the project for the EPB course as research.

The paradigm i'd use for evaluation is a Summative analysis owing to the fact that i'll be using evaluation after the process of content creation and idea formulation which makes it harder for me to use other models in theory e.g Front-end analysis or integrative evaluation. In later weeks of this course, i'll come up with a podcast with a teacher/student on the effects of FCR project on their productivity and ease with digital tools in general.

The Model i've chosen for the larger evaluation framework is Constructivist-Hermeneutic-Interpretivist-Qualitative Paradigm. Primary reason for choosing the qualitative analysis is its relevance with my previous research work and agreement with Mark Twain's Lies, Damn Lies and Statistics. I can delve into serious debates about the usefulness of satistics (if any) quoting books like How to Lie with Statistics by Darrel Huff, one of my all time favorites and practiced by United Nations Statistics Division at its best, i'd keep discussion in context.

In determining my needs and project type, presentation based on Professor Reeve's book was very helpful. It does a fair justice to the book itself by covering most topics. Resources that have been posted on the WikiEducator page have been extremely helpful in conceptualizing the idea and gaining a deep insight into the philosophy of Evaluation in E-learning. Specially resources on Impact Evaluation, Project Evaluation ToolKit and Quality Matters were crucial in aligning my thought stream on topics of evaluation. This course comes just in time when my years of educational consultancy practice needed a reflection on theoretical principles that i've unconsciously practiced over the years without brushing on them in theory. Sometimes practicing principles distracts you from the very origins of the praxis you follow robotically. In coming weeks, it will serve as good thought food as i'll graze through materials on evaluation in e-learning context that aligns with my project specifically and in general too. I am also looking forward to read evaluation paradigms other people have chosen for their projects and i hope it would be an enlightening read.

EPB - Week Three

2009-03-12T02:36:00.000+05:00

For week three, i have to get my issues and guidelines to resolve them ready. Some of the common issues i have faced during my e-mentoring career are essentially related with the planning and not implementation in general. If you have thought things out the right way, there is scanty chance it would backfire. So following are some of the issues i have encountered commonly in my experience.

1. The issues regarding learning outcomes being unclear are ubiquitous in e-sphere. This is to say that students are not clear about the expectations, processes, resources and outcomes of the course they are taking. From facilitator to students, it can be anyone's fault but in anycase it deprives the course of its spirit.

Before i jot down the guideline i have chosen for this problem, i would like to appreciate the cube-shaped guideline created by Massey University, Newzealand. I have played with it for about an hour and have found it in line with most literature i've browsed on the topic of e-facilitation and quality.
You could also have a look on this free book detailing instructions on teaching online published by Elearning Guild.

Coming back the problem of learning out comes my guideline comes from the massey university cube-shaped rubric.

Do students get clearly defined learning objectives that assist them in focussing on their learning activities?
This information needs to cover the concepts and ideas of the course to ensure that students are clear on the course's focus and that they are properly prepared for study (Waterhouse and Rogers, 2004).
Clear documentation, complying with a consistent institutional template sets out the course learning objectives, concepts and ideas. This information should be integrated with details of assessments and with the underlying logic clearly apparent. Information literacy should be reflected in the learning objectives.
Institutional policy should require that this information be accurate, regularly reviewed and provided to students in advance of enrolment.Templates should be provided to ensure a consistent organisation and content.Elements that are standard to all courses should use consistent wording.

Second issue i have faced is the lack or unintentional insensitivity of facilitators to the diversity of the audience. To put it more in context, it might be a good idea in US to assume everyone knows the terminologies and tools you are going to use during the session, but it doesn't apply across the board. Salutations, empathy and emotion-mirroring is also important aspects of online teacing.

Solution: Guideline for the online teaching's diversity handling issue is 'Assumptions and presumptions should never be made in online contexts'. Primary reason is the sensitivity levels of different people even if they don't belong to diverse group of people. Common ethics, compassion and ability to be a good listener makes elearning easier than it already is. Its a fallacy that online facilitation is as easy as f2f for most part. Not only you are dealing with people from different cultures, you are also learning yourself things that you have not known in your entire career. Beliefs, traditions, cultural norms, pace of tutelage and behavior of facilitator can significantly shorten or prolong the learning curve of participants sometimes creating altercations too. Words should be chosen carefully. Asking questions in a polite manner and identifying with people is the key to a friendly and passionate learning experience.

I could go onto prolonged discussions on what constitutes a good facilitator, but i personally believe we all have this innate ability to share our experiences and passions with others. We teach all the times even if we don't know we do. Sometimes with words, others with silence. During my interactions with more than 50 nationalities on earth, i am yet to find out the traits that make you a good facilitator, but what i can do for sure is to tell when i meet a wonderful facilitator. And thats what i believe we should all look for in ourselves.

EBP - Week Two Assignment

2009-03-04T19:24:00.000+05:00

As part of my first assignment for the 'Evaluation E-learning best practices' course i am supposed to turn in my answers to the following questions:

# Why is evaluation important to you and how do you define it?
# What sort of evaluations mentioned on the presentation are familiar to you already and why?
# Why is quality important in eLearning?

Quoting Wikipedia on Evaluation 'Evaluation is systematic determination of merit, worth, and significance of something or someone using criteria against a set of standards.'. I remember, in my work with an english language teaching community Webheads, we worked on this workshop on e-learning tools called Enhancing Lessons. With all the schedule, tools and assignments we created a Rubric for evaluating how we would assess the learning of participants during the session. This included the list of deliverables and learning outcomes which were designed to ensure that participants understand and are able to use tools in a proficient manner. I personally think without the evaluation process, learning will be restricted to a traditional non-interactive, one-way process which is not only monotonous but kills the enthusiasm and interest levels of participants.

During my experiences online in training and development of materials and personnel, i have extensively used principles of ADDIE model as described in the presentation by Bronwyn, extensively. Necessary analysis before designing a course is the key to success. Subsequent Desgin, Development and Implementation processes streamline the accord between theory and practical. This is one part of two in designing and evaluating a training or course. Second, part is to ensure that you didn't make a mess out of first. Teaching or facilitating is no more a one-way process. It has to be dynamic, collaborative and should create a synergy. Keeping this view in mind, evaluation sometimes preceeds knowledge imparting in importance. You don't teach and deliver and forget about it. You also have to make sure, everything you have delivered has been understood and applied in visible ways. This is what the snowballing effect of technology is about.

As much as we're concerned about e-learning in 21st century which has significantly reduced the costs of communication and learning, we have somewhat been lacking in our structured-mindedness towards quality framework for e-learning. This is somewhat stifled by th every nature of information overload and chaos in online learning networks, but staying in context the possibility of a standardized and comprehensible touchstone is much needed. In times as competitive as ours, learning is important but quality of the learning is also an important factor. Internet and connectivity has opened up ways to learn with cheaper costs but it also has widened our competition market. So quality of learning ensures that learning is fair, indiscriminate, up-to-par and relevant to real world challenges.

Chat with Leigh Blackall about CopyRight Zero License

2009-03-01T07:07:00.001+05:00

I had this insightful talk with Leigh Blackall, lecturer at Otago Polytechnic, Newzealand and one of the Advisory Council Member at WikiEducator recently. Chat might digress from topic and go into other philosophical and subjective origins of 'ownership concept' of content, but it was a great opportunity to get to know the western perspective of copyrights with someone as authentic and acclaimed as Leigh.

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Minhaaj:

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/zero/1.0/

interesting new license term.

Sent at 5:59 AM on Sunday

Leigh:

ah good one

useful

Minhaaj:

not really but nice addition

best of the bad lot i guess.

Leigh:

What do you think about the technical benefit of CC.. the bit where by making attribution creates a historical link between ideas

Minhaaj:

I have written numerous posts and have explicity written in the 'tragedy of commons' article that it might be the solution to western problems but the very foundations on which CC movement stands are like deck of cards.

Over the years people have not only denounced Copyrights, they have risen up against CC too and they both are doomed to failure even if its not in so-called academic sector

Leigh:

how does the "east" reference work of others?

Minhaaj:

idea isn't about the usability, fairness and sharing of knowledge, its about the very notion of 'owning' the content.

there is no such thing as 'owning' of content in east.

Leigh:

yes, I understand all that

no one is talking about "owning" here

it is about technical links between ideas

like a reference

Minhaaj:

if you want to assume that contemporary state of laws and statutes in east does follow copyrights and are part of international IPR conventions, it might be true for governments but nobody is willing to give up their collective and freedom-based values for western ideals

Leigh:

you often reference religious authors and ideas for example

you must be ignoring me

Minhaaj:

well i believe the ideas of sharing and collaboration comes from religious injunctions but even if you don't see it in this context, we have a collective, family-centered culture who appreciates freedom

i should confess that i didn't get your question in first place

what do you mean by technical links between ideas ?

Leigh:

Just let me take a deep breath and calm myself

was getting quite annoyed just then..

what I mean is

if you make a short movie

Minhaaj:

sorry for getting your worked up.

Leigh:

and I make another version

if you have used a CC license, it tells me that you expect a reference (attribution)

nothing to do with ownership

just an expression from you that you want me to reference you if I use your version in mine

if I didn't reference you, then a technical link between our ideas would be lost

and someone would watch mine, and may never know about yours, and so loose the historical reference and benefits there in

Minhaaj:

Well if what i have produced is what i believe is beneficial for the mankind and i expect people to see it and use it for the betterment of humanity, atleast my morality doesn't expect even an intangible attribution to the brilliant idea. We being in academia have this stupid ego attached to us that prompts us to attach our names with the 'hot news' but in general its not something most of us would appreciate for others.

when we write papers we do give references and when someone does or collects the literature review or works review, he can put both our movies in references rather than one. and i have no problem with it.

more is good. it gives options, it gives different perspectives and its what we do all the time.

Leigh:

OK, but that assumes people are referecning.. We can assume that in academic traditions, but not in popular culture and media.. and so CC brings the moral obligation of referencing to pop media.. its not so much an ego thing (though many do it for that, but can be seen as a benefit to humanity - the link between ideas is new information in itself as you say.. 1 + 1 = 3 if you know what I mean

Sent at 6:12 AM on Sunday

Minhaaj:

well i don't see how it benefits humanity when the references can be pooled immensely without every work being cited to something else which would chain of findings for the researcher. I also don't agree with the assumption that its a moral obligation to attribute to someones work when actually no work in essence is 'completely' some single person's work. it includes experiences, knowledge and help of others over the time. so its not entirely someones work and since it isn't an individual and owned information, it cannot be patented as someones and prevents others to use it without attributing.

its a chain. if you don't attribute people who you got this knowledge from in first place and copyright the work as your own, i guess others have the right to do what we do on a fair playing ground unlike west.

Leigh:

no, its not a single persons work.. so if each work included reference to another, that would become very clear to see

yes

it is a chain \

Minhaaj:

well it would be nice to see the 'original' works quote the works that they owed knowledge from but since it didn't happen, why now subsequent derivative works have the 'moral obligation' to quote from the works which were supposed to be quote the works it got information from?

Leigh:

well, the moral obligation has always been there, but as you say - the notion of copyright has broken that trust

Minhaaj:

An elluminate recording of your talk would be amazingly wonderful for both western and eastern crowd :)

Leigh:

then again.. in many respects it is impossble to reference al influences

Minhaaj:

well if no one budged and thought something was wrong with 'not' quoting the pre-historic works or ideals or experiences in todays so-called 'original' works then why all of a sudden some standford professor should be allowed to show up and say its unethical not to quote the original works which aren't original in essence

Leigh:

I could reference most obvious and recent ones

Minhaaj:

bingo. something i wanted to say and you did.

Leigh:

but at what poit do you stop referencing

Minhaaj:

its impossible to quote all tangible, intangible and implicative references

thats exactly the point. you stop refering all together. we didn't create google for nothing? why are we letting our inventions go down the drain for academic bullshit?

thats what google and facebook and wikis are for. we know that things and informations are out there to access without a single repository to access from or to attribute to.

thats what the notion of freedom is. thats our values and spirit of collaboration and sharing.

we have fought our entire lives to get rid of colonial miscreants and now we should let the get back into the game through the hind side? If you can't beat them, join them ? or just buy them?

Leigh:

yeah, I agree

but

Google et al, depend on electricity

I can't see it working still when the historians are digging up our artifacts from the ashes 10 thousand years from now

basically, since the Internet - we have nothing to show the future

Minhaaj:

its a far-fetched assumption in my opinion.

Leigh:

I don't think so..

Minhaaj:

we still have artifcats to show in museums that were protected by those historians still because they are here to stay.

let me complete

Leigh:

Minhaaj:

we have internet and storage and media here to save our knowledge base for generations to come.

the capacity and storage techniques and way of communicating and handling the information might change when my son becomes as old as i am, but the very notion of sharing, preserving and passing on the knowledge would follow the same process as it has been since the genesis

Sent at 6:27 AM on Sunday

Leigh:

Well, I guess so long as 'this' civilisation remains, and the technologies we have survive.. you will be right.. but I don't think we can rely on that given it has never happened in any human history so far. Only back in the 80s where we all building nuclear bunkers and awaiting mutually assured distruction. But then, I guess the Interent was designed for that very same event. Personally, once a year I make a book of my writings and photos, just in case the lights go out, or something stops me and my daughter accessing my marks. AT least a book will last a few hundred years if I look after it

Sent at 6:30 AM on Sunday

Minhaaj:

well if you believe something can happen to internet and your works and knowledge base and your memories would be lost, i am not convinced that your putting them onto paper and printing it out for your generations to come would be a good idea specially when your assumption about internet is that, it would disappear or be destroyed by some invisible calamity. My question here is that how are you so sure that this calamity would only destroy your digital works and not your printed documents? and i am not yet talkin about the questions green movement guys are going to ask about your intentions to print out a book every year assuming that its good for everyone and everyone prints a book out for them.

Sent at 6:33 AM on Sunday

Minhaaj:

stumped you ? :)

Sent at 6:35 AM on Sunday

Leigh:

sorry. had to walk away..

Minhaaj:

np. Mind if i publish it to my blog? the chat log ?

Leigh:

not at all

but just to reply

Minhaaj:

WITH attribution :)

though

lol

Leigh:

I can't be sure the book would survive

but

the book gives me more than just a backup

the act of picking up the book and flicking trhough it is still a lot easier than turning on a computer and clicking links.

So even if the Interent remains and electricity is as readily available, the book is still worth doing

it is a kind of backup

cross format

if I could go to Microfilm, I'd do that too

Minhaaj:

well if you wanted to put things and links together online, you didn't have to flick through the book if flicking through everything you've done is what you want. why take the pain to waste your time, energy and paper on that ?

Leigh:

you should try it

I have made 3 books so far

an album of my flickr

a book from my blog

and a book from a conference I ran

it is very satisfying to hold the book from those every now and then

just as satisfying as seeing them on the web years later

Minhaaj:

I am not as despondent about state of electricity as you seem to be, although i have survived 14 hour outages, but i'll save that for a boring day.

Leigh:

Minhaaj:

If i were you, more satisfying would be the fact that knowledge i have created and things i've done for people who are benefitting from it, is out there, i wouldn't want more out of it.

Leigh:

its not a matter of wanting more out of it.. the process gives more

I wonder if I sent you a copy of my book, whether you would read a few articles from it.. then I bet you that you haven't gone back that far in my blog to have read those same articles

Minhaaj:

Well in both ways i don't seem to grasp the idea. I am not worried about my work being lost because of a calamity or the satisfaction that i will have from looking my book in my hand safe from electronic catastrophies :)

Leigh:

what about the satisfaction and comfort of just looking at your book in an arm chair under an electric light?

Minhaaj:

Well i wouldn't go far back in your blog, i'd probably wouldn't go as far down your book too. if thats the assumption atleast.

Well thats not a bad feeling to have at all, but i wouldn't be less satisfied dying with a feeling that what i have produced is out there for people to use.

Leigh:

yah

perhaps my extreme example is distracting

it is enough to just make a book

that process in itself has benefit to me and others

and it also serves as a cross format backup

perhaps that backup would never be needed

Minhaaj:

Well i don't see a reason in making a book even if we don't talk about the physical resources it takes and effect on global greenery. Its like going back to carts after having cars. No better way to mistrust technology and to disavow it.

Leigh:

know.. you must consider the book as a has been technology then.. I consider it as an essential technology that is enhanced by the internet

*no

or, the internet is enhanced by a book

(and micorfilm :)

microfilm

as for the green point.. I look forward to the day when lulu.com print on sugar cane paper

Minhaaj:

hehe.

Well if you have to microfilm it, whats wrong with keeping it in pdf format? how do you intend to use microfilm?

Leigh:

I need to tell you my invention

Minhaaj:

if you argument about electricity crisis is assumed valid for the sake of conversation

Leigh:

it is a film viewer that reflects sunlight

it is a hyperlinked microfilm viewer

all mechanical

no batteries

no power

all passive

I thought it up after an earth quake knocked us out of the computers for 2 weeks

weekly microfilm backups

Minhaaj:

Well as much as i'd like to hand out copies of your invention, i believe not everyone would be enthusiastic about using microfilms for their children's education 100 years from now, leaving the debate about society's visual learning appreciation e.g YouTube, SecondLife and Technology.

Leigh:

Minhaaj:

Well i don't know if you've come up with the plan to save microfilms from earthquake or not, but thats going to be a good research question.

Leigh:

my kids will love steroscopic film

stereoscopic

and super8 movies

Minhaaj:

thats something your kids are supposed to answer and i guess it should be left with them to find a way to conserve your knowledge. You are more or less done with the job of creating it.

Leigh:

old tech

yeah

but they need to appreciate why you and I think the Internet is so great

because we haven't always been fish

we notice the water

Minhaaj:

I really think they should but how they appreciate and conserve it to their own use should be their decision and not ours. so i guess keeping microfilm for your own memories is the best way to tone down your paranoia but your kids shouldn't have your qualms about 'fear of unknown'

Leigh:

well said

lol

blush

Minhaaj:

hehe i'd say good day on this 'blush' note then.

Leigh:

good chat

Minhaaj:

before the electricity goes out and earthquake erupts

:) bye

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Answers to questions i have been asked about copyrights.

2009-02-26T18:59:00.001+05:00

In the wake of my views in a recent article on 'Tragedy of Commons' vibrant discussions have sprung up and i have been receiving emails, interview requests and questions about non-western views on copyrights. Article can be found HERE. During these heated discussions i am happy that diverse perspectives on problems with commons came up and interesting enough was the fact that most people in western hemisphere have same notions and sympathies for human freedom and egalitarianism that is someone concentrated in eastern world owing to capitalistic greed of the west. I also think that common values and harmony between globalized world tilts significantly towards eastern ethics of collectivism, freedom of knowledge and less disparity in both social and economical ideals. I wanted to summarize and answer these questions through this blogpost because of my sheer inability to answer individual emails and questions that has sprung up.

In response to my comments on Alec Couros's Visualizing Open/Networked Teaching article a rather confrontational debate started on western and eastern views on copyrights and just like most western academics Alec is pretty adamant which i call to an extent hypocritical although unintentionally on this serious issue of copyrights. Sometimes being on the safe side of the gun helps people forget the danger that is assosciated with having a gun in first place. If i bend over backwards to give Alec the benefit of the doubt that he thinks artists must be able to pay their bills to create content which they own legally, i still have questions about the legitimacy of their 'restricting' information to people who can't afford to pay for that or even the standardization of monetary limit of their 'be able to pay their bills' part.
As much as i have avoided the confrontation with western views of free market and the so-called belief and abysmal trust on a failing economic system due to the flawed economic assumption that markets would adjust themselves to crisis and price mechanisms have these inherent abilities to auto adjust themselves, i am pulled back into whirlpool by asinine understanding of some academics's explanation of copyrights with the economic theories which they don't quite understand. Adam Smith's invisible hand was probably a good tackle for his time's ignorant labourers who believe industrial revolution would help them in every way they could think of. Like this recent article Cristina Costa wrote about how technology can be less productive than its expected to be, atleast for the majority, i believe the use and accessibility of the information is primarily whats wrong with the world. Someone put it beautifully that 'If the facts were put exactly like they were in front of people, there wouldn't have been wars on earth'. The failure of current economic system is the inevitable consequence of the flawed assumptions and blind support of neoclassical decisions made. If someone is more interested in how International financial institutions are a culprit and main reasons of this financial collapse i recommend watching videos by Joseph Stiglitz, fired Chief Economist of World Bank. Whats better than an insider pulling cat out of the bag? So Alec's argument about impossibility of current copyleft movement in a contemporary system is really hilarious as far as my understanding is concerned and the reaction with in west against copyright is phenomenal. Its a stronger evidence of the common notion of freedom among people all around the world regardless of what 'incorporated' academics have to say. I'll leave it to that.
During the debate i was shocked by the callousness of the so-called leaders of academia about how downplaying they have been about the fact that copyrights and intellectual property rights are the sole contributor to the 30,000 thousands on the face of the earth, most of them are children due to lack of 'patented' drugs. During Clinton administration, the wedding of government with drug companies and probably the worst trade agreement at Uruguay Round was the death warrant of hundreds of children on earth, which is conveniently ignored by the right-winged ivy leagues as well as other corporate sponsored universities and egotistic academia. While they speak vehemently about the artists who should be able to make money for their music, theatrical works, content and products, they easily forget about the naturally selected idiots who earn less than $2 a day who are supposed to buy into diseases or pay $10 for a life-saving injection.
I have always been a passionate supporter of innovation and technology as long as its not running anyone over. Patents and trademarks exactly stop what technology is meant to bring into our lives regardless of our social standings and economic resourcefulness. In my article i argued that Creative Commons is a great initiative in western hemisphere to find an alternative for legal problems of creating content although the tragedy of commons is there and a lot of questions are yet to be asked and very acceptance of CC is a failure, atleast for eastern audience, to the notion of abolishing copyrights in essence. Coming from Standford's Professor Lawrence Lessig, it makes it more murkier than it already is. Historically things coming from ivy leagues have not been there purely for humanitarian reasons in my experience atleast. Richard Stallman's FSF, spearheading from MIT is another example of this and i have written widely about the problems and artificiality of these movements in securing manking its main human right, called Freedom regardless of the media-portrayed notions of sham freedom that western world seems to apotheosize. So as much as i support CC conditionally in western world, i fight to keep it away from eastern world and to work through my writings to abolish it along with copyrights around the globe. My belief in freedom, openness of knowledge and collaboration transcends the acceptance of status quo in that matter.
Reduced costs of communication and proliferation are the main reasons of abridging the gap between east and west making eastern views more accessible inspite of western media's resistance to it. Both on political and social levels, with the end of colonial regimes and denunciation of forced-acceptance of western ways have proved that majority would not take reigonalized hegemony of thought and actions anymore.I have been supported by my followers and ardent supporters on my views on copyrights, ironically by western individuals, primarily because internet is still not a household commodity or figures would have been more balanced. If we decide today to honor the idiotic copyrights today, this would not only mar the possibility of free and open education for generations to come, it would be going back to an unprivileged and unrepresented era where what the white man says, goes. No one is going to let the sacrifices of their ancestors go down the drain that emancipated them from a long nightmare of slavery. Atleast i have chosen my stand on this, along with others, who were blinded by the partiality and bias of the media or lets say corporate media before we had this miracle of technology. Despite the lack of democratic spread of internet accessibility we see the reaction and impact of non-western resistance against popular movements. For example, Youtube was down for two hours when Pakistan decided to block the services because of the videos uploaded containing cartoons of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). There are numerous other issues which caused huge reaction against western apathy and irreverence to majority around the world and i hope with time it worsens and snatches the control from monopolized e-regime.
I would lastly like to answer the question about how an artist should be able to earn money purely from work if the work isn't protected by copyrights. I would be rather blunt about how artists can gain money from the work they've copyrighted which they think is the best way to secure from globalized demand of their work and knowledge in general. I wouldn't argue with the no-brainer that in a digital world, sooner or later work would be available for free to everyone, be it piracy, CC, leak-out or price lowering. You can't keep secrets anymore, and when i say it i am not refering to the debate of facebook's potential of abusing their potential, on which i have a different stand. I am purely refering to the restriction of knowledge. I must applaud the PirateBay, a torrent website's endless struggle and effort to make information more accessible to people in this regard here. So artists, content-creators and corporations are left with two choices. Either sue people or to find a mutual understanding and alternative ways of earning profit from it and i am happy they've adopted the first method to attract the hatred and denunciation of humanity as a whole. I would like to thank them in a way for their lack of sagacity to see the alternative ways that could've earned them profits and a good name too. The other way is the use of alternative models of earning profits, which are more respectable than suing people, torrents websites and small-scale piracy workshops. I would like to name some of the methods here that are being used immensely at the moment with mixed success respectively to the amount of greed their owners have for profits but it works in essence. I wouldn't go into detail as it might be a good topic for a whole new blogpost, but today is not good. Google's advertisement model is probably the most used method for most torrent sites, file-sharing services and other platforms of sharing. As long as it doesn't get as irksome as Yahoo and doesn't make people pay, most people can put up with that in my opinion and experience. Economies of scale is also an amazing profit earning strategy, that can be used to increase the profits by lowering the price to earn over the bulk sales volume. Donations, concerts and buying tickets to support artists and writers can also be extremely rewarding examples being most open source projects at Sourceforge.net.

Copyrights is really not an issue of intricate debates and intellectual discourse. It might be a good get-together party issue for people who can't care less about these issues or lets say these issues hardly affect them. For ordinary human beings the most important thing is to remember the notions of freedom, respect and sharing that we miss from our ancestors's times. Artists are not dying because of lack of copyrights, if thats true which i don't believe is, but they will because of the EXISTENCE of copyrights if any at all. I welcome your comments and insights on these issues and i have tried my level best to answer the questions asked. Feel free to give your feedback and suggestions and perspectives through comments. I hope it might enlighten more people in future like it has in past.

My views on copyrights in latest article!

2009-02-19T15:38:00.000+05:00

Marco Fiorretti a friend from open source community, interviewed me for an article he was writing about the tragedy of creative commons and issues with legislation that restricts creativity. Being a pioneer of Wikipedia in Pakistan and passionate proponent of anti-copyright movement, i am often asked about my views on intellectual property rights, creativity, ICT and Open source. This article is a very good analysis of issues with creative commons and my views on it. You can Download it here

What if Rabbit doesn't get the Gold?

2009-02-09T01:26:00.045+05:00

I was in third grade i guess, when i first the story about the tortoise and the Rabbit. Rabbit was faster but reluctant and tortoise was slow and steady. Rabbit nodded and forgot about the race and tortoise keep on crawling and had a wide smile when Rabbit finally got up and reached at the end. Being a lifelong supporter for free education, welfare system and interest-free economic system, this story took a new meaning in my life when i started thinking about how society values ranks in competitions. How we stereotype students, employees, governments and almost everything around us in terms of some accomplishment. According to reinforcement theory in psychology, a behavior is likely to repeat itself if positive feedback is given. Why do give feedback in terms of a grade which makes people different from others when they simply aren't?

So if everyone is Rabbit and Tortoises around us, given their natural capabilities, i would like to imagine for once how a different view of this world can change our lives. What if a Rabbit doesn't get gold for crossing the winning line first? What if spectators don't clap for his speed and athleticism. What if everyone appreciates Rabbit only if he goes back and pull tortoises behind towards the race. What if winner isn't the one who crosses the line? If tortoises and rabbits learn from each other and agility and consistency can mix up to take them beyond the line together, wouldn't it be a beautiful world? Lets say Mom Rabbit and Dad Rabbit doesn't pat their son for beating everyone else by a long margin but crossing the line with everyone else, bucking them up to keep going? Wouldn't it be lovely if crowd booed on someone who crossed the line alone?

I don't know if it makes sense, dunno if its how i should put it and it might still be abstract and vague to people, but i don't think appreciation is always good. I truly don't believe in patting the first three in the class and elite in the society. The first one to boo at the winner is probably the change agent, whatever they get called for that, cynic, negative and borderline. Start from today!

World isn't Flat!

2009-02-08T13:38:00.045+05:00

Its been years since i've stopped believing in banking. I thought long time ago that it has been one of the innovations of modern times and probably for the good of masses. With time, as i started reading financial systems and completed oeuvres of Milton Friedman, Keynesian economics, Austrian School of Economics and compared with Islamic financial system, i am glad i have nothing to do with conventional banking except for a basic interest-free account that i use for fund transfer only. I hardly ever go to bank except for depositing large sums and withdraw it from ATMs.

Only other time when i have to go to bank is for withdrawing the pension my late mom bequeathed us. Its been 5 years since i'm fighting with the bank staff over how they treat people who have served this country for their whole lives. People in queues, lets say mob is way beyond the capacity of the scanty room bank has. Most of them, the pensioners can't breathe and have legs that are almost 60 years old. Bank Teller for last 5 years, swear them all kinds of rubbish i can imagine. The only time he probably stops is when he catches my sight. Like always i am the most hated person in the bank for my 'advocacy' of those poor idiots who run on bank for what they deserve after serving a life. I had a real bad skirmish with bank manager and i yelled at him infront of his whole staff calling him all kind of names. I asked for the phone number for human resources and he said he didn't have one. I stared right into his eyes and asked in most intimidating way i could ,'This is the last time i am going to ask NICELY. Gimme the human resources nubmer!'. From that day on atleast bank teller treats me with a mixture of fear and watchfulness. Old people get less than they do after i show up.

I don't need pension as bad as most of them do, who can hardly make both ends meet so i go after a reasonable time to get my pension for couple of months together. I come back with a lump in my throat and eyes almost on the verge of tears. Only difference between the bank teller and the pensioner is the table between them. Time would bring teller on the other hand pretty soon and history always repeat itself. Its awful to see how unrewarding a life of honesty, consistency and passion can be. How in grateful a government can be of the people who put their blood into its institutions. I've seen old women faint and men gasp. With their wizened faces and dark eyes they stare pleadingly towards the bastards who don't believe they are heros of this country. I don't care if i stand alone on this, but i truly believe we're here today because of consistency, commitment and hardwork of these people today, living in a free country, whatever its problems may be. These staggering old men lean by my shoulder while they wait STANDING for their pennies to come in, which would keep them alive for another month. While they forget the insult they underwent last month, they live happily, rejoicing and thanking god for this source of income that can hardly keep them going for a month. I am not sure if they don't miss a meal to keep the money intact.

I am almost done with my pension this year. I'll be 24 this year and i won't be eligible for it anymore. I intend to go to their headquarters with a handful of pictures and videos from that horrible place to show the assholes with ties to see their miserable future and afterlife in the faces of those wizened animals who couldn't opt to born anywhere else and made a mistake to serve the elites of this crappy place. People in the west who we call all kind of names don't let their people die like this. With all the lack of spirituality and absurdity in their cultures and daily lives they don't let their people rot. European welfare system is an awesome example of Islamic economic system's viability, which btw is the root of European welfare system. I hope miseries of these wonderful people will end either with time or their life soon. I hope there will be more people who don't need pension as bad and are as foul-mouthed and blunt as i am to heartless manager of another bank. Its just the beginning of another life. Its right in front of you. You can choose to SEE it or not WANT to see it. It'll always be there. There are oppressors and oppressed. A lifetime of one prior cant go unpunished. It said in one of the movies 'If there is a God, He'll be on their side as much as Hes on ours, because if he has created us then he don't prefer some of us on some' . I hope atheist wrote this but its as fair as it can be. Game starts when most people think Games Over. Count down is already on. Each breath is one down. Wait for it or get to work before it backfires.

Chat with Jimmy Wales on Facebook

2009-01-17T22:05:00.000+05:00

Whoa! after 6 years i had this head-on collision with Jimmy Wales on facebook. Most of the time hes lucky we never ran into each other and it was probably good. This recent stunt of 6 million in donations really made me laugh. Here is the chat that we had on facebook recently. He played innocent and positivistic in the start and tried his best to take U-turns but it was fun as a whole. Can't believe how shameless a man could be to travel off of donations given to Wikipedia and chant 'Free Education'.

9:53pmMinhaaj

congrats on completing the begging target for your excursions racist. Enjoy 6 million

9:53pmJimmy

excuse me?

why are you insulting me?

9:53pmMinhaaj

thats the least you deserve.

and insult is for people who have respect

9:54pmJimmy

can you tell me what you are angry about? I am not racist and I have done nothing to you.

I would like to help resolve the issue if I could.

9:55pmMinhaaj

its the other way round.

i am sorry for helping you over the years

i regret that

http://minhaaj.blogspot.com/2008/10/wolf-in-sheeps-clothing-profiteering-in.html

9:56pmJimmy

thank you for the link, give me a moment and I will read it

Oh, I remember you now.

9:56pmMinhaaj

my pleasure

9:57pmJimmy

You're the fellow who got angry because you applied late and were not admitted to Wikimania.

But are you willing to listen to the truth?

9:57pmMinhaaj

ahh thats nothing

its been 6 years kid. I know almost as much as you.

Tell that to all those who were betrayed by you.

Specially Larry Sanger.

9:58pmJimmy

It is extremely unfair of you to claim - without evidence and falsely - that your application was declined because you were from Pakistan.

That's total nonsense, sir, and I know you know it in your heart.

What is the true pain that causes this?

9:59pmMinhaaj

Yea right.

pain for not joining a bunch of jerks?

lol

9:59pmJimmy

When you have people who are at your side opposed to racism, and you insult them, you do not further your goals.

9:59pmMinhaaj

i pity those poor sincere people who are contributing to wikipedia and yet to know its being led by a thug himself.

10:00pmJimmy

Why do you call me a thug?

Do you simply enjoy being irrational?

I am not a thug

I am a peaceful man

You are incredibly rude and insulting. You tell lies about good people.

10:00pmMinhaaj

6 million for a open source, educational project?

10:00pmJimmy

YOu should be ashamed of yourself.

10:00pmMinhaaj

Thats right. I am sorry for those 'good people' who are following the jerk Jimbo

Yes SIR, i am ashamed of myself for helping you out all these years.

10:01pmJimmy

Minhaaj, I am sorry you feel this way. You are being unfair to me.

10:01pmMinhaaj

MediaWiki is an awesome software being abused by profiteers like you.

10:01pmJimmy

I know that you were upset that your application was submitted too late.

10:01pmMinhaaj

forget application.

its not about it.

10:02pmJimmy

Then what else is your grievance?

10:02pmMinhaaj

for 6 years i wasn't working for application

10:02pmJimmy

Are you angry that I spend more time in the non-Western world working with the poorest nations to help bring free education?

Is that what makes me a profiteer?

10:02pmMinhaaj

this profiteering, abusal of honest people, racist publication of picture of Prophet Muhammad PBUH

10:02pmJimmy

Are you opposed to my vision that everyone on the planet must have equal access to knowledge?

10:02pmMinhaaj

you are not bring no free education. Its people creating knowledge

you are just backpacking on those donations which belonged to those poor people.

10:05pmJimmy

that is incoherent sir

you don't know what you are talking about

10:05pmMinhaaj

lol true.

10:05pmJimmy

Do something positive for the world, and don't simply go around insulting those who do.

10:05pmMinhaaj

can you please step off of the boat now Sir. enough of positivistic bullshit you have been giving to earth.

10:06pmJimmy

positivisitic?

10:06pmMinhaaj

what i am doing, is not for sale like you. and i don't need to tell you that.

and you don't have the brain and conscience to appreciate it either

10:06pmJimmy

"I could've killed all the jews in the world but i left some to tell the world why i killed them - Hitler." Do you endorse that sentiment?

I see it was a proud update.

10:06pmMinhaaj

does that say anywhere i endorse that?

10:07pmJimmy

You are an advocate of genocide?

No, it doesn't.

That's why I am asking.

10:07pmMinhaaj

can you read english?

10:07pmJimmy

Unlike you, I ask before jumping to conclusions.

10:07pmMinhaaj

thats what HITLER said MR Eng101

10:07pmJimmy

I know Hitler said it. I asked if you agree with it.

10:07pmMinhaaj

go gather media on your payroll and dance on this status update.

10:07pmJimmy

Do you agree with it?

10:08pmMinhaaj

Its irrelevant?

and definitely no i don't?

10:10pmJimmy is offline.

And now i am backing up my blog in case the jerk uses his influence to bring this down :)

Use of Social Media in organizations following Islamic Human Resource Management principles

2009-01-11T18:55:00.004+05:00

During the last few decades information management techniques and open source software movement has revolutionized the way organizational processes work in corporations. Processes have become more centralized, connected and collaborative. Inter-connected databases, reports and resources have been a key factor for faster production and communication within organizations that are dispersed globally through web 2.0. Use of data centers, mail clients, security systems, e-commerce, online processing and automated concatenated communication systems have been a crucial factor in implementing efficient business processes. Oracle's Siebel, PeopleSoft and PeachTree has successfully been implemented in organizational settings for digitalizing paperwork and streamlining it to ensure faster access and efficient workforce management. These technologies have been operational and successfully used for accounting, human resources and customer services to manage the workforce in large enterprises.

On one hand these technological innovations and digital management of employee documents have made corporate processing faster and lives of end-users easier. Credit card processing controls all the processes that are part of a larger transaction e.g currency conversion, authentication, fund transfers, credit limit management. DNA scanners ensure faster and reliable secure access. Databases and its categorization mechanisms have made it easier to sort out employee and customer databases in huge enterprises according to a specific criteria e.g month, date, department, sale type, invoice number and purchase id. This inter connectedness can be found in larger enterprises. Swedish centralized system of university admission Studera is a great example of open, cost-efficient and paperless system of processing applications and disseminating it to universities applied through its one-window process. Students can choose, read, and apply about programs through the website with a single set of documents. According to student choices, priorities are set, cover sheet is prepared which should be printed and required documents should be attached and sent to Studera's address. These documents are then scanned by Studera staff and disseminated to relevant universities. Once this process is complete, student accounts are associated with their documents forever and you don't have to send documents again whenever you want to apply to a degree program again in Sweden. Through Studera's application interface you could apply to different programmes forever.

Islam values accountability, openness and responsibility. Technology, social media and web 2.0 revolution has made it easier to cross-check, compare and analyze the information with Islamic principles and injunctions. Second Caliph Umar bin Khatab (Razi Allah Tallah Unho) has been a role model for strict, efficient and pragmatic governance. He reigned over 2/3rd of the world and his empire was highly centralized, egalitarian and systematic. This is the evidence of viability and pragmatism of Islamic values and principles even in absence of sophisticated technology and resources. With highly networked and intricate communication and management systems it is increasingly possible to create an egalitarian networked and participatory system subjected to public scrutiny according to Islamic values. In historical events, we find a case brought against Caliph Umar (Razi Allah Tallah Unho) by an ordinary citizen. During the process of distribution of clothes in the Mosque an ordinary citizen stood up and asked second caliph and the most powerful ruler of his times about his right to have two pieces of cloth instead of one like everyone else. Second Caliph asked his son to answer that question. His son stood up and said that since my father is very tall and single piece and cloth would not cover his body, he gave his piece of cloth to his father. This satisfied the question and also became an example of scrutiny, openness and accountability for generations to come. Islamic history is replete with such examples. Prophet Muhammad PBUH's refusal to condone the punishment of a woman who was punished for stealing because she belong to a wealthy family, Hazrat Abu Bakar (Razi Allah Tallah Unho)'s selling clothes in markets of Mecca inspite of being the ruler of a huge empire, and literally every ruler's incognito inspection of markets, residential places and suburbs are evidence of Islamic upright principles and strict impartiality.

Current human resource practices have been profit-oriented, capitalistic and commercialized. Fortune 500 have been accused of worst human rights violations and worst workplace practices. Different corporate research websites and watchdog groups have been following these corporations for decades now. Crocodyl.org a famous and thorough corporate research wiki started in collaboration with corpwatch.com has been a key resource for corporate research and exploitative tactics. Many documentaries have unveiled the worst incidents of child abuse, harrassement, power politics, overtime, unsafe work conditions and physical violence against women. Michael Moore's 'Sicko' 'Roger & Me' and 'The Big One' have been a serious blow to US corporate world and free market myth as a whole. Roger & Me muckraked the CEO of Roger Smith for closing a Buick plant and throwing out thousands of employees in different areas of US. It was released in 1988 and was one of the earliest attempt to wage a journalistic war against corporate criminals. With increased UN bullying and American military pressure on third world, outsourcing has become a cheap solution for developed world to abuse foreign workers through unsafe working conditions, hard deadlines and cheap wages. Moore's another attempt to cover an American corporate holocaust was 'The Big One'. This time he took Phil Knight, CEO of Nike for his dirty practices and exploitation of indonesian workforce in Nike's plant in Indonesia. His latest Academy Award winning documentary 'Sicko' run down drug companies for their greed-filled, indifference for human life. Symbiotic relationship of politicians and drug companies made health care in US a living hell for ordinary citizens with insurance companies and health care industry an eldorado.

McLibel was another attempt by Mcdonalds to intimidate two British citizens who were campaigning McDonalds because of their unsafe food and below the belt marketing strategies. Campaigning in schools, colleges and universities, convincing youth to use junk food and using monetary incentives for that was one of the tricks. McDonalds sue two citizens for that and documentary is the story of fight of two friends against McDonalds. British legal system did not provide defendants with a lawyer so they had to fight their own case. Whole legal system was biased against citizens. Initially they lost the case and were fined that they never paid. They sued the whole English legal system for not providing defendants with lawyers in European Court of Human Rights and won against the whole system.

‘The Money Masters’ has been another documentary that analyzes the economic system based on interest and fiat money in length chronologically from ancient times. It gradually travels from past to present analyzing the effects of official decrees and timeline of global financial system and the havoc it wreaked on human society.

‘Walmart – High Cost of Low Price’ is another eye opening documentary about Walmart stores, world’s largest corporation. It was ranked 1st in profits in 2008. It has a history of unfair workplace practices that includes harassment, anti-unionization, bullying, wage cuts, lay-offs and off-shoring.

Another heart touching documentary is ‘Santa’s Workshop’ about Chinese factories where children make toys for children in developed world which are sold on Christmas. Injustice of today’s world on how different children deserve different treatment because of their birthplaces is excruciating.

The Corporation was probably one of the best efforts in collecting corporate crime records and analyzed the history of free market and capitalism that has been the flawed and defunct theory of global business today. With interviews and case studies from reputed scholars like Noam Chomsky and Naomi Klein, documentary was one of the best attempts to dissect the corporate culture and run-over philosophy.

Success of Islamic management of state affairs, human resources and western avarice and materialism calls for an egalitarian, democratic system of human resources and corporate governance according to Islamic principles. Technological advances and guidelines from Hadith, Quran and Fiqa together will result in a technologically and spiritually a humanistic operational system free of human flaws. With the advent of social media and open source applications proliferation of information and centralized reporting and governance has been easier and more functional. Globalized nature of today's business and the fact that geographically dispersed offices around the globe are well connected and functional is an evidence of possibility of an open, fair, and collaborative system.

One of the technologies that can be used for dissemination of corporate records, financials, real-time updates and corporate issues is Wiki. Corporations and businesses are a part of social sphere owing to society and globe as a whole. Wiki structure of piped links and concatenated information has been a solid reason for it to be used as corporate reporting and public relation blackboard. Most of the information in corporate world about wages, laws, policies, procedures, financials, employee contracts, resources, queries and strategies is not readily available for public scrutiny. According to Islamic principles of openness and accountability, a business operating without following Islamic ways of conducting business, knowledge, and fair practice has no right to operate in Islamic jurisdiction. From packaging to marketing and from information sharing to service delivery whole process of Islamic business is based on truth, trust and integrity. Complying with normative and theoretical guidelines of Quran and Hadith it not only morally but professionally unethical to conduct business using false promises and deceptive wordings. It is disrespectful of people and their right to live in a society that operates on principles of trust, honesty and respect.

Wikis have been one of the most effective social collaborative tool of our times. With the huge success and evolution of Wikipedia, Wikispaces, Wetpaint and WikiEducator, the MediaWiki Software has been an open source application for the Wiki software. It is written in PHP and is available in 100 languages. Developed by Brion Vibber in 2002 who works as Release Manager at Wikimedia Foundation, it has came a long way from its initial release. The product logo was created by Erik Moeller using a flower photograph taken by Florence Nibart-Devouard, and was originally submitted to an international logo contest for a new Wikipedia logo held in summer 200. MediaWiki supports rich content generated through specialized syntax. For example, the software comes with support for rendering mathematical formulas using LaTeX and a special parser written in OCaml. Similar functionality for other content, ranging from graphical timelines over mathematical plotting and musical scores to Egyptian hieroglyphs, is available in the form of extensions and also aesthetic sense has improved considerably. It is licensed under GPL General Public License and is open source work that means everyone can collaborate and help in development of this software. More human involvement means more sophistication, less flaws and continuous improvement in technology. Data is stored in MySQL another open source project. Pages use MediaWiki's wikitext format, so that users without knowledge of XHTML or CSS can edit them easily.

Wikipedia’s success as collaborative learning resource has been a phenomenonal evidence of the viablility of a centralized database of information updated over time. This can be a repository for organizational data too. From departmental records to financials to strategies can all be embedded easily in wiki structure. Corporate researchers can easily match information against the laws and standard practices. MediaWiki saves all versions and revisions made to a document and has a chronological record of changes. This makes it easier to track updations and incongruences. This information can later be used to ask questions about anomalies and non-standard practices. Pages can be exported in pdf format through rich MediaWiki Extensions that can be viewed at its website. Other social media tools helpful for reporting and multimedia support are available and can be incorporated in wikis through a range of MediaWiki Extensions. MediaWiki can be made more advanced and useful for various purposes through its extensions. Many of the available extensions are simple scripts to allow embedding content such as Adobe Flash files or HTML forms. Others add complex new behavior to the wiki syntax, such as Semantic MediaWiki which provides the ability to add structured and searchable relations and attributes to wiki pages (cf. semantic web). Examples of extensions that could improve a wiki are:

Ratings extension

Category suggestion extension

RSS feed inclusion

Flash inclusion

YouTube inclusion

The nature of corporate information makes it harder for it to keep this information comprehensible, streamlined and learning process easy. Information overload can be a big problem in organizational learning and performance. Wikis are optimized for heavy usage and robustness. Because it is used to run one of the highest traffic sites on the Internet, Wikipedia, MediaWiki performance and scalability have been highly optimized. MediaWiki supports Squid caches, load-balanced database replication, client-side caching, memcached or table-based caching for frequently accessed processing of query results, a simple static file cache, feature-reduced operation, revision compression, and a job queue for database operations.

Corporate intranets are also a viable solution for disseminating information if public access is available to corporate information on a secure and participatory level. Governmental controls and scrutiny against laws and human rights can be monitored in real time if this information can be made accessible to people who are stakeholders as end-users.

Bigger part of failure of corporations as customer-focused, honest businesses is its inability to make its processes and policies open and accessible to public. This view is corroborated by contemporary initiatives of some corporations employing open source and collaborative technologies. Google Inc. could be one of the examples. Its strong suit is its participatory, friendly and word of mouth strategies. It has outdone its rivals in almost every service launched by Google. Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Documents and recent purchase of YouTube has been a great achievement and workability of its Advertising based revenue model and participatory, open-access technologies. Its information management and Knowledge management and design has been its core competency. Although it has not gone open source and would have been more successful.

Information networks and social networking in facebook, largest social networking website can also serve as the role model for open, connected and automated information handling system. Variables are structurally connected to each other through mathematically analyzed permutations and combinations. Comments, photos, status messages, contact details and activities can be centralized and shared in real time. With contact detail import from email services like gmail, its even easier to manage information networks. A similar platform can be designed for corporate information dissemination and put out to public scrutiny. Stock exchanges can use similar public relations portal and should be made responsible and accountable for information put online and to answer the questions regarding any anomalies and deviations from the norm. Earnings, employee records, hiring and firing data, customer databases, health and travel bills and transactions can all be stored and can be made searchable. Search keywords could be categorized by name of employee, department, month, week, year, location and designation. All variables can be made inter-connected with mathematically connecting all possible combinations and permutations.

Well-connected, open and cross-checkable HRMSs is the way to create egalitarian workplace. Accountability and transparency is a top priority for an Islamic organization and society as well. More research and development is needed to further develop this theoretical model of concatenated HRISs.

Academia in Pakistan

2008-12-31T14:21:00.000+05:00

After a three month battle with my supervisor and teachers, i got degree today. Looking at it, i have an ambivalent feeling about academia in Pakistan which makes me sad and happy simultaneously. When i look back at my own past and hardwork that has brought me to this stage, makes me chuckle and feel proud of having done it through all those years and hardships. At the same time i feel terribly sorry for my colleagues who are being victimized by the egotist teachers and character less supervisors. I had a whole row with my teachers on research methods, papers and philosophy of subjects. Having worked in one of the top multinationals and worked towards my research project for years, i was amazed at the poorly trained teaching and language skills at tertiary level in Pakistan. They say where there is a will there is a way, but in case of Academia in Pakistan there has been no will and thoughtful analysis on self.

Flattering, politics, egotism and despotism is ruling the educational sector, specially in tertiary education. You might be a very good student, but unless you learn the politics you can't get good grades. Red tape is beyond tolerance and bribery is rampant. I have been lucky throughout my journey mainly because of my rebellious defense of my proposals and thorough research. Fortunately i came across wonderful people like Rector and Management in the university who took up my case seriously and extricated my from demonic supervisors. I have been thinking about the reasons for this and how is this effecting the wonderful generation in Pakistan. It always amazes me how genius and incredible this new generation has been, excluding me :) From blogging to programming and from science to arts, Pakistanis have been on the top of their game. I don't know this has been a matter of opportunity for these exploited generations or the will to rebel against this condemnable system, but each day i hear about a talented Pakistani kid at the top of his game.

I basically think attitude and indifference to students in supervisors is primarily because of their own anger and mistreatment as students. Their experiences have been tough and they are finding it impossible to deal with their own frustration and hate for the system. This comes out as an outburst and scapegoats students for their failures in life. Second reason, is their lack of interest in coping with life and willingness to develop themselves professionally. This is primary reason for their misinterpretation of research topics posed by well-prepared students who are technologically more equipped today. Poor educational standards have left this graduates who are teachers now with deficient skills which are not sufficient to deal with Web 2.0 Kid in the class. Outsourcing, internet and access to information has been a lethal blow to so-called ego of traditional teachers where continuous development and upgradation is needed.

The core cause of this misunderstanding or malice whatever you might want to call is the lack of spiritual knowledge. As a kid i always thought teaching was a prophetic occupation which makes you feel proud and happy for as long as you live. When you grow old and meet your students in different walks of life, you feel proud and enriched by the services you have been providing to these students and society in general. Respect, honor and knowledge is what a teacher survives on. I have been unable to find it today's academia. Insincerity, material pursuit and compromises on honesty and integrity of profession has been today's academia's motto. Commercialized focus and lack of spirit of education has deprived academia of its glory. I hope it would change sometime in future. I pray for all my colleagues who have been a victim of this system and striving hard to survive. There is always a nemesis in life and this is something teachers need to realize. Their own kids are going to same colleges and universities and they are not going to be treated different. So lets face the music. Nations develop through education, tolerance and beliefs. Its about time we realize that before its too late.

Looking for online community: Social networking platforms - FOC

2008-12-19T14:44:00.001+05:00

This week i have to evaluate the communications and facilitation process in social networks like Facebook, Ning or LinkedIn. While there is a significant difference between Ning, Facebook and LinkedIn regarding their nature and type of audiences these platforms attract, the fundamental communication process and interactions are same.

LinkedIn was designed particularly for business and professional networking, Although it has transformed into some kind of formal messaging over the time. Ning is more like a collective project-based social networking for school, group or categorized networking platform. Facebook is more comprehensive individual-based portfolio of personal and social activities.

I have chosen a Ning project to evaulate its facilitation and communications process. I have served as a judge and a member of Flat Classroom Project 2008. Spearheaded by Vicki Davis and Julie Lindsay, this project has been around for quite sometime now, bringing together classrooms from different reigons of the world together through internet. Schools are selected from different reigons and classes are required to introduce themselves on Ning and

wikispaces.

They create blogs, articles, podcasts, videos and comment on each others's blogs during the project period. Communication initially starts through messaging and comments on videos and home pages of other users, and later moves onto IMs and Facebook, generally the same process of intimation online. Students learn about the culture and traditions of other students and learn to respect diversity and opposing views. Collaborative knowledge serves everyone exposing new tools, aspects and ways of acquiring and manage knowledge which can be used both in personal and educational capacities.

New announcements, developments and deadlines were posted by Julie Linday and Vicki Davis in collaboration with other teachers and judges. Feedback on student work and encouragement on their homepages have been fantastic. Facilitation of events by these two have been worth mentioning here too. The cultural sensitivity, consideration for timezones and syncing the whole event was spectacular. It amazes me how efficient and active both of them have been through the myriad of information and content that was created by students.

Dicussion forums have been vibrant with different views. Both facilitators injected the energy where it seemed to have enervated. This has been an enriching experience, to see a homogenous culture form out of different, rather opposing cultures and schools. Very essence of globalization and free market propaganda which by the way has nothing to do with the collaboration and dunkirk spirit.

Looking for online community: Virtual Worlds - FOC

2008-12-19T14:01:00.002+05:00

Second Life, a virtual world has revolutionized 3D, animated, and visual VLEs (virtual learning environments). Sometimes it reminds me of an old cartoon series i saw on tv called 'Adventures of Johnny Quest'. A boy would wear glasses and would be plugged into a virtual world, somewhat like matrix. Second Life has become an immense success in no time and has been one of its kind in educational context too. With graphics, animations and object modelling its more interactive and attractive for children and adults alike. Universities have created their campuses on this Virtual platform. Schools, libraries, clubs, houses, cars, islands and beaches, you name it and its on Second Life. Conferences, workshops and lectures have been made possible by audio facilities. Requirements for the program itself in terms of hardware are quite high but are definitely worthwhile once you have them.

I have been on Second Life for quite sometime now. I remember giving a beginners introduction lecture on SecondLife sometime ago, on Wiziq.com. Presentation slides comprised of high-res screenshots of the world and how you can fly and explore the reigon. YES, you can fly unlike in real world :) It was through KipYellowJacket and a webhead friend Nergizk that i was connected with educational world in SL. KipYellowJacket owns an island which he has converted into launch rooms for teachers who want to teach online, ESL subjects specifically. I got a launch room on the island and designed it with gadgets, furniture and carpet, Thanks to Nergizk. I facilitated a few events in SL and have attended numerous events through edtechtalk, webheads and EduNation. It had been a fabulous experience and has convinced me of the idea that it can be used for educational purposes, although i have reservations about its costs, stability and accessibility.

I have found following guidelines and observations while facilitating in SL useful that i would like to share with

participants of FOC and wide audience of web 2.0

* An orientation for SL is inevitable since it has been probably the most unique form of communication online requiring knowledge and understanding of the world and homework on VLEs.

* When i first joined SecondLife i attended a walkthrough session that familiarized me with the world itself and showed me around. People are mostly helpful and would do their best to help you acclimatize with the environment. They would send you notecards, events, explain things and show you around. Atleast in my case, i have been lucky.

* Just like normal online conferencing, conversation in SL needs a little touching base on what are general ethics for speaking. Mostly people tend to speak simultaneously creating chaos and noise instead of productive discourse. The generally accepted rule for this is to let people finish and use text chat to show willingness to speak next when someones speaking. In SL you could aslo use gestures to express that. We generally mute mics when other people speak. I don't know of a reason that shows it wouldn't work in SL :)

* In SL you are lucky to have visual appearance which can deliver more than words. If you are facilitating a session you might help participants in your events an orientation and walkthrough by sending them notecards, telling them where to sit, general introduction, timings, rules and anything you might want to convey.

During the session you could help them by giving direction to discussion making sure it stays in context and productive.

* In SL there are a wide range of options and settings that you can play with. Before you could start the session you might want to give participants an introduction to these controls and settings. I used SL from Linux so i had a hard time figuring out audio, i wouldn't know how hard its for windows but a pre-session check always help and saves time.

Looking for online community: Blog networks - FOC

2008-12-19T12:25:00.000+05:00

In this week, i am supposed to analyze the term blogosphere and how does FOC is an exmaple of a blogosphere with ability to expand and communicate beyond its participants and context. I would be looking into the reasons and facts that proves the logical consequence through inductive reasoning that FOC course extends beyonds its boundaries to interact with

wider audience of web 2.0 and proving itself to be a node of complex networked model of knowledge.

Before i analyze FOC as a blogosphere i must define the term blogosphere and look into its etymology and its historical creation. Blogosphere in my understanding is the wider community of bloggers which can be divided in numerous classifications, that could be done on the basis of geography, demographics, economics, socially etc. For example Newzealand's blogosphere would consist of bloggers from Newzealand. An example of that would be http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealand_blogosphere which defines a reigonalized blogosphere consisting of Kiwis blogging on topics that interest them.

Blogosphere has been probably a phenomenonal embodiment of theory of constructivism, corroborating the fact that knowledge is continous, tautological and connected. A child learns that fire burns and next time he stops a friend from touching it on the basis of the experience he has had. This is an over simplified example just to make the point of serial knowledge creation, i do understand that their are other cognitive and sensory reasons that might prevent the other child to play with fire without actually someone stopping him, but this is generally how we learn from our prior experiences and piling and compiling results from past to create meanings and our understanding of reality.

I consider FOC a well connected node in this wider network of shared learning by analyzing its structures and the content it has created by participants. For example events that participants have organized were open to anyone. I have witnessesd presence in Nellie Muller, Joy Zhao and Kerry Tarbinger's events, participants who were not part of FOC course and acted on the last minute call as mentioned bye Leigh Black on FOC blog. Now this participation should be sufficient prove of the fact that FOC communicated with wider audience delivering and receiving information and knowledge. This two way process is an example of double loop learning and is continous, and proves the point that FOC is a node of rather reignless regime of web 2.0 sometimes resulting in information overload and definitely communicates beyond its boundaries.

This is ideally a complicated and well connected network that defines a larger graphical illustration of how knowledge is connected on internet and how it can easily be turned into information overload if not managed accordingly. FOC would be one of the nodes of it has done an amazing job of converging a comprehensive body of knowledge through the readings, podcasts, videos and the content created by participants for future use.

Why Copy left and Copyright are the partners in promoting intellectual property rights!

2008-12-05T02:57:00.000+05:00

Lately I have been thinking about copy left and copyright arguments and its validity and consequences on international education towards freedom and universal literacy. Phenomenon of web 2.0 has no doubt has the most revolutionary effects on societies in general and education specifically. Amount of networking as well as socializing (remember the distinction in those two terms) has gone to a whole new level. From professional networking through LinkedIn to social networking through facebook, orkut, hi5 and bebo has become lot easier. Documentation has shifted its dwellings from file covers to online space using Zoho, Scribd, Slideshare and Google Docs. Knowledge tomes are finding new homes in blogs; wikis and html based web pages.
Information management has never been easier with mind maps, concept maps, decision support systems, and databases. Dwindling costs of computer hardware and innovations on both hard and soft side of computers such as Linux, OLPC, GNU and Source forge has its impacts on convincing governments and people alike to turn a new leaf into digital world where not only computers but people are wired into each other too. Where the topological network looks like a standard distributed network with as many relationship fibers as nodes.

With the enhanced ease and content creation that is sometimes turned into information overload as far as pedagogical endeavors are concerned. For learning-centered knowledge base, usability and understanding of content has been always a problem arguing the structures and methodology for the creation of content. This demands a dissection of etymology of learning systems and content itself, which leads us to the fundamental question and arguments beleaguering the debate of permissions and laws associated with content. Understanding content in strictly academic context we could easily translate or at least for the sake of argument equalize content with curriculum. According to Wikipedia’s definition of curriculum 'In formal education, a curriculum (plural curricula) is the set of courses, and their content, offered at a school or university.
As an idea, curriculum stems from the Latin word for race course, referring to the course of deeds and experiences through which children grow and mature in becoming adults.' In law and in general content, speaking theoretically and let’s assume content here represents academic knowledge body and NOT tangible items, is not owned by anyone. According to constructivist approach of knowledge, content and learning both originates on a prior learning basis and human knowledge and learning both works on a wiki-like philosophical methodology. Inputs and aspects of a learning subject can only be added to 'existing' body of knowledge by human beings creating a collaborative repository of knowledge. Let’s take a law program in a university. Theories, laws and its practical applications in the standard curriculum books are based on 'prior' theories, laws and applications, studied and experimented by lawyers and practitioners. Documenting this content into a book may be an addition
To the existing body of knowledge in a comprehensible and compendium-like way but copyrighting that content that originally did not belong to author is a copyright violation in first place.

With the increasing popularity of right-winged intellectual copyrights and hollow and irrelevant slogans of freedom, honesty, dignity and respect proliferated by opportunist media and the creative response of people like Richard Stallman and Lawrence Lessig in the form of FSF and Creative Commons has shaped the intellectual property rights debate in a new form. Richard Stallman's partnership with UNESCO one of the subsidiaries of brutal sugar-coated embodiment of Crown UN has been a key indicator of these behind the curtain deals. http://directory.fsf.org/ features directory of free softwares with partnership of UNESCO. UNESCO's publications and other UN statistical reports, plans and books are copyrighted content with prices in dollars, keeping in mind the fact that half the world lives on less than $3 a day.
Keeping the Islamic and biblical definition of hypocrisy in mind UN creation of UNESCO and WIPO seems to be the worst form of hypocrisy with unwavering shamelessness in education. Just like the free market principal and lack of respect for humanity and egalitarianism, UN sells these publications written about people who can't afford to buy these publications. With the increasing greed in educational sector and commercialism this bandwagon effect of following the new movements for pure pecuniary reasons, UN has decided to profiteer from one of the most successful revolutionary movement of free softwares and open content creation by buying out the leaders of these movements.
Strategic partnership include FSF's marriage with UNESCO, Wikipedia's pathetic call for 6 million in donations this year and pressures by UN agencies and IMFs economic vandalism to enforce Intellectual property rights strictly. Recent examples would be RIAA's lawsuits and Pakistani arrest of individuals involved in creation of pirated cds. A recent event includes FIA raiding on a facility of pirated cd creation. A country who has just reached 50% literacy is being further exploited by international agencies to use media and publications for free. There are reported arrests in India, Bangladesh and other developing world under UN pressure and in the name of international treaties.

Going back to our earlier premise that quoting the theories and practices of early scholars in curriculum books and release it under copyrights is itself and piracy but is negligible by discriminated international law. On a tangible, corporate level these copyrights have caused many deaths, most of them children under the restrictions of TRIPS Trade related intellectual property.
In Uruguay round of World Trade Organization these decisions based on apartheid and corporate greed were ratified. Politically active participation of G-8 and its mercenary forces in disrupting the economic and social conditions of developing world and then back stabbing them with aids through IMF is the part of the plan. US international terrorism, domination of UN, corrupt lending practices of IMF,
Biased distribution of privileges in world trade is all part of the larger design. On the same end Scandinavian model of free education and significant research and development in educational and technology sector e.g. Priatebay.com and Linux is inevitable evidence of the viability of fair and free education system.

Media hype and leftist reactions to right-winged copyright movement has been in the form of FSF and Creative Commons. These are the primary nodes of the network of free and open source software/libre movement as far as my research has investigated this issue. There are other ground breaking projects like Wikipedia, facebook, blogging, microblogging which have sprung out of the philosophy of freedom and socialization without borders with mixed success and drawbacks but philosophically these are the two-over hyped projects of our time.
A deeper look into the works of Lawrence Lessig, Richard Stallman, Stephen Downes, George Siemens and history of copyrights gives us an uncontroversial evidence of the fact that copyright is NOT a universal movement in any aspect. In ancient civilizations of Greece, Arabia and Rome, arts, drama, theatre and languages have been taught in the form of courses were given by authentic philosophers like Plato, Socrates, Aristotle, Imam Bukhari, Abdul Aziz dehelwi. In Greek civilizations classes and courses were charged and authors and philosophers would charge because of their intellectual superiority and expertise and NOT their intellectual property rights on the content they produced. Open debates and discourses were encouraged and participation was open.
Plato's books Crito Cratylus, Charmides, Republic and phaedro are some of the examples of such debates. Islamic civilization goes a step further where all courses and lectures were free and charging money for courses was considered humiliating. Teachers would do odd jobs to feed themselves and would work barely enough to feed their families. Examples are Imam Gazali, Hazrat Abu Bakar (Peace be upon him) and literally everyone in academia of that circa. New culture has come far from their ideals and philosophy of education and a lifelong, universal knowledge quest. Academics are one of the most rich and insincere cadre of society. From endorsements, to book tours, conferences and presiding of events have lured academics into lying right from underneath their teeth. The ideals of righteousness and academic excellence, set by Socrates by accepting the chalice of poison have been long forgotten and apathy and hypocrisy has been the core motto of academia.

Very existence of copy left movement has been a proof and acceptance and respect for something as loathsome as copyrights. Question is whether arresting copyright violators is as justified if we let go off PhDs and Gurus of today's education for their plagiarism and restriction of knowledge base they don't OWN. Compendium of different theories that we call curriculum books are in fact pirated compendium of ideas that belong to people who would have fought that practice that is tainting the very ideals they've always stood for. Very acceptance of these copylefts is a logical consequence of the conjured reality that there is something copyright which actually is theft itself. Since copyright itself is a movement that has benefitted western societies more than developing worlds because of its monetary and social relevance to western education system more than developing world, where education itself is rare, thanks to colonization by western barbarians. let’s take a typical case of a university student who uses copyrighted books. Supposing an average estimate of $700 is made for annual books a student buys for his degree program, an ideally open educational content would save student $700 assuming he has internet access and doesn't use pirate books. These costs are relevant to western ideals of freedom and frugality because in developing worlds, books are almost always pirated and I have never come across a registered and licensed copy of windows on computers, if at all in Pakistan.
Now for example this copy left course is available for everyone these have major flaws like requirements of ICT infrastructure, acceptance of the very idiotic idea of copyrights and tacit permission for authorities to enforce copyrights. With Creative Common unported license, acceptability and validity of such open content works is also a problem in corrupt US-controlled systems like Pakistan. This is the very pitfall and systemic designed loophole that encouraged the masterminds at UN to support copy left movement. Especially when the gurus of these movements belong to elitist universities like Standford and MIT, operating on the core philosophy of free market, absurdly high fees and highly restricted access to resources. Lets assume for the sake of academic 'nicety' that copy left WOULD make a difference in academic scene of developing world, there is no guarantee that WIPO wouldn't pass more laws to hinder the proliferation and the corporate attempt to manipulate the technology in favor of intellectual property rights e.g. Microsoft's cheap trick of introducing XML format of documents in MS Office 2007 .docx to create problems for excellent office suite OpenOffice.org. Getting down to these dirty tricks have been one of the strong suits of corporations and a good news for the proponents of free and open source softwares.

With the carefully designed plan of copyright and copy left mergers, users and academics are left with only one way in which they can combat the heinous attempt of imperialism in education. The only answer is denouncing copyrights and using it freely. Protests, and consistent usage of pirated softwares and books is the right of every human being regardless of what academic gurus tell people. Debates and social mobilization is needed to wipeout copyrights as well as copy left is needed to get rid of the curse we face today. At least thats what should be done in developing world to get rid of this intelligent design of educational dominance.

Graduation from Webcastacademy

2008-11-23T18:01:00.001+05:00

Last Night, i graduated from webcastacademy after a long journey of interncasts and skyping :) It was fun. I come to know a lot of wonderful people. Sheila, Peggy, Jeff etc were soooooo helpful. Everybody seemed to be so eager and open on WCA. I am posting the chat log for you to see.

See the video here

2008-11-22 15:47:21 [Message] JL -> -EdTechTalk: Hi Minhaaj - heading to Academy Room
2008-11-22 15:47:35 [Message] minhaaj -> -EdTechTalk: ok
2008-11-22 15:47:47 [Message] minhaaj -> -Webcast Academy: Whats the show for?
2008-11-22 15:48:06 [Message] JL -> -Webcast Academy: heard there was a gradcast :)
2008-11-22 15:48:17 [Message] minhaaj -> -Webcast Academy: no the onair show
2008-11-22 15:48:25 [Message] minhaaj -> -Webcast Academy: yer broadcasting already ?
2008-11-22 15:48:47 [Message] JL -> -Webcast Academy: yep, always crank things up early to make sure all systems are operational and catch those who stop by early
2008-11-22 15:48:50 [Message] minhaaj -> -Webcast Academy: hmm great.
2008-11-22 15:48:55 [Message] JL -> -Webcast Academy: ready for audio?
2008-11-22 15:48:59 [Message] minhaaj -> -Webcast Academy: yep
2008-11-22 15:49:01 [Message] minhaaj -> -Webcast Academy: skype right ?
2008-11-22 15:49:01 [Message] JL -> -Webcast Academy: skype 'worldbridges'
2008-11-22 15:49:09 [Message] minhaaj -> -Webcast Academy: ok
2008-11-22 15:49:18 [Message] JL -> -Webcast Academy: yep
2008-11-22 15:49:33 [Message] minhaaj -> -Webcast Academy: so you are gonna broadcast and record?
2008-11-22 15:49:48 [Message] JL -> -Webcast Academy: broadcast yes, you can record, edit, publish, etc
2008-11-22 15:50:03 [Message] JL -> -Webcast Academy: I will record as well, but just as a backup
2008-11-22 15:50:08 [Message] minhaaj -> -Webcast Academy: well if you are using ustrea, you could probably record as well
2008-11-22 15:50:20 [Message] minhaaj -> -Webcast Academy: hehe didn't i demonstrate i can edit and upload already ?
2008-11-22 15:50:22 [Message] minhaaj -> -Webcast Academy: :D
2008-11-22 15:50:41 [Message] JL -> -Webcast Academy: the gradcast is a chance to show off - impress us with awesome audio quality
2008-11-22 15:50:52 [Message] minhaaj -> -Webcast Academy: lol ok
2008-11-22 16:00:51 [Message] minhaaj -> -Webcast Academy: hi steve
2008-11-22 16:01:07 [Message] stevetuf -> -Webcast Academy: Hi this is interesging!
2008-11-22 16:01:17 [Message] stevetuf -> -Webcast Academy: Hi minhaaj
2008-11-22 16:02:08 [Message] stevetuf -> -Webcast Academy: My thoughts about Buddhism is that it is the least invasive of all world religions, but don't get me started on that...
2008-11-22 16:02:19 [Message] stevetuf -> -Webcast Academy: Hi
2008-11-22 16:03:36 [Message] stevetuf -> -Webcast Academy: I responded to the tweet
2008-11-22 16:03:47 [Message] stevetuf -> -Webcast Academy: But I don't know how long I can stay
2008-11-22 16:04:00 [Message] stevetuf -> -Webcast Academy: Your colleague is almost inaudible
2008-11-22 16:04:18 [Message] JL -> -Webcast Academy: http://webcastacademy.net/portfolio/minhaaj-ur-rehman
2008-11-22 16:04:24 [Message] stevetuf -> -Webcast Academy: Oh it's minhaaj on mike
2008-11-22 16:05:07 [Message] stevetuf -> -Webcast Academy: I think the problem is that you, JL, are very loud
2008-11-22 16:05:16 [Message] stevetuf -> -Webcast Academy: And Minhaaj is better now
2008-11-22 16:05:27 [Message] stevetuf -> -Webcast Academy: Better'
2008-11-22 16:09:12 [Message] minhaaj -> -Webcast Academy: ooVoo
2008-11-22 16:09:33 [Message] JL -> -Webcast Academy: http://webcastacademy.net/book/streaming-webcasting-linux
2008-11-22 16:10:30 [Message] stevetuf -> -Webcast Academy: Same O/S but very different in page rendering sometimes...
2008-11-22 16:11:38 [Message] JL -> -Webcast Academy: Hi Sheila
2008-11-22 16:11:46 [Message] sheila -> -Webcast Academy: Hi there!
2008-11-22 16:11:47 [Message] JL -> -Webcast Academy: just finished praising your quiz talent
2008-11-22 16:11:53 [Message] sheila -> -Webcast Academy: :)
2008-11-22 16:12:43 [Message] stevetuf -> -Webcast Academy: Hi Sheila and Peggy
2008-11-22 16:12:53 [Message] PeggyG -> -Webcast Academy: Sorry I'm late! Was in the middle of a blog post and had to finish :-)
2008-11-22 16:12:59 [Message] sheila -> -Webcast Academy: Hi Stevetuf!
2008-11-22 16:13:16 [Message] PeggyG -> -Webcast Academy: Hi all!
2008-11-22 16:13:45 [Message] PeggyG -> -Webcast Academy: Blush! So glad I tuned in :-)
2008-11-22 16:14:14 [Message] sheila -> -Webcast Academy: She certainly does make a difference! :)
2008-11-22 16:14:19 [Message] JL -> -Webcast Academy: Hello Nergiz
2008-11-22 16:14:45 [Message] Nergiz -> -Webcast Academy: Hi JL
2008-11-22 16:14:51 [Message] JL -> -Webcast Academy: Was it Matt or Glen G
2008-11-22 16:14:59 [Message] Nergiz -> -Webcast Academy: Who is JL?
2008-11-22 16:15:11 [Message] JL -> -Webcast Academy: Jeff Lebow
2008-11-22 16:15:12 [Message] Nergiz -> -Webcast Academy: Should I be hearing something?
2008-11-22 16:15:16 [Message] JL -> -Webcast Academy: on the Ustream
2008-11-22 16:15:17 [Message] stevetuf -> -Webcast Academy: Hi Nergiz! :)
2008-11-22 16:15:19 [Message] Nergiz -> -Webcast Academy: Hi Steve!
2008-11-22 16:15:19 [Message] JL -> -Webcast Academy: press play
2008-11-22 16:16:16 [Message] stevetuf -> -Webcast Academy: I don't know a single country which hasn't welcomed Barack Obama !
2008-11-22 16:16:31 [Message] PeggyG -> -Webcast Academy: Very interesting to hear about your broadcasting history, Minhaaj! Now I know what a "gradcast" is. :-)
2008-11-22 16:16:53 [Message] stevetuf -> -Webcast Academy: Linux has a different methodology for sound...
2008-11-22 16:17:31 [Message] stevetuf -> -Webcast Academy: In Windows, it is configured via the Control Panel and it really quite restrictive
2008-11-22 16:17:41 [Message] stevetuf -> -Webcast Academy: Hi Lorna
2008-11-22 16:17:49 [Message] Lorna -> -Webcast Academy: Hi everyone
2008-11-22 16:17:52 [Message] Nergiz -> -Webcast Academy: Sorry, but the streaming tools don't appear on the right (they normally do)
2008-11-22 16:18:00 [Message] PeggyG -> -Webcast Academy: Linux is completely foreign to me!
2008-11-22 16:18:00 [Message] Nergiz -> -Webcast Academy: Hi Lorna
2008-11-22 16:18:09 [Message] stevetuf -> -Webcast Academy: What flavor of Linux? Ubuntu or something else/
2008-11-22 16:18:11 [Message] stevetuf -> -Webcast Academy: ?
2008-11-22 16:18:40 [Message] stevetuf -> -Webcast Academy: I have used Fedora, Mandriva, and a bunch of others
2008-11-22 16:18:45 [Message] Nergiz -> -Webcast Academy: Is there any other way of listening in?
2008-11-22 16:18:49 [Message] stevetuf -> -Webcast Academy: I haven't tried Ubuntu yet
2008-11-22 16:19:07 [Message] stevetuf -> -Webcast Academy: USB mikes should work in Linux too
2008-11-22 16:19:19 [Message] PeggyG -> -Webcast Academy: How about creating a Jing or screencast for us, Minhaaj?
2008-11-22 16:19:33 [Message] Lorna -> -Webcast Academy: I think I need to go back to the academy - lots of new language today
2008-11-22 16:19:43 [Message] stevetuf -> -Webcast Academy: Maybe better because of the ability to capture drivers in Linux is less locked down than in Windows
2008-11-22 16:19:46 [Message] PeggyG -> -Webcast Academy: sounds like a tutorial might be in order :-)
2008-11-22 16:19:56 [Message] stevetuf -> -Webcast Academy: Of course there is always WINE
2008-11-22 16:20:02 [Message] Lorna -> -Webcast Academy: hmmm- more life long learning
2008-11-22 16:20:03 [Message] PeggyG -> -Webcast Academy: I was thinking the same thing Lorna!
2008-11-22 16:20:07 [Message] stevetuf -> -Webcast Academy: and that emulates Windows under Linux
2008-11-22 16:20:51 [Message] Nergiz -> -Webcast Academy: Well, it's nice chatting with you guys but I can't hear anything :(
2008-11-22 16:20:56 [Message] stevetuf -> -Webcast Academy: So you could use your Windows progs under Linux
2008-11-22 16:20:56 [Message] PeggyG -> -Webcast Academy: Actually I'm perfectly content with the power of my Mac for streaming. I just need more practice!
2008-11-22 16:21:13 [Message] stevetuf -> -Webcast Academy: I have to disappear for a few minutes
2008-11-22 16:21:15 [Message] PeggyG -> -Webcast Academy: Sorry Nergiz!
2008-11-22 16:21:17 [Message] stevetuf -> -Webcast Academy: sorry :(
2008-11-22 16:21:21 [Message] sheila -> -Webcast Academy: @Nergiz - can you play the ustream on the side?
2008-11-22 16:21:29 [Message] Nergiz -> -Webcast Academy: Good luck to Minhaaj!
2008-11-22 16:21:50 [Message] JL -> -Webcast Academy: Nergiz, what happens when you try playing the UStream?
2008-11-22 16:21:51 [Message] Lorna -> -Webcast Academy: i'm pretty fixed on my Mac
2008-11-22 16:21:55 [Message] sheila -> -Webcast Academy: click the play putton. Sound so low so you may need to turn up the volume.
2008-11-22 16:21:56 [Message] Nergiz -> -Webcast Academy: NOrmally, yes, Sheila. But today they don't appear. Have tried Safari and Firefox
2008-11-22 16:21:58 [Message] PeggyG -> -Webcast Academy: That sounds so complex on Linux/Ubuntu!
2008-11-22 16:22:18 [Message] minhaaj -> -Webcast Academy: www.covert-media.com
2008-11-22 16:22:19 [Message] Nergiz -> -Webcast Academy: Would never give up my MAC :-)
2008-11-22 16:22:41 [Message] Lorna -> -Webcast Academy: check the link pls
2008-11-22 16:22:46 [Message] Lorna -> -Webcast Academy: not working
2008-11-22 16:22:48 [Message] PeggyG -> -Webcast Academy: www.convert-media.com
2008-11-22 16:23:04 [Message] sheila -> -Webcast Academy: Now it's our time for the quiz for Minhaaj! Revenge!
2008-11-22 16:23:07 [Message] sheila -> -Webcast Academy: :)
2008-11-22 16:23:13 [Message] PeggyG -> -Webcast Academy: Lorna, have you done a gradcast??
2008-11-22 16:23:17 [Message] JL -> -Webcast Academy: skype 'worldbridges' to join in
2008-11-22 16:23:25 [Message] PeggyG -> -Webcast Academy: Yes, time for a quiz for Minhaaj!! :-)
2008-11-22 16:23:32 [Message] Nergiz -> -Webcast Academy: Address can't be found: http://www.covert-media.com/
2008-11-22 16:23:38 [Message] PeggyG -> -Webcast Academy: I want to hear his most embarrassing moment!
2008-11-22 16:23:41 [Message] sheila -> -Webcast Academy: I would love to skype in but I have lost my voice for 3 days now.
2008-11-22 16:23:53 [Message] PeggyG -> -Webcast Academy: I corrected the link above
2008-11-22 16:24:06 [Message] Lorna -> -Webcast Academy: jeff gave me badge one day becuase he felt sorry for me
2008-11-22 16:24:20 [Message] PeggyG -> -Webcast Academy: Jeff doesn't do that!
2008-11-22 16:24:27 [Message] Lorna -> -Webcast Academy: gosh ty
2008-11-22 16:24:42 [Message] sheila -> -Webcast Academy: So Minhaaj, what was your most embarrassing moment?
2008-11-22 16:24:47 [Message] Nergiz -> -Webcast Academy: Thanks, Peggy!
2008-11-22 16:24:58 [Message] sheila -> -Webcast Academy: How's the job search going Minhaaj!
2008-11-22 16:25:04 [Message] sheila -> -Webcast Academy: I can't talk.
2008-11-22 16:25:09 [Message] Lorna -> -Webcast Academy: I think we don't do enough to
2008-11-22 16:25:15 [Message] sheila -> -Webcast Academy: LOst my voice for 3 days now.
2008-11-22 16:25:19 [Message] JL -> -Webcast Academy: http://www.mebeam.com/webcast-academy
2008-11-22 16:25:24 [Message] PeggyG -> -Webcast Academy: no Skype for me today-I have my 5-year-old granddaughter here with me.
2008-11-22 16:25:47 [Message] PeggyG -> -Webcast Academy: Exactly--turn around is fair play!
2008-11-22 16:26:30 [Message] PeggyG -> -Webcast Academy: Seems like the time zone has been an ongoing problem for Minhaaj
2008-11-22 16:26:43 [Message] JL -> -Webcast Academy: Lorna, would you like to skype in?
2008-11-22 16:27:38 [Message] Nergiz -> -Webcast Academy: Thanks for the link above. I can see Jeff and somebody else but still not sound. Thanks anyway :)
2008-11-22 16:27:54 [Message] PeggyG -> -Webcast Academy: Sheila and I are big Minhajj fams and supporters
2008-11-22 16:28:06 [Message] sheila -> -Webcast Academy: Absolutely!
2008-11-22 16:28:47 [Message] Nergiz -> -Webcast Academy: Good-bye everyone! And enjoy!
2008-11-22 16:28:48 [Message] PeggyG -> -Webcast Academy: @Nergiz-can you move the audio bar on the stream all the way to the right? Make sure it's not muted.
2008-11-22 16:29:04 [Message] JL -> -Webcast Academy: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/minhaaj-gradcast
2008-11-22 16:29:10 [Message] stevetuf -> -Webcast Academy: I have to go - I have too much to do...
2008-11-22 16:29:40 [Message] stevetuf -> -Webcast Academy: Good luck with everything! :)
2008-11-22 16:29:42 [Message] JL -> -Webcast Academy: Try that link Nergiz
2008-11-22 16:30:03 [Message] stevetuf -> -Webcast Academy: You too - it's coming up to 1:30 pm
2008-11-22 16:30:10 [Message] stevetuf -> -Webcast Academy: Bye - -
2008-11-22 16:30:18 [Message] Nergiz -> -Webcast Academy: I'm trying. Thanks!
2008-11-22 16:31:03 [Message] sheila -> -Webcast Academy: Minhaaj never sleeps!
2008-11-22 16:31:36 [Message] Nergiz -> -Webcast Academy: Weird, it always worked.... Link above not working or loading very slowly
2008-11-22 16:32:27 [Message] Lorna -> -Webcast Academy: can Minhaaji sign into mebeam and I can video his gradcast
2008-11-22 16:32:37 [Message] PeggyG -> -Webcast Academy: Because of people around the world on Twitter you can connect with friends 24/7. It's amazing!
2008-11-22 16:33:12 [Message] PeggyG -> -Webcast Academy: Great analogy, Jeff. sip from the fire hose!
2008-11-22 16:34:03 [Message] Nergiz -> -Webcast Academy: Thanks for helping but it seems it's not working for me today.
2008-11-22 16:34:18 [Message] JL -> -Webcast Academy: http://tokbox.com/
2008-11-22 16:34:30 [Message] PeggyG -> -Webcast Academy: tokbox was amazing! I'm planning to try it out.
2008-11-22 16:34:45 [Message] JL -> -Webcast Academy: Lorna, skype 'worldbridges'
2008-11-22 16:35:23 [Message] PeggyG -> -Webcast Academy: Lorna is coming through loud and clear
2008-11-22 16:35:56 [Message] PeggyG -> -Webcast Academy: Minhaaj is much much softer than Lorna and Jeff
2008-11-22 16:36:10 [Message] JL -> -Webcast Academy: http://www.mebeam.com/webcast-academy
2008-11-22 16:36:52 [Message] PeggyG -> -Webcast Academy: Isn't this amazing? The learning never stops!
2008-11-22 16:37:03 [Message] sheila -> -Webcast Academy: True!
2008-11-22 16:37:38 [Message] PeggyG -> -Webcast Academy: Glad you're recording the ustream so we can watch again :-)
2008-11-22 16:37:46 [Message] sheila -> -Webcast Academy: Jeff - Are you in the bat cave?
2008-11-22 16:37:47 [Message] PeggyG -> -Webcast Academy: Which camera did you pick, Lorna?
2008-11-22 16:38:15 [Message] PeggyG -> -Webcast Academy: Excellent! You'll love it!
2008-11-22 16:38:57 [Message] sheila -> -Webcast Academy: Wow! Smile recognition! What next?
2008-11-22 16:39:35 [Message] PeggyG -> -Webcast Academy: That was fascinating!
2008-11-22 16:40:55 [Message] PeggyG -> -Webcast Academy: Didn't you get your cake, Minhaaj? I'm enjoying mine :-)
2008-11-22 16:40:56 [Message] sheila -> -Webcast Academy: and ice cream?
2008-11-22 16:41:18 [Message] PeggyG -> -Webcast Academy: Congratulations for this great milestone, Minhaaj!! Great job!
2008-11-22 16:41:36 [Message] sheila -> -Webcast Academy: I'll drink a toast of cough syrup!
2008-11-22 16:41:55 [Message] JL -> -Webcast Academy: you party girl :)
2008-11-22 16:42:06 [Message] PeggyG -> -Webcast Academy: Last workshop I did someone asked me if there was anything I wasn't excited about. Don't think there is!
2008-11-22 16:42:42 [Message] sheila -> -Webcast Academy: Congratulations Minhaaj on your gradcast!
2008-11-22 16:43:24 [Message] sheila -> -Webcast Academy: Hard core JL!
2008-11-22 16:43:25 [Message] PeggyG -> -Webcast Academy: The webcastacademy chat has been so helpful for problemsolving and support!
2008-11-22 16:43:56 [Message] PeggyG -> -Webcast Academy: How did you decide on the name TeacherTrek?
2008-11-22 16:44:23 [Message] sheila -> -Webcast Academy: Clap, Clap!
2008-11-22 16:44:33 [Message] PeggyG -> -Webcast Academy: Congratulations again, Minhaaj! Go celebrate!
2008-11-22 16:44:58 [Message] sheila -> -Webcast Academy: Yeah! :)
2008-11-22 16:45:15 [Message] sheila -> -Webcast Academy: Sounds officlal to me!
2008-11-22 16:45:23 [Message] PeggyG -> -Webcast Academy: Thanks Jeff, Minhaaj, Lorna, Sheila!! That music always makes me cry. :-) Tears of joy!
2008-11-22 16:46:16 [Message] sheila -> -Webcast Academy: "Talk" to you all later! Need to rest my voice . . .
2008-11-22 16:47:27 [Message] PeggyG -> -Webcast Academy: Take care of yourself Sheila!
2008-11-22 16:47:43 [Message] PeggyG -> -Webcast Academy: bye all!
2008-11-22 17:13:18 [Message] susanacanelo -> -Webcast Academy: I saw your invitation in Facebook
2008-11-22 17:13:25 [Message] susanacanelo -> -Webcast Academy: hello
2008-11-22 18:39:24 [Message] susanacanelo -> -Webcast Academy: bye

Will be adding video link to interncast soon.

NewZealand, Immigration Discriminations against Muslims and Developing World

2008-11-21T21:21:00.001+05:00

During my research that i conducted for a past week or so about Newzealand Immigration i have come across really compelling facts that urged me to write this post for people from developing countries, who are trying to apply for a western visa. I assume at this point that most people know about the current economic conditions, Islamophobia and war on terrorism and there is no need to recapitulate on these issues so lets make a hypothesis that most of the under developed world, specifically muslim countries have a default value of 'Terrorist Countries' which are potential threats to peaceful and 'civilized' countries and their 'homeland security'.

Most of the applicants would apply generally under three basic categories. Study, Work or Immigration. Basic purpose is to look for better opportunities of earning, a qualification that would make their qualifications a little more cumbersome since by law NZ doesn't except qualifications from Pakistan, India etc. I'll come back to this later in this post. Following are some of the basic requirements of obtaining a visit visa from Pakistan, Iran and Srilanka.

1. Fully completed “Application for Visiting New Zealand” (NZIS Form 1017).

2. Application Fee
In the case of visitor visa applications only, a joint application may be made by a couple in a genuine and stable relationship and any dependant children of that relationship (19 years of age or under) if travelling for the same period. If you are travelling as part of a family group please clarify the fees applicable with our office.

The application fee of Thai Baht, 3,400 baht is payable for visitor visa applications. Please note that this fee is a processing fee and is NON-REFUNDABLE regardless of the outcome of your visa application.

Acceptable modes of payment include cashier cheque (when applying in person), bank draft payable to the “New Zealand Immigration Service” or credit card (Master Card/ Visa Card).

Payment may also be made by USD bank draft only of USD 110 (including bank clearance fees of USD 10).

Cash is NOT accepted by this office.

3. A recent passport sized photograph to be attached to the application form.

4. Original passport or certified copy. NB if you live in a country where it is illegal to send the passport offshore please provide a full copy (every page) rather than the original document.

5. Evidence of your immigration status in the country where you are currently residing, if it is not your country of citizenship (e.g. work permit, student permit, permanent residence, etc).

6. Your travel itinerary and flight bookings.

7. Evidence that you have sufficient funds to support yourself during your stay. The minimum funds required is NZ$1,000 per person per month of stay in New Zealand. This should be submitted in the form of bank statements in your own name.

8. If your visit is being sponsored by a New Zealand citizen/resident, a fully completed “Sponsorship Form for Visiting New Zealand” (NZIS Form 1025), signed and endorsed by your New Zealand sponsor.

9. Evidence of any previous travel.

Answer 1. If you have a deep look at the visit visa form the only question they seem to miss is about your pets. You have to provide your 'alternative' names that you are known with incase you are spoofing NZ immigration dept. That ofcourse can be related to our earlier premise that we're confirmed terrorists and that doesn't need a prove or atleast a decent enquiry on background. If you are visiting for more than 6 months you need to provide a medical certificate to make sure you don't suffer from a lethal disease AIDS, Cancer etc. Note here that people from following countries are most welcome to NZ and they don't need a pre-arrival visa EVEN if they have Cancer, Aids etc. How welcoming? Note that citizens from these countries have to provide a medical certificate too if they live beyond 3 months, but if the purpose was to prevent chronic patients and rampant diseases, allowing them to enter for even 3 months is absurd.

Andorra Argentina Austria
Bahrain Belgium Brazil
Brunei Bulgaria Canada
Chile Cyprus Czech Republic
Denmark Estonia Finland
France Germany Greece
Hong Kong Hungary Iceland
Ireland Israel Italy
Japan Korea (South) Kuwait
Latvia Liechtenstein Lithuania
Luxembourg Malaysia Malta
Mexico Monaco Netherlands
Norway Oman Poland
Portugal Qatar Romania
San Marino Saudi Arabia Singapore
Slovak Republic Slovenia South Africa
Spain Sweden Switzerland
United Arab Emirates United States of America Uruguay
Vatican City

You can see that citizens from Arab Islamic countries, Kuwait, Oman, Saudia Arabia and UAE are on the list of countries who are eligible for a visa-free entry. I'll leave this simple question to you to figure out the reason of this nicety :) Isn't it obvious ?

2. Application Fee
In the case of visitor visa applications only, a joint application may be made by a couple in a genuine and stable relationship and any dependant children of that relationship (19 years of age or under) if travelling for the same period. If you are travelling as part of a family group please clarify the fees applicable with our office.
The application fee of Thai Baht, 3,400 baht is payable for visitor visa applications. Please note that this fee is a processing fee and is NON-REFUNDABLE regardless of the outcome of your visa application.
Acceptable modes of payment include cashier cheque (when applying in person), bank draft payable to the “New Zealand Immigration Service” or credit card (Master Card/ Visa Card).
Payment may also be made by USD bank draft only of USD 110 (including bank clearance fees of USD 10).
Cash is NOT accepted by this office.

Answer 2. Since we've waived the visa requirements for all the G-8 brothers and other potential business partners and friends, lets get down to the debris. Visa fee is $110 USD excluding any bank charges. That is almost 8800, slightly over the monthly salary of 75% of Pakistani population. This blogpost is written seriously in context of Pakistani comparison and policies that apply to Iran, Srilanka and Iran, so except differences of facts for different nationalities. If you are citizen of one of the above listed countries, stop reading this post. That doesn't concern you. If your sponsor is paying for you and your sponsor is in Newzealand, even then you can't submit your documents (coming on that in a bit) in Newzealand
branch of immigrations. Your receiving office is Bangkok and that means more courier costs. If there are documents missing from your application, its YOUR responsibility to send them on YOUR cost, although a good solution would be electronic copies.

Acceptable modes are Bank Draft (definitely spit out more money) and Credit card (Haram or forbidden in islamic economics). Good News. Money is non-refundable and you are screwed if THEY believe your documents or even intentions are not geunine. (Thats written on
the website of NZ immigration)

3. A recent passport sized photograph to be attached to the application form.

Answer 3. Incase they didn't like the picture on your passport.

4. Original passport or certified copy. NB if you live in a country where it is illegal to send the passport offshore please provide a full copy (every page) rather than the original document.

Answer 4. Since we're confirmed terrorists and without a copy of passport they wouldn't believe we have one, they need it OR the CERTIFIED copies. Lets talk about the certification. Certification can be done by a lawyer or person who is authorized by a person in your OWN country who is eligible to do that. Last time i checked, there were computers on airport and electronic record of everyone in Pakistan who have passports. Wouldn't it be nicer to ask Pakistani Immigrations to verify if this guy really have a passport.

5. Evidence of your immigration status in the country where you are currently residing, if it is not your country of citizenship (e.g. work permit, student permit, permanent residence, etc).

Answer 5. Actually this is the most funny one. They don't even believe you are residing or are a citizen of Pakistan/Iran/Srilanka even with your passport/copies of passport/postal address. You have to put your identification document like your ID card or driving license's copy
in the application pack to certify that you are a confirmed terrorist. :)

6. Your travel itinerary and flight bookings.

Answer 6
Well i really don't blame this one. You really need to show your travel itinerary and flight bookings to show that you intend to go back, since your threatening presence and potential 'malice' would stain the fresh air of NZ in long run. This is probably justified because there have been cases were South Asians have overstayed their visit and have applied for work visa, which can be done according to law state on www.immigration.govt.nz but that doesn't apply
to people they don't like. At this point i would like to come back to the point that i stated above where it is clearly mentioned on the website that 'We may deny you the right to enter NZ if WE believe that you are not a genuine visitor and your intentions dont match your visa type'. And, there is no doubt about the logical consequence of this statement which is that what THEY say goes. Even if you are the most genuine visitor since the Crown itself. You can always be deported without a reason. Sole reason of which could be the very fact that you are a muslim. Fair enough. So be prepared to fly 18 hours back before you can go to sleep.

7. Evidence that you have sufficient funds to support yourself during your stay. The minimum funds required is NZ$1,000 per person per month of stay in New Zealand. This should be submitted in the form of bank statements in your own name.

Answer 7
Obviously, since you belong from debris, you must have coins to support yourself. Agree again. atleast nobody can contest that. Even if you have a sponsor in NZ who is willing to do that, they have to sign a form stating that they'd pay for your accomodation/expenses AND travel expenses too, if they don't have it, which they by default won't have. You have to provide bank statement,mortgage papers and written undertaking, that you owe Crown this money, if they have to deport your unwelcomed guests, if he doesn't have enough money to fly back. Our pre-understanding is that you can't even work while you are on visit visa to earn that kind of money. I am not sure if your sponsor have to defray the expenses if they showed you out right from the airport.
Incase you are not sponsored you have to show them that you have $400 NZD for your accomodation or $1000 NZD for your expenses in NZ per month for the duration of your stay.

$1000 NZD is i guess about 50,000 and if you intend to stay for say 3 months, its 150,000, an amount that 75% of Pakistanis wouldn't earn in an year. This means most people would not be able to defray it and hence should stay in their own hovel. Can't think of a smarter policy, evading the tag of 'discrimination' at the same time. Good Job.

8. If your visit is being sponsored by a New Zealand citizen/resident, a fully completed “Sponsorship Form for Visiting New Zealand” (NZIS Form 1025), signed and endorsed by your New Zealand sponsor.

Answer 8. Well unless your sponsor is the most generous person on earth, which i can tell you from experience most Kiwis are, if they're actually able to underatke such oaths and have means to do so, policy is real crappy. They don't even trust and inquire the circumstances of their own citizens and would want THEM to submit the proofs of their mortgage, creditcards, bank statements and written oath for their undertaking.

9. Evidence of any previous travel.

Answer 9. Now you know in psychology, a good way to cure phobia is to do the same thing that ticks off patients. For example if someone is afraid of water, throwing water would probably suck the blood out of them but it would also oust out the fear that water hurts. I guess this is the same therapy NZ governments have chosen for their immigration officers. An evidence of previous travel and the assurance that this man has come back without blasting whole country cures immigration officers and cools them down a little.

Even with all that, be prepared to take another flight back home if you've just landed after an 18 hour flight to Auckland/Christchurch etc. Like i said in the post, they can deny you the entry if THEY believe for whatever reasons that they are not bound to tell you, that you shouldn't enter NZ. There is an old saying that says 'Jis jaga insan ki izzat na ho, wahan mut jao'. Don't go to places where they don't respect you. It might be a good change to see another reigon or work for a while, but don't expect respect when you are shown that you won't be respected. I went to dubai last week, and was amazed to see how well people were treated
from muslim countries even though i acknowledge the fact that labour classes from Pakistan/india/Afghanistan are 3rd class citizens in those countries as well as their own countries, thanks to their own westernized governments.

Irony of fate is my experience with Kiwis online for years now. I have never met more polite and helpful people during my years of working with almost every nationality on earth. They are simple, respectful and understanding human beings with a very funny (in a good way) accent. I have seen Maori tatooing and was amazed to hear their brave wars with Crown. Being from a colonized country myself, having read my own history and then Kiwi history i am glad, in most economic, social and cultural aspects, Maoris are doing way better as compared to us who are completely enslaved by both psychological and physical dominance of the corrupt Crown. I have learned about NZ education system and its Wanangas and Aotearoa's lovely traditions and i have to come love the culture.

Its really painful to know that Maoris lost the battle of hospitality and immigration controls to the lifelong corrupt Crown. On an individual level, Kiwis will probably always be my favorites, but collectively the nightmare of NZ immigration would taint the face of wonderful Maori tradition forever.

Articles on ICT and Wikipedia

2008-11-14T16:03:00.000+05:00

These are two articles i have recently written on ICT in developing countries and Wikipedia's demise (at least in spirit). I couldn't give the link on blogpost because i had so much on hand. Presenting a paper on WikiEducator in Syndey, Australia in LAMS 2008. Been busy with that. Stay tuned, presentation for that coming up soon. Find current articles

Here

and article on Demise of Wikipedia Here

FOC - Reporting Session with Vance Stevens

2008-11-10T15:59:00.002+05:00

For the FOC mini-conference assignment, i conducted a session with founder of Webheads and a lovely individual Vance Stevens on 9th November, 11 AM GMT. Session was scheduled shortly after Webhead's 10th Anniversary. Webheads, is a community of ESL teachers from all over the world. Members include prestigious academics namely, Nellie Muller Deutsch from Israel, Doris Molero from Venezuela, Rita zeinjster from Argentia, Nergiz Kern from Turkey, Susan Marandi from Iran, Ibrahim from Tajakistan, Nina Liakos from US, Nelba Quintanna from Argentina, Dennis Newson from Germany, and Vance himself works in Abu Dhabi, UAE. (With apologies to hundreds of webheads whose name i couldn't mention but are equally important and have worked for this beautiful community as much as everyone us.)

I joined community with my introduction to it through some mutual friends in early 2008. My work with ESL teaching and Wikipedia and other open source projects has gotten me some very valuable names like Nellie Muller and Vance Stevens. Vance has been one of the leading ESL teachers alive today. He is also the founder of TESOL CALL-Interest Section. He has done his MA in TESOL in 1983, two years before i was born :) He has taught extensively in US, Saudia Arabia, Oman and UAE. His research papers and lectures give us a very deep and comprehensible understanding of the complexity and ingenuity of his work. Webheads as his brain child has become one of the leading ESL community. It is known to be a very friendly, welcoming and productive community of practitioners.

I invited Vance to have a session with me to elucidate the concept of Webheads. He was kind enough to accept my invitation. Participants included Nellie Muller, Doris Molero, Doug symington and others. I started with welcoming participants and introducing Vance. Most of us were familiar with Wiziq so we didn't have to face the issue of familiarity with the tool. Nellie and Doris and I helped participants with any questions regarding Wiziq that they might have. Vance elaborated the reasons and philosophy of creation of Webheads. I proceeded with questions about projects that Webheads are assosciated with, its accomplishments and guidelines for people who wanted to join Webheads.

Unfortunately, due to bad connectivity on my side, i dropped off in the middle of session. I use a Wimax Connection on my end. 1 mbps to be specific. It didn't work unexpectedly and i tried reconnecting but wasn't able to get in. I had the slides uploaded so Vance was able to continue and Nellie and others took over the control and the session went smoothly. Recording of the session is available at http:://blip.tv/file/1448382.

In connected world, specially in less developed countries, connectivity is a serious issue that impedes the process of e-learning significantly. This should be kept in mind when initiating projects and designing instructional devices for online learning.

I have thought about the alternatives that might help ameliorate these situations. Ofcourse better connectivity is the best possible way but this is beyond the personal locus of control of participants which involve governmental and international resources and infrastructure alternative technologies and ways are inevitable. Following are the few alternatives that could help:

* Include co-facilitators from developed world and good connections to take over in case facilitator from developing world drops.
* Pre-record sessions and upload the video to popular video sites to prevent emergencies of synchronous sessions.
* Create asyncrhonous sessions or meetings e.g moodle, google groups, yahoo groups. This is still a worth exploring question, whether this falls under the domain of facilitating an online community since its not synchronous and lacks the spirit of real-time interaction and on-the-run collaboration.
* Transcript of text chat. It still can be criticized for its lack of demonstration of facilitating capabilities and real-time interaction with participants and the guest speakers.

These are some of the alternatives that can be used to bridge the gap between haves and have-nots in an e-learning democracy. The digital divide can be synthesized by the power of harmony and community through collaboration. I am glad that i was able to experience this feeling and am thankful to Nellie and other participants who helped me facilitate this session. This is the evidence that collaboration trascends beyond the geographical limitations and cultural differences. Let the force be with People :)